Chapter 1
There were no words left to describe it. Exhausted? An understatement. Tired? It goes far beyond that. Tony couldn't seem to find the right way of explaining the girl fast asleep in the adjacent seat. Curled up next to her, were a Bulbasaur, his Gloom, a Nidorina, and a Pikachu all sharing their master's pain and fatigue.
What the trainer's Pokémon carried, were a variety of badges. Bolderbadge, Cascadebadge, Thunderbadge, Soulbadge, Plainbadge, Fogbadge, Glacierbadge, and the Risingbadge. A total of 4 Kanto League badges, and 4 Johto League badges. Each a testament to her many adventures, each having their own story to tell.
As the bus headed onward to the Indigo Plateau, Tony had to wonder about some things. Did Samantha have any strength left to challenge some of the world's best Pokémon trainers? If she did, how far could she get? The better question was, what would happen next? After all they had been through together, Tony still never knew what to expect from Samantha.
The speeding bus hit a pothole, causing Bobby to awaken from his slumber. He yawned, and then looked over at Tony. After exchanging a stare, Bobby leapt down from his seat and jumped onto Tony's. Tony patted Bobby's head, as if to let him know that everything was OK.
"Bobby, I wonder and worry sometimes about Sammy. She pushes herself harder and harder each time. But after all I've seen her accomplish, why worry at all?" Tony said with a smile.
Across the way, a small grin crept across Samantha's face.
"Sam...Sammie!" Tony whispered into Samantha's ear. "We're here Sam!"
Samantha slowly and reluctantly opened her eyes. When her vision righted, she beheld an awesome sight: a huge stadium, with a small town surrounding it. Overlooking the stadium was a torch with a flame brighter than any Samantha had ever seen in her life.
"I never imagined it was so huge..." was all Samantha could manage to say at first. "I don't know if I can battle in front of all of these people, Tony!"
"Don't worry so much. I'm sure they let you have some sort of practice match. Let's get our Pokémon healed up Sam. Nurse Joy will probably explain to us what you need to do."
"Yes, so I have to register now Nurse Joy?"
"No Samantha, you're already in the system as a matter of fact. All you need to do wait until we contact you," Nurse Joy said politely.
Samantha held her stomach and groaned. "Do you know of any place we could get something to eat? I haven't had a decent meal in weeks!"
"I saw a nice looking restaurant on the way here, Sam," Tony said, "let's check it out."
"Mmmm...hurmph..." mumbled Samantha with a mouthful of food.
"Slow down, Sam...I've never seen a girl eat this way!" Tony said wide-eyed.
"Hmm...can't help it. I'm so sick of sandwiches and food that comes in bags! This is real food, like my Dad used to make!" Samantha said enjoying the carved roast beef.
"You're gonna get sick. Picture this: you're on the pedestal in the championships. Your back is against the wall, when suddenly...you throw up!" Tony said seriously.
"Don't be silly Tony! Pokémon battles before bodily functions I always say!" Samantha said moving on to the mashed potatoes.
Outside of the restaurant, a shadowy figure was watching to two trainers. "Enjoy your meal, you little bitch. This is one time you won't get away so easily!"
Suddenly, the restaurant doors burst open, and a Houndoom entered followed by a group of men dressed in black.
"What the—who the hell are they?" Tony asked surprised.
"Long time no see, Slick. Let me answer your question!" the figure said stepping into the light.
"To incur destruction,
To annihilate peace,
To obscure love and honesty's evils in darkness.
I am a Rocket, and this is my duty.
A dark tomorrow awaits all!"
"Not you again!" Samantha said getting up. "I'm just going to embarrass you again, Patch!"
"See, that's where you're wrong. This time it is YOU who is going to be schooled! But first, I have to take care of one small little problem..."
Patch patted the Houndoom on the back. With that, the fire Pokémon let out a powerful SMOG attack. Thick clouds of smoke filled the eatery. As the people inside frantically gasped for air, one trainer sent out his Noctowl and blew away the smoke with a GUST attack.
When the smoke finally cleared, the people assessed the damage done by the Rockets. Everything seemed to be in order, spare one broken door. Everyone noted that their possessions and their Pokémon alike were all still in tact, and where they had been left. But it soon hit Tony what the Rockets had taken...
"Oh my God, no! SAMANTHA!"
The unmarked van sped down the road, its destination unknown. When Samantha came to, she realized that her hands were bound as well as her feet. The only person she saw was Patch grinning at her.
"Bad enough you're not as good as me, but kidnapping? That's low even for you, Patch!"
Patch smiled, "Well to be honest with you, I am simply following orders this time. Trust me, I don't need to tie you up to beat you!"
"Yeah, right! All the times you've messed with me, you've ended up the loser."
"Well be that as it may, I'd be more concerned about where I am taking you, and what's going to happen to you next!"
"My Pokémon?"
"They are here too, and they are being kept safe. Now please, keep quiet..."
Patch snapped his fingers, and a Hypno entered the cargo area. It swayed its pendulum back and forth, using its HYPNOSIS attack on Samantha. Her eyes became heavy, and she blacked out again...
Samantha slowly opened her eyes. When she regained her senses, she realized that she was in a very dark room. Her hands and feet were no longer tied. She peered around the dark room cautiously. It soon dawned on her that she wasn't wearing her clothes. She was wearing a silk robe. Even her undergarments were missing. Violated as she felt, Samantha was relieved to see that she now had her Poké Balls—all six she carried in her satchel.
Soon Patch entered the room, followed by his Sneasel. He looked at Samantha, "Comfy?"
"Where are my clothes, Patch?" Samantha demanded to know.
"The Boss said to make sure you were comfortable for your meeting with him. Again, just following orders this time. Nothing personal."
"Meeting? Boss? Wha..."
"Samantha, just calm down. Cool your jets" Patch said. "Just follow me. This time no tricks, I promise."
Samantha didn't know why, but she decided to trust Patch this time. Not like she had much of a choice anyway.
"So who is this Boss of yours?" Samantha asked Patch.
"A great Pokémon trainer. But you won't have to take my word for it." Patch replied.
The room they were in was actually a platform. It slowly began to rise. As the stage rose, a Pokémon battlefield came into Samantha's sight. Samantha became even more uneasy.
"Ah, welcome young one..." A gentle voice said. It came from the opposite side of the battlefield. "I've heard so much about you from my number one Rocket, Patch."
"Number 1? Patch?"
Patch nodded proudly at Samantha.
"Now, I have heard that you were able to defeat him several times in the past. That is impressive. So, I sent for you so I could see for myself how good you really are," the voice explained.
Samantha looked at Patch, "You want me to battle Patch?"
"You misunderstand. I did not bring you here to battle Patch. I asked you here to battle me!"
"But why? Why do you want to battle with me so badly?" Samantha asked.
"I hear you are entering the Pokémon League tomorrow. I wish to give you a little warm-up match. Consider ME your final test, Samantha!"
"YOU are my final challenge? Just who are you anyway?"
The man stepped into the light, "My name is Giovanni. I am the leader of Team Rocket, and subsequently the Viridian City gym leader. This will be a 2-Pokémon battle, accept my terms?"
Patch handed Samantha her six Poké Balls. Patch smiled, "You had better battle good. Don't you dare make me look bad!"
Samantha had to laugh. She then looked sternly at Giovanni, "I accept!"
"Go!" Patch yelled.
Giovanni sat in his big, comfortable chair. "Go Persian," he ordered. His cat Pokémon leapt down from the balcony, and on to the battlefield.
"I choose you, Julie!" Samantha's "fighting" Pikachu came out of her Poké Ball, ready to rumble.
"Persian, SLASH attack!" Giovanni calmly commanded.
Persian sprang forward from its hind legs, preparing to pounce on the tiny electric mouse. "Julie, THUNDERBOLT it now!"
Julie's cheeks fizzled with electric energy. She sent her attack forcefully at the big cat, frying it on contact. Persian landed on the ground feet- first, and smacked Julie with its huge paw anyway. Julie slowly got up.
"Now Persian, how about a HEADBUTT?"
"QUICK ATTACK, Julie!"
Julie and Persian collided headfirst. They both slammed into the ground harshly. After a moment, Julie was the first to get up.
"Now Julie, SEISMIC TOSS!"
Julie grabbed the Persian by its tail and swung it around hard. After a while, Julie threw the Persian into the ground headfirst. The cat Pokémon still persisted anyway.
"Now Persian, BUBBLEBEAM!"
The Persian seemed to belch as stream after stream of bubbles came flying from its mouth. Several hit Julie, sending her to the ground in agony. Julie's toughness would never leave her, as she sprang to her feet!
"Julie, SUBMISSION!"
Julie shot forward with lightning speed, and kicked the Persian right in the face. She picked it up and slammed it into the ground over and over again. Julie finished her impressive attack by throwing Persian out of the battling area, and into a wall.
Patch looked on in disbelief. Not only was Persian out of the ring, but it was also out cold!
"Impressive. That Pikachu can certainly hold its own," Giovanni said recalling Persian. He waited for Samantha to recall Julie. "Go Kingler."
A red light shot forth from the balcony and soon took the form of a large crab on the battlefield. Samantha thought about it for a while, as Kingler awaited her decision.
"Go Gloom!" Samantha said pressing the button on Bobby and Gloom's Couple Ball. Bobby and Gloom appeared by Samantha's side. Gloom hopped down, ready to battle. Bobby looked at Samantha with a concerned face. Samantha smiled at Bobby, "I would have sent you Bobby, but I don't want the Rocket Boss to see what you can really do..."
"Kingler, CRABHAMMER!"
The giant crab was more nimble than it appeared. It shot forward, and struck Gloom with its massive pincer. Gloomslid several feetback to the boundaries of the battling area.
"Gloom, try out your GIGA DRAIN!"
Gloom's attack began to suck the life out of Kingler. The crab tossed and flailed about, trying to escape the powerful grass-type attack.
"Kingler, STOMP." Giovanni commanded.
"Not a chance!" Samantha screamed out. "STUN SPORE!"
Kingler inhaled gloom's poisonous particles. Before it could stomp Gloom, it became paralyzed on the spot.
"Finish it! Just like Bobby taught you, Gloom...RAZOR LEAF!"
The knife like blades of Gloom's newly learned RAZOR LEAF cut and sliced away at the large water type until its eyes glazed over, and it had had enough.
"Wow..." Patch uttered.
"Congratulations. I suppose your success isn't a fluke after all." Giovanni said recalling Kingler to its Poké Ball. "I concede defeat to you this day, Samantha. I know that with your skills, you will indeed go far in the Pokémon League. You are free to go now. Patch will escort you out when you're ready."
"Thank you Giovanni! Great battle."
As Giovanni took his leave, Samantha walked over to Patch. "Ready to take me back now, Patch?"
"Sure. That was an order directly from the boss." Patch opened a Poké Ball to reveal an Abra. "Until we meet again, Samantha. Abra, TELEPORT her back to Indigo."
In a sudden flash of light, Samantha was at the doors of a Pokémon Center. It was Indigo's all right. Samantha sighed deeply, knowing she had just escaped quite the predicament.
"So you battled the Rockets' boss? And you won? Cool! I was so worried when they took you Sam!"
"Calm down Tony, I'll be alright. I will admit that I was terrified at first...wow, what a warm-up that was!" Samantha said sitting at a table drinking a cup of tea.
"Samantha? Is there a Samantha from Pallet Town here?" Nurse Joy asked.
Samantha raised her free hand. Joy smiled and walked over to Samantha. She handed her a key, and returned to her desk. Samantha looked at the note attached to the key...
"It's from the Pokémon League! It says I'll find out my first opponent later tonight, and until then I should stay at my free deluxe hotel suite!" Samantha said in awe.
"Nice..." Tony said way ahead of her, and collecting his things.