The Wraith of Blaze #2: Pokemon League Final Tournament Written by Razorclaw X (spiceoflife@IEATSPAMhotmail.com) http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/pokemon/index.html Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo. Proper licenses belong to respective properties and characters. This file may be freely distributed so long as it appears in its complete form and proper credit is given. No part may be reproduced in part or whole for monetary/personal gain without permission from the author. Fair question: who is Cinder? Fanart can be found at: http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/fanart/index.html ------------------------------------------------ Erika never turned away from the sole potted plant in the room when the attendant announced that a letter had come for her. For a brief moment, the Gym Leader despised the servants, as this time her meditation was shattered. Sighing heavily, she hardly saw the good in being born to wealth. Some malicious remarks insinuated that she gained control of the Celadon Gym by her money alone. In her traveling trainer days Erika remembered being ridiculed by those who knew of her descent, and her rich parents, citing that it wasn't the place of a lady such as she to walk around like that. For the most part it was hogwash, but eventually she did find travel hard and boring. She remembered proving herself in the Pokemon League that same year she decided to stop traveling. Scoring high in the final rounds Erika won the right to open her own gym in Celadon City, the closest town to her family's estates. That was all three years ago, which gave Erika a good idea what was in the contents of the letter. Standing to her feet, waving around the sleeves of her kimono about while shaking her hands, Erika walked to the table where the letter lay. Picking it up, she read the addresses carefully, assuring herself that it was indeed from the Pokemon League. Erika slid her index finger through the top of the envelope, opening it quickly. Unfolding the letter, the Gym Leader's suspicions were proven to be true. Every three years the local Pokemon League held a special League tournament. While the tournament was no different from any of the other annual tournaments, this one was quite special. For, every three years, the gym status of the local gyms were thrown into the mosh pit, where only the best would come out with their pride intact. In effect, the Gym Leaders were forced to fight to maintain their gym status. The Gym Leader sighed. "Two weeks time is never enough," she told herself. She set the letter down, revealing the preliminary 'guest' list under it. Only a page long, the list consisted of the names of all the Gym Leaders in the local League, most of which Erika recognized, having met quite a few of them. There were many gyms, but only eight gyms were widely- recognized by trainers, her own gym included. Glancing over the names and gyms once again, Erika deduced that the gyms for Pewter and Cerulean were in danger of losing their gym status, as she learned that both gyms have become lax in the recent months. Then again, the Cerulean Gym was quite lax for years; it was a wonder that nobody decided to wrestle gym status from them in a formal duel. The Cinnabar Gym, she remembered reading, was torn down at one point, but suddenly reappeared, much tougher than ever to beat. And then Erika remembered something else. She smiled. "I guess it's time to meet up with some old friends." Two Weeks Later Ash and Pikachu stood in awed wonderment as they stood outside the Pokemon League Arena. Hundreds of trainers from the local area gathered every year to the annual tournament held by the Pokemon League to determine the best trainers, while many thousands of people joined in the spectacle, cheering on. Only those who have proven themselves by collecting eight gym badges could hope to compete in the League tournament-- but then, only 256 of those could actually compete in the eight-round elimination. He looked down at Pikachu with nostalgia in his eyes. Even if conquering the Orange League certainly made him one of the best, Ash remembered leaving this League in only sixteenth place. Leaving it at that, at his own home League, was just not good enough. "We've come a long way, Pikachu," he told the little monster. "And this time, I'm coming home as the best!" "ASH!!" Both he and Pikachu looked over their shoulders at the source of the voice. "Hey, Brock!" Ash shouted, waving. The Pokemon breeder looked no different from when he and Ash parted a year ago in order to continue his studies. "I should've known that you'd come back here!" "Yeah...." A though hit Ash. "Hey, did you hear about the Orange League?" Brock nodded. "Sure did. Sorry I couldn't go and see it, but I've... been busy." "Well, then I'm glad you're here now." "Actually, Ash, that's not the reason why I'm here." The Pokemon breeder reached into his pants pocket and produced a letter. "You see, I've got to do a favor for my dad." Ash took the letter from his friend's hand, scanning it over quickly. "Gym Leaders have to fight to keep their status?" "Mmmhmm." Brock accepted the letter back, folding it carefully. "You know when I left two years ago that my dad took over running the gym, right? Well, he really can't come to Indigo Plateau and leave all my brothers and sisters behind, too...." "I don't see why he couldn't have just brought them along." "Well... actually, he IS." "Then you're here to cheer him on?" Brock shook his head. "Actually, no. I'm here to take his place in the tournament." Ash's eyes widened in surprise. "You came all the way back here just to fight for your dad?" "No. The League throws open the gyms every three years. I knew about that, and I came here myself. I know Dad isn't a good trainer, so I told him I'd do it for him." "That's cool of you, Brock." He smiled. "I guess we might be competing against each other, huh?" "Probably," Brock replied, his spirits lifting. "Say, have you seen Misty lately? I thought she was traveling with you." "We parted at Cerulean City," Ash explained. "She said she had something to take care of, and that I should go ahead." The Pokemon breeder rubbed his chin in thought. "She's likely doing the same thing I'm doing; fighting in place of her sisters. In either case, I'll bet she'll be here sooner or later." "I guess you're right." Ash barely felt Pikachu tugging at his pants leg when he felt a surge of oppression behind him. Turning suddenly, his eyes met an unending darkness. He looked up what turned out to be a dark, flowing robe, and two red, burning eyes staring down at him. The face concealed under the darkness of the robe's hood, the man's left eye appeared more circular, and more brighter, than the other. "Out of the way," a grating, deep voice demanded. A steel claw, balled into a fist, landed squarely in Ash's gut. As Brock and Pikachu supported their friend, the dark- robed man passed by silently, uttering no sound. When the oppression passed, Ash's eyes watched the man with anger. "W...who was that?" "Whoever he is," Brock said, "he certainly wasn't very nice!" "Pika...." agreed Pikachu. All three felt another presence before them, but instead of an oppressiveness, they felt a calmness. The newcomer, a girl, stood there, sympathy in her eyes. "Are you alright?" the girl asked. "I remember you," Brock said. "You're Erika from the Celadon City Gym." Erika nodded. "And you're Brock." She turned to Ash, with a slight smile. "You must be Ash. I remember you, now." "How's it goin'?" Ash replied, not sure if he was still in pain. The girl's eyes turned to follow the dark-robed man. "I see you met Cinder." "'Cinder?'" Ash repeated, jerking up in surprise. "You KNOW him?" "Don't let it get to you; he's nice once you get to know him," Erika suggested. Waving, she said, "Good luck in the tournament!" Ash, Brock, and Pikachu stared after the girl, who joined the dark-robed man in some sort of pleasant conversation. The man bowed respectfully to the gym leader, puzzling Ash greatly. "How do you suppose someone like her knows someone like HIM?" he wondered. "I see you've been well since we've last me," Cinder said as he walked beside the Gym Leader girl. "I told you I'd be at the League," Erika said, "and I see you made it, as well." "After our parting, defeating the others was a simple matter," the dark-robed man explained. "I can see now why gyms must compete to maintain their status; a few of them have become quite complacent." Erika nodded. "I haven't actually done so hot myself these days. Sometimes I wonder if I should spend more time tending a garden than training Pokemon." "If it is your calling, you will find it." The Gym Leader looked over her shoulder, back where she left Ash and Brock. "You know... that kid you beat up? I think he's the one." Cinder snorted, which sounded similar to a rush of air in an empty duct. "He is the Orange League champion." "Really? I didn't know that...." "He's also here to gratify his ego." "I'm not sure about that...." "And I look forward to crushing him in the final round." "Provided you get that far." "I WILL get that far, and so shall he. I can feel it." Erika shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. I've only got to make it to the sixth round to guarantee myself my gym status." Although the champions of the tournament were first in line to pick up gym status, oftentimes many champions declined, giving away their spots to others who were eagerly waiting. The top eight spots were guaranteed to those who made it as far as the sixth round, and those left over were given to the next tier down, and so on, until all the spots have been filled. She only made it to the sixth elimination round the first time, and Erika wanted to make sure to get there again. "The higher I rank in the finals," Cinder said, "the more likely the Pokemon League will listen to my case." "Even if they do, that doesn't mean they can do anything about it," Erika pointed out. "Perhaps not," admitted the dark-robed man. "However, the status would grant me a voice to other trainers, and they will listen to me because I will have won." "That's true." "But, for now, that dream shall have to wait," Cinder decided. Changing the subject, he said, "How fares Dratini since we parted?" Erika produced a Pokeball from her sleeves. "He's doing just fine. I'm not sure when he's supposed to evolve." "Evolution will come when it comes," Cinder assured her. "So you trust him enough to bring him to battle?" The girl nodded. "I think I'm going to need all the help I can get." Giovanni sat back in his seat, stroking Persian with his right hand. The Pokemon cat lay stretched out on top of the desk lazily, yet eyed Meowth with contempt while his master faced-off with Meowth's partners. Jessie and James, fear in their faces, hung on to every word of the boss of Team Rocket. "This year marks the third year," the boss said, holding up a letter with his free hand. "Therefore, I will be leaving for the Pokemon League to secure myself a gym deed." "What's this got to do with us?" Meowth asked. "Holding Pokemon gyms gives Team Rocket the opportunity to look out for new recruits, as well as find rare and unusual Pokemon," Giovanni explained. "But, Team Rocket is no longer content with holding but one gym. No, we need at least another." "But, Boss," James said, "even if... I mean, when you do win, you can only lay claim over ONE gym." Giovanni chuckled at the slow wit of his lackey. "And, as you can tell by simply being here, you three are going to be involved in HELPING me securing another gym deed." "But these guys are born losers!" Meowth pointed out, just before Jessie kicked him. "I've anticipated your failings," the boss replied, folding his hands in his lap. "And, to make up for that, I'm sending you three a new partner." Leaning forward on the desk, Giovanni punched a button on the speaker phone. "Send him in," he ordered. Behind the Team Rocket members the door to Giovanni's office opened, revealing a young man dressed in the black Team Rocket uniform. He wore his hat low, partially concealing his eyes, over his cropped brown hair, but there was no mistake to anyone in the room that this man was experienced. And mean. "Allow me to introduce... Billy!" the boss announced, standing to his feet. Billy nodded to the boss, then peered at his fellow Rocket members with contempt. "You want me to 'rope them?!" "Don't be an idiot!" Giovanni yelled, slamming a fist on the desk. "I want you to WORK with them!" The black-clad Rocket snorted. "You've got to be kidding. I work alone." "And THAT's why I've given you this assignment!" "Well, isn't he the loner," Jessie whispered to James. "The four of you," Giovanni said, grabbing the attentions of all the Rockets, "will enter the tournament representing Team Rocket. Your ONLY goal is to secure a gym deed; this is not the time to chase after rare Pokemon. If you approach me at any time during the tournament, you will be ignored, for my affiliation with Team Rocket must remain hidden." Leaning back in his seat, he said, "Billy will be in charge for the duration of the mission." "WHAT?!" Jessie, James, and Meowth cried out in unison. Billy slapped himself on the face. "I will be expecting PROGRESS," the boss added, "and failure is not an option. Do you understand?" The Rockets were all nods. "Excellent. The tournament starts tomorrow, and I expect you all to be there. If there is nothing else, I'll be on my way." Reaching for a button on the desk, Giovanni's seat, on a rotating floor, switched around the wall behind him, leaving the four Rockets alone in the office. "Pfff, well," Billy started, "I suppose we'd better move." Before the three could say anything, the black Rocket added, "Ah yes, one thing. Give me your Pokemon." "No way!" Jessie protested. "Yeah!" agreed James. "You should have your own!" Billy approached the defiant Rockets coldly. "If this mission is to succeed, you two will NOT be participating in the tournament! So hand over Arbok and Weezing." Reluctantly, the two complied. Staring down at Meowth, the black Rocket said, "If you know what's good for you, you'd better get in a Pokeball." The three Rockets watched their new leader turn to walk out. Meowth unsheathed his claws in anger. "Who does that guy think he is?!" the cat yelled. "If he thinks I'm gettin' in one of those Pokeballs...." "Don't be so down, Meowth," Jessie said. "Yes," agreed James. "Besides... he only told us to hand over Arbok and Weezing...." Meowth's eyes flashed wide in surprise. "That's right! He didn't say nothin' about me!" Both Jessie and James produced one Pokeball each, their expressions all grins. "We still have OTHER Pokemon!" Jessie said devilishly. Ash, Brock, and Pikachu stood at the entrance to the banquet hall in awe. The Pokemon League, on the night before officially kicking-off the tournament, held a party for the trainers to unwind. Trainers from all across the country gathered in large, underground room, with tables filled with food that stretched to tiny specks at the other end of the hall. "This place is bigger than I remembered it," Ash admitted, taking the first steps into the hall. Brock looked around, his face passing from trainer-to- trainer as he followed Ash and Pikachu. "I don't see Misty, or anyone else we know, yet." "Well, it IS a pretty big hall," the younger boy pointed out. "And there are almost three-hundred people here." "I've been to places larger than this, and it was easy to spot someone I knew," the Pokemon breeder replied. "Hey, Kid!" Both Ash and Brock turned their heads toward the source of the voice. Two men and a girl stood by one of the tables, drinks in each of their hands. One of the men, a bald gentleman dressed in a white coat, waved the two over. "It's Blaine!" Ash said in recognition. "And that's Koga and Sabrina," Brock added. The two boys approached the three Gym Leaders, and were greeted with camaraderie. "You're looking fine, Kid," Blaine said, extending his hand. Ash accepted the handshake. "Nice to see you, too." "You guys are probably here....?" Brock said. Koga nodded. "I suspected as much." "That certainly is a good reason," Sabrina said, "but it's hardly the only reason why I'm here." "Then... what are you doing here?" asked Ash. The girl folded her arms. "In particular, I'm waiting to challenge the Wraith of Cinnabar Island." Blaine nodded. "THAT one was a nasty trainer." "The 'Wraith of Cinnabar Island?'" repeated Ash. Brock whispered into Ash's ear, "I've heard stories that there was a guy from Cinnabar Island running around kidnapping Gym Leaders. The police caught up with him at Celadon City, but they couldn't catch him, even if they did rescue the Gym Leaders." "I didn't hear of that," admitted Ash. "You'd better believe it's real, Kid," Blaine said. "After I got back to Cinnabar Island it turned out that he let loose ALL of my Pokemon!" "The same here," Koga added. "And he took off with one of my Venomoths, which I assume he still has." "I never had that problem," Sabrina said. "My Pokemon were loyal enough to remain in place even when set free." "Commonly, the crook has no name," the Fuchsia City Gym Leader said, "but to us alone he is called 'Cinder.'" "'Cinder?!'" both Ash and Brock exclaimed. "You've met him?" asked the Saffron Gym Leader. "Well... maybe someone with that name," Ash blurted. "Pika, pika," Pikachu said in support. "Well, then," Sabrina decided, "I suppose it's up to US to get rid of him!" "Don't you think you ought to relax?" suggested Brock. "You might get your chance in the tournament." "Brock's right," agreed Blaine. "Tonight... we celebrate!" He raised his cup of punch in the air, as the others followed suit, Brock grabbing a cup of his own. "To renewed deeds!" Ash's attention wandered as Brock joined in on the Gym Leaders' conversation. Feeling a bit left out, knowing that the four of them shared something in common that he couldn't be a part of, the Pokemon trainer scanned the room, looking around for other familiar faces. His eyes stopped when he recognized one of the last people he expected to see at the tournament. "Gary?" Ash called to the other boy, whose back was turned. Seemingly oblivious to Ash's presence, Gary Oak stood alone, a cup of punch in his hand, seemingly staring out at nothing. When his call went unanswered, Ash walked toward his former rival, Pikachu following behind. "Gary?" The trainer turned around, a lost expression on his face. Gary peered carefully at Ash before words found their way to his lips. "Ash?" Regaining his composure, he added, "It's been a while." "Yeah," Ash agreed. For a few moments, only silence passed between the two former rivals. Ash recalled the last time the two had seen each other, during the previous year's Pokemon League tournament. Gary had lost in the fourth elimination round to the challenger that Ash later beat on his own. Ash ended up losing in the fifth elimination round, coming in sixteenth place overall in the tournament. He forgot to check where Gary had placed. After the tournament, the two trainers never saw each other, and Ash assumed that Gary's pride was shattered at such an early loss. "I see you're going to try again," Ash said, breaking the tense silence. Gary nodded. "I've had a lot of time to think about my technique and all...." He chuckled nervously. "I hear you won in the Orange League." Ash's face flushed in embarrassment. "Uh... yeah.... How'd you hear about that?" "From my grandfather, of course. Looks like you got to be the big shot, after all. He's practically your number one fan these days." Turning to leave, Gary half-heartedly waved. "Gary...?" Ash whispered, too dumbfounded to stop him. Misty sat alone in the open-air Pokemon arena, staring out at nothing as she held Togepi in her arms. Seated near the top of the stadium, the few stragglers that wandered below were like ants to the girls' vision. She sighed, cursing her rotten luck. "Excuse me?" The girl's attentions turned to a point slightly below her field of vision, where another girl stood, looking up at her. The newcomer walked up the steps to Misty's level, standing, staring down at her. "Hi, Erika," Misty greeted, trying to force cheeriness into her voice. "I assume you saw the spreadsheet?" Erika guessed, taking a seat next to Misty. She nodded. "It's just not fair! There's no way I can win this for my sisters if...." "The most you can do is your best," suggested the Gym Leader. "My best wasn't good enough last time!" Misty protested. "Perhaps," Erika admitted. "But.... You're not officially a Gym Leader, right?" Misty nodded. "Technically, it's my mom. But she's...." "I see." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well, then, I can only offer you one piece of advice, from one Gym Leader to another: if you go into every battle thinking that you'll lose, then you'll lose. But, if you just grit your teeth and give it your best... sometimes, things work out." "But, I'm not a Gym Leader...." Misty protested. "Not even if who you're facing is the best Pokemon trainer out there!" Erika interrupted, getting up to her feet. "Now, you can sit there and lose, or get up and win it for your sisters!" For a moment, the Gym Leader stood there, almost expecting a response. She turned and descended the steps, but before Erika was half-way down the steps she turned. "Oh yeah," she said, "I almost forgot. Brock told me that your friend Ash is looking for you. He's down in the banquet hall with the other Gym Leaders. Aren't you going to see him?" For a moment, Misty wanted to say something, but held back. No, she didn't want to see him. "I see," Erika said with a sigh, then turned to leave. Misty was left to contemplate alone with Togepi. James and Meowth finally stuck the last tent pole into its proper slot just as Jessie returned with two more sleeping bags. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, James complained, "To think, we're actually going to sleep IN a tent for once!" "I'm surprised you figured out how to put it up," Jessie admitted. "But, where is our... 'boss?'" "Who cares!" Meowth said. "The longer he's outta here, the longer we've got time to ourselves!" "He has been rather tough on us," agreed James. "He's probably hiding in the balloon, playing with that stupid pocket game again!" Jessie declared. "All Billy ever does is give orders and play that game!" At that moment the ground under the girl collapsed, revealing a cylinder-like hole. Jessie yelped in surprise, but her fall was cut short when she was propelled upward into the air. From the hole, Arbok slithered out, followed by Billy, his black uniform covered with dirt. Gathering herself from the ground, Jessie was instantly in Billy's face. "What's the meaning of this, using MY Pokemon like that?!" "What d'you think I'm doing?!" Billy shot back. "I'm getting familiar with your lame-brained beasts!" "Arbok may be a lame-brain, but he's MY lame-brain!" she yelled, fists raised. Both James and Meowth were struggling to hold her back. Billy shrugged, recalling Arbok back into its Pokeball. "Other than that... I managed to... doctor the fighting list to our favor." "Really?" Meowth said, somewhat surprised. The black Rocket nodded. "It will appear as a natural course of nature, but I made sure that more than one Gym Leader will suffer from a terrible loss!" "Ooohh, you're good, 'boss!'" James praised. "Now, while it's good that we shower me so, I want to get some shut-eye," Billy announced, heading for the tent. Unzipping the tent, he peered inside. "Where's the sleeping bags?!" Smiling to themselves knowingly, Jessie, James, and Meowth threw the sleeping bags at their 'boss,' forcing him into the tent face-first. According to Pokemon League tournament rules, each trainer brought all their Pokemon with them, in order to compete using all of them, if necessary, in battle. To that end, a large computer database was maintained at the Indigo Plateau Pokemon Center to juggle with the accounts of multiple trainers. While security was always an issue, the measures set here were far superior to any other Pokemon Center, utilizing the latest technologies to prevent hackers, virii, and Pokemon thieves from affecting trainers. However, for as many Pokemon an individual trainer could bring with him, only three were allowed to be used in any elimination battle. This rule was common in the numerous gyms in the area, so most trainers would be familiar with the official tournaments. It also made Pokemon selection a careful process, for, unlike gym battles, a battle in the tournament was for keeps; there were no second chances given. Ash swallowed as he stood in the stadium battlefield, and Pikachu, standing by his side, lowered his ears sadly. He looked around himself, to the heavy crowd all around the stadium. The crowd hardly made the experienced trainer worried; it was his opponent that was doing that. Misty, standing opposite Ash on the stadium field, appeared just as nervous. "Sorry, Ash," she yelled from across the field. Wishing he hadn't picked Pikachu to do battle, Ash yelled back, "I'm sorry, too." The problem, of course, was that Misty preferred water- type Pokemon over all others. Water was weak to attacks of electrical nature, which equated to Pikachu. "I'm not going to hold back!" she yelled, more determined than ever. "You just watch, Ash!" "I can't hold back, either," Ash whispered to himself sadly. Without further waiting, Misty wound up and pitched her first Pokeball into the battlefield. "Starmie, GO!!" Ash, instead of ordering Pikachu into the battle, threw a Pokeball of his own. "Go, Snorlax!" The heavy Pokemon, Snorlax, obscured Ash's vision of the battlefield, forcing the trainer to run to the side to see. True to its nature, and to Ash's dismay, Snorlax was asleep. Misty was first to attack, ordering, "Starmie, use a Psychic attack!" A blue beam shot from Starmie's crystal center, zapping the slumbering Snorlax. However, Snorlax hardly seemed to notice this, as it continued to sleep. Shaking his head, Ash pleaded, "Wake up, Snorlax!" With a mighty yawn, the gigantic Pokemon obeyed his master's order, just as Starmie launched another Psychic attack. Struggling to sit up, Snorlax threw a wild punch at Starmie, sending it flying out of the battlefield. "Snorlax is the winner!" the announcer declared. Gritting her teeth in anger, Misty recalled Starmie back into its Pokeball. Producing another one, she threw it into the field. "Dewgong, GO!!" As soon as Dewgong materialized, Misty ordered, "Use your Aurora Beam!" Opening its mouth, a beam of white light lanced out at Snorlax. Ice and frost began forming on Snorlax's belly, and Ash realized that his Pokemon was being frozen by the Aurora Beam. "Dewgong is the winner!" the announcer said. "Snorlax, return!" Ash called, recalling the gigantic Pokemon. Throwing his second Pokeball into the field, he yelled, "Your turn, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur materialized on the battlefield, and stared down Dewgong menacingly. "Use your Vine Whip!" ordered Ash. Two leafy vines lashed out from Bulbasaur's back, reaching out to slap Dewgong, but the icy Pokemon dodged the attack easily. Misty laughed. "Don't you think I would've known that you'd do that?" To Dewgong she said, "Aurora Beam!" Bulbasaur, too, was ready for the incoming attack, and jumped up into the air as the beam shot by. "That's it, Bulbasaur!" Ash encouraged. "Now, use your Solar Beam!" Gathering sun rays into the bulb on its back, the grass Pokemon fired a concentrated beam at Dewgong, harming the ice Pokemon greatly. The beam was strong enough in intensity that Dewgong was forced all the way back to Misty's position. "Bulbasaur... wins?!" the announcer said. "Dewgong, return!" the girl said reluctantly as the ice Pokemon rolled humiliatingly toward her. Producing her last Pokeball, she cried, "Go, S...!" But, when the Pokemon emerged from its Pokeball, Misty sighed in frustration as Psyduck leaped out instead. "AAAAGGGHHH!!!" she shouted in frustration. "I can't believe I got the wrong one!" "Hey, that's no problem!" Ash said, realizing that the battle was already his. "All I've got to do is make sure not to give Psyduck a headache! Bulbasuar... tickle him!" "Look, I know it looks bad," Ash said, "but at least you gave it your best shot." He sat across the table from Misty, her head down on the table. Brock sat next to him as the three waited for lunch to be served. Both Pikachu and Togepi were on Misty's side of the table, trying their best to comfort the girl. She raised her head and stared at Ash with tears in her eyes. "I LOST the gym for my sisters! How can it BE okay?!" Misty slammed her head back onto the table. "I think it's just bad luck," Brock offered. "The Pokemon League draws up the battle spreadsheet based upon random pick of the hat." He shrugged. "Who would've guessed that this would happen?" "So how did you do, Brock?" Ash asked. "Better than expected, actually," he replied. "I only really had to use Rhyhorn to win to beat all of the other guy's Pokemon." "You should've just used Pikachu and be done with it," Misty said, her face still down. "C'mon, Misty!" Brock said. "Ash was giving you lots of leeway when he didn't send Pikachu out first! Think about what Pikachu thinks, too!" "Pika...." agreed Pikachu. "We're you're friends," Ash added. "It'll be alright." Raising her head from the table, Misty forced herself to smile. "Thanks, guys." Standing to her feet, she said, "I think I want to be by myself for a while. Watch Togepi for me, won't you?" "Sure thing," Ash replied. Both boys watched Misty exit the cafeteria, just as their meal was served. Grabbing a set of chopsticks, Brock picked up the rice bowl first. "You know, Ash," he said, "I just thought of something you could do for Misty." "What's that?" the other boy asked. "Gym status deeds are usually given out to the champions first," Brock explained. "So, if you can get that far...." "I can win the gym back for Misty!" Ash finished. "Right. All you have to do is get there, and everything'll be fine." "I can't wait to tell her!" "That was ridiculously easy," Billy declared as he stepped out of the stadium, his Rocket lackeys trailing behind him. As part of his work during the previous night Billy, with the help of Arbok's digging abilities, managed to sneak into the Pokemon League tournament headquarters. While nobody was paying attention, particularly since most people were attending the party in the banquet hall, it was a simple matter to stack the competition in Team Rocket's favor, and, at the same time, eliminate a few Gym Leaders for security. The black Rocket purposefully made his own battle simple, while forcing two of the major Gym Leaders to drop-out early on; Misty, who represented the Cerulean City gym, was stacked against the Orange League champion, while Surge of Vermilion City gym was pitted against the Boss Rocket's own ground Pokemon, an easy victory. Billy had no idea if the boss suspected his involvement in the stacking, but if he did the black Rocket hoped the boss was pleased. Several minor Leaders were also eliminated, weeding out the weak. A third major Gym Leader, Blaine from Cinnabar Island, surprisingly managed to defeat his stacked opponent's water Pokemon, however. While the other Gym Leaders succeeded in passing the first elimination round, Billy was certain that not all of them would make it to the sixth elimination round. Meowth, his arm in a sling, and one eye swelled shut, complained, "YOU ain't the one doin' the fighting!" Billy glanced back at Meowth with a smirk. "Using you as a decoy to wear down the opponent's Pokemon was pure brilliance on my part, don't you think? It left my Raticate to finish them off with Super Fang." "He didn't even use MY Pokemon," complained James. Jessie frowned. "And why's THAT a problem?" "It doesn't matter," assured the black Rocket. "For we are well on our way to getting our own gym!" As the sun began to dip low in the horizon, only two customers filled the cafeteria at that time. Erika sat opposite the dark-robed man, Cinder, her finished meal tray before her. She watched the setting sun through the windows as Cinder sat silently, reading the results of the day's tournament battles. "It's surprising that they can do all two-hundred- fifty-six battles into one day," Erika said in wonderment. "The battles are often short, and many battles are often going on at once," Cinder pointed out, running a metallic nail down the list of the remaining 128 trainers. Setting the paper down, the dark-robed man declared, "Giselle was hardly a match for me. Now I remember why I ignored her the first time." "I've never met her myself," Erika said, "but I've heard of her. She's got a Pokemon school." "Yes," Cinder said, nodding. "But, I am somewhat curious about one thing." "What's that?" "The girl you spoke with last night... Misty. In all the laws of probability, she should not have been pitted against her friend so early on. It's far too improbable." "I know, but it does happen," the Gym Leader pointed out. "Something is wrong, I can sense it," Cinder said. "I'll ask Sabrina for you if you...." "No." "I won't tell her it was your idea." "I don't trust her. Don't bring it to her attention." Erika shrugged. "Alright... suit yourself." "So, how did you fare in battle?" he said, changing the subject. "Oh, nothing special, really," Erika began. "I took Tangela, Exeggcute, and Clefairy into the battle with me, and the other guy, Tom, sent out a Charmeleon first. So I sent out Clefairy, because he could've beaten me easily if I used the other two. So I had Clefairy protect herself with Light Screen, and after all the Flamethrowers were through she used Metronome and finished the battle, creating a Surf effect." "Metronome is quite unpredictable," Cinder noted. "You were lucky." "Yeah. Anyway, so Tom sent out Dodrio, then I recalled Clefairy and sent out Exeggcute. Drill Peck was quite ineffective because Exeggcute is a bunch of eggs. I told him to use Egg Bomb, and that worked out fine." "The last monster he sent out was Marowak, which I defeated easily with Tangela's Mega Drain." "It sounds as if the match was entirely in your favor," Cinder said. "If I hadn't had Clefairy the battle would've been over very quick," Erika pointed out. "I seem to attract fire-type trainers a lot." "Only one solution to that; would you like to borrow the services of 'my' monsters?" The Gym Leader stared at the dark-robed man in surprise. "Are you sure you won't need them?" "I have more than enough confidence in any of 'my' monsters," he assured her, withdrawing five Pokeballs. He lay each on the table gently in a row. Pointing to the first ball, Cinder said, "A most faithful warrior... Pinsir." To the second ball, "Ancient blades of ancient rock... Kabutops." To the third ball, "A flame that burns unlike any other... Magmar." To the fourth ball, "To chill with deadly precision... Cloyster." Finally to the fifth ball, "Annihilation by the heavens... Electabuzz." Erika accepted all five Pokeballs graciously, bowing respectfully. "I'll take care of them as if they were my own." "I expected as much," the dark-robed man said, satisfied. Gary Oak was hardly surprised to see another man standing in the empty stadium. As the stars were already in the sky, the moon high in orbit, many trainers were indoors, probably sleeping early or preparing themselves somehow. This guy mustn't be able to sleep, either, Gary thought. Feeling somewhat conversational, Gary walked closer to the man, who was throwing a Pokeball up in the air, then catching it with the same hand. His blonde hair was cropped neatly, in military-style, going along with the marine clothing he wore. "Lt. Surge," Gary said. Surge turned to face the newcomer, still tossing the Pokeball. "Looking sharp, soldier," he said rigidly. "Yes, sir," he replied with a mock salute. "I didn't think I'd see you again so soon, soldier." "I couldn't sleep." "Better to lie down with your eyes open." Gary said nothing. "You want to know a secret, soldier?" "Huh?" "Pay attention when I address you! I didn't call you out here for nothing!" "Yes, sir." "I did some checking," Surge explained. "Remember I told you earlier that the list seemed to have changed at the last minute?" Gary nodded. He remembered from the party the previous night that Surge had made it a point to tell him that they would be competing together in the fifth round, if both of them did well. However, the following morning, Surge's standing in the list was moved to another branch, and in the end the Gym Leader lost. "I checked with the League regulators, and they never remembered changing it." The boy shrugged. "That could mean a lot of things." "That's what I thought," agreed the Gym Leader. "Then I decided to check the security cameras from last night, when the changes were made. Lots of blank gaps." "Tampering?" "Smart, soldier." He tossed the Pokeball into the air once more. "Now that I'm already out, I can't expose this myself, or someone will call it to suspicion. Politicians would say I was making excuses. You keep your eyes open." "Uh, okay," Gary said, nodding with confusion. "That's what I like to hear, soldier!" Surge yelled. "You keep your eyes peeled, and I'll see what I can come up with." "Don't be ridiculous!" Blaine exclaimed, placing his cards face-down on the poker table. "There's no way I'm playing a game with YOU!" Sabrina smirked as she took a seat between Koga and Giovanni, opposite Blaine. "I didn't come here to play cards, boys...." Only the lamp hanging over the poker table illuminated the dark room the four Gym Leaders used for their own recreation. It was a room in the compound reserved for Very Important Persons, and the Gym Leaders qualified for that. Blaine sat at the dealer's end of the circle table, wearing the hat to go along with it. To his right sat Giovanni, who owned the largest pile of chips. His pet Persian, never far from him, sat in the Gym Leader's lap, peeking a head just barely over the edge of the table. Opposite Giovanni sat Koga, owning the smallest pile of chips. Several darts were pinned to the table, each marking a losing hand. The Saffron City Gym Leader knew for a fact that the three Gym Leaders were regular card players as well as old friends, being the eldest among their number. And it was no surprise when she was directed to this table when inquiring about them. Giovanni's Persian mewed angrily. "It seems time for play can wait," the cat's owner said, putting down his own hand face-down. "What is it?" asked Koga, following the lead of the other two Gym Leaders. "I don't know about the rest of you," Sabrina started, "but I think this tournament was specifically-designed against us." "So what else is new?" Giovanni said with a snarl. "Most trainers know what we use already." "Exactly the point," Sabrina replied. "You all know that two of our number already lost because of the inability to adapt." "But I succeeded," Koga pointed out. "A fluke," Giovanni said. "Skill," corrected the ninja Gym Leader. "I see what you're saying here," Blaine said, scratching his chin. "If we want to keep our jobs, we're going to have to put a little more variety into our Pokemon selections." Sabrina nodded. "My Psychic Pokemon pose less of a problem, since they are all-powerful." "And I already have a wide selection of Pokemon to my disposal," Giovanni added. To Koga and Blaine he said, "You two lack any variety." "Not for long," Blaine replied. "I've already wired back to my gym, and they're already sending me a few more non-fire Pokemon to use." "I've done the same," Koga said. "Then bringing this to your attentions was meaningless on my part," Sabrina concluded. "All three of you already figured it out." "But we do appreciate your concern," the Viridian Gym Leader offered with a plastic smile. A thought occurred to his mind. "I suggest we dispense with monetary bets and allow our concerned hostess a hand?" "Oh, very well," Blaine decided, grabbing all the cards. "Chips aren't backed by money this time around." Throwing a pile of chips to Sabrina's end of the table, the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader began to shuffle the deck. "Five Card Stud, nothing wild...." And, glaring directly at the Psychic Gym Leader, "And no psychic powers!" Sabrina feigned surprise. "Me?" Both Koga and Giovanni laughed heartily, while Blaine was seeing red. As the dealer began dealing cards, Giovanni remarked, "I hear much talk from you three about someone named 'Cinder?'" "You never met him?" Koga asked, raising an eyebrow. The Viridian Gym Leader shook his head. "Perhaps he never came to my gym, and collected other badges." "Then you've seen him?" persisted the ninja. "You can't miss a man concealing himself in robes such as that!" Giovanni answered. "True enough," Sabrina said flatly, grabbing her cards from the table one at a time. "Anyone know which of us lucky ones are going to get the rematch fight?" "'Rematch,' eh?" "He beat us soundly, you know," Blaine admitted. Giovanni rubbed his chin while stroking Persian's back. "I might want to meet this trainer face-to-face." "Only if you want to forfeit early," Koga replied, sorting out his cards. "We'll see about that." Persian mewed in agreement. The Gym Leader set down two cards on the table. "Two." Sabrina set down three cards while Koga and Blaine put down two of their own. Blaine dealt out the new cards. "You're awfully confident," she said. "Incidentally, I'm going to be the one who ends up fighting him. Raise thirty." Blaine threw in more chips as the other two did the same. "Not from what I've seen. Are you basing it off the current list, or the old list? Raise fifty." "The new one, of course. Not until late, though I'm going to pay him a visit even sooner than that. I call your fifty, and raise forty more." Koga shook his head, throwing his cards on the table. "Planning on fighting him before the actual match?" Giovanni grinned. "Overconfident, girl. I'll see to that." He threw more chips in the pot. "Same here," Blaine said. Smirking, Sabrina set down her hand. "Flush." Giovanni shook his head, his grin much larger than before. Setting down his own cards, he announced, "Full House." In anger, Blaine tossed his cards on the table as Giovanni raked in the pot. "How does he do that?!" "Never bet against me!" answered the Viridian Gym Leader. "Just be happy that money didn't count in this game, otherwise you'll be going home in a freight train." "This also proves I wasn't using my powers," Sabrina pointed out. Blaine shook his head, throwing his arms up in the air. "You two kids are welcome to each other! Crazy conspiracy, if you ask me!" "Careful what you wish for, dear Blaine," cautioned Giovanni, "or perhaps it just might come true...." ------------------------------------------------ Author's Notes Basically, timeline-wise, this occurs after Ash completes the Orange League. Well, there is a gray area around those circumstances, so I'm going out on a limb and saying he came back proud. In either case he does return from the Southern Islands according to the episode lists, but it pretty much diverges around that point. In addition, a changed Gary has returned as well, who was noticeably absent from the series after his defeat in the Pokemon League. All eight Gym Leaders have returned as well, giving this tournament a bit more interesting edge as expert trainers duke-it-out to the end. Team Rocket is here, of course, along with the Wraith of Blaze himself... Cinder. The first day of tournaments is already done... but what of the next seven rounds? Will Ash be able to win back the Cerulean Gym? What will Cinder and Surge do, now that they suspect foul play? And will Team Rocket get away with its nefarious plans? Stay tuned.... ---------POKEMON ROSTER---------- Name: Ash Ketchum (Orange League Champion) Pokemon: Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Snorlax Stored: Tauros, Kingler, Muk, etc. Name: Gary Oak (Professor Oaks' grandson) Pokemon: Blastoise, Nidoking, Arcanine, Pidgeot, Exeggutor, Alakazam Stored: Kingler, Fearow, Rhydon, Jolteon, Sandslash, Gyarados, Cloyster, Magneton, Ninetails, etc. Name: Cinder (The Wraith of Blaze) Pokemon: Scyther, Kingler, Venomoth, Omastar, Aerodactyl, Scorpin (new; see below) Stored: Pinsir, Tentacruel, Beedrill, Kabutops, Parasect, Electabuzz, Magmar, Cloyster, etc. Name: Brock (Rock Gym) Pokemon: Graveler, Geodude, Onix, Vulpix, Zubat, Rhyhorn Name: Misty (Water Gym) Pokemon: Staryu, Starmie, Togepi, Psyduck, Goldeen, Dewgong Name: Lt. Surge (Electric Gym) Pokemon: Raichu, Electrode, Electabuzz, Magneton, Raticate Name: Erika (Grass Gym) Pokemon: Gloom, Victreebel, Tangela, Ivysaur, Exeggcute Stored: Vileplume, Clefairy, Wigglytuff, Dratini Name: Sabrina (Psychic Gym) Pokemon: Alakazam, Kadabra, Hypno, Mr. Mime, Porygon, Jynx Stored: Slowbro, Exeggutor, Abra Name: Koga (Poison Gym) Pokemon: Venomoth, Venonat, Golbat, Voltorb, Muk, Weezing Stored: Weepingbell, Tentacruel, Sandslash, Fearow, Ditto Name: Blaine (Fire Gym) Pokemon: Arcanine, Rapidash, Magmar, Ninetails, Rhydon Stored: Dewgong, Dodrio, Tangela, Porygon, Grimer, Koffing Name: Giovanni (Ground Gym; Team Rocket) Pokemon: Persian, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Dugtrio, Rhydon Stored: Kingler, Machamp, Cloyster, Gyarados, etc. Name: Jessie and James (Team Rocket) Pokemon: Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung, Victreebel, Meowth Name: Billy (Team Rocket) Pokemon: Raticate, Farfetch'd, Tauros Name: Lorelei (Ice Elite) Pokemon: Slowbro, Cloyster, Jynx, Lapras, Dewgong Name: Bruno (Fighting Elite) Pokemon: Onix, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Machamp, Poliwrath Name: Agatha (Ghost Elite) Pokemon: Gengar, Haunter, Golbat, Arbok, Ghastly Name: Lance (Dragon Elite) Pokemon: Gyarados, Dragonair, Dragonite, Aerodactyl, Charizard, Dratini ---------POKEDEX ENTRY----------- Basic Pokemon Scorpin Scorpion Pokemon Bug/Ground No. 693, Level 7; Evolves at Level 25 (Skullpin) Length: ???',???", Weight: ??? lbs. Skill Level ----- ----- Scratch - Sand Attack - Poison Stinger 8 * Swords Dance 15 Twineedle 21 * Slash 28 * Earthquake 36 * Guillotine 48 It's stinger and pincers are made of stainless steel. Wears a strange reptilian helmet of unknown origin. --------------------------------- ---------POKEDEX ENTRY----------- First Stage Pokemon Skullpin Scorpion Pokemon Bug/Ground No. 694, Level 15; Evolves at Level 40 (Bradel) Length: ???',???", Weight: ??? lbs. Skill Level ----- ----- Scratch - Sand Attack - Poison Stinger - * Swords Dance 18 Twineedle 25 * Slash 33 * Earthquake 44 * Guillotine 52 It's helmet is said to come from a GYARADOS, which is often believed to be its mortal enemy. --------------------------------- ---------POKEDEX ENTRY----------- Second Stage Pokemon Bradel Scorpion Pokemon Bug/Ground No. 695, Level 30; Length: ???',???", Weight: ??? lbs. Skill Level ----- ----- Scratch - Sand Attack - Poison Stinger - * Swords Dance - Twineedle - * Slash 36 * Earthquake 48 * Guillotine 56 Able to slice through even the hardest material as if it were paper. Rarely seen due to poaching for its claws. --------------------------------- Razorclaw X http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/pokemon/index.html