A/N: AT LONG LAST! I AM DONE WITH CALCULUS AND I CAN WRITE MORE STORIES!
Something very good happens here, so please read from start to finish to get all the juicy Pokémon-filled goodness!
IT'S OVER 10,000 WORDS! I FEEL SO ACCOMPLISHED!
Pokémon (C) 1995-2014 Pokémon, Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures
Code Lyoko (C) 2002-2014 MoonScoop, France 3
Please support the official release, I own nothing.
Chapter 7 – A New Beginning
(-o-) Prologue: Recovery Speeches (-o-)
Jeremy's POV
True to the doctor's word, James' recovery was very slow and, judging from the looks of those X-rays, definitely needed those five days off. I remembered the attack on the Pokémon Day-Care Center, and assumed that James may not have fully recovered from those injuries. True, he may have been able to withstand 10,000 volts of electricity running through his body on a regular basis when he was in Team Rocket, but even a tough guy like James was far from invincible. Ash, Dawn, and Brock once considered him an enemy, but also knew that he was more than just a common criminal. Ash and Brock knew this more than Dawn since they had encountered James more times than Dawn. Ash was lucky that he could get off his bed today, but even he had to stay cooped up for the rest of the day to stay on the safe side.
Judah and I walked by James' room early the next morning, and we saw that his Pokémon were staring at him through the glass, heartsick for their beloved Trainer and dear friend. It was in witnessing this scene that I could see just how close the bond between James and his Pokémon really was. Mime Jr., Carnivine, and Cacturne looked like they were going to cry, and Golbat and Pikachutwo also looked very sad, though it was probably slightly less emotional for them since they had only recently joined James' party. But the fact that the new additions still cared about him this much showed how much he meant to them and how much they meant to him.
Eventually, Cacturne turned away and started talking to me. I noticed the holes that made up its mouth were twisted in an angry scowl. I figured that his bond with James was stronger due to the fact that it had been with him longer than any of his other current Pokémon.
"Judah, care to translate?" I asked of my partner.
"He's asking if there's a place outside where they all can train," Judah replied. "James told Cacturne and the gang to get some fresh air while he's in bed, and they all want to blow off some steam."
"I take it that James has told you about our recent encounter with Paul?" I asked Cacturne, and he and all his other Pokémon nodded, with angry looks on their faces. Pikachutwo said something, and I looked to Judah again.
"He's saying, 'We want to make ourselves stronger so that when we face him again, we'll be strong enough to pound his face into the dirt like the garbage he is.'" Judah translated.
"I agree with you on the fact that Paul has gone too far," I said to James' Pokémon, "but the fact is that his Pokémon are immensely powerful and you might not stand a chance against them, even with all of the training you can do."
They all looked confused and upset, so I elaborated, sitting down in a chair next to the door of James' room. "Think about things: you're composed of two admittedly slow Grass-Type Pokémon, one small Electric-Type, a barely powerful Poison/Flying-Type, and a baby Psychic-Type. How much of you have had actual battling experience outside of your days in Team Rocket?"
Cacturne was about to reply, but he stopped himself short, realizing what I was trying to get across. However, Pikachutwo angrily shouted something, and started sparking.
"'Don't mistake me for a weakling!' he says," Judah translated. "'My genetics were built to ensure that I was far more powerful than any ordinary Pikachu, maybe even as powerful as a Raichu! Need I remind you that my genetic template was Ash Ketchum's Pikachu, whose power succeeds its species' highest evolutionary level? I was created to be more powerful than the most powerful Pikachu on this planet!' He sure seems pretty passionate about this, Jeremy."
"But you're thinking with your heart when you should be thinking with your brain," I said, and Pikachutwo looked confused.
"It's true that you are very powerful," I went on, "but you don't have the experience that Ash's Pikachu and his other Pokémon have, and that's where true power and skill come from." I looked at James' other Pokémon, and continued. "You guys all have what is needed to defeat this cruel boy, and that's the will to win. But the Book of James 2:17 said, 'faith without works is dead.' You need to have more than faith, you gotta have skill and power, and that comes from having lots of battles." I chuckled to myself. "Imagine that, a Bible verse from someone with the same name as your Trainer, what are the odds?"
Cacturne, Carnivine, and even Pikachutwo laughed lightly at this, and I grinned.
"So all we need to do is make sure that you've got the works to back up your faith in James and in each other!" I said, and headed out of the hospital. "There's a workout center for Pokémon next door; what do you say to some training?"
The reaction was a unanimous tidal wave of enthusiastic Pokémon running out the door.
"That was a great speech there," I heard a voice say, and I turned around to see Aelita come up from behind me.
"Well, I have had some tough customers in the past," I said, reminding her of when she learned of her true past.
"That is true," she nodded, and then walked out the door. "Am I free to join your regimen?"
"Any time, Aelita," I said as we both walked out the door to join James' Pokémon. "Any time at all."
(-o-)
I was thoroughly impressed at the will and stamina of James' Pokémon. They trained hard but did not push themselves too far, and knew exactly when to stop and did so just for a moment to regain their stamina. It was as if a new sense of purpose had been instilled inside of them, and it was quite a sight to behold. In addition to training their bodies to take on most attacks, almost each one of them learned a new move.
Carnivine had learned how to use Vine Whip after whipping its leafy arms at a practice dummy in an attempt to learn Razor Leaf. Cacturne did not learn any new moves, but his Drain Punch looked even more powerful than before, as was its Needle Arm. Mime Jr., on the other hand, learned how to use Light Screen, Reflect, and even Confusion. My Pokédex stated that Mime Jr. was close to evolving since it knew Mimic. Apparently, Mimic was required for Mime Jr. and Bonsly to evolve into Mr. Mime and Sudowoodo respectively. Pikachutwo learned Thunder, which was a more powerful but less accurate version of Thunderbolt, as well as Light Screen and Double Team in addition to his Quick Attack. Judah told me that Pikachu can only learn its speedy attacks as a Pikachu and it couldn't learn them after evolving into Raichu.
Eventually, Aelita and I, along with all of our Pokémon, joined in with the others and started training as well. They were just as angry at Paul as the rest of us, but they knew that slow and steady would win the race, as the saying went. Judah looked great, fast and strong, and Marvin was making up for its poor defense with its high speed and potent psychic powers. Draco also was progressing in leveling up, almost to the point of evolving, but did not learn any moves.
The rest of our Pokémon, however, were slightly more fortunate. Judah now knew, in addition to Aura Sphere, Drain Punch, and Shadow Punch, he learned Thunder Punch, but forgot Bullet Punch. Marvin forgot Psybeam and learned Psychic, a much more powerful move, but still retained Shadow Ball, Reflect, and Light Screen. Draco did not learn any new moves, but came very close to evolving, according to the data on my Pokédex.
Aelita also made progress with her Pokémon. Terra now knew how to use Razor Leaf, Bite, Synthesis, and Mega Drain. Mabel learned how to use Wing Attack, in addition to Twister, Steel Wing, and Whirlwind, and she evolved into Pidgeot before our startled eyes. Matilda did not learn any new moves, but grew much stronger with its psychic attacks and with reading Aelita's commands, as did the rest of her Pokémon.
"I see you guys are hard at work," someone said, and we turned around to see Ash and the others come up to us from behind.
His Pikachu was on his shoulder, and soon jumped to the ground. Aelita and I were glad to see that both of them had fully recovered, and both looked ready to do some serious training.
"We've realized that we need to get a lot stronger than we are if we want to compete with guys like you," I said.
"Well, do you mind if I joined in?" Ash asked, holding out a Poké Ball.
"But are you sure you should do this?" Aelita asked. "Shouldn't you be resting?"
"The doctor gave me the OK to get out of bed early," Ash grinned, "just so long as I take it easy for a while and stay here for the rest of the day." His cheeky smile soon turned into a hateful frown. "Besides, I wanna get back at Paul for hurting James, Pikachu, and Pikachutwo. Not to mention what he did to Gligar and how he caught Gliscor."
"That kid's got serious issues," I assessed. "Have you ever seen him do something like that before?"
"No, not at all," Dawn shook her head.
"Though he did almost refuse to take his Pokémon to a Pokémon Center after Cynthia beat him," Brock noted, rubbing his chin in thought. "But Cynthia stopped him before he could leave, and that was quite a long time ago."
"He did the same thing after Jeremy beat his Magmar a week ago," Aelita nodded, "but no one stopped him from doing nothing about Magmar."
"I was about to," I said, "But then Officer Jenny showed up, responding to a call about our fight getting more than a bit rowdy. I told her about Paul, but he was gone before she showed up."
"Criminals fear getting caught," Judah said, frowning. "There's something in that guy's aura that makes me sick to my stomach every time I see him or even think about him, and I don't like it one little bit."
"I know what you mean, Judah," Ash nodded, growling. "I'm actually glad that Cynthia beat him. I felt a bit sorry for him, but that sympathy was as fleeting as a Vigoroth's tranquility."
"That's a powerful comparison, Ash," Judah said, "considering that they're berserk by nature."
"And that's my point!" Ash growled. "That guy gets told time and time again that he needs to treat his Pokémon better, but he never listens! It's like he intentionally ignores them as if he thinks that they're stupid or wrong or both!"
"How about we take our anger at Paul and channel it into our determination to get better?" Aelita asked. "If we just sit here and complain about Paul being Paul, nothing is going to change. But if we do something about it, we'll have managed our temper and made ourselves stronger to boot!"
"Man, you're pretty smart, Aelita," Ash grinned and brought out his Pokémon. "Okay, everyone, come on out!"
Turtwig, Chimchar, Staravia, Buizel, and Gligar popped out and gave a cry of delight as they leaped onto Ash, knowing that he was okay.
"Okay guys, get off, I gotta take it easy," Ash said, shaking his friends off of him. "All right, gang, we gotta get lots and lots stronger if we're going to beat Paul the next time we meet him! So are you ready for some training?" The reply was a unanimous cry of approval from everyone, who all stared working on the training dummies in the corner of the room.
Though none of Ash's Pokémon learned any new moves, his Turtwig finally mastered the control of Energy Ball. Buizel looked faster and stronger than ever before, and so was Staravia. Ash took things nice and slow with Chimchar, working on improving smaller attacks like Dig and Scratch first, and then began working on improving larger attacks like Flame Wheel and Flamethrower. He also took things slow with Gligar, who was rather nervous about battling. However, its move set of Steel Wing, Sand Attack, and X-Scissor were pretty impressive for its level.
After what seemed like a few minutes when it was actually an hour, Ash's stomach began to rumble.
"Oh man," Ash moaned. "I was so pumped up to start training, I forgot about breakfast…"
"That's our Ash," Dawn chuckled, smiling, which was very reassuring given her current demeanor.
"Well," Brock said, getting up from his bench, "I guess I'd better get started putting breakfast on the table."
"I'll give you a hand," I said, and Judah nodded as well.
"Thanks for the help," Brock nodded, and we went off to the gym kitchen.
(-o-)
(-o-) Chapter 1: The History of Team Rocket (-o-)
Aelita's POV
After Jeremy helped Brock make breakfast for us, which was well received by us and our Pokémon, Jeremy called us together for an important announcement.
"I think that we should get James a present for when he gets released from the hospital," he said.
"What do you mean by that?" Ash asked.
"Jeremy and I put some thought into it last night," I explained, "and we're asking for two things: The first is your opinion on a new set of clothes for James, and the second is getting him licensed as a legitimate Pokémon Trainer."
"You mean like one who goes to Gyms and earns Badges?" Brock asked, clearly intrigued.
"Since Aelita and I can earn Badges," Jeremy said, "it's only natural that we don't want James to be left out. Besides, without a Trainer ID, he can't buy any items from Pokémon Markets, catch more than six Pokémon, or participate in any officially sanctioned Pokémon Battle, Gym Battles or otherwise."
"You know, I never thought of it that way before," Dawn said. "James never got a Pokémon Trainer's License from a Professor, did he?"
"No, he was enrolled in a special school for rich children or those with high social standing families when he was a young boy," I replied. "The school was known as Pokémon Technical Institute or Pokémon Tech for short. If he passed a test, he'd qualify to get into the Indigo Pokémon League without having to earn any Badges."
"Wait, Pokémon Tech?" Ash asked. "I've heard of that school before! Heck, I've been there before!"
"Yeah, we heard about how James and Jessie met in that school!" Brock added, nodding.
"Those two met in a rich kid's school?" Dawn asked, incredulous. "But I thought James said that Jessie was dirt poor when she was a kid!"
"She was," Jeremy nodded, "but her mother got her into the school before she… disappeared."
"Disappeared?" all three of the kids asked us.
"No one knows what happened to her," I said. "All Jessie can remember is that her mother supported her home and food using funds she got as a grunt in Team Rocket."
"Wow, Team Rocket's been around for that long?" Ash contemplated out loud.
"Her name was Miyamoto Matthews," I said, "and she was as clever a woman as there ever was."
"James looked up her records in the Team Rocket database a while back," Jeremy explained.
"Well, getting back to James," Ash said, "the clothes will be easy enough, but how in the world could we go about getting him a Pokémon License?"
"That's why I called this session," Jeremy said. "We need you to convince Professor Oak to allow him a spot on your ranch to leave the Pokémon that he catches."
"Are you crazy!?" Ash gasped. "Professor Oak knows who James is, and he doesn't know him like we do! He'll never say yes!"
"Which is why you need to talk to him," I said. "Ash, you need to get Professor Oak to see that James has changed, because then other people will see that he has changed as well."
"Why not ask Professor Rowan?" Dawn asked. "He's probably never even met James before."
"Because James isn't from Sinnoh," Brock reasoned. "You can only apply for a Pokémon License in the region you were born in, even though it's legal throughout the world. It's a protocol that the League put in to keep out counterfeiters and Trainers who try to apply for multiple licenses under the same name."
"Well, it won't be easy, that's for sure," Ash said, sighing, "but I don't think that it's impossible."
"So can we count on you to help our young friend?" I asked.
"Young?" they all asked, clearly confused.
"You don't even know how old he is?" Jeremy asked.
"I've got no clue," Ash shook his head.
"Neither do I," Brock added.
"He joined Team Rocket when he was fifteen," Jeremy stated. "He told me yesterday that he would be turning twenty-four in a month or so."
"Then he's only five years older than me!" Brock gasped, clearly taken aback.
"And that's ten years older than I am!" Ash added, shocked as well. "He's been legally able to carry Pokémon for as long as I've been alive!"
"I had no idea that he was so young," Dawn stated, also surprised. "And to think the life of Team Rocket was all that he and Jessie have known for as long as any of us have been around!"
"What about Jessie?" Ash asked. "How old is she?"
"Well, James said she might kill him for letting anyone else know," Jeremy said, "but she had been in Team Rocket for three years before James came into the picture, and she first joined them when she was thirteen."
"Whoa," Ash whistled. "I had no idea that these guys had been in the dumps for practically their entire lives. Now I feel kinda bad for some of the stuff I said about them."
"You couldn't have known," I said, trying to reassure him.
"Hold on," Dawn said, "either I'm clueless here or you're not explaining things in order. I'm barely grasping this here, who joined Team Rocket first?"
"Well, I'll start with James," Jeremy said. "You all know by now that he was born into a filthy rich family with everyone catering to his every material need. However, they gave no care in the world about his emotional needs, and forced him in all kinds of trivial and menial classes that he had no interest in at all to make him a 'respectable high-class gentleman'. They claimed that they respected his feelings and opinions, but they really cared only about themselves and didn't care what he thought."
"That's pretty mean," Dawn said. "Who knew that parents could be so bad to their kids?"
"I read a newspaper article once," Brock noted, "and it said that people with a very high income have less empathy than people with a small income. It's not that they're bad, they're just not attuned to other people's feelings, particularly those with less money than them."
"A strong person who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power," Judah said, "but a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion."
"What was that, Judah?" Ash asked.
"Something my elders have told me all my life," he replied, "but I never thought I'd be in its presence."
"He told me that he never had his parents around to enjoy his birthdays," Jeremy continued, "and that they never took him out to any fun places. They forced him to work in school for his entire childhood."
"Man, that's rough," Ash said sadly. "I can't even imagine my mom making me work with no playing."
"Then how would you feel if they forced you into an engagement with a girl you barely even knew?" I asked. "That's what happened between James and Jessebelle. Every day, she tried to change him to suit her elitist personality, and he would not submit to a slave-driver like her."
"Doesn't that seem a bit overdramatic?" Dawn asked, skeptically.
"I thought so too," Judah said, "but I saw some of his memories in his aura, and he's telling the truth, for the most part. Jessebelle tried to take over his entire life and didn't care about what he felt in the least."
"Wow, I had no idea," Dawn said, now grasping the situation.
"Jessie was even sadder, according to James," I said. "If James was The Prince, then she was The Pauper. Her relatives used up all of the money from her insurance when her father died when she was seven."
"How awful," Brock growled, and Ash and Dawn nodded.
"It was kind of foreseeable how her mother, Miyamoto, would join up with Team Rocket: to support Jessie," I continued. "It may not have been the best option, but it was literally all that she had. She never went to school, no one would hire her, and she needed to keep food on the table."
"Her last mission, according to the intel James got," I said, "was a mission to the Andes mountains to capture the mythical Pokémon Mew."
"MEW!?" they all gasped.
"But that's the rarest Pokémon alive!" Brock shouted. "Why would Team Rocket need it?"
"Mewtwo," Jeremy replied. "They were going to augment and amplify Mew's genes to create a powerful Pokémon, which they named Mewtwo."
"So Jessie's mom was part of Mewtwo's creation?" Ash gasped.
"Exactly," Jeremy nodded. "But the records show that she perished in a sudden avalanche that appeared out of nowhere. Some of the higher-ups in Team Rocket thought that it was caused by Mew, who was trying to avoid capture."
"But what about Jessie?" Ash asked.
"Well," I replied, "her grandfather took her in and had enough money to enroll her in Pokémon Tech when she was ten, but she flunked out and ran away from home, not wanting to see the ashamed look on her granddad's face. She tried to enroll in a Pokémon nursing school with a Chansey she befriended, but they wouldn't let her in because she kept falling asleep whenever Chansey used Sing."
"Well, that's just stupid!" Dawn huffed, surprisingly angry. "Why'd you kick someone out of a school for something they can't help but do?"
"After that, her life went everywhere," I said, "She was once a model and went on many dates, but the staff and her boyfriends treated her badly and she ran away from everything, eventually joining Team Rocket to gain the fame and glory she so desperately needed to survive in this world."
"And Meowth?" Brock asked.
"Well, that's a sad story if the other two weren't," I said. "The poor Pokémon was abandoned shortly after he was born, without a friend or anyone it could call family. He didn't even have place he could call home."
"No family, no friends, not even a home?" Ash said, beginning to tear up. "That's horrible!"
"Well, he did have a home, technically speaking," I said. "It was a summer camp in California called Camp Pokéhearst."
"Wait, California?" Dawn gasped. "As in one of the fifty United States of America?"
"That's the one," I nodded. "They never let him have any of their food, and when he tried to take it, they'd hang him from a tree by his neck and say he deserved it."
"That's so cruel!" Brock hissed, now very angry. I assumed that this was because, as a Pokémon Breeder, he cared a lot about the well-being of all Pokémon.
"But one night," Judah said, "he saw a movie about a happy Meowth with a loving family. He decided that, since it took place and was filmed in Hollywood, that he should go there for food and a family he could call his own."
"Did he find it?" Ash asked.
"Yes and no," I replied. "He found a family of Meowth, led by a Persian, who took to stealing food from the local vendors around town. But since they treated him like trash even when he approached them nicely, it would stand to reason as to why he'd rather take the direct approach."
"Speaking of which," Judah continued, "this next part is how he learned how to talk. He saw a female Meowth from a shop window, and fell in love at first sight. However, her owner kicked our Meowth to the curb, both figuratively and literally, and the female Meowth, who was given the nickname Meowzie, told Meowth that since he had no money that he was worthless in her eyes. Plus, humans could give her anything she ever wanted while Meowth, since he was just a Pokémon, could give Meowzie nothing."
"Now that's just plain shallow," Ash said, folding his arms, and Pikachu growled as well.
"But he took those words to heart," Judah went on, "and after a whole year of trying, he learned how to walk and talk like a human. He approached Meowzie again, showing how he could give her what she wanted since he was more human-like, but she rejected him again, this time calling him a total freak."
"A freak!?" Brock roared. "That's horrible! She might as well have taken his heart and crushed it with her bare paws!"
"But that's what gave him the hint to join Team Rocket," Jeremy said. "James told me that Meowth read a picture book about the alphabet in order to learn how to talk, and the first words he said was, 'R is for rocket'."
"What about Meowzie?" Ash asked, frustrated at the feline's heartlessness.
"Her owner went completely bankrupt many years ago and had to release her," Judah replied. "She joined up with Persian's gang, and met Meowth again when you all went to Hollywood for that movie James told me about. Pokémon in Love, I think it was."
"Oh yeah, I remember that," Ash growled, frustrated again. "We were supposed to be in the movie, but he cut us out of the movie and had the nerve to invite us after he couldn't get any celebrities to come."
"But what about Meowzie?" Dawn asked.
"Meowth and Persian fought for her, and Meowth won," I said. "But Meowzie was loyal to Persian, since he took her in when no one else would. And she didn't want to go with Meowth, since she still thought of him as a freak."
"And that's why I can't stand rich people," Ash grumbled, and Pikachu nodded.
"And that's the pith of the story," Jeremy said. "They had terrible lives since the day they were born, and Team Rocket promised them the world, so they took it. But now they see the bad choice that hey made and want to quit taking orders from liars and thieves, and live their lives the way they want to."
"I can't believe I'm hearing myself say this," Ash said, "but I'm glad that they're coming clean."
"When I saw how he was with Cacturne when it was still a Cacnea," Dawn said, "I saw that it really loved him and he really loved it back. Real criminals can't make those kinds of bonds overnight, nor do they bother to fake them."
"To top it off, they've helped us out a few times in the past," Brock added. "It's the least we could do for them after all that they've done for themselves and us."
"So we can count on you guys to put in a good word to Professor Oak?" Jeremy asked.
"It's a deal," Ash nodded, smiling.
"Great," Jeremy grinned. "Now I can fill out his license application form and buy his Badge and Ribbon cases."
"You're going to buy all that stuff for him?" Ash asked.
"Well, he's not the only one who's well off, you know," Jeremy grinned.
"You mean that you're rich too?" Dawn gasped.
"His mother's a relatively famous computer scientist," I said, "and his dad's a well-known and highly-respected fitness instructor. Plus they grow spices in their herb gardens and make a big profit by selling them to pharmacies and research plants."
"But unlike James' parents," Jeremy said, "I don't flaunt my wealth or let it destroy my moral standing."
"Well, that's good for you," Dawn said, still stunned.
"I was hoping that you'd help us with picking out James' new outfits, Dawn," I said. "You seem to have a fashionable eye, and we could use that kind of skill."
"Really?" Dawn gasped, her eyes wide. "Do you think so? Wow, I'd love to help! This sounds kinda fun!"
"Good to hear," I smiled. "And that would leave you two to deal with Professor Oak, ok?"
"You got it!" Ash nodded, and so did Brock.
"Then let's put our plan into motion!" Jeremy said, and we all were off.
(-o-)
Ash's POV
While Aelita, Dawn, and Jeremy went to pick out a new outfit for James, Brock and I called up Professor Oak to tell him of what had recently transpired. Nurse Joy let us use the PC in a private lobby since I didn't want everyone to know about James being with us just yet. While the phone was ringing, I saw that Cacturne and Mime Jr. came up to observe the call. Judah had stayed behind to translate their words to the Professor, as verification of their turning over a new leaf, as well as their Trainer's.
Just then, the video lit up with the face of the man who gave me Pikachu and started us both out on our Pokémon journey. "Well, it's nice to see you, Ash! What's the occasion? Do you have any Pokémon that you need to exchange?"
"Not this time, Professor Oak," I shook my head. "I was hoping you could help with a Trainer license issue."
"Issue?" Professor Oak asked, now looking quite confused. "What kind of an issue?"
"Well, I've got a friend from Kanto who's here in Sinnoh," I said, "and he wants to get his license, but he can't since he's in Sinnoh now and you can only apply in the place you were born in."
"Well, that is true," the professor nodded. "Well, I'm sure I can help with that! What's his name?"
"And that's the other half of the issue," I said, and inhaled deeply before continuing. "It's James."
"James?" Professor Oak asked, puzzled, until his eyes widened. "Wait, as in James from Team Rocket!?"
"Formerly of Team Rocket!" I said, albeit half-heartedly. I was still finding it hard to believe myself.
"But why would you want to do anything like that?" he asked. "And what do you mean 'formerly'?"
"He got fired," I said, matter-of-factly. "They're sending men after him to take his Pokémon away as we speak! He's truly sorry about all that he's done, and he plans to make it up to the whole world by destroying Team Rocket for good!"
"And you believed that?" Oak asked incredulously. "Do you have any proof?"
"Why don't you ask these guys?" I asked, and Cacturne and Mime Jr. showed themselves to the Professor. "Also, have you read that Sinnoh papers lately?"
"Not really, why?" he asked.
"Look at this," I said, and Brock pulled up two newspaper articles on the internet, which Professor Oak could see due to the conference call screen. The first paper's headline article was of a mysterious man saving a little girl and her family from a Team Rocket agent two months ago, complete with a drawing of James and Pikachutwo.
The second paper's headline picture was of James in front of the Pokémon Day Care outside of Solaceon Town, which was taken two weeks ago. It showed James, Pikachutwo, and all the Pokémon that were in his care. It also says that two children, who were newly licensed Pokémon Trainers, helped him stop Pokémon Hunter J from stealing some of the Pokémon who were there at risk of great physical harm to James, some of which came to him when he stopped J's Drapion from destroying the Day Care building.
While Professor Oak was reading the articles, his eyes growing wide with each word he read, Cacturne and Mime Jr. argued for James' defense in the Pokémon language.
"They say that James is a good guy and never treated his Pokémon bad," Judah said, translating.
"Amazing!" Professor Oak said, turning away from the articles to focus on Judah. "I've never seen a talking Riolu before in all my life! I've never even seen a normal Riolu! Is that one yours, Ash?"
"No, he's not mine," I shook my head. "He belongs to a friend named Jeremy, who I met a week ago."
"My name is Judah," Judah said, smiling. "It's an honor to meet you, Professor Oak."
"The honor is mine!" the professor smiled. "So were you translating what those Pokémon said?"
"Yes," he nodded. "They're James' Cacturne and Mime Jr., and they want you to know how much he means to them. They said that he may have been in Team Rocket, but he's still a good person. If he wasn't, then we would not be here saying these things about him."
Cacturne then said something and Judah translated. "True criminals don't treat their Pokémon with love and care like James does to us. He was willing to give up his happiness so I would get stronger not too long ago."
Mime Jr. also had something to say. "I never would have joined up with him if he wasn't a good person. I felt his kindness when I first met him. He was hurting inside and outside over losing a friend, and he desperately needed someone who could help him, and that's what I was."
"You're sure they're saying that?" Oak asked.
"I cannot tell a lie," Judah said, crossing his heart. "I'm telling you what their aura tells me, and it matches their spoken words flawlessly."
"Please, professor," I said. "He's had little to no true joys in his life, and Pokémon is all that he has."
Professor Oak contemplated on this, and then asked me something. "Can you pay for his license and his Pokédex?"
"Jeremy can," I said. "He's kind of rich, and he'll even pay extra for James to have a starter Pokémon."
Professor Oak sighed, and then nodded. "Well, I've trusted your judgment in the past, and it's come through so far. Okay, I'll fill out his license now and transport his things to you from here as soon as his forms are given the ok. Did he have anything in mind, or is this a surprise?"
"It is a surprise," I said, and picked up the phone. "If you could put your ear up to the speaker, Professor Oak, I'll tell you what I had in mind for his new Pokémon."
He did so, and I whispered into the microphone. "Ok, I see. Did this choice come from you?"
I nodded, and Professor Oak nodded as well. "All right, I'll get to writing up his license and I'll call you when everything has been taken care of! Don't go anywhere, ok?"
"You don't have to worry about that," I said, rubbing my still sore side. "I'm staying here for a while. Doctor's orders."
"Doctor's orders?" he asked, now concerned.
"We got into a fight with Paul the other day," I said, scowling. Professor Oak frowned as well, knowing who Paul was due to meeting Chimchar. "He wanted to catch a Gliscor that we were trying to help get back home! He used his own Pokémon to kick me out of the way and he even stopped Officer Jenny form stopping him!"
"My goodness, that sounds harsh!" Oak gasped, clearly surprised. "I've never heard of a Trainer using Pokémon to attack humans before!"
"That guy doesn't even deserve to call himself a Pokémon Trainer!" I growled. "I swear on my name and honor as a Pokémon Trainer that I'll beat him one of these days!"
"Paul may be cruel," Professor Oak grinned, "but in the end it's you who will rule!"
"Wow, thanks for the poem, Professor!" I chuckled. "I sure needed that!"
"Always happy to help, Ash!" he nodded. "I'll get to processing James' license and get back to you very soon!" He leaned in before he ended the call. "And don't worry, for now this is our little secret!"
With that, he hung up. I sighed with relief, and my side started to hurt again.
"Let's get you back to bed, big guy," Brock said, helping me to my room.
"Thanks, Brock," I smiled, sparing a glance at James in his own room before I shut the door to my room.
(-o-)
By the time Jeremy, Aelita, and Dawn got back with their outfit for James, I awoke to Brock rustling me awake form my power nap.
"Professor Oak is calling for you," Brock said, and I rushed to take the call.
"So is it done?" I asked. Jeremy, Aelita, and Dawn crowded around the screen to look at the Professor.
"Well, there's good news and bad news," he said, nervously.
"Well, how about we get the bad news out of the way first?" I asked, fearing the answer.
"Actually, I have to say the good news first," he said. "The good news is that James' Trainer License has been issued, and I'm sending it to you now via the PC Transport System. I've got to thank that boy Bill for his help."
"Hey, we met someone named Bill while in Kanto!" I said.
"The you'd remember that he's the fellow who invented the PC Storage System," Professor Oak said.
"That's kinda funny," Jeremy said. "A kid named Bill who works with computers. What are the odds?"
"Oh, and who might you be?" the professor addressed Jeremy.
"My names is Jeremy Belpois, Professor Oak," he replied. "It's an honor to meet you."
"I'm Aelita Schaeffer, his girlfriend," Aelita added. "We're newly licensed Pokémon Trainers in Sinnoh."
"Ash told me about you two," the professor nodded. "I met your partner, Judah, Jeremy. He helped to explain the situation about James to me by translating the words spoken by his Pokémon."
"That's my buddy alright," he said, patting Judah on the head, and Judah smiled.
"Speaking of the PC, that's the bad news," the professor said. "The new tract of land that I was about to buy to expand the ranch was just bought by someone else. As such, James can't send his Pokémon to my laboratory. There's simply not enough room for another Trainer's Pokémon, and I can't allow Ash to share his ranch with James, it's against the League rules."
"Darn it," Ash hissed.
"Well, what about my place?" Jeremy asked. "I've got my own Pokémon set to transfer over to one of my parent's pastures, and I'm sure they'd love to see more Pokémon that my friends have caught."
"Are you sure about this?" Professor Oak asked. "It's a big responsibility to be sure."
"It's nothing I haven't done before, Professor," Jeremy nodded. "I'm a very diligent person, and my parents and I love taking care of God's creatures. Not to mention my little brother Frankie could use some friends to keep him company while I'm away, and I'm sure our German Shepherd, Alex, would like someone to play with as well."
"I helped set up the technology before we left home," Aelita said. "My father is maintaining it while we are away, and my Pokémon are being sent to my home instead of Jeremy's. Dad's a very brilliant man."
"Well, I don't see any reason why not," Professor Oak said, and wired James' new Pokédex to his computer. "Can you provide the wavelength key for your network, Jeremy?"
"Sure thing, Professor," Jeremy nodded, and tapped several keys in rapid succession.
"Thank you very much," the professor said, unhooking James' Pokédex once the upload was completed. "James' Pokémon will now be sent directly to your family's house, and he's free to use his Pokédex to exchange Pokémon whenever he wants."
"Thanks a whole bunch, Professor Oak," Jeremy said. "You won't be sorry! I'll send you the check once his Pokédex arrives!"
"Then hold on!" Professor Oak said, and went to his desk.
He placed James' new items in a cardboard box, taped it shut, and placed the box inside of a rather large machine, which I guessed was the transporter. He pressed a few buttons, and it vanished in a crackle of electricity. Seconds later, it appeared before our very eyes in the Pokémon Transporter slot next to the PC we were using now.
"Thanks, Professor Oak," I said. "Something tells me that this is going to be sweet."
"Well, good luck and have fun, you all!" Professor Oak said, "and tell James to make sure that Team Rocket will fall!"
"Wow, another poem!" Dawn said, dreamily. "And from the poetry master himself, no less!"
"So long, Professor Oak!" I smiled, "and say hi to everyone else on the ranch for me!"
With a smile and a nod, he stopped the call. I took the box and opened it up, revealing James' brand-new Pokédex and a Poké Ball.
"Well, what Pokémon is it?" Dawn asked, giddy with excitement.
"Well, I'll show you," I said, "if you promise not to tell him until he gets it first."
"I promise!" Dawn said, crossing her heart.
"Okay then!" I said, and threw the Poké Ball into the air.
I would tell you what Pokémon it was, but there's a lot more to cover, plus I don't want to spoil anything yet. Jeremy and I had a plan for James to get stronger while he was still healing, and we were all hoping that he would love it.
(-o-)
(-o-) Chapter 2: A New Trainer Emerges (-o-)
James' POV
My entire body was aching when I went to bed last night, and it ached even more when I woke up this morning. The last thing I remember was that I had been told by the doctor to stay in bed and let my ribs heal and let my insides recover from their bruises. I could not bear to see the faces of my Pokémon, who were no doubt worried sick about me, but I had been told by the nurse that Jeremy and Aelita had taken them all down to a nearby workout gym for training. I was grateful that they were getting the battling experience that they desperately needed, but I was also said that I was not the one who was training them.
The nurse was kind enough to give me a dose of painkillers with my breakfast, which was a meager cup of applesauce and a glass of orange juice. She said my stomach might have had problems from the blow, so solid foods was out of the question for at least two days. I groaned in disappointment, but I knew she was right about what she was saying, after all it was her job to fix me up. Plus, I didn't want to risk my body not functioning properly just because I wanted a hot dog or a cheeseburger or something silly like that.
The day seemed to drag on forever, and, if not for the TV in my room and the colorful magazines that the nurse was kind enough to let me read, I was sure I would have died of boredom. However, that was soon busted when I noticed Ash, Brock, Dawn, Jeremy, Aelita, and a few of their Pokémon, as well as Mime Jr. and Pikachutwo enter the room after the nurse had given me my lunch: a protein shake, a fruit smoothie, and a cup of chocolate pudding. Ash had a small but important-looking box, and both he and Jeremy had a sneaky smile on their faces.
"Okay," I said, nervously, "why are you all here at this time of day and what's with the weird smiles?"
"Well," Ash said, "the guys and I wanted to thank you for trying to help save Gliscor, and we all really admired your bravery out there."
"I was only doing what my heart told me to do," I waved. "Nothing more and nothing less."
"And that's why we have this for you," Jeremy said, and Ash handed me the box.
"Is this a gift for me?" I asked, surprised.
"Shut up and open it!" Dawn said, giggling.
I shrugged and opened it, and gasped in surprise.
There were two things inside the box. One of them was a small red device that looked like a book, and the other was an all-too familiar spherical device: a Poké Ball. I tentatively reached into the box, pulled out the computer, opened it up, and it started to speak.
"I am Dexter 3.0," the machine said, "a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak of Pallet Town and issued to Pokémon Trainer James Morgan of of Saffron City. My function is to provide James with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."
"Is this really mine?" I asked, my voice light and airy with joy.
"It just said that it is, silly," Ash grinned. "I put in a good word to Professor Oak for you, and so did your Pokémon. Sadly, he doesn't have a ranch reserved for your Pokémon."
"But that's not an issue!" Jeremy said. "Your Poké Balls have been programmed to send any Pokémon you catch over the limit to a pasture at my home in France."
"Are you okay with this?" I asked. "Did your parents say yes?"
"They already know," he replied, "and they're okay with this. Now stop asking questions and open the Poké Ball to see your new partner!"
Reluctantly, I opened it, and a familiar figure popped out: a red blue-eyed lizard with a fire-tipped tail.
"A Charmander?!" I gasped.
"Everything has been paid for by yours truly," Jeremy said, bowing deeply and chuckling. "Quite a pretty penny it was, but it was well worth it to see you like this."
"You paid for all of this?" I gasped, extremely happy at my new friend. "How much do you have?"
"Not as much as your parents," he shrugged, "but it's along those lines."
"I… I…"I stuttered, unsure of what to say, but then I broke into tears and collapsed back onto my bed. "I feel so happy, like I've never felt before! Thank you for everything, you guys!"
"Hey, you're one of us now!" Ash cheered.
"You might as well get used to this!" Dawn added.
I smiled and petted my new friend on its head, and it smiled at me and cuddled up close to me on the bed. I felt so warm and happy inside that words could not describe my emotions at this point.
"You know," I said, feeling something come up from the dark recesses of my mind, "seeing Charmander reminds me of something a long time ago…"
I reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out a painted drawing on a card-sized stone tablet. I showed it to Ash and the others, and they all gasped.
"It's a Charizard!" Ash said.
"I drew this when I was staying at my nanny and pop-pop's house in the summer when I was seven," I said, "and I drew this after seeing a Charizard that they were taking care of. Its wings had gotten broken, and they helped it heal them and get it back to the air in no time. I decided then, after seeing how amazing that Charizard was, that I was going to become a Pokémon Trainer and raise a Charmander into a Charizard of my very own. Seeing Ash's Charizard actually helped me to still remember that dream."
"That's an amazing story," Dawn said.
"And there's something else in this for you," Jeremy said, giving me a bigger box than the other one.
I looked in this box, and saw a set of clothes that remarkably resembled my old suit from when I was a young lad. There was a dark blue zip-up hooded shirt, a plain white t-shirt, a short green scarf, a pair of loose black cargo shorts, white crew socks, and black sneakers.
"Now I paid a lot of money for these and your license," Jeremy said, with a menacing look. "Don't make me regret doing it, you hear me?"
I gulped hard. "I swear by the bible I will not betray your trust." My face loosened up into a smile soon after I said that. "In fact, I was hoping that you'd help me use these gifts."
"How so?" he asked.
"I want to ask if you can help me win my first two Gym Badges here in Sinnoh," I replied. "Specifically the ones in Oreburgh City and Eterna City."
"You want to enter the Sinnoh League?" Ash gasped. "But you just became a Trainer!"
"And that makes me different from you how?" I grinned cheekily.
Ash was about to reply, but then my question sunk in and he smirked. "Okay, you got me there."
"The doctor said that you can't be out of bed for another four days!" Brock said.
"And that's why I need your help for this one, Jeremy," I said. "Does your laptop come with a webcam and a microphone?"
"Yeah," he nodded, unsure of what I was implying.
"Judah," I asked Jeremy's partner, "can you operate machinery like his computer and Poké Balls?"
"I do," he nodded.
"Do any of you have a flying Pokémon that's big and strong enough to carry Judah and a few extra luggage?" I asked, hoping that someone would catch on.
Everyone was puzzled by this, but then Ash spoke up.
"Wait a second," he said, "you're asking one of us to loan you a flying Pokémon so Judah and some of your Pokémon can fly to challenge Gyms with you using Jeremy's computer as an interface!"
"Whoa, you figured it out that fast?" I gasped, amazed at his sudden realization.
"I saw it in a movie once with my mom and Gary," Ash said, and we all face-faulted.
"That's our Ash," I groaned, "but yeah, that's the plan."
"That's… actually a pretty neat idea," Jeremy said. "What do you think, Judah?"
"Well, it sure sounds interesting," he said. "Brock, are there any rules in the League about this?"
"Well, the rules say that he has to be present and command his own Pokémon in order to receive a badge," the Gym Leader replied, "and they don't say anything against your idea, so I guess it's okay."
"but there's one problem," Dawn said. "We don't have a flying Pokémon big or strong enough to carry Judah and Jeremy's laptop to Oreburgh City or even Eterna City."
"You'd be right about an hour ago," Aelita said, and brought out Mabel. "Mabel evolved into Pidgeot shortly before you guys joined our training session earlier this morning. She's plenty big and strong enough to carry Judah to wherever he needs to go, as long as it's within a small distance. She's still working with carrying loads as she flies."
"Well, I guess that takes care of that," Ash said. "Are you okay with Judah handling your stuff, Jeremy?"
"I'm okay with it as long as Judah is careful with it," Jeremy said, fishing his laptop's soft foam case out of his backpack and attaching a shoulder strap to it. "Do you know which Pokémon you want to use for those Gyms, James?"
"I've already created a strategy," I said, grinning. "I use my Grass-Type Carnivine and Cacturne against Roark's Rock-Type Pokémon, and I'll use Golbat and Red against Gardenia. Pikachutwo and Mime Jr. will stay here for now since they won't be any good against the Types at those Gyms."
"Who's Red?" Ash asked.
"He's the nickname I just gave to this little guy!" I said, holding up Charmander.
"But you just got it!" Ash protested. "You can't enter him in a Gym Battle right away!"
"And both Gyms use 3 Pokémon each!" Brock added.
"Who said I was going to do it now?" I asked. "I'm not like Paul, I'll train Red from here using your computer today, and go at it again tomorrow, and then I'll send him in to challenge the Gyms."
"Well," Ash said, "I guess there's nothing wrong with giving it a try."
"Then to the practice gym we go!" Judah said, and Jeremy gave him his computer and he and Jeremy took Carnivine, Cacturne, and Golbat to the Gym. Red looked back up at me with worried eyes.
"It's ok, Red," I assured it, patting and rubbing its back. "Those nice people are going to help you get stronger while I'm in here. But don't worry, I'll be on a video for you so you can see and hear me and I can see and hear you!"
Red nodded, smiling, and accompanied the troupe of my Pokémon to the gym.
"Can I ask why you named it Red?" Brock asked me after they all left.
"Well," I began, "when I first laid eyes on him, I could feel its passion and energy burning like a red-hot fire, and I want a passion like that. Kind of like Ash, only without the thick-headedness."
I then paused for a second. "Also, I felt the name Red flash in my mind, along with a face."
"Whose face was it?" Dawn asked.
"It looked like Ash," I replied, "but at the same time, it clearly wasn't Ash. It was very strange, but I could tell that he was a very strong, kind, and honest person. Like I knew him, but in another life or even from another world."
"Sounds a little weird to me," Dawn sighed, sweat-dropping.
"Who knows, Dawn?" I chuckled. "Who knows?"
(-o-)
That night, I had learned just how right I was about Red's skill level. Everyone assumed that it was just a simple little Fire-Type that knew only Scratch, Ember, and Growl. We were proven to be wrong once it showed that it could use Metal Claw, Slash, Scary Face, and Flamethrower. Either Oak actually did the job of teaching this guy some great moves, or Jeremy paid a lot of money for me to have a Charmander like this. Either way, I was elated and prepared for anything the Eterna Gym would throw at me and Red.
Red was delighted to see my face on the screen and hear my voice form the speaker. Jeremy soon realized that the computer's speaker would not be sufficient for Red to hear my commands in the thick of battle, so Jeremy purchased a small set of wireless stereo speakers to go with the computer so that Red could hear me more clearly.
I got in good results in only a few short hours with many breaks in between for Red's sake, so I decided to call it a night and everyone came back safe and sound. Nurse Joy let them all bunk at the Pokémon Center, and Ash and the others stayed at the hospital to keep me company. Pikachutwo and Mime Jr. got up and my bed, and Pikachutwo nestled close to me, definitely a lot nicer and more sociable than when it was with Mewtwo. I thought that maybe a bit of his clone was rubbing off on him. Smiling, I patted his head and drifted off to sleep, no longer feeling any pain thanks to the new joy in my heart.
(-o-)
Judah's POV
Early the next day, Pikachutwo got me and James' Pokémon up for a breakfast training session, and they happily agreed. Nurse Joy gave them a good breakfast, and they put that energy to use in their training, visibly becoming more focused in their attacks, which also hit harder as a result of their new focus. Red was definitely becoming very sharp and focused with his attacks, and James' Grass-Type Pokémon were also hitting strong and fast, even the naturally slow Cacturne.
Even though they weren't going to any of the Gyms, Pikachutwo and Mime Jr. also began training, and also looked to be growing stronger as a result. If each one of them gained at least two levels last night, this morning they must have gained five. Carnivine and Mime Jr. seemed to be growing the most, since they were the most under-leveled of James' Pokémon.
Eventually, Carnivine and Cacturne said that they were ready, and Judah went to get Mabel. James gave his Pokémon a quick motivational speech , telling them to never give up, no matter how bad things looked, and always remember he loved them and that he still would, no matter if they won or lost.
"Alright, Mabel," Aelita said, tossing Mabel's Poké Ball into the air, "come on out!"
The Bird Pokémon appeared in the sky and landed next to her master.
"You remember what I asked you last night, right?" she asked, and Mabel nodded. "Okay then, you know what to do."
Jeremy handed me a knapsack, which contained James' Pokédex and Poké Balls, as well as Jeremy's computer and speakers, and jumped onto Mabel's strong back. Soon after, Mabel took off from the ground and flew full speed west by southwest to Oreburgh City, which was just over Mt. Coronet. Jeremy had everything packed away in a wind-resistant bag so that nothing would fall out of it, and that it would not fall off of my shoulder in mid-flight.
After about fifteen minutes of flying, Mabel flew right over Mt. Coronet, and landed just outside of Oreburgh City. I saw a huge building with a Poké Ball logo on the roof, and assumed that this was the Gym. Mabel and I walked up to it, and I knocked on the door. When it opened, I was greeted by a young man in a miner's uniform with brick red hair sticking out of his red miner's helmet.
"Can I help you?" he asked, clearly confused about my sudden appearance.
Not wanting anyone to know that I could talk just yet, I reached into my bag and pulled out the computer, showing the screen to the man.
"Hiya, Roark!" Ash said through the screen.
"Hey, it's Ash!" the man, Roark, said. "Are these Pokémon yours?"
"No, they're my friends' Pokémon," Ash replied. "They're here on behalf of another friend." The camera then moved to show James, laying down in his hospital bed.
"Hey, isn't he that James guy from Team Rocket?" Roark asked, now even more confused.
"Well, he's not a bad guy anymore!" Ash said. "He's sent his Pokémon here to win him a Coal Badge!"
"He's entering into the Sinnoh League?" Roark gasped.
"It's true," James said as Ash placed the camera next to James so that his face filled the screen. "If you want proof, go ask Professor Oak of Kanto. He's the one who gave me my Pokédex."
I showed him the item in question, and also pulled out James' badge case. "Well, this all seems legit enough," Roark said. "And since there's no rule against Trainers video conferencing Pokémon battles, I guess I'll see what you've got. Besides, villain or no villain, I never back down from a challenge!"
"And that's what I came to see!" James said.
With that, Roark led us into the Gym. It was truly impressive on the inside, it had a very tall ceiling with lots of rocks scattered everywhere on the battlefield. There were also some grandstands so that other people could watch the battle. I placed the computer on a stand that Jeremy had packed, and hooked up the speakers so that James' Pokémon could hear him better.
"Judah, would you please get my 3 Poké Balls out?" James asked, with the volume set at maximum intensity, which made him sound loud enough indeed.
I nodded, and took the Poké Balls containing Carnivine, Cacturne, and Red from the knapsack and placed them to the side. A man with long brown hair came up to the referee stand and held both his arms up in the air.
"This official Gym Battle between Roark the Gym Leader and James the challenger will now begin!" he said. "Each side will use 3 Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle! In addition, only the challenger may make a substitution!"
"Geodude, come on out!" Roark called, and his Geodude emerged from his first Poké Ball.
"Carnivine, give them a start they'll remember!" James said, and I tossed out Carnivine's Poké Ball, from which he emerged and stood ready for battle.
"And now," the referee declared, "let the battle… BEGIN!"
A/N: And here we go! James becomes a true blue Pokémon Trainer, and his first Gym Battle is about to begin! More will come within the weekend, so look sharp and stay tuned!
By the way, I put in a special little joke with one of James' Pokémon! Can you guess which one?
Here's a hint: It's not a Grass-Type nor an Electric-Type.
-JeremyX signing off!
