AN: So this is the promised prequel to TES...I'm working with LEGAL-EAGLE53 again on this! So...shoutout to her! She's great. ;)
We'll both write, but some chapters might be more dominated by one writer or the other. And we're both super busy, so we're going to take our time! Sorry if that upsets you, but we're the writers.
We said we'd bring it to you, so here it is. The first chapter of the prequel. Legal only owns her OCs and made-up city. Neither of us own Pokémon.
(The Battle Pyramid. Somewhere in between Kanto and Johto. Midair)
Two Pokemon had been in an intense match, had fallen to the floor. One Pokémon was the legendary Regice and the other was a Houndoom.
Samuel Laguerre had been the referee for the match and he knew how hard it was in a situation like this. Both Pokémon could stand up at any given time. Frontier rules were slightly different from league rules. In league battles, 15 seconds would have to transpire before the battle was declared a draw. Frontier battles added an extra 5 seconds. Samuel looked at the two trainers.
Regice's trainer was none other than Pyramid King Brandon Blair. Houndoom's trainer was a younger woman with shoulder length black hair and hunter green eyes. She stood at five foot eleven. She wore a light cyan T-shirt with a pair of faded, slate gray jeans and a pair of charcoal gray combat boots. In addition, she wore a pendant with a fossilized Psychic Gem in small shards and a black trainer belt. She also wore a pair of dark green fingerless gloves with gray borders.
Her name?
"Twenty seconds have passed. At this time, I declare this match between Pyramid King Brandon and trainer Rebekah D'Arciola from Whiterose City to be a draw!" Samuel exclaimed as he held both flags at an angle to show both Pokémon were down.
Brandon congratulated his Regice before returning it. Meanwhile, Rebekah had already been at her Houndoom's side. She stroked him.
"Hound," he weakly began. Rebekah gently gave her Houndoom a hug.
"It's okay, Zalam. You gave it your all and then some," she said as she unclipped the Premier Ball from her belt.
"You need some rest," she said as she returned her Pokémon. In the stands was another Frontier Brain and this was the Palace Maven, Spenser. She put the ball back on her belt.
"Young lady," Brandon said, arms at his sides. "That was one of the best damn battles I've had in a long time. Few people manage to get past my Regirock. Quite the track record."
Rebekah nodded. "Thank you, Pyramid King Brandon," she said politely.
Brandon laughed. "Please. You don't have to use my title."
Rebekah nodded again and looked like she was pondering something. "Since it was a draw, does that mean I have to challenge you again?"
Brandon looked up in the stands to Spenser. The look on Spenser's face read, "Do you even have to ask?"
Brandon then looked to Samuel who nodded and gave his boss a thumb's-up. Brandon fished into his pocket and pulled out his symbol.
"No," he said to her, "That was one of the best battles I've had in a while. Not many people get to even face me. I award you the Brave Symbol," he said as he placed the symbol in her hand.
She held it and looked at it. Her final symbol. "Thank you, Brandon," she said as she flashed him a grin.
Some time passed and Spenser was able to help Brandon heal his Pokémon, while Rebekah healed hers. 'I've competed in Johto and Kalos, but what's next?' she thought. She showed her prize to her Pokémon that she used in her battle: a Houndoom named Zalam, a Wobbuffet named Almarid and a Feraligatr named Tidal.
"Rebekah?" Samuel asked her. She looked up from treating Zalam.
"Yes?" she asked.
"What's your next step?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I'll figure it out. Any suggestions?"
"How about the Sinnoh region?" Brandon offered. "Have you ever been there?"
Rebekah shook her head. She had been to every main region except for Sinnoh and Unova. She had trained in the Orange Islands and visited family in the Sevii Archipelago before.
"I guess that's my next region to visit," she murmured to herself. Two days later, she left for Sinnoh.
On the flight, she thought back to each of her battles. Berdea the Xatu had defeated a Rhydon belonging to Factory Head Noland Datsura. She had a 3 on 3 against a Medicham, Hariyama and a Heracross that belonged to Arena Tycoon Greta Kogomi. Medicham had quite the struggle against Hoku the Starmie, but lost in the end. Zalam made quick work of Hariyama and the battle against Heracross and Gem the Espeon was intense, but Gem proved to be victorious.
Then there was her match against Dome Ace Tucker Heath. Her first double battle went well. It was Malik the Slowking and Logam the Metagross against his Arcanine and Swampert. Then she had a 2 on 2 with Pike Queen Lucy Tanaka. Hoku had a heated battle with her Seviper and lost against Milotic, a part of Rebekah's strategy, it had seemed. Rebekah's next choice was a Kabutops named Iwa. The look on her opponent's face was typical when she commanded Iwa to use Giga Drain.
Her battle against Palace Maven Spenser Nozawa was done inside due to inclement weather. Tidal was sent out against Venusaur and didn't use any Water-type moves to take out the fully evolved Kanto Grass starter. Spenser thought Rebekah was going for the type advantage by sending out Berdea with Flying type moves against his Shiftry. Thunder Wave and Shadow Ball were aimed against Shiftry and the Grass/Dark type couldn't land a hit because of Teleport! All it took was Foul Play followed by an Ominous Wind to defeat Shiftry.
Rebekah decided to see how long Berdea would last against Claydol. Claydol had proved the stronger foe. Malik had a crack at Claydol. A Thunder Wave for Rebekah's strategy and between Teleport, she figured out how she'd make quick work of Claydol. Quash wouldn't work, but neither trainer nor Pokémon expected the Slowking to have Scald. The Palace Maven was stunned that it had worked!
She was given the chance to research her sixth opponent due to the Salon Maiden being a newer brain. Zalam made quick work of Espeon and Alakazam, but fell to Metagross. Rebekah surprised Anabel in having a Metagross of her own! Psyshock and Metal Claw had been used before Rebekah used an OHKO move and having raised her Metagross as a Beldum, she knew that Earthquake would be super effective. Rebekah apologized for the destruction of the field, but appreciated the patience of Anabel. The Johtoan also offered to help clean up the field.
Then came Brandon. Feraligatr was sent out against Regirock not for type advantage, but for a battle of size between the two. Regirock had attacked more than once and actually would miss a few. Rebekah eventually decided to do a Dragon Claw, Superpower, Surf strategy. Rebekah returned Tidal after his loss to Registeel. She had every intention of grabbing Zalam's Poké Ball, but instead released Almarid by mistake. She forgot that Zalam's Poké Ball was in her pocket, but the Psychic type proved to be quite the opponent for Registeel. She had used Safeguard a couple of times but remembered that her Psychic-type had been acting as a therapy Pokémon for her.
Brandon had Registeel go for a Zap Cannon and Rebekah ended it with a Destiny Bond. Rebekah had guessed that Brandon would have a Regice and steeled herself before sending out Zalam's Poké Ball. Zalam had 3 moves at his disposal that would probably take down an average Ice-type with ease. She couldn't get Zalam close enough for a Fire Fang, so she went for Taunt and also had Zalam use a Fire Blast after dodging an Ice Beam. Rebekah didn't let Brandon have the chance to have Regice use Rest.
The final blows were Hyper Beam and Flame Charge. Rebekah watched Zalam take the powerful move at such a close range. The two moves seemed to explode, causing a blinding light and the result to leave both fainted Pokémon.
The next thing Rebekah knew, she had landed in Jubilife City. She flew with the help of Berdea and landed in Sunyshore City. It took her a few days, but she managed to get to Lily of the Valley Island. She had received a tip from Byron when taking a rest in Canalave: the league was in between seasons. However, that didn't deter her as she revealed to Byron that she had just beaten the Battle Frontier in Kanto recently. Frontier rules were compliant with League rules in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. Rebekah walked up to the stadium and noticed a young man that was probably around Anabel's age (if not younger) with a Beautifly.
"I'm sorry, miss," he said, not letting her get a word in. "The league is in between seasons and we aren't accepting challengers right now."
Rebekah folded her arms. "You're Aaron Adams, aren't you? You were just recently named a member of the Sinnoh Elite Four," she said. He nodded, confirming her statement. "Well, my name is Rebekah and I just competed against the Battle Frontier and won."
Aaron asked her for proof and she gladly showed him the folio she was given containing all 7 symbols. "That's incredible," he said, green eyes studying each symbol.
She nodded. "You may not know Frontier rules, but whoever the champion is probably had you memorize League rules."
At that comment, Aaron realized that the woman in front of him wasn't from Sinnoh. Everyone knew who the Sinnoh champion was. Alongside Kalos, the two champions had just been inducted themselves and were both females.
"Where are you from?" he asked, rifling a hand through his green hair.
"I'm from Whiterose City in the Johto region, but I was born to Kalos natives," she replied. Aaron scratched his head. "It's to the north of New Bark Town."
Aaron merely nodded and was trying to process everything she said and then his pupils dilated in realization of her mentioning league rules. "Frontier rules are in compliance with the league rules in here, Hoenn, Johto and Kanto. Frontier rules state that any trainer who has competed in 2 leagues is allowed to directly challenge the Elite Four of any region. The trainer has to have gotten past the top 32."
"Uh," Aaron said, not sure what to do. "Would you mind following me?" Rebekah nodded. Aaron was nervous right now. He was praying to Arceus that Bertha or Cynthia would come to his aid. Flint liked teasing him and Lucian made things challenging. "Aaron?" a feminine voice called out. "Aaron, you know we're not supposed to accept challengers at this point," she said as she crossed her arms.
Rebekah felt bad for him, but something gave the blonde in front of them a certain aura. An air of confidence as well. She knew Lance Grayson far too well and figured that the blonde was the Champion from the confident aura.
"Hold up," Rebekah spoke in Aaron's defense. "I don't know what Aaron was planning to do, but I'm legally allowed to challenge him. I'm sure you've heard of the Battle Frontier."
Gray met green. "Of course. I faced off against Tower Tycoon Palmer not too long ago," she said in a slightly cocky tone.
Rebekah smirked. "Then I take it you're familiar with Frontier rules?" she asked. Cynthia nodded. Aaron meanwhile had snuck away to the nearest computer and looked up Rebekah from her city. Behind him was a flat screen that yielded 5 results. He clicked on Rebekah's name. The first box showed her picture, hometown, trainer ID number, known Pokémon (total) and trainer accomplishments. It showed a picture of Kalos badges and the Pokémon used in the Kalos League. Rank: Top 8. The second box showed the Johto badges and the Pokémon used in the Silver League. Rank: Top 4. The third box showed 7 gold symbols from each Frontier Brain and all Pokémon used in the Frontier. One thing that caught Cynthia's eye was the cross beside the Feraligatr.
"When did you defeat the Frontier?" Aaron inquired.
Rebekah had to think. "Six weeks ago. I didn't compete in Kanto because I missed the season. So I went back home and started there. I possess 13 Pokémon and two of them are shiny. The reason there is a cross by Feraligatr is because my first Feraligatr was also shiny, but she died in one of my final battles in the Silver League. My opponent was disqualified," she said, trying to contain herself with the memory.
Cynthia felt her heart sink and Aaron was horrified. Neither of them had personally lost a Pokémon, but Bertha had. Cynthia sighed. Rebekah was correct and allowed to legally challenge the Sinnoh Elite 4, despite not having any badges.
"Perhaps I should properly introduce myself," Cynthia said. "My name is Cynthia Shirona and I'm the Sinnoh champion. I am from Celestic Town." Cynthia held out a hand.
Rebekah's attire gave off a look that she was a serious trainer. "Rebekah D'Arciola. Born in Whiterose City, Johto." She firmly shook hands with the Sinnoh champ.
"A small town girl, hm," Cynthia said. "You are free to challenge us in any order you choose. How many Pokémon do you have on hand?"
"A full team," Rebekah said as fire seemed to glow in her eyes.
"Then that means normal rules for us, right?" Aaron inquired.
Cynthia nodded and went behind the monitor that Aaron was at. She pulled up the list of the Sinnoh Elite 4 in alphabetical order by first name. Aaron was first and there were 5 Poké Balls pictured next to his name. Aaron was an Eterna City native. As Rebekah had guessed, Aaron was a Bug-type specialist.
Then, there was Bertha Hartmann, a Ground-type specialist. Bertha was originally born in Driftveil City, Unova and grew up in Jubilife City. She also had 5 Poké Balls pictured. Next was Flint Nara, a Fire-type specialist and a Sunyshore City native. 5 Poké Balls appeared. Lastly was Lucian Namikawa, a Psychic-type specialist and Canalave City native. Like his fellow Elites, Lucian had 5 Pokémon. Cynthia's picture was last and she had 6 Poke Balls.
"Would you like me to shuffle the cards or pick an opponent?" Cynthia asked.
Rebekah placed a finger on her chin in thought. 'I could sweep through Aaron's team with Zalam alone. Bertha could be a clean sweep with Tidal or Hoku. Flint… would be a challenge, but so would Lucian,' she thought.
"Well?" Aaron asked nervously.
"Beau?" Beautifly asked.
Rebekah smiled. "I'd like to go up against Aaron first and then Bertha. If I pass her," she paused, tempting to say, 'and I will,'.
"I'd like to do a coin toss, if that's okay, Madam Champion."
Cynthia raised a brow as Aaron pumped a fist up. He had his first opponent!
"It is, but please, call me Cynthia," she insisted.
Rebekah shrugged. "I call Lance 'Master Lance' from time to time," she said.
Cynthia rolled her eyes at the mention of the Dragon Master. Anything to boost his ego. "Well Aaron," Cynthia said as she locked eyes with her youngest coworker. "Lead the way to your arena."
Aaron nodded with an eager grin. This was going to be interesting.
The two walked to his arena. "I used to be the Eterna City gym leader," Aaron said, recalling Beautifly temporarily. It seemed to resemble a forest.
"That's cool," Rebekah said. She had to admit, she would use Azeria (her shiny Ninetales) or Zalam to take his team, but she didn't want to hurt his pride too much. A referee was there, so it would probably get out.
Rebekah's information had already been logged in and the screen setup was there.
The referee looked at the two. "This is a battle between Rebekah D'Arciola and Sinnoh Elite Four Bug specialist Aaron Adams. Both trainers will use 5 Pokemon each. Only the challenger may switch Pokémon. Clear?" he asked.
Aaron nodded and grabbed a Poké Ball. "Crystal," he said.
Rebekah waited before nodding. "Trainers, send out your Pokémon!" he called.
Aaron enlarged his Poke Ball and as Rebekah had guessed, he sent out his Beautifly. If anything, Zalam would be her last resort. She decided to go make this fun, rather than crushing him right away.
"Hoku, time to battle!" Rebekah called. Aaron knew that some trainers nicknamed their Pokémon. Beautifly's opponent was a beautiful Starmie, Aaron admitted.
A picture of Aaron and Beautifly appeared on the top screen and Rebekah and Starmie's picture on the bottom.
"Solar Beam!" Aaron commanded.
Rebekah had an experiment. "Hoku, Thunder and don't hold back!" it complied. As expected, the elements collided and Thunder seemed to be forming a beam that collided with Solar Beam. It was colorful and Rebekah noticed that Thunder was overpowering Solar Beam.
"Come on, Hoku," she called. It sent stronger electricity. Aaron kept looking back between Beautifly and the health bar. Beautifly got paralyzed halfway.
H-how? How is that Thunder so strong? Aaron thought. Aaron heard a 'thud' and looked at his starter in shock.
"Beautifly is unable to battle. Therefore, Starmie is the winner of this match!" the ref declared. Aaron went to the field and picked up Beautifly halfway.
"You were great," he said in a whisper before returning the Butterfly Pokémon. He finally stood up. "How was Thunder so strong?" he asked.
Rebekah smiled at the boy. "My Starmie has Analytic as its ability," she replied. Analytic increases the power of a move by 30% if the opponent attacks first.
Aaron nodded. "That's impressive," he said. He pulled a Poké Ball off his belt and enlarged it. "Let's see if your Starmie can keep up with this one. Drapion, go!"
Rebekah pulled out a light blue Pokédex and scanned Drapion. She knew Hoku wouldn't be its opponent, especially because Drapion had Battle Armor. So did Iwa. She took a breath, knowing what to do next.
"Hoku, return," she said. She revealed a Net Ball and enlarged it. "Iwa, time to battle!"
Aaron was waiting to see what Pokémon Iwa was. To his shock and sudden excitement, there was a Kabutops! Kabutops could have 1 of 3 abilities: Swift Swim, Battle Armor or Weak Armor.
"I'm impressed and this battle will be a bit longer. …or will it? Drapion, Hyper Beam!" he commanded, hoping to catch Rebekah off guard.
His Drapion complied and Rebekah shouted a command. "Ancient Power!" she said. Ancient Power materialized and absorbed the Hyper Beam, causing an explosion that sent the trainers back a little, but both planted their feet in the forest terrain.
"Not bad," Aaron said. "Cross Poison!"
Uh oh. Gotta get Iwa out of there, now.
"Form a Waterfall around yourself," she said the part of her defensive attack. She watched as Iwa scaled the waterfall, unseen by Aaron and Drapion.
"Come down with an Aqua Jet and go for a Brick Break!" She hoped her strategy would work.
Aaron felt nervous. It felt like he was under a waterfall himself. "Try and relax, Drapion," Aaron called. "Once you're calm, Pin Missile!"
The field became unseen by the trainers altogether. Iwa saw her target and charged her attack. With that, she struck and hit Drapion head on. She then cleared the field with a slashing motion of her own before doing a flip and heading back to her trainer. Once the water was down and being absorbed into the forest, it was clear that Drapion was out. "Drapion is unable to battle. The match goes to Kabutops!"
Aaron's next choice was Vespiquen. Iwa used a lot of energy, but didn't faint. Rebekah returned her Kabutops.
Tidal, Iwa, Hoku, Logam, Gem and Zalam, she thought as she scanned Vespiquen. She wanted to save Zalam for last, but she couldn't resist. She sent out her Houndoom. Aaron gave her the first attack. Rebekah had to think. Vespiquen knew Power Gem, Slash, Gust and Attack Order. An OHKO would take away the fun, but she had limited options.
"Thunder Fang," she said, sounding unsure. Aaron retaliated with Power Gem. Zalam was down, but far from out. Vespiquen hadn't been hit. Before Aaron could reply, Rebekah acted.
"Fire Blast," she said calmly.
"Gust!" he hollered, trying to deflect the attack. It failed and Fire Blast knocked Vespiquen to a quarter with a burn. Houndoom barked proudly.
"Fire Blast, again!" Rebekah replied. That did it. Aaron's Vespiquen was knocked out by Rebekah's Houndoom. Aaron's last choice was a Dustox. Rebekah returned Houndoom and sent out Starmie. This time, Aaron had Dustox use Double Team and Toxic. As Toxic was being aimed at the dual type, Rebekah had Hoku start spinning and used Grass Knot to absorb the Toxic. As much as Aaron hated to admit it at the moment, that was an effective strategy. Ordinarily, Dustox would be normally damaged by a Steel-type move.
Psyshock lowered Dustox's health to the halfway point and Rebekah commanded a Gyro Ball. Dustox slammed to the ground in defeat and Starmie skillfully used Hydro Pump to lower itself back in front of its trainer. The battle was over.
"All of Aaron's Pokémon are unable to battle. This means that the match goes to trainer Rebekah from Johto," the referee declared.
Aaron thanked Dustox before returning the poison moth. Rebekah knelt by Hoku and beamed. "Way to go, Hoku. Get some rest and return," she said.
"I did terrible," Aaron said as he knelt in defeat. Rebekah didn't like his negative attitude and frowned disapprovingly.
"Aaron, you did amazing," she praised.
"She's right," Cynthia's voice said from somewhere. Turns out that the Sinnoh Elite 4 had technological advances and there were various things. However, Cynthia was actually in the room. Rebekah turned and noticed the woman's shield of sorts drop.
A Lucario, Rebekah thought. Rebekah carefully cleared her mind and the temperature in the room dropped a degree or two.
Rebekah had psychic lineage and she noticed that Cynthia's mind was focused on the crime reports in the Sinnoh region. Rebekah quickly exited Cynthia's mind without the Champion knowing.
"Aaron, you just got put against a challenger who had a well-equipped team," Cynthia replied to Aaron, who was now looking at the blonde with hope in his eyes. The trio exited Aaron's arena and the competitors got their Pokémon healed.
Rebekah offered a hand to Aaron. "I've battled almost every Bug-type specialist, with one exception. My battle with Viola was exciting, but short, as we had a two-on-two. Back when I battled Bugsy, I swept his team with Zalam when he was just a Houndour pup," she began. Cynthia saw where she was going with this, but let the raven-haired girl continue.
"I've only seen Dustox and Beautifly because I've been to Hoenn before. I didn't think I'd get past your Drapion," she confessed.
Aaron smiled a little at that. "Heh," he said, putting one hand behind his head and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Drapion is my ace."
The two shook hands.
"Bertha's arena is a long walk," Cynthia told the Johtoan. Rebekah nodded in thanks before leaving the two.
The champion wasn't exaggerating when she said it was a long walk. Rebekah always carried a bottle of water on her and she tried stayed hydrated. She opened the door to Bertha's arena. It reminded her of Anabel's field in its plain look. However, there were patches of sand. She had no clue what Bertha looked like. "Hello?" she called. A referee appeared and out of another door, a woman that was old enough to be her grandmother came out. She had gray hair and brown eyes and a confident smile on her face.
"You must be Rebekah. Cynthia was just telling us about you," Bertha said. Rebekah figured that she meant the other Elites as well. Rebekah had faced a young man named Grant in Kalos for her Cliff Badge, but she had no experience against Ground-type trainers. This would be fun. She could only hope that she wouldn't win on type advantage alone. Luckily for her, the first Pokémon sent out was a Golem. The same situation happened, only with Bertha and Golem on the top with Rebekah and Metagross on the bottom.
With her Pokédex, Rebekah learned that Bertha's Golem had Rock Head for an ability and her moves were Earthquake, Gyro Ball, Brick Break and Sandstorm. Her sister's Aggron had the ability, which was why Rebekah opted for Logam, who also had Earthquake. Bertha commanded a Sandstorm and Rebekah countered by sending Logam into the storm with a Pursuit. Golem's health wasn't in the red yet, but Rebekah took advantage of the sandy field by having Logam use an Earthquake. With that, Golem was defeated and Logam floated back to its trainer.
"Using the battlefield to your advantage, I see," Bertha praised as she readied her next Pokémon. A Pokémon usually found in Sinnoh, but Rebekah was familiar with her next opponent and wanted to have some fun. She didn't consider the battle between Zalam and Vespiquen to be fun, but rather, using strategy.
"Tidal," Rebekah said, summoning her Feraligatr. She honestly felt a small twinge of guilt sending him out against Gliscor. Gliscor had Guillotine, Ice Fang, Fire Fang and Thunder Fang. Tidal charged at his opponent with Hydro Pump but Gliscor stayed strong until being hit head on by a Crunch attack.
Bertha took the opportunity for a Thunder Fang close range and Rebekah went for a Blizzard. Both Pokémon had now been afflicted with status conditions. Tidal was paralyzed and Gliscor was frozen. Bertha waited to see what would happen and was stunned to see a Dragon Claw to free the Fang Scorpion Pokémon, but Gliscor was through.
Up next was another Pokémon Rebekah was familiar with: Quagsire. She found out through her Pokédex that Quagsire had Damp and that didn't affect Tidal. She switched Pokémon and went with Iwa, who had been well rested. Quagsire kicked up a Sandstorm and Iwa used Aqua Jet followed by Giga Drain. Iwa was one of Rebekah's oldest Pokémon and had been trained to survive moves it was weak against and Quagsire fell to the ground, swirls in her eyes.
Iwa was panting and the referee called it. Rebekah was faced with a new Pokemon: Hippowdon. Her Pokédex showed her a picture with both a male and a female, to prove the gender differences. While Hippowdon had the upper hand due to Sand Stream, Rebekah had Hoku use Grass Knot to trap the Ground type and narrowly finished it with Psyshock.
Confuse Ray would be too risky, so she followed through with Thunder. Due to the Thunder surging through the knots that Hippowdon trapped, it landed the winning hit.
A Whiscash was her last Pokémon. Whiscash had Oblivious for her ability as did Malik. She kept Hoku in. Confuse Ray was used. Then a Hydro Pump that seemed to take the shape of a small body of water appeared. Dive followed by a Gyro Ball with a Grass Knot. Whiscash was down for the count and Rebekah smiled.
"A fine battle indeed," Bertha complimented. "Rest well, Whiscash."
"Thank you, ma'am," Rebekah replied before congratulating Hoku and returning it. The two left the room and saw that Cynthia was on the phone with someone.
"Look, Steven, I can handle it," she said to the person on the other line. There was a pause, which Rebekah guessed was Steven talking. Cynthia sighed and said, "Fine. Yeah, yeah, love you too, you annoying brat. Give me a week. Then you and Lance can come and check on us. Stop worrying so much, talk to your family more. I have to go. Just give me a week. Alright? Alright. Bye." Cynthia didn't notice the two until Bertha cleared her throat. A look in Bertha's eye showed that she had been bested. Cynthia would know, having battled the Ground elite months earlier. She pulled up her sleeve as the two went to the healing machine. She did the coin toss. Heads for Flint, tails meant Lucian.
"You see, there's been a lot of crime around Sinnoh," Bertha explained softly. Rebekah nodded, grimacing, as she waited to see if Lucian would catch her. Truth be told, Rebekah was one of Lance's best operatives and a strong fighter. She would keep the first part a secret for as long as she could. The second half was proving relatively obvious.
"Your next opponent is Flint," Cynthia said somewhat sickly. For some reason, Cynthia looked ill.
Bertha sighed. "You came into the stadium's front entrance, correct?" Rebekah nodded.
"To your west is Lucian. To the east is Flint. Come on, Cynthia. I'll make you some herbal tea," Bertha said without getting an argument from the Sinnoh champ.
Rebekah watched as Bertha led Cynthia away before turning and strolling off into the building. She had a fire-type trainer to beat.
"Skor!" she heard behind her. She looked down and saw a Skorupi.
Drapion's pre-evolution, she guessed.
"Skorupi, there you are!" Aaron said, trying to catch his breath. Aaron revealed that he saw the whole thing but didn't really hear anything because his mind was elsewhere.
"I think you'll like Flint," Aaron said as the two traveled east. Rebekah noticed that Skorupi was on his shoulder and as much as she wanted to ask the Bug Elite what gave him the idea, she had a strategy to plan. It had been a while since facing Malva in a battle at the chateau. Gem loved walking by her trainer, but Rebekah didn't want to reveal her Espeon right away.
The two reached a door. Aaron opened it. "After you," he said politely. The room was hot and Rebekah was thankful that she chose to wear light colors.
"Damn it!" they heard a man swear and they saw a drone like robot that reminded Rebekah of Jamero, Spenser's robot in the Battle Frontier. They watched it hit the wall.
Aaron cleared his throat. "Uh, Flint, you okay?" he asked the Sinnoh Elite who had an Infernape. Rebekah scanned his Infernape. Rebekah noticed he had red hair and gray eyes like Cynthia's eyes. Infernape reminded her of...Spark. Longtime partners, since childhood, by the looks of it.
Flint looked up in their direction as Infernape folded its arms and shook its head at its trainer's anger issues. "Oh, hey. How long have you been standing there?" he asked. "I swear you weren't there before."
"Not long," Aaron confessed with a small smile.
"Could've sworn I felt this room shake a few times. You must've battled Bertha, right?" he asked the girl his age.
Rebekah nodded and Aaron told him what had just happened. Flint sighed.
"Let's just battle and get this over with," Flint said. "Aaron, will you ref?"
Aaron didn't have much of a choice. Flint chose to recall Infernape in favor for his Houndoom. Rebekah scanned Flint's Houndoom for a moveset. Flint and his Houndoom took the top half of the screen whereas Rebekah and her Houndoom had the bottom half. Rebekah smiled and called forth her own Houndoom.
Dark Pulse. Fire Blast. Flame Charge and a Thunder Fang close range proved which Houndoom was better within about a two minute time-frame. The Pokemon continued exchanging blows.
"Not bad," he said. "I don't come across many trainers with a Houndoom, or my next teammate. Heat it up, Flareon!" he called.
Now Rebekah couldn't resist it. She was fully familiar with Flareon. Flint's had Flash Fire, just like Azeria. She knew what to do.
"Okay then," she said enlarging Gem's Fast Ball. "Say hello to another Eeveelution. Gem, come out!" she said. Her Espeon materialized and licked a paw languidly before staring across the field at Flareon. Neither Elite wanted to tell her about Lucian's Eeveelutions, and seemed to be having a stare down.
"Will-O-Wisp!" Flint hollered and Flareon complied.
Rebekah raised a brow. This was going to be entertaining, for sure. She let Espeon get hit and Espeon smirked like her trainer. Aaron quirked a brow, slightly confused, but shrugged it off.
"Gem has Synchronize," Rebekah explained to him.
Both boys thought of Lucian's Alakazam and Espeon, both of which had the ability. "Psychic!" she commanded. Flareon stood his ground, but lost a good deal of health doing so.
"Sorry, bud," Flint said as Flareon shook it off. "Giga Impact!"
Rebekah had the following options for Gem, don't attack, use Light Screen or another attack. Rebekah was surprised at Gem's next action.
"That's Reflect," she said. She had Gem use Morning Sun because Flareon was still standing, but barely. "End it with Psychic!" It was over within the blink of an eye. As Aaron was calling the battle, Rebekah had to know something.
When did I teach you Reflect? she asked telepathically.
You didn't. Ryan's Meowstic did, Gem replied, practically purring. That was right. Rebekah sent Gem to train with Ryan for a little while.
"So you didn't know your Espeon had Reflect?" Flint asked, watching the exchange earnestly. Rebekah shook her head.
"Not until just recently, huh?" A nod. Flint called his Rapidash out. Rapidash had Solar Beam and that caused Rebekah to recall Gem and send out Tidal. Dragon Claw. Solar Beam. Bulldoze ended up overpowering Bounce and Tidal was still standing in the end.
This was the real fun. Next was Flint's Infernape. Rebekah figured Infernape was his ace or his signature. Infernape had Earthquake, so Rebekah had to make sure that that wouldn't hit. Thunder Punch was the command and Rebekah had a trick up her sleeve.
"Shroud yourself in Hydro Pump and counter it with Superpower!" Now that was strategy. Infernape wasn't out yet, but that did a number on him. Flint ordered a Flamethrower and Rebekah ended it with a Torrent-powered Surf.
Rebekah then learned that Infernape was Flint's signature Pokemon. "I still have my ace. Magmortar!" he called, tossing the ball. Magmortar was taller than others and stood seven inches shorter than Feraligatr. While a Torrent-powered Hydro Pump just nicked Magmortar, a Solar Beam took the Johto starter out.
"It was a matter of pride. That's why I kept Tidal in. Now, Hoku it's your turn!" she called. She wasn't going to give up on her partner any time soon.
"A Starmie," Flint analyzed, also noting its shininess. "You do know Psychic attacks won't work, right?"
"We'll see," was all Rebekah said before commanding a Psyshock, knocking Magmortar to three quarters of its health. Flint retaliated with Thunderbolt and Rebekah opted for Thunder Ball. It was a Thunder-infused Gyro Ball. Magmortar was resistant to Steel moves but damaged normally by Electric moves. There was enough power to knock Magmortar into the red. Rebekah dealt the final blow with a Confuse Ray. Magmortar hurt himself in confusion, fainting as a result. Flint stuck his hands in his pockets as Rebekah lifted Starmie, taking both males off guard. "Great job, Hoku," she praised.
"Hoo," Hoku replied in thanks. Starmie weighed 176 pounds and Rebekah lifted it like it was nothing. The three made their way out to the lobby after Rebekah recalled her Starmie.
"Cynthia's still not back yet with Bertha?" Aaron asked, worried as the trio came upon the empty lobby. At Rebekah's pace, she would likely be facing the champion. That is, if she manages to get past Lucian's aces: Alakazam and Gallade.
"You should probably check on them," Flint said. Aaron nodded and went to the medical bay, which was branched near Lucian's arena. Rebekah had faced Olympia and that was nerve-racking. Olympia wasn't even an Elite 4 member, but she sure was a challenging opponent!
"Lead the way," she said to Flint as she had to think of a strategy.
Lucian had been meditating and sensed two presences. He nodded to his signature who gladly lit up the room with Gyro Ball. Rebekah put a shield up on instinct.
"So you're a psychic," Lucian calmly stated, as if this was an everyday occurrence. Bronzong stopped as Rebekah nodded in response. Flint told Lucian that Cynthia was unwell and sat in the stands with Infernape, Houndoom and Flareon out. Lucian's referee was ready.
Lucian's referee was different than Aaron's. "Battle, begin," he declared.
Lucian's first choice was a Mr. Mime and Rebekah sent out Iwa. Psychic was met with a Night Slash. Both Pokémon had half health. "Downward Water Smack!" Rebekah commanded. Waterfall with a Smack Down going through it. That and the power of Mr. Mime's Thunderbolt clashed midfield, causing both trainers to steel themselves. Mr. Mime fainted as a result and Iwa stood with her scythe-like arms crossed. Gem bested Lucian's Espeon before falling to his Bronzong.
"Thanks for your hard work, Gem. Return for now," she said. "Time for some action. Zalam, let's go!" Lucian smirked and Flint's Houndoom barked from the stands.
Lucian gave her the first move. "Fire Blast!" she said.
"Take it," Lucian commanded. Rebekah gritted her teeth when Bronzong was revealed to still be standing… er, floating. Seems she had a real match with Lucian. Without warning, Lucian had Bronzong charge a Flash Cannon. Rebekah had to act fast.
"Houndoom, pyramid run into the Flash Cannon," she said. 'Then wait for my command as you get there,' she said telepathically. Two could play at that game. Houndoom ran in a way that looked like it was using Quick Attack or Agility, but neither were moves that Houndoom could learn.
"Flame Charge, tout de suite!" (Translation: tout de suite = now, immediately, etc.)
Rebekah knew the native language of Kalos. Flame Charge overpowered the Steel-type move and Bronzong was done. Out came Lucian's Alakazam. Lucian's command was a Focus Blast. Houndoom dodged and Rebekah switched out to Tidal, who quickly froze Alakazam. Like Bertha's Gliscor, Alakazam was freed from the ice chamber by a Dragon Claw. Unlike Bertha's Gliscor, Alakazam was still standing, but barely. A close range Crunch could kill it, but Rebekah took that risk. Alakazam collapsed and Rebekah was worried.
"Ala," Alakazam said before swirls appeared in his eyes. She then saw Alakazam's chest rise and fall. She breathed a sigh of relief before making a mental note about taking risks like that.
A red beam had Alakazam off the ground in mere seconds. "Let's see how you match up against Gallade!" he said, tossing his last Ball.
Gallade appeared in a fighting stance. "I must commend you, Rebekah. Very few have bested my Bronzong. Gallade, Drain, huh?" Lucian began before Gallade and Feraligatr exchanged various blows. Finally, the two Pokémon remembered that their trainers were involved. Gallade bested Feraligatr with a well-executed Leaf Blade. She recalled her partner and sent out Hoku, who seemed to be following a pattern.
"Give Gallade your strongest Thunder and then follow through with Confuse Ray!" It was game set match from there. Thunder paralyzed Gallade enough to keep him from moving and Confuse Ray made him attack himself in confusion. Lucian tried to get Gallade to snap out of it, but it was no match for the Gyro Ball. Lucian recalled his partner. The match had been the longest of Rebekah's so far: fifteen minutes.
They met Aaron and Bertha in the lobby. "Cynthia has a terrible stomachache and a headache. I fear it's her time," Bertha said.
Aaron added, "I think she might be on her period." The three others sweat-dropped. Aaron stared at them innocently.
"What?" he asked. Rebekah thought she'd confess to them first before apologizing to Cynthia. So she got their attention after she and Lucian healed their teams.
"I find that hard to believe," Aaron said. She had just revealed that she was Lance's top agent. Lucian offered to phone a friend of his in Johto and Rebekah knew it was Will. Speaking of the Psychic specialist…
"Johto G-Men HQ, this is Will, how may I help you?" Will said on the monitor. It was connected to the phone through video mode and Will decided to turn his on. "Ah, Lucian. What can I do for you?" he asked with a grin on his face.
"We've got someone who just challenged the league claiming she's Lance's top agent. Can I speak to him?" Lucian asked.
Will chuckled. "You just missed Lance. He had family business to attend to, but I can tell you that the person you're probably talking about is Rebekah D'Arciola," he said casually. "If it's not...well, then they're lying."
The boys were stunned whereas Bertha wasn't. "Hey, Will," she said, standing up.
Will smirked. "I think I'll tell Lance that you're one step ahead of him, again," he replied.
Rebekah had made her way to the counter and placed her hands on the surface. "Will," she said calmly, "what in Mew's name are you talking about?"
A feminine laugh was heard in the background and it was none other than Karen, Johto's Dark-type specialist. "What's going on?" she asked Will. She saw Rebekah. "Finished the Frontier already?"
Rebekah pulled out her folio and showed her with a wide smile. "So that bet Lance had with me? Yeah, he owes me."
"Anyway," Will replied. "Lance was going to send his top three agents to Sinnoh to help out due to the local crime. When he gets back, we'll ask him if he wants either of us to join you."
Rebekah nodded, putting her folio away. Will and Karen were her teammates, after all. "Actually, can you have him call me instead?" she asked.
"Sure," Karen answered for him. It was at that moment that Rebekah noticed that Karen wasn't in her typical attire, but rather a black dress with a purple line towards the bottom. "Now if you'll excuse us, Will and I have a date." Rebekah nodded and gave them a two-fingered salute with a smirk.
Flint shook his head. "That's something," he replied as the screen went blank.
Bertha cleared her throat. "Cynthia has two hours before the match must go on," she explained. Rebekah nodded. "I saw some stores when I was coming here and I think I'm going to get some new clothes and probably contact my family," she said as she grabbed her bag and placed her remaining PokéBalls on her belt. She began to walk out, but remembered something. "Oh and if you don't mind," she said, turning her head slightly, "I'd like to tell Cynthia myself about … you know what."
The Elites nodded and watched Rebekah depart.
(15 minutes later at a shop near the harbor)
Rebekah was getting new combat boots first and she had her eyes on a navy blue pair with white laces, so she bought them after finding her size. She then grabbed a few things off of shelves and racks before heading into a dressing room. T-shirts, jackets, tank tops and pairs of pants. She finally settled on a pair of black pants with red on different parts of the leg on each side. On the top, she had a light blue T-shirt with an off-white portion at the bottom. She also ended up with a black lightweight hoodie that had a silver zipper. She paid for the items before heading to change and she had already washed her old clothes.
Rebekah decided to place a call to Johto at the nearest video phone booth. The first number yielded a recording. The second number rang three times before a small child with dark brown hair and brown eyes answered the phone. "Hew-," he began before his eyes widened, realizing who it was. He let out an ear-piercing squeal of excitement. "Aun- Bekah!" he shrieked.
Rebekah chuckled. "Hi there, Sven. Is your mommy busy?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I wants to talk to you fiwst," he said. She smiled. "War awe you?" he asked.
"I'm in a region called Sinnoh. It's very far from home," she explained with a smile.
Before her toddler nephew could ask her any more questions, a new voice was heard.
"Sven, who are you on the phone with and can you keep it down? You woke your baby sister," whoever it was, lightly scolded. Rebekah heard crying in the background and winced slightly. Her niece was awake.
Rebekah smiled at her brother-in-law. "Hey Nigel," she said. Sven looked so much like his father.
"Can I talk to Em?" she asked.
Nigel rifled a hand through his hair. "Hang on a minute," he said, walking backwards off the screen.
Sven stared wide-eyed at his aunt. "Awe you bahtling?" he squeaked with wide eyes.
"Not at the moment," Rebekah replied.
"Sven, who's on the phone?" a feminine voice which sounded like a slightly older Rebekah, asked.
"It's fow you, mama," he said, handing her the phone before taking off.
Rebekah snickered at his behavior. "What? No answer from Daniel?" Emma asked tersely.
She shook her head. "Voicemail. I thought I'd call you before I called Ryan," she replied.
"Emma, I'm in Sinnoh," she said to her sister before debriefing her.
Emma nodded. "Mom, dad and grandpa would be proud of you," she said to her sister softly. Rebekah bit her lip, feeling a wave of emotions. "Yeah, I know."
Emma's next words caught Rebekah off guard, "So would Ira, Amber and Darian."
Rebekah let out a low growl, eyes narrowing.
"Stop it," she warned her sister. Darian was her twin brother and Ira and Amber were also twins and came a year after Darian and Rebekah. "Anyway, I don't know how long I'll be in Sinnoh for my work," she continued.
"Do you need to send anything?" Emma asked.
Rebekah nodded. Five minutes later, Rebekah found a small Pokémon Center that only had a healing machine, one or two cots and an item transporter. Rebekah was sending her clothes to her sister. In turn, she would be receiving her laptop, its case and a pair of what appeared to be gauntlets, but were bracers instead.
G-Men agents were allowed to use weapons of their choice from swords to guns, to rifles and wristblades. The blade-holders were black and Rebekah concealed them before going to a store. Rebekah's grandparents had been caught in a war and the blades belonged to her grandmother. The bracers were dark gray and without her jacket, would gain attention.
She went to the accessories store and decided not to buy fingerless gloves, but rather: a new trainer belt that was reddish orange, a new Pokégear that was blue and white, a light blue bandana and a new backpack that was a dark purple. She packed the bandana.
She returned to the stadium. My mission is to help madam Champion establish a base of her own,' she thought before casually entering. There was a big, digital clock counting down the time and only Aaron and Lucian were there. "What do you guys think?" she asked them.
They both shrugged, but Aaron ended up speaking. "Now you look like a top agent," he replied.
She took a seat on the couch and opened her bag containing her laptop, medical kit and a second outfit that she bought as a change of clothes. She was prepared for anything, it seemed. At the fifteen minute mark, Cynthia emerged, looking better. She noticed Rebekah's new attire.
"Someone looks like a hardcore trainer," Cynthia said.
Rebekah nodded. "Are you okay?" she asked. Cynthia nodded.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to battle Rebekah alone," the blonde champion said as Flint came out.
"Who's going to referee?" the redhead asked.
That was a good question. "Can we please watch you battle someone else? We haven't seen you in battle since you battled against us," Lucian asked.
Cynthia would've immediately approved, but remembered her opponent. "I'm okay with it, but are you?" she asked.
Rebekah nodded. "Let's go," she said. She was very tempted to roll up her sleeves, but Aaron didn't see the bulge at her wrists, so she guessed that no one else did, either.
The two made their way to a large arena. Bertha decided to ref and Lucian sent his Espeon out, Flint his Houndoom and Aaron his Skorupi. "This is a full 6-on-6 battle between champion Cynthia Shirona and challenger Rebekah D'Arciola. Only the challenger can switch Pokemon. There is no time limit and the winner will be declared when all 6 of one side's Pokemon faint. Am I understood?"
Cynthia turned to Bertha (who she saw as a second grandmother), and replied, "Yes."
Rebekah looked at the other Elites, then Cynthia, then Bertha. "Yes, ma'am."
Bertha had the match start. Cynthia sent out her first choice: a pink slug-like Pokemon. Rebekah scanned it with her Pokédex and learned it was a West Sea Gastrodon. She also learned what Sticky Hold did and it didn't affect her. Gastrodon had the same type combination as Whiscash and Quagsire. The decision was Iwa or Hoku. "Iwa, let's go!" she called and her Kabutops materialized.
Cynthia nodded. "Very few people possess Fossil Pokémon. You get the first attack," she said. Rebekah went with Aqua Jet and Cynthia (oddly) countered with Stone Edge. A few stones hit Iwa, but weren't effective. Waterfall followed by a Night Slash led to the fainted Gastrodon. Cynthia summoned a Glaceon. Snow Cloak was her opponent's ability. Rebekah recalled Iwa and went with Zalam. "Ice Beam!" Cynthia commanded.
"Flame Charge followed by a Fire Fang!" Rebekah countered. Glaceon got burnt and reduced to three quarters of her health. Rebekah recalled Houndoom and sent Kabutops back out. Cynthia called for a Shadow Ball, but didn't expect Rebekah's next move. "Aqua Jet straight towards it and then go with a Brick Break!" she said. While using Aqua Jet, Iwa sliced the Shadow Ball and charged for the next attack. The Brick Break hit Glaceon hard enough to knock it out.
Cynthia recalled Glaceon and sent out the Lucario from before. Iwa was recalled and once again, swapped with Zalam. "Aura Sphere!" Cynthia commanded. Rebekah resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Jump up and go for a Fire Blast!" Rebekah easily countered. Similar to Iwa, Houndoom sliced the Aura Sphere before aiming a Fire Blast and Flint knew why.
"I get it," he said calmly and impressed. "She was going for a direct hit and she nailed it." Lucario was at half health. Aaron was amazed at how high Houndoom had jumped: about 5'5" into the air, if he had to guess.
"Dragon Pulse," Cynthia said.
Rebekah smirked. "Jump the pyramid and go for a Thunder Fang," she countered. Zalam once again ran in a pyramid formation, jumping to dodge some of the Dragon Pulse's energy, which was relatively easy, considering that the Dark Pokemon had just demonstrated how high he could jump. Thunder Fang paralyzed Lucario and Rebekah gave a two-word command: "Finish it." Not a move, just an order. Houndoom barked before using a Fire Blast at a point-blank range. Lucario was down for the count.
"Lucario is unable to battle and Houndoom is the victor," Bertha declared. Cynthia was very impressed. "At this point, a brief intermission can occur or the trainers can keep going."
Cynthia called for the intermission and it would last for 5 minutes. Rebekah was analyzing her Pokémon's moves through her Pokédex as well as their stats. Though she knew these like the back of her hand, it was a strategy for her.
After the five minutes, both women were on their respective sides of the field. "I haven't had this much adrenaline since battling Palmer. I can see how you've gotten this far." Rebekah only nodded. Cynthia smirked. "Let's see how you deal with Roserade!" she said, sending out the Bouquet Pokémon. Rebekah threw her Fast Ball after scanning it. "Energy Ball!" Cynthia called.
"Future Sight," Rebekah said with a slightly ominous tone.
"Sludge Bomb!" Cynthia countered. Sludge Bomb was Cynthia's first effective hit. As the move poisoned Gem, a blast came down from the sky and it was Future Sight. Future Sight hit Roserade spot on, causing the dual-type to fall to the ground. Roserade tried to get up, but failed. Cynthia praised Roserade as Rebekah did the same with Espeon.
"Are you okay, Gem?" Rebekah asked Espeon. Espeon purred, but winced. When Rebekah saw her opponent, she recalled Gem and almost sent out Iwa, but decided that Iwa had battled enough. "Hoku, show time!" she said.
"Milotic, Ice Beam," Cynthia commanded.
Hoku looked at its trainer. "Spin and destroy the shards with Thunder!" she called. Thunder hit Milotic and a few shards made their way to Starmie, but did minimal damage. This felt like her battle with Lucy all over again.
"Dragon Pulse," Cynthia called.
"Gyro Ball!" Rebekah countered, gritting her teeth. Milotic's Dragon Pulse was stronger than Lucario's. Hoku had suffered a great deal of damage.
"Dragon Tail," Cynthia called.
Rebekah felt a strong surge. 'I'm sorry I failed you, Rebekah,' Hoku's voice rang in her head.
'No, Hoku. I made the mistake. I'll try to get you stronger so you can battle against a Milotic in the future if you need to,' Rebekah replied as Hoku was hit, fainting as a result. Cynthia had mixed emotions at the moment: she just knocked out one of her opponent's Pokémon. However, she had 2 Pokémon left and her opponent also had two that were yet to be revealed.
"Return, Hoku," Rebekah said, as if nothing had happened. Lucian could feel their psychic exchange, but said nothing. Rebekah grabbed her Fast Ball. Gem's poison was still evident and Rebekah mentally smacked herself. "Heal Bell," she said.
Cynthia decided to attack while she had the chance. "Hydro Pump," the blonde said.
The raven-haired woman smirked. "Meet it with Double-Edge."
The two Pokemon collided, resulting in an explosion. The moves had dealt their damage and Milotic could only probably take one or two more hits. "Rest," Cynthia commanded as Espeon winced from recoil. Rebekah knew that having the Psychic-type use Heal Bell would be stupid. "Don't give it a chance. Psychic!" Rebekah replied.
Milotic slowly rested and the attack hit. Espeon was panting and both hit the ground, fainting as a result. Both were recalled by their trainers.
"Garchomp/Logam," the two simultaneously called. Only Bertha had battled against the Hoenn pseudo-legendary.
While Rebekah was scanning Garchomp with her Pokédex, Cynthia was having a flashback to her recent battle with Steven. She had emerged victorious, but it wasn't easy.
"So this is the Garchomp that Lance won't stop talking about," Rebekah said as she pocketed her dex.
'So she knows Lance,' Cynthia thought. "Yes. Garchomp was my first Pokémon, back as a Gible," she told her opponent.
It was now Rebekah's turn for a trip down nostalgia lane.
(Flashback)
A nine-year-old Rebekah could be seen with a Great Ball in hand. Next to her was a boy with a Great Ball in his hand, but unlike Rebekah, his hair was a light brown and his eyes were blue-gray. The two had finally met after being pen pals in trainer school. His name was Kyle.
"Ready?" he asked her.
"Ready," she replied.
The two were behind rocks, watching two Pokemon. "Go!" they both said, tossing the specialty balls. A shiny Totodile was by Rebekah's side and the boy had a Sceptile belonging to his sister.
Both balls hit their targets. Rebekah aimed for a Bagon and Kyle had his eye on a Beldum. Both balls shook a few times before pinging, signifying the successful captures.
"Cool," Rebekah said in awe. Her family was on vacation. Both of their mothers appeared in the vicinity, but stopped and watched their children's exchange in conversation.
"One day, your Bagon will evolve into a Shelgon. Shelgon then becomes a big Salamence!" Kyle dramatically exclaimed.
Rebekah's eyes were sparkling as she sent out the Bagon. "Hi, Bagon," she said. Both trainers were nearing their tenth birthdays.
"The Pokemon I caught is a Beldum. Beldum can't attack much, but it can defend itself," he continued. "Beldum will evolve into a Metang, where it gets more power. Then Metang will become a big Metagross!" he said as he released his newly-caught Beldum.
Both trainers introduced themselves to their new Pokemon.
"I hate to see them part, Lauren," Kyle's mother said.
Lauren nodded. "Nor can I. It's even harder to say that they may not see each other again for a long time." The two mothers approached their kids.
"How about 'Drag' for a nickname?" Rebekah asked, but Kyle shook his head.
"Sounds kinda silly," he said, but Bagon appeared to be thinking about it.
Then, their mothers came and were about to make their children part. "I don't wanna forget you," Rebekah said to Kyle.
Kyle's mother had an idea as her son sadly nodded in agreement. "Children, why don't you swap Pokemon?" she asked.
Lauren clasped her hands together. "Bonne idée," she said.
Kyle tilted his head and looked to Rebekah. "She said it's a good idea," Rebekah translated. The four went into a Pokémon Center and Rebekah's Totodile shot a Water Gun in Kyle's face as a sign of affection. Kyle patted the Johto Water starter's head.
"Children," Nurse Joy addressed them. "Are you ready to trade?" Both nodded and walked to the machine. Nurse Joy flipped the switch.
"Take good care of Dra- Bagon," she said, realizing that she didn't get to make it official.
Kyle nodded. "I will. Take good care of Beldum," he said. Rebekah nodded before he enveloped her in an unexpected hug.
On the way home, both mothers surprised their children with promise rings that were too big for now, but to be worn later.
(End of flashback)
Rebekah still wore the ring on her left middle finger. Whether or not Kyle wore his was something she didn't know. Two years passed since they had seen each other, but only three months ago did they stop talking. "Rebekah?" Cynthia called across the field, even Logam was facing her.
"Huh?" Rebekah blinked.
"You closed your eyes and seemed to be in a trance," Bertha said.
"I'm good now," Rebekah assured. Logam trusted its trainer and turned around.
"Flamethrower!" Cynthia commanded.
"Iron Defense!" Rebekah countered. Lucian realized that his opponent was familiar with the strategy, for she used it herself.
To Cynthia's surprise, Metagross still stood. "Psyshock," Rebekah said.
"Draco Meteor!" Cynthia said.
"Metal Claw!" Rebekah shouted, but it didn't do good. Metagross was at half health and Garchomp still had full health.
"Dragon Claw," Cynthia said.
"Zen Headbutt," Rebekah countered. To their surprise (Rebekah and Cynthia's), Logam survived, but with a quarter of its health. Rebekah took in a sharp breath before grabbing her Great Ball. "Return," she said as she gritted her teeth. Hoku and Gem were out of the question.
Garchomp growled. She grabbed the ball and enlarged it. "It's time for you to meet my starter," Rebekah began. That was only half-true, but that was a different story for a different chapter. "Tidal, come out!" she exclaimed.
Garchomp was slightly dwarfed by Feraligatr, but that didn't deter her nor Cynthia. "Flamethrower and then go for Dragon Rush," Cynthia commanded. Rebekah watched and smiled.
"Douse yourself in Hydro Pump before meeting Garchomp with a Surf!" Rebekah exclaimed, pointing a finger. The attacks resulted in a steamy collision, causing Lucian to take off his glasses until the field cleared. The two were within striking distance of each other. Cynthia noticed the damage (only to the three-quarter mark) to Garchomp's health.
"Seems like Cynthia forgot what Flint did," Aaron said, irking the redhead.
Flint picked the younger Elite up before putting him in a headlock and giving him a noogie. "I didn't forget," he scolded. Lucian rolled his eyes and Bertha broke them up.
"Knock it off, boys," she said firmly. Both did and apologized.
"Either way, my Feraligatr has Torrent and I used that to my advantage," Rebekah replied calmly.
Cynthia nodded before commanding Garchomp. "Brick Break," she said.
Rebekah smirked. "Let's show them your Dragon Claw, Tidal," she said. Somehow, the two attacks seemed to negate and bounce off each other, sending both Pokémon back to their trainers.
"Giga Impact," Cynthia commanded coolly.
Rebekah folded her arms, as if upset. "Brace yourself and get ready for Superpower!" she hollered.
The other Elites gasped, even Bertha. The Ground specialist had never seen anything like this before. The tactic worked as some of Feraligatr's health went down and Garchomp's was slightly above half. Rebekah put her hands in her pockets.
'Game over,' Rebekah thought as Feraligatr looked at her. She took her hands out of her pockets and had her fist do a punching motion as she said, "Ice Punch, full power!"
"I see," Aaron murmured. "Rebekah knew that Garchomp would need to take a break after using a move like Giga Impact. Then that left Garchomp as a sitting Golduck."
Lucian nodded. "Quite the tactician," was all he said.
Instead of being frozen, Garchomp was just affected by the Ice-type move and fainted. Bertha called the match. Ordinarily, this would result in Rebekah being the new champion, but in this case, she had just defeated a champion. She ran up to Feraligatr and gave him a hug.
"Way to go, buddy," she said as he picked her up.
"Torr," Feraligatr said. Cynthia praised Garchomp and petted her before recalling the pseudo-legendary to her Poké Ball.
Feraligatr sensed the sudden movement and put his trainer down, surprisingly in front of Cynthia, midfield. She turned sideways before recalling her Feraligatr, congratulating him in the process
.
"That was some battle. You would've decimated Lance's team," Cynthia said, extending a hand. Rebekah smiled. "Thanks," she said, returning the shake.
Cynthia looked at her Elites. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk with Rebekah alone," she said. "Follow me." Rebekah nodded and followed Cynthia down a corridor. There was a large room and in its center was a healing machine near a ...fountain?
"Wow," Rebekah said, slightly astonished. She then remembered what she had to do. "Cynthia, I have to tell you something."
Cynthia said, "Go on," casually and Rebekah spilled. The blonde wasn't mad at the Johtoan and Rebekah even told her what happened with the other Elites.
"Honestly, madam Champion," she said, trying to sound professional, "I had no idea that Lance would send me here."
Cynthia folded her arms. "So, even if you hadn't known, would you be here anyway?"
Rebekah wasn't sure if Cynthia was trying to play mind games, but stood up from her at the small table they were sitting at. "Madam Champion, I'd like to help you set up something. A defense force for the whole Sinnoh region, to be exact," she said.
The blonde pursed her lips before opening her mouth to speak.
AN:...and a cliffhanger! On the first chapter, too. We're evil, aren't we? I think I'll let Legal take over from here.
Legal: thank you, Ange. So, this is how it's going to work: Ange and I are going to discuss what we want to happen in each chapter. I'm going to write chapters and send them to Ange. She can add or remove, so long as she tells me what and why, which she already knows is fine. With this prequel, we don't want it to be longer than "The Eevee Sisters" by any means. What we plan on accomplishing: how Sinnoh's defense system started. There probably won't be that many ships, if any. We're keeping it T rated and be on the lookout for chapter 2.
-Ange and Legal
PS (from both of us) Like it was mentioned above, we don't want to make this longer than TES, so expect chapters longer than this. A lot will happen, we know. Expect some fourth wall breakage and at least one update before the end of this year.