Passing On The Torch

[Snazzy Snorlax]

(This is my first Pokemon Fanfiction, so be nice. Basically, it's about the second half of Pokemon GSC through Ash's or "Red's" perspective. Enjoy. ^_^)

"Venasaur, return!"

Ash's Venusaur compliantly retreated to his Pokeball, having defeated Gary's Rhydon for the umpteenth time. Ash smiled as Gary reluctantly handed Ash his zenny. Every victory simply got sweeter.

It had been about three years since Ash had claimed his title as Pokemon League Champion of Kanto. He had held that title for this entire time, but when he heard that Johto would be joining the league, he took a little break from Indigo Plateau to train his Pokemon on the peak of Mt. Silver.

"You know, Gary, there's a reason you're a gym leader and I'm the Pokemon League Champion. And it's not that I'm a better trainer."

"I know, I know," Gary replied, remembering the same advice both his rival and his grandfather would constantly dispense to him. "I need to have a personal attachment to my Pokemon. And remember- officially, Lance is the champion now."

"Pika pii!" Ash's Pikachu made a face at Gary, mocking him.

"Now, Pikachu," Ash warned. "Be nice. He tried the best he could."

"You know," Gary said to Ash, ignoring the fact that he had just been insulted by a Pokemon, "I may not be a gym leader much longer. I hear Agatha wants to take up the position again. She was Viridian City's gym leader before Team Rocket took over, you know."

"You mean THE Agatha? The one who was on the Elite Four up until two years ago? I thought she was dead."

"The very same. And I don't appreciate that. She's as old as Gramps is. Apparently, they used to be rivals. Kind of like you and me."

"Well, geez." Ash sort of felt sorry for Gary now. Knowing that he lacked the empathy to truly be the best, being a gym leader was really all he had. And there was no way the Pokemon League officials at Indigo Plateau would turn down Agatha's request to become a gym leader again. "I'm sorry about that, bud."

"Don't be." Gary threw a Pokeball to the ground, releasing his Pidgeot. "I really can't stay much longer, Ash. I promised Gramps and Blaine that I'd do a little bit of research on that eruption on Cinnibar Island. I think there was some sort of battle between Mewtwo and Moltres there, but I can't be sure. That is, if you believe Moltres exists. Blaine swears by his life that he's seen it, but it might have been a giant Charizard for all I know. Well, smell ya later." And with that, Gary grabbed a hold of his Pidgeot and flew away from Mt. Silver.

Ash stared into the distance watching Gary vanish as he got closer and closer to the horizon. He was fairly certain that this would be the last company he would have in a while- besides his Pokemon, of course. What he failed to see was the Dragonite approaching him from behind carrying an important message from Pokemon League Headquarters.

(Well, what do you think? Hopefully, I'll have my next part out soon. Post your comments, praise, and criticism.)

;143;

 

[NoDayBut2Day]

Starting out at the end of somewhere in the show to me sounds pretty difficult knowing you have to match persoanlities and how they act along with their pokemon. This was pretty short and could be a lot longer. Try doing it on Micro Word and do at least 2 pages.

Some mistakes I saw was,

"The very same. And I don't appreciate that. She's as old as Gramps is. Apparently, they used to be rivals. Kind of like you and me."

That sentance just sounds wrong, and from the sentance before, it think it should sound more like, "I thought the very same and I don't appreciate that. She's as old as Gramps, apparently they used to be rivals, like you and me in a way."

That sounds a little better. Its a mistake I have sometimes, just read parts out loud and see if they make sense.

One spelling error was League, you spelt it Leauge.

Thats it for now and ill keep checking for updates.

-Danny

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

I meant it that way. "The very same" as in "The very same Agatha," not "I thought the very same." And I'm fixing the spelling error right now. And technically, it's more of the game's storyline, but a few elements of the anime are thrown into there.

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

"Goooon!"

Startled, Ash turned around to see the Dragonite waiting behind him. It had to be one of Lance's; Mt. Silver was so well protected that not even Pokemon that didn't belong to the League could enter. Sure enough, it handed a letter to Ash addressed from the legendary dragon trainer himself.

"Pika?" Pikachu was as curious to know what the letter said as Ash was. Lance didn't usually write unless a matter of utmost importance was at hand.

"Dear Ash," Ash began to read the letter aloud, so Pikachu could hear it, "I hope your training on Mt. Silver is going well, as you will probably be needing it very soon. Just as you have suspected, a trainer not unlike yourself when you first faced me has come from Johto and trounced us all. This trainer, a child who goes by the name of Gold, wishes to declare himself the Pokemon League Champion. I told him that although he had defeated me, he could not be the true champion until he faced you in battle. Until then, he is considered the champion of Johto, but not of Kanto.

"I am writing for your decision as to what should be done about our newest addition to the League. Although it's your call, I recommend you make him come to you for this decisive battle. He would need all of the Kanto badges to gain access to Mt. Silver, and he does not yet have a single one to his name. Believe me, you will need the time to train. His strength was like none I've ever seen. One Pokemon in particular, a species neither I nor anyone else in the League has ever seen before, humbled all three of my Dragonites. We have just begun to learn about the fauna of Johto, as you know, and I was not surprised when Gold claimed it to be a legendary Pokemon. Send your response along with Dragonite- the state of the Pokemon world can be changed by your decision. Best of luck. Sincerely, Lance."

Ash read the letter over, making sure he didn't read it the wrong way. Could it really be true? The proud and mighty Lance defeated? And not only that, proclaiming him to be the greatest trainer he has ever seen? Although Ash had been preparing for this moment for quite some time, it still came as a shock to him. After three years of glory, perhaps he and Gary would both have to quietly retire back into Pallet Town, and perhaps return to school...

No. He had to win. He had to be the best, no matter what, and he had what it took. After all, he took down the Elite Four, his lifelong rival, and the entire Team Rocket operation save a few goons in Celadon City single handedly (Ash had heard rumors that the small group he spared three years ago- including Giovanni's son, Silver, who was named after the very mountain on which Ash stood- had multiplied and was operating for a short time in Johto, but it didn't concern him as they were soon defeated by an unpublicized force). What harm could one newcomer do to him, legendary Pokemon or none?

Nevertheless, he'd have to train hard to get in shape for this event. It had been a while since he'd battled someone new. Ash quickly wrote a message to Lance telling him that Gold would have to meet him on Mt. Silver. He also asked for a constant update on Gold's progress. Ash signed sealed the letter and sent Dragonite on his way after treating it to some soda pop Ash had laying around. After it had gone, Pikachu looked at Ash inquisitively, as if it wanted to know what it had to do for the team until Gold arrived.

"C'mon, Pikachu. Let's get the rest of the gang out of their Pokeballs. The next few days are going to be pretty rough for us, but after this, we can finally go home."

"Pii, Pika Chu?" Pikachu asked, as if asking Ash to further define "home."

"I'm not sure, Pikachu, but whether it's Indigo Plateau or Pallet Town, we'll certainly be going home."

 

[SpiritedAway]

Well, this is certainly very well written, as far as I can see. I liked the title, "Passing On The Torch". It sort of forshadows the story, but not so much that it gives it away. I am quite interested in this tale, so I think I'll keep an eye on it. XD From one author to another: Kudos!

~Spirit;092;

 

[Yoru Ryu]

The chapters are very short, to say the least. They're about the average length of a prologue, actually.... though, that is to say, if they are seperate chapters They aren't marked as such and i can't tell anyway. It just seems to me that this is gonna end in about two more chapters and that it would've been better as a One-shot in the end. I'm thinking that's because you are continuing from towards the end of the game and there isn't much left in the plot.

Though, i would've kept him as Red if Gold is still Gold. Perhaps is Ash is his anime counterpart here Gold should be Kenta or *cough, struggles*... Jimmy?

Still, it's written smoothly and there are very few spelling errors. I enjoy a good G/S/C fic that involves the League.

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

Hm. Apparently, I didn't do enough research. I didn't know Gold and Sliver had anime counterparts. The reason I make my updates so short is so I can update casually. When all is said and done, I'll clean up all my mistskakes and cram it into one post. You mind telling me "Silver's" name?

 

[The Great Butler]

Not bad. A little on the short side, as others have noted, but you have a good eye for detail and I like the idea of doing new things with existing characters.

 

[Kutie Pie]

Hmm...

It's not bad for a newbie. Though I do think the chapters should be longer along with what chapter it is.

Otherwise not too bad. I'll be keeping my eye on this. Well I wish you luck!

~~~~~~~
♥Kutie Pie♥ Please be kind to midgets!

 

[Yoru Ryu]

Hm. Apparently, I didn't do enough research. I didn't know Gold and Sliver had anime counterparts. The reason I make my updates so short is so I can update casually. When all is said and done, I'll clean up all my mistskakes and cram it into one post. You mind telling me "Silver's" name?

Silver's name is usually Kamon. Though, he was only in the anime for about three seconds and Silver and his other counterparts are all completly different characters, just with the same design. Like, Red and Ash are nothing really alike, but i guess they don't really look that similar anymore. So, yeah, Silver would be called Kamon.

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

(Thanks for the comments and criticisms, guys. The reason I'm doing it like this in short bursts rather than one or two posts is so I can find the errors in each piece and fix them with your help. The final draft of the WHOLE story will be put into my last post on the thread.)

The mechanical Ponyta ran circles around Snorlax, as if to tease him. The sound of steel on rock was almost painful. Snorlax was staring intently at his clockwork foe, waiting for the right time to strike.

"Snorlax, now! Body slam!"

Snorlax jumped an amazingly high distance into the air and came down with an impressive belly flop... onto the back end of Ponyta. He has just barely missed a critical hit.

"No, Snorlax! You're slipping! Come on, you pulled this off perfectly yesterday! Now, let's try again."

"Snorlax..." Snorlax replied with an apologetic yawn.

"I know, I know." Ash looked into Snorlax's nearly closed eyes sympathetically. "It's been a rough few days, and the seven of us have gotten very little rest- especially for a Snorlax. Awakenings are no substitute for a good night's sleep. But we have to keep at it! Do you want all we've been working for to be for nothing?"

Snorlax shook his head with determination, a new flame in his eyes. Ash and his Pokemon were very close, and whenever one wanted something, the other six would want it just as much. In this case, it was winning the inevitable showdown with Mr. Johto. Ash's Pokemon knew that he wanted this victory really badly, more than any other in the past three years, and so it overrode their desires for anything else.

"I knew I could count on you, Snorlax. Now, let's try again."

"Draaaaa!"

Ash looked behind him. It seemed Lance's Dragonite had returned, with both a message and a parcel. The letter declared that Kenta had just arrived in Kanto, and had already acquired the Thunder Badge. Lt. Surge offered his sincerest apologies. Nobody on this side of the League wanted a Johto victory, but the new challenger drew closer to it every day. The parcel contained a cell phone, technology which had only just reached the comparitively behind-the-times Kanto, so Ash could stay in touch with everyone instantly. It already had the numbers of all of the League Officials programmed into it, as well as his mom's.

Ash thanked the Dragonite, gave it a treat, and sent it on its way. Ash stared down at his new gadget. "We get so many great things from Johto," Ash said aloud. "New technology, new Pokemon, new science... heck, without Johto's research on the effects of daylight and pleasure on an Eevee, you wouldn't be the incredible Pokemon you are today, Espeon." Espeon gave out a soft purr, appreciating the compliment.

"Maybe Johto will grant us better trainers, too..."

Snorlax put his hand on Ash's shoulder to comfort him, feeling his self-doubt.

"Snorlax! Snore snore snore, lax! Snorlax snorlax snorlax!"

Ash smiled. "You're right, Snorlax. I shouldn't give up yet. I've always been able to face a challenge when the odds were against me. Why should this be any different?"

Vaporeon gave an equivalent of a smile, and telekinetically fixed the mechanical Ponyta for further use.

"Let's get back to training. Snorlax, body slam!"

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

A day and a half later, Ash's Pokemon were still hard at work. They decided to develop a system where they would train in shifts so the team was constantly improving even when two of the Pokemon- and sometimes their trainer- was asleep. So far, it was going well. Snorlax and Blastoise were off duty when Espeon perked up oddly in the middle of a sparring match with Charizard, focusing intently on what seemed to be nothing at all.

"What's wrong, Espeon?" Ash walked in front of his prized Psychic-Type Pokemon, waving his hand in front of her face. "Are you tired? You just got off your rest period."

"Ess.." Espeon motioned to Ash with her tail, indicating that he should touch her. Ash put his hand on her back, and the world changed before his eyes.

Where am I? Ash thought to himself, knowing the answer full well as he looked around. He seemed to be standing in the middle of Sabrina's gym in Saffron City. In front of him was a Beedril gasping for breath, and behind him was the guardian of the Marsh Badge herself.

<Espeon, finish that Beedril off with a Psybeam!> Ash recieved psychic orders from Sabrina, and helplessly followed through. The Beedril fainted, and the trainer standing behind it looked peeved.

Hey, I get it, Ash realized. My Espeon's giving me a look into a battle that Sabrina's having through her Espeon's eyes. But why? It was then that he noticed the badge on the shirt of Sabrina's opponent. A badge which, before last week, was one-of-a-kind. And for three years, it belonged to Ash. It was the emblem of the Pokemon League Champion.

That must be Kenta, Ash thought. Let's see what he has up his sleeve next.

Kenta's annoyed look suddenly turned into a smirk. "You shouldn't have done that, Ms. Sabrina," Kenta said. "I was going to pin missle your Pokemon into submission with my Beedril. An injury easily treated by your local Kanto Pokemon Center." Kenta brandished his next Pokeball, ready to throw it down. "But now I'm going to have to win a different way. You're about to feel a power almost totally unfamiliar to the trainers, and even gym leaders, of Kanto. Prepare yourself... for the power of dark! Umbreon, go!"

The Espeon in which Ash was a guest turned around, as Sabrina's eyes went wide with fear. In a rare move for the master psychic, she issued a verbal command. "Espeon, return!"

<Forgive me, Espeon,> Sabrina transmitted to her Pokemon. <But I haven't prepared myself for these new Kanto types this trainer carries, this "steel" and "dark." I'm going to have to take a chance with Alakazam.> As Sabrina's Espeon returned to its Pokeball, Ash's consciousness returned to Mt. Silver.

Ash grabbed a hold of his head. It was like he had a migraine, a brain freeze, and jet lag all rolled into one. He didn't have to guess that Sabrina would ultimately lose the battle. Nevertheless, Ash was grateful for Espeon's recon work.

"Thanks, Espeon." Ash fed her a few Poketreats, and she purred happily. Ash woke up Blastoise and Snorlax to share this new information with all of them.

"Alright, team. Sorry to wake you up, guys, but you need to hear this. Thanks to Espeon, we have valuable information about the other team. Assuming he sticks with the same set of Pokemon, we now know that Kenta has a Beedrill, an Umbreon, and some Steel-Type Pokemon. I want you to focus on attacks that are specifically super effective against these Pokemon and their types. Alright, back to training!"

Charizard won the sparring match with Espeon, no doubt because she was concerned that Sabrina's Espeon, a relative of hers, had almost certainly suffered damage that he would have to be sent to Johto to fully heal from. The Pokemon Centers in Kanto were not yet fully equipped to deal with Steel and Dark related injuries. Ash sensed Espeon's concern as she whimpered empathetically.

"Don't worry, girl," Ash said. "we'll take out that Umbreon when Kenta gets here. If Kenta gets here. We'll show it a thing or two. What do you say?"

Espeon thought about this for a bit, and then happily returned to her training. Ash remained worried, though. He could sense through Sabrina's Espeon how powerful that Umbreon really is. He only hoped he could keep his promise.

 

[The Great Butler]

I liked the newest chapter a lot. Ash's Espeon's mental connection to Sabrina's Espeon was a very nice bit, as was the fact Sabrina was afraid of the Umbreon and Steel types.

I was right when I said this had great potential. Keep it up!

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

(I have a lot of time tonight, so this installment will be longer than most.)

After sixteen hours of straight training, Ash finally went to sleep. His dream that night wasn't too out of the ordinary; it was basically a flashback of when he first started his career as a Pokemon trainer. And then, just as he saw that mysterious firebird in the sky, his dream abruptly changed gears.

Ash was in a Pokemon Center he had never seen before. All around him, Chanseys, Blisseys, nurses, and doctors were yelling orders to each other. It took him a while to realize he was the one all of the commotion was about. He spotted Sabrina standing across the room, who turned to a nearby nurse.

"My Pokemon... are they going to be okay?"

The nurse consulted her clipboard to check the status of Sabrina's team and family. "Well, you're lucky you got to Goldenrod City when you did, Ms. Sabrina. Your Pokemon haven't built up the same resistance to dark and steel damage that our Johto Pokemon have yet. Pokemon change quickly, though. Professor Elm theorizes that Kanto Pokemon will be up to speed in only a year or two."

"But my Pokemon... how are they?"

The nurse sighed. "Well, your Alakazam and Mr. Mime are going to be just fine. They'll be out of the center tomorrow. But Espeon, I'm afraid-"

The nurse looked towards Ash.

"-is very close to death. It may take a month or two for him to recuperate, and there is a chance that his injuries can take... well... a turn for the worse. We'll just do the best we can."

As tears welled up in Sabrina's eyes, Ash woke up in a jerk. It took him a while to put together what he just saw. If Johto Pokemon could cause this much damage, perhaps the league wasn't ready for their membership. But thank goodness, Ash thought, it was only a dream. It was then that he saw Espeon curled by his feet, just barely touching him, with a look on her face that was very similar to Sabrina's.

When Ash's turn to sleep came to an end, he placed a call to Lance on his new cell phone.

"I need to have a conference call with all of the members of the league!"

"Ash?" Lance asked, yawning. "It's very early in the morning. Is it important enough to wake all of the gym leaders as well as the Elite Four?"

"This needs to be done right away," Ash replied in a huff. "Many, many Pokemon's lives could be at stake!"

"Wait a minute..." by the tone of his voice, Ash could tell that Lance wasn't taking this seriously. "Is this about the whole darkness and steel issue we had that made all of the papers again after that battle with Sabrina?"

Ash felt embarrassed, but he wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was just because Lance made him feel that he should be. "Er, yeah... why? Did the league resolve it?"

"Well, of course. The issue first came up a few days after we were considering letting Johto join the league. You weren't at the meeting, though, because you were already on your way to Mt. Silver. There was a heated debate, but we decided that if Pokemon didn't develop a normal resistance to it now, they never would. And we couldn't stay away from each other forever. Too much at stake. So we decided not to let that get in the way of admission. Yesterday... well, yesterday was one of the necessary risks we took.

"You'll be happy to know, though, that Kenta wanted to switch his Umbreon and Skarmory out of his party because he didn't want to cause any harm. But we wouldn't let him do that. The process of desensitivity needed to begin, and Kenta would help us do that. Across Kanto, Alakazams, Mr. Mimes, and probably Espeons are already beginning to handle these wounds without the risk of fatality. So don't worry about it. I'm going to make breakfast. You should probably turn on the radio in your phone to the Pokestation to hear the big match at two. Have a nice day."

And with that, Lance hung up. The big match... what could it mean? Was there a battle between Kenta and a gym leader scheduled? Or something else entirely? After looking up how to operate his phone radio in the manual he recieved in Dragonite's parcel. He resolved to take Lance's advice this afternoon and train until "the big match."

At 1:30, his cell phone rang. It was Gary.

"Hey, Ash, how goes the training? I hear that Kenta kid has already beaten two gym leaders and is in Celadon City right now."

"Hey, Gary," Ash replied, glad to hear from his friend and ex-rival. "Training's going just great. How about that Cinnabar Island research?"

"I'm not quite done yet," Gary answered. "Although I have evidence there was indeed a battle, and that Mewtwo was involved. But it wasn't Moltres he was fighting."

"No? Well, it wasn't a giant Charizard, was it?" Ash joked.

"I acutally checked for that. And no. But it was very big. In fact, almost twice as large as Moltres's reported specs. And I'm still pretty sure it was a fire-slash-flying type. Who knows? Maybe it's a Pokemon that hasn't been discovered yet. Or even one from Johto."

Ash thought back to his first day as a trainer. Could it have been the same one as the Pokemon he saw all those years ago?

"Er... it's a possibility, I suppose," Ash said, answering both Gary's suggestion and his own mental question.

"Well, I'm going to head back to Cinnibar Island to check it out later. Right now, I'm back in Viridian City getting my Pokemon ready for the big match with Agatha. It's going to be on the radio and on TV, you know."

So that's what Lance was talking about. "Why is this match so important?" Ash asked.

"You mean you don't know? After Agatha's appeal to become gym leader, the League decided to settle the matter with a duel between the two parties. The papers are calling it 'The Battle for Viridian City.' Pretty cool, huh?" There was a pause on Gary's end for a moment. "I gotta go. I need to finish preparations. Hope you'll listen in. Smell ya later!" Gary hung up.

Several minutes later, Ash tuned in. "Welcome," the announcer said, "to the Battle for Viridian City! This is it, folks! This is the crucial moment that will decide every Pokemon trainer's final obstacle before taking on Victory Road! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Gary Oak and Agatha Christie! Gary has defeated Agatha once before three years ago, but Agatha claimed to have toughened up since then! Has Gary done the same? We'll find out soon enough! Let the match begin!

"Agatha starts off the match by releasing her Gengar, and Gary sends out his Pidgeot! As if to tease it, Pidgeot dives right through Gengar and does a few loops in the air. Gengar lets loose several confuse rays, but Gary's Pideot dodges with ease, and lets out a few Aur Cutters while it's at it! Gengar, now angry and damaged, takes to the skies with Pidgeot, landing multiple Shadow Punches before Pidegot manages to dive out of the way badly bruised. As a sort of coup de grace, Gengar emits a thick Toxic sludge, binding Pidgeot to the ground and poisoning it! Gengar makes faces at Gary as Pidgeot struggles, eventually fainting from posion! Gary sends back his bird!

"Up next is Alakazam! Seemingly just staring at Gengar, it faints immediately! Obviously, it must have been using Psychic, that most powerful of Psychic-Type moves! Agatha is looking nervous, but sends out her Golbat! Golbat takes severe damage from Alakazam's staredown, but manages to get close enough to leech life! Critical hit- it's super effective! Groaning from pain, Alakazam Psybasts Golbat off of him, and follows through with a Psybeam! Golbat is down!"

The match went on for several minutes more, and Haunter and Arbok share the same destiny as Golbat. Finally, without even releasing her final Gengar, Agatha surrenders to keep from being thoroughly put to shame.

"Congratulations, Gary! You've just beaten Agatha and maintained your title as Viridian City Gym Leader! Do you have any- oh, hold that thought. We've just gotten word from Celadon City Gym Leader Erika that she has just been defeated by Johto Champion Kenta! The rising star only needs five more badges before-"

Ash turned off the radio. He was happy for Gary, but with the news of Erika's defeat, the Kanto Champion was reminded of the task at hand. He put his cell phone back in his pocket and returned to the training his Pokemon needed in order to face what may be the toughest battle they would ever fight.

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

Two weeks after Erika's defeat, Ash was starting to get suspicious. He hadn't heard anything about Kenta's progress. It usually took him only a few days to get from one gym leader to the next. Unless, Ash thought optimistically, Kenta was already beaten and he headed back home.

Not wanting to take chances, Ash called all of the remaining gym leaders. His old friends and companions Misty and Brock hadn't seen him, nor had Blaine. Misty had sounded sort of distracted, as if Ash's call was disurbing something much more important, but he decided to stay out of Misty's personal life and not question it. Gary was unreachable. Ash figured he was probably in a cave or something doing research on the Cinnabar case and he was out of range. Finally, he called Janine. Ash didn't have Janine's number on his cell considering she was a relatively new member of the League, but he had Koga's. Ash turned on his cell phone gave the original poisonous ninja a call.

"Konichiwa, Satoshi-san. How may I help you today?"

"Err... Satoshi?" Ash asked quizically. Then he remembered how Koga had awarded Ash with this nickname when he joined the Elite Four. "Oh, right. That's me." Ash laughed. It's been a long time since I was at HQ, he thought.

"So, er, yeah, Koga. You haven't heard from your daughter Janine, have you? I wanted to know how Kenta is progressing."

"Oh, Kenta. Our little champion to be, eh? Well, not if you have anything to say about it, anyway." Koga gave a hearty laugh. "Janine told me about her match with him in person not more than a week and a half ago. It was a close battle, she said. I'm sure I would have been proud. But if her father, with so much more experience than her, has lost to this young master from Johto, how could my Janine be expected to win? She is talented, but has not yet reached her full potential."

Ash was shocked at the message of Janine's failure. Not because she lost- Ash had somewhat expected that- but because no one told him. "Well, why didn't she call me earlier? Or anyone else for that matter?"

"You will have to excuse Janine. She does not yet trust Johto technology. 'I will not endorse any product birthed from a country that brought us Dark Pokemon!' she says. I don't think she truly understands that just because a Pokemon is Dark does not necessarily mean it's evil. That's a common misconception that a lot of misinformed Kantonians believe, I'm afraid."

Ash thought about his near-hatred for Kenta's Umbreon and the sadness it brought his Espeon. Koga was right. Umbreon didn't mean any harm. He was just following the simple rules of an engagement between Pokemon. Embarrassed, Ash changed the subject.

"That takes care of Janine. Why didn't you or another member of the League call me?"

"I'm not sure, but it may have been because your cell phone was off."

Ash remembered how he had turned on his cell phone before he called Koga. Humbled twice in less than a minute. Ouch. "Oh, well. I won't let it bother me," Ash lied, nervously clinging to his pride. "Well, thanks for the information. Is that all you know?"

"All I know about Kenta's progress is what I heard from my daughter. The issue does not interest me very much- no offense. If he does reach you, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thanks," Ash said, and Koga hung up. Kenta had already gotten half of the badges in Kanto. but where had he been the past week and a half? Ash turned on the radio and heard just what he wanted to hear.

"For those of you just tuning in, we just had an exclusive interview with Kenta Gold, who has taken a break from his climb to the top of the Pokemon League to defeat Team Rocket again, this time in our very own country!

"Believe it or not, folks, there was a Rocket gathering right here in Cerulean City! Our hero Kenta has taken the last week to recover a vital component of the Power Plant which supplies energy to the entire region! We have Pallet Town's own Professor Oak on the line to theorize exactly why the Rockets may have wanted to steal this particular piece of equipment! Your thoughts, Professor?"

"I've consulted with my colleague, ex-leader of Team Rocket, and father of its current leader, Professor Silver- you may know him as 'Giovanni'- and he believes his son may have wanted to capture the legendary Pokemon Zapdos to wreak havoc across the nation. There have been several reported sightings of the Electric Pokemon at the Plant, and if these sightings are to be believed, it is probably the power that comes from the unit which the Rockets attempted to steal that attracts it."

"Does Gio- er, Professor Silver know where Kamon is?"

"If he does, he won't tell me. Although he despises Team Rocket and everything it stands for since young Ash Ketcham showed him the light, he still loves his son very much and would, to quote him, 'die before seeing him thrown in prison.' That's all I can tell you."

"Well, thank you very much, Professor Oak. If you're in the Cerulean City area, folks, come on down to Cerulean Gym later today, we're you can watch the match between Kenta and Misty live! That is, as soon as we find out where in the world-"

Ash turned off the radio. It seemed Kenta was already beginning to replace him- not only as the Pokemon League Champion, but as the hero of Kanto as well. He appreciated Professor Oak's reference to his former glory, though. Since Ash's father died when he was four, Oak had been there for him, and became the father figure in his life. Perhaps that was why he and Gary had been such vicious rivals- they were both competing for the professor's affection.

Ash thought about this for a moment and then resumed training Pikachu how to use his tail more effectively in combat. The next four battles for Kenta would prove tougher than the others, Ash knew- but even if any of them managed to beat him once, that wouldn't keep him from trying again. No matter what and no matter when, Ash knew that Kenta would eventually be standing right before him on Mt. Silver just where Gary had been less than a month ago.

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

Later that day, Ash picked up his cell phone to check the Kenta situation. Apparently, he had missed a call from Misty while he was training. He hit the call back button, and a boy who couldn't have been much older than Ash picked up.

"Hello?"

"Umm, is this the right number? This is Ash Ketcham. I was trying to reach Misty," Ash asked, confused. This had to be the right number- all he did was call back the number he missed.

"Oh, Misty! Right. I must have picked up her cell phone by mistake. But don't worry, she's right here. We were talking about you earlier today, you know. Right after she had to hand over the Cascade Badge to that Kenta kid. Hold on. Hey, Misty! Phone call from the ex!"

The ex? Ash thought quizically. And then it struck him. This stranger must be Misty's new boyfriend. Years ago, after Ash defeated Gary for the championship, he and Misty had dated for a while. A few weeks after Ash went up to Mt. Silver, though, Misty broke up with him. Ash had no idea how long he would be up there and she would rather not have a long distance relationship. Ash was going to ask Misty about Kenta, but now he had a few new questions.

"Hey, Ash!" Misty said cheerfully on the phone, not realizing how her new friend had reopened old sores in Ash's jealous heart. Ash wasn't able to respond, emotions conflicting. He wasn't sure how to treat this conversation.

Misty spoke again, realizing Ash may bea bit peeved. "Er... how's that training?"

"Fine," Ash said. Apparently, he had settled on answering her coldly rather than telling Misty how he truly felt.

"Well, uh, I guess you met Red. You two have a lot in common, you know. You would probably be good friends if you got to meet each other."

"He seemed nice," Ash replied unfathomably.

Misty cleared her throat. "Well, I've been waiting for a long time- training my Water Pokemon for the fight with Kenta today. I thought I'd save you the trouble of fighting him. I know how much retaining your championship means to you. But, well, as Red already told you, it didn't work out."

"It's okay. I'm sure you gave it your all." Ash smiled a little, and his tone cleared up a bit. Now he knew Misty still cared about him and what he thought was important- if not as a boyfriend, then as a friend. And that was still something.

"Besides the training, how has everything been for you the past two years?" Ash asked.

Misty's nervous tone picked up a bit as well. She could tell Ash wasn't upset at her. "My sisters finally moved out a while ago. They wanted to check out the Johto scene. Now I have the whole Gym to myself! Isn't that great? It's just what I always wanted! Also, just a week ago, right before the whole Team Rocket incident, my good-for-nothing Psyduck finally evolved! It was even able to take down Kenta's Skarmory! But we lost to his Tyranitar, even though Golduck had a type advantage. They all lost to Tyranitar. He's a powerful Pokemon. I called Professor Oak about it. I think your Venusaur or Blastoise can handle it easily."

"Well, thanks for the info, Misty! I'm glad things are going well for you." He really was. All Ash really wanted was for Misty to be happy. It would be nice if he were directly causing it, but that was for his own selfish reasons.

"And, um, I hope you understand, um, you know, me and Red. You've been gone for a long time."

"Oh, sure," Ash said. "It's just fine."

"I wish I could tell you more."

"No, I'm not very curious about what exactly you do with Red."

"No! No! That's not what I meant!" Ash could tell Misty was blushing. "I meant with strategizing for Kenta. But Skarmory and Tyranitar were the only two Pokemon of his I saw."

"Oh, right." Ash was a little embarrassed too, now. "Well, thanks for what you could give me. Bye."

"Bye."

There was an awkward silence as neither end hung up, as if they both had something to say, but neither could summon the words. Ash finally summoned up the courage to bring up the issue they were both thinking about.

"Listen, when I come back-"

Misty interrupted, lowering her voice. "I don't know, Ash. We had really strong feelings for each other before. But... things are pretty serious between Red and me right now. We've been together for four months now. I couldn't talk to you before for long when you called because... well... we were on a date. The end of the date."

Ash turned a deep red. Eep, was all he could think. "Well, er... sorry for... you know."

"It's okay. Kenta came looking for me not long after you called. We would have been- well, the date would have ended abruptly anyway."

"Oh, okay. That was bothering me. Interrupting, that is. Well, bye."

"Bye."

Another pause. Ash broke the silence again, this time with a bit more courage.

"I lo-"

"I know."

Misty hung up.

(Author's Note: I wanted to take at least one chapter to discuss my shipping orientation. C'mon, May fans. Like it isn't totally obvious there was something going on between Ash and Misty. You'd have to be BLIND not to see it.)

 

[The Great Butler]

Very good work continuing on. I like how the Kanto Leaders think Dark types are evil. A very interesting twist.

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

Three days later, Ash was still emotionally drained from his conversation with Misty. He had spent most of this time sulking and sleeping fitfully. Not just because of Misty, but because the exchange had made him realize that even after this was all over, no matter what happened, the wonderful life he lead would never be the same.

His Pokemon, unrelenting as ever, continued to train. As Pikachu tried to use Thunderbolt effectively on Venusaur, an Alakazam appeared out of nowhere and fired a Psybeam at Ash. "Waaaaa!" Ash yelped as he was blasted into the side of the mountain.

<I sensed emotional distraction, and I need your full attention to convey this message clearly,> Alakazam transmitted psychically. <I bring a message from an undisclosed location in Kanto, but I can tell you that the sender is my master, Kamon Silver.>

"Kamon!?" Ash asked, startled. He was amazed at the Alakazam's strength. It took some pretty powerful psychic energy to break through the teleportation bubble that enveloped Mt. Silver- one of its many security measures. "What does he want with me?"

<Master Silver requests that you transfer a message to Pewter City Gym Leader Brock. Tell him that when Kenta arrives, he should not allow the challenger to leave the Gym until Brock receives a wing from him which Kenta has recently picked up. When he obtains it, he should call you. Send a message to me through your Espeon. I've already left my mental coordinates in her psyche. I will come to retrieve it shortly after you confirm Brock's possession of it.>

"Why do you need this wing? And why should I help you?"

The Alakazam paused for a moment, as if consulting someone else.

<I am not authorized to answer the first of these questions, but I can tell you that Master Silver can use it to defeat Kenta before he ever reaches you. As for the second, the answer should be obvious. You scratch our backs, and, well, you know the rest. We are all in this together. Personally, I have witnessed the power of Kenta's Pokemon. And the bond he shares with them couldn't be stronger. You can not hope to win. Unless, of course, Kamon- how shall we put it- evens the odds.>

"I'll take my chances with a fair fight, thank you. I can never go back to my old life. What's the difference if I win or lose in the long run? As of this point, I'm just in it for the love of the game."

Alakazam gave a mental sigh. <Very well. We will have to do this the hard way.>

Ash felt a cold feeling wash over his skull. "Wha... what are you doing?"

<Taking control of your mind. If you won't make the call to Brock, I will. The master must not fail.>

By this point, Ash had lost all control over himself and Alakazam was now beginning to place the call through his body. His Pokemon tried to attack Alakazam, but his concentration could not be broken. As night began to fall, Espeon gazed at the moon and knew what whe had to do.

"Ess..."

A dark aura encompassed Espeon, one like Ash's Pokemon had never seen before.

"Pee..."

As if bcoming a werewolf, Espeon grew vicious looking fangs in seconds.

"ON!"

Espeon lunged at Alakazam and used a super-effective Dark-Type Bite. Alakazam writhed in pain, and Ash was free again.

"Blastoise, Ice Beam!"

Blastoise shot twin rays of ice from his shoulder cannons, freezing the servant of Team Rocket.

"Snorlax, Seismic Toss!"

Snorlax grabbed hold of Alakazam, swung him around rapidly, and it vanished as a cliched star in the sky.

"Now I know why they're called Team Rocket," Ash said. "No one else flies up into the air like that after they've been beaten."

The Pokemon laughed. They had all seen enough of Team Rocket to understand the joke, unfortunately.

"Great work, everyone! Especially you, Espeon. I'm proud that you were able to use that Dark-Type move. It really shows what Koga was saying before.

"You probably saved Kenta's life. And my own. Who knows what Alakazam would have done with me after making that call? Throw me off the mountain, I guess. Too bad we still don't know where Kamon is."

Espeon perked up, and psychically carved a picture of a Clefairy on the side of the mountain, indicating that Kamon was hiding in Mt. Moon.

"You little sneak. You traced Alakazam's mental coordinates back to his physical location, didn't you? Good work. I'll call up Brock in the morning- on my own, this time- and tell him to give Kenta a different message. After the Power Plant incident, it should put a stop to Team Rocket for good. Looks like we're not all washed up after all."

With that in mind, Ash went to training, wondering what he could do with his life once his battle with Kenta was over with.

 

[The Great Butler]

Ooh, a mystery, a brainwashing Alakazam, and what appears to be something related to the Rainbow Wing or Silver Wing (or both, even) I'm riveted to this now!

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

The next morning, Ash called Brock as soon as the Pewter Gym opened.

"Hey, Ash! It's been a while. Like, what, two years?"

"Hi, Brock," Ash said. It was nice to hear from one of his closest friends again. But now was not the time for pleasantries. There were more important matters at hand. "I'd really like to catch up on things with you now, but we have a crisis on our hands. Have you battled Kenta yet?"

"Er, no. But he's just coming through the door. He's about to challenge one of my underlings."

"Well, when he gets to you, tell him that Kamon has taken up residence in Mt. Moon! I'd tell you to call the police too, but I don't know if they can stand against Team Rocket."

"Wow. Kamon, huh? The leader of Team Rocket. Right in my backyard. And you're the only one who knows this. Just another day in the life of Ash Ketchum, eh?"

Ash laughed. After all he had been through with Brock and Misty, this did seem like just another day. A day from three years ago or more, but just another day. "Well, this is serious. It's Team Rocket we're talking about. And I mean "Giovanni" Rocket, not "Jessie and James" Rocket."

"Whatever happened to those two, anyway?"

"Funny you should ask. I got a postcard from them a while ago, apologizing for all the trouble they put us through for 'just one little Pikachu.' Apparently, they eloped and are starting new lives in Johto. Meowth went with them, I guess."

"Heh. Took them long enough to realize that evil wasn't exactly their forte."

"Oh, yeah, tell Kenta that whatever he does, don't let Kamon get some sort of wing that he has. Team Rocket wants it really badly, but I don't know why."

"Hey, Ash? This adventure sounds like it's right up your alley. Why don't you go?"

"Hm. Why don't I? Didn't occur to me. Kenta might need a little backup. I guess I'll leave in a few minutes. Besides, it'll be good training. But I have a little time. Do you?"

"Yeah. Kenta's got this youngster working under me licked, and he's just toying with him now. Might last a little while. Anything new with you besides training and the Rocket business?"

"Not really. I found out that Misty is dating again."

"Hm. Well, good for her, I guess. As for me, I'm going to retire tomorrow."

Ash froze for a moment. Rarely had he been taken by such surprise. "WHAT!?"

"I've been thinking about this for a while. Remember that day where you, Misty and I told each other what we wanted to do with our lives?"

"Sure. I wanted to become Pokemon League Champion, Misty wanted to take over Cerulean Gym from her sisters, and you... you..." Wanted to be a Pokemon breeder. "Wow. I'm sorry, Brock."

"Exactly. So I'm going to quit this Gym Leader job tomorrow and open up a breeding center right outside of Saffron City where I can get all different types of clients and Pokemon to raise. I'm buying the place off of the old man who lives on Route 5. So then, we can all do what we want. I'm planning on putting Kenta in his place, first. Don't worry."

"Sounds great. I'm happy you're following your dream. Maybe I'll meet you at Mt. Moon."

"Nah, I gotta close up shop and pack up my things. I guess Agatha will take my place."

"Makes sense. Well, good luck with Kenta and your future."

"Good luck with Team Rocket and Kenta. Come and visit some time."

"I will. I've got some Pokemon at Professor Oak's I'd like you to watch. See you then."

Ash hung up and beckoned Venusaur, Blastoise, Snorlax, and Espeon back to their Pokeballs. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's back, and the Pokemon Master straddled Charizard.

"C'mon, Charizard. Time to put that training to use."

"Zard!" Charizard roared, and the seven heroes took off like a missile towards Mt. Moon.