-Pokémon League Village-

James loved huge crowds like this. Hundreds, thousands of people and Pokémon merging, mixing together into a vast sea of faces as they went about their daily lives. Endless victories and struggles could be found in each pair of eyes, each telling their own story. Here was a Champion in the making – you could see it in their eyes, in the way they walk, in how they moved amongst the throng. There, an elderly man in a young man's body. His eyes twinkled with wisdom beyond his years. James made up stories for each face as he passed them, a smile touching at his lips as he walked, unnoticed, anonymous, another passing face against a backdrop of different faces.

James sidestepped to dodge a passerby – a teenager, a Trainer by the looks of him – and scanned the buildings for the familiar blue roof. Spotting it, he ducked back into the crowd, dodging pedestrians as he forged a path through the masses to the general store.

A cool blast of air welcomed the ex-Rocket, along with the friendly greeting of the clerk at the counter. Fishing a scrap of paper from his pocket, James got to shopping, heading first to the medical section of the Poké Mart to pick up a roll of bandages for Jessie's ankle and some Iron vitamins for Persian. Grabbing a nearby cart, he stocked up on food as well, selecting a carton of Eggsecute, well, eggs, and some fresh Magikarp.

He paused at the Trainer's aisle, perusing the generous selection of TMs and HMs the Mart had to offer. His gaze lingered over the disk containing Poison Jab, thinking of Jessie and Seviper. Nodding to himself, he placed it in the basket as well, along with a Flame Charge disk for Growlie. The puppy had been wanting to learn a new move.

Dropping the disks into his basket, James turned to leave. As he made his way towards the clerk, he felt someone staring at him. Looking this way and that, he scanned the Poké Mart, finally seeing the green-haired man leaning against a wall. The man's chocolate eyes bored into James's, and he nearly dropped his shopping basket. Team Rocket had been phasing out of their flamboyant uniforms for years, but James nevertheless recognized the subtle R stitched on the man's black shirt and the light green hair framing his face.

Trying to act like he hadn't seen the man, James turned around, walking briskly back down the aisle and picking up a disk at random. He hid his face with the small case, pretending to be very interested in the short blurb describing the move he'd selected. He pretended not to notice the man in black calmly striding down the aisle, pausing now and again as he moved ever closer to where James stood. He pretended not to notice when the man stopped directly behind him, close enough to hear the steady inhale and exhale of the Rocket's breath.

The man tapped James on the shoulder. James turned, his own green eyes locking onto the brown of the Rocket's. "Butch."

"James."

The two stared at each other for a moment more, their eyes like Beedrills boring into Combeehives with their deadly twin needles. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as neither said a word nor moved an inch.

James made the first move, swinging his basket in a wide arc. Butch stepped to the side, narrowly dodging the blow before lashing out with an attack of his own, his fist slamming into James's jaw.

James swung his head to the side to lessen the blow, wincing as it stuck nonetheless. He let the basket fall to the floor and struck back with a one-two punch. The first blow glanced off the Rocket's chin, the second hitting him right in the gut and doubling him over.

Butch growled, sucking air back into his lungs and lunging at James. Grabbing him by the shoulders, Butch spun, slamming him into the wall. The aisle shook, sending various TMs and training clattering to the floor.

James struggled, but Butch's grip was like iron. He leaned in, staring the ex-Rocket deep in the eyes. "Found you, you bastard."

"Butch, let me go!" James said. Butch snarled, curling one hand into a fist and punching him hard.

"Like hell." Butch pushed him up further, his forearm pressing hard against James's throat. With his other hand his reached into a pocket and whipped out a PokéNav, dialing a number and pressing the phone to his ear. "Cassidy? Get to the Poké Mart. I got him." Snapping the device shut, he grabbed James again. "You really thought you could hide? Thought we wouldn't find you?"

"Thought you'd be smart enough not to," James choked out, "considering how you got your asses handed to at Ecruteak."

Butch hit him again. James flinched as the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. "You shut your damn mouth, traitor. You got lucky at Ecruteak. If that twerp with the Pikachu hadn't been there you'd be dead and we both know it."

"And what's to say he's not here now?" James asked.

Butch snarled, making to punch James a third time, but his eyes flitted this way and that, glancing over the patrons and the on-duty clerk. "Shut up! I know he's not here. We know where he is," Butch lied, glancing again at the door. "Cassidy, where the hell are you?" he mumbled under his breath.

The door slid open, catching Butch's eye. The Rocket momentarily distracted, James managed to break free, bringing a knee up straight into his groin. Butch's eyes bulged, and he doubled over. James kicked the Rocket's feet out from under him, massaging his throat. Butch struggled to stand, but James landed a savage kick in his ribs, knocking what little breath remained in Butch's lungs out in a massive gust of air.

James knelt down on Butch's chest, quickly patting down the gasping Rocket. He found a punch knife concealed in a secret pocket and pressed it against the Rocket's throat. "Who all knows we're here?"

Butch growled. "Just me. And Cassidy. She'll be reporting it."

James nodded, pulling Butch's PokéNav and punching in a number. "You're going to tell Cassidy you were wrong. You didn't see me, got it?"

"Go suck a Diglett."

James pressed the blade harder along Butch's neck. "Do it, and maybe I won't drag this out."

"Shut up, James. You don't have the balls. You didn't in Ecruteak and you don't n-rrk!"

A thin line of blood began seeping from Butch's neck. James showed Butch the stained dagger, positioning the blade over his Adam's apple. "Do it," he commanded, putting the PokéNav to Butch's ear.

The call took a moment to connect. Cassidy's excited voice came over the phone. "Did you get him? The Boss'll be so happy!"

Butch glanced at James. "Uh... Cass. We have a small problem."

James's eyes narrowed, and the blade dug the tiniest bit deeper into Butch.

"What? What happened? Did he run? He ran, didn't he. The coward."

"Cass. I..." he paused, taking a breath, "I got the wrong guy. It wasn't James. Just some asshole with blue hair and a rose." Atop him, James let out an audible breath of relief.

"Really? Damn it, Butch, don't get me all excited like that. Now get your ass back to the hotel. The Boss has an assignment for us."

"Yeah. Alright. See you soon." Butch nodded for James to end the call. "So. You gonna kill me now?"

James stared at Butch a moment longer. Finally he sighed, covering his face with a hand. "No," he said, dropping the knife. "We... we used to be friends, man. We went to the Academy together. No. I'm not gonna kill you." He stood, and after a moment helped the man who had once been his best friend to his feet.

"So what now?" Butch asked.

"Just forget you saw me. Me and Jessie, we don't want any part of Team Rocket any more. We've gone clean. Just... pretend we don't exist anymore. Can you do that?"

Butch shook his head. "No. But just this once I can look the other way. You spared my life, and I'm repaying the favor by letting you go. Sound fair to you?"

James smiled. "Yeah." He knelt down, grabbing his basket and replacing everything that had spilled out. He stood again, offering Butch his hand. "See you 'round, Butch."

Butch nodded, accepting the hand and squeezing it. "See you 'round, James." He turned, walking away. The doors slid open and closed and he was gone, lost in the sea of faces.

James sighed and went to the checkout counter.

-Indigo Plateau-

Lance glanced over at the razor-sharp beast flying beside him. "How you doing over there?" he tried to shout over the wind.

Riley raised a hand in thumbs-up, not bothering to look over. You do realize I can read your mind. No need for shouting.

Lance made a face. Excuse me for not normally using telepathy. That's more Sabrina's element, not mine.

Ha. I see what you did there.

Oh, shut up. We'll be at Indigo in a few minute's time. We'll need to talk to Wallace, Cynthia, and Goodshow about Team Rocket. Oh, and I have about a dozen G-men guarding Iron Island, in case Rocket tries to take it again.

Good, good. Hey, what about Alder? Isshu Champion? He not show up?

No. Actually, we didn't get any official Unova representation. No Alder, no Elite Four, not even any Gym Leaders.

Huh. Why not?

Not sure. I talked to Iris – you know, Opelucid's Gym Leader? Old friend of Clair's. Anyways, I talked to her a few weeks before the Tournament started and she said that the local Team has been getting pretty rowdy in the region. Supposedly they're like a cult that thinks we've basically enslaved all Pokémon and want to liberate them or some BS like that.

Oh yeah, I've heard of them. Team Plasma, right?

That's the one. Sounds like they've been upping their anti pretty hard the last month or so. The League's getting kind of nervous, and didn't want to send the Leaders all the way to Kanto.

Makes sense.

Yeah. I'd do the same, if Team Rocket had been acting up.

Riley mentally raised his eyebrow. Had?

You know what I meant. We're here.

Dragonite dipped below the clouds, revealing the League Village far below. "Nice job, old boy," he said, patting Dragonite's orange scales as they descended, Riley and Lucario not far behind atop his Skarmory. They circled around the Village, slowly making their way to the earth, landing in front of a large building with the Pokémon League symbol emblazoned upon it.

The three dismounted their Pokémon, Lance recalling his Dragon and Riley letting Skarmory stay outside so long as he promised not to get too far from the League Headquarters. The armored bird flapped his sharpened wings and took to the skies again as the trio entered the building.

Lance nodded to the receptionist behind the front desk. "Afternoon, Hanna."

The girl beamed. "Welcome back, Mr. Lance!"

"Good to be back, Hanna. Let Goodshow know we're here, won't you? Are Cynthia and Wallace with him?"

"Of course, sir. Ms. Cynthia and Mr. Wallace arrived about half an hour ago. They should be in Mr. Goodshow's office now."

"Thank you, Hanna. Come on, Riley," Lance gestured for the Aura Guardians to follow him as he walked to the elevator and pressed the call button. The doors slid open, admitting the three. Lance pushed the button for the top floor, glancing at Riley as the doors shut. "How you holding up?"

Riley grimaced. "Lance, how many times do I have to say 'I'm fine' before you start to believe me? Not the first time I've been shot."

"You know, normal people take at least a month or two to recover from gunshot wounds."

Normal people, Lucario reminded.

"Exactly. The bullet didn't hit anything important, anyways. Straight in, straight out. Just a flesh wound – albeit one that went straight through my entire body – and Aura can heal those fairly easily, if used properly."

"So you're completely healed? After two days?"

"Well, not completely. Still hurts like a bitch, and I shouldn't get into any fights for the next week or two, but I'll be fine. It'll leave a nice scar, though."

"If you say so."

There was a subtle ding, and the elevator doors slid open, revealing an impressive waiting room. "Hello, Kaya," Lance said to the secretary.

"Oh, hello, Lance. Go on in, Charles is waiting for you," she replied, waving them through the doors.

"– I don't think so, Cynthia. Twenty Poké say this Red is someone at least one of us have met before," Goodshow said, a twinkle in his eye. "Ah! Lance, my boy. Welcome back."

"Good to be back, Charles. Riley, this is Charles Goodshow, president of the Pokémon League. Charles, this is Riley of Iron Island and his partner, Lucario."

Riley took a half-step forwards. "It's an honor, Mr. Goodshow," he said, bowing his head and bringing his hands up in greeting, pressing a balled fist against his open palm in a traditional Aura Guardian salute.

Mr. Goodshow nodded, and Riley straightened. "The honor's all mine, Aura Guardian. So you're the one who fought off that Team Rocket raid?"

Riley nodded, sitting down. "Yes, sir. Well, me and my Pokémon."

"And none of them the worse for wear, either. I would have liked to see that fight, I think," he said, smirking. "Excepting yourself, of course. I understand you managed to get yourself shot. You're alright?"

Riley shot Lance a glance – the Kanto Champion was grinning behind a cough – and nodded. "Yes, sir, I'm alright."

Wallace cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Charles, but I do think that's enough with the pleasantries. Now, Riley. What did Team Rocket want with Iron Island?"

"Mega Stones," Riley answered simply, eliciting a stare from the Hoenn Champion, "there's a vast supply of them in the ruins underneath the island, and Rocket wants it."

Cynthia nodded. "Grandmother has been obsessing over the ruins again recently. It's not hard to imagine the information leaked that way. She can be a bit, ah, excitable when it comes to her research."

"Assuming that's the case, what do we do about it? What can we do?" Lance asked, putting a hand to his chin. "What is Team Rocket planning? Large raids like this aren't their style. Not that we've seen, in any case."

"You have your men guarding Iron Island, correct, Lance?" Goodshow asked.

Lance nodded. "Yes. I have a dozen good men stationed there with orders to detain any would-be intruders. They're packing Leader-Class 'Mon and have shoot-on-sight authority. I'm not worried about Iron Island. What I am worried about is whatever Rocket has planned. They took a big risk in raiding Iron Island. Why?"

"Riley, Lucario. What can you tell us about the raid? How many were there? Did they have a clear leader? What kind of Pokémon were they using? How did they fight?"

Ten, perhaps eleven Rockets, Lucario replied. No more than four Pokémon each.

Riley shrugged. "The Typing was fairly standard with what Rocket's been known to use. Mainly Poisons, Darks, and Normals. Fought pretty dirty, but I guess that's nothing new for criminal gangs. Leader... yeah, there was definitely a leader. Big, angry guy. Black hair, brownish eyes, looked to be in his late thirties, early forties? Only one with a gun on him. Me and Skarmory knocked out all his Pokémon, he whipped it out and started shooting. Skarmory's skin is metal, so he was fine. Me?" he gestured to his stomach. "Not so much. That help?"

Goodshow nodded, stroking his beard. "Yes, thank you, Aura Guardian. Lance, this is probably irrelevant, but Pryce told me you left for Iron Island after speaking to Red. Should we be concerned about him being a Rocket?"

Lance shook his head. "That's a negative, sir. I did a little digging and figured out his identity, and he's about the furthest you can get from being a Rocket."

The president leaned forwards a little in his chair. "Well? Who is he?"

The other Champions looked interested as well. "Let me guess. He's from Isshu?" Cynthia guessed.

"No, I keep telling you, he has to be from Orre!" Wallace replied. "He has a Shadow Pokémon for Mew's sake!"

You're both wrong, Lucario answered as Lance suppressed a grin. He's from Kanto. Pallet Town, actually. I understand he placed fairly well in both of your regions' League Tournament a few years back.

"And he may have saved the world a few times as well," Lance finished, cracking a grin at the confused faces of his fellow Champions.

Understanding flowed into Goodshow's eyes, twinkling as he stroked his beard. "Well, well. I do believe that's twenty Poké you owe me, Cynthia, m'dear. You're talking about Ash Ketchum, of course?"

Riley nodded. "My student, as it happens. If you don't mind, Mr. Goodshow, I'd like to go and speak with him, if you're done with me here."

"By all means, Riley. And please, call me Charles."

Riley grinned, bowing again. "Of course, Mr. Go- Charles." He turned, Lucario at his side.

Goodshow watched the Aura Guardian as the doors closed behind him, putting a hand to his chin. "You trust him, Lance?"

"Of course, sir. He's been my friend since we were kids. He's saved my life a few times, and I've returned the favor."

"I see. Cynthia?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, sir. Riley has been invaluable the past few years. I trust him."

"Good. Now, onto business."

-Terra Stadium-

Max took a steadying breath, waiting in the shadows of the stadium for his cue. He would never get used to the feeling right before a match, anticipation mixing with anxiety and just pure eagerness to battle. It was an addiction, plain and simple. Adrenaline was the drug, and he was hooked, the same as any other Trainer.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAAAAAAX MAAAAAPLE!"

Steeling himself, Max drew himself up and marched out onto the stadium, blinking in the harsh sunlight. The audience roared as he took his place on the field, raising a hand to the cheering fans.

"AND FACING HIM, THE PRINCESS OF CELADON CITY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I GIVE YOU ERIIIIKAAAA HIIIIIKAMIIII!"

The barefoot Gym Leader appeared from the opposite end of the stadium, smiling up at the stands. Her eyes met Max's, and she inclined her head, nodding to her opponent. Max returned the gesture, his hand slowly drifting towards the Pokéballs on his belt.

"THIS BATTLE WILL BE A THREE-ON-THREE SINGLE BATTLE! THE FIELD TYPE WILL BE GRASSLAND!" the announcer cried, the battlefield shifting, waist-high grass sprouting from seemingly nowhere.

"Ref! You've gotta be kidding me!" Max complained, turning to the judge. "There's no way that's fair!"

The referee shrugged. "Sorry, kid. Nothing I can do."

Max facepalmed. "Ugh. Nevermind. Let's just do this."

"BOTH TRAINERS WILL NOW SELECT THEIR POKÉMON!"

Erika smiled, reaching into a sleeve of her kimono and retrieving a Pokéball. "Vileplume!" she called, expanding the sphere and tossing it onto the arena. In a burst of fuchsia petals the Flower Pokémon appeared, rustling the tall grass.

Max licked his lips, hand drifting to his belt. Pulling a ball from its magnetic clip, Max tapped the release button and hurled the Pokéball onto the arena. "Shadow! You're up!"

The referee lifted his flags high. "TRAINERS, AT THE READY! BEGIN!"

"Vileplume! Razor Leaf!"

"Sucker Punch!"

Shadow barked an affirmative, disappearing into the tall grass. Vileplume readied the razor-sharp leaves, looking this way and that, trying to find a target. For a moment, nothing, only the rustling of the grass. Then, a noise. There!

Shadow leapt out from the grass, tackling Vileplume head-on at the same moment it released the volley of leaves, which glanced off Shadow's fur.

"Bite!" Max called as Shadow forced the Flower Pokémon to the ground. He growled , opening his jaws and clamping down on the massive flower protruding from Vileplume's head. Erika grinned.

Shadow seized up, his muscles tightening against his will as the Effect Spore ability paralyzed him.

Max swore. "Shadow!" Dammit, he should have seen that coming! "You alright?"

The Bite Pokémon's ear twitched as it lay on the stadium floor. Snarling, Shadow tentatively stretched out his legs, wincing as he did so. Fighting against his stiffened muscles, he slowly stood, baring his fangs.

"That's it, Shadow! Dark Pulse!"

"Energy Ball!"

A green orb formed at the tip of Vileplume's flower, charging there for a moment before launching itself towards Shadow. A burst of dark power exploded out from Shadow's rigid form, meeting the sphere of emerald energy a few feet from the Mightyena's body. In a flash of jade light, Vileplume's attack broke through the shadowy barrier and slammed into Shadow's side.

"Now! Razor Leaf!"

With a sound like steel meeting steel, a torrent of sharpened leaves flew through the air, digging and cutting into the dark fur.

"Petal Dance!" Erika called, a small smile at her lips. Vileplume leapt into the air, firing a wave of pink and purple petals that swirled towards Shadow.

"Shadow! Incinerate!"

Muscles straining, Shadow lifted its head to face the oncoming attack, fire pouring from his jaw. The flames formed a shield around Shadow, instantly turning the petals to ash. Erika frowned as Vileplume launched a second volley of petals, only for them to be burned as well.

"Sunny Day," she said, watching Shadow with disdain.

Max's eyes widened as the sunlight intensified. There was only one reason Erika would have Vileplume use that move. "Shadow, if you can move get out of there! She's gonna-!"

"Solarbeam!"

Sunlight collected in the mouth of Vileplume's flower, brightening until it was almost unbearable to look upon. With a cry the Flower Pokémon released the beam of solar energy, slamming into Shadow's exposed torso and sending him flying.

"MIGHTYENA IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! MAX MAPLE, SELECT YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

Max winced as he returned Shadow, murmuring comforts to his unconscious friend. "Alright, so that's how you wanna play, huh, Erika?" he muttered, unclipping another Pokéball from his belt. "Then let's play. Cole! Burn it down!" he cried, launching the sphere towards the arena.

The Volcano Pokémon appeared in a burst of flame, the fires on his back flaring as he snarled at his opponent.

"Flamethrower!"

"Solarbeam!" Erika countered. Vileplume trilled, absorbing the sunlight and focusing it into another beam of energy. Cole snarled, flames shooting from his mouth and spiraling towards the Flower Pokémon. The attacks collided in a fiery explosion that set ablaze the tall grass of the arena.

Erika swore. "Ingrain!" She called, grimacing as her Pokémon extended its roots deep into the arena, rooting her to the spot. "Petal Blizzard!" She ordered as energy flowed up from the soil, briefly covering Vileplume and healing some of her injuries.

"Incinerate!" Max countered. Cole roared, fire issuing from his open maw, burning a hole through the violent wave of petals that Vileplume fired at him. Vileplume narrowed her eyes, body glowing a faint purple, and the torrent of sharpened petals increased, wave upon vicious wave forming in midair and hurling themselves towards her opponent. Even the savage flames that poured from Cole's mouth could not suppress the whole of the onslaught, dozens of the things making their way through his fiery defenses and slicing into his fur.

Cole hissed as hot blood seeped from the petals' cuts, staining his azure pelt a dark crimson. The fires on his forehead and rear flared as his pupils dilated, a deadly growl echoing from deep within his throat. He barely heard Max's next order – "Inferno!" – but that hardly mattered. Flame grew inside his throat, bursting out of gaping mouth, leaving his sharpened teeth white-hot as it billowed out in a great pillar of fire that enveloped Vileplume in a blazing inferno of orange and red. The rest of the stadium that had not yet ignited did so now, as flame leapt from stalk to stalk, spreading like the wildfire it was becoming.

Cole let his jaws snap shut, exhaling a cloud of steam from his nostrils as Vileplume slumped, blackened and charred. With a grunt of satisfaction the Quilava sat back on his haunches, licking his paw where a stray petal had sliced open the fur and skin.

"VILEPLUME IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! ERIKA, SELECT YOUR NEXT POKÉMON!"

Erika pursed her lips, reaching into her sleeve for Vileplume's Pokéball. "Well done, my friend," she whispered as the red beam of energy encased her unconscious Pokémon and returned to the red and white sphere. Thinking for a moment, she reached again into her kimono and retrieved her second Pokéball, tossing it high into the air. "Crush them, Tangrowth!"

The mass of vines landed with a thud, its beady eyes peering out at Cole from beneath the blue-green creeper vines that made up its body.

"Vine Whip!"

"Quick Attack!"

Cole leapt forward, blurring as he sped towards the Vine Pokémon. With a hiss that bared his sharpened fangs, the Volcano Pokémon crashed into Tangrowth, knocking it back about a foot. Tangrowth kept its footing, fighting back by whipping an arm forward and lashing Cole in the face, leaving a red mark along the Quilava's cheek.

"Flamethrower!"

Cole snarled, letting loose a stream of fire. The flames raced towards the mass of vines, licking at the mass of tangled plants. Tangrowth roared in pain as the fire charred and blackened its vines, stumbling backwards into the burning grass behind him.

Erika set her jaw as Tangrowth climbed to its feet, ignoring the burning pain. "Giga Drain!" she ordered, analyzing the blazing battlefield.

Tangrowth nodded, the eyes hidden behind blackened vines flashing green. The Vine Pokémon swung an arm, extending a thick vine that glowed a dark jade. The plant wrapped around Cole's midsection, squeezing the Volcano Pokémon tight. Cole cried out as the glowing vine stole away his energy, revitalizing Tangrowth as the life force flowed out of one and into the other.

Max cringed as Cole swayed, stumbling around the battlefield. "Cole! Are you okay?"

Cole blinked, shaking his head and taking a breath. He nodded, the flames of his back flaring slightly as he found his footing and bared his fangs at Tangrowth.

"Alright! Flame Charge!"

Cole roared, fire exploding from his back, covering him in a sphere of flame. With a cry, the Volcano Pokémon launched himself forwards, hurtling towards Tangrowth.

"Hit him with a Power Whip!" Erika commanded. Tangrowth spun, extending a thick vine that shone a deep green. Pirouetting, the mass of greenery lashed out, striking the oncoming Cole. The vine swept Cole's feet out from under him, sending the Volcano Pokémon crashing to the ground.

Max winced as Cole skidded to a stop, the flames engulfing his body beginning to flicker and die. "C'mon, Cole! Get up! You can do this!"

The Quilava growled, pushing himself upwards, the flames on his back reigniting with renewed vigor and strength. Steadying himself, Cole enveloped his body in flame once again before breaking into a sprint, covering the remaining distance between Tangrowth and himself in a few short moments. With a roar, the Volcano Pokémon tackled his opponent, the fire clothing his body spreading to the mass of vines, which cracked and hissed under the intense heat.

Tangrowth flailed madly, attempting in vain to extinguish the flames scorching its body. Erika shuddered, unable to tear her eyes away as her Pokémon burned before her. "Synthesis!" she finally cried.

Tangrowth shook, slowly coming to a rest despite the flames that still licked at its body. Eyes tightly shut, the Vine Pokémon began to shimmer, glowing a metallic silver and green. The burns began to subside as energy flowed back into the Grass Type's body, stitching its wounds back together.

Max clenched his fists. "Let's finish this already! Eruption!"

Erika grit her teeth. "Hyper Beam!" she countered.

Cole closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The flames on his back flared higher and ever higher, swirling into a geyser of orange and red magma, twisting into a superheated spiral of destruction. The spiral redirected itself, twisting and writhing towards the mass of tangled vines that was its target.

Tangrowth visibly flinched at the sight of the fiery spire. Nevertheless, its body glowed a vibrant white, a sphere of energy swirling into existence before the Vine Pokémon's eyes. With a cry, Tangrowth launched the attack, lancing the beam of energy outwards.

The two attacks met their targets simultaneously, the Hyper Beam striking Cole at the same time the mass of fire collapsed onto Tangrowth. Both Pokémon were forced backwards by the force of the blows, and both Pokémon skidded to a halt and lay still.

"TANGROWTH AND QUILAVA ARE BOTH UNABLE TO BATTLE! ERIKA AND MAX, SELECT YOUR FINAL POKÉMON!"

Erika's Pokéball was already flying through the air before the referee had finished speaking. "Venusaur! Finish this!"

Max paled as the Kanto starter crashed onto the battlefield, a low roar emanating from the Seed Pokémon's throat. Returning Cole to his Pokéball, he fidgeted with the remaining spheres strapped to his belt. Nodding to himself, he unclipped a white Pokéball and expanded it. "Stratus! It's all you!" he called, the ball arching onto the battlefield and bursting open in a flash if light.

"A Castform?" Misty asked. "When did Max get one of those?"

"Razor Leaf!"

"Sunny Day!" Max called, shielding his eyes from the burst of light the Weather Pokémon fired into the sky. The sun itself seemed to intensify, the temperature rising to something one would expect in the Orange Islands, not Indigo Plateau. Meanwhile, a flurry of sharpened leaves launched from Venusaur's back took to the skies, slicing into Stratus.

The now-magnified sunlight shone down on the arena, enveloping Stratus in a bright crimson. The Weather Pokémon's head turned a violent red and orange, small spheres growing atop it as its lower half took on a brilliant white hue.

"Alright, Stratus!" Max shouted to the Sunny Form of his Pokémon. "Flamethrower!"

"Protect, then Grass Field!" Erika called.

The Kanto starter growled, summoning the protective barrier instants before the stream of fire broke against it. The shimmering barricade held as Venusaur stomped the arena with a foot glowing deep green, causing fresh grass to sprout up across the battlefield.

"Try a Solarbeam!"

"Match it!" Erika countered.

The large bulb on Venusaur's back shone with energy as sunlight coalesced within. A sphere of shimmering power spun above Stratus's forehead, powered by the sun's intense rays. The two solar-powered attacks burst forth in lancing beams, striking one another in the center of the arena with an explosion of solar energy. Light filled the arena, briefly blinding the whole stadium.

Max rubbed his eyes, blinking away the stray lights and phosphenes that danced in his eyes. He needed another approach. "Okay, Stratus, Hail!"

"Petal Blizzard!"

Stratus closed his eyes, floating higher into the sky, a deep blue glow radiating off his body. The temperature of the arena, not a minute ago sweltering under a blistering sun, dropped drastically, clouds forming over the stadium. Many spectators fished jackets and sweaters they'd packed out of their backpacks, all too familiar with the ever-changeable weather that accompanied a Pokémon battle. Stratus shone brighter as the temperature fell, his body changing Forme. His once white skin turned a mint green, swirling around the purple sphere that was his head.

As the collective breath of the audience fogged in the frigid air, ice began to rain down from on high, falling in chunks at least the size of a Pokéball. Meanwhile, the large flower adorning Venusaur's back opened, releasing a storm of white leaves. The leaves hovered in the air for a moment before launching themselves towards Stratus in a flurry of white and grey.

"Ice Beam!"

"Energy Ball!"

A crystalized pillar of ice formed in Stratus's mouth, beaming towards the Seed Pokémon and striking the Grass Type in the shoulder. Flinching as ice crackled around its limb, Venusaur roared, a greenish-blue sphere of energy launching itself in retaliation. The sphere struck head-on, forcing the Weather Pokémon back several feet, where it floated upside-down for a moment before righting itself.

"Fire Blast!" Max called. Sure, now that Stratus was in his Snowy Forme, the move wouldn't be as effective, but hey, a little fire certainly couldn't hurt.

"Protect!" Erika called again, her brow beginning to crease.

Again Venusaur roared, conjuring up the barrier instants before the attack struck, and again the Dai-shaped streak of fire broke against it. This time, though, the five branches of flame wrapped themselves around the sphere of protective energy, blazing with silver fire. The barrier held, but the attack persisted, coiling around Venusaur like an Onyx binding its prey with its own stone body.

Within the barrier, Venusaur snarled, blood beginning to drip down a nostril as the Kanto starter maintained the psychic blockade. Despite his concentration, the smallest of hairline cracks formed along the bubble as the fire blazed outside it. The crack slowly widened, Spinarak-webbing and expanding to the growing horror of the Seed Pokémon. With a sickening crack not unlike the sound of breaking glass, the barrier shattered, tendrils of fire wrapping around the now-exposed Venusaur.

Venusaur cried out as fire licked his body and hail from above struck his skin. Taking a half step backwards, the Kanto starter knelt down, groaning in pain. Suddenly, the rich grass the Venusaur had conjured up a minute before flashed, green energy twisting around the Grass Type's ankles, revitalizing the injured beast.

"Come one, Venusaur! Leaf Storm!"

"Blizzard!"

The fronds on Venusaur's back began to shine a bright green, countless leaves forming and floating above the Grass Type. At the other end of the arena, the cloudlike swirls of Stratus's body shone an icy blue, a sphere of frozen energy forming in the Weather Pokémon's open mouth. For half an instant the two Pokémon remained in that state, their attacks charging, until –!

The leaves shot towards Castform at lightning speed, their sharpened edges aimed directly at the lavender sphere that was Stratus's head. At the same time, a cold wind blew out from the Weather Pokémon, spheres of snow and frozen icicles accumulating in the air as they raced towards Venusaur.

The attacks struck, slicing into each Pokémon with all the force they could muster. The spectator's collectively leaned forwards in their seats, the collective breath of the whole of the audience literally hanging in the frozen air. For a moment, neither Pokémon moved, both straining to stay conscious after their respective assaults. Finally, with a deep groan, Venusaur's thick legs gave out from underneath him, and he collapsed to the stadium floor.

"VENUSAUR IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!" The referee cried, lifting Max's flag high. "ERIKA IS OUT OF USABLE POKÉMON, AND THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH IS MAX MAPLE!"

-Indigo Plateau-

James pushed his way into the clearing, ducking to avoid the branch he'd shoved away snapping back and taking out its anger on his face. "I'm back," he announced, setting the grocery bags down near the makeshift fireplace.

"There you are," Jessie complained, smiling at the sight of her partner, "Persian was starting to get worried about you," she teased.

James nodded, glancing at the napping Classy Cat. "Poor guy looks worried sick." He frowned, looking around the clearing. "Where is everyone?"

Jessie shrugged. "Ash and his team went to the lake to train. Growlie went with them, but Seviper and Chimecho are somewhere around here."

"Speaking of Growlie and Seviper," James grinned, fishing through the bag of groceries, "look what fell into my bag at the Poké Mart." Pulling the TM cases from the bag, he tossed them both to Jessie, who snatched them out of the air, her eyes widening.

"What's... Arceus, James, where'd you get these?"

"I told you. Fell into my shopping bag," he said with a wink. "I've been saving up a few weeks now. The Poison Jab's for Seviper, and Flame Charge for Growlie."

"She is going to love you forever, you know," Jessie warned, unclipping Seviper's Pokéball from her waist. James grinned as Jessie whistled for the Fang Snake, who came slithering into the clearing at her call. "Look what James bought you!" Jessie said, showing off the rectangular case. Cracking open the case and removing the small cartridge inside, Jessie slid the chip into a slot on the back of the Pokéball and tapped the release button.

The Pokéball briefly flashed purple as the TM uploaded the data. Seviper froze for a moment, her eyes flashing the same color.

"Alright, Seviper!" Jessie said after the flash had faded. "Poison Jab!" she commanded, pointing towards a nearby tree stump.

"Sev Seviper!" the Poison Type hissed, her tail flashing purple as she launched herself towards the stump. Flipping in midair, her tail crashed into the wooden stub. With a mighty crack the stump fractured and burst, fragments of wood flying in all directions as Seviper landed gracefully, her teeth bared in a venomous grin.

Jessie beamed. "Great job, Seviper! That was perfect!"

"What was perfect?" a tired voice asked. The ex-Rockets turned to see Ash pushing his way into the clearing, followed soon after by the members of his team. Stooping over, the Aura User rested his hands on his knees, panting heavily. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping off the edge of his nose. He stumbled over to the stream running through the clearing, cupping his hands and drinking deeply. Splashing his face, he blinked and sat back, glancing over at Jessie and James. "What was perfect?" he repeated.

"James bought Seviper a TM," Jessie explained, tossing the now-empty case at Ash, who snatched it out of the air and glanced it over.

"Poison Jab? Nice. Get anything for me?" he joked, tossing the case back to Jessie.

James snorted. "You wish. I got one for Growlie, too, but he looks tired enough as it is." He nodded towards the Puppy Pokémon, who had collapsed on a patch of grass and was already snoring soundly.

"Yeah, we had quite the workout today. Soul taught him some moves. Matter of fact, that little Growlithe of yours is quite the –" he stopped suddenly, his eyes widening. "Athena, you sensing this?"

Athena closed her eyes, the aura-sensitive appendages on her head flaring. She grinned suddenly, looking to the sky. That's them, alright.

"Who?" Jessie asked, watching as Ash leapt up, the effects of his training session seemingly disappearing as he began to wave at a shimmering dot in the sky.

"Riley!" Ash called, a smile forming on his face. The silver dot grew larger and larger, a Skarmory taking shape. The metal bird drew closer, flaring its sharpened wings to come in to land. Slowly the beat descended, landing in the middle of the clearing.

The blue-clad Aura Guardian slid off the Armor Bird Pokémon, his hand clutching his gut as he found his balance. Lucario leapt off the Skarmory as well, standing by his master's side and giving Athena a nod and a smile. The smallest bit of color bled into the Aura Pokémon's cheeks, and she suddenly found the soles of her feet to be very interesting.

Riley winced, patting the metal bird. "Thank you, Skar." Turning to face Ash, he smiled, looking him over. "Ash. Long time no see."

"You can say that again," Ash grinned, grabbing his teacher and lifting him in a hug. "Too long!"

Riley swore, pushing Ash away. "Gah! Not so tight, kid. You'll reopen the stitches."

Ash frowned. "Stitches? What happened?" He glanced at Lucario, who folded his arms, the smile fading. Ash's eyes flew to the bandaged side Riley's hand was supporting.

"Bullet wound," Riley said, ignoring the small gasps the answer elicited. "We may have a problem."

"Shit."

"Pika pichu?"

Who was shooting at you?

Who do you think? Lucario answered, snarling at the memory. Rocket.

Ash swore. "Here, Riley, sit down. James, do you have any medicine? Energy Powder, maybe?"

"Hey. Calm down, kid," Riley admonished, putting a hand on Ash's shoulder. "I'm fine. Checked out of Eterna City Hospital yesterday morning. Bullet went straight through me, Lucario and I have been boosting the healing process, blah, blah, etcetera, etcetera. Stop your worrying."

Ash frowned. "Will you at least sit down?"

Riley sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine." Collapsing onto a log, the Aura Guardian winced again, pressing a hand to his gut once more. "Say, you have any of those potions you make?"

"I thought you were fine," Ash said, sarcasm laced through his words. He glanced around for his backpack, finding it underneath his discarded cloak.

"Are you still wearing that ridiculous thing?" Riley asked as his student fished through the backpack for a bottle of the bloodred liquid.

"Are you still wearing that ridiculous suit?" Ash countered, tossing the potion to Riley.

"This suit is not ridiculous!" Riley said between gulps of the brew. "It's classy, stylish, and frankly a hundred times more appealing than that thing you call a cloak." Downing the rest of the bottle, he sighed, licking his lips. "Aah. I will hand it to you, though, you know how to mix a potion."

"Now what's this about Team Rocket?" Jessie asked, glancing back and forth between Ash and Riley.

Riley sighed. "Straight to the point it is, then: Team Rocket wants Iron Island. They sent a team to capture us, and when we fought them off their boss managed to get a shot off on me."

"Why? What's on Iron Island that Team Rocket could possibly want?" James asked. "Er, no offense, of course."

"None taken. And it's not what's on Iron Island they want, it's what's under it." Riley glanced longingly at the empty bottle as everyone in the camp leaned in. "Mega Stones."

You're joking.

I wish, Lucario replied. I've seen them. Hell, I used one.

"I can do you one better, friend," Riley added, gesturing for Skarmory to approach him. Opening a pack attached to the Armor Bird's side, he withdrew a bundle of cloth and tossed it to Ash, who frowned and unwrapped the object. His eyes widened, his mouth forming a small o.

The Mega Stone glinted in the afternoon light, pearlescent beams of color radiating off the crystalline stone. Riley pointed to the stone in Ash's hands. "That, my dear Jessie, is what Team Rocket wants. And we cannot afford to let them get their grimy hands on any of them."

-Iron Island-

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Pokéfans of all ages. I'm John Cradden, and I'm here with Roy Aitman to bring you the first match of the Pokémon World Tournament's Top 64! Roy?"

"Right, John, and it is looking to be a fantastic match tonight. Our first combatant today is none other than Lance himself, Champion of the Kanto and Johto regions! John, who has the misfortune of going up against this beast of a trainer?"

"Hey, turn it up," came a voice from across the room. The G-man turned, quickly confirming that it was only another member of his shift before nodding and hitting the volume. The announcers' quips quickly filled the room as the second G-man leaned his weapon against the couch before sitting down on with a sigh. "Just finished a perimeter. Nothing to report, no one's seen anything."

"The hell are we even doing here?" the first asked, turning his attention back to the match.

His partner gestured at the television screen, where Lance was selecting his first Pokémon of the match. "Ask the boss. Lance said Rocket wants this place for 'unknown reasons', and we're here to protect from any and all trespassers."

"Unknown reasons my ass. Above our pay grade, more like it." The second grunted in agreement, stifling a yawn.

"And Lance starts things off with a Flamethrower! Let's get this match underway!"

"You said it, John. Wow, would you look at the speed of that Dodrio? Was that an Agility or a Teleport? Dragonite's attack didn't even make contact!"

"Ha, ha, you got him there, Roy. Ooh, looks like Dodrio's going in for a Fury Attack! One, two, three, four hits in one move! John, this is looking to be the start of a spectacular match!"

There was a crackle of static over the radio. "This is Oshawatt-Seven, checking in."

The G-man sniffed, pressing the reply button. "Go ahead, Oshawatt-Seven, we're all ears."

"HQ, I'm hearing signs of a possible disturbance along the western perimeter, permission to investigate?"

"Can you describe the disturbance, Oshawatt-Seven?"

"Affirmative, HQ. Sounds like a large pack of Houndoom, maybe Mightyena. Normally I'd ignore but neither Pokémon are native to this region, least of all to an island ten miles off the coast. Permission to investigate?"

The G-man scratched his chin for a moment, thinking. "Permission granted, Oshawatt-Seven, go see what the problem is. Keep us posted."

"Roger that, HQ. Oshawatt-Seven out."

The radio fell silent, and the G-men returned to watching the match before them.

"Oh! And Dodrio responds with a Tri Attack! That one's gotta hurt!"

"Yep, it looks like Dragonite won't be able to take much more of that."

"Not that he'll need to! Dragonite has retaliated with an absolutely brutal Hyper Beam! That took a lot out of Dodrio, I don't think he's gonna be able to go on much longer!"

"Well, Roy, it looks like Tyler agrees with you, because he's recalling his Dodrio! I wonder what he has up his sleeve?"

"Something shady, that's for sure, John. Tyler down there is a pupil of none other than Koga, the Elite Four member of Fuchsia City. He is one opponent everyone needs to be taking seriously right now."

"No argument there, Roy. Speaking of taking things seriously, what's your lineup looking like for the Top 8?"

"That's a tough question, John. Every Trainer I've seen so far has been an absolutely incredible fighter, from Kanto all the way to Unova. It's hard to predict this type of things, because there's so much that can happen in a Pokémon battle, but if I had to give you a list, I'd go with Lance here, Cynthia, Wallace, Blaine, Nyugen Davidson, Candice, David Smith, and the ever-mysterious Red."

"That's an interesting pick, Roy. Think you can elaborate a bit on Red, for our viewers back home?"

The radio crackled to life once more. "HQ, this is Oshawatt-Seven. Repeat, Oshawatt-Seven to HQ."

"Go ahead, Oshawatt-Seven."

"Found the source of the disturbance. I was right, big pack of Houndoom and Mightyena. Looks like they're fighting over something, probably a Stantler or something – holy Arceus."

The G-men glanced at each other, eyebrows raised. "What's the matter, Oshawatt-Seven?"

"There's a girl down there, sir! Repeat, there's a civilian caught right in the middle of the pack! I think she's unconscious, sir!"

"Oshawatt-Seven, copy your last, there's a civilian on this island!?"

"Affirmative, HQ, and she's not gonna last long with me standing here! Permission to engage Pokémon?"

"Granted, Oshawatt-Seven, get her out of there."

"Copy that, HQ. Over and out. Theta, Extremespeed!"

The G-men shared an uneasy look, hands resting on their weapons. "That team of Psychics that swept the island should have detected any civilians, much less a whole pack of Dark Types."

His partner grunted an affirmative, selecting a Pokéball from his waist. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

The radio crackled to life again. "HQ, this is Oshawatt-Seven. Most of the pack scattered after engagement, and it looks like they've gone for good. Permission to bring the civilian up to base for medical attention? She looks in a bad way."

"Permission granted, Oshawatt-Seven, but keep an eye on her."

"Roger your last, H-rrk!" the voice on the radio abruptly cut short, a rush of static filling the air.

"Oshawatt-Seven, copy your last. Repeat, Oshawatt-Seven. What is your status?"

For a long moment, there was no response. Then, the radio clicked back on, and a wavering voice could be heard.

"This is Oshawatt-Seven. Be advised, civilian appears to be a member of Team Rocket. She-" Oshawatt-Seven coughed, a wet, sickening sound. "-she pulled a knife on me and took my weapon and 'Mon. I think she's headed your way."

"Roger that, Oshawatt-Seven. Sit tight, son, we're sending a Medic your way right now. He'll get there ASAP." A bead of sweat trickled down the G-man's forehead as he pulled another radio from a pouch at his side. "Attention all units. Be advised, we have a confirmed Rocket threat on Iron Island. Subject has attacked and disarmed one of ours and is considered extremely dangerous. As of now this facility is on high alert."

The radio crackled to life once again. "HQ, this is Wartortle-Four. Psychics on my squad are detecting unauthorized cargo helicopters fast approaching our location. Precursory scans reveal over a dozen birds in the air, requesting directive."

"Shit." The G-men swore, turning to his companion. "Get Lieutenant Surge on the phone!" To the radio, he said. "Wartortle-Four, you are authorized to engage any and all personnel on that transport. Shoot it down. That goes for all units on this island. This facility is as of now at DEFCON 3, understood? You are authorized to engage any and all enemy personnel."

An explosion rocked the building, sending dust and dirt raining down on the G-man. He swore, picking up his rifle and running to the open door, where another burst lit up the night sky. A Hyper Beam lanced through the air, clipping the tail of a heli, sending the chopper into a downward spiral. The G-man watched the Rocket Grunts leap from the falling helicopter, landing feet first and opening fire. Beams of red light flashed through the air as they released their Pokémon, glowing with black and purple auras. A Grunt shouted something – the G-man could only make out the word 'Blitz' – and the shadowy Pokémon shot forwards, dark energy flowing off them like purple fire.

The G-man's hand flew to his belt, releasing his own Pokémon who instantly raced forwards to join the fray. Taking cover behind some stray crates, he flicked the safety off his rifle and opened fire. He saw a Rocket fall, crying out as she fell. Two more Rockets returned fire as the G-man ducked back down in time to hear bullets whiz over his head. Hearing bullets bounce uselessly off the metal skin of his Metagross, the G-man fired blindly over the crate, shielding his eyes from the bright light of a stray Flamethrower.

A small, round object landed next to the G-man. Instinctively, he threw himself behind the crate, diving to cover only an instant before the grenade exploded. Yelling, the G-man scrambled to his feet, firing indiscriminately in the direction of the Rockets as a helicopter exploded overhead, all but crashing down directly on the G-man's head. He screamed as the blazing fireball singed his skin, falling to the dirt and extinguishing the flames that scorched his body.

The G-man suddenly realized his rifle was no longer firing. Dropping the empty weapon, he pulled a pistol from his hip and crouched down, a hand going to his radio. "All units, report."

Nothing.

"All units, respond. This is HQ. Say again, all units, respond."

Silence. Then-!

"This is Meganium-Nine, reporting for duty, sir."

"Meganium-Nine, thank Mew. What's your status?"

"I'm dug in, sir. Holed up behind one of our Fearow M-9's. Running low on ammunition, all Pokémon are unresponsive."

"Alright, Meganium-Nine. We're gonna get through this. Are you licensed to fly one of those bad boys?"

"I wish, sir. Flunked out of flight school, they told me I'd be better off a Ranger."

"Well congratulations, Meganium-Nine, you've just earned your wings. Start that bird up ASAP and be ready to fly. I'll be there in two minutes."

"But, sir –"

"That's an order. I want to be in the air yesterday, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Over and out."

The G-man holstered the radio, peeking out from behind his cover. Bodies littered the battlefield, casualties of both sides tossed every which way as though a malevolent hand from above had reached down and shaken the very earth itself. Pokémon were not exempt from the carnage, either. Noxious blood pooled where an Arbok had been sliced in two. A Raichu laid crumpled, propped up against the side of a blood-stained building.

Taking a breath, the G-man forced himself forwards, sprinting across the bloody battlefield. A voice shouted, and the G-man opened fire, blindly shooting towards the sound of the voice. The unmistakable sound of machinegun fire followed, and the G-man tripped and bit the dust as red-hot lead buried itself in his leg. Screaming in rage and pain, he forced himself back onto his feet, firing behind him as he hobbled forward.

Another shot rang out, tearing into the G-man's shoulder. The G-man fell again, crumpling to the ground. With a herculean effort, he managed to turn himself over, his pistol wavering as he crawled backwards, blood pouring from his wounds and mixing with the dirt.

"HQ? This is Meg-Nine. Where are you?"

The G-man pulled the trigger once more, but no shot fired. Tossing the useless weapon to the side, he laid flat on the ground, panting as the Rockets approached.

"HQ, I'm ready for takeoff. I see Rockets converging on my position, but I can hold them off for a few more minutes."

The G-man slowly raised the radio to his face. "Negative, Meg-Nine. I'm compromised. Get out of here while you can."

There was a rush of static. The Rocket was almost on top of the G-man now, his rifle ready to fire at any moment. "There's no way I'm leaving you behind, si-"

"That's a fucking order, soldier! Get the hell out of here now!"

"Y... yes, sir. Mewspeed, sir."

"Once you get out of range, contact the Pokémon League. Tell them –" the hot barrel of the rifle pressed against the G-man's temple, the Rocket's face totally unreadable. "Tell them Iron Island is lost."

The G-man dropped the radio, meeting the eyes of his killer. An eternity passed. A single shot rang out, and a longer eternity began.

Heyo, everybody. Wolverinejoe here, and things are starting to come together now. I'd give an excuse for the six or so month hiatus, but I don't have one. Been lazy and have been working on some other stuff. No worries, though. This story will be finished. Some day.

Shoutout to both LynnRose and October Autumn, who gave me the much-needed kick to finish this chapter (Longest one ever, by the by. Just over 9,000 words), and to everyone who's continued to follow/favorite this story and myself. It means a lot, it really does.

That does it for now, next chapter should give us the lead up to the Top 16 and some more Rocket shenanigans. As always, reviews are greatly encouraged, and, in fact, my only source of sustenance. Without them I will slowly wither into naught but a shade of what I once was, lifeless and empty – and more importantly, unable to update D:

'Til next time~

-Wolverinejoe