Fist of the Pikachu Disclaimer: Don't blame me, I just write the stuff. < >: Thoughts * *: Pokedex responses Chapter 11 Class Acts "Well Ranma, it's been some time since I last heard from you." Professor Oak was chatting on the videophone with Ranma after the martial artist had made it out of the Safari Zone and was now at a roadside Pokemon Center near another town. "Where are you calling from?" Ranma shrugged as he replied. "I'm not sure. I just got out of the Safari Zone and I can't find out where I am on the map you gave me." "Oh? I thought that you could read it with no problems." "Well, it's hard to follow a map when your mode of transport is going too fast to read the road signs." "What do you mean?" "I thought that Wildfire was fast before, but after a couple of days ago, he suddenly got even faster! I think it was from that race he was in." "Race?" The good professor held his chin in thought, then said, "Say, you wouldn't happen to be referring to the Pokemon Challenge Race they held at the Big P Ranch a week ago, are you?" "Yeah. How did you know about that?" Ranma asked. "I'm surprised that you didn't hear about it. Look here." Professor Oak held up a magazine to the viewscreen. The main article depicted a photograph of Laura Laramie speeding past the finish line on Wildfire. At the bottom, the banner read: RAPIDASH CLOCKED AT 300 MPH! A NEW POKEMON LANDSPEED RECORD! Ranma stared in disbelief as Oak smiled at him. "I must admit, it surprised me when I received the news. The article said that the rider was using a borrowed Pokemon and your name was mentioned. That was your Rapidash, wasn't it?" "Uh, yeah it was." Ranma wasn't sure about this unexpected publicity. He had been spending most of the week training with his Pokemon in the Safari Zone, so he had not heard the news. "Congratulations Ranma! I don't think anyone could have trained a Rapidash better." "Well, I can't take all the credit." Ranma replied. "Wildfire kind of did that on his own. I still don't know how he managed that drastic increase in speed. He hasn't been able to do that again since then. I guess it was adrenaline or something." "Now don't be modest Ranma. Your Pokemon couldn't have achieved that victory without your training." "I guess..." Ranma then looked behind him as he saw Nurse Joy approach him with his Pokeballs on a tray. "Here you are. Your Pokemon have all been refreshed and are ready to go." Raiden gave Ranma a wave as he trotted up while adjusting his headband. "Pikachu." Ranma nodded to his electric mouse. "Hey Raiden." He then took his Pokeballs from Nurse Joy and asked her a question. "Excuse me, but where exactly does this road lead?" He pointed toward the highway outside the center. "Oh, that road leads to Stone Town." Nurse Joy gave Ranma a pleasant smile as she patted Raiden on the head. "We happen to be 10 miles from Evolution Mountain." "Evolution Mountain?" "Yes. Evolution Mountain is a good place to get stones to evolve Pokemon." She pointed to Ranma's Water Stone pendant. "Like that Water Stone around your neck." Ranma looked down at his pendant then nodded his thanks to Nurse Joy. "Thanks." Nurse Joy smiled again as she went off to continue her rounds. Ranma turned back to the phone. "Did she say Stone Town?" Professor Oak asked excitedly. "Yeah. Is there something special about it?" Ranma asked. "Now there's an understatement!" Oak nodded with enthusiasm. "Not only is Stone Town famous for its high-quality evolution stones, but it is also going to be holding a Pokemon convention this week!" "A convention?" "Yes. I'd say that this would be a good opportunity for you to learn more about handling your Pokemon. Trainers from all over will be coming to Stone Town in the next few days. I'm going there myself in a couple of days to give a lecture on Pokemon evolution. I hear that students from Pokemon Tech will be going there on a field trip." "Pokemon Tech?" "Yes, it's a special Pokemon school that allows some trainers to learn about Pokemon without having to go around on a journey and collect gym badges. If they graduate, they automatically become eligible to enter the Pokemon League. Beginners have the same level as two badges, intermediate classes have four and advanced classes are the same as six. Once students received their diplomas, they have the same bearing as those who have earned eight badges. It's very convenient for trainers who cannot leave home." "Well, I guess I could check it out." Ranma scratched the back of his head. "Oh, and there's one more thing I should tell you." Oak added. "There will be a special seminar and exhibition match held there as well! The guest speaker will be Prima from the Orange Islands!" "Who?" "You don't know who Prima is? Oh, that's right, of course you don't. Well, Prima happens to be the premier Pokemon Trainer and lecturer of the Orange Archipelago. She an excellent trainer and you would do well to listen to any advice she gives. She'll be speaking on the pros and cons of evolving Pokemon and giving the exhibition match." Ranma becomes deep in thought as he considers the idea of going to the convention. He then nodded to Oak. "All right Professor. I might take you up on that. Anyway, we got to get going now." "It's been good talking with you Ranma. I hope to see you at the convention." A while later, Ranma and Raiden were blazing down the highway on a beeline toward Stone Town. Meanwhile... Sam Ryker was flying high on her Fearow as she read the flyer in her hand. The paper had the image of Prima in a victory pose with a Pokeball in her hand. Below was the banner in large, bright red letters, inviting all trainers to come to Stone Tone for the convention. "Let's go, Fearow!" And in another direction... Jeanette Fisher was sitting near a stream as her Rapidash rested from a long day's ride. She too was also holding a flyer in her hand that invited all trainers to visit Stone Town. A day later… Ranma and Raiden exited their hotel room and decided to head toward an open area near the edge of Stone Town. The town was bustling with street vendors; souvenir booths and whatnot as the crowds of people anxiously awaited the arrival of Prima. Banners, flags and other decorations were hung all over the place. The famous Pokemon trainer was set to arrive the next day and crowds of people were pouring in by the busload. Ranma had noted that morning, a school bus with the name Pokemon Tech on its side, rumbling into the hotel parking lot. None of this really mattered to Ranma. Though the sights were nice, he wanted to get away from the noise and commotion and get in some training sessions with his Pokemon before Prima's arrival. He decided to have his sparring matches outside of the town and had staked out a relatively deserted area the day before. As he and his Pikachu neared their destination, Ranma took out three of his Pokeballs and tossed them. Razor and Bruiser were soon walking alongside of them while Wind Rider flew overhead. The pigtailed martial artist had decided to let Wildfire rest as he had been doing some hard riding for the past week. "Oh crud!" When the group arrived at the spot, Ranma groaned as he saw large groups of people and their Pokemon already there. Apparently, other trainers had gotten the same idea and had arrived early to practice in hopes of challenging Prima. There were several trainers already involved in separate matches as crowds formed around them to watch. The Anything Goes Martial Artist and Pokemon trainer sighed as he led his Pokemon around the throngs of people, searching in vain for a suitable area to train, preferably away from the crowds. However, he soon realized how futile it was, and decided instead to watch some the matches to compare techniques and get more information on certain types of Pokemon. One match caught his attention, as a group of students in school uniforms were crowded around a pair of trainers. Ranma recognized the students from the bus that had arrived that morning from Pokemon Tech. As he and his Pokemon made their way to the front of the crowd, he saw a young girl of about 12 or so, as she directed her Graveller against a star-shaped Pokemon. *STARYU, A STARFISH POKEMON. THE LARGE GEM IN ITS CENTER IS OFTEN SOUGHT AFTER FOR JEWELRY. IT HAS A POWERFUL WATER GUN ATTACK.* Ranma shrugged as he put away his Pokedex. Beside him, a couple of boys in school uniforms were cheering on the girl. "Go get him, Giselle!" Ranma was a bit intrigued as he remembered what Professor Oak had told him about rock-type Pokemon being weak against water-types. He then smirked as he remembered Billy Bartonne sneering at him when Raiden went up against his Golem. It was from experience that any opponent could be defeated, regardless of what was normally expected. It was just a matter of using the right techniques. Staryu's trainer called out. "STARYU, WATER GUN!" Giselle gave a small laugh as she watched Staryu let loose with a torrent of water. She nodded to her Graveller and the evolved form of a Geodude leapt up and charged at its opponent in a spinning tackle. The water simply splashed off its rocky surface and Staryu's trainer gasped as it collided with the large gem of the starfish Pokemon. The polished surface cracked under the impact and Staryu was sent flying backward. "Oh no!" Staryu's trainer rushed over to where his Pokemon had fallen and cradled it. He then looked up at the triumphant Giselle and her Graveller. "But rock-types are supposed to be weak against water!" "True, but my Graveller has so much experience, it can beat a water-type." Giselle replied smugly as her classmates gave her a round of applause. She then asked, "So who else would like to challenge me?" There was a bit of a silence in the people who had observed the quick match. Ranma looked around and wondered why no one was answering her challenge. It was then that he noticed a women approach the sidelines. She was wearing a mini-skirt and blouse outfit with low-heeled shoes. She was wearing dark sunglasses and a sunhat. On her shoulder she carried a small purse. She had purple hair that was mostly hidden under her hat. It was obvious that she spent much of her time outdoors, judging by her athletic figure. She held up a Pokeball and said, "I'll take up your challenge." Ranma noted that she had a calm and serene attitude, much like water flowing down a gentle stream. One boy beside Ranma snickered as he commented, "Boy, she's really in for a fight." "Why's that?" Ranma asked. "Pika?" "Giselle happens to be the top student in our advanced class at Pokemon Tech." The boy replied. Remembering what Professor Oak had told him, Ranma nodded. "So that means, she's got the same ranking as having six badges, right?" The student nodded. "Yeah. She started training her Pokemon hard after that kid beat her Cubone a year ago. She's never lost a match since then." "So, do you think she'll win this time?" "I don't see why not. Especially with what her opponent is using." The boy gestured toward the match as the stranger tossed out her Pokeball. "GO DEWGONG!" *DEWGONG, THE EVOLVED FORM OF SEEL. THIS POKEMON IS VERY ADEPT AT SWIMMING AND IS QUITE POWERFUL IN THE WATER. IT HAS AN EXTREME DISADVANTAGE ON LAND.* Seeing how clumsy-looking the Pokemon seemed to be on land, Giselle thought that this would be an easy win. "GRAVELLER, TAKEDOWN ATTACK!" The rock Pokemon charged at its opponent, intent on squashing it flat. However, to everyone's surprise, the Dewgong rolled to the right, just as the Graveller was about to smash into it. It then used its tail to trip up the charging Pokemon. Graveller couldn't stop its momentum and went tumbling off. Ranma noticed that the stranger's expression became harder, as if she had become ice. "DEWGONG, ICE BEAM!" The seal Pokemon lowered its head and pointed its horn at Graveller's unprotected back. Its horn glowed with a blue-white light and released a beam of intense cold. Graveller became encased in a block of ice. The mass slid to a stop as Dewgong pressed its advantage and leapt forward in a tackle attack. The horn made contact and smashed the rock Pokemon out of the ice and into unconsciousness. Giselle let off a gasp of shock as her classmates all had their jaws hanging open. The stranger became serene again as she held up her Pokemon and recalled Dewgong. "That was a good match, but it seems that you made the same mistake as your previous opponent did. You underestimated my Pokemon because of what you learned in school. You forgot your own words. If a Pokemon has enough experience, it can overcome any of its natural weaknesses." Giselle could only sink to her knees and gazed at he fallen Pokemon. "Graveller, good try. Come back." When the Pokemon was recalled, she then looked up at her opponent. "I can't believe I lost the match." The woman gave the girl a smile and replied, "Don't worry about it. Losing is another part of the learning process. How can you become a proper Pokemon Trainer if you cannot learn from your mistakes? Perhaps, we'll battle again." She then gave her a small wave and walked away. Ranma became very interested in this newcomer and walked after her. His Pokemon went after their master. The woman noted them following her and waited until they came to a relatively open area before turning to face them. "Yes, can I help you?" Ranma stopped and gave her a slight nod. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your win, and that I really agree with what you said back there." "Pikachu!" Raiden agreed. The other Pokemon nodded their agreement as well. "Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet with someone who understands the value of experience and to look for new ways of overcoming your opponent. And you are…?" "Oh, sorry about that. The name's Ranma Saotome." He gestured to his Pokemon. "This is Raiden, Bruiser, Razor and Wind Rider." He also took out the Pokeball that contained his Rapidash. "This is Wildfire." "I see. Well, I must admit that you have some very fine-looking Pokemon." She knelt down to stroke Razor on its head. "Slash." Razor liked the way her hand was rubbing against him. She had just the right touch. "Although, I must admit that it is a bit odd that you let your Pokemon run free like this." Ranma shrugged as he said, "Yeah, well I don't really care to keep them in their Pokeballs for too long. The only reason why I'm keeping Wildfire in his, is because he needs the rest from all the traveling that we've done. He's the best Rapidash a guy could ever ask for." The woman smiled. "A Rapidash? Well, I'm impressed. It's not easy training a Ponyta, much less its evolved form." Ranma shrugged again. "Yeah, well Wildfire and I have been through a lot together. We've all been through a lot." "Slash!" Razor agreed. "Machop!" "Pikachu!" "Pidgooo!" The strange woman smiled as she asked, "So tell me, Ranma. How many badges have you won? Are these all the Pokemon that you have?" Ranma scratched his head and smiled weakly. "Well, I've got four badges and five Pokemon. I only started as a trainer about two months ago." "Four badges in two months." The woman said with a thoughtful look. "Not a bad start. Although, I would have expected you to have caught the required six Pokemon by now." Ranma laughed with a bit of an embarrassed edge. "Well, I wouldn't exactly say that I caught these Pokemon. They… kinda… got attached to me when I first found them." Ranma then bolsted up his confidence and said, "In any case, I'm looking forward to meeting with this Prima person when she comes in. I'd like to have a match with her and maybe pick up some pointers. I haven't lost a match yet." Ranma said the last part with a bit of pride. The woman regarded him with a strange look, then replied, "Who knows? Perhaps you might get a chance. I hear than she's due to arrive early tomorrow morning. She's scheduled to give her lecture and an exhibition match at 5:00 pm. Will you be there?" "You bet! Will you be there as well?" The woman smiled as she said, "I can guarantee it. I'll see you there." The woman then waved her goodbyes as she walked off to head back to her hotel. A few minutes later, she entered a hotel that was ironically the same one that Ranma was staying at. At the time, there was no one in the main lobby except for the hotel clerk. She then took off her sunhat and sunglasses, giving her head a toss to shake out her purple hair, She then reached into her purse and took out a pair of round-lensed glasses and then smiled to the clerk. "Welcome back Prima." The clerk greeted with a smile. "Did anyone recognize you?" "No." Prima replied. "I'm glad that I caught that early flight here. It gave me a chance to observe the other trainers in action and decide who I could face off in my exhibition bout tomorrow." "Have you decided on your opponent?" "Yes I have. I'll be expecting him tomorrow at the seminar." She then went toward the elevator while replacing her glasses back into her purse and putting on her hat and shades. As she rode the elevator, her thoughts went back to her meeting with Ranma. She could feel something was special about him. She could tell that he had a very good relationship with his Pokemon, though he was still relatively inexperienced. After all, he only had four badges and five Pokemon. He sounded very eager to face off against her and reminded her of another brash young trainer she met on Mandarin Island. Ranma seemed to be very confident with his skills, but so was Ash Ketchum. After beating his Pikachu, Ash received a very big lesson in humility. Prima thought that Ranma could benefit from the same lesson. It's not like he had anything that could beat her, right? Meanwhile, two girls arrived in Stone Town late that afternoon and each checked into a different hotel. Both were excited at the prospect of meeting the famous Prima. In another part of town, three shadowy figures were speaking in a videophone booth. On the screen, Giovanni were giving his instructions. "Do you understand your orders? Tomorrow at the seminar, the highest quality of evolution stones will be on display. Furthermore, the famous trainer Prima will also be on hand with her Pokemon. You are to steal those stones and her Pokemon. They'll be among the strongest specimens in the world." "Yes boss!" The three members acknowledged. The next day, the main auditorium where the seminar was to be held became packed to the brim. Ranma had managed to get a seat near the front rows, but had to put his other Pokemon back in their Pokeballs, since it was so crowded. As of now, his Pikachu sat on his shoulder as his trainer just barely managed to squeeze in. In front of the huge audience was a large open stage with a glass case near the speaker's podium on the left side. Inside the case was an impressive array of Water, Thunder, Grass, Moon and Fire Stones. Behind the stage was a large theater screen on the wall. Ranma looked around as he waited for the seminar to begin. Near the middle, he saw three brothers that looked similar except that they each had different hairstyles of red, blue and yellow. Beside them was a much younger boy of around 9 or so and assumed that he must be their younger sibling. "Hey, looks like the Battling Eevee brothers are here too!" One person remarked as he said to his companion while pointing toward the four brothers. "I wonder if they're going to be the ones to battle Prima?" The other said. "Who knows? She might just take on all three forms of their Eevees." "I don't know if she can beat a Jolteon, Flareon and a Vaporeon. And that little brother's unevolved Eevee is pretty tough too." Ranma took out his Pokedex. He knew about Flareon, but those other forms were new to him. *EEVEE, THE EVOLUTION POKEMON. IT CAN EVOLVE INTO ONE OF THREE TYPES, DEPENDING ON WHICH STONE IS USED ON IT. A WATER STONE WILL GIVE A VAPOREON, THE BUBBLEJET POKEMON. A THUNDER STONE WILL YIELD JOLTEON, THE ELECTRIC POKEMON. A FIRE STONE WILL YIELD FLAREON, THE FLAME POKEMON.* After reviewing the information, Ranma then looked up as someone was walking up toward the stage. He smiled as he recognized the individual and waved to him. "Hey, professor Oak!" "Pikachu!" Professor Oak caught sight of Ranma and waved back to him before ascending the stage and went to the speaker's podium. He then spoke into the microphone to get everyone's attention. At the same time, the huge viewscreen lit up and depicted the professor on the huge monitor. "Good afternoon. Welcome to this year's Pokemon Convention. I'm Professor Oak and it's good to see that so many trainers and gym leaders have come here today." There was a big round of applause. "As you all know, this year's theme is based on the question of whether or not one should evolve one's Pokemon. We will about how to go about handling Pokemon and different training methods. So without further ado, let me introduce our first expert in the field of Pokology. Our first guest speaker is Professor Westwood." There was another round of applause as an old, balding man with a big nose came on stage. The seminar went along smoothly as Ranma listened to what each speaker had to say. Now normally, if it didn't have anything to do with martial arts, Ranma would have dropped off to sleep. However, the seminar was all about Pokemon, and since Pokemon attacks were now a part of his Anything Goes Style, there was enough to keep Ranma's attention. He also picked up a few pointers about Pokemon care as well, which would benefit his Pokemon greatly. Some noted speakers were Professor Ivy, some geeky nerd named Seymour, one of the Elite Four Pokemon Trainers named Bruno, Charles Goodshow, a guy named Bill, and of course several dozen Nurse Joys. The viewscreen went alive as it depicted the effects of evolution stones and the attacks of certain Pokemon. Ranma was soon thinking about how to duplicate those very skills. He was especially interested in creating the Hyper Beam and Solar Beam. Eventually, the main event had finally arrived when Professor Oak announced, "And now, for our final guest speaker, let me introduce you to one of the finest Pokemon experts in the world. Coming all the way from the Orange Islands, please give a warm welcome to Prima!" There was a thunderous roar as the entire audience gave the trainer a standing ovation. The person in question walked in from offstage and waved to the masses. Ranma's eyes widened as he recognized Prima from the day before as she removed her shades and hat. He wasn't the only one. Back near the rear of the crowd, Giselle and her classmates gasped as they saw Prima come on stage. Prima smiled as she took to the podium and said, "Thank you all for inviting me here to participate in this year's Pokemon Convention. It is good to be here in Stone Town." Prima put on her glasses and then began her own lecture on Pokemon. As she discussed the importance of being empathic toward one's Pokemon, Ranma found himself agreeing with some of her points. He also noticed that she was once agin as calm as gently flowing water. She was so different when battling others and he likened her attitude to a balance between two different personalities. She certainly knew her Yang from her Yin. Finally though, the moment everyone was waiting for had arrived. After concluding with her lecture, she then called out to the audience, "And now, I would like to demonstrate some of the battle techniques that I have discussed today. Yesterday, I had been in disguise as I met several of the trainers that are gathered here today. I will now conclude this convention by engaging in an exhibition match with one of the trainers in the audience. And I see that my opponent is here today." The people in the audience all seemed to lean forward to hear the name of whoever would battle Prima. The famous Pokemon trainer gestured toward the man in the rafters operating the main spotlight. The light swiveled down and shone on top of Ranma. "Will the young man with the Pikachu that has a headband, please come forward?" As soon as they heard this, Jeanette and Sam both looked up from their seats and saw the Ranma's face on the big monitor. "Ranma!" Both cried out as they saw him being urged forward by the rest of the crowds. Ranma was a bit more than nervous at being singled out as he was led toward the front. He had been chosen to battle Prima in front of all these people. Looks he got his wish to battle her, though he would have preferred a less public scene. Prima waited for the crowds to calm down then spoke through the microphone. "Please, tell us your name and your experience as a Pokemon trainer." Ranma was handed a small microphone by one of the stage hands and said, "Uh, it's Ranma Saotome. I've been… a trainer for about two months now and I've got four badges." "I see." Prima nodded as she stepped down from the podium to face off against him. The stage hands then used the overhead mikes to catch their conversation and broadcast it to the audience while the screen depicted them. "And have you ever lost a match?" Some of Ranma's pride and confidence came back to him as he said, "So far, no." "Well, you must think of yourself as a good trainer." Prima said with a smile, though her thoughts were more along the lines of, "I'd like to think so." Ranma replied while thinking "Let's find out then." Prima remarked as she took out her first Pokeball. "We shall have a three-on-three match. GO JYNX!" Ranma narrowed his eyes as the human-looking Pokemon appeared. *JYNX, THE HUMAN-LOOKING POKEMON. THIS POKEMON SPECIALIZES IN THE LOVELY KISS ATTACK AND CAN ALSO USE VARIOUS PSYCHIC ATTACKS.* Ranma nodded to his Pikachu to move forward. Ever since their encounter with Butch and Cassidy's Drowzee, Ranma had been training his Pokemon in techniques designed to counter psychic attacks. They weren't fully developed yet, but they'll do in a pinch. If they were fast enough. Prima smiled as she looked at Raiden. "Please, feel free to make the first move." "Okay…" Ranma nodded to Raiden. The electric rodent began powering up his battle aura. Prima's eyes widened as she saw the mouse begin to glow with a blue light. "W-W-What the…?" "Don't worry." Ranma assured. "Raiden's is just getting psyched up." In the crowds, one person was really worried. She had seen this before and if Raiden was about to do what she suspected he would do, then Prima was in for the shock of her life. Sam blurted out. "Prima! Look out! He's going to…" "LIGHTNING TACKLE ATTACK!" Prima caught only a brief glimpse of Raiden as he suddenly shot forward and became a bolt of lightning. "COUNTER WITH REFLE…" It was too late. Before Jynx could power up her defensive shield, Raiden was already across the stage in less than a heartbeat and slammed into her head, knocking her back. Before she could recover, the Pikachu began raining high-speed punches on her face. It has been Ranma's experience that keeping them dazed and reeling was the best way to prevent psychic Pokemon from launching any mental attacks. "ANYTHING GOES!" Raiden followed through by grabbing one of Jynx's arms, put her into an airplane spin and tossed her up into the air. He leapt up to continue the attack with midair combinations. Jynx was already dazed from the first beating and wasn't allowed a second to focus. Prima could only stare in amazement, along with the rest of the crowd as they watched Jynx get pounded. Raiden finally finished as he tossed Jynx back down to the stage. "SHOCK ATTACK!" Just as Jynx hit the stage, Raiden's electric sacs powered up and then let loose with a blast of electricity. There was a huge flash as the voltage struck hard into Prima's Pokemon. A huge dust cloud formed from the explosion. Prima and the audience had to turn away from the sudden brightness of the attack. When the smoke cleared, the crowds and especially Prima stared in total disbelief. There was Jynx, embedded in a hole in the stage. The Pokemon had been pummeled into submission and the electric attack had just added insult to injury. Jynx was not getting up any time soon. Raiden landed beside Jynx and gave his opponent a respectful bow. "H-H-How did it…?" Prima was more than stunned. Since when did a Pikachu specialize in physical attacks? And a normal shock attack wouldn't have been able to hurt Jynx like that. That Lightning Tackle Attack was also something new. Ranma shrugged as he motioned to Raiden to rejoin him. "Like you said before, with enough experience, any Pokemon can overcome its natural weaknesses and find new ways to defeat an opponent. Psychic Pokemon are strong in both mental and physical attacks, but they're a bit on the slow side with using their physical skills. They also depend too much on their psychic attacks, which makes them more vulnerable when they're not able to focus. I guess I was just lucky that you allowed me the first move, otherwise Jynx would have been able to better defend itself." Prima felt a bit of anger rising in her, then reconsidered Ranma's words. He was right. She had asked for it when she offered him the first move without fully understanding the capabilities of his Pokemon. She had thought there was something different about Ranma, and now he had just proved it. It had been a long time since she lost the first round of a match. This may just prove to be interesting and she was curious at what his other Pokemon can do. She smiled at her opponent as she recalled her Jynx and came out with another Pokeball. "I have to admit, you surprised me. It's been a long time since an opponent could catch me off guard like that. Now let's see if you can handle this one. GO SLOWBRO!" The Pokeball opened up and the evolved form of a Slowpoke appeared. By now, Prima was taking Ranma a bit more seriously. The pigtailed martial artist could see it in her eyes. She had become like ice again, relentless and unforgiving. *SLOWBRO, THE EVOLVED FORM OF SLOWPOKE. WHEN A SHELLDER CLAMPS ONTO A SLOWPOKE'S TAIL, SLOWPOKE EVOLVES AND SHELLDER TAKES ON A SPIRAL SHAPE. SLOWPOKE SPECIALIZES IN VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHIC TYPES.* "Okay… LET'S GO BRUISER!" Ranma's Machop appeared and began charging at his opponent. In the audience, Jeanette watched with interest as she wanted to see what Ranma had taught Machop since he left Crimson City. Prima knew better than to let Ranma's Pokemon get near as fighting types specialized in close-quarters combat. "SLOWBRO, DISABLE!" "Slow… bro." The Slowbro began focusing its psychic powers and released a mental barrier that froze Bruiser in his tracks. Prima smiled as she said to Ranma. "You should know better than to use a fighting-type Pokemon against an opponent that strike from long distance. SLOWBRO, CONFUSION!" Slowbro nodded as it used its telekinetic powers to lift the Machop off the ground, then slam it back down. It began repeating the process, slamming Bruiser down on the stage several times. Ranma growled as he tried to think of a way to counter Slowbro's assault. Remembering back to the time he fought Drowzee, he got inspired. "BRUISER, MEDITATION TECHNIQUE!" "Machop?" Bruiser was a bit confused, then remembered back to when Ranma had taught him how to focus his battle aura. As he was being picked up to be smashed against the floor again, the martial arts Pokemon closed his eyes and concentrated. His battle aura began to flare and the crowd became entranced by the bright blue glow. Prima watched in amazement as the Machop was surrounded by a halo of light. Slowbro stopped in its attack as the strange energies seemed to counter his own mental energies. "MOKO TAKABISHA!" Machop concentrated hard and was able to slowly overcome the effects of Slowbro's Disable Attack. It was a strain but the Pokemon managed to bring his arms forward and focus his ki energies into a sphere before his palms. "W-What's that?" Prima had never seen a Machop do that before. Jeanette gasped as she recognized the attack. It was the same one from before. Ranma had taught Machop how to do it! "MA… CHOP!" The ki blast shot forward and blasted into Slowbro. Since it was so busy using its psychic powers to keep the Machop aloft, that it didn't have time to erect a defense. The ki attack exploded and sent Slowbro flying backward. Bruiser landed lightly on his feet as the psychic energies that was holding him was dispersed. "Okay, show Slowpoke why I called you Bruiser!" "Machop!" The fighting Pokemon wasted no time and was upon his opponent in a second. Just as Slowbro got up, Bruiser began landing punch after high-powered punch on it. Prima was flabbergasted as she saw her Pokemon become a punching bag. She couldn't believe this was happening. Just over a week ago, Slowbro had defeated Machoke with ease but now its unevolved form was pounding the living daylights out of it. She saw that Slowbro would not last much longer. With the Machop so close and not letting up in its attack, Slowbro couldn't concentrate to use its psychic powers. "SLOWBRO, MEGA-PUNCH!" Slowbro just managed to step back and rear back a fist, which glowed with a bright light. It then brought its fist forward and… Everyone gasped. "N-No way!" Sam stuttered. "H-How…?" Jeanette wondered. Prima could only stare. Machop was smiling as he grasped Slowbro's outstretched fist in a viselike grip with one hand. Though he wasn't as fast as Ranma yet, Bruiser was still quick enough to block Slowbro's Mega-Punch and absorb the energy within it. "BRUISER! FINISH IT OFF WITH YOUR HYPER-SLAM ATTACK!" "Machop!" Slowbro was pulled off its feet and then slammed into the stage via judo throw. Bruiser did not release its arm though as he continued to slam his opponent into the stage several more times. WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! Prima could only watch helplessly as Machop suddenly leapt up high in the air with Slowbro held high over his head. Then Machop dived down with Prima's Pokemon held out in front. The two hit the stage, but Slowbro took the full impact and was embedded into another hole in the stage, causing another dust cloud to be kicked up. When the dust cleared, the Machop was standing triumphantly over his beaten foe. "Slow… bro." "I… don't believe it." Prima mumbled. Slowbro had been one of her stronger Pokemon and this amateur was beating her! However, Bruiser wasn't exactly feeling good either. His body was extremely sore from being slammed repeatedly into the stage and had large bruises and several cuts all over him. "Ma… chop…" Ranma ran up to his weakened Pokemon as he pitched forward in exhaustion. Bruiser had taken quite a beating from Slowbro's psychic attacks, and Ranma saw that he was in no shape to continue on. He was going to need some extensive care in the Pokemon Center, later on. As the martial artist cradled his Machop in his arms, Bruiser looked up and smiled at his trainer. "Ma…" "I'm proud of you, Bruiser. I'm sorry that I put you through that. You'll be all right, I promise you." "Chop…" Ranma nodded as he set Bruiser down and recalled him back into his Pokeball. He shook his head. He shouldn't have sent Bruiser against that Slowbro. Despite his intense training, the Machop was still relatively inexperienced compared to his other Pokemon. Also, Ranma had yet to develop more effective countermeasures against psychic attacks. Battle auras may partially counteract the energies of psychic techniques, but it was only by luck that Machop nailed Slowbro with his ki blast, since Prima had not expected something like that. This was the first time that his Pokemon had suffered badly and though Bruiser had won, the cost was pretty high. "I'm… very impressed…" Prima said with awe. Ranma took a deep breath, then walked back to his side. He then turned around and said in an emotionless voice, "Let's finish this." Prima could see the determination in his eyes and nodded. For some reason, this was no longer a demonstration match. He was like her now, unrelenting and focused on one thing; victory. However, she was like ice during a battle. He on the other hand was like a smoldering volcano, just waiting to erupt. They were polar opposites: fire and ice, hot and cold. With a nod, she threw out her third Pokeball. "GO CLOYSTER!" The huge clam Pokemon appeared before them. Ranma gazed at it for a moment, then brought out his Pokemon. "GO RAZOR!" Prima saw the Sandslash and thought to herself. "CLOYSTER! MULTIPLE WATER GUN ATTACK!" The bivalve Pokemon opened up its shell and released five streams of water at very high pressure. Ranma snapped his fingers and Razor smashed into the surface of the stage and began digging. He was soon underground before the streams of water could touch him. The floor rumbled as the mouse Pokemon began tunneling his way toward Cloyster. "CLOYSTER! WITHDRAW!" Prime knew that the Sandslash would emerge somewhere near her Pokemon and attack. Surely Cloyster's thick shell would protect it. After all, it could withstand a bomb. As if on cue, Razor exploded out from the ground beside Cloyster, just as it closed its shell. "RAZOR, BUZZSAW BARRAGE!" The mouse curled up into a ball and extended the quills on his back. He then began spinning furiously against one side of Cloyster's shell. A high-pitched grinding noise echoed throughout the auditorium as bright sparks began to fly off the hard surface of the clam. The audience had to cover their ears as the noise became unbearable. It seemed that neither Pokemon was going to back down. Irresistible force had met the immovable object. Cloyster's shell was considered among the strongest of Pokemon, but there was a critical drawback. It could only attack when its shell was open. Prima didn't dare order her Pokemon to try and attack with Razor cutting away from the outside like that. Then her eyes widened even further as she saw tiny cracks beginning to form where the Sandslash was spinning against. He was actually cutting through! The shell was about to give way! "CLOYSTER, MOVE BACK!" The clam suddenly rocked to one side, pressing the side that Razor was grinding against. This caught the Sandslash off guard and threw him off. Razor stopped spinning and did a neat tuck and roll, returning to his feet and took a battle stance. He was a bit dizzy from all the spinning, but he was still ready to fight. Prima frowned as she saw the deep gash in Cloyster's shell. Razor had come very close to cutting through. In another few seconds, he would have penetrated! This made Prima decided that it was time to pull out all the stops! She hadn't felt this exhilarated in years! This was what Pokemon battles were all about! "CLOYSTER! AURORA BEAM!" "Cloyster!" The clam glowed with an intense light and suddenly released a huge, multicolored beam of energy at Razor. Ranma gave the order for one of Razor's newest techniques. "COUNTER WITH AURA ABSORPTION!" Razor curled into a ball on the floor and began focusing his aura to its maximum. The blast struck him dead on and he became obscured in a huge explosion. The audience shut their eyes and turned away from the sudden brilliance. Even Prima and Ranma had to look away to avoid being blinded. When the beam finally dispersed, Prima smiled as she looked at the scene. She was sure that Cloyster's strongest attack had taken out Razor. Then she became pale at the sight that greeted her. Razor was not only standing but was now glowing with a multicolored aura. Behind him, Ranma nodded. The new technique had been an enhancement on the Super Reflect that Razor had used when he had faced off against Lt. Surge's Raichu. Instead of letting the battle aura take the brunt of an energy attack, it was instead used to absorb the energies of his opponent's attack and then turn it against it. "RAZOR, AURORA BEAM RETURN!" "Slash!" Prima blanched as she saw the Sandslash thrust out his paws. The energies contained within his aura then flowed into those paws and were re-released into the same beam that Cloyster had used against him. The full power was then shot back at the clam, with interest as Razor added his own ki to the blast. "CLOYSTER, EVADE!" Cloyster couldn't move fast enough and was only able to turn the undamaged side of its shell toward the attack. The beam struck the shell hard and Cloyster was driven back. It was almost thrown off the stage when the beam finally subsided. However, both sides of its shell were now weakened to the point in which the clam could no longer use it for protection. It was also very weak from firing off its last attack and the damage it sustained. Ranma saw his chance to finish the match and said to Razor, "RAZOR… FINAL ATTACK! ERUPTION BLAST!" Prima gasped as she saw Razor begin to power up. She couldn't believe this was happening. She was about to lose… Razor was about to release his attack when small, black spheres began dropping from above. When they struck the ground, they exploded, releasing billowing clouds of noxious fumes. The audience began screaming in panic as the entire auditorium was filled with gases. Many of them got in each other's way as they hastened toward the exits. Unfortunately, the clouds were also filled with paralysis powder and many were stopped in their tracks. Ranma saw what was happening and immediately recalled Razor into his Pokeball. Prima did the same and took back her injured Cloyster. Both trainers managed to avoid being paralyzed by ducking behind some curtains. When clouds of gas and powder began to settle down, Ranma peeked out from his hiding place with Raiden and groaned as he heard some sickening intro music. This time however, THREE members of Team Rocket stepped out from the shadows. They were all male and bore a striking resemblance to a certain trio. One had a bowl haircut and was a little short. The second had a very short buzz cut and was rather portly. The third had curly sideburns. Each wore a black Team Rocket uniform with a big letter R on their chests. "Get ready for trouble!" The first guy said. "'Cause were gonna burst your bubble!" The second added. "And reduce your hopes to rubble!" The third exclaimed. "To introduce the world to a new sensation!" "To bring all people under our regulation!" "And add to our might by conquering the nation!" "To destroy all hope for peace and love!" "To dash all light from the stars above!" "And we'll do it with an iron glove!" "Larry!" "Curly!" "Moe!" "Team Rocket, blasting everyone at the speed of light!" "Surrender now or get out of our sight!" "And those who don't, prepare to fight!" That when a Beedrill appeared before them as they took a pose. "OH, WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?!!!" All three looked to one side and saw Ranma appearing before them from behind the curtain. Ranma was fuming mad now. He had been on the verge of defeating Prima and then these jokers had to appear and spoil everything. Raiden was also not happy to see another Team Rocket. Prima looked from the sidelines and saw Ranma facing off against three members of Team Rocket. She didn't recognize these people but knew about Team Rocket from her encounter with Ash and his friends. She could see that Ranma was outnumbered and Prima couldn't be of much help as her Pokemon were all too tired and injured from battling Ranma's. The rest of the audience were paralyzed and could do nothing but watch. "Huh? Who are you?" Moe asked. "The name's Ranma Saotome." Ranma growled. He then gestured to his Pikachu to move back. He wanted to take these guys out himself. "Pika?" Raiden looked up at his master. Seeing that look in his eyes told the electric mouse that his master was set on teaching these dopes a lesson, personally. After a moment, Raiden nodded and backed away. "Hah! You think you can defeat our Pokemon without using yours?" Moe scoffed as he and his comrades took out three more Pokeballs. "I don't think I can, I KNOW I can. Besides, pounding you three would be just the therapy I need to work off the stress." "Ranma Saotome?" Larry said, then cocked his head in thought. "Hey, he's that guy that the boss is offering a big bonus for!" "Man! This our lucky day! Not only do we get a chance to swipe those evolution stones and all the Pokemon from those trainers, but we get this guy too!" Curly said excitedly. "Don't start spending that money before you earned it." Ranma said as he went into a stance. "Anyway, whatever your boss is offering won't be nearly enough to cover your stay at the hosiptal!" "We'll see about that! BEEDRILL! TWIN NEEDLE!" Before the Bug Pokemon could fly forward, Ranma pulled back his hands and began focusing his energies. As the Beedrill started its charge, his palms suddenly crackled with electricity. To the amazed eyes of the audience and especially to Prima's, Ranma threw his palms out and released a sizzling bolt of electricity. "SHOCK ATTACK!" Beedrill was stopped in its charge as the voltage hit it. In less than a second, it fluttered to the ground and began twitching. "W-What the…?" Prima thought that she needed new glasses. The audience were still paralyzed to do anything but stare at the spectacle. Team Rocket was also flabbergasted. "Huh?" "What gives?" "How'd he do that?" Ranma smirked as he gestured with a finger. "Next?" Moe wasted no time and threw out his Pokeball. "THRASH ATTACK PRIMEAPE!" The Pokeball opened up to reveal the evolved form of a Mankey. "Primeape!" The monkey Pokemon charged at Ranma and the two were engulfed in a huge cloud of dust. There were several sounds of a huge scuffle taking place and Moe smirked. "Make sure he's in one piece, Primeape! We need to bring him to the boss!" Suddenly, an impact was heard and something went shooting out of the dust cloud and was sent hurtling upward, followed by another shape. Moe and the others saw in disbelief as Ranma leapt up to thrity feet, grabbed Primeape and held him across his shoulders. "Check out my Seismic Toss!" Ranma rotated once before sending Primeape speeding back down toward the stage. CRASH! "Prime… ape…" Ranma landed easily on his feet and dusted off his hands. The three Team Rocket members were now trying to put their eyeballs back in their sockets. Their opponent had not a scratch on him and Primeape was bruised, battered and unconscious. "T-That can't be right!" Curly stuttered. "Says who?" Ranma shrugged. "Got any more, or do I have to take you guys on next?" He gave them an evil smile. That was all the incentive they needed as they tossed out every Pokemon they had. "GO SPEAROW!" "GO HITMONLEE!" "GO PINCER!" "GO CHARMELEON!" Ranma smirked as he held up his arms as if they were wings and concentrated his ki. As the Pokemon were about to launch their attacks, he brought down his arms. "HURRICANE GUST!" Though his Wind Cannon technique was more damaging, the adapted version of his Pigeotto's Gust Attack could cover more area. Dust and small items were sent airborne as a sudden blast of wind was created. All of Team Rocket's Pokemon were caught in the gale force and were swept off the stage. They were all sent flying a nearby wall and were gone from sight. The only sign of their departure as a huge gaping hole in one vacant side of the auditorium. "No way!" "H-How did he…?" "T-That's impossible!" On the sidelines, Prima was also thinking along the same lines. Ranma then began to slowly approach his now defenseless foes while cracking his knuckles. It was obvious to all that he was going to deliver some serious pain. The three began backing away while giving Ranma very nervous smiles. He was now glowing with an angry light as his battle aura flared. "H-Hey pal, there's no need to get mad." "Uh… yeah, it was all a joke, really!" "If ya don't wanna go, then ya don't hafta and… RUN!" Larry, Curly and Moe did an about-face and began running for their lives. They headed toward the new opening in the wall, hoping to getaway from this trainer… no, monster they faced. Ranma snorted as he watched the cowards flee. Then he decided to let one of his Pokemon give them a proper send-off. "RAZOR, ERUPTION BLAST!" Razor appeared from his Pokeball and began focusing his energies. Then, just as Team Rocket was almost out of sight, the Sandslash jumped up, then came down with his paws slamming the ground. "Slash!" The ground nearby rumbled as if a seismic tremor was passing through it. The disturbance rumbled beneath the surface and followed after Team Rocket. When it caught up them, the ki energy that the Sandslash had sent through the ground exploded violently beneath the villain's feet. The trio was sent airborne! Team Rocket was blasting off and was soon distant dots in the sky. At Stone Town's police station… "Officer Jenny, here is the report on today's arrest warrents." The Jenny of Stone Town nodded as she took the paper from an aide. She began perusing the report at her desk and said, "Hmmm, it looks like three more members of Team Rocket have been sighted in Stone Town. Put out an APB on them and…" CRASH! Jenny and her aide were startled when they heard the noise just outside the station. They were soon rushing to the rear of the station with the other police officers and stopped in their tracks at the sight before them. There was Moe, Larry, and Curly. Their beaten and battered bodies were covered in garbage after landing in an open dumpster. Garbage had found garbage. Jenny turned to her aide and said, "Cancel the APB." Some time later at the auditorium… Prima smiled as she took to the podium. "Trainers and esteemed colleagues, today is most certainly a day to be remembered. It seems that even a veteran such as myself can still learn a few things from the next generation of Pokemon trainers. My opponent has shown to all of us that LEARNING from one's own Pokemon is just as important as teaching them. One should never stop learning as a trainer, for who knows what one can learn from one's Pokemon. I would like to close this convention by telling you to never stop learning. There are far more things to discover about Pokemon and ourselvs as we all strive to become Pokemon masters. Let this boy's performance serve as an example to us all!" There was a thunderous round of applause as Ranma was urged to appear on stage by Prima and the other speakers. The pigtailed boy nervously took to the stage and gave the audience a wave. Raiden was on his shoulder and smiling brightly. Some time later… Ranma huffed and puffed as he hid behind a nearby booth. Raiden was slumped over his shoulder. The two had been dodging reporters and admirers all afternoon. Dozens of trainers had been following him around, begging for him to teach them his secrets. They just wouldn't leave him alone. Leaping to heights of thirty feet to escape them only caused more excitement and made his pursuers even more determined. He had been challenged to no less than fifty Pokemon battles. Sometimes he would battle their Pokemon, and sometimes his Pokemon would fight. It wasn't long before he and his Pokemon were ready to collapse from exhaustion. Ranma had finally managed to find a moment of peace and was more than ready to leave Stone Town and head off to the next Pokemon Gym. Wildfire had not been used and should be ready to run again. He was so tired as he took out Wildfire's Pokeball, that he didn't notice someone approaching him. "I know what it's like, being famous." Ranma looked up and saw Prima as she was ready to leave as well. He nodded toward her as he held out his hand. "It was a pleasure meeting with you and it was a really great battle." "Yes, well if Team Rocket had not interfered then you would have won. It's been a long time since I had a challenge as good as that one." Prima shook his hand and then gestured for him to walk with him. "Hey, you were pretty good too. So are you leaving now?" "Yes, I'm heading back to the Orange Islands. My car is waiting for me to take me back to the ship. Before I leave, I would like to talk to you." "What about?" "I was very amazed at your Pokemon and you. You seem to be on a much different level than most trainers and even some masters. What's your secret?" Ranma thought for a moment then shrugged. "There isn't any secret. Like you said, I just learned from my Pokemon as they learned from me." "But how…?" Ranma held up a hand and replied, "It's a long story and some of it you'd never believe if I told you. I just… go by a philosophy of learning from Raiden and the others as I train with them." "Train with them? You mean train them." "No, I mean TRAIN WITH THEM. I don't believe in putting my Pokemon through any kind of training that I'm not willing to go through. I learned how to do Pokemon attacks the same way that they learned how to do new attacks. I know that doesn't make much sense but…" "Actually, it makes a lot of sense." Prima said while nodding. "If you really do train WITH your Pokemon, then I can understand why they are so willing to give you their best efforts. You have understood them by undergoing the same hardships they endure as they learn from you. You really have comprehended the way your Pokemon feel and think, even more so than I have with mine." "Uh… I guess… I never thought of it that way." Prima gave him another smile as she reached into her purse and took out a small object. "Here." "Uh… what's this?" Ranma looked down at the item that Prima handed to him. It was a small badge that seemed to be made of coral and was shaped like a star. In its center was a bright white gemstone. "That is the Diamond Staryu Badge. As a high-ranking member of the Orange League, I am authorized to award special badges that have the same standing as winning against a gym leader. In recognition of your extraordinary skills as a trainer and the only one in over ten years to have defeated me, I am proud to present you with this badge." "But I didn't beat you and…" "You would have. That Eruption Blast Attack of your Sandslash's would have finished my Cloyster. You shouldn't be so modest. You earned that badge. I haven't given out a badge in very long time." Ranma was speechless for a long time before nodding his assent. "Thank you." "You're welcome, Ranma. Well, it's time for me to get going. If you ever come to the Orange Archipelago, look me up on Mandarin Island. I promise that I'll give you a much better match." "I'll look forward to it." Ranma said as he shook her hand. As he waved goodbye to Prima, Ranma was unaware that two girls had suddenly spotted him and were now running toward him. "Ranma!" To be continued… Author's notes Whoa! That has got to be the longest chapter to FOP I have ever written! Stay tuned for chapter twelve!