BP: Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows for this story! Sorry for updating late, but my assignments is extremely heavy and I had to dedicate all my time to complete these assignments. Which means the only time I can write the chapters is on the weekends, and even then I have limited time as I need weekends to finish my essays.
And those people just had to put three make up lectures on the only Monday where I do not need to go to attachments (grumble), and my school schedule is like crap this semester, as we are the only class which needs to go to school on Friday, and we had to stay in school for nine hours every day now. Wonder which idiot made this shitty class schedule for us….
Warning: It might be centered on the Dragon Duo, as Ash is focused on getting information about them in this chapter.
Halfway through an Appeal, an attendant, who tends to the Coordinators before their performance, rushed to the judges table and asked if one of the Co-ordinators could be moved to the last to give him time to find his Pokémon, which was missing, and let May take his place, as the other Coordinators needed more mental time to prepare themselves, and she had volunteered to go next.
"Is May ready?" Wallace had asked.
The attendant nodded. "She is. Don't worry, she's wearing clothes." The attendant meant it as a joke, but none of them laughed.
Fantina said curtly, "Very well. Then she can do her Appeal after this."
Pakura, somewhat irritated, started making changes to the list again.
'What's going on, Paku?' Ash was using telepathy to communicate with her. It was apparent he had seen the scene.
'Apparently, one of the Co-ordinators are moved to last because his Pokémon went missing and he wanted to find him, and May volunteered to take his place. She's next.' Pakura replied in her mind, as she absent-mindedly petted Manaphy, who was sitting on her lap, and peeking out from the judges table to watch the performances, in case May or the camera spots him, since the camera is trained on Pakura quite often. But he didn't mind, as long as he gets to be with his Mama.
'Very good.' Ash replied, but he was interrupted by Cynthia yawning, and leaning back on her seat, and giving Ash a beatific smile. Ash inwardly admitted she looked beautiful in the way she presented herself, ignoring the somewhat disapproving looks his Pokémon, his Elites, and their Pokémon was shooting at him.
"Cynthia may be beautiful, but so is Pakura. And he doesn't notice her, does she?" Pachirisu whispered to the Pokémon group.
"That's because Ash still loves her, despite what she did." Espeon was somewhat ticked off.
"I don't trust her." Phillip whispered to his Pokémon. He watched Rosaline in mild interest, who was shuffling tarot cards, most likely using these cards to predict the upcoming events that would happen. Phillip heard her mumbling, "Hanged Man…I foresee a dark hair young person, tragic losses early in life, in love with an unattainable person, and one who dislikes questions and people interfering with their life…"
Rosaline turned to Phillip, holding the Hanged Man card. "You know, when it comes to love for this, the theme can be one of letting go. "Letting go" of an unattainable lover, for example, will bring about the possibility that someone that one can be with will "be there" for them. One-sided love always hurts, don't you think?"
Phillip nodded, not noticing Ash was taking her mutterings to consideration, and taking note if it in case it might help him in his Dragon Duo case, just as Jude announced that May was now to come up on stage to show off her Appeal, although she was wearing one of the old pink and white dresses from the closet, which looked relatively ugly, looking like Cinderella's dress after it has been ruined by her stepsisters. Thankfully, the audience was tactful enough not to say anything (most PAL locals are generally tactful and polite)
"Venusaur, Wartortle, take the stage!" May's Pokéballs opened with bubbles and flower petals to reveal Wartortle and Venusaur respectively.
"Wartortle, use Bubble! And Venusaur, use Petal Dance!" This caused a pretty effect where the petals were swirling around the bubbles, and the bubbles were sparkling in the lights, making the petal dance shine as well. Ash sat up straight, watching for a time to sabotage her performance.
"Wartortle, use Ice Beam!" The Ice Beam froze the combination, and May planned to use Razor Leaf to break it so that it would explode into beautiful pink and blue sparkles, which was expected as she had practiced it.
"Now, use Razor Leaf!" May commanded.
'Now!' Ash used his telekinesis to redirect the Razor Leaf, and May was puzzled when Razor Leaf missed its target, and was sent sailing towards the stage lights above, severing the wiring, and letting several of the lights fall. Unfortunately, it was directed somewhere near the judges table, and only Pakura was quick enough to grab Manaphy, and jump away from her seat. Ash, thinking quickly, used his own telekinesis once more so that the stage lights won't hit Wallace and Fantina, and gently laid the stage lights on the ground.
'You got to be kidding me.' Pakura groaned, as the Contest Hall was now in partial darkness. 'Ash just put my position in jeopardy with that stunt. If word gets out what actually happened, I'd be fired.' She wondered why she was willing to risk her position for Ash's revenge.
Jude called for a break so that Phillip and some other crew members could go repair the lighting set again.
The audience left the Contest Hall to get some dinner, while Phillip went high up the ladder to start working on the stage lights.
Wallace and Fantina are talking to some other regional guests, including Jude and Rosaline, and it was apparent the regional guests had nothing better to do, since they are here now, as usually they aren't interested in Contests. Wallace was telling them about the amazing Appeal Pakura put up, and Fantina was agreeing with Wallace, adding her comments about being one of the most beautiful Appeals she had ever seen, and even exceeded the Appeals seen in Grand Festivals.
Meanwhile, Ash left the Contest Hall to get some dinner from the Tower. The others had decided to get something light as they weren't very hungry, so he went alone with his Pokémon, and he was accompanied by Cynthia. This sight did not go unnoticed by Pakura, who simply sighed at Ash's blindness. Cynthia turned and gave Pakura a sweet smile, which Pakura saw as a smirk. Or maybe it was a smirk, but if anyone saw it, they would think it was a pretty smile. Pakura simple rolled her eyes in turn.
"Aren't you going to rescue him?" Shiki asked.
"What's the point? Ash had shown plenty of times he is capable of taking care of himself." Pakura mumbled, but she settled on playing with Manaphy, while letting Sylveon and Skitty have free reign of the place. Meanwhile, Jude and Rosaline joined the group of chatting regional guests, who apparently had nothing better to do.
"Rosaline, Jude, can either of you pass me the stage lights?" Phillip called from high above the ladder, interrupting his conversation with the other regional guests.
"Sure." Jude shrugged, and with his strength, lifted the light in one hand with ease, and threw it towards Phillip like a baseball, to the shock and awe of the other regional guests. The gaped when Phillip also caught the spotlight in one hand, and nodded his thanks, before working on fixing the spotlight, and attaching it back to the ceiling.
"How did you guys pull that off?" Flint asked, surprise on his features. "It's so heavy!"
"Oh, we do training for ourselves besides Pokémon training, you know." Jude said. "PAL Trainers are expected to be able to protect their Pokémon as well in our own way."
"So, what training do you do to protect your own Pokémon?" Steven asked.
"Oh, we do all sorts of training whenever we are free, you know, such as via this game stimulus Phillip…" Rosaline started, but she was cut off with a voice saying, "You guys are telling them too much."
Jude and Rosaline jumped, and turned to see their Leader with an unreadable expression.
"Sorry, Pakura." They said in unison. The other regional guests looked at them curiously. What was it that they wanted to say before being interrupted? And what kind of training do they actually do when they are free, and what does it have to do with the person now fixing their stage lights?
"Well, anyway….Steven, look out!" Out of the corner of Jude's eye, Phillip lost his balance and fell, along with the ladder, and the ladder was heading Steven's way. Before anybody could react, a trail of ribbon was wrapped around his waist, and he was pulled to safety, just as Jude caught Phillip, and the ladder fell to the ground.
Steven sighed in relief when he was safe, and turned to look at his saviour, only to blush when he saw the beautiful Leader's face just right next to him. Eevee's eyes were awed at Pakura's quick reaction to situations. Her "child" Manaphy was clapping in joy at her quick thinking.
"You ok, Phillip?" Jude asked, as he placed Phillip back to the ground.
Phillip nodded, through it was clear he was pretty shaken about the fact that he fell off a high ladder.
"…" Pakura stayed quiet, giving Phillip an appraising look, before turning to some other crew members who were resting, and said, "You guys, take over for Phillip. Now." The crew members practically fell over themselves to complete the task she had given them (Well, who wouldn't considering it was a request from the PAL's Princess, and it didn't hurt that she had extreme beauty). Pakura also threw two things at Phillip, which turned out to be a mini candy bar and a can of soda, as sugar does help someone relieve their shock…or so she heard.
"Thanks, Princess." Phillip smiled in relief. Pakura made a gesture that is something between a nod and a shrug.
Phillip joined the talking group, munching on the candy bar, where the subject then changed to the upcoming fashion show where Valerie and Elesa were scheduled to model the latest female PAL clothing, while Jude was to be the host and commentator. Jude was the one who had selected those two because he had known them while working for the modelling industry years ago.
Jude had moved to PAL because he wanted to improve on his career, and after being accepted into the PAL Elite by the Dragon Duo, he stayed there permanently. In the process, he became a world-famous supermodel, a famed actor, internet idol, and even became a variety show host, which makes him the most popular socialite in the entertainment industry.
"So, how are they going to advertise the male clothing?" Volkner had asked. It was all female clothing because they had designed more female clothes than male ones.
Jude shrugged. "They are going to advertise it through magazine, which means I'll have to go for a photo-shoot. You guys should come for the fashion show. It's an hour after the Contest in two days' time."
The guests nodded, stating that they would check out the show.
Speaking of checking out, Pakura had sneaked out of the Contest Hall to check on Ash.
Clair was carrying a box of tapes from the library, and went up to the fifth floor, where the Johto Elites and her cousin resides in, inwardly grumbling on how heavy the box of tapes were.
When she reached the fifth floor, her cousin, who was watching TV, looked at her in surprise. Luckily, he was alone. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Clair tossed the box of tapes onto the table. "It's done." she simply replied.
"What's done?" Lance asked.
"I've got the recordings of the Trainer's Tournament from the library." Clair replied.
"Why would you do that?" Lance gave her a funny look.
"This tournament is a great opportunity for us to restore our clan's reputation we had worked hard for many years, which has gone down the drain in one measly day since the fact that our Clan has been killed and their stuff and Pokémon had been stolen from them, in addition to the eternal blizzard they had put us in, which means no one would even visit my Gym anymore, and it makes us look bad too!" Clair exclaimed.
"What's the point to this?" Lance asked.
"The point is one of us, probably you, will be taking home the victory, to start building our reputation again. These are the recordings of all the winners of the Trainer's Tournament. We're going to watch them and learn some strategies we can use and everything we can about those PAL Elites. And if the killer of our Clan is in PAL, we can get revenge by defeating his or her Pokémon, because he or she may be the winner of a Trainer's Tournament!" Clair replied.
'I doubt I can win the entire tournament since there are the other Elite Fours and Champions to think about, and they want to win as much as us. Not to mention the PAL Elites, whose abilities we hardly know...except Rosaline's, but she's stronger than three of the Champions already….and she's said to be the weakest one.' Lance thought, as Clair rummaged through the box of tapes, which was marked with the year of the Trainer's Tournament and the name of the winner, and sure enough, found the tapes with Rosaline's, Jude's, Phillip's and Red's names, and passed them to Lance, as she tried to look for the one with Pakura's name.
"That's weird." Clair said after a few minutes.
"What's weird?" Lance asked.
"I can't find one with Pakura's name on it." Clair frowned, checking the list of tapes that was supposed to be inside. No, Pakura's name wasn't among the winners. "The Dragon Duo's tape is missing as well, but apparently, according to this list, they had won the second Quarter Anniversary."
Lance was mildly surprised at this news, that that the Dragon Duo were Quarter Anniversary winners. According to Charles Goodshow, Quarter Anniversary winners were more prestigious as the winner is considered to have overcame all odds with the twist that was given to win the trophy.
"It'd be great if we can find the Dragon Duo and challenge them to a battle." Clair remarked, as she knew the significance of winning the Quarter Anniversary as well.
"Clair, you have to remember they also specialize in Psychic Pokémon, to increase and support their Dragon training." Lance reminded her. "Chances of us winning with Dragon Pokémon would be quite slim."
"True, but you know every Dragon Master dreams of battling them someday, they are like every Dragon user's final opponents when it comes to the path of Dragon Mastery." Clair agreed. "Well, do you want to watch those tapes or not?"
"Have you found Pakura's tape?" Lance asked.
Clair shook her head. "I couldn't find one. It looks like she never won the Trainer's Tournament, which is weird, considering she is the Leader of the Elite."
Lance wondered how Pakura became the Leader if she had never won the Trainer's Tournament, as if he wasn't mistaken, one of the requirements needed to challenge an Elite Four in all regions is to win the regional tournament, and he assumed this rule also applies if one wants to be an Elite Four member.
"We can always get the Contest, Grand Festival, and Pokémon Showcase tapes if we want to find out how Pakura battles." Lance remarked, remembering Pakura was a Legendary Coordinator, PAL Duchess, and according to Diantha, she was a former Kalos Queen.
"Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that?" Before Lance could say anything, Clair rushed off again, presumably to get the tapes.
'She's really serious about this. With the Cursed Child thing and all, I doubt they don't deserve this. I need a break.' Lance inwardly sighed.
Ash and Cynthia were at the fourteenth floor of the Battle Tower eating dinner, and talking about the Contest Appeals and the PAL region in general. Well, Cynthia was talking. Ash was eating quietly, ignoring Cynthia's attempts at banter (as he did not know how to keep someone entertained when talking), and answers with a yes or no or just stayed silent. To Cynthia, that just made Champion Red even cooler in her eyes.
"Can you tell me more about PAL?" Cynthia requested.
"Like what?" Ash mumbled.
"How about….Hunters?" Cynthia was curious to know what they are. She knew that PAL is run by Hunters, at least that was what the PAL website said when she checked the library computers.
Ash frowned, before answering, "A Hunter is a person that has proven themselves through rigorous examination to be an elite member of humanity. If you pass the examination, a Hunter would be rewarded with a license to go almost anywhere in the world and do almost anything. Hunters usually are the ones to protect the region and their Pokémon from criminals, Pokémon poachers, and abusive Pokémon trainers, but they can devote themselves to tracking down priceless items, valuable information, and other stuff."
"What examination?" Cynthia was curious.
"Officially, it is the Hunter Exam." Ash replied. "But since it is so intense people die from it, it was called the Exam from Hell by many."
Meanwhile sitting at the fourteenth floor door that leads to the stairs, Pakura sighed. Of course, Ash warmed up to Cynthia just like that. What does she have that she doesn't anyway?
"Listen to them, it's so obvious he is opening up to her about our region." Shiki was disgusted.
"…" Pakura did not say anything, but she nodded.
Manaphy whimpered when he overheard his Papa and Cynthia. He doesn't want Cynthia as his new Mama! Pakura is a good Mama, he won't leave her! But what if the two of them separates? Just the thought of it worried little Manaphy.
Pakura seemed to have sensed Manaphy's distress, as she silently rocked and petted him, which made Manaphy feel better, as he was with his Mama. She listened as Cynthia talked about how she enjoyed the train ride here, since the train compartments were comfortable and the food was delectable.
'How about I throw you on the tracks for the train to run you over?' Pakura thought scathingly, as Cynthia finally asked Ash what kind of Hunters all of them were, and that was when Pakura decided to interfere, as she stepped into the fourteenth floor, and said somewhat frigidly, "Ok, Champion Red, that's enough information to give to some foreigner, don't you think?"
Although her tone did not give anything away, one could tell she meant it as an insult.
Ash and Cynthia turned in surprise, though the latter's expression turned to anger. "And who do you think you are, telling your Champion what to do?" Cynthia replied.
"Considering I am the Leader of this Elite, and have been here longer than he did, I am sure I have some say over what we tell other people." Pakura said dispassionately.
"Oh yeah? He's still the Champion, which means he still has more say, and the final decision is his!" Ash was amazed Cynthia was willing to stand up to him as in to what information he can give away.
Cynthia looked down at the Manaphy in Pakura's arms. May had told her about a Manaphy that called her Mama, and wondered if it was the same Manaphy in her arms right now.
"I don't think you are fit to be this little one's mother, considering your attitude." Cynthia said, and cooed to Manaphy to get his attention and perhaps get him to choose her as his new Mama, but Manaphy looked frightened, and clung to Pakura's dress.
"Considering what you did, I don't think you would last long here, and I hope you commit suicide in the end." Pakura spat, clutching to Manaphy protectively.
Cynthia mock gasped, and clutched to her heart. But of course, to Ash, her distress seemed real, and went over to her, grabbing her arms to steady her. Cynthia, pretending to be in distress, ran off towards the arriving elevator. Pakura hated to admit it, but Cynthia looked regal and attractive on the outside no matter what expression she had on her face.
Ash rounded on Pakura. "How could you say that to her? She was just curious!" Ash shouted. "It isn't wrong to be curious about a region you never been to before!"
Pakura doesn't seem fazed. "Considering she didn't listen to you when you were Ash Ketchum, what makes you think she'll listen when you're Red Satoshi?"
"Maybe she has changed!" Ash countered. "You'll have to apologize to her later."
Pakura coldly raised a brow. "Never."
Ash's Pokémon has to applaud Pakura's defiance against her Champion. They didn't like Cynthia either, but who are they to speak up when it's their trainer they're talking about?
Ash was at a loss of words. Did she just say she would never apologize to Cynthia, even if she was in the wrong? He was about to give her a piece of his mind, when he was snapped out of it by Manaphy, who was whimpering. Ash looked guilty for frightening Manaphy, and took him from Pakura's arms to soothe him and cheered him up with some Poképuffs.
Since Pakura could neither join in on comforting Manaphy nor snap at Ash, she thought the best thing to do was to clear out for now, and left the Battle Tower. Besides, she still had a Contest to judge.
As she left, Ash said after her, "Paku, this isn't over."
Shiki caught up with her. "Your Champion may be powerful, but he's an idiot if he thinks she has changed." He remarked.
Pakura nodded in resignation. She wondered if Cynthia had known about the benefits Hunters can get (since information is easy to get from the computer in the library), and figured that since Ash was handsome, powerful, having access to Mega Evolution, and had all the perks of being a Hunter such as not paying for public facilities can be used at no cost, and all such services are provided at first class, unrivalled freedom to travel around the world, with access to places that normally doesn't open to ordinary members of the society, and the fact that they do not need to pay when buying stuff, and maybe Cynthia was taking advantage of the free benefits Ash would have provided if she was his girlfriend.
Pakura hated Cynthia for having this effect on Ash, oh yes she does. She knew Cynthia would ruin everything Ash has worked for. How she wished she could've killed her right here and now, to eliminate this threat.
But then, Ash would hate her if she did that.
Shiki seemed to have sensed her thoughts, as he placed his hands on her shoulders, and said, "Paku, listen, no matter what happens, you still have me. And you know I can't wait until this ring…" He indicated her engagement ring. "…Is replaced with my wedding band. I'll be waiting. Just hang on."
Pakura nodded, and walked towards the forest, and unknowingly walked past the Saffron City Gym Leader, Sabrina, who was out looking at the lake with her signature Pokémon, Alakazam. Sabrina's eyes followed her as she walked past.
"How mysterious…." Sabrina remarked. "I can't see into her future, neither can I see into her memories. I wonder if it means something ominous is going to happen…"
Ash was holding up a tape in his hand, which was stated that the year of the Trainer's Tournament was fifty, which would make it the second Quarter Anniversary. And the name of the victors were marked as the Dragon Duo, which disappointed Ash, as it didn't have the Dragon Duo's real names on it.
Ash had taken it from the box of tapes from the library earlier in the day, and since he had finished his sabotage job, he figured he could spend some time watching this tape.
He figured if he wanted to solve the missing Dragon Duo case, he had to get as much information about the Dragon Duo as possible. He had somewhat gotten over the fight he had with Pakura earlier.
"I do want to see how the Quarter Anniversary works." Pikachu stated, weighing the Dragon Duo's tape in his hand.
Ash agreed with Pikachu, and put in the tape, settling back in the couch and losing himself in the Fiftieth Trainers Tournament. A younger Ken Anderson, the current commentator of the Pokémon World Championship stepped out on the stage, followed by a young boy dressed in a white suit, holding a simple wooden box. He began speaking, to remind them of the system to pick a worthy ruler to take care of PAL, created by one of the previous rulers of PAL, and one of the requirements was for the person to win the Trainer's Tournament.
When the laws of this Trainer's Tournaments were laid out by a previous ruler, the said ruler also dictated that every twenty-five years the anniversary would be marked by a Quarter Anniversary. It would call for a glorified version of the Trainers Tournament to make battles much more interesting, and see if participants can overcome the odds the twist may give.
Ken went on to tell the audience what happened in the first Quarter Anniversary. "On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder that type disadvantages can be overcome with the right moves and strategies, each trainer is required to have a single-type team and must stick to the said type for the duration of the tournament. The type they choose to specialize in must be registered when they register for the tournament as well."
'A single type like the regional Gym Leaders and Elite Four members. Interesting.' Ash thought.
"And now, to honour the second Quarter Anniversary," Ken said, as the little boy stepped forward, holding out the box as he opened the lid. Ash could see the tidy, upright rows of yellowed envelopes. Whoever devised the Quarter Anniversary system had prepared for centuries of Trainer's Tournaments.
Ken removed an envelope clearly marked with a 50, and ran his finger under the flap, pulling out a small square piece of paper. Without hesitation, he read, "On the fiftieth anniversary, as a reminder that teamwork is required in Pokémon battles, each trainer is to find a partner to participate in the Trainer's Tournaments together, and both partners in the tag team must have the four complete symbols from the Battle Frontier in order to be able to register as a team. One tag team can win, which means there would be two winners."
The editors cut off to the preliminary rounds, and there was little time to focus on all the battles, but since the Dragon Duo were the victors, Ash got to watch all their battles in full.
The Dragon Prince wore a casual outfit that consisted of dark blue jeans and a white shirt, complete with a black jacket, and his Key Stone was in the form of a black bracelet that was on his left wrist. He was wearing sneakers that was dark blue on the bottom where the sole is, and black for the rest of the parts. His fringe was combed downwards, shadowing his face. Ash knew there was something dark and handsome about his appearance, as he noted the tape captured some envy written in the girls' faces for the Dragon Princess to be able to have him as a partner.
The Dragon Princess on the other hand was wearing a dress that was white from neck to chest and light pink down the rest. The outfit had white long sleeves (with lace cuffs at the end) and had a white bow tie on the chest part of the outfit. Her shoes were pink with bows on it. In other words, it was a typical Sweet Lolita outfit. Her black hair was let loose, and it reached slightly below her shoulders, and she wore a pink headband with a bow. Just like her partner, her fringe was also covering her face, but there was an undeniable sweetness about her appearance. Unlike the Dragon Prince, who didn't have a Pokémon outside the Pokéball, the Dragon Princess had one Pokémon on her shoulder, which was an Eevee, which made Ash wonder what Eevee evolved into later. Her Key Stone was in the form of a black choker that was on her neck.
Ash noted the pair only occasionally exchanged a glance with each other, and they seemed to know which moves their partner was going to use, which Ash knew it was probably due to their telepathy. Their moves were very synchronised, but Ash found out that the Dragon Princess stuck to defensive and supportive strategy when it comes to battle, while the Dragon Prince was all out offense.
'So that was why they made the perfect match.' Ash thought, jotting down some notes. 'The Dragon Prince attacks with his Pokémon all the way, and the Dragon Princess increases the power of those moves, and is able to cover for him by preventing opponents attacks from hitting the Dragon Prince's Pokémon.'
Ash knew it was going to be a long battle, as when they reached the semi-finals, each person can use six Pokémon, which meant that it was a twelve-on-twelve battle, which makes this Quarter Anniversary having the longest tag battle in history, and having used the most Pokémon in one battle.
The final match consisted of the Dragon Duo with two girls called Alexandra and Alison, who are twin sisters by the looks of it, with the same straight red hair, blue eyes, and olive skin. The way they behaved was also exactly the same.
"And here we are, the final match of the fiftieth Trainer's Tournament!" A commentator announced. "On the Green side, we have the Robertson twins, Alexandra and Alison! And on the Red side, we have what everyone dubbed them as the Dragon Duo, and this Duo had won their matches with either Dragon or Psychic Pokémon!"
'They must've requested for their names not to be revealed. They only grant this request to Trainers who are already a professional Hunter. That means….' Ash's gaze lingered on the cute girl that was known as the Dragon Princess. It was hard to believe that the Dragon Princess is already a Hunter at this point.
"Then again, appearances can fool people. Look at Pakura, for instance." Lucario pointed out, replying to a comment Pikachu had made about how surprising it was for the Dragon Princess to be a professional Hunter since she looked harmless.
"Volbeat/Illumise, I choose you!" The twins sent out the Firefly Pokémon, which was a counterpart to each other.
"Meowstic, take the battlefield!" The Dragon Duo shouted in unison, as the Dragon Prince sent out a female one, and the Princess sent out the male one.
"Let the battle begin!" A referee, not Evan, announced.
Ash paused the tape when the Dragon Duo had lost only three Pokémon (one from the Prince, two from the Princess) and the twins had lost half of their Pokémon (four from Alexandra and two from Alison), and went to his room for a shower, followed by his Pokémon just as the elevator dinged, and the three Elites came up, since the workers informed them it would take quite a while to fix the lights.
"We've said too much!" Jude ran his hand over his hair in frustration. "Now they are going to wonder what kind of training we do."
"Don't they do these kind of training for the G-men organization too?" Rosaline wondered.
Phillip shook his head. "Don't be naïve, Rosaline, even if you're a member of the G-men, they don't train as intensively as we do. I bet none of the G-men members can survive the Hunter's Exam….or their missions, for the matter. Sure, they know how to operate some weapons, but I bet even you can defeat them in close combat any day."
Everyone knew Rosaline was average at close combat, as she tends to fight while keeping a distance from her opponents, rather than being in close range, and usually relied more on kicks than punches, although her punch is powerful enough to send a person flying if they are not aware.
"I guess you're right." Rosaline nodded. "They are all curious about us since while we are world-famous, this is the first time they had met us in person, in addition they learnt about out Elite statuses and being the so-called hosts, they'll only ask questions about our lives."
"In fact, the Kalos Gym Leader Viola has a sister, Alexa, who's a journalist at Lumiose Press, and she's here to cover the Pokémon World Championships, and she is most likely granted a press pass for the event, as she is related to a participant. I think she might want to find out more about us to write in her articles as well. I don't know if she's the type to intrude in our privacy like the other regional reporters, but it's better to avoid her…and Viola if we can." Jude added.
"Right, but Jude, everyone knows you're the social butterfly in the Elite, and the Gym Leaders from Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh recognized Rosaline as one of their challengers of their Gym." Phillip pointed out. "If you two avoid them, they'll suspect were hiding something, and will try even harder to find out about us."
"I don't know how they still recognize me. I mean, none of the Gym Leaders even recognized Pakura, and she did accompany me to my Gym matches. What's more, she challenged their Gyms before, and some even saw her a second time when she came with me."
"No offence, Rosaline, but Pakura's physical appearance change more drastically than yours. You could've passed for a sixteen-year-old with your cute looks, and Pakura looks older than you. If I were an outsider, I'd think Pakura was the older one." Jude replied.
"In other words, you're saying she matured faster than me?" Rosaline pouted.
The boys nodded.
"Anyway, next time we talk to the guests, we better not say too much, lest we accidentally say something about Champion Red, and we'll all be doomed if they find out who he really is before we expose the murderers. While the Hunters Association and PAL region did not believe that Ash would kill his mother, the majority of the other regional people do, and would clamour for his arrest and execution. We can't let them win, and I, like Ash, want them to be humiliated, and be surprised when they realized who exactly defeated all four of us." Jude declared. "And none of us must ruin this. Especially you, Rosaline."
Phillip and Rosaline nodded, and Phillip noticed something on the television.
"Hey, what's this?" Phillip pointed to the frozen screen, which shows a scoreboard of 12 empty slots on each side, and it looked like the boy and girl pair was winning.
"Ash must've gotten the second Quarter Anniversary tape from the library, and is watching the Dragon Duo." Rosaline concluded. "He must've wanted information on the Dragon Duo before solving the case. He was assigned to it, after all."
"But, you're the Crime Hunter, shouldn't the job be assigned to you?" Jude wondered.
"I admit, yes, but the thing is, they have been missing for six years now. If the Head of Crime Department, who has eight years more experience than me, cannot even solve it, what makes you think I can? I doubt my psychic powers can locate them because I hear they are much stronger than me in terms of psychic power. Which was why they gave the case to Ash." Rosaline explained.
There are many Departments in the Hunters' Association, which was named after the type of Hunters there are. Usually, the best one would be selected as the Head of the said department. As Ash and Pakura had three stars in their field, naturally, they are the Heads of the Contract Department and the Blacklist Department respectively, but they had an Assistant Head, for they had other duties to commit themselves to. The other three, on the other hand, only had two stars (though Phillip was close to getting three), which was why they aren't the Heads.
The Department Heads usually had authority to handle incidents happening within their own department, and also put out members names to give another star or fire them and give reasons why, but these cases had to be reviewed by the members of the Zodiacs first, and if approved, the action requested would be taken. Otherwise, nothing would happen. The Department Heads can assign tasks and missions to their members, if they were given to them via a Zodiac member, but if the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen gives the case themselves, it means they had to handle the case by themselves, no questions asked.
When one first becomes a Hunter, they would automatically have to work for the Hunters' Association, which is another reason why being a Hunter is a dream of many locals, as it guarantees them a job, and a Hunter earns a lot of money due to the danger and risks, which many saw as an adventure. But, even then, there would be an exam to test if they are worthy of working for the Hunters Association in the first place, and there are four parts to the exam: an obstacle course that assess their physical condition, a written tactics and Pokémon facts exam, a test of weapons and Pokémon training proficiency, and a stimulated combat situation, where Trainers figure out how to protect their Pokémon.
If they fail, they would have to keep taking this exam until they pass. Once they do so, they had to choose a department as well, which meant they would be given a crash course on what each type of Hunters do. They had to choose carefully as once they chose it's permanent, and could never be changed. Should they make a decision, the Head of the chosen department would test them themselves, and decided if they pass or fail. If they pass, they are in. If not, they either train and come back in a month or choose another.
In other words, to be officially called a professional Hunter, one has to pass a total of three exams. The Hunter Exam to get the license, the Exam to get in the Hunters Association, and the Exam to get in their desired department.
"What are you guys talking about?" A bored voice asked, and they looked up to see Ash with his hair wet. Apparently, he had went for a shower.
"We're just wondering why Rosaline wasn't assigned to the Dragon Duo case." Jude replied.
"Now I think of it, which departments did the Dragon Duo work for?" Rosaline asked.
Ash checked the Dragon Duo file. "It was the Blacklist Department. The Dragon Prince was Head of that department for three years before he disappeared, and the position was given to…." Ash trailed off when he saw Pakura's name as the successor.
The Elite members looked at each other, wondering why Ash trailed off. In the silence that followed, delicious smells of their dinner came wafting from the dining room. "Come on, let's eat." said Rosaline. Jude and Phillip followed her to the dining room and took their places, while Ash went back to watching the tape, and started on the cream and rose-petal soup, while all their Pokémon started on their dinner as well.
'I wonder if Paku knows the Dragon Prince.' Ash thought, taking notes about the Dragon Duo's fighting styles. 'I'll ask her later.'
Pakura's mood lifted slightly as she just saw Brock and Trip carry an unconscious Max away from the forest. It looked like Max was attacked, and was left unconscious, though there were no signs of visible injuries. Not that she cared, because she was tired of him hitting on her, and asking her to date him. Like she would date a little boy, who apparently saw her as some trophy to be won, like all other guys. Why would she want a boyfriend who only saw her beauty, talent, fame and money?
And then there was Ash.
Pakura sighed, Ash really needed to wake up and face the reality. She doesn't really see what is so good about Champion Cynthia. Well, sure, she is beautiful, and she loves her own Pokémon like he does, and is kind and helpful as well to other Trainers, but at the end of the day, she still chose her image over a friend, not even hearing him out, and now she had put a bounty over Ash's head, which made Pakura call in her connections to help disguise Ash so they could travel around the regions without the police or G-Men on their trail.
Even Ash's CommuniDex was programmed by Phillip (requested by Pakura) to say, "I'm a CommuniDex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Red Satoshi. My function is to provide Red with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced" in order to avoid suspicion.
Pakura thought she did everything for him, taking him under her wing, training him alongside the other three at her request, even giving him Key Stones and Mega Stones so he could Mega Evolve his Pokémon, and acted like a mentor to him, while they travelled so Ash can win the six Pokémon Leagues. She even let him use her badges to register for the tournaments, as his has already been scanned years ago when he participated in all those Pokémon Conferences.
After that, she decided to reveal her status as the PAL Elite Four Leader to him once he had won the sixth one (which was supposed to be kept secret until the Pokémon World Championship), which was the Kalos League and told him that PAL doesn't have a Champion yet and hoped he'd challenge them, and become their Champion instead of taking the Kalos Elite challenge, as she could see he would be an asset to them if he became their Champion, with his abilities, achievements and whatnot. After Pakura revealed her status and the unique Pokémon League PAL had, Ash then decided to take on the PAL Pokémon League as well, and make his mark there, and had asked her to be his guide again.
"I'll count on you then, Paku."
That was what he had said.
During his journey in PAL, Pakura watched him become a full-fledged professional Hunter, winning all the Battle Frontier symbols (With his Latios to help him get there as all the Battle Frontier buildings are in different cities, and he knew where they are since Pakura told him), easily sweeping the competition in the 58th Trainer's Tournament (everyone still thought that year was especially exciting), and finally taking the Elite challenge.
Pakura did not expect Ash to be able to reach her, but there he was, facing her in her arena after taking the pink crystal elevator (decorated with icicle wings at the side of it) to where she was waiting at her personal arena. Neither did she expect her Sylveon to collapse before Pikachu did, which meant he became their very first Champion and dethroned her as PAL's Princess (but Ash decided that they should run PAL together).
"But at the end of the day, he still loved the woman that had called the authorities on him, forcing him to run from Pallet Town to PAL, and tonight, he even stood up to her." Shiki said bitterly.
Pakura nodded. She wondered how long it would take before Ash takes her Princess title and gives it to Cynthia, so he can stay close to him. Maybe her Elite Leader status would be given to her as well, who knows.
"Guess it's too late. We can do it, you know." Shiki said quietly.
"What?" Pakura asked.
"Leave this place. Run off. Make a new life somewhere else. You and I, we can make it. You need to run after this tournament, you know what will happen if they catch you!" Shiki suggested.
"But…" Pakura trailed off.
"Ash has shown ample times he can take care of himself, like you said." Shiki said firmly, knowing what she was thinking. "I doubt he would notice even if you disappeared."
"There's still a long time to go before the tournament ends." Pakura muttered. "Besides, what if we're found out? They are starting to notice something is wrong."
"We won't." Shiki assured her. "You need to be strong. That's why I chose you."
Pakura opened her mouth to say something as sensed someone unfamiliar approaching. She turned to see a tall, slim boy, probably a young adult by the looks of it, with messy black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a pair of baggy grey pants, a black leather jacket, and a blue shirt with a white undershirt. He was also wearing a pale blue scarf.
Alain froze. Pakura's back was completely turned towards him, how did she know he was approaching from behind?
"Hello, Princess Pakura." Alain gulped nervously, still unnerved by the fact that she knew he was behind her without turning around.
Pakura nodded in greeting.
Alain heard that Pakura Ameyuri is something of a living legend in the world of Pokémon performances as first of all, she had won six Grand Festivals in a row, and all 40 Ribbons in her own region, making Wallace look like an amateur. It does help that she was an experienced battler in Battle Rounds, and in addition to her combinations having beauty, they also had power, which overwhelmed most of the Coordinators. He had heard that she was able to ruin combinations before they were even formed, and was able to react instantaneously to any moves an opponent may make, while making a beautiful combination, and usually, her opponents' points were drained quickly, or their Pokémon ended up knocked out by the sheer power of the moves.
He knew Pakura had won the Kalos Pokémon Showcase Master Class tournament when she was only ten, making her the youngest Kalos Queen the region has ever had, and the only one who kept her title for three consecutive years, before she decided to move on to compete in the PAL Showcases.
While other Pokémon Performers were hard-pressed to find a way to make themselves look great before their performances to impress the judges (although Pokémon Showcases aren't beauty contests, the best looking participants seem to gain more favour from the audience), or trying to figure out a way to keep the audience's attention during the Free Performance, Pakura never wanted for anything, instead spending more time on her training, rather than focus on her appearance, as that time she was already extremely adorable (when she was still participating in the Kalos Pokémon Showcases, she was considered cute as opposed to beautiful, and can charm the judges). She also did not care about the attention the audience had on her, so long as she had fun.
It took a while for her competitors to realize that despite her sweet appearance, she was the one to know how to do elegant but risky stunts perfectly in her Free Performance, but when they realized this, it was too late, and it was all over once she was done, and when the Master Class tournament ended, the crown was hers.
The audience had been drooling over her ever since.
The Kalos region were devastated when Pakura gave up Pokémon Performing in their region years ago, and some even stated she was the most brilliant performer they ever had. He never heard of her again until he arrived here, and that was when he realized she was in PAL all along, making her own mark in that region. It was also a surprise to him that when he came here, he learnt she was now a part of the PAL Elite Four, and the strongest member at that. He wondered if she was a Mega Evolution user, though he couldn't see her Key Stone.
Alain had to admit that Pakura was one of the most stunning, sensuous people on the planet. She was tall for a girl, and had a body many females would kill to have, with cream-coloured skin and eyes the shade of the precious amethyst gems.
"Can I help you?" Pakura coldly raised a brow, and Alain shivered at her icy tone.
"I was wondering the best place to train." Alain said, though he couldn't hide the fear in his voice.
Pakura's eyes looked down, and saw his Mega Ring which was in a form of a large black bracelet on his wrist.
'A Mega Evolution user, huh?' Pakura thought, looking at his Key Stone in mild surprise.
"I think it's that direction. That is where they offer concealment so no one can see your training and it's relatively quiet there, so they can train in peace. There are also plenty of Berries to help restore your Pokémon's energy or cure a status ailment. If you are lucky, the wild Pokémon there can help you in your training, they are pretty friendly and powerful, as they do train by themselves."
Shiki pointed to the said direction, and Pakura mimicked his movement. Alain thanked her, and left.
Shiki watched him leave with mild interest. "I have a feeling his goal is for his Charizard to be the most powerful Mega Evolved Pokémon." Looking at Pakura's inquiring look, he said, "I sensed Charizard's aura in one of his Pokéballs. It won't be the last time you're meeting him that's for sure. Once he realizes all of you are Masters of Mega Evolution, he is bound to ask for a battle. His first choice would be either you or Ash."
Pakura nodded, just as a message beeped on her CommuniDex. It was from Phillip, stating the lights were fixed, and asked her to return to the Contest Hall to do a small appeal to test out the lightings.
"Come on, let's go." Pakura muttered, and Shiki followed behind.
"Gardevoir, return!" The Dragon Princess returned her fallen Embrace Pokémon, as the poison had taken its toll, and as a last ditch effort, used Destiny Bond, which the Dragon Princess had ordered because Gardevoir wasn't going to last long with the poison due to the type. Meinshao had fallen along with Gardevoir thanks to Destiny Bond.
At the scoreboard, it was indicated that the Dragon Princess already lost her fourth Pokémon, and would be at her fifth Pokémon, while the Prince lost three, and is now on his fourth. Meanwhile, the twins were down to their last two Pokémon, when the Dragon Prince finished off Alison's Musharna with a powerful Venoshock, thanks to his Dragalge. As the Pokémon was already poisoned, just like the Princess' Gardevoir, it dealt double damage.
"I wonder why they aren't commanding with their thoughts yet." Jude commented. The other three had joined him in watching the tape after their dinner was done.
Ash thought Jude had a point, as the Dragon Duo had not commanded with their aura or thoughts, despite being the strongest psychics in PAL. He wondered if they were holding back on the twins, as he wrote something in his notebook, and added a star next to it.
"Beats me. They were only using telepathy on each other, as far as I can tell." Rosaline was disappointed, as she knew they were better than her in terms of psychic powers and they weren't utilizing it in their battles.
"Even without them, they have strategies in battle the twins had trouble trying to read." Phillip added. "You have to remember those two did design some strategies in battle that was subsequently used by other trainers."
The twins were down to their last two Pokémon, and it was a Gardevoir for Alison, and a Gallade for Alexandra. The difference was, the two of them were wearing Mega Stones, and true enough, they pressed their Key Stones, and the two of them Mega Evolved into Mega Gardevoir and Mega Gallade respectively.
The Dragon Prince returned his Dragalge, and in unison, the two of them threw out their Pokéballs to reveal a Latios and Latias respectively. Just like Gardevoir and Gallade, they were wearing Mega Stones.
"Would you look at that?" The announcer exclaimed. "The Dragon Duo are in possession of the Legendary Eon Duo, Latias and Latios!"
"Interesting." The twins said in unison, as they noted that the Eon Duo were wearing Mega Stones as well.
"Let the battle begin!" The referee announced.
"Gardevoir, start things off with Moonblast!" As Moonblast was a Fairy-type move, Alison knew it would be super-effective on the Eon Duo, who was part Dragon type.
"Gallade, help out by using Shadow Ball!" Alexandra commanded.
The Dragon Duo made brief eye contact, and nodded, before turning back to their Pokémon. The Eon Duo waited until the very last second, before dodging both attacks.
"What?" The twins were surprised.
"They must've wanted to wait until the twins were down to their last Pokémon before they start to command with their thoughts, to make it easier to take down their last, and probably strongest, Pokémon and give them less time to be able to counter their telepathic commands." Phillip deduced.
'So I was right. They can command with their aura or thoughts, just like us, only they were holding back.' Ash thought, writing the word "Confirmed" next to the sentence he had written earlier. 'They have this match in the bag already.'
"Alright, then, Double Team!" The twins shouted in unison. Mega Gardevoir and Mega Gallade created multiple copies of themselves, which spread all over the arena, surrounding Latias and Latios, as all prepared to attack the Eon Duo with Shadow Ball once more.
Latios simply fired Dragon Pulses at one of the Mega Gardevoirs and Mega Gallades as Latias used Protect on both of them to deflect the Shadow Balls, and the copy the Dragon Pulses hit turned out to be the real ones, hence they were damaged and the copies all vanished.
Ash took note that the Dragon Duo, or at least the Dragon Prince, can detect the real Pokémon's location from the Double Team copies, just like them.
It was clear that the twins were getting frustrated at not being able to read the Dragon Duo's strategies, other than the fact that the Dragon Prince does most of the attacking, while the Dragon Princess covers for him. It didn't help that had the ability to telepathically communicate with their Pokémon and give commands without saying a word, which meant they can't tell how they would counter moves, or what attacks would come next.
"I think it's best to take out the Latias first." Alexandra whispered. "The girl is mainly defence after all." Alison nodded, and they decided to target the Latias first.
When they next attacked, the Dragon Princess realized they were both targeting her Latias, which forced her to call out an offensive attack to defend herself. The attacks met in the middle and exploded into a cloud of smoke.
Latios then attacked with a Luster Purge at Mega Gallade, who shot a Signal Beam back, but despite the power increase by Mega Evolution, it overpowered Signal Beam, and knocked Gallade back, but Gallade managed to fire a Shadow Ball to Latias. Gardevoir, meanwhile, shot a Moonlast, and both of them used Psychic on their moves to hit Latias. It was successful, as both moves collided with Latias, and exploded.
"Alright!" The twins high-fived each other.
"Latias!" The Dragon Princess shouted, panicking, as Latias' Latiasite suddenly emitted blue trails of light, and her Key Stone reacted to it, and Latias Mega Evolved into Mega Latias.
Ash took note of this special moment, writing it down in his notebook. Usually, it was the trainer that pressed the Key Stone, and the Mega Stone would react, causing Mega Evolution. This is the first time he saw the reverse happening. He wondered if he could lay the decision of Mega Evolution up to his Pokémon to give his opponents a surprise.
"How unexpected! It looks like Latias has sensed her trainer's distress and managed to get the Key Stone to react to the Mega Stone!" The announcer commented.
"Well, then, Latios, show them the power of our bond!" With that, he pressed his Key Stone, and Latios Mega Evolved into Mega Latios.
The moment they had used Mega Evolution, it was all over. Legendary Pokémon in general are still more powerful than non-Legendary Pokémon, no matter if Mega Evolution is used or not. With the use of Mega Evolution on Legendary Pokémon, the twins were basically screwed.
The Dragon Princess first used Recover to heal Mega Latias, before taking on Disarming Voice with Toxic, and it poisoned Mega Gardevoir. Meanwhile, Mega Latios countered Close Combat with Steel Wing, effectively landing some clean hits on Mega Gallade.
The Dragon Prince then called for a Draco Meteor, which damaged Mega Gallade badly. As expected, Mega Gardevoir was safe, but so was Mega Latias. The Prince explained that Mega Latias had used Reflect Type on Mega Gardevoir, and Reflect Type changes the user's type to match the type or types of the target, which means that Mega Latias was now a Psychic/Fairy type, thus immune to Dragon-type moves.
With that explanation finished, the Dragon Prince then made his attack, and Mega Latios finished Mega Gardevoir off by hitting it with Steel Wing multiple times. It didn't hurt that Mega Gardevoir was badly poisoned. Meanwhile, Mega Latias fired a Mist Ball at Mega Gallade, which sapped Mega Gallade's energy to do special attacks, and he was finished off with a double Shadow Ball, and the battle ended, with the commentator announcing the Dragon Duo's victory, as everyone was standing up to clap and cheer for the winners.
The Princess jumped into the Prince's arms, squealing about their victory, while the Dragon Prince simply gave a small smile as he hugged the girl tightly.
Ash clicked off the tape, and they sat in silence for a while.
Finally, Jude said, "One can tell that those two are very close. I'd eat my Purrloin if they weren't lovers by that time." He indicated to the TV. He earned himself a smack from Purrloin for the eating comment.
"I have a feeling, as long as they have each other, everything would be fine to them." Rosaline agreed.
"But the problem is, why would they vanish if they had everything going for them?" Phillip wondered
"Unless they didn't vanish at the same time." Ash said grimly. He was very sure that one vanished first and the other one did as well, presumably to find their partner.
The question is, who vanished first?
As they contemplated the unspoken question, Phillip's Pokégear rang with a message. It was from one of the Pokémon Contest crew, stating the lights were fixed.
"Well, we got to go. See you." Ash and Rosaline nodded, as Jude and Phillip left.
"Princess, we need you to make sure the lighting equipment is working fine. Would you do the honours by doing a small appeal?" One of the workers requested, as Pakura entered the Contest Hall after Jude did. Her Sylveon and Skitty ran up to her for a hug as soon as they saw her.
"Well, I'll make an announcement to everyone so they can come back and we can continue the Contest." Jude volunteered, as everyone nodded in agreement. With that, he left.
Eevee was watching the scene from behind the pillar, wagging her fluffy tail, imagining what it would be like to be under her ownership.
Pakura studied the lighting for a moment, before taking out a Pokéball.
"Roserade, time to shine!" She sent out the Bouquet Pokémon. Pakura never used Roserade for Elite challenges, she was specifically used for Contests and Pokémon Showcases, just like Milotic and Cinccino, as they did not fit her type speciality in Elite challenges.
"Start things off with Petal Blizzard, and get inside to use Dazzling Gleam." Roserade released multiple shinning heart-shaped blue petals, and sent it upwards, so that Petal Blizzard would fall and surround her. She then used Dazzling Gleam, which made the Petal Blizzard shine.
"Now, use Energy Ball, followed by Aromatherapy." The Energy Ball absorbed the petals and it flew upwards, creating a trail of petals behind it, and Roserade released a fragrant green powder from the roses on her hands, which made the move even more beautiful as it made the Energy Ball and Petal Blizzard sparkle.
"Finish it with Shadow Ball, Petal Dance, and Magical Leaf, and make sure the two combinations intercept!" The Shadow Ball, surrounded by Petal Dance, and propelled by Magical Leaf, clashed with the first combination, and exploded into pink, blue and green sparkles that dazzled everyone. Although to Pakura it may be a small appeal, to the audience, it was better than the Appeals they seen even on the Grand Festivals.
Pakura returned her Roserade when the sparkles faded.
"That was exquisite!" Wallace was awestruck by the (to Pakura) small appeal. "If it was seen on a Grand Festival, it's get high marks in an instant!"
"Very unique." Fantina was nodding in approval. "Wallace, I look forward to tossing a coin to see who can give and exhibition match along with Princess Pakura."
"I'm sure both of us hope we'll be the lucky one." Wallace chuckled.
Eevee, who was still hiding, was spellbound by the small Appeal, and her interest in performing, preferably alongside Pakura and her Pokémon, just increased, and with that thought, she ran out to the stage to start her performance.
"Ok, the lighting's fine." Phillip noted, but he yelped as an Eevee came running up to the stage under the lights, and began firing Shadow Balls to the sky, and followed by a Swift. However, they fell back down, and exploded around Eevee causing smoke all over the stage.
Pakura grabbed Eevee before she could use another attack.
"What do you think of my performance?" Eevee asked cutely to her captor.
Pakura blinked. Why was this Eevee asking her opinion?
"I think she wants to perform as well." Pachirisu commented to Phillip.
Pakura looked at Eevee, and considered her, before saying shortly, "Can be improved."
Eevee's eyes sparkled at the comment, and nuzzled her. "Will you improve my performance?"
Pakura looked at Eevee in disbelief, and then it dawned on her that she was the same Eevee she saw dancing earlier. So Eevee had a dream of performing on stage one day, which supposedly makes Eevee a good addition to her team, as she is a Pokémon Coordinator and Performer.
Before Pakura could answer, however, the audience filed in, causing her to carry the little Eevee to sit at the judges' table, much to her delight.
A few hours later, when Pakura promptly left as soon as the last Appeal was over, she weren't aware that the Eevee she left behind hopped off the table and went after her.
"Why wouldn't he wake up?" May was worried for her bother. Adding to the fact that she was still shocked over her humiliation didn't help. Her dad had just left their Pokémon Center room after visiting his son and comforting his daughter, promising to investigate on what happened to Max and the mystery behind her humiliation and her blotted performance.
"It beats me." Misty felt for a fever, but found nothing. "What had happened in the forest?"
Iris sighed. She wished she had the ability to read the memories of humans as well, not just Dragon-type Pokémon. But alas, her abilities only go so far.
A sobbing noise interrupted, and Iris turned to the girls, who was still shocked about their humiliation. Dawn was still crying over her humiliation.
"Hey, cheer up, I think your Appeals went great in the end, even if there were a few setbacks." said Misty comfortingly. "I bet your pictures would be the first to appear."
"I'm still behind Zoey, though." Dawn forced out a laugh.
"You're almost as good as a Top Coordinator, Dawn." Trip assured her. "After all, you made it to the Final Round, and you only lost by a few points in the finals in your very first Grand Festival."
Dawn managed a watery smile.
"Hey! What about me?" May protested.
"I think your title says it all, Princess May." Cilan interrupted with a joke, without looking up from the magazine he got from the lobby. He wanted to borrow the tapes that showed something called a Trainer's Tournament so he could get a picture of what the PAL Elite were capable of, but unfortunately, someone else must've had the same idea, as the box of tapes were all taken, including the Pokémon Contest (past Grand Festivals were even included) ones, and he had to resort to magazines, and found little information on their battling styles.
"Hey guys, I brought Margherita Pizza for a snack." Brock entered the room carrying a pizza box. "I figured we can watch a movie while eating this, to help relax."
The others eagerly got the pizza off Brock's hands, and Misty went to select a movie.
'I guess I have a clear picture on how they battle, and recognize them based on their battling styles.' Ash thought. 'I'll go for a walk, it might clear my head.' Since it was already 11 plus, it's highly unlikely anyone would outside at the time, so it can give Ash some time to mull over things.
Pikachu and Lucario, realizing their owner was about to leave the Tower, followed him and ran into the elevator, just as he pressed the elevator button to the lobby.
Ash walked through the picturesque garden, a cool breeze brushing against his hair, with his two partners, contemplating the current situation.
Ash did not understand why Pakura had to be so rude to Cynthia, as evidenced by what happened during dinner. To make things worse, when she came back, she simply threw her bag on the living room couch, crossed to her room, and closed the door before Ash could even request her to apologize to Cynthia. Pakura slamming the door means no one should disturb her, or they'll be in for….well, let's just say it's s surprise you never want to find out about.
Sure, she did turn him in to the authorities all those years ago, but it's because she had no choice, he told himself. He convinced himself that Cynthia has changed over the years, and a second chance should be given to her. He had loved Cynthia, and knew she would never do anything without a reason. Pakura's judgement of Cynthia is also questionable, as being a Blacklist Hunter (and the Head of the Blacklist Department), she has an extremely revengeful personality. Ash had the impression she had never loved in her life, knowing only how to hate others.
He knew when it comes down to it, she'd choose revenge first.
Ash doesn't want Cynthia to suffer from his revenge. After all, he loves her.
It occurred to him that when he had mentioned this to the others, the others looked like they had wanted to side Pakura over this. He could tell by the way they looked at one another.
'Must've been because they knew her longer than me.' Ash thought, inwardly sighing. How could he convince them Cynthia has a good heart, she was just misguided?
And then there was the mysterious user of Scarlet Anger, alive and somewhere in PAL.
Apparently, according to the Pokémon Facts: PAL Edition the user can rarely control the full extent of their abilities, and as such their subconscious will often regulate that power, leading to their personality being eaten away as well, in addition to their mental state and physical state, and it would eventually turn the individual into a monster that's a danger to everyone around them.
Because of the strain this ability gives the body, and the many side effects, Scarlet Anger is classified under Forbidden Abilities, which usually means to be cautious when using it, as the abilities listed under the category is very dangerous when used. Ash knew the person mentioned in the prophecy was an experienced user, considering the poem mentioned their eyes were already permanently red.
He was snapped out of his reverie when a voice called out "Hey, Red!"
Ash turned in surprise to see his friends, Gary and Paul.
Ash raised an eyebrow, as if to ask, "What are you doing out here late in the night?"
"Well, we're taking a walk, like you. Nature of this place seems to give us an inner sense of peace. Surely you must feel the same way?" Paul asked Ash, falling into step beside him with Gary.
Ash nodded, as Gary went on, "Tracey is busy in his room sketching sceneries based on this region. He was so amazed by the beauty of the environment. He has expressed an interest to meet up with Rosaline sometimes and talk about their drawings and maybe get some inspiration from her, after all, she is his Art Idol. Do you think you can arrange that?"
Ash nodded again, indicating he would arrange the meeting.
"What do you have there in your notebook?" Paul enquired, looking at the notebook on Ash's hand.
"Notes on the Dragon Duo." Ash mumbled.
"Why would you need notes on them?" Gary was curious.
Ash gave a look, before answering, "I was assigned to their disappearance case. They disappeared six years ago."
"So you were getting information on them for the case, huh?" Paul nodded in understanding.
"Yeah." Ash replied.
"What did you get so far?" Gary asked.
Ash handed them his notebook, and they read what Ash had written.
"Where did you get all these information from?" Paul questioned.
"From the library. They have old tapes of the Trainer's Tournament there." Ash replied, as he took back his notebook. "I plan to go to the Internet and see if I can find any exhibition matches between the two, as I hear they did give an exhibition match for one of the Trainer's Tournaments."
"Anything else you would like to tell us?" Gary asked.
Ash showed them the clip that Pakura had sent over this morning.
"Well, that explains it. They were seen getting dresses so you took it as an opportunity to humiliate May and Dawn. Am I right?" Gary voiced out his suspicions.
The corner of Ash's mouth curled up into a smirk.
"I would say it was a bit extreme, taking away a girl's dignity like that, but then again, you have changed a lot, no thanks to them." Paul remarked nonchalantly. "So they are trying to take your Pokémon, am I right?"
"Pretty much." Ash shrugged.
"Do you want us to handle them?" Gary offered.
"Although I know my Elites can handle them by themselves, it'll be nice to know I'll have backup." Ash nodded, leaving them to look at each other with evil smiles on their faces, already planning on how to get back at them.
"Rosaline's ability has shown itself today as well." He showed the poem that Rosaline had written earlier. Paul and Gary read the poem, apprehension on their faces becoming more prominent as their eyes went lower.
"Someone is definitely out for revenge, but against who or why is unknown." Paul said thoughtfully. "And it looks like the Prince the person in the poem is referring to is you."
"I wonder…." Ash mumbled. It could be anyone, ranging from the Dragon Prince, or even Lance, as people from PAL occasionally calls him the Blackthorn Prince.
"We'll help you in any way we can, Ash." Gary nodded.
Ash nodded.
When Ash returned, there was a package that was addressed to him. Using his aura, he tried to detect for any traps, but found none. He wondered when the package got there, but it must've been after everyone went to their rooms as otherwise, they would've had informed him.
He opened the package, and to his surprise, inside sat an Egg case, and in the Egg, it sat a pale grey Egg. There was a note in it that said: I figured you might like this Egg to take care off, Champion Red….or should I say Champion Ash. Yes, I know who you are, no need to hide. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone…yet. But you better take care of this Egg, or your identity would be busted.
Ash clenched his teeth when he saw the note. What was this person playing at? He didn't recognize the handwriting either.
The first thought was one of the Psychic specialists. But that was impossible, as his Indomitable Will enabling him to be immune to all forms of temptation, including psychic powers. So there was no way they would be able to tell his real identity, as not even Rosaline was able to break it.
But what about the Dragon Duo? Their psychic powers were exceptional, even stronger than Rosaline's. He had never met a psychic stronger than the Dragon Duo. And assuming they did use their psychic powers to find out about him that means….
It dawned on Ash that at least one member of the Dragon Duo is somewhere in PAL.
Ash frowned, as he saw movement in the bag Pakura thrown on the couch, and he opened the bag, only to see an Eevee panting as she jumped out of the bag.
"Thanks, I was beginning to suffocate. It's so stuffy in there." Eevee panted.
"What are you doing in there?" Ash gave her a funny look, knowing Pakura doesn't own an Eevee.
Eevee gave a sheepish look, and told him that when Pakura was cleaning herself up in the dressing room, she took the opportunity to sneak in the bag full of clothing her stylist had sent her, in hopes she would take her back to her Tower, and maybe catch her, as she had taken a liking to her.
Ash sighed, but he went to get two bowl, and filled the bowls with Pokémon food and water, and even a Poképuff as dessert, which Eevee happily gulped down. Her eyes shone in delight at the Poképuff.
"Why don't you spend the night in my room?" Ash offered, after he had cleared the bowls away. "I can take you to her in the morning."
Eevee nodded in happiness, as she bounded to Ash, and let him take her to his room for the night.
Somewhere, the Dragon Princess sat in the cave, looking towards the exit. She held a wine glass on her hand, which was half full from liquor.
"I wonder if he received my gift yet." A smile curled on her lips, as she was the only one who knew the Egg came from the two Meowstic she had. Known to be stronger than even Rosaline in terms of psychic power, it'll be an insult if she can't uncover deceptions, like Red's real name. Actually, he's just using his middle names as his alias, but then again, how many people know his full name, and his actual first name, as Ash is a shortened version of it.
She heard footsteps, and turned to see her Dragon/Psychic Pokémon, her Espeon taking the lead.
The Dragon Princess wasn't stupid. She knew the Scarlet Anger was eating away at her mental health, her life and her personality. It was only a matter of time before she completely loses herself. The only thing she can save was her physical health, thanks to her healing powers.
Espeon glared disapprovingly at the wine glass on her hand. "You really should stop this habit. It isn't helping your health, with your Scarlet Anger. You'll die at this rate."
"That won't be so bad." The Dragon Princess mused, her red eyes glittering with morbid amusement. "Knowing Champion Ash, he'd find out who I am before the tournament ends. The question is, what would he do?"
The Dragon Princess had written the poem word for word, and passed the paper for her Pokémon to read. "This is the prophecy that Rosaline made earlier in the day. Apparently, she had this prophecy making ability that is never wrong, but only comes out when they are in danger, to warn them what they may face in the future."
"Does that mean….?" Garchomp was asking, but trailed off. Nevertheless, the Dragon Princess knew what he wanted to ask.
Her eyes glowed red, as she said, "The PAL Elites may be powerful, but so am I. They will find out that I would do anything to keep my secret. Anything."
BP: And I'll end it here. I want to thank all the readers who threw in suggestions that made my 12,000 word quota possible.
I'll explain a few things as well, so please read (it's quite important)
First of all, because of this story's pairing, Pakura is definitely deuteragonist in the story. That is why she had more appearances despite the fact that she doesn't really say anything in the story, unless when needed, and why she seemed to have more screen time than in the original is because she is going to be Ash's love interest. I apologize if this chapter seemed to be centred on Pakura. I'll try to feature her less if that's what you guys want.
Sorry for featuring the Dragon Duo a bit too much. That was because Ash needed information on them, and I wanted to give my readers a glimpse on how they battle (although it looked more like ramblings).
This is also definitely an Ash x Pakura story, only Ash is still in love with Cynthia. It might take something big to happen to Pakura for Ash to wake up (hint, hint)
I'm trying my best to give Paul, Gary and Tracey more spotlight as while they are not one of the main characters, they are supporting characters and they do play a role in the story as well (well in a sense, they help Ash). I might feature the regional Professors in the story as well.
The other traitors WILL be humiliated, in one way or another. Suggestions on how to torture the traitors would be welcome.
Also, school has started, and my assignments are very heavy, so I would not be able to update every two weeks like during holidays. This chapter is actually hastily written so it might not be as good. I had a little writer's block as I had to focus my energy to write reports and think of ideas to do assignments.
If you guys think this chapter bad, it's ok. Sometimes I have no idea what I'm writing either.
But do give me suggestions on the following (Pretty please):
1. What do you want to see in the next chapter
2. How should we humiliate the rest of the traitors (I have no idea how to humiliate the males, actually)
3. Do you want at least one traitor to be tortured into insanity (thus the person won't be able to be convicted, but the person would be confined to mental hospital or something, or do you prefer all to be convicted and humiliated? If it is the former, who do you want to be tortured? And who should be the torturer?
4. What Paul and Gary should do to unnerve the traitors?
5. Do you think the Dragon Princess should lose her Scarlet Anger ability?
6. Who should I pair with Jude (Sabrina, Elesa or Valerie)
7. Do you think Alain should play a bigger role in the story? And how?
8. What other differences do you think I can make from the first story? (for those who had read the first one as well)
Please give me as many suggestions, opinions and reviews as possible! *Gives puppy eyes*