Show-Off: Chapter 35 posted 22/11

[Sike Saner]

That's likely one of the most badass slowbro of all time right there.

I thought Eusine's battle style for Weezing was rather neat, and it was good as always to see one of my favorite pokémon in action.

Congrats on completing the Golden Arc. It's been great, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's to come in the main story and in the upcoming arc that was mentioned.

[Chris 2.1]

Okay.

SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT.

I have been really busy, like, so busy. This chapter has been half-written for a long time, and I made a lot of edits, changes, switches, moves.

Hopefully the plot stuff and the action will make up! Oh, and I think I can admit that there's some epic goodness in the next few chapters!

Show-Off
-XXVI-
Mai Tai

It was early, but Milo didn’t want to linger any longer. He got out of bed, leaving his hotel and going down to the beach where he spent most of the previous evening. At this time, with streetlamps still glowing despite the shifting darkness, the air was tasty and crisp. Milo could almost make out Violet City as he stared across the beach. It was higher up and not close to the water.

Medicham sat in the sand and watched Milo training Scyther. Croconaw was swimming idly, his eyes just visible above sea level, and both Magneton and Houndour were also out on the beach. The team seemed wary of Houndour, whose natural expression was that of an aggressive snarl.

Scyther flew into the air and crossed his scythes together, firing off a concentrated X-scissor towards a large rock formation on the beach. The attack smashed into the rocks and caused dust and debris to gasp into the atmosphere.

After seeing Gallade using night slash, Milo was determined to teach it to Scyther. Brief research over breakfast suggested the attack was executed by waiting for the right time to strike the opponent - it was also known as blade test. Milo came to the conclusion that night slash would only work when the foe was particularly vulnerable. This meant he had to work on identifying a foe’s weak spot before the attack would be at its best.

Unfortunately, nobody was around for Milo to battle except for the odd wild Pokemon. There were Krabby and Shellder littering the beach, and some were eager to battle when Scyther disturbed their sleep. Most, however, escaped into the water.

As Scyther used a quick attack to speed low along the sandy beach and pull up into the air, Milo watched him and wondered if he could have defeated Mia’s Gallade if he had used this Pokemon. How did the creature’s strength compare to Croconaws? Milo thought the two Pokemon were at a similar level of strength.

Suddenly, Milo’s thoughts were ruptured by a voice calling across the beach.

“There you are!”

He turned to see Mia running over to him. Her Togetic, a small, sprightly creature, flew alongside her. Meredith was standing by the edge of the sand in a designer dress, apparently unsure whether or not she should come over.

“Hi,” Milo murmured.

“We’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Mia said, smiling. “We’re going back to Goldenrod this afternoon, we wanted to say goodbye.”

“Oh,” Milo said, as Meredith walked gingerly along the sand.

“How you feeling?” Mia asked, looking into her brother’s sad eyes. “After yesterday…”

“Fine,” Milo said. “Why aren’t you rubbing it in my face?”

“I’ll do that later,” she assured him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “But I was a bit worried. You just disappeared after the contest. Why didn’t you come to the after party?”

“There was a party?” Milo asked.

“You would have known if you’d stuck around,” scoffed his sister. “Pink champagne, goodie bags - I got loads of free makeup from Erica’s new collection. It was at an awesome bar in town.”

“Sounds fun,” Milo said lightly.

“Stop being so misunderstood,” she told him. “I’m sorry you lost, little brother, but…do you think being a coordinator is easy? You’ve lost, which is obviously sad, but I’ve lost contests. Mum has, too. But they’re different to losing a gym match, and I can tell that’s why you’re sad.”

“Go on,” Milo said.

“You train to take on a gym. If you’re strong, and you’re clever, you can beat a gym leader. If not, you won’t earn the badge. But with contests, you’re going against a bunch of different people, and they vary depending on the contest, on circumstance. Imagine if I never turned up to the contest - you might have won. Imagine if I was at Goldenrod against you - you mightn’t have won.”

“This is hardly enlightening,” Milo said.

“What I’m saying,” Mia said. “Is that you can be a good coordinator and still lose. You’re appeal was incredible, Milo, and you are a good battler. You just weren’t…you just didn’t…you just couldn’t.”

Milo looked at his sister, who seemed exhausted from her explanation. He had to admit she had a point; Milo was frustrated at losing when he felt his standards as a coordinator were better than ever. Really, the fact he had lost to Mia - though it was frustrating - wasn’t the issue at all. It was that his goal was no closer to his grasp despite all his hard work.

“Earning a ribbon is a sign that your relationship and performance with your Pokemon is stellar,” she reminded him. “To have a single ribbon is an incredible feat. It’s not like you’re running around collecting Easter Eggs, here - it isn’t as linear as that. You have three ribbons, which means you’re an incredible coordinator.”

“I suppose it’s not meant to be easy, getting into the Grand Festival,” Milo admitted.

“So that’s your goal now?” Mia said, smiling.

Meanwhile, Meredith had made her way across the beach - Milo spied her expensive shoes lying abandoned in the sand nearby. She gave Milo a one-armed squeeze and kissed him on the forehead. Mia looked away, disinterested.

“You were brilliant,” Meredith whispered. As she chatted to her son, Mia distanced herself, walking along to the waters edge and murmuring something about her Lanturn.

Medicham was meditating by the water’s edge, staring out across the sea. Milo’s other Pokemon were elsewhere on the beach, some sunbathing but others, like Scyther, watching his master carefully, barely moving an inch.

“How are you feeling?”

Medicham looked to see Mia and gave her a fleeting glare. But there was something in her gaze that evoked empathy in Medicham, and she unfolded her hands and sat back down. Mia sat down next to her and stared across the ocean.

“Me and mum are going back today,” Mia explained. “And you guys are staying around for a bit, I think?”

Medicham nodded.

“Look,” she said. “When I saw you battling yesterday, I thought you were incredible. You moved so gracefully and you’re so beautiful, Medicham. It made me think about what you’ve been through…losing your daughter in that fire when I tried capturing her, and going through the death of William…

“And I remember when he died, Dad suggested I trained you. I said no - you weren’t soft and fluffy, pretty and sparkling like the Pokemon I wanted to train. I feel like I rejected you…so you went to Milo…and I feel bad for that. But he has raised you in a way I never could, he’s really helped you mourn William and become this really strong Pokemon.”

Medicham looked at Mia as she spoke, seemingly touched by her words.

“I’d have never trained you the way he did,” she admitted. “And…I look forward to seeing you soon.”

She got back up and dusted the sand off her dress, smiling at Medicham for a moment. Medicham gave a curt nod at Mia and stared back across the ocean as Mia joined Meredith and the two prepared to leave Cherrygrove.

“All the best for the next contest,” Meredith said, kissing Milo on the cheek.

“Thanks,” Milo said. It felt nice having his mother embracing him, cuddling him, congratulating him on his work. She had never enjoyed the more vicious Pokemon battles he got involved in, so for her to be supportive in any capacity was touching.

“Listen, one last thing,” Mia said. “When we were at the party, that Nanette Babcock turned up. She had obviously been drinking a lot, and she looked hideous. Just…keep an eye on her, will you? She kept talking about how handsome you were and that she knew you and her had a close spiritual connection.”

“We definitely don’t,” Milo said, pulling a face.

“I guessed,” Mia said. “Just…be careful with her, ok?”

Milo and Mia said their goodbyes - as when they parted from Olivine, it was awkward. Milo tried to kiss his sister on the cheek and nearly head butted her; she ducked under him and tripped on the sand. Meredith assured her son she would phone him when they were back at Goldenrod, and next thing he knew the two were off back along the sandy cove.

“What did she want?” Milo asked Medicham. She shrugged, using her psychic to lift a clump of sand in the air, staring at the grains as they dripped like water from her grasp.

Milo trained for the rest of the morning, but didn’t want Medicham over-exerting herself. Scyther was practising his aerial attacks, improving his accuracy while he was airborne. Milo ordered Magneton to fire off a thunderbolt, while Scyther had to avoid - while in the air - and fire off a slash attack to strike Magneton. The training proved useful; Magneton was not hurt by the slash attacks due to his tough metal surface, and Scyther’s aim in the air had become much better.

After recalling all his team except Medicham, Milo walked through Cherrygrove and decided to move out his hotel. In hindsight, he hadn’t really used it much, but Cherrygrove had been sunny and pleasant - there was no need to stay inside. Grabbing a pastry for breakfast, Milo got a papaya for Medicham, but she merely picked at the flesh and ate a mouthful before declaring herself full.

“Can you even get obese?” Milo asked, as they walked upstairs to their room. Medicham just shrugged, apparently having never pondered this.

They packed up everything from the hotel room, with Medicham’s psychic coming in particularly useful - and Milo handed his key back in at the desk downstairs. Hopefully the drive to Violet would not be long, and he could see Jake and Falkner soon.

Milo made his way to the car, which was parked beneath the hotel, and almost dropped his bag in shock. The car was completely destroyed - the tyres slashed, the glass shattered, and the bonnet opened. Milo ran over and saw the engine, with its wires and cables, completely destroyed. It was charred and burnt,

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Milo screamed. “Who did this?”

“Everything ok?” said a voice.

“Someone’s ruined my car!” Milo snapped.

The man, who was quite tall and thin, came over from his car to assess the damage. Although he was several years older than Milo, there was a boyish air about him, and he was even smiling as he looked at the destroyed car.

“Quite a wreck,” he said. “Have you got any enemies?”

“I don’t think so,” Milo said, shrugging.

“Do you need a ride anywhere?” the man asked.

“Violet City,” Milo muttered, but the man gasped.

“I thought you were going on an errand, sorry, I don’t intend to drive all the way to Violet!” he said. “Sorry lad.”

“It’s okay,” Milo said. He would just have to walk to Violet City then. He was angry that Cecilia’s car had been ruined - her gift to the boys to help them escape Azalea Town had been wasted.

“My name’s Jared,” he said, shaking Milo’s hand. Milo noticed he had soft hands, which surprised him.

“Milo,” he replied.

“Well Milo, let’s go to the police station, we can report the damage,” Jared said.

“No, it’s okay,” Milo said. “You go on ahead. I’ll deal with it myself.”

Once Milo saw the man leave the car park, he pointed to the car and ordered Medicham to use her clairsentience on the wreck. Being able to read the surface memories would help them find out who or what caused the damage, and they could solve this mystery themselves.

“If you get any strong feelings, hold my hand,” Milo told his Pokemon, as she traced the car with her fingers, eyes closed. She ran them across the engine and the charred bonnet, moving along the slashed tyres and trying to sense the presence of anyone who may have interfered.

Milo could see it was proving to be difficult.

“You okay?” he said, as Medicham stepped back. “No luck?”

Medicham shook her head, looking somewhat confused. Milo wondered why Medicham’s ability wasn’t working; surely someone had to make contact with the car to destroy it? How did the car have no surface memories on it whatsoever? With Medicham unable to get results, Milo decided they would go and report the damage.

“Come on,” he said. “Thanks for trying.”

They walked through the underground car park together, but Medicham paused as she placed her foot on the first step. As she looked across the low room, she felt something like uncertainty creep over her. Something wasn’t right here, but she left with Milo nonetheless.

From the rafters of the car park, a creature opened its large, yellow eyes and watched the pair leave. A shadowy figure got out a telephone and pressed it against their ear, watching Milo and Medicham leave.

*

In a cool clearing on Route 36, Falkner fastened his cloak around his neck. This leafy path to Ecruteak City was narrow and windy, so the breeze was strong here. Pidgeot, who flew Falkner here from Violet City, perched in a large tree.

“Stay here,” Falkner said. “Circle the National Park and keep an eye on things, I might need you.”

He walked into the Route Gate; it was early morning so few people were about. A security guard, sitting behind the counter, murmured ‘good morning’ as Falkner walked past. There was no bug-catching contest on today, which meant the park was very quiet. This suited Falkner very much.

As he walked through the park, adorned with colourful flowers and beautiful fountains, Falkner found it hard not to be taken in by the beauty of the park. He felt confused after seeing the vision the previous night, but it settled him to know he had been right, sort of.

He always felt, for whatever reason, that he knew his father had been murdered, even when he was told by coroners the man had suffered a heart attack. Seeing the violent manner in which his father met his death was sickening, and it didn‘t leave Falkner‘s mind as he walked. In his last moments, Keadis was scared, panicked and alone, and that filled Falkner with a dull ache that would not go away.

Nearby, a young woman was sitting on a park bench with both a child in a stroller and a Furret. She was enjoying some fruit when Falkner approached her.

“Excuse me,” he said. “Do you know this park well?”

“I walk my daughter here every morning,” she said simply, looking into Falkner’s troubled eyes.

“Do you know a man named Barry Brambles?!

“Oh!” she gasped. “Bug-Eyes, yes. He means well, poor fellow, but he’s stark-raving bonkers. Always urinating on Pokemon to try and ‘claim’ them, I think he’s lived here for some time.”

“Where in the park does he live?”

“Oh, beyond the railings, in the deep,” she said, pointing across Falkner’s shoulder. He turned to see the high mesh fence ripped apart in a small corner, leading to a dark and gloomy path winding further into the park. “But…I wouldn’t go.”

“Why?” Falkner asked.

“It’s hardly safe, he spends most his time antagonising wild Pokemon,” she said.

“Well, it is urgent,” Falkner admitted, but the woman gave a patronising laugh.

“More urgent is the matter of life and death,” she sniffed. “Good day.”

As she pushed the stroller along the park, Furret bounded on ahead, standing up straight to assess the area at every opportunity. The child gurgled and giggled at the creature’s curious actions. Falkner gripped his Xatu’s Pokeball and walked confidently towards the mesh fence.

During his journey, he had thought long and hard about how he would find Barry. This was, after all, a large park, and even if Barry really had been living here for a long time, he would no doubt have several places where he lived, wandered and hid.

Releasing the bird, who emerged perfectly still without making a single noise, Falkner asked Xatu to scan the area to see if Barry had been here. One of Xatu’s eyes began to move around, but the other stayed still. As Xatu looked in the past for footprints, fingerprints and traces of Barry, he projected them into Falkner’s head, so Falkner was overwhelmed with pearly-white manifestations of Barry, all wandering around.

One was urinating in the flowerbed, while another ran along with a similar ghostly apparition of a Hitmonchan. Falkner understood that Xatu was showing Falkner where Barry had moved and when - the brighter the essence of Barry, the more recent.

The brightest, which similarly had more detail etched into his face, was walking through the gap in the mesh fence. Falkner ran to look at him, and his face matched the man in the vision. This was the man he wanted to see. As Xatu flapped up into the air, Falkner could see the memory of the man wandering deeper in the forest, and squeezed through the mesh fence.

Once he passed the darkened perimeter of the darker trees, Falkner felt a chill down his spine. It was cold here. He chased the memory as it walked through the woods, sometimes moving his lips as if talking. At one point, the memory sat in a tree for a while, and with no way to speed things up, Falkner had to wait. He kept wanting to talk to Barry, but remembered he was not real.

Soon, the man’s footsteps carried him down a steep ridge, where a man lay asleep on a thick bed of leaves and branches. Falkner gasped as Barry Brambles lay before him, a camel-coloured coat draped over his sleeping form. Xatu stopped projecting the memories, and all the ghostly apparitions disappeared.

“Barry?” Falkner said He walked slightly closer, calling his name again.

It took several attempts before Falkner roused Barry, but once his eyes were open, he leapt to his feet, grabbing a Pokeball from his pocket. Barry looked tired, with his eyes sunken and dry. It felt strange seeing him in real life - Falkner felt oddly close with this man.

“My name’s Falkner,” he explained. “I’m…my dad was friends with you. His name was Keadis?”

“Keadis? Never heard of him,” Barry said. “But I’m surprised you found me, kid. This is the darkest area of the darkest part of the wood.”

“I have good…” Falkner began, before realising it was difficult to explain how he got here. His utterance faded, however.

“I expect you want some help finding a rare bug Pokemon?” Barry said, buttoning up his dirty shirt. “I’m available for hire, if the price is right.”

“No, I need to speak to you about Keadis,” Falkner replied. “My father. He died in this park.”

“Preposterous,” Barry said, though he pronounced the word slightly wrong. “I roam these parts, and I’ve never seen a dead body.”

“You were there, I know it,” Falkner insisted. “My father, Keadis, he was killed by a Victreebel.”

“Victreebel don’t live here,” Barry replied. “No, no, you’re wrong.”

Falkner suspected Barry had been driven slightly mad by the murder, but he seemed to live a self-contained existence.

“How long have you been here?” he asked Barry.

“I have roamed these woods since my wife left me,” he said. “I used to sell bikes for a living in Ecruteak City.”

“My father knew you from Violet,” Falkner pointed out. “And you came to Goldenrod City together before his death. You must remember this?”

“Sounds like someone’s had their head filled with nonsense!” Barry laughed. “The sap in these trees do warp the mind, but there’s little else to eat, you see.”

It was like going around in circles; Barry had no idea of his life before Keadis’ death, he was a recluse in his own head. Falkner toyed with showing Barry the Membership Card, but it felt so severe, so instant, it would be very distressing for him. Luckily, he had a Plan B.

“Would you care for a battle?” Falkner asked, getting a Pokeball out.

*

There was a gentle rumbling as the waves crashed on the shore. Milo sat on the beach, staring out to Violet City, thinking hard about Cecilia’s car. It hurt to know someone had destroyed the car given as a gift; Milo hated himself for letting the car out of his sight for a second. It was a sacrifice to ensure the boys could get away from Oscar, and now it lay beneath the hotel, useless.

On the subject of getting back to Violet City, Milo thought Medicham might be able to teleport him there. While teleporting over long distances was often dangerous, Medicham might be able to make three trips across the route. It was something to consider, anyway.

“Sup,” came a familiar drawl. Milo looked as Nanette walked over, slurping a large orange slushie. Nanette looked quite rough; if Mia was right that she had drunk a lot of alcohol the night before, she seemingly had little sleep. Her hair was standing on end, looking ruffled and damaged. Her clothes didn’t look fresh, either.

“Oh, hi Nanette,” Milo said lazily. He didn’t have the energy to entertain the girl today, and was pondering Mia’s last words. Nanette perched herself down next to Milo and wiggled her bottom into the sand. “Look, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not in the mood for…well, anything.”

“I heard about your car,” she said, drawing a rude image in the sand and speaking in a lazy tone. “That totally sucks.”

“How did you know about that?” Milo asked sharply.

“Oh, everyone knows,” she replied, although Milo could see pink patches in the girl’s cheeks.

“I didn’t report it to the police, how would you know?” Milo said, his voice rising. He was in no mood to be nice to Nanette; she was annoying, and frankly she smelled of stale alcohol today.

“Shut up,” Nanette snapped. “I saw it in that parking lot. I was there looking for you.”

Milo clicked his tongue and stared across the sea. He wasn’t surprised at her behaviour; she had probably waited by his car to make sure she got a ride to Violet City. Nanette’s loud slurps punctured the silence, and when Milo continued to keep to himself, the girl fumbled with a Pokeball to release her short, stubby Vileplume.

Angry though he was, Milo couldn’t help but look at the inky blue creature. It’s petals - normally big, swollen and full of pollen, were short and thin, a pale tomato red in colour. The beetle-black eyes of Vileplume looked small and crinkled. It truly was pathetic looking.

“Princess,” Nanette said to her Pokemon. “The sun is shining! Use synthesis.”

Vileplume screwed her face up and concentrated hard, trying to feed itself from the sunlight. Milo was used to this technique - his Exeggutor was adapt at photosynthesis. As Vileplume tried to absorb the rays from the sunshine, Milo thought about his own grass Pokemon, and how he had disturbed them as an Exeggutor colony.

He had been outside Violet City following his successful win of the Zephyr badge against Keadis, and was training Elekid’s fighting attacks when he irked the cluster of Pokemon. One swept into his stomach; it was like being hit by a football. Another blasted spores in his face while a third bit his ankle. Milo captured them, but didn’t realise all six came together.

Since then, they had been a formidable part of his team, but Milo had not learned much about evolving Pokemon through evolution stones. It was only when he was making his way to Blackthorn City, for his final badge, that someone pointed out how fat and swollen the egg cluster was, and that they were more than ready to evolve.

It had been a blessing in disguise; once they merged to form the coconut tree Pokemon, they had an excess of power, and secured many victories for Milo during the Johto league.

But this creature, which had clearly evolved too early, was grunting and heaving as it tried to feed from natural light. Milo also noticed an unpleasant smell in the air; evidently Gloom’s potent fumes hadn’t properly developed into sweet fragrances.

Looking across the sandy bay, Milo saw a boy training a Bayleef, and realised that this was no stranger. It was Christian Dior, a flamboyant punk Milo met in Goldenrod City. They hadn’t got on with each other well; Dior had thrown hot coffee over Milo’s face after he pushed in front of a queue, but seeing him made Milo leap from his spot and run over.

“Hey!” Nanette said, as Milo brushed sand from his buttocks.

“Dior!” Milo called. He wasn’t sure why the sight of the boy was as compelling as it was - maybe spending time with Nanette, and being away from Jake made him feel a bit isolated. Maybe it was just a thrill to see someone familiar.

Dior stood, a hand on his hip, as Milo got closer. He wore tailored denim shorts and a black vest; Milo could see a thick, twisting black tattoo on the boy’s shoulder, winding down his arm. His two eyebrow bolts shimmered from the sun.

“Well, well, well,” he said, smirking. “It’s Milo Mitchelson.”

“Hey,” Milo said coolly. “Training?”

Bayleef stomped over; the leaf on her head was longer and slimmer than the males; it twisted down her head like a ponytail. She pulled a face as she saw the trainer that defeated her before.

“Yup,” Dior replied. “Sorry about your contest loss. It was a real shame, your appeal with Magneton was beautiful.“

“Thanks,“ Milo said. “How come you didn’t compete?“

“I came to Cherrygrove for a mini-vacation. I thought I’d watch a contest, get a feel for it here, then compete in the next one, in two weeks time.”

“Yea, good idea,” Milo said. “How many ribbons do you have?”

“Two,” Dior said, looking slightly upset. “Competed in a couple since Goldenrod, but it’s like I’ve hit a wall, you know?”

Milo nodded; this was how he felt.

“Coordinators have to get better, and better, and better…but it’s not an even slope we’re scaling here. I dunno, I feel kind of bummed out by it. And I saw you battling Mia, and it made me think about how I would fare. Her Gallade was incredible.”

“I didn’t even know she had one,” Milo admitted.

“Look,” Dior said, running a hand across his shaved head. He seemed to enjoy a brief flicker of pleasure from it. “I need to give all my battlers a good stretch. You probably do, too. Let’s have a match.”

“Three Pokemon each,” Milo said, as he delved into his pocket. Dior gave a nod and pointed for Bayleef to walk forward. She took a deep breath and puffed her chest up, staring at Milo as he got the only red and white Pokeball from his roster.

“Magneton!” he shouted, throwing the ball forward. As the bright flash illuminated the beach, Milo couldn’t help but smirk - Magneton resisted all the attacks Bayleef could use, and his accuracy was excellent. He would be able to take on Dior’s Bayleef, even if she was one of his strongest Pokemon.

“Nice,” Dior purred, as the magnet sparkled with gold and silver. “Bayleef! Start with a razor leaf.”

Milo watched as Bayleef swung her neck and sent a sweeping cloud of razor-sharp leaves flying through the air. Magneton gave a high-pitched, tinkling croon Milo understood to be one of content, and he flew right into the onslaught of leaves bravely.

They scratched and connected but did little damage; Magneton cart-wheeled into the sky and crackled before unleashing a bolt of lightning down at the grass type. Bayleef was struck, wincing as her muscles twitched.

“Good!” Milo said. Magneton carried out his instructions and, once the damage was dealt, he cart-wheeled back through the air, causing pops and bangs. Dior looked impressed at the creature’s natural theatricality, but Bayleef was cross.

“Go for seed bomb!” came the command. Bayleef cried her name and fired a barrage of seeds into the air. They soared up, near to Magneton’s spot, and as Bayleef withdrew two vines and slammed them into the sand, the seeds all burst into small explosions.

Magneton was caught in the blast and thrown backwards, but he quickly span back and regained his composure. In retaliation, the creature built another static charge and fired a piercing bolt through the air. However, as it neared, Bayleef extended her two slender vines and wrapped them tightly around nearby spires jutting from the beach. As she was struck, she conducted the electric current into the outcrops, negating the damage.

“Excellent!” Dior said, as Bayleef grinned through the shock. She unwrapped them and threw them together as if they were a pair of hands in a round of applause; their contact created a loud crack and a resulting shockwave that sped through the air and struck Magneton.

“We have our own sonicboom,” Dior told Milo. “Like it?”

“Loathe it,” Milo replied. “Magneton, use your own sonicboom.”

Magneton floated up, concentrated hard and unleashed a thicker, louder snap through the air. A resulting rush of concentrated sound struck Bayleef and threw her across the arena. She hacked up a cloud of toxic spores, but they floated lazily around Magneton, failing to work.

“So not only does he resist many attacks,” Dior said. “He also has no skin. So spores, leech seeds…they’re not going to cut it, are they?”

“Nope,” Milo replied.

“Bayleef, grab him with your vines!”

Milo watched as the vines sinewed through the air. Magneton swept left and right to avoid them, blasting quick but weak jolts to try and scare Bayleef. She soon ensnared him, however, and let her two vines wrap and tangle around the creature’s units.

“Supersonic!”

A grotesque screeching rattled through the air; Milo and Dior found it mildly uncomfortable, but for Pokemon if was torture. Bayleef screwed her eyes shut and her grip loosened on Magneton; he throbbed with energy before releasing a shock wave all around him. The sparks banged and split, causing a web of electricity to sweep out around Magneton.

Milo wasn’t concerned with hurting Bayleef, but he wanted to strike her. Even if the could conduct electricity (being on a beach certainly helped), the attack would still irritate and throw off her concentration. While she re-adjusted herself, Magneton span through the air, his units pulsating silver and a glow took over his body.

Soon, the silvery blur tackled the grass Pokemon - she was too slow to avoid the Gyro Ball. As Bayleef fell to her knees, Magneton flew back into the air and scoured the area.

“Another sonic boom!” ordered Dior. Bayleef nodded and cracked her vines together, startling Magneton. All-too-soon she ensnared him with her vines again, but before Magneton worked out a counter-strategy, Bayleef started to swirl her vines above her head, dizzying Magneton.

“Now, launch!”

Grinning, Bayleef used her vines to hurl Magneton through the air like a Frisbee. He span through the air, smashing into a rocky outcrop that jutted from the sand. Milo gasped as dust swirled around the point of impact, and poor Magneton clattered into the sand.

He ran over to assess the damage, and saw his Pokemon covered in scratches. Jolts of electricity spat from his body- he looked very hurt. Looking up, Milo assessed the distance Bayleef had hurled him, and, as he was quite heavy, it seemed to have been too much for him.

“You did a good job mate,” Milo said, getting the Pokeball and recalling him. Dior was chuckling to himself as he stroked Bayleef’s neck fondly. Without really thinking, Milo grabbed the Great Ball from his belt and expanded it, noticing the scratches and welts in the surface. It really was old.

“Houndour!” he cried. Materialising before Bayleef was Milo’s latest capture, the fanged hound. He was shorter than Bayleef, considerably so, but was more athletic, more ferocious. Bayleef eyed him carefully, re-adjusting her footing in the sand.

“New?” Dior asked, running a hand over his shaved head before resting it on his hip. Milo nodded, pointing at Bayleef.

“Close-up flamethrower!” he said. Houndour let out a bark and bounded across the sand as flames curled around his fangs. He got faster and faster, before leaping up into the air, bearing down on Bayleef and unleashing a searing jet of flame down at her.

Bayleef dived left and the flames scorched her side; she swung her leaf around and sent a flurry of sharp leaves heading for Houndour, but he bounded out the way. As Bayleef gasped, catching her breath, Houndour leapt onto one of the rocky formations and surveyed her.

“Bayleef! Vine whip!” Dior said. A vine swung out at Houndour, but he simply leapt to avoid it. Milo was impressed with his quick reflexes, and supposed his size helped. With an almighty belch, he launched a concentrated fireball that smashed into the sand.

Bayleef charged for Houndour, swinging her leaf as she went. Houndour leapt left and right, evading the onslaught of sharp projectiles, but as he landed, Bayleef tackled him with all her might. Houndour rolled across the sand but was undeterred.

“Another flamethrower!”

The jet of fire was a brilliant meld of scarlet and gold; Bayleef was struck in the chest and fired a barrage of exploding seeds into the air. A pair of vines flew out to try and ensnare Houndour, with one managing to wrap around his waist. Houndour yelped as he was hoisted off the ground and slammed into the sand violently.

“Ember!” Milo cried. Instead of focusing his fiery breath into a concussive blast, Houndour spat rogue flames across the arena, scaring Bayleef. She was not an agile creature, so evading the quick assault was difficult.

Milo watched as she leapt onto a rocky outcrop and spat a number of seeds into the ground. They were small, but a very vibrant green. Milo recognised them from his match in Goldenrod - the infamous leech seeds.

They sank among the grains of sand peppering the beach, nowhere near Houndour. He was busy leaping onto a nearby rock formation, to better aim at Bayleef. She caused the leaves around her neck to throb with energy, and as she did, Milo wiped his brow as the sun felt more intense.

Was it just his eyes, or were shoots emerging from the sand? As Houndour aimed a scorching jet of fire at the foe (it missed by a fraction), vines started sprouting from the ground, wiggling like eccentric snakes. Dior was grinning, his eyes locked on Bayleef.

Houndour saw a slew of vines whip up and sweep towards him; he leapt from the rock he was poised on, landing deftly in the sand. Seconds later, more vines burst from the ground, whipping around his ankles.

A growl, a bark and a jet of fire; Houndour scorched the vines with a precise flamethrower, and ran along the arena away from Bayleef. She whipped her own vines out, however, and lashed him hard. Milo noticed his thick, rib-like protrusions along his back seemed to help him resist physical damage near his body.

“Leap up and turn!” Milo said. Escaping more vines, Houndour leapt into the air and turned his head. He unleashed another jet of flame that missed Bayleef by a fraction - Milo was concerned at his lack of accuracy. Nevertheless, the dog landed, aimed squarely for the creature’s chest and struck her.

“Good!” Milo cried. Bayleef swung a slew of razor leaves sweeping through the air, but Houndour ran out of the way. Milo felt his forehead throb with the sun, and wiped his brow once more. It was this heat that gave him an idea, and he got Houndour’s attention with a sharp click of his tongue.

“Fire a jet of fire, and run around that outcrop,” Milo said. Houndour nodded, and a searing jet of flame burst from his jaws. He ran along the arena, forcing flames into the sand. Milo’s idea was to heat the sand up, limiting Bayleef’s movement. When she realised the heat was not conducting into the various bergs of rock along the beach…

“Bayleef, keep moving!” Dior said. Bayleef nodded, jumping along the hot sand but finding it increasingly uncomfortable. She gave a sharp cry and leapt to a cooler spot, but Houndour’s frantic flame-spewing soon caused the whole arena to throb with heat. Milo clenched his toes into the sand - he could feel it, too.

“Move onto the rock!” said Dior, causing Milo’s heart to jump with excitement. Houndour was standing ready, and as Bayleef leapt up onto the rock, the black dog fired a powerful jet of fire to strike her. As the flames connected, Bayleef screamed as she was hurtled out the air, slamming into the scorching sand.

Dior grabbed the Pokeball and held it at Bayleef; a red beam shot out and hit her, pulling her inside. Milo was whispering encouragement to Houndour, who was looking particularly satisfied with his victory, as if he ate a particularly good meal.

“I could go all type-advantage on your ass,” Dior purred, looking at two different Pokeballs in his hand. “But that’s boring.”

“You’ve had a big weakness to fire,” Milo said, thinking of his Pokemon. “Bayleef, Sneasel, Venonat..”

“I’ve more than that,” he snapped, throwing the ball into the air. “GO!”

Light burst from the ball as it span into the air. Milo watched a slender form emerge; from the powerful tail to the heavy body and flared hood. It’s scaly, purple body was vivid, while the markings near its face were twisted and grotesque.

“Arbok!” Dior said.

“Okay Houndour, hit it with a flamethrower,” Milo said. Houndour fired off the flames, but Arbok twisted out the way, before shooting down a shower of shimmering barbs. They jousted into the sand as Houndour bolted left, right, left again.

He ran up a rocky formation and launched himself towards the snake, but Arbok kept close to the ground, crossing the sandy arena effortlessly. His winding tracks left wiggles in the sand. Houndour barked in quick, loud bursts; he seemed to do this when he was frustrated.

“Rear up! Strike!” Dior yelled. Milo watched as the snake rose from the ground, hood flared, eyes glaring at Houndour. Houndour growled, but as he was about to strike, Arbok dived, sinking his fangs into the dog’s side.

“No!”

Houndour, wincing in pain, spewed embers out from his jaws and struck Arbok in the side, but as he pulled away, he swung his tail around to smash into the dog’s small wound. Houndour rolled along the ground, looking worn out.

“Faint attack!” Milo ordered. Houndour nodded, getting to his feet and racing along. His thick, padded feet pounded the sand as he became nothing more than a blur. Arbok watched as Houndour re-appeared with a heavy tackle.

Milo commanded a fire fang, and smiled as fire swirled around his creature’s mouth. While Arbok twisted and recovered from the attack, Houndour sank his flaming fangs into the foe’s tail, causing Arbok to let out a furious hiss.

As Houndour ran full-pelt along the arena, Arbok firing more poisonous barbs, Milo considered using a fire spin attack to keep the snake away. But as he saw it’s intricate moves, he realised it would be able to avoid it quite easily.

“Use Will-O-Wisp!” Milo said. Houndour looked confused, standing there with his ears pricked, making sure he heard his trainer correctly. In that time, Arbok’s thick tail swung around and connected with his side; Houndour yelped as he fell into the sand.

He obviously didn’t know it - Milo remembered helping Ruby the Arcanine use it, and thought he should work on that with his new Pokemon soon. Houndour got back up, but Arbok fired a mud bomb, sending exploding clumps of soil at him.

“Keep it up!” Dior said. More soil flew through the air; Houndour crouched low and zipped to the right, avoiding it. Milo saw he was tired, and would recall him soon, but he needed to deal another good, solid hit before his job was done.

“Go for a flamethrower!”

Houndour nodded, blasting the flames through the air. Arbok was struck, but it was a minor blow; he snaked out the way and sped along the ground, wiggling. Milo was shocked at how quick Arbok was, and surmised that its defence was probably low. But thanks to its speed, creatures like Arbok were adept at avoiding damage.

The trick was to combat their speed in order to strike them. But Arbok snaked behind a rock as Houndour fired another flamethrower, avoiding any damage. He then fired a barrage of poison stings, peppering Houndour with the sharp spines.

“Tuck your head in!” Milo shouted. Houndour did, and the pins clattered against his rough, bony back. These toughened bones, formed from excess skin hardened over time, were not as sensitive. Having seen where Arbok was, Houndour charged in the direction with his head tucked down, enduring the poison sting onslaught.

He ran up the rocky outcrop and leapt from it, bearing down on Arbok as flames built around his mouth. Arbok was struck by the scorching jet of flame, but as he was hit he swung his thick tail again, hitting Houndour and throwing him away. Milo saw him hit the ground awkwardly and decided to recall him.

“Come back,” he said, shooting the Pokeball beam at his dog. Houndour had been a strong, persistent Pokemon, and Milo knew he could get some wins under his belt with this creature on his team. As Arbok slithered back to Dior, Milo grabbed the next Pokeball from his belt.

“Scyther!” he called, as the ball burst open. His mantis flew high into the sky, wings outstretched and buzzing. While Medicham might have been the most sensible choice against Arbok, Milo wanted to use this chance to train Scyther, as he wanted to enter him in the Violet City contest.

“Arbok, poison sting!” Dior shouted. Scyther twisted in the sky, avoiding the sharp pins, and drew a blade back before unleashing a white-hot blade of energy. Arbok dived.

“Go for silver wind! Aim it at the sand!” Milo said. Scyther flapped back, turning his scythes and unleashing a spiralling vortex of sparkling wind that whipped around the arena. As it struck the ground, flecks of sand whipped up around Arbok, blinding him. The silver wind continued to shine and strike.

Arbok screwed his eyes shut as the sand flew around him, giving Scyther the chance to sweep down and deliver a slash and quick attack combo. He flew back up into the sky, scythes glistening as Arbok collapsed.

“Arbok!” Dior cried. His body was covered in cuts; Scyther had effortlessly slashed across the snake. As Dior recalled Arbok, Milo mused on who he would use next - Sneasel, perhaps?

“Scyther is stronger than ever,” Dior noted, putting the Pokeball away and plucking a new one from his pocket. “When I fought you in Goldenrod, it was incredible. Now, even more so.”

“Thanks,” Milo said.

“Now, I could use Sneasel and completely wail on him,” Dior pointed out. “But he evolved recently, and as you know, sometimes evolution can make Pokemon unwell. Sneasel is adapting to his new body as a Weavile, and isn’t battling for a while.”

He arched his arm back.

“But someone else is. GO!”

Milo saw the ball burst open and, in a flash of light, a purple moth emerged. It was Venomoth - the evolution of Venonat, and Dior’s former prized appeal Pokemon. He was large, with thick, flaky scales across his wings. He had an odd smell.

“Venonat evolved, but he isn’t as beautiful,” Dior said, pulling a sour face. “I wasn’t sure what to do with him, so I thought I’d test his battling skill out.”

Milo nodded, before pointing at the creature. He ordered Scyther to use a quick attack, and he sprang up into the air, sweeping across the beach.

“Stun spore!” said Dior. Venemoth flapped his wings, conjuring up a thick cloud of sticky mustard-coloured spores. Scyther soared through the air and kept away from the spores, but upon seeing this, Venomoth flapped his wings and blasted the spores at Scyther.

Luckily, the agile Scyther avoided being hit by the spores, twisting through the sky and unleashing another thick blade of energy down at the moth. Venomoth darted along, keeping low to the ground and emitting a curiously thick, rattling noise.

“Fine!” Dior said. “Venomoth, spread your spores all along the sand! Poison, sleep, paralysis!”

Nodding, the moth began flying across their makeshift arena, his wings twitching as a variety of spores fell to the sand. They were all kinds of colours - stem green, a deep purple and the mustard spores from before. A scarlet coloured spore was also peppered among the arena.

Milo looked at the patchwork quilt of spores that blanketed the arena, and understood Dior’s tactic. Instead of striking Scyther with spores, he wanted to knock Scyther out the sky and onto the sand, where he would succumb to a variety of ills.

“The red spore is a deadly one,” Dior purred. “It evokes a red-hot itching, a burning sensation. Very painful, unbearable, even.”

He commanded Venomoth to use an energy ball; the moth built up sinews of green energy that were shaped into a sparkling, swirling orb. Scyther was high in the skies, surveying the scene below. Milo wondered if he was going to try and suss out how to dispel the spores.

Venomoth chirped and blasted the energy ball; it fizzed and flew through the air, but before it got close enough to Scyther, it exploded in a fantastic cloud of green light. Scyther was caught in the blast and was hurtled out the sky, but he managed to pick up flight again.

“Damnit,” Dior said. “Venomoth! Hit him with a psybeam!”

Milo looked as Scyther blasted a silver wind through the air; a twisting column of sparkling, gritty wind hammered into Venomoth and hurtled him across the battle field. Venomoth managed to blast the beam of rainbow-coloured light right into Scyther's chest.

He flapped down and landed on a rock formation, watching as Venomoth created another energy ball. Milo ordered Scyther to do nothing, and just wait with his blades drawn. He wanted to use Scyther’s blades to both block and deflect attacks, and this was excellent practice.

Venomoth launched the energy ball, and as it flew through the air, Milo ordered Scyther to destroy it. He let out a long shriek, flapping his wings as he stood stationary. A brilliant bug buzz whipped out from his body in a cracking shockwave, striking the energy ball and forcing it back at Venomoth as it exploded.

“This isn’t tennis!” Dior barked Scyther kicked off from the rock formation, taking to the skies again.

“Scyther, slash!” Milo ordered. Venomoth saw Scyther sweep forward with incredible speed, and was effortless to stop his close-ranged slash. Screeching, Venomoth dropped from the sky and thudded into the sand, sending a flumping cloud of spores into the air.

“Venomoth is immune to his own spores,” Dior pointed out. The moth flapped into the air and tore after Scyther, who flapped his wings and climbed higher into the sky.

Milo watched Venomoth chase Scyther; the mantis span in the air, throwing a curved blade of energy which missed the foe by a fraction. Venomoth ducked, veered up and fired a psybeam into Scyther’s back. It was like a vicious dogfight.

“Silver wind!” shouted Milo. Once more twisting mid-flight, Scyther summoned a vicious cyclone of sparkling wind. Venomoth flapped around it, before blasting another beam of vibrant, pink light. Scyther climbed steeper, steeper…

“Slash!” Milo shouted. His blade glowed, and Scyther threw his appendage down. The slash began to strike Venomoth, but he split into several copies, releasing a buzzing shockwave from different angles. The Bug Buzz hit Scyther, but it dealt little damage.

“Silver wind!” Milo cried. Twisting, Scyther sent a sparkling cyclone at the clones, ripping them apart. Venomoth might be able to fly at high speed, but he wasn’t fast enough to deceive with a double team. To prove his point, Milo ordered Scyther to do the same.

“Venomoth, aim a psybeam for the eyes!” Dior said, seeming nonplussed. The bright beam sparkled, shooting through the air, but Scyther managed to evade by blending among his clones. Higher in the sky, he surveyed the foe and prepared to strike.

“Skull bash!”

He went into a steep dive, blades by his side, skull tucked in. Venomoth looked up to see the beast sweep down, and fired off a psybeam. Scyther met it head-on, forcing himself down and smashing into Venomoth. The force threw the moth into a rocky outcrop, knocking him out.

“Yes!” Milo cried, as Dior recalled his Pokeball. “I win!”

“This is bullshit,” Dior snapped, putting the Pokeball away. Milo’s enthusiasm was cut short; he didn’t know what to say. Dior slouched around the sand, kicking a mound with his foot.

“Sorry?”

His single utterance fluttered out into the silence and lingered. Dior turned back around, staring at Milo. He hadn’t noticed how cold the boy’s glare was - Dior had quite narrow eyes, but beneath that, they were a brilliant blue.

“It’s not you!” he said. “It’s me. Venonat evolved, and he isn’t cute anymore so I don’t to appeal with him. But he can’t battle effectively, he doesn’t have the power. I tried making him cute for appeals, but a healthy Venomoth is one that has flaky scales, watery eyes, and a shrill cry. It isn’t right for appeals.

“Still,” he said, smirking. “It was a good fight. Your team is getting strong.”

“Thanks,” Milo said. “You did well, too.”

“Not well enough,” he sighed.

“Look,” Milo said. “I lost in the finals of the Johto league last year. That hurt a lot more than losing a sparring match.”

“I’m fine, I’m fabulous,” sniffed the boy.

“Good luck in Cherrygrove,” Milo said.

“Good luck in Violet” Dior said, as he walked off. “At least you don’t have to worry about competing against your sister in any more competitions before the Grand Festival.”

*

Milo sat on a bar overlooking the beach. It was late afternoon, and the sun had started to retreat. It was cooler, so Milo wore a sweatshirt as he drank a beer, deep in thought. He had to get back to Violet City, but wasn’t sure how he’d go about it.

The teleporting idea seemed good - Medicham had been relaxing all day to prepare for it - but Milo was worried it might go horribly wrong. He had already checked out his hotel, and his small suitcase was sitting by his side.

“Fuck it,” Milo said, draining his glass. He fumbled with the clasp on Medicham’s Pokeball and she emerged in the bar. As she formed, the barman cried out at the sight of a Pokemon in his bar.

“No Pokemon!” he cried. “Get out!”

“We’re leaving, you twat,” Milo replied, as he left the bar and walked onto the beach with his friend. Medicham couldn’t suppress her smirk at Milo’s remark, and together they weaved a path through the sand.

“Okay, this looks like a good spot,” Milo said. “Medi, we’re going to teleport across Route 30 to get to Violet City. I’m just not sure how else we can get back in time for the Violet City contest. So I have drawn a few markers on this map - do you remember the journey here? The first point will be about a mile out from the city - near that cave mouth by the lake. Remember?”

Medicham nodded slowly, closing her eyes for a second to think. Milo smiled, gripping his suitcase in one hand and holding his friend’s hand with the other. As he took a look across the beach, he saw a lumpy figure running towards him.

“Wait,” he told Medicham.

The figure was panting - gasping, even - clutching a large bottle as they lumbered along the sand. Milo quickly identified the figure as Nanette Babcock, and let out a sigh as she waded over.

“Milo!” she gasped. “M-Milo!”

“What do you want? I’m about to leave,” Milo said irritably.

“No!” Nanette cried. “This is all wrong! I’m so sorry!”

“What are you on about,” Milo said.

“The car!” Nanette was in tears, clutching what Milo saw was a bottle of port.

“You destroyed it?” Milo said, seething. “Nanette!”

“No! I didn’t!” Nanette wept. “It was a trick, I tricked you!”

Milo raised an eyebrow at the girl’s remark, but he quickly grabbed her upper arm and nodded at Medicham. In a flash, they were teleported from the beach and instantly taken to the basement car park. Milo knew his grip on Nanette was strong, but he didn’t let go.

They looked around the dim room, and already Milo could see the ruined car that once belonged to Cecilia. Nanette ran forward to it, and Milo followed.

“Come closer,” Nanette whispered. Milo saw, from a dark corner, a figure emerging towards them. There was a gentle clip-clop, and a Girafarig showed its face. It looked quite young; it was a much lighter yellow than the one Milo battled in Ecruteak city. It’s legs and tail were gangly.

“What’s going on?” Milo asked. Nanette stroked the creature’s slender neck and whispered to it; Girafarig’s horns throbbed, and the car began to warp and twist before them. Milo gasped as the scratches faded, the tyres fluffed up with air and the screen began to repair itself.

“It was all an illusion,” Nanette said sadly, as Girafarig undid it’s magic. “I…I knew you were going back after the contest and wanted you to stay for a bit. I thought if you thought the car was destroyed…”

Milo ran his hand along the smooth surface of the dark red car. It was okay, it was working. Girafarig had warped reality in the same way Stantler had done in Ilex Forest. Maybe that was why Medicham couldn’t trace the object with her clairsentience? If the illusion involved bending light to distort reality, it’s entirely probable that it interfered with both the mental and physical aspects of Medicham’s power.

“I was so jealous when I met you in Olivine,” Nanette said. “You had only just met Jake, but after the contest he became your travelling partner. You guys became good friends - I saw you at Goldenrod, but you didn’t see me - if I had made more of an effort in Olivine, maybe we would have been friends. Even… lovers?”

“Nanette, what are you on about?” Milo said. It was becoming increasingly evident that Nanette had been keeping an eye on him for a while, and that he was oblivious to the whole thing was slightly unnerving, Nanette looked hungry, manic, her eyes wide and her hands trembling.

“We’re meant to be together!” she cried, seizing the front of Milo’s shirt. “I-I know it! I’ve never felt this way before!”

“Get off me!” Milo snapped, pushing her. Nanette was horrified as she looked at Milo, her lip trembling, her forehead shining with sweat. For a brief moment, she looked dangerous, but it disappeared quickly as tears filled her eyes.

“You can’t manipulate people like this,” Milo said firmly. “I thought my car was ruined.”

“Forget that!” Nanette said. “It was stupid - I was stupid! But think about how connected we are!”

“We’re not even connected! We apparently met in Olivine, which I don’t remember! And it sounds like you’ve been following me around, spying! I don’t like feeling like I’m being watched. Please, leave me alone. I don’t want to speak to you any more, Nanette.”

Her mouth moved but she failed to produce sound. Nanette’s flapping lips made her look like a big fish.

“Y-You can’t leave me!”

“I can do whatever I like,” Milo said. “Now get out the way. I’m going to Violet City.”

Nanette suddenly changed; her sagging mouth and tear-soaked face sharpened, her brow became stiff and her features tightened.

“Fine. Go. You just go to the next town, fucking random girls, pretending you like it. Nobody will ever love you like I do! Luna won’t love you - she’d laugh at someone like you, she’s so pretty and beautiful. You think you’ll ever have a chance with her? Don’t make me laugh!”

Milo frowned; Nanette knew Luna, was she being honest? Maybe Luna would be horrified at Milo’s string of conquests, maybe she’s far too mature for that…

“In fact, in fact! Go and ask her for a date. Boy, I’d love to see that. She’d put you in your place,” Nanette said coldly. Milo took the insult and ignored her, bustling past the girl as he got into the car.

Folding her arms, she watched Milo get in the car and start it up as Medicham put the suitcases in the boot. She got in the passenger side, shooting a steely glance at Nanette. Milo put the car into gear and moved out the underground car park, ignoring Nanette as he went. The car went up the ramp and soon, they were out on the street.

“That girl was just… crazy,” Milo gasped, as he steered the car through the quiet Cherrygrove. “Still, back to Violet now, are you looking forward to seeing Jake again? Feels like ages.”

Medicham nodded, her hand hovering over the radio. The dial whizzed and whirred, eventually landing on Goldenrod Radio.

“I won’t miss that crazy bitch,” Milo said, jerking his thumb behind him.

Still standing in the parking lot, Nanette choked back tears as she watched Milo leave.

*

Falkner had borrowed Gina Gourmante’s Ivysaur when he made the trip to the National Park. Excited, Barry released his Hitmonchan, who seemed to have limitless energy. Falkner sent Ivysaur out into the middle of the woods.

He had thought Barry might have trouble remembering Keadis’ death. The mind can shut down to protect against traumatic events. As Ivysaur charged towards Hitmonchan, the Pokemon leapt to the left, but staggered and tripped into a tree.

“An excellent job, Captain Zero!” Barry cried. “Now, comet punch!”

Hitmonchan swung a punch, but Ivysaur leapt out the way. Falkner wanted to have Ivysaur use his vines and leaves to trigger Barry’s memory regarding the incident. But he had to time it correctly. Ivysaur tackled Hitmonchan again, his thick, broad skull dealing great damage.

Fist crackling with sparks, Hitmonchan raced along the forest and swung his fist into Ivysaur. The creature felt sparks course through his body, but made no sound, instead firing off a barrage of exploding seeds. Despite Barry’s poor battling skills, Falkner was impressed when Hitmonchan swung his fists into the oncoming seeds, deflecting them.

“I haven’t had a battle this vigorous since I fought the president!” Barry cried, ordering a sky uppercut. Ivysaur turned on his heel and ran across the forest to avoid Hitmonchan’s deadly uppercut. Falkner knew the time was right to start his plan.

“Vine whip! Grab Hitmonchan!” he said. Ivysaur summoned two thick vines from the flowering bud on his back. They whipped around Hitmonchan, binding his arms to his side. He tried to wriggle free, but Ivysaur lifted him off the ground.

“Good!” Falkner said.

“A-A clever ploy!” Barry cried. “But I’ve fought on the mightiest oceans, the hottest planets! This is nothing!”

“Razor leaf, barrage!” Falkner said. Ivysaur sent sharp leaves sweeping up into the air, where they slashed and cut at Hitmonchan’s face. Barry watched, engaged in the match, but Falkner saw his expression change. As the relentless storm of leaves struck his creature, Barry’s eyes lost their focus briefly.

“Keadis…” he gasped, his mouth sagging.

“You reme-

“NO! HE‘S DEAD!” came Barry’s raw scream.

His face whitening, Barry staggered back into a tree, staring into nothing, absorbed by his memories as they came flooding back. He saw Keadis get struck by the deadly leaves of Victreebel, his screams, the thick dollops of crimson littering the forest… this forest…

“Barry!” Falkner said, as he turned to run. “No! I’m here to help!”

“KEADIS! NO!” Barry screamed, running. He tripped on a thick root jutting from the ground, but when he fell, he simply broke into a series of sobs. Ivysaur lowered Hitmonchan and watched cautiously as Falkner ran over.

“It’s okay! My name’s Falkner, I’m Keadis’ son!” Falkner said, bending down next to him. Barry was hysterical, his curled fingers gripping his sallow face.

“He died! I saw him die!” Barry said. “He knew too much, they wanted him dead!”

“Who?” Falkner said.

“Oh god… oh god! I’ve been here, wallowing, living in a dream!” he yelled. “Where is my wife? How long has it been?”

“Listen, it’s okay,” Falkner assured him. “This is why I found you, I know my dad was murdered. You can help me figure out who did it, we can find them!”

Keadis buried his head in his hands. Falkner decided to get up, and stepped back to let the man compose himself. His whole world had come crashing around him, he probably needed to sort his head out. How must it feel to suddenly remember an entire life lived, to realise he had been a mere husk of a man.

“Look… I know this is a shock,” Falkner said. “But let’s leave the forest. I have a house, you can stay with me and rest up, you need to eat. Get your strengths up.”

Barry got to his feet, gasping, drained from his crying. Falkner led him through the woods, wondering how his father would feel about him recruiting his old friend. Barry would be able to explain, illustrate what happened… everything was going to be okay.

Falkner recalled Ivysaur, but Hitmonchan walked alongside the man. He was shaking.

“I suddenly remember it,” Barry said. “He was killed so violently, I saw it with my own eyes. Keadis knew something crucial.”

“Look, everything’s going to be okay.” said Falkner.

“Thank you,” Barry said, managing a smile. “You look like your father. And you’re filled with compassion.”

“I just want to make sure he didn’t lose his life for nothing,” Falkner told him.

He nodded, but the quiet forest suddenly erupted in gunfire. One, two, three heavy, thick bangs rang out in the woods and Falkner saw Hitmonchan collapse in a shower of blood.

Barry gasped, but before he had a chance to help his Pokemon, two more shots were fired and he fell to the ground with a lurching gasp.

“BARRY!” Falkner gasped.

He looked around. He could see a figure in the trees, but they were cloaked, difficult to distinguish. Barry clutched his chest, eyes fixed on his dead Pokemon. Falkner quickly pressed against the nearest tree, but as he shielded himself from view, he felt a stabbing guilt as he left the dying body.

Mere minutes away, Barry lay raw, on his own, in the middle of the woods. Every fibre of his body told Falkner he should be with the wounded man.

“Barry?” he said, his voice a soft whisper to the dying man. “A-Are you…?”

But it wasn’t so. Barry was clearly dead. A voice - that of a woman - rang out across the quiet woods.

“I’m not trying to kill you.”

“Wh-why did you kill Barry?” Falkner said, as the figure emerged. It was a woman, wearing a coat buttoned to her throat. She was dressed in black, and had the gun at her side.

Falkner couldn’t move, frozen as he locked eyes with the woman. She was young, slender, with vivid orange hair. As she examined the dead Barry, Falkner realised he knew her from somewhere.

“I should have killed him when I murdered your father,” she said thoughtfully, and Falkner realised he had seen this woman in the Membership Card’s chilling memory. She commanded the Victreebel to kill Keadis… this was her. Feeling came back to him in a hot swoop, and he ran at her. However, she held the gun out, causing him to freeze once more. Playfully, she pressed it into his chest. It hurt.

“Don’t make me shoot you, too,” she said, forcing the gun into him and steering Falkner towards a large tree. “After all, you want to avenge his death, don’t you?”

“You… killed my father!” Falkner said, his cracked voice sounding more disappointed than angry. The woman calmly pulled a thick, sodden rag from her pocket and stuffed it into Falkner’s mouth. Panicked, he daren‘t resist.. He gagged for a moment, tasting a strong alcohol on the scent.

“Victreebel,” the woman said, as the plant gave a grunt from the overgrowth. “Can you help.”

Victreebel was wriggling, but as it moved, Falkner felt sleepy, and realised something in the rag was making him drowsy. Thick creepers wriggled from the earth at the base of the tree, some ensnaring Falkner’s ankles while larger ones wrapped around his stomach like thick snakes, trapping him to the tree.

“Better than rope; they’re living organisms,” the woman said, referring to the creepers that bound Falkner in place. “Their roots go far underground; very durable.”

Falkner’s eyes began to droop, and he vaguely remembered the woman saying her name. He knew he wouldn’t remember it.

She wasn’t there anymore; Falkner wove in and out of sleep, with the strong smell of Barry’s blood rousing him sporadically. He was so tired, exhausted, he wasn’t able to process thought. He wasn’t able to feel the raw, stinging sensation of grief.

Moments later, or it could have been hours, Falkner felt the rag pulled from his mouth. He heard someone hacking into the tree, but could he muster the strength to open his eyes?

“He’s fast asleep, he’s been knocked out,” said the voice.

Falkner smacked his lips; having material in his mouth made it feel dry. He would love a cold glass of water, or even a beer…

“There’s a body next to him. Covered in maggots. Something’s picked at the flesh of a dead Hitmonchan, too.”

Who was it, and what were they doing? Something was being hacked near him. Or was he being bound tighter? Falkner longed to open his eyes, but they were so heavy, gummed with sleep… it was imperative he open them, to better assess the situation.

“I think I can free him.”

And then, he opened his eyes. A boy with bushy purple hair was using a knife to cut Falkner’s arms free. Falkner gasped as he looked around; it was dark.

“Falkner!” the boy exclaimed. He had bad scarring around his left eye and nose.

“Wh-Who are you, what?” Falkner said, looking around.

“My name’s Oscar,” the boy said, smiling. “I found you in the woods… what happened here?”

“I…” Falkner began. He tried to explain about Barry, about the murder, the young woman with the gun and the deadly Victreebel.

“I saw you go into the woods, and waited to see if you came out, but you didn’t,” Oscar explained. “I came looking for you.”

“I came to meet Barry,” Falkner said, eager to get his words out.

“Why?”

“Barry was with my father when he was murdered.”

“Murdered?” Oscar asked, intrigued. There was something in his voice that sounded content.

“I met him, and shook him out his… his… stupor. He was in a daze, all these psychological barriers. I broke them down.”

“You did? Very good,” said Oscar. Falkner wanted to explain everything, to make sure someone heard all the information he amassed.

“He was going to help me, but he was killed, and someone bound me to this tree.”

“Why didn’t they kill you, too?”

“I don’t know,” Falkner admitted. His eyes hurt, and he longed to let out tears, but his throat felt dry and cracked.

“I’m looking at the Reclassification,” Oscar explained, cutting through the last vine. Falkner staggered forward, tripping into the earth. The stench of soil and flesh filled his nose, but Oscar didn’t help him up; he continued his explanation.

“I have been wanting to speak to you for some time,” Oscar admitted. “About your gym, specifically. But when I visited Violet City, someone told me you were off trying to find your father’s killer.”

“I am! I won’t return to the gym,” Falkner said defiantly. “One of two groups killed my father. Either one of Steven Stone’s people or someone from the Johto League.”

“Or,” Oscar began. “Steven’s funding the league. These two factions can be one and the same.”

“I need to speak to Michael Mitchelson,” Falkner said. “He was working against the Stone empire.”

“Is that so?” Oscar said. Falkner nodded, but Oscar was deep in thought about Morty and Jasmine, who recovered the Porygon he had stolen in Goldenrod. Had they done so on Michael’s orders, perhaps?

“He is in Goldenrod,” said Falkner.

“Look, we know the League is financed by, and integrated from people belonging to Steven Stone’s business empire,” Oscar said. “We also know the League backed the Reclassification at the start of the year.”

“You think there’s a link?”

“I think Stone has used his power to twist the league into reforming,” Oscar explained. “For what purpose, I have no idea. But Azalea has lost its main source of economy, and other cities are suffering. You know of the raid on Goldenrod city?”

“I heard something,” Falkner replied.

“Whitney’s team was robbed. She’s refusing to come out her house, the Gym has been suspended,” Oscar said. “Cianwood and Ecruteak’s leaders were replaced. Your father was killed. Don’t you think something sinister is going on?”

“It sounds like you do,” Falkner said.

“Come with me,” Oscar said. “Once we learn more about the Reclassification, we can plan how we’ll bring down Steven Stone’s empire, too.”

Oscar saw Falkner’s fierce determination and flashed a weak smile. Together the two walked through the darkest part of the forest towards the National Park, both feeling renewed and invigorated by their partnership. For Oscar, his initial plan to question the current gym leader had turned into something else - a new ally to help his goal.

He wrote a text to Chuck, who had sent him here in the first place. Chuck had declined to come himself, but hadn’t explained why. After admitting to Chuck that he killed Eli following his escape from house arrest, Oscar felt their relationship was strained. Was Chuck trying to punish him by sending on jobs, or was he afraid of Oscar’s capabilities?

I went to see Falkner. I brought him with me. He’s fucked in the head, but he’s going to be a good ally. He knows loads about Steven Stone and his network of companies.

It didn't take long for a reply to come to Oscar; his phone vibrated into his hand, quiet enough for Falkner to take no notice. Oscar looked at the message, and was shocked to see Chuck's reply.

Fine. Stay in Violet if you need to, but promise me you'll leave Milo alone.

Oscar re-read the message, smirked, and put his phone away, choosing not to respond.


Next Chapter
Milo and Jake reunite in Violet City, but Jake is suffering an identity crisis. While Milo prepares for the upcoming contest, Jake trains under the guidance of former contest champion Christine Mountain. Gina's concerns for her career cause a serious lapse in judgement.



Notes
-So a lot happened here. I thought it was important for Milo to bond with one of his rivals, and though they aren't close, he now seems a bit friendlier with Dior

-Dior's problem with evolution is something which is a big issue for coordinators. Some Pokemon just don't look stylish...

-Milo's got some cool team changes coming up. I've alluded to evolution, but there's also a few captures. I made a conscious decision to expand his team beyond 6 Pokemon; I think Milo's going to notice a lot of coordinators have expansive teams, and he needs to develop his a lot more.

-As for Nanette, the arc wasn't quite going to end like that. I had all sorts of twisted ideas for her, but they weren't working. Her initial attack/kidnap Milo plot seemed too similar to Oscar, while thoughts of her self-harming trying to kill herself seemed too dark. I tied things up, but don't be surprised if she turns up later in the fic.

-I think she's a damaged character, and that's always so exciting to explore as a writer. She mentioned her mother loved her Poliwag more than her, so she buried it alive, and I thin there are a few twisted parts to her backstory. But in the long-term goals of the fic, Nanette isn't prominent.

-What did everyone think of Barry's scenes? I know a lot happened. I was sad to see him go, especially since he suddenly remembered so much of his past at that moment. It was like he was alive again, remembering the things his mind had shut off.

-Falkner won't appear loads, since I don't want the fic to juggle loads of plot strands, but his story, and his allegiance with Chuck and Oscar, is very important.

-I know the Chuck/Oscar thing is still shrouded in mystery, but each time will shed some more light on their relationship.

-The next contest is pretty effing cool. I've noticed, almost sub consciously, the Violet chapters have had a lot of focus on Gina. She hasn't been the main focus, but we've seen different sides to her, and I'm really happy about that.

-The Ecruteak Arc (II) is quite short, but very action packed. I can't wait to write it.

Would love some feedback guys!

[Sike Saner]

Medicham was meditating by the water’s edge, staring out across the sea. Milo’s other Pokemon were elsewhere on the beach, some sunbathing but others, like Scyther, watching his master carefully, barely moving an inch.

“How are you feeling?”

Medicham looked to see Mia and gave her a fleeting glare. But there was something in her gaze that evoked empathy in Medicham, and she unfolded her hands and sat back down. Mia sat down next to her and stared across the ocean.

“Me and mum are going back today,” Mia explained. “And you guys are staying around for a bit, I think?”

Medicham nodded.

“Look,” she said. “When I saw you battling yesterday, I thought you were incredible. You moved so gracefully and you’re so beautiful, Medicham. It made me think about what you’ve been through…losing your daughter in that fire when I tried capturing her, and going through the death of William…

“And I remember when he died, Dad suggested I trained you. I said no - you weren’t soft and fluffy, pretty and sparkling like the Pokemon I wanted to train. I feel like I rejected you…so you went to Milo…and I feel bad for that. But he has raised you in a way I never could, he’s really helped you mourn William and become this really strong Pokemon.”

Medicham looked at Mia as she spoke, seemingly touched by her words.

“I’d have never trained you the way he did,” she admitted. “And…I look forward to seeing you soon.”

Liked this moment. ^^

Milo's car not being destroyed after all was a nice surprise. And Nanette certainly remains creepy as hell.

Poor Barry. And poor Hitmonchan.

Oh, and the Scyther vs. Venomoth battle; wanted to mention that, too. Said battle was pretty darned cool. Some nice aerial action there.

[The_Missing_Link]

I liked the chapter, but I thought the way you tied up Nanette's arc was slightly underwhelming. She's a twisted, sad character and I expected Milo to blow up at her but leaving it at that was kind of a meh ending

Then again, I never really liked her all that much so I suppose it's good that she's gone for now

[Chris 2.1]

TML: Noted. It was going somewhere else, but I reeled it in. Milo was going to meet Jake's dad in Cherrygrove, but I actually decided to move it to a different part of the fic. AAnd the Nanette stuff just didn't work...I think writing that chapter over a long period of time kind of made me second guess a lot.

That said, I'm not against bringing her back to properly tie her story together later in the fic.

What else did you think about the last couple chapters? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Sike: Thanks for the comments! Glad you liked the match. Milo's next goal is to get Scyther to evolve. And the Medi + Mia scene was kinda cool, I think Medicham's one of my favbourite characters in the fic!



There's going to be a Golden Arc-style thing soon but it's just 3 parts. It focuses on some stuff we've seen in previous chapters, but will explain a lot. I kind of like the mini arcs to be like little comic-book spin-off things, where new stuff bolsters old information to expand the narrative of the fic.

It's about Eusine :p

[Chris 2.1]

Update

Ch27 coming along quite well; it's short, but pretty action packed. A nice comedy chapter before the contest. I've changed it quite a bit, since it was a bit flat. I've written a better synopsis below.

Desperate to get his hands on a Metal Coat to evolve Scyther, Milo lends his help to once-renowned Professor Elm as he leads the boys on an expedition to the Ruins of Alph. However, Elm's finesse as a Pokemon expert has waned, and the boys encounter a sinister plot under the crumbling ruins. Gina, meanwhile, makes a radical decision to ensure she wins the upcoming contest.

[Chris 2.1]

Hello all! Hope you are all well. So here is the next chapter - quite an unusual one - but I've been reading a few thrillers lately and I think my writing has been a bit influenced by it.

Previously, Milo and Jake split for a while as Milo competed in Cherrygrove. After losing to Mia, Milo trained against Dior before finally making his way back to Violet City.

Jake and Gina let the Membership Card fall into Falkner's grasp, causing the young gym leader to seek answers... and an unusual alliance with Oscar.

Show-Off
-XXVII-
Singapore Sling

The next morning, Jake and Gina were sitting in East Violet, near the Route Gate. Milo was on his way back from Cherrygrove City, and though it had only been a few days, Jake had missed the boy’s company immensely.

Something in his heart told Jake that his feelings for Milo were growing by the day; like a plant the roots crept further, ensnaring more and making everything harder to dislodge. He sat on a low brick wall by the side of the road, waiting, as he promised, for Milo’s return.

“So have you heard from him?” Gina asked.

“He didn’t win the contest,” Jake said, biting his lip. “So I guess he’ll be pretty bummed. But he didn’t say much else.”

“He must be pretty down,” said Gina, lighting a cigarette.

“No, I don’t think he knows how to use his new phone,” remarked Jake. “Have you got any advice? I haven’t really seen him since our drunk chat…”

“You want advice from a girl who lies on her back for a living?” Gina said, flicking ash. “Sorry Jakey, you’re on your own.”

Jake sighed, swinging his feet slowly as he perched on the wall. Parasect was keenly sucking the brick, trying to drain what little moisture was within it, and Ditto was playing with Gina’s Ampharos, melding and solidifying around his muscles to ‘massage’ his aching body. Ampharos rolled his eyes with relief.

“I think I see the car!” Gina said, stubbing her cigarette out on the brick wall. Jake looked up, excited, to see the maroon car coming in from the Route Gate. Behind the wheel was Milo, looking unshaven but happy, while Medicham was in the passenger seat. As they neared, Jake saw Medicham was solving a rubix cube.

Milo parked the car on the side of the road and took the key from the ignition. Jake beamed as he got out the car, but before he said hello Gina swept over, embracing him and planting a wet kiss on his cheek. Milo looked shocked, but smiled weakly as Gina fussed over him.

“So nice to see you,” she said, playing with her hair. It struck Jake that Gina was quite dressed up considering it was early afternoon, but her attempts to seduce Milo didn’t work; he walked past her and beamed at Jake.

“You alright Jakey?” he said, gripping him in a tight hug. Jake mumbled something, but found his earlier thoughts - knotted together like damp seaweed - were untangling of their own accord. Milo was his friend, above everything. And seeing him in his favourite sweater, in the flesh, that scent clinging to his body, made everything okay.

“I’m good,” Jake said. “So…?”

“I lost.”

“That sucks!” Jake said sympathetically. “Tough match?”

“Yea, I was against my sister,” Milo said, and he started telling Jake all about how he met Mia and his mother in Cherrygrove city. Jake nodded as Milo talked him through the contest; Magneton’s overwhelming electric appeal and Mia’s unusual Froslass. Gina didn’t pay much attention, filing her nails as Milo told of his shock when Mia sent a Gallade into battle - and how it devastated his team.

“Well, there’s no shame in losing to the best,” Jake mused.

“And I met Dior,” Milo said.

“That jerk from Goldenrod?” Jake said, pulling a sour face. Milo laughed.

“He’s alright, really,” Milo said. “Hit a slump in his training, so we had a bit of a battle. His Venonat evolved.”

“Meh,” Jake said.

“What’s been going on with you guys?” Milo said. He was aware Gina was feeling distant from the conversation, so attempted to lure her in.

“We raided a Pawn shop to get some of my Pokemon back,” Gina said. “I sold a couple to pay my bills, you see. Jakey helped me beat up the smelly guy who had them.”

“Er, also…” Jake said, gulping. “And Falkner knows about the Membership Card.”

“What!” Milo shouted. “How!”

“Gina stole it from me and gave it to him,” Jake said, shooting her a dark glare. “And he used his Xatu to read it, he saw everything that happened to his father.”

“No! GINA!” Milo cried. “You idiot!”

“Oh fuck you, Milo,” Gina snapped. “He needed to know the truth, and god knows you didn’t have the balls to actually tell him yourself.”

“I… I was going to, I mean I would have got round to explaining it,” Milo said, though he could see her point. “Was he mad?”

“With you guys? No, he was actually pretty understanding,” Gina said.

“So, where is he?” Milo asked.

“He went to the National Park,” Gina said. “He saw someone in the card’s memory…a guy called Barry Bumble?”

Milo and Jake gasped.

“Bug-Eye-Brambles!” said Jake.

“That was him, the guy who saw Keadis die,” Milo said, shock drawing on his face. “I can’t believe that didn’t register with me. That must be what made Barry so fucking loopy, he saw Keadis brutally murdered in front of him…”

“I feel sick,” Jake said sadly.

“Well I feel hungry,” Gina said, flicking her hair. “Shall we get some sushi or something?”

Milo agreed, and the three of them got into Cecilia’s car. Gina complained about sitting in the back, so Jake did the noble thing and offered to let her sit next to Milo. Medicham returned to her Pokeball, but not before glaring at Gina with utter contempt.

Gina and Jake seemed to have formed a close bond while Milo was away, which he was glad for. Jake’s hair had been tidied, with the sides shorter and the fringe neater. Gina, meanwhile, looked nothing but glamorous; nude-coloured heels showed off her long legs, while her summery dress seemed designed to draw attention to her cleavage.

As they drove through Violet City, Milo decided to unload his things at the hotel before they went for lunch. Jake was chatting about his training with Falkner, explaining the two had been working on Wingull’s attacks before Falkner left the city.

“I think he’s really close to evolving!” he said, excitedly. “Oh, and I have a new Pokemon!”

“You do?” Milo said.

“Adorable, but I’ll wait until we’re outside,” Jake said, smiling.

“I got a new member of my team, too,” Milo said.

They arrived at a sunny plaza not far from Sprout Tower; pretty potted plants were arranged in neat boxes, and people were eating meals at various restaurants, cafes and bars around the main square. A water feature in the shape of an elegant bird was shooting a jet into the sky.

The group settled around a circular table and looked at the menus; Milo wasn’t sure about inner-city sushi, thinking the idea seemed overly cosmopolitan, but Jake and Gina gasped and pointed at the different coloured parcels of raw fish.

“When we holiday at Seafoam,” Milo began. “That’s fresh. I’m not sure about this.”

“Don’t be such a killjoy,” Gina said.

Jake got a Pokeball from his pocket and tapped it, maximising the capsule to full size. Milo watched keenly as he pressed the button, springing the top half open and causing a ball of energy to splash onto the ground and take form.

It was a small creature; fluffy and orange, with short wings and two clawed feet. Once the light faded, the little Torchic blinked several times, adjusting to its surroundings.

“Isn’t she amazing?” Jake said, clasping his eyes together and gazing at his new Pokemon with love.

“Pretty cool,” Milo said. “A fire type, eh?”

Torchic ran around the table, emitting a little chirp as she ran. She would tear along in one direction before doing a u-turn and doubling back, and Milo noticed she seemed to enjoy running with her eyes closed.

“Is she good in battle?” Milo asked.

“Well, when I captured her, she didn’t put up much of a fight,” Jake admitted. “We found her down an alleyway. I used Parasect to make her drowsy, and his false swipe made sure he didn’t deal too much damage.”

Torchic gasped, before sneezing a jet of flame that shot across the plaza and scorched the ground. Milo got Hounour’s Great Ball from his pocket and maximised it. Throwing it up into the air, Milo saw Jake and Gina watch the ball open and the brilliant blue light spill out. Houndour’s muscular frame began to form.

“You got a fire type too!” Jake said. “Is he friendly like Ruby?”

“Sure,” Milo said. Houndour was observing Torchic, who waddled under his legs and started nudging him. “Houndour loves company.”

“He looks kind of aggressive,” Gina said, taking a sip of her soda.

“His appearance is deceiving,” Milo explained. “I think the team get on with him okay…”

Torchic started pecking Houndour’s back leg, and Milo saw the dog show a very noble level of resistance to the young chick’s ways. Inquiring further, Torchic flapped up onto Houndour’s back, inspecting his body.

“I think they’re making friends!” Jake said, though he said it nervously. Milo had a horrible vision of Houndour deciding Torchic would make an excellent meal. As Torchic started clambering onto the hound’s neck, Houndour gave a casual flick of his head, throwing the chick to the ground.

The three watched, transfixed, as Torchic lay at an odd angle. But as she picked herself up, she simply waddled over to the water feature, examining it with her beak and seemingly forgetting about Houndour. Houndour walked to Milo’s side and curled up.

“Torchic!” Jake cried, waving some of his sushi around. “Come and try some food!”

Milo scratched Houndour behind his ear and ate his food. The conversation between Milo and Jake flowed freely; they discussed coordinating and appeals, Jake was particularly happy with Magneton’s flawless appeal. They couldn’t decide how to use Houndour - Milo thought he was suited for battling, but Jake felt he would have potential as an appeal Pokemon.

“What do you think, Gina?” Milo said.

“I dunno,” she said flatly. “I’m more concerned about my own training.”

“You’re entering the contest, right?” Milo said, and she nodded. “It’ll be interesting to see how you’ve grown since Goldenrod.”

“Maybe I haven’t,” she snapped. “Maybe it’s not been easy for me Milo!”

“Sorry,” Milo said, pulling a face. Gina stood up, throwing some money onto the table.

“That’s for lunch,” she said, holding her head high and storming off. Milo looked at Jake, who was exasperated but not surprised.

“She’s been in a weird mood lately,” he said. “Gina hasn’t really been taking very good care of herself, working at that lap dancing club. I don’t think she trains her Pokemon much. Ever since she got eliminated in the Goldenrod Contest, her whole life has changed.”

“Well I have no sympathy,” Milo said. “We didn’t have much money for a while, and we made ends meet. And you have a duty as a trainer to look after your Pokemon. Gina should know that.”

Jake recalled Torchic, deciding to give her some rest, and chose to send Wingull out. Milo was surprised to see a change in the gull’s appearance; he was larger, with his wings slightly broader. Falkner had explained to Jake that regular, good exercise in the air would help Wingull when he was ready to evolve.

“I’ve been thinking about Scyther,” Milo said. “I want to evolve him.”

“Really?” Jake said.

“He’s strong enough, he was amazing against Dior,” Milo said. “I don’t want Scyther to become really powerful and then evolve at a later stage; it will be confusing for him, and his body change will be more radical.”

“They need help, don’t they?” Jake said.

“A metal coat,” Milo said. “I had a look online, but they’re really rare. It’s an ionised ointment from a special type of metal. You have to rub the cream into the Pokemon’s skin, applying more and more over a period of time. It helps their body’s natural hormones adapt.”

“I wonder where you’ll get one?” Jake said.

“I thought about asking my dad,” Milo said. “But he hasn’t been answering his phone. I think he must be busy.”

“Do they sell them?”

“Not in stores,” Milo said. “I wonder how Oscar did it.”

Milo leaned back in his chair, thinking. Jake took this opportunity to try and discreetly eat a piece of squid, but the chewy fish slipped out his mouth and into his soda. He went bright red.

“Excuse me?” came a voice. Milo turned to see a very thin looking man sitting at the table behind them. “I couldn’t help but overhear your predicament.”

He was wearing spectacles and a white shirt, and was making notes at his table as he drank a cappuccino. He looked friendly, but was aging before his time; Milo saw his hair receding.

“I have a metal coat you are more than welcome to have,” he said.

“That’s kind,” Milo replied. “Can I assume it’s that straight forward?”

“No,” he replied, smirking. “But nice try. My name is Issac Elm, I’m a Pokemon professor.”

“I’m Milo, this is Jake,” Milo said.

“Lovely to meet you both,” Elm said. “I was wondering if you might be able to help me on a little project? I’m visiting the ruins just outside town, it’s for a research project. Would you mind assisting me?”

Milo and Jake shared a curious look.

*

In the end, they agreed; Milo was beginning to doubt his habit of engaging in good deeds, but joined Elm on his journey outside Violet City. He had been quite shrewd about the details, but it sounded like, for a few hours doing basic labour, Milo could get a priceless metal coat.

“We can trust him,” Milo said to Jake, as they walked through the valley. “He’s an academic, he knows what he’s talking about. He also has rubbish upper body strength, so even if he was a secret nutter I could overpower him.”

“Almost there!” Elm chirped. The afternoon was muggy; the air thick and unpleasant, but he carried on with ease.

The Ruins of Alph were just that – dilapidated ruins. A decade or so previously, the Johto council decided that the barren wasteland near Violet City should be turned into a locally-funded interactive museum, to help build interest in the history of the area. The caves featured puzzles, there were treasure hunts and guest lectures, and it soon drew a lot of holidaymakers in.

However, the areas around the Ruins were home to a number of psychic Pokemon, some of which were unhappy with their habitat being disturbed at all hours. Soon, visitors complained of headaches when they visited the ruins, but the problem was deemed a result of a particularly hot, dry summer, even when experts suggested the native Pokemon were inflicting headaches.

Weeks later, and people started having seizures when visiting certain chambers. Again, complaints were made, but the Johto Council, unwilling to tackle the problem head on, dispelled the rumours, and remained reluctant to shut the money-generating attraction.

Then, one day there was a cave-in at the ruins. Two people were killed when the cave they were exploring collapsed from the inside, and several more were treated for minor injuries. The Johto Council paid out large compensation packages to all involved, and had to close the attractions as a result. Accusations were made that the psychic Pokemon tore the chambers apart with their most intense psychic attacks as a chilling warning to those who dared to disturb them.

Milo felt uneasy walking around the quiet ruins; there were small cabins which once housed exhibitions and cinema screens which were now empty, stripped of life. Nearby, the collapsed cave seemed ominous.

“Now then,” the professor said, as they stood by a pile of rubble. He clapped his hands together, locking his fingers and smiling, “I’ve been picking up a curious radio signal which I’ve traced to here. It’s… an unusual one. Which is brilliant!”

“Is it?” Jake asked.

“I’ve kept a dark secret from you boys,” Elm said, clutching his face for a fraction of a second. “My profile as a scientist has dimmed – all these new Pokemon professors, you see, making wild proclamations! I couldn’t keep up, so I published a rather shaky study on the significance of Pokemon faeces.”

“Like… poo?” Jake said, pulling a sour expression.

“Face The Faeces: A Study Of Pokemon Entrails,” Elm said, sounding sad at his own words. “Critics panned it. My reputation lay in tatters, I can’t get funding for my research, and my wife is expecting our first child. I’m determined to find a scientific breakthrough!”

Milo gave Jake a wary look, wondering why the pair seemed destined to wind up with weirdos. Nevertheless, Milo released Magneton, suggesting he help them figure out where the signal was coming from.

“If it’s an electromagnetic signal, your Magneton will be able to help us find the source,” Elm said. Magneton throbbed for a moment, his eyes whirling around their sockets and trying to taste the waves on the air. Excitedly, he let off a noise and cartwheeled through the air.

Magneton took them to a cabin built into the side of a cave. The door was padlocked, and the windows since boarded up, but this didn’t seem a problem for Professor Elm, who kindly asked Magneton to deliver a sonicboom.

The burst of sound punctured the lock and dented the front door; Elm ran over and yanked it open, leading the boys into what looked like a research lab. Milo could see tables and computers overturned, papers littering the ground. A big whiteboard was smashed, and a rubix cube lay in pieces.

“This was one of the main research hubs when the Ruins were active,” Elm explained. “I studied here, sometimes. Hired to investigate the intricate carvings and odd behaviour in the area.”

“Why do so many psychic Pokemon live around here?” Milo asked. He remembered visiting here last year, shortly after defeating Keadis and winning his first badge. There were Natu, Girafarig and Abra lurking among the grass and the trees.

“Psychic Pokemon are, typically, physically weak,” Elm said. “They avoid confrontation. We think this area was so quiet and barren, devoid of traffic and people, that it became an excellent place for the psychic Pokemon to live. They could project mental images, distort the area, and keep people away.”

“Like the Stantler in Ilex Forest,” Jake said to Milo.

Magneton floated around the room, trying to find the source of the signal, and Elm began looking through the notes left behind. Jake sat with Milo, who ran a finger through the crust of dirt that formed on the surfaces.

“I wonder if Gina’s okay?” Jake said, shuffling his feet.

“She’ll be fine,” Milo muttered.

“The thing is,” Jake said. “If she loses, then she’ll spiral back into misery again. But I want you to win, too.”

“Everyone has to deal with loss in some form,” Milo said. “My first loss in coordinating was against Gina herself. I’m looking forward to the contest, I hope I can battle her.”

Milo saw Magneton from across the room, and remembered that he needed to train Houndour and Scyther.

*

An hour or so later, and Elm was still poring over notes. Bored by the investigation, Milo and Jake had started playing a game – see how many rude images they could etch into one of the tables.

After Milo spectacularly took Jake’s etching of a unicorn and made it into a three-headed penis, Jake kicked the desk in frustration. His kick brought a radio to life nearby; the device screamed with white noise and echoing yells, starling the three.

“What did you do!” Elm said as he ran over. Jake protested his innocence, but Elm clutched the radio with joy, fiddling with the dials. Magneton bobbed over to investigate.

“This signal is being disturbed by something, too,” Elm said. “I think there is something blocking, or maybe overriding the radio signal. It’s coming from the ruins…”

Magneton started emitting a low-frequency supersonic, and moved around the room slowly. Milo got up to investigate, since his Pokemon seemed to have some idea what was going on. Suddenly, as if everything fell in place quickly, Magneton charged up with a cloak of sparks, and swept right into a bookcase against the wall.

The bookcase splintered, but Magneton disappeared from view. Milo looked to see a cavern leading off – it seems the bookcase had been covering it up. With Elm’s help he moved the book case, and a set of steps wound down to darkness.

“Magneton, that was amazing!” Milo said. Elm explained that Magneton was emitting sound and identifying the area by judging how quickly the sound resonated back to him. Dolphins did a similar technique underwater, and it allowed him to realise there was hollow space behind the wall.

Elm led the way down the steps, but before they commenced, Jake released his Torchic and let her light torches that were fixed to the walls.

“Did the scientist create this tunnel, choosing to hide it from view?” Elm pondered. “Or was their building this cabin next to a pocket of mysterious energy a coincidence?”

“This part of the cave can’t have been open to the public, right?” Milo said.

“No,” Elm said. He sounded excited beyond measure. “This is secret.”

Once they reached the last step, the three looked around them, and saw they were in a small anti-chamber. Four thick pillars supported the walls, but there was no clear way of advancing from here. Elm began feeling the walls.

“I think this is just the beginning!” he said excitedly. “This is exciting, isn’t it!”

“Meh,” Milo said, thinking of the metal coat he could acquire. Torchic was headbutting the wall disinterestedly; Milo got the impression she was a rather stupid Pokemon.

“Magneton, do your supersonic trick again, see if you can find any secret spaces behind the walls,” said Milo. He got to work quickly.

They walked around the chamber, but it was bare and very quiet. Just as Milo began his third lap of the small area, Jake let out a cry. He was standing by one of the pillars, and seemed to have spotted something.

Milo and Elm walked over to see someone had scratched something into one the pillars. Elm bemoaned the disgraceful graffiti, which seemed to have been done in a rough, charcoal-like substance.

“What does it say?” asked Milo.

“I think it’s an equation,” Jake replied, touching it with his finger. “It’s new.”

Milo summoned Medicham by opening her Pokeball, and asked her to use her clairsentience to try and see what happened in here. She placed her hand on the pillar, and clutched her head as interpreted the memories on the surface of the pillar.

“Let me help,” Milo said, and Medicham clutched his hand tightly. Milo felt a hot, bubbling anger wash over him; something was wrong, something wasn’t working. He heard the thick, scratching of charcoal on stone… he could smell it…

“Any luck?” Jake asked, but Milo was too focused to reply.

A vivid bob of pink hair and an angry, older man – two people were etching into the walls and calling out too each other.

“Two people came here, and they left to get something,” Milo said. “They left to get something which will get them into the next chamber.”

He let go of Medicham’s grip, clutching his head. That image had been vivid, very clear, and his senses worked very independently instead of merging together in confusion. Milo predicted that meant the memory was very fresh.

Just then, a noise could be heard upstairs. Two people began to descend down the staircase.

“I think they’re back,” Elm said.

*

Nobody said a word. Even Magneton stopped inspecting the room as Milo, Jake and Elm heard voices at the top of the staircase.

“They smashed right through the bookcase!” came a girl’s cry. Milo thought he recognised it.

“Fucking bandits,” said the girl’s ally.

“They won’t have the light,” she said, and suddenly dropped her voice to a whisper. “They must be at the foot of the stairs.”

Milo looked across at Jake, who was clutching Torchic so tightly she looked ready to burst. Elm was pacing back and forward, so Milo held a hand out to him, asking him to be still.

He remembered the voices – the girl’s belonged to Candy, the pink-haired hippie who worked for The Friends of Pokemon. The other voice was the older man, Peaceful Smith. What were the hippies doing down here?

Silently, Milo ordered Magneton to lock-on to the foot of the stairs. As the seconds crept by, there was the sound of slow steps echoing off the walls. Medicham casually held her hands down and levitated off the ground, making no noise whatsoever.

Would they attack? Milo had to assume so; these activists were never up to any good, and they had met enough now to inspire pure hostility. It seemed like no time when Milo and Jake, as well as Oscar and Sylvester Stallong, managed to kill an entire flock of Farfetch’d.

“Any moment now,” Milo said, seeing shadows trickle down the steps…

Then it happened – Candy’s thick boot came into view and with it, the rest of her lanky frame. She saw the two boys and professor staring at her and gasped, pointing at them.

Peaceful Smith came into view, wearing an assortment of furs and camouflage. The two of them were frozen only for a moment, and Magneton blasted off a thick bolt of lightning right where they stood.

There was a scream and a bang; Candy was thrown off her feet and Peaceful let out a roar. A Voltorb span across the arena, scowling something serious. Medicham launched herself into the air, landing on the spot right in front of Voltorb and delivering a jump kick.

The red and white orb flew into the air, smashing into the wall of the chamber. He fizzed with sparks and fired them off in all directions, so Milo, Jake and Elm ducked behind differing pillars.

“Don’t use sonicboom,” Milo warned. “That thing will have Soundproof. Go for a mirror coat. Medicham, help out.”

As Voltorb blasted another bolt of electricity, Medicham twisted her wrist and used a psychic attack to send the attack speeding at Magneton. Shimmering with a reflective sheen, Magneton absorbed the relatively weak attack before unleashing a massive, retaliatory attack that glowed with a golden pulse.

“STOP IT!” Candy screamed, ordering another attack. Voltorb span wildly and threw himself at Medicham; she was caught off guard and fell to the ground, clutching her arm in agony.

“Get out of the way,” Peaceful Smith said, walking along the chamber. Magneton shot a web of sparks at him, and he jumped wildly to the left.

“What are you two doing here?” Milo barked, still hidden behind a pillar.

“None of your business!” Peaceful said. He walked up to Milo, but Medicham interjected; she threw her hand to the side, and Peaceful’s purposeful stride turned into a woozy stagger; he fell into the side of the wall.

“We’ll fight you off!” Jake said. Torchic cried her name and sneezed a long jet of flame across the room.

“Candy, get the light going!” Peaceful said. Candy nodded, and ordered an attack from Voltorb. He began to glow with a brilliant white light; it overtook his body as he throbbed. Milo couldn’t see what was happening, but heard a thick grunt of shifting stone.

“What’s going on!” Elm screamed. Milo felt someone push past him, still screwing his eyes shut from the intense light. Something had happened; something was moving, so he held his arms out to grope in the light. Nearby, Elm yelled out; Milo had lightly punched him.

Jake was the first to speak up as the light died down, “They made a passageway appear! They’re getting away!”

Milo could see thick stone shifting to reveal a narrow corridor beyond the chamber. However, as he turned, he also saw corridors forming from each wall. Jake ran after Candy and Peaceful, but just as he went, another thick, grinding noise filled the chamber.

“Where do all these passages lead?” Elm said, running to the East wall and staring down the thin gap. “This is incredible!”

“I don’t get how they open and close like doors,” Milo said. He turned to follow Jake, but saw the gap was beginning to close up. “NO!”

Milo ran over, but the gap was getting smaller and smaller – there was no way he could fit down there. Jake wasn’t visible beyond Milo’s line of sight. “Medicham, try and teleport to the other side.”

Medicham shook her head, folding her arms and leaning against a pillar. Milo cursed; teleporting without a visual aid could be lethal. Without knowing what the layout of the next chamber was, it would be foolish to leap into it.

“Elm!” Milo shouted. “How did they do that?”

“The bright light, it seems,” he said. Milo ordered Magneton to unleash a flash attack, hoping he could emulate what Voltorb did. When Medicham saw a vision of the chamber, the hippies went to get something… was it possible they knew they needed a Pokemon with flash?

Magneton brimmed with energy, containing it until he began to give off a strong, white glow. Suddenly, the chamber was ignited with a brilliant white light, and as Magneton powered it, Milo heard the familiar stone grinding. The chambers were opening again.

Once the gap was big enough for him to squeeze down, Milo recalled Medicham and Magneton, nipping down and running after Jake. Elm followed keenly.

The corridor was long and thin; Milo jogged at a steady pace, ensuring he got to the end before it closed up. Just beyond, there was a sliver of light; the next room of the ruins.

“I think I know what caused this,” Elm said from behind Milo. He diverted the boy’s attention to the walls of the corridor; thick, letter-like creatures were studded into the walls. Most were in the shape of an X, but others had slightly different shapes.

“These are the Unown,” Elm said. “And this is their home. Look at how they spin and turn together.”

Milo saw, and agreed – the small creatures were knotted together along the walls like a set of cogs in a machine. As one turned, its joints locked in with those of another, and the walls separated, allowing them more room.

“Historians think this is part of an ancient civilisation,” Elm said. “And when they aren’t disturbed by bright light, the Unown are normally docile, or asleep. Now, however, they are stuck in their position, and move the only way they know how.”

“Is it cruel?” Milo said, feeling sorry for the creatures.

“Unown’s existence is curious,” Elm admitted. “I don’t think… I don’t think they work like typical organisms. They don’t eat, they don’t breathe, yet they have conscious thought. It’s boggling.”

They reached the end of the corridor and the Unown began to turn, closing up the corridor. Milo briefly wondered how many souls had been trapped between those two walls before.

This new chamber was long, with a staircase at the end which lead to deeper depths. Milo saw no sign of Jake or the hippies – why hadn’t Jake decided to just wait for them at the other side?

“Where do you think those other corridors led to?” Elm asked, referring to the corridors coming off from the main chamber.

“Dunno,” Milo said. “Gold?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Elm snapped.

They walked along in silence, Elm sometimes walking to the walls and examining them. Milo wondered if this whole complex was fuelled by the Unown – the tired ones would awake with light, but were there others ahead?

He explained to Elm about the Friends of Pokemon – activists who had frequently clashed with Milo and Jake. Elm pointed out that if the pair tried to free the Unown, the very structure of the Ruins of Alph would collapse.

“We need to stop them,” Milo said.

“They sound so foolish, who would try and do such a thing?” asked Elm.

“If you took hallucinogens every day, you’d probably do the same,” Milo told him.

“Oh, but there isn’t anything wrong with hallucinogens!” Elm proclaimed. “Why, an elixir made from the deadened spores of a Vileplume has the most incredible effects. It helped me with a paper I wrote.”

“What was the paper on?” Milo asked.

“I was presenting my findings on recreational drugs from organic compounds – in this case, Pokemon.”

“Did it go well?”

“No, I was sick on a senior lecturer, tore off my clothes and urinated on the podium,” Elm admitted. “Still, it sort of proved my point.”

“Fucking science,” Milo said.

By this point, they had reached the foot of the stairs and were now facing a wall. Milo saw, again, that something had been scratched into a column, and examined it straight away.

This time, however, it seemed someone had used charcoal to cover up something on the pillar. Milo wiped the charcoal away and saw a small inscription.

HTWOO

“Sounds like an owl sneezing backwards,” Milo mused.

“No it doesn’t,” Elm snapped. “It’s obviously a code.”

“You’re obviously a complete bellend,” Milo retorted, folding his arms. Elm ignored him and traced his fingers across the letters.

“Those hippies, who do they think they are, desecrating the chambers like this?” Elm muttered.

“They obviously don’t want us following them,” Milo said. What could HTWOO possibly mean? He thought about it for a moment, wishing he could get the internet on his phone and Google the answer.

“I don’t think they’ve done a very good job inscribing this,” Elm said. “The final letter is a bit wonky.”

Milo inspected it.

“It looks less like an O and more like a zero,” he said. “HTWOZERO?”

“It’s H20!” Elm cried. “Water! We need water to get to the next chamber!”

He rustled around in his bag and produced a small carton of orange juice. Elm popped the straw in the top and blasted a weak stream of juice at the pillar, trying to douse it.

“Damn!” he wailed. “It didn’t work! If only we had a bottle of water!”

“You idiot,” Milo said, making sure to shove him with some force. “Croconaw!”

Bursting from the Pokeball was Milo’s trusty Croconaw; he flexed his arms and clapped his hands at emerging in the dim chamber. Elm stepped back, deciding he didn’t like the look of the alligator.

“Blast a water gun at the pillar mate,” Milo said. Croconaw nodded, firing off a foamy jet against the inscribed pillar. However, there was no grinding of stone, no sudden burst of understanding.

Milo had Croconaw run around the chamber spraying water – an opportunity he seemed to relish – and eventually, the corner of the chamber creaked as it was doused. Elm gasped as a rotating part of the wall revealed a tight, twisted staircase made from stone.

“Brilliant!” Milo said, running along with his Pokemon. Elm followed keenly.

The staircase was cold; a wind rushed past them. Elm speculated that the cold water woke the Unown up in a similar way to the blast of bright light.

However, as the two got further down the stairs, they heard loud noises. Bangs, screams and yells, as well as the roaring of Pokemon. Something was going on beneath them.

With each step, Milo thought he was about to arrive at the scene, but the spiral stairs were very long indeed. Eventually, they levelled out, and Milo saw a scene of chaos before him.

Jake was fighting three hippies – Candy and Peaceful, and a young boy with wild, spiked hair. He had several facial piercings and commanded a Charmeleon. Candy had released a Cacturne, while Peaceful used the Voltorb from before.

“Pellipper!” Jake cried. Milo looked to see a large pelican soaring across the high ceiling of the chamber – Jake’s Wingull must have evolved during the fray. “Water gun!”

Screeching, Pellipper blasted a jet of water that Charmeleon avoided. Jake was also commanding two Parasect – one obviously being his Ditto in disguise. Milo saw him fighting with fierce determination, sweat slicked across his forehead. He looked oddly calm.

“We’re here, Jake!” Milo cried. Jake didn’t turn around – he was too busy. Cacturne leapt high and slammed a spiked arm into Pellipper’s side, sending the bird to the ground.

“Stun seed!” Jake told Parasect. Coating his seeds into deadly spores, Parasect fired off the exploding pellets. Voltorb span out of the way, firing off a bolt of lightning at the boy’s general direction.

“Recall Ditto,” Milo said. “Croconaw, hit Charmeleon with an aqua tail.”

Croconaw nodded, bounding along the arena on all fours. As he leapt into the air, he span around and unleashed a thick blade of energy from his tail. It smashed itno Charmeleon and burst into foamy, ice cold water. Charmeleon fell into the wall.

Cacturne ran for Pellipper, but Parasect intervened; he slashed the cactus’s legs before headbutting him into the ground. Voltorb raced across the arena at Croconaw, but instead of trying to avoid him, Croconaw beckoned him with a clawed finger.

“Thundershock!” Candy cried. Milo watched as Croconaw took the attack, clenching his muscles and grimacing. As he leapt along, he swung his tail and smashed the ball Pokemon across the arena.

“Spike!” Candy said to the young boy. “What’s the latest?”

Spike was about to reply to his comrade, but dived to avoid a barrage of sharp pins. Pellipper had blasted an impressive whirlwind to blow back Cacturne’s pin missile, causing them to rain back down on the hippies.

“The final chamber – I don’t know how to get in,” Spike said.

“Well what the fuck have you been doing!” Peaceful barked, as he ordered Spike’s Charmeleon to fire a flamethrower at Parasect.

“Didn’t they leave an inscription this time?” Candy asked.

“No!”

“What are they on about?” Milo said.

“I don’t know,” Jake said. Pellipper skimmed the walls of the chamber, gliding through the air and unleashing a water pulse. Voltorb was struck, encased in the orb of sparkling water, unable to move.

“That’s amazing,” Milo said to Jake, watching as the water pulse burst, sending Voltorb crashing to the ground. Jake’s skills as a trainer were really improving.

“I don’t think these hippies have been doing the damage,” Elm said. The situation was wild; six Pokemon duked it out in the middle of the chamber, while the hippies tried to converse in hushed voices on the other side.

“Spike was sent here to do some work,” Jake said. “And he got stuck. That’s why Candy and Peaceful came here, but they kept having to leave the ruins to get the things required – they captured a Voltorb, they captured a Poliwhirl.”

“What are they trying to do? Free Unown?” Milo asked.

“I’m not sure,” Jake replied.

“PEACEFUL!” Milo shouted, pulling out Medicham’s Pokeball. “Stop what you’re doing and face us like a man.”

“Fuck off!” Peaceful said, ordering more attacks. “You’re not going to fuck up what we’re trying to do here! Go away!”

“No!” Milo said. Medicham appeared at his side and together, they ran at the three hippies. Cacturne saw this and attempted to intervene, running along the arena and pulling a grim face.

Medicham leapt up and dealt a karate chop; she hit Cacturne in the neck, blocking his needle arm and rolling under his legs. Summoning a fire punch, she grabbed him by the neck, throwing him into the wall.

With a pop she was back at Milo’s side, running towards the hippies. Voltorb span towards them, crackling with sparks, but Parasect fired off an energy ball at him; the green orb exploded, throwing Voltorb across the room.

Charmeleon was too busy fending off Pellipper’s sky-diving to stop Milo. Medicham held a hand out, pinning Spike against the wall. Milo grabbed Peaceful Smith by the front of his shirt, slamming him into the wall.

“DON’T DO IT,” he shouted. “Free these Unown, and the whole chamber will fucking collapse!”

“Free them?” Peaceful said, pulling a sour face as he lay within Milo’s grip.

“I won’t let you fuck this up, I’ll beat you unconscious if I have to,” Milo said.

“We’re not trying to release them,” Peaceful snapped.

“What?” Milo was confused; why was Peaceful denying it?

“When did we ever say we were going to let these Pokemon out the ruins? This is their home; we’re trying to protect the Unown from something else,” said Peaceful.

“Something else?” Jake asked, as Voltorb flew into his stomach, knocking him to the ground.

“But…the inscriptions,” Elm said, from the corner of the room. Croconaw was punched in the jaw by Charmeleon and fell to the ground, but as the foe leapt at him, he fired a jet of water and blasted him into the ceiling.

“We have been trying to track down a pair of thieves,” Candy explained. “We overheard them on the outskirts of the city last night, plotting to steal three Unown. So we pulled away from our people to tackle the problem.”

“We kept finding inscriptions etched into the columns,” Spike said. “These people obviously had help from an expert. They knew that a bright light would open the second chamber, and that ice-cold water would open the next.”

“But we realised that they might bring reinforcements, so as we went through the chambers, we tried covering up the clues they left,” Candi replied.

“So you’re going after someone… and they’re beyond this wall?” Jake said.

“Yes. Now please, leave us alone,” Peaceful said. Milo dropped his grip and muttered an apology.

“We can help!” Jake said, as Pellipper perched on his arm. Parasect leapt to his side, too.

“Please,” Elm said. “It’s imperative we stop people taking Unown from this chamber!”

There was a heavy boom from somewhere beneath the group. Milo saw the pillars shake and a crumbling powder flutter down from above them. Something was going on. He looked at Elm, who was wringing his hands together anxiously.

“We don’t know how to get into the next chamber,” Peaceful admitted. “Spike was investigating, but it’s trickier than the other ones.”

Candy confirmed there were no inscriptions on the walls; they had searched for a long time and found no clues or messages that would help them. Elm, without saying a word, began wandering the perimeter of the room.

The group said nothing for a short time; Milo thanked Croconaw and Medicham for their work, while Jake heaped praise on his new Pellipper, who had a deep, croaky voice. Parasect scuttled over to shake hands (wings?) with the bird.

“Peaceful,” Elm said. “Have you perhaps noticed that this chamber is made from a different stone than the others?”

“No,” Peaceful said quickly. “I did not.”

“The Eastern wall, at any rate, is made from sandstone,” Elm said. “Or, at least, the surface is sandstone.”

“How does that help us?” Milo asked.

“Sandstone contains silica,” Elm said. “A compound which is found in most sands. When struck by lightning, silica melts and the sand fuses into a glass-like compound. Quartz.”

“Geek,” Jake murmured.

Milo didn’t need prompted; he recalled Croconaw and released Magneton once more. Elm explained that Magneton would need to unleash a powerful blast of lightning with enough heat to have an impact on the sandstone. Magneton began charging energy.

“Keep him charging, again and again, until he can barely keep it in,” Elm said. “Then make him lock-on otherwise it could fly everywhere.”

Nobody said a word as Magneton glowed brighter and brighter. Sparks fizzed along the contours of his body, the smaller ones shooting off into brief crackles. Milo wasn’t sure what Elm wanted to happen once the sandstone formed into quartz, but knew he had a plan.

As Magneton built up energy, he started throbbing. On Elm’s suggestion, Milo also released Houndour; he would release a blast of fire at the same time, helping to catalyse the chemical reaction. Houndour was swirling fire around his gums, staring intently at the wall.

“On my count,” Elm said, his voice rapt. “Three… two…

“One…

“NOW!”

Noise and light flooded the chamber. A bolt of lightning swept through the air, hissing as sparks flew off in all directions. Magneton’s attack was shrouded in a brilliant golden light, and as it slammed into the wall, Houndour unleashed a roaring jet of fire.

Milo had to screw his eyes shut – the light was too bright. Elm was cheering as Magneton and Houndour continued to force their electricity and fire into the wall. The surface was almost bubbling with white-hot energy.

“IT’S WORKING!” Elm roared.

Milo saw Magneton exert one final push, sending sparks fizzling along the wall. Houndour ceased his fiery assault, and Milo stared at the wall.

The sand had indeed melded into quartz, and what was once a sandstone wall had fused into a transparent, crystalline web. Milo saw it sparkle and shimmer; there was a flaming torch in an area just behind the wall.

Elm pressed his hands against the quartz and peered beyond its milky veil.

“Something’s beyond here,” he said. “This is where we go.”

Milo nodded, recalling both Magneton and Houndour. Jake, noticing Milo’s action, did the same, returning his Pokemon into their Pokeballs. Medicham, having picked up Milo’s thought process, flexed her muscles and smirked.

“No need for fancy tricks,” Milo told the group. “Medicham, brick break.”

She smiled, arching her arm back before racing across the chamber. In a quick swipe, Medicham delivered a shattering blow to the thick quartz, causing thick cracks to snake into the wall. After two more strikes, the quartz shattered, creating an opening.

“Well done Milo!” Elm said, as the boy instinctively clambered into the next chamber. Peaceful Smith, perhaps feeling neglected or of ill use, barged past Jake and climbed after Milo.

This chamber was dark, lit with dim torches. Milo’s trainers crunched the shards of quartz littering the floor, and he could see an opening just ahead. Peaceful Smith’s odour of thick tobacco and sweat filled the area.

“Come on!” Milo said, leading the way. He saw a bright light, evidently leading to the next room. They must be close now, surely? Milo thought about the people stealing Unown – what could be gained from it? How many were there?

“What do you know –“

Milo was cut short when a dizzying screech filled his ears. Turning around, he saw the hole Medicham created glowing a bright white. Elm, Jake, Candy and Spike gasped from the other side of the hole as it began to close up, crystalline fibres whizzing across like an intricate spider’s web.

“It’s closing!” Peaceful cried. “CANDY!”

Milo ran over and hammered against the fully-repaired quartz wall, the people on the other side frosted and veiled. Elm’s mumbling was seemingly an explanation at the phenomenon, but Milo couldn’t decipher his words.

“Medicham, break it,” Milo said, but Peaceful stopped him.

“We need to go on; they can shatter it and follow us,” he explained. “Please, Milo, we are very late.”

And so they walked on, breaking into a jog, running down the dark corridor. Medicham followed obediently. Peaceful didn’t say much, but explained that if the Unown were prised from the walls, or captured into Pokeballs, they would cause the ruins to collapse. Milo had seen the Unown work like cogs in this, a brilliant machine. It would be disastrous if even one were taken.

As they got nearer to the light, however, Milo began to feel light headed. Something was overcoming him – it was pure joy. He smiled as the light, getting nearer but still far away, took the form of something slender, something beautiful.

The world within the ruins didn’t exist. Milo blinked in quick succession to see Luna Fuerte smiling at him – the two were on top of the most magnificent tower imaginable. Milo folded his arms together; it was chilly here, where a sharp breeze blew. A thick knitted jumper wrapped around him, as if on cue.

“Why did you bring us here?” Luna asked. Milo looked at her, dumbfounded. Her black hair was so shiny and looked soft to the touch; her eyes sparkled with a vivid energy that took his breath away, and her scent… a refreshing something he could not even articulate.

“I… don’t know,” Milo said. On the parapet of the large tower, the pair stared across a vast city beneath them. It was one Milo didn’t recognise, but they were so high that wisps of cloud ambled in the air beneath them.

“I thought I was…”

“You’re here, and that’s what matters,” Luna said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Milo nodded, understanding. He placed a hand on her hip and led her, waltz-like, across the top of the magnificent tower.

Sometimes, they said nothing, and danced as the evening set in. Time didn’t seem to move in a normal way; instead, Milo savoured each moment, choosing to keep it, to reanimate it, until he yearned for the next beautiful part. The beating of Luna’s heart against his own… this was real.

“Why do we only find each other in our dreams?” Luna asked, her head against Milo’s chest.

“I… I thought you were a manifestation of my…”

“Maybe I am,” Luna said. “But… maybe you’re asleep right now, too, at the same time I am. Maybe we’re synchronised.”

“I don’t always dream of you,” Milo admitted, fearful in case it soured the wonderful ambience.

“Nor I, you,” Luna said. “Sometimes, though, it makes so much sense. Like two planets finally lining up, if only briefly.”

Milo knew exactly how she felt.

“And I yearn for sleep to come,” she admitted. “Maybe then, you’ll be there. And you will dance with me.”

“I want to see you, outside of this,” Milo said. “In the real world.”

“But Milo,” Luna said, pulling apart from his grasp and studying him. “Just because we are not conscious, why should it mean none of this is real?”

Hurtled through thought itself, Milo found screams flooding his senses. Their sharp, forced notes drowned the tower he stood on with Luna, and he felt crumbling sandstone across his face.

“MILO!”

Jake was shaking him, and Milo realised he was soaking wet. Pellipper had doused him. He was in the dim corridor, on the floor, and Jake was screaming as thick chunks of rock thudded down from the ceiling.

“The ruins are collapsing!” Elm yelled, as Candy tried to rouse Peaceful Smith.

“Wh-what happened?” Milo said, dusting himself off. They were in the dim corridor before the source of the bright light. Jake grabbed Milo’s hand and led him on, and behind him, Spike and Candy got Peaceful to his feet.

“We found you both unconscious,” Jake said, not looking back. Medicham was erecting force fields to protect them from falling debris, while Pellipper flew ahead.

“I was on a tower,” Milo said.

“You were dreaming.”

“No! I was there, it was real!” Milo explained. Jake said nothing. Was Luna still standing on the tower, would she be waiting for him when he slept tonight? Milo couldn’t understand what was going on.

“The Unown have been disturbed, this whole place is going to fall apart!” Candy screamed. The six broke through the source of light and emerged in the next room, where a column had fallen and the ceiling was bulging ominously.

Medicham held a finger to her temple, and ran to the center of the room. Completely invisible was something that she could indeed see; she felt at the ground, her hands moving higher and higher.

“A staircase,” said Spike, nodding. Medicham ran up the steps, though in actuality it looked like she was ascending of her own accord. Milo saw the ceiling; surely Medicham would have nowhere to go?

But as she got to the top, her body melded into the ceiling, and Milo understood that the ceiling itself was an illusion. Jake followed her, beckoning Milo, and Elm came after. The hippies followed with trepidation, exploring the unseeable steps with their hands.

Through the ceiling – and a curiously warm, sensual feeling – and Milo found himself in a small trailer. It looked like the one which they used to get into the ruins, but it was full of far more hi-tech equipment. Medicham was already at the door.

Once Elm got here, he excitedly looked around the room, but Jake was staring out the window, where rubble, clouds of dust and unrest filled the area around them. Elm explained they were in a higher peak of the ruins, slightly off the beaten track, quite close to the path towards the National Park.

Once they felt the room was, in fact, sanctuary, the group relaxed. Candy and Spike were keen to chase after the thieves, and left in an instant. Peaceful, like Milo, seemed content with being perfectly still, thinking.

Jake and Elm were discussing the Unown; Jake seemed suddenly very fiery, very determined to learn everything. Using documents in this research room, Elm began explaining some of his theories about the Unown’s history. When they were being stolen, he said, they used their telepathy to invoke a dream-like bliss in intruders, which was why Milo and Peaceful were struck.

“Did the thieves get hit by it, too?” Jake asked.

“I think not,” Elm said. “They escaped.”

Milo looked across at Peaceful Smith, who was staring at the window with apparent awe.

“What did you see,” Milo said softly.

“My daughter,” Peaceful replied. “Alive and well.”

*

At the intersection on Route 36, a man sat crossed-legged, watching the thick dust clouds unfurl from the ruins. It was late afternoon, and a Nidoran was pawing the ground, trying to unearth a thick, nutritious root.

Seeing two figures walk along the route towards him, Chuck got up and prepared to greet them. Oscar and Falkner looked messy, both covered in dust and other mess.

“This was your doing?” Chuck said, pointing beyond Oscar to the swirling, ominous cloud.

“As was this,” Oscar replied, handing Chuck a Pokeball.

“You did it?”

“Barely.”

“I didn’t expect the ruins to collapse,” Chuck admitted.

“We barely got out alive,” Oscar said. “Worse still, we were pursued by Milo Mitchelson and others.”

Chuck gasped, “They saw you?”

“Falkner cleverly used the Unown’s natural gift,” Oscar replied, smiling. Falkner looked slightly uncomfortable at the praise. “Stopped Milo in his tracks, sent him into spiralling euphoria.”

“Look, I…”

“Falkner is uneasy about turning on his friend,” Oscar admitted. “But I explained, didn’t I, how detrimental it would be to get anyone – even friends – involved in our work.”

“You did,” Falkner replied.

“Thank you for your help,” Chuck said to Falkner, nodding.

“Unown possess an incredible level of telepathy,” Oscar explained to the other two. “Far, far beyond the telepathy performed by strong psychic Pokemon. Their bodies are comprised of memory cells that help them communicate with each other. Unown who are exposed to others in their conscious state – like the three we just stole – will be able to transmit thought to each other no matter where in the world they are.”

“So you wanted to use them like communication devices,” Falkner said.

“Correct,” Oscar replied. “Wherever the three of us are, as long as we have our Unown with us, we can link up to one another without interference.”

“Why can’t it be interfered with by other psychic Pokemon?” Falkner asked.

“Because it isn’t technically telepathy,” Oscar explained. “It’s… something entirely different.”

“Scholars once argued Unown weren’t even to be qualified as Pokemon,” Chuck told the boy. “They exist purely to communicate with each other. They can transmit thought using a telepathy-based form of electromagnetic waves. They hate being outside, they hate being disturbed – hence the chaos at the Ruins when you captured three.”

Oscar nodded.

“Falkner, you’ll be coming with me to Goldenrod City,” Chuck continued. “We’re going to learn a bit about Steven Stone’s empire. We need to identify how best to bring it down.”

“What about Oscar?” Falkner asked.

“Oscar has to finish up some… research in Violet City,” Chuck said. Falkner bid goodbye to Oscar and carried on along the path to the National Park. Chuck, on the pretence of having a quick word with Oscar, dropped his tone.

“Listen here,” he began, but Oscar interjected.

“No, you listen,” he snapped. “If I want to hurt Milo Mitchelson, then I will. Don’t put on a pretence that you’ll intervene – you haven’t got the guts to try and hurt me.”

Oscar smiled.

“You’ve been scared of me ever since you heard I killed Eli,” Oscar said. “Didn’t think I had murder in me, did you?”

“I wish you didn’t,” Chuck replied.

“Well I do,” Oscar snapped. “And don’t forget it.”

Chuck nodded, making his excuses and running after Falkner. Oscar swelled with pride at putting the stupid man in his place; he was capable of great things, and Chuck needed to fear him just a little bit. Oscar stared at Violet City beneath him, before running along the path to go and find Milo.



Next Chapter
It's time for the Violet City contest, and Milo is determined to get his fourth ribbon. Gina reveals her competitive side as she is joined by her new 'lifestyle coach', while Milo and Jake are shocked to see Denise Dwight and her daughter Tamara have entered the contest in a desperate bid to get a ribbon. But Denise has more tricks up her sleeve...

Meanwhile, Oscar mounts a plan of action that may seriously endanger everyones lives...




Notes
-I haven't written a chapter this quickly for a while. I think it's actually a very long chapter, but when I was proofing it, it went kind of fast, so I don't think you notice how big it is.

-In the original draft of the fic, planned years back, Milo was going to capture a unique Unown that could shift forms between the different shapes. He would later sell it for a small fortune.

-It was cool being able to write about The Ruins of Alph. I think during cash-strapped times, it made a lot of sense for the council to try and turn the crumbling wreck into a tourist attraction.

-As for the hippies, well, I'm a sucker for bringing them back. It was nice they were trying to be the good guys, but a shame they didn't save the day.

-I wonder if Candy will try and pursue Oscar?

-As for their scheme, it seems Oscar's making sure his phone calls can't be traced. You'll see what Falkner and Chuck get up to in a future chapter.

-I'm really looking forward to the contest - it's the culmination of the whole Violet/Cherrygrove arc, and Denise Dwight is back with a very clever plan.

-The new, 2/3 part arc will start soon. It's about Eusine.




Thanks guys!

[Sike Saner]

That was quite an interesting take on the unown and the Ruins of Alph there in that chapter.

“A metal coat,” Milo said. “I had a look online, but they’re really rare. It’s an ionised ointment from a special type of metal. You have to rub the cream into the Pokemon’s skin, applying more and more over a period of time. It helps their body’s natural hormones adapt.”

Interesting description of metal coat.

Milo leaned back in his chair, thinking. Jake took this opportunity to try and discreetly eat a piece of squid, but the chewy fish slipped out his mouth and into his soda. He went bright red.

Pfff oh dear. XD

However, the areas around the Ruins were home to a number of psychic Pokemon, some of which were unhappy with their habitat being disturbed at all hours. Soon, visitors complained of headaches when they visited the ruins, but the problem was deemed a result of a particularly hot, dry summer, even when experts suggested the native Pokemon were inflicting headaches.

Weeks later, and people started having seizures when visiting certain chambers. Again, complaints were made, but the Johto Council, unwilling to tackle the problem head on, dispelled the rumours, and remained reluctant to shut the money-generating attraction.

Then, one day there was a cave-in at the ruins. Two people were killed when the cave they were exploring collapsed from the inside, and several more were treated for minor injuries. The Johto Council paid out large compensation packages to all involved, and had to close the attractions as a result. Accusations were made that the psychic Pokemon tore the chambers apart with their most intense psychic attacks as a chilling warning to those who dared to disturb them.

Damn. Unhappy with their habitat being disturbed, indeed.

An hour or so later, and Elm was still poring over notes. Bored by the investigation, Milo and Jake had started playing a game – see how many rude images they could etch into one of the tables.

After Milo spectacularly took Jake’s etching of a unicorn and made it into a three-headed penis, Jake kicked the desk in frustration.

... XD

“Oh, but there isn’t anything wrong with hallucinogens!” Elm proclaimed. “Why, an elixir made from the deadened spores of a Vileplume has the most incredible effects. It helped me with a paper I wrote.”

“What was the paper on?” Milo asked.

“I was presenting my findings on recreational drugs from organic compounds – in this case, Pokemon.”

“Did it go well?”

“No, I was sick on a senior lecturer, tore off my clothes and urinated on the podium,” Elm admitted.

...Lovely. O~o;

[Chris 2.1]

The next chapter IS en route! I wrote it, proofed it and was appalled at how bad the writing is, so Ch28 has gone to boot camp, X Factor Style.

[Chris 2.1]

IT'S HERE.

Sorry for the delay everyone. I've been in hospital, had a job change, moved house...

This has been written for a while but as I said earlier, I proofed it and was appalled at how bad the writing was. I've been reading Jed Rubenfeld novels a lot lately, and his dialogue is very brief and snappy. I'd sort of echoed that.

Anyway the next chapter is ALSO writen and that will be going up very soon since the chapter ends on quite a cliffhanger!

Do let me know your thoughts.



Previously
-Milo returned to Violet City to compete for his fourth ribbon.
-He and Jake worked with Professor Elm at the Ruins of Alph but failed to stop three Unown get stolen.
-Little did they realise, they were stolen by Chuck, Oscar and Falkner.
-Chuck and Falkner made their way to Goldenrod, while Oscar headed to Violet City.

Show-Off
-XXVIII-
Thunderbird

Violet City was hosting it's contest in the late evening, so that the final battle took place as the arena became cloaked in darkness. This suited Jake perfectly as he enjoyed a long, lazy lie in at their hotel.

In fact, only when every ounce of sleep had escaped his body did he start to rouse, and he quickly noticed that Milo wasn't in their hotel room. Jake saw the time - it was 1pm. He felt guilty for sleeping in so late, but smiled to himself. He needed that.

As Jake rubbed his eyes, a knock at the door alerted him. He quickly threw on a pair of joggers and a t-shirt, wondering who it could be. Was it Gina, maybe wanting some advice ahead of the contest?

"Oh," Jake said, "Professor Elm!"

"Afternoon!" he said, shaking Jake's hand. "Is Milo in?"

"No, er, practicing for the contest… I think," Jake admitted.

"A shame," Elm said, scratching his head. "I had something for you. I forgot to hand it to Milo yesterday."

He got a thick tin out from his bag and handed it to Jake, who noted how heavy it was. This was the metal coat used to help Scyther evolve. Jake unscrewed the tin and looked at the gloomy, metal liquid, giving it a sniff. There was a sharp smell, with the depth of petrol.

"Thank you so much for your help yesterday," Elm said, beaming at Jake. "Although we couldn't stop the thieves, I had a wonderful time."

"Will it help your research?" Jake asked, putting the lid back on.

"You know, well, perhaps not," he admitted. "I think I will take a break from science, actually. In fact, I'm going to write a novel."

"Wow," Jake said.

"I was inspired by our adventure," Elm said. "It inspired me far more than any of my science has."

"That would be awesome!" Jake said excitedly.

"Well, take care, it was lovely to meet you Jack," said Elm. Jake pulled a sour face, but didn't see the sense in correcting him. Elm left the hotel, humming a tune to himself, and Jake decided he'd better get ready and find Milo.

It turned out Milo was practicing at the old Violet City Gym. Since Falkner had abandoned his post, Milo had been able to get in no problem, probably because nobody from the league was aware of the leaders new absence. The wind whistled through the gaps in the tall stone tower as Jake made his way to the top.

Nearing the top, there was a sudden rush of heat, and Jake saw Houndour leaping into the air. He hurried up, walking onto Milo's appeal practice. In his heart, Jake wasn't sure how he felt about Houndour; the grim looking animal was quite aggressive to everyone but Milo, who seemed to have earned the hounds respect.

On Milo's command, the black dog unleashed a jet of flame from his mouth. It hit the ground and a thick, rushing vortex of fire whipped up, blending scarlet and brilliant, vermillion streaks.

"Howl!"

Opening his throat, but not his mouth, Houndour let out a long, wavering moan. It sounded truly terrifying, like a song seeped in the macabre. The cry filled the air as the heat from the twisting flames cosied the area.

"Good work!" Jake said. Milo nodded, and the fire faded away as a sharp wind tore through the attack. Houndour trotted back to Milo.

"He's looking good," Milo said. "I'm feeling pretty happy about his appeal."

"And the battle portion?"

"Scyther," Milo said, prompting Jake to remember the metal coat.

"Elm dropped it off," he said, showing Milo. Like Jake only an hour earlier, Milo unscrewed the tin and gave the thick cream a sniff. It was repulsive, a spiky scent, but oddly enjoyable.

"Let's give the rabbit his carrot," Milo said, maximising the green Park Ball from his belt. Throwing it up, he released Scyther in a bright burst of light.

"Look what we've got you, mate," Milo said, beckoning him. "It'll help you evolve."

Together, the boys scooped a thick dollop of the cold cream and rubbed it into Scyther's joints, taking particular care around his razor-sharp apendages. Scyther stood perfectly still, watching them administer the ointment with intrigue.

After about twenty minutes, Milo was satisfied with his work, and would apply more that evening. Scyther looked exactly the same, though somehow healthier from the Metal Coat. They practised some basic attacks - evasion, a strong slash attack and a beautiful silver wind - before Milo felt confident going to the contest hall.

"Time to get the fourth ribbon," he said.

*

Violet City was hosting the contest at the Sprout Tower today, as it was a landmark 25 years to the day since the very first Pokemon contest had been held in the city. Milo and Jake turned up later in the day, registering and climbing the stairs to the summit.

A many-floored building, Sprout Tower was an homage to the Bellsprout that are commonplace around Violet City. It was an ancient structure that housed religious people who believed the Bellsprout's natural bendiness and vacant expression made it a highly aspirational figure, and people regularly went to listen to seminars, discussions and ceremonies by elders at the tower. Milo had visited in his youth, and thought the whole thing was ridiculous.

The very top of the tower was an open-air battleground with tiered seating rising on all sides, rather like a colosseum. Beneath the stadium was a guest area for all the coordinators to relax, with a staircase leading directly onto the arena. Milo wondered how it would feel to run up onto the stage. Like a gladiator before combat.

This guest area was far more decadent than the others Milo had been in. There were large, squashy chairs and silver drapes, soft music playing and even a small bar, where a man served complimentary drinks.

"It's so grand," Jake said, taking the building in. "Isn't it?"

"Yea, I heard some guy over there saying the council have pumped loads of money into the contest, because it's the 25th anniversary of their first contest in Violet," Milo said, taking a drink. It was a small area, so it felt busy without really being so.

"Do you see Gina?" Jake said, peering around.

"No," Milo replied, also having a look, "But look who just came in."

It was none other than Denise Dwight, the middle aged mother Milo had met in Goldenrod City. She had entered her daughter, a talented singer and dancer, into the contest, using a clever Sudowoodo to mimic her daughter's talents for the appeal. It hadn't quite worked, but one thing had been for certain - Denise would do anything to help her daughter achieve success.

Just like then, Denise was dressed in a brightly-coloured tracksuit combo. Her hair was in a neat bob - she looked slightly more polished than she had in Goldenrod.

She was making a fuss as she walked through the area, elbowing a man out the way and snatching a drink from a passing waiter. Walking behind her mother, Tamara, aged only eight or nine, was very pretty, dressed in a neat tea dress, and was quite quiet as her mother fussed so.

"Are you okay dear?" Denise said, tidying her hair.

"Uh-huh," the girl cooed.

"Debbie will get your things," Denise said, turning. "DEBBIE!"

Behind her mother was Tamara's older sister, Debbie. Stringy and slightly too skinny, Debbie looked exhausted. Her face was pale and she had bags beneath her eyes, but she dutifully lugged a pink suitcase into the room.

"Just there, Debbie, no… I want the zip facing away from the door," Denise said coldly. "And go to the bar, Tammy would like a nice milkshake. I'll have a gin and tonic, with a wedge of lime."

Debbie shuffled off to the bar, her mother's beady eye following until she spotted Milo and Jake. Denise clasped her hands together, but instead of going towards the boys, she jerked her head to indicate she'd like them to join her. Milo shrugged at Jake, and they walked over.

"Hello again, isn't it," she said, nodding as she gripped Milo's hand. Her handshake was unusual; Milo felt the blood restricted in his fingers. Denise didn't shake Jake's hand, choosing instead to scan Milo up and down.

"Doing well, I see? Yes, well of course you were always going to earn some ribbons, I said it to Henry - my husband - he's an Intelligencer, which will mean very little to you. Henry said men aren't the best coordinators, but I told him you were… well, hardly exceptional, but there's something there."

"Er, thanks," Milo replied stiffly. He had a very good idea of what Denise's husband was like. "I have three now."

"Yes, well, yes, I mean Tamara is doing very well," Denise said. "She won the Celadon contest, you know, a very difficult one because it's in Kanto. Very different there, let me tell you, if you think you could cope in Kanto you have another thing coming! All the coordinators: pristine, the Pokemon faultless. This will be far more straightforward."

"Oh wow, you won a ribbon Tammy?" Jake crouched down to speak to the little girl, who was currently pressing a coin into her forehead. Seeing Jake near her daughter, Denise held her hand forward and gave the boy a light shove. He toppled backwards with a thump.

"Don't talk to her like she's an idiot," Denise said coldly. "They wanted her in MENSA, you know. So clever. She predicted the examiner's drink would be poisoned."

A dark glint flashed in the corner of her eye.

Tamara seemed oblivious to Jake's remark, and that he was now on the floor. Debbie returned with a tray of drinks, trying her best to balance the tall milkshake, Denise's heavy glass and her own drink - a simple glass of water. Unfortunately, as she crossed the room a trainer and his Butterfree accidentally caused a rogue string shot to trip the girl; she clattered to the ground as the drinks went everywhere, but she didn't even let out a small cry as her clothes were ruined.

"Stupid girl," Denise was heard to mutter.

"Sorry," Debbie mumbled, nursing a cut on her hand.

"So, er, who is Tamara competing with?" Milo said, remembering how pushy Denise had been at Goldenrod in finding out which Pokemon Milo used. Maybe she needed reminded? "We're all friends here, right?"

Denise smirked.

"She isn't competing today," she said simply. She let the words resonate for a moment before continuing, "I am competing on her behalf, to win her a ribbon."

Jake had hurried to help Debbie, so Milo was alone, "Is that allowed?"

"Well 'Tamara' has registered," Denise said, showing Milo her contest pass. Next to Denise's photo was the name 'Tamara Dwight'.

"Tammy is far too exhausted from the recent work she's been doing. Apart from her studies, she has been learning the harp, magic tricks, how to detect a corked bottle of wine and also some dream interpretation."

"Busy busy."

"Yes, well, yes," Denise said firmly. "So I shall be doing the coordinating today."

Denise pulled out a Pokeball from her handbag, and Milo was certainly shocked at the appearence. Bigger, thicker than a regular Pokeball, it was made of either a clear plastic or glass panels, with wires and flashing lights crackling beneath the surface.

"What the hell is that?" Milo asked.

"A specially designed Pokeball," Denise said smugly, holding it to her chest. It looked heavy.

"It looks expensive," Jake noted, having joined them once more. Debbie had gone to get more drinks.

"You can't touch it," she said sharply; Denise seemed to have an inherent dislike of Jake, who had clearly noticed.

"Something rare in there?" Milo said.

"So what do you have, anyway?" Denise asked, stashing the ball away. "Something ugly, no doubt."

"I've got a champion," Milo said.

Little else was said after that; Denise went over to Debbie to reprimand the girl, and soon after she began lathering her hands in a thick moisturiser. Milo and Jake joked that she was using a metal coat, and would soon morph into a metallic serpent that could breathe fire.

Milo was curious as to what was in the large Pokeball Denise had with her; that, and the fact she was competing using her daughters name seemed very suspicious. They both knew that, despite her mother's insistence, Tamara had no talent whatsoever, so Milo was intrigued at her claim the girl even won a ribbon in Celadon City.

"There's something fishy going on there," Milo said, once they were far away from the three. He looked to see the contest beginning; fireworks burst into the sky as a glamorous woman introduced herself as the MC for the competition.

"My name is Sophia, and here are our judges!" she said.

First up was the head of Violet City's prestigous academy, Earl. He was a very round man with curly hair and a gleeful, girlish voice. Milo had studied at the acadamy when he was younger, and found Earl's need to spin, twirl and scream at every occasion quite irritating.

"I look forward to seeing the talent today," he said, smiling. His garish waistcoat was causing Jake to make snarky remarks.

"He looks like a gay wizard hippy," he murmured.

Next was Bertha Bearham; an elderly lady with frizzing grey hair who was the winner of the very first Violet City contest 25 years ago. As she was introduced, a montage of her appeals were shown on the screen; the MC explained that Bertha had lost the Grand Festival, but had since been a key figure in East Johto's Arts Council, and was awarded an honorary degree in Advanced Colorography.

"We're thrilled to have you," Sophia said to the elderly lady.

"Wha?" she shouted, craning her ear.

"I SAID WE'RE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU," Sophia said again.

"Jimmy Smithson once kissed me by this tower!" Bertha said warmly. "He was killed by a Fearow on April Fool's day. Nobody would believe me."

Next was the third and final judge, who, it seemed, was not intended to be here at all. Milo gasped as he saw Mark Beaumont, the Johto League official who they had clashed with when they first got to Violet City. Sophia explained that Mark was filling in for someone else, who was unable to make it.

"That's weird," Jake said, as Mark read a thank-you message from a cue card. "Who is he replacing?"

"Falkner?" Milo asked Jake. He shrugged.

"Even so, why would a League official have any business doing favours at a contest?"

"Good point," Milo said, as the first coordinator took to the stage, ready to appeal. Milo wasn't on for quite some time, so he would normally be relaxed. But the absence of Gina and Falkner, Denise's Pokeball and the mysterious appearance of Mark Beaumont was causing concern.

The first coordinator was a boy named Phillip, who released a Gengar onto the arena. The ghost flew along, snapping his fingers and causing the air to crackle with energy. Milo found it quite boring, but wondered if it was because it reminded him of Morty, who he had parted with on very poor terms.

Thankfully the rest of the coordinators were both exciting and, indeed, enjoyable - Milo and Jake both applauded wildly at the girl commanding a Grumpig - he used his telekinesis to leap around, using a swift attack to make a glimmering spiral staircase he bounced up enthusiastically, before leaping from the sky and surrounding himself in a swirling ring of fire.

"That girl was good," Milo said.

"The appeal was excellente!" Earl said, clapping his hands. "Loads of 'wow', loads of 'yea, baby!' loads of 'jhuj'. 6.5/10."

"Wait, what's jhuj?" Milo asked Jake.

"I hope I don't have it," he muttered.

"Bertha, what did you think of the appeal?" the MC asked.

"Wha?"

"WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE APPEAL?"

"I remember going on a walk in the countryside with Charlie Thompson," Bertha said, smiling. "I tripped on a style and fell in the mud! Oh, what larks. Of course now all the good countryside is on the internet..."

"WHATS YOUR SCORE?"

"SIX!" she declared, jamming a finger in her ear and twizzling it. "SIX!"

"And Mark?"

Mark Beaumont looked perplexed. He was aware the crowd's eyes were pressing down on him, and chose his words carefully. Milo thought he looked incredibly tense as his dry lips parted.

"I liked it. It was very well… constructed. I give it 9/10."

"Fuck me, this guy's done well," Milo said, tallying it on his hands.

"Not really," Jake said. "21.5. Mark Beaumont only gave him a good score because he's a fish out of water."

Milo had to agree. Next, a blonde haired boy sent out a Murkrow, opting for an aerial performance. The creature performed some intricate loops, and managed to use an excellent shadow ball, but altogether Milo felt like the creature was too small for the audience to appreciate it.

"So, where is Gina?" Jake said, for the fifth time. Milo only acknowledged the boy's remark because he was sick of him asking the question.

"She ain't here," Milo said. "Maybe she's at 'work'."

He laughed, but Jake didn't join in. He started fidgeting with his fingers, scratching the back of his neck, and looking around the room.

"I don't have any phone signal," Jake said, "or I'd ring her."

"She'll be okay," Milo said, noticing another coordinator take to the stage. "Why don't you just watch the next appeal?"

He chose a Politoed for his appeal, and the energetic frog was full of excitement. Politoed slapped his belly with gusto, setting a tempo that filled the area like a tribal drum. As he sat back, he blasted a thick jet of water straight up, but caused the jet to dip and rise in time with the music. Towards the end, as the water fell back to his mouth, Politoed unleashed an ice beam directly into the air, and at the peak of the beam, an icy orb began to crystallise. Springing up into the air, Politoed smashed the ice apart with a glowing fist, landing amongst falling shards.

"Politoed is a good Pokemon for contests, don't you think?" Jake said. "Agile, packs power, kinda cute, but not cutesy."

"Pretty good combination," agreed Milo. "Wonder who'd win between Politoed and Croconaw."

"C'etait magnifique!!" Earl proclaimed. "A brilliant display. 9/10!"

The trainer, a stocky, smug type, punched the air in triumph. The elderly Bertha Bearham, after telling a story involving an orchard and an angry horse, awarded the show an 8. A bemused Mark took a sip of water before he spoke.

"Good work," he said. "I. I think a seven - no, eight."

"Is it seven or eight?" asked the MC. Mark was blushing.

"Eight. Eight!"

That made 25/30 - a good score by anybodies standards. Milo nodded, making sure to try and understand the judges scoring tactics. Certainly Mark Beaumont was stabbing in the dark - he had no idea why he was here, and Milo had to admit he found the man's presence suspicious. Bertha's scores seemed the most eclectic; during a performance from a Smeargle she was highly critical, but when a Corsola took to the stage she was utterly ecstatic.

Earl, meanwhile, was the most professional judge, and probably the most important one to cater towards. He had good insight and, unlike the other two, a knowledge of contests. Milo needed a good score from Earl, because Bertha and Mark were scoring very irrationally.

"Very, very loud," Bertha said dismissively, as a trainer and his Loudred finished. "Hmm. Four."

"The loudness was the point!" argued the trainer.

"Now don't take that tone," Bertha said dismissively. "Or I'll deduct my mark moreso!"

Mark Beaumont, meanwhile, was scoring most people relatively high, but his reasons for doing so were vague. As Jake ordered a drink, Milo decided to investigate Mark's unusual position on the panel.

He left the guest area and found a girl working as an assistant on the contest.

"Are you lost sir?" she asked. "Toilets are down this corridor and on the left."

"No," Milo said. "I wanted to ask about Mr Beaumont. Why is he judging?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know, sir," the girl said politely.

Milo pressed her for answers, eventually resorting to casual flirting in order to butter her up. She was a pretty girl, though quite shy, so she was quite flattered when Milo told her how stunning she was.

"Well, don't tell anyone you heard it from me," she said, looking around and checking for the presence of others. Her voice dropped lower. "But he only turned up an hour or so ago. He had a warrant."

"A warrant?" Milo said, frowning.

"He said as part of the Johto League's investigation into the Violet City Gym, he was here to oversee the contest."

"Why would he?" Milo said. "Beaumont's a Company Man - he isn't interested in the arts."

"Well," the girl said. "He's only been in Violet to sort the Gym out, hasn't he? And our Gym Leader's disappeared, again."

Milo left the girl as the pieces began to come together. He met Jake, who was chatting to the Loudred coordinator, and pulled him to one side.

"I think Mark got a warrant to sit on the panel because he thought Falkner might be here," Milo said. "Without a contest pass, he couldn't get into the building."

"He thinks Falkner would leave the Gym but participate in a contest?" Jake asked, sounding skeptical. "Maybe he's here because he knows he'd run into you."

Milo gasped - could Jake be right? Before he had time to think any further, his attention was diverted. Next onto the stage was Tamara Dwight - also known as Denise.

Denise was now wearing a stunning silver dress; her hair had been done up into a twist, and she had pearl earrings in. She looked - and Milo felt sinful for thinking it - rather attractive indeed. All her moisturising made her look youthful, and as she smiled, Milo saw a set of perfect white teeth.

She gripped the large Pokeball, taking a deep breath as she looked at the crowd cheering all around her. Milo wondered if, after pushing her daughter to be so successful, Denise was rather enamoured by the attention.

"Take to the stage!" Denise cried, lobbing the Pokeball high into the air. It opened and burst into a fantastic orb of light, one which shimmered and glowed as it began to form into a creature.

When Milo spoke, Jake agreed with his point that the ball seemed to take a long time to release the Pokemon. As Denise caught the ball, the white shape still throbbed and glowed - Milo had no idea what it was.

Then, suddenly, beautifully, wings began to sprout from the bright light. Two long, soft wings, a head with a short beak, an egg-shaped body, two clawed feet…

Milo watched as an elegant tail swept out from the creature and the light died down. With one big flap, the creature took to the skies. Frost-blue, with glassy eyes - it was the legendary bird Pokemon, Articuno.

"NO!" Milo cried, as the audience roared with adoration. Jake squealed, the judges stood up in shock and applause filled the arena as Articuno swept up and along the stands.

Flying over the heads of the audience, a shimmering silver powder fell from Articuno's body. The creature did a long, lazy lap across everybody's heads as Denise watched, clutching its Pokeball.

"A fantastic appeal from Tamara, harnessing the power of a truly beautiful bird Pokemon!" said the MC. "I can't believe we're seeing this!"

It was silent in flight, staring ahead as it flew. Even from the screen in the green room, Milo could see the glimmer in the creature's beady eyes. The beak was short but looked powerful, the claws sharp.

All it took was for a gentle diamond dust to fall from Articuno as it flew for the audience to scream throughout. The bird didn't attack, made no sound, just flew loftily.

Suddenly, the bird let out a shrill cry and dived; everybody looked to see Articuno shoot down past the stadium, as if diving to the streets of Violet City below. Heads turned, and the judges watched with intent - even Mark Beaumont was in awe.

Suddenly, there was a hissing, fizzing snap, and a bolt of lightning rocketed into the sky. Near from where Articuno disappeared, something bright, sharp and yellow shot up with no grace whatsoever. A bright yellow bird flew up in an arc, right where Articuno had been. Sparks crackled with the flap of each wing, and as the camera panned out, Milo looked into the eyes of Zapdos, the other legendary bird.

"What the hell is going on!" Jake said. Zapdos was not an elegant creature, but moved in an intriguing way; sparks crackled and burst from its body as the wings flapped up and down.

"I know what she's done," Milo said, because there was only one solution. "She released a Ditto. Remember? Denise had one in Goldenrod."

"Transforming into the legendary bird Pokemon, in a city that loves anything with wings," Jake said. "Amazing. But how is she doing it?"

Milo wondered about Denise's large, metal Pokeball when an unusual, airy voice piped up. It was Debbie, who was standing behind the two boys. Her voice was slight and quite characterless; Milo almost didn't hear her.

"What do you mean?" Milo said.

"It's a special Pokeball for a Ditto, the walls of the ball project holograms of different Pokemon species onto it. Mommy had it project 3D images of the birds onto the walls of the ball so Ditto could perfect it's transformation."

"So Ditto could transform early," Jake said, sounding very impressed. "And it can transform without seeing the Pokemon itself."

"Where did she get it?" Milo asked.

"Daddy bought it for her from another country, they're very rare," Debbie said. "It's very good."

Looking back to the screen, Milo saw Zapdos had merged once more, and was now flying high as the fire Pokemon Moltres. Flames swathed her wings and crackled as she flew around the arena; she was slim and agile, like Moltres, but several things - her sharp, pointed beak and her sharp talons - showed she was a fierce, destructive force.

With a screech, Moltres flapped her wings and summoned a huge ball of fire to explode above the arena. An intense wave of heat filled the air as Moltres started flying faster into the sky.

As Milo watched the fireballs burst, Moltres glowed a bright white, slowly morphing and retracting into a white, squishy orb.

Denise ran into the center of the arena and held her hands out as the Ditto landed on her head. Everyone was staring at the area which, seconds before, had contained the three legendary bird Pokemon. Rapturous applause filled the arena; Milo could honestly say he had never heard such a reception from an appeal before.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" Earl cried. "A beautiful concept… a fantastic theme, executed with sheer class. 10 OUT OF 10!"

Denise clasped her hands together and beamed. Milo looked at Jake, who shot a nervous glance back.

"I remember seeing an Articuno when I was - you know what, fuck it," Bertha said abruptly. "This is about you. I haven't seen something this beautiful for years. 10!"

"Another ten!" Jake said. Milo felt redder in the face, warmer. He was nervous.

"I've never seen the birds, naturally," Mark said. "Flawless. 10/10."

"TAMARA HAS FULL MARKS FOR HER APPEAL!" said the MC. "We haven't seen something this stunning for a long time! With 30/30, Tamara is sure to go on to the quarter finals!"

"We'll need to up our game!" Milo heard a coordinator say. He gulped, quietly agreeing.

*

Denise's fantastic appeal had sent a surge of nerves across the rest of the coordinators. One girl burst into tears after her Electrike's appeal went wrong, while one boy appeared to wet himself when his culminate score was below fifteen.

Milo was at the foot of the staircase, ready to run up onto the arena. In truth, he felt nervous, but he knew he had a good appeal with Houndour. Denise's flawless appeal had taken everyones breath away, and Milo left the guest area early due to relentless chatter about the legendary birds.

"MILO MITCHELSON!" came the roar from the MC. Milo ran up the steps (and managed to trip), emerging onto the arena with Houndour's Pokeball. The crowd were cheering, he could see the clouds in the sky… truly this was a beautiful place to coordinate.

He arched his arm back and hurled the Great Ball into the air; from the spilling light, Houndour formed onto the arena, giving a gruff bark to the faces staring his way.

The black dog looked ferocious, but there was a sense of warmth radiating from him, and he wasted no time in shooting a jet of fire right from his mouth. Hitting the ground, the fire curled into a vicious tornado of flames, engulfing the dog and shielding him from view.

The wild flames crackled and roared as they climbed into the sky, and from his point in the middle, Houndour began belching out mouthfuls of thick smog. They crept out the gaps in the fire spin, creeping along the arena in sinewy tendrils. Milo nodded.

"Scary face!"

The column of flames twisted and moved, forming the head of a terrifying hound. Pointed ears, sharp teeth and dark, richer flames forming hollow eye sockets.

The hell-hound had fully formed from the column of fire, its jaw snapping and showing teeth made from sizzling embers. Milo watched as Houndour, still producing smog from his mouth, let out a long, harrowing howl…

It was brilliant - sinister, fiery, like nothing he had performed before. As the howl rang through the area, Houndour burst through the attack using a faint attack; his contact caused the column to twist and die, a shower of embers falling around him as his paws hitting the earth caused the smog to flee.

As the audience applauded Milo and Houndour, who had walked to his trainer's side, the judges readied themselves to give the scores for his appeal. Milo was nervous. He needed to get through to the battles.

"A brilliantly terrifying appeal," Earl said clasping his face with his manicured hands. "Spooky, clever, even. 8/10!"

Eight is good. I can deal with eight, Milo thought.

"Some say Houndour is bad luck," Bertha began. "Like my husband Alf, well, before he died of toe-rot."

"And the score, Bertha?" came the MC's gentle nudge.

"I thought it was very good," Bertha said. "9!"

"Yes!" Milo said. 17 out of a possible 20 so far, this was good. But Mark Beaumont was always going to be difficult to sway, especially since he had never got on with Milo.

"It was very exciting," Mark said. "Ten."

"TEN!" Milo cried, tallying his score as 27/30. That was incredible - Mark had been too kind. He didn't show any emotion as he gave his score, but reclined in his chair. Milo wondered if he was perhaps being kind, to butter Milo up?

But he realised he had been standing on the stage far too long; Milo and Houndour left the stage to applause from the audience, feeling that the hard part was over. If he made it into the battle rounds, he could make his own fortune.

*

There were more appeals, which Milo found himself enjoying more now he had his appeal out of the way. Jake was ecstatic with Milo's score, and said that Denise Dwight, who had been very smug following her perfect score, seemed tenser after Milo's appeal.

Feeling he deserved a treat, Milo got a cocktail from the barman. It was called a Thunderbird - something Milo thought was very apt. A sweet, aromatic liqueur was given a powerful crackle by topping it up with Coca Cola.

"Of course, you have to think about battling Denise," Jake said, getting a Cosmopolitan from the bar. "Can any of your team take on the legendary birds?"

"I said I wouldn't use Medicham or Croconaw, they had a hard time at Cherrygrove," Milo said. "I'm sticking with Scyther for the battle rounds. Definitely."

Jake looked worried, releasing his Torchic and stroking her warm, fluffy body. She was positively ecstatic, letting out a chirping giggle at the attention.

"Next up… GINA GOURMANTE!" cried the MC.

"She's here!" Milo gasped. "Gina was here!"

The boys watched as Gina arrived on the stage; she had a safari-print jumpsuit cropped at her ankles, showing her slender figure. She smiled at the audience, soaking up the cheers. Milo wondered if it helped her forget her latest lapse in fortunes, and reminded her of the catwalk she used to frequent.

"Oh look, it's the whore," Denise Dwight sniped from backstage. A few coordinators chuckled, but Jake looked upset at the remark. "Debbie, if you don't marry a doctor you might have to live like that girl."

Gina, who was obviously oblivious to the comments backstage, threw a Pokeball onto the arena, releasing her Starmie. Milo thought the purple Pokemon was very interesting; the core shimmered with light. Jake explained this was one of her strongest Pokemon.

"Hover! Take to the sky!" Gina said. Starmie flew through the air like a ninja star, glowing and pulsating with a pink hue. As she released waves of psychic energy, Starmie's core glowed the colours of the rainbow.

"Now, soak and ice beam!"

Starmie began making a strange noise, and as the screen zoomed into the psychic type, Milo could see she was sweating droplets of water across her spiked frame.

Starmie continued to douse herself (perhaps it was a water sport, Milo thought) until, with a bright flash of light, ice began to encase the entire Pokemon, starting from her jewelled center and moving outwards.

Thick tendrils of ice swept past Starmie's limbs, ending in points so that she resembled a Starmie actually doubled in size. Milo looked at the strange, icy extensions jetting from the creature's body; once she had finished freezing, she floated along the area. She looked weird. Her core still trickled with delicate light.

"THUNDER!"

A crackling golden light filled her core and Starmie shuddered; sparks filled her body, collecting in the icy apendages fused to each of her ten points. As sparks flew from Starmie's iced tips, the electicity shone from her, and she sparkled with energy.

The audience clapped wildly, enjoying the firework-like spectacle. Milo was impressed with Starmie's fusion of ice and electricity, and couldn't believe she put it together so well. Gina had suggested she hadn't trained much to Milo and Jake - was that a ploy so he would let his guard down? Perhaps.

"A wonderful appeal Gina, full of jhuj and brilliance!" Earl exclaimed. Still wondering what jhuj was, Milo saw Gina recieve a perfect ten.

"Starmie are truly delightful Pokemon," Bertha said. "And an excellently controlled appeal. I say 9."

"That's good!" Jake said. Milo agreed - the judges had really enjoyed this performance. And Mark?

"Er, yea, you know, that was fine," he mumbled. "Seven."

"Ouch," said Milo at Mark's nonchalance. Jake, though Gina's friend, couldn't supress a smirk at Mark's emotionless comment. Perhaps he was upset that Gina hadn't come to speak to him this morning.

"Twenty six, a fine score for Gina Gourmante," said the MC. Gina had a very artificial smile on her face as she recalled Starmie and left the stage.

"Yes, well, yes, the whore was always going to do badly," Denise Dwight told the crowd gathering around her. "I mean, 26 is fine, but you can tell she's spent far too much time kanoodling in dirty bars."

Since her perfect score, Denise had spent the afternoon giving blunt commentaries on peoples appeals, evidently feeling she was in such a position to do so. Milo had heard her call one girl's appeal 'soulless', causing young trainer to cry and her Sunkern's leaves to droop.

Gina entered the guest area, looking grumpy. Sitting at the bar and ordering a cocktail, she ignored the MC, who announced on the screen that the finalists were being worked out at this moment.

"How are you?" Jake said, sitting next to Gina.

"Fine," she said. "You?"

"Pissed off," Jake said bluntly. "I texted you three times, how come you didn't show up? You seem to be distancing yourself from me."

"I… look, you're sweet Jake, but I was worried about the contest," Gina admitted. Her frown collapsed into a worried, empty look. "I hadn't trained much, Milo was off doing well, and it made me feel shit. He made me feel really low. He lost that contest in Cherrygrove, and he just comes along and does another one. But me? I'm still torn up that I lost in Goldenrod all those months back."

Gina rolled her eyes, leaning against the bar and stirring her drink.

"That's fine," Jake said, "But if you'd told me this over cocktails I could have made you feel fabulous. Instead, you disappear and make us both feel rubbish."

"I know…" Gina said, looking away.

"If you want to join me and Milo, then come grow a pair," Jake said, sniffing and walking off. Gina looked at him for a moment, surprised.

"I did it," Jake said. "I was honest. Told her I was a bit annoyed."

"That's the spirit," Milo said. "She's hurt your feelings, man, don't let her eat out your hand."

The coordinators all gathered to hear the announcement of who would be proceeding to the battle stage. Milo had made a mental note of the scores during the day, and was trying to figure it out as the names were announced.

"Congratulations to PAUL! TAMARA! MILO! GINA!"

Milo smirked as his face was shown on the screen - with Denise (under her daughters name), Gina and the Politoed trainer, he was through to the semi-finals, and in with a chance of winning the ribbon.

"Well done!" Jake said, squeezing Milo's shoulder. Milo smiled, but it reminded him of Nanette Babcock all too much.

First up to battle was Milo and 'Tamara' - but there would be a small interval first. Milo eyed Denise as she slapped moisturiser on her neck. What did she have planned for the battle portion of the contest? A chatter broke out among coordinators - some were upset at losing, others excited to see who would win. One boy screamed as he fell into a chair, distraught. His father watched nervously.

"Well, this is exciting," Denise said, sauntering over to Milo as she put her moisturiser away. "Isn't it?"

"Sure," Milo said. "Hope you've got more magic tricks up your sleeve."

"Yes, well, yes!" Denise said, looking haughty. "I will have no problem showing how brilliant I can be."

"Your Ditto trick won't impress the judges as much second time around," Jake said smugly, folding his arms. Denise narrowed her eyes at his remark, and Milo couldn't hide his smirk. Jake was right.

"And what would you know about coordinating, hmm?" Denise said, a hand on her hip. "You don't look like you know your way around a contest to me."

"Not unlike your darling daughter, then," Jake sneered. "'Tamara."

Denise flushed red as her little girl responded to her own name, looking up and smiling. Any of the crowd watching the conversation simply looked confused, but a mild panic swept over Denise, terrified her secret would come out.

"I don't think I asked for the opinion of a camp little madame like you," Denise scoffed.

Milo gasped, and in the corner of the room even Gina looked shocked at Denise's cruel blow. Jake, however, flicked his hair from his eyes and stared at the woman, and before anyone could say anything he slapped her right across her well-moisturised cheek.

"Oh!" Denise cried.

"Fuck you," he snarled. "Milo, beat her senseless."

And he walked off to the bar without saying another word. Coordinators chattered, Denise held a hand to her reddening cheek, and both her daughters were staring in disbelief.

"I can do that," Milo said, barely able to believe what had happened.

*

Milo went looking for Jake, but he couldn't be found in the corridors of the Sprout Tower. Instead, he was accosted by a man in a robe urging him to convert to the Cult of Sprout.

"It's a wonderful, energetic pursuit of happiness through mediumship!" the man argued.

"I'm coordinating," Milo replied. "Bit busy thanks!"

"Oh but there's so much majesty and beauty to be found in the world!"

"I bet there's more majesty in my big toe," Milo replied, walking off. He walked down a corridor, spying a figure up ahead, but before he could make himself scarce, he saw Mark Beaumont pipe up.

"Into the semi finals," Mark said, in an attempt at a warm voice. "Congratulations."

"Thanks for the good score," Milo said, smiling nervously. Mark had a curious scent of spices and smoke.

"I did it on purpose," Mark said, without haste, "I needed you to stop seeing me as an enemy."

"I don't see you…"

"You're loyal to Falkner, and I understand that," he said. "But he has left Violet City, and we're unsure what will happen to the gym."

Milo nodded.

"Is he on a brief trip? Has he found a home elsewhere? How can we contact him?" Mark said. Milo understood the predicament, but wasn't sure what he could do.

"I don't know what Falk-

"WHY would he go," Mark said. "Why?"

Milo sighed. He was loyal to Falkner, but he understood what Mark was saying, and really, Mark wasn't so much an enemy as he was a figure of authority. Despite having the coveted position of a Gym Leader, Milo never felt as if Falkner seemed to enjoy his position, and when he thought of how Chuck and Morty (even Oscar) had suffered after losing their jobs, Milo wondered if his absence wasn't a bad thing. Maybe a new Gym leader was best for Violet City?

"Look," Milo said, with a fizzing sensation in his stomach. Now he'd opened his mouth, he could hardly stop himself.

"I gather he's trying to find out more about his father's death. I don't know where he'd go, who he would meet, but he won't return until he knows the truth."

Mark nodded.

"He believes Keadis was murdered," Milo said, trying not to give away any details of the Membership Card. He wanted to forget about that vivid memory.

"So I hear," Mark said, looking unimpressed. "Well, the coroner said Keadis had a heart attack. It's not like a doctor to lie."

Milo said nothing for a moment, wondering if there was a conspiracy that had ensnared an entire medical team. He snorted. Probably.

"I stepped in at the contest because I wanted to speak to you," Mark said.

"Contests don't seem like your thing," Milo said, smirking.

"Not really," he admitted. "I just want to restore balance to the league. We need to sort out Violet City Gym and fast."

"So what will you do?" Milo said. "Replace him?"

Mark didn't say anything; his eyes were glazed, as if he was thinking about something. A thought fluttered in Milo's head.

"Chuck's good."

"Huh?"

"Chuck. Or Morty. They're both brilliant candidates to run Violet Gym."

"No, terrible, we won't give the post to leaders we've already fired. No."

Mark thanked Milo and left rather suddenly, leaving Milo wondering what would happen to the league's Reclassification plans. How long would Falkner's search last, and when would he be satisfied with the results? In a flash, Milo recalled the woman who he saw kill Keadis. Where was she now, and did she know Falkner was on her tail?

Meanwhile, Gina found Jake by the front of the Tower looking sad. He was still angry from his confrontation with Denise Dwight, unable to comprehend her homophobic attitude.

"You okay?"

Gina looked concerned.

"M'Fine. She's a total bitch,"

"I know."

"And who does she think she is?"

"Totally."

"Calling me out like that? YOUR CHILDREN ARE FREAKS FOR FUCKS SAKE."

"Yea, I know."

"And it's like… oh, I want to slap her again. And set fire to her hideous tracksuit."

"She's a nasty piece of work," Gina said. "She's been telling everyone I'm a whore."

Jake didn't say anything, but looked across at Gina, who had tears in her eyes. She was sniffing, trying to stop herself breaking down into hysterics.

"Gina, you're not -"

"But I am," She said. "It's just… hearing it like that… oh god, Jake, I've fucked everything up, haven't I?"

"No, you're fine," Jake said, rubbing Gina's back. "You just had a bumpy ride, that's all."

"It's hard trying to start over. I want to be rich and famous, but if I keep losing contests I can't make a name for myself."

"Ever since you got knocked out at Goldenrod you've taken a tumble," Jake said. "But you'll find a way, I'm sure of it."

"I think, whether I win today or not, I'm going back to Goldenrod," Gina said, looking across the sky. "It's huge. There has to be a life for me there."

"That sounds good," Jake said, smiling. "But we have to get inside. Milo's facing Denise."

*

The stage was set, and the audience looked excited to see two of the strongest coordinators go head to head. After she upset Jake, Milo was prepared to take Denise down a notch, especially since she was performing under her daughters name. It smacked of foul play. She was opposite him, clutching the heavy Pokeball that helped her Ditto transform.

There was a sharp wind picking up; Milo looked around, admiring the circular arena. Scyther's aerial attacks would work well here, he thought to himself, but Ditto could transform into… well, anything.

Jake sat with both Tamara and Debbie on the sidelines of the stage as the MC explained the rules. This match would be ten minutes; the Pokemon with the highest appeal gauge at the end of the allotted time would win, and that trainer would go to the finals. Milo nodded; this was all familiar with him. Denise watched the MC keenly.

"Now, BEGIN!" came the cry.

Milo nodded, throwing Scyther's ball high into the air. The resulting burst of light shimmered with silver - a side-effect of the metal coat being applied. In mid-air, Scyther formed, looking across the arena as Denise thumbed a dial on her Pokeball and unleashed it.

The light from her ball took a while to form, as before, but when it did, the large form of Moltres emerged. Milo gulped - he had been counting on her using a different Pokemon, but Denise clearly wanted to appease the volume of people who enjoyed her appeal. Moltres stared at Scyther from the ground, before flapping her big, flaming wings and taking to the sky.

"Ditto turns into a Moltres to take on Scyther!" cried the MC. "Good luck, Milo!"

He ignored her remark, pointing at the foe and shouting, "Fire a slash!"

Comprised of fire or not, Moltres had a body, she had flesh, and Scyther was still strong. Scyther arched a blade back, focused, and threw a thick strip of energy across the arena.

Moltres dived, sweeping low along the arena and wowing the crowd, before pulling up and exploding in a brilliant jet of flame. She shot up, spinning and blasting a flamethrower at Scyther. He pelted down to the ground, where he did a roll to avoid damage.

Holding his apendeges up against the fierce foe, Scyther pounced left, flapping and taking to the sky. He tried flinging another blade, but Moltres was very fast.

"It's okay!" Milo said, but before he could issue another attack, Moltres crossed her wings and gave a shrill scream; she whipped a huge, flaming X down at Scyther, and try as he might, he failed to get out its path. Struck by the intense attack, he was thrown to the ground with a thud.

Milo looked at his fighter, who wearily got to his feet. The appeal gauge dropped, and Moltres did an elegant spin in mid-air. The crowd were overwhelmed by the beautiful, rare Pokemon, and Milo realised Denise would have to do very little to impress. This was, after all, a Pokemon that existed only in legends. He, meanwhile, could work hard and his efforts would still go up in flames.

"Go for a vacuum wave," he ordered. Getting up, Scyther span on the spot, twisting his blades and releasing a curved cyclone of tight energy. It wove towards Moltres, who gave a flap of her wings, expelling the attack with a blast of wind.

"Ember!" Denise said, throwing her hand high. The bird landed on the ground and spewed a mouthful of embers into the air; some burst, some banged, some grew in size. Scyther pulled left, dipped low and took higher, attempting to avoid the shower. When it was safe, he threw another slash, and managed to successfully strike Moltres in the wing.

But the gauge didn't move. Milo realised that he was concentrating far too much on hitting Moltres, and was executing attacks with no style whatsoever. Just like his first contest in Olivine.

"Get back," Milo warned. "Now!"

Scyther flapped away from Moltres, who flew into the air once more. Scyther's coat shimmered silver as he moved, like a molten liquid, but only when the light caught him right.

Moltres let out a screech and fired a jet of flame, but Scyther had span around to use a silver wind. The swirling vortex of silver energy engulfed Scyther, so when the flames neared, they were caught in the vortex and span around him violently. Milo watched from the ground. If Scyther span fast enough, he could siphon the flames and keep them at bay - if he slowed, they'd envelop him.

Scyther was a mere blur, the silvery tornado around him and the fire cloaking the sparkling dust particles.

"Swift!" Milo cried.

There was a bright flash and a bang; clusters of energy burst from the cocoon towards Moltres - they were golden stars, spinning wildly as they caught on fire and zoomed down at the bird.

"EVADE IT! FLY!" Denise screamed. Moltres took another great flap and was propelled into the sky, but the flaming swift attack struck, slashing at her belly, sweeping in her line of vision like angry bees. Dropping from the sky, Moltres lost all balance, unable to see the foe…

Scyther used a quick attack to tear across the arena at breakneck speed. Slivers of silver energy trailed behind him; he was like a dangerous comet.

He sped past Moltres as she fell and, with his blade sparkling brilliantly crimson, delivered a quick, decisive slash. Milo saw something different in this critical hit - it was night slash, the attack he saw Gallade use in the Cherrygrove contest. They had tried practising this on Cherrygrove beach, but something hadn't worked. Now Milo realised that night slash was hard to pull off ordinarily, but Scyther could take advantage of the foe's situation to land a critical hit.

After the strike, Scyther sped high in the air to applause from the audience as Moltres hit the ground. Her appeal gauge dropped as the large screen showed the rest of the time. They weren't even halfway through.

"Razor wind!" Milo commanded. Spinning with a flourish, Scyther summoned a twisting gale as he unleashed blades of energy towards the opponent. For all Moltres was a powerful bird, and impressive in her stature, her wings were long and thin, the flames along them being what gave them their imposing size. So her efforts to repel the gale using her own strength was unsuccessful. Shielding her eyes from the gusts, Moltred blasted jets of flame at the oncoming attacks, managing to strike Scyther again in the side.

Milo saw Scyther cry in pain, but he landed another slash and Milo cheered his Pokemon. As he ordered Scyther to use a double team, he looked around the arena and decided to be something of a show-off. Nine Scyther flapped their wings and bolted into the sky, forming into a V shape as they charged energy in their blades.

As the fleet sparkled silver, the lead Scyther ordered copies to peel off from the back. Moltres flew into the air to meet the enemy head-on, flames curling inside her beak.

"Now! Silver wind!" Milo cried. Scyther lifted a scythe, twisting elegantly in the air as the clones swarmed around him. Silver particles shimmered, matching the flecks on his green body, and as he span, Scyther summoned a sweeping wind of energy.

Moltres fired a flamethrower, but was struck by the onslaught. As she was thrown through the air, Scyther sped through the silver sheet with an x-scissor, his scythes glowing as he collected sparkling energy from the silver wind. It acted like a cloak, coating his blades and making him look incredible.

The resulting blow - which Scyther delivered flawlessly - was a devastating silver-x-scissor, which smashed into Moltres' frame. In a pinch, she unleashed a rocketing blast of fire, which hit Scyther in the stomach and knocked him out the air.

The bird managed to land gracefully, but Scyther, whose body was charred, thudded into a heap on the ground. Milo watched as he stood, twisting his neck until it gave a click, and taking a fighting stance, his blades close to his face.

"Moltres isn't moving," Milo said to him. "Bug buzz!"

Scyther nodded, shooting up into the sky. His wings vibrated, letting off a rattling chatter. He fired off an intense shockwave that swept towards Moltres. As it got near, she came to her senses, and the attack struck her with a whip-like crack.

As she stumbled back, Moltres glowed, and began to lose her form. Denise gave a scream as the creature reverberated into its pink, fleshy Ditto form.

"What happened?" Jake asked.

"A Ditto's weakness, whatever the guise, is the diaphragm," came Debbie's low voice from Jake's left. "Bug Buzz must have stunned Ditto, causing the form to be lost."

"Scyther! Agility and slash, now!" Milo shouted. Ditto's tiny, black eyes were focused on the speeding green bullet heading her way. In one quick motion, Scyther slashed his arms across Ditto's chest, striking and hurling the Pokemon into the wall.

"Ditto are very weak," Debbie said, not addressing Jake specifically, but making sure he could hear. "They need to transform again, and quick."

"Milo can take Ditto down before it transforms," Jake said.

"I hope so," replied Debbie. Jake looked at her curiously.

"Ditto!" Denise said, fiddling with a dial on the Pokeball. "Transform!"

Ditto looked at her trainer's Pokeball, and the vivid images of the moving creatures stirred something within her. Glowing white, she began to take the form of something else.

"Quickly, slash!" Milo said. Scyther zipped along, but it was too late; Ditto had morphed into Zapdos, the powerful thunderbird. Scyther pulled left, sweeping over the audiences heads as Zapdos screeched a warning. Soon, a bolt of lightning crackled at Scyther, and he missed it by inches.

Milo was worried; Zapdos took to the skies, sparks dancing behind her. Scyther flapped back, wary, but as soon as Zapdos prepared to attack, a bell rang out across the arena. Milo and Denise both looked at the screen - the timer was zero. As the MC ran out onto the arena, Denise, looking fraught, issued another attack.

"No!" Milo said. Scyther threw himself left as a thunderbolt raced in his direction; Milo staggered out the way as the snapping bolt hit the ground with a bang. It had nearly smashed into him.

"TAMARA!" the MC said hotly. "The timer has gone! Please stop attacking."

"Drill peck!"

Zapdos screeched and tore across the arena towards Milo and Scyther. His heart was racing as he saw the dark eyes of the foe - Denise was ignoring the judge, she wanted to inflict pain on them…

But in that last second Zapdos pulled up, sweeping into the sky and not impaling anybody. Milo watched the creature get further away. He had been genuinely scared for a moment.

Denise's face had fallen as she looked at the appeal gauge. They were close, but Milo had the edge. The MC announced Milo as the trainer who would go on to the finals of the contest, and the judges began to discuss the result.

"While Tamara's Moltres was beautiful, it did nothing exciting," Earl explained. "It did not try to show-off, while Scyther left his comfort zone to deliver an exceptional battle."

"Rubbish! ABSOLUTE RUBBISH!" Denise cried. "LEGENDARY POKEMON! BEAUTIFUL FIRE! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"Our decision is final," Earl said sternly.

"Filthy prancing little know-it-all! This is a champion Pokemon, a perfect score!"

"Denise, please calm down," the MC asked, looking stern.

"What more can I DO?" she screamed, pulling at her hair. "RE - CON - SIDER! PLEASE!"

"Please, Tamara," Mark Beaumont said. "Our decision is final…"

"MY NAME IS DENISE DWIGHT!" she said proudly, her face getting blotchier and blotchier. "FFFFFFAAAAAAAACK!"

She turned and pelted out of the arena, her hands over her eyes, running past the crowd. Some booed her, other merely laughed at her apparent breakdown. Milo covered his mouth in shock; Mia's tantrum was nothing on this.

"Mummy?" Tamara said, looking concerned. Jake took Tamara to go and find her mother, and offered his hand to Debbie.

"Aren't you coming?" Jake asked.

"I don't think I am," Debbie said simply. "I want her to feel alone, for a bit."

"I don't think she'll notice," Tamara said to her bigger sister, pulling Jake's hand and leading him to the guest area. Debbie stroked her straight, limp hair for a moment, her vacant glare passing over the arena.

*

"Are you ready?" Jake said, as Milo finished his drink.

"Yep."

"How is Scyther?"

"A little tender, but that might not be a problem."

"Gina is fighting her opponent," Jake said, pointing to the screen. Gina had used Ampharos for the battle portion; he was currently firing bolts of lightning at a Toxicroak, who was leaping around the arena with gusto.

Milo smiled.

"I'll be fine," he said. "Whoever I face."

"I sort of felt left out when you competed in Cherrygrove - I was really nervous, wondering how you felt. Especially because you had to go through a loss on your own," admitted Jake. "I wanted to be there, for you."

"I appreciate that mate," Milo said, patting Jake on the shoulder. "It was okay."

"So, if you win," Jake said, getting excited. "You'll just need one more ribbon to get into the Grand Festival! That's amazing."

"I think the Toxicroak guy is pretty good," Milo said, looking at the screen. The blue and purple frog leapt over an attack and jousted Ampharos with a sharp finger.

"Gina's doing well, too," Jake said. Ampharos staggered backwards as he was hit with poison jab; excited, Toxicroak crossed his arms and leapt forward again, but Ampharos swung around and smashed into the foe with his thick tail.

As Toxicroak tried to recover, he found cotton clinging to his limbs, weighing him down as clusters formed on his hands and feet. Ampharos ran forward, headbutting him, before throwing a thunderpunch into his gut.

"Gina's good at gaining the upper hand - once she lands a hit, she can get in two or three," Jake noticed. Milo decided to check out her registered Pokemon on her trainer profile.

Next to Ampharos, Misdreavus and Starmie, Gina also had an Ivysaur. Milo figured she would continue to use Ampharos if she got through to the next round, but Scyther could take care of Starmie or Ivsaur if needs be.

And the Toxicroak trainer? In addition to his Politoed, used in the appeal round, he had a Magby and a Grovyle, making Milo feel comfortable in his chances against either of his potential opponents.

As Ampharos super-charged a swift attack with buzzing jolts, Toxicroak belched a cloud of fiery smoke towards the enemy. The stars blitzed through the smoke and peppered Toxicroak, causing him to stagger back, collapse, and let out a deep grunt.

"Toxicroak is defeated! Gina and Ampharos go on to the finals!" announced the MC. Milo smirked as Gina hugged her Ampharos - she would be facing him soon enough. After losing to Gina in Olivine, when he was just finding his feet, Milo was determined to make up for his past mistakes and defeat the former model. She was looking directly at the screen, and as she grimaced, it was almost like she was staring right into his eyes.

*

"YES, well, yes, that pile of fetid judges wouldn't know a good battle if it sodomised their uncle!" Denise screamed, packing her costume into a small, pink suitcase.

"Are you okay mommy?" Tamara said. The little girl was sat on the floor, jamming a finger in her ear. "Did you win me a ribbon?"

"Yes, well, no," Denise stammered. "Mommy did a very good job, honey, and they're going to deliver the ribbon to Cinnabar Island Amusement Park! So we're going to pack up our things… and we're going to take a trip there right now, and Mommy will buy you an extra big ribbon for all your Pokemon…"

"The best part is, there's a special offer at Cinnabar Amusement," Debbie said helpfully. "Three tickets for the price of two."

"DEBBIE I HAVEN'T TIME TO LISTEN TO YOUR WAFFLE," Denise snapped, grabbing a scarf from behind a chair. "Stupid child. Why aren't you packing my things for me, eh? I NEED A DRINK."

"Oh, she called Debbie stupid again," Milo said to Jake, who crossed something off a list. During the break before Milo's match against Gina, the boys were playing Denise Dwight Bingo, crossing off her various remarks as she said them.

"That's one more for me," Jake said cheerily. "If she says 'Yes, well, yes,' one more time I'll have a full house!"

"That's so cool," Milo said. "If you get house, I'll buy you a bottle of that expensive vodka you like."

Jake squealed, causing his Torchic, who he had released from her ball, to run around squawking. Debbie had started packing Tamara's glittery bag, which was full of accessories and toys. Denise was drinking a hearty measure of gin.

"I ASKED FOR A WEDGE OF LIME IN THIS YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Denise screamed, examining the glass before hurling it at the waiter. Shards of glass erupted at the point of contact and the waiter gave a shriek.

"Say it…" Milo whispered, as security guard ran over to Denise.

"Mrs Dwight, we have to ask you to leav-

"YES, WELL, FUCK YOU YOU FUCKING FUCK!" she screamed, swinging a punch at the guard. Jake looked at Milo, seeing if her outburst was classed as a line on his bingo, and Milo gave a brief nod. Jake crossed it off, clapped his hands and grabbed Torchic, performing a tribal dance around Milo in celebration as Denise was escorted from the premises.

"I just won some vod-ka! I just won some vod-ka," Jake said, wiggling his bottom.

"That woman got what she deserved," Gina said, walking over. She had changed completely from her previous battle; she now wore a beautiful blue dress and had her hair down at her shoulders. Milo had to admit, she looked beautiful.

"Milo, can I have a quick word?" Gina said, with a pout. Jake looked up, wondering why he wasn't allowed into this conversation, but if he felt uncomfortable he didn't show it. Milo agreed, and let Gina lead the way into a corridor - the same corridor he spoke to Mark earlier.

"So what's up?" Milo said, but Gina quietened him.

"More private," she said, casting a nervous eye. "Come into this office."

Milo followed her into the room, which was actually a broom cupboard. Gina sat down on a cardboard box, her arm resting against a shelf full of tin cans, while Milo got on one knee, only to accommodate himself in the cramped space.

"This isn't an office," Milo said, struggling to find a light. Pulling a cord, he illuminated a small, flickering light.

"I wanted to speak to you ahead of our big exciting showdown," she said, brushing her hair aside. "This is big, Milo. Desperate Housewives big."

"I stopped watching that after they killed the sexy blonde," Milo muttered.

Gina ignored his remark.

"We are going head to head. We haven't done that since Olivine, when I was a successful Parisian runway model and you were a slightly cleaner looking boy who had never competed in a contest before. Naturally, I won."

"Why do the Sages of Sprout Tower have a cupboard for brooms?" Milo mused, looking around. "And a deluxe screwdriver set. Can't they clean this place with… meditating?"

"Now, we are in a different place. I lost my contract, worked in a strip club, slept with men for money, gave my Pokemon to a hairy pawn broker, slept with women for money, contracted a sexually transmitted disease, slept with men and women for money…"

"Yes," Milo said, feeling awkward.

"And you," Gina said, staring at him - they were unnaturally close - "Got cut off financially by your dad, who I saw on a website and by the way he is very hot, then you lived rough in a tent while Jake had a job, then things were a bit crap, so you went to Azalea and settled down there, but then you ran off to Violet city because a sociopath was trying to kill you…"

"What's your point?" Milo asked.

"We've both fallen from grace," Gina said.

"I haven't; since we first met I've got four contest ribbons. And I'm on good terms with my dad, thank you, and also don't call him hot, that freaks me out."

"Your comments aside," Gina said curtly. "We need to remember that only one of us will win. That's an ipso facto."

"Right," Milo said, unsure if she was using the phrase correctly. "Only one of us will win."

"So I was thinking, since the last time we met was so detrimental for your career, and my loss at Goldenrod was very detrimental to mine - I have slept with so many-

"Yes, yes,"

"-people, so it's important we reach a professional understanding. I propose a sexually potent pact."

"Huh?"

"We should hook up," Gina said. "Kiss. Then have sex, or at least sell the illusion we are having sex. People will talk about us, Milo. Good publicity."

"You think we should be in a relationship?" Milo asked. Gina beamed.

"YES! Two aspiring coordinators, rivals turned lovers… it would be like Romeo and Juliet, without all that poison and suicide. Milo, you used to chat me up something crazy. Don't say you haven't thought about kissing me, about touching my body…"

Milo squirmed. He wasn't sure how he felt about this businesslike approach to sex, especially since Gina was quite candid about her work as a professional escort. She took his hands in her own; hers were thin, smooth, white like porcelain.

"We'd be the new hot couple, we'd be in magazines," Gina said.

"I don't want to be in magazines, really," Milo admitted.

"Think of it as a safety net, in case this coordinating thing doesn't work out for you,' she said. Milo saw a hungry look in her eyes; they were wide, full of colour, despite the dark and gloomy room.

"I… well…"

The next moment, Gina leant in and kissed Milo. He felt her soft lips against his and was silenced in an instant. Milo was transported back to that moment on Olivine Pier - the stunning French beauty, too rich and famous for someone like him. She was here now, in the curious cupboard of a Bellsprout monastery.

His eyes had closed, or perhaps just accustomed to the darkness. Milo felt numb as Gina whispered something he didn't even hear - something was stirring in the back of his head, a new voice.

"Milo isn't like the other boys," - it was Luna. She had never said these words, but Milo heard them as if he saw a window into Luna's soul, as if he were listening to her somewhere far away.

"I think we have something special, I can sense it. Next time I see him, he'll feel it, too…"

Milo wasn't sure if he pulled away because of Luna's voice or the sharp knock on the door, but they had clearly been here too long. Getting up, Milo ignored Gina's eyes, wiping his lips on his sleeve and stumbling out the door into bright light. Gina left a moment later, but neither saw Jake at the end of the corridor, wiping a tear from his eye.

*

Across the arena, Gina stood in what Milo could only describe as the most sensual position he had ever seen. Standing in a side profile, a hand on her hip, she was pouting as the MC went through the rules.

Scyther's Pokeball was in Milo's sweaty hand. Gina was kissing Ampharos' Pokeball, eyeing Milo. She gave a wink just for him.

"Oh fuck," Milo muttered. He couldn't concentrate - had this been Gina's plan? And why had he bought slim jeans when they were clearly too tight?

"BEGIN!"

Milo released Scyther, and he flew into the air to survey the area. Gina's Ampharos formed on the ground, his tail glowing brightly.

Instead of his usual tactic, Milo hung back - he wanted Gina to make the first move, and was keen to see how she battled. In Olivine, she managed to trick Milo into using Medicham's telekinesis to hold off a thunder attack, all the while having Ampharos sneak up on her with a physical strike. Whatever Milo did, Gina would have been able to strike.

"Ampharos, thunderbolt!" Gina said. Ampharos clenched his fists as a static charge built up across his soft golden fur. Scyther, from high-up, looked at Milo, who nodded.

As a beautiful arrow of golden sparks was fired at Scyther, he made no attempt to move. Instead, he held a scythe back in mid-air, watching the bolt get nearer.

"NOW!" Milo said. When the attack flew at Scyther, he swung his scythe, connecting it with the tip of the thunderbolt; the attack shot back down towards the ground and burst into a golden explosion.

"Scyther manages to deflect the thunderbolt!" cried the MC. "An incredible deflection, right judges?"

"Precision, timing, brilliance!" Earl said.

"My husband Arthur once struck an axe into a Magnemite, and he electrified his broken elbow back into place," remarked Bertha.

Milo saw Ampharos' appeal gauge drop slightly, so he ordered Scyther to strike while the iron was hot. Shooting down towards the foe, Scyther charged up energy in his blades and prepared a double slash attack. Ampharos fired another thunderbolt, but Scyther effortlessly swept to the left and fired off two slices of energy. Ampharos was hit.

Scyther built up more height; this was a good, safe distance to be away from Ampharos' attacks. Milo looked across at Gina, studying the area carefully. Scyther had Ampharos beaten when it came to speed.

"Electroball!" she cried. Nodding, Ampharos focused on diverting his static build up into his tail. Once a crackling orb built up, Ampharos swung himself with all his might, spinning and launching a fizzing ball of compressed sparks into the air.

Milo hadn't seen this done before, and smirked as the orb sailed past Scyther. He was about to order another attack, but saw the curving orb explode just behind Scyther, with the propulsion from the attack forcing Scyther out of the sky.

As Scyther fell, stunned from the blast, Ampharos leapt high into the air and summoned flames across a clenched fist. He slammed it into Scyther's stomach, causing him to shriek in agony.

Milo gritted his teeth as his own gauge dipped; Scyther got to his feet, but Ampharos jumped in his direction, swinging his tail around and smashing it into the foe's face. As Scyther fell, he span on the spot, slashing Ampharos.

"Scyther, get off the ground," Milo said, and with a quick flap, Scyther lifted himself from Ampharos' reach. Ampharos swung another fire punch, but it missed.

Flying high into the air, Scyther twisted on the spot and sent a vacuum wave at Ampharos. He had unleashed a thundershock, but the sparks were caught in the vaccuum and thrown into the air.

"Shock wave!" Gina yelled. Clapping his paws, Ampharos sent a huge blast of sparks into the air. As they flew towards Scyther, the sparks crackled and burst into smaller pieces, before a thick web of electricity soon smashed into the mantis, throwing him to the ground. Sparks coursing through his muscles, Scyther was pinned down as his limbs twitched and spasmed. Ampharos raced along the arena, ready to deal another fire punch. His expression of glee was utterly disturbing.

"Try to get up!" urged Milo. Scyther kept himself stable, looking at Ampharos, who was coming in from the left. On Milo's command, Scyther pounced into the air, swinging a scythe down at Ampharos.

"Light screen!" Gina said. Ampharos rubbed the air in front of him, forming a shimmering pink barrier that the slash smashed into. As Scyther flew around the arena, trying to strike Ampharos, the bright barrier re-appeared at different parts of the sheep's body, blocking any potential attacks from Milo's Pokemon.

Milo knew brick break could render it useless, but Scyther wasn't able to use it. Shrieking, Scyther summoned a silver wind, and the sparkling vortex engulfed him before raining down at Ampharos.

He was being struck, but it dealt little damage due to the light screen acting as a sponge-like veil. Scyther landed on the arena again, looking sour. The gauges had moved very little during the match.

"Charge up!" Gina said. Ampharos planted his paws against the light screen and unleashed a brilliant yellow light; he started siphoning electricity into his large, glassy shield, causing it to glow with a golden aura. The audience thought it looked beautiful, applauding the technique.

"Razor wind!" Milo yelled. As he span at a rapid speed and threw slices of charged energy down at Ampharos, he held the light screen like a riot shield, leaping left and right, deflecting attacks. When each blade struck the shield, a burst of sparks erupted from the charged barrier.

"Smash!" said Gina. As Scyther flew down to attack, Ampharos charged with his shield. The two Pokemon collided; Scyther crashed into the light screen as Ampharos forced the Pokemon out the air; the shield shattered into a thousand, electrically-charged pieces that shredded Scyther's torso and caused him to spasm with shock.

Milo gasped as his appeal gauge dropped. Ampharos threw his hands together in a jubilant clap, causing flames to burst into the air. Scyther lay among the pink shards, dizzied.

"Scyther!" Milo cried. Gina smirked, a hand on her hip. Milo thought, for a moment, of her proposal…

"Ampharos! Charge!" Gina cried. Sparks raced along his fine fur, and Milo urged Scyther to take to the skies. The fresh air and the speedy agility helped him come to his senses, and he blinked rapidly, looking down at the foe's glowing body.

Milo saw the timer and figured Gina's plan - she looked like she was gearing Ampharos up for a huge volt to get the edge over him. If Scyther avoided, well, the attack would look nice anyway, and Milo's appeal gauge would still drop.

"Agility," Milo said. "Get close, night slash, and get away!"

Scyther propelled himself across the arena, scythes crackling with more crimson energy. On Gina's command, Ampharos unleashed a brilliant burst of sparks; it resembled a hive of golden bees as it spread out, racing at Scyther.

He pulled up, doing a barrel roll in the air and throwing his scythes down. It wasn't the plan, but it worked; two blades of energy smashed into Ampharos' stomach, throwing him backwards right off his feet. Scyther was struck by the sparks all the same, and fell out the sky as the wind was knocked out his stomach.

Not long left… Milo wasn't winning…

"More sparks! THUNDER!" Gina shouted. Milo saw Scyther shoot up into the air with a sharp cry.

"Try and evade, but don't be afraid to slash it away," Milo said. He couldn't see the creature's expression, but knew he wouldn't like that idea.

At this rate, Gina would win. Ampharos summoned a huge bolt of lightning that raced through the air, trails of sparks dancing beyond the charged vessel. Scyther crossed his scythes across his body, clenched his jaws and screamed.

As the lightning struck him, Scyther was taken over with a shimmering metal glow. Milo saw him sparkle as the attack smashed into his body, but didn't seem to cause him any harm.

Flapping in mid-air, Scyther's face was hidden as sparks swarmed him, diving and striking him as they tried to hurt. He was shimmering with the glow from the metal coat, but Milo had only applied it twice. This surely wasn't evolution.

With another cry, Scyther began to spin on the spot as a sharp wind picked up. Milo looked as his sparkling metal sheen fell from his body in thick droplets, picking up on the wind and swirling around him.

"Scyther?" Milo said, confused. As the wind swept around the mantis, his limbs unfolded, and Ampharos' thunder attack also whipped up into a twisting vortex. "Silver wind?"

Looking up at the screen, Milo saw a close-up replay of the attack. Scyther had managed to summon the metal ions in his body to form a shield. It was iron defence. Now, he had softened the shield and was using a silver wind, bolsetered by both his iron defence and the thunder attack surrounding him.

Then, Scyther swung his scythes and the silver wind changed direction; Ampharos was assaulted by sharp slivers of energy, crushed particles of sparkling silver and his own golden sparks. As silver wind rained down, Scyther unleashed a razor wind, and strips of white energy flew into Ampharos.

The judges applauded as Ampharos, who was knocked off his feet, struggled to get up against the fierce force of the wind. The audience cheered as silver particles floated over their heads. Milo looked at his creature - he was very weak.

"Amphy! Light screen! Charge it!" Gina shouted. She looked flustered, ordering Ampharos to create a beautiful pink shield once more. Milo had Scyther fly into the middle of the arena and commanded a razor wind, but asked him not to unleash an attack. The result was a display of sharp moves; Scyther lunged, twisted, struck and flapped, entertaining the audience.

"Focus on charging the shield! No, electro ball!" Gina said, looking at the timer. Forty-five seconds to go, and Gina was panicking.

"She's distracted. Double team!"

Scyther flew low across the arena, with duplicates bursting from his green body. Some took to the skies high, some followed behind him, but each summoned energy in their scythes. Ampharos focused the light screen in front of him, ready to smash it into the oncoming foe.

But as he stared at the Scyther flying at him, Ampharos was confused. Scyther melded into the screen and faded into nothing; up ahead, more of him dissappeared.

The real Scyther was behind, and he slashed into Ampharos before tucking his head in and ramming the sheep in the stomach. His scythes at his side, Scyther caught Ampharos and used a skull bash to launch him high into the air.

"TIME!" said the MC. Milo smirked; Ampharos arched into the air, wailing as he crashed down onto the ground. Scyther landed at Milo's side in silence as the screen showed the appeal gauges.

"Milo's gauge is higher, so he is the winner of the match and the Violet City Ribbon!"

Milo grinned; he had done it! Scyther sat down, exhausted, but the crowd got out their seats as Milo's name appeared on the screen. He was about to cheer, when -

"STOP!" came a cry.

The audience looked to see Gina address the judges. "Section 15 in the Official Coordinating Guidelines say a coordinator can appeal against the accuracy of the appeal gauges if they are dissatisfied with the result."

"Are you serious?" Milo mouthed to her. Her glare looked like it may scald.

"That is true," the MC admitted.

"My Ampharos was prettier, the attacks beautiful!" Gina shouted. "This is ridiculous!"

"Under Section 15, we are required to go to the judges, and ask them to justify the appeal gauges," said the MC. Milo realised that the appeal gauges must be controlled by the judges throughout the match. Milo scoffed.

"She lost!" he protested. "My gauge is higher!"

"Apparently," Gina said sarcastically. Milo swore.

The MC explained that the during the final battle, each judge had an individual meter with 100% on it. Depending on how the battle was going, the judges deduct marks from the overall 100% if the Pokemon is losing out in terms of style and beauty. The total sum of the judges 3 scores made up the overall appeal gauge.

"First, we will go to Mark," the MC said. "Please state your score and explain why places Gina's gauge lower than Milo's."

"Milo's gauge ended at 74%. Gina's gauge ended at 69%," Mark said, looking at the small screen on his desk. "Scyther dealt a lot of damage and was graceful. Ampharos was clever, but I didn't feel he was able to damage much. It was smoke without fire."

"Ridiculous!" Gina sniffed. "Fire punch, electro ball, thunder…"

"Bertha, can you tell us your appeal gauge mark and explain it?" asked the MC. Bertha looked very bored, shifting on her seat, but cleared her throat as she put a pair of glasses on her wrinkled nose.

"I gave Milo 60% and Gina 78%," she said. "She looked lovely, and very bright. I thought the Scyther was rabid and out of control, but the Ampharos… oh, how wonderful."

This satisfied Gina, while Milo clenched his teeth in frustration. Trust Bertha, the dotty old lady, to scupper his chances at success. Earl was last, and as he prepared to speak, Milo saw that the flamboyant man was perfectly still, with a composed, thoughtful expression. Was he finding it hard to decide the outcome - had he finally been shocked into quietness?

"I gave Milo 68%," he said. "And Gina 63%. Here's the thing. Milo, you were good. Scyther's attacks are devastatingly powerful and beautiful to behold, and you've cleaned the aggressive edge from a fericous Pokemon. He is very handsome, he can please a crowd, and he packs a punch. There's more work to be done on him, but you have an excellent Pokemon there."

Milo's chest swelled; Scyther looked at him, showing the closest thing he had ever seen to a smile. Milo grinned back, quite aware people were watching him.

"As for Gina," Earl said, leaning back. "Yes, some very good battling strategy - you've become very good at thinking on your feet. Ampharos has power, but I don't think it's formed enough. You weren't cunning enough, and that's why you didn't win."

"I electro-balled him out the sky! Fire punched! I used charge in a reflect shield -"

"You did nothing of the sort. Your Ampharos, meanwhile," Earl said. "Executed that flawlessly. It was very clever, I agree, but my point is that it wasn't enough. Scyther was weak against electrical attacks, but he took them, worked with them and attacked back."

"You lie!" Gina spat.

"I am the senior judge today," Earl said. "My opinion is final, and I declare Milo Mitchelson to be the winner of this contest and, in addition to a small cash prize, the Violet City Ribbon."

Milo's heart soared - despite the slight setback, the judges had agreed that he deserved to win. The crowd began cheering, their screams, cries and applause muffled against his ears. He could see Jake jumping up and down, beaming, while Gina ran off the arena in no time.

*

After receiving his ribbon - a vivid purple colour with a thick, silver disc in the center - Milo had been invited to a small after party in Tup Tup, the club he and Jake had visited with Falkner on their arrival to the city.

The music was loud, with thumping beats and chewy electric synths clattered alongside free-style rapping from an up-and-coming artist. Opting to sit in the corner, Milo attached the Violet City ribbon into the decorative box he had alongside his ribbons from Azalea, Goldenrod and Ecruteak. Seeing all four, with just one space remaining, made Milo realise that his goal was now rapidly fulfilling itself before his eyes.

"I never aspired to enter the Grand Festival," Milo admitted to Jake, who looked at the neat collection of ribbons.

"This is my favourite one!" he said, touching it with his finger and shuddering with excitement.

"Now I feel like that's the only option left," continued Milo. "I can get a fifth, I will get a fifth. Then I can enter the Grand Festival. I need to prove myself to Mia more than ever."

"So which city are you going to go to for your last ribbon?" Jake asked.

"Well," Milo said, fishing for something in his bag. "I don't think I have very long…"

He showed Jake what he had read earlier in a contest pamphlet - registration for the Grand Festival closed in just five weeks time. Looking at the future dates for the upcoming contests, Milo saw that the Cherrygrove Contest was in three weeks, but the journey from Cherrygrove to Silver City would take far too long.

"Olivine?" Jake said. "That's in ten days. And that's where it all began, so it might be nice to get your fifth ribbon from there."

"No way," Milo said, crossing his arms. "I don't make steps backwards. Olivine, Cherrygrove, I failed there, so I want to move on to bigger and better things. Those contests are behind me now."

"So where will you go then?" Jake asked skeptically.

"There," Milo said, jabbing his finger at his map.

"The Lakeside Contest, presented by Mahogany Town's Ribbon Society," Jake read. "A C-3 contest held at the Lake of Rage, hosted by the oldest coordinating fanclub in the tri-region area."

"Mahogany Town are mental about contests," Milo said, smirking. "And they host this incredible contest at the Lake of Rage. A C-3 contest means you need at least three ribbons to participate - it weeds out the crap people. The competitors are all going to be hard-core."

"Wow," Jake said. "It has the three senior members of the Ribbon Society there as judges, and has been known as one of the toughest contests around."

"How long does it take to get there?" Jake said.

"It's a trek," Milo admitted, "We'll go to Ecruteak, then get a boat across Mt Mortar, and head to Mahogany."

The two cemented their plans, excited about the journey to the final ribbon. Milo felt a sizzling excitement in his stomach, and kept telling Jake how good it felt to be close to the Grand Festival. However, as soon as Milo saw Gina at the party, standing at the bar with a drink, he cut the conversation short and stormed over.

She saw him approach and smirked. Milo, furious at her attempts to change the outcome of the contest, slammed his fist into the bar.

"How dare you show up here," he snapped. "What are you doing? Trying to sue the bartender?"

"Calm down you fussy old woman," Gina said coldly. "I deserved to win that ribbon."

"Did you fuck," Milo replied, glaring at her. Gina didn't even care that she had been so petty; she had a cocky look about her, and was doing nothing to back down at Milo's threatening body language. "I won fair and square. Bringing up those regulations was a dirty trick."

"I'm within my rights," she said simply.

"Well it didn't work, did it," Milo said gleefully. "I was still given the ribbon."

"One of us had to," she said, putting her drink down, "And I hope, despite your little hissy fit, you'll consider my earlier offer. A… relationship of convenience, shall we say?"

Milo was so angry at the girl that he couldn't stop himself laughing at her proposition. After their battle, he had forgotten about the clandestine kiss in the broom cupboard.

"You're serious?" Milo said. "After you tried to pull a fast one on me, you want to pair up and get some of the limelight I'm attracting?"

"I'd be keen even if I had rightfully won," Gina said. Milo held a hand out to her face.

"You can forget it," he said. "When I first met you, Gina, you were a really hot, unattainable model. You were skilled, polite… and ever since that encounter you've got steadily more cunning, scheming, desperate and pathetic."

Gina looked shocked at his words, but Milo continued.

"Now, I look at you working in horrible bars as a seedy escort, unable to win an argument without hurling a rulebook at it, and I think… shit, I am so glad I never got what I wanted. You're toxic."

He had finally done it - got everything off his chest. Jake had walked over as Gina's sour face twisted at his cruel words.

"Well I guess this it, then," she said. "You had your chance."

She hoisted her bag further up her shoulder and turned to Jake.

"Good luck with him," she said, possibly referring to her earlier conversations with the boy. "I'd forget him if I were you."

Jake flushed red, hoping Milo didn't piece everything together. Gina gave Jake a sympathetic look, before turning and storming out the club altogether, the sound of her heels being heard getting quieter and quieter until she disappeared beyond a thick crowd of party-goers.

"Well, that's the end of her," Milo said airily. "You okay Jakey?"

"Fine," he said, flashing a weak smile. "I… I'll miss her. We grew close."

"She's a bitch," Milo muttered."She tried to propose this… sex contract, she wanted to leech on to me because she knew I was doing well."

"Oh," Jake said, surprised.

"That's when she kissed me, in the broom cupboard," Milo said, recalling that brief, dark moment. Had he really heard Luna's voice, or was he really just thinking about her? Was it his own voice, suggesting Luna was the girl he sought after?

"I-I just thought you liked her," Jake said.

"No, she's a vile girl," Milo replied. He got another drink, unable to see Jake's worried look turn into a blissful smile.

*

They decided to leave Violet City that night. Milo checked out their hotel and began loading the car, staring at the big, bright moon in the sky. It was exciting to be leaving Violet City, and Milo was relieved, after his loss in Cherrygrove, to be heading away on a high.

"There's a note on your car," Jake said, looking at a yellow envelope tucked into the wipers. Milo had assumed it was a parking ticket, and thus avoided looking at it too much. He took it, opened it to reveal a long note in long, slanted letters.

Dear Milo,

Writing to you seems like the most sensible idea, since I am not staying in the same place for very long, and have stopped using a telephone. I've struck upon some compelling evidence, and I think I'm close to finding the people who killed my father.

The clues were all in the membership card - the one you had won in the Bug-Catching Contest. Gina gave it to me, apparently through deceptive means, and I'm sorry she stole from you. But as you can imagine, the information within it was invaluable.

She informed me that you had worried about what it contained, and that you feared my knowing, but I am writing to assure you that I don't blame you for anything. You stumbled upon crucial evidence, and I am blessed that our paths crossed. I am not angry at all.

I won't send many letters, since I am always on the move, and when I have finished everything here, I will return to the Gym, if they still want me. But I wish you and Jake all the best in your travels and hope that our paths cross again soon.

Best,

Falkner

"It sounds like he's doing some dangerous work," Jake said, peering over Milo's shoulder.

"I know," Milo said. "I hope he's okay."

The two discussed Falkner and the membership card as the car drove slowly through Violet City. Milo had actually been drinking that night, so it was unwise to be behind the wheel, but Medicham sat in the back seat, and would take over if his judgement was so impaired.

"I just wish I was on good terms with the people in Ecruteak," Milo sighed, as they left the city behind them and the car drove down a sparse, woody route. "Morty and I fell out over the incriminating photos of the Eevee girls, and they tried to do me in after the contest, remember?"

"Too well," Jake said.

"We won't spend long in Ecruteak," Milo told him. "One night, if that."

"It's just a stop-off point anyway," Jake said. The evening was pleasant; the full moon ignited their path with a milky glow, and the car headed on through the route, passing long, bendy trees undisturbed.

Soon, the road dipped into a low bend along a thicker thatch of trees, and the boys became shrouded in more darkness as their vehicle hid from the beams of the moon.

"Do you see something up ahead?" Jake said. There was a sparkling glow in the middle of the road, and it was getting bigger. Milo, unsure what it was, put his headlights onto full beam and drove on.

However, the beam caught the figure up ahead; the light was reflected from the shimmering creature on the road, blinding Milo and causing him to swerve as he gripped the wheel. They shuddered as the car slipped from the smooth road, thundering across overgrowth, but Medicham held her hand out, moving the steering wheel and guiding the car back onto the road. Milo stopped the car.

"What was that? A Pokemon?" Jake asked. Milo turned the engine off and got out the car, Medicham deciding it was easier to teleport to his side rather than get out using the door.

"HELLO!" Milo said, shouting at the shrouded figure. An everlasting sparkle, a metallic shimmering… what was this?

As he neared, there was a thick, grinding noise, and Milo was struck in the stomach with a sharp blade of energy. Thrown off his feet, Milo thudded into the ground as stars burst before his eyes. His ribs ached, his head throbbed, and he heard Jake scream.

Getting to his feet, he saw the silvery creature float over, losing its metallic down to reveal itself. It was a Scizor, brilliantly crimson, staring at Milo coldly.

"We meet again," came a voice.

Milo, clutching his stomach, looked as Oscar emerged from the bushes, clutching a long, leather whip laden with red and white Pokeballs.

"Scizor, get him by the throat."



Next Chapter
Milo and Jake try to fend off Oscar, but the former Gym Leader's team is incredibly strong, and he quickly causes lasting damage to the boys. Meanwhile, in Goldenrod City, Falkner and Chuck try to unearth clues about Steven Stone, but are aided by a mysterious source.

notes
-It's Oscar! Eep.

-The arc in Violet has been long, so it's nice for it to draw to a close. Ultimately, I think the focus and development of Gina has been really important.

-I felt that it was really crucial Milo rectified his mistakes, overcame his previous failures etc at some point in the fic, and his loss against Gina in Ch3 was a big deal.

-The breakdown of their 'friendship' towards the end was always bound to happen; Gina is too methodical, too cold, to ever form friends, and I don't think she'll be happy to see Milo any time soon.

-I also wanted to show how Milo was repulsed by the girl that, only months ago, he would have loved to have slept with or dated. He's growing up.

-And as for Luna, she will appear properly very soon. Milo's going to try and take her on a date, which makes Jake feel a bit anxious.

-Gina won't be around much for a while.

-One storyline I shelved actually involved Oscar spending the Violet Arc following Milo and plotting against him, and through one way or another, he ended up forming a rather toxic relationship with Gina. I loved the idea of them being a couple, him using her to find out more about Milo and Gina being overwhelmed at his charm. Ultimately, I decided against it.

-Also, I'm not sure if/when we'll see Denise again. I sort of saw this as her swan song, bowing out on a high. I think the legendary birds appeal was one of my favourites, and I've always wanted to address ways to use Ditto better. The hologram Pokeball was something I actually wanted to put into The Pokemon Masters League.

-Denise can't get her daughter into the Grand Festival, so it would be weird for them to go. I think she will get Tamara to undertake a brand new career.

-In the next chapter, Falkner and Chuck have a small scene. And all the Golden Arc stuff will come back into play during the Ecruteak arc.

-the new Ecruteak arc is really exciting, it's got a lot of whodunnit sort of plot lines in it. There's a big event that kicks things off, and Milo and Jake get unwillingly dragged into it.

[Chris 2.1]

Show-Off
-XXIX-
Flatliner

Milo's heart started racing wildly, a screech and a thud filled the forest clearing; Scizor bolted through the air to strike him, but Medicham intervened, holding her hands out and creating a psychic barrier to keep the bug away. Undeterred, Scizor climbed high into the sky, before spinning and unleashing a furious silver wind.

Particles of thick, silvery crystal rained down on both boys; Jake made no noise, so Milo assumed he took cover behind their car. The silver wind was deadly; thick chips scraped paint from the car and tore into Milo's body as he cowered. The heavy blanked of silver dust shielded Oscar from view.

"Medicham!" Milo screamed, for the noise of screeching, scraping and wind was terrible. "Locate him! Try and hit him!"

He looked around, but ducked as a thick bit of debris was hurtled at him, picked up by the wind. It smashed a wing mirror off their car.

Medicham disappeared for a moment, but she was soon hurtled through the air, landing at Milo's side with a heavy, dull thud. Milo crawled to the car, where he saw Jake hiding behind a car door, fiddling with the Pokeballs on his belt.

"Scizor, bullet punch!" Oscar shouted. Jake screamed as Scizor's claw punched through the car door, inches from his face. He crawled over to Milo, panicked. Milo put his arm around the boy, trying to find Magneton's Pokeball.

"MAGNETON!" Milo shouted, sending him into the clearing. Medicham had got to her feet, running to her allies side to face the large crimson Pokemon. "Sonicboom!"

With a crack like a whip, Magneton's shockwave tore through the sound barrier and struck Scizor, but he didn't react. He flew at Magneton, swinging a claw which crackled with silver energy. Magneton cartwheeled out of the way, and fired off a bolt of lightning.

As it neared, Scizor landed, planting his feet in the ground and gripping the bonnet of Milo's car with his thick, jagged claws. The thunderbolt hit him, but his steely exterior channelled the attack into the car, causing it to hiss.

"Crush claw on Medicham," Oscar said. Milo saw Medicham teleport as Scizor leapt at her. She re-appeared, forming a ball of concentrated, hot energy in her hands. Aiming for Scizor, she held her hands out and unleashed focus blast, propelling the beam of energy in his direction. He twisted in mid-air, avoiding it, before landing on the roof of the car with a heavy thud.

"Oscar!" Milo shouted, running out from behind the car. He suddenly saw a blue form race towards him, ducking out the way, but it wasn't aiming for him. Magneton was about to fire another attack when the bold, blue form smashed into him, knocking him out of the air. As it slowed down, Milo looked to see what it was, and recognised it as Oscar's Heracross.

Sweeping back into the air, Magneton launched a thunderbolt, but Heracross flew left and it missed. Holding his arms together, he unleashed a brick break, having enough strength to throw Magneton into the side of the car.

"Medicham, use a psychic attack on Scizor," Milo said, hoping it might give him a headache. Medicham held a hand forward, thinking hard, but Scizor let off a high-pitched, ear-splitting screech, rendering Medicham useless. She fell to her knees, covering her ears.

Seconds later, Scizor had flown through the air and, with both claws crossed, he unleashed an X-Scissor, tearing his arms across Medicham's body. Her scream was utterly chilling as it rang like a chime into the night air.

Milo was getting distressed seeing his Pokemon get hurt, but as he got up, having crouched to avoid Heracross, he felt another silver wind sweep into him. The sheer force threw him into the car, which was getting steadily destroyed.

Heracross was flying high, looking for Magneton so he could strike. When he saw the metallic unit hovering near Scizor, he pulled into a dive, his horn glowing brightly as it built with energy.

"Magneton!" Jake said, fiddling for a Pokeball. He released Pellipper and ordered an air slash. Pellipper gave a screech and flew after Heracross, ready to strike with his wings, but he wasn't fast enough. Heracross struck Magneton again, but in his agony, the magnet unleashed a thunder, catching Heracross in the blast.

Milo rushed over to Medicham, but something struck him in the side, bowling him completely off his feet. Milo felt the palms of his hands graze as he fell into the rough earth, screwing his face up as a dull pain rang through his head. Seconds later, a hand grabbed a fistful of his shirt and he was pulled to his feet by Oscar.

"So how are you," he said casually, holding Milo by the throat. Instinctively, because he was not intimidated by Oscar physically, Milo headbutted the boy in the face, hearing his nose give a satisfying crack as it broke. Oscar muffled, cupping his hands to his nose as blood gushed forth, and Scizor retaliated by gripping Milo by his neck and slamming him into a tree's thick trunk.

Oscar said nothing, staggering to the left and right, watching blood hit the earth in thick globules. Scizor had very slight nostrils, so his breathing was thick and heavy, his yellow eyes locked on Milo.

Jake was commanding Pellipper, trying to get him to strike Heracross, but the bug was too fast; Magneton instinctively used a lock-on to target the bug, before firing off another thunderbolt and zapping him from the sky. Heracross fell to the ground, moments before being hit by Pellipper's water gun.

"Milo!" Jake said, surveying the area and seeing his friend. "Milo!"

"Jakey, don't you go near him or I will order Scizor to cleave right through his neck," Oscar said, standing between the boys but still cradling his face. Jake froze at his threat, while Milo felt the jagged edges of Scizor's claws on his throat. The pressure was overwhelming.

"Oscar!" Jake moaned, distraught.

"I know it seems cruel," he said, lifting his hands and walking back to Milo. His face was crusted with blood, darkened and brown. "I've been waiting for you. Did you know that?"

Milo didn't react. He was too scared to even shake his head, lest he feel Scizor's claw cutting his skin. Oscar smeared some of his blood across Milo's forehead slowly, and roughly.

"It was me who raided the Ruins of Alph," he said quietly. "For some Unown. I saw you, Milo, racing towards me with the hippie. I used the Unown to send you into that dream-like state so I could escape, unnoticed."

Wondering why he wanted Unown, Milo let Oscar continue, "But I realised, then, that I was so close to you both that I needed to pay you a visit. And here I am."

"Osc-"

Oscar hoisted his knee up and struck Milo in the groin, interrupting him and causing him to howl in pain. Scizor, however, kept him in place, and Milo was unable to nurse the agony flooding into him.

"Shut up," he snapped. Oscar clicked his fingers, and Heracross swung a punch into the side of Cecilia's car. Milo gritted his teeth as the bug started denting, scraping and smashing parts of the car, even slashing a back tyre with his impressive horn.

"I can't believe she gave you that car," Oscar said. "You know when her husband Ted was alive, he taught me to drive in that car. Yup. First gear's a bit juddery, isn't it? But once you get into second, and third…"

Oscar clicked again, and Heracross slashed another tyre. Milo gulped as he saw their mode of transport reduced to a shattered wreck.

"Why are you destroying her car?" Jake cried.

"She gave you that car to escape me," Oscar said, disgusted by his own words. "Escape. Like I was a monster on the loose. They placed me under house arrest, you know, once you left. The town voted, decided I was too much of a threat to be free, but hadn't committed enough to be sentenced by the police. Azalea's such a backwards little fetid community, making its own laws and regulations. They imprisoned me in my own home, boarding the doors and windows and keeping me in the cellar. Someone from the town would guard the house every day, using a ghost to slip through the walls and feed me. Who do they think they are, deciding I was too much of a terror? Thankfully, circumstance gave me the opportunity to escape."

He looked across at Milo and smiled. He stayed silent still, bound by his fear of Oscar's limitlessness.

"Y-You didn't hurt them… did you?" Jake asked, still standing a distance away from Oscar. He smiled.

"Oh Jakey," he said simply. "You really don't want to know the answer to that."

Milo was surprised to see Jake wear an expression of steely determination on his face. "Tell me," he said, firmly.

Oscar smirked at Jake's tough act, but seconds later a thick cloud of spores burst into his face. Milo held his breath as he saw Oscar collapse, and at his feet was the well camouflaged Park Ball which housed Parasect. As the ball opened, thick fumes dizzied Scizor, too, causing his grip to slacken. Milo lightly pushed him aside and ran over to Jake.

"I rolled the Pokeball over when he wasn't looking," Jake said. Milo smiled encouragingly as Parasect and Medicham joined him. Milo recalled a weary looking Magneton.

"What did you hit him with?" Milo asked.

"I dunno the name, but I call it tearjerker," Jake said. "It's like tear gas. It causes red, blotchy eyes, but doesn't impair like paralysis."

Oscar felt for the whip he had with him before, and threw it into the ground with a crack. Two Pokeballs burst open, their orbs of light temporarily lighting up the steadily-darkening clearing. Two similarly-shaped creatures emerged, both flying in mid-air. The first was a compact, wasp-like creature, with two sharp sickles and a pair of rapidly beating wings. The other was completely still, a dull clay colour with expressionless eyes. It floated of its own accord.

"Ninjask, strike," Oscar said, from the floor. The more agile bug swept through the air, drawing a sickle back. Pellipper flew along to meet the foe, shooting a jet of water that looked set to strike. Ninjask, however, shot to the left, dived down and dealt a critical blow to Pellipper's stomach. The pelican crashed into the ground, while Ninjask proceeded to throw a thick blade of energy down into the car.

Parasect saw this and leapt onto the roof of the car, firing a barrage of sharp, bursting seeds. Ninjask was peppered in the chest from the assault and swept along the outskirts of the battlefield, letting off a rattling hiss. Meanwhile, Pellipper took to the sky again, flying high, avoiding hits so he could survey the scene safely.

Scizor was coming to his senses, so Milo decided to act fact.

"Medicham, hit Scizor with a brick break," Milo said.

Medicham ran at Scizor, who held his claws by his side, ready. She looked focused, calm and prepared as she sprinted across the arena, just as Scizor began charging a feverish, metallic energy in his claws. Instead of meeting her head on, he seemed to be trying to hit her when she got close.

But Medicham was adept at both physical and mental attacks, so as she got within a meter of Scizor, she leapt into the air, disappearing with a pop just as Scizor lunged with a metal claw. He staggered forward, having no target to strike. She appeared behind him, dealing two swift, powerful chops into his neck, throwing him off balance.

"Fire punch!"

Fist ignited, Medicham slammed a punch into Scizor's back, knocking him to the ground. She stepped back, gasping, just in time to see one of Oscar's bugs, the stiff, cocoon-like one, hovering around her.

"Psycho cut!" Milo ordered, checking Scizor. He was hurt, they were fine.

Holding two fingers to her temple, Medicham flung a bright blade of energy into the air. The bug did nothing to evade, and simply hung in the air like a grim decoration. As the attack neared, however, a white shield engulfed the bug, and the psycho cut dissolved into the atmosphere.

"Holy fuck," Milo said.

"Shedinja, shadow ball!"

The creature named Shedinja created, from thin air, a huge swirling orb of shadow. Instead of it growing from compressed umbra, it simply launched like a cannonball, bursting in Medicham's face and knocking her back. Shedinja then swept down with an X-Scissor, striking Medicham in the face. She would swipe her fists left and right to fight him off, but her punches phased into his body every time.

Milo didn't know why Medicham wasn't landing a hit - even if Shedinja was a ghost Pokemon, immune to physical punches or kicks, it didn't explain psycho cut missing. Milo ordered a psychic attack, and it did nothing - Shedinja floated effortlessly, feeling no pain but dealing powerful hits.

"Fire punch!" Milo ordered. Her fist burst to life with flickering flames, but Medicham's attempts to strike Shedinja proved useless; as she lunged, he managed to evade, showing impressive speed. Meanwhile, Ninjask flew at Medicham, launching a shadow ball in her direction.

As it neared, Pellipper blasted a water gun from afar, striking the shadow ball and forcing it into a tree. There was a loud bang and a groan as the tree creaked. Milo looked to see Scizor appear and smash Medicham with a powerful metal claw - she was hurtled through the air, nursing her face as she collapsed.

"Medicham!" Milo cried, running towards her. The clearing was a war zone; Milo leapt to the side as another shadow ball flew in his direction. It burst into the earth, shredding the grass and earth with a dry, rattled gasp. Hi crouched by Medicham who, after taking so many hits, was really struggling.

Milo grabbed another Pokeball on his belt, realising he was facing Oscar's four bug Pokemon with three between him and Jake. In a second, Croconaw emerged on the arena, looking around and eyeing the foes. Milo ordered an ice beam, which he shot at Ninjask but failed to hit.

"Ninjask, Shedinja, take aim at Medicham!" said Oscar. His strategy seemed to be to isolate Medicham and take her out as quickly as possible. Both the bugs crossed their sickle-like appendages and sped through the air.

Milo looked around the clearing they were battling in, wondering how he could help Medicham get the upper hand. Just then, he spied a pile of bricks not far away, and had an idea.

"Defend yourself!" he said, catching her attention. Medicham nodded, holding a hand out as she began to emit a soft glow. The bricks rose into the air, bobbing along on her command. She flicked her wrist and they began to stack into a perfectly square wall, held immobile in mid-air.

Ninjask flew right into the wall and dropped to the ground with a thick crunch, dazed. Shedinja, however, phased through the solid surface as if it were a sheet of water and struck Medicham. She fell back, dropping the bricks to the ground with a clatter.

Croconaw fired a jet of water at Shedinja but the creature took no damage. Frustrated, Milo tried to figure out what was going on with the unusual Pokemon; Croconaw was getting increasingly distressed at failing to hit the target.

"Milo!" Jake cried. "Milo! It's fire!"

"Huh?"

Jake was pointing at Shedinja. Milo ordered a fire punch from Medicham instantly. She created flames that curled among her fingers and down her wrists, running at the bug with purpose. Leaping onto the car bonnet and launching into the air, Medicham swung her fists, but Shedinja slipped left and right, avoiding the strike, twisting on the spot and snaking out the way.

"Again!" Milo said. Medicham nodded, running as fast as she could, trying to hit Shedinja, who was moving at quite a speed. No luck. Oscar looked smug as Ninjask came to his senses and took to the sky again, his red eyes fixed on Medicham.

Medicham landed, having just failed to hit Shedinja. Her fists were still ablaze, but she was panting, apparently exhausted. Shedinja looked down on her through empty eyes, apparently ready to launch another attack.

At that moment, a blazing streak smashed into his side, throwing the creature to the ground in a rocket of flames. Milo gasped as Torchic waddled over, having belched a continuous stream of fire from her stomach. Shedinja lay defeated, his thin shell crisp.

"Shedinja are only able to take damage from really effective hits," Jake said, running over. "They're bug and ghost… so fire, rock, ghost…"

"How do you know that?" Milo asked, before realising it didn't matter. Oscar recalled Shedinja, but still had Ninjask, Heracross and Scizor on the field. Milo got the attention of Croconaw and Medicham, while Jake clutched Torchic and went over to Parasect and Pellipper.

"Scizor, take on Croconaw," Oscar said. Milo remembered Croconaw evolving from a Totodile after a fight with Scizor in Azalea, and watched his alligator clench his fists as the foe stomped over.

"Bullet punch!"

"Aqua jet!"

Scizor's claw snapped shut and he threw it at Croconaw, but already the Pokemon had sped up into the air, encased in a torpedo of water. Croconaw leapt out of the attack in mid-air, swinging his tail around with a quick crack and launching an aqua tail at Scizor.

The blade struck him in the stomach, causing a deluge of water to burst across him, but Scizor was not bothered. Croconaw leapt into the coverage of a thick tree, avoiding an attack from the foe. He then (rather clumsily) got out the tree and back onto the battleground.

Scizor was quick; he swung a metal claw around and struck Croconaw in the jaw before he could react. For a brief moment, Croconaw considered using a crunch attack, but Scizor's exterior was too hard. He staggered backwards, clutching his jaw and assessing the situation.

Milo's heart was pounding, his mind racing - he wasn't able to effectively orchestrate the fight at all. Medicham was fending Ninjask away by hurling bricks through the air, but Croconaw was quickly suffering at Scizor's hands. Milo considered Croconaw against Ninjask, but it was still a poor set-up.

"Croconaw, return!" Milo said, getting the silver Pokeball and shooting it at the creature. Before Oscar could say anything, Milo sent Scyther into the fray.

"Take Ninjask. Medicham, go for Scizor. Use the environment to your advantage."

He cast a quick look at Jake, who was battling Heracross. Parasect was launching exploding seeds, while Pellipper surveyed from the skies. Jake was doing fine.

Scyther flew high and surveyed the arena; Ninjask was zipping along beneath him. Going into a dive, Scyther sped down after the foe, charging energy in both his scythes and preparing to strike. He crossed blades, prepared to unleash…

But as his x-scissor was thrown at the foe, Ninjask was nowhere to be found. Scyther stopped for a moment, before feeling two serrated blades slashing him across the back. Ninjask had re-appeared behind him.

Undeterred, Scyther swung himself around to see the foe. Ninjask zoomed left, right, slightly up, left again, back right… he was agile and very unpredictable.

Flapping his wings, Scyther let out a screech as he unleashed a silver wind attack; Ninjask tried getting out of the way but failed, and the sweeping blanket of sparkling debris caught him, driving him down into the ground. Scyther flew down, landing on the ground and slashing Ninjask's body.

"Good!" Milo said. Ninjask screeched again and flew towards Scyther, but he crossed his scythes in defence. As with the contest that night, an iron defence shrouded Scyther, causing Ninjask's strikes to fail.

Milo thought he saw Oscar briefly watch Scyther, looking as he summoned a steely protection. Was he impressed at his strengths, did he perhaps wonder if Scyther was close to evolution? Scyther tackled Ninjask and swung a scythe around to deal a critical blow.

Ninjask used both his sickles to block the strike from Scyther. The two glared at each other, exerting all their strength. Scyther, however, swung his other blade around, clocking the bug in the head and throwing him down.

Ninjask lay injured on the ground, and Scyther seemed sure he posed no threat. Suddenly, Milo looked to see Pellipper get thrown against Cecilia's car. Jake ran over, tears in his eyes as he struggled to find the Pokeball.

It had been Heracross who dealt the critical blow. Pellipper's eyes were screwed shut as he lay against the ground, and Jake did the right thing, recalling him that instant. Milo saw Oscar get another Pokeball from his belt, but before he had time to release it, a thick, white string struck him. Parasect was using string shot to bind Oscar to a tree, preventing him from sending another Pokemon out. Parasect looked furious, but not more furious than Jake, who had put Pellipper's Pokeball away and stormed over to the immobilised Oscar.

"What do you want?" Jake shouted. "Why are you hurting us?"

The dark clearing was quiet, the Pokemon stopping as the humans began to argue. Oscar remained calm as he stood, bound to the thick tree. Milo was near the car, unsure what Jake was going to do. Medicham clutched her head wearily.

"Jakey, I'm trying to hurt Milo, you just keep getting in the way," Oscar said, as if this were obvious. "I don't hate you in the way I hate him. You're dispensable, you can't really do anything. Milo, meanwhile, has connections. I considered him valuable in getting my job back. So I'm angry at him for letting me down."

"You can't keep going around and hurting people like this!" he shouted. "Please! My Pellipper is really hurt!"

Oscar, bound and immobile, studied Jake and his frenzied panic.

"I'll give you a choice," he said. "You can walk away from here, Jake, and I won't hurt you. I won't follow you, I will let you disappear. If I really am so awful, then go and protect yourself. I'm letting you."

"I don't… I'm not leaving Milo," Jake said.

"You're no good to him, really," Oscar pointed out.

"I'm not leaving, I'm his friend," Jake said. Milo was glad to hear him say this; he often wondered why Jake put himself in such dangerous situations.

"You're choosing to stay?" Oscar said. "Despite knowing you might get hurt if you ally yourself with Milo?"

"I am," Jake said. He wouldn't let his eyes leave Oscar; Milo was wondering what was going through his head.

"Then, let it be," Oscar said, nodding. Confused, Jake looked behind him, and realised Oscar was signalling to his Pokemon.

Heracross swept along behind them, aiming for Parasect. The mushroom held his claws ready, but Heracross pulled left and drove his sharp horn into Parasect's side. The bug let off a rattling scream, trying to swipe Heracross with his claws but failing. Jake ran to Parasect, checking he was okay.

Flying past Oscar, Heracross slashed apart the string shot, and he staggered forward, freed. As Oscar took his first few steps, he reanimated the battle around him; Scizor snapped his claws and Ninjask stirred from his place on the ground.

"Hey!" Milo snapped. Oscar turned as Medicham held a hand out, using a psychic to trip him up. He tumbled into the side of Cecilia's car, feeling for a Pokeball to send out.

Medicham was about to attack him again, but Scizor intervened, launching a bullet punch in her direction. Medicham managed to block the attack and, gripping Scizor's claw, used a fire punch to swathe her hands in flames.

Scizor screamed in agony, but Medicham didn't back down, holding on to his metal exterior as much as she could while she summoned the most searing fire imaginable.

Scizor's wings throbbed as he struggled against Medicham, and he unleashed a bug buzz to throw her off. The sharp shock wave struck, causing her to clutch her stomach as she fell back. Scizor leapt at Medicham and swung his claws, but she ducked the first blow and blocked the second.

"Fire punch, then psychic!" Milo said, as Medicham's fingers became ensnared with silky flames. They crackled as they flickered between her thick, grey fingers, and as they burned brighter, Scizor crossed his claws over his face, a form of defence.

Holding her hands out, Medicham twisted the fire into a fierce serpent shape and launched it through the air. The fiery snake hissed, darkened shadow forming eye-like markings and a visible tongue forking from its mouth. Scizor leapt back, but the flames struck him, bursting across his body.

It was satisfying watching Scizor get hurt, Milo thought, as he saw Oscar screwing his face up. On the arena, Ninjask lay hurt on the ground, not moving, but he had not been recalled.

"Scyther, take on Heracross!" Milo shouted. Scyther nodded, holding his scythes out as Heracross flew down. He jousted at Scyther, but Scyther spun around, using a scythe to block the attack. Heracross, hovering a foot or so off the ground, jousted again, but Scyther's other scythe came round and stopped him striking. Taking two steps forward, Scyther lunged, but Heracross flapped into the sky, evading.

Scyther's wings beat rapidly, and he quickly gave chase as Heracross swept around a tree and into the darkening woods. Charging a blade of energy in his right scythe, Scyther let out a shriek, firing it at the enemy, but it smashed into one of the many trees, splintering it.

Milo pulled his attention away as his Pokemon disappeared from view. Scyther could manage, he thought, and he turned to help Medicham, who was teleporting in short bursts to get away from Scizor.

Parasect scuttled across the arena to assist Medicham; Milo wondered if he would unleash one of the corrosive spores he used in the Azalea Chambers, which had caused the steel Pokemon considerable harm.

As he neared, however, Milo saw Cecilia's car wobble slightly, before it was lifted in the air. Something had crawled under the car and used exceptional strength to pick it up. Milo hollered a warning as the creature threw their car across the clearing as if it were made of paper; it gave a sickening crunch as it landed mere inches away from Parasect.

Standing where the car had been was a large, brown Pokemon with two spiked pincers coming from its head. Milo knew the Pokemon - it was a Pinsir, and his schoolfriend Gary had trained one several years ago. The creature's high-pitched cry caused Milo to wince, and as it snapped its pincers, the noise of their making contact was like shattering china.

"I rolled his Pokeball under the car," Oscar said.

"You've ruined it," Milo snapped, looking at Cecilia's vehicle. One door hung limply from the frame, the other was on the ground. All the glass had now shattered into a fine, shimmering powder, scattered across the clearing, twinkling in the light from the low-hanging moon.

The tyres were exhausted of any pressure, ripped apart mercilessly, and Milo could see, through a cracked frame, his possessions scattered, broken, some destroyed. He thought of Cecilia; it was if she, too, had suffered at Oscar's hands, and he became full of a boiling, white-hot anger.

"Medicham, hurt him," he said coldly. Medicham had teleported to avoid an x-scissor from Scizor, and as she re-appeared by the wreck, her hands brushed the ruined vehicle. A look of alarm flashed across her face; Milo wondered if her clairsentience was kicking in, and he tried to analyse her expression. Her fingers gracing the car, Medicham seemed somewhere else entirely, perhaps enveloped in memories of Cecilia and her dearly departed husband.

Moments later Oscar screamed as Medicham swung a punch, striking him. He fell back, but Medicham held her hand out and stopped him from hitting the ground with telekinesis. Slowly he rose off the ground, Medicham locking her eyes on him. She twisted her spare wrist, and he groaned in agony.

Aware that Scizor would strike, Milo sent Houndour onto the arena to fend him off. Emerging in a burst of light, Houndour snarled at the red warrior before him, and knew the drill. A jet of flame was released from his jaws, and Scizor hastily leapt out the way. Scizor was rightly terrified of fire.

"Faint attack, get behind him," Milo said, "then flamethrower," as the dog leapt into the shadows. He turned back to Oscar, whose face was contorted as Medicham held him in mid-air. Jake ordered Parasect to fend off Pinsir, who was lunging with his deadly pincers.

A rocketing jet of flame slammed into Scizor's back, his thick metal exterior perfectly channeling the flame. He fell to his knees as his entire body throbbed with a troubling red glow.

"You tried to hurt us, kill us, even," Milo said to Oscar, "but it didn't work, did it?"

"Go to - hell," Oscar grunted. Medicham continued to tamper with Oscar's head, applying mental pressure to the nerves in the back of his brain to give him severe migraines. His body twisted, trying to resist against Medicham's control, but she was too strong.

"You're a horrible, horrible person," Milo continued, hearing the familiar scorching sound from his Houndour somewhere behind him. "Because you attacked us purely to inflict pain. I can almost empathise with you in Azalea town, trying to recruit me into The Apricorn Guild. You wanted help, you were alone and desperate, and if you hadn't tried to be so manipulative, maybe I could have helped.

"But now… you wait in the bushes to attack us and destroy our only means of transport. Whatever happens today, we can't take this car any further. She's destroyed."

Milo wasn't sure if Oscar was ignoring his words, if they had no effect on him, or if he was simply too distracted by the floods of pain. Either way, he hung in the air, saying nothing. Nearby, Houndour leapt behind the car as Scizor tried a sweeping tackle.

"Milo, we need to get away," Jake said urgently, as Pinsir swiped at Parasect. Milo nodded to tell Jake he understood, but wasn't quite sure how they'd go about achieving this. Oscar's Pokemon were still very much conscious and fighting fit. In fact, Heracross drove his horn into Scyther's iron-clad body, causing his temporary defence to weaken and the mantis to crash to the ground.

"No!" Milo said, finding Scyther's Pokeball. Heracross flew down, his horn ready, but Milo shot the Pokeball beam at him and rescued the green creature, scooping him up before Heracross dealt another fatal blow.

"So… what are you going… to do?" Oscar grunted. "Kill me?"

Milo looked into his empty eyes, so similar to those of Shedinja. How was he going to ensure Oscar would leave them alone? He saw Parasect, and knew that the creatures spores would be advantageous here.

But would stunning Oscar be enough? He would eventually stir, and he could find them again. Attack them worse, catch them off guard. As Milo stared at Oscar, whose nose now had an ugly kink in the middle, he wondered if killing him really was the only way to rid them of him.

But there must be other ways, the police, for example? Milo wondered about it; Oscar would evade capture, he was far too sneaky. And what if he crept to Goldenrod, murdering Milo's Father in the middle of the night? No. Oscar had to be taken care of now. Milo looked at him, hanging limply in the air by Medicham's control.

All she would need to do would be to twist tissue in Oscar's brain - it would haemorrhage and he'd die within ten minutes. There would be no external wounds, no DNA. It was perfect. Milo felt a stabbing pain in his chest as he thought of the implications. Medicham would have to teleport them all away, quickly, or maybe even teleport Oscar somewhere else, so they couldn't be linked to his death.

Milo gulped. It was going to be too easy. It was necessary, though, to do it. First, Parasect could put Oscar to sleep.

"Parasect -"

He was distracted, however, by a terrible howl. Scizor swung his claw and smashed into Houndour; he rolled along the arena, his body limp. Seconds later he bounded to his feet, firing off a slew of embers that peppered the ground Scizor stood on. Scizor took to the skies, but Houndour carried on barraging him with balls of searing fire.

Suddenly, Scizor pulled into a dive, claws held at the ready. Undeterred, Houndour ran towards him, flames curling around his thick fangs. He was going to meet Scizor head-on, and deliver a fantastic blast of flame to the creature's heart.

"Jake, I need Parasect to stun Oscar," Milo said, pulling his eyes away from the battle. "Our Pokemon can be recalled, just as long as we escape. A huge cloud of spores, enough to stop everyone."

Jake nodded, but didn't ask. Milo wanted Jake away before he killed Oscar - the boy would disagree with him, but it was important he understood that they needed to do something to keep Oscar away forever.

He was about to speak, but Jake's order was drowned out by a terrifying scream. Milo heard the sharp cry and turned back to the match to see Scizor standing there, a thick, crimson liquid dripping from his claws.

Beneath him, Houndour lay defeated, his stomach impaled on a sharp piece of metal that had been ripped from Cecilia's car. Milo's heart sank as he saw the dog's eyes drooping shut, panting as blood pooled out around him. The colour left Milo's face; he could feel sharp prickles around his cheeks and forehead as shock set in.

"H-Hou?"

Milo ran over, dropping to his knees and placing his hand on the dog's head. Houndour looked up at him, gasping, and Milo gingerly touched the area where the metal had pierced the dog's skin, right between two of his ribs. He could feel the thick, cold metal against Houndour's warm, fuzzy stomach.

"JAKE!" Milo screamed, gasping. "AH… ah… ah… JAKE!"

"Oh my god!" Jake cried, running to Milo's side. "Houndour!"

"What do we do? What can I do Jake? Jake, he's dying! He's dying!"

"We need to get him to a Pokemoncenter," Jake said, looking around desperately, as if one would reveal itself behind the overgrowth. "We're miles away from Violet City.. it must be 2am by now…"

Milo's gasps were turning into dry, heaving sobs as he dabbed the blood from Houndour's wound. He couldn't die… there must be a way to save him, surely? Scizor stood still, watching the entire thing with an empty expression. Milo couldn't be sure what the other Pokemon, or indeed Oscar, were doing.

"Medicham," Milo said. "MEDI!"

She ran to his side.

"We need to get to a Pokemoncenter," he said to her, fighting tears. "Please, teleport me and Houndour, we need to get there now."

Medicham nodded, but as she neared the creature, she looked alarmed. Milo joined in, and understood why she was confused; Houndour's body was speared on the large piece of scrap metal, and removing him from it (physically or by teleporting him away) may cause a massive rush of blood to haemorrhage from his wound.

Suddenly, Parasect scuttled over and, without prompting, used a claw to cleave through one end of the large piece of metal. Now, a piece around a foot long was stuck in Houndour's ribcage, meaning Milo could scoop him up.

The warm blood soon soaked Milo's shirt, but he didn't care. Without saying another word, he held Houndour as tightly as he could, the dog's limp head drooped over his shoulder. Milo felt Medicham's hand on his shoulder and disappeared.

*

Goldenrod City was, like many other cities in Johto, finally feeling the frosty crunch of autumn that day, with a distinct bite in the air as orange leaves fell from the trees. The Magnet Train ploughed through buildings, sweeping across the streets towards Kanto in the West, and Gold Street department store was heaving as ever.

Standing just off Main Street, clutching a coffee in his hands, Falkner stared ahead. He looked beyond faces in a crowd, searching for something more than a figure. He was looking right at the Goldenrod City Gym, an old cathedral which, he was surprised to learn, had not had a single visitor in the last three hours.

"Looks like we were right," came a voice. Falkner didn't flinch at all as Chuck joined him, folding the sheet back on a paper and handing it to Falkner.

"'Goldenrod's Leader Absent After Gym Break In'," he said, reading the headline.

"There was a situation during the Exhibition match, apparently," said Chuck, having read the article several times. "Whitney had three of her Pokemon stolen, and since then, she hasn't left her flat, hasn't registered any official battles, and hasn't opened the gym."

"Shit," Falkner said. "The thefts targeted a Gym Leader?"

"Her Pokemon are incredibly valuable," Chuck reasoned. "But someone in the newspaper thinks they targeted Whitney to make an example. Since the Exhibition Match, the city has been crippled with fear, people are scared to even battle in the streets."

"And why do we need to know this? How does this relate to Steven Stone?" Falkner asked.

"Because Steven Stone's Devon Corporation owns the Lucky Carp Casino, which I believe is being used to help traffic stolen Pokemon from other regions. Whatever's going on, the thefts go back to Steven in some way."

"And my father? The Reclassification?" Falkner continued.

"Your father was killed because he knew Stone funded the Reclassification and the Johto League using the funds from his criminal empire," Chuck said. "It's a complicated mess, but if we want to take down Steven Stone, we need all the facts."

"Why is he doing all of this?" Falkner said, receiving a shrug from Chuck. "Should we go and speak to Whitney?"

"She's poured her heart out to the papers, I don't think she has anything new or relevant to say," Chuck said. "She no doubt thinks she's a victim of theft, nothing more."

Falkner felt his phone buzz in his pocket, but ignored it.

"I don't understand what we can do," Falkner said, thinking about all the knotted threads that were being spun in his quest. "I just need to find the red-haired woman, she's the one who killed my father. But she could be anywhere - she might not even be in Goldenrod City."

"If your father was tricked to The National Park, I think it's safe to assume Steven has agents operating in this city," Chuck said. "It's the perfect place to hide."

His phone buzzed, and he reached into his pocket to get it. He hadn't been expecting contact from anyone at all, so was curious as he unlocked his phone. A message, from an unusual person.

FROM: EysNers
YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BE NAIVE. WHITNEY NEEDS YOU.

"That's weird," Falkner said, from behind Chuck.

"What do you mean?" he said. Falkner showed Chuck the message on his phone, which was identical in every way.

FROM: EysNers
YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BE NAIVE. WHITNEY NEEDS YOU.

"Who is EysNers?" Falkner asked. "I haven't got anyone called that in my contacts."

"Me neither," Chuck said, thinking. How could someone have reached out to them like that - who knew that the two were even working with each other? Worried they were being watched, Chuck stashed his phone away and told Falkner to do the same, before deciding to leave the street they were on.

*

Chuck was too suspicious to act on the message from EysNers, but clearly he was alone in thinking that this person meant them harm. After countless disagreements with Falkner, he relented, and agreed that Falkner should go and speak with Whitney if possible, to see if she knew anything about her theft that might help them in some way.

"Remember, if anything happens," Chuck grumbled.

"I have my Unown on me, I can contact you without being detected," Falkner said, nodding and walking away. Cutting into a busy Goldenrod street, he disappeared among an ocean of people within seconds.

Sitting in a small, paved square, Chuck got his phone out and re-read the message from EysNers. It was curious, the way this person had got in touch with them both. Chuck wasn't able to dial the person, to try and engage in conversation; somehow they had contacted him without him being able to do the same.

Their task had never felt larger and more consuming than it did now, as Chuck sat alone in Goldenrod City. He didn't know if he should trust this anonymous messenger or not; he was far more suspicious than Falkner was. What if it had been a trap - had Keadis been led to his death in similarly curious circumstances? He thought about this for a moment, wondering if they would find the woman who killed him so coldly. Would Falkner abandon their quest once this woman was brought to justice, or was he an ally until the very end?

It was evening before Chuck heard anything from Falkner. After a disappointing meal of a baked potato and soup, Chuck walked to the small board house where he and Falkner were lodging. It was an uncharacteristic, small building next to a solicitors office, with dark curtains and faded lettering above the door. The rooms were basic, shabby but very cheap, but it was perfect for not drawing attention to oneself, unlike the flashy hotels and apartments in the Metropolitan District.

Chuck walked to his room to find Falkner sitting on the bed. He explained he had only just returned here himself.

"There wasn't a lot to report on," Falkner sighed. "Whitney was fragile, seriously fragile. Mary kept butting in and asking me to leave, but Whitney and I got on pretty well, and she started to trust me, so she liked having me there."

"So she didn't give any… insight?" Chuck asked, deflated.

"No, just how upset she is, how many nightmares she's had and how she can't trust anyone anymore. She showed me some of the bruises on her from when she was grabbed - sounds like quite an ordeal."

"And you didn't get into any trouble on the way here?" Chuck asked, with trepidation. Had Falkner been led astray by the anonymous messenger, tricked, perhaps?

"None," Falkner said. "Thought I was being followed on the way back, but turned out it was a girl who I'd fought at the gym in Violet. She wanted my phone number…"

Chuck rolled his eyes, irked that Falkner didn't look as embarrassed as he should.

"Why did EysNers send you there if she had nothing to say?" Chuck thought, re-reading the message. Don't be naive. Whitney needed them…

"She's the one who felt naive," Falkner said. "She said if she'd just listened then she could have avoided going to the Gym altogether. Someone told her he thought she might be attacked at the Exhibition Match."

"Someone warned her?" Chuck asked.

"He used to be a Gym Leader, but Whitney said he didn't do that anymore. Mortimer?"

"Yes," Chuck said.

"Yea, he tried to stop her going," Falkner said.

"Oh my god," Chuck gasped, as it came back to him. "Morty… he ran into Oscar in Azalea Town not long ago. When Oscar was under house-arrest, Morty and Jasmine visited him to recover a Porygon Oscar had stolen from Goldenrod City. Oscar was curious about what they were doing, since they were careful to avoid mentioning who they worked for."

Falkner said nothing for a moment. He did not know Oscar had been under house-arrest, but Chuck seemed to have forgotten this small fact.

"Morty warned Whitney against the thefts… and he recovered a stolen Pokemon from Oscar," Chuck repeated. "He knew Stone was going to raid the Exhibition Match, but he couldn't interrupt the match. And he obviously thought the Porygon was stolen by one of Stone's men, he's working for someone to take down Steven Stone."

A smile flickered across his face.

"We have allies, Falkner!"

A double buzz filled the room, shocking the two. Each scrambled for their phones to find another message.

From: EysNers
Well done. Whitney faild 2 take Morty's advice nd suffrd @ the hands of the thefts. But his plight died b/c they drew 2 much attention 2 themselves. Once Steven Stone knows U R standng agnst him, u hvnt got a chns. U hv 2 keep a low profile if u want 2 take down Steven Stone.
-Eyes And Ears

"Eyes and ears," Chuck said, thinking.

"At least we know we're not alone," Falkner said, showing Chuck the message on his phone. To his surprise, they were not identical.

From: EysNers
I know the woman who killed your father. You can get your revenge, but you have to listen to me very carefully, do you understand? She is close to Stone. One slip and we're all dead.

"Why is he sending us different messages?" Chuck asked.



Next Time
Milo and Jake arrive in Ecruteak City emotional, traumatised and rushing to save Houndour's life. But things in the sleepy city aren't what they seem, as a mysterious attacker appears to be strangling women late at night. Milo makes amends with Morty, all the while haunted by the implications of Houndour's injury.

Meanwhile, EysNErs sets Falkner and Chuck a very simple yet terribly dangerous task, causing them to gain new insight into Steven Stone's empire.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Very good chapters man! Action packed, plot thickening, blood, gina, oscar, chuck, falkner, steven, contest, denise, luna, these chapters had it all

After the Oscar battle I was really on the tip of my seat, then poor houndour

I'm really starting to detest Oscar man, he's a psycho.

Keep up the good work Chris, I really like it!

[Chris 2.1]

Hey MLG! So glad you liked the chapters. So much is happening in the upcoming instalments, too; it's finally where the Golden Arc subplots weave into Milo's story and it's very exciting! The latest chapter was quite short and quick, spontaneous; I think it was best to have the chapter almost solely be the Oscar fight. The next chapter is quite sombre in reflection.

Oscar really has become quite... unhinged. His story goes to some interesting places, I think you'll be quite surprised.

Loads more to come, and thanks for replying. I'm so happy you've enjoyed the latest instalments!

[edisontsai]

I liked this bit of dialogue a lot, especially Jake's line there. ^^

[Chris 2.1]

Which bit are you referring to?

[Sike Saner]

He got a thick tin out from his bag and handed it to Jake, who noted how heavy it was. This was the metal coat used to help Scyther evolve. Jake unscrewed the tin and looked at the gloomy, metal liquid, giving it a sniff. There was a sharp smell, with the depth of petrol.

Oh huh, interesting bit of detail there. I don't think I would have ever imagined what a metal coat smells like.

Tamara seemed oblivious to Jake's remark, and that he was now on the floor. Debbie returned with a tray of drinks, trying her best to balance the tall milkshake, Denise's heavy glass and her own drink - a simple glass of water. Unfortunately, as she crossed the room a trainer and his Butterfree accidentally caused a rogue string shot to trip the girl; she clattered to the ground as the drinks went everywhere, but she didn't even let out a small cry as her clothes were ruined.

"Stupid girl," Denise was heard to mutter.

"Sorry," Debbie mumbled, nursing a cut on her hand.

Hey Butterfree, why don't you wing your way over and apply a nice bit of string shot to Denise's mouth.

"Very, very loud," Bertha said dismissively, as a trainer and his Loudred finished.

A loud loudred. Whoever would have conceived of such a thing?

The hologram ball's a pretty neat concept. Too cool for the likes of Denise, at least in terms of what she deserves, heh. But all karma aside, it is fitting for her to have it since it is such a rare and no doubt expensive item.

Of course it does kinda stink that her way past the first round was pretty much just bought for her, to say nothing of her fraudulent registration, but at the same time I do have to admit that was a pretty cool appeal, visually speaking at least.

"Scary face!"

The column of flames twisted and moved, forming the head of a terrifying hound. Pointed ears, sharp teeth and dark, richer flames forming hollow eye sockets.

The hell-hound had fully formed from the column of fire, its jaw snapping and showing teeth made from sizzling embers. Milo watched as Houndour, still producing smog from his mouth, let out a long, harrowing howl…

One of the coolest uses of scary face I've ever seen, possibly the very coolest.

Jake, however, flicked his hair from his eyes and stared at the woman, and before anyone could say anything he slapped her right across her well-moisturised cheek.

*applauds the hell out of Jake for that*

"We meet again," came a voice.

Milo, clutching his stomach, looked as Oscar emerged from the bushes, clutching a long, leather whip laden with red and white Pokeballs.

"Scizor, get him by the throat."

Oh snap. Hell of a chapter ending there.

The other was completely still, a dull clay colour with expressionless eyes. It floated of its own accord.

Oh cool. :D I like shedinja.

The bug did nothing to evade, and simply hung in the air like a grim decoration.

And I like that as a way to describe a shedinja.

He was about to speak, but Jake's order was drowned out by a terrifying scream. Milo heard the sharp cry and turned back to the match to see Scizor standing there, a thick, crimson liquid dripping from his claws.

Beneath him, Houndour lay defeated, his stomach impaled on a sharp piece of metal that had been ripped from Cecilia's car. Milo's heart sank as he saw the dog's eyes drooping shut, panting as blood pooled out around him. The colour left Milo's face; he could feel sharp prickles around his cheeks and forehead as shock set in.

D:

Poor dear. I wonder if he'll be all right...

[Chris 2.1]

Show-Off
-XXX-
Dark & Stormy I

Jake had never smoked before in his life, but as he stood in the clearing, clutching a sharp pain in his side, he felt a longing urge for a cigarette. Milo regularly smoked when he was stressed, exhausted, elated or frustrated, and as he felt a cocktail of these emotions, Jake wanted nothing more himself.

He was in the clearing, standing by Cecilia's destroyed car. Nearby, Oscar was on the ground, unconcious thanks to a blast of spores from Parasect. The mushroom Pokemon scuttled around the clearing spreading thick blasts into the air; all around Jake, Oscar's Pokemon had been knocked out by various clouds of pollen, and Parasect was ensuring they stayed that way.

Heracross had been hit with a stun spore, and lay on the ground, twitching. A searing nerve gas kept Ninjask on the floor; whenever his wings moved a burning sensation flooded his body, so he daren't go anywhere. Pinsir was fast asleep, and Scyther was struck by the debillitating corroding spore.

Jake knew these Pokemon were still concious, and could attack (or try to) at any time, so as he salvaged luggage from the car wreck, he did so with the upmost trepidation.

"Jake…"

Oscar stirred, but he was of no harm; he was tied to the tree, bound by his arms.

"Shut up," Jake said absently, making sure not to scratch his arm on broken glass as he leafed around the car. Despite his efforts, he snagged his wrist; a thin sliver of red flashed before his eyes as he bled.

"When we slept together," Oscar said, in a sleepy, laboured tone. "I… it meant a lot."

"You only did that to get me to like the idea of staying in Azalea," Jake replied simply. "And also, you were lousy in bed."

"You weren't," continued Oscar, smiling weakly.

"I know," Jake said, holding gaze for only a moment before continuing what he was doing. "You can't try and charm me, Oscar."

"I'm trying to appeal to your better nature," Oscar said. "Your empathy is your greatest quality, Jakey. Your compassion…"

"You lost the right to my compassion when you tried to kill my friend," Jake retorted. "And me."

"I'd never kill you," Oscar said.

"Firstly, I don't believe you," Jake said. "And secondly, all those attacks flying around? I could have easily ended up like Houndour."

Thinking of the wounded black dog sent a horrible chill down Jake's spine; his whole body rattled in his skin at the thought of the Pokemon dying. Milo's gaunt face swam before his eyes, and Jake's cool exterior began to shatter. He had been so ill with grief when his Pichu was stolen, but there had always been some comfort that his Pokemon was alive, somewhere, and perhaps even healthy. But Houndour had lost so much blood, suffered such a devestating wound… what would they do if he died?

At that moment, Medicham popped into the clearing. Jake gasped, but she gave nothing away. Quickly, Jake gathered their few posessions that he could carry; Milo's ribbon cases, basic toiletries, mobile phones and wallets. There was no room for shoes, jeans, spare underwear. They needed to go.

Medicham walked over to Oscar, who hung limply, glaring at her. She pressed her hand on his forehead and, in a snap, Oscar was asleep. His mind had closed off thanks to her psychic abilities, and once she had done the deed, Medicham stepped back, shot him a dark glare and walked back to Jake.

He felt her firm grip on his upper arm, recalled Parasect, and took one last look at the scarred clearing before him. Cecilia's maroon car, and the crusted puddles of blood. The beauty of the moon. And he was gone.

*

Milo wished he had a cigarette on him. At the hospital, he was sitting alone, accompanied by a weak beep coming from the other end of the corridor. His right hand was on his neck; he was itching, digging at a freckle he thought was a mole.

So many people passed Milo, though it was difficult to tell who did what. Doctors, nurses, admin, all walked quick, heads down, as if their paperwork, routine inspections or tests were the grimmest of grim news.

He wondered how people managed to find their way around the tight corridors, bathed in a sterile light that masked the time of day. Milo let out a sigh, examining his hands. They were crusted in blood, and the little finger on his right hand was crooked and felt tender. What he thought was anxiety in his chest was actually a large bruise from Scizor's repeated beatings. Touching it - even gingerly with his fingertips - was oddly comforting, stabbing pains keeping him alert, reminding him where he was.

Then, Medicham and Jake appeared with a pop, arriving in the quiet corridor. Milo chewed his lip. It had only been perhaps an hour since he appeared here himself, collapsing to the ground, holding Houndour tightly and screaming for help. But seeing Jake made him feel much better.

"Is everything ok?" Jake asked. "Where is Houndour?"

"They took him away," Milo said. "Someone's helping him."

Medicham was looking at Milo, studying him. Footsteps echoed through the corridor, with a doctor eventually coming into view. Milo was used to seeing people come and go, saying nothing, but Jake, who had only just sat down, jumped up and approached him.

"Do you have any news?" he asked the man, who raised an eyebrow. "On the Houndour?"

"No, I don't," he said curtly, taking a step away.

"But what's going on? Is he going to be okay?"

"I suggest you wait for someone to inform you," he said. "Please, I am very busy."

Jake looked appaled as the man walked off. He turned to Milo, confused, but he just shrugged, having endured conversations similar. Unimpressed, Medicham held her hand out, and a handsome leather wallet slid out from the man's back pocket.

"Medi," Milo said, trying to be stern but smirking. "You shouldn't steal."

She seemed to think the rude doctor deserved it, and levitated some coins from the wallet with superb accuracy. Then, with her mind she threw them across the room, where they bolted into the slot of a drinks machine with incredible precision. Milo watched as drinks clattered down the chute.

"Are you hurt?" Milo asked, after taking a sip of his drink. "How did you get away?"

"Gassed the clearing," Jake said. "Oscar was still concious, but he's bound to a tree, and his Pokemon can't move."

"You were brilliant, thank you," Milo said.

"And I'm not hurt, no," Jake said. "Exhausted, though…"

He trailed off because he saw Milo was not paying attention. His head was buried in his hands, and he was shaking. Medicham's eyebrows were raised and it seemed she, too, had tears in her eyes.

"Milo?" Jake said, his hand straying to Milo's back.

"What if he dies, Jake?" Milo said, unable to compose himself. He tried to say something else but broke into loud sobs, leaving Jake to look at Medicham with unease.

*

Some time later, Jake let out a squeak. Daniel, the Pokemoncenter nurse Milo fought in the Ecruteak Contest, came down the corridor, walking alongside a doctor. Something was different; they had news.

"Milo Mitchelson," the doctor said, looking at a form. "Registered 030189?"

"Yes, it's me," Milo said.

"We've been in the operating theatre, trying to fix Houndour," he said. "The metal pierced his skin and punctured some of his organs. He's alive, but suffered severe injuries."

"One of his kidneys ruptured from the impact," Daniel said, "We've used surgical staples to keep it held together, since we'd rather not remove a kidney altogether if we don't have to."

Milo nodded, understanding. Houndour was alive...

"He is scheduled to go into surgery later this morning," continued the nurse. "It's very early in the morning, and his condition is stable, so he's not considered an emergency right now."

"So, what should we do?"

"Go and get some rest," the nurse said. "And I think the rest of your Pokemon should also be treated for injuries."

Milo handed over Medicham, Scyther, Croconaw and Magneton's Pokeballs, while Jake gave the nurse his Pellipper, Parasect and Torchic. Ditto hadn't been involved in the match.

"I'm going to get Golduck or someone sent over," Milo said, as they walked through the hospital. "We need someone on us, in case Oscar comes back."

"Good idea," Jake said. "Our defences are down with the Pokemon being healed."

"I can't believe he came after us like that… but I should have seen it coming, really," Milo admitted.

"We got out of there, that's what matters," Jake said. "I think we should bear in mind that fighting Oscar toe-to-toe was a bit useless. His Pokemon are very strong."

"They just wouldn't go down," Milo said, remembering Scizor's repeated blows. He let out a full, heavy sigh, feeling tears in his eyes again. Houndour's face swam before him, haunting him.

They wandered through the hospitals corridors, turning to the left, right and down the occsional flight of stairs. However, just as they were nearing the exit, Milo saw a boy walking towards them.

Were they anywhere else, they could have avoided him, but Morty's face became suddenly animated as he registered them.

"Milo, Jake," he said quietly, looking concerned. "You're… I didn't know you were here!"

"Hi Morty," Milo said uncomfortably. They hadn't parted on good terms, but that had ebbed away; Milo was too drained to resist Morty's manner, and he found himself patting the boy's shoulder encouragingly.

"Nice to see you, and you Jake," Morty said. He looked healthier than ever, his face glowing. Morty's strawlike hair was getting long, but he was very much as handsome as when they last saw him.

"Are you visiting someone?" he asked, to which Milo explained his Houndour had been badly injured. Morty was sorry to hear it, and assured Milo that the team here were excellent.

"Are your Pokemon okay?" Jake said.

"Yes, they're fine," Morty said, dropping his voice. "I'm actually here to visit someone."

"Some… one?"

"Ecruteak has a private hospital wing in this building. Cost-cutting, I guess," Morty said, "but anyway, er, actually… you two should probably come with me."

"Oh, no, we haven't slept," Milo said, finding the thought of visiting Morty's relative a horrifying one.

"It's important," he said, leading the way. Milo and Jake exchanged a weary look and followed him through the corridor and up a flight of steps.

*

Though the beeping, mechanical stirs and fleeting doctors still existed up here, it was spacious. Milo and Jake looked into a quiet room where a woman lay, perfectly still. Her face and neck were covered in deep purple bruises.

"Karen," Morty said, gazing at the Ecruteak Gym Leader. "She was attacked only a few hours ago. She's unconcious."

"That's awful," Milo said. He had never quite liked Karen; when they met in Ecruteak he accidentally teleported into her office and she had been rather rude in ejecting him. Since then, she had stood as the opposing figure in Morty's bid to be the Gym Leader again, so Milo had felt nothing but frustration at the silver-haired beauty.

"She's the third woman to be attacked in the last fortnight," Morty said sadly, "all the attacks have been the same. Late, under cover of darkness. The girls all had severe wounds to their necks… the doctors think it looks like a burn."

"It does," Milo said, peering at Karen. Out of respect, they didn't enter her room, though Milo hoped she didn't come out of her deep sleep while the three peered at her.

"Was she…" Jake began, but Morty finished off for him.

"This was the only wound inflicted," he said, with a firmness. So it wasn't a sexual attack, Milo thought.

"I brought you here to see Karen for a reason," Morty said, turning and looking at the boys. "I don't know how long you're in Ecruteak for, Milo, but I want you to be careful. There are a few people here who didn't leave on good terms with you. Please don't ruffle any feathers while you're here. Everyone in Ecruteak is on tenterhooks, we're very concerned. This kind of thing… well, it doesn't happen to us."

"It's awful," Jake said to Morty.

"You said this happened a few hours ago," Milo said animatedly, suddenly having an idea. It was far-fetched, but it made sense. He looked at Jake, who seemed to know what he was thinking.

"Yes," said Morty, "why?"

"We were attacked on our way out of Violet City, that's why we're here," Milo said. "Oscar McNamara, the former Azalea Gym Leader. He attacked us."

Morty's eyes widened in surprise; Milo knew that he must know Oscar as they were both gym leaders together.

"Oscar?" Morty asked.

"We were lucky to escape," Milo said. "Maybe Oscar did it."

"It's a stab in the dark," Jake pointed out. "We were the only men he attacked…?"

"He saw us on his way out of Ecruteak, which he fled after strangling Karen," Milo said, gaining momentum as he fitted things together. "Saw us - bingo, he hated us…"

"Why would Oscar strangle women in Ecruteak city?" Morty asked.

"Maybe he wanted Karen gone as revenge for losing his gym," Milo said. "He's so angry now, it's driven him mad."

"The other girls aren't gym leaders," Morty said. "Anyway… I don't think that's it."

While Milo didn't think Morty understood what they had gone through that night, there was certainly something he wasn't telling them. He looked shocked all of a sudden, biting his lip, thinking deeply.

"I know we ended on bad terms," Morty said awkwardly, finally speaking up. "I'm sorry, Milo."

"It's… okay," Milo said, managing a weak smile. "Thanks for the heads up, too."

"I need to make a phone call, and you guys should probably get a place sorted for the night," he said. "I'd let you crash at mine for a bit… but I've got a lot going on right now."

"Yea?" Milo said, raising his eyebrows. "Are you and Rochelle -

"No, we broke up," Morty stammered. "It's not that, it's… look, we'll catch up tomorrow, maybe."

And with that, he bid them goodbye, walking down the corridor and getting his phone out. Milo and Jake exchanged a confused glance, but agreed that they needed to get out the hospital and get some sleep. Milo thought back to the contest battle against Gina - it seemed an eternity ago.

They left the hospital, deciding to try and find a hotel for the night. Morty watched them go from afar, speaking into his phone.

"Michael, it's me," he said.

"Morty? Why are you calling at this hour?" said Mr Mitchelson.

"I've just bumped into your son at Ecruteak Hospital," Morty replied. "He's fine, but his Houndour was injured in a battle. Apparently Oscar attacked them as they left Violet City?"

"He attacked them?" Michael said. "Morty! I'll make my way there now."

"They're both fine, but I can't let them stay with me, can I," Morty said, looking nervous.

"I told you that it was a ridiculous idea keeping Jasmine at your house," Michael said.

"I know," Morty hissed. "But she was going crazy at the farm, and… we missed each other."

"She is wanted by Steven Stone, and if he wants to find her, then that's just what he'll do," Michael replied. "But if young love is more important, then I suppose there's little I can do about it."

"She's okay at the moment, getting a bit of cabin fever, but she's fine," Morty said.

"Don't let her leave the house; if the rest of the world sees that girl, Steven Stone will."

"Anyway, the reason I rang was… well, it's because of me and Jasmine that Oscar escaped his house," Morty said. "When we recovered that Porygon for you. We didn't lock it all up when we left, and Eli was pinned against the wall."

"I do know that Oscar murdered Eli before leaving Azalea town," Michael said, in a low voice. He sounded moved by it. "And yes… perhaps we could have… prevented that."

"It's our fault Milo was attacked, too," Morty said, looking fraught. "Michael, what should we do?"

"Please, until I can figure out what to do about Oscar, protect my son for me," Michael said.

"I will," Morty said.

*

Milo didn't sleep well at all. Houndour filled his dreams, bounding towards his open arms before dissipating into ash, flaking away on the wind. Other times, Milo found searing burns snaking up his arms, forming into sharp-jawed hounds before his very eyes.

Other dreams flickered across his sleep, Jake was incredibly hostile, even biting Milo on the arm, while one had Morty laughing as Milo slipped further and further down a chasm. He woke several times, each time rousing Jake, too. He calmed Milo, before the two fell back into punctured patterns.

"I think it's about loyalty," Jake said the next day, when the boys discussed Milo's dreams over a coffee. "Houndour is a dog, he's man's best friend, and you're stressed because you feel like you let down such a faithful companion. That's emerging in dreams of abandonment, disloyalty, pain."

"Maybe," Milo said. They ate a quick breakfast before going to the hospital, where Milo was pleased to see Magneton and Croconaw had recovered, but Scyther and Medicham would need more time recovering.

"What about Houndour?" Milo asked. "Can I see him?"

"I'm afraid not," the nurse said. "He's in an intensive care unit at the moment. We're having to give him a blood transfusion, he's incredibly weak."

Milo felt a hearty punch in the gut worse than anything Scizor dealt him the night before. His Pokemon was failing, hanging on for dear life, all because he, Milo, made him fight. Milo had taken the creature from his home (did he have family who missed him so sorely?) and trained him, before letting him get this injured.

They left the hospital in low spirits, the nurse explaining that Houndour might not be fit to battle again after his injuries healed.

"How am I supposed to train him, what am I supposed to do?" Milo asked, as they waited for a computer to become free at the internet cafe.

"Well, if you can't battle with him, maybe it's best to release him into the wild," Jake said. He had released his Torchic, cuddling the little bird with enthusiasm.

"Around here?" Milo said. "Houndour aren't native round here, he'd get bullied… I could go back to Cherrygrove, but if he's permenantly injured, he'll probably be too weak to fend for himself. Oh god, what have I done?"

"You haven't done anything," Jake said, re-assuring him. "This isn't your fault, Milo. He's hurt, yes, but you didn't do it to him."

"I feel like I've let him down," Milo said, before noticing there was a computer free. He rang Meredith, who was in high spirits.

"Honey!" she said, knocking a cocktail over. "Oops! Milo how are you?"

"Good," Milo said, smiling. He was pleased to note that despite feeling quite low, he was able to put up a front for his mother. She needed to see that he was happy, healthy, and doing well for himself. "I won my fourth ribbon!"

"Oh you little hero," she said, clapping. "Four ribbons! I knew you had enough fire in your belly, honey. It's such a shame you were against your sister in Cherrygrove, wasn't it? But just one ribbon left!"

"I'm going to the Lake of Rage for it," Milo said, smiling. His mother looked concerned.

"It's awfully tough!" she said, wagging a finger. "How is your team coming along?"

"Well," Milo said. "Fine. Yea, okay."

"Your profile says you still have five," Meredith noted, obviously looking at it on the internet. "Now, Milo, try and expand it! Mia is training a tenth member for the Grand Festival."

"I don't need that many, do I?" Milo asked.

"Going through the ranks is tough!" she said. "Battles every day, you can't use the same Pokemon, they'll exhaust too quickly. This is why it's important to break your team up into appealing Pokemon and battling Pokemon."

"Can I get any of my original team sent over?" Milo said.

"I don't think that's wise," Meredith said. "Rhydon doesn't really leave the forest now, and I think Kingler started a little family."

"What about Golduck, Electabuzz, Flygon?" Milo asked. "Mum, I can't catch five more Pokemon before the Grand Festival!"

"At least try," she said. "Evolve some of your team, catch one or two new ones. Love you loads!"

Milo was surprised to see her cancel the call then and there. He had wanted more Pokemon sent over for protection in case Oscar returned. Leaving the cafe and heading outside, Milo felt more deflated than ever.

But if he thought an outside stroll would do him some good, he was sadly mistaken. Ecruteak Cit felt somehow flat; there was no cosmopolitan chatter, no hustle or bustle. The streets were quite empty, with people looking tired, stressed and anxious. The theatre, where the Eevee girls had performed, was boarded up, with a small notice explaining that due to vandalism they had shut it and there would be no performances.

"Jesus, this place is dead," Jake said.

"People are scared," Milo said. "I wonder if they're still hosting a contest?"

Later that day, Jake was challenged to a match by a young girl who was training to take on the Gym Leader. She explained that in Karen's absence, the Gym had been turned into an open-for-use battle arena, so they could go there and spar without disturbance. Milo thought back to Karen, lying in hospital. When would she be better?

The girl released a Lickitung, while Jake opted to send out his Torchic. The little bird ran circles around Lickitung as he tried slamming his powerful tongue down to strike the foe. Milo was only half interested; he was thinking about how to expand his team.

Croconaw would obviously evolve at some stage, and Magneton had the potential to (though Milo wasn't sure how it was done). Scyther would also evolve soon enough. But Meredith was right; Milo had to get more Pokemon on his team, and train them up to a high enough standard before he got to the Grand Festival.

"Quick attack!" Jake cried. Torchic sped along the ground and propelled herself into the air, spinning and firing down a slew of embers. Lickitung yelped as his long tongue was peppered with flames. He leapt forward, swinging a punch, but Torchic dodged it.

"Lickitung go for a mega punch!" the girl said. Torchic saw a glowing paw clench as Lickitung lunged; she was struck and was thrown back across the arena, thumping into the ground and rolling along to Jake's feet.

"Quick attack, get behind him!" Jake said.

Nodding, Torchic sped along the outside of the arena, while Lickitung stomped somewhere around the middle. He was slow, but had a lot of clout behind his attacks. Torchic, on the other hand, was speedy enough to evade but wasn't able to strike him enough. Soon, the little bird was behind Lickitung, and blasted a stream of fire that wiggled across the arena and hit him in the back.

"Yay!" Jake said.

Lickitung's tongue snaked along and wrapped around Torchic, before the big pink creature slammed her into the ground. Torchic nipped the tongue with her beak, but it was so thick, so toughened, that Lickitung didn't even feel it.

Suddenly, Milo saw something unusual in the corner of the room. A faint ripple against the wall, distorting a suit of armour otherwise still. The other two, engrossed in battle, didn't seem to care, but Milo saw the suit of armour creaking its joints, as if it were stretching.

"Guys…?" he said, before a cackle filled the room. Jake and the girl looked to see the suit flexing its arms. "Something's there."

The suit got off its plinth and held out a large axe. It was slightly taller than Milo, and the axe was chunky with a blunt (but large) blade.

"Oh my god!" Jake said, running towards Torchic. He grabbed Lickitung's long tongue and pulled his Pokemon free, wrapping her in his arms and running back. The trainer recalled her Lickitung, too.

"It's obviously a Pokemon," Milo said. "A ghost type, possessing the suit."

"It could cause some damage!" the girl said nervously. She was so worried she was twisting Lickitung's long tongue between her hands, knotting it and pinching without noticing. Her Pokemon rolled his eyes in apparent delight, relishing the treatment.

"But what if we fight it? It could chop someone's head off," Jake said nervously. The girl, hearing this, stammered an excuse and left the building.

" - bye!"

"Coward," Milo muttered, seeing her feet whip around the corner. The suit swung the axe and cleaved through a desk in the room. There was an almighty crash, before a vase tumbled from its place and shattered on the ground.

"We need to stop it destroying stuff," Milo said.

"But how?" Jake asked.

Milo considered what it could be - a Gengar, or a Haunter maybe? He held Croconaw's Pokeball out, preparing to unleash his alligator on the beast and find out what it was. But as he stood there in wait, an image flashed before his eyes. Croconaw landing as the ghost brought the axe sweeping down, chopping the creature's tail off… or worse, Croconaw being thrown into a wall, braindamaged…

"No!" Milo cried.

"What's wrong?" Jake said.

"We can't," Milo replied, taking a brief look at the creature before running out the gym. Jake followed nervously behind as the suit of armour began head butting a door.

*

Meanwhile, in Goldenrod City, Chuck and Falkner were sitting in an alleyway which provided a perfect vantage point to the outside of the Lucky Carp Casino.

While Chuck wanted to relax, Falkner had been adamant that there was always work to be done. All they knew, so far, was that Morty had known something about the thefts and the connection to Steven Stone. They had tried finding out where he had gone since he was fired from Ecruteak Gym, but their leads led to nowhere.

It was important, Falkner said, that they did not waste their time. So, perched within view of the casino, they were making a note of every person who entered and left the building. All day, and they would do it every day if they had to.

"This man is a regular," Falkner said, seeing him up the street. "We've seen him before."

"Yes," Chuck said, noting it down. He was less enthused about this.

"He doesn't look like a thief," Falkner said.

"And what, dare I ask, do those look like?" Chuck said. Falkner ignored him, feeling that an answer would be a waste of time. He continued to look, seeing a family of tourists leaving, the little boy clutching a Pokeball.

"And what do you contain, I wonder?" Falkner mused aloud. Earlier, they had tried going to see what Pokemon were available as prizes, but there was a strict policy on who could recieve guests. You needed at least 1,000 coins, and you had to be a member for at least 3 months.

Just then, both their phones vibrated at the same time; Falkner ignored his, but Chuck, happy to have a distraction, went to look at who sent the message immediately.

"Look! It's from Eys," Chuck said. This peeled Falkner away from his gaze, as the two read the message.

From: EysNErs
Contrary to your field report, Steven Stone and his associates do not use the front door. Or the back door, for that matter.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chuck said, looking frustrated.

"He's obviously talking about the sewers," Falkner deducted, scanning the area for a manhole. "It's easy, we'll just use a compass when we're down there. There must be a secret entrance."

"Or a sewage pipe," Chuck said. "How does Eys know we're looking, anyway?"

"He's the eyes and ears of Goldenrod, he knows everything," Falkner muttered.

"I thought you trained as a ninja? Are you really satisfied that someone can just blatantly spy on us?"

"They mean us no harm," Falkner said. "Eys is on our side, he helped us find out about Morty's involvement. And he knows who killed my father."

"Rebekah…

"Brookes," Falkner finished. "If they were bad, they wouldn't pass that information on so carelessly."

As he said it, both their phones buzzed a second time.

From: EysNErs
There's a very nice coffee shop near here. It's called Jubil & Lee. Order a large, it's nice to stay there a while and watch the world go by.

"SPAM," Chuck said. "Sounds like he has a stake in this coffee shop."

"Maybe it's the entrance to the casino," Falker said excitedly. "Or maybe he'll text us a secret password."

The two weren't far from Jubil & Lee, a very polished, fancy looking coffee shop. It had polished wooden tables and squashy chairs and, despite it being midday, it was surprisingly quiet. Chuck figured that it was far too expensive for this slightly non-commercial part of town; if this was slightly further down in Raynes Street, it would be difficult to get a seat.

They both ordered drinks and, not wanting to take EysNErs' advice lightly, both ordered a large drink. They picked a table, first by the window, as Falkner was convinced they needed to be here to witness something, but later moved to a corner, where they had more privacy.

"Maybe Eys wants to meet us here, so we can talk to him about Stone," Falkner said, once they had sat down.

"It could be a she," Chuck mused. "Pah. I hate coffee. Caffeine's terrible for you."

Falkner nursed his tongue; he had drunk far too quickly and burned it. They sat in silence for some time, too tense to say anything to one another. The light jazz music was not relaxing in the slightest, making Falkner tense.

The first hour passed quickly enough, an as they went into the second, Falkner bought two more coffees (large, just in case). Chuck mumbled a thankyou, though he didn't appreciate the chocolate sprinkles over his drink.

"Soon," Falkner said, when their second hour was halfway through. Chuck checked his phone again; Eys had not sent any more messages. "Something will happen soon."

"Maybe we're not supposed to be waiting, maybe we're supposed to be doing something," Chuck said, sounding more frustrated than curious.

"Maybe Morty works here," Falkner said, having a quick look.

Their theories became more and more ridiculous, with Falkner eventually deciding the girl serving their third coffee might indeed by EysNErs. Chuck was adament the menu hid some sort of clue; after all, why waste their time?

"If I drink another coffee I'm going to be sick," Chuck said, pushing his third away, half drunk. Falkner was looking at Eys messages, was there maybe a hidden context? The bell tinkled to signal someone else's arrival into the cafe. That was good; Falkner felt guilty that they were the only ones in here.

"Just the usual please, thanks,"

Falkner perked up. He recognised that voice, warmer than when he last heard it. It only took a brief second for him to be catapulted from his confusion; that lingering voice, well spoken but dark and unsettling.

He looked up and saw a mane of vivid ginger hair. Falkner's heart sank as he it all made sense - Rebekah Brooks, the woman who murdered his father. In here, ordering a coffee like a normal person. His heart began wildly beating, and he gasped. Sweat trickling across his forehead felt ice cold, and his hands shook.

"Falkner?" Chuck whispered.

"It's her, Rebekah," Falkner said. Rebekah turned as she picked up her coffee, and Falkner threw his head down. Chuck had his back to Rebekah, so Falkner was now hidden from view. Rebekah, however, was joined by someone, and was not looking around the room.

"The one who-

"Yes!" Falkner hissed. "Oh my god! What do I do?"

Chuck daren't look around; he was tense at the thought of a murderer being among them. Falkner remembered Rebekah's words to him as he lay bound in the National Park; if he wanted to live, he should stay well out of her way.

"Eys tricked us!" Falkner hissed. He was looking up now, but Rebekah did not see him; she faced away from him. She took a seat with a man accompanying her; they were not near Falkner and Chuck, but the music was so low they were able to pick up bits of their conversation.

"He wanted us to see her, I think," Chuck said, though he didn't quite believe himself. He glanced over and saw Rebekah looking at a document.

"Now," Rebekah said sharply. She was addressing the man with her, the man Falkner could see. He was well-built; stocky, with straw-like hair. "When are you going up?"

"I was going to go tonight, but Volkner said not to," the man replied. They seemed to be looking at photographs of something.

"That's fine, there's no point going now," Rebekah said. "It will probably be some point tomorrow, then."

"He seemed to think it would be an easy task."

"I imagine so," Rebekah said. "It's an important project, so make sure you impress me, Jack. I won't be going, there's too much to be done in Goldenrod."

Jack nodded.

"We need to leave," Chuck said to Falkner. "If she sees you, she'll know you from the park. She'll be furious."

"She'll kill us!" Falkner hissed. He could feel tears in his eyes, projected from sheer horror.

"How do we get out without her seeing us, though?" Chuck said, wondering if there was an escape exit.

"Oh god," Falkner said, burying his head. At that moment, a message buzzed through. Falkner was too scared to do anything, so it was up to Chuck to check his phone.

From: EysNErs
This is her. The woman responsible for Keadis' death and one of Steven Stone's highest-paid members of staff. The man with her is Jack L Surge, an electric-type trainer. He used to work in the army but is now Rebekah's right hand man.

Another message buzzed through right after the last.

From: EysNErs
She won't see you. She's had to leave the office to discuss a mission with Jack, which means she's worried even her own people will overhear. It must be top-secret. Keep your heads down, use your eyes and ears and remember every detail.

"It's okay for him to say," Chuck grumbled, trying to look discrete. "He's got us doing his work for him."

"Maybe his spying doesn't reach this far," Falkner mused. He remembered the advice, and strained to listen in to Rebekah and Jack's conversation.

"Steven wants this sorted quickly and cleanly. It's been a huge embarassment to him. Make sure you do everything you can to sort that out."

"Okay," Jack replied, smiling.

"It should be easy. You won't need a big team. We'll get a helicopter to pick you all up when it's done. Sneak in, fly out."

"Why did we meet here?" Jack asked. "And not your office?"

"Nobody knows we're here," she said simply. "But... I fear for the safety of the Company. We've been compromised before, it could happen again."

Rebekah took another sip of her drink, but pulled a face.

"You know, I really don't like the coffee in here any more," she said. "We're done here anyway. Next time, I think we should go to The Nut Tree. Jack... would you make a formal complaint?"

She got up to leave, giving Jack a subtle nod and leaving the room without him. Smirking, Jack stood up, rolling his sleeves past his elbow. Falkner saw a thick, steel cuff on each wrist. Jack was tall, very muscled. Something about his cheeky grin was unsettling.

Rebekah was out the door and on the phone within seconds, and soon disappeared down the street. Falkner was tempted to follow her, to see where she was going, but was suddenly intrigued by Jack, who walked slowly to the counter. There was a sparkle from his wrists, before they started glowing white.

"Excuse me?" he said, as a member of staff looked up. "I came here with a colleague and…"

He trailed off for a moment. Suddenly, he brimmed with light, and raised both hands high. He slammed them into the counter, and a huge bolt of lightning flew from the bands around his wrists. Falkner gasped as a spear smashed into a lighting fixture, destroying it; the staff screamed as sparks ricocheted off in all directions and Jack proceeded to slam his fists into the counter again and again.

A member of staff was struck in the chest and knocked to the ground, where she began spasming in shock; Chuck grabbed Falkner and the two of them hit the ground with a slam. Jack had spun around, a rushing collection of sparks smashing into the tables and shattering the glass front of the pretty shop.

"IT'S SHIT!" Jack cackled, throwing his hands out and sending more electricity into the tables. He flicked his wrists, and a ball of sparks smashed the glass front of the shop. The staff were screaming as he leapt out the shattered window, running to catch up with Rebekah. As another lighting fixture exploded above Falkner's head, he looked to see the terrified staff calling emergency services.

"What the fuck was that?" Chuck said. "He gave off an electric shock!"

"We need to get out of here," Falkner said, as they dusted themselves off. They ran out the shop, looking down both ends of the street, but it was quiet. They waited for a moment, hoping to hear from EysNErs, but there was no sudden buzz. Had he seen everything, did he know what Jack Surge was capable of?

*

Later that day, Milo and Jake went to the hospital to see Houndour. Though it was now daytime, the hospital still beeped and pulsated with the same lethargic energy as it had done during the night. While they waited in the corridor, a door opened, and a thoroughly washed out Houndour hobbled along to see Milo.

He bent down and embraced the dog, but not tightly, sure he was in a lot of pain. Houndour looked weary, exhausted, but licked Milo's face affectionately as he whispered into his Pokemon's ear.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I'm so, so sorry."

Houndour whimpered. After their embrace, and after Jake kissed the dog on his forehead, the two held the dog and examined his stitching. A large, ugly stitch ran up his stomach and across his left side. It was swollen, purple, very tender.

"Such a hero," Milo said, smiling. "The girls will dig the scar."

"I'm happy to report he is okay, but he will be quite drowsy for a couple of days," the doctor said. "He's responding well to antibiotics, and his mood has picked up. He's obviously very happy to see you."

"Will I be able to battle with him?" Milo asked. "Be honest."

"I mean, right now, absolutely not," the doctor replied. "His body has been through a lot, and we've had to use staples to fix his kidney into place. They will dissolve and fade away themselves, but any aggrevation could cause them to loosen, and if that happens, Houndour would bleed severely."

"We'll make sure he doesn't battle," Jake said.

"I don't know if I can reccomend him battling ever again; evolution will be especially tough on his body, if he changes and grows," the doctor continued.

"How can I stop him evolving?" Milo said.

"For now, give him Essence of Everstone," the doctor said, handing him a small vial. "A drop in each of his meals is fine. It's a special formula which targets the growth hormones and surpresses them. He will still grow strong, but it will ensure he doesn't evolve."

"How long should he take these for?" Milo asked.

"Until the near future," the doctor said, which struck Milo as highly vague. "But he needs more care, so if you wouldn't mind…"

Milo begrudgingly said goodbye to Houndour, who looked sad to see him go. Daniel the nurse explained that Scyther was now being discharged, and Milo could take him away. Medicham was still having an MRI scan done after taking many hits to her head. Milo understood.

The notion that Houndour may never battle or evolve was confusing for Milo. He felt guiltier than ever, but seeing the dog, who didn't seem angry at the way last night played out, made Milo feel somewhat better.

Later, they sat in a cafe by the Tin Tower, where Milo was applying another metal coat to Scyther. The mantis seemed in good spirits, despite taking a number of hits the night before. Milo smiled as he rubbed the sparkling ointment into his creatures body. Some of his muscles felt harder, more granulated; maybe this was part of his transition.

They spent the afternoon chatting about Houndour's condition. Both had felt shaken after the incident in the gym, where a ghost posessed a suit of armour, but Jake pointed out it was important not to let Houndour's accident put Milo off competing altogether.

"Cuts and scrapes are okay," Jake said. "Pokemon get hurt."

"I've never considered just how much," Milo said. "In the gym I completely panicked. I've taken these creatures from their homes, trained them up, and I'm responsible for them. If they get hurt, maimed or injured in my care, I have to shoulder that responsibility."

"That's true," Jake said. "But that wasn't an official battle. It was a dogfight."

As Milo remembered the twilight melee they were sucked into the night before, they saw Morty jogging past. He looked incredibly focused, but when they beckoned him over, he came to see them.

"I've been called round to the gym," he said. "Apparently there's a ghost there that's trashing everything."

"There was, we saw it," Milo said.

"What ghost was it?" Morty asked, but Milo wasn't sure.

"I didn't see it. We kind of... er... left."

"Well, why don't you come with me, help me tackle it?" Morty said.

"Sounds good," Jake said.

"Yea, this mocha is crap," Milo said, abandoning his drink. Jake, who had paid for it, looked crestfallen.

"I've been feeling overprecautious since Houndour got hurt," Milo said to Morty, as they walked through the forest path which connected the tower to the city. "Like, wrapping my Pokemon in cotton wool."

"I can understand that; you nearly lost him," Morty said, as they walked through town. "It's a horrible ordeal, having to lay a Pokemon to rest."

"Have you ever had to?" Jake asked. Morty nodded.

"I had a Marowak when I was a kid. One night I was walking home from school and someone tried to rob me. I sent Marowak to fight him off, but he had a Pokemon, too - a Kadabra. Marowak fought and fought but Kadabra was too tough. Eventually, she collapsed from exhaustion and died in my arms."

"Oh my god," Milo said, imagining if the same happened to Medicham.

"I mean, Kadabra was siphoning her strength from her anyway, so she was beyond incredibly weak," Morty said. "I buried her, myself, right outside the Tin Tower. I was 11."

"That's awful," Jake said.

"But that's why I started training ghosts," Morty replied. "They cannot die, in that sense anyway. I became fascinated that there was a Pokemon that existed beyond life, and I learned that if I could train them well enough, nobody could do that to me again."

Milo understood what Morty was saying; there were many theories as to where ghost Pokemon came from, since they were not technically an organic species. Gastly were born from vapour, while some believed that ghost Pokemon were the spirits of deceased Pokemon, living through another medium. Many decades ago, ghost Pokemon had been incredibly en vogue, with people obsessing over who their ghost Pokemon had once been.

As they got to the gym, however, Milo had made his mind up. He was going to try and catch the ghost inside the suit of armour. He asked Morty what he thought, and he seemed to agree it was a good idea. Even Jake supported it, since it was important his team began to expand more.

They went inside and saw the same suit of armour from before; it was clanking around the large, empty gym, happily swinging an axe into a desk. Morty looked at the foe, but Milo stepped forward, ready to send a Pokemon into battle.

It was crucial that the situation with Houndour last night didn't warp Milo's perceptions of what he had to do during battle. Yes, he had to be careful; as a trainer, he was responsible for the safety of his team, but it didn't mean he would achieve anything by hiding from engaging in battle.

"Scyther!" Milo said, his creature sparkling softly.

"You okay with this?" Morty said.

"Slash!" Milo ordered, taking advantage of the fact that the ghost was in a solid form. Scyther swung his scythe and struck the ghost in the stomach, letting him sweep along and get close. The ghost raised his axe and brought it down, but Scyther threw his left apendage up and blocked it.

"Counter!"

Driving the ghost's arm away from its body, Scyther left the creature exposed, and headbutted it in the chest. As the mouth-flap rattled, a cackle rang out, and a black form snaked out the mouth and formed in the air.

It was like a litte grey pixie, with a zip across its mouth and big, orange eyes. It looked happy,

"It's a Banette," Morty said, as the ghost twirled into the air. "Shouldn't be a problem."

"Scyther, silver wind!" Milo said. Scyther nodded, flapping his wings and unleashing a vortex of sparkling gale. Banette bobbed in the air, zipping left to try and avoid the attack. Scyther, however, increased the intensity, causing the attack to twist and hit the ghost.

He teleported with a pop, appearing a few feet away from Scyther and holding his clawed hand out. A bolt of blue lightning crackled through the air, but Scyther raised his scythe and swung it down, just like he did against Gina's Ampharos. The strike was well executed; the bolt flew off in the opposite direction and smashed into the ceiling.

"Now, go for a night slash!" Milo said. Scyther flapped his wings and shot through the air as a crimson hue crackled along his blades. Perhaps sensing this was a powerful attack, Banette took to the air with a powerful jump. He soared high - Milo wondered if his ghostly powers helped.

Banette held a hand above his head as small pops of purple flame appeared. They swirled around his hand, gathering size and melding into one big fireball that hissed and crackled. Scyther flew on, undeterred, scythe at the ready.

With a screech, Banette hurled the attack down at Scyther. He pulled to the left, avoiding it, and bolted towards the enemy. However, Banette popped out of sight, re-apppearing near Milo as his previous will-o-wisp flew at him. Banette caught it like a beach ball and, as Scyther looked for him, he hurled it back in his direction.

Flames smacked into Scyther and caught him off guard; he cried out as purple flames burnt his skin, but used a bug buzz as a means of dispelling any rogue embers. They fizzled away as the shockwave shook the air. Banette's claws then crackled with a sinister energy, and he raced along to hit the foe.

"Shadow claw," Morty pointed out. Milo nodded, ordering Scyther to meet it with a night slash. Scyther flew down as Banette climbed higher; the two were going to clash.

Scyther knew what to do, going faster than Banette to encourage him to attack first. True to form, the ghost saw an oppertunity to rake his sharp claws across Scyther's torso. He pulled the zip across his mouth, giving him the chance to let off a giggle, excited that the foe got closer. Scyther narrowed his eyes, confident, the sneering enemy ahead. Banette slashed his claws across Scyther, but as he struck, the mantis faded into thin air.

Banette looked around momentarily, re-zipping his mouth and narrowing his eyes. Suddenly, the real Scyther appeared behind him, delivering a fatal blow. His night slash struck Banette across the chest and he was thrown into the ground. The doll-like ghost thumped into some of the smashed debris he had created earlier, giving Milo a chance to strike.

"Here," Morty said, handing him a standard Pokeball. Milo nodded, arching his arm back and throwing it at the ghost. It hit the creature on his head, sucking him in and shutting with a clear, concise snap. The ball landed among the rubble, wobbling precariously.

After a few moments, the ball was still, and a ping echoed out aross the room. Milo ran over and scooped it up, admiring the cold, cool ball. Inside was his Banette, a brand new member for his team.

"Well done!" Jake said, from the corner of the room.

"Thanks, Jakey," Milo replied.

"Nice catch," Morty added, "And you solved the problem of the rogue ghost. Two in one."

Milo, however, was momentarily distracted. Scyther had propped himself up against the wall of the gym, gasping lightly. His body was throbbing uncomfortably, he looked stressed. Milo put Banette's Pokeball away and ran over to his friend, touching his toughened skin. He was very warm.

"Are you okay?" Milo asked, mopping his brow.

"Was it that fire, maybe?" Jake asked. Milo thought perhaps so, until he saw something beneath Scyther's skin sparkle. A soft glow filled his body, starting from his limbs and working through his entire skeleton.

"He's evolving," Milo said slowly, grinning. "Scyther, it's okay, your body's just changing, buddy."

"This is amazing!" Morty said, his eyes lighting up.

Scyther looked terrified as the light intensified; Milo had to shield his eyes and take a step back, such was the fierce combination of heat and light. Milo looked down at the ground, and saw Scizor's clawed foot become more streamlined, more pointed. His scythes, held out at his sides, both split to form claws. Then, muscle mass grew among them and they filled out into rounded, hinged claws with thick, serrated edges.

The light got brighter and silvery sheen filled the area around him; Milo couldn't see any of his Pokemon at all now. Scyther began screaming loudly, his cries piercing the air; perhaps his face was changing now, too. Milo considered ones snout retracting and felt a shiver down his spine.

The creature grew before them, too, and a screeching noise suggested Scyther's steely-tough exterior was forming from the metal ions beneath his skin. Again, Milo couldn't imagine how painful it must be, but remembered Oscar's words in Azalea, comparing evolution to a rushed puberty. It must be awful. The creature Milo captured in the National Park had grown with him, from a confident member of a pack to one of Milo's strongest Pokemon. Now, all that was essentially being sacrificed as his body changed in mere minutes.

Slowly, the light died down, and Milo looked into the cocoon of light as he tried to see his friend. Instead of two brilliant blue eyes looking back at him, however, he was met with two sharp, yellow ones.

Their similarity to the eyes of Oscar's Scizor was astonishing, but as the light began to fade, Milo noticed differences between his new Scizor and Oscar's. Milo's was a much duller shade, which he couldn't explain, but there was a slight ungrace to Scizor as he took his first step as a new creature.

Instantly, he wobbled, staggering sideways and collapsing against a desk. Due to his new found weight, Scizor smashed right through the desk, splintering it, laying on the ground with a look of utter confusion on his face.

"Hey, pal, it's okay," Milo said, reaching to help him up. He was slightly apprehensive of Scizor's thick, serrated pincers, and opted to grab his friend by the elbow instead. He was very heavy.

"You're just getting used to your body."

He propped Scizor up, taking a good look at his body. The once rough, almost scaly exterior of Scyther was now smooth, cold and metallic. It had a dull shimmer. He was slightly taller than Milo now, and even though he was completely different physically, something of Scyther remained true. Milo smiled.

"I'm so proud of you, man," Milo said.

"Will he adjust to his body okay?" Jake asked.

"I think he'll be fine," Morty said. "But maybe get a book out the library and read up on it. Find out what techniques he can learn."

"I know fine well what Scizor are capable of," Milo said, thinking of Oscar's obediant Pokemon and the devestating attacks it produced. "I think we'll help him get his flying improved, maybe just tune him in a bit."

"A Banette and a Scizor, not bad Milo," Jake said. "Once Houndour's feeling better, your team will be really buffed out for the last contest."

Milo smiled at Jake's remark, but something stung him inside. Despite having helped Scyther evolve and catching a new creature for his team, the notion of leaving Houndour behind - in whatever capacity - filled him with shame.

*

As the afternoon wound down into an evening, Morty began to walk back to his home. The ancient trees surrounding Ecruteak were being rustled in the deep, howling wind, coating the city in whooshing moans as the leaves shook.

His house was handsome but modest; a two floor building in the corner of the city. It had belonged to his parents, and he stayed living there when they passed away. But as Morty got near his home, he heard a voice.

"I thought I'd be running into you."

He turned to see Frankie, the red-haired Flareon trainer, standing across the road. Frankie, with her sisters Mollie, Una, Rochelle and Vanessa, were the Eevee Sisters - five beautiful girls who performed shows with their Pokemon.

"Hi Frankie," Morty said, with a tone of exhaustion in his voice. Franky was fierce, and was especially good at confronting people.

"So what brings you back to Ecruteak? Last I heard you left to work in Goldenrod," she said, looking at him with an air of suspicion.

"Yea, I was doing a…" Morty paused, wondering how best to describe the espionage he did for Michael Mitchelson. "Project. But it's finished now. I'm back."

"As are we," Frankie replied. "The Kanto tour just finished, we're charging our batteries, doing some promo back at the theatre. Then we're off to Hoenn."

"That's cool," Morty said. "Look, if you see Rochelle -

"What do you mean 'if'? Of course I'm going to see her," Frankie snapped. "And anyway, I know you guys drifted apart while she was away, and that's fine, but she's pissed off you've already got a new girlfriend."

Morty froze at her remark; the girls knew about Jasmine? How could they know Morty and her were an item when they had only consumated their relationship mere weeks ago…

"Being with another girl? That's fine," Frankie said. "But flaunting her around Ecruteak? Shoving her in peoples faces? It's not classy, Morty. It's disrespectful."

"What do you mean flaunting? How do you even know about Jasmine?" Morty asked, feeling his heart beat faster.

"Rochelle saw her this morning, and last night," Frankie replied. "In a beautiful dress, no less. How long is she here for?"

"I… she's…" Morty stammered. What was the party line on Jasmine? she was supposed to be here in secret, Morty hadn't thought about what to say if she was spotted. But Rochelle, or any of the girls for that matter, they weren't bad people…

But anyone could see Jasmine. If she had been spotted by just one…

"She's not here long," Morty replied. "But it's late. I should go."

"Crawling back to the other woman," Frankie summised. "Rochelle can do better than you, anyway."

Morty ignored her, turning on his heel and running to the door. He was sweating heavily; he had flashes of Jasmine being chased through the city, scared. Would Steven Stone be looking in Ecruteak for her? No, no, he would be looking in Goldenrod, surely… why would she be here, after all?

He slammed his door behind him and bolted it. His sudden, loud entrance roused Jasmine, who was on the living room sofa.

"Morty?" she said, shocked at his flushed appearence. "Are you okay?"

"You were seen!" he hissed, pressed against the door.

"What?" she said, uncurling from her seat. "When?"

"Yesterday, AND today," Morty said. "By Rochelle."

"Your ex?"

"Yes my ex," he snapped. "Saw you taking the bins out. What were you thinking?"

"I was… getting rid of the bins," she said, looking surprised at his outburst. "They stank."

"I'll do the bins. I'll wash the car. I will do everything Jasmine, you can't go outside!"

"I went down the end of your driveway, Morty," Jasmine argued. "Do you have any idea how patronising you're being?"

"What if Steven Stone is spying on you? On us? You know what he can do, his Porygon Z infiltrated all Michael's surveillance equipment, found his phone number -"

"You've made your point," said Jasmine sulkily.

"Look, Michael said Steven knew you were at MooMoo farm, even though the Stantler are casting their illusions," Morty said, sounding calmer now. He had walked towards the sofa, sitting on the edge. "It was only a matter of time before he penetrated it and got to you… I'm sorry if it's reclusive here, but it's for the best."

"Steven won't stop until he finds me," Jasmine said sadly.

"Speaking of which… I spoke to Michael today," Morty said. "Milo's in Ecruteak. He was attacked by Oscar as he left Violet City."

"Goodness," Jasmine said. "Is he okay?"

"Injured, but otherwise fine," Morty said.

"So Oscar escaped his house, then," Jasmine said, more to herself than anything. "Because we were so fucking stupid to not keep him locked up."

"And he killed Eli," Morty said softly, eager to let the truth out but trying not to hurt Jasmine's conscience.

"I figured he would," came her reply, eventually.

"Sor-

"It's fine, Morty," Jasmine said, holding her knees up to her chest, staring ahead. Morty saw her shake slightly. "But…"

He knew what she wanted to say - that as well as killing Adam Anderson, she now felt like she had someone elses blood on her hands. It wasn't strictly true; Morty fled the scene after Jasmine shot Oscar in the arm, and she followed. Oscar then had the chance to escape. Eli's death should not be on Jasmine's conscience.

"I keep dreaming about him, you know," Jasmine said. It was getting late, and the howling wind was all that reminded them that they were not alone. "Adam Anderson."

"Try to forget him-"

"He had a wife, and she was expecting a child," Jasmine explained, wiping her eyes. "I looked him up on the internet. For all he worked for Steven Stone, his cover was an executive job at a law firm. I left his wife widowed. His child without a father."

"You did what you were told, Jasmine, we've said this before," said Morty. "It's important to try to forge-

"I can't," she said, crying. "Morty! I can't do it anymore…"

She dissolved into sobs, covering her face with her hands and moaning into a cushion. Morty felt tears swimming in his eyes, too, but he knew he had to be strong for Jasmine. Since she went into hiding she had been a wreck, unable to sleep due to violently remorseful dreams.

He held her tightly, kissing her head and rocking her gently.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered.

*

Milo and Jake went to their hotel that night in a funny mood. Milo, ecstatic at Scizor and Banette's placing on his team felt nevertheless worried about Houndour. When would he be able to come with them on the road? Would he ever be fit to battle?

There was also a curious mood in the city that evening. People didn't stay out late, there was an air of suspicion hanging around pubs and bars. Instead of going to his favourite tavern at the end of the day, Milo remembered Morty's advice, and kept to himself.

"It's horrible, isn't it?" Jake said, settling into bed that night. "Ecruteak seems so scary."

"I can imagine these attacks happening in Goldenrod, but not here," Milo said, turning onto his side and facing Jake's bed. Their hotel was simple and not as flashy as Oak Lodge, the previous one they stayed at.

"Maybe they do happen there," Jake said, "But because Ecruteak is cosier, and more local, it's a scandal."

"Yea."

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Jake asked, after a few moments of silence.

"I'll train Scizor and Banette up, and maybe see if we can head off to Mahogany Town," Milo said. He waited for Jake to say something, but he was completely silent. He was fast asleep, snoring heavily.

Milo smiled, before turning over and drifting into sleep.

*

Against the rush of the wind, Frankie walked back to her apartment. It was too late for her to be out in the streets, but she had been busy since returning to Ecruteak.

She was frustrated with Morty, but couldn't be sure why. When he dated Rochelle, Frankie was worried that Morty's casual lifestyle and penchant for drugs would drag down the elegant, aspirational lifestyle the girls wished to project onto their fans.

Now, they had broken up - excellent. But something was wrong. Maybe, she thought, as she passed Hulme Court and crossed the road by the theatre, maybe it was because Jasmine was so bashfully pretty. Morty was a handsome boy, but he had a terrible lifestyle of partying, drinking and refusing to wash every morning. He failed at being a gym leader and, despite his profession that he was doing important work in Goldenrod, Frankie knew the truth. He was probably drugged out his eyeballs.

But as she wondered if Jasmine, too, led a seedy lifestyle, Frankie gave a lurching gasp. She felt a thick hand grip around her throat and breath rattled out her body. She flailed, trying to scratch, punch, to smack whoever had held her tight, but she couldn't.

Her feet rose from the ground, just a touch; Her eyes watered, they throbbed as blood rushed to her head and she felt a numbing pain tingle through her limbs.

All around her was darkness, she saw a figure in front but every single feature was blurring as the fingers dug deeper into her skin, pressing her windpipe. Frankie wanted to scream, to cry, even to let out a dry sob, but she couldn't.

Thick curls of cigarette smoke hung in the air, and even though she despised smoking, Frankie longed to inhale their stench, to feel the smoke in her lungs…

As her vision blurred further, she felt herself falling, and her senses dissolved in darkness as she lost consciousness. A sharp pain hit her in the back of the head, a searing pain from a street curb, but as her forehead began to bleed, the figure fled down the street, dissapearing from the scene of the crime.



Next Time
With Frankie unconscious, fears mount over who could be responsible for the attacks in Ecruteak City. Milo is elated to find Luna Fuerte competing for her final ribbon, but her safety and her feelings for Milo are soon called into question. Meanwhile, after reuniting with Chuck and Falkner, Oscar is clueless as to where to go next - until EysNErs explicitly requests they meet in person.


Notes
-The Ecruteak chapters are all part of a mini arc called the Dark & Stormy arc. So Chapters 30, 31 and 32 will all be Dark & Stormy. It's mainly a reflection of the storyline and it's all very tied together, so it seemed like a cool concept.

-I was really pleased that I was able to address certain issues in this chapter. One of the central themes being the way in which trainers respond to their Pokemon being critically ill. Milo feels a sense of failure in letting Houndour get injured, and feels remorse for any potential repercussions.

-It was also affecting his decisions in the chapter, and will throughout the arc; he's becoming incredibly self-reflective, and like the scene in the gym, is far more wary of throwing himself into situations.

-It was good to evolve Scyther; I kind of toyed with not evolving him after Oscar's Scizor became such a firm presence in the fic, but ultimately it made sense. And Banette was a wildcard in every sense; I've often mentioned how much I change my mind over some of his team choices.

-A really recent draft had Milo receive a Pidgeotto from Falkner, containing a note about how he was doing. Milo kept him for battle portions, and he ended up being a member of the team. I thought Milo might like an aerial battler, but never fitted it into the Violet arc. I love Pidgeotto/Pidgeot, so this may happen later.

-Milo ends up with 7/8 Pokemon towards the end.

-Jake gets a very exciting addition soon.

-Ecruteak is a bit dark but I think Milo and Jake are closer than ever, and they'll lighten things up. Post-Ecruteak is also a bit less bleak, so if you're finding the idea of a strangler a bit depressing, you don't have long to sift through.

-Banette is going to be an awesome addition to Milo's team. I love his move set, and he floats around like a little pixie. Love.

-The Ecruteak arc finally makes a BIG splash in terms of the Michael/Steven conflict and Milo gets unwillingly sucked into it all. It feels like a huge milestone for the fic - all the Golden Arc stuff makes sense and has a purpose, so keep your eyes peeled.

-It's also nice to write Jasmine stuff, because she's one of my favourite characters. Now, she's been really disturbed learning of Eli's death, and also quite spooked about Milo's attack at Oscar's hands. I think she's going through a tough phase, perhaps Michael could have prepared her a bit better for everything that's going on.

-Next chapter Milo and Luna have some interesting scenes. Jake isn't happy.

-The Goldenrod chapters - this was going to be a standalone Arc segueing between fic chapters, but as we drew to this big Ecruteak storyline I liked the idea of it all being part of the Chapters with Milo. It's that sense of everything getting closer and being more relevant.

-Rebekah Brooks is based off a woman of the same name. Vivid ginger hair. The RL one is a total villain, too. I always wanted to write Lt Surge into the fic, since he seemed like a bit of a thug. The fact Volkner is there too is no coincidence; Stone has been working on something to do with electricity.

-Next time EysNErs identity is revealed... and Oscar is incredibly shocked when he finds out who it is.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Too much to say! Good to see everything getting tied up. Morty and Jasmine are back for a sec, Milo's dad on the phone, Oscar, Falkner and Chuck, Eys, still so much potential plottwists It's cool to see different gymleaders from different regions make cameos.

YAY for Scizor and double yay for Banette, it's probably my favorite ghost ('cept for Sableye I think). You get cool-points.

[Sike Saner]

He trailed off because he saw Milo was not paying attention. His head was buried in his hands, and he was shaking. Medicham's eyebrows were raised and it seemed she, too, had tears in her eyes.

Aw.

Driving the ghost's arm away from its body, Scyther left the creature exposed, and headbutted it in the chest. As the mouth-flap rattled, a cackle rang out, and a black form snaked out the mouth and formed in the air.

It was like a litte grey pixie, with a zip across its mouth and big, orange eyes. It looked happy,

"It's a Banette," Morty said, as the ghost twirled into the air.

Oh heh, how about that. I'd randomly guessed that it was a banette in there. And I'm glad it was; Banette's still my favorite ghost-type.


So yeah, yay for that and for Scyther evolving. Also good to see that Houndour has made it through this far.

[The_Missing_Link]

I'm liking your chapters a lot. I'm really curious as to how the Jake/Milo relationship is going to play out. It doesn't seem that it will end well since Milo isn't gay


Just curious, but how far into the fic are we?

[Chris 2.1]

MLG: Glad you're liking the pace of everything. It's nice to be at a point where things are hurtling together and making more sense. The Stone stuff literally gets set in stone and there's a lot coming up soon.

And the team gets more development! Ever since I started writing Oscar's Scizor into the Azalea arc I've been excited for Scyther to evolve. And Banette will prove to be a really valuable member to the team, too. I was going to give Milo an Absol at one point, but felt his battle style was too similar to Scyther/Houndour so Absol will be going to another main character!

Sike: Kinda sad in this arc there's a definite theme of the responsibility of Pokemon training, and both Milo and Jake have to learn that. Glad you're enjoying the chapters, and hopefully Banette will entertain! He becomes awfully fond of Milo. In TPML you might remember Dusclops being so evil Chris buried the Pokeball in a graveyard, so it's nice letting ghosts be fun.

TML: Hey! Really glad you're enjoying things. We are in the final quarter of the fic, I guess. I think the fic will reach about 42 chapters, and we're on 30 now. It all depends how fleshed out the Grand Festival is - it kind of clashes with another significant event in the fic.

Also, I did shave down a side plot that was quite fun, but not relevant to the plot as it was introducing too many characters. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, ultimately, but it may work its way in somewhere. We shall see.

As for Milo and Jake... well, Jake's done very well not to say anything since the two met up again in Violet. But soon he's going to become rather overwhelmed, since the boys have a tricky few days ahead. That might break the camel's back.

New chapter on the way soon!

[Chris 2.1]

Show-Off
-XXXI-
Dark & Stormy II

Veronica Grimm was typically an unexcitable woman. Mayor of Ecruteak City, her job was often quite comfortable. It was, after all, a sleepy city. There was not a shortage of jobs, people were happy. Crime was low. Until recently.

That morning, Veronica was clutching a generous cup of coffee. She was about to take her seat at a press conference, where she would address a room of journalists with regards to the attacks in Ecruteak City. She was woken at 5am this morning to learn another girl, Frankie, had been strangled.

"Thank you for coming here," she said, in her dry tone. "Before I answer any questions I would like to appeal for witnesses who were in the Western part of town, in or around Anchor Street during the early hours of this morning. Another Ecruteak resident - Frankie Darwin - was attacked last night in a similar manner to the previous attacks.

"Please get in touch if you have any information. We are desperately seeking help to bring justice into our small community."

A journalist from the crowd stood up. Veronica recognised him instantly as a political correspondant who was critical of her own mayoral policies.

"David Dawes, Ecruteak Echo," he said, standing up. "Veronica, a lot of people are incredibly worried about the attacks. What security measures are you going to impose to prevent any more attacks?"

"Our first priority is catching the attacker, or attackers," she began crisply, but Dan interrupted.

"How do you propose you do that after cutting 55% of the civil service budget?" he retorted. There was a murmur of agreement. "There isn't enough police in the city, Veronica."

"We are trying our best," Veronica said, but as she said it, she knew how daft her sentiment sounded. Instantly she thought of the papers the next morning; Mayor tries - and fails.

"How many more women will suffer before they can sleep at night?" Daniel asked. "And how will those who have suffered be consoled if you haven't got a clue what to do?"

*

Once again Milo found himself visiting the Pokemon hospital to check on Houndour. He seemed very well, much perkier than usual, and was more energetic thanks to the antibiotics and painkillers finally wearing off and leaving his body.

"He's looking great," Daniel said, smiling. "His blood pressure's still far too low, though… tends to happen with morphine, and he's had a lot."

"Thanks Daniel," Milo said, scratching his friend's ear.

"I spoke to Dr Maddox, and he thinks battling with Houndour will aggrevate his injuries," Daniel continued. "But appealing… we're not so concrete on that."

"I suppose if Houndour doesn't over-exert himself," said Jake, who, like Milo, got dressed in the dark and looked very ridiculous for it.

"We will see," Daniel said, ticking something off on a chart. "Are you staying in Ecruteak long?"

"Well, I don't want to - that is, I didn't plan to," Milo said, noticing he had odd socks on. "I'm on my way to the Lake of Rage."

"Oh, the big contest," Daniel said, smirking. "Good luck. I tried that one, spent a couple of weeks West. It was hard."

"You entered it? But it's a P3! You need -"

"I have three ribbons," Daniel replied coolly.

"But you work as a nurse," Milo said, scratching his head.

"I 'freelance'," he explained. "I'll go to a town, do some shifts at the hospital, compete, come home."

"Well that's clever," Milo said.

"Anyway, I've hit a roadblock. I couldn't win at the Lake of Rage," Daniel said. "I don't think I can get to Cherrygrove or Viridian in time to sign up for the Grand Festival."

Milo realised that getting to the Grand Festival clearly wasn't as easy as simply having the ribbons. Getting them, travelling to the towns and training along the way was difficult for many, though there would always be the option of competing next year for Daniel.

When they left the hospital, they finally learned the news about Frankie's attack the previous night. Milo was horrified to read the newspaper's grizzly detailed article about what happened; it sounded as if she had been strangled, like Karen, and dropped to the ground of a cold alleyway in Ecruteak. She sustained multiple fractures, and her windpipe was damaged.

While he had never seen eye to eye with Frankie - or any of the girls, for that matter - the thought of these innocent sisters being victim to the attacker made Milo angry and despondent at the same time.

"Ecruteak's gone from a cosy neighborhood to a really dangerous place," he said later that day. They were sitting in the shadow of the handsome Brass Tower. Months before, Milo had battled someone called Liam here, losing only when Ruby the Arcanine refused to muddy herself in Weezing's sludge onslaught.

"It says Veronica Grimm is due to address the city at a conference today," Milo continued.

"She judged at the Ecruteak Contest," Jake reminded him.

"Shit. I can't believe Frankie got attacked, too," Milo said, looking thoroughly saddened. "It's awful."

"It can't be Oscar, then," Jake replied.

He paused significantly for a moment.

"You don't think…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No, go on."

"I… no, I shouldn't."

"Don't say 'you don't think' then not tell me what you think! That's teasing, that's like the worst leading-on-ing-ness," Milo scoffed.

"Fine," Jake said. "I was going to say… do you think it could be Morty?"

"Jake!" Milo said.

"No, hear me out," Jake said. "I mean, we only know two of the four victims, Karen and Frankie, but he has a motivation for them both. Morty never liked Karen since she took over the gym… now he could take his job back if she's ill… and Frankie? Well, he said he broke it off with Rochelle, maybe Frankie was still at loggerheads with him. Maybe he needed to silence her!"

Jake was so animated at his revelation, eyes wide with a bizarre excitement, that Milo was almost convinced.

"I don't see the point in blaming him," Milo said. "We'll get paranoid."

"He did warn us, try not to stick out," Jake said.

"We really need to get out of dodge," Milo said, drumming his fingers against his knee. "This place is going to get worse before it's going to get better."

"Once Houndour's better," Jake said, thinking. "We'll go."

Milo said nothing.

"You've got to consider how he's feeling, and like Daniel said, he needs to recover from his meds, They must make him feel so sickly. Have you thought about sending him home to your Mom for a while?"

Jake looked at Milo, waving a hand.

"Oi!"

"Huh?"

"What are you staring at?" Jake said, turning.

"Look who it is," Milo said quietly. Looking across from them, Jake saw a pretty girl in a pencil skirt walking around the side of the tower, reading some of the information on a sign post.

"Luna," Jake replied.

Milo had gone over to say hello.

"We won't be leaving in a hurry then, I suppose," he remarked, folding his arms and looking at Milo sourly.

*

Though Chuck found his current situation hilarious, he did not let on. Both he and Falkner had been contacted that morning via their Unown; Oscar was telling them that he was on his way to Goldenrod. He sounded tired.

It was all-too-easy to assume his plan to attack Milo had gone wrong; he had been so quiet since they parted ways. As Oscar was arriving via coach, Chuck and Falkner walked to Goldenrod's large coach depot to meet him. And as he stepped off the bus, he really was a sight for sore eyes.

The boy had chunks of his thick, purple hair missing, and seveal cuts along his face. His clothes were torn and he looked to be limping slightly as he made his way over to them.

"Afternoon," he said coldly.

"Well?" Chuck said, arms folded. "How did it go?"

"Fuck off," Oscar snapped. "How do you think?"

"It serves you right," Chuck said, turning and leading them through the city, "for creeping up on that boy in the dark of night."

"He deserved everything he got," Oscar replied. "But Jake has a Parasect, the spores knocked me out and they escaped. I woke in the morning, walked to the National Park, caught the bus from there."

"There's some spare clothes at our hotel for you," Chuck told him. "And Falkner has a first aid kit, if you want anything tended to."

"What have you found? Anything?" Oscar said.

Chuck told him about EysNErs, the mysterious person who was sending them clues and messages about Steven Stone. Oscar was intrigued about Morty and Jasmine being involved somehow, and wondered how the Porygon he stole had been traced. When they told him about Rebekah Brooks, and her assistant Jack Surge, he was even more interested.

They led him into their room, down the quiet street away from the hustle and bustle of the city. High up on the top floor or the narrow building, the three men had peace and quiet. Falkner sat by the window, looking at the streets below, while Oscar and Chuck sat in chairs in the middle of the room. Oscar took the opportunity to change out his khaki shirt and ripped shorts into a black polo shirt and grey trousers.

"Why isn't EysNErs doing anything?" Oscar asked defiantly.

"He said they got too close, they were discovered, and Steven tried taking them down," Chuck said. "Stone knows who Eys is, so Eys is playing it safe and concealing his identity from us."

"But he's happy guiding us here and there and letting us get exposed?" Oscar said. "This feels like a trap."

"Whatever their motive, so far we've pieced together a lot," Falkner argued. "They're giving us a lot of information. It will help."

"Just go and find Rebekah, kill her while you have the chance," Oscar said to Falkner. He was in a foul mood, and didn't seem interested in joining in Chuck and Falkner's detective work.

"I…" Falkner began.

"That's what you want, isn't it? Revenge?" Oscar sneered. "She killed your father, so kill her."

"I want to," Falkner insisted, "I do. But it's easier said than done. She's a powerful lady."

"She's mortal; she bleeds just like you or I," Oscar reminded him. "Her skull isn't any thicker, her reflexes any better."

"Look, I don't think thats wise," Chuck replied, his eyes flickering between the two boys.

"Of course you bloody wouldn't," Oscar snapped. "I can't even understand why you're getting involved, Chuck. How badly do you want your old job back?"

"Not enough to murder an innocent man," Chuck said. Oscar looked taken aback by his remark, but composed himself upon seeing Falkner's curious expression.

"So, what do you do then?" Oscar said. "Sit and wait for this person to drop a clue?"

"We've been keeping a low profile," Chuck said. Oscar smirked.

"This is an absolute joke!" he said, managing a chuckle. "You two are sitting around, waiting for something to happen?"

Falkner kept a blank expression as his phone vibrated; a message from EysNErs was on the screen, but he didn't read it just yet.

"This person is leading you into a trap. They don't have our best interests at heart! They're getting your hands dirty, using you like a pawn. We should just find Steven and kill him, that'll stop his company."

"His Leiutenants are still working under him; his companys cogs will still spin after he's gone," Chuck argued. "That's the beauty of the company."

"The beauty of the company? Fuck this," Oscar spat. "I'm going to go and do something about it. I'm going to make a difference."

"You can't just walk out in the street, for fucks sake! You're wanted by the police," Chuck snapped. It seemed as if Oscar took note of this, as he strode back into the hotel room and into the bathroom. He slammed the door behind him, clicking the lock into place.

"Can you believe him?" Chuck said, as a thick buzzing noise rang from the bathroom. It sounded as if Oscar was using an electric razor. "He has bright purple hair, cutting it short won't do any help disguising him. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Falkner replied, smiling. He had just read the latest message from Eys:

From: EysNErs
That Oscar is annoying, isn't he? Having a murderer on your side won't do you any favours, he'll weigh you down. Go about your business. I'll take care of him.

*

"Hey, Luna!" Milo said, finding his feet moving without thought. The demure girl turned, looking to see Milo approach.

"Hello," she said distantly. Milo saw her sparkling eyes and felt a plunging feeling of anxiety in his stomach - she was here, in the flesh. After all this time.

"It's me," he said. "Milo? From the -"

"Ecruteak Contest," she finished, nodding. "Yes! I remember. Milo…"

There was something in her expression that looked unsure. Milo had seen her so often - in his dreams, visions, the back of his mind, but obviously Luna hadn't given him a great deal of thought since their battle in Ecruteak.

"How are you?" Milo said, scratching the back of his head.

"Good," she replied. "I'm competing here in two days time."

"Ah, well, good luck!" Milo said. "You'll be fine now I'm not against you, HAHA!"

She smiled weakly.

"I mean… because I beat you," Milo muttered.

"I remember," she replied, smiling. Luna had an incredible way of making Milo feel uncomfortable, yet wasn't pushing him away. She ran her fingers through her jet black hair.

"And how are you?" Luna asked.

"I have four ribbons," Milo replied. "I'm going over to the Lake of Rage for my fifth."

"Oh, wonderful," she said, giving a thoroughly warm smile. Milo couldn't believe he was finally talking to her; when he hallucinated he had been able to talk so openly to her, but he was now very nervous.

"This will be my fifth," Luna admitted. "But… it's getting tougher to move up the ranks. Getting the fifth is really hard."

"I know," Milo said, before explaining to Luna that he had a tough time against his sister in Cherrygrove. Once he started talking her through the intense match between Medicham, Croconaw, Gallade and Ninetales, he found himself becoming more and more animated. It was getting easier, and she listened very keenly.

"She mimiced Medicham's fire punch to melt the ice," Milo continued, and as he talked, he found Luna opening up, too. She gasped as Milo told her about Medicham and Gallade facing off as the match wound down, and how she was unable to deal any effective damage.

"Gallade are beautiful creatures," Luna said. "There's a gym leader in Kanto who has a Gallade and a Gardevoir."

Milo remembered Mia talking about intensive training in Saffron City. Was it possible she went to this gym to help her Pokemon reach its potential?

"I was over that way, earlier in the year," Luna told Milo. "Kanto ribbons are eligible in the Johto Grand Festival, so I went to Celadon City and competed there."

"Was it good?" Milo said.

"Wonderful. A big, beautiful stadium that looked like a greenhouse. The ribbon I won still has a wonderful scent, like watermelon and citrus."

A dreamy, content look came over Luna's face, and seeing her happy made Milo soar. She was simply beautiful, but in such a relaxed, insignificant way. Briefly, a memory of Milo's broomcupboard kiss with Gina pierced his mind like a thunderbolt.

"Listen, I need to practice a few moves before the contest," Luna said. "Do you fancy a sparring match?"

"Of course!" Milo said. "I actually have a couple of team members I want to work on…"

They walked to a grassy area around the back of the tower - Milo noticed Jake didn't come with them, but wasn't particularly bothered. He could go and flirt with Daniel if he was feeling lonely. Luna pulled a Pokeball from her pocket and tapped it, making it larger.

"Bellossom!" she said, throwing the ball up high. It burst open and a small, stout Pokemon formed in mid-air. As she fell, she span, her leaf-like skirt twirling.

"Banette!" Milo shouted, opening the ball. Floating in the air, Banette formed and let out a long, muffled cackle. He bobbed on the spot, turning to his trainer and giving a thumbs up.

"Start with a magical leaf!" Luna said. Bellossom nodded, twisting her body and spinning on the spot. A flurry of leaves flew from her skirt, throbbing with colour-changing energy. They were graceful as they arced through the air, but soon sped towards Milo and Banette.

"Use Will-O-Wisp," Milo told him. Nodding, Banette clenched a fist and a brilliant, violet flame engulfed it. Banette held his arm forward like a cannon, and cackled as fireballs were launched with force.

The fire did not have a large radius, but ensured that any oncoming leaves were torched in a beautifully sombre light before reaching him. Glittering ash littered the floor, Banette still floating effortlessly.

"Go for a faint attack," Milo said, as Banette swooped through the air, dipping low to the ground and bolting at Bellossom. He flickered out of sight, though his reverberating chuckle could still be heard.

"Run!" Luna said. Bellossom ran along the field, leaping to the left and right with the precision of a ninja. She was incredibly agile, leaping onto a rock, pouncing through the air with skill Milo didn't think she would possess.

She plucked two long, slender leaves from nowhere and crossed them over her chest like swords as she leapt up, landed on a tree stump and leapt again.

"Banette! Get close and use shadow claw," Milo said. Banette re-appeared at Bellossom's side, his claws crackling with purple energy. But as he drew them back to strike, Bellossom's two slender leaves swept across his body, slashing him away.

"Razor leaf!"

Spinning in the air, Bellossom unleashed an onslaught of sharp leaves that slashed at Banette's body. He wailed as he was peppered back by the sheer force, collapsing onto the ground and failing to repel the leaves.

"Slash them off you!" Milo said. Mustering strength, Banette, who was lying on his back, swung his thick claw and send some leaves spiralling away; he floated into the air and stuck his finger up at the enemy.

"Bellossom, charge an energy ball!" Luna said. Bellossom nodded and held her hands above her head; shreds of energy peeled from the air and melded into a large orb, throbbing with power. It had the brilliant, pure glow of a sunrise and the heat of a warm day.

Milo's instinct was to try and hit Bellossom now before she could unleash the attack, but he decided to go against the grain and wait until Bellossom had let the attack go. The attack looked incredible, as swirling mass of yellow and green melded together. The light illuminated Luna's face; she looked saintly.

"Wait for it to launch," Milo murmured, as Banette craned his neck to listen. "Faint attack, sweep low, then shadow claw. K?"

Banette guffawed, apparently relishing in the deceit and pain he was about to adminster. Bellossom hurled the ball high into the air with some force; Banette melted into the atmosphere and giggled as the orb flew higher.

But Bellossom leapt into the air, before holding her hands out and blasting a bullet seed up at the attack. The small, sharp seeds made the energy ball tear and explode; with a bang, energy was catapulted out in all directions, striking Banette and driving him into the ground. He groaned as he felt the earth against his face.

"Now follow up with petal dance!" Luna said, pointing. Bellossom leapt into the air as a swirling vortex of razor-tipped petals flew across the arena. But Milo saw Banette leap into the air and dissapear with a pop.

The leaves smashed into the earth and tore the grass up, shredding it and scarring the earth. Milo heard no shrieks from his Pokemon, wondering if he was floating high above the carnage. Trying to control Banette when he kept dissapearing was confusing Milo.

"Banette!" Milo said. "Wil-

But there was a rumble. Bellossom looked up to see Banette pop back into life, his fists crackling with a brilliant light. Sparks danced across his claws as he weilded two handfuls of electricity, before throwing his hands forward and unleashing a furious blast.

Milo recognised it as a thunder attack, and was instantly impressed with his Pokemon's natural flair. Bellossom gasped as the cannon of sparks smashed into her and hurtled her into the air. She arched back gracefully, hitting the earth near Luna with a thud. Banette, illuminated by the sparks, cackled, turning to wink at Milo.

"Bellossom return," Luna said, biting her lip. She shot the beam at her Pokemon and pulled her inside, minimising the ball and slipping it into her pocket. "That's a cool Pokemon, Milo."

"He's new," Milo said, as Banette flew down through the air and wrapped his arms around Milo's neck. He was cackling in Milo's ear, cheery that he had done well. "Well done mate, I'll let you have a rest."

Banette was happy to go inside, and as Luna fished around for another Pokemon, Milo decided to test Scizor out.

"He seems versatile, good at attacking, good for appeals," Luna mused. "I like my Pokemon to be versatile, too. Lunatone, go!"

Milo remembered Lunatone - he fought it in the Ecruteak Contest, and watched as the familliar form took shape. Lunatone's red eyes were bright, it looked excited for battle.

"Scizor!" Milo said, throwing the camoflaged Park Ball into the air. Seeing his creature form from the flash of light; thin limbs ending in two big, thick claws, a pointed crest atop his head and big wings was exciting. Scizor cried out, snapping his claws, ready to take on the foe.

"He's just evolved," Milo said.

"Cute," Luna smiled.

"Go in for a bullet punch!" Milo said. With a thick rattling noise, Scizor's wings started beating and he swept across the arena, drawing a clenched claw back as it glowed silver. Lunatone teleported into the sky, firing a beam of purple energy from his eyes.

"Evade!"

Though slower than Scyther, Scizor still had agility, and did a clever barrel roll in mid-air. He lost the charge from his bullet punch, but hovered in mid-air, looking up at Lunatone.

"Bug buzz!" Milo said. Nodding, he focused further on flapping his wings until a big shockwave cracked from his body; it flew at Lunatone and struck him before he could teleport, knocking him from the sky.

"Follow up with bullet punch!"

As Lunatone fell, Scizor intercepted him, swinging his claw and battering the Pokemon with a heavy slug. Lunatone clattered into the earth and Scizor leapt back to Milo's side.

"Nice work," he muttered. Scizor turned, nodding. His yellow eyes were bright with excitement.

"Lunatone psychic!" said Luna. The ground wobbled and Lunatone managed to tear up thick clumps of earth. Scizor watched as eight handfuls of dirt were flung through the air; he held his claws up and blocked his face as they slammed into him.

As he threw his arms back down, however, Scizor saw Lunatone had teleported out of sight. From behind, Lunatone fired a psychic blast that struck Scizor in the back. He was thrown forward and fell to his knees, but quickly reasserted himself.

"Fly up! Silver wind!" Milo shouted. Scizor crouched for a second and sprang into the air, his wings beating and helping him reach higher.

Milo knew Lunatone's attacks weren't doing much damage to Scizor - it felt like a role reversal from his fight against Oscar's Scizor. As Luna ordered an ice beam, only to see it do little damage, Milo felt an unusually powerful feeling in his chest.

Scizor flapped his wings, spinning lightly, as a sparkling wind picked up and wound around him. Shards of silvery powder, thick and spiked, got faster and faster as he began to twirl with an unusual elegance. He command the wind to hit Lunatone.

Suddenly, a sweeping mass of wind shot down; Luna braced herself, her hair and clothing flapping against her body as Lunatone was blown away. The silvery particles shredded the earth, uprooting grass and weeds. Lunatone barely had the strength to get up.

"Teleport high!" Luna cried. "Shadow ball!"

Scizor saw, above his glittering veil, Lunatone appear with a pop. Swirling shadow collected and filled a large, throbbing orb, but he wasn't concerned. Lunatone fired it, it threw itself down at Scizor.

"Bullet punch!"

As it neared, Scizor swung his claw and split it; the ball exploded, sending wisps of shadow and darkness high into the sky. Some flew at Lunatone, but Scizor took the brunt of the attack; it seared against his face as it let off a hiss.

"Easy!" Milo said, warning his Pokemon as he made a clumsy landing. Though he fell to his knees, Scizor soon got up, staring at Lunatone as he fired another ice beam.

"Dodge!" Milo said, though it didn't quite work. Scizor was struck in the chest by the blast, but wasn't concerned. His right claw was charging an orb of brillint, silvery energy. It seemed heavy, weighing him somewhat.

Scizor soon held the claw in front of him and, with an almighty roar, blasted a beam of molten metal through the air. It flashed with a brilliant light and struck Lunatone, causing him to yell in agony as he was hit. Milo recognised it as a flash cannon - an extremely powerful steel attack.

"Oh Lunatone!" Luna said, pulling his Pokeball out. "Come back."

"Already?" Milo said, enjoying himself.

"There's just no point, is there," Luna said sourly. "We can't get a hit in!"

She put Lunatone's ball away and zipped up her jacket. Milo realised she looked thoroughly miserable. Maybe she was frustrated at not being able to do much.

"I didn't want some brawl," she said, rolling her eyes. "I need to train, this isn't helpful."

"Sorry," Milo said, shrugging. "I… I didn't mean to get too self-involved."

"No, it's fine," she said. "I need to go, anyway, the sun's setting."

"It's only 4pm," Milo admitted.

"It's dangerous around here," Luna replied, walking past him. Milo scrunched his face up as Scizor joined him. What just happened? Luna had gone from being perfectly sweet, almost flirting, then she suddenly lost the spark and stormed off.

He gave her the space to leave, before deciding to walk back around the side of the tower. She was within her right to be afraid of lingering this far from the city center, he supposed…

"Date go bad?" Jake sniped, as he saw Milo coming round the corner. He was sitting with his arms folded, looking very happy with himself. "She didn't look happy."

"She just came over all… weird, all angry," Milo said, sounding dissapointed. After he had left Jake to train with Luna, it seemed Jake was thoroughly delighting in the fact that Milo was down.

"Well, you are effectively strangers, even if you do have pervy dreams about her," he said, as they walked back towards the city.

"I did feel like… I was more connected with her than she was with me," Milo said, thinking.

"Love hurts," Jake said simply.

"I'm not in love with her," Milo said firmly, angry that Jake suggested it. He didn't know Luna enough to be in love with her, and she certainly couldn't love him back. Not now.

But even when she stormed away, recalling Lunatone and making excuses, she really did look beautiful.

*

Afternoon in the busy Goldenrod City, and Oscar was running a hand across his smooth head, his thick purple hair now a purple fuzz.

"My scars are healing okay," Oscar said, before turning and looking at a grim, swollen area around his shoulder. "Bullet wound isn't looking too clean though."

"Dare I ask what happened?" Falkner said.

"Jasmine shot me," he said nonchalantly. "Then stormed off after an argument with Morty. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have managed to escape my house."

The memory warmed his darkened expression; he was obviously enjoying freedom. Chuck cleared his throat.

"The problem, as I mentioned earlier, is that you can't leave the hotel. You're wanted by the police, Oscar, they'll be looking for you."

"I'll be fine," Oscar said. "I won't be going out long."

"What are you going to do?" Falkner asked.

"I'm going to do what I did last time I was in Goldenrod," he said. "Steal a Porygon from a company downtown and use it to track computers, phones and electric equipment. First, I'll find out who this EysNErs person is, then I'll locate Stone."

He was staring in the mirror, brushing some stray hairs from around his ears. Falkner had to admit, he did look much older now. His face was more defined without his messy hair framing it.

"I went into this with Chuck because we both wanted our Gym positions back," Oscar said simply. "But honestly… I'm not sure I can achieve that now I'm wanted for murder. In reality, I haven't got any purpose other than to do the right thing and try to veer back onto the good path.

"So I'll start by helping you. Falkner, you want Stone and his people to pay for killing your father. Chuck, I think you should make a case to Michael Mitchelson. Ask for your job back."

He walked to the door, opening it and bending down to fasten his boots.

"I'll come back when I've done some good."

And with that, he left the other two, completely bemused, and headed out the door. He strode down the steps and out onto the streets of Goldenrod, invigorated by his small makeover. Though some spores still hung in his body, he had no doubt a bit of exercise and fresh air would flush them right out.

Oscar was staring, excitedly, at his phone. Little did he let on to the other two, but he had recieved a very intriguing message when he was in the bathroom.

From: EysNErs
Oscar, it's time we met. I don't trust Chuck or Falkner enough to deal with them myself, but I understand you can't operate alone. I can help you hide. Come and find me at Goldenrod Harbor at 6.45PM. Come alone, and I will come with a new identity for you. All I ask is that you help me take down Stone.

*

The boys were at the hotel room; Milo was sitting in a chair, reading the paper, while Jake was scrolling through TV channels, sitting on his bed with his legs up to his chin. Milo's team, bar Houndour, were all healed up and out their Pokeballs.

Banette was fitting well in the team; he was young and playful, entertaining Croconaw by shooting into the tap in the bathroom and re-emerging from the toilet. Medicham was examining Scizor closely, looking at his shiny crimson coat. Magneton was charging up Milo's phone, one eye examining Scizor with intrigue.

"Houndour won't be with us for a bit," Milo said to the group. "He's poorly. But he sends his love."

He was reading the newspaper, still shocked at Frankie's attack. Who was attacking the women in the city, and how could they be stopped?

"We should really leave, you know," Milo said. "In the morning. I don't like being here."

"I know what you mean," Jake sighed. "Ecruteak… it's depressing, man."

Milo saw his phone buzz, and looked to see a message from Morty.

Can Medicham use clairsentience?

"Oh my god," Jake said, as Milo showed him. "What is it with clairsentience?"

Yes. Why?

I want her to use it on Frankie's neck; she has burn-like bruises. The doctors can't figure it out. Molly's Espeon isn't powerful enough to use clairsentience. Can Medi?

"Would that work?" Jake asked.

"I guess so," Milo said. "I think it would work better on inanimate objects, though. I mean, flesh, think of the memories. There's things that contact it - a pair of lips, a necklace, an attacker, but there's blood pumping, a pulse racing, all the body's natural processes."

"It might help them figure out what to do," Jake said.

"But why Medicham?" Milo said. She looked up. "Do you know what I mean Medi? It's not right putting you through this, making you feel all these unusual emotions."

Medicham nodded at Milo, before slouching down in the corner of their room and carefully levitating a coin, before finding another and having it spin, moon-like, around the first. Milo had to admire her handiwork.

"You can tell she doesn't like the idea," he said to Jake. "Medi's focus on her PSI is her distraction from dealing with emotional stuff."

And just like that, the button on his trousers pinged off and they fell down to his ankles. Jake chuckled, and Milo looked over to Medicham. She was focusing on orbiting her coins, but a mischievous glint in her eye suggested that was no coincidence.

Milo got his phone out.

She isn't doing it. I'm sorry. It will only transfer the trauma to her, and that's not acceptable.

"It's not my job to sort this mess out," Milo said, folding his arms. "Anything good on TV?"

*

With her sister in hospital, Una, the quietest member of the Eevee Sisters, was finding it difficult to cope. The city she grew up in, tormented by a devilish villain, and upon her return home, no less.

"It is linked to us coming back, I know it," Rochelle said, taking a sip from a Black Russian. The two had gone to a quiet bar in Ecruteak's wealthier West district, deciding that as long as they abided by strength in numbers, they'd be okay.

"I bet that sick bastard was so pleased, attacking one of the prettiest girls in Ecruteak," Rochelle said with disgust. Having split from Morty, and subsequently seeing Jasmine twice the previous day, Rochelle was much more bitter than usual. Why, as she spoke, she used her straw to jab and hack the ice in her drink.

"We just need to remember not to stay out late," Una said, sipping her drink. The mix of coffee liqeur and coke made for a dark, crackling drink. Una saw a handsome man across the bar, lost in thought. "He's cute."

"He's a man; men are arseholes," Rochelle snapped. "Look after my bag. I'll be back in a minute."

Una nodded. She was the youngest, and certainly the quietest, but since Frankie was hospitalised, she often felt as if the other sisters had flared up more, angrier. They had become incredibly boisterous, but perhaps it was for Una's sake.

"I'm sorry to hear about your sister," came a voice. Una jumped to see the handsome man from across the bar. He had messy, straw-coloured hair and though he was lanky, he had a certain muscle about him.

"I read it in the paper," he added, showing Una an article. Next to it was a photo of Frankie with Una and their sisters Vanessa, Rochelle and Molly.

"Thanks," Una said, smiling. "It's a pretty scary time."

"I've never been so… almost dissapointed in the city," the man said. "I've only lived here for eighteen months, but I settled, you know?"

"Totally," Una said. 'It's… it's a real shame, but they'll catch the person who did it."

"I'm Matthew," the man said.

"Una," she replied, taking his hand. They shook, briefly and politely.

"I'm a teacher at the local school," he said. "St Bees."

"I went there! Years back," Una said. "How wonderful."

"It's a beautiful school, and such a handsome building," Matthew said. "Are you and your sister just trying to relax from all the stress?"

"Yea, it's a stressful time," Una said. "Rochelle's also having a tough time in the romance department…"

"Well, Ecruteak's a small place," Matthew mused. "I guess it's hard meeting people. I feel like that."

"She was going out with Morty, the ex gym leader," Una said. "But when we went on tour, it got difficult. Turned out he fell in love with someone else, and he ended it. Rochelle was so upset, but also angry."

"That's tough," Matthew said. He started telling Una about his ex-girlfriend, which gave her time to really assess him. He was in his thirties, wearing a shirt buttoned to the neck under a military-style coat. He was handsome, but Una couldn't figure out where he was from.

"…and when she met my new girlfriend, the claws came out," Matthew finished. Una gasped. She hadn't been listening.

"Well yes!" she said, thinking fast. "When they… well Rochelle knew Jasmine already, so it was even more of a sting. They met twice already."

"Christ," Matthew said. Rochelle came out the toilets and walked around the bar, eyeing Matthew with apparent disgust.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked.

"My name's Matth-

"Don't care, don't want to know," she snapped. "Una, don't talk to weirdos."

"He's nice," Una replied, wanting to defend him, but Matthew batted them away with his hand.

"It's fine," he said, smiling. "I'd better be off, anyway. Una, it was lovely to meet you."

Una watched him give her a nod, with a sly wink, and walk off through the bar. Rochelle was shooting daggers at him as he left, which Una thought was very cruel.

"That was so immature," she said, not snapping but trying to reprimand her sister. "He was lovely!"

"Well you don't need him now I'm back," Rochelle said, ordering two more drinks. Una saw Matthew dissapear out the door and into the night, sighing.

But the man wasn't deterred, walking down the road with a smile on his face. He got his phone out, dialling a number and, seeing a quiet street nearby, walked across the road.

"Hello Rebekah," he said airily. "And how are you?"

"I'm fine, Volkner," she replied.

"I have news," he said. "Jasmine is definitely in Ecruteak. And she's here because she's dating Morty."

"Really?" she asked, sounding genuinely shocked. "Well it sounds like you know how to find her, then."

"I do," he replied. "I know where Morty lives."

"Jack Surge is on his way now," Rebekah told him. "With a team."

"I told you before, I don't need a team. I can put a bullet in her head no problem."

"You've been strangling any woman vaguely fitting her description, Volkner. I don't think you've been doing this very… economically."

"I've been testing the device out," he said. "And it works, by the way."

"Steven will be pleased," she mused. "Look. Call me when she's dead, 'Matthew'."

*

It began to get colder as the sun dissapeared from the sky, casting a brilliant orange glow across Goldenrod's Harbour. Located South-West of the city, it was a bustling hub of activity, with ships coming from far, far away to deliver important goods.

Sitting on a crate, Oscar surveyed the scene. He arrived late on purpose and was waiting far from where he had been directed. He wanted to see who this person really was; he wasn't walking into this blind.

He lit a cigarette and watched a team of men lift a crate from a docking ship. HOENN was stamped on the side. The air was full of gulls shrieking and thick plumes of smoke were belched from the vessels as some drifted back out the city, across the horizon to far away lands.

"Where are you, Eys," Oscar murmured, looking around. Their meeting point was in the distance, but nobody was there. He looked at his watch. No sign yet.

He thought of Falkner and Chuck, both sitting and waiting for things to unfold. They were far too naive to suceed. It would be he, Oscar, who would get to the bottom of this. And ironically, since his defeat at Milo's hands, Oscar felt a certain sense of purpose. He could tackle the Stone empire and shatter it. He would.

"So, you decided to turn up."

A hoarse voice called over from a few feet away. Oscar turned but instantly gasped at the man addressing him; he was deadly pale, with a long, deep gash across his throat. But it couldn't be possible.

Eli.

"Eli!?" Oscar stammered.

"It's good to finally see you again," he said. He looked incredibly unwell, his hair thinner and he seemed to have lost weight.

"How… how are you here?" Oscar said, unable to comprehend what he saw. "I killed you!"

"You slashed my throat and left me for dead," he replied, with a light smirk. "Thankfully someone saved my life."

"You're Eys?"

"I am," he said, though he shifted as he said it. "It's… more complicated than you think. That's why I wanted to meet you."

Eli reached out and placed a hand on Oscar's shoulder. Oscar felt his cold grip, and with it he began to sweat more profusely than ever. He had spent some time believing he had killed Eli, that his snapshot of insanity had ruined his life. But here he was, breathing, looking, thinking…

And if Eli really was okay, there would be no police search. No murder. No entrapment from the life he really wanted...

"Come with me."

"How do I know you won't hurt me?" Oscar said, sounding for the first time a little child-like, scared and small.

"You mean revenge?" Eli said, frowning. "Oscar, this is the real world. I've known you and your family for years, since you were born. I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to help you."

"Why?" he asked. "It doesn't make sense. I tried to kill you."

"The world isn't as cold and as evil as you think," Eli told him. "Now come on."

Eli walked along the dock, pulling his jacket tightly around his body. Oscar's heart was hammering in his chest, battering his ribcage so thoroughly he thought he may bruise. Eli put his hand in his pockets, whistling thoughtfully. Oscar remembered him whistling that cheery tune when he worked behind the bar.

"I'm…" he said, catching up. "So sorry, Eli."

"For killing me?" he asked.

"For trying, for wanting to," Oscar stammered. "I have regretted it, trust me."

"You were always a good person, Oscar," Eli said. "But I think you took so much on board with the Reclassification. I don't think you ever truly recovered from your parents deaths, either. Azalea rallied around for you, but you fought too hard to retain that love."

Oscar thought of his mother for a moment, and wondered if Eli was right. After he was left alone, he focused on nothing but working at the gym, and eventually took over when the leader, Arnold, succumbed to illness.

"So why are you here, and not in Goldenrod?" Oscar asked. "Do people know?"

"They think I'm trying to reconnect with my daughter, in Saffron City," Eli said. "I miss her terribly. It seems apt as an excuse, an alibi, if you will."

"And why are you working against Stone?" Oscar said.

"I'll explain when we get inside," he said, turning down an alleyway. They both walked down a narrow path between two huge storage tanks. Oscar felt another layer of chill run down his spine as the light, pleasant evening left them for an early-evening darkness.

"You operate down here?" he asked.

"We do, under the name of a trading company," Eli said. "So people think we're… well, working on stock."

"Clever," Oscar said. Eli took another left, and Oscar followed. The area behind the storage facilities was blocked off by high fencing. It was quiet here. Eli stopped for a moment to consider something.

"Where's the door?" Oscar said. "How do we get in?"

Oscar clutched his head as he struggled to focus. The area around him began to blur, his eyes watered and a fuzzy, warm feeling clutched his head. Eli had moved from Oscar's line of sight, but where was he? As he stumbled, Oscar saw something emerge from an alleyway; a golden soldier with bronze plates across his chest.

"Eli?"

"He's not here, Oscar."

Oscar turned around and was met with Michael Mitchelson, who was standing perfectly still next to the Alakazam that appeared. Oscar suddenly saw Eli's body rippling, growing faint and blurry, before he disapeared into the atmosphere.

"What?"

"I tricked you," Michael said. He had a thick coat buttoned up to his neck. Alakazam was holding his spoons out, ready. "I figured if anybody was going to inspire some compassion, and some cooperation, it might be the man you murdered."

"He touched me," Oscar murmured.

"Kazaar is an incredible psychic," Michael replied. "We both visited The Mucky Pup last month. One touch of the bar and Kazaar learned all about Eli's habits. His mannerisms, the way he walked, even the tune he enjoyed whistling when he cleaned the floor… and he's a strong enough psychic to convince you someone was physical, even if they were not."

"I don't understand."

"I'm the man they call 'Eyes and Ears'," Michael said. "But frankly, having you join Chuck and Falkner wasn't going to work out."

Oscar saw Kazaar's spoons throb, and he was thrown completely off his feet. He slammed into the concrete and let out a cry as he felt his skin graze.

"If I get too close to you, Oscar, I'm going to want to cause you considerable pain for what you did to my son two nights ago," Michael said, the formality dropped and a cold note in his voice. "You're a bully, you're a maniac and you have a killer instinct. You're too dangerous to be around you."

"What are you doing to do?" Oscar spat, getting up and dusting himself off. "Huh? Are you going to kill me Michael?"

"No," Michael said. "I left an anonymous message to the police. In fifteen seconds they'll arrive on the scene and arrest you for what you did to Eli."

Oscar's eyes darted to the fenced-off area he was in. He turned instantly, his first reaction to run to the fence, but as he started jogging Kazaar flicked his spoon, and Oscar was flung into the fence. There was no force, just a light push. Sirens began to fill the air.

"You can't run," Michael said. "You're going to be locked up for a long, long time Oscar."

"No!" Oscar screamed, as he tried to move.

Kazaar stared ahead, and it was as if everything became heavy. Oscar's speech slurred for a moment and he staggered sideways. Red and blue lights flashed on and off as sirens got louder and a screech signalled the arrive of police cars.

"MICHAEL!" Oscar shouted, looking around. All around him, there was absolutely nobody. He was alone. Oscar looked for Michael and Alakazam, but there was no sign of him at all. Had he imagined them, too? Was this whole thing a trick of the mind?

A black car swerved into the alleyway, followed by several more.

"PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" an officer cried, getting a gun and pointing it at Oscar. "NOW!"

The groggyness had gone, and Oscar willingly stood up. A rough pair of hands seized him as a sea of faces stared in his direction. There must have been ten police officers here, all blocking his means of escape, all pointing weapons.

From the roof of the storage building, Michael watched Oscar's arrest with Alakazam.

"Thank you," he whispered to the creature. "Now, I think we need to finally meet Falkner."

As Kazaar prepared to teleport them back to Michael's office, they both took one last look at Oscar as he was bundled into one of the cars. He was stopped, finally, the boy who had caused so much pain.

*

As Milo and Jake sat in their hotel room, keeping a low profile for the evening, Luna Fuerte walked through the streets of Ecruteak towards her hotel. A once-monthly bazaar in the city had been too good to resist; she had bought some lovely crafted Pokeballs, local produce and a new scarf.

"It really is nice, but there's something funny in the air," she said down the phone. "I need this ribbon, I feel good about the contest. I just wish I could get away sooner."

As her figure dissapeared between the glow from streetlamps, only to appear moments later basking under the next, a figure watched from down an alleyway. She had no idea she was being observed, and continued chatting animatedly.

"…but I did see Milo. He was very sweet. He stumbled over his words...

"I think he likes me."

Luna giggled, taking a left down a quiet street. The figure in the shadows kept watching, waiting. Luna was distracted, it was quiet.

But another voice piped up, coming from further away. Turning, the figure could see someone at the other end of the alleyway. It was Morty, walking fast through town. Taking everything into consideration, the figure ignored Luna. Attacking her, as with the previous four women, may have helped strengthen the message he was trying to convey to Jasmine. But Morty… this was invaluable.

As he walked quickly down the street, Morty screamed as something struck his head. He turned to see a blonde man walking towards him, with sparks brimming around his wrists.

"What the fuck!?" Morty cried. "What did you do that for?"

Volkner clenched his fists, and Morty could see a thick, metal exoskeleton around his hands. Flicking his wrist, Volkner sent a shockwave into Morty's stomach, knocking him off his feet. Stars burst before him as he slammed into the pavement. Before he could comprehend the situation, he felt a pair of rough hands grab him by the neck.

"Get up," he barked. Morty was pulled to his feet, confused. The man pressed him against the wall of an alleyway and stared into his eyes.

"I've been meaning to have a word with you, Mortimer," he said.

"W-Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm looking for your girlfriend," he said, talking into Morty's ear. "I'm here to kill her."

The words hung in Morty's ears. Hearing it roused him from his dizzied state, and he swung his head forward in an attempt to headbutt Volkner. The man stepped back; Morty staggered forward and, panicked, he ran down the alley.

"Answer, answer," he gasped, dialling Michael. Another volley of sparks hit him in the back and he dropped his mobile phone. It clattered to the ground, but before Morty could grab it, another attack struck his body. He fell to his knees, feeling volts shoot through his skin, stabbing and twisting.

He could see his phone had rung Michael, but as he reached out to pick it up, Volkner's boot-clad foot stamped hard on his fingers. Morty screamed as he felt the bones crunch under the man's foot; he twisted his foot to really cause him pain.

"I'm afraid I can't let you ring anyone tonight, Morty," Volkner said, placing his boot under Morty and flipping him onto his back. "I'm here to hurt you, too."

The pain in his hand was excruciating; Morty briefly looked over and saw his fingers had reddened and swollen. His breath was shallow, he was truly terrified. Volkner's hands were crackling again.

"I'm going to put you in the hospital, Morty, although it's getting incredibly full at the moment," Volker admitted. Morty was thinking, hard, how he could get away from this horrible man. Did he have associates in the city, heading to his home now?

"I've only been in Ecruteak a week, but I've been incredibly busy," he continued. "Staying up late, looking for your pretty girlfriend."

"You're a monster," Morty said. "Did Steven Stone send you?"

"He did," Volkner said, smiling. "He really thinks an eye for an eye is in order. We're not leaving Ecruteak until Jasmine is dead."

"We?"

"You didn't honestly think I was alone, did you?" he said, his hand crackling more furiously than ever. Morty screamed as Volkner's hand clenched his throat, squeezing hard as he sent shocks into the boy's windpipe.

Patches of darkness flooded Morty's vision; he tried to concentrate on his breathing, but his limbs were spasming. Volkner's sharp features and cold stare were inches from his own face. He thought of Jasmine, sitting in the living room, waiting for her boyfriend to come home safely…

And he passed out.



Next Chapter...
As Jack Surge and his men descend on Ecruteak City, a hospitalised Morty begs for Milo and Jake's help. The boys hatch a plan to sneak Jasmine out the city in the dead of night, but Milo is shocked when he learns his father has been waging war on Steven Stone all this time.


Notes
-This was a pretty intense chapter, I think you'll agree. I didn't realise, at first, how much was going on, and the first draft was actually quite boring.

-The next chapter is a really manic, adrenaline-filled chapter. I think it's a very good end to this brief arc in Ecruteak, but I found it quite emotional to write. It took several long sessions!

-I hope you enjoyed seeing Luna. It was nice for her and Milo to actually meet again! Like Milo and Daniel, Luna is trying to make the last steps in her coordinating path before the Grand Festival. It was good for them to battle, and I really enjoyed writing Bellossom in as this cute ninja-type.

-My favourite part of this chapter, though, was the Oscar scene in Goldenrod. For a good year now I've wanted to write this, and it's been one of the really exciting parts of his storyline. I think Michael wanted to really, really make Oscar suffer, but as a grown man, he knew there was a better course of action than to just hurt him.

-I felt like Oscar lost the psychotic edge in this scene, where there was more understanding about how he felt. His brief elation at not being a criminal, and maybe having the chance to fulfil his dreams, only for it to be taken away from him was kind of heartbreaking.

-Oscar's story isn't over, though, as we'll still see him in prison as part of his storyline. Michael will try and reach out to Falkner/Chuck and get them to join his team.

-I think Banette will be a good addition to the team, too! He kind of reminds me of Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols.

-Look forward to hearing your thoughts, and see you next chapter!

[BTPoke]

Phew, took me a while to get all caught up so I can actually comment.

First thing: Great Fanfiction thus far. I haven't stopped reading it for the past month or so

onto the comments!

I really love Jake's Parasect. You've really shown how an underrated (at least in my opinion) pokemon can be so badass

yay, a ghost type! Ghost types are way up there on my list of favorite types. And a Banette, no less!

About time Oscar got what was coming to him. Way to go, Michael!

So yeah, definitely on board for the rest of the fic.

[Chris 2.1]

Thanks for the feedback BTPoke! So glad you're enjoying the fic, hopefully this chapter won't disappoint!

Show-Off
-XXXII-
Dark and Stormy: Part III

Milo was having difficulty sleeping, something that was becoming increasingly common as he struggled to remove the guilt he felt over Houndour's suffering. Even lying awake, his foot sticking out the side of the duvet, trying to find the cool side of the pillow, he hated himself for having some form of comfort. Right now, Houndour would be alone, wounded, surrounded by machines.

"Are you awake?" Milo whispered.

"No," came Jake's reply.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk," Milo said, speaking louder.

"Oh, Milo, I don't think that's wise," Jake said, turning over and checking the bedside clock. "It's 4.30am. It's a dangerous hour to be about."

"I'll keep out of trouble," Milo said, but Jake chuckled.

"Er, we have met, right?"

"Haha."

Milo laughed and turned over, throwing himself against the pillow in an effort to teach it a lesson. Jake was right; if he left their room and wandered the streets, he'd no doubt fall into some catastrophe.

"How can Oscar live with himself, hurting Pokemon like that?" Milo said, after trying to fall into a slumber.

"His Beedrill was crushed under Azalea Chambers, maybe he wanted to make you feel like he did," Jake said, "although that is an awful act in itself..."

"Well," Milo said, as the quietness was punctured with a shrill ringing. He bolted upright and looked to the corner of the room, where his phone was vibrating and glowing, the blue tinge looking surreal in the dark atmosphere. Who on earth was calling at this hour?

"Yes? Hello?" Milo said.

"Milo, this is Dr Jensen, from Ecruteak General."

*

Only minutes later and both Milo and Jake were fully dressed, walking through the corridors of the hospital they had spent so long inhabiting recently. But this wasn't Pokemon-related.

"He was admitted only half an hour ago," explained Dr Jensen, not looking up as he took a left, a right, and two more lefts through the hospital. "He suffered severe head trauma and neck injuries, but he's concious.

"I don't know why he asked us to contact you," he continued, "but you were written down as an emergency contact."

Milo and Jake didn't have long to wonder, as they were led into Morty's room to see him lying in bed. His face was quite swollen, with bruises and cuts littering his throat. His eyes flickered open as they entered, and recognising them, he shifted into a sitting position. The doctor left them.

"Morty!" Milo said. "What happened?"

"I was attacked," he gasped. One of his eyes was so swollen he could barely look out of it. Milo was astonished at the various twinges of green and yellow bruising across the boy's face. "By the company."

"The company?" Milo asked.

"We don't have much time," Morty admitted, his voice hoarse. Milo wondered if the bruises on his throat made it hard to speak. "But listen. You need to go to my house and get Jasmine. She's not safe any more."

"Jasmine? The ex-Olivine Gym Leader?"

"I… it's urgent," Morty said. "I don't have time to explain, but they found out about me and Jasmine, that's why I was attacked."

"So, that's why all these women have been attacked? Because someone's been after Jasmine?" Jake said.

"I think so," Morty replied. "I'm okay, I'll be fine once they've stitched me up. And I'm safe here. But the people who attacked me want Jasmine dead. Milo, Jake, you have to go to my house now and get her out of there."

"Why do they want her dead? Who are they?" Milo asked.

"Please, you need to go now!" Morty cried. "Jasmine can explain everything. She is in danger."

"You're asking a lot of us," Milo said stubbornly.

"Her life is at stake," Morty said. "Milo, Ecruteak is about to be under seige. You have to get to my house now."

"We can't second guess this, Milo," Jake said, looking at Morty before glancing back to his friend.

"Okay," Milo said. "I'll go to Morty's house and get Jasmine. I'll bring her to our hotel room - Medicham can teleport us, nobody will see. Jake, go and find Daniel. Get my Houndour unhooked from all these machines, we might need to make a speedy getaway."

*

The plan was set. Medicham gripped Milo's hand and they bid goodbye to Jake, who ran off down the corridor to flirt his way to getting Houndour discharged.

As Medicham concentrated, Milo saw the area around him bubble and distort. A faint pop, and he was gone, being taken to the street where Morty lived. Instantly the beeps from hospital machinery was replaced with chirps from crickets hiding in the grass; so sudden was the change that his ears took a while to adjust. It was quiet on Morty's street; Milo could see his house, but it looked empty.

Medicham stayed at his side, in case she was needed. The two made their way across the road towards Morty's house, Milo flooded in self-doubt and trepidation. He hadn't seen Jasmine since he won a badge from her, and he'd been something of a bastard in the way he treated the girl. They had a very brief, very passionate romance, something Milo indulged in following his break-up from Whitney. Jasmine had been surprisingly wild, and he liked the instant excitement of a new partner. But they ended on bad terms, with Milo leaving to the next town to continue his conquest of the Johto gyms. Nearing the front door, Milo really hoped they could settle their differences, since he was effectively here to save her life.

Milo approached the door and rapped three times. No lights were on, it was very quiet. Jasmine was probably in bed, unaware of the danger surrounding her. As he recalled his own, warm coccon of duvets and blankets, Milo took a look around. No answer.

"Let's teleport inside," Milo whispered. Medicham nodded, and with a pop, they moved mere feet from the outside step to the inside of the house. However, no sooner had Milo felt his feet touch the carpet when there was a sharp, shrill noise.

He fell to his knees, covering his ears, and Medicham did the same; lights flicked on, flooding the corridor with brightness as a familliar figure stood opposite them, a Magneton bobbing in the air.

"HOLD IT!" Jasmine shouted. "HEY!"

"Jazz…" Milo croaked, unable to concentrate with Magneton's screeching.

"Milo?" she said, shocked. "Milo Mitchelson?"

"Er, yes," he stammered. He looked up at her and flashed a weak smile. He expected Jasmine to smile back, but her sharp brow furrowed tighter.

"Thought you could sleep with my sister and get away with it, you pig-headed twat?" she snapped, as Magneton filled the room with more noise. "You're a despiccable man!"

"SORRY!" Milo yelled, falling back down. "But I'm here to save you!"

She couldn't hear him.

"I'M HERE TO SAVE YOU!" he cried. "Morty sent me!"

"Did you say Morty?" Jasmine asked, instructing Magneton to lower the din. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"He's in hospital," Milo said.

"Oh my god!"

"He's okay!" Milo said, noticing Jasmine grab her coat. "No! You can't see him yet! I have to take you away from here."

"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked.

"Morty was attacked… by the person who is strangling the women in Ecruteak," Milo began. "Morty said they're coming for you, they want to hurt you."

"Stone…" Jasmine said softly. She looked awe-struck. "He's here, in Ecruteak…"

She dropped her coat and paced through into the kitchen, muttering to herself. Milo followed, with Medicham close behind.

"He must have struck Morty because he found out we were dating… I was spotted, earlier in the week," she murmured, walking past the fruit bowl.

"We can talk about it later, I'm supposed to get you out the house," Milo said exasperatedly. "These people are coming now. We need to hurry!"

"I'm going to see Morty," Jasmine said absently, "and Michael has some explaining to do…"

"Michael?" Milo said. Jasmine gasped. "You mean… my father?"

"Fuck," Jasmine said, looking embarassed. "Er. Yes."

"What's my father got to do with you and Morty?" Milo asked.

"Look, I really need to see my boyfriend," Jasmine said.

"You're coming with me!" Milo said. "You can explain everything to me, too."

Jasmine was still being stubborn, picking up little bits from the house here and there. But as she saw a photo of Morty on the mantlepiece, she let out a sigh.

"No, I'm going," she said.

"You're coming with me," Milo snapped. Jasmine looked surprised at his tone. "And you're going to explain what the hell is going on."

"Fine," she said. "I think you've been kept in the dark… and Morty obviously thinks it's wise to bring you up to speed."

But as Medicham held her hand out, there was a crashing noise not far from them. Horrified, Jasmine looked around the room. It sounded like it came from outside. She ran to the switch and turned the light off; suddenly they were plunged in darkness, and Milo could only see Jasmine's outline against the light coming in from the window.

Then they saw it. A tall figure crept past the kitchen window, bathed in shadow, cocking a gun. Without saying a word, Milo grabbed Medicham and she, in turn, grabbed Jasmine. The three left Morty's house with a pop, moments before something jiggled into the back door's lock and a figure quietly let themselves in.

*

When Milo, Medicham and Jasmine re-appeared in the boy's hotel room, Jake was already there. He was sat, cross-legged on the floor, with Houndour lying beside him.

"Is he okay?" Milo said, as they arrived. He ran to his Pokemon's side, and didn't see Jasmine stumble into the room clumsily. Medicham smirked.

"Daniel said he's fine, and he'll be okay to go back in a Pokeball," Jake said. "He's just a bit tired, but he'll be okay."

Milo scratched Houndour's ear; he looked happy to be in their company. Jasmine was still standing in the corner of the room awkwardkly.

"So, you got her then?" Jake said.

"Oh, yea," Milo said. "Jasmine, this is Jake."

She looked at him curiously, smiling as if she may have heard wonderful things about him. Jasmine walked over and sat, with the boys, so they were in a tight circle. Houndour rolled over lazily.

"Nice to meet you," Jake said, nodding. Jasmine just stared at him.

"I think we're owed some answers, Jazz," Milo said. "What the hell's going on?"

She gave a heavy sigh.

"I suppose we'll go from the start," she said. "After I left Olivine Gym - and I did leave, before you agree with what the papers say - I went to work in Goldenrod City. My heart was never in competetive battling, if I'm honest. I did a few jobs, and an old friend of mine ended up getting in touch, offering me some work at the company he worked for. His name was Bill. And he was reffering to Mitchelson Enterprises.

"I met your father, and he was very interested in having me work for him. I did some work as a technology consultant, liasing with agencies. And after a few months, he offered me a slightly different line of work.

"Ever since your brother William had his Pokemon stolen when he died, your father's been keen to put a stop to the widespread thefts in Goldenrod City. He used his budget to create a small division within his company, and started working to combat the crime."

"I can't believe he kept this from me," Milo said.

"It's for the best," Jasmine assured him. "We would track agents who were robbing, and we'd try and thwart some shipments out of Goldenrod City. Michael said we were peacekeepers, and as we needed more help he recruited Morty, whose ghost Pokemon helped us sneak into buildings. But one day, ahead of the Goldenrod Gym Conference, we were contacted by Steven Stone."

"Who is he?" Jake asked.

"Stone is a weapons manufacturer based in Slateport City," Jasmine said. "He runs the Devon Corporation, building ship parts and selling them through another company, where they're constructed into vessels. He's also responsible for privately funding The Lucky Carp Casino, which we believed was where the thefts were operating from."

"What did he want?" Milo asked.

"He had created a clever piece of software that induced an evolution into his Porygon2. The new creature, Porygon-Z, was able to subconciously 'swim' through data; Stone used it to infiltrate our security cameras, mobile phones, laptops and databases. He knew we were trying to stop him, and he made it clear we'd all be killed if we got in the way of the planned hi-jack of Goldenrod Gym."

"So when it was raided, you couldn't intervene," Milo said.

"Even though we knew about it," Jasmine said, looking understandably torn. "In attacking the gym, Stone managed to paralyse the city with fear. Since then, we've kept a low profile. Your father knew Stone had the power to attack us, so we disbanded. But he made it clear he wanted me dead - in one of my operations I killed one of his agents, a man named Adam Anderson."

"And why did you come to Ecruteak?" Jake said.

"After MooMoo farm was raided by hippies," (Milo and Jake grinned) "-my parents, who owned the daycare south of Goldenrod, purchased it and used it as a base of operations. If we ever reclaimed stolen Pokemon, we sent them to my parents, and they raised them there. Where possible, they'd be released into the wild, and any eggs produced were often given to trainers if they spared time helping out on the farm. It was a perfect system.

"But we knew that a big farm full of Pokemon would attract attention from Stone, so we had to find a way to protect them. Just as we were going through out options, we heard about the Friends of Pokemon using Stantler to try and brainwash a colony of Farfetch'd, so I was sent to Ilex Forest to investigate. I rescued some of the Stantler that caused you some grief. We used their natural illusion powers to cloak the farm, so Stone's agents couldn't find us."

"That's amazing," Jake said.

"But it didn't work?" Milo asked.

"Stone soon learned what we were doing, and he knew I was hiding on the farm. I couldn't bear the idea of the Stantler being hurt - all Stone would need to do was to wound or kill the youngest of the herd, and the others would grieve so heavily their illusion would drop. I decided to flee to Ecruteak, where Morty was lying low. I missed him. I've been living quietly with him, but lately there have been all sorts of attacks on women in the city."

"Morty said -"

Jasmine interrupted him, "some of Stone's men are in the city, and they've been attacking people, thinking it's me. At least, that's our guess. It's either that, or they're purposefully trying to lure me out. It was awful seeing Karen and other women being hospitalised, knowing I couldn't do anything about it."

"I can't believe it," Jake said.

"I feel sick," Milo muttered.

"It hasn't been easy," Jasmine said. "But now they hurt Morty…"

"Well, Morty asked us to get you out of Ecruteak," Milo said, standing up and walking to the window. "It's dangerous here."

"And at least Morty is kinda safe in hospital," Jake said. "You don't have to worry about him."

Milo looked out the window across the quiet city. It was so peaceful, unsettlingly so. Perhaps it was a faint wind, but something rippled in the air outside.

"How are we going to do it? We don't have a car any more," Jake said.

"We can teleport you," Milo said to Jasmine. "It's the only way."

"When?" she asked.

"Now," Milo replied, firmly. "We have to go now, surely?"

"We were going to go East, towards Mahogany, we can take you that way?" Jake said.

"Anywhere," she said distantly. "I just need to get out the city. Out of Johto."

"Right," Milo said. Medicham waved her arms and their posessions - which were few and far between since they abandoned the car - floated into the air, neatly folding into backpacks.

"Wait," Jasmine said, seeing the bags zip up. "Can I say goodbye to Morty? At the hospital"

"Er…"

"We can't say no, Milo," Jake said to him.

"I don't know when I'll see him again," Jasmine replied, suddenly looking horror-struck, as if the reality of it all was crashing down on her. "I'll be quick."

"Stone might have men waiting for you there, it's an obvious place to find you," Milo argued, but in his heart, he knew it had to be done. Jasmine and Morty were in love, and he was bruised within an inch of his life.

"Do you think you can teleport us into Morty's room?" Milo asked Medicham, but she didn't look keen. It was hard to take yourself somewhere you had never seen with your own eyes.

"You were on the third floor when they treated you after Oscar's attack," Milo said to her. "You'll have to take us there."

Milo zipped his jacket up and recalled Houndour into his Pokeball. His heart was hammering against his chest… should he speak to his father? He felt like he had grown from a child to an adult in mere seconds. When he went to bed that evening, he was over-analysing his chat with Luna. Now, he was trying to sneak Jasmine out of Ecruteak City without being killed by a criminal organisation.

"If we're all good to go…" Milo said quietly, after a chasm of quiet. Jake nodded, hitching his backpack up. It seemed easier to think about leaving then actually doing it. Jake went to the bathroom on the pretence of looking for his toothbrush, but Milo wondered if he just wanted a few moments alone.

"Thank you for your help," Jasmine said. She looked terrified. "I'm... sorry for shouting earlier."

"It's fine," Milo said, giving a weak smile. "Your Magneton gave me tinnitus, but, apart from that…"

"You're very grown up, now," Jasmine said thoughtfully. "You've really changed since we…"

"Thanks," Milo said. Medicham cleared her throat loudly and the three assembled around her. She took Milo and Jasmine by each of her hands, while Jake linked to Jasmine. The three said nothing, though each was thinking the same thing.

With a bright flash of light, they dissapeared.

*

At Ecruteak General, a doctor was looking down the mouth of a Snorlax. His assistant, Daniel, watched from afar. It was quiet, but the large beast was brought in after feeling incredibly poorly.

"It doesn't appear to be anything of concern," the doctor said absently. "But just -

Suddenly there was a pop, and the doctor cried in alarm as a Medicham and three people appeared from nowhere. Medicham teleported rather awkwardly, causing Jasmine to stumble into a medicine cabinet with a crash. Daniel leapt back in shock as pills clattered against the floor.

"What on earth is going on!?" the doctor said. "Mr Mitchelson?"

"Jake?" Daniel asked.

"I'm sorry," Milo gasped. "We needed to get to the hospital and Medicham remembered this room when you treated her, doctor."

"It is the early hours of the morning! You can't just turn up like this!" the man snapped. "Get out!"

"I need your help," Milo said. "We're looking for Morty La Roux's room."

"Well go to the reception… and ask them," came the stern reply.

"You don't understand, we need to know now!" Jasmine said. "Please, can you help us?"

Daniel shot them a dark look and ushered them out the room; Milo clenched his teeth in contempt as the nurse bustled into them, forcing the group to leave the room. A quick draft fluttered against their faces as the door was violently slammed behind them.

"TWAT!" Milo snapped.

"Shhh, we need to get to Morty," Jake hissed. "And be discreet."

"I think the top three floors are Pokemon, the first two are people," Jasmine said, touching her chin as if recounting something.

"But each floor has five wards," Jake said, as they came to a large map. He looked at the colour-coded areas, each named after different types of tree, and bit his lip as he realised how difficult this would be.

"Can you remember where his room was?" Jasmine asked Milo. "You have visited him…"

"It was early… or late… well, both I suppose," Milo said, smirking. Jasmine was not smiling. "Er. Didn't the ward begin with B, Jakey?"

"Maybe," he said. "There's two wards beginning with B. It's either Birch or Beech."

"Birch or Beech," Milo muttered, thinking about when he was brought here to visit Morty. "It's Birch. I'm sure of it."

The group ran along the corridor, their footsteps ringing through the cold, empty hospital. Milo moved with trepidation, expecting figures to leap out at any moment, and it seemed both Jasmine and Jake were also worried as they moved through the darkened building. Through the warren of corridors they went, nipping up tight staircases and crossing waiting areas until they came to the ward marcked 'Birch'.

The door to the ward was locked; it was, after all, past visiting hours. Milo nodded to Medicham, who held her hand out and concentrated hard, locating the lock. Her hand quivered when she found it, and with a quick twitch, she clicked it open and they headed inside.

The whole ward was dark, and Milo couldn't find a switch. Thinking on his feet, he recalled Medicham and let Magneton out his Pokeball; not only did his arrival bring in a soft, white glow, but on Milo's command he used a flash attack to throb with energy, lighting up the ward. Jasmine eyed Magneton with intrigue.

On the corner of two long corridors there was a curved nurse's station, so Milo hopped behind the desk to snoop for information.

"Morty… Morty… Morty…" Milo murmured, rifling through a filing cabinet. "Hey, it says Veronica Grimm's being treated for an STD."

"Oh for heaven's sake," Jasmine said, after his attempts proved futile. "We'll just look!"

She ran along the corridor to their left, peering her head into the different rooms to try and identify where Morty was. Milo rolled his eyes and continued to leaf through documents.

"She seems fragile," Jake said, once Jasmine was out of earshot.

"Well, none of us have slept well," Milo replied dryly. He slumped into a chair and rocked on it slowly.

"Do you think we can lie low a bit when we get to Mahogany Town?" Jake said, fidgeting with his hands. Milo looked at him and saw the boy had bags under his eyes; he hadn't noticed this before, but Jake didn't look well at all.

"It's been a pretty heavy week, huh," he said. Jake nodded.

"You know when I went to look for my toothbrush?" Jake said quietly. "I was… I went to throw up."

"I know," Milo said. "We could hear it."

Jake looked horrified.

"It's okay, Jake. We're going to be okay."

"I'm exhausted," Jake said. "And not physically."

Magneton was bobbing in the air. He looked keen to explore the hospital, perhaps to familliarise himself with the electronic equipment. As Milo went to check the time, however, he saw Magneton crackle and tremble.

"You okay?" he asked. Magneton's magnets were throbbing, making Milo's mobile phone vibrate. He got his phone out to see a message scrolling along the screen.

"What is this?" Milo said.

"Magneton's transmitting something to your phone," Jake said. "He's found a message."

To: Jack Surge
House completely empty. She must be at the hospital.

To: Volkner
We're setting up the trap. Go to the hospital. Morty's on the Birch Ward.

"What the hell?" Jake said, horrified.

"They're here," Milo said in horror, getting up. "Come on, we need to tell Jasmine!"

They ran along the corridor, peering into rooms to see which one Morty was in. On Milo's command, Magneton started using a charge attack, drawing his energy so he could attack at full power if needed. The golden light he emitted helped them as they looked.

"Room 27c is ajar," Milo told Jake, looking ahead. "This is it!"

"Stop where you are," came a voice. Milo ignored it; he was almost in Morty's room. Jake made a worried noise from behind him, which turned into a scream; Milo felt something strike him in the back and he crashed down to the ground. His face smashed the cold, tiled floor and he felt an erratic twitch across his back. Jake cried out in alarm.

Milo turned and opened his eyes; at the end of the corridor was a tall man wearing a long coat. He was standing with a Raichu at his side; the creature was on all fours with his sharp tail arched over him like a scorpion.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked, helping Milo up.

"That was a small shock," the man said, not trying to keep his voice down. "Next time I expect you to listen."

"Who the fuck are you?" Milo said. "Are you Volkner, or Jack?"

The man raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"My name?" he said, "Volkner. But I'm afraid I don't know who you are. I'm only here for Jasmine."

Milo's eyes flickered to his right, where the door to Morty's room was. He had been asked to protect Jasmine at any cost, but wasn't sure how to keep this man from being so antagonised. Jake was looking at him with hope, as if he knew what he was doing. But he didn't. Milo felt ice cold sweat trickle across his forehead and his heart pound.

"She's not here," he said simply.

"Oh?" Volkner asked. "She's not in Room 27c, seeing her boyfriend Morty?"

"N-No," Milo said, hesitating.

He reached into his pocket and felt for his phone. He brought it out, quietly and as discreetly as possible, and held it behind his back as he stared towards Volkner. With Magneton just behind him, Milo was hoping he could type out an order on his phone and get him to attack without uttering a word.

"I think you're lying," Volkner said. "Protecting her, maybe. Are you a friend? Another agent?"

"I don't know what you're on about," Milo said. Jake's eyes were wide, watching Milo.

"You're not aggressive enough to be an agent," Volkner summised. "You're terrified, I can tell."

Milo's thumb moved fast, punching buttons for Magneton to see.

U-S-E -- A -- L-O-C-K -- O-N -- A-I-M -- 4 -- FEET

"Nope," Milo said absently. "Not at all."

"This is taking too long," Volkner muttered. "Raichu! Use a thund-

"THUNDER!" Milo shouted, cutting him off. He threw himself against the wall as Magneton erupted with a huge cannon of sparks and electricity. The attack rocketed at Volkner before he issued his attack, smashing into his ankles and throwing him into the air. As Raichu bellowed in surprise, Milo spun around and hammered on the door.

"HE'S HERE!" he shouted. There was a fumbling, a scraping noise of a chair being pushed against the ground, and the zipping of a coat.

Volkner got up and pulled his sleeves up; Milo could see thick exo-skeletal devices clamped on to the man's wrists and across his fingers.

"Raichu, hit it with a dynamicpunch," he said. Raichu nodded, bounding over as his paws glowed with a white-hot energy. Magneton cartwheeled across the corridor and got out of the way, but as Raichu dived at him, he whipped his tail around and struck Magneton. Dizzied, he crashed into a vending machine with a burst of sparks.

The door opened and Jasmine appeared; she gasped at the sight of Volkner but ran behind Milo and Jake. Morty was still in his room, trying to untangle himself from the drip going into his body.

"Jasmine," Volkner said, smiling. He looked happy to see her, running a hand through his messy hair. "We need to talk."

"Magneton, use magnetism!" Milo said.

Throbbing, Magneton rose off the ground and brought with him twelve soda cans, bobbing up from the destroyed machine. On Milo's command, Magneton created an opposing magnetic force, hurtling the cans through the air as they repelled from his body. Volkner was struck in the head by one, two, three, while Raichu had one smack him in the stomach, throwing him to the ground.

"Run!" Milo said. Jasmine and Jake were ahead of him and tore down the corridor, making a sharp turn and heading towards the nearest staircase. Milo looked at Morty's room and, with a sudden stroke of genius, ordered Magneton to use his magnetic powers to keep the door firmly shut. As it slammed shut, Morty hammered his fists against it in protest, but Milo ignored him. He would be safe here.

At the end of the corridor, Jake threw himself at a fire escape door and leapt down the concrete steps. Jasmine cast a look behind her, but saw nothing of Volkner. Milo and Magneton brought up the rear.

"We need to get off at this floor," she said, as they ran.

"But we still have a few more flights to cover!" Jake said. "We need to get out!"

"He'll be expecting us to head all the way down; we'll cross the Elm Ward on the Second floor and take the staircase at the end of that," Jasmine said. "Trust me!"

"Okay!" Milo said, panicked.

She jumped the last few steps and, like Jake moments ago, threw herself at the thick door and pressed the bar to open it. The group staggered onto the quiet ward and, once the door was shut, Milo had Magneton use his magnetic abilities to bend the lock, twisting it into the wooden frame so it the door wouldn't open.

"I think he's pretty hurt," Jake said.

"Good idea using those cans," Jasmine said, not looking at Milo but instead charging ahead, walking quickly across the silent corridor.

"Thanks," Milo said, catching up with her. "Did you speak to Morty?"

"Yep," Jasmine replied.

"Is he -"

"He's fine," Jasmine said.

"Volkner won't hurt him, will he?" Jake asked.

"I expect not," Jasmine said. "These people… it's an eye for an eye with them. That's why they're hunting me, after all."

"But where do you draw the line?" said Jake. "People will always be getting hurt."

"I locked him in," Milo told them.

"It's not ideal," Jasmine told him. Milo noticed that she didn't answer the question. "Come on, we need to get out."

"We picked up a message from Volkner, to someone named Jack," Milo said. "I think there's a few of them in Ecruteak."

"Jack Surge," Jasmine muttered.

"Who is he?" Milo asked.

"Just another agent; a former US Marine who ran a gym in Kanto. From what I recall, he was kicked off the Kanto Gym Association for his inhumane treatment of challengers. He had an arena that gave electric shocks to the trainer if their Pokemon was hurt."

"Why did he do that?" said Milo.

"Toughened up trainers," Jasmine replied. "He went dark for a while after he lost his job, but he's re-emerged as a key figure in Stone's senior infastructure."

"We're going to have to get you out of here and fast," Jake said, as they ran down the opposite staircase towards the ground floor.

Their journey was silent; there was no sign of Volkner as they crossed the main lobby of the hospital, and soon the group slipped out the brightly-lit hospital and into the dark night. Milo's heart was pounding violently as he tried to understand everything that had just happened. How long would Volkner stay down for?

"The route gate is east," Jasmine said, looking around.

Milo led the group across a quiet street, avoiding the bright lights from street lamps and preffering to run through patches of shadow. Milo saw Jake looking around, all the time, like a timid creature watching for a predator. He was twitchy, over-reactive to the faintest snap or crunch.

Milo went to get Magneton's Pokeball, deciding to recall him, but Jasmine held a hand out in protest.

"Keep him out," she said. "He can pick up any text messages the agents might be sending. And his magnetism will help repel bullets."

"Bullets!?" Jake moaned.

Jasmine ran towards the edge of Ecruteak theatre, leaving Milo and Jake to exchange curious glanced before catching up. Jasmine kept changing the side of the road she ran on, leaping erractically across the city. After ten minutes or so, Milo was sluggishly clutching his side, thankful the Route Gate was in sight.

"Look, the gate is just there," Jasmine said, crouching in overgrowth and staring ahead. As it was open all hours, the building was lit up. Milo wondered if the guards inside knew of the bubbling chaos in the city. "But I don't think we should go through."

"No?" Jake said, confused.

"I say we cross the forest around it. Volkner and his team will have the exits covered; they had the sense to ambush us at the hospital, after all."

"She's right," Milo said, gasping as he caught his breath. "Let's go in a minute."

"Now!" Jasmine said, tearing through the thickened bushes and leaping over plants. Milo looked up at the sky; it was getting lighter now, the night was ebbing away and soon they would lose their cover. The boys ran after Jasmine beneath the shadowy canopy of trees, bursting past foliage and jumping over logs littering the forest floor.

Soon they were in the shadow of the Route Gate, but something alarmed Jasmine. Milo and Jake caught up to her, and found the girl examining something near the small, squat building. She was flexing her hand, trying to touch something in the air.

"What are you doing?" Milo asked.

"Stretch your hand out," Jasmine said, with dismay. "There's a forcefield here."

Milo reached out to the space in front of his face, but found an invisible barrier was preventing him from snatching the air. He moved his hand left, up, right, down, and found it was solid. As if on cue, there was a shimmering before them, and the three looked as the sparkling shield materialised, stretching high into the sky and arching over their heads towards the center of Ecruteak. It shot along the forest path around them, blocking the door to the route gate.

"The entire city is encased in a forcefield," Jasmine said, banging it lightly. "Shit!"

"It's okay!" Milo said, "Medicham can use Brick Break."

"It's not a reflect, or a light screen," Jasmine said, tapping it. "It's solidified air."

Jake's expression lit up.

"It must be a Mr Mime!" he cried.

"How do you know that?" Milo asked.

"In Violet City," Jake began, but was cut off by a rumbling noise deep in the woods beind them. The three turned to see something smash into a tree trunk, splintering it and causing debris to crash down to the ground.

Rolling along was an Electrode, wearing an angry sneer on the white portion of its face. The ball was crackling and emitting a low buzz, as if energy was building up inside it. Milo saw, walking in the creatures wake, was a tall, muscular man in army boots.

"Aha!" he cried. "Jasmine."

"Fuck's sake," Milo muttered, as the man neared. "Magneton, lock-on and get ready, k?"

Magneton nodded and stared at the big electric ball. Electrode gritted the teeth in his big mouth. As the man stood metres away from the three, he rolled his arm up, revealling a similar device to the one Volkner had.

"My name is Jack," he said, in his thick, booming voice. "I think it's time we talked."

"Magneton!" Milo said. "NOW!"

Magneton burst with energy; a thunderbolt rocketed through the air towards Electrode, pointed like an arrow with sparks trailing behind. The creature narrowed his eyes before leaping into the air, and as he did, the attack struck his body; he soaked up the electricity like a sponge and fell back into the earth, his smooth skin crackling. Magneton looked puzzled.

"Release!" Jack said.

A huge bolt was expelled from Electrode; it looked even bigger than Magneton's attack, with a shimmering quality to it that made Milo wonder if it was a mirror coat. Magneton sped out the way but wasn't able to avoid the attack completely; he was thrown backwards and clattered to the ground as the sheer force dizzied him.

"We need to teleport," Milo hissed to Jake, recalling Magneton and sending Medicham out of her Pokeball. She crossed her arms and studied the area for a moment.

"Medicham, lift Electrode with psychic," Milo said.

"Magnet rise!" Jack said.

As Medicham held a finger to her temple, Electrode throbbed and began to bob off the ground like a cork in water. He chuckled, a thick, hearty chuckle not unlike the playful tone in Jack's voice.

"That's clever," Jasmine said, fiddling for a Pokeball. But as she reached into her bag, she was thrown off her feet by an invisible force. Jake cried in alarm as a Mr Mime appeared at Jack's side; he had thrown Jasmine to the ground with a well-timed telekinetic swipe.

"Medicham, get in there and jump kick him," Milo said. Medicham ran along the arena towards Electrode, who was levitating with content.

She pounced into the air, drawing a leg in and aiming a kick at the gigantic ball. As she did, however, Electrode threw himself at her. He crashed into Medicham, causing her to fall to the ground as he bounced into the air.

"Medicham, pyschic!" Milo said. Medicham nodded, holding a hand out, but as she focused on Electrode she collapsed to the ground, clutching her head wearily.

Milo ran to her side and crouched down.

"Are you okay?" he said. Medicham looked incredibly vexed, but was staring at the Mr Mime with a look of disgust. Milo saw Mr Mime flexing his wooden fingers threateningly.

"It's called Imprison," Jack said. "Mr Mime is blocking Medicham's PSI."

"We can't teleport," Milo heard Jake hiss to Jasmine. Electrode bounced to Jack's side and he cracked his knuckles; because of the devices on his wrists, this caused sparks to jump from his arms.

"You can't run anywhere, Jasmine," Jack said coldly. "You can't teleport, and Ecruteak is completely contained within Mr Mime's barrier. I don't want to hurt these boys, so put your hands behind your head and walk over to me. Now."

Milo and Jake looked at Jasmine, who was not giving anything away in her expression. The forest was bathed in the glow of the sunrise, and as Milo saw Mr Mime furrow his brow, he realised they were trapped.

He had promised Morty he would protect Jasmine, and it felt frustrating that they were surrendering like this. But with Medicham having her powers surpressed…

Although as Milo thought, he realised Medicham was not powerless at all. Ever since he recieved her following William's death he had focused on her psychic powers, and mentor Chuck had often criticised Milo for ignoring her physical strength. Unless she mastered both, he used to say, she would never truly reach her potential. And he was right.

Mr Mime's involvement didn't mean Medicham's punches were any less powerful. Milo looked at her with an expression of knowing; she didn't need to read minds to know he was asking if she was up to the challenge. She stared back, and Milo understood.

"Look," Jasmine said, raising her hands behind her head. "Just don't kill me in front of these two. Please."

"You don't get to condition this," Jack said coldly, as she started walking towards them.

"Medicham," Milo said, eyes flickering into the air. Medicham nodded. Jack was watching Jasmine walk across the forest, and Jake was shaking as he tried to contain his tears. Electrode was crackling with energy and Mr Mime eyed the shining barrier encasing the city.

"GO!"

Medicham crouched and leapt up into the air. She was fast as a bolt; as she jumped high, her fists blazed with flames and she flew down towards Mr Mime. Jack gasped and Jasmine stopped walking momentarily, staring at the monkey.

Medicham landed behind Mr Mime and swung around on the spot; she delivered a clean fire punch to the clown's jaw and knocked him off his feet; as he clattered into the dirt, Medicham threw both hands in front of her as small orbs of light began to materialise around her.

The Hidden Power flickered through several shades until a copper colour was selected; she clapped her hands together and the orbs were given a rocky texture before they were thrown through the air and peppered Electrode like pebbles. With no way to push against the onslaught, he was rolled backwards effortlessly.

Jack charged up sparks in the devices on his arms. Milo urged Medicham to run back towards him, and she sprinted across the clearing as fast as she could. Jack clapped his hands together with such force that he let out a large, bull-like roar; a huge wave of sparks whooshed the air, but they missed.

Milo ran over to Medicham and grabbed her, pulling her into a tight hug and shielding her from any oncoming attacks. Jasmine looked lost for words.

"Mr Mime!" Jack shouted. "Get rid of them!"

Milo turned around, still holding Medicham close, to see the psychic Pokemon hold a finger to his temple. The other hand was held out at him, and it was glowing bright.

A thick blade of energy was growing in Mr Mime's hand, and as it got bigger he gripped it, before aiming and throwing it like a weapon at Milo and Medicham. Milo knew he couldn't avoid it, and held his best friend close as the attack neared. His body tensed up in anticipation; best to expect pain.

"MILO!" Jake screamed; the attack struck Milo in the back and with a flash of light, he and Medicham dissapeared. Jake collapsed to the ground, staring at the spot where his friend had just stood.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?" Jake said to Jack.

"Mr Mime can use Psyshock; it's a physical manifestation of PSI energy," he said. "Mr Mime's abilities like teleportation and mind-reading can be unleashed in physical form."

"Where did you send him?" Jasmine asked.

"Out of reach," Jack replied. "Now stop fucking about and let's go."

Jack grabbed Jasmine by the arm but as he did, Jake rolled a camoflagued Pokeball across the ground. Parasect burst out the ball and, using an x-scissor, struck the back of Jack's legs, causing him to stumble.

Jasmine struggled out his grip and ran to Jake, who had Parasect unleash a thick cloud of mixed spores. Mr Mime covered his nose and brought up a safeguard, but Electrode was out of range and breathed in a lungful of the toxic spores.

"RUN!" Jake said, fleeing through the woods. Holding his arm out, Jack fired off a bolt of sparks towards them, but they dashed between trees and avoided the attack.

They took cover behind a thick tree; Parasect fired off a bullet seed, unleashing rapid-fire pellets that peppered the ground near Jack's feet. Mr Mime held his hand out and tried ripping the tree from the ground; Jake and Jasmine looked for somewhere else to hide.

"Parasect! Bullet seed again!" Jake said. Again the mushroom leapt out from the tree and fired an onslaught of seeds; one struck Jack in the arm and he bellowed out in anger. Holding his other arm out, he fired off a bolt of lightning that struck Parasect head-on.

"Mr Mime rip that fucking tree out!" Jack shouted. Parasect ducked back behind the tree and as Mr Mime concentrated, the tree started to loosen from the roots binding it into the earth.

With a gigantic heave, the tree was thrown up in the air, but as it lifted to reveal Jake and Jasmine, Parasect threw himself through the air with surprising speed, his claws glowing. Mr Mime wailed as Parasect used an x-scissor to strike him down. Jake recalled his bug and the two ran on through the woods.

"Surge will be keeping Mr Mime alive, because as soon as he goes down, the barriers will go, too," Jasmine told Jake. Knowing the route gate was blocked off, they were running through the woods on the outskirts, not sure where to go.

"We need to figure out where the barriers finish," Jasmine continued. "They can't have encased the entire city, there must be an entry point for Volkner's team."

"How will we find out where it is?" Jake asked, ducking as a volley of sparks rushed across his head.

"We'll have to head back into the city," Jasmine said, taking cover behind a rocky outcrop. "The Tin Tower. It's the highest point in the city, we'll be able to see from there."

"The Tin Tower?" Jake cried. Jasmine released her own Magneton, which has a distinctly femenine croon in its voice. "We'll never make it! We need to find Milo."

"For now, we have to assume he's okay," Jasmine said, as Magneto fired off a flash cannon. The shimmering cannonball smashed into the ground and exploded, keeping Jack away. "Come on!"

Magneton glowed brightly and used a flash; a blinding light swept the woods, distracting Jack and his Pokemon. Under the cover of the intense glow, Jasmine and Jake ran back into Ecruteak City.

*

The sheer silence of the area was disturbing. Milo picked himself up out the earth and looked around. Medicham lay by his side, hurt. He got up and looked around.

Ahead of them was a huge stretch of water, and a rocky mountain whose peak pierced the clouds. Turning around, Milo saw Ecruteak City behind him, and understood he was on the other side of the Route Gate, in the shadow of Mount Mortar.

"What was that?" Milo said. "Mr Mime teleported us… shit. We need to learn how to do that."

Medicham shrugged, finding it hard to disagree how impressive the attack was.

"We could use it to make oncoming attacks dissapear, it's like a black hole, I guess," Milo said, walking towards the Route Gate. Medicham said her name twice, clearly agreeing. "But making PSI physical? It must take some intense training."

Medicham agreed once more.

"I bet Kazaar can do it," Milo said, remembering his brother's disciplined psychic solider. "He's incredible."

This time, his friend said nothing, simply walking alongside her trainer obediently.

"Maybe Mia's Gallade can use it, she was stron-

Medicham, sick of Milo, flicked her wrist and caused Milo to trip. He staggered forward, causing her to chuckle. Realising he was underselling his close friend, he apologised.

"We need to get back into the city," Milo said, as they approached the gate. He heard no noise from the other side, no attacks, no bursts of light, no voices. "I hope they're okay."

But the front door to the gate was blocked with the barrier that ran around the perimeter of the city. Milo felt it, tapping it, soon he was banging it violently, hammering it wildly.

"Damn it!" he snapped. Medicham timed a karate chop against it, but it was stubborn, and wouldn't move. They saw the barrier gleam as the sun started rising up from behind Mt Mortar; the protective dome was stopping them from getting into the city.

He collapsed against the barrier, staring up into the sky. Milo felt powerless, realising the beauty of Jack's technique to get him out the way without causing him harm.

"What are we going to do?" Milo asked Medicham. "We've failed."

*

In Goldenrod City, Falkner was woken up early by Chuck. It was 4am, the sun was beginning to show outside, but Chuck was already completely dressed.

"I haven't heard anything from Oscar," he said. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Eh?" Falkner said, rousing. "I don't know. Did you expect him to come back?"

"Well, yes," Chuck replied.

"I thought he was just going to do his thing," Falkner admitted, giving a long, lazy stretch. "Chuck, it's pretty early."

"Where would he have gone? Why wouldn't he have returned?" Chuck asked.

"Are you worried about him?" Falkner asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you two didn't get on?"

"We have our differences, but he's in a difficult place at the moment," Chuck said. "He acts like he doesn't care about the man he killed, but I know he does. He's 22 years old for God's sake."

"I don't think he'd be concerned about you," Falkner retorted. He didn't like Oscar one bit, and wasn't concerned with the boy's absence.

"It's something you learn with age," Chuck said.

"Well I don't care, I think he's dangerous," Falkner said. "Anyway, look at this."

He showed Chuck the message he recieved from EysNErs the day before, just as Oscar left the flat excitedly. Chuck read it, looking alarmed at the notion of 'sorting Oscar out'.

"Why didn't you show me this earlier?" Chuck asked. "This sounds serious!"

"I just forgot," he admitted, smirking. "Anyway, Eys is right. With the police after Oscar, he would hinder our progress."

"Progress," Chuck said, laughing. "What progress? We have no idea what to do. All we know is Stone's operations are way above our heads."

"We know who killed my father," Falkner reminded him.

"Well I suggest you go and do something about that. Avenge her, maybe," Chuck said. "This espionage, the danger we're in, it's not right. I only wanted my job back, and I've wound up knee-deep in international conspiracy."

"If you don't like it, leave," Falkner snapped, feeling irritated with Chuck's tone. He was about to reply when his phone buzzed; Falkner saw his light up, too, to a message from EysnERs.

From: EysNErs
I have important news. It's time we met for the first time. You can find me at the Skyloft Bar at 10am.

"Oh my God!" Falkner said, beaming. "We're going to meet Eys."

"This… changes things," Chuck said, intrigued. "I wonder what his news is."

*

As a golden glow filled Ecruteak's city center, Jake and Jasmine took cover behind Karen's Gym. The Tin Tower was in sight, standing proudly in the middle of a forest clearing north of the city.

Jake pressed himself against the wall of the building and looked around; he saw nobody, but Jasmine reminded him there may be people aiming at them from the trees, from other buildings, even just cloaked.

"Look," Jake said to her, "Why don't I get Pellipper to scope the air? See where the gap in the barrier is."

"No," Jasmine said firmly. "We need to go to the tower."

Magneton throbbed briefly, and Jasmine's phone started to vibrate. Picking it up, she saw a message that was being transmitted.

To: Volkner
What is your position? J


To: Jack
Near the base of tower.


To: Volkner
No sign of Milo. Don't think he's found the way back into the city.


To: Jack
Ignore him then. Meet me at the tower.

"They're there," Jasmine muttered, checking the messages again. She looked ahead, expecting to see them. "They knew we'd need to go there. They knew!"

"It's okay!" Jake said, assuring her. "Don't worry!"

"I'm not worried," the girl said firmly. She reached into her bag and pulled out a silver pistol, loading a cartidge into it. Jake recoiled, giving a sharp squeak.

"You have a gun!?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"A-And you didn't think to tell me?" Jake said, staring at it with a mix of fear and disgust. Jasmine checked the aim on it.

"I really didn't think I'd need it," she said airily, looking down the barrel. "And once I start shooting, so will they."

"Oh god," Jake said, gasping. "I… I think I'm going to puke."

"Okay, so we've got about a 500m run up to the clearing where the tower is," Jasmine said. "I'll head into the tower, and I want you to stay in the overgrowth and make sure nobody else goes in."

"What if it goes wrong?!" Jake said.

"We will be fine," Jasmine said, giving a business-like smile that lasted mere seconds. She tore off across the city, causing Jake to nervously run after her. He was terrified of the respnsibility that had crashed down upon him. And where was Milo?

They ran along the path; the silence was punctured by birdsong from the creatures in the woods, but their beautiful harmonies were hardly soothing to Jake. It sounded like a war cry. He didn't want to hear what Jasmine's gun sounded like.

Once they neared the tower, Jasmine dived left and into the shrubbery among the trees. Jake went behind a tree and pressed himself firmly against it, trying to be as discrete as possible. Nestled in a large bush, Jasmine looked around as Magneton tried to pick up a signal, hoping to hijack some more crucial information.

"Where are they?" Jasmine muttered to herself.

Jake released his Ditto, and asked him to morph into one of the Pidgeotto that was roosting in the trees above them. He had been tempted to send Pellipper as a spy, but worried that the pelican would look suspicious away from a port town. As Pidgeotto, Ditto took to the sky and flew around the area, looking for Volkner or Jack Surge.

"Maybe they're inside," Jake said.

"Maybe," Jasmine said. She watched Pidgeotto circling the tower with trepidation. "They'd want to spread out, though."

Just then, she saw a small group walk around the tower. Volkner was at the front, Raichu at his side, with two other men in dark clothing. The two other men had guns, covering Volkner as he looked into the sky.

"He's there!" Jasmine said. "Jack's either inside or after Milo. There's a chance that if we can get in, we're clear."

"But we need to get out, too," Jake said, though his words fell on deaf ears.

Suddenly, there was a sharp caw. Jake looked to see Volkner hurl a shockwave into the air from the device on his arm, striking Ditto, who fell limply out the sky. Jake cried in shock and ran through the overgrowth, revealling his position to the group.

"There!" Volkner said, pointing at him.

Jake stood there, a rabbit caught in headlights, as the two men with Volkner pointed their weapons. Seconds after Jake's Ditto hit the ground, Jasmine fired two shots at the men from behind Jake. The man on the left clutched his shoulder and fell to the ground while the other ran to the side of the tower, evading.

"Get back!" Jasmine shouted. Jake saw Ditto lose his Pidgeotto form, and grabbed the Pokeball, shooting it to catch the creature before it was hurt any further.

"Jasmine's in the overgrowth! Ignore him!" Volkner said, ordering his other man to the spot Jake had been hiding in.

Standing in the middle of the clearing, shaking, Jake didn't know what to do. The man kept his gun pointed at him but didn't fire; he was clearly just trying to intimidate him into staying still.

But as he ran to Jasmine's spot, she leapt out her hiding place and had Magneton fire a thunderbolt at the assilant. Struck in the torso, the man started spasming and collapsed in a heap as Magneton used her magnetism to repel the gun, throwing it far into the bushes.

Volkner stood by the tower, holding his apparatus forward. Jasmine held her gun at him, but he didn't back down a bit. Charging it, he fired off a rocketing bolt of sparks, but Magneton span on the spot and managed to siphon it away. Using her magnetic properties, she soaked up the attack and stored the electrodes for later use.

"Jake, cover me," Jasmine hissed.

Jake saw her walk slowly around him, edging towards the entrance to the tower. Fidgeting with his Pokeballs, Jake had Parasect blast a cloud of spores in Volkner's direction, ensuring he kept his distance. It also helped paralyse the man with a sore shoulder, preventing him from becoming a problem.

Parasect scuttled left and right, shooting pellets at Volkner that cracked like bullets. Seeing clouds of spores preventing him from attacking Jasmine, Volkner retreated around the back of the tower, dissapearing from view.

"He's coming around the other side," Jasmine said, eyes darting to the entrance. It'll take him a good couple of minutes to run right around."

Crouching down, she opened up her bag, not looking around for danger like she did previously. "Listen to me carefully.

"You need to hide. They're going to take you seriously now," she said, unzipping a compartment and rummaging furiously. "Come on, for fucks sake…"

She found what she wanted, and beckoned Jake to crouch, too. Looking into her eyes, the boy saw an unrivalled determination in her face.

"Head into the bushes, and keep Parasect with you," she said. "I'm going into the tower, but do not come out and follow me, do you understand?"

"Why not?" Jake asked.

"It's going to be easier," she said. "And look after this for me."

She handed something to him - a red and white Pokeball. Jake took it from her and minimised it, clutching it in his palm tightly.

"I have a lot to repent," Jasmine said, "The night I killed Adam Anderson I made his family suffer, and I incurred the wrath of his colleagues. But what you might not realise is the night I killed him, he had stolen a Pokemon. I recovered it."

Jake's mouth opened as he heard Jasmine's words.

"I've been trying to cross paths with you and Milo for so, so long," she said. "But Mr Mitchelson… he didn't feel it was my biggest priority. I thought when I accompanied him to Violet City, I might get a chance…"

"I remember," Jake said, recalling Mr Mitchelson's meeting with Milo and the subsequent evolution of Magnemite. "Milo thought he saw you in the car."

"Hold onto this," Jasmine said. "I think you know what's inside."

"What do you -" Jake stopped when it all made sense. Jasmine killed Adam Anderson at the Hyroglyph Palace, the night he and Milo were far too drunk. The night when he lost…

"Pichu?!"

"Stay in the bushes," Jasmine repeated, smiling as tears filled her eyes. "And keep him safe. Can you do that?"

"Absolutely!" Jake said, his lip trembling. "I… I can't -"

Jasmine beamed at him before turning and running into the tower. Remembering her advice, Jake and Parasect ran into the bushes and nestled into them, slightly further back than before. Parasect scattered spores around them and he, too, seemed overwhelmed at the brave act.

*

"Okay, so this should work," Milo said, standing outside Ecruteak. Banette was bobbing in the air, looking around. "Can you phase through that?"

The ghost flew through the air and melded into the atmosphere, re-appearing on the other side of the barrier that was blocking Ecruteak off. Milo cheered and Banette cackled, clicking his fingers with sass. He then flew back through the barrier, changing his molecular structure to filter through the solid object.

"Okay, so now take me," Milo said. Banette clutched his trainer's hand with his gnarled claw and pulled him through the solid barrier; Milo felt his limbs tingle as the feeling dissapeared, but only briefly.

Looking around at the plain, dismal forest, Milo congratulated himself on his ingenious idea. Morty had often used his Gengar to phase through solid surfaces, and thanks to the ghost's inclusion on his team he would now be able to do it, too.

Milo kept Banette out his Pokeball, thinking that he would also be able to phase through any oncoming attacks quite easily. They ran through the woods surrounding Ecruteak, Milo planning on going in a straight line to arrive in the city. However, he saw a huge rocket of sparks shoot into the sky further north, near the tin tower.

"What the fuck?" he said. The way the sparks shot with such velocity made Milo think it was one of the artificial devices used by the agents, so he decided to head over and see what was going on. Dropping from a run into a gentle jog, he ducked low, Banette sweeping along at his side.

Milo had flashbacks to when Morty used to spend days in the Tin Tower, and remembered the incident when he locked himself in and tried to commit suicide. Seeing his body hanging limply from the rafters, Milo shuddered. The golden light of the early morning took him back to that time, from the bitterness he felt after his break up with Whitney and the recent death of his brother.

He would be glad to leave Ecruteak again; it felt dirty and unhealthy, and the prospect of visiting Mahogany Town and carrying on his coordinating made Milo feel, if only for a flickering moment, filled with hope.

As he neared the tower, he saw two men lying on the ground, both dressed in dark clothing. One was unconcious, twitching slightly, while the other was lying in a pool of blood coming from his shoulder. Milo walked past them effortlessly; they didn't even notice him being there.

"Milo!?"

He looked to see a face pop up from the overgrowth; Jake was smiling, beckoning him over. Milo walked over, looking confused.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked. "Get down! Down!"

"What's going on?" Milo asked.

"Where did you go!?" Jake asked. Milo explained he was teleported out of the city boundaries, and had to use Banette's phasing to get through the solid barriers.

"I'm glad you're here, I was really worried!" Jake said. "Jasmine asked me to lay low while she went into the tower."

"Why is she going in there?" Milo asked.

"She's going to see where the gap in the barriers is," Jake explained. "I'm keeping a low profile. Volkner went in after her, but she explicity asked me not to follow."

"But we're supposed to protect her!" Milo said. "Jake, she won't be able to see where the barriers end from up there, there's no gap! The agents will be using ghost Pokemon to phase out. That's how I got back in."

"Really?" Jake asked. "Why would she go up?"

"Especially if agents could be waiting for her…" Milo said. "I don't like this at all. I'm going after her."

"Are you sure?" Jake said. There was a loud bang that echoed from inside the old structure; Milo saw, through one of the window frames, the distinct figure of Volkner race along a corridor.

"I have to," Milo said, tearing towards the entrance. Jake crouched low, worried.

*

On and on Jasmine ran, heading along a narrow corridor on the second floor of the building. The Tin Tower was a narrow structure, with corridors running around the inside. The staircases were always at opposing ends of the building.

Jasmine saw Volkner entering the building as she neared the second floor staircase. Looking down the central shaft, she saw him pull out a pistol and fire two shots that missed.

"JASMINE!" he roared. She hurried up the next staircase as he made his way across the ground floor. Magneton was still out of her Pokeball; she would become important later.

As she walked past chambers that shot off the main corridor, Jasmine thought of Morty, lying in hospital. He had confessed to coming here often when he had been depressed; it was such an archaic building Morty had enjoyed reflecting in here. And as she passed beautiful tapestries and ornate statues, Jasmine understood.

Most floors looked simple but elegant and refined, and it was only when she climbed higher and arrived in a room floor featuring three ornate statues that Jasmine was truly in awe of the structure. The statues were of the legendary Pokemon Raikou, Entei and Suicune. They formed a triangular structure, each looking proud and incredibly majestic. Jasmine stopped, very briefly, to stroke the mane of the Suicune statue. Once, as a child, she could have sworn she had seen this creature near her home.

Realising she was delaying, the girl continued to cross the room, but jumped in shock when she saw a figure descending down the stairs ahead. Thick black army boots, dark trousers, a muscular frame… it was Jack Surge.

"Gotcha," Jack said, smirking. Jasmine looked at him with fury, but realised with Volkner on her tail, she was trapped.

Though the device was strapped to his arm, and charging with sparks, Jack had a gun, and held it at Jasmine as he made his descent into the room.

"Jasmine, this has gone on too long," he said, loading the gun. "This is for Adam Anderson."

He pulled the trigger, and two loud bangs filled the chamber, but though Jasmine flinched and huddled low, she felt no pain. Magneton throbbed with magnetic energy and the bullets curved, flew up and stuck against the creature's left unit. Jack was bewildered.

Jasmine nodded, and Magneton repelled the attack, firing one bullet back into Jack's knee. He roared in agony as his kneecap split, falling to the ground with a thud as blood leaked from his wound.

"That won't kill you," Jasmine said coldly. "Don't worry."

Jack, on his side, clutched the metal apparatus on his wrist and an attack started to build up. But Magneton fired the second bullet from her body and it struck the device, causing a loud bang and a shivering burst of sparks to engulf Jack. His screams filled the room, but Jasmine carried on.

*

Milo ran across the Tin Tower, and up the first flight of stairs, but couldn't see Volkner anywhere. There was no sign of Jasmine, either, so he hurried along in a desperate attempt to catch up with them.

He passed two bullet marks in the wall of the first floor, and wondered who had fired them. Passing an open window, Milo got a glimpse of the clearing beneath them; Jake wasn't hiding as well as he thought.

Running quickly along the long corridor, Milo remembered Morty locking himself in once. He had been doing heroin, and Milo only managed to get in by flying through an open window on the back of his Flygon.

Luckily, he didn't need such desperate measures to catch up; as he ran up the staircase to the next floor, Milo could hear Volkner's voice.

"Jack! What the fuck happened!"

Milo stayed half way up the staircase; this one curved, so he wouldn't be spotted. Jack was making groaning noises, and breathing deeply. He sounded hurt.

"She shot me! Her Magneton repelled the bullets into my leg. And she used one to shoot the prototype."

"Look, she hasn't caused much injury," Volkner muttered. "She's cornered, anyway, we have her. Where did you send Milo?"

"Outskirts," Jack moaned.

"The other boy fled," Volkner said. "If I'd known we'd have spent all night doing this I would have killed Morty, just to make a point."

"I'm fine here," Jack said. "Mr Mime can teleport me away when we're finished."

Footsteps suggested Volkner made his way towards the next floor; Milo started getting up from his position half way up the spiral staircase, and he slowly crept up to confirm that it was just Jack Surge on the floor.

He was screwing his eyes shut, curled up in the corner of the room. Milo remembered this room, decorated with ornate statues of the three legendary dogs. William had always been fond of Raikou, the dog able to weild bolts of lightning. The device strapped to Jack's arm was blackened and had a huge gaping tear across the arm; the resulting bang seemed to have hurt him.

"Fuck," Milo whispered.

Jack's eyes flickered open, and he saw Milo. Alarmed, he spluttered something and tried to rise to his feet, but it seemed to cause him far too much pain. Instead, he got into a sitting position, reaching for the gun on the floor.

His fingers clasped around it, and he pulled it up to take aim, but a howling noise filled the room and Banette swept towards him. With a swipe, Banette stole it from the man's grasp and cackled as he flew back to his trainer.

"Throw it across the room," Milo said. Banette nodded, chucking it into a corner where it could do no damage. Jack Surge roared in frustration, clicking his finger and trying to summon Mr Mime.

With a pop, the creature emerged before Milo, his finger tips glowing. Narrowing his eyes at the foe, Milo ordered Banette to attack. Bobbing on the air, Banette looked intrigued at the foe, and placed his feet on the ground, squaring up.

Milo realised if he could knock Mr Mime out, the barriers would drop from around Ecruteak City. Is that why Jasmine came here? If she could hold off Volkner by herself, maybe he would be able to save her.

"Shadow claw, go!"

*

On the 11th floor, Jasmine was already exhausted. An aching stitch in her side was sharp and subtle at the same time, jousting between her ribs and causing her to lag.

She heard something behind her; footsteps, and the loading of a gun. Turning, Jasmine saw Volkner running up the stairs, holding out a gun and cocking it at her.

Bang. Magneton concentrated and sent the bullet into the floor, where it grazed the coarse wooden floorboards. Volkner was undeterred, firing two more shots, but Magneton effortlessly kept them away from Jasmine. The creature fired a sonicboom in the direction of the attacker. Volkner had dived to the left, and was up against the wall as the attack cracked into the space he just left.

Jasmine didn't have the energy to look behind her, and clambered up the stairs as Volkner gave chase. These stairs were longer, grander, carved with ancient words of wisdom.

The Soul transcends life, and death

The Soul…

Fog does not obstruct, but shield

Morty's badge was the Fog badge...

Jasmine wondered if he was okay, alone in the hospital, anxious for her safety. She had always been able to fend for herself - in fact, that was what had spooked him when she effortlessly shot Oscar in Azalea. That she wasn't in need of protection.

Thinking of her argument with Morty - and the whirlwind romance that followed - made Jasmine sad. She had spent so long being shy, if only she realised he was not obstructing, that Morty was actually here to love her unconditonally, to protect her. It was only now, in this moment of peril, she realised how perfect he was.

She was finally here, on the top floor of the tower. It was neater, less fussy here, though the back wall had a huge painting of an elegant red phoenix against it. Jasmine walked slowly across the room, where there was a huge open window frame that looked across not only Ecruteak City, but Goldenrod, too.

Thud, thud. Slowly Volkner came up the staircase, reloading his gun. Magneton hovered in the air, staring at him. He looked exhausted himself, distracted by the sunrise.

"Beautiful," he said, letting out a loud exhale. "Take a look at it, will you? A nice image for your last."

He shot her, but once more Magneton repelled it; Jasmine saw her magnet Pokemon re-direct the bullet out the window, where it fell limply to the ground below. Volkner swore loudly.

"If it's frustrating you, then stop doing it," she said simply. "Stop shooting, Volkner."

"That," Volkner said, pulling the trigger again - Magneton throbbed and fired it back at him, so close that he had to crouch to stop the bullet lodging in his neck - "is my job."

"I understood your job involved managing Stone's criminal empire," Jasmine said.

"It's to do as my seniors say," Volkner told her, disgusted at her tone. "And I've been ordered to kill you."

"But you haven't done it," Jasmine said.

"I'll kill you, Jasmine," he grumbled, fiddling for a Pokeball. Jasmine didn't smile, but she was anything but stressed. Magneton vibrated, and Volkner was surprised to see his Pokeballs shrink into their minimised forms.

"If you're going to attack me with Pokemon, then I'll have to do something about it," she said. "Magneton's keeping those Pokeballs firmly locked."

"Fucks sake!" Volkner shouted. "Why aren't you hurting me? Why did you come up here?"

"If I hurt you, your men will hurt my employer," Jasmine said. "This eye-for-an-eye thing… it mustn't continue."

"It's business," Volkner told her. "And you deserve to pay for what you did for Adam Anderson."

"That's why you've been strangling women," Jasmine asked. "To make me suffer?"

"None of them were ever going to die, I wouldn't do that," Volkner said. "It was perfect. We needed to test the prototype devices we were making, and I needed to flush you out."

"That's awfully cruel," Jasmine said, looking at him with pity. "How does it make you feel?"

"It doesn't," Volkner replied. "That's the trick to working for Steven Stone."

"I felt awful the moment I killed Adam," Jasmine admitted. "I haven't had a full nights sleep since it happened all those months ago."

"You should feel awful," Volkner said. "He was a good man."

"And I a good woman," Jasmine argued. "Think of how much hurt you'll cause when you put a bullet in my head, in the head of a good woman."

"It isn't about that!" Volkner cried, losing his composure. "I'm following orders!"

"So was I!" Jasmine cried.

"So we're all a bunch of hypocrites, is that your point?" Volkner asked.

"My point," Jasmine said. "Is that this is never going to end. It's an ugly cycle where good people die, and someone needs to put a stop to it."

She looked across Johto for a moment, taking in the beautiful sight of the continent bathed in golden light. As she was distracted, Volkner fired another bullet, but Magneton effortlessly stopped it, firing it into the wall. Jasmine turned back to look at him, almost with dissapointment.

"I haven't slept for months," Jasmine said, and Volkner saw for the first time that tears were in her eyes. "I don't know what to do. The only way to stop this cycle, and the only way for me to get any peace is to stop you from taking my life.

"I must take it myself."

Jasmine, standing by the large window frame, took a deep breath and stepped forward. Her body plunged down out of view as she felt twelve stories to the ground below. Volkner cried out in alarm and immediately ran for the staircase.

*

Mr Mime charged a shadow ball up between his hands and launched it into the air; Banette pulled left and swept along the wall, before building a crackling energy in his claws and swiping at the clown.

"Mr Mime," Jack murmured. He was losing conciousness and not directing his Pokemon well. The psychic type was not agile, and was falling victim to Banette's evasive properties.

"Will-O-Wisp!" Milo commanded. As flames crackled along Banette's claw, he held his arm out and blasted fireballs through the air. The flames, a devilish periwinkle-blue, banged and popped as they smashed into the foe's body, throwing him back.

"Now, faint attack!" Milo said. Banette melted into the air, giggling wildly and re-appearing high in the air. Mr Mime charged another shadow ball up, but Banette disappeared once more.

"Ice punch!" came Milo's order. Emerging behind Mr Mime, Banette's fist was encased in icy crystals, and he slammed a punch into his back, throwing him to his knees.

Milo heard a cry upstairs, and moments later there were thundering footsteps. Jack didn't seem to notice, slouched in the corner. Suddenly a colourful blur briefly dropped through the sky, past the open window. Milo ran to the edge and looked down to hear a sickening crunch, and a blood-splattered figure sprawled in the clearing.

"Jasmine?" he uttered, feeling a bilious gurgle in his stomach. He turned to see Volkner race down the steps and along the corridor, ignoring Jack Surge.

"HEY!" Milo shouted, but Volkner said nothing. Milo ran after him, Banette flying alongside. Jasmine had been pushed out the window… there was no way she could survive that…

He released Medicham and asked her to teleport them to the entrance to the tower. She nodded, and took Milo and Banette along with her in a single pop.

Re-emerging in the entrance, Milo ran outside to see Jake screaming at Jasmine's side. He ran over, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to prevent being sick. Blood was leaking out the back of Jasmine's head, her neck was broken at an awkward ankle, but her eyes were perfectly, blissfully shut. She was almost swan-like.

"W-What happened?" Jake asked, a hand over his mouth. "I saw her just…"

"I don't know!" Milo cried. "Oh my God, fuck, Jasmine!"

Instinctively, Milo felt for a pulse on her wrist, and was convinced he was checking the wrong place as he moved his hands up and down her pale skin, desperate for a gentle thud of life…

"No, no, no!"

Emerging from the tower was Volkner, who looked across at the boys without coming over. Milo rose to his feet, having crouched at Jasmine's side.

"YOU!" he screamed. "YOU KILLED HER!"

"She fucking jumped," Volkner spat, exasperated.

"Liar!" Jake screamed.

"She did!" Volkner said. "She took her own life, I didn't get the chance."

"You…" Milo snarled, running over to him. He swung a punch and slugged Volkner in the stomach; the man groaned, but grabbed Milo's neck in recoil. The device on his arm began to vibrate and pulsate, and Milo found himself unable to lessen his tight grip, his eyes screwed shut…

Expecting a rush of searing hot sparks flooding into his body, Milo was surprised not to feel anything. He opened his eyes to see Medicham holding a hand out, levitating Volkner a foot off the ground. She threw her hand out, and he was propelled several metres back through the air, slamming into the earth.

Milo was full of anger, rage was bubbling inside where grief and hysterics had recently surfaced. Volkner lay on the ground as Milo returned back to Jasmine's side, staring down at her beautiful form, now destroyed.

Jake was a mess, sobbing uncontrollably, shaking wildly as he stared at Jasmine's body. While Milo was feeling rattled with wild, undistilled emotions, he was still distracted enough to take his eye off Volkner, who had dissapeared among the overgrowth.

"We failed," Milo wept, looking at the girl's broken body.

*

Were he to look back on the events that evening, the one thing that would surprise Milo was how efficient, how quick, how businesslike everything was done. The police and an ambulance arrived, and Jasmine's body was gently lifted into a black, crinkled bag. Milo and Jake walked to the hospital as the ambulance's wailing rang out into the air, as if it, too, was mourning something.

They didn't speak, and walked fast as the morning unfolded. Both seemed exhausted of speech, drained from the events of the evening, unable to begin unravelling the many feelings knotted together in their hearts in case everything flooded out, raw and painful.

Milo led them through the hospital, across the Birch Ward and past a pair of men setting up a brand-new, glowing white vending machine. They turned left at the nurse's station and walked towards Morty's room, a heavy feeling in their stomachs.

It was their job to break the news, their job to lay their souls out for Morty to see how torn they were over Jasmine's death. Like before, the door was ajar. But unlike before, there were voices from the room.

"Morty?" said Milo, his voice escaping like a rattling croak. A tall figure left the room, buttoning his suit up as he turned.

"Milo?" said the man. It was Michael Mitchelson.

"Dad!" Milo said. "What… I…"

"It's okay," Michael said, embracing his son. "He's been informed, Milo.

"Everything's going to be okay."




Next chapter
Milo and Jake leave for Mahogany Town, shaken by the recent events. Milo finds the small village swarming with coordinators entering the Lake of Rage contest, but is most intrigued by Kaspa Karlson, a record-breaking coordinator with an unusual past. Meanwhile, shaken by Jasmine's death, Michael gathers Falkner and Chuck and prepares his scheme to take Steven Stone down for good.


Notes

-This was a really exciting chapter to write, culminating the short and quite frantic Ecruteak arc. As with Azalea, I wanted to keep a lot of things held back until the very end, for everything to suddenly make sense - when it's too late.

-Jasmine has been a really strong presence since the start, when she was spying on Milo in Ch2, and her unknown role as a spy during the Goldenrod chapters. I'm incredibly fond of her, and her role in the fic, and when I was looking at developing this story, the conclusion I reached here seemed the most logical for her character.

-There's more on it in the next chapter, as Milo, Jake, Michael and Morty dissect what happened. If you imagine Jasmine telling Morty exactly what she was going to do in the hospital, the way she acts and the way everything unfolds kind of takes on a different tone, as if she was suddenly fired up to do it.

-I think she has been incredibly depressed, but no less driven.

-It was great writing the action scenes, especially featuring Volkner and Surge. There's going to be much more of them.

-The next arc is also really exciting; Milo prepares to get his fifth ribbon and is irked by Kaspa Karlson, a very, very skilled coordinator who is also competing at Lake of Rage. He's handsome, clever and very popular, with a really, really good team.

-He was originally called Carl, and was actually mentioned in the Goldenrod arc. Adam Anderson, who stole Pichu, was trying to find Carl to steal his Dragonite. Eventually I decided on the name change.

-I'd love to know your feedback, guys.

See you next chapter!

[BTPoke]

SO many good things about this chapter! And such a great time for me to get on board with the comments!

Milo went to get Magneton's Pokeball, deciding to recall him, but Jasmine held a hand out in protest.

"Keep him out," she said. "He can pick up any text messages the agents might be sending. And his magnetism will help repel bullets."

"Bullets!?" Jake moaned.

Well you can never be too careful, jake.

"What was that?" Milo said. "Mr Mime teleported us… shit. We need to learn how to do that."

Medicham shrugged, finding it hard to disagree how impressive the attack was.

"We could use it to make oncoming attacks dissapear, it's like a black hole, I guess," Milo said, walking towards the Route Gate. Medicham said her name twice, clearly agreeing. "But making PSI physical? It must take some intense training."

Medicham agreed once more.

"I bet Kazaar can do it," Milo said, remembering his brother's disciplined psychic solider. "He's incredible."

This time, his friend said nothing, simply walking alongside her trainer obediently.

"Maybe Mia's Gallade can use it, she was stron-

Medicham, sick of Milo, flicked her wrist and caused Milo to trip. He staggered forward, causing her to chuckle. Realising he was underselling his close friend, he apologised.

I like that little bit of Milo "underselling" his own partner. really shows how loyal he is to her. *sarcasm*

Medicham crouched and leapt up into the air. She was fast as a bolt; as she jumped high, her fists blazed with flames and she flew down towards Mr Mime. Jack gasped and Jasmine stopped walking momentarily, staring at the monkey.

Medicham landed behind Mr Mime and swung around on the spot; she delivered a clean fire punch to the clown's jaw and knocked him off his feet; as he clattered into the dirt, Medicham threw both hands in front of her as small orbs of light began to materialise around her.

The Hidden Power flickered through several shades until a copper colour was selected; she clapped her hands together and the orbs were given a rocky texture before they were thrown through the air and peppered Electrode like pebbles. With no way to push against the onslaught, he was rolled backwards effortlessly.

Even with her abilities hindered, Medi doesn't cease to impress me.

With a gigantic heave, the tree was thrown up in the air, but as it lifted to reveal Jake and Jasmine, Parasect threw himself through the air with surprising speed, his claws glowing. Mr Mime wailed as Parasect used an x-scissor to strike him down. Jake recalled his bug and the two ran on through the woods.

Parasect does a pretty good job of impressing me, too.

She handed something to him - a red and white Pokeball. Jake took it from her and minimised it, clutching it in his palm tightly.

"I have a lot to repent," Jasmine said, "The night I killed Adam Anderson I made his family suffer, and I incurred the wrath of his colleagues. But what you might not realise is the night I killed him, he had stolen a Pokemon. I recovered it."

Jake's mouth opened as he heard Jasmine's words.

"I've been trying to cross paths with you and Milo for so, so long," she said. "But Mr Mitchelson… he didn't feel it was my biggest priority. I thought when I accompanied him to Violet City, I might get a chance…"

"I remember," Jake said, recalling Mr Mitchelson's meeting with Milo and the subsequent evolution of Magnemite. "Milo thought he saw you in the car."

"Hold onto this," Jasmine said. "I think you know what's inside."

"What do you -" Jake stopped when it all made sense. Jasmine killed Adam Anderson at the Hyroglyph Palace, the night he and Milo were far too drunk. The night when he lost…

"Pichu?!"

My god, THANK YOU for finally reuniting them! I've been wanting to see that for oh so long!

"Okay, so this should work," Milo said, standing outside Ecruteak. Banette was bobbing in the air, looking around. "Can you phase through that?"

The ghost flew through the air and melded into the atmosphere, re-appearing on the other side of the barrier that was blocking Ecruteak off. Milo cheered and Banette cackled, clicking his fingers with sass. He then flew back through the barrier, changing his molecular structure to filter through the solid object.

"Okay, so now take me," Milo said. Banette clutched his trainer's hand with his gnarled claw and pulled him through the solid barrier; Milo felt his limbs tingle as the feeling dissapeared, but only briefly.

Looking around at the plain, dismal forest, Milo congratulated himself on his ingenious idea. Morty had often used his Gengar to phase through solid surfaces, and thanks to the ghost's inclusion on his team he would now be able to do it, too.

I don't know HOW that didn't occur to me that Milo should've done that in the first place.

Oh man, Jasmine's dead? Damn, I loved her as a character! That's what makes a good story, though, when you're not afraid to kill off one of the important characters. This story really kind of shows you that not everything's sunshine and rainbows in the pokemon world.

I also think you showed off Volkner and Surge rather well, and I'm glad some more of Magneton's skills were utilized in this chapter.

Anyway, great story so far, can't wait to read more

[Chris 2.1]

BT Poke: Hey! Glad you liked the chapter. It was really exciting to write, I was very happy to reunite Jake and Pichu! I actually wasn't going to do it, originally, and when I came to write it I just had to. He's going to be a bit overbearing to the little mouse, I think!


Here's the new chapter, starting the Mahogany arc! Do let me know what you think guys!

Show-Off
-XXXIII-
Mint Julep

All Milo knew was that sadness and grief had left him. He was quite alone, staring across a vast body of water that sparkled in the tangerine glow of a beautiful sunset.

With a sigh, he smiled. He wasn't even in any pain, it was quite remarkable. Nestling down onto a grassy bank, he held his knees up to his chest, wondering where he was. It felt foreign, but with an unusual familiarity to it, like finding a childhood toy or seeing a photograph from a new, different angle.

The silence and the serenity was punctured, however, when Milo started hearing a furious splashing. In the distance, far across the lake, something was struggling in the water. Alarmed, Milo got to his feet and tried to see what it was; he could make out a long, elegant neck and wings.

"Hello?" Milo said. "Are you okay?"

Without hearing it reply, Milo knew something was wrong; the creature was struggling, splashing and dipping beneath the surface. Milo wanted to help it; seeing the creature suffer, hearing stifled gasps were upsetting him. But while the creature fought to stay afloat, Milo knew he couldn't get near.

"You can't help her." came a voice.

Milo saw Luna sit beside him calmly, staring ahead. She was wearing a pretty linen dress adorned with lemons, limes and watermelons.

"I want to," Milo said rationally. "She needs my help."

"You can't do anything from here," Luna said. "Trust me."

"Can I trust you?" Milo said. "You just come and go when you please, you never offer any explanation. I need support, Luna. I need you more than ever."

She turned to him, and smiled.

"You're confused because when we met in person I wasn't captivated by you," she said, reffering to their encounter in Ecruteak. There was an almost sinister twinkle in her eye. Milo understood it to be a glint of power; Luna was in control here.

"You barely remembered me," Milo said.

"You bring me into your dreams," Luna said, "I'm not compliant in this. You do it. So tell me. Why do you want me here?"

"Because I like you," Milo insisted. "You're beautiful, and talented, and I haven't met anyone like that before…"

"Well, you should stop sleeping with loose women," Luna said, winking. "Maybe you bring me here because when you have one-night stands, you miss the non-physical intimacy of a proper lover. Maybe you want to feel like you know me, so when we meet you're comfortable in my company."

"That's amazing," Milo said, smiling.

"Don't thank me," she replied. "We're in your head, Milo."

*

Milo looked around; he was in the hospital, he must have been sleeping in his chair. Light was filtering in through the thick windows of the hospital, and the beeps, echoes of firm heels on hospital floors and low murmur of conversation filled his ears again. Jake was walking over.

"Hey," Milo said, rubbing his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

"Fine," Milo said. "Absolutely fine."

"We're meeting your father in half an hour," Jake said, "Do you want a coffee?"

"No," Milo said, getting up. "I'm okay."

Jake had returned with their Pokemon; Medicham and Magneton had been particularly exhausted from the night before, while Jake's Parasect had fought bravely. Milo was impressed how powerful the mushroom creature had become; his bullet seeds had been devestating, just as strong as the bullets Jack and Volkner had fired. Magneton's intense magnetic powers had also helped save their lives.

All of the blissful ignorance of his dream were long gone; Milo's body was aching, there was a slight pain in his chest, and he was engulfed in a thick fog of dark thoughts. Jake refused to nap while they were waiting for the day to start; he said he was terrified of falling asleep and seeing Jasmine's body in his dreams.

As the boys walked through the hospital, they passed the Elm ward, and a voice called Milo's name out from a private room. He turned to see Frankie lying in her bed, an abandoned breakfast on a tray across her lap. She beckoned him over.

"Frankie," Milo said, walking into her room. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yea, the damage is superficial," Frankie said. Milo could see bruising and welts across her neck and face - from where Volkner had strangled her days before. "The burns on my neck are fading, they don't think I'll have any scarring."

"That's good to hear," Jake said.

"And Karen was discharged," Frankie said. "Apparently she's left Ecruteak, though. The gym's abandoned."

"Johto's Gym's are getting awfully quiet," Milo said.

"Listen… I heard about Jasmine," Frankie said, sitting up straighter to look at Milo. "About her death."

"Yea," Milo said.

"I had no idea… I mean… I didn't realise what you'd gone through last night, it sounds awful," she said. "You're lucky to be alive."

"Thanks," Milo said, smiling weakly. "I'm glad it's over."

"Thank you for all your help," she said. "Those guys strangling women in Ecruteak won't be coming back. And... I'm sorry for the attitude, and the grudges…"

"We're all adults here," Milo said, shrugging it off. Frankie sat up and opened her arms; Milo leant in and gave her a quick, though comforting hug. Though she was in hospital, she had a peppery fragrance on; it hit Milo in the nostrils instantly.

"You're a good guy," she said.

"Look, we have to go," Jake mumbled, jerking his thumb towards the door.

"We do," Milo replied. "Give my best to the girls."

"We'll be cheering for you at your last contest," Frankie said, smiling.

*

Felicity Flickur pursed her lips, smearing a generous dose of lipstick on. She tied her thick, blonde hair into a tidy bun and nipped it into place, before tying an apron on and walking across the staff room.

"How was your evening?" Felicity asked her colleague, Dionne. Dionne didn't look up as she leafed lazily through a magazine.

"Cut some coupons, cut my toenails, you know, typical friday," she replied in her low voice. Dionne didn't ask after Felicity's evening.

"Lookin' busy?" asked Felicity.

"Only a suit and two poor kids," Dionne replied, licking her finger and leafing through a magazine.

Felicity smirked and walked into the diner, where there was just one table of customers. Jazz music was idly filtering into the room from an old stereo as Felicity walked towards the occupied table. Her bright red heels, a recent purchase, were shiny and new, clicking against the smooth, cold tiles of the diner. The raw, sharp scent of onions filled the air as the chef, Ali, chopped furiously.

"Chop them in the kitchen hun!" Felicity snapped, before walking over to the table. "Ready to order?"

Michael Mitchelson perused the menu, opting for a salmon and cream cheese bagel. Milo chose a stack of pancakes while Jake eyed the granola.

"I'll level with you, hun," Felicity said. "See the chewy bits in granola?"

"They're my favourite," Jake said dreamily.

"Yea, that's the cereal we forget to put in an air-tight box," she admitted, causing Jake to clutch his mouth in disgust. "I'll get you a fruit platter cutie."

The three had their coffee refilled, and Michael loosened his tie.The small diner was on the outskirts of town, and it was Michael who had suggested they meet here.

"How are you feeling?" he asked them both. "Honestly."

"Exhausted," Milo said.

"Sad," added Jake.

"Look… last night was an awful experience for you both," Michael said. "Morty alerted me as soon as Jasmine visited him in his room, and I got here as quickly as possible."

"Couldn't you teleport?" Milo said.

"Kazaar has been… busy," Michael said simply.

"Look, Jasmine told us everything," Milo said. "About working for you, and your mission to fight Steven Stone's empire. How did all of this happen without us knowing?"

"Your mother knows," Michael said, "And William got involved, briefly. He was confident that the thefts in Goldenrod City were not the work of greedy individuals, but calculated acts by a clever organisation. He had contacts at the police, and logged all the thefts, noting any patterns and common themes.

"I don't know how much you've noticed about them, Milo, but there's a structure to the thefts. The most valuable Pokemon are well-bred, good species that can be sold as coordinating Pokemon. The second are rare Pokemon that can be bred to produce more of that species.

"We noticed the former being common in Goldenrod - and that thefts took place around contests in the city. Think about it - the Goldenrod Contest is an excellent opportunity to see the talent on offer."

"A coordinator named Oliver had his Delcatty stolen," Jake said, remembering their time in Goldenrod. "And it was after he entered the contest."

"That was Jasmine's work," Michael admitted, "as part of her work as a double agent in Stone's organisation. One of the toughest things she had to do, she told me. Stealing from an innocent boy. Thankfully, months later, we were able to recover the Delcatty as we intercepted a shipment of stolen Pokemon."

"So, you found this stuff out," Milo said. "And why didn't you tell the police?"

"William knew people in the police were losing information on purpose - corruption was rife. He also began to notice journalists being coerced into not reporting bigger crimes or leading the public astray. One, a man named Jonty Ink, has been missing for several months."

"Jonty?" Milo said, feeling a horrible, icy plunge in his stomach. He remembered the charming journalist fondly; it was he who had told them of the thefts in the first place.

"So why did you stop?" he added, hoping if he kept talking he'd stop focusing on Jonty's mysterious dissapearence. "Jasmine said Stone cornered you."

"Our technology was beaten by his," Michael admitted. "Stone's Porygon-Z, unique as far as I can tell, iniltrated our computers, stole all our data, gave him all the knowledge he needed to blackmail me. When my family's safety was threatened, I knew I had to back down."

"And what happens now?" Milo asked.

"That's why I'm here," Michael said, sighing. "I need to console Morty. He's feeling angry and broken in equal measures, and naturally he's going to want to take Stone down. I also need to meet with Jasmine's family. They need to hear the truth. They think she was pushed, but all evidence suggests she chose to jump."

"Why would she jump?" Jake asked. "Surely those guys shot her?"

"No gun wounds," Michael said simply. "Morty seems to think Jasmine planned it all along. That she was ready to go, from the moment she found out she was targetted. She couldn't live with herself any more."

"Do you believe him?" Milo asked.

"He wouldn't make it up; he knew her best," Michael said. "Morty also understands depression in ways I cannot."

"Is he angry with you? I mean… Jasmine worked for you… she did all this -"

"He doesn't blame me for her actions," Michael said firmly, as if this had weighed on his mind recently. "But I expect her family will feel it's my fault their daughter ended her life like this."

"Will Jack and Volkner be after us now?" Jake asked. "Will we need witness protection or something?"

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know," Michael said. "I don't think they know who you are."

"They did sound like they weren't going to harm us as we were innocent," Milo recalled. "But we know them now, Dad, we can help you out."

"No," Michael said firmly. "No, Milo, I want you both to keep out of this."

"But you have Jasmine and Morty working for you, they're not much older than me," Milo said.

"I'd like to point out I'm eighteen, and totally too young to be involved," Jake muttered.

"It's not an age thing," Michael said. "They're both trained in combat, they can use a gun, and they use their Pokemon exceptionally. Morty's phasing and teleportation were helpful, Jasmine's steel types helped tinkering technology. And you should see what my Accounts Manager Lorelei can do."

"Why did you let Will get involved?" Milo asked.

"Look, we never found out what caused the crash that killed Will," Michael said. "But he was on the brink of a discovery. In my darkest hours I blamed myself, that he was killed by one of Stone's men."

Milo couldn't believe what he was hearing; he had never heard compassion or sorrow from his father before, and experiencing such doses of it was alarming. He wanted to comfort him as he talked about William, but he was unsure how he felt.

"Will has gone, it would be wrong to tarnish the reputation he had as a brother, as a son," Milo began. Michael couldn't surpress a smile.

"You sound like your mother," he said. "And rightly so. But you can understand why I don't want you involved, Milo."

"And… Oscar," Milo said. "When I saw you in Violet City -"

"You told me Oscar was dangerous," Michael finished for him. "And I ignored you… initially. I'm sorry for not listening to your instincts, but please trust me. Oscar won't be bothering you again."

"What do you mean?" Milo asked, sceptical. "Dad?"

"He was arrested," Michael replied, looking satisfied. "In Goldenrod City. Police have been looking for him since he murdered Eli, and it sounds as if his attack on you did not go unnoticed."

"He's been arrested?" Jake said, awe-struck at the news. "He'll be in jail for a long time…"

"He could be put away for life!" Milo said breathlessly. He couldn't believe what he was hearing - none of his Pokemon would have to suffer at the boy's hands any more. Milo thought of writing to Cecilia and telling her the news… how would she feel about it?

"You have nothing to worry about," Michael said, reaching into his pocket and searching for something. He brought out two thick, glossy tickets, handing them to the boys.

"What's this?" Milo asked.

"There's a boat that passes over the lake to Mahogany Town," he said. "They leave on the hour, and the jetty is just a brief walk along this route. It's really quite nice, much nicer than going through Mount Mortar."

Milo could see, through the window, the miserable grey mountain range running along the length of the lake. When he had been training with Andrew last year, Chuck joined them on a training routine through the mountains, through pouring rain. It had been far from enjoyable.

"It only takes a couple of hours," Michael admitted.

"Thanks Dad," Milo said, smiling.

"It's the least I could do," he admitted. "Now, I hear your Houndour was hurt."

"Yea, Oscar's Scizor impaled him onto some metal," Milo said. "They said he shouldn't really battle."

"Send him home," Michael said. "Ruby can mother him, and you can use him after your last contest."

"You think so?" Milo asked, and his father nodded. "Well, okay…"

Once they finished their food, Michael walked with Milo and Jake out the diner, his black car waiting to take him back into the city. Nearby, the boat across the lake was docking, so Milo handed Houndour over to his father and gave him a quick embrace.

"Mr Mitchelson?" Jake said.

"Please, Jake, it's Michael," he said kindly.

"Jasmine gave me Pichu back," he said. Michael smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it," Michael said. "Forgive me for not helping out sooner, Jake. I am a businessman first, and sometimes after that I listen to my feelings.

"We'll speak soon," he continued, before shaking Jake's hand. The boy looked shocked, but puffed his chest with pride, lowering his voice and thanking Mr Mitchelson.

"Thanks Dad," Milo said, smiling.

"Take care, work hard, and good luck in the final contest," Michael said, getting into his car. "Your sister is really putting a lot of work in."

And with that, the car sped off, taking Michael back to Ecruteak. Milo took in a lungful of fresh air, content after his stack of gloopy pancakes, and they set off for the pier.

"Your dad's pretty cool," Jake said. "I used to find him scary."

"You used to find him attractive, too, remember?" Milo said, not sounding particularly happy. Jake blushed.

In the distance they could see Mahogany Town, sitting high above them on a mountain ridge. But as they neared the small dock, Milo saw Morty up ahead, sitting in a tree. They slowed as they approached him; he was watching them.

"Morty!" Milo cried. "A-Are you okay?"

"Yea," he said, leaping out the branch and landing in front of them. "I wanted to say bye."

His eyes were heavy, and his neck had bandages around them. Milo saw one of his hands wrapped in bandages, too, but couldn't tell if it was swollen or merely padded excessively.

"Listen," Milo said. "I'm really sorry we fucked up…"

"No," Milo said, pulling him into a tight hug. Milo could feel Morty dissolve into tears as he held him tightly. "You were brilliant."

"We let you down!" Milo protested, looking helplessly at Jake.

"When Jasmine visited me," Morty said. "She told me what I'd guessed for some time. That she was going to take her life before Volkner's team could take it from her. Milo, she planned it, you couldn't have prevented it."

"She did it on purpose?" Jake said.

"It was too much for her. She didn't feel she deserved to live… but didn't want her life being taken in evil," Morty said. "I'm sorry… but she didn't want to decieve you."

"I wish we could have done something," Milo said sadly. "I feel responsible."

Morty put his hand on Milo's shoulder, and looked at him with determination.

"You were brilliant," he said. "Thank you."

"Are you going to be okay?" Milo asked.

"I'll be fine," Morty said. "You'd better run to catch that boat, guys."

Milo nodded, and embraced Morty again. Though he and Jake had wanted to get out of Ecruteak, he was filled with an urge to stay for a while. He felt like Morty needed him. But, ever the solitary man, Morty headed back towards Ecruteak City.

The boat taking them across the water to Mahogany Town was a handsome two-tiered vessel, with an open deck on the top that allowed for fantastic views as they sailed East. Milo and Jake got the last two seats, near the back of the top deck, and let out a collective sigh as the boat pulled slowly out the dock.

Looking back to Ecruteak, and the looming tower where Jasmine took her life, Milo thought about his father, and if this would only spur him on in his pursuit of Steven Stone. It was unusual abandoning the ongoing war, but his father was right. This was not his battle; it was on a scale he could barely comprehend.

*

It soon became apparent that Milo wasn't the only coordinator on the boat. Though he recognised one or two from previous competitions, he didn't know anyone's names, but many trainers were grooming their Pokemon or discussing tactics, sharing ribbons or discussing the upcoming competition.

"Who are you going to use for the last contest?" Jake asked.

"I'm having a hard time deciding," Milo admitted. "I wanted to go with Banette for the appeal and Scizor for the battle, but Scizor won't be as good battling on the lake as Croconaw."

"So Croconaw would be a pretty good bet," Jake said.

"Yea," Milo said. "And then I wonder if I should have Medicham appeal, since she's more of a pro."

"Banette will be good, too," Jake said. "His attacks are really interesting."

"Yea," Milo said, thinking of his fire and electric attacks. "I hope Houndour is okay at home."

"He'll be fine, he'll enjoy the warmer weather," Jake said. "And when the Grand Festival comes around, he'll be raring to go."

Their journey was very pleasant; they could see the huge Mount Mortar stretching high into the clouds and Jake was gooey-eyed at a school of Mantine leaping out the water. Naturally, the boy had released Pichu from his Pokeball and was cuddling him relentlessly. Milo couldn't surpress his smile.

"I'm so glad you guys are reunited," Milo said. "You missed him, didn't you."

"I never thought I'd see him again," Jake said, setting Pichu down. The little mouse was curious about Croconaw, who had grown considerably since he was a Totodile. Back then, he had been close with Pichu, but the alligator seemed to find the small creature irksome. Jake sent Torchic out, hoping she would become friends with Pichu instead.

"Oh HEY!"

Milo looked up and smiled; an attractive blonde girl was walking over to them, looking smart in a shirt and dark trousers. She had a warm face, with a big smile full of sparkling white teeth.

"It's Milo, right?"

"Er, yes," Milo said, smiling. "And you are?"

"Elaine Langfield," she said, her eyes wide. "I'm a big fan, Milo. I heard you were on this boat. You're competing in the contest?"

"I am," Milo said.

"Amazeballs!" she cried. "I'm a coordinator, but I'm also a freelance reporter. I pay my way through contests by hot-desking and filing stories as I go."

"That's clever," Milo said.

"Clever? Oh my god, thats so kind. Some people call me a bit of a bimbo, but it's only because I take care of my appearence."

"I can see that," Milo said. He could hear a sarcastic grunt to his side, and realised he was being rude. "Oh! Elaine, this is Jake, my friend."

"How are you," Jake said curtly.

"Oh my god, I love your clothes," Elaine said, beaming as she shook Jake's hand. "I totally read in MizzFace Magazine that camp-tramp-chic is on trend next season. Or was it last season? Oh nevermind…"

Jake was horrified at her remark and folded his arms, cross. Elaine seemed oblivious to his feelings, reeling off a story about a hilarious duck she had seen when she was waiting for the boat.

"…but like, then it gave me a headache and I just wanted to buy pregnancy clothes," she finished. "Isn't that weird?"

"Totally," Milo cooed.

"Ha! You're cute. So Milo, I'm literally busy right now introducing myself to coordinators, but you should definitely meet me in Mahogany for a short half-baked latte. I can interview you! It will massively boost your coordinator profile ahead of the contest."

"That's a great idea," Milo said, as Elaine handed over a business card.

"This is so zing," she said gleefully, until she saw Milo and Jake's confused expressions. "Zing? Short for amazing?"

"Oh, right," Milo replied. "Ha. Zing."

"Totes. Laters!"

Elaine bounced up off her seat and walked off down the boat. Milo watched her go with a smile on her face; she seemed air-headed but perfectly nice and very attractive. He waited as long as possible to turn around and look at Jake, for he knew he was angry at the attention Elaine recieved.

"What - a - bitch," Jake spat.

"What? I liked her!" Milo said innocently.

"You liked the look of her," Jake scowled.

"Jake, chill out," Milo said. "We've had a horrible 24 hours, okay, it was nice to have a casual chat with a journalist."

"Journalist," Jake muttered. "She's no journalist."

"Relax," Milo muttered, wafting his hand at Jake as if he were a bothersome fly. Frustrated, Jake turned away and looked out at the ocean.

After another hour or so, the boat glided into the dock at the other side of the lake. There was a long set of steps climbing up a steep walk from the jetty that led to Mahogany Town, which was nestled high off the ground.

"Mahogany is nice," Milo said to Jake, as they hitched their bags up and walked up the steps. "When Andrew and me came here, we literally did it in a day. In, badge, out. Boom."

"So it's kinda small?" Jake said, calmer after their scuffle earlier.

"Bit bigger than Azalea," Milo replied.

Because they were in the mountains, it was cooler here, with a crisp wind blowing as the boys walked. Milo decided that the pair of them definitely needed to invest in some warmer clothes now they had arrived - they were really low on clothing since their suitcase was torn apart during their midnight fight against Oscar. Jake was all-too keen, offended by the 'camp-tramp-chic' remark made by Elaine.

Mahogany town was simple but beautiful, like something sketched on a postcard; the houses were small with thatched roofs, and the trees were beginning to lose their beautiful golden leaves, though the coarse, spindly skeletons left behind were hauntingly pretty. Though they needed a room for the night, the boys didn't bother checking in anywhere right away, for they just had a backpack each.

Instead, they went looking for clothes, going into handsome boutique shops and independent retailers. Milo splashed out on a new coat, a handsome black one with thick, wooden buttons, while Jake went for a quilted jacket and a ridiculous woolly hat with a big red bobble.

Clutching cups of hot chocolate, the boys soon grew bored with the retail in Mahogany and Milo suggested they visit the town's gym. He remembered coming here to battle Pryce last year, but wondered if there had been any changes since the Reclassification had kicked in. After all, many other gyms had been changed.

"So Goldenrod is now speed, Olivine defence," Jake said, counting on his fingers. "Violet was aerial, Ecruteak was illusion -"

"Eusine's illusion, in Cianwood," Milo corrected him. "Ecruteak was the status gym."

"Oh, well, maybe Mahogany's Attack," Jake said.

"I bet Blackthorn is attack, if Claire and her dragons are still there," Milo said. "Maybe it's special? Water, fire, ice…"

The gym was a miniature dome-like building resembling a sports arena and looked very dated; there were splashes of orange and big lettering that had obviously been fashionable some time ago. Now, though, the paint was dulled, having lost its lustre, and the building looked like something of a snazzy relic. Inside, there was a lady behind a desk, chatting on the phone.

"Well, Sheila, I'm looking at the mauve and I just think it's going to be a bit pauchy," she said. Milo looked at her severe black haircut and her large, chunky jewellery.

"Excus-

"One minute," she mouthed, holding a finger up. "Well, I'm hearing what you're saying, but do you want a halterneck? I'm looking now and they look quite unflattering. Leopard print? Sheila it's hardly approprite for a funeral…"

"Ahem," Milo said, "I'd like -"

"ONE MINUTE," she hissed emphatically. "No, you're fine, it's just a customer. Obviously they've never had to organise a rememberence service for a Jynx with a personality disorder."

Milo rolled his eyes. In the end, Jake reached over and unplugged the phone with a hearty tug; the line went dead and the woman gasped as her conversation died.

"Goodness me!" she said, her hand on her chest.

"Right," Milo said. "I want to see the Gym Leader."

"Well you'll have to WAIT, you impatient little toerag," she snapped. "Pryce is having a battle at the moment. You can watch from the observation deck."

Milo stormed through the corridor, Jake not far behind. They went through a set of double doors and saw a number of people milling around the seats, which were like a balcony looking out over the arena on the lower-ground floor.

The gym was much the same as it had been previously; a round battlefield with a domed glass ceiling. But the thick sheet of ice covering the area was now replaced with a smooth, concrete floor.

Pryce was standing on one side in his blue coat, a flat cap perched atop his whispy, white hair. He was dressed smartly, as ever, something which had always impressed Milo.

"Look at the challenger, he's hot!" Jake said. Milo ignored his remark, but nevertheless looked down at the boy. He looked a couple of years younger than Milo, but older than Jake; he had short blonde hair and dressed well. He was broad, a well built young man, and seemed completely calm.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Kasper," Pryce said. "I must admit, I was surprised to hear you wanted a battle."

"I have a team member who needs some training," said Kasper. "He's not good against the cold."

"Of course, this is now the Doubles Gym," Pryce said, with a groan. "And I don't specialise in just one type."

"But Pryce, I'm just training," Kasper said. "So this isn't an official battle, is it?"

Pryce smiled; Milo got the impression these two knew each other previously. There was a friendly warmth to the way Kasper asked for the rules to be bended somewhat. Pryce wet his lips with his tongue before he spoke, for it was dry and icy here.

"Very well!" He said, expanding a Pokeball and holding it out. With a burst of light, he released his creature; a huge, hairy beast with thick claws and big eyes. It was pure white, and let out a humongous roar.

"Abomasnow," Milo said. "Nice choice."

"Grass and ice," Jake said, looking at the tufts over its body.

Kasper threw a Pokeball high into the air and a huge wave of white energy was released. They watched keenly as it formed into an equally collossal beast; one with a long, sweeping tail, broad wings and a draconian head.

Once the light faded, the audience applauded as Kasper's Dragonite cried its name, landing with a soft flap.

"Holy fuck!" Milo said. "He's got a Dragonite!"

"This should be fun!" Pryce chuckled. "Abomasnow! Icicle spear!"

Holding a hand forward, Abomasnow blasted thick spikes of ice through the air. The chilly barrage flew at Dragonite, who flapped into the air and twisted, dancing out the way with a flourish. The icicle spear shattered upon contact with the far wall of the gym.

"Dragonite! Go for iron tail," Kasper said. Nodding, Dragonite flew down head-first towards the foe, tail glowing with a beautiful metallic sheen. Milo noticed the glimmer was extra-sparkly, perhaps due to the light filtering in through the roof.

Abomasnow did nothing as Dragonite neared, holding his hands out and anticipating the attack. His fists were throbbing, giving the impression he was building an icy retort up, but Dragonite sped on regardless.

Within seconds of the dragon's attack, Abomasnow lunged; Milo gasped as he swung two large fists, now encased in ice, into Dragonite's chest. It looked incredibly painful; the creature had practically driven himself into the oncoming punches. But Kasper looked calm, his arms folded, studying the scene before him.

"He wanted to cover Dragonite's ice weakness," Milo said. "So I bet he's getting the creatue used to cold temperatures. They tend to live in warmer climates, I think."

Dragonite was standing by Kasper, clutching his chest, but the boy ordered him to use ice punch. Clenching his fists, Dragonite summoned an icy sheen to glaze over them as he prepared to duel with Abomasnow. Again, the insistence on using ice attacks (against an ice/grass type) suggested Kasper was not here to win, but to train.

Abomasnow let out a muffled cry and readied himself; Dragonite flapped into the air and let his wings stretch out to their fullest length, before sweeping head-first towards the foe, fists shrouded in thick ice crystals. Dragonite moved so beautifully, gliding through the air with almost no effort whatsoever.

Readying himself, Abomasnow dug his heels into the ground and made sure he was as broad as possible. Milo was on the edge of his seat as Dragonite swung his fist; Abomasnow took the hit to the stomach, screwing his face up but bracing himself. Dragonite flapped up and span on the spot, his thick, powerful tail sweeping into Abomasnow.

"Grab it!" Pryce roared. Nodding, Abomasnow used his large hands to grip the tail, preventing it from striking him. The two Pokemon were still, with Dragonite in mid-air and exerting as much force as possible in an attempt to throw Abomasnow down. But he was clenching the tail tightly, concentrating hard.

"Summon an ice punch into his tail," Pryce said. Abomasnow clenched his fingers even tighter, focusing on delivering a sharp chill through Dragonite's body.

"Full power!" Kasper said. Screwing his face up in concentration, Dragonite forced his tail into Abmasnow, throwing Abomasnow off his feet and into the wall.

The thud from Abomasnow rang through the arena; Pryce was stunned at his Pokemon's defeat, and dutifully whipped the Pokeball out to shoot a beam at the creature. He was watching Kasper, though, who was in turn admiring his Dragonite.

"I don't think you need much training at all," he admitted, putting Abomasnow's Pokeball away and leaving his hand in his pocket.

The audience began applauding as Pryce gave a short bow to Kasper. Dragonite stood by his trainers side and Milo and Jake shared a look; it was over already. The gym leader and trainer were having a chat on the middle of the arena. Milo got out his seat, grabbed his jacket and was hot-footing it down the stairs towards the battlefield.

"Milo!" Jake said. "What are you doing?"

He took the steps two at a time before arriving on the ground. Pryce and Kasper were laughing together, comfortable in each others company. As Milo got closer, determined to battle Pryce and demonstrate his own abilities as a trainer, Kasper began walking towards him, his conversation over.

"Hello, friend," he said in a warm tone. Milo's sudden smile felt like an irrational twitch, and he was fairly certain he accidentally winked as the two boys crossed paths. Pryce, now alone, saw Milo approach and beamed.

"Why hello there!" he said, as Milo grinned with normality. "Milo Mitchelson!"

"Hey Pryce," Milo said, shaking Pryce's cold, wrinkled hand. He felt the man's hand constrict beneath his stronger grip, causing the man to pull away.

"Still shaking hands like a Kingler, are we," he said, rolling his eyes. "What are you doing in Mahogany Town?"

"I wanted to battle you, train a little," Milo said, jerking his thumb behind him. "I saw that guy training with you a bit."

"Yes," Pryce said distantly. "Unfortunately I can't conduct 'casual' matches as often as I used to, Milo. I'd have to do an official match as part of the Doubles Gym."

He looked at the audience spilling out the stands, before turning back to the boys.

"I've got an hour before my next match, why don't you come into my office?" he said. "I've got bourbon."

*

Pryce's office was built onto the back of the stadium. It was a very old building featuring a number of bookcases climbing high up the walls. Milo and Jake sat in stiff leather chairs; their heady scent reminded Milo of his father's briefcase.

"This is a Cianwood bourbon," Pryce said, pouring Milo and Jake a generous measure in a stout glass. Jake looked apprehensive, prefering sweeter drinks, but Milo had enjoyed bourbon before, and had heard Cianwood was renowned for the alcohol they produced.

"It's nice," Milo said, feeling a spiky stab in the back of his throat. "Smoky."

Seeing Jake take a large gulp of his amber drink, Milo decided to get Pryce's attention, as the boy would likely find the drink rather strong. On cue, as Milo started speaking, Jake gave a strangled cough.

"So it's good to see you were kept on at the gym," he said to Pryce. "I haven't seen much of that."

"No, you're quite right," Pryce said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm fortunate, I suppose, but also more well-connected than other leaders. When the Reclassification was being planned, they assured me I was safe.

"But there are problems you will no doubt be aware of. Whitney has refused to battle after the Gym was raided and her Pokemon stolen. The league tried providing her with a new, specially designed team, but she still hasn't gone back to her job. She's scared, depressed.

"Elsewhere, Karen was hospitalised in Ecruteak after being attacked walking home. They are currently trying to get somebody to cover for her, but I'm told Karen feels unsafe in Ecruteak and wishes to go back home. Being taken out of the Elite Team's private circle was tough for her, I think. She feels she can do better."

Milo and Jake stayed silent; they knew all of this, of course, but weren't sure how much information they were supposed to know. Pryce's knowledge of Johto was impressive.

"Unfortunately the papers are saying Jasmine died suddenly last night, too," he went on. "Naturally Eva, her sister and leader of Olivine's Defence Gym, will be mourning. And added to that the unusual dissapearence of Falkner from Violet City… the gyms are in turmoil."

"What can they do, though?" Milo said. "It's hardly anyone's fault."

"True, but the Reclassification itself rocked the foundations of something which had, really, been rather solid. Now the league are relying on the leaders more than ever; Claire and I, as well as Eusine at Cianwood and Misty in the Whirl Islands."

Milo remembered hearing that Misty had been poached to look after a water-themed gym after Azalea had been shut down. He wondered what was happening at her gym in Cerulean City.

"I don't mind my new gym, or the new Pokemon I have to use," Pryce admitted. "There are some interesting ice types, and some rock and steel ones, too. The Doubles theme was designed to help trainers for the league - the second round in the annual competition is now a doubles round. It's a difficult skill to hone, I think."

He looked at the boys and smiled.

"And what brings you here, exactly?" he said.

"Well, I'm a coordinator now," Milo said. "And I'm competing at the Lake of Rage in a couple of days."

Pryce chuckled, to himself more than anything.

"You're a good battler," he said, "did you get bored?"

"Kind of," Milo said.

"Are you good?" the man asked.

"Absolutely," Milo replied proudly.

"I never really pursued that sort of thing," Pryce said. "But there's no denying how en Vogue it's become. And this contest is a big one, is it not?"

"You need a minimum of three ribbons to qualify," Jake told him. "A lot of people will have four, though; the Grand Festival registration closes in ten days time."

"You know, Kasper is competing in the competition at the lake," Pryce said.

"The Dragonite trainer?" Milo asked. "He's a coordinator?"

"He is," Pryce said. "And a damn good one. How old are you now Milo?"

"22," he replied.

"Kasper is slightly younger," Pryce said, tapping his finger against the side of his glass slowly. "But he is a remarkable coordinator. He was given an early license to compete professionally, at nine years old, after impressing the Coordinator's Guild with a truly astounding appeal."

"Nine years old!?" Jake gasped.

"Hailed as a child prodigy," Pryce said.

"Wait, why is he still competing for entry into the Grand Festival?" Milo asked.

"He must have competed in loads of them!" Jake said.

"Kasper has never appeared at a Grand Festival," Pryce said. "He has been training and growing as a young man. For him, he is in no rush."

"He's been training for over ten years?" Milo said. "That's ridiculous!"

"It explains why we haven't heard of him, if he hasn't done any of the contest circuit this year," Jake said.

"I really need to train up," Milo said frantically. He was unnerved by Kasper's power, even though he had seen very little first hand. Could he take on Dragonite? Or would the creature be used in an appeal round?

"I have to go," Pryce said, finishing the rest of his drink. "Another battle. They do like to keep me on my toes."

"As long as you're happy at the gym," Jake said, smiling.

"Oh, I'm very happy," Pryce assured them. "I think the league find me rather stubborn, mind you… but they couldn't fire me if they tried."

Milo saw a gleam in the man's eye; a fiery triumph ignited in his expression. Pryce grabbed his coat and said goodbye to the boys, before leaving for his match. Milo was confused at his last words, but, concerned about Kasper and Dragonite, put it to the back of his mind and went to train.

*

Outside in the chilly afternoon, Milo had released his five Pokemon. The group were getting aquainted with Banette and re-adjusting to Scizor in his new form. Magneton was very keen to follow Scizor, pulsating with magnetic energy all the while. Milo thought it was a steel-type thing, but Jake's theory was that Magneton was gay, despite having no clear gender. Medicham looked impressed at the crimson Pokemon.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Milo said. "And I'm sticking with Banette for the appeal and Scizor for the battle."

Having looked at Kasper's Coordinator Profile, Milo learned he had other powerful Pokemon including a Typhlosion, a Claydol and a Lapras. His team were large, all of them, something which Milo felt was lacking on his own team despite their power.

The airy clearing was near a small pond, and Croconaw was currently swimming around on his back, stopping only to plunge his head underwater and see what was around. He was surprised when a Surskit raced across the pond and peppered him with bubbles, angry at his interference in her home.

Milo stood with Scizor, with Medicham opposite them.

"We're going to work on Scizor's agility," Milo said. "Scizor, when you're battling you'll need to look like a… sexy bachelor ninja, or something."

"A what?" Jake asked.

"Quiet, you," Milo hissed. "Your body might feel heavier, but your legs are strong; really try and use your muscles to propel yourself into the air, and remember you can use your wings to help you turn in mid-air."

Scizor nodded.

"Medi, do what you need to. Use a double team and teleport from anything too deadly."

She nodded, holding a hand out and beckoning Scizor.

"Go!" Milo said, as Scizor pounced high into the air. "Bug buzz!"

His wings rattled, and Scizor let off a pulsating shockwave that whooshed through the air at Medicham. She took a step back and teleported with a pop!, re-appearing by the water. Holding a hand to her temple, Medicham used psycho cut, sending a thick blade of energy from her fingertips. It flew at Scizor, but he crossed his claws over his face and let the attack hit him. Losing momentum, he landed on the ground with a thud.

Medicham took this opportunity to strike close up; she held a hand back and raced along the arena to strike Scizor, but he had already had his claws up to his face, allowing him to block the punch. Undeterred, Medicham stepped back, suppporting herself on her arm while swinging her leg around. Scizor jumped, before clenching his claw and throwing a bullet punch to knock her to the ground.

He proceeded to leap into the air and flap backwards, shooting high as his wings glowed silver. Medicham saw a whooshing vortex of silvery dust sweep across the arena and crouched low, hiding behind a large rock for coverage. Thick, sparkling chunks rained down on the arena; the attack was simply beautiful.

Medicham, still close to the ground, watched the onslaught and held her hands out. Focusing hard, she harnessed her psychic power and began uprooting the large rock wedged into the earth. Slowly it bobbed out the ground, enduring the attack from Scizor.

The mantis looked to see a huge rock launched through the air from Medicham. Acting fast, he span on the spot and threw both claws down to shatter the huge projectile. As it shattered into two, and it fell to the ground, Medicham launched herself at Scizor from beneath the rocky shield and swung a fire punch into his gut.

Caught off guard, he fell from the sky, about to plunge into the ice-cold pond. Milo wanted to see how he handled this; after all, he may face a similar problem during the Lake of Rage contest. Beating his wings furiously, Scizor managed to regain himself, and floated mere inches from the glassy surface of the water like a metallic fairy.

From the bank, Medicham held a hand out and caused the water to ripple. She started twisting her hand and summoned a fierce, twisting column of water to shoot up at Scizor. He zipped through the air to avoid it, but the monkey, narrowing her eyes, had the wild column sinew, following Scizor.

"Cut through it!" Milo said. Scizor nodded, spinning on the spot and swiping his claw; a razor wind sent strips of energy shooting at Medicham, ripping through the watery attack and causing droplets to pound the pond. Medicham, though trounced again, merely smiled.

"Get up close," Milo said. "Fury cutter!"

He leapt onto the bank and opened his claws, ready to slice at Medicham. Instead of relying on teleporation, Medicham ducked left when Scizor swiped; she followed through by swinging round with a punch, but Scizor flapped back a fraction, avoiding it.

Their intimate battle was like a furious tango; Scizor clamped his claw and it flew at Medicham with a bullet punch, but holding a finger to her temple she deftly held the claw away. Scizor tried focusing, driving his bullet punch at the foe, but it wouldn't move. Medicham leapt high and delivered a jump kick, her foot connecting with Scizor's claw and throwing him back.

Medicham clenched her fists and summoned fire to crackle between her fingers. Traces of flame snaked around her wrists and she concentrated to help them burn brighter. Scizor saw this and knew to approach with apprehension.

"Razor wind!" Milo said. Nodding, Scizor clenched his claws and began flapping his wings; a fierce wind picked up, focused as it barelled towards Medicham. The flames were swept away, defeated, leaving her to stare with confusion at her bare fists. Bolting across the arena, Scizor crossed his arms and used an X-scissor to slam Medicham.

She rolled along the floor, and while Milo knew the battle was tiring them both out, he wanted to make sure Scizor was learning how to combat attacks for the contest. Using wind against fire would surely come in handy.

Next, they worked on his agility; Banette would chase Scizor through the skies, his claws crackling with sparks, and Scizor's job was to get behind the ghost and hit him with a signal beam. Banette was adept at sweeping through the skies, dissapearing with a pop and re-emerging to surprise Scizor. Medicham sat on a mossy rock, legs crossed, meditating.

After another hour, Milo had Scizor rest as he worked on Banette's appeal. The crimson Pokemon sat next to Medicham, and Magneton soon started hovering around him excitedly, bleeping and clicking. Jake found it amusing. Bobbing above the water, Banette seeemed unable to concentrate, pulling faces and phasing through the water with an echoing cackle.

"Come on, dude," Milo snapped, as Banette threw a spark into a tree, causing it to burst into flames. Jake, who was cradling Pichu, released Pellipper to help douse the flames. As Banette giggled, Milo saw Jake cuddling his Pichu and couldn't help but feel warmer from it. His team was the same size as Milo's, with five Pokemon apiece.

"Surround yourself with Will-O-Wisp," Milo said, watching as Banette summoned curly, periwinkle-blue flames around him. The little balls of flame grew, crackling and shrouding him from view. They were rotating softly.

On Milo's command, the flames span quicker, eerie in their unusual colour. Jake watched on, intrigued, as Milo ordered Banette to use a shadow claw. With a sweeping, clockwise motion, Banette's gnarled, crackling claw gathered the flames into a swirling ball, launching it high into the air.

"Now!" Milo said. "Thunder!"

Holding his claw high into the air, Banette grimaced as he summoned a huge bolt of lightning to rocket down from the sky. It speared through the flames, causing a huge blue explosion, before hitting Banette's outstretched hand as if it were a lightningrod. Milo watched, amazed, as Banette was filled with a golden glow, sparks racing across his body as strips of fire filtered out into the air.

"Yes!" Jake cried. Pichu looked intrigued by the electricity coming from Banette. "Milo, that's good!"

"I think it's a good start," Milo replied, scratching the back of his head. "Good work mate. Take a break."

Happy to have some time off, Banette dissapeared with a pop, reappearing at Croconaw's side. Croconaw gave a shriek and splashed out the water, horrified.

Everyone seemed incredibly relaxed; Milo's team seemed closer than ever and Jake's team were all chatting away excitedly. Pichu and Torchic were now the best of friends, entertained by Ditto, who transformed into different creatures effortlessly.

Suddenly, Milo heard a rustling up ahead, wondering if it was perhaps a wild Pokemon. Medicham, though she was perfectly relaxed after her meditation, looked alert. Moments later, a girl appeared in the woods, tearing through plantlife.

"Oh for fricks sake!" she squealed. It was Elaine, stumbling into the clearing clumsily. "No frikkin way! Milo!"

"Hey you," Milo said, smirking. Elaine blushed; red patches appeared on her cheeks as she subconciously dabbed at a graze on her arm.

"How totally KMN!" she said.

"What?"

"Kill me now," she said. "I got lost training my Pokemon, and then run into you guys… literally kill me now!"

"Are you sure?" Jake said playfully. Milo cast a cold look in his direction.

"How's it going?" she said, pulling something out her hair. "Working on your appeal?"

"Yea, it's pretty zing," Milo said, smirking. Jake, horrified at his street slang, pretended to throw up.

"That's cute," she said, smiling. "Mahogany Town's cool, right? It's like they knew vintage furniture was going to be trendy so didn't bother updating any of the furnishings. Maybe they're psychic."

"Maybe!" Jake piped up, finding the girl hilarious.

"Are you still up for an interview?" Milo asked.

"Oh, Milo, I totes would," Elaine said, looking torn. "But my editor called in and I literally have so many deadlines to do before tonight. I have a couple of really dubes projects to work on."

"Dubes?" Jake asked skeptically.

"Dubious," Elaine told him firmly. "Like, so dubes."

"Where are you staying?" Milo asked.

"Oh, work put me up in a nice hotel, it's this really nice one that opened last month, The Johto Eastern. Hotel Revue Monthly gave it four minibars out of five," she told them.

"That's… an impressive rating," Milo said.

"I know, right?" Elaine said, a hand on her hip. "It's got a TV in the jacuzzi. It's so awesome."

"Well, we're staying in a pretty nice boarding house," Milo said. "It's, got, erm, two windows in the living room."

"Snazzy," Elaine said. "Well, I'm going to head off, I should really get ready for tonight."

"What's going on tonight?" Milo asked.

"Oh, didn't you know? The Mahogany Arms is hosting a get-together for coordinators competing in the contest. There's drinks, canapes, you know, a bit of mingling. It's going to be super sexy. I'm going to try and find a cocktail dress now."

"Well, I'll see you later, then," Milo said.

"Sure," she said, giving an airy wave. "Slaters!"

"Sla…ters," Milo muttered back.

And just like that, Elaine walked past them and across a path that would lead her back to the town. Milo and Jake shared a look.

"That girl is hilarious," Milo said, with a dreamy look on her face.

"She's a bimbo," Jake snapped.

"Why would you say that?" Milo asked him.

"I dunno… she's just totally… 'oooh I'm so naive and la la la here's some trendy catchphrase I stepped in', she's so fake," Jake said. Milo looked at his friend with disgust.

"You've no right to be that cruel about someone you've just met," Milo said firmly.

"I just think it's a big act," Jake said. "Dubes? Totes? KMN?!"

"She's been nothing but friendly, something I really need right now," Milo said to him. "The last week's been pretty trying, Jake, it's nice to have some fresh faces without some hidden agenda."

"She could have a secret motive!" Jake cried. "Cosying up to you like this…"

"Look," Milo said. "Let's not joke about here, I know what this is about."

Jake felt a lurching pain in his stomach. Milo was looking right into his eyes, but something about his gaze told Jake he was looking deeper. Jake felt exposed in Milo's presence. Why had he been so vocal about Elaine…

"I know it might seem dishonest flirting with Elaine when I also like Luna… but I just don't know what to do about her," Milo admitted. Jake stared at him, dumbfounded, the knot in his stomach relaxing. "Luna's awesome, but she constantly feels so far away, like I'm never able to get within her reach."

"Yes," Jake said. "That's really… something."

"Elaine seems fun, she's cute, but I don't want you to get worked up about it, okay?" Milo said.

Jake said nothing back, but watched as his friend got up to continue working on Banette's appeal. The boy sat back down, and as Torchic snuggled up to him, he idly scratched the back of her head. Somehow, she seemed to understand. Medicham, meanwhile, was watching Milo with an equally curious expression.

*

Milo and Jake's living space was hardly spacious, or indeed luxurious, but they had been hard pressed to find somewhere to stay. In the end, the bed and breakfast they were using was perfectly adequate, though their landlady seemed fussy and old-fashioned. As a result, they chose to spend as little time as possible here, so it was fortunate they had plans that evening.

As they were relaxing before heading to the pub that evening, Milo used his phone to access the coordinators database to see if there was a profile for Elaine.

"Here!" he said to Jake, who left Torchic and Pichu to play with each other to join Milo. "Elaine Langfield."

"Her profile photo is hot," Jake said. Milo remembered his being taken in Olivine's Contest Hall and was saddened to remember he sneezed halfway through. Elaine, though, looked more grown-up; her hair was sleek and glossy, her lipstick a bright red.

"It says on her bio she worked as a freelance journalist," Milo said. "Blackthorn Vogue, The Goldenrod Echo. Wow. She must work in each city she competes in."

"She won the Goldenrod Contest, too," Jake said, looking at her ribbons. "And some interesting Pokemon. Clefable, Marowak…"

"Well I look forward to getting to know her at this drinks night," Milo said. Following their training, the boys had gone back into the shops to get something new to wear. Milo opted for a simple striped shirt, while Jake was ecstatic upon finding a blazer in a charity shop. Wearing the gaudy printed design, he paraded up and down the room, amazed it cost just £5.

Later, they headed through town to the Mahogany Arms, an ancient looking pub with a worn old sign. Mahogany was quiet at night, and there were not many street lights. The shops were all boarded up, and the residential area south of the village was filled with small squares of lights. Milo saw a bohemian cafe open late, one of the few places around them.

"You were at the gym," came a voice. Milo looked to see Kasper across the street. He was the last customer leaving a Pokemon Supplies store, which was now locking its door for the night.

"Hey," Milo said. "Yea, I was."

"I am Kasper," he said in a thick accent. "Pryce speaks kindly of you, you know."

"It's nice to meet you," Milo said, shaking his hand. Kasper had large hands, and his grip was secure enough. Jake also shook his hand, introducing himself.

"You must be anticipating the contest," Kasper said.

"It's going to be an interesting one, I think," Milo said. Kasper looked at the two for a moment, studying them.

"You're going to the party, the coordinator hospitality event," he summised.

"Yea, it sounds fun," chimed Jake. "Are you going?"

"No, no," he said, before stepping forward and lowering his voice. "To be perfectly honest I'd stay away from it if I were you."

"You would?" Milo asked.

"This isn't like other contests, Milo," he said frantically. "It's the last. The big one. Since it's a P3 everyone either has three ribbons - in which case they're good, but not going to qualify for the Grand Festival in time - or four ribbons, in which case they need this ribbon badly.

"It's going to be competetive like nothing you've seen before. And with so many skilled coordinators drinking alcohol together, it would be so easy for something to slip into your drink…"

"Er, really?" Milo asked. Kasper looked deadly serious.

"I'm going to read a book and rest tonight," he said matter-of-factly. "I suggest you do the same."

And with that, he nodded at the pair of them and continued on his way through the town. Milo and Jake glanced at one another, confused, but almost convinced by Kasper's warning.

"Well that was weird," Milo said.

"I wonder why he's cross," Jake said. "Maybe he didn't get an invite?"

"Of course he got an invite," Milo said.

"Can you imagine if you got poisoned before the contest?" Jake said.

"I know," Milo replied. "I'm starting to think I shouldn't go."

"Maybe that's what he wants! Maybe you could learn some good advice at the evening, and Kasper wants you to miss out," Jake said, which Milo thought was a very valid point.

"Just because he's a nice guy that doesn't mean we can trust him," Jake added darkly.

"Look, we'll go in, have a couple of drinks, and suss it out," Milo said. "I mean, the contest judges may well be there, it could be a great networking opportunity."

They walked along until they reached the pub. It was a very square building, with ivy creeping up the side, cracking the dark blue brickwork. Milo saw the swinging sign; a pair of arms locked in a wrestle.

Inside, however, the pub was not grotty or decrepid. The wooden tables were long, elegant and polished, and a very wealthy clientele were enjoying bottles of wine, dressed impeccably. Milo noticed Mahogany seemed a moneyed town, very middle class, a different take on suburbia.

A poster told them they were to go downstairs. Before them was a grand staircase sinking down to a lower level, so the boys wandered down, Milo's hand skirting the elegant banister. No sooner had they got to the bottom of the stairs then they were greeted with a triumphant roar.

"Aha!" came a cry. Milo felt someone pull him into a tight hug, and caught a whiff of tobacco. "More guests!"

"Hello," he said weakly, stepping back. The man was wearing a midnight blue suit with a polkadot pocket square, and though he was greying, had an air of youth about him.

"My name is Malcolm," he said. "I am the MC of the Lake of Rage contest and your host for the evening. And you are?"

"Milo Mitchelson, and this is Jake."

"Wonderful to have you, simply wonderful," Malcolm said. "I know you, Milo. I have seen your contest work and admire your skill considerably."

"You have?" Milo asked.

"Oh yes," he replied, smiling. Milo could see his teeth were stained, but otherwise straight. "We here in Mahogany are big contest fans, no doubt relating to the fact our P-3 contest allows only the most skilled coordinators."

"Yea, there's not many of them, are there?" Milo said.

"The Coordinators Guild likes to keep the contests as open as possible," Malcolm said. "It is because we are a small continent, I am sure. In larger reigons the coordinating journey is much larger, much longer."

Milo wasn't sure what to say to that. He had never really thought about other reigons before, but knew Sinnoh was a huge place. Maybe every contest there was the size of Goldenrod's huge conference…

"We are very excited to see your performance," Malcolm said. "I have a wager you'll be using that Croconaw of yours… perfect on the lake surface."

"Well, you'll have to wait and see," Milo said.

Malcolm led them through the room; there was a jazz band playing smooth music on a slightly raised stage in the corner, and the decor, though consisting of mismatched chairs and tables, looked the epitome of style.

"We like to host these events, because you have much to celebrate by simply being here," Malcolm said, expertly side-stepping a man serving a platter of smoked salmon pastries. "Though everyone wishes to make their way to the Grand Festival…"

"Kasper Karlson seems good," Jake piped up.

"Yes," Malcom said, smiling. "I'm very excited to see that performance. Very excited, indeed. There's a rumour his Dragonite can manipulate his flames to a range of temperatures so they don't actually melt ice. Fascinating…"

Malcom, overcome with glee, glided off into a throng of people, leaving Milo and Jake to get a drink. They were expecting cocktails, but there were actually an assortment of wines to choose from, all from the North-West of Johto.

"White or red, sir?" asked the waiter.

"Red," Milo said. "No, white."

"Do you have Rose?" Jake asked timidly. Nearby, a large woman turned round with a chuckle. Her blonde hair was stacked on top of her head in thick curls, and she wore a lot of make-up.

"Darling I wouldn't even use the red for a pan-fried glaze," she said. "The white is best."

Milo had no idea what she was on about, but he took her advice, as did Jake. The white wine was sharp, almost sour, but had a clean taste. Milo didn't drink wine often, and neither, it appeared, did Jake.

"Melanie Malais," she woman said, extending a small hand. "I'm a food and drink critic for The Mahogany Telegraph."

"Pleasure," Milo said.

"Coordinators?" Melanie asked, raising her eyebrows at Jake. "You fit the bill, young man, but you seem too gritty for contests."

Milo recoiled in disgust.

"I'm the coordinator, actually, and Jake's my friend," he replied.

"I've seen plenty contests in my time," she said, smiling. "And let me tell you. Grit sticks. I bet you're not even very good!"

"I've got four ribbons!" Milo argued. He didn't understand this ladies instant dislike and criticism.

"Well let's see how you do at this contest before we start bragging," she said, wagging a finger. Before Milo could retort, Melanie had turned to start talking with friends again. Agitated, Milo stormed through the crowd and found a small seating booth, where he threw himself down.

"Don't listen to her," Jake said, joining him. "She looked like a trifle."

Milo grinned, and had to agree with the comparison. "I'm not annoyed," he said, "But… I dunno. I just feel like there's a lot more pressure at this contest. I haven't got another chance to get into the Grand Festival."

"Unless you waited until next year, like Kasper," Jake said. Milo pulled a face. "What? Just saying…"

Milo did not want to wait until next year; he had to win the contest and get to the Grand Festival, and as he sipped his wine, it dawned on him just how determined he was to win that, too. He'd been focusing on getting to the tournament, never thinking about what he'd do when he got there, but it all began to make perfect sense. He would win it.

"I feel like if I wait, I'll get worse," Milo said, the words coming out his mouth the second they became coherant in his head. "Er. I dunno why, but… I work best under pressure, and I've had to get much better so quickly."

"That might be the most ridiculous thing I've heard, but it does make sense," Jake said. "But you'll be fine, honestly."

The evening was pleasant, though surreal. Milo saw a few coordinators chatting animatedly about their Pokemon, about appeals and about the Grand Festival, overhearing one girl suggest that double appeals were going to figure into a round of the competition. Milo thought of Mia, who already had five ribbons. Was she in Silver City now, training, or simply relaxing at home?

He decided then to check her profile on the Coordinator Database, to see if there were any new Pokemon she had acquired. Gallade was there, flexing his joints and extending the blades on his elbows. But nobody new. Still nine Pokemon. As he scrolled, he passed Elaine's profile again, and wondered where she was.

"This event is really classy," Jake said, staring around. "Do I look OK?"

"That's exactly how you look," came a beaming voice. Jake groaned as Elaine sashayed over, a glass of wine in her hand. She had a slim, black dress on which gave a sparkle as she turned; she looked more like the girl on her profile now.

"Hey," Milo said.

"Hey Jilo," she said, beaming. "Jilo… Jake and Milo."

"That's clever!" Jake said sarcastically.

"Are you having a nice night? Milo your shirt is so hot I want to have babies with it."

"Thank you," Milo said, feeling himself blush.

"I just had a row with Melanie Malais," Elaine said. "God. What a cowzilla."

"What did she say?" Jake asked. "We had a bit of a run-in…"

"She was just preaching about journalist ethics," Elaine said, scoffing at the idea. "Please. If I wanted ethics I would have kept my job as an animal tester."

Elaine gulped some wine down, smacking her lips and looking invigorated.

"She called me a 'tabloid shark'," Elaine said, pulling a face. "I said, 'excuse me? You're the one who looks like a trifle."

Despite saying the same thing earlier, Jake didn't find the remark funny. Milo laughed heartily, banging the table and managing to let off an undignified snort.

"Do you know if the judges are here?" Milo asked. "I met the MC…"

"No, they didn't turn up," Elaine said. "It's a pretty weak turnout to be honest. None of the judges have shown their faces," she admitted, scouting the area briefly in case someone of importance appeared. "Dissapointing, but they're very formal about these kind of things."

"Who is judging?" Milo asked.

"Portman Picayune," Elaine said - Milo remembered the barbed columnist from his stint as a judge at the Cherrygrove Contest, where his hard-to-please exterior had melted following Milo's appeal. "Elzekiel 'Zeke' Xander, one of the judges from the Grand Festival, and Jenna Joplin."

"Who is Jenna Joplin?" Jake asked.

"She's an adorable tween who has a blog and has become some 'internet sensation," Elaine balked. "She'll be the easiest to win over, as long as you keep it cute and colourful."

Milo thought of his demonic appeal of fire and lightning and bit his lip slightly.

"I've met Portman before," Milo said, "He liked me."

"Good, because he's hard to please," Elaine replied. "I tried to interview him at the Goldenrod Gala and he was a total doucheface."

"It's really cool that you juggle a job with your coordinating," Milo said.

"It's easy enough," Elaine said. "There's always so much to report on."

"How was your, er, totes busy thing?" Milo asked.

"Oh!" she said. "Yea, you know, okay. To be honest, I'm dissapointed in Kasper Karlson, I can't believe he didn't turn up!"

Milo was about to tell Elaine he had bumped into Kasper on his way here, but hesitated for a second too long. He was glad he did, for Elaine took a moment lingering on what she was about to say.

"I'm getting more wine," Elaine said, dissapearing for a moment. Milo watched her go fondly, while Jake, taking advantage of the interim period without the bubbly journalist, leaned over.

"Psst!" he said. "I've been looking on her profile."

"And?" Milo asked innocently.

"She's not registered for this contest!" Jake replied, showing the screen. Milo looked at it, examined the words Not current registered for any contests and tried to understand things."

"She only has three ribbons, though," Milo said.

"So she's obviously here exclusively for work," Jake said, as Elaine came over again. She had brought each of them another glass of wine, but Milo saw Jake casually tip some of his on the floor as Elaine talked.

"Kasper has always been a bit parro," Elaine said to Milo.

"Paranoid?" Milo asked, causing the girl to clap eagerly.

"Yes!" she replied. "Such a quiet boy. It's a shame, because he's so talented I think a lot of people wanted him to be the Johto League's poster boy. He's handsome, he's talented, he's straight. He really challanges people's perceptions of what a coordinator can be."

"That's true," Milo said.

"Of course… he was probably trying to avoid the attention," Elaine summised. "He's become a hot topic lately…"

"We saw him at Mahogany Gym," Jake said. "He's really strong."

"If you say so," Elaine replied idly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Milo asked. Elaine studied him for a moment, looking aghast.

"You don't know," she said, as it dawned on her. "Oh! Do you never read the papers?"

"Well, sometimes," Milo said.

"Kasper's a child prodigy," Elaine said. "He wrote directly to the Coordinator's Guild at the age of 9 and was given an official license to compete in contests. He won his first ribbon at the age of ten."

Milo remembered Pryce telling them that earlier, but didn't say anything; with a few glasses of wine in her, Elaine was on a roll, and interrupting her wasn't wise.

"But of course, here he is, 21 years old, with just four ribbons. If he's so good, surely it shouldn't have taken him that long to get here?"

"He's just been training, honing his skills," Jake told her rudely.

"For eleven years?" Elaine said, pulling a sour face. "Give me a break. You don't spend more than half your life refining skill if you had a load of it in the first place."

"I don't understand," Milo said.

"Kasper's just come back to Mahogany," Elaine replied, hiccuping. "He left when he was 14. I've been working on the story of where he went for my newspaper. And I've come here, on the eve of the Lake of Rage Contest, to put the final pieces together."

"He probably just went travelling," Jake said.

"No money went in or out of his bank account," Elaine said, getting a notebook from her handbag. "His parents divorced within a month of him leaving Mahogany Town, and suddenly this child prodigy was nowhere to be found."

Milo felt incredibly uneasy; Elaine wasn't as bubbly and charming when she was drunk, but she had an unusual coherance about her that made him think she might be on to something regarding Kasper's odd dissapearence. Had he caused an accident, perhaps? Or maybe even been in prison?

"I think I need to be sick," Elaine said in a low gurgle, clutching her stomach and edging out the seat to go to the toilet. However, no sooner had she stood up than she slipped on the floor and collapsed, hitting her head off the wooden boards. Milo jumped up to help her, and saw a puddle of white wine had leaked from under their table.

"Eh… sorry," Jake said, showing Milo his empty glass.

*

They helped Elaine up, and though she woke up, she was incredibly groggy. Malcolm, the bubbly MC, arranged for Elaine to be sent back to her hotel, and with the atmosphere in the air, Milo decided to go home, too. As he got into bed, Milo thought about the cocktail evening. Was it really designed to celebrate their hard work, or to intimidate him? Jake, who seemed more emotionally charged under the influence of wine, was giving each of his Pokemon a goodnight kiss, paying particular attention to little Pichu. As he kissed Parasect, he choked briefly on a sleeping spore, and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Oh, Jake," Milo sighed, getting out of bed and picking the boy up. He lay him into his bed and pulled his covers over him, before climbing into his own bed.

"Been a pretty crazy 24 hours," Milo whispered to Medicham, who was practicing her yoga. "Don't you think."

She nodded, before wrapping her legs around her head.

"You just relax, okay," Milo said to her. "I want you to rest during this contest."

Before he knew it, his mind drifted to Kasper, and Elaine. Kasper, who may have some dark secret, something scandalous that caused him to drop out the contest circuit for over ten years. Elaine, the bubbly journalist who seemed to know things she shouldn't, apparently naive but armed with secrets and information.

And the Dragonite. When Milo saw that gigantic beast in Mahogany Gym, he couldn't believe its power, the effortless grace and the incredible strength behind it's attacks. It was the perfect contest Pokemon, abetted by its rarity and the difficulty involved in raising a dragon.

He thought of Scizor, of the Pokemon's weakness to the fire. Was putting him in the contest as a battle Pokemon a wise idea? The lake was obviously perfect at ensuring he wouldn't have to face a fire Pokemon…

Medicham watched Milo's troubled expression melt from her corner of the room, as the trainer slowly fell into slumber. His eyes shut, he turned on his side, and his breathing became heavier. She looked at him, a finger to her temple, removing any worry and doubt so he could have a perfect, untroubled sleep.

Once she was certain he would not scare, she looked at the clock in the room, sighed, and continued with her yoga long into the night.

*

Morty sat on the roof of Ecruteak Gym. It was a tall building, and he sat in the middle, meaning it was difficult for him to be detected by anyone on the ground.

Not that he would be asked to leave, of course. He could do whatever he liked. But as he sat, looking at the moon, he couldn't even think of moving, even if he wanted to.

Had it only been twenty four hours since Jasmine died? He stared at the tower, visible above the trees north of the city. The whole area was cordoned off by police as they investigated the scene, and he wasn't able to get in there. He could phase or teleport onto the scene, but the idea of leaving his fingerprints for forensics to discover sounded like it might be more trouble than he needed right now. Jasmine wouldn't have encouraged that sort of behavior.

Morty then heard a noise behind him and turned; he saw Michael Mitchelson clambering up the side of the building, gasping as he pulled himself higher. Next to him was Alakazam, levitating with his legs crossed and his hands by his side.

"Michael," Morty said quietly. He hadn't spoken to anyone all day, not since Milo left Ecruteak. His low voice cracked as Mr Mitchelson sat down.

"How are you," Michael asked tentatively.

"How did you know I was here?" Morty asked, before looking at Alakazam.

"I just knew," Michael said. "Morty… I'm so sorry for everything that happened last night."

"To be honest, I have been expecting you," he admitted. "I thought you'd try and apologise."

"Try?" Michael asked.

"Jasmine visited me in hospital, before she went with Milo and Jake," Morty said. "And she told me she was going to do it. She was very depressed, it didn't surprise me. I want her here more than anything in the world, but she wanted to go."

"I've been feeling racked with guilt," Michael said. "But I'm concerned about you. I want you to come back to Goldenrod with me."

"I don't know if I can do that," Morty admitted.

"I won't ask you to work for me, if that's what's bothering you," Michael added hesitantly.

"So you're still operating?" Morty said. "Even though…"

"We have been exceptionally quiet," Michael said. "But this proves that Stone needs to be countered."

"Jasmine took her life because she didn't want the retalliation to go on any more," Morty pointed out. "You're doing the opposite!"

"I understand that," Michael said. "But we can't let them carry on like this. The Johto League is being funded by this criminal empire, it's not right."

Michael saw Morty pull his scarf tighter around his neck as the evening got colder. Sitting on the roof was certainly uncomfortable; he envied Kazaar, who was still levitating.

"Even if you don't agree with us still trying to stop Stone, at least come to Goldenrod," Michael said finally.

"Not now," Morty said. "I want to grieve first."

"Very well," Michael said, getting up. He pulled a Pokeball out from his jacket and held it out. "When you do decide to come back… this might come in handy."

Morty reached out, taking the black ball from Michael. He examined the ornate details, intrigued. Mr Mitchelson gave nothing away as he handed it over, but nodded as he prepared to descend again with Alakazam.

"Maybe I'll be seeing you soon," he said. "Goodbye, Mortimer."

As he dissapeared, Morty clutched the ball, feeling a strong energy eminate from within. He looked back at the tower in the distance and wondered what Jasmine would think of him joining Mr Mitchelson once more.

Meanwhile, Michael climbed in the back of a black car parked on the side of the road. It was the car that always drove him around; the oat-coloured leather interiors were buttery soft, elegant. As usual, Bill was already sitting in the back, so Kazaar got in the drivers seat and, using only his mind, revved the engine and drove them off.

"Everything ok?" Bill asked. He had poured himself a drink as he waited for Michael to return.

"Morty is grieving, as I expected," Michael said. "He seemed surprisingly held together, which troubled me."

"Do you think he'll turn to substance abuse again?" Bill asked. When Milo prevented Morty from committing suicide while he trained in Ecruteak, he had taken to using drugs in extreme quantities. He had even dabbled in heroin; this was no mere cry for help, but a destructive path to hell.

"No," Michael said simply. "He is sad, I don't think he's depressed. He was under no illusion how much Jasmine was suffering. What he wants is space to reflect."

"I can't believe Jasmine is gone," Bill said. Michael looked at him; Bill had tears in his eyes. The two had been close, as two employees often could get in certain circumstances. "I really… I mean, are we definitely doing the right thing?"

"We are!" Michael snapped. "Bill… you know we are."

"I just mean," Bill said airily. "We aren't under threat. People like Jasmine, Morty, Lorelei. They're in the firing line."

"There's too much at stake!" Michael snapped. "We have to stop Stone."

"He's a criminal, and the league is partly funded by dirty money," Bill said. "But… if we leave him alone, nobody will die."

"Falkner's father was murdered," Michael reminded him. "Pokemon are being stolen and shipped to other countries for a profit. I cannot believe you're questioning our work! I thought better of you, Bill."

Bill looked ashamed of himself; patches of red appeared under his eyes, and he was blinking furiously. Michael was getting agitated; the thought of his vigilante operation crumbling apart was frightening.

"And can I remind you about my son? Your friend?" Michael said, now speaking more coldly than he had done. "William and Whitney are in a car crash. Whitney breaks an arm, William dies. The four Pokemon my son had on him mysteriously dissapear, and the police report documenting the crash is lost. If it weren't for the Alakazam and Medicham William had left with me before he left the office that morning, I'd have nothing of my son left."

"I'm sorry," Bill said, shaking. "I didn't mean to sound weak."

"My point is, these people are murderers. They're crooks. And though we've lost Jasmine we need to plough through! Did you get any more work done while I was away?"

"A bit," Bill muttered, glad they were changing the subject. "Er. Falkner and Chuck are still in Goldenrod."

"Good. It's time they knew who EysNErs really is," Michael said, staring out the window as the countryside whizzed past. He wasn't confident Kazaar was keeping to the speed limit, but the Pokemon's increased perceptions ensured they didn't crash.

"Whitney won't meet us," Bill said, "She's considering moving from Johto altogether. She still isn't using the gym."

"I wonder if Gary Oak would be able to take over the Goldenrod Gym in her absence," Michael said.

"I already asked him, we're waiting to hear back," Bill said, happy Michael nodded approvingly. "Although I'm sure Milo would be annoyed a former classmate became a gym leader…"

"Finally, did you hear from Sabrina?" Michael asked.

"No," Bill said. "Unreachable."

"That girl could be crucial in our plan," Michael admitted. "Let's leave it for now. First we need to get Falkner on our side. Then we can finish Stone off for good."



Next Chapter
Milo is determined to win his final ribbon, but, intimidated by Kasper's strength and the local support around him, he resorts to dirty tactics in an attempt to find out the boy's weakness. Meanwhile, Michael Mitchelson reveals himself to Falkner and Chuck, and reveals a new direction for his organisation as they attempt to take down Stone's empire.


Notes

-A lot of the Mahogany arc shows Milo's struggle under the pressure of the final contest. For someone whose been quite blasé and just gone along with things, it's all sort of come crashing down on him just how much this means to him. And he knows, under the right circumstances, he could win this.

-Kasper was originally called Carl Carlson, and was mentioned as far back as the Goldenrod arc. He's an interesting character, and it's quite an unusual backstory that he has.

-His team are all pretty cool Pokemon, all ones I briefly considered for Milo at some point actually.

-As for Elaine, she was originally this bitchy journalist but as I was editing it, I felt like having another bitch on this fic was overkill. Elaine is, to put it simply, a pleasant, bubbly girl, but she's also exceptionally good at her job. She has no idea she's being cutting or cruel and will not get on well with Jake at all.

-Pryce is definitely hiding something. I liked the idea that he was actually quite content and in no danger of losing his job. He's very safe, but why that is is another mystery.

-As the fic gets towards the end, the Michael Mitchelson stuff is integrated into the chapters. There's more on Stone's empire and his staff; you'll meet someone who was supposed to crop up in Cherrygrove, but I cut out.

[BTPoke]

Here I am, thinking about Elain, and how she has some ulterior morive behind all this. I can't help but imagine her with the voice of a stereotypical cheerleader, with her voice being all pitchy and stuff, and I keep imagining her chewing gum. Really weird, but yeah.
I don't like her too much, and I'm hoping Jake ends up using parasect on her for some reason. XD

[Chris 2.1]

BT: Haha yea I know what you mean about Elaine. She feels a bit stupid, but she's smart. You'll see her a lot in this arc, and I think beyond that too. I like featuring journalists, and seeing how coordinators would be perceived in the real world. Plenty of people like Elaine want to dig up a story.

Fic is coming along nicely, will post the next chapter soon! Think you'll enjoy it, some much-needed focus on Jake, who I haven't really featured as the main character much.

[Chris 2.1]

Show-Off
-XXXIV-
Mojito

Goldenrod City did look handsome each morning, particularly in the fashionable Brick District, found in the South-West of the city. It was where the docklands were based, a lot of imported produce was sent out and brought in to Johto, and a recent trend for stylish warehouse-style bars had cropped up on the seafront.

One such warehouse had been converted several years ago in to the HQ for the Devon Corporation's Johto Division. Due to Hoenn's prominent trading with Johto, Steven Stone had moved offices to the large city to help manage trading of capital and machine parts that his father's business was originally founded on. It was a particularly effective way to move things across to Kanto, too, as The Tohjo Regional Alliance, a coalition of the Johto and Kanto governments, had worked to install trains on the Magnet Train service that delivered industrial cargo across the border.

But Stone was not thinking of machine parts, though it often formed a large part of his empire. He was in his office, a light and airy space with reformed wooden pillars and semi-circular windows set into the brick walls. They brought in natural light and a tantalising, salty tang from the oceans. Sitting opposite him was Rebekah Brookes, his second-in-command. Rebecca was sitting with her body particularly compact; her hands were on her knees, which were held together, narrowed. Her vivid red hair was tied back, no longer wild and voluminous but sleek and tamed.

They were at a crossroads following the events of the Ecruteak City siege. Jasmine was dead, but not at their hands, and Jack Surge had been critically wounded by her. His blood had spilled all across the ancient Ecruteak tower, and there had been no option for him but to go into hiding once the police turned up that day.

Typically Jack was the managing director of the Lucky Carp Casino, managing the company and working with Stone's other teams to ensure stolen Pokemon were sold through the company, or distributed to casinos Stone owned in Celadon City, Mauville City and Veilstone. But Rebekah was filling in as managing director while Jack recovered.

"I want him back to work," Stone said firmly.

"His kneecap needs to be repaired, the bullet shattered it," Rebekah told him.

"Frankly it shouldn't have happened, Jack and Volkner are perfectly capable of killing a young girl."

"She was well trained, and two boys assisted her," Rebekah reminded him. "Rest assured, I would have done a better job."

"I don't doubt it," Stone said idly. "Deliver a message from me, please."

"Of course," Rebekah said.

"The usual lower-totem," Stone said, sounding bored. "Jack needs to remember that if he lets us down, he will have to rely on us to keep him up even more."

Rebekah nodded and wrote something down, before getting her phone out and typing an email. As if on cue, someone knocked on the door before inviting themselves into Stone's office. He was young, but had a hardy look about him, with thick red hair and a pale face.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he said, as the light from outside caught a chunky piercing in his ear. There was a brief shimmer.

"Silver, I'd like you to go with Rebekah, there's some work that needs done," Stone said. "Rebekah, brief Silver on the way."

"What are we going to do about Michael Mitchelson?" Rebekah asked, the thought only occurring to her as she made preparations to leave.

"Morale on his team will be lower than ever," Stone said. "Thanks to their efforts, an agent laden with guilt committed suicide. We'll monitor the tech channel, but I'm not worried."

*

Maybe it was the wine from the coordinator meet-and-greet, but Jake had a wonderful sleep that night. He woke the next day, bleary eyed but jubilant, recalling a dream he had where he was wearing a fantastic pair of purple shoes. Inspired, he got dressed in a hurry, hoping to go to the shops and seek out such a purchase. They must exist somewhere, he thought, grabbing his coat.

"Milo!" He said. "I had the most amazing -"

"I'm concentrating," Milo told him firmly. Sat at a table in the corner of their bedroom, Milo was watching footage on his phone from the internet. It looked as if he was watching contest appeals.

"What at?" Jake asked, joining him. He saw a Claydol in the middle of an arena pulsate with an unusual glow. Light warped and twisted to form planets, rings, lumps of rock and shimmering dust, orbiting around the huge brown Pokemon as if it was the most important creature in the world. A curious steam rose from the carvings on its body.

"Kasper's appeals," Milo replied. "His Claydol does this cosmic power one, right, and makes this huge scale of the solar system that engulfs the audience…"

"Are you worrying about him?" Jake asked. "Milo, you have lots of people you need to be better than. Kasper could screw up tomorrow."

"I've been looking at others," Milo said. "Do you remember Kylie, from the Olivine Contest? She had that pink Koffing. Well she's got through to the Grand Festival."

"Didn't you beat her in Goldenrod? Scyther VS Elekid?"

"Yup," Milo said, but if Jake thought reminding him of his previous victory would help, it didn't. "She re-entered the Goldenrod competition a month later. Won the appeal stages with full marks and dominated the whole thing."

"Why are you being so down about this?" Jake asked him, reaching his hand out to Milo's shoulder. Before he could pat him, Milo got out his chair and stormed across the room.

"Because I wasn't so focused last time, in Cherrygrove," Milo said. "That's why I lost. I was a bit blasé about the whole thing, and now I need to win this contest to get into the Grand Festival. It's serious."

"You are training Banette and Scizor really well, they'll be brilliant," Jake assured him.

"Maybe," Milo said. "Ah, I dunno."

He continued to stare at the video as Kasper's Typhlosion and Absol worked on a double appeal. Clenching his fists, Typhlosion gave a tremendous roar, flames bursting across his neck as he raised his head high. The smaller, four-legged Absol looked both intriguing and terrifying, staring into the audience with an intense expression.

Typhlosion unleashed a jet of flame that smashed into the earth, whipping up into a tight cyclone of cracking fire. It twisted into the sky fiercely as Absol swung his head, sending a thick blade of white energy from the appendage coming out his skull. The blade curved like a boomerang and sliced into the fire, causing it to tear and let off a huge bang. Persistent, the blade whipped around and shredded the fire twice more, scattering embers across the two Pokemon.

"I haven't even done a double appeal before," Milo said.

"Come and help me find some purple shoes," Jake said, tugging his sleeve. "Get some fresh air!"

Milo sighed, grabbing his coat and leaving their room. He was worried about Kasper, this omnipotent strength he seemed to possess and the highly likely chance he wasn't going to win this upcoming contest. Though it was cold, a warm, bubbling feeling filled his stomach as he went outside, like molten nerves.

*

Falkner and been growing increasingly bored of his time in Goldenrod City. Trying to unearth clues was incredibly difficult in a vast place like this, especially when attempting to unearth the motives behind a criminal organisation. Though EysNErs often provided tips and clues, the hacker had been quiet over the last few days. Distrusting his motives, Chuck found the whole thing rather amusing, despite the persistent worry Oscar had yet to return.

"I'm not rubbing it in," Chuck said again, for it wasn't the first time the two had fallen out discussing the matter. "I just think we were naive. We've stumbled upon this, and it's proved too much."

"You and Oscar may have wanted your jobs back, but I wanted to find out who murdered my father," Falkner said, aware how stroppy he sounded.

"And you did," Chuck said, referring to Rebekah Brookes.

"I can't stop here, not when I know the scale of Steven Stone's empire," Falkner said. "You may feel disassociated with everything -"

"I don't, I want to investigate this too," Chuck said, distracted when both their phones beeped in sync. They exchanged a glance; the only time they got messages at once was when EysNErs got in touch.

"Look!" Falkner said.

From: EysNErs
I am sorry for being quiet. Things have been very… turbulent. There's a car waiting in the basement of the building you're staying in, it will bring you to my office. Please don't be afraid; it's quite safe.

"I don't trust this," Chuck said, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Why has he been so quiet, huh? Then all of a sudden he wants us to jump into a car and speed off?"

"We can fend for ourselves, if we have to," Falkner insisted. "We have Pokemon, we're good in combat."

"Nothing combats a bullet in your head," Chuck said.

"I'm so sick of arguing with you," Falkner said, throwing his hands to his side in frustration. "You're right! We might get killed. But I'm prepared to risk it."

He glared at Chuck, whose sharp blue eyes were locked onto his. They were so different. Nothing alike. Why did they stay together in this stagnant plan? Falkner wanted justice, revenge and to grieve, but the muscular man opposite him only cared about himself. Furious, Falkner walked to the door of their room, but as he gripped the handle he heard a rumbling noise, thundering boots against the hard wood floor of their hostel.

Silently, Falkner turned to Chuck, but as soon as he took his eyes off the front door it was kicked open from the other side; the force knocked Falkner back and he stood, bewildered, as a scrawny figure stood before them, holding a gun.

"HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!" came his coarse voice. Falkner froze, backing up so he was nearer Chuck. But it was just a boy; young, willowy-build boy with thick, red hair. He had a dog-like ferocity in his eyes; they were unsettling.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Chuck asked wildly.

"Where is he," the boy said, his eyes drifting to the bathroom. In a split second he lifted his leg up and smashed it into the door, exposing the contents of the bathroom.

"Who?" Falkner said.

"Jack Surge," he replied coldly. "We know he's registered in this room so don't fuck around. TELL ME!"

"We've been staying here for nearly two weeks!" Chuck cried incredulously. "There's no Jack Surge here."

Falkner was silently impressed at Chuck's phrasing; though the two had witnessed Surge destroy a cafe in rage, his remark made it sound as if they had no association with the man. A good thing, he realised, as the situation with the boy opposite them looked serious.

At Chuck's comment, the boy twitched slightly; his arm was locked straight and the gun pointing at the two, but he seemed to have lost his focus. Falkner wondered why Jack Surge would claim to be in their room. Was he trying to run away from this boy, did he hope that an innocent man would be killed in his place?

Re-adjusting his focus, Falkner looked to see Chuck at his side. The boy was thinking, and in a split second Chuck scurried low, ducking under the boy's range before tackling him in the stomach. Falkner let out a cry and the boy tried to fire his gun, but Chuck was bigger and more imposing. As the pair crashed to the ground, Chuck twisted the boy's arm and knocked the gun from the grasp of his bony fingers.

"Enough of that," he growled. "We're innocent, so you'd best drop the attitude and leave us in peace."

"Chuck we should go," Falkner said, lifting up the window in their room. He was thinking of EysNErs, and the car waiting for them. Nobody knew who Eys was, so they could be whisked away from this danger in no time.

Chuck took the cartridge out the gun and pocketed it, before slowly getting off the boy and backing away. He sprang up at the earliest chance, and turned to face Chuck, clenching his jaw and narrowing his brow. He looked like a terrier, ready to strike.

"You want a fight?" Chuck asked in a booming voice. "I'll fight you, little man. You're not tough without that gun."

Suddenly, a red rush of energy slammed into Chuck's stomach, throwing him across the length of the bedroom. He slammed into the ground as the energy, which had taken the form of a red fist, rose into the air like steam. Falkner saw a jagged, purple shape emerge at the boy's side.

"You're so wrong," he said, nodding to the Haunter. Chuck clutched his side, using the bed to help him get to his feet. He reached for a Pokeball on his belt, but Falkner had a bad feeling about duelling the young boy. He quietly got his own Pokeball out.

"Poliwrath!" Chuck said, pressing the button on the front. Opening in his hand, the ball spilled light from its top and the creature began to materialise. A dark blue, Poliwrath was thick and muscular, his large eyes focused on the foe. The likeness to Chuck was remarkable.

"Another sucker punch!" the boy said. Haunter clenched one of his detached fists and it whooshed through the air like a projectile, sweeping in a curve. Poliwrath held his arms up to his face and blocked it, causing the hand to melt into red steam again, before re-appearing by the ghost's side.

"Bubblebeam!" Chuck said. As Poliwrath held a hand out and send a barrage of bubbles through the air, the boy opposite merely laughed. Haunter began to fade into the air, and was gone completely within moments. Confident, the trainer held his arm up to stop the attack coming into contact with his eyes.

"Ghosts can phase into the atmosphere," he said simply. "They can change their molecular structure. Water and fisticuffs won't help you here."

Poliwrath was suddenly struck; Haunter had re-appeared and sent both fists flying to deliver a double sucker punch. The force knocked Poliwarth off his feet and crashing to the floor, but while Chuck looked worried, Falkner was happy.

In a flash, he grabbed Chuck's shoulder and pressed him into a crouching position.

"NOW PIDGEOTTO!"

A huge wind blistered through the open window; a gale that rushed over Falkner, Chuck and Poliwrath's heads and threw the boy against the wardrobe. With a whoosh, the wind kept Haunter at bay, for he was so light he was unable to fight the air current. Readjusting, the boy stood up, but a lamp flew from the desk and smashed him in the head.

"Now!" Falkner said, as Chuck recalled Poliwrath. He leapt out the window of the hotel, only for another, striking gale to sent him through the window of the hotel one floor below, where he rolled into the room with the sound of shattering glass.

"COME ON CHUCK!" came Falkner's voice. Chuck couldn't see him, but as he looked out the window, he saw Falkner's Pidgeotto and Xatu in the sky, staring at him.

"JUMP!"

He heard something behind him; the boy was stirring, so he climbed onto the window frame and closed his eyes. Then, springing his legs like a frog, he pushed out, and felt a plunging feeling for a moment before a rush of wind took over.

Then there was the feeling of glass; Chuck was lying on his back and looked up, wearily, at the shattered window frame. Pidgeotto and Xatu flew into the room to join Falkner, who was by the door.

"What did you do?" Chuck asked.

"I knew Haunter's gas-like body wouldn't stand a chance against pure wind," he said. "So I released Pidgeotto out the window while you weren't looking. But when we needed to get out, I combined Xatu's psychic abilities with Pidgeotto's wind to turn it i into a focused stream, so while he created the force, Xatu twisted it and we travelled from the fourth floor to the third."

"That's very clever," Chuck said.

"Thanks," he replied, recalling Xatu. Pidgeotto was on his arm, and Falkner was telling him something quietly. Chuck got up, brushing shards from his clothes and checking to see if he was bleeding.

"Are you okay?"

"Yep."

"Right, let's go. That boy will be after us."

Falkner clicked his fingers, and Pidgeotto took off, flying out the window and into the sky, before his trainer headed to the door.

"Where did you send him?" Chuck asked, confused.

"We're going to find Eys," Falkner said. "Pidgeotto can be our messenger. If something goes wrong, then, well, someone knows where we are."

"Where will he go?" said Chuck.

"To the only other person I trust," Falkner said cryptically, before heading out the door.

The corridor was quiet; they walked quickly along towards the main staircase which would take them to the basement car park where Eys was waiting.

"Who do you think he was?" Falkner asked.

"I'm not sure, but it sounded like he wanted Surge," Chuck replied, keeping his hand on the cool metal rail that ran along the stairs.

"So, is he not on our side?" Falkner asked.

"There are too many sides, too many ideals and conflicts," Chuck said.

They got to the bottom of the stairs and Falkner let out a gasp. Phasing through the ceiling from above was a pair of legs, and soon the boy from earlier dropped down to the ground, his Haunter's hands on his shoulders. Both stepped back from him apprehensively.

"Nice trick," he told them, "But Haunter can phase me along with him. I've called back-up, my superiors are on their way."

"We're innocent," Falkner said. "Get out our way."

He wasn't scared of the boy; without his gun he was quite harmless. Chuck could physically overpower him, and Falkner even felt confident he could land a couple of punches if he had to. Already, he scanned the area, looking for a stealthy way to escape unharmed. They needed to get to the car park in the basement - if only they had a Pokemon that could phase, too.

"I'm keeping you here," he said firmly. "I'd shoot you both now if I could. I don't trust you."

Haunter's eyes started to throb, and Falkner saw a purple smudge of energy coat the walls. It crawled under his feet in a long line, branching off into spindly branches until the walls, ceilings and floors were plastered with this web-like energy. Chuck looked wary, thinking the same thing as Falkner - this energy was keeping them from escaping.

"I recognise you," Falkner said, desperately trying to stall the boy so they could think of something. Frankly he felt it was Chuck's turn to bust them out of this.

"I challenged you at your gym," the boy replied, almost disinterestedly. It came back to Falkner; he remembered using his Skarmory against the opponent, who had an interesting Crobat. It was just after Falkner began looking after the gym, when he was excited about taking over his father's legacy, before he knew the truth.

"You won," Falkner noted, but he was unable to remember the boy's name.

He was about to ask whether or not the boy was entering the league when the door to the hotel burst open. Striding through the corridor was a face all too familiar to Falkner - Rebekah Brookes. With her mane of gingery hair and clean trench coat, she strode to the scene, and suddenly took in the sight of Falkner and Chuck.

"You!" she hollered.

*

Mahogany town was so quiet that Milo had not been sure what to do following a few hours of training. Banette was now much more confident with his thunder attack, and his shadow claw was better, too. Confident he was coming along nicely, Milo had also worked on Scizor's attacks and agility, and, with no other plans, went to the gym to watch a match.

As it was the Doubles Gym, Pryce was having an official battle against a league challenger; she was a feisty looking girl, clenching her jaw and grinning with devilish excitement. On the field was Pryce's Abomasnow from the day before, joined by an happy looking Quagsire. This must be one of his new Pokemon, Milo thought, as the opponent sent out a Flareon and an Ivysaur.

"Flareon! Flamethrower! Ivysaur surround yourself with a stun spore!" the girl snapped. Instantly Flareon knelt forward and shot a whooshing jet of flame through the air; the agile Quagsire threw himself in the way and took it effortlessly, his soft, watery skin reducing any chance of a burn. Ivysaur started sending thick puffs of yellow dust out of the flower on his back; they wafted around him.

"Abomasnow, change the temperature," Pryce said. Clapping his hands, Abomasnow let out a tremendous roar, and a thin, icy-cold mist started filtering through the arena. Milo knew Abomasnow had excellent control over the temperature, able to summon hailstorms at will, and watched as the spores around Ivysaur started freezing solid, dropping like hailstones around the grass Pokemon and shattering.

"Quagsire, earthquake," he added. Leaping up into the air, Quagsire flipped his tail around and slammed it into the earth; a thick tremor ran across the arena, knocking Flareon over. Ivysaur was also hurt, though not badly.

"Ivysaur grab Quagsire with a vine whip! Flareon, ember assault at Abomasnow," the girl snapped.

Flareon's open mouth sent a flurry of small flames shooting at Abomasnow. Across the other side of the arena, he didn't even try evading; with the sharp drop in temperature, the fire attacks fizzled into the atmosphere before they could reach their target. Ivysaur, meanwhile, threw two slender vines out and tried grabbing Quagsire. When he proved too nimble, the creature chose to lash them against his blue hide instead, causing him pain.

"Quagsire, aqua tail," Pryce said. Undeterred, the creature ran across the arena, his tail glowing. Milo watched with intrigue; Croconaw knew aqua tail, but didn't use it often. Quagsire jumped up, span on the spot and unleashed a thick, blue blade of energy that smashed into Flareon and burst into a deluge of water. Due to the coldness of the arena, the water frosted as it hit Flareon, causing icicles to knot in her fur.

"Pryce is doing really well," Jake said. "It's too cold for Flareon's fire to burn well, and Ivysaur's grass attacks are brittle and weakened."

"Abomasnow's like the bulky supporter, and Quagsire's taking center stage," Milo said, impressed at his orchestration of the double battle. "But the challenger's just using two Pokemon independently of each other."

"I guess she chose them to counter each of his Pokemon specifically, without getting them to work together," Jake said. "You could learn a lot from this, you know."

Milo agreed. Though he had successfully paired Medicham and Scyther together in the Goldenrod Contest against Dior's Bayleef and Sneasel, he wasn't very good at double battles, and realised Pryce's carefully selected pairings were the reason he was dominating his opponent. Medicham and Scyther had worked well because Scyther's wide-ranged attacks helped cloak Medicham so she could attack up close, but as he thought of his defeat at Mia's hands in Cherrygrove, it dawned on him that Medicham and Croconaw hadn't had a plan at all.

But had Mia? Ninetales had been the support slot, using long-ranged fire attacks to keep the opponents away. Gallade, agile, powerful and with a wide-range of attacks, had swept the arena, dealing damage to whomever was the most exposed. It had been quite a brilliant combination.

the air with an aqua jet, he wondered which of his five would actually work best together. Magneton's wide-range of resistances and pinpoint accuracy meant he'd make an excellent stealth sweeper, as long as he was paired with someone like Medicham or Banette, who were able to deal effective damage to a number of foes.

"I guess for me," Jake said, as if reading Milo's thoughts, "Pellipper goes well with Parasect, especially due to the aerial cover he provides. I think with the right training Torchic would work well with Pellipper, too."

Milo nodded, as Quagsire began peppering Flareon with a mud bomb. As she was dogged by the thick sloppy balls of mud, she didn't notice Abomasnow tear across the arena, a focus punch being charged up. In a flash, he swung his fist and smashed her in the stomach, throwing her across the arena where she rolled along to her trainers feet.

"Your Pokemon is defeated," Pryce said. "Gym rules state you can choose to withdraw after losing one Pokemon, or simply carry on with your remaining one. I'd throw the towel in, if I were you."

"Fine," the girl snapped, recalling both her Pokemon into their balls. "I quit."

The seating had very few people, so a low, exhausted applause filled the air. Pryce was giving the girl some advice about how to improve her battle technique. Milo thought more about whether he would need to pair his Pokemon up in the Grand Festival, and vowed to catch another member that would help him out.

Once the battle was over, Milo made his way down the stairs as he wished to speak to Pryce. Jake followed, and together they walked across the concrete floor to the man, who was talking to his two Pokemon.

"Excellent work," he told the huge, furry beast Abomasnow. "And you, Quagsire."

"Pryce!"

"Hello there," he said warmly. "Did you watch the match?"

"We did," Milo said.

"It was great!" Jake said. "Your two Pokemon worked really well together."

"I had to do a bit of learning myself," he admitted, "But my team are quite capable. How are you enjoying Mahogany?"

"It's nice to be back," Milo admitted. "But… we were wondering if you knew anything about Kasper Karlson."

Pryce surveyed them for a moment, furrowing his brow, "What do you mean?"

"I'm just… researching my opponents, and I know you were close," Milo said.

"I told you yesterday; he's an exceptionally talented young man, and a very able coordinator," Pryce said, in a more serious tone.

"I just meant that, well, he was off training for a long time," Milo admitted. "It's quite unusual to be away so long."

"Do you think it's any business of yours, what that boy has been through?" Pryce snapped. "Because I don't. Keep your nose out, Milo."

Milo saw Pryce turn and walk to his office quickly. Giving a curious look at Jake, Milo knew he had overstepped a line here, and promptly turned to leave the gym. Naturally, the atmosphere in the large room felt colder now than it had done while Abomasnow was battling.

*

"What on earth?"

"They were the ones in Surge's room," the boy said to Rebekah..

"He must have fiddled with the database," Rebekah said, "Leading us to the wrong place. But this is interesting, Silver. I left this boy bound to a tree, ready to die in the National Park…"

Falkner heard Chuck gasp, but he daren't take his eyes off Rebekah. Her cold, sharp eyes were making him feel uncomfortable, and he tried, with all his might, to think of a way they could escape. With Haunter sealing the perimeter, they'd need to knock him out to have any chance, but then he could be shot or attacked by Rebekah in that time.

"I don't know how you escaped," she said, with a sniff. "But no matter. Silver, where is your gun?"

"They took it," came a quiet, meek voice from Silver's mouth. "In the hotel room."

Rebekah let out a sigh and reached into her pocket. Slowly she pulled out a silver pistol and loaded it, pointing the barrel right at Falkner's chest. He gasped, feeling that cold dread mixed with bubbling, molten anger. This woman ended his father's life months ago, he couldn't let her do the same to him again. Last time they met, timid, he let her bind him up, but not this time. Not again.

Having honed his skills at the Fuchsia City gym in Kanto, Falkner was adapt at stealth, and decided that, unlike his betrayed father, he would die trying to escape, and trying to protect Chuck, who was quite still. He looked around the room, took a second to gaze at Rebekah's poise. It was a long shot, but he had to do something…

"You're going to come with us," said Rebekah, jerking her gun towards the door. "Now. We'll deal with you at our office."

This was odd. They'd be going into the dragon's lair? Falkner realised they had a unique opportunity here, and bowed his head, walking towards them. Silver ran across the room to the main door, where presumably transport was waiting. But Chuck remained still, refusing to move.

"Come on," Rebekah snapped. "NOW!"

She fired a shot at the ground; quick and brittle, the bullet grazed the carpet and the sound rang across the room. Chuck gave a jolt, but gasped as a smoke-like substance began to filter through the floorboards from the spot Rebekah shot at.

She was staring at it, too, as more and more smoke rose in thin, delicate curls. Falkner stopped and crouched down, gliding his hand through the substance, and realised it was not smoke, but actually an icy mist.

In no time their ankles were shrouded by the mist, causing Rebekah to bang her fist against the table and demand they came now. Falkner nodded, curious about the cold temperature in the room but fearing for his safety. Chuck looked deep in thought, but also caught off guard, as if he, too, was wondering what was going on.

Suddenly there was an ominous scream; Haunter gave a responding shriek as something thick and dark collided with him; he smashed into the wall with a surprisingly heavy thud, appearing very solid. A thin gangly form snaked through the air, obscured by the poor vision now filling the room. Rebekah attempted to shoot it, but every bang caused the shape to re-materialise somewhere else.

An unmistakable shadow ball was launched at the spot between Falkner and Rebekah; the resulting bang caused the boy to topple back, but someone caught him. Cold hands gripped his back and he realised this wasn't Chuck; as the temperature continued to drop, Falkner squinted as he turned and hissed, "Who is that!?"

"Help," came the quiet purr. Steered back, Falkner watched as a slender lady strode forward. The smoke from the shadow ball began to clear up, and even the mist dropped slightly, revealing an attractive lady in a black dress standing between Falkner and Chuck and Rebekah and Silver.

She was holding a thick, ugly doll in her left hand, but it looked delicate, almost glass-like. Rebekah, startled at the woman's appearance, pointed her gun and fired three shots, but the shadowy form attacking re-materialised and swept through the air.

It was a Frosslass; she looked almost fish-like as she moved through the cold atmosphere, and threw an attack not unlike a shadow ball to intercept the bullets about to shoot their new ally. The bullets, upon meeting the shadowy disc, disappeared, and the dark shape became engulfed by itself. Like a black hole.

The woman held something to the ugly doll in her hand, but Falkner struggled to see what she was doing. Seconds later, Rebekah gave a shrill scream and dropped her gun; Falkner saw thick cuffs forming out of ice around both her wrists. The sensation in her fingers weakening, she instinctively dropped the gun, and her heavy arms dropped to her sides. Silver, seeing this, grabbed a Pokeball, but the button refused to open on it. Only when it caught the dim buzzing light in the room did Falkner see this woman had frozen the seals of his Pokeballs shut.

"Who are you?" Silver shouted. Rebekah was on her knees, the cuffs around her wrists extending to her elbows. The mysterious woman said nothing, simply holding the doll which Falkner now realised was made from ice, not glass.

Suddenly, Frosslass was flying towards both Falkner and Chuck, arms held out in greeting. With a bang, the floor beneath them began to shift and melt, and the two slowly slipped beneath the floorboards. Falkner gave a yelp and looked to see the woman smiling at him as Rebekah and Silver watched on, perplexed.

The two fell to the floor below, which was a dark, concrete car park. Ahead of them was a black car, the headlights glaring at them.

"Are you okay?" Falkner asked.

"Yes," Chuck said, looking drained. "What on earth -"

"It would have been easier if you just got in the car," came a voice, and from above the attractive woman slipped down from the ceiling, landing in a crouched position as if she had done it a thousand times.

Falkner had a good look at her; she had wavy hair, red spectacles and a kind face. Her accent suggested she was well educated, perhaps even moneyed, but there was a phlegmy grit to it.

"Are you EysNErs?" Falkner asked. The woman was quickly ushering them into the car, bungling Falkner in first and letting Chuck follow. As he was fiddling with his seat belt, Falkner saw the woman climb in with him, slam the door and urge the driver to speed off.

"GO!" she screamed, as the car rocketed out the underground car park and through the streets of Goldenrod. Once the urgency of the matter subsided, the lady slowly took her spectacles off and began to clean them diligently.

"We had a bit of trouble there, Andrew," Lorelei said to the man driving the car. He looked Falkner's age, but it was difficult to see him clearly.

"I am not Eys," Lorelei said, smiling. "I am his associate, Lorelei. He sent me to pick you up. If you had come right down instead of dawdling around we might have saved a bit of hassle."

"I'm really confused," Falkner said. "Why is Rebekah Brooks after Jack Surge? They're on the same side…"

"Surge cocked up an important job," Lorelei said seriously. "Stone has an unusual way of punishing his employees."

"Is he going to have him killed?" Chuck asked.

"I don't think so," Lorelei replied.

"Your technique with Frosslass was incredible," Falkner said, relaxing more now that the fear from pistols was ebbing away. "The ice thing…"

"The voodoo cuffs are a specialty of mine," she said, sounding pleased. "It works better with my Jynx, but she was a little busy today. Frosslass is relatively new, but her phasing abilities makes her an excellent Pokemon for espionage. That shadow vortex we developed has saved my life countless times."

"So, what does Eys want with us?" Chuck asked.

"Why, he wants you to join him, of course," Lorelei said. "He's been developing a plan to take down Steven Stone, and we need all the help we can get."

"Hang on," Falkner said, gazing out the window. A familiar looking building was looming before them, and it looked as if the car was heading into its car park. "Mitchelson Enterprises?"

"What!?" Chuck said, pressing his nose against the glass. "This is where we're going?"

"That's right," Lorelei replied. "EysNErs is Michael Mitchelson."

*

Milo had planned to practice with his Pokemon for as long as possible, so he could go to bed that night and feel he had done everything he could. But, while yesterday had been quiet and their training undisturbed, today there were a number of coordinators practicing appeals and battling in the woods. Milo watched them, his teeth grinding beneath his fixed expression, before deciding to go somewhere else.

"I'm going to try the steep walk towards the lake," he said, setting off north of the city.

"Listen," Jake said, standing on the spot as Milo headed off. "I'm… going to just go back to our room."

"You are?" Milo asked, turning to look around at him. "Everything ok?"

"I've just not slept at all last night," Jake said, "I kept seeing Jasmine, or hearing guns going off in my head, it was horrible. I feel like I haven't got any energy."

"I didn't realise," Milo said, looking concerned. Jake saw Milo walk back towards him, hoping he wouldn't take the afternoon off as well. Before Jake could persuade Milo to carry on, he pulled Jake into a tight hug; the young boy could smell his friends' strong scent on him. It was a salty, sandy aroma not unlike the beach. Jake closed his eyes.

"Just chill out for the afternoon," Milo said, ruffling his hair. He regretted it instantly, pulling his hand away as it became webbed with Jake's hair product. "And ring me if you want."

Jake nodded as Milo pulled his backpack up and set off up the steep hill towards the lake. Letting out a sigh, Jake wandered off back through the small village, a heavy feeling in his heart.

While he had indeed had a horrible sleep, punctured by terrifying images and frightening sounds, that hadn't been why he wanted to leave Milo's company. Their arguments about Elaine Langfield had rattled Jake; he hated himself for finding it hard to like the perky girl. And when Jasmine's body lay at the foot of the tower in Ecruteak… Jake had been hysteric, but Milo's reaction, his screams and wails as he cradled her body, had been disturbing.

Of course, she was one of many girls Milo had slept with, but this was the first time Jake had seen Milo mourn a former lover. He had always been indifferent to his other conquests, and though he hadn't kissed Luna, Milo's feelings for her seemed childish and dream-like, to the point that the girl seemed like a fantasy. But the way Milo looked at Jasmine, he looked as if he had a limb ripped from his body. And that was exactly how Jake felt, too.

His feet took him through the shops, but the contents of the windows passed Jake by. He could never have the intimacy he desired with Milo, but he dreaded to think how it would feel if he saw his friend, sprawled by the front of the tower, his limbs twisted, bruised or snapped. Life without Milo would be awful, truly emptier and he, Jake, would be worse off because of it. That they had been friends for several months just proved that the two of them had a connection, they had become very close in a short space of time. Milo joked they were like brothers. This wasn't lust, or a crush, Jake told himself firmly. It was a serious, grown-up relationship between two souls.

Getting his phone out his pocket, Jake scrolled through his address book, looking for Gina's number. She seemed to understand his pangs of want for his friend, even if she deemed it a waste of time and energy. She had been there for him when he had needed her in Violet City, and he really wanted that affirmation from her.

But the signal in Mahogany Town was poor; Jake walked up and down, holding his phone high to try and get enough bars to call her. When it proved useless, he stormed off to the stone steps that wound down towards the water's edge, west of the city, where the boys got their boat previously.

Finally, his phone picked up a signal, and he dialled Gina's number, a fluttering excitement in his chest. It would be nice to hear from her; where would she be in the world?

But no answer. Jake heard her familiar London drawl on an answer phone recording and decided to leave her a message.

"Hey Gina, it's Jake," he said, walking by the water's edge. "How are you? I just wanted to ring… to see if you're okay. It's been a while. I hope you're working hard, maybe we'll see you soon. We're in Mahogany Town…"

He paused for a moment; how would be phrase what was on his mind? It seemed impossible to pour his heart out, to let the words roll off his tongue. They seemed stuck. With a grunt, he cleared his throat.

"Anyway, call me sometime. Lots of love."

He slid his phone back into his pocket, feeling more fed up than ever. The dock was quiet, so quiet Jake sat himself down on a large rock and stared out at the vast body of water that only added to his feeling of isolation.

Just then, his ears picked up a noise. Looking up, he saw a familiar creature in the sky, flying so low his big feet were skimming the water's surface. The large, green wings were folded out to their widest, and effortlessly the Dragonite was gliding along the sky.

Looking to his left, Jake saw Kasper standing, arms folded, watching his Pokemon. As he neared, Dragonite twisted his body and rocketed up into the air, managing to move with such effortlessness and grace Jake was sure it would need to do little else to impress the judges.

At that moment, Kasper saw Jake and gave him a broad smile; he returned it as best he could. In the sky, Dragonite held his arms out wide and small green wisps of energy flew from his body, forming into a spherical cage of translucent light. It lit the Pokemon's face, enhancing Dragonite's handsome features, and as he became completely engulfed, Dragonite flew down, at a steep angle, the safeguard coming with him like a protective shield.

Like a dart he pierced the water, becoming nothing more than shadow beneath the surface. The green safeguard grew and soon illuminated the whole of the water, giving it an unsettling, unnatural colour that looked odd but perfectly beautiful at the same time. For several moments there was nothing but the glow; it tingled, hiding Dragonite. Jake couldn't keep his eyes from the gently rippling surface; something was going to happen.

And then, a heavy churning; from the water a thick, twisting column span out, sinewing high into the sky. Bursting from the tip was Dragonite, droplets of water forming gracefully from his body as the safeguard's green glow span off in sparkling drops. Flapping his wings slowly, Dragonite looked both terrifying and beautiful as he looked at his trainer.

"GOOD!" Kasper said, and his Pokemon began to fly over to him. Jake watched, intrigued, as the boy turned to him and beckoned him over.

Leaping off the rock, Jake walked over to Kasper as he recalled Dragonite. Kasper was wearing a thick, cable-knit jumper and had on a pair of black boots. Jake felt oddly nervous approaching him, but he wasn't sure why.

"What did you think?" Kasper asked.

"Very good," Jake said. "I'd give you 10/10."

"You're kind," Kasper said, "But I am not appealing with Dragonite."

"You're not?" Jake asked.

"He needs to be agile and beautiful for his battle," Kasper said. "My appeal Pokemon is resting up."

"Well, you'll be fine," Jake said, flashing a weak smile.

"Are you a spy? Did your friend send you?" Kasper asked, in a mock-serious tone.

"No! No no," replied Jake, feeling himself blush. "I'm just spending a bit of time alone."

"Oh, alone," said Kasper, with a nod. "I see. I can… go…"

"It's okay," Jake said, "I just meant… I needed some time away from Milo."

"It must be nice having a travel companion," Kasper said, reaching down to his backpack and taking out a flask of tea. He poured Jake a cup, and passed it to him.

"Did you always travel alone?" Jake asked.

"I travelled with a mentor once, he kept me in shape," Kasper told him. "For me, coordinating was never a whole lot of fun, it was a discipline."

"I see," Jake replied. "Well, we have fun. But…"

"Your friend is headstrong, very loud and brash," Kasper said. Jake smirked.

"No, he isn't," he insisted. "Milo's switched on, he's really good at coordinating. And he's sensitive, intelligent, really protective when the need arises…"

Kasper nodded. Jake looked at him, and suddenly found himself looking at his calm, relaxed expression. His warm blue eyes made the tense ache in Jake's stomach relax; he suddenly found himself saying aloud what he couldn't say to Gina's answer phone.

"And I'm in love with him, but he doesn't know! I wish I could tell him, but it's impossible, he doesn't understand what it's like to be me," Jake gasped, feeling tears in his eyes. If Kasper was shocked by his outburst, he didn't show it; Jake saw him looking on, concerned, as he poured his heart out.

"He… he fucks girls, and flirts, and talks about sex but he doesn't realise how it makes me feel. He knows I'm gay, but if he knew I liked him… he'd hate me! He'd just ask me to f-fuck off!"

"If he doesn't understand how you're feeling, maybe you should stop travelling with him?" Kasper said soothingly.

"I… I couldn't leave," Jake said. "I love spending time with him, he's like my best friend! And even though I sometimes feel like, I dunno, his sidekick, or like my opinion doesn't count, we've been through so much. He needs me sometimes, I think…"

This time, Kasper said nothing, though he had his chance. He simply watched Jake, sipping his tea. Jake appreciated it. It helped him gather his own thoughts.

"But ultimately, I think about when Milo finishes the grand festival, and it's all over… and I realise we'll go our separate ways. The thought of it makes me so sad, I can't understand what I'll do without him."

He was staring at the ground now, watching as tears splashed the rocks littering the shore. Now he couldn't even look at Kasper, into his calming blue eyes, he felt ashamed. They were strangers, and yet it almost helped him be so brutally honest. For once he had admitted it, it seemed important to let every bit of the problem out, no matter how raw and embarrassing it might feel.

"Have you been in love before?" Kasper asked. Jake shook his head, about to speak but feeling a hiccup in his throat.

"But just because I haven't felt it before, it doesn't mean I don't know it when I feel it!" he argued, with another hiccup causing him to spill tea on his trainers.

"I'm only a couple of years older than you," Kasper said. "So I can't answer all your questions without patronising you. But Milo's had girlfriends, right? He's been in love. If he felt the same towards you, he'd know. And he'd act on it. But I suppose because you're young, you're hoping he will, because you're still unsure who you are and what you're feeling. You can't act on your feelings as easily."

"I know," Jake said, though he'd never have been able to put it so succinctly. "But what can I do? It's getting so difficult, I feel like I'm suffocating!"

"You're like a can of soda being shaken up," Kasper said. "Pulling the ring-pull might hurt a bit, but it lets the pressure off. I'm glad you spoke to me about this, Jake, you need to be able to tell people how you feel."

"I don't know what to do," he said, feeling so sorry for himself he was sure he would be swallowed up by self pity.

"I don't have much advice, but from what I understand, love is an unselfish devotion to someone -"

"Well that's what-

"Let me finish," Kasper said calmly. "You know, in your heart, you can't be in love with Milo. You understand him and his lifestyle, who he is attracted to. Wanting to be with him like that, despite what he might want for himself, is selfish. It's unfair to him."

Jake thought for a moment. True, he had always hoped Milo would reveal his own affections for Jake, and he had tried making his own feelings dormant until then, but Kasper made a good point in that wanting Milo to change who he was, and to challenge his own identity was incredibly selfish on his part. Love couldn't be for ones own benefit.

"So what does that mean?" Jake asked.

"It means you're going to come out of this a lot stronger, a lot maturer and with a perspective you can't even fathom at the moment."

Kasper grinned, making Jake feel somewhat better.

"How do you know all this?" Jake said. "You're so switched on."

"I know a lot about dealing with your emotions and tackling problems," he said simply. "It's very important if you want self discipline."

"Is that what you did when you went away?" Jake asked timidly. He had not thought himself brave enough, but there seemed to be an understanding between them now Jake had opened himself up so honestly. Kasper nodded slowly, his lips parted, as if he was trying to use his voice.

"I was…" he said.

"What happened?" Jake asked.

"I was never good under pressure," Kasper said. "I couldn't cope with the pressure piled on me and spent a few years in a rehabilitation center."

"Oh god," Jake said, "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"It is okay," Kasper replied, his expression somehow stern. "It was pleasant, with a big beautiful garden and a lake. No Pokemon were allowed, so I let a lot of my team go, or let them stay with family. I needed to learn how to cope, it was time well spent. I was so young, and coordinating was so relentless, I felt like I was drowning."

"Do you think you took it too seriously?" Jake asked.

"No," Kasper mused, lingering for a moment. "I had down-time. I was just… irresponsible. With my Pokemon. And myself."

Jake didn't quite understand, but he did see that Kasper was being incredibly frank about his personal life. Not wishing to probe, or sound nosy, he decided not to ask the specifics behind his admittance to the center, though he was aching to learn more. Maybe it was because Milo gave so little away that Jake was yearning to be there for Kasper, to listen and nod, to understand and help him. Unlike Milo, Jake wondered if Kasper needed someone to talk to; if it was true his parents had separated, maybe he was more distant with them than Milo was with his family.

When Jake returned to the hotel some hours later, he found Milo sitting on the bed reading the newspaper. He seemed to be waiting, for he leapt up and discarded the broadsheet as Jake entered the room.

"You okay?" Milo asked, looking at him. Jake felt warm under his gaze, like a candle softening under sunlight.

"Sure," he replied, shrugging. "You?"

"Yea, I'm good," Milo said, frowning. Jake walked to their little bathroom and, the door kept open, started running the tap. "You feeling a bit better?"

"Oh yea," Jake said, scooping cold water and splashing his face; he wasn't feeling dirty at all, but it helped him concentrate. "I got some fresh air."

"I was a little worried," Milo said. "I thought you fell out with me."

The child-like goofiness of his remark made Jake smile. Milo wasn't always articulate, and if anything, it made him more endearing, as if he were really struggling to put together what had happened. Drying his face, Jake could understand why he was confused. Nothing had really happened at all between them, for for him, he had just felt bottled up, at breaking point. As Kasper said, he needed to pull the ring-pull and explode a little.

"No, honestly, you did nothing wrong," Jake said, looking at him again. He felt himself redden through his lie, as if the truth were seeping out his pores in prickly, hot patches. "It's the Jasmine thing, Milo. Her body falling like that…"

"I know mate," Milo said, and Jake could see his pained expression once again. Milo suddenly looked young and confused, his eyes glazed over and he was overcome with grief and sadness. What memories was he enveloping himself in, what was flooding through his heart like a vicious current? Jake wanted to know so badly, but he wasn't really sure why.

"How was training?" Jake asked.

"Good, really good," he said, nodding, and bringing himself back from his grief. "I'm feeling ok about tomorrow."

"I'm glad," Jake said. "You're going to be great."

They decided that, as it was the eve of Milo's big competition, they should go and do something in town that night. Bars seemed out of the question (both boys feeling tired of alcohol, and realising just how much they drank) so they treated themselves to a meal in one of the town's small but popular restaurants. After reading a review online, Jake suggested a cosy Italian restaurant near the gym. Once there, they ordered large meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce, with thick slabs of garlic bread to mop up the juices. And though the red wine looked appetising, both refused, washing the food down with tap water from a jug.

"I don't even care about Kasper and his Dragonite," Milo said, waving his fork at Jake. "I used to feel spooked… but I don't now."

"Good," Jake said, winding pasta round his fork.

"I wonder what the deal is with that guy," Milo said absently. Jake, though he felt enlightened in ways Milo did not, had to wonder, too. He decided against telling Milo about Kasper's stint in rehab, mainly as it felt good rising above his devotion to his friend. Keeping this from him - and choosing to, rather than feeling obliged to - was like a talisman against the unusual feelings stirring inside Jake. Kept secret, his knowledge of Kasper battled his feelings for Milo, control over no control, choice over no choice.

*

In his office, Michael sat behind his desk as Falkner and Chuck listened. He had been explaining to them everything about his company, his plight to stop Steven Stone and the intricate details about the man's criminal empire.

"So you want us to join you," Falkner said.

"I do," Michael replied. "This company needs to be stopped, and I know having you both on board will help."

"And you think you can do it?" Chuck asked.

"I have a plan, one that will help us stop Stone for good," Michael replied. "But we need to set a few other things in motion before we can do it," Michael replied. "I have a floor of the Mal Maison hotel in Goldenrod, you can both stay there for the mean time. I will be ensuring you both have a bit of training before either of you go on missions."

"So when do we start?" Falkner asked. "What's our job?"

"I'm still working that out," Michael admitted. "But if you're both on board…"

"We are," Chuck said, looking at Falkner quickly, then back at Michael. "We want to help."

"Have you got any questions?" Michael asked them.

"Are you going to recruit Oscar, too?" Falkner asked.

"No, I'm not," Michael replied. "The police tracked him down, and he was arrested outside Goldenrod city."

"Oh God," Chuck said, a hand to his mouth.

"He was wanted for murder," Michael said simply. "He was never going to escape that."

"I suppose," Falkner replied.

"Just get some sleep, and I will see you both in the morning. We have a lot of work to do," Michael said. Falkner and Chuck got up to leave, and Andrew led the way to the lifts, where a car was waiting to take them to the hotel.

Once Andrew returned, Michael's head was in his hands. It was late, and he longed to go home, but he was keen to speak to his assistant before they moved on to the next step of their project.

"We have Falkner and Chuck," Michael said, as if recounting items from a list. "Morty is still mourning. Any other news?"

"The package is going to be in Mossdeep soon," Andrew said. "I think we'll have to move fast."

"I'll bear that in mind," Michael said, nodding.

*

The computer, old and out of date, emitted a loud dull whirr as Pryce typed away. The screen a greenish blue, it radiated so brightly his entire study was lit up. It was getting late, though it was not unusual for him to type up reports at this hour. He was, after all, lumbered with far more paperwork when he won a battle than when he lost.

Taking his reading glasses off, he rubbed his eyes as there was a knock at the door. In came Kasper, who had been using the gym battlefield downstairs while Pryce worked. Upon seeing his young student, Pryce smiled, flicked his lamp on (combatting the blue-green glow with a friendly, room-flooding yellow) and got a bottle of bourbon from his cupboard.

"Feeling good?" he said.

"Confident," Kasper replied, smiling. Pryce wagged the bottle at him, but Kasper shook his head. Sighing, Pryce poured himself a measure before getting soda water and filling a glass for his guest. He added a wedge of lemon and tore a sprig of mint from a small pot on the window ledge.

"I will be watching," Pryce said. "Just be warned, kid. Once you're in the Grand Festival the tabloids are going to turn things up a notch."

"Do you think?" Kasper asked.

"It's a big event, televised on three channels," Pryce said. "Do well and you might find yourself in the newspapers, too."

"Again?" Kasper moaned. "I'm already being badgered by that Elaine girl. She keeps cornering me wherever I go."

"I know, and you're right to ignore her," Pryce said. "She's snooping around trying to find dirt, but she doesn't know how much this community care for you."

Kasper didn't look flattered, instead knotting his hands together and saying, "She's a journalist. She'll find what she needs."

"You must be relaxed," Pryce said.

"Maybe I could just go public, tell people what happened," Kasper said. "Maybe they'll understand… I can't be the only one -"

"I spoke to your father about this, and we both agreed it wasn't a good idea," Pryce replied. "The press will twist the whole thing out of proportion, Kasper. They'll turn you into a monster."

At that moment, there was a heavy thud from the back door of the building. When the gym was shut, it was the door Pryce used to get in and out of the building, as the narrow staircase led right to his study. As the rain lashed harder outside, Pryce wondered who would be troubling him, who would feel the need to trek across town. He got up and walked down the stairs, leaving Kasper in the room alone.

The old stairs creaked as he walked gingerly, his hand feeling the wall as there was no longer a bannister to guide him. At the bottom of the stairs, he reached for the handle and opened it, finding a small figure darkened by the storm outside.

"Pryce?"

It was a girl; a young, pretty girl who pulled her hood down to reveal long, blonde hair. She beamed at him and shuffled forward, towards the doorway, but Pryce stood where he was.

"How can I help you, madam?" he said, in a firm tone.

"My name's Elaine," she said, holding her hand out. Pryce did not shake it. "Can I come in? I am literally soaked through, it's horrible out here!"

"What do you want?" Pryce asked. "You're the journalist, yes?"

"Wrong determiner, Pryce," she said, giving a wink. "I'm a journalist, not the. I'm not alone!"

"Let me finish," Pryce said. "You're the journalist nosing around, chasing the fetid scent of gossip in this little community."

"Well, yes," Elaine replied, still smiling. "And you're quite right; I've picked up a scent. I have a very good sense of smell, Pryce. I know when there's a story."

"Then I suggest you keep sniffing," Pryce said, ready to shut the door. Undeterred, Elaine held her hand out, stopping him from shutting it in her face. She looked into his eyes.

"But I need your help," Elaine said.

"I'm not telling you anything," Pryce snapped.

"Then listen!" Elaine piped up. "Just listen. You can slam the door in my face, just give me a chance to speak first."

Pryce hesitated, perhaps seeing the rain flicker off the girl's lips as she spoke, feeling sorry for her in these conditions. He gave her the briefest nod.

"The Johto League overhaul the gym structure, shutting Azalea down because of financial troubles, making Chuck redundant because of his gym's typing and replacing Morty due to his drug problems. Before the Reclassification, you were, statistically, the lowest-ranking gym leader in Johto due to your win/loss ratio. Yet the league kept you on."

"Whitney was also a low-rank-"

"Whitney is a famous TV actress, and drew a large audience to Johto. She is a brand. You're an elderly gentleman who managed to keep his job in a very difficult financial climate, Pryce, and I just couldn't figure out why. I did some research, or, as you might say, I sniffed around, and I found the most fetid stench you could imagine. Correspondence between you and Eusine Grimm, the current owner of Cianwood Gym."

Pryce stared at her, completely caught off-guard. Elaine could tell she was on to something, for she carried on with a giddy momentum.

"Concerning the whereabouts of a Pokemon named Suicune that - according to the Department of Pokemon Legislation and Documentation - was wiped out almost a century ago."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Pryce said slowly.

"Yes you do," she said darkly. "I've got the transcript here. You said: 'As long as they have it, everything will be fine. Don't let your heart get in the way Eusine'. Eusine said: 'I was manipulated. Mitchelson led me on'.

"So you're telling me a Pokemon that doesn't exist is actually being kept captive somewhere?"

"You don't…" Pryce began. "This is way out of your hands."

"What is?" Elaine asked, looking suddenly naive and clueless. "My theory is the Johto League are in on this conspiracy, and let you keep your job to keep your lid shut."

"You're wrong," Pryce said.

"Well, stew on it for a while," Elaine said airily. "I'm already working on that story. What I'm more interested in… is your friend Kasper Karlson. Where did he go for so many years, Pryce? Was his disappearance connected with Suicune?"

"No!" Pryce said. "He's an innocent boy, you're dealing with two completely different things here you idiot! Stop meddling in things you can't understand."

"Help me understand," she said firmly, but Pryce had apparently snapped. He grabbed the girl by her arm, twisting it and steering her through the heavy rain. She gave a soft cry as the sharp pain shot through her body.

"Get out of here, now!" Pryce said, releasing his grip. Elaine turned and stared at him furiously, but she soon paused. The droplets of water lashing down started to sting as they hit her face; holding her hand out, Elaine saw the water was freezing on her skin in tiny, pure-white freckles.

She looked at Pryce, who was staring at her emotionlessly. A large, looming figure was several feet away, holding a hand out. It's breath left it's nostrils in thick, foggy curls. Elaine touched her face; frost was forming across it, the small freckles of ice meeting and spreading, expanding…

"Abomasnow can freeze moisture," Pryce explained. "Including the moisture in the layers of your skin."

She was gasping, as her hair started to bind together, the rain around them turning into heavy snow. Elaine rubbed her face as if she were moisturising, clearing away the small ice crystals forming and trying to keep her eyes screwed up as tightly as possible. As another swarm of ice began covering her, freezing the particles in her clothes, causing them to effortlessly rip like paper, she felt a huge thump hit her stomach. Thrown off her feet, she wailed, her eyes still shut so tightly. As the girl rolled along the floor, the dictaphone concealed in her coat shattered, crumpled up after the punch from the hairy beast. Lying curled on her side, she whimpered to herself, opening her eyes just enough to see Pryce and Abomasnow walking back to the gym, as snow continued to fall all around her.

*

Meanwhile, Steven Stone was standing on the docks by Goldenrod City. It was getting late, and there would be no chance of any ships making it out the docks at this hour. Behind him, the city of Goldenrod was a peppered patchwork of glowing lights from all the buildings.

In the distance, a man approached; he was tall but had a limp, and was coming from the metropolitan district. Stone leaned back against the storage container, more to relax than to hide himself, for the man was here for him.

"Glad you could make it, Jack," Stone called out, seeing the man hobble closer.

"I didn't really have a choice, did I," Jack replied, with a wince. Stone instinctively looked at Jack's right hand; it was bandaged.

"We all have choices, which makes me glad you agreed to meet me," Stone said. "It looks like Silver delivered my message."

"I thought you were going to kill me," Jack replied; an honest confession of fear.

"I don't kill my employees," Stone told him. "Jack, you're a good man and a good worker. But you let me down. I had to have Silver deliver a message."

Jack held his hand up weakly.

"Why this?" he asked.

"I ordered Silver to slice the tip of your right ring finger," Stone said. "Because it will impair your grip on a Pokeball the most. Your reactions will be slower as a result."

"And you want your employees to be slower? Less useful?" Jack said, sounding frustrated, if anything, at the lack of pain and punishment.

"Now you are less independent, you will lean on this company much more for support," Stone said. "It guarantees your loyalty, your dedication, and your devotion to your job."

Stone surveyed Jack for a moment; he was the bigger, more muscular man, but it was clear here who was in charge. Jack looked afraid of the thinner, older Stone, who still had his hands in his pockets.

"Tomorrow I expect you back at work," he said, turning to walk away. "We have a shipment going out in the afternoon, and Rebekah has been managing the casino in your absence."

"What about the prototype?" Surge asked.

"Volkner is making some changes," Stone says. "I think he's on to something, you know. I'm sending him to Route 44 soon."

Stone gave a brief nod and walked along the pier, where a black car was waiting for him. Jack Surge watched him get inside, slam the door and speed off towards the city, the tyres letting off a sharp shriek as they span. Reaching into his pocket, Surge fumbled for a Pokeball, but it slipped from his grasp and rolled along the old, worn boards he stood on.



Next Time... Chapter 35
It's the Lakeside Contest! Milo enters determined to win his fifth ribbon and gain access to the prestigious Grand Festival. With only the best coordinators competing, including the extremely powerful Kasper Karlson, can Milo get the ribbon he's been working towards for so long?

Meanwhile, with Falkner and Chuck recruited, Michael Mitchelson prepares the last pieces of his plan to take down Steven Stone and avenge Jasmine's death.



Let me know what you think guys!

[BTPoke]

Rebekah nodded and wrote something down, before getting her phone out and typing an email. As if on cue, someone knocked on the door before inviting themselves into Stone's office. He was young, but had a hardy look about him, with thick red hair and a pale face.

I've got one guess as to who that is...

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he said, as the light from outside caught a chunky piercing in his ear. There was a brief shimmer.

"Silver,..."

And Bingo was his name-o. Glad to see that kid's back and paler than ever.

Maybe it was the wine from the coordinator meet-and-greet, but Jake had a wonderful sleep that night. He woke the next day, bleary eyed but jubilant, recalling a dream he had where he was wearing a fantastic pair of purple shoes. Inspired, he got dressed in a hurry, hoping to go to the shops and seek out such a purchase. They must exist somewhere, he thought, grabbing his coat.

Is that some sort of Joke about gays? 'Cause I laughed when I read this.

"What at?" Jake asked, joining him. He saw a Claydol in the middle of an arena pulsate with an unusual glow. Light warped and twisted to form planets, rings, lumps of rock and shimmering dust, orbiting around the huge brown Pokemon as if it was the most important creature in the world. A curious steam rose from the carvings on its body.

"Do you remember the last time you tried to play GOD!?"

They got to the bottom of the stairs and Falkner let out a gasp. Phasing through the ceiling from above was a pair of legs, and soon the boy from earlier dropped down to the ground, his Haunter's hands on his shoulders. Both stepped back from him apprehensively.

I can't believe they DIDN'T see this coming, considering the kid had a ghost!

It was a Frosslass; she looked almost fish-like as she moved through the cold atmosphere, and threw an attack not unlike a shadow ball to intercept the bullets about to shoot their new ally. The bullets, upon meeting the shadowy disc, disappeared, and the dark shape became engulfed by itself. Like a black hole.

That's kind of a cool way to go about using shadow ball or whatever that was. Wonder where the bullets ended up, though...

The woman held something to the ugly doll in her hand, but Falkner struggled to see what she was doing. Seconds later, Rebekah gave a shrill scream and dropped her gun; Falkner saw thick cuffs forming out of ice around both her wrists. The sensation in her fingers weakening, she instinctively dropped the gun, and her heavy arms dropped to her sides. Silver, seeing this, grabbed a Pokeball, but the button refused to open on it. Only when it caught the dim buzzing light in the room did Falkner see this woman had frozen the seals of his Pokeballs shut.

I can't remember if the ice cuff trick was in the anime or not, but I do remember it from reading the yellow arc of the manga. Definitely Lorelei's trick. I'm gonna assume that the object she "held up" to the doll was a marker to mark the places where the cuffs go. Glad you implemented what I'd call her signature move, as I think it's really "cool" *badum tsss*

She was gasping, as her hair started to bind together, the rain around them turning into heavy snow. Elaine rubbed her face as if she were moisturising, clearing away the small ice crystals forming and trying to keep her eyes screwed up as tightly as possible. As another swarm of ice began covering her, freezing the particles in her clothes, causing them to effortlessly rip like paper, she felt a huge thump hit her stomach. Thrown off her feet, she wailed, her eyes still shut so tightly. As the girl rolled along the floor, the dictaphone concealed in her coat shattered, crumpled up after the punch from the hairy beast. Lying curled on her side, she whimpered to herself, opening her eyes just enough to see Pryce and Abomasnow walking back to the gym, as snow continued to fall all around her.

Yeesh. I wouldn't wanna be her at this point. That's a bit extreme, even for punishing a nosy-as-hell reporter chick.

"I don't kill my employees," Stone told him. "Jack, you're a good man and a good worker. But you let me down. I had to have Silver deliver a message."

Jack held his hand up weakly.

"Why this?" he asked.

"I ordered Silver to slice the tip of your right ring finger," Stone said. "Because it will impair your grip on a Pokeball the most. Your reactions will be slower as a result."

Well... That, ummmmm, really sucks, honestly xD Can't help but feel some simularities between Devon corp. and the Mafia


Anyway, great chapter. Can't wait to see the contest! The appeals are always my favorite

[Chris 2.1]

BT: Hey man! Yea I've been wanting to write Silver into the fic. He is a very minor character, but I guess it's a nice allusion to the games. As for Jake, well, he is a guy who just loves his clothes, but I think his tastes are a bit... fierce. I remember as a kid thinking I was dressing stylishly and oh boy, couldn't be further from the truth.

As for Lorelei, yea, I liked what they did with her in the manga, she was like a spy. And she was psychotic. I think she drew on the ice dolls with lipstick. Anyway I think it's safe to assume Rebekah will want to settle things with Lorelei now...

The scene where Pryce had Abomasnow attack Elaine was quite harsh, but I think he's scared her off a little. He's obviously trying to protect Kasper from exposure, but will she find anything else out?

Next chapter is fun, featuring one of my favourite ever appeals!

[Chris 2.1]

Previously

-After the massacre in Ecruteak, Milo and Jake went to Mahogany Town for the final contest.
-They met Kasper, an extremely talented coordinator who has a mysterious past, and Elaine, a bubbly journalist keen to find out more about him

Show-Off
-XXXV-
Prohibition Punch

Elaine Langfield stood facing herself in the mirror. Beads of warm water trickled down her back as she tied her hair up in a white, fluffy towel. Her stomach bruised from last night; Pryce's Abomasnow had dealt a heavy blow to her. Gingerly, she stroked the purple and yellow flesh; she winced.

But there was work to be done. As the Lake of Rage contest kicked off this morning, she needed to interview some of the coordinators competing. Fixing her earings in and choosing a shirt, Elaine knew there which one she wanted to get her hands on the most.

Mahogany was chilly in the morning; she wrapped a scarf around her neck under a stone-coloured trench coat and left the house with her back-up dictophone. There were banners being hung in town relating to the contest, and bunting was showing the way through town towards the route gate and the steep walk to the lake front.

Then she saw him. Leaving his hotel was Milo, with Jake by his side. He was walking quickly through the town, buttoning his coat up against the fierce cold. Elaine ran over, bright-eyed.

"Milo!" she cried.

"Hey, you," Milo said, stopping to greet her. Elaine pecked his cheek and embraced him, but chose to ignore Jake.

"How are you? Excited?" she said. "Nervous? You're confident, aren't you! Psyched, I bet. Afraid? Turned-on?"

"I'm ready," Milo said, giving a bold smile. "This is going to be the day I get into the Grand Festival."

"Ooh, that's a totally sexy pull-quote," Elaine said, jotting something down. "You know, if you do make it to the Grand Festival there'll be loads of press coverage about you."

"Really?" Milo asked.

"Sure," Elaine said, joining the two as they walked through the route gate. There were banners and posters here wishing luck to coordinators; the man behind the desk was thumbing through a copy of Rolling Stone magazine.

As they left the gate, they began the steady ascent to the Lake. Milo had been here yesterday to train, but it was new to Jake. The climb was uneven and bumpy, with many wild Pokemon such as Rattata and Furret running around, perhaps living in the large bushes nearby. In the distance, several clumps of people were nearing the summit.

"Wait until you see the view at the top," Milo said to Jake. "It's amazing."

He took a deep breath and felt the sharp air sting his nose. It was a beautiful day, though it was crisp and the wind was biting. Up the steep walk they went, Jake letting Pellipper out to stretch his wings. The pelican was crying his name as he span on currents, twisting in the sky and dipping low.

Their walk took them around half an hour. Once they got to the top, the three saw a fantastic sight. Spread across the summit was the perfectly still, shimmering blue Lake of Rage. Milo couldn't understand how it got its name, for it was a tranquil sight. The lake was large and almost kidney-shaped, and a large, striped marquee was erected on one side. Opposite, there were raised stands overlooking the lake, decorated in the same red, blue and white candy-toned stripes.

Milo walked to the desk, ready to check in. He handed over his details and was told he would be appealing fifth. That was quite early; Milo wondered if he was more prompt than usual. As he walked towards the big marquee, where the coordinators were to wait until it was their turn, he assumed Elaine would go on to the stands, but she kept close to the boys, almost with an air of forgetting to go and sit down. Milo wondered if she was trying to find Kasper.

Inside, there was a strong smell of grass and straw; Milo could see bundles of hay dotted around, which coordinators were using as seats to groom their Pokemon or have a drink. The sunny, festival atmosphere was a strange clash against the cold, biting morning, but it was cheery, and nice to see the lake front before them instead of watching the contest on a TV screen.

Milo settled down and decided to release Banette; he opened the Pokeball and the little pixie burst out, giving a muffled cackle.

"We're at the Lake of Rage for the final contest," Milo told him. "How are you feeling?"

Bobbing in mid-air, Banette stuck a gnarled thumb up at Milo, before dissapearing with a pop. In the distance, he re-appeared and gave a shriek at a gaggle of trainers who were grooming their Pokemon. While he didn't think it was appropriate, Milo chuckled as Jake rolled his eyes.

"So, Milo, totally crossing my everythings for you," Elaine said, getting up. "But I am here to work! I should go and do some work. TTYL!"

"Huh?"

"Talk to you later," she said, winking and scurrying off. As she accosted an elderly man sitting with his Swellow, Milo could hear her quiz him over the handsome bird.

"Okay, I'm warming to her," Jake said, smiling.

"I knew you would," Milo said, as Banette swept through the marquee back to them. "Try and keep still, Banette…"

Through the opening of the marquee, they saw Malcolm, the host of the party two nights ago, address the audience in the stands. Today he wore a seersucker blazer, the blue and white stripes clashing awfully with the colour of the stands.

"Welcome, welcome!" he bellowed, "to the Lake of Rage's Lakeside contest, presented to you by Mahogany Town's Ribbon Society! As one of the oldest institutitions celebrating coordinating and Pokemon style, we are immensely proud to be hosting the final Johto contest before the Grand Festival begins!

"All the coordinators today have the required 3 or more ribbons needed to compete, so we can promise some excellent appeals, some rare and moving showcases and - if I may put my neck on the line - it is highly likely that the future Grand Festival champion is waiting to perform among us today!

"But before we begin, I would like to introduce to you our three judges, who will be presiding over the competition today! First off, author of The Ribbon Game, newspaper columnist and community spokespeson, I present to you… Portman Picayune!"

Milo saw the first panelist, the man who also judged at Cherrygrove. Portman's short haircut and box-like head gave him the air of a very important, serious man. Stylish though his suit and tie were, with a colourful tie and pocket square stuffed neatly in his jacket, he was incredibly business-like. Jake pointed out a round, shining medal on his chest, one that resembled a contest ribbon.

"Portman, what are you looking for today?" Malcolm asked.

"We're looking for the best," he said simply. "Whether you have your sights set on the Grand Festival or not, you're competing with people who are. Anything short of impeccable will be out of here in a flash."

Milo felt a slight tingle down his spine, recalling Portman's cold words to both Mia and Nanette Babcock's appeals previously.

"Next, we have girl-of-the-moment, contest blogger and girl-about-town Jenna Joplin! Hello Jenna!"

Malcolm now turned to a young girl sitting in the middle of the panel. She was short, but stood out with an eccentric dress code; big, plastic glasses and a slouchy, white t-shirt that didn't cover one of her shoulders. Milo saw the t-shirt had a print of a naked lady on the front.

"Thanks for having me," Jenna said, in a low, honeyed tone. "I'm really interested in seeing the Pokemon today. I'd also like to remind people to check out my blog, 'Joplin All Over The Blog' because for every hit I get a dollar!"

"You're not here to plug your website, now!" Malcolm said, wagging a finger.

"Whatever," she said, "I kind of am. CHECK MY BLOG!"

"Finally," Malcolm said, turning away. "We have one of the judges from the Grand Festival - which starts next week! - Zeke Xander! Zeke, so good to have you here, tell us what you're interested in seeing!"

"The best," Zeke said. He was a stocky man, wearing a leather jacket, and had a smugness about him. "This is the only contest I'll judge, and I'm picky like that because this is a very important contest. Fall at this hurdle, and you need to really take a good look at yourself."

"Do you think he's serious?" came a voice. Milo saw a girl, pale in the face, waddling around the marquee, clutching her mouth in worry. "Oooh no! Awwk!"

Suddenly she doubled over and projectile vomited over the grass. Some reeled in disgust, but her Pokemon, an Azumarill, excitedly grabbed her hand and let her away, humming to her. The bubble pattern on the rabbit's body began to throb softly.

"Feeling pressure? I am, a little," came an awkward voice. Milo turned to see Kasper shuffle over, his hands in his pockets. Jake instantly perked up at the sight of him, and offered a seat to the boy.

"Yea, a bit," Milo said. "The judges seem tough."

The boys watched as the first entrant, a boy named Cody, took to the stage. Standing on the bit of land that indented the water's edge, he threw his Pokemon high into the air, watching it open and release a flood of light into the body of water. A shape stirred beneath the surface, which began to bubble.

"This will be a common trick, I think," Kasper noted, leaning in to whisper to Milo. The boy's voice tickled Milo's ear and it took all his restraint not to shriek like the girls did at Banette's spooking. "You shouldn't be employing the same trick."

"No," Milo said, concentrating. The water was being churned and sloshed about; something was manipulating it from within. Small whirlpools started whipping up, as something from within got closer to the surface…

Piercing the water, and bolting high into the air, was the creature - an Empoleon. Encased in an aqua jet, he had his thick, steel blades held at his side, his face framed with golden, trident-like horns. Majestically, Empoleon soared high into the air as droplets of water fell from his body. Once he began to lose momentum, he stretched his wings and they glowed with a brilliant, steel sheen, and the creature span like a top.

The judges watched, interested, as slivers of energy, whipped into a frenzy, rained down onto the violent water's surface like bullets. They pierced the surface, they sparkled, spreading their molten light through the water's depths. As the steel attack faded, Empoleon arched himself backwards with perfect grace, before becoming engulfed in an aqua jet once again. He bolted down and pierced the water like a javelin, dissapearing from sight.

The crowd began cheering and applauding the appeal; Milo stared, not sure if it was actually over or not. Dissapearing seemed like an unusual 'end', but it seemed it was indeed over. The judges clapped politely and Cody fumbled with his Pokeball, shooting it at a shape beneath the water and bringing his Pokemon back.

"An aquatic start to proceedings!" Malcolm said kindly. "Portman, we'll start with you!"

"Er, okay," Portman said, irritated. "Yes, there were some nice things there, use of the arena, the water and the metallic elements, something Empoleon specialises in. Quite gymnastic, which always looks good. But it was quite standard. I give it 6/10."

"Janet, any thoughts?"

"Oh, so I mean water is very on trend, that's a big 'thing' for next year," she said, her voice an exhausted moan. She was looking at notes she made during the performance. "But Empoleon was such a pacifist, which don't get me wrong, I love, because fighting kills orphans. But like, it was a bit meh. 6 from me."

"And finally, Zeke?"

"Not my cup of tea, any Pokemon can jump out the water," he said. "4."

"The first appeal a mere 16 out of 30," Malcolm said, as Cody left the stage to go into the tent. "Not a great start, I think you'll agree fans! Let's get the next person on!"

Next was a trainer who sent out a Starmie. The Pokemon lay, face-up, in the water, and began glowing a number of colours of the rainbow. The water began shimmering in similar tones as Starmie extended its psychic energy, causing a dreamy ripple across the lake. As red, blue and green shades filtered into the water, Starmie glowed brighter, summoning a twisting column of water that started throbbing in the same rainbow hues.

Then, Starmie threw itself up, spinning like a weapon and cutting through the water. It used a psychic attack to spin slowly on the spot, still glowing, atop the energetic column of water and, as gasps filled the lake front, slowly landed down by the trainer.

The three judges seemed impressed; as Malcolm asked them for their opinions, Portman was constructive, and praised the trainer for the abundant colour. Janet, suddenly transfixed, told a long-winded story about rainbow conspiracy theories and Zeke, though still smug, agreed it was well executed. The girl left with a score of 23, and the crowd cheered loudly.

By the time the sixth coordinator had appealed, Milo had to agree with Kasper that the use of water Pokemon was getting too much. Whether it was the Squirtle unleashing a huge swarm of bubbles into the air before bursting them with aqua tail, or the Seaking trainer who had her large fish duplicate itself before sweeping into the sky with waterfall, it started to feel very boring. In fact, the trainer who went up next was the first so far who did not use a water type.

He threw the Pokeball high, causing it to open and spill its contents onto a small, flat piece of land in the middle of the arena. The small, spiked form gave a bark - it was a Jolteon. Milo stared at the creature, wondering how it would do a good appeal while surrounded by water.

"Charge up!" the trainer said. He looked incredibly calm. Jolteon nodded, digging his paws into the ground and building up electricity. The pins on his body straightened and lengthened, pointing up and brimming with energy. Turning for a second, Milo saw Kasper leaning forward, supporting his chin with his hand, focused on the show.

Suddenly, the coordinator ordered an agility, and Milo let out an audible gasp as the creature leapt from the land and, just as his feet looked set to plunge into the lake, he bolted off again. Rushing across the water in quick jumps, sparks fizzling across his body, Jolteon ran a tight circle around the lake, captivating the audience.

"See how the water is tingling," Kasper hissed. "Where Jolteon made contact with the surface."

Milo could see it; there was some disturbance as Jolteon ran around. The yellow creature leapt back onto the land, surveying the lake for a moment. It looked more than still.

Suddenly, Jolteon gave a shriek, and unleashed a huge ball of electricity. It flew at the lake and smashed into the spot he first graced, before sparks arced gracefully into the air and hit the next spot, and the next, until the illuminating attack was leaping around the lake where Jolteon had been.

"Incredible," Kasper said. "By charging up before he jumped, Jolteon filled the lake with ions at precise points. When he released more positively charged ions, they were drawn to the spots he had been to… it's like sorcery."

"Wow," Milo said, looking at Jake. He, too, was in awe, impressed by the boy's appeal. And it seemed this was just the beginning of the incredible appeals. Soon, the level of skill skyrocketed, and Milo's jaw lay useless on the ground as he watched coordinators do their thing.

Perhaps the most surprising appeal was by a very young girl, standing meekly by the edge of the lake. Milo envisaged a bug Pokemon sparkling from her Pokeball, but instead a shape like nothing he had seen before formed from the ball's beautiful light. For a split second, he saw a mass of blue, before the Wailord dissapeared with a splash beneath the lake. By using an aqua ring, the creature caused a sparkling throb to pulsate through the body of water, and the audience was utterly captivated as the huge Pokemon let off belly-deep groans, sounding like a flood of ghouls penetrating the lake.

The judges were excited by the appeal, in part due to Wailord being such a rare, unusual species. All agreed that the Pokemon was the defining characteristic; the attacks had been good, but ultimately served only to make Wailord that much more impressive, though Zeke pointed out that this wouldn't be enough at the Grand Festival.

"What do you think?" Milo said, to Jake and Kasper, for he wanted to hear both their thoughts; "Did she deserve a 25?"

"Excuse me," Kasper said, getting up and peeling away from where they sat. Milo saw him try and brush straw from his backside as he made his way out the marquee, and realised he was going to do his appeal. Jake watched Kasper go, his eyes pressing into the back of the boy's head.

"I forgot he was appealing," Milo said. Jake just concentrated on him.

"I know what you're thinking," came Elaine's voice, as she sidled next to Milo on a bale of straw. "Totes - suspish. How the frack did that girl get her hands on a Wailord? They only live in the middle of the ocean! I am totes going to investigate her. What, little miss coordinator went to the middle of the Hoenesse ocean to catch a bloody WHALE? Ha! No, seriously, I'm actually laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole thing."

Milo opened his mouth to speak, but before he could form an opinion Elaine sprang up again, adjusting her top and running off to accost the young girl, who had returned to the marquee, satisfied with her performance.

"I wonder who Kasper is going to use," Milo said to Jake. They could see him, standing before the lake front, holding a Pokeball in his hand as Malcolm introduced him to the crowd. There was an incredible loud cheer from people who obviously supported the local talent. Milo wondered about Pryce. Would he be here? They were close, but he said he didn't like contests…

"He said he wouldn't appeal with Dragonite," Jake muttered, alarming Milo.

"When did he say that?"

"Oh, I heard him earlier," Jake said suddenly, his voice cracking slightly.

"When?" Milo asked, wondering when Kasper said that. "I haven-

"Shut up, Milo, he's about to start!" Jake snapped.

"Um, okay," he replied meekly, staring ahead.

Kasper looked calm, and happy, as he observed the surface of the lake. Arching his arm back, he hurled a ball through the air; it span quickly, flying up over the water, where it cracked open and released a ball of white light. It formed instantly into the unmistakeable shape of a bird, with two thick wings and small, clawed feet. It was not a large creature, but the thick, glossy feathers made it look plumper than it was. Flapping above the lake, it surveyed the area.

"A Noctowl?" Milo said. He was surprised that such an ordinary creature was being used, given Kasper's fondness for rare species. "That's odd."

"I didn't even see it on his profile," Jake said, "I guess it got a bit overshadowed."

Noctowl's brow ruffled slightly, and Kasper ordered an extrasensory attack. Sweeping low over the lake's surface, Noctowl emitted a translucent beam of rippling energy, which melted into the water effortlessly. As the bird moved, Milo saw droplets of water rise into the air in small, rounded globules. The result was something curious, like the water was dripping upside down. Noctowl pulled up sharply, and the rising droplets all grew and expanded into thick, egg-like shapes.

The creature had an unusual, vibrant steam coming from its body as the thick blobs of water morphed, forming wings, a head, small talons and shadow-like definition to create eyes and markings. Noctowl was using extrasensory to create a flock of birds from the very lake itself. And had he not seen the creatures coming together from mere liquid, Milo would have not believed there wasn't something real about them; they flapped their wings and surveyed the area with the animation that only belongs to living beings.

"Synchronise!" Kasper said. Nodding, Noctowl flew higher into the sky, and his brow began to throb. Looking up, the birds (Milo counted sixteen, but they melded among each other so effortlessly it was hard to be precise) bolted into the air, flapping their wings to gather height. Soon, more birds dripped upwards from the lake, forming quicker and taking flight, until there had to be fifty in the flock. Noctowl's aerial manoevures were not impressive by themselves, but as he dipped, swept along and took tight corners around the stands, the swarm behind him did the same. Everyone was transfixed.

"He is clever," Jake said, smiling. Milo had to agree. It wasn't overly complex, the appeal consisted of simple things that were layered together. It didn't require strong psychic abilities; Milo doubted Noctowl was more powerful than Medicham as he saw the birds fly.

Suddenly, Noctowl twisted in mid-air and a strong beam of light burst from his eyes. It struck the water-birds as they flew into it, each emerging from the other side fully illuminated like small, winged lightbulbs. Noctowl then flapped his wings as fiercely as he could; a gust whipped up and started twisting in the middle of the lake, growing strong enough to pull in the glowing water-birds. Noctowl was now lost within the cyclone as all the yellow birds span around. Milo was smiling as he watched it, thinking of Christmas and pretty, decorative lights. The faster the gust got, the quicker the birds span, until the velocity started breaking them apart. The light would sizzle out into nothing as the water containing it would trickle into the slipstream of the ferocious twister.

Then, after a few moments, the final few lights burned away, and the tight coil of water fell from around Noctowl, revealing him, and only him.

He looked solitary without his enchanted flock. The audience began applauding wildly as the water of the lake, having been churned from the force of the winds, began to die down. Milo and Jake clapped, both impressed beyond belief. Kasper was looking around, taking the atmosphere in calmly.

"What a beautiful display," said Malcolm, looking at Kasper with warmth. "Judges, please give us your feedback and your scores."

"I give it a 10," Portman said boldly, to a louder, frenzied applause from the audience. "Just wonderful. It was an aggressive, fierce appeal but you conducted it with beauty and it was so elegant. Those birds emerging from water were amazing, and when they filled with light I was astounded. Amazing work, Kasper."

"When I saw Noctowl, I was a bit freaked out," admitted Janet. "Birds are just not that exciting. In my opinion. But you took my breath away, there was a very clear narrative, like you were telling me a story. I'm really into the appeal, Kasper. I give it a 10 as well!"

Milo felt a filling in his mouth loosen as he clenched his jaw. His teeth grinded against each other viciously as he watched the judges feedback. Noctowl rested on Kasper's arm. Zeke spoke next.

"That was the kind of display I'd expect from a Grand Festival finalist," he said, with an unusual smile on his face. "Really good, Kasper. I sensed you and Noctowl go back a long way. From me, it's a 9.9."

As soon as Zeke gave his score, Kasper's eyebrow twitched. The change in expression was so, so slight, and Milo had only noticed it because he had been so still previously. With 29.9, Kasper had the highest score so far, and recalled Noctowl without saying a word. He simply nodded to the judges and walked off the stage.

Instead of coming over to them in the marquee, he walked straight to the toilets. Milo chewed his lip for a moment before realising he was up next. Jake gave him a pat on the arm, and he got up, his hand on Banette's Pokeball in his pocket, making his way out the marquee towards the lake surface.

The crowd were high up in the stands, where normally the seating in contest stalls started at ground level. It felt more intimidating, with gurning faces leering down as Milo walked to the edge of the water. He turned, and took in the sight of the three judges. Portman was tall and stiff; Janet, relaxed and petite; Zeke stout and slouchy.

The noise began to die down, and Milo felt a tingling go up his arm. Drawing the Pokeball out his pocket, he arched his arm back and called Banette's name, throwing the ball as high as he could.

It wobbled and clicked open, with a swirling ball of light escaping and forming into the clawed demon. With thick, stubby claws and a small body, the charcoal coloured ghost appeared, giving a muffled cackle to the crowd.

"Will-O-Wisp!" Milo said. Using his left hand, Banette clicked, causing small handfuls of periwinkle-blue fire to pop up around him. They flickered, casting shadows upon his face. Milo looked briefly at the lake's surface and saw it reflect the fire. It was a nice side-effect, Milo thought, as the little flames crackled and grew.

Banette made them bob around him, slowly, at first, like corks in water, but they got faster. As the flames grew larger and larger, with lavender speckles flecked across them, Milo realised the appeal was nowhere near as slick as Kasper's. It was happening too fast.

He looked at Banette, to try and get him to tone it down, but he was lost within the wheel of fire rocketing around his stomach. A sharp stab snuck between Milo's ribs as he felt momentarily stressed by the lack of control he had.

Nevertheless, he looked up and ordered the next part of the appeal. "Gather it in a shadow claw!"

There was a faint crackle from within the flames, as Banette focused energy in his paw and swung the ghostly attack around. Scooping up the fire, Bannette launched the flames high into the sky. The zip over his mouth slid open and he let off a loud, bellowing laugh.

Milo watched the huge ball of blue and purple fire soar higher and higher, before pointing at it and shouting, "Thunder!"

With a claw held above his head, and the other clenched, Banette gave off a huge groan and summoned a huge bolt from the skies. Rocketing down through the clouds, the golden sparks smashed through the Will-O-Wisp and, as if he were a conducter or sorts, Banette became engulfed. Without being told, Milo saw him dip his toe into water as he bobbed mere inches above it. As electricity flooded his body and slivers of rogue flame whooshed around, Banette cackled manically as sparks crackled and grumbled beneath the surface of the water.

The amount of power in the thunder was impressive; Milo couldn't wait to battle with Banette again at some point. As the appeal ended, Banette held his claws up. They still crackled weakly. Milo smiled at him before giving a thumbs up; the audience were applauding and Malcolm asked the judges to give their feedback.

"Hello, Milo," said Portman Picayune, looking at him and taking his spectacles off. "A strong appeal, overall. Combining two elements like fire and electricity is always going to be powerful, and with Banette it had a nice macabre twist to it. Ultimately, though, we've seen stronger shows today. I'm giving you a 7.7."

Milo nodded, blinked and smiled simultaneously, and swallowed. He wasn't expecting such bluntness. Clenching his hand in his pocket, his eyes darted to Banette, who had appeared by his side.

"So, I think it was really good, but also a bit lame," Janet said, "You didn't really use the lake, and the contest is held here because of its beauty, you know? We obviously don't want a million identical appeals, but you strayed too far away from it. Having said that, it was well orchestrated. I give it 8.1."

He nodded again. Banette, looking cross, zipped his mouth up so his grumbling was muffled. As Malcolm asked Zeke to speak next, Milo felt himself tense up. His score wasn't great so far.

"I think it's good you didn't pander to the stage," Zeke said frankly, "I liked that. It was a very big, loud, explosive kind of appeal, which are always good, but it didn't stir me like Kasper's did. I say 8.6."

That gave him an OK score; 24.4. Nowhere near Kasper's score, but it would hopefully keep him in the top 4. He recalled Banette into his Pokeball, looking across the stands at the crowds cheering down on him. They were quite imposing, looking down at him, leering and waving flags. shuffling along the side of the lake, Milo went back into the tent.

Jake was standing by the entrance, beaming at him as if he'd done amazing. Milo felt slightly deflated, giving a weak grin, but Jake gave him a tight hug, patting him on the back and congratulating him.

"I know you're dissapointed with the score," Jake said. "But it looked amazing."

"Did it?" Milo said, surprised.

"The electricity fizzling into the water… sooo cool! And the Will-O-Wisp was reflected a bit," Jake said, a dreamy content expression on his face.

They walked back into the marquee, and the familliar smell of straw and wet moss filled Milo's nostrils. The next coordinator scurried past, looking extremely tense, and Milo looked around the room. Most the competetors had expressions of disinterest, but it was probably masking their anxiety about not making it to the next round.

"I wonder where Kasper is?" Milo said, looking around.

"Milo you should have seen him!" Jake said, sounding excited. "He has been in a total strop since his appeal!"

"Why?" Milo asked.

"He thought he should have got full marks across the board! He rang someone up and was mouthing off in German. He was furious."

Looking around, Milo tried to see him; for some reason, the idea of Kasper being angry and frustrated appealed greatly to him. He was sitting in the corner of the marquee, on a rather low bale of hay, reading a book, though his firm stare at the pages suggested he was not taking it in a great deal.

"That's interesting," Milo said. "He obviously expects to be perfect at everything."

"But he is, usually," piped up a boy nearby. "Kasper gets full marks in all his contest appeals."

Who was he talking to, Milo wondered. The fact he spoke in German suggested he didn't want to be overheard, but he could also be speaking to one of his parents. It wasn't a surprise that he spoke German, really. He was exceptionally talented.

Milo saw Kasper look up, at him, and give a scowl. He returned it with a warm, extended smile, and felt good when he saw Kasper look awkward about the whole thing. On cue, he put his book down and walked over to them.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked.

"He's pissed off, he's riled," Milo whispered, as the boy crossed the room. "In Cherrygrove, I was cocky, and I got distracted. It cost me the ribbon. If Kasper isn't focused he'll be easier to overpower."

Jake didn't reply, but Milo knew if he did he would voice his thoughts, and that they'd conflict with his own. Instead, they said nothing as Milo thought about the battle rounds on the horizon. He had been misguided before, rushing into contests and trusting instincts, when really it was about training and focus. Kasper, it seemed, was distinctly lacking in the latter.

"Hey," Milo said.

"Your appeal was good," Kasper replied.

"Thanks," Milo replied. "And yours! Your Noctowl is brilliant."

"He is hard to train," Kasper said, shrugging with an oafish look. "Bird Pokemon often are, they have a strong flock mentality and hate taking orders."

"Shame you missed that teeny tiny 0.1!" Milo replied, wincing as he said it. Kasper said nothing.

"So," muttered Milo, several icy moments later, "You're obviously not feeling worried. Nobody's beaten your score! You're definitely going to be battling."

"No need to not worry, I think," Kasper said, raising his eyebrows. "I recognise some coordinators here. There are some strong ones."

"Well they'll be announcing the semi-finalists soon," Jake said. Sure enough, the last coordinator, currently performing with a Squirtle, recieved their score and left the stage. The atmosphere in the marquee began to change - everyone looked more nervous than ever.

"Thank you to all the coordinators for their wonderful appeals," said Malcolm. "We have had quite a mix! But it is time to reveal who will be going on to the battle stages, the four coordinators who will fight it out to claim the ribbon which will guarentee them entry to this year's Grand Festival!"

Cheers from the crowd were deafening; Milo was trying to think of the other coordinators scores, calculating if he had it in him to get through. Why had he never thought to scribble them down on a piece of paper? It seemed such a brilliant idea now...

"The top four coordinators will be paired off for the semi-finals of the contest!" Malcolm cried. "And they are…"

"Kasper!

"Jason!

"Milo!

"And Fliss!"

Milo beamed; he felt his cheeks ache from his wide, stretched grin as he grabbed Jake for a hug. The crowd cheered as the finalists names appeared on a scoreboard while Kasper gave a simple nod to Milo.

"Please allow a short interval while we prepare the stage!" Malcolm said. Milo looked on the screen to see Kasper paired with Fliss and himself with Jason. As the coordinators around them cried out in alarm, moans and groans filled the air. The screen showed Milo would be facing Jason, followed by Kasper and Fliss. Milo looked across the room to see Jason getting out his phone, and decided to do the same.

"I should check his team out," Milo muttered, finding him on the international coordinator's database.

"If he's sensible he'll use a water or a flying type," Jake said, "otherwise the arena won't work in his favour."

"But Scizor is bug/steel," Milo said, hinting.

"He has wings," Jake replied. "You know what I mean. It's actually a really clever choice you made, because Scizor's main weakness is fire, and a fire-type isn't going to do well in this environment."

"You're right, I am pretty great," Milo said. Jake sighed, and released his little Pichu for company.

*

After the interval, Milo found himself on the arena, looking across the kidney-shaped lake at Jason, who was using his fingertips to lightly sculpt his hair. Malcolm was explaining the rules as Milo held Scizor's park ball in his hand. Jason was watching him, examining the way Milo's fingers tapped on the ball. Milo wondered if he put two and two together, and realised he was clearly using Scizor in the match.

Jason's team was varied; a Gengar, a Venosaur, a Bibarel and Kabutops being on Milo's list of potential opponents. He looked incredibly relaxed, even distracted as he glanced across the glassy lake surface.

"Okay, on my call…" Malcolm said, holding a flag. "Three… two… one…

"BEGIN!"

The Safari Ball span high in the air as Milo summoned Scizor; he watched the bright burst of light take the shape of his battler, ignoring Jason's cries. Catching the ball, Milo looked to see Scizor flapping in the sky, claws by his side, staring across the lake. He looked surprisingly elegant, with a dangerous streak in his cold, yellow eyes.

Scizor flew onto the round bit of land between Milo and Jason as the opponent's Pokemon formed. He had a very flat head, a slim, bony body and two long sickle-like apendages that reminded Milo of what Scizor once was. The Kabutops' cry was a distressed shriek; small, foamy bubbles collected near its tiny mouth.

"Kabutops, strike!" Jason ordered. On land, Kabutops raised a sickle and swung it forward; Milo ordered Scizor to counter it, which was no trouble at all. His claw caught the blade and gripped it tight, preventing him from getting away.

"Scizor, use flash cannon!" Milo said.

Holding Kabutops in place by clamping his sickle, Scizor held his other claw forward as a silvery glow began to brew within. Kabutops tried pulling away, hissing and shrieking, but Scizor unleashed the beam of molten light through the air, where it hit the rock type and threw him from the crop of land.

Jason's appeal gauge dropped as his Pokemon's body, riddled with sparkling light, splashed into the water and dissapeared from view. Confident, Milo ordered Scizor to take to the skies.

Bolting up, Scizor twirled in mid-air and observed the lake for any sign of life. Nothing suggested Kabutops was doing anything. To tittilate the crowd, Scizor span on the spot, flapping his wings and blasting a twisting column of silver wind down through the air. It hit the water's surface, churning out thick waves of bejewelled water that arced through the air with a delicate grace. The audience cheered loudly.

Suddenly, a thick whooshing noise alerted Milo to a jet of water that bolted out the lake. It was Kabutops, encased in an aqua jet, but unlike Croconaw, he held his two scythes out the torpedo of water, ready to attack.

"Evade!" Milo said. Scizor tucked his arms in and flew through the air, but the aqua jet curved as Kabutops pursued him. Scizor twisted and changed direction, flying up higher, at which point Kabutops leapt out of the aqua jet, dealing a heavy swipe to Scizor that knocked him out the sky.

As Scizor fell, Kabutops burst into another aqua jet and went back into the water. Eventually, the crimson bug flapped his wings, helping him land gently onto the small bit of land in the middle of the lake. His appeal gauge dropped slightly as Kabutops prepared to strike again.

Milo had never battled a Kabutops before, as they were exceptionally rare creatures, but he knew they weren't good at taking successive hits due to their brittle bones and thin frames. As Scizor readied himself, Milo began to think how he could get the creature out the water long enough to strike. Luckily, he would have to emerge if he wanted to lower Scizor's appeal gauge.

Or so he thought. As Scizor's wings beat wildly and he bolted up into the sky, Milo saw the lake surface slosh and churn. Soon, a thick, glugging whirlpool began to form, and Milo realised Kabutops was behind it.

"Fire a silver wind down into the whirlpool!" Milo ordered. Nodding, Scizor twisted his body in mid-air, his wings glowing as he gathered energy. The sweeping wind of glittering silvery particles whooshed down, despite Kabutops being cloaked and hard to target. Milo wanted to hijack the whirlpool - something Scizor couldn't produce himself - to create a beautiful spectacle.

As the silver wind hit the water, the turbulence caused by Kabutops' whirlpool mixed with the silvery particles, causing the water to become illuminated with a luxurious sheen. The audience applauded at the technique, and Milo smiled. Not only did it look good, the silvery particles, reflecting the water, showed Kabutops underwater, spinning with his blades at his side.

"Scizor!" Milo said. "Aerial ace!"

Nodding, he swept down through the air at a gentle angle. Scizor knew what Milo wanted him to do, as his wings beat fast and he became as pointed, as rigid as possible. They practiced this during their training yesterday, Milo knew it was possible. Becoming faster and faster, Scizor made his descent steeper.

And with a fantastic, searing splash Scizor sped underwater, causing the judges to stand up, gasping in shock. Milo watched the beautiful, sparkling lake, unable to see his Pokemon any more.

A smash and a rumble. Kabutops was thrown up out the whirlpool, his face screwed up, letting off a horrible shriek. The large screen keeping the scores and displaying the appeal gauge changed, showing footage from an underwater camera. Scizor had pierced the surface of the lake at a very precise angle, so he could use his speed to get to the same depth as Kabutops without becoming drawn in to the whirlpool's traction. Then, using a u-turn, he sped upwards, battering Kabutops and throwing him out the water.

While Malcolm applauded the technique, Milo looked and saw Scizor shoot up out the lake, touching down on the small bit of land where Kabutops lay. Jason's gauge plumetted as the judges commended Scizor's technique - going into the water and literally plucking the foe out from his comfort zone.

Kabutops, flustered, leapt at Scizor with his sickles, catching him off guard. Scizor took two steps back, tearing left and right to avoid the strikes, and clamped his claw down before launching a bullet bunch at the foe. However, Kabutops crossed his sickles and stopped the punch hitting him, before firing a jet of water at Scizor and blasting him off the edge of the island.

"Jump!" Milo said. Scizor took to the sky, as Kabutops fired more jets of water. Twisting in mid-air, Scizor clenched his claws and unleashed a bug buzz, sending a rippling red shockwave at the oncoming water guns. The pulse caused them to dissipate into droplets of water that bore down on the lake.

On Jason's command, Kabutops engulfed himself in water and sped through the air using aqua jet. Milo smirked, calmer now the battle was in his favour. Jason didn't seem to have a strategy. As Kabutops neared, Scizor leapt left, splitting into several copies that were slighly blurred around the edges. The double team confused the prehistoric creature, who drove into Scizor only to find he phased right through him. His momentum lost, Kabutops plunged beneath the icy surface of the lake.

"Now!" Milo said. "Swift and silver wind, go!"

Spinning on the spot, his wings extending and beating furiously, Scizor summoned another sparkling blanket of fierce wind. Aware he was using the attack a lot, Milo opted to jazz it up with a swift. Soon, thick golden stars were summoned and carried on the silver wind. The attack covered them and gave them more momentum, propelling the sparkling stars as they swarmed in on Kabutops. The creature was hit underwater from a number of angles, with the stars exploding beneath the surface of the water.

"Scizor! He'll be coming up," Milo said. Nodding, Scizor held a claw open and began charging a flash cannon. As white-hot energy built up inside, the creature surveyed the water below, looking for the opponent.

"Behind you!"

He was shooting through the air in an aqua jet, so Scizor had to fire his attack in a hurry. Turning, he blasted the beam of molten energy, but the beam went right through a sheet of water. Kabutops smashed into Scizor, hurtling him to the ground. As he hit the land, Milo saw the timer ticking down. He was winning, clearly, but Jason's new tactic seemed to be to inflict as much damage as possible.

Kabutops landed next to Scizor with a hiss. The crimson creature got to his feet but was smashed across the back of his head and fell to his knees once more. Kabutops then crossed his scythes and unleashed an x-scissor into Scizor's back.

"Screech!"

Nodding, Scizor let off a high-pitched scream; sound waves rattled into Kabutops' head and he staggered back. In a flash, Scizor turned around and ran to his opponent, a clenched claw flashing silver.

"Bullet punch!"

A heavy slam to Kabutops gut; the creature was thrown off his feet and off the small circle of land, but Scizor wasn't done. Flapping his wings, he blasted a huge, whooshing cannon of wind through the air that picked the foe up and swept him high into the sky. Kabutops shrieked, and Scizor crouched only briefly, before pouncing high into the air.

Watching the nimble Scizor race up into the air as Kabutops began to fall was exciting. With a well-timed, powerful punch, Scizor dealt the final blow that completely knocked Kabutops out. The audience cheered as the fossil Pokemon splashed into the water, floating on the surface.

"Scizor uses an incredible combination of stylish flair and brutal ferocity to sweep Kabutops and Jason right out of the competition!" Malcolm said, as the judges all stood to applaud. Milo grinned, taking the atmosphere in. Scizor had been incredible.

"You were awesome!" Jake said, as Milo left the stage and went into the marquee. There was a small break before Kasper went to battle Fliss, and Jake was so excited that he missed the bale of hay he tried to sit on and fell on the floor instead.

"Scizor did so well," Milo said, putting his Pokeball away.

"You know, I never saw him as much of an appealer, but he is kind of perfect," Jake mused.

"Now to see if I'll be facing Kasper or Fliss," Milo said, looking ahead.

"It won't be Fliss, surely?" Jake said. "You've seen Kasper. He's amazing."

"I haven't seen him battle," Milo pointed out.

The two walked onto the stage, Kasper folding his arms and looking calm. Milo found him hard to study - he gave little away in his fixed expression. Why had he been outraged at not getting a perfect score? Fliss, meanwhile, was smiling, though a slight twitch in her smile suggested she was concerned. Malcolm began explaining the rules.

Moments later, the klaxon sounded, and the second part of the semi-finals began. Kasper threw his Pokeball into the air and released Dragonite; the collossal beast formed slowly from the bright, white light, flexing his arms and flapping above the water. He looked magnificent.

Fliss's Pokemon was entirely different. If Milo wasn't looking right at it, he wouldn't have been certain it even had a face. Purple, almost spherical, with strips of ribbon-like flesh trailing beneath it, the creature had soft eyes, almost vacant, and a large cross over its mouth.

"Drifblim," Jake said. "It's so creepy!"

"But an excellent choice for the battlefield," Milo said.

If Kasper looked perplexed by the opponent, he didn't show it. Dragonite swept straight up into the air, twisting his body with a natural elegance. The very tips of his claws were crackling with feverish sparks, the beginning of an electric attack. But it did not build, and instead Dragonite continued to soar as delicate popping sparks trailed off him.

"Drifblim, shadow ball!" cried Fliss. Two of his four ribbon-like tentacles raised up and the eerie Pokemon charged up a dark orb of shadow. Milo watched it grow as it hummed with a dullness, wondering what Kaspa would do to dissipate the attack. Dragonite was still slowly sweeping through the skies, the faintest crackles coming from his body. Nonchalance didn't come close.

"Launch it!"

The shadow ball flew through the air with a slight curve; Drifblim suddenly started spinning around and propelled a huge, sparkling sheet of wind to guide the attack towards Dragonite. As his tendrils flapped wildly at his sides, Milo looked at the sharp gale and deduced it was an ominous wind.

Everyone watched intently as the shadow ball got closer to Dragonite, but he simply raised his small claws in anticipation. Milo thought he saw the air around him give a brief shudder. Suddenly, as if approaching an invisible forcefield, the shadow ball flashed yellow, and a crackling web of light surrounded Dragonite. With a huge bang, the sparks that protected Dragonite shredded through the shadow ball, tearing it to mere wisps of energy that spiralled down towards the water.

"How did he do that!?" Jake said, bewildered.

"Looks like he charged the air with positive ions," said Jason, from behind them. Milo recalled him doing a similar thing with his Jolteon during the appeal stage. "And it stopped any oncoming attacks."

"And it looked amazing," Milo said, as Fliss lost marks on her appeal gauge. Undeterred, Drifblim spewed a searing jet of flame through the air, but the agile dragon managed to avoid it with no trouble.

But while he was evasive and quick, Dragonite did little to harm Drifblim. Milo wondered if Kasper's plan was to make the ghost look foolish and untrained, constantly toying with his attacks. When Drifblim sailed through the air to launch an attack, Dragonite did an impressive backwards somersault, diving into the water and swimming beneath the huge piece of land in the middle of the lake. He emerged in a full circle, popping up behind Drifblim and spinning around among a flurry of water droplets.

"Why isn't he attacking?" Milo muttered, as Dragonite flew over yet another projectile. Drifblim had lost all attempts to be stylish or beautiful; Fliss was becoming impatient and was ordering fire and ghost attacks at every opportunity. A searing blue will-o-wisp rocketed at Dragonite, but he swung his tail into the surface of the lake, bringing a torrent of water up to expel the onslaught, shrouding him in periwinkle steam.

"He's toying with Fliss," Jason said darkly. "I've seen Kasper at contests before, he's like a cat with a mouse."

"He's obviously buying time," Jake said, watching with intrigue. "There's barely 90 seconds left!"

"He's planning something," Jason replied. Drifblim floated high in the sky, staring down at the foe, when Dragonite finally gave in and started creating an attack. Hands held back, an orb of white energy began to form. Drifblim, on the verge of an attack, paused. Fliss decided to wait and see what was about to happen.

Dragonite hurled a ball of energy into the air, but right away it was clear the attack was going to miss. It had a wobble and a curve - Milo thought it might be a focus blast, though he doubted using an attack like that on a ghost was wise - and it span up and into the air, likely to miss.

"Drifblim!" Fliss called. But suddenly, there was a huge bang as the attack exploded behind Drifblim. The force of the attack sent the featherweight baloon Pokemon hurtling through the air, right towards Dragonite.

He bolted across the arena with a mix of grace and furiosity. Fists crackling with sparks, Dragonite held them back as Drifblim was propelled towards him, unleashing a thunderpunch into Drifblim's tiny mouth.

The uppercut sent the creature soaring into the sky, sparks crackling weakly across his wispy body. Dragonite jumped onto the land mass and used his muscular legs to bolt high into the air after his foe. Soaring, he caught up to Drifblim and swung his tail around, smacking the ghost and sent him right back down to earth.

Malcolm was wailing in delight before Drifblim had even landed - it was clear what the result was. The judges all stood up in recognition as the timer reached zero. Kasper looked nonplussed, Fliss was covering her face in her hands, and Milo felt a twisting sensation in his stomach.

"There you go," Jason said, leaning back. "That's what Kasper does. He figures out how to beat you in the most stylish and humiliating way possible."

"He obviously calculated Drifblim's weight and speed while evading his attacks," Jake said.

"Fucking hell," Milo said, sighing.

"You're going to have a tough match," Jake admitted.

"Looks like it," Milo replied.

"He's going to use fire, I know it," Jason said.

"We have a way of overcoming that," Milo told him.

"You do?" Jake asked.

"We worked on it yesterday," Milo said, referring to his training session at the lake.

"Just don't let Kasper cement a plan," Jake said. "Keep him guessing how to take you down."

Milo nodded; that was probably a good idea. The brief interval before the finals went far too quickly; Milo would have liked to discuss things with Jake a bit more, but before he knew it, he was preparing to head on to the battlefield again.

He would have liked a few more minutes to stew on his thoughts, to consider Kasper's beautifully barbaric approach and to plan his strategy with Scizor, but Malcolm was already addressing the audience, showing them the black, gilded silk ribbon that would be given to the winner.

"You look nervous," Kasper said to him, as the two of them hung around the mouth of the marquee. Surprisingly, the boy was smiling.

"I'm fine," Milo muttered.

"You're thinking, I can see it," Kasper told him, sounding bolder and brassier than usual.

"I'm obviously thinking," Milo said dismissively.

"You're wondering what will get you victory quicker - trying to win on points, or simply a knockout," Kasper said. "But you know from my appeal I can score points easily. And you've just seen me use a strong battling strategy to take out that Drifblim effortlessly. Neither seems easiest.”

Milo said nothing, staring ahead, thinking. He was right – Kasper was just as skilled battling as he was appealing, and it meant he would be as hard to beat physically as he would to win based off the appeal gauge due to Dragonite's wide range of attacks and comfort around the arena.

“I know you were in a rehab center,” Milo said suddenly. He gulped. The thought just crossed his mind, and tumbled out his lips. Kasper's expression was difficult to understand.

“Do you?” Kasper asked. “Hm. But I know you don't know why I was there. And that's quite important. You really don't know much at all, if you think about it.”

Then, the two boys were summoned to their sides of the lake. Milo was shaking; why had Kasper been admitted? Was he mentally unstable, or had he done something illegal? Something about him didn't seem right, he was almost too stable, too composed. Milo wondered if he had been a substance abuser... but then thought of Morty, and the two suddenly seemed very different.

Going over the rules, Malcolm looked giddy as he explained both coordinators needed this ribbon to get into the Grand Festival next week. Milo thought of this, his last chance at getting in to the annual competition. He had never wanted it more. Kasper was strumming his fingers against his hip, glancing into the sky, contemplating something. Was he figuring out the direction of the wind? Milo looked at the lake, and saw it ripple slightly. At the mouth of the tent, Jake watched apprehensively.

“On my count...” Malcolm said, his eyes wide with glee. “Three, two, one...

“BEGIN!”

“Scizor!” Milo cried, throwing the ball high into the air.

“Dragonite!” Kasper yelled.

Two bursts of light, two morphing shapes, and Scizor and Dragonite materialised, the crimson bug standing on the small rounded piece of land and Dragonite flapping in the air before him. Kasper had been relaxed against Fliss, almost complacent, but here he reacted quickly.

“Flamethrower!”

“Agility!” Milo cried. Scizor pounced and threw himself up into the air, beating his wings and getting out of the way. Dragonite shot a mouthful of curling flames that whooshed through the air and scorched the ground. In the air, Scizor zipped left and right, observing Dragonite.

Milo didn't want to use his planned anti-fire technique too soon, because it was stylish and quite clever. But Kasper clearly knew that the sooner he used it, the less impressive it would be during the course of the match, and he became determined to coax it out of Milo. After his first attack failed, Dragonite blasted two more flamethrowers, which roared through the air but both missed.

“Bug buzz!” Milo said. Nodding, Scizor let off a screech, summoning a crackling red shockwave that rattled through the air. Dragonite flapped backwards and dived down through the air, the tips of his big feet skimming the lake's surface as he did a barrel-roll.

“Double team,” said Milo. Nodding, Scizor split into several copies and flashed brightly as he spread across the skies. Dragonite looked up, furrowing his brow and turning to his trainer, who raised his hand and twirled his finger.

His wings extended, unfolding further and stretching out. Dragonite let out a shriek and began flapping his wings with an overwhelming amount of force. A thick gale whipped up, which soon turned into a blistering wind that caused the waves to slosh and churn wildly. Scizor's clones, not being as heavy as him, were blown through the skies like strips of paper; some tore into nothing, while others were catapulted into the sky, exposing the real, heavier one.

Sweeping through the air, Dragonite was engulfed in a blue light; he moved up through the hurricane at great speed to tackle Scizor. Milo ordered Scizor to stop flapping his wings; as soon as he did so, surrendering to the strong wind, he was caught on a swirling gale and was pulled out of Dragonite's way. Hurtled to the ground, Scizor flapped his wings again, shooting back to Milo's side as Dragonite looked around, confused.

Thinking on his feet may help him avoid Kasper's strategy, but Milo knew it wouldn't help him win. As the winds died down, and the waters began to calm themselves, Scizor prepared to strike. On Milo's command, he leapt high and used an agility to race through the air, his claws glistening.

“X-scissor!” Milo said. Scizor started crossing his arms and flew towards the foe, but Dragonite, flapping in mid-air, clenched his fists and caused them to burst into flames. The crackling wisps of fire snaked up his wrists, and Scizor's eyes widened. Milo knew throwing himself into the attack would damage his appeal gauge...

“Aerial ace! Out the way!” Milo said. Nodding, Scizor pulled up and beat his wings faster; he swept up out the way of Dragonite, narrowly avoiding his two flaming jabs. Higher in the air, Scizor took a moment to catch his breath, and Milo saw, eagerly, Kasper lose a fraction of his appeal gauge for failing to hit the foe.

Kasper gave his foot a stamp, and Dragonite promptly bolted down towards the surface of the lake. Milo saw him pierce the surface – not elegantly, like Kabutops or Empoleon did – but he disappeared nonetheless. Scizor surveyed the lake from his excellent vantage point, looking for an opportunity to strike.

In Dragonite's absence, Scizor flew down and landed on the land in the middle of the lake. Milo ordered a swords dance, and his claws flashed brilliantly as he began performing focused, choreographed moves for the crowd. Meanwhile, the lake was silent, though everyone knew something would happen soon.

Suddenly a column of water burst from the lake, thick, roaring, ferocious. Soon, two more ruptured from the body of water, then three, until Scizor and the island were surrounded by twelve columns of water, all sparkling and frothing. Milo wanted to order Scizor away, but he knew evasiveness wasn't stylish. He had to tackle this problem head on, even if he hadn't a clue what Kasper was planning.

“Aim a silver wind at the column behind you!” Milo said. Scizor span on the spot and, standing still, flapped his wings furiously as he charged up a focused cyclone of sparkling silver dust. The twisting wind shot through the air towards the column of water, where it ruptured it in a burst of water. The audience applauded Milo as he ordered Scizor to rip apart the other water attacks with his silver wind. It was a fantastic spectacle, and as twelve columns soon turned to eight, Milo felt himself swell with pride. Growing confident, Scizor would do a backflip, spin and unleash an attack, but just as he got rid of the fifth column, there was a rumbling groan beneath the lake.

Looking around, Milo tried to anticipate where Dragonite would emerge, and just as Scizor turned, the column he had his back to doubled in size as the huge orange creature swept out of it. Milo realised he had been using the columns of water to travel around, ducking back into the lake when Scizor nearly struck him. Caught off guard, Milo's crimson Pokemon was tackled and knocked right off his feet.

“Clamp him!” Milo snapped. Scizor threw a claw forward but Dragonite span out the way, soaring high into the sky. Looking down at his foe, Dragonite held both hands forward and sent a huge thunderbolt piercing through the sky. Scizor, who was slowly getting to his feet, looked up at the attack, leaping into a forward roll and avoiding its trajectory.

The bolt struck the waterlogged island and Scizor, standing in a large puddle, felt himself shudder and shriek as the water conducted the electricity and surged right through his metal body. He collapsed from the surprise attack, but Milo found himself distracted, looking at Kasper. Was he toying with Milo, trying to gauge his weakness? He recalled the way Fliss was swiftly dealt with and wondered if Kasper was hinting how he wanted to end the match - by ensuring Scizor landed in the lake.

“Take to the skies!” Milo shouted. As Scizor left the ground, merely a red blur as he flew through the air, Milo thought of his fights with Oscar, and his excellent handling of the steel Pokemon. Oscar's Scizor was relentless, physically powerful, oddly muscular, not the traits useful when battling in contests. In contrast, Milo's Scizor was slight, extremely fast and stylish.

“Flamethrower!” Kasper ordered. The whooshing jet of flames rocketed through the air towards Scizor, and it very nearly struck him; thankfully he threw himself out the way by steering into a tight curve, releasing a trail of golden stars behind him that span, accelerated and burst into tiny golden shards.

As Milo watched Dragonite, he focused on cementing his strategy. He would use Scizor's speed to damage Dragonite's wings, reducing his mobility in the air and the water. Then, when Dragonite was on land, Scizor would use his physical moves to overpower him and win more points. Time was already ticking away, and Milo wasn't confident he was winning.

“Okay!” Milo said. “Aerial ace! Then go into bug buzz!”

Sweeping through the air, Scizor effortlessly struck Dragonite, slicing across his stomach and curving high into the air. Wincing, Dragonite turned around to counter-attack, but the vivid red shockwave slammed into him, causing him to shake, shriek and stumble back. The combo helped Milo – he saw the appeal gauge of his opponent trickle down. Now, they were almost even. But time was running out.

“Follow him! Bullet punch in sucession!” he cried. Nodding, Scizor flew down and landed on the arena. Dragonite's wings were twitching erratically due to the bug buzz, and looked to be hurting him, as they were folded in slightly. Panting, the large dragon clapped his hands together and summoned fistfulls of flames that crackled as they wove up his arms. So, it was going to be like that, Milo thought. Fine.

Scizor raced forward – it was risky, but Milo knew he would be okay. His slender frame sidestepped Dragonite's punch and he gave a decisive thwack into the foe's side, one that connected with the beasts's ribcage. Dragonite clutched his side, but Kasper ordered a fire blast.

Milo gasped. Finally, a chance for them to use their anti-fire technique. Scizor nodded at him and, on cue, leapt into the air, hovering above the lake.

Dragonite sent a huge, blistering jet of flame through the air, one that broke into a multi-headed, draconian beast as it released itself from the creature's throat. Scizor span on the spot, began beating his wings furiously, and summoned a sweeping silver wind attack at a steep angle towards the sparkling lake surface. As a result, the force of the wind hitting the lake caused water to shoot up all around Scizor, shielding him at all sides. The fire blast couldn't get near and was extinguished, while the silver wind infused the water and protected Milo's Pokemon with a silvery veil.

His opponent's gauge dropped further, and Milo realised, as time ticked down, that he was now winning. Kasper didn't have long to recoup, and it was important he didn't let him. Scizor stopped flapping, and the water fell back to the lake instantly.

“Water gun!” came the cry. Milo gasped as Dragonite followed the breath of fire with a precise jet of water. Caught off guard, Scizor was struck with the attack and knocked out the sky with a crack. Milo saw one of his wings struggle to keep him from falling into the looming body of water, and realised Kasper chose the dart-like attack so he could aim for the wing on purpose.

“Keep off the surface of the water!” Milo said. Wing dislocated, Scizor nodded, beating with his other wing, looking towards the mass of land that was slightly out of reach. Could he throw himself onto the ground? Perhaps, but Dragonite could use that lag to unleash another fire attack and roast him on the spot. Milo felt the sunlight fade behind him, and turned to see clouds forming in the sky.

“Now, Dragonite! Thunder!” Kasper shouted.

Milo turned back to the arena as a bolt of lightning dropped from the sky. So heavy, it threw itself down to the open space targetting the one thing that was airborne – Scizor. Made of metal, dripping wet and, Milo noticed, with one toe dipped beyond the lake's surface as he struggled to flap, he made the perfect conductor, and screamed as volts ran through his entire body, becoming amplified.

The lake was fed sparks from Scizor's conduit, and the ground Dragonite stood on became illuminated with a fizzing, golden light. The audience marvelled as Milo watched from between his fingers. The clouds were relentless; the thunder attack collossal. Scizor's form was lost beneath it.

Then, suddenly, it stopped, and Milo saw the crimson form of his Pokemon again. However, he dropped into the water like a stone, dissapearing instantly, all strength gone. Milo screamed and ran across the lakeside, Pokeball at the ready.

“AND SCIZOR HAS BEEN WIPED OUT!” Malcolm cried. “Kasper and Dragonite win, with just four seconds left on the timer!”

Milo's heart was racing even once he pulled Scizor back into his Pokeball. Holding it to his heart, he leant down, muttering 'Sorry, sorry, sorry' as the last thirty seconds replayed in his head. He thought he had Kasper vexed after using his anti-fire technique, but all along he had planned on using Scizor to conduct an electrical attack into the lake, using the arena itself as a huge, sparkling show. The audience were cheering, applause came so hard it felt like another thunderclap, and Milo sank to his knees as he realised his chance at getting into the Grand Festival had just sank to the bottom of the lake, too.

“Milo...” came a voice, and even though it troubled him, Milo didn't have the strength to fight Jake off. His friend held him, pulling him up to his feet with surprising strength, and whispered something supportive to him. As Kasper walked to collect his black and gold ribbon, Milo felt like he was spying on the whole thing, as if he was using clairsentience to pick up someone elses life story.

“I thought I had him beaten,” Milo said.

After shaking the judges hands, Kasper turned to Milo and looked at him for a moment. Milo searched his expression – he didn't look triumphant, jubilant or happy. He looked businesslike, as if he had successfully sold a house or a car to someone. Nodding to Milo, he then joined Malcolm again as the MC explained Kasper would be joining the prestigious festival in less than a week.

*

That evening, a small gathering was held at The Ribbon Society's HQ, a stylish, velvet-draped room with a musty smell known as the Polkadot Club. Recalling his loss against Mia, in which Milo had ignored the party thrown afterwards, he felt he should show his face, and not be ashamed of his loss.

After all, he thought, cramming a miniature bagel into his mouth (they were being handed out by waiters on fancy silver trays) – he had done well. Banette's appeal got him a good score, and his battle against Jason had been good. Even against Dragonite, it hadn't been one-sided and if he had indeed lost, wasn't it comforting it was against one of the best coordinators from the last decade?

What was troubling him more was that this contest had been the last chance he had of competing in the Grand Festival, something that, over the last few months, had grown to become more and more important to Milo. After his second win in Goldenrod City, when his father had challenged Milo's pursuit of ribbons, something had happened to him, and he became determined to do well, not just to prove a point, but because he thoroughly enjoyed competing.

Of course, the loss against Mia in Cherrygrove only fuelled his determination, but it was now, in the wake of his defeat, that Milo understood just how much it would have meant to him. What would Mia say when she learned he had failed? Oh I knew it – he was never taking this seriously. But then, what about his appeal in Cherrygrove? He scored better than Mia, and even overheard his mother saying how impressed she was. Had everything been completely thrown away?

Milo had tried to find Elaine at the party, to just speak to a familiar face, but she seemed to be avoiding him at this event. Dressed in high heels and a blazer over a form-fitting dress, she was dropping in and speaking to judges, other coordinators and, most importantly, Kasper, who had turned up in a bottle-green blazer in an effort to be smart.

“Just get drunk,” Jake said, passing Milo a cocktail in a heavy glass.

“Whenever we get drunk something crazy happens,” Milo said quietly.

“Well, maybe that would be good, for once,” Jake said, tipping his head back and finishing his own concoction. He seemed lost for what to say, but knew one thing – asking the dreaded 'what next?' wasn't going to make Milo happy. Instead, he was chatting calmly about things like the weather and Fliss's horrible dress she was wearing. As if the purposefulness of tomorrow wasn't a thing.

Jake left to get some more canapes, so Milo did a quick lap of the room, before deciding to stand near the bar. He didn't want to be here, but Mia said at the Cherrygrove party there were goody bags, and figured that, if nothing else, some free stuff might make him feel better. Maybe a watch? Or even just a bar of novelty chocolate.

“Oh, there you are,” said a voice. Milo had expected Kasper, but he was now talking to Fliss. Milo turned to see Portman Picayune standing there.

“Hi,” Milo said meekly.

“You're like a dog that's been castrated,” he said bluntly. “Feeling a bit low?”

“You might say that,” Milo replied. He wasn't in the mood for the judge's acerbic remarks.

“I liked your technique for fending off fire,” Portman said. “Looked good.”

“Thanks,” Milo said. He saw Portman roll his eyes, and was about to tell him where he could stick his small talk, but he cut in before he had a chance.

“I was afraid of this,” he said simply.

“Oh?” Milo said. “You were?”

“That you hadn't done your homework,” he continued. “It's a real shame...”

“I have done my homework,” Milo snapped. “I worked hard, I trained my Pokemon, and I even tried learning more about my opponents, but -”

“You misunderstand me,” he interjected. “I mean... I was afraid you never read the rulebook you were given when you registered as a coordinator.”

“What are you on about?” Milo asked.

“You really don't know, do you?” Portman replied.

“Are you going to tell me?” Milo said. Portman sighed again.

“As a registered coordinator you can compete anywhere in the Tohjo area,” he said. “Kanto and Johto have a grand festival between them, in Silver City.”

“And?”

“And there is a contest taking place in Viridian City this Thursday,” Portman explained. “You should know this, Milo, you should know your options as a coordinator.”

“Wait, so I could...” Milo counted the days on his fingers. “That's three days away. The Grand Festival is in six.”

“So you can get on a fucking train instead of getting drunk, and start making your way there,” Portman said. “You haven't got much time.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Milo said. “You're a judge, are you allowed to be helping me?”

“I can do whatever I want,” came his cool reply. “Look, if you really want to know, Milo, I think you're a good coordinator, and the Grand Festival would be a lot duller without you. You're different, you have a way about you that you don't get with coordinators. Besides, the only two times I've judged contests you've competed in, you've lost, and I'm beginning to think my talent spotting ability is diminishing.”

Milo was necking his drink, ignoring the searing burn as it trickled down his throat.

“I'll see you at the Grand Festival,” he said boldly, slamming his glass on the bar with such force it shattered. Portman raised his eyebrow as Milo ran off through the crowd, although he couldn't help but smile as he went.

Jake was grabbed by the wrist and led through the crowd as Milo badly detailed their new plan.

“Viridian, guidebook, Portman, compete, DAYS!”

The two burst out the Polkadot Club to find a small handful of press gathered outside. Milo paused for a moment, his sudden idea (although not his own) losing its lustre. A woman held a microphone out to him.

“Milo, commiserations on your loss today,” she said, with a wide smile. “Tell us, what are you going to do now?”

“I'm going to get the first train out this town,” Milo began, “and win my fifth ribbon at the Viridian Contest in Kanto. Then, in six days time, I'll be on the stage at the Grand Festival. Laters.”

He pushed through the throng and jogged to his hotel room, heart beating fast. He had renewed purpose, a second chance at getting into the Grand Festival, and an intense training period ahead of him. But it wasn't fate that Milo bumped into Portman. He was trying to help him.

As Jake and Medicham went to pack their things up (though they had very little since the car exploded), Milo went on the computer in the lobby and registered himself for the contest. It looked simple enough; a single appeal round before a single battle and a double battle for the finals. Then, he found that a train was leaving the station within the hour. It would take them east through the mountains to the city of Blackthorn, and from there, the two would have to figure out a way to get across the border into Kanto.

Even though it was late, all tiredness had left Milo, and as their train pulled out of Mahogany Town, he could see the lights on at the club they had been at not long before. Kasper was celebrating his victory and entrance into the Grand Festival, unknowing that Milo was taking action to meet him there.

“I really feel good about this,” he said to Jake, who, thanks to his drinking, was sleepy and inattentive. “We need to really train up, but we can do it.”




Next Chapter:
En route to Blackthorn, Milo and Jake hit a spot of bad luck as the train breaks down on Route 34, and it seems their companions on the train may have something to do with it.

[Chris 2.1]

Another update! So to explain, I had initially planned a couple of arcs like the Golden Arc that would take place later on in the fic.

The first was going to be a 3-part arc involving Oscar, but he wound up appearing in some of the Violet and Ecruteak chapters anyway. And now he's in prison, there's little sense in that now *coughs indiscreetly*

Anyway the other arc was going to be on Eusine, who appeared in the Golden Arc, but given the next couple of chapters that seemed hard to do.

Instead I have written a little short piece which gives some background and insight into the next chapter.

And there will be more from Mr Mitchelson et al soon as the fic begins to reach its climax...

Show-Off
-?-
Across The Sea

Eighteen Months Ago

On a crisp, autumnal afternoon, the beach a few miles from Olivine City was picturesque. While there was a chill in the air, and the water far too icy to dip toes in, the sharpness in the weather added to the foggy day. In the distance, the island of Cianwood could be seen, while the lighthouse threw a thick beam of light across the ocean.

Pulling on a pair of silk gloves, Eusine Grimm tightened his scarf and leapt from the path onto the beach. His handsome leather boots sank into the sand somewhat, and he leaned down to inspect a distinct imprint before him. Small paws, rounded at the ends. Impressions not very deep. While he didn't have a Pokemon with the ability to read surface memories, he felt confident in his assertion that the prints belonged to thing he sought most. The fog was becoming thicker – an onset of winter, or the creature itself?

He walked close to the water's edge, to better disguise his own traces of being here; he turned and saw his boot marks dissolve into each fresh lap of the foaming, salty sea. And he continued east, keeping his senses sharp. Smelling the air, listening for the slightest muffle.

It was an opportune place to hide, with the gentle crash of the waves hiding noise. It also made it hard for Eusine to concentrate, as he began to drift off the further he got from the bustling port town of Olivine.

As the fog began to grow thicker, winding tightly around his ankles and making it hard for him to see, he pulled a Pokeball from his belt and summoned his Weezing. Though the creature was renowned for its odour – a sour, sweat-like scent – the purple Pokemon had learned to control what toxins it released out of respect to its trainer, and Eusine found Weezing more easier to be around because of it.

“Use a clear smog,” Eusine said in his high voice. Weezing furrowed its brow and started siphoning away the fog surrounding them, causing the view ahead to become sharper. The prints in the sand showed the creature had ran up a sandy bank, and as the bank revealed itself to Eusine, he followed in a brisk jog.

His heart began beating faster as he neared the top of the bank; would Suicune be there, waiting for him? It was often said the creature liked to purify dirty water, allowing itto run across its surface to new places. It seemed obvious he would be here, standing proudly.

Would he remember Eusine? Twice before Eusine had successfully engaged the creature in a battle but it was a highly intelligent species, and was able to overpower him with clever manipulation of his surroundings. Eusine recalled fighting him with his Hypno, only for Suicune to use a combination of fog and ice to create a wall of mirrors to help him escape. Since then, he had acquired a new Pokemon which would, in theory, help tackle the creature's strategy.

As he got over the top of the bank, he stared ahead and gasped. He hadn't really believed it would happen, but right ahead was Suicune, standing perfectly still, his thick, fluffed mane bunched behind him, flapping softly. Mist curled around his feet, and purple ribbons peeled off from him. The large crystal horn atop his head shimmered softly; a rippled, diamond surface.

“My goodness,” Eusine said softly, his hand touching his mouth. Slowly, he reached for a Pokeball, worried Suicune would run. He did not. He watched Eusine maximise the Pokeball and prepare to summon a creature. He seemed ready for a fight.

“Xatu!” Eusine murmured, opening the ball. Forming in the sand before him was his newest capture, the mystical bird. Like Suicune, Xatu was a still creature, staring ahead, transfixed in her own thoughts. The birds could simultaneously explore the past and the future, giving them an often foggy expression, but after much training, they were able to naturally focus on the present.

“Go! Use a night shade!” Eusine said. Nodding, Xatu unleashed a jagged bolt of compressed shadow. It whooshed at Suicune, who planted his feet deep in the ground and summoned a thick cloud of fog to engulf him. The night shade pierced the fog and there was a bang, but Suicune used the fog to evade, and re-appeared further along the beach. Eusine turned, worried the dog would leave, but he raced along the arena, with fog trailing behind him like smoke from a firework.

“Teleport!” Eusine ordered. Turning on the spot, Xatu popped into nothing, re-emerging behind Suicune and letting off a thunder wave on her trainer's command. The tendrils of sparks smashed into Suicune, but he did not roar in pain, cry or otherwise indicate he was hurt. He staggered slightly, but snarled and evaded another attack.

Eusine thought he was battling very differently – was he tired or injured from a previous encounter? He seemed reluctant to fight Xatu, despite the fact he could probably do quite well. Xatu had been captured for his powerful wings and thunder wave, which would be very handy for subduing any Pokemon trying to escape.

“Hold him in place with psychic!” Eusine said, fiddling around in his bag for a Pokeball. If Suicune was indeed hurt, capturing him would be quite straightforward. Xatu's eyes glowed, and he attempted to hold the canine in place, but as she focused, the bird was overcome and began screeching loudly.

“Xatu?” Eusine said, concerned. Wrapping her wings around her torso, Xatu gave another cry and was thrown backwards by an invisible force. She slammed into the sand as Eusine looked at Suicune. What had happened?

The creature was becoming blurred beneath a veil of fog, and a panicked Eusine hurled the Pokeball into the direction of Suicune in a last-ditch attempt to catch him. The ball was swallowed by the fog and capaulted back out, smacking Eusine in the head and causing him to fall back. He saw the fog grow, and suddenly a pair of legs emerged, followed by a torso, and the head of a human.

It didn't make sense. Eusine got to his feet as the boy, who was about five years younger than him, swept his hair back and held a hand out to him. Eusine shook it gingerly, noticing two more shapes emerge from the fog.

“Hi Eusine,” he said warmly. “My name is William Mitchelson.”

“Where's Suicune?” Eusine asked.

“It was an illusion,” he said simply, as an Alakazam and Medicham emerged from the fog as it began to dissapear into the atmosphere. “I have been wanting to talk to you, so I had my psychic Pokemon create an illusion of Suicune to draw you here. They're rather clever, aren't they?”

“So that wasn't even the real thing?” Eusine said slowly.

“I'm afraid not,” William replied.

“But I saw his footprints, the mist! He was running, looking, sniffing.”

“All these guys,” William said, jerking his thumb behind him. “Alakazam can use his PSI on all the senses. You could have touched 'Suicune' if you had got close enough.”

“It's a shame I didn't,” Eusine said.

“Well, I do have some good news,” William said. “I think I know where Suicune is.”

“You do?”

“Yup. Which is why I wanted to speak to you,” William said. “I work for my father, Michael, and we're trying to locate the legendary beasts of Johto so we can protect them. Unfortunately, we've received a pretty good tip-off that an organisation is trying to catch the three Pokemon and we don't trust that they're doing it with anything but their own interests at heart.”

“What would they do with them?” Eusine asked.

“Kill them? Sell them? Maybe breed them,” William mused. “It's not clear. But almost a century ago, a group of activists sought to protect these and many other rare creatures by denying the world their existence. Raikou, Suicune and Entei and all believed by the general public to have died many many years ago.”

Eusine nodded; most people, including his own mother, didn't believe Suicune existed, and mocked his attempts to locate the beast.

“We want to keep that rumour in place, while catching the Pokemon to take them out of harm's way,” William went on. “Rest assured, we want what's best for them.”

“Me too,” Eusine replied.

“So here's the thing,” William said. “The Pokemon League is going through a bit of a... redesign. They're calling it a Reclassification, I think. And as part of that reclassification, we'd like you to take over the Gym in Cianwood city.”

“Gym?” Eusine said. “I... I don't think I'm qualified to run a Pokemon Gym, William.”

“Trust me, you're capable,” William replied. “And don't worry about the type thing... that's going to be ditched, apparently. You'll be running a gym based on illusion and statuses. Seems a fitting choice, doesn't it?”

Eusine noticed William smiling, and nodded weakly. He was rather overwhelmed.

“Your being at the gym in Cianwood will be your cover. When you're not running the gym, you'll be free to pursue Suicune, who we believe has chosen the cliff-tops there as a den. He might even have a mate. We will send you any information or intel we get, pay you a handsome salary for running the gym, and supply you with any equipment you need.”

“And what if I see him? Do I catch him?” Eusine asked.

“...not yet,” William mused. “We're working on something that will make the whole thing easier.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, at present, even if you catch him, he could still fall into the wrong hands,” William said, before stuttering. “I... actually, we should discuss this later. Just research, study, observe.”

He handed Eusine a thick brown envelope; inside, Eusine saw documents about Suicune, research papers and annotated diagrams.

“How did you get all this?” he asked.

“Bits and pieces,” William said. “Inside there is a ticket for the ferry which will take you to Cianwood. There's also a key to an apartment by the beach, don't worry about the cost. At your new apartment there's the Gym keys and information on that, but you won't be taking up your post for a few months.”

“When should I go?” Eusine asked.

“Well, we never know how much our enemy knows. They could be heading across the ocean now,” William mused. “The boat leaves in two hours. You could go then.”

“Will you keep in touch?” Eusine asked.

“Sure,” William said. “I'll visit every now and then, too. I'm trying to find Entei, though, and he's more of a North Johto kind of guy. But Alakazam and Medicham can teleport, so I'll touch base with you in a few days, or something.”

“Cool,” Eusine said.

“Oh, one last thing,” William said, as Alakazam and Medicham joined his side. “We're sending you an assistant in Cianwood. She used to work with Elm, clever girl. Blue hair. Lovely pair of legs, if you know what I mean. She'll be a useful asset.”

“Oh, wonderful,” Eusine said.

“Bye!” William said, as he disappeared with a pop.

Eusine sealed the envelope back up and composed himself. He could just make out Cianwood in the distance, his new home. There would be a gym to run... but it seemed like there was a certain bit of nonchalance about that. The real reason was that Suicune was across the sea, and an organisation was trying to claim him. Bolstered, Eusine ran along the beach towards the dock, ready to start his new mission.


Notes

-So I have wanted to write this for a long time, as Eusine taking over the gym was always a bit unusual, and even in the Golden Arc, when he was at the exhibition match, there were a few things to suggest he was doing something bad as there was a scene suggesting he was working with the people who stole Whitney's Pokemon. Eusine is explored more in future instalments.

-I also wanted to show William - this is after he captured Medicham. You may remember that Mia tried catching Medicham's daughter, a Meditite, but set a field ablaze, killing her. William used Alakazam to subdue the angry creature and captured her. At this point, she has become more obedient and Will uses her with Alakazam to boost each others telekinesis.

-At this point in Milo's story, he is around Goldenrod City, preparing to leave for Ecruteak. So they're discussing the Reclassification before Milo even goes into the league, although it doesn't take place for several months, which is when Milo meets Chuck in Ch1.

-You may also remember Pryce desperately telling Elaine about the legendary Pokemon existing when she was digging about Kasper. He is one of the people in on the ruse, along with Eusine and Michael Mitchelson.

-I wanted to do a few chapters like this, showing Eusine and his assistant in Cianwood, but you'll see why that isn't necessary.



Cheers! Any questions or comments do let me know.

[BTPoke]

Alright, sorry it took me a whole month to read this, but now I'm buckling down and reading through a ton of fanfiction today, so now it's time to read this

"Portman, what are you looking for today?" Malcolm asked.

"We're looking for the best," he said simply. "Whether you have your sights set on the Grand Festival or not, you're competing with people who are. Anything short of impeccable will be out of here in a flash."

It's stuff like this that makes me make comparisons between Portman and Simon Cowell. xD

"Janet, any thoughts?"

"Oh, so I mean water is very on trend, that's a big 'thing' for next year," she said, her voice an exhausted moan. She was looking at notes she made during the performance. "But Empoleon was such a pacifist, which don't get me wrong, I love, because fighting kills orphans. But like, it was a bit meh. 6 from me."

That bolded part just made me laugh so suddenly that it made me laugh some more. Talk about random. Although from what I see later in the chapter, it doesn't seem so random compared to what else she talks about xD

Milo walked to the desk, ready to check in. He handed over his details and was told he would be appealing fifth.

By the time the sixth coordinator had appealed,

Just a bit of an error I noticed. Milo seems to have been somewhere around 9 or 10, rather than 5.

He threw the Pokeball high, causing it to open and spill its contents onto a small, flat piece of land in the middle of the arena. The small, spiked form gave a bark - it was a Jolteon.

My interest is piqued. Let's see what his appeal is

"Charge up!" the trainer said. He looked incredibly calm. Jolteon nodded, digging his paws into the ground and building up electricity. The pins on his body straightened and lengthened, pointing up and brimming with energy.

Hmm. seems like a nice way to take advantage of Jolteon's unique qualities (I.E. the pins on its body xD) for a good aesthetic effect.

Suddenly, the coordinator ordered an agility, and Milo let out an audible gasp as the creature leapt from the land and, just as his feet looked set to plunge into the lake, he bolted off again. Rushing across the water in quick jumps, sparks fizzling across his body, Jolteon ran a tight circle around the lake, captivating the audience.

Taking advantage of Jolteon's speed. Always a good thing to do, I'd assume

Suddenly, Jolteon gave a shriek, and unleashed a huge ball of electricity. It flew at the lake and smashed into the spot he first graced, before sparks arced gracefully into the air and hit the next spot, and the next, until the illuminating attack was leaping around the lake where Jolteon had been.

"Incredible," Kasper said.

I agree with Kasper on that one. That truly sounds like it looks incredible.

"I wonder who Kasper is going to use," Milo said to Jake.

Well, considering what the pokemon icon is at the head of the chapter, I think I can safely assume what it is. xD

"He said he wouldn't appeal with Dragonite," Jake muttered, alarming Milo.

Oh.... I stand corrected.


I'm going to refrain commenting on Kasper's appeal, because you can already suspect that I know it looked amazing xD

"So, I think it was really good, but also a bit lame," Janet said, "You didn't really use the lake, and the contest is held here because of its beauty, you know? We obviously don't want a million identical appeals, but you strayed too far away from it. Having said that, it was well orchestrated. I give it 8.1."

But-but-but- Banette did the whole toe-dipping and electricity and wow and... hmph. Just goes to show what bloggers know.

"I think it's good you didn't pander to the stage," Zeke said frankly, "I liked that. It was a very big, loud, explosive kind of appeal, which are always good, but it didn't stir me like Kasper's did

From that bolded comment I can discern that it REALLY SUCKS going after someone that's amazing. I feel that the main reason Milo's score wasn't higher was because he went right after the "Boy Wonder" of contests. That's what most of the judges' comments (besides the stupid blogger) tell me, anyway.

Moments later, the klaxon sounded, and the second part of the semi-finals began. Kasper threw his Pokeball into the air and released Dragonite; the collossal beast formed slowly from the bright, white light, flexing his arms and flapping above the water. He looked magnificent.

THERE it is.

"Drifblim," Jake said. "It's so creepy!"

Go look at a gengar and tell me how creepy Drifblim is.

Two bursts of light, two morphing shapes, and Scizor and Dragonite materialised, the crimson bug standing on the small rounded piece of land and Dragonite flapping in the air before him.

Dragonite flapped backwards and dived down through the air, the tips of his big feet skimming the lake's surface as he did a barrel-roll.

I do hope you mean the CORRECT kind of barrel-roll, and not an aileron roll.


Just making sure xD

Dragonite sent a huge, blistering jet of flame through the air, one that broke into a multi-headed, draconian beast as it released itself from the creature's throat. Scizor span on the spot, began beating his wings furiously, and summoned a sweeping silver wind attack at a steep angle towards the sparkling lake surface. As a result, the force of the wind hitting the lake caused water to shoot up all around Scizor, shielding him at all sides. The fire blast couldn't get near and was extinguished, while the silver wind infused the water and protected Milo's Pokemon with a silvery veil.

:O

That must have looked amazing!!!

Milo turned back to the arena as a bolt of lightning dropped from the sky. So heavy, it threw itself down to the open space targetting the one thing that was airborne – Scizor. Made of metal, dripping wet and, Milo noticed, with one toe dipped beyond the lake's surface as he struggled to flap, he made the perfect conductor, and screamed as volts ran through his entire body, becoming amplified.

NOOO! It can't end like that!!!!

Then, suddenly, it stopped, and Milo saw the crimson form of his Pokemon again. However, he dropped into the water like a stone, dissapearing instantly, all strength gone. Milo screamed and ran across the lakeside, Pokeball at the ready.

“And there is a contest taking place in Viridian City this Thursday,” Portman explained. “You should know this, Milo, you should know your options as a coordinator.”

“Wait, so I could...” Milo counted the days on his fingers. “That's three days away. The Grand Festival is in six.”

“So you can get on a fucking train instead of getting drunk, and start making your way there,” Portman said. “You haven't got much time.”

And Simon Cowell Portman saves the day! yaaaaay!!!!


All in all, this is a really good chapter. Chock-full of suspense, with highs, lows, and absolutely everything inbetween. That moment where Milo lost the contest, I was almost in tears. When he had renewed hope, I felt like I was right there with him.

By the end of the chapter, I was fully immersed into the story, and I was sad that the chapter ended. Can't wait to read more!

I'll get to reading the short little piece a little bit later, but now I need to watch the newest episode of a certain show about technicolor equines. xD

[Chris 2.1]

Show-Off
-XXXVI-
Kamikaze

With a bump, Milo felt himself jolted out of a slumber. The train was still rattling through the hills of East Johto towards Blackthorn City, but the bright light told him it was daytime. He felt warm, curled into the window. His arms were locked around his body comfortably, and he found it hard to unfurl. His eyes, gummed shut with sleep, didn't want to open. Just before he opened them, his ears picked up a conversation happening nearby.

“I know what I'm doing! Let me handle this!”

“We are here as a team, Krystal.”

“My Pokemon are specifically designed for this assignment, Eusine. I just don't want you ordering me about!”

“Nor I, you!”

Milo wondered who they were; evidently he and Jake had fallen asleep after they boarded the train last night, but why were they arguing so loudly? Milo stayed as still as possible, keeping his eyes firmly shut, knowing full well they would not be having this argument if they knew he was awake.

“Well how are we going to do this then?” the girl called Krystal asked.

“I think we need to exhaust him,” Eusine mused. “I will do that with my psychic Pokemon. THEN, and only then, you can come in and subdue it with your team.”

“Hmph,” Krystal said.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Don't 'nothing' me,” Eusine said. “What would you rather do?”

“I just think...”

“I know what you think,” Eusine replied. “You think because of the Exhibition Match I can't be trusted.”

“I never said that,” Krystal replied.

“You know the strain they put me under,” he hissed.

Milo's heart was racing as he remembered Eusine, the Cianwood City Gym Leader, taking on Whitney in Goldenrod City. It was the match that ended in disaster, as thieves stormed the arena under a smokescreen and Whitney's Raichu, Miltank and Swellow were stolen. Since then, she had withdrawn completely from battling. Milo thought hard. Was Eusine working with the thieves, and Steven Stone?

“I could do this mission all by myself,” Krystal said simply. “That's all.”

“Well you know what Mitchelson said. We can't do anything alone, we need allies. Stone has allies. He wants us looking out for each other.”

Again, Milo gasped, wondering if they were referring to his father. Did they know that man's son was pretending to be asleep right before them? As it crossed his mind, Milo felt a tingling sensation in his nose. He needed to sneeze. Here, of all places! Did people sneeze in their sleep? Milo tried to think about it, holding his breath to stop the rush of phlegm flying out his mouth. If he sneezed, his cover was blown...

“We'll be getting -

ACHOO! Milo's eyes opened and he was thrown forward as his explosive sneeze sprayed across the table. He looked to see two people sitting opposite him – a blue haired girl, which must be Krystal, and Eusine Grimm, wearing a midnight-blue tuxedo. Both were watching him with utter disgust. Milo smiled.

“Hi,” he said.

“Were you eavesdropping?” Krystal asked. Although she had a pleasant voice, Milo was surprised at the ferocity behind her glare.

“No! I was asleep!” Milo protested. He saw, out the corner of his eye, Jake pretending to be asleep. He was awful at it.

“People don't sneeze in their sleep,” Krystal said matter-of-factly.

“Well how the fuck am I supposed to not eavesdrop? Did you ever think about getting your own compartment on the train?” Milo snapped back.

“What did you hear?” Eusine asked. He sounded more timid than Krystal.

“That you're working with my dad to attack someone,” Milo said. “I'm Milo Mitchelson.”

“Oh for fucks sake,” Eusine sighed.

“It's fine!” Milo said. “At least I don't work for Steven Stone.”

Krystal gasped, “You know?”

“A bit,” Milo replied. Jake gave a long, badly acted yawn and woke up. “So does Jake.”

“Hi,” he said meekly.

“Just forget you heard anything, okay?” Krystal said. “We have a lot to do. And for your information, we are not attacking someone.”

“Tell me about Goldenrod, Eusine,” Milo said. “It sounded like you were working with the people who orchestrated the raid on the gym.”

“Don't say a word!” Krystal snapped to her partner, turning and pointing an accusatory finger.

“That's not what happened at all,” Eusine said. “You have no idea -”

“Sounds fishy to me,” Milo said. “Maybe I should tell my dad he has a double agent working for him.”

“You silly little fucker,” Krystal snapped. “Keep your nose out! You're dealing with something you don't understand.”

“Don't patronise me,” Milo shouted. Krystal was about his age, so he wasn't happy with her tone. “And you'd better help me understand this before things get out of hand.”

“Are you threatening me?” she asked coldly.

“Maybe,” Milo replied.

Just then, there was a screech and a huge bang. Milo and Jake were thrown out their seats as the train let off a long, tired groan. Smacking his head, Milo felt his vision dissolve as his hearing became muffled and something heavy thumped into his gut.

*

An eerie, piercing noise woke Milo; he found himself on the floor of the carriage. There was steam hissing out the side of the train to his left, while both his stomach and head had horrible, sharp pains in them.

“Milo!” Jake cried. He looked to see the boy bending down, holding a hand out. Taking it, Milo was pulled to his feet, and noticed the train was completely stationary. Krystal and Eusine were nowhere to be found.

What had happened? How much time had passed? They walked out their compartment and along the corridor of the train. The doors were all open, and the passengers had poured out onto the side of the tracks. Jumping down to join them, Milo looked around and saw they were on a long, deserted stretch of Route 34. The front of the sleek, silver train had been hit by something; there was a gigantic dent, the area was blackened and steam and smoke poured out into the sky.

Near the front, the driver was addressing the crowd. Milo looked among the jostling crowd of concerned faces, but there was still no sign of Krystal's vivid blue hair among the group.

“I'm sorry, but we managed to hit something,” the driver said. He looked exhausted, and incredibly stressed. “The engine has been damaged, so we've called for someone to come out and repair it. I don't know how long they will take, but it's important we just stay calm.”

Milo looked at the tracks, and saw they, too, had been slightly warped, so the train faced the danger of coming off the tracks completely. Most of the crowd sat on the grassy bank, as it was a pleasant day, though some rushed inside to gather their belongings.

“Milo!” Jake said. Milo turned to see Jake pointing on the other side of the train. In the distance, he could see two figures running towards a large clump of trees. The vivid blue hair confirmed his suspicion – it was Krystal and Eusine.

“They're running off into the woods?” Milo said.

“I wonder if they're chasing the thing that attacked the train,” Jake said.

“Or if they were the ones behind it; they need something in that forest,” Milo said. “Come on.”

“We should wait, shouldn't we?” Jake said, shooting a furtive glance at the train. “You know, do something less morally ambiguous?”

“Explain,” Milo said.

“Well when we were at MooMoo farm we accidentally got caught up in a seige by a load of hippies. Then, in Ecruteak, you took a photo of a girl doing cocaine and we got driven out the city by a load of Eeveelutions. Then, in Goldenrod, we snuck into a VIP nightclub and I got robbed. Then, in Azalea Town, we managed to get recruited into a weird cult by Oscar, and nearly died escaping from him. Shortly after that, in Violet City, we went with Professor Elm to the Ruins of Alph and became kind of responsible for them collapsing entirely. And don't get me started on the second time we went to Ecruteak City.”

“Okay, I hear what you're saying,” Milo mused. “But... in Mahogany we were relatively quiet. So... you know...”

“I don't want us to miss this train, we don't have long to get to Viridian City in Kanto,” Jake said. Milo wasn't budging. “But on the other hand, we should probably go, shouldn't we.”

“You are correct,” Milo said, turning on his heel and sprinting after Krystal and Eusine.

*

The run into the forest only took five minutes or so. As they walked into the cool canopy of the trees, Milo took a quick look back and saw the big train, stationary. It was a small wooded area, so Milo figured it would be easy to find the two people they were pursuing. After wandering through the wooded path for a few moments, however, they failed to catch up to them.

Milo didn't want to chatter, despite being full of speculation about what the two were doing. Instead, he released Medicham to join them in the woods. Bending down, she examined the footprints in the mud, and held her hand over it, concentrating hard.

“Any luck?” Milo whispered, hoping her clairsentience would help her see the recent surface memories of the mud. Using her spare hand, she grabbed Milo and sent what she saw into his head.

In a flash, Milo could smell sweat, and almost feel it dripping down his own head, though he knew he was perfectly dry and calm. There was heat, a roaring bolt of lightning, and a scream. He blinked quickly as Medicham shrugged. As he thought, he did feel a lingering memory, one that wasn't his own. It was of two people running.

“It wasn't a strong memory,” Milo mused. “Maybe because mud is less solid than a chair or a tree.”

“Yea, I guess clairsentience wouldn't work in water,” Jake pointed out. “Let's keep going.”

The path wound round the trees. It was so quiet here; Milo wondered if the train thundering through the countryside upset many of the wild Pokemon, so they lived further away. Nearby, there was a tree that looked like it had been struck by something. It was at a crooked angle, and the bark was charred. As he neared, Milo even caught a distinct whiff of charcoal.

“Electricity,” Milo pointed out, thinking of the memory Medicham shared. “This was struck by an electric attack.”

“You don't think...” Jake began, but stopped when he heard the sound of feet pressing into the grass. Slowly, the boys turned around to see a large, four-legged creature slowly walking towards them, head bowed low, searching for a scent.

Milo had never seen anything like it. It was a vivid yellow, with stripes going up its legs. From the creatures neck came a thick, billowing purple cloud that ran down its back. Milo also noticed a fine, jagged tail raised high. Pausing, the dog looked up at the two of them.

“What the fuck is that?” Jake hissed, frozen. Milo saw Medicham look at him from the corner of his eye; thankfully he didn't need to vocalise his thoughts, but just let her browse them for herself. She slowly walked forward, her arms outstretched, shielding the humans from the dog. His ears pricked up and he sniffed for a moment.

Then, he let off a tremendous roar; Medicham's face dropped, she let off a rattling gasp and a red glow forced her back into the Pokeball on Milo's belt. The creature's deafening yell was intense; he screwed his eyes up and Milo's belt wobbled, before a different ball burst open.

He gasped when he realised Magneton was forming in front of the creature, but realised this may actually be a stroke of good fortune. Magneton would resist this electric Pokemon, and could probably cause some reasonable damage thanks to his excellent accuracy.

“Magneton, sonicboom!” Milo said firmly. Magneton cartwheeled into the air, before unleashing a whooshing jet of air with a definitive crack. The dog was struck squarely in the chest, digging his feet into the soft earth as he was pushed back. But he didn't run. He stayed to fight.

Retaliating, he let off a softer road and blasted a huge bolt of lightning through the air. It looked incredible; the dog-like beast's cloud fluffed up, gathering size, before it released the piercing attack like a weapon. The fierce, prickled bolt was like a rocket, smashing into Magneton and forcing him through the air and into a nearby tree. Milo gasped as Magneton splintered the trunk, sparks from the attack still rattling across his body.

“Christ!” Jake said, looking at Raikou, who was radiating a golden glow. Milo turned to his Pokemon to see that Magneton, too, was engulfed in a golden light that had resonated from the attack. The steel type pulled himself out the tree but he looked weary; the glow was spreading.

“What's happening?” Milo said quizzically, looking as Magneton started shuddering in the air. Was he in pain? Had this wild Pokemon managed to do some permanent damage to his Pokemon? Suddenly, as the golden light started to turn white, and a sudden heat was given off Magneton, Milo realised something phenomenal was happening.

“He's evolving!”

“What!?” Jake said. “How is that even possible?”

Milo had no idea but watched as Magneton grew in size; one of his units swelled and became the shape of a rugby ball; the two other magnets shrank slightly and positioned to the sides of the largest unit. Not only was Magneton giving off a strong heat as he grew, but he was letting off a tinkling noise not unlike a modem connecting.

“What the fuck is going on?” came a cry.

Krystal and Eusine ran through the clearing, and as Milo took his eyes off his new Pokemon he realised that the yellow dog had used this opportunity to disappear. Eusine was wide-eyed and looked delighted, but Krystal seemed furious.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” she snapped. “You followed us?”

“Raikou was here!” Eusine said. But Milo wasn't looking at them; the light was dying down now, and the new, larger form of Magneton was floating before him.

Two of his horseshoe magnets were held at his side like appendages, while another wagged behind him like a tail. He had a golden antenna, and the large eye in the middle was red. The way it moved, though, made Milo wonder if it was an eye at all. It looked more like a sensor, pulsating and retracting softly. The other two eyes blinked, and the creature let off a low, grumbling beep.

“Your Magneton evolved here?” Eusine asked, surprised.

“It's... Magnezone, right?” Milo said, smiling. Magneton bleeped.

“But that's not possible!” Eusine said. “Magneton only evolve when they're exposed to charged pockets of magnetic energy... it's a geographical evolution, Johto doesn't have the climate for it.”

“It was hit by Raikou's attack,” Jake pointed out. “And it overrode him.”

“That means Raikou can charge up electricity to astonishing levels,” Eusine mused. “If the attack he hit Magneton with was enough to trigger an evolution.”

“Who cares?” Krystal snapped. “Come on, it's getting away.”

She turned to Milo.

“You two had no business coming here and messing things up. We can't have anything go wrong here or we're all massively fucked, so just head back to the train and wait for us there.”

“What do you want with Raikou?” Milo asked. “Stealing it?”

“Oh I do not have time for this!” Krystal shouted.

“Er, Krystal,” Eusine said, pointing to Magnezone. The creature's yellow antennae was shaking slightly and glowed with a golden light. “Magnezone was supercharged by Raikou's attack. That means the two of them are exuding the same type of electricity. We can use him to track Raikou through the woods.”

“Oh, can you now?” Milo said.

“You're right,” Krystal said, looking annoyed with herself. “We might need them after all.”

“If you want our help,” Milo said, enjoying himself, “I want to know what's going on.”

“Alright,” Krystal sighed. “Fine. Eusine and I are here to capture Raikou. We've been sent on a mission to capture him so that he doesn't get caught by a criminal organisation that has been operating in the area. That's the truth.”

“And this organisation... that's Stone, right?” Milo asked.

“A faction of his company, yes,” Eusine replied. “We're employed by your father, Milo. In fact, I moved to take over the Cianwood Gym so I could monitor Suicune more closely.”

“Really?” Milo asked. “Why does Stone want the dogs?”

“We have no idea,” Krystal said. “But it can't be good. We were originally going to protect them, but after Suicune was captured by Stone's men we've upped our game and we're trying to stop him getting all three.”

“Wait a minute,” Milo said. “Raikou fires off high-impact electricity. In Ecruteak, Volkner and Surge had huge devices fitted on their arms that fired off bolts, too. Were they modelled after Raikou?”

“They were designed to help them catch Suicune, actually,” Eusine said. “Suicune uses a lot of mist and fog-based attacks to hide from foes. But Stone's men used these devices to conduct through any water vapour in the air to help stun Suicune. Then they began modifying them so they could hurt Raikou, too. I haven't seen the modifications.”

“Volkner put people in hospital by choking them with the devices,” Milo said darkly.

“Right,” Krystal said suddenly. “You know what we're doing. Since we have more of us, I say we split into two groups. Eusine, you and Jake go back around the clearing. Me and Milo will use Magnezone to go ahead and find Raikou.”

“How will you catch him?” Milo asked.

“I've been training a team for just that,” Krystal said.

Now they were on good terms, Krystal seemed slightly more pleasant, though she had a very business-like attitude to the job. Milo said goodbye to Jake, confident he would be safe with Eusine. He felt like he was the more valuable member of the party thanks to his Magnezone, who swept through the woods, antenna glowing dimly.

“Let's go,” Eusine said to Jake, as they doubled back.

*

After ten minutes or so of walking through the woods, Milo could no longer hear Jake and Eusine's footsteps rustling through the overgrowth. Ahead, the path curved around a waterfall that culminated in a small pool of water; there were thick reeds and moss-covered rocks, as well as several small shadows beneath the surface suggested Pokemon may live here.

“So what's it like working for my dad?” Milo said, his hands in his pockets.

“He pays well,” Krystal replied, smirking. “Ha. But I like it. Before then, I worked for Professor Elm as his research assistant. This fieldwork is more interesting.”

“Cool,” Milo said. He wanted to ask her something else, since she had clearly been working against Stone for some time. But he was afraid to. Since the contest, he felt like the subject of the attack on Ecruteak was difficult to articulate, like a stopper had been shoved in a bottleneck.

“I knew Will, too,” Krystal said. Milo looked over to her, and saw that she had a look of trepidation on her face.

“Oh, yea, right,” Milo said.

“Such a nice guy,” Krystal replied.

“What sort of work did you do?” Milo asked.

“We caught Entei,” she replied.

“You're not serious!” Milo cried. “Will caught Entei?”

“It was an intense fight,” Krystal said. “But Alakazam and Medicham made a formidable team.”

Milo stopped completely. Krystal didn't notice at first, but after a moment, she turned around to see him looking torn, staring at the ground.

“I didn't know she was involved,” Milo said. Why had Medicham never communicated the memories she had shared with Will? She was capable of transmitting memories, and he and Medicham were very close emotionally.

“I wouldn't dwell on it,” Krystal said. “She doesn't have to share everything with you.”

“I suppose,” Milo said, although he disagreed. “So, what happened to Entei? Where is he?”

“Well,” said Krystal, biting her lip. “Will had Entei on him when his car crashed.”

Milo didn't want to hear any more; he knew the rest. William and Milo's girlfriend at the time, Whitney, were driving through the streets of Goldenrod when they were involved in a horrible accident. William was killed, Whitney was critically injured, and the car beyond repair. But all the Pokemon William had on him – including the formidable Entei – were taken before police arrived. And Milo's father had been sure it was Stone. It made a lot of sense, now.

“Right,” Milo muttered. Magnezone was still up ahead, drawn to the electricity that matched the ferocity of that which coursed through his new, metal body. “So Stone is potentially two up.”

“We don't know,” Krystal said, sounding like she didn't want to go into details. But Milo was staring at her heavily, and she was crumbling under his gaze. “Entei was in a very damaged Pokeball, and he had control of an incredible power. The area around the wreckage was so scorched your father wondered if Entei had actually combusted.”

“Jesus Christ,” Milo said.

“I wish I hadn't said anything,” Krystal said. “I'm sorry.”

“It's fine,” Milo said, picking up the pace and walking ahead of her. Magnezone was coming back to them, looking excited. “Let's just focus on this doggy. I think Magnezone's found something.”

*

In another part of the forest, Jake and Eusine were walking along. Although he enjoyed being away from Milo for a short period, Jake found Eusine's company unsettling. He was an unusual man, with an unusual accent, and his age was hard to figure out. Jake didn't enjoy the company of people who were difficult to figure out, but kept his thoughts to himself as they continued on.

“I'm sure if Pellipper sees Raikou, he'll come back and let us know,” Jake said, to puncture the silence.

“I'm sure,” Eusine replied. “So I hear you boys were involved in that raid in Ecruteak.”

“Yeah...” Jake said, in an exhausted tone. “We get involved in a lot.”

“I didn't really know Jasmine,” Eusine said. “But she was an exceptional agent.”

“Can we talk about something else?” Jake asked. “I don't really like thinking about Ecruteak.”

“Oh, sure,” Eusine said.

“Thanks,” replied Jake.

“What do you do?” Eusine asked.

“Um, I'm a Pokemon stylist,” Jake said. “I, er, think. I just help Milo out. Sometimes groom his Pokemon, just generally assist him.”

“Milo's a coordinator? Is he going to the Grand Festival?” Eusine asked.

“No, we're going to Viridian City for him to get his final ribbon,” Jake said.

“Then what?”

“Huh?”

“So he gets a ribbon, and you go to the festival, and then...?”

“Well, that's it, then,” Jake explained, as if Eusine were stupid.

“I mean, what are you going to do after that?” Eusine said.

“Well I'm not going to throw myself into the woods to find endangered animals, if that's what you're getting at,” Jake said coldly.

“Haha, we're not interested in recruiting you, don't worry,” Eusine replied. “What do you want to do with your life, though?”

“Well, I'm only 17,” Jake said. “But after this season of the contest circuit, I think I might try it out for myself, and compete professionally. I've learned a lot from shadowing Milo, and seeing his journey, and I have some strong Pokemon already.”

Eusine seemed satisfied, giving a brief nod. The two followed the path as it steadily wound up higher, the trees thinning out slightly. Once there, Jake saw Pellipper flying back towards him, and held his arm out for the bird to land. The large-mouthed creature gave a loud caw and nuzzled Jake as he bore the weight of the bird.

“Any sign?” Jake said. Just then, there was a roar and a bang, and the two could see a huge bolt of lightning fly up through the trees in the West. Birds fled their nests and the trees groaned as Raikou made its way through the woods.

“Christ!” Eusine said, running back down the hill. Jake followed him, even after he leapt over logs and left the path to plough through the overgrowth. Eusine released an Electrode, which sped through the woods smashing through plants, foliage and trees to pave a path for his trainer. Jake tried to keep up, but his shoes weren't practical for running and uneven surfaces.

“Wait for me!” he cried. Pellipper swept down and nipped the hood of Jake's jacket in his beak. Beating his wings, he lifted Jake off the ground and followed Eusine, though the boys feet were still flailing wildly. “Jesus!” he shrieked.

He saw the forest blur and meld together, though Eusine's bright clothes illuminated the way. Pellipper flew a little higher to avoid a huge fallen tree, which Jake could see was ravaged by sparks and charred. However, as Eusine turned a corner, Pellipper pulled left, and the hood of Jake's jacket ripped from his body.

Tumbling to the ground, he felt his arm break his fall; Jake moaned as he rolled into the dirt and Pellipper flew back around to help him, spitting his hood to the floor as he came back. Now, Eusine's footsteps had gone completely, and Jake couldn't hear which way he was clattering through the overgrowth.

“EUSINE!” Jake said. “HEY!”

Pellipper landed and nuzzled Jake again; it was comforting. Jake saw he had a few cuts on his hand, not deep but long ones, and wondered if he would get a scar. The woods looked dishevelled, the grass trodden and the earth scorched by blistering electricity. Raikou obviously didn't live here, but was doing something around here that had caught Eusine's attention.

“We're nowhere near the path,” Jake said, thinking it would be easy to direct Pellipper to find the route back to Milo. However, he heard something in the trees above him, a clumsy rustling noise, and stopped dead in his tracks.

Whatever was making the noise was doing a terrible job of being discreet; Jake crouched down behind a thick bush, watching, wondering if it was a person or something else entirely rustling and shaking. There was a low groan.

Then, all of a sudden, a brown lump fell from the branches and thudded into the ground, causing crisp leaves to throw up into the air in alarm. Jake jumped, seeing a creature far bigger than him rolling into the ground, moaning. He recognised it from pictures, but had never seen one himself. It was Ursaring, the bear Pokemon, and it looked to be in incredible pain.

Rolling onto his back, the bear's eyes were screwed shut and he was making an incredible noise. Jake was still trying to be as quiet as possible – these creatures were known to be aggressive. Coming to the conclusion he had been struck while Raikou rampaged through the woods, Jake was thankful the Pokemon wasn't moving too much, and continued to stare, interested, at Ursaring.

Something he could only assume was rationality began to creep over him. Since the attack on the boys by Oscar, and their difficulty in Ecruteak against Steven Stone's men, Jake had felt a growing uselessness as his Pokemon struggled to fend of assailants. He had never been a serious battler, really, but staring at the brown creature lying before him, it dawned on him that this collossal beast would make an excellent addition to his team.

But he knew from handling Milo's Golduck in the National Park that merely having the Pokemon wasn't enough; he needed its respect. And while Parasect could knock Ursaring out with sleep spores, it would not win his respect. Jake would have to beat him in combat.

“Hey!” Jake said. Ursaring turned slowly, his breathing thick. Pellipper flew to his side, ready to face off against the large creature. Jake could see Ursaring's hair standing on end, his nose twitching and his eyes locked on him.

“Water gun! Hit him in the chest!”

A jet of water struck Ursaring right in his torso; he staggered back, clutching the left of his chest and roaring loudly. Twisting to the side, Pellipper struck Ursaring with a wing attack, before shooting up into the sky, out of his way.

“Good!” Jake said. Ursaring fell to his knees as sparks jumped across his body; Pellipper turned back around and shot down again at Ursaring, preparing to deliver another blow. However, as he neared, Ursaring leant back, and the bird shot right over his head. Turning, Ursaring held his palm out and thrust it, hitting Pellipper with such force the bird was hurtled into a tree. Jake watched, devestated, as his Pokemon fell to the ground from Ursaring's hammer arm.

“Get up!” Jake said, noticing Ursaring get to his feet again. The bear roared, charging through the air towards the bird that lay on the ground. “PELLIPPER!”

He didn't want his Pokemon to suffer. Panicking, Jake grabbed an empty Pokeball from his belt. In one swift throw, he could stop this creature in its tracks. Arching his arm back, Jake tried to focus, hoping in vain the large creature would make an easier target. With a grunt, the ball left his grip. Ursaring was halted, pulled inside by a strong red energy, leaving Pellipper to flap up and recover from the sudden blow.

Jake watched the Pokeball wobble, but barely a second passed before it snapped clean in two, releasing Ursaring in a sudden burst of light. Jake looked disheartened, but he had barely weakened Ursaring. Ursaring still had spirit. Turning, he looked at Jake and began running towards him, his face pulled into an ugly snarl. This has provoked him even further.

“Pellipper!” Jake cried; he was walking backwards, slowly, trying not to be hasty. He didn't want this beast out of his sight, but it was looking like he might have to turn on his heel and get out of the way, and fast. As Ursaring took another step, Pellipper dipped his head down and flew towards him with a screech, clipping him on the back of the head. Ursaring swung his paw, claws extending, delivering a critical slash, but as Pellipper spiralled off, he shot a fizzing, frothed orb of water at the foe. The water pulse hit Ursaring, suspending his head in water, causing him to gasp, swipe at his face and give off a lurching gasp.

Pellipper was hurt, so Jake shot a beam out and recalled him. Putting his bird away, Jake wondered who else to use - Pichu wouldn't be good here, and he felt if he used Parasect he'd rely on underhand tactics like spores to knock the beast out, and that wouldn't impress Ursaring. Could he use Ditto? Perhaps, but instead, Jake got Torchic's Pokeball and sent him into battle.

“Flamethrower!” he ordered. Nodding, Torchic ran along the arena, shooting a slick jet of flame. Ursaring twisted his body out of the way, retaliating with a roar. Jake noticed he only seemed to use physical attacks, and was stunted by his paralysis, which often kicked in and hurt the muscles in his legs.

“Torchic get up into the tree!” he said. Nodding, the bird used her speed and small wings to scale a thick, slanted trunk that jutted out the dry earth of the forest. Ursaring ran towards it, slamming his palms into the trunk as Torchic clambered across a branch high above. Roaring, Ursaring gripped the trunk and tried hoisting himself up, but he was far too heavy, and the paralysis rendered his legs useless. Torchic sneezed a cluster of embers down, causing the bear to crash to the ground.

Ursaring took a few steps back before charging towards the tree again. With an almighty slam, the branches shook, and Torchic became unsteady. She staggered, a foot slipping, her eyes darting down at the bear assaulting her hiding place. Jake bit his lip. Evasion was no good.

“Launch yourself off the branch!” Jake said, as Ursaring forced his palm into the trunk. With another judder, the branch splintered, and Torchic dashed into the air. Jake pointed at the foe.

“Fire spin, aim it down!”

Twisting in mid-air, Torchic spewed a twisting gust of flames down at the unsuspecting Ursaring. They smashed into his body and roared into life, engulfing him in blistering heat. The bear fell to his knees, curling up, trying to physically hide from the pain that was rushing through his body. Arching his arm back, Jake prepared another Pokeball; a glitter-studded ball like the one Milo had used to capture Totodile.

This time, Ursaring didn't fight the lethargic sensation that flooded into his body once the Pokeball opened; it provided relief, a cooling sensation to counter the uncomfortable fire. As the fire flickered into the atmosphere, Jake saw the ball rattle in the grass, getting slower and slower until it stopped completely.

*

Milo and Krystal ran after Magnezone; he was bobbing in the air just ahead, and after following them, they came across a steep dip in the path. It twisted round and culminated in a very dark clearing; the trees were more plentiful, the foliage thicker and the light more starved.

“There he is,” Krystal whispered.

“He's one of the most incredible things I've ever seen,” Milo said, staring. Raikou was lying down, curled up like a dog. He wasn't asleep; Milo saw his creamy brown eyes studying the grass around him, but he was clearly relaxing.

“Right, you've had your fun,” Krystal said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a Pokeball. “Milo, don't get in the way. I have a three-point plan and you cannot mess this up.”

Milo nodded, understanding the need to protect this creature. Krystal looked incredibly serious as she released her Pokemon; it was an energetic-looking Marowak, who was gripping a long bone. Milo noticed the end was sharpened and flat, making it resemble an axe. Due to the mask it wore, it breathed in thick, short bursts.

“Point one,” Krystal whispered to herself, like a pep talk. “An aggressive attack. Intimidate, impress, and outfox.”

Marowak charged down the path, letting off a bellowing, wolf-like howl, his axe raised above his head. Raikou looked up and lithely got to his feet, growling as he dug his feet into the soil. A bolt of lightning was summoned from the cloud on his back; it struck Marowak as he came close, but though it hit him with force, the sparks did not hurt him. Undeterred, he carried on running, and swung his club into Raikou's side.

Milo watched, engrossed, as Marowak evaded oncoming attacks and retaliated with a choreographed routine. He was an incredible jumper, leaping through the air and dodging thunder attacks, but also had bulk and the physical mass to deal critical blows to Raikou with his sharpened blade. Despite causing damage, however, Milo noticed Raikou was not bleeding, and did not bruise. He was being hurt slowly but surely.

Once or twice, Raikou weighed up his options and decided to try escaping, but Marowak's boomerang-like weapon wound often stop him in his tracks. It must be powerful, as Krystal ordered it only as a last resort. After Marowak headbutted Raikou in the chin, the beast let off a colossal roar, and Krystal's Pokemon became engulfed in a red light.

“Roar!” Krystal said, alarmed. Marowak's red light flickered back into the Pokeball, and something else burst onto the ground, the shimmering white light illuminating the dark space. Milo saw a slender form with tufts of hair take shape in the clearing. Unlike the bipedal Marowak, this creature was quadraped, and had a thick, curved blade shooting out of its head.

“Absol!” Krystal said. “Okay, we didn't plan this, but this will work!”

“You didn't plan this?”

“Point two was to subdue the injured foe. Relax and remove from harm. I wanted to put him to sleep, and make him easier to capture while helping his body overcome the pain. But his roar drew out Absol, and we're on point three: retain. Prevent the target from escaping, with a combination of field moves and light attacks to maintain the capture efficiency.”

Her approach was impressive if not pedantic. Absol stared at Raikou, much larger than he, but Raikou was fighting recklessly for survival, whereas Krystal's Pokemon had a very specific strategy.

As Raikou opened his jaws, Absol's eyes twinkled, and a sheen began ruffling the fur across his body. Raikou let off a roar, but it was almost muffled, stifled somewhat, and didn't effect Absol at all. Milo thought of Magnezone using mirror coat in the Cherrygrove Contest, and surmised this must be a non-physical version that absorbed and reflected sound or status attacks.

On cue, Absol released a shockwave of pent-up energy that formed into a deafening roar. Like a vacuum, Absol had pocketed the noise to use against the foe, and it did the job. Hearing the sharp cry, Raikou turned and bolted off through the woods, causing Krystal to yell and give chase.

“Psycho cut!” Krystal hollered. As he ran through the clearing with her Pokemon, Absol swung his head, and a thick blade of pink energy flew through the air. It struck Raikou right in the side; the force hurled him over, but as Absol got closer a huge burst of electricity exploded from Raikou's body and tore into into the trees around them. Skidding to a halt, Krystal held her arm out and protected Milo, pulling him down, close to the earth as a whooshing web of sparks flew over their heads.

“He has incredible accuracy, but his knee-jerk reaction is to unleash huge balls of electricity in any direction,” Krystal hissed, her hand on the back of Milo's neck. He nodded, taking in a strong smell of earth and dirt, looking up to see the trees around them blackened and charred. Absol was pacing around Raikou slowly, his eyes locked on to the wounded beast.

“So he used roar to blow your capture technique,” Milo whispered, “what next?”

“Raikou is stressed, and tired, which is a blessing in disguise,” Krystal said. “So we're going to borrow Eusine's techniques from the illusion Gym to really wear down his concentration.”

Now standing, Krystal ordered Absol to use double team. As he ran circles around the injured Raikou, the white blur split into copies, some leaping into the trees and intimidating Raikou, while others paced the forest slowly. Milo used this opportunity to get up, too, and recalled Kasper Carlson's appeal with Noctowl. Like Noctowl, Absol was commanding his copies like a pack. Raikou got up, and with a low growl lashed out at one of the white creatures, but his fangs, tingling with electricity, merely snapped at an illusion. He looked momentarily confused.

Milo continued to watch Krystal bewilder Raikou; Absol would suddenly merge with three or four copies and unleash a psycho cut, before they split again to avoid any damage. It was tense; the dog was weakening, so much so that as Absol intimidated Raikou with a howl, Krystal was fiddling for a Pokeball on her belt.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “Stay down, I'm going over there.”

Milo nodded and fired his Pokeball at Magnezone, pulling him inside to avoid causing any noise or disturbance. He saw Krystal maximise the Pokeball on her belt and slowly, cautiously walk through the overgrowth to where Raikou was. Looking up, the creature saw Krystal, but stayed where he was, as the Absol closed in and walked in a tight circle around him.

Heart beating wildly, Milo kept on watching. He wondered where Jake and Eusine were, and hoped they hadn't gone too far off the beaten track, especially since he and Krystal had managed to find Raikou with relative ease. After all this time, after all of his father's and William's hard work, the final piece of the puzzle was about to fit into place, and Krystal would be able to keep Raikou from falling into the wrong hands. He thought of his older brother, and if he would be proud Milo had some involvement in Raikou's capture.

Then, a sudden, chilling sensation down his spine. Milo felt a cold, metal barrel press into the base of his neck and a strong, peppermint breath near his ear.

“Stay completely still and don't say a word.”

Milo stared at Krystal as she walked around Raikou. He wanted to warn her, to flash his eyes, to alert her to the presence behind him, but he was crouched low, and too disguised among the overgrowth. And so must the woman behind him be, too, for Krystal did not turn around in their direction. There was a sense that the woman behind him was not alone; Milo thought he saw movement in the overgrowth.

Krystal raised her arm back, the Pokeball poised and ready to launch at Raikou. At that second, there was a bang, and Milo saw the metal orb completely shatter in her hand. Krystal screamed as the shards rained down her arm, flinching and checking her surrounds to see what had happened. From the bushes opposite Milo, a man walked out to show himself to Krystal.

“W-What are you doing?” she cried; Milo saw her hands touch her body, wondering if she had been shot, if she was bleeding. Meanwhile, Raikou's eyes were drooping shut; he seemed completely drained, despite the threats around him. Absol's copies merged back into the original, and he stood at his trainers side.

“Recall your Pokemon, Krystal,” said the man. Milo recognised him as Volkner from Ecruteak. He was wearing his green army jacket and heavy brown boots. It looked like he was still wearing the device strapped up his wrist – the one which helped him deploy electricity.

“You're not going to take Raikou,” she said firmly. “I won't let you!”

Absol ran at Volkner, his head tucked down, blade glowing with a silver light. He shot left and right, zig-zagging across the arena, ready to strike the man whose gun was pointed at Krystal. Volkner appeared unphased, not taking his eyes off hers. Milo suddenly felt the pressure in the back of his head release for a brief moment; someone behind him took aim over his shoulder and shot the Absol in the side. Thrown off his feet, he collapsed in a heap between Krystal and Volkner and a gushing pool of blood formed. With a cry, Krystal recalled her Pokemon, looking visibly shaken. The pressure in the back of Milo's head intensified again.

“Thank you for all your work,” Volkner said, in a patronising tone. “Silver!”

From a different part of the overgrowth, Milo could see Eusine being forced out into the clearing by a young boy with a vicious scowl. He looked worried, very pale, as the boy named Silver jabbed him in the back with a pistol. Almost on cue, Milo felt himself get forced up and was marched through the bushes, communicating a disappointed look to Krystal. But where was Jake?

“Raikou is ready to capture,” Volkner told the person behind Milo.

“Victreebel!” came the woman's voice; Milo smelled the strong, peppermint scent on her breath again as she called out to the wilderness. To his left, hanging from one of the large, old trees, a thick plant lowered itself to the ground. Milo had seen its sharp fangs and leaves only once before; when the Membership Card showed a Victreebel decapitating Keadis. He thought about the woman's voice behind him – was this the woman who killed Keadis?

Victreebel was giving off a heaving noise, as if he were trying to be sick. Thick creepers extended from beneath the ground, and Milo felt them break the surface of the earth beneath him, ensnaring both his ankles. The green, cable-like vines tightened around his bones, allowing his captor the opportunity to leave his side. This gave him a good look at her.

It was Rebekah Brookes, the flame-haired woman behind the murder of Falkner's dad. Milo's heart sank; the strain tugged every fibre of him as he saw Krystal and Eusine held at gunpoint, looking similarly ill with worry. He was immobilised by a creature that seemed to be able to manipulate plant life. It could probably use its powers to swallow the whole forest up on itself.

Rebekah drew a Pokeball from her coat and maximised it. Peeling off a leather glove, she planted her hand firmly on the top of the ball for a moment, and Milo saw a brief flash of green light in the shape of Rebekah's hand. Volkner was watching him watch this.

“I don't know what you're doing here,” Volkner said to Milo. “But if you keep getting in the way like this, you're going to end up like Jasmine.”

“Jasmine took her life, on her terms,” Milo argued. “You can't threaten me with her death.”

“Her terms?” Volkner asked. “She was alone, scared and isolated from her loved ones. Miles away from her family. Don't be sentimental, that's not going to work.”

“Why didn't you just let us capture Raikou and steal it off us?” Krystal said.

“We have in our hands the first completed model of the new Pokeball from the Devon Corporation,” Volkner said proudly. “A Pokeball that opens only when it recognises the fingerprints that are registered with it.”

Milo thought of the green glow beneath Rebekah's fingers, and realised this ball must only open on her command. He gasped.

“Silph developed prototypes for these some time ago,” he said. “But they were bought out by Devon, which, fortunately, is owned by Steven Stone.”

“But you can't redistribute stolen Pokemon like that,” Eusine snapped.

“These Pokeballs are worth a lot of money,” Volkner said. “We obviously can't use them on other peoples Pokemon. But we can use them when we're dealing with creatures that are so rare that we want to ensure they belong to us, eternally.”

Milo, who now had vines that twisted across his chest and arms, wished he hadn't recalled Magnezone, whose magnetic properties could have disabled the guns that were preventing them from doing anything. Rebekah was making sure the Pokeball was ready. Raikou, Milo noticed, was stirring slightly; his eyes were open now, whereas they were once lulled and drooping. He was sniffing the air.

Something caught his attention, beneath the forest's overgrowth. But he was distracted once again by Rebekah, who arched her arm back and hurled the Pokeball through the air at Raikou. It arched smoothly and quickly, bearing down on Raikou, about to seal his fate.

But Raikou suddenly let off a roar, and summoned a sleek bolt of lightning from the clouds on his back; it smashed into the ball and forced it to fly off to the left. Rebekah was stunned as the creature got to his feet, bore his fangs and crackled with more electricity. Milo gasped at the dog's sudden energy, remembering how worn down it had been, but he looked back to the clearing, and saw the mottled red pattern of a certain mushroom Pokemon.

“What did you do?” Rebekah snapped, suddenly looking wary of the ferocious dog, turning to Krystal. She said nothing, her own eyes wide open in disbelief, but it didn't deter Rebekah, who stormed forward and smacked her across the face. “Answer me!”

“I didn't do anything!” Krystal whimpered.

“You're supposed to be an expert at catching Pokemon,” Rebekah said. “Did you know we were tailing you? Did you trick us, by making it look weak when it was strong?”

“No!” Krystal said.

“Liar,” Rebekah said, smacking her again across her cheek. Krystal now had a reddened mark across her face, and the stinging was making her eyes water. “Volkner?”

“She's not wearing him down again,” Volkner said firmly. “She'll attack us with her Pokemon.”

He thought for a moment, but came to his conclusion quickly.

“Kill the young lad, he's not any use.”

Milo's heart hammered wildly as Rebekah gave a nod. She turned to face Milo, only for her to freeze as another deafening roar filled the clearing. Everybody looked around, but Raikou didn't make any noise, although the heavy, guttural roar sounded exactly like he did.

“Another one!” exclaimed Silver, still guarding Eusine.

“Another Raikou?” Eusine said, as it dawned on him.

“That can't be true,” Rebekah said.

At that moment, they could hear footsteps, galloping through the woods, before a huge, yellow figure burst through into the clearing. Milo gasped as he saw another Raikou, staring down at its relative. Was it a father? A son? The original Raikou saw the new species and the two stared at the humans in their forest. Milo looked down and felt the vines loosening around his ribs; a quick glance to his left saw Parasect dragging Victreebel into the woods silently. He looked back, not wanting to draw any attention to it.

“Fuck,” Volkner said. “Can we take both?”

“Yes,” Rebekah said, loading her gun. “But we need to manage the situation properly, this is getting out of hand. I'll kill the boy, Silver, kill Eusine. Krystal will come with us. Victreebel can restrain one of the dogs and we'll catch them one by one.”

She walked towards Milo, unaware that the vines had been severed, and were therefore looser. Milo stared into her eyes, keeping her gaze, not wanting her to realise that something had changed. Rebekah held the gun up, and even though he should have waited a moment longer, Milo was too terrified of the weapon to not act sooner. He ducked under her arm and jerked his shoulder up, butting her arm and forcing her to fire the gun into the sky.

“Where is Victreebel?” Rebekah said, looking around. Her gun was at her side, but she was finally thrown off by something, and the weapon hung in her grip limply. Milo's breathing was getting heavier as he panicked. Rebekah walked past Milo to the spot where Victreebel once stood.

Then, the plant was hurled out the bushes like a rag doll; Victreebel, covered in bloodied cuts and gashes, landed at Rebekah's feet, unconscious. She knelt by her Pokemon and inspected the damage; Milo saw Volkner, Silver, Krystal and Eusine all watching intently, confused.

Rebekah aimed her gun at the overgrowth, “Come out or I'll fill your throat with lead!”. Milo wondered if Jake was hiding amongst the bushes or had escaped somewhere else. Rebekah started counting slowly to five, stood perfectly still, eyes locked on where she hoped her target lay.

“One...

“Two...

“Three...”

There was the snap of a twig, breaking the silence for a moment. But no more movement.

“Four...”

Then, a huge cyclone of wind was blasted out from the overgrowth. Rebekah was thrown to the ground as her gun sailed through the air and let off another bang, muffled against the ground. Milo fell back but steadied himself against a large tree as a relentless gust whipped across the woods. Then, Milo saw a large, brown figure emerge. It was bigger than him; muscular, covered in thick brown fur, with small eyes and a big, gnarled snout.

Jake was standing next to the Ursaring, with Pellipper on his shoulder. And once he revealed himself, one of the Raikou turned and joined his side, standing before him, protecting his master. Milo then realised it was obviously his Ditto, who had taken the form of the Raikou as Jake used Parasect to help heal the wounded animal. But the others didn't need to know this.

“Raikou, thunder!”

A blistering roar, and the clouds swelled on Raikou's back. The real Raikou saw this and did the same, confidence bolstered by seeing one of his own. Two huge blasts of thunder flew through the forest; aimed at no-one, but intimidating all the same.

“You caught him?” Volkner said, leaving Krystal's side to confront Jake. “Here?”

“He's mine,” Jake said firmly. “And if you catch his mate, you have no idea the power he'll unleash on you. He'll slaughter you.”

“Put your Pokemon in their balls, then,” Volkner said coldly. “I don't know how long you've been fucking around in the woods, but I had no problem shooting this girl's Absol. I'll shoot all your Pokemon, and you, if you don't do as I say.”

“Okay,” Jake said, nodding. One by one, he recalled his Pokemon, starting with Pellipper, and then Raikou. As Raikou disappeared into his Pokeball, Milo wondered what would happen if he was asked to summon him again – and he would inevitably come out his ball as a Ditto. Had Jake considered this? The whole situation was unfolding irrationally. It seemed like no time since Milo and Jake were on the train.

“Now Ursaring,” Volkner said, jerking the gun in the bear's direction. “Go on.”

Jake lowered his head, giving a slow, considered nod. But as he raised the Pokeball, Ursaring turned, and slammed his entire left side into a tree. The ground shook as Ursaring ploughed his weight into it, and the shaking caused huge clusters of seeds to fall from all the trees in the woods. Milo could see they were held together by a thick silk, and as they crashed to the ground, they exploded, releasing clouds of spores into the clearing. He ran to Jake's side, but Krystal and Eusine were unable to prevent themselves inhaling the fumes that also subdued Rebekah, Volkner and Silver. Even Raikou was weakening.

“That was amazing!” Milo said.

“Parasect has been doing it,” Jake whispered, as his mushroom Pokemon scuttled down from a nearby tree. Jake recalled him, and thanked Ursaring, too. “I caught Ursaring when I got lost.”

“What do we do now?” Milo asked. Volkner, Rebekah and Eusine were out cold, but Krystal, who had covered her mouth slightly, was merely quite dizzy. She sat against a tree, fighting the weight of her eyelids.

“Give one of these vials a spray on Krystal and Eusine; it should perk them up,” Jake said, handing two small glass tubes to Milo. Milo wondered if they contained the scent Parasect used in its aromatherapy attack. Nearby, Silver was trying to fight the effect of the spores, but struggled.

“Krystal, take a deep breath,” Milo whispered. He sprayed the spores at Krystal's nose, and she nodded wearily. Not wanting to waste any time, Milo ran to Eusine, dragging him over to his partner and trying to rouse him, too.

“It should work quickly; the spores take a good five minutes to put people in the deepest sleep,” Jake said. “Using it before then will be fine.”

“So what do we do about Raikou?” Milo said, gently shaking Krystal.

“We need to catch him,” Jake said. “Otherwise they will, too.”

“Why don't we trap them here?” Milo said. “Bind them with string shot, or paralyse them.”

“I'd feel uncomfortable doing anything like that,” Jake admitted. “They will be asleep for a while, that's enough.”

Jake looked sad to have resorted to using spores on the enemy, but Milo reminded himself that he came very close to being shot, and had no sympathy for the crooks. Eusine were still drowsy, but Krystal seemed alert, so Milo and Jake supported each of them.

“Hang on,” Milo said, turning to Rebekah.

“What?”

“I know what we can do,” he said, bending down. The woman was on her back, breathing in thick, heavy bursts. Milo remembered her reaching into her right pocket, so did the same, inching his hand further inside until he found the small, metal ball. Quickly, he recalled his hand and expanded the device.

“It's one of the balls that registers your fingerprints,” Milo said. “If I use it, we can catch Raikou, and they won't be able to get him.”

“Do it!” Jake said.

“Krystal!” Milo said, shaking her. “Eusine!”

“What's going on?” Eusine said.

“We have one of their balls,” Milo said. “Quick! While they're knocked out. Take it and capture Raikou!”

“Huh?”

“Hold the ball, register your handprint on the ball and catch Raikou!” Milo said. Krystal furrowed her brow, struggling to understand. Milo sighed. “This ball will capture Raikou!”

“You're going to have to do it,” Jake said. Milo looked across at him, stony-faced, and had to agree. Krystal was not going to have the balance or awareness to do this properly.

“I know,” he replied.

Milo held the ball and tried tensing his hand; he wasn't sure how the ball turned on, exactly. But his middle finger reached the button on the front, and with a light tap, a green, hand-shaped light flashed underneath where his hand lay. There was a tiny beep. The ball – and whatever would end up inside – was now registered to Milo.

He had to be concise about this, and capture the beast quickly, but Milo was terrified of doing something wrong. Raikou's head rose, and Milo realised he wasn't in a deep sleep, just merely drowsy – perhaps Jake healing him from the bushes had helped his immune system, or maybe the spores hadn't hit him as much as the agents.

“This is for you, Will,” Milo whispered, arching his arm back. With a heave, he threw the ball, screwing his face up as he lobbed it in a high arch. The ball felt heavier, and Milo had gone off-target slightly. The ball thudded into the soft earth two or three feet from Raikou, who was getting to his feet.

“Damnit!” he snapped. “Raikou, please, stay still...”

He crouched down and slowly tried to reach for the Pokeball without scaring the Pokemon. But, Raikou suddenly perked up; Milo looked up at him and he swiftly galloped into a colossal leap. Milo saw the dog soar right over his head and land behind him; a split second later there was a bang and a long, exhausted groan.

“NO!” Jake screamed. Milo whipped around and saw Silver behind him, barely on his knees, holding a gun. Between them lay Raikou, who was bleeding heavily. Seeing Silver get his energy back, Raikou had leapt over Milo and taken the bullet intended for him. Jake was gasping in shock as the dog twitched; it seemed to be losing blood fast. Milo looked at Silver, who, despite gaining control of himself, was white-faced at the prospect of killing the dog he had worked so hard to steal.

“You IDIOT!” came a cry. Milo looked to see Krystal storm over, swing one of her legs around and kick Silver right in the face. He flew back as his nose split open and blood splattered Krystal's white trainers. As he fell, the girl swiftly knocked the gun out his hand and punched him right in his face, which was already swelling.

“Krystal, calm down,” Jake said quietly.

“YOU KILLED HIM!” Krystal screamed, picking Silver up by the front of his jacket. She slammed him into the trunk of a tree once, twice, a third time... Milo ran over and wrestled the girl off her target, though she was screaming and yelling at him even as she was pulled away.

“We need to get you and Euisne out of here, while we can,” Jake said. Milo realised, as Eusine's slow-blinking eyes settled on the dead Raikou, that the noise Krystal was making would probably begin to rouse Volkner and Rebekah, too.

“They can't catch him if he's dead,” Milo whispered to Krystal, who seemed adamant to protect the electric Pokemon.

“You go!” she snapped. “I never asked you to join me!”

“Krystal, we've had a lucky escape here,” Jake said, looking at Silver, who was closing his eyes and cupping both hands over his face. Blood spewed from between his fingers.

Eventually, Milo managed to convince her to leave the clearing. Quickly, she ran over to the dog and closed its eyes, and snatched the expensive personalised Pokeball from the ground. Milo helped carry Eusine; he was awake now, but simply had poor balance, and hadn't registered that Raikou was dead.

The journey through the woods was confusing; Milo hadn't realised how much he had just been following Magnezone's antennae, but he must have relied on it a lot, as he wasn't aware of the right way that would take them back to the train. He had no idea how long the agents would remain subdued, but liked to think that the unpredictability was spurring him on to get everyone out of the woods as quick as possible.

“How are you feeling?” Milo asked Eusine, as he started making a few murmuring noises.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Jake filled the treetops with sleep powder,” Milo explained. “And when his Ursaring smashed into one of the trees, it set off a chain reaction and gassed the clearing.”

“There were less spores around you and Krystal,” Jake pointed out. “But the others were hit pretty hard.”

“And Raikou?” he asked quietly.

“He was shot,” Milo told him. Eusine gave a very slow nod of his head. “By that Silver kid.”

“Right.”

“I'm really sorry about everything,” began Milo, but, almost as if he had anticipated this apology, Jake cut in.

“You have nothing to apologise for,” he said, shooting a cold look at a stubborn Krystal. “Nobody foresaw this happening, and us being there made a difference. Any of us could have been killed.”

“We had a simple mission,” Krystal said testily, “And we had a plan.”

“They sent three of them to outnumber you, can't you see that?” Jake said. “Thanks to us being there they were overpowered. You heard Rebekah Brookes, they couldn't keep us all at gunpoint and capture Raikou, it was too much for them. You don't realise that they've been keeping tabs on you, and they came here to jump you when you were going to do your 'simple mission'.”

Krystal still wasn't sympathetic, or warm, and stormed ahead. Milo thought about Jake's sudden boldness, his capture of the powerful Ursaring and his frank tone with Krystal. He was being incredibly – and unusually – assertive.

“Thank you for all your help,” Eusine said to Jake. “We do appreciate it.”

“We just need to get back out of here,” Jake said, sounding bitter. “It isn't much further, is it?”

“I don't think so,” Milo said.

When the group arrived at the edge of the forest, Milo looked out across the plains that led up to the train tracks. The big difference from when they had entered earlier was the distinct lack of a train; evidently during their efforts to capture Raikou, the train had managed to get up and running and had continued its journey to Blackthorn City. Milo let off a long, irritable moan, only for Jake to dryly remind him that it was his insistence that led them to leaving the train in the first place.

“There's no use bringing that up,” Milo muttered.

“Then there's no use being miserable,” Jake replied. Krystal smirked.

“What are you doing, anyway?” Milo asked.

“We're going to have to head right back to Goldenrod and explain that Raikou has been killed,” Krystal said, looking unhappy. “Eusine, can Xatu teleport us?”

Even though he fumbled on his belt, Eusine looked crestfallen as he prepared to summon his Pokemon. “I don't think he has the strength,” he admitted. “I got in a bit of a battle with Silver and his Haunter when I got separated from Jake.”

He opened the ball, which spilled a pool of brilliant light that began to take the form of Xatu. Right away Milo could see the bird was not in good shape; his wings hung limply at his side, and he had vibrant blue burn marks across his face and chest. His breathing was shallow.

“Christ,” Milo said.

“Do we have anything else?” Krystal said, thinking. “Fucking hell... we can't wait to get a train all the way back to Mahogany, can we? We need to alert Mr Mitchelson what happened before Stone's lot get back.”

“I know, I know,” Eusine sighed.

“Here,” Jake said, fumbling for something. In a flash of light, he released the small, squashy form of Ditto, who chirped loudly as he flexed his incredibly supple body. “Ditto, use transform.”

Milo watched, interested, as Ditto morphed and changed form; thick wings burst from his sides, a very round, bobble-like head which had a very long, sharp beak forming out the front, and little clawed feet. Ditto took the form of Eusine's Xatu with ease, and as the light faded, he looked alert and ready to go.

“Take Ditto, use him to teleport back to Goldenrod if you have to,” Jake said, handing the Pokeball over to Eusine.

“You sure you don't mind?” Eusine asked.

“It's important you get back, and quick,” Jake said. “Ditto might be useful for you in future, too.”

Eusine nodded and took the ball, before stashing it in his pocket and recalling his own, exhausted Xatu. Krystal and Eusine stood around Xatu, who held his wings out at his sides, making his resemblance to a totem pole even more exaggerated.

“Thank you,” Eusine said, nodding. Milo gave a thumbs up, although he did it wearily. Krystal looked at him for a moment, scanning him. She looked less angry, perhaps even grateful, but if she felt like that then she didn't communicate it. Perhaps the death of her Absol was beginning to set in, Milo thought, as both of them became encased in a blue glow. Unlike Medicham, who extended her teleportation by touch, Xatu seemed to use his wings and wind control to engulf Eusine and Krystal in a telekinetic cyclone. Both were whisked off in a swift flap.

“So,” Milo said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “The small issue of the train...”

The boys walked along the field they ran across hours previously. With each step, Milo hoped the long, silver train would start whizzing around the corner, but sadly there was nothing to suggest it was coming any time soon. Reiterating that they passed through this route every hour, Jake seemed optimistic they could catch one soon, but as there wasn't a station for miles, the two seemed at a loss.

“Unless...” Jake began.

“Yes?”

“Well, a Pokemon's electric attack kind of caused the train to stop in the first place,” Jake said. “If we're assuming it was Raikou that hit the train.”

“Let's assume that,” Milo said.

“And you have a newly evolved Pokemon that can manipulate magnetic fields...” Jake said slowly, nodding at Milo. “Are you following me?”

*

Thirty minutes had passed before Milo and Jake heard the loud horn of the train. Peering out from the overgrowth, Milo saw the sleek vehicle tilt slightly as it took the long, sweeping corner through the countryside. Magnezone was peering out at the tracks from his hiding place, focusing.

“Okay, low frequency,” Milo whispered. Magnezone made no noise as he began to focus his energy, but he was vibrating as a silvery flicker passed across his new magnets. Ahead, Milo could see the tracks warping slightly.

“Now, focus on the train,” he said. Magnezone increased his output, so that he was unleashing a strong magnetic force in the direction of the oncoming train. Sure enough, the train started to slow down as it encountered resistance, so Magnezone continued to apply force. The bars that went across the huge wheels of the train became bolted tight, and the train rolled to a halt as Magnezone tinkered with all the metal components.

“Okay we're good!” Milo hissed. Jake and Medicham leapt out the bushes and Medicham grabbed Jake's upper arm, disappearing with a pop. Milo saw both re-appear inside the train, their faces squashed together as they peered through the smallest window of the vehicle. This was the disabled toilet, and the only way the boys figured they could appear in the train discreetly. Milo hoped nobody was inside.

Another pop, and Medicham appeared at Milo's side; he ran out the bushes, with Magnezone staying where he was, hidden, keeping the train stationary. Milo could see the driver on the telephone, looking out at the train tracks, perhaps expecting a Pokemon to be obstructing his path. Little did he realise that just out his peripheral vision a gigantic magnet was stopping him from doing his job.

“Okay!” Milo said. Medicham grabbed Milo's arm and there was a pop; he felt his feet leave the ground before slamming back down on the hard linoleum of the cramped toilet cubicle. Medicham held her finger out at the small window and traced around the outline of it, before flicking her hand and pushing the glass panel out of the frame.

Milo gave the thumbs up to Magnezone, who, on cue, stopped applying the magnetic force repelling the train. As he did so, he began using his ability of magnet pull to get the train moving again; the boys felt a brief shudder, and saw the wheels slowly start to move.

“A little more,” Milo murmured, as Jake double checked the cubicle was locked. The driver seemed to realise everything was okay, and started the train up again, but Magnezone's strong magnetic powers helped speed this up. Realising the train was moving independently now, Milo got the Pokeball for his steel type and shot it out the now open window, pulling Magnezone inside.

“Fucking hell,” Milo said, as the driver spoke over the PA. He apologised for the slight bump and cited several problems with wild Pokemon in the area.

“Let's just find a seat and lie low until we get to Blackthorn, okay?” Jake said, as Milo recalled Medicham. He slid the lock on the door and the two boys slipped out into the nearest carriage in search of a quiet compartment for the rest of the journey.

*

In Goldenrod City, Michael Mitchelson was very busy, as was often the case. Mitchelson Enterprises was struggling in a difficult economic climate, but as Michael assured shareholders, discussed product integration and maintained his business, he was also incredibly worried about the business his business funded. Several floors beneath his handsome office, Falkner and Chuck were training, sparring in a boxing ring, doing cardio and working with Lorelei on agility. Falkner had proven a natural, having trained as an apprentice at Fuschia City Gym as a young lad. He was nimble and moved without a sound. Chuck, meanwhile, was physically imposing, and muscular, but not agile in the slightest. Before they could work for him, and help him combat Stone's efforts to fund Johto's criminal enterprises, more work was needed.

Now, however, he was talking with Krystal, who had just returned from a mission that had gone terribly wrong. The normally calm, determined girl was shaking, staring at the floor, while her colleague Eusine went home to recover. Krystal explained her Absol had been killed.

“I am so sorry,” she gasped. “They had guns, they were going to get me to catch Raikou for them...”

“Please don't be upset,” Michael said kindly. “Raikou's blood is on their hands, not ours. The important thing is that you and Eusine are okay. I am deeply sorry your Absol was killed during this.”

“I will catch another,” she said. “An Absol is a good member of my capture team.”

Michael nodded; Krystal had many Pokemon, and used them for different things. She was not above releasing Pokemon that weren't responding to her training, or ones that weren't good at what she wanted to achieve from her members. That said, seeing Absol shot dead like that had clearly troubled her.

“All of Stone's senior staff there save for Surge,” Michael pondered.

“What did they want with Raikou? Was it something to do with their electrical weapons?”

“I think the idea of a creature with such a strong electrical output is tempting,” Michael said, thinking. “But they have countless Electrode and Magnezone that can power his empire. No, I think the real reason Stone wanted Raikou was because he knew I wanted him. He is trying to outmanoeuvre me.”

“But you wanted them captured to protect them from Stone,” Krystal said, sounding strained. “I'm confused.”

“He wanted them because I did, but he doesn't know what to do with them,” he said. “That's why they used these special Pokeballs; to prevent me ever having Raikou.”

“I see,” Krystal said, though she wasn't sure she even believed herself. Michael was being coy.

“Thankfully, as you said, Stone put a lot of time and effort into getting a team to apprehend you,” Michael said. “Leaving us time to look into something that will actually, effectively, permanently put an end to his empire.”

“You have a lead?” Krystal said.

“I do,” Michael said. “And despite Jasmine's tragic death, we will not be stopping what we do. Since Bill evolved our Porygon into Porygon2 we have managed to distort Stone's Porygon-Z and its attempts to infiltrate our security here, so he has been unable to keep an eye on what I'm doing. And this week I will be taking a short business trip abroad to discuss something incredibly important.”

“Do you need me?” Krystal asked.

“No, you need to go and rest up,” Michael said. “I will be taking Lorelei and Falkner with me to Mossdeep City, off the coast of Hoenn.”

“What for?”

“They have something I need, and it's up to us to ensure we retrieve it.”


Next Time
Milo and Jake arrive in Blackthorn and quickly assemble a plan to cross the border to Viridian City. An unwelcome guest gets in the way of Milo's training. When the meeting in Mossdeep takes a sour turn, Michael has to rely on underhand tactics to leave with what he wants.


Notes
- As much as I plan, often things run away with themselves. This chapter is a good example of how a simple idea ended up becoming a huge adrenaline fuelled adventure up there with the Ecruteak Seige and Oscar's attack in the woods. That was never the plan!

-Milo and Jake getting involved in these scrapes isn't good for them, but for a while at least Milo is going to be focusing on his coordinating.

-Jake leaving Ditto behind was SUPPOSED to happen way back in Azealia, where the squishy thing was going to transform into a huge boulder to stop Oscar pursuing them. It's important Jake passed Ditto on...

- Also since he has Pichu back now, and Ditto was bought by Milo to cheer him up, it kinda felt natural.

- Magnezone! Ok so an old old draft featured Magneton evolving near a pocket of contained electromagnetic energy in Blackthorn but as soon as I knew they'd encounter Raikou here, I loved the idea of him being such a powerful electric Pokemon that his attacks would react with a magnetic Pokemon like that.

- Also it is a shame that both Entei and Raikou are dead I think, given how Surge was punished, Stone will want to severely remind Silver of what he has done.

-Suicune is in their possession however, and remember it was Jack Surge who blackmailed Eusine to comply with his smokescreen during the Exhibition Match at Goldenrod Gym.

-The next chapter is really quite exciting; there is a lot of Michael, Lorelei and Falkner at Mossdeep City. The final arc of them working to fight against Stone will be gripping.

- Oh and current teams FYI:
(Spoiler:)
Milo: Medicham - Croconaw - Scizor - Magnezone - Banette - (Houndour)
Jake: Pellipper - Pichu - Parasect - Torchic - Ursaring

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Still waiting for an update, this is awesome ^^

[Chris 2.1]

OH GOD

Has it been THAT LONG since I updated?

Sorry everyone. Work is insanely busy at the moment - and I am very excited to be working on my first book, which is hopefully being published in 2014 - so my time is just sapped.

Still working on the next chapter... it's quite a big one! I am going to have a look at it tonight and work on it

Thanks!

Chris.

[Chris 2.1]

Hey guys!

I know it's been an actual age since the last chapter. It is almost finished! But for quite a quite chapter, it's very bloody long, so I have taken the Michael Mitchelson/Steven Stone bits out of it and made it as a kind of mini chapter.

It's quite exciting! At least I hope it is. There might be more of this to come, actually, instead of these being in the chapters. Like The Golden Arc.

In fact, let's colloquially refer to this as the beginning of 'The Mimic Arc'.

Show-Off
- The Mimic Arc -
I

It was early morning in Johto, so early that even the bustling Goldenrod was not yet fully awake. Though the heavy metal trains rattled across the tracks, and commuters made their way to work, it was nowhere near as busy as it would get in a few hours. More so, there was a thick fog in the air, so the streets felt lethargic beneath a muggy, grey hue.

Chuck had woken early to use the gym beneath Mitchelson Enterprises. Since he and Falkner had joined up with Michael Mitchelson, he let them stay in an expensive suit at a hotel in the city, and use the facilities at his company to train themselves and their Pokemon. Chuck had let himself go considerably since he lost his Gym, and he was glad to be back on the treadmill, pumping weights and using the company spa to relax.

As he left another session, he decided his morning would be best spent training up his Pokemon, though he hadn't got all of them on his person. Walking up the stairs to the training center, he wondered if he could phone Sophie, his estranged wife, to get other team members sent over from his home in Cianwood. Would she help him out? Would she even tolerate a phone call? Just as he thought this over, Chuck collided with someone on the stairs.

“Sorry,” he muttered. Looking up, he saw it was Falkner.

“I've been looking for you,” he said.

“Everything ok?” Chuck asked.

“Yeah, yeah. Me and Lorelei and going with Mr Mitchelson on a job.”

“What kind of job?” he replied.

“I don't know,” Falkner said sheepishly. “We're going to the airport, though.”

“Does he need me?”

“No, just the three of us,” Falkner said, looking rather embarrassed. “I don't know why.”

“Hmm,” muttered Chuck.

“He said if you want to keep training, then that's fine,” Falkner said.

“Did he now,” Chuck said, sounding tense.

“I think it has to do with my father,” Falkner admitted. “Why else would he ask me and not you?”

“Who knows,” Chuck said. He was feeling left out, or unnecessary to this operation, especially after he worked so hard to try and understand what was going on. However, he sensed the unease in Falkner, too, and realised that he may possibly be in danger. “Look, be careful, OK?”

“I will,” Falkner said.

“Are you armed? Taking anything?” he asked.

“No,” Falkner said, with a shrug.

“It can't be too dangerous,” Chuck said. “But take care.”

“I will,” Falkner said, smiling. Chuck patted him on the shoulder. “Are you staying here?”

“Actually, I think I'm going to get some fresh air,” Chuck said, disappearing up the stairs. Falkner watched him go, wondering what he wanted to do outside the building, before deciding it wasn't worth speculating about.

He headed back up to the reception, where Mr Mitchelson and Lorelei were already waiting. As it was cold, Mr Mitchelson had a long wool coat on over his suit and a smart, narrow-brimmed hat. Lorelei, meanwhile, wore a navy blue mac over her dress and, Falkner noticed, had on a ridiculously high pair of heels.

“Are you ready?” she said sweetly.

“Yup,” Falkner replied. The three left the building and headed into a black car, whose engine purred softly. The fumes from the exhaust were hot and strong, curling up into the cold atmosphere outside. Once the three got into the spacious back of the car, it shot off, whisking them through the streets of Goldenrod.

“Chuck is training,” Falkner said helpfully, after several minutes of silence.

“I hope he isn't feeling left-out,” Michael said absently, as he stared out the window.

“Well, I don't know,” Falkner said. “I suppose... I mean he doesn't know what he's missing out on, does he, so...”

Michael turned to look at Falkner and smiled.

“I am sorry for keeping you in the dark, Falkner,” he said. “I don't want you to feel like we don't value you. You and Chuck are both very important.”

“So, what are we doing today?” Falkner asked.

“Recently, my assistant Bill developed an upgrade so that the Porygon we own at Mitchelson Enterprises can evolve into Porygon2. With it, they are much more powerful, but it is difficult to tell just how good they are at blocking Steven Stone, who has been using his Porygon-Z to infiltrate our security.”

“It can split its subconscious to infiltrate machines,” Lorelei said. “Stone has been spying on us.”

“Until then, I like to hold my meetings in my car, just to be on the safe side,” Michael said. “Anyway, we are travelling to Mossdeep City, just off the coast of Hoenn. I am meeting with some businessmen there who may be able to assist us in taking out Steven Stone.”

“Take him out how?” Falkner said. “Kill him?”

“Unfortunately killing him won't stop his businesses working,” Michael replied. “Though I couldn't condone his murder anyway. No, we have to find a way to stop his companies operating the way they do, and before we can tackle the different facets of his empire, we need to deal with his Porygon-Z first.”

“There is a research facility in Mossdeep that has managed to cultivate a species of Pokemon from a virus,” Lorelei said. “We want to speak to them about using the Pokemon to infect Stone's Porygon-Z.”

“What if they don't let you use it?” Falkner asked.

“That would be problematic,” Lorelei said, looking at Michael. “Wouldn't it?”

“It would,” Michael said, sounding bored.

*

After arriving at the airport, Michael, Lorelei and Falkner took a helicopter to Lilycove City, on Hoenn's golden coast. Falkner had never visited Hoenn before, and watched eagerly as they flew across the ocean. Lorelei seemed bored, explaining when they boarded that she was perfectly capable of flying this herself. Michael, however, gave her a stern look.

Once they landed, just outside of Lilycove City, a car was waiting to take them to the dock, where they would take transport across the Eastern Sea to Mossdeep. Lilycove looked beautiful; it was bathed in glorious sunshine, full oh holidaymakers and the unforgettable tang of salt air. As the three drove through the streets towards the harbour, they saw many landmarks, including the large contest hall, the huge Lilycove Department Store and a series of museums and galleries. Michael and Lorelei seemed bored as they drove, but Falkner found it fascinating.

“Hoenn is certainly warm,” he said.

“Too warm, I find,” Lorelei said. “But it's got a healthy economy. Thriving, even.”

“They're expanding gyms here, you know,” Michael said. “And installing a new, tiered system. Their idea is to have more gyms, as Hoenn is such a large continent, but having the value of some badges placed higher and lower than others. A trainer would be required to accumulate a certain number of points to be eligible to compete in a league, and that total could be reached by winning more badges worth less, or less badges from incredibly skilled trainers.”

“That's interesting,” Falkner said.

“It's a clever business model,” Michael said, as the car pulled up at the docks. “The gyms in major cities are visited all the time, and they are naturally a bit more commercial. But up in the mountain village of Lavaridge, you'd get a more valuable badge because of the travel required to get there. Or, in Petalburg, the extremely difficult gym would earn you more clout as a trainer.”

Unlike Goldenrod's dock, which was almost purely for cargo ships, Lilycove was adorned with beautiful boats that took people on trips around the large Hoenn region. Some smaller boats went to specific islands, such as Sootopolis or Pacifidlog, so tourists could enjoy day trips or watch shoals of Pokemon swimming far out to sea.

The three boarded a small but quick boat, and Falkner and Lorelei settled down on the submerged deck as Michael conversed with their driver.

“That's where we're going,” Lorelei said, pointing in the distance. An unusual green building could be seen reaching high into the sky from an island just visible. “The Mossdeep Space Center.”

“Listen,” Falkner said sheepishly. “I've been training my Pokemon, and I've been using the gym and stuff, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing here. Why do you need me? What should I expect?”

“You'll be with Michael, you're there to provide support,” Lorelei said, smiling. “I'll be doing most the work.”

“I just don't want to be useless,” Falkner said, feeling pathetic as he said it.

“Then don't be,” Lorelei said simply, folding her arms and staring out the window. Falkner wanted to ask more, but Michael came down the steps and the boat's motor began to rumble.

Soon, they were whisked off, the boat bouncing off the waves and taking them to Mossdeep City. Used to flying, Falkner didn't mind the erratic movements, but it seemed Michael was not overly keen of this mode of travel; he clutched his stomach the whole time, looking thoroughly unhappy as the boat crashed down onto the surface of the water.

*

Soon, the boat began to slow as Mossdeep came into view. The island was crescent shaped, with one end sloping high and the other curving down towards the beach. Houses were dotted around the low end, while near the peak on the other side of the island was the Space Center.

“It's huge!” Falkner said.

“Hoenn's climate, particularly across these eastern islands, make it an ideal place to study meteorology,” Michael said. “There is a particularly famous weather institute in a tropical area inland. They have made some incredible discoveries.”

The walk along the large town was pleasant; the sun felt good on Falkner's skin. He was used to the warm climate in Fuchsia City from his time training as Koga's apprentice, and rolled up his sleeves as they went.

The Mossdeep Space Center was an incredible building. A gush of ice-cold air conditioning hit the group as they walked through the entrance. Falkner looked up to see glass walkways criss-crossing over each other several stories up. Light from outside filtered through the building, comprised almost entirely of glass, bathing them in the sun.

It wasn't long before a man walked through into the reception area to greet him. The man was short, balding and with heavy eyes, but seemed cheery enough. As Michael and Falkner got up, Falkner looked and realised Lorelei wasn't with them any more.

“Wait, where -”

“Not now.”

“Come this way, Mr Mitchelson, my name is Mr White,” said the man. He led them down a corridor and into an office on the right, swiping an ID card into the reader on the wall.

“Thank you for meeting with me,” Michael said, as he was invited to sit down. Falkner copied him, choosing to stay silent. He still wasn't sure why he was here, so thought the best option was to be as invisible as possible.

“Not at all,” said Mr White, flashing a smile from his small mouth. “I was very intrigued by your proposal.”

The office was very spacious, but not particularly inviting; Falkner could smell an old, musty odour, and as he looked at the oatmeal carpet he could see a thick strip permanently faded from light that came in from a window behind Mr White. The filing cabinets were gunmetal and boxy; the shelves teeming with papers, books and assorted objects yellowing over time. It was hard to believe they were in the same building with the glass walls and sunlight pouring through the ceiling.

“This is my associate, Falkner,” Michael said, and Falkner nodded politely.

“I have a colleague of my own,” Mr White said, as the door opened and a lady let herself in. She was wearing a dark lab coat as she walked in. “This is Professor Roxanne Rennick, a contributing academic here at the space center.”

“Hello,” said Roxanne, pulling up a chair to join them.

“Roxanne is a celebrated academic in the field of geology and natural science,” explained Mr White. “And as a Gym Leader in Hoenn, she sits on the Pokemon League's advisory board.”

“So, Mr White,” Michael said, locking his fingers. “Let us discuss your latest, ah, findings.”

“First I want to know about the Porygon-Z,” he said bluntly. Falkner quickly looked at Michael, who looked uncomfortable revealing such crucial information.

“Yes, well, of course,” he said, and Michael soon started telling Mr White and Roxanne about Stephen Stone, the Porygon-Z he had created, and the criminal empire he used to fund his own research into Pokemon. Michael told them everything; his attempts to hijack Stone's organisation, to place a spy, Jasmine, within their company, and even the well-publicised raid on Goldenrod Gym, which crippled the region's capital city with fear.

“We are trying to find a way to shut down his organisation, but he is able to pre-empt our every move,” Michael said. “What we were hoping was that the, er, creature you have recently acquired might be able to destroy Porygon-Z.”

As he finished, Michael looked at Mr White expectantly. The plain man looked intrigued, and was certainly smiling at them. His associate Roxanne looked unimpressed, but she was younger than he, and perhaps this transaction wouldn't hinge on her opinion.

“It is possible,” Mr White said carefully. “The creature, which we have named Deoxys, was born from a petrified virus that we found in an isolated mountain region off the coast off Hoenn. Roxanne here brought it in and we started studying the specimen, and were surprised when it began to grow and develop into a conscious creature.

“Deoxys has, whether by accident or not, managed to break into our computer software, damaging programmes and devices, so we keep it in a very secure area away from that kind of technology. If Steven Stone is using this evolved Porygon creature to slip into machines, then it's possible Deoxys might be able to combat it.”

“Or even that Stone's methods to evolve his Porygon2 into this new creature are related to Deoxys' inception,” Michael said.

“Maybe,” Mr White replied.

“Can we see Deoxys?” Michael asked.

“I will show you footage,” replied the scientist, pulling a small tablet device from his bag. Propping it up in front of Falkner and Michael, he switched on a video.

It was a brick-red creature, with soft green markings across its sinewy arms and thick legs. Each arm was split into two tentacles which, at the time of the video beginning, were each wound around each other like DNA strands, but twitched at the ends, as if they were capable of splitting.

In the center of its chest was a thick gem embedded into its skin; as Deoxys took in shallow breaths, the gem would catch the light and cast a thousand arcs of colour.

Most interesting was the Pokemon's cold, lifeless eyes; they were dark, unmoving, as if nothing were happening beneath them.

The video cut away to tests showing the Pokemon's ability; Deoxys was clearly a psychic type, using telekinetic powers to intercept objects from around the room. The camera violently shook in one instance, where a scientist was throttled by Deoxys' left tentacles, which split and ensnared the man's waist and throat respectively.

“Deoxys was hostile when we first raised him,” Mr White said. Next Michael saw footage of a computer console exploding, at the precise moment the gem in Deoxys' heart flickered into a reddish colour.

“Now, however, he – we give him the male pronoun but his gender is a mystery - is quite a cooperative creature. We're not sure if he ever met other lifeforms before us, but we are hoping by bonding closely with him, we can begin to grow close enough that Deoxys shares his thoughts.”

“He looks powerful,” Michael said. “What if he went on a rampage?”

“We keep him perfectly happy,” Mr White replied. “I am not concerned about that.”

“You're not concerned about an alien species?” Michael asked. “I would be. Psychic Pokemon can do terrible things, and not just physically destructive ones. Mentally, they can ruin you.”

“We have a team who are able to take care of Deoxys, thank you,” Roxanne said curtly. Falkner looked at Michael, who sensed he was not invited to ask any more questions. But he spoke before he could think not to.

“You're using a Pokemon to suppress it,” he said slowly.

Mr White said nothing, but Roxanne looked horrified.

“Is that an accusation?” she said hotly.

“Well,” Falkner said. “There's nothing illegal about using Pokemon to police Pokemon, so no... it was just a thought.”

Michael was just looking at him – not angrily, but he didn't look calm, either – Falkner felt bold enough to continue.

“When I was an apprentice at Fuchsia City Gym, we used psychic Pokemon to create invisible walls and forcefields to confuse challengers,” he said. “The idea was that seeing our gym leader didn't mean you knew where he was. The forcefields shifted and changed, so even we wouldn't know how to get to Koga, and we also had Pokemon that created sounds and projected your thoughts across the invisible corridors.

“I think you're using something to slow Deoxys down; it wouldn't be a sleep powder, because as a creature that lived in space, it's likely to be resistant to dust-based particles. He's lived in space, so he can probably survive without breathing through lungs like we do. That means you're using something else... something like Trick Room.”

“Trick Room?” Roxanne asked.

“Well, Michael, your associate is rather switched on, isn't he,” Mr White said dryly.

“Trick Room will slow down time and kinetic energy relative to Deoxys, so his telepathy won't be as dangerous,” Falkner said.

“That is indeed what we do,” Mr White said. “Deoxys is in no pain, it's really quite safe.”

“You must let us see him,” Michael said. “I'm fascinated.”

“I'm sorry, but you're carrying phones, watches, technology. Deoxys might interfere,” Mr White replied.

“Deoxys will panic if he sees you,” Roxanne said.

“Having Deoxys here is a posing a big risk,” Michael said, leaning forward. “I know the laws governing Pokemon Science. If you think you have a unique species you are bound by law to report it, and to have it analysed to assess its potential strengths.”

“Who says we haven't?” Roxanne asked.

“If this Pokemon is as powerful as you say it is,” Michael began, “there's no way the government in Hoenn would allow you to keep it, where it can hurt so many people. They'd need to research it, maybe even dissect it and figure out what kind of Pokemon it is.”

Mr White looked concerned, awkward almost, as he shifted in his chair. Roxanne's scowl was getting wider, her eyes looked fiercer, and she looked increasingly like she was filling with boiling water.

“You're worried the laws will work against your discovery, I understand,” Michael said. “But in Johto, we have different regulations on new Pokemon discoveries. We're not an island like you. If you let me bring Deoxys to Johto, I can let you work from my own facilities in Goldenrod City.”

“We're not giving him to you!” Roxanne cried.

“You can come too – your whole team,” Michael said kindly. “Relocate this wing of your research and development to Johto and Deoxys will be better protected.”

“You've really thought this through,” Mr White said, nodding. “I have to applaud you for that.”

“This is in everyone's interests,” Michael said.

“You can't just deploy Deoxys like a weapon,” Roxanne snapped. “We need to study him.”

“Mr White,” Michael said, ignoring the boisterous woman. “You know this makes sense. This is a good move for you, and Deoxys.”

Mr White took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes slowly. Falkner watched Michael, whose eyes wouldn't leave Mr Whites. Roxanne slumped back in her chair, looking sourly at the two businessmen.

“We would be much safer legally,” Mr White said. “But Roxanne is right. The only way we can study Deoxys further is to access his thoughts, and learn from him. He has psychic abilities like nothing we have ever seen before. I appreciate your offer, but at the moment, the safest place for him is here.”

“No, Mr White,” Michael began, but the scientist stood up, and silenced him.

“It was good of you to come.” he said. “But my mind is made up. Transporting Deoxys would be dangerous, the whole thing could go wrong. This creature is going to be one of the biggest discoveries in science this century.”

“We need his abilities to take on Steven Stone,” Michael argued.

“My mind is made up,” he said, turning his back on them. Roxanne opened the door and ushered the two out.

Falkner said nothing as Roxanne walked them down the corridor; Michael wouldn't look at him.

“Thanks,” she said, with an unmistakable sneer, turning back to Mr White's office.

“These scientists are paranoid,” Falkner said.

“There's nothing more to do here,” Michael said calmly.

“But we could try and speak to other people, couldn't we?” Falkner asked. “Or even stage a break-in...”

“We have got everything we needed,” Michael said calmly.

“What do you mean?”

As they walked to the door leading back to the reception, they were greeted by a pleasant looking woman. She seemed to be waiting for them.

“If you'd like to follow me, Mr Mitchelson,” she said.

She was an attractive blonde lady with a pink blouse and an ID badge, but something about her seemed oddly familiar. Falkner racked his brains, but nothing came to him regarding where he knew the lady from.

Was she on reception when they arrived? No...

“There is a car waiting for you,” the lady told Michael. “How was your meeting?”

“It was fine,” Michael said, as they left the building and walked across a paved courtyard. He dropped his voice. “...and yours?”

“Just swimmingly,” she replied, and Falkner let out a gasp as her face began to shrink and contort before his eyes. The blonde hair shrank, shooting back up her scalp and bunching on top of her head, which was shifting from a round, cheerful one to one that was sharp and refined. The hair melted into the woman's head, which was giving off heat, and suddenly her tone went from rosy-red to a shocking, hot-pink.

Something like flesh dripped from the woman and landed to the ground, but Falkner realised it was alive. He nudged the pink, fleshy lump with his foot and saw two small eyes staring up at him.

Turning, he saw Lorelei staring back at him where the blonde lady once stood. She took a deep breath and let out a laugh.

“What the hell?” Falkner asked.

“I told you I'd do most of the work, didn't I?” she said coolly, before turning to Michael. “So, no cooperation?”

“None more than we'd anticipated,” Michael said. “How was your mission?”

“Good. I took on the persona of someone qualified to work here and downloaded all the data the lab has on Deoxys,” Lorelei replied, scooping Ditto up onto her shoulder and getting into the car.

“What do you need the data for?” Falkner asked. He thought Michael's meeting had been imperative, but had he simply been laying strategic foundations?

“We knew they'd never yield Deoxys,” Michael said. “But with the data on the creature we can do the next best thing.”

He motioned to the Ditto that was with them, as the three climbed into the back of the black car.

“You're going to get him to transform into Deoxys?”

“He belonged to a friend of my son's,” Michael said. “And I recently acquired something that will make the transition into Deoxys a little easier.”

From a compartment in the car, Michael withdrew a heavy looking Pokeball. It was thick and made of metal, almost the size of a grapefruit, with wires and lights fitted into the surface.

“This Pokeball projects holograms onto the walls of the insides,” Michael said proudly. “It will allow Ditto to read all the data we have on Deoxys so he can become the very creature we cannot get our hands on.”

“We need to get back to Goldenrod,” Lorelei said. “It's time to begin the attack.”

*

Mossdeep City was surrounded by water, so when the sun finally set in the tropical climate, and the evening became cooler, many people sat by the harbours, at the many beaches along the coast or even in their gardens, enjoying the sweet summer air.

Roxanne had been home several hours; she lived in a modest apartment in a particularly cosmopolitan area of town, and had a neat, square garden where she could see right across the ocean, almost to the shore of Lilycove.

She poured herself a drink and sat down in an easy chair, staring out at the stillness of the evening. Unfortunately, she was not alone.

As soon as she heard the soft footsteps behind her, she knew it was him. He was coming. Again. Clutching her glass, Roxanne fixed her gaze ahead, at the rippling sea, at the big, milky moon hanging low. She didn't want him to know she knew he was here... but she wasn't sure why.

Then, he was outside, and his footsteps were heavier; glancing to her left, the tall figure, dressed in dark clothing, was too visible to ignore any longer.

“Oh!” she said, jumping up. In her haste, she let her hand swing to the left, and her wine glass smashed against the wall. She gripped the stem in her hand, now jagged and almost useless. “It's you.”

“Roxanne,” said the man. “Do you mind if I sit down?”

“Of course, Mr Stone.”

Steven Stone looked at her with his deep, blue eyes, deep like the ocean itself. He smiled warmly, and Roxanne was so close to him she could smell his scent. Steven sat opposite her and motioned for her to sit back down.

“I know it has been a while since we've been in touch,” he said. “But I want to know what is going on at the lab.”

Roxanne nodded; during the long periods where he didn't visit, she sometimes forgot that he existed, but whenever she heard those steps in her kitchen she knew, with dread, he was back for more information.

“Well,” she said. “We are making... progress.”

“I need you to be more specific, Roxanne,” Steven said to her, kindly, but with a sternness. “Tell me about Mr Mitchelson visiting.”

“How did -”

“You're not the only spy I have at Mossdeep Space Center,” he said. “I know he came in and met with you and Mr White.”

“He wanted Deoxys.”

“I could have guessed that.”

Roxanne still clutched the broken wine glass, but it lay limp, at her side, past Steven's line of sight.

“He wants Deoxys, he wants Deoxys because he thinks it will be able to shut down your Porygon, and infect it.”

“Okay,” Steven said. “What else?”

“He tried saying that Deoxys will be better protected in Johto than Hoenn,” Roxanne recalled. “But Mr White didn't budge, he knows it's better we keep him here than give him over to a stranger like that.”

“And he left?”

“Yes.”

“Has he left Mossdeep?”

“Yes. His boat left several hours ago, and my contact at Lilycove says three people boarded a helicopter. I think he's gone.”

“I didn't think he'd give up so easily,” Steven said, looking across the bay. “But no worry.”

“He was right, though,” Roxanne began. “About the licensing laws. It's going to be tough to keep Deoxys here for a long period.”

“Michael did his homework,” Steven mused. “Deoxys will be a problem for my security software. It could eat right through it. Gorge on the data my Porygon Z lives in. I'm going to have to ask you to sabotage the lab.”

“Sabotage? How?” Roxanne asked uncomfortably.

“That creature poses a threat to everything I have built my empire on,” Steven said.

“I'm not going to kill Deoxys,” Roxanne said suddenly. She felt her arm clench, the shattered wine glass ready. “I can't do that.”

Steven looked furious, but Roxanne knew that she couldn't work like this forever. Maybe tonight would be the night she broke out of this horrific arrangement.

“You do not need to kill Deoxys,” Steven said. “I need Deoxys to kill a member of staff. Mr White needs to be so terrified of what he has created that he will keep it locked up from the world.”

Roxanne's heart sank. She looked at Steven; he was serious. The creature was known to be violent, unhinged, but it was because it was afraid of the world it had entered. She thought of its telekinesis, its morphing tentacles that could form into a thick fist, and its powerful mind, one that could reduce your every thought into a digestible form of binary.

“I can't sacrifice one of my staff! We're all indispensable!” She cried.

“Roxanne,” Steven said, smiling, “Why do you think you're not my only spy at Mossdeep?”

He wants me to do it, she realised, swallowing hard. He wants me to trigger Deoxys' killer instinct.

“I... me?” she said, rising to her feet, slowly. The stem was concealed up her sleeve. She felt Steven's eyes on her. “But why?”

“You are the person with the most access to Deoxys,” Steven said. “Anyone else going in there would look suspicious.”

“So you'll have me die,” Roxanne said coldly, staring across the ocean.

“It is a necessary sacrifice,” Steven said.

“I see,” she said, taking a deep breath. I'll knee his crotch. I'll slash his throat. My Pokemon can dispose of the body deep inside the earth.

She turned around wildly, letting the wine stem slip out her sleeve and into her grip. As she turned, she saw Steven stand quickly; he thrust his hand out, and from an intricate metal exoskeleton, something like a pulse hit Roxanne in the chest.

Staggering back, she clutched her heart; it was pounding relentlessly, like it was supercharged. Her limbs twitched, she tried in vain to hold on to the stem but it fell from her grip, shattering... as she fell to the ground, she saw Steven tuck his hand in his pocket.

“Don't try and do that again,” he said coldly.

“W-What have you done to me?” she gasped.

“It was a mild shock,” he told her. “Like a taser. You'll be fine in an hour.”

Roxanne turned to look across the ocean again as Steven Stone went to leave. He told her he would be keeping an eye out for news of the attack, and he would know if she tried to disobey his orders.

“I'll know, because you'll still be alive,” he said, leaving her apartment.

As the door slammed, Roxanne lay in her garden, shaking, sniffing. This time, it felt like Steven didn't leave at all. It was like he stayed to haunt her in every twitch and shake, engulfing Roxanne like a thick fog. She felt tears slip down her face and pepper the floor.

I'll know.... because you'll still be alive.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Cool to see this continuing! This looks like a promising arc, I like the Roxanne/Steven relationship, and lorelei looks like a badass. Very interesting indeed, hope to see a new chapter soon!

[Chris 2.1]

New chapter time! This is a pretty big one. A lot has to happen for things to move forward!

The chapter is, as ever, named after a cocktail - of sorts. I'd be interested if anyone knew more about this particular name.

Show-Off
-XXXVII-
Gaby Scanlon

After stowing away aboard a train bound for Blackthorn City, Milo and Jake had an uncomfortable journey, but managed to stay discreet until the train arrived at their destination late that evening. Waiting until everyone had left the carriages, Milo had Medicham teleport the boys off the carriage before anyone could spot them.

Luckily, Medicham knew Blackthorn City well, as did Milo. From a young age, Michael and Meredith Mitchelson insisted their children attended the prestigious Blackthorn Academy, a boarding school with an incredibly rich heritage.

Milo would spent the week studying at the school and staying in the dormitories, and on weekends he would be flown back to his home in the Whirl Islands, though this precious time would often involve sparring sessions with his mentor, Chuck.

When William died, and Milo was given the Medicham his brother had recently captured, Michael felt it important Medicham grow close to Milo, and Milo was allowed to bring her to Blackthorn when he studied. It was here that they began to grow close as a pair, through grief over their shared loss and a number of occasions when Milo found a useful way to deploy his new Pokemon's telekinetic abilities.

The city had grown significantly over the years, and was considered one of the more refined and cultured in the Johto region. The affluence and wealth meant a number of high-end designers were based here, with Milo's mum being particularly fond of Isabella Dent's expensive dresses. Five-star restaurants and hotels lined the historic Fangsland Road, and the property prices meant that only the truly wealthy could live here.

Medicham teleported the boys to a handsome red brick house south of the city, one they were both very familiar with. Jake seemed keen to look around the city, but Milo reminded him they were not stopping in Blackthorn long. The Viridian Contest – Milo's last chance to be eligible for the Grand Festival – was dangerously close, and they still had a journey ahead of them.

Milo knocked on the door, and took a step back. He could smell something delicious as he heard shuffling around inside. Suddenly, the door opened, and a friendly face beamed at him.

“Milo!”

“Hi Gary,” Milo said, smiling.

“How's it going?” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“Er, well, we're stopping off here on the way to Viridian City, actually,” Milo said. “I was wondering -”

“Of course you can stay here!” Gary said. “Come in, come in! And who is your friend?”

“Oh! This is Jake,” Milo said. “Jake, this is Gary Oak.”

“My dad's famous,” Gary said, shaking Jake's hand. “Nice to meet you!”

“Right!” Jake said brightly, looking exasperated.

The two were led into Gary's house, which was neat and homely; there was a large sheepskin rug in the open-plan living room, and in the kitchen, it looked like he was preparing a stew; the house was filled with mouth-watering smells.

As Milo and Jake took their shoes off and had a seat, Gary got a bottle of wine from a rack and began uncorking it, inviting the boys to leave their belongings at the bottom of the stairs. Jake looked impressed.

“So what's new?” Gary said, sauntering through with the glasses of wine in his hand. “What are you doing with yourself?”

“Oh, well, I'm heading to Viridian to compete in a Pokemon Contest there,” Milo said. Gary's eyes lit up. “I'm actually pretty good.”

“Of course you are!” Gary said, patting him on the shoulder. “Dhaaling. I bet you're just super.”

“He is!” Jake said. “Milo's nearly eligible for the Grand Festival!”

“Jesus Milo,” Gary said, “You were one of the best battlers at our school! And you came a respectful second in the Johto League. That's an achievement in itself -”

“I lost to Gary, at the league,” Milo muttered to Jake.

“You have to pursue that strength, and keep on that track, petering off in different directions isn't going to help you.”

“It's not easy,” Milo said. “And it's making me a better battler because of it.”

“Isn't your sister a coordinator?” Gary asked.

“Yes,” Milo said. “She's competing in the Grand Festival.”

“Milo Mitchelson... a coordinator,” Gary said, smirking again. “Honestly, you crack me up.”

“So er what do you do, Gary? I like your house,” Jake chimed in.

“Thank you,” Gary said, nodding. “You know Milo, your father has fallen out with me.”

Milo took a gulp of wine and nearly choked on it; his father? What was Gary doing with his father? Milo thought of the altercation on Route 34, with Eusine and Krystal and the death of the legendary Pokemon Raikou. Was Gary another agent, like Morty and Jasmine?

“He wanted me to head to Cianwood City and look after the gym,” Gary said, rolling his eyes. “That Eusine guy is sick. Really sick.”

“H-He is?” Milo asked, trying to sound nonchalant, and trying to ignore the gunshot wound the man sustained earlier that day.

“I reckon cancer,” Gary said, taking a sip of wine. “Those Weezing he hangs around with, they can't be good for him, can they?”

“No, probably not,” Milo said. “But, you're not going to Cianwood?”

“It's way too far,” Gary said. “And, well, I have a pretty exciting business development going on at the moment.”

“What is it?” Milo asked, intrigued.

“In Kanto,” Gary added. “I wouldn't even think about taking a gym here. The league in Johto is a right mess at the moment. I hear they finally convinced Whitney to start battling again after she was robbed, but Karen at Ecruteak wants to quit and move back to Hoenn, Falkner hasn't been seen for nearly two months... honestly, it's bewildering.”

“Been a bad year, hasn't it,” Milo said, despite knowing full well the fates of all the absent gym leaders.

“They did the Reclassification to kick-start the league, and all they've done is drive it into the ground!” Gary said. “Kanto is where it's at. Turns out the gym in Virdian was being used as a crystal meth lab, so they've evacuated it. I've got an assessment there this week.”

“You'd be a great gym leader,” Milo told him. “Jake, Gary has a brilliant team.”

“Oh it's expanded since you last saw me,” Gary replied. “I've gone for a new approach – the 10-Strong Strategy. It's popular in Kanto. Instead of having a team of six covering all your bases, you have a wider pool of ten intensely-trained Pokemon that you can use to assimilate a six-strong team for a variety of different occasions.”

Milo suddenly realised that was what Mia had done with her coordinating Pokemon – she had a large roster and moved them around to suit the situation. She had holidayed in the Seafoam Islands – was this where she picked it up from? Milo considered his own five Pokemon (and Houndour, recovering from surgery) and felt small by comparison.

Gary explained that he would be driving over to Viridian City tomorrow night, and if the two wanted to get a free ride, they would have to wait until then. Milo realised that would get him there in time for the contest the day after, but he would have to spend tomorrow undertaking a serious training regime if he wanted to get his Pokemon ready.

Once the last of the wine had been drunk, and the last dregs of stew mopped up with crusty bread, Gary got out sleeping bags and spare mattresses so Milo and Jake could sleep in the living room. Once he had gone upstairs, Milo thought about his old friend's attitude to coordinating, and how, initially, he had been reluctant to tell Morty he was a coordinator.

It wasn't something to shy away from, but the stigma was that it was an incredibly un-masculine thing to do. The jocks all trained to take on Gyms, like Milo had done the year previously. But to them, the idea of being a coordinator meant you were somehow trading in part of your identity.

As he felt himself drift off, Milo decided he knew a way to tackle Gary's misconceptions about coordinating. He'd use his team to take on the cocky trainer during training tomorrow.

*

Milo was unsurprised when Gary woke them early the next day. He was off for a morning run, and looked surprised when Milo declined the offer to join him. As Gary headed off round the neighbourhood, Milo poured himself some cereal, and began thinking about his strategy.

“The thing is, just because my Pokemon appeal that doesn't mean they can't battle,” he said. “Having said that, when I let Ruby battle a Tauros she got bloodied up pretty bad.”

“Medicham is an obvious choice,” said Jake, who was rifling through the magazines on Gary's coffee table. “What about Magnezone? You should totally try him out.”

“Good idea,” Milo said.

Gary was only away for about half an hour, and came back looking incredibly pleased with himself. Though his face was blotchy and he looked exhausted, the boy had the unmistakable look of someone who was in very good shape. Jake looked particularly interested as Gary took his t-shirt off, showing an impressive, toned stomach, before tossing his shirt in the laundry hamper and heading upstairs to take a shower.

“I feel like I should run more,” Milo said. “Jake, remind me to go for a run tomorrow.”

“You need to start running? I need to start running,” he moaned. “And have you seen this guys fridge? He eats so healthily. All we do is drink booze and eat junk food.”

“That's not true, I had an omelette in Cherrygrove,” Milo muttered.

Once Gary had showered, he shouted down for the boys to meet him at the front of the Blackthorn Gym. Shrugging, Milo and Jake got ready and headed out Gary's house; the gym was only a short walk away. It was foggy today, but being at such a high altitude, and away from the capital city, Blackthorn's air had a crispness to it. They were close to nature without feeling rural – it was clear why the city was so popular.

On the way to the gym, Milo's attention was caught by a large, handsome bird perching on Gary's letterbox; he ignored it, thinking the Pidgeot probably belonged to Gary, and walked through the city with Jake. He kept pointing out places to his friend, showing him the bar where he had his first beer, the park where they used to spend sunny afternoons studying for exams, and even the expensive looking shop where Mia was given a baby Snubbull from her parents as a graduation present.

“It is nice being back here,” Milo admitted, looking at the familiar shops and cafes. The sign for Belvedere Road, pristine if not for a small chip in the corner – Milo remembered causing that chip when Medicham failed to re-direct a swift attack from a schoolboy's Aipom.

“That Pidgeot is following us,” Jake said, jerking his thumb behind him. Milo turned to see the bird walking (awkwardly, it has to be said) towards them, but freezing as soon as they made eye contact.

“Maybe it's a spy,” Milo said quietly. He spied a pebble nearby, “should I throw this?”

“No, Milo,” Jake replied. “But it definitely wants something.”

Milo turned around and looked at the bird; it was certainly handsome, with glossy plumage slightly longer than usual, while the normally rough tail feathers were also more elongated and less spiky. It looked preened, that was it, Milo said, studying it. It also looked much less fierce than wild birds often did.

“Do you want something?” he asked. The Pidgeot flapped up and crooned. “What does that mean?!”

“Catch it,” Jake said.

“Do I have to?” Milo asked. “Hey! Fuck off! We don't have any food.”

“It doesn't look hungry,” Jake noted. “In fact, it looks really healthy. Like it has a trainer.”

Milo fumbled on his belt for a Pokeball, and in a flash, Medicham materialised at his side. Pidgeot didn't seem to mind this, keeping his mind focused and his gaze locked on Milo.

“Listen,” Milo said to Medicham. “Scan it with psywave. See what it's thinking, or what it wants.”

Nodding, Medicham held her hand out and tried to tap into the psyche of the persistent bird. However, as she did so, Pidgeot bolted up into the air with one single flap; Milo gasped as he saw the bird shoot up and survey them from afar, flapping his wings, staring. Medicham tried again, but it was all too easy for Pidgeot to evade, this time pulling into a steep dive and skirting the ground. Dust whipped up around him as his big, muscular wings took him all around the skies at the slightest beat.

“Okay, okay,” Milo said, asking Medicham to stop and looking at Pidgeot. “You don't want to battle. Right?”

Seeing Medicham step back seemed to calm the bird, who landed in front of Milo again and took a tentative step towards him. In a flash, Medicham teleported away from Milo's side and re-appeared behind the bird; before he could react, she held her hand out and rooted him to the spot with a strong psychic attack.

“Subdue him,” Milo said, “then use your clairsentience to read his mind.”

Medicham nodded, walking slowly towards the bird that lay, pressed, against the earth. Milo knew it looked cruel, but this bird was being persistent, and he wanted to know why that was so. Crouching next to the bird, Medicham reached her fingers out and touched his plumage; Pidgeot's eyes drooped shut as he tried to fight back, but he was no match for Medicham's psychic powers.

“Anything?” Milo said, wandering over. Medicham beckoned him quicker, and once he approached, grabbed his hand with one of her own; with a squeeze, Milo felt a sudden urge in his head and his senses began to meld together. He felt the familiar chill of goosebumps, even though the day was perfectly pleasant. The memories were not clear, but Milo felt a sweeping fondness for someone, and the familiarity to it made him suspect that he knew this person in Pidgeot's mind.

Then, a voice. Milo recognised Falkner issuing a command. He opened his eyes and told Medicham to step back; Pidgeot turned to look at him weakly.

“Do you belong to Falkner?” Milo asked. Pidgeotto nodded.

“You saw that?” Jake asked. “Falkner?”

“Kind of,” Milo said. “I felt something for Falkner, and it kind of helped the memory solidify. It's complex.”

Medicham gripped his hand harder, and Milo suddenly felt a sharp muscular pain across his body; it felt like he was being stretched. Trying to probe into the memory, he saw countless trees and a number of cities. The pain lessened into a dull ache, and Milo then saw the surface of a lake, perhaps the Lake of Rage?

“I think this Pidgeot has recently evolved,” Milo murmured. He had felt the pain Pidgeot was feeling, and wondered if, through his long journey flying here, he had built the stamina and core strength to evolve.

“Did Falkner send him?” Jake said.

“I think so,” Milo said, asking Medicham to let go. She leapt back gracefully, and Pidgeot widened his eyes in relief. Jake immediately released his Parasect, and asked if he could release some soothing spores to help Pidgeot's pain. Nodding, the bug scuttled over and sneezed, covering the bird in a speckled, peppermint coloured spore.

“It'll make him a little drowsy, but that's good,” Jake said. “We can take him to a Pokemoncenter.”

At the Blackthorn City Pokemoncenter, Milo and Jake sat in the waiting room as the nurses did a number of tests on the Pidgeot to determine who he belonged to or where he came from. Milo massaged his temples, trying to remember the images and sensations from the clairsentience. Pidgeot had been travelling... the bronze-coloured leaves in the trees reminded him of Ecruteak City, while the lake may indeed have been the one north of Mahogany. Had Pidgeotto been sent to find him, on Falkner's orders?

“Milo?” said a voice. Milo got up as the Nurse came over.

“Hi,” she said sweetly. “We've run some tests; this Pokemon is fine, but he's exhausted, he has been flying for several days, we think.”

“Does he have a trainer ID?” Jake asked.

“He does, and you're correct; he belongs to Falkner,” the nurse explained. “However, Falkner's profile has a note asking that, in the event of the creature being brought to a Pokemoncenter, that ownership be transferred to Milo Mitchelson.”

“What?” Milo asked.

“Hmm, Falkner has asked the creature to be removed from his care,” she said. “So you're free to capture the bird, if you wish.”

Milo pulled a sour face, and turned away from the counter. What was Falkner playing at, just handing over a Pokemon like this? Was he trying to say something, was this bird supposed to be emergency transport for Milo, or a carrier bird to deliver messages? He remembered the note Falkner left them before they left Violet City; before he went to find out more about his father's murder, he explained he couldn't carry a mobile phone as he didn't wish to be easily found.

“You can't not catch him, Milo,” Jake said.

“Why not?” Milo asked.

“This Pidgeot came all the way here for you,” Jake said. “He isn't native to this area, you can't just leave him in the wild, he won't survive.”

Milo remembered the Skarmory and Fearow that lived outside Blackthorn and had to agree. Pidgeot needed lush, greener habitats, so it did seem cruel choosing not to take Pidgeot with him. Milo finally made a decision, and told the nurse he would be happy to take Pidgeot on. She happily got out a Pokeball from the counter – it was a run-of-the-mill red Pokeball, no expenses spared – and registered the bird in Milo's name.

*

With Pidgeot now in his possession, Milo had a full team, but knew that certain members needed more training than others. Before he left the Pokemoncenter, he called his mother, and asked if she would mind sending Houndour over to him. Meredith obliged, explaining that the dog had recovered exceptionally since the brutal attack from Oscar's Scizor. Realising he needed to take someone off his team for the moment, Milo sent Scizor to his home. He had fought hard in the Lake of Rage and Violet City contests. He needed a rest.

Milo and Jake went to the front of the Blackthorn Gym to wait for Gary, but he was nowhere to be seen, and they were already pretty late themselves. It wasn't a pleasant day at all, so waiting outside was horrible. After a while, they decided just go enter the gym and see Gary there.

“Pryce said Clair was being kept on,” Milo said, reaching for the huge, iron knocker on the gym door. It looked exactly how he remembered it; large, dark, carved from stone and incredibly intimidating. Blackthorn Gym sat on the edge of a vast lake, and it was rumoured that Clair trained in the dangerous caverns on the other side.

The gym itself was a large body of water, with roughly hewn stone arenas where trainers and Gym apprentices pitted their Pokemon against each other. Narrow wooden walkways joined all the arenas together, forming a path; when Milo had battled here a year or so ago, you had to follow the path around and fight all the trainers before being allowed to challenge the Gym Leader. In the middle of the gym, on a small stone platform, was a heavy wooden trapdoor.

Milo could see a Dragonair wrapping its slender body around a Lickitung, while at the back of the gym there was a Nidorino trying to joust its horn into a Nidorina. The blue Pokemon leapt left and right, avoiding each strike, hissing loudly.

“Where is the leader?” Jake asked. Milo pointed to the trapdoor, and led Jake along the first walkway that would eventually take them there. Beneath this floor was Clair, on her private arena set high above a large pit. As they walked onto the first arena, Milo swiftly made his way to the next walkway, but the trainer, a stocky blonde guy, stepped forward.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he said. “Where do you think you're going?”

“To see Claire,” Milo said.

“You need to battle on all four arenas before you can go down there,” he said dismissively. Milo saw him pull a green Pokeball from his belt.

“No, I'm not here to challenge her,” Milo said. “I'm here to see her. Anyway, I have the Rising Badge, I've beaten her before.”

“Can I see it?” he asked.

“Well I don't have it on me,” Milo snapped.

“How unfortunate,” the boy replied, holding the Pokeball out.

“Come on dude, be cool,” Milo said.

“Sorry dude,” he replied.

“One on one,” came a voice; Milo turned and saw Jake had taken his place on the arena and hurled a Pokeball into the air. The burst of bright white light illuminated the dark gym, and his large, lumbering Ursaring emerged, ready to fight.

“That's more like it!” the trainer said, throwing a ball through the air.

“Jake, are you sure?” Milo said. “You just caught -”

“We'll be fine,” Jake said, as the opponent's Pokemon, a Golem, gave a long roar. It was a small but incredibly heavy creature, with a body hewn from a similar rock to the arena. Milo took a few steps back to observe.

“Easy! Golem, rollout!” the boy said. Nodding, the boulder leapt into the air, tucking his arms in and bowling along the arena to Ursaring. It wasn't a large arena, so there wasn't a lot of room for avoiding it.

Ursaring extended his claws, preparing a counter strike, but when Golem connected with him he was thrown through the air and slammed into the ground. The arena trembled as Ursaring landed, and Golem span back around to his trainer. As Ursaring got to his feet, Milo realised that the Blackthorn Gym, which, must specialise in attack, had arenas designed to invoke direct contact.

Jake looked composed, asking Ursaring to get up as Golem geared up for another strike. He sped through the air, faster then before, but this time Ursaring leapt high into the air, avoiding the hit. Thankfully, Golem's weight meant it couldn't propel itself up after Ursaring, something which smaller Pokemon were able to do when using Rollout. Ursaring landed and let off a loud snarl; it echoed off the walls of the gym, and even got the attention of some other trainers practicing.

“Ursaring!” Jake said, stepping back to the edge of the arena. He was observing the arena, taking mental notes. Milo had no idea what he was thinking. “Go in for a metal claw!”

“Finally attacking!” the apprentice cackled. “About time, in the attack gym!”

“Just because you specialise in attack, that doesn't mean I should,” Jake countered.

Ursaring's claws sparkled silver and he raced along the arena at Golem, who leapt into a third rollout. Again, Golem was too fast and too heavy to come out of the clash worse; as he slammed into Ursaring, the bear was hurtled back, the sheen fading from his claws.

“You can't overpower him Jake!” Milo said from the sidelines.

“I'm not trying to!” Jake snapped, and Milo wondered if this was it felt like to not be clued in on things. Golem was speeding around so much now he was a mere blur, but he navigated the arena brilliantly, building momentum up before going to strike Ursaring for the fourth time.

“Golem, go for the fourth!” said the apprentice.

“Hammer arm!” Jake said. “Into the opposite corner!”

Golem tucked his arms into his body again but, on the opposite corner of the arena, Ursaring flexed his arms and held one back. With incredible power, he slammed it down into the stone; the sheer force caused the arena to tip into the water; Milo, standing nearby, held onto the walkway as his legs buckled and water washed over his feet.

Opposite them, the downward force on the arena caused Golem's side to spring up; Golem was launched into the air and, with the force built up from his rollouts, he arched right over Ursaring's head and into the water, disappearing completely.

“GOLEM!” the apprentice cried.

“He's so heavy that even if he could swim he wouldn't get far,” Jake said. “Recall him.”

The trainer held the ball out and shot it down into the water several times; he was so panicked, so thrown by Jake's technique that he wasn't aiming well, but eventually he managed to bring his Pokemon back. Milo was dumbfounded; how did Jake know the arena was so easy to manipulate? How had he thought to use Golem's weight and speed to propel himself?

“It was pretty easy,” Jake said, as a couple of apprentices and trainers gathered round. “The arena isn't made from stone as thick as the stuff in the gym. I noticed that when I looked over the edge. We're just floating, so any force applied to one end of the arena will cause its buoyancy to tip.”

“That was good,” said one apprentice, in a navy sports top. “Come to the next arena, give me a go.”

Jake nodded and walked along the walkway, Ursaring recalled into his ball. Milo quickly followed, reaching in his pocket for a Pokeball.

“Wait, I want to try!” he said, getting Jake's attention.

“Oh, yeah,” Jake said. “We came here together, so we'll take you on together.”

“That's not in the rules,” said the second trainer, who seemed slightly older and much less brash. “You have to beat four of us to see the leader.”

“I can beat you all,” Jake said, “And we have a badge from this gym. We're just amusing you. So let Milo take you on.”

“Fine,” the trainer said, shooting Milo a look. “One on one again.”

“Good luck!” Jake said, taking his place on the sidelines.

“Medicham!” Milo said, releasing the monkey onto the arena. She looked around briefly; recognising her surroundings, and lifting one leg up to her chin. The trainer nodded, releasing a Kingler onto the arena.

Milo had trained a Kingler before, and it currently lived back home, the father to several hundred small crustaceans on his family's island. Medicham knew this, too, and he could tell she was glad they were facing a species they knew so well. Kingler raised its incredibly large claw and it snapped three times; the echoing sound resembled a judge's gavel.

“This won't be a problem,” Milo muttered. “Medicham, go for a dynamicpunch!”

Medicham raced along the arena, a fist held back, glowing with white-hot energy. Kingler scuttled left and right, anticipating where Medicham would strike; she pounced up into the air and flew down, sweeping her fist down to connect with his body.

But Kingler raised his claw, turning it so it covered most of his body; Medicham's fist connected and she recoiled in pain, staggering back and letting off a howl. The claw had protected him. As she nursed her fist, Kingler swept his claw outwards, swatting Medicham and throwing her off the arena.

“Teleport!”

With a pop, she appeared back at Milo's side. Kingler moved the claw from his mouth and spewed a jet of frothy water; it peppered Medicham's torso, but bothered her more than it did damage her. Milo saw Kingler spewing mouthfuls of froth into the water, causing it to bubble and swell around the stone arena.

“Try once more,” Milo said, thinking that if it failed, he'd simply change tactics. “Fling it off the arena with psychic!”

Nodding, Medicham held a hand out and gave it a lazy flick; a psychic force bowled Kingler off the arena and into the sud-filled water; he disappeared from view entirely, and Milo realised that all the foam and bubbles now provided an excellent cloak for him.

“Fine by us,” said the apprentice. “Crabhammer!”

Milo pulled a confused expression, only to see the arena shake. From under the floating stone, Kingler smashed his large claw into the exact spot Medicham stood at; the force caused the arena to buckle and for her to tumble off her feet completely. Before Milo could issue an attack (and what would he do, anyway?) Kingler flew out the foam on a torpedo of water, before holding his claw forward and shooting a hydro pump out at Medicham.

The attack hit her head on, and she was forced back by the hydraulic jet of ice cold water. Skidding along the arena, she looked hurt, and Milo was left in awe at the trainer's clever strategy. Kingler landed, shaking brine from his little legs, and gave what Milo could only describe as a guffaw.

“We're still in this!” Milo said. “Hidden power, electric!”

Nodding, Medicham summoned a glass-like orb in one hand and flexed her fingers. The orb glowed bright blue, and cycled through shades of red, green, purple, silver and finally settled on a vivid yellow. As it did, sparks jolted off it as Medicham held it out at Kingler. With thudding pulses, Medicham fired off small balls of sparks that flew through the air like machine-gun fire.

Kingler held his claw over his face, but as it was soaked from using hydro pump, his wet body conducted the electricity brilliantly. Milo recalled Mia doing a similar thing when they were trying to open a Cloyster in Olivine City, and wondered if his sister would be proud that he borrowed the technique. As Kingler shuddered, Medicham held both hands and, with all the force she could muster, threw him into the air with a telekinetic grip.

Kingler was spewing bubbles everywhere in self defence as sparks rattled his body, but Medicham pounced up into the air after him and, fist glowing, unleashed a dynamic punch into his side, the side not supported by a giant claw. Kingler flew back to the ground, landing with a crunch, as Medicham teleported to the ground next to him.

“Hmph!” the trainer said, getting out the ball to recall him. “Type advantages suck. How did you get your Medicham to learn all the hidden powers?”

“Meditation,” Milo said, before thanking her for her work. She had been exceptional, but she did look tired. Milo recalled her as Jake applauded excitedly.

“Nice work!” he said. “That Kingler was pretty good, huh?”

“He had a good technique,” Milo said, as they walked along the next walkway and found themselves facing a dark-haired girl. This girl had been commanding the Lickitung earlier, and Milo had seen her watching Jake battle earlier.

“You two are doing well for yourselves,” she said, staring glumly at a Pokeball in her palm.

“I've done this before,” Milo pointed out.

“You battled at the Dragon Gym; this is the Attack Gym now,” the girl replied. “Why do you think we all have new Pokemon? This is the final hurdle for anyone who wants to get into the Pokemon league. And while learning about speed, defence, statuses, flight and everything else is fine and dandy, you'll get nowhere without a solid attack.”

“I'll take this one,” Jake said to Milo, pulling out what Milo recognised as his Park Ball. The girl looked impressed at Jake's assertiveness, and fished a Pokeball out from her own pocket.

“Okay,” she said, throwing her ball forward. “Go, Cacturne!”

Forming from the white light was a thick, stumpy figure that sprouted long, lance-like spikes from all over his body. Milo watched as the Cacturne stared across the field, giving a low cackle from his tiny little mouth. The hat on his head cast shadows across his face, and his thick, club-like arms hung heavily at his side.

“Jake,” Milo said urgently, worried the boy would come into trouble. “Watch out. Cacturne haven't got great defences but they're armed with those spikes.”

“We'll be fine,” Jake said, arching the ball over his head. In a flash, Parasect emerged onto the arena, clicking his pincers and staring at Cacturne from beneath the heavy mushroom on his back. It looked like a good match up; Parasect had poison and bug attacks that would help here.

“Cacturne!” the girl shrieked. “Pin missile!”

Running along the arena with his arms out at his side, Cacturne caused the spiky protrusions to glow and extend into long, spindly lances. As he ran towards Parasect, he started twisting his body and spinning on the spot, firing off glass-like pins through the air. Parasect tucked his head down and protected his face from the barrage with his claws.

“No problem,” Jake said, smiling.

“Needle arm!”

Though the onslaught was doing little to Parasect, Cacturne leapt up and threw his body around; the force of both his arms smashed into Parasect's body, causing him to skid back along the arena. Jake looked surprised at the nimble Pokemon's strategy; to keep Parasect stationary with a barrage so he could get close and deal a physical blow.

“Bullet seed!”

A frenzied mouthful of seeds were blasted from Parasect's mouth; they peppered Cacturne's torso, but he crossed his thick arms over his head, protecting his face and much of his torso. He then threw both arms at the ground with a huge thud; the tremor sent Parasect up in the air, and in a flash, Cacturne leapt along the arena and punched the bug in the stomach.

“This thing is fast!” Milo shouted.

“I used to be a coordinator, you know,” the girl said from across the arena. “But I came here and realised my true passion was battling. Cacturne deals heavy damage and looks gorgeous doing so. Can you even keep up?”

Cacturne landed at his trainer's side and laughed, but as he did, he fell to his knees with a cry; he looked pained. Parasect landed, and Milo saw a scattering of spores around the arena. Dark purple spores he often associated with toxins.

“Use Parasect as a punching bag all you want,” Jake said. “But his Effect Spore means you're going to come off pretty bad.”

“Maybe, but Parasect doesn't have good defences,” the girl said. “It won't take much to bring him down.”

“Bullet seed again!” Jake said. “Aim for the lesions on his body!”

Where the spores riddled Cacturne's body, he had scratches and sores from the irritation. Parasect spewed more hard seeds that snapped and cracked against Cacturne's sore skin. Undeterred, the cactus leapt into the air and span rapidly, showering the arena with white-hot spikes.

Jake looked calm and Milo wondered if it was because Parasect wasn't known for manoeuvring around a lot. Being still meant he wouldn't be irritated by spikes. At the same time, Jake didn't seem to have a strategy for taking this Pokemon down, instead using snap judgements to combat individual attacks.

“Parasect, get in close and use slash!” Jake said. Leaping up, Parasect landed by Cacturne's feet and snapped at his legs with his pincers. Cacturne dodged left and right, even managing to swing a kick and strike the large mushroom in the face.

“Hit him with another needle arm!” the girl said. “Needle X!”

Crossing his arms, Cacturne slammed both into Parasect again, and from the applause around the trainer, it seemed this was one of her signature attacks. Milo was impressed at the increase in power, but also noticed Parasect releasing more spores from his body in self-defence. A horrible grey smoke filtered across the arena, causing Cacturne to moan in agony. This was the tear-gas Jake had developed with his beloved bug, and it was affecting Parasect's vision.

“Now, hit him with an X-Scissor!” Jake said. Crossing his pincers into an X, Parasect dealt a devastating blow to the Pokemon's body, and Cacturne tumbled backwards along the arena. As the trainer looked ready to issue an attack, Jake cut in.

“Giga drain!”

Leaping on top of Cacturne, Parasect throbbed green as tendrils of energy burst from his claws and ensnared Cacturne's body. However, just as it looked like he was about to be drained of his remaining energy, Cacturne swung an arm up and smashed it into Parasect, throwing him off. As steam hissed from his pores, Cacturne leapt to his feet.

“Revenge!”

Another heavy thud sent Parasect reeling, the strength being built off the damage Parasect had dealt in the first place. Struggling to compose himself, Parasect looked up at Cacturne, who leapt high into the air, a leg extended...

“That's mega kick!” Milo shouted.

“Surround yourself with a sleep powder!” Jake said.

“Spin!” the girl yelled. Tucking his foot back in, Cacturne landed on the arena, stuck his arms out and span on the spot. His spikes extended and soon he caused a twister of wind to whip up around him; as Parasect released spores into the arena, they were swept up by the air currents encasing Cacturne and soared high into the upper rafters of the gym.

“Parasect, he'll need a second to come out that spinning attack,” Jake said. “Now, -”

“Sucker punch!”

A sweeping, ghostly mass of energy formed into a fist, bursting from the cyclone of air and thumping Parasect, knocking him out. As the mushroom collapsed, Cacturne let off a long cackling moan as he joined his trainers side. Jake was distraught, kneeling down and checking his Pokemon was OK.

“No strategy at all,” the girl said derisively. “You can't rely on spores. They're irritants, but that Parasect has a terrible attack stat.”

“Lay off him.” Milo said, pulling out his Great Ball. “Jake, I'll take over, show her Houndour's good attack.”

“Oh no you don't!” the girl said. “This is the attack gym, you burning a grass type with a fire Pokemon doesn't mean shit. You'll have to do better than that.”

Milo instinctively thought of his new Magnezone, but the girl's comment stung slightly, and instead he picked out a glittering metal Pokeball from his pocket. Jake saw this, and looked shocked at Milo's choice, recalling Parasect and standing on the side.

“Croconaw!” Milo said, releasing him. The alligator gave a snarl as he landed on the arena, looking at his opponent. “Look, we'll take you on with a water type.”

“Armed with ice attacks, I'll bet,” said the girl, with a dramatic yawn. “Cacturne, sucker punch!”

Croconaw clenched his fists, but wasn't able to avoid the first attack; the sweeping, ghostly punch smashed into his stomach and threw him off his feet. With a thud, he hit the ground, but Milo ordered an aqua jet right away.

Bursting off the ground, encased in a torpedo of water, Croconaw sailed through the air towards Cacturne, who span wildly, releasing a pin missile. The swarm of sharp pins slashed through the aqua jet, hurting Croconaw and knocking him to the ground easily.

Milo felt frustrated; Croconaw hadn't been used in a serious battle for quite some time. Nevertheless, as the alligator got to his feet, Milo realised that, like Kingler, he needed to take advantage of the water surrounding him.

“Go for an aqua tail!” Milo said. Leaping into the air, Croconaw swung his tail around, and a thick blade of ice-cold water slammed into Cacturne's stomach; before he had time to retaliate, Croconaw went into an aqua jet and sped towards him, encased in water.

“Now, metal claw!” Milo said. Leaping out the protection of the water, Croconaw's claws sparkled Silver and he slashed away at Cacturne's torso. The grass-type blocked his face with one arm, but Croconaw easily raked his long, sparkling claws across the foe's legs, causing him to wince in pain.

“Needle arm!”

Nodding, Cacturne let out a cackle and threw the weight of his arm down on Croconaw. However, Croconaw ducked down and swung his tail up, countering the attack and throwing Cacturne off-balance. On Milo's command, Croconaw then grabbed the foe and launched himself into the water.

“DROWNING?” the girl shouted. “Really?”

As Croconaw and Cacturne fell beneath the battlefield, Croconaw clutching tightly onto Cacturne (and trying to avoid the spikes), Milo ordered an aqua jet, and Croconaw boosted out of the pool in a thick jet. Cacturne was held to his chest, distressed and, presumably, unable to breathe.

“Throw him!” Milo said. In mid-air, Croconaw span around and hurled Cacturne down to the ground. Wailing like a banshee, Cactune spat a bullet seed through the air, though it flew in every direction but Croconaw's as the cactus hit the ground with a heavy thud.

“Hmph,” the girl said, as her Pokemon's tongue lolled out the side of his mouth. She recalled him, but looked unimpressed. “I don't think that was a very good fight.”

“Well your Pokemon lost,” Milo said.

“You used two!” she said, referring to Parasect.

“Don't worry!” came a voice from the next arena. “Send them over here.”

“Fine,” she said. “Piss off, the pair of you.”

Milo recalled Croconaw, and he and Jake walked along the walkway to the fourth arena, where another girl waited for them. She had short black hair, and wore the same sports jacket as the rest of the trainers.

“You guys aren't good enough to beat Claire, but you're not here to do that,” she said. “So that's not a problem. But you are pretty good in battle.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Milo said. As they walked along, Milo realised the trapdoor leading down to Claire was in fact set into this arena. This one was bigger than the others and, looking around, he could see the entire Gym was now watching them.

“One Pokemon each,” she said, maximising a ball. “Which of you will fight me?”

“You do it,” Jake said. “I don't think I have any other trump cards.”

“Fair enough,” Milo said. He felt for a Pokeball on his belt as the trainer summoned her Pokemon.

A purple, spiked creature floated above the ground; it was Gengar. He had big red eyes and a wide grin, spinning lightly on the spot as the trainers in the gym cheered. Milo hadn't expected a ghost. Nevertheless, he threw a Pokeball onto the arena.

“Go Magnezone!”

This was the creatures first proper battle since his evolution and as he formed, Milo was taken aback by his sheer size. He had forgotten, but compared to Magneton, Magnezone was larger, stockier, and he let off a deep, crinkling bleep.

“Good idea!” Jake called. Milo nodded.

“Magnezone has twelve resistances,” he told the trainer. “So do you worst.”

He ordered a thunderbolt; Magnezone blasted a huge, jagged bolt of lightning from his central body. It whooshed through the air towards Gengar, but with a twist and a pop, he teleported out of the way, leaving the electric attack to char the stone floor.

“Fine,” Milo said. He was prepared to do things differently. “Charge, then agility.”

“Gengar, get ready to retaliate!” the trainer yelled.

Magnezone's magnets shuddered and began to glow yellow. A cracking energy started to build across his body, but instead of letting it get stronger, Magnezone obeyed his command and swept across the arena.

Gengar instinctively popped out of the way, but if he thought his opponent was trying to attack him, he was wrong. Magnezone focused on his speed as he darted around the large arena; he zipped to the high ceiling, swept low across the arena and even skimmed the surface of the water, crackling and beeping and whirring with a dull coat of sparks.

“Increasing your speed?” mocked the trainer. “It won't help you against pure power. Gengar! Launch a Dark Pulse!”

Nodding, Gengar swirled around in mid-air and floated along the arena towards Magnezone, who was still emitting a low crackle. Milo turned to see Jake watching the arena intently, struggling to piece together what Milo was trying to accomplish.

As Gengar got nearer to Magnezone, he threw his hands together in a gigantic clapping motion – Milo thought he even saw the ghosts hands enlarge before impact – and a huge orb of swirling dark energy hurtled through the air like a projectile.

“Now, Magnezone!” Milo said. “FULL POWER!”

Magnezone was concentrating so hard his magnet appendages were physically twisting around; on Milo's command he shuddered, and with a huge roar every positively charged ion in the atmosphere came to life with a brilliant golden glow. Suddenly, the arena was laced with a complex web of sparks, and the Dark Pulse was torn apart in a flash.

The trainers looked around as the complex, barbed web of electricity wound around the entire arena. Gengar's jaw was slack; he stared nervously as the intricate coil of electricity fizzed dangerously close to his left leg, and the other tendril that shot across mere inches in front of him.

Milo couldn't let his loss against Kasper be for nothing, and borrowing the trick his Dragonite used against a coordinators Drifblim had been a smart move, especially given Magnezone's exceptionally powerful electric attacks. Jake was whooping from behind him, finally aware of his plan.

“Very pretty, coordinator,” the trainer began, but Milo interrupted.

“Now! Shock wave!”

Magnezone unleashed a burst of electricity that conducted through the intricate web buzzing across the arena. Gengar was hit by the onslaught; his body shuddered, his eyes screwed up and he let off a chilling roar that filled every dusty corner of the Blackthorn Gym. Milo watched closely. If his plan worked, then Gengar's muscles would cramp, and he'd find it harder to teleport or phase.

Gengar's body was flashing bright white as he suffered the agonising electrical attack, but he staggered across the arena in slow, painful steps, his face still screwed up as he tried to escape his confines. Finally, the sparks began to dissipate, and Gengar's body tingled with volts. He gasped for air.

“Magnet bomb!” Milo shouted. Magnezone let off a noise like a cannon, and a shockwave shuddered across the arena. As it sped through the air, molten metal began to form around the air in silk-like strands until a smooth, heavy lump of metal solidified.

“Phase out!” came the trainer's order. Gengar clenched his fists, but it only caused sparks to race across his body, rooting him to the spot. Milo grinned as the magnet bomb connected with Gengar, exploding in a magnificent silvery shower and throwing him through the air.

He landed on the very edge of the arena, by the water. Magnezone hovered over him, watching the ghost curiously.

“You're pretty clever,” the girl said. “Do you have a ghost-type yourself?”

“I do,” Milo replied.

“Restricting a ghost from achieving their gas-like state is a clever way to battle them,” she said, admiring her manicured nails. “But Gengar is still a gas, whether he's solid or not.”

Milo said nothing.

“As the resident Special Attack expert at this gym, I trained my Gengar to use all types of attacks,” she said, clicking her fingers. On command, Gengar clapped his hands together, sending a shower of sparks shooting up into the air.

“He can do electricity, and ice -” Gengar's fists crystallised into a sheet of frost, and he swung a few impressive punches. “But neither of those are any good against you.”

Milo thought he knew where this was going.

“Gengar's aptitude towards fire, however, is one of his strengths. Do you know why?”

“Is it because it's cold in here, and Clair doesn't want to pay the heating bills?” Milo asked. The girl mock-laughed.

“It is not.”

Gengar clapped his hands together and both his fists erupted in flames; huge, thick, unruly tendrils of fire that licked up into the air. The fire illuminated his red eyes, and cast dark shadows across the rest of his body.

“Gengar is a natural gas,” the girl continued. “And fire requires gas to burn. So when Gengar summons his fire...”

Milo watched as the light from the flames continued to highlight Gengar's dark skin; it burned so bright that he was practically lilac-coloured. Milo could see the flames trailing down the creature's arms. He was becoming engulfed in the fire.

The trainer gave another click and Gengar let off a cackling howl. Soon his entire skin was now a violent blue colour, and Milo realised what she was talking about. Gengar was using his entire body to fuel the fire attack, so that, right before their eyes, he was turning into a living, breathing, burning body of pure fire.

He rose off the ground slowly, his body now the faint curls of flame. The spikes atop his head were rippling scarlet and yellow; his fists no more distinguishable than the two balls of fire that he had initially summoned.

“Gengar!” the girl said. “Fire punch!”

Milo was shaken out of his stupor. This ghost was now pure fire, and could destroy Magnezone at a moment's notice. As Gengar sped through the air, flames trailed behind him like he were a comet. He threw fistfuls of fire towards Magnezone; poorly aimed, it must be said, but they exploded against the stone arena and hissed to their death. It was intimidating and barbaric.

“Go high!” Milo said. “Thunderbolt!”

From between his two front magnets, Magnezone blasted a jagged bolt down across the arena. Focusing, he steered it towards Gengar, who threw more fire up into the air. As the thunderbolt met the fire, there was a huge bang, and smoke began to curl up into the air.

Leaping through the smoke, Gengar threw a hand forward and an incredible jet of flame shot through the air, striking Magnezone and scorching his left side. Gengar controlled fire as fluidly as Milo's Croconaw did water, and the resulting carnage was almost terrifying. Milo realised, though, that if their reactions were good enough, they could use Magnezone's Mirror Coat here. But, like his technique against Kasper, he didn't want to give the game away too quickly.

“Go to the edges of the arena!” Milo said, pointing to the water. “Use sonicboom!”

Nodding, Magnezone began firing off a whoosh of air, directing it at the still water. As he scooted around the perimeter of the arena, the gout of the sonicboom forced water up into the air, and Magnezone was veiled by the channel of water as he shot about.

“Gengar, Will-O-Wisp!” the trainer yelled. Gengar's long, flaming claws crackled and began to burn bright until they took on a blue and purple hue. Whipping his hand down, he caused balls of eerie fire to shoot towards Magnezone, but the magnet's impressive speed helped him out-manoeuvre them with ease.

“Chase him!”

Magnezone let off a bleep as he sped around the arena, trying to throw as much water up into the air as he could. Gengar gave chase, throwing his hands out into long tendrils of silky fire, whipping Magnezone's back and scorching his body. Milo winced. He could tell this was hurting Magnezone.

Against his orders, Magnezone started charging electricity across his body. Milo wondered if it was a form of self defence, like a hound raising his hackles. He thought back to the Lake Of Rage contest and the trainer who had his Jolteon leap across the lake surface. The charge from the creature, coupled with his speed, helped charge ions around the lake surface, so when he released a shock wave, the attack bounced around the pockets of concentrated energy.

“Stay low, sweep right around the water's edge!” Milo said. “And stay charging.”

Magnezone nodded and took a tight turn around the edge of the battlefield. The trainers observing the match watched on excitedly as Gengar's trainer pulled a face.

“Lash him! Spin your limbs and go into a fire spin!”

Gengar's long, flaming body stopped whipping his limbs out at Magnezone, and began spinning on the spot. His body twisted into a hideous shape, his appendages turning to seared, flaming blades. Soon, the only thing recognisable from the ghost was his intense, red eyes, and the horns and spiked ridge that ran along his back.

Magnezone completed his lap; Milo couldn't quite make out any sparks near the surface of the water, but this was OK; he hadn't noticed it when Jolteon did it, either. Magnezone floated back to Milo, only to be struck by a huge, flaming jet of fire from Gengar's mouth. The fire engulfed him, and Milo could see his Pokemon's metal body glowing white-hot in the heat. It must have been excruciating.

“Deliver another blow,” the trainer said, as Gengar leapt up and sped through the air. The big, burning ball of gas was illuminating the dark gym, zoning in on Milo's Pokemon. Magnezone saw balls of fire soar through the air like canonballs and used his two magnets to blast a huge bolt of electricity through the air.

“Now this is an attack gym,” came a voice. Jake turned and saw a tall, beautiful lady had appeared behind him. She had vivid blue hair and Jake knew, from her appearance, and the reaction from the students, that this must be Claire, the Blackthorn Gym Leader. Milo hadn't noticed.

The electricity and fire kept coming; streams of fire torn to burning shreds by a bolt of lightning, or a deluge of sparks cast alight by Gengar's darker fires. This kept going on; Gengar would hurl a sizzling ribbon of fire through the air, only for Magnezone to whip up a sonicboom that blasted the fire into the stone arena. Magnezone would fire a ball of sparks, only for Gengar to dance out of the way.

“No more long-range! Go for a fire punch!” the trainer said. Milo's eyes lit up. This was his chance.

“Magnezone get out the way! Head to the water!”

“Oh please!” the girl cried. “Again?”

Magnezone sped along the water surrounding the arena; already Milo saw the odd spark flicker on the surface of the water, excited by Magnezone's strong charge. Gengar, burning bright, flew after Magnezone, cackling as he hurled more fire.

“Start charging, gently,” Milo began, though he quickly realised doing anything 'slow' wasn't an option as Magnezone took two hits. “OK now! Shock wave! As you go!”

Magnezone throbbed suddenly, and sparks rattled across his body with fervour. As he zoomed along, the charged particles on the surface of the water burst into light, and the whole body of water burst into a brilliant shower of golden sparks, igniting in Magnezone's wake like a mexican wave.

Gengar's instinct was to pull up, away from the water, but Magnezone unleashed his full power, and an incredible web of electricity shot up, zapping the ghost and stunning him in mid-air. Magnezone kept going, around the far corner, back along the home stretch to Milo, unleashing more and more electricity.

“The gym hasn't been this bright for centuries!” someone called out, as light filled the room. Soon, the columns of electricity from opposite ends of the arena were sharing the same, charged space, and jumping arcs of electricity leapt through the air. Milo watched in awe as the entire arena was domed by fizzing, juddering, wild and frenzied power.

The trainer looked exactly how Milo felt when Scizor had felt the surge of amplified power from Kasper's Dragonite. Confused, impressed, crestfallen.

“One last go!” she cried. “Fire blast!”

Gengar ducked beneath the sparks and held both hands out; he cupped them together and unleashed a huge, roaring jet of fire that whooshed as it twisted and sinewed towards Magnezone. The creature's back magnet was lifted up, wagging like a dog's tail. Milo knew he had to give the order a mere second before it hit.

“Now!” Milo said. “Mirror Coat!”

“Oh snap!” Jake cried.

Magnezone flickered briefly as a mirror-like sheen hit his body. The fire engulfed him, feeding off his steel body and cloaking him in scarlet and gold, but he concentrated, focused, endured the burning sensation flooding through his body.

As the heat died down, Magnezone was now shimmering gold. Milo pointed and the creature unleashed a huge beam of light through the air; molten gold and silver that was streaked like fire.

The attack hit Gengar – pure power condensed, amplified and fired back – and the ghost thudded into the ground, his fire burning out, slowly turning purple again.

Milo couldn't believe how much noise the electricity was still making, but as he turned, he realised that it was in fact the trainers of the gym clapping enthusiastically, including Claire, the gym leader. Jake was whistling with his fingers, and Magnezone was letting off a particularly satisfying chirp.

“Incredible work,” Claire said, walking forward.

“Thanks,” Milo said. “That flaming Gengar was... interesting.”

“Your strategy was impeccable,” Claire said. “The way you used the arena on Gengar, the way you fought Magnezone's weakness. I can see you've gotten stronger since you won a badge off me.”

“I'm actually coordinating,” Milo said. Claire gave a nod.

“I can see flair in the way you battled. It wasn't just Pokemon beating each other up. There was grace, measure, but still impeccable technique. Well done.”

As if on cue, two of the trainers ran to the middle of the arena,where the impressive wooden trapdoor lay. They heaved it open, slowly, for it was very large. Claire walked over to it, and began descending a set of spiral stone steps.

“Come with me,” she said.

Milo and Jake followed her down a tight, stone staircase. Torch brackets fixed onto the wall bathed the steps in a golden glow. Claire explained, off-handedly, that she employed one apprentice just to make sure the torches were lit. Milo knew Claire's arena was down here, and followed her keenly.

Every time they passed a bracket, Milo saw the flames illuminate the sharp lines on Claire's face. She was not unattractive, Milo thought, but she had a sternness to her – a combination of her sharp jaw and her icy blue eyes. She was also a broad woman, and tall, too. There were rumours she could drink anyone under the table at her favourite pub in Blackthorn, the Ram And Horn.

As a young boy at Blackthorn's prestigious boarding school, Milo always thought Claire was cool, owning powerful dragon Pokemon at the gym. Her younger cousin, Lance, was in Milo's year. He was intelligent, sharp-minded and very handsome, but emotionally distant. Milo could only count a handful of conversations he'd ever had with the boy.

They reached the bottom of the staircase, which opened out onto a larger stone arena than the one above. Instead of water surrounding it, this one had an empty moat around the perimeter; as they crossed a walkway onto the battlefield Milo peered down and saw stone shelves jutting out at different angles.

“Pretty far down,” he said to Jake, who nodded.

“But you could get back out of that,” Jake said. “Pokemon could climb and jump onto the arena.”

“Or continue the melee in the darkened depths,” Claire said, without turning around.

They crossed the entire arena, and made their way across another walkway towards another room. There was no doorway this time, but a cavernous opening.

“This gym must get freezing during the winter,” Jake said to Claire. “Why isn't it heated?”

“You sound just like the Board Of Governers,” Claire said dryly. “Health and Safety checks, general maintenance. It's supposed to be a gym carved from the devilish fire of dragons, not some cotton-wooled play pen.”

“To answer your question,” she said. “When the Reclassification was introduced, this gym was deemed too unsafe for people, and we were assigned a very beige, sterile Gym south of town. That's the gym we're supposed to use, but I like it here, so I just kept coming back here, instead. We use the new gym when we know inspectors are coming.”

“Oh, wait a second,” Jake said. “Gary said he'd meet us at the front of the gym...”

“That's probably where he is,” Milo finished for him. “In the new one. Fucking hell.”

“Don't worry,” Claire said.

They walked through the cavern, down a set of bigger, thicker stone steps which opened out on the back of the gym, onto the fresh afternoon. This part of the cave had engravings; crude drawings of serpents with horns. As they reached the edge of the cave, Milo stared down and saw a huge drop towards a rock-strewn shoreline. The waves crashed against the back of the gym, soaking the stone, spraying salt-air up.

They were staring across a giant lake that had mountain ridges running entirely along its shores; it wasn't visible from anywhere in the city. Above them, Milo could see the twisted stone spires of Blackthorn Gym.

“Why is there a huge opening at the back of the gym?” Milo asked. As he said that, he saw a shape forming in the distance. Sitting on the back of a colossal beast was Gary, cross-legged, beaming.

“That cave in the distance?” Claire said, pointing ahead, “Is the Dragons Den. It's where the original Gym Council was founded. Years and years ago, Blackthorn wasn't an official gym, but a governing gym looking over the other ones in the country. Dragons were considered the holiest species of Pokemon, you see. And my family descended from that council.”

Milo saw Gary get closer, and, judging from the huge canons either side of him, he was riding on his Blastoise. The blue creature was barely visible as he swam through the water.

“The lake is blocked off by the mountains on almost all sides – it's near impossible to get to, never mind get across. This gym passage provides safe access for me.”

“But who is there now?” Milo asked. “In the Den?”

“Old members of the Dragon Society,” Claire said, thinking. “Monks practice their studies there. And my cousin, Lance.”

“Lance goes there?” Milo asked, alarmed.

“He lives there, now,” Claire said, biting her lip. “Lance doesn't like to leave the Den.”

Eventually Gary and Blastoise got to the end of the lake, several feet below where Milo, Jake and Claire stood. Gripping his creature's rough shell, he held on as the Blastoise propelled two jets of water and blasted up into the air like a rocket. Everyone took a step back as Gary landed flawlessly into the opening of the cave. He was soaking wet, but didn't seem to mind.

“So this is where you are,” Gary said, in a mock-fatigued tone.

“Yeah, sorry, we came here, we didn't know about the new gym,” Milo said.

“It's fine,” Gary said. “I thought you'd wait outside, I didn't think you'd end up down here.”

“Claire's trainers made us fight them,” Milo said. “And even though I'm just a coordinator I managed to thump them pretty good.”

“Milo and Jake were impressive,” said Claire. Gary nodded, looking surprised.

“I thought your team would fall apart against these trainers, they're pretty solid,” he said. “Fair play, Milo.”

Milo happily took the compliment; he had often felt sidelined since he took up coordinating, even though these battles were tougher than most of his league matches. He remembered Kasper's Dragnonite, Mia and her Gallade, even Dior and his Bayleef and Sneasel. Winning a contest wasn't about physical strength – it relied a cool logic. He wondered how he would fare against Claire or Gary with his team. Granted, many of them were exhausted now, but beating them was perfectly manageable.

“I know what you're thinking,” Gary said. He had been staring at Milo all this time. “But we're going to have to cut it short. Viridian got in touch with me. They've moved my examination forward. If you want to come with me over the border, then we'll need to make our way soon.”

“Now?” Milo asked.

“Yeah. It's going to be a long drive,” he said.

“So, you're still going,” Claire said coldly.

“Claire...” Gary said.

“No, it's fine,” she said, folding her arms.

“I've always wanted my own gym,” Gary said. “You know that.”

“You had one, you were offered one in Cianwood,” Claire said. “Last year, before the Reclassification -”

“I took that offer and he replaced me with Eusine!” Gary snapped. Milo hadn't realised Eusine replaced Gary. He always thought Gary turned Cianwood down, as he had.

“And you've been offered it since,” Claire pointed out. “You heard Michael. Eusine is ill, he can't run the gym anymore. Michael wouldn't offer it to you unless he was serious, and here you are being stubborn.”

“I'm not!” Gary shouted. His voice rang off the stone walls, so it sounded like ten Gary's were yelling. “Why would I want to live at Cianwood? It's a fucking rock in the middle of nowhere.”

“And Viridian is...”

“It's in Kanto. I'm from Kanto. My Grandfather would be horrified if I became a Gym Leader in Johto. It doesn't look right.”

“So this is about him?” Claire asked. Milo shared a quick glance with Jake, who looked uncomfortable.

“I can't disown him like that; the Oak family are a big part of Kanto. I need to be there.”

“If you get offered it,” Claire said coldly. “You might not. You are, after all, a former champion.”

“That's enough,” Gary said. “I have a good team.”

“Oh but they hate that ten-type team thing you're so fond of,” Claire said. “They'll want you using six, covering all your bases. Big teams aren't cool across the border.”

“Why can't you be happy for me?” Gary asked. “You helped train me, I learned everything from you growing up. If I could work here I would but I am more than just an apprentice now. I am ready to take on a gym.”

“Just don't get your hopes up,” Claire snapped.

“Why,” Gary asked quietly. “What do you mean?”

“I'm just -”

“You know something,” Gary replied. “What do you know.”

“I know nothing,” she said, but Gary wouldn't take that.

“Don't get my hopes up?” he snapped. “Why? Have they chosen someone? They can't chose someone, they have to screen all the potential applicants. Don't try and put me off!”

“They haven't chosen anyone,” Claire began.

“Then what?” Gary said. “Spit it out!”

“There is... a summit being held in a week's time,” said Claire slowly. “They do it every year before the league. An evaluation, a look at how things are going...”

She could see this was too slow an explanation and that Gary grew irritated with each passing second, so she got to the point a little quicker.

“They're discussing whether to merge the Johto and Kanto leagues.”

“Jesus,” Milo gasped.

“Merging them?” Gary said.

“Johto doesn't pull in any money, it's a tiny little region. Look at Unova and Hoenn. They want to form a single league between Johto and Kanto, and if they do that, then they won't need 16 gyms. They'll be closing a lot of them down.”

Milo thought of Oscar, who was driven to do reckless things when he lost the Azalea Gym, convincing the Apricorn Guild to use their powers to try and overthrow the League. Morty suffered a depression, and focused his energy on running a suspicious nightclub beneath Ecruteak City. And Chuck... Milo had no idea what Chuck was doing now, but Milo had seen him the same day he decided to go into coordinating.

“H-how many?” Gary asked.

“They won't close all of them,” Claire said. “They'll want to give people the option to traverse both parts of the continent. But at least four will go, I think.”

Gary said nothing.

“It's very much in discussion,” Claire said. “It's not confirmed. That's why I didn't want to tell you...”

“I'm glad you finally did,” Gary said in a low voice. “They'll surely keep Viridian, though... it's right on the border.”

“It's not far to Pewter, or Blackthorn,” Claire pointed out. “The league will do what saves money. Viridian doesn't have the tourism of Saffron or Goldenrod City. It's a low populated area.”

Suddenly Gary walked along the corridor to the water's edge.

“Milo,” he said, “Jake. We need to get going.”

“Right,” Milo said, nodding.

“I want to leave in an hour,” Gary said, leaping from the edge and landing in the water below. Milo ran to the edge and saw Gary emerge from the water on Blastoise's back, and he began to sail off again.

“Sounds like you need to be off,” Claire said absently.

“Yeah...” Milo said. “It was good to see you, Claire.”

“Good luck with everything,” she said, still watching Gary bob across the water. “And if you ever want to get back to straight-up battles... we could always do with a new apprentice.

It's a nice offer, Milo thought, as he and Jake left the gym. But what kind of league will I return to when I'm finished with coordinating?

*

Their Pokemon were healed up and Milo and Jake both changed their clothes. The drive would take some time; south of Blackthorn for a few hours, before heading east and skirting beneath the ridge that forms Mount Silver and, at the top, the venue for the Grand Festival. Once they reached Route 28, that would take them over the border and into Kanto, and then they would descend on Viridian City.

Jake sat up front with Gary as they departed Blackthorn; Milo sat in the back with Medicham, looking at the city he grew up in as they drove. He would have liked to spend more time here; drink in the pubs, visit the little shops he used to spend his allowance in, and even see if any of his old classmates were still around. Perhaps he could have even looked around the old Academy, and said hello to his old teachers...

Gary said little during the journey; he seemed chewed up about Claire's remarks regarding the league. It was disheartening that his prospects as a gym leader were thrown into turmoil, but Milo said nothing. He was surprised that Gary refused the Cianwood Gym title, but he was proud. Eusine sounded like he had been seriously injured following the attack in the woods and the hunt for Raikou. Milo bit his lip anxiously.

He had read up on the rules for the Viridian Contest again and again. A single appeal, with the semi-finals involving a single battle followed by a double. Milo was going over his options in the car; he wanted Medicham for the battles; she was powerful, graceful, but crucially her psychic abilities meant she could tap into Milo's thoughts and perform exactly as he requested.

For the double battle... he recalled the contest battle against Mia and her combination of Ninetales and Gallade. He needed to pair up a Pokemon that had wide-ranging attacks and one that focused on close-up combat; that would help him cover his bases. Croconaw had performed well with Medicham in Cherrygrove, but what about Houndour? Milo had only just got the creature back on his team but Medicham's psychic and Houndour's fire would make a formidable mix.

That just left the appeal. And since he had been used so sparingly recently, Milo felt it was only right that Croconaw did the honours.

“Who knows when we'll next get the chance,” Milo muttered.

“You'll be great,” Jake assured him. “You'll get the ribbon and then we can head to the Grand Festival. You could have the Ribbon Cup within a week!”

Milo let that thought sit with him for much of the journey. He could be the champion within a week.

*

Across the continent in Goldenrod City, Michael Mitchelson was returning to his desk after a day of intensive meetings. He had received word that he would have to be present at a Pokemon League conference next week; all the board members would vote and discuss the merits of a potential merge between Johto and Kanto.

Now in his office, located high up in the Mitchelson Enterprises building, he had Bill look through his plans for the week ahead. Downstairs, Chuck was working with Lorelei and their Ditto, who had taken the guise of Deoxys. The 'Deoxys' was proving competent, and Ditto's transformation had allowed the usually small, weak creature an overwhelming sense of power.

Unlike the real thing, though, they could train this creature to work with them. As a result Chuck was suffering endless injuries as the Deoxys clone threw him across the room, read his thoughts and even resisted Lorelei's signature 'ice cuff' technique.

“Ditto are known to turn violent when they transform,” Lorelei had told him, as she attempted to glue several clumps of hair back onto her scalp. “They are a weak, incredibly tasty meal and their ability to turn into bigger, stronger creatures means they unleash a primal side.”

“Michael?” Bill said. “You have a call coming through.”

“Anything interesting?” Michael asked.

“It's from Hoenn, definitely south-east,” Bill said. Michael knew what he was implying; they had just come back from Hoenn to discuss potentially getting the real Deoxys from Mr White.

“Record it, and put me through,” he said.

Bill nodded.

“Hello?” Michael asked.

“Michael Mitchelson?” came a voice he recognised. “It's me, Roxanne. From the Space Center.”

“Hello,” he said calmly. “I'm surprised to hear from you.”

“Yes, well,” Roxanne sounded nervous. “I wanted to speak to you because... I need your help.”

“My help?” he said. “From our meeting I got the impression you didn't want me at all.”

“I... things have changed, sort of,” she replied. “I... Stephen Stone has people working at Mossdeep. He visited me last night. He wants Deoxys kept away from people, because its too dangerous. He's planning on letting Deoxys kill someone here so Mr White is scared into shutting the creature away.”

Michael looked across at Bill, mouth wide open. Stone knew about Deoxys. And he wanted Deoxys to kill someone, all so the creature would be sanctioned. Alive, but never seen. Would Stone use this creature to kill someone who was proving problematic to him?

“That is worrying,” Michael said.

“He has threatened me,” Roxanne said. “And now I want out. With Deoxys if possible. You have to help me.”

“How are you supposed to get Deoxys away from that place?” Michael asked. “It's full of people, many more senior than you. And who is Stone's inside man?”

“He has... several,” Roxanne said, again with a strain in her voice. “Including me.”

“You?”

“I have fed him information, nothing more!” she protested. “I have been his eyes and ears but I'm not a criminal. I thought I was the only one, but he told me there are many more. That I am indispensable.”

“He wants you to provoke Deoxys,” Michael surmised. “I see.”

“He said he'll know if I don't do it... because I'll still be alive,” Roxanne said. “What should I do?”

Michael chose his words carefully.

“I'd find a more reputable employer,” Michael said. “Look. I appreciate you calling me, Roxanne, but this all sounds very suspicious.”

“Su-suspicious? No!” Roxanne said. “No I need your help!”

“You've told me you're one of Stone's insiders,” Michael admitted. “And surely you know he uses his Porygon-Z to monitor phone calls?”

“He....wha?”

Roxanne's voice cracked; she sounded heartbroken.

“No! I...”

“I can't help you, Roxanne, this just isn't washing with me,” Michael said, hanging up the phone.

“That was intense,” said Bill, who had been listening on a handset.

“She rings because Stone wants to sacrifice her to prevent Deoxys' exposure,” Michael said, getting up and walking across his office. It was a dark and stormy night outside, which he could see through the arched glass french doors leading onto his roof garden.

“She says Stone is done with her, he wants to dispose of her easily,” he added. “But she must know he can tap into calls. She must.”

“It sounds dubious,” Bill agreed.

“We can't get involved in that,” Michael said. “I've been thinking about when we start to take him down.”

“Oh?”

“It has to be next week, when I go to the League conference,” Michael said. “Stone will be there; he is, though illegitimately, funding the league through his business, as am I.”

“I'll call everyone in for a de-brief in the morning,” Bill replied. Michael was on the cusp of saying something when he was drawn to the roof patio. Among the potted plant life whipping in the wind, there was something else. Something ominous.

Michael subconsciously tilted his head, and Kazaar materialised at his side. His son's psychic Pokemon held a hand out and opened the handle on the door, forcing it open against the fierce storm.

“Someone's out there,” Michael said to Bill, who got up and followed him.

He walked across the patio, Kazaar with him, staring ahead. Between two ferns there was a bulky figure, dark and shapeless.

“Stop what you're doing!” Michael called. Kazaar held a finger forward but, as he felt for a presence, used his other hand to keep Michael away.

“Mr Mitchelson?”

Michael saw the figure walk forward slowly. He looked bigger because he was wearing several coats and layers, but they couldn't hide his unmistakable weight loss.

“Morty?” Michael said, as the blonde boy got nearer.

His hair was longer, shaggier, nearly at his shoulders now, while his eyes looked sunken and grey. Morty looked cheery as he stood on the roof garden, beaming at Michael.

“I tried teleporting, but I remembered you have that security system,” Morty said, blushing. “I got electrocuted last time.”

“What are you doing here? Are you okay?” Michael asked.

“I'm more than okay,” Morty replied. The air rippled and Morty's Gengar appeared by his side, bobbing in the air and grinning. “You told me... in Ecruteak... when I was ready to come back to work for you... you'd be here. Well, I'm here.”

“Morty...” Michael said. “It's been no time since Jasmine's death. Do you not want more time to grieve?”

“I'm done grieving,” he insisted. “I'm okay. I've been training, focusing and learning so I can help you. I know I got cold feet and disappeared -”

“Don't put yourself down,” Michael said. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I know I can help you get revenge, and put Stephen Stone down for good,” Morty said.

“You do?” Michael said. “Well, I'm glad to hear it.”

Morty smiled.

“You don't just need to hear it from me, Mr Mitchelson,” he said. “I want to show you what I mean, too.”

“What?” the man said. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

“Step back,” Morty said, as his Gengar rose from the ground. “Do you know anything about ghost-Pokemon reproduction?”

“No,” Michael said slowly.

“Gaseous Pokemon like Gengar have no solid structure, it fluctuates, like a gas,” Morty said. “That means they have no reproductive organs. As a gas, they reproduce and multiply in the correct temperature. When they come of age, Gengar learn to use attacks like Haze to drop the temperature around them, and make a suitable environment for them to breed.”

Michael looked up at the dark, violent sky as Morty spoke.

“I trained Gengar to reproduce in the coldest temperatures,” Morty said. Gengar spiralled up into the sky and Michael watched as he seemingly melted into the fluffy clouds curling across the city. “He's now got quite a family.”

The more Michael stared, he could see flickering red eyes, spiked ridges and stubby, clawed hands everywhere. This was no storm at all, this was a flock – for lack of a better word – of Gengar. There must be have been hundreds of them, sweeping through the skies, their smoke-like bodies trailing behind them. Some screamed, some flickered a navy blue, a deep plum, some a vivid bright purple.

“They are all technically wild, but they obey me,” Morty said proudly, looking up at his Gengar. “Uno!”

On his command, there was a sudden rumble, like the very earth's belly was furious. Michael watched as bolts of lightning flew from from the haggard purple clouds; striking the radio tower, dissipating into the air and crackling. He was literally commanding a storm.

“I've come back because I'm ready to help you fight Stone,” Morty said, amid the noise. “And I have my own army. What more could you want?”

Michael stared, aghast, at the sea of ghosts that had bred in the skies. Morty watched proudly, his own Gengar bobbing by his side like an animated shadow, but Michael felt a chill down his spine that he wasn't sure had anything to do with the temperature.



Next Time
After the much-publicised Lake Of Rage contest, Milo arrives in Viridian City to find he has garnered the interest of the national press, who eagerly attend to see if Milo is able to win his fifth ribbon. Meanwhile, Michael grows increasingly concerned for Morty after an assignment goes wrong.


NOTES
-So this was a big chapter. It took ages. But post-Kasper I wanted Milo to really knuckle down and do some fighting. Also, I loved being able to do Jake stuff. That guy has become a pretty strong trainer.

- I also wanted to incorporate some new strategies Milo had, namely ones he borrowed from Kasper. In the contest you'll see him really focus on imitating Mia's battle style which I think all goes toward showing that Milo is quickly becoming someone to watch out for.

-Milo now also has Pidgeot. Falkner did release his Pidgeotto ages ago during a big fight scene where it was him and Chuck VS Silver, so I liked that Pidgeotto managed to find Milo (and evolved along the way).

-Milo also switched Houndour in for Scizor, since the metal guy needs a little break. Houndour will come into his own.

-I liked writing gym stuff but wanted Blackthorn to be brief, as Milo is focused on going to Viridian. Early drafts focused on Gary and Claire a bit more, and even the slightly weird Lance, but ultimately some stuff didn't make the cut.

-We'll see Gary a little more in future chapters.

-As for Michael & Co, that might be made into the next bit of the Mimic Arc, depending on how long the chapter gets.

Let me know what you think guys!