I don't own the characters I didn't make up. Let's just put it that way.

Tales of the Braven Region: Generation V

Academy Arc – Conclusion

Chapter 7: The Prodigy and the Graduation!

One hour after Thursday turned into Friday, the citizens living around gave off several complaints towards the woods in Viridian Forest. There, several trees were severed from the ground, small craters were indented into the ground, and wild Pokemon were scattering around everywhere. The result of this destruction was one tuckered out Eevee.

"You were still shy about two steps," Chad told his panting Pokemon. "Do it again, and try to do it at least twenty percent faster." Eevee nodded after taking a breath, and sped towards the nearest tree. Running up it at high speeds, he launched himself high into the air, flipping around once. Eevee's tail glowed a fierce white, and the small Normal type smashed his tail on the ground, sending the debris of earth and stone around him. Eevee's tail ceased glowing, and he spun around in circle, sending out the earthy debris all around him. Eevee nearly collapsed afterwards, tired out from the constant repetition of the fast movement and powerful blows. No matter how strong of a Pokemon you may be, you're bound to be tired out after twenty or thirty times.

"I said twenty percent, not twelve," Chad criticized, Eevee quickly dropping his head. Chad walked up towards his furry friend and crouched down. He noticed the sun coming up, and gave a slight smirk. "But we'll be done for the night. Get some sleep, because we're going to go again tonight. First, however, I need to run a few errands." He recalled the weary Pokemon and looked up at the brightening sun. It was then he noticed the massive amount of destruction around him.

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When a traveling Trainer is passing through a town or city, they have one of two options for lodging. The first is to stay at an inn. Though it can be pricey at times, most inns have a discount service for Pokemon Trainers. After all, a Trainer can only stay in one place for so long, so the more Trainers that stay at an inn, the more rooms will be available at any given point in time.

The second option is to stay at a Pokemon Center. The Pokemon Center gives free lodging and meals for Trainers, as well as free medical service for their Pokemon. With everything free like a computer lab, telephone services, and some of the larger Centers had entire floors for battling and trading Pokemon. Unfortunately, with no cost, the quality of the sleep and food is much lower than when staying at an inn.

Due to personal convenience, for the past few nights Vinny had been sleeping over at the Pallet City Pokemon Center. Friday was no exception. After the sun rose, Vinny somehow woke up without rolling out of the top bunk. He struggled down the cold metal ladder while half-asleep, noticing that Bulbasaur was already up and awake. He was pointing the bulb on his back over to the sun.

"What's that about?" Vinny asked the Grass type. Bulbasaur simply answered with a shrug.

"I'm half plant, and I feel the unusual urge to do this…" He tried to explain. "Besides, I receive most of my attacks from my bulb, so I have to take care of it, or all I'll end up doing is throwing around a bunch of Tackle attacks in battle."

"I see," Vinny grumbled, too tired to actually listen. Slipping on the ladder's bar, he quickly fell down to the floor. Screaming as he fell, he let out a grunt as he landed on his back. This got the attention of the others still sleeping at the Pokemon Center.

"Shh!"

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"Fucking traffic…" The man said, impatiently tapping his finger on the steering wheel. "Why bother with the fucking stoplight when there's no fucking traffic other than us?" The man had shaggy black hair, and yet was clean shaven. His eyes were a dark green that seemed to make you look away when you even glance at them, and his scowl also had the addition of a toothpick sticking in his mouth. He wore a silk gray suit, with a purple tie. Also, he had a wedding ring, with reddish skin around it. He hated how tight the damn thing was. He had to be in his mid-thirties, and he was already sensitive about his age.

"You really should try to calm down, you know," The younger man in the passenger seat consoled. This one had curly blond hair, wore a dark blue suit with a white tie with musical notes all over it, and had sparkly blue eyes. He sucked on a vanilla milkshake acquired at a local fast food restaurant. "Getting mad at the simple traffic laws like this… It's actually quite pathetic. You should try to think about thoughts that would make you happier."

"You know, you're right… what would make me happier… HOW ABOUT THIS DAMN LIGHT TURNING GREEN!?" As if on cue, the light finally changed in their favor, and he simply stared at it for a second. "Lucky me…"

The two of them were men from completely different regions, and were here on a mission. Whether this mission was for good or evil was still unknown…

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When Vinny finally received permission to go visit Czar this morning, he was getting to be quite grumpy. Tripping down a ladder wasn't the best way to start your day, with the headache and all.

"Fucking waits…" Bulbasaur muttered as the two walked down the many hallways. Vinny long since memorized the path to Czar's room. Along the way he passed a male nurse with a bandage around his neck, possibly from a tranquilizer dart sticking into his neck earlier on in the week. He passed several Doctors trying to make themselves look important. Large pink egg-shaped creatures with eggs in their pouches were moving about, examining the various Pokemon in the room.

"Chansey!" The cheerful Pokemon cried out, looking at Bulbasaur all of a sudden, and losing her happy demeanor. It seemed it was Bulbasaur's nature to be disliked by the medical staff.

"What the hell was her problem?" The Grass type wondered, watching her simply rush right past Vinny and him.

"Three doors down… and… We're here!" Vinny came into the room without knocking or anything. Oddly enough, the staff got used to that. "Hey, Czar, I'm back!"

Czar, barely conscious, simply gave him a weak stare. Though he wasn't in any danger, he was often so hopped up on painkillers that he barely knew what was around him.

"Char…" He replied weakly, his voice muffled from a respirator attached to his mouth.

"He's saying…" Bulbasaur started to translate, but Vinny cut him off.

"I'd like you to meet Bulbasaur, my Starter Pokemon!" He interrupted, pointing down to the Grass type at his feet.

"Yo…" he simply grumbled, slightly irked by the human. Charmander looked confused for a second, eyes darting back to Vinny and to Bulbasaur.

"Charman Char?" He asked, wondering if he was a little too drugged.

"Uhh… Yeah… I can sorta talk different languages…" Bulbasaur answered, scratching his forehead with a vine. "I only talk like this when I need to call this fucking retard a… well… a fucking retard…" The Charmander nodded in agreement, already aware of Vinny's shortcomings.

"Uh… tell me about it!" Vinny said with a half-cocked grin, somehow not wanting to be left out.

"I see what you mean," Czar reiterated. After a bit of silence, Vinny finally looked down to Bulbasaur.

"Hey, can you leave the room for a second?" He asked the Pokemon, trying to answer before he could say anything. "I sort of want to tell Czar something… alone," Bulbasaur was about to protest, but when he looked into his nearly pleading eyes, he was thrown off guard. He tried to think of an appropriate response.

"I'm no sap, so that kind of crap doesn't work on me…" Bulbasaur said, turning around. "But it's 'cause I'm no sap that I don't want to be around such an emotional moment. So hurry your ass up and tell me when you're done…" He walked out, stepping into the hallway, facing the cruel glares of the passing Chansey, nurses, and doctors. What the hell did I ever do?

Vinny really didn't know how to start. He found a chair, and placed it next to Czar's bed. He examined Czar's flame, grateful that it was its normal size once again.

"I've passed the entry exams, and I'm gonna be a Trainer…" He started, a little nervous when he was talking. He wasn't one for being insecure, and he especially found it despicable when he knew he was being insecure.

"Char…" Czar simply said, what Vinny hoped was a congratulations.

"And… I'm going to go off on my own journey soon. I'll probably head off towards Viridian City or something, and go from there. I really would like to take you with me… but… I don't think I'm good enough so that you won't get seriously hurt… I'm not even sure if I'm ready now…" He looked down to the floor, listening to the steady breaths Czar was taking. At least someone's taking it calmly… "Anyways… When I get back from my journey… I promise you that I'll come back and turn you into one of the greatest Pokemon there is! Then you can go wherever you want, whether it's by my side or not!" Czar pretty much chuckled at this idea, slowly reaching his arm up and gently flicking Vinny's face.

"Charmander… Char… Char, Charmander… Cha!" Czar said as energetically as possible. Vinny stared blankly at Czar for a few seconds, wondering what he was saying.

"He said 'If you're gonna become stronger, than so will I, yeah!'," Vinny heard Bulbasaur say from outside.

"Thanks…" Vinny said with delight, then something clicked in his head. "Hey, stop listening in, damn it!" His face turned into an angry glare, but it eventually softened up as he faced Czar. "If we're both gonna become stronger, let's make a deal, then!" He said with his usual enthusiasm and energy finally surfacing. "After I leave and head off on my journey, the next time we meet, we'll give it all we've got in a one-on-one match! But I'll definitely capture you!" He raised his fist up, and Czar took his claw and tapped him in the knuckle.

"Deal…" Czar said, his eyes beginning to flutter as he involuntarily fell asleep.

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"This sucks…" Derek said, slowly walking through his driveway. "Vinny's not home, Kelsey said she was busy, and I don't even know where Ronald, Alli, or Thomas live… I wonder if I could track down Chad… No, chances are he'd refuse me… Isn't there anyone to battle around here?"

"Torchic…" Tori muttered, sounding depressed. In actuality, she was just hungry.

"Sheesh… First dad goes missing for the past few days, now I'm stuck all alone, with no one to help me improve my skills…" He pulled out his key, unlocked the front door, and stepped inside.

"CONGRATULATIONS!!!" He heard the booming voice yelled out at the front of the hallway. Derek was nearly thrown down to his feet at the sudden surprise.

"Uh… thanks…" Derek replied to his father. He seemed to have a brighter grin than usual, and he really wondered what it was about.

"You're wondering where I've been for past two days, right?"

"Three days," Derek corrected.

"Whatever. Anyways, that's not really important. What is important is watching TV!"

"Watching TV is important right now… Oh! I completely forgot because of the test, but…"

"Yep…" Was his father's reply.

"Feed me, dammit!" Tori interrupted.

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"So you're finally done?" Bulbasaur asked impatiently, beginning to tap his hind leg on the ground. Vinny nodded.

"Yeah. Czar fell asleep a bit ago, so I figured I'd head out." He looked around a bit. "I'll probably go see Derek. His dad used to be a Pokemon Trainer, so maybe he could give me a few pointers about where to start, what Pokemon to catch, and all of that other stuff…?" The sentence ending with a question was brought out when he saw a crowd being slightly more excited than usual, and many people moving about.

"Sorrysorrysorrycomingthrough!" A kid yelled out, dashing at high speeds in the hallway. Because all Vinny could do was watch, he didn't move out of the way when the kid slammed right into him. "Oof!" The kid was knocked back, but Vinny managed to catch him before he crashed to the ground.

"Hey, watch it!" He scolded, grabbing his arm. "It's not cool to be running around with a bunch of recovering patients around… AGH!" The boy began running at high speeds, simply dragging the larger boy along with him. "What the hell is this about?" He was dragged to the Center lobby, and began to slow down when the kid realized all of the weight he was carrying.

"Channel… Twelve… Please…" He said, jerking Vinny with him after every step. The male nurse with the bandaged neck nodded, and pressed a button on a rather large flat screen television set. The screen flipped to a large Pokemon Stadium Battlefield, rather a large rectangle with a large white circle painted in the center. Two boxes were on the shorter ends, where one man stood in each one.

"Whoa... Pokemon in Hi Def..." Vinny commented, only to receive a few shushes from the general crowd.

"This is Davis Seagull here to report the last day of the Pokemon League World Championship Finals. Where we last left off, both competitors were down to their final two Pokemon. Our competitors, if you don't know are the eight-time World Champion Red Blueman and Jack Edwards, a man that's entered the League World Championship six times, but never before has he been able to make it this far." The camera went to show a dashing young man with spiky brown hair, purple eyes, wearing a thick brown jacket and black jeans. The look in his eyes wasn't cockiness or arrogance, or even confidence. His eyes sparked with pure concentration.

Finalist - Jack Edwards: 85 Wins, 9 Losses, 0 Draws

Pokemon (Remaining, Defeated): Crawdaunt, Tropius, Sableye, Slaking, Dusclops, ???

The camera shifted to the opponent, Red Blueman. He had long, spiky crimson red hair, with piercing gold eyes. Ronald's glare was a mere sewing needle compared to the dagger that was this man's glare. He wore a crimson red vest and blue jeans, actually quite plain clothes.

Finalist (Reigning Champion) Red Blueman: 418 Wins, 0 Losses, 0 Draws

Pokemon (Remaining, Defeated): Armaldo, Breloom, Milotic, Aggron, Claydol, Salamence

"Funny name aside, that guy has quite an impressive record…" Vinny exclaimed, genuinely shocked.

"It's an alias," The kid that dragged him here explained. "He probably comes from a small and quaint town, and doesn't want to attract so much attention there," He never took his eyes off of the screen. "A Champion tried that method before, but word eventually got out, and because of it, Pallet City went from being a calm and peaceful town to the bustling place it is…" He was going to say something else, but the Trainers both unleashed their Pokemon. On Jack's side was the Dusclops. On Red's the Salamence.

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Being the eight-time World Champion, it was nearly impossible not to know who Red Blueman was. For eight years, he has been considered the World's strongest Trainer. Despite the fame and title, he hated every bit of it. Not once did he ever do a special press conference, or ever accepted the offer for a commercial. The only reason he even entered the highly publicized Tournaments was because it attracted some of the strongest Trainers. He couldn't care less about the lights, the crowd, or the publicity.

This pattern of thinking made him rather unpopular by the media. To the media, it would be beneficial for Red to lose and another, less camera-shy Champion to emerge. That way, they can cover one story about a rising star, and the fall of an older one. Even so, there was something comforting about the man who many people who had been cheering this man on for eight years to keep his title. After all, it's only natural to admire the strong.

"And Red's ace Pokemon Salamence is being brought out first!" The annoying voice cried out from an unknown area. "Could he be aiming to take both of his Pokemon out with just Salamence?" If only he knew where the announcer was… Salamence could use Hyper Beam and things would get a little bit quieter. Even so, he figured he'd face the person in front of him, first. Of all the Trainers he faced here, he was giving him the most trouble.

"Allow me to start things off!" Jack cried out, pointing right at Red's Salamence with his index and middle fingers. "Dusclops, start things off with your Shadow Ball!"

"Dus…CLOPS!!" The eerie Ghost type cried out in a deep, muffled voice. Quickly forming a black sphere, it shot out right at the dragon before him.

"Negate it," Was Red's only reply, spoken calmly and barely heard over the roar of the crowd. Salamence complied, opening his mouth and unleashing a stream of light blue flames right into the Shadow Ball. Salamence's Dragonbreath collided with Dusclops's attack, both attacks hanging at a standstill. Eventually, the Shadow Ball managed to push forward, eventually reaching closer towards Salamence.

Underestimated him… Red thought, cursing to himself for the mistake. Even so… Significantly weaker due to the collision from his attack, all Salamence had to do was bat it away with his claw, dispersing the orb into black particles.

"AMAZING!!!" The announcer yelled out. "By using Salamence's weaker attack, he weakened the Shadow Ball just enough to effortlessly bat it away, therefore conserving as much energy as possible! As expected from our eight-time Champion!"

"Our" Champion? Rgh… "Salamence, take the offensive!" Salamence acknowledged the order by lifting up into the air. It unleashed a flurry of glowing yellow stars right towards Dusclops. Unfortunately, the Ghost type simply vanished, completely avoiding the Normal type Swift attack. Even so, this was all as planned. Spinning around in the air and unleashing a fierce roar into the air, Salamence's eyes shrank, and muscles started to bulge. By the time Dusclops reappeared, Salamence flew at high speeds, practically warping behind the Ghost type.

"Dragon Dance while Dusclops was in an ethereal form…" Jack commented, somewhat irritated. "Not wasting any time whatsoever… but… Bring him down to the earth, Dusclops! Use Gravity!" Dusclops's unusual red eye became a bright pink as Salamence was suddenly sent crashing back into the ground, the field of gravity preventing him from taking to the air. "Rock Tomb! Prevent him from moving!" Several pillars of stone were brought upon Salamence, completely trapping the Dragon and Flying type, but none hitting him. Red merely watched all of this play out, not giving a single order.

"Now, shake him down with Earthquake!" Dusclops placed his hand on the ground, and the ground began to shake wildly. The leaning pillars surrounding Salamence began to crack and shatter, burying the Pokemon in earth and stone.

"What an onslaught from Jack Edwards!" The announcer yelled out. "Not even giving Red's ace Salamence a chance to respond, he's been using powerful technique after powerful technique that would leave any ordinary Pokemon exhausted!" Jack then realized the trap he'd fallen for. Looking upon the Dusclops, he saw he was panting heavily from using so many strong attacks consecutively. He then saw the rocks burying Salamence scatter, as a green veil of light surrounded him.

"And Salamence used Protect to completely defend himself from that entire onslaught!" The announcer yelled out. Salamence then took back to the air, free from the Gravity effect. Flying behind the Dusclops, he couldn't do anything when Salamence unleashed another Dragonbreath attack at point-blank range, the blue flames scorching him completely. The Ghost type crashed to the ground, unable to battle.

"And Dusclops is unable to battle!" An unknown judge cried out from a mysterious location. Jack grumbled, recalling his Pokemon.

"Nice try…" He grumbled unhappily. "Now the only Pokemon I have left still has to take on that Salamence which is barely scratched, and his Armaldo… Even so… Exploud, go!" He unleashed the Pokemon, the strange purple monster screaming out an inaudible sound, making the entire crowd cover their ears. "Hyper Voice!"

"EX…PLOOOOOOOOOUUUUD!" The Normal type shrieked, sending shockwaves of sound tearing right towards the Salamence.

"Finish it," Red calmly replied, closing his eyes and turning his back on the opponent. It is truly lonely at the top… Wild Pokemon are no match for me, and now even the so-called toughest Trainers can barely stand up to Salamence's might, and quickly fall if they do. Salamence opened his mouth, gathering a violet and royal blue sphere right in front of it. "Draco Meteor!" The attack shot out right towards the shockwave, dispersing it completely and striking the Exploud. The direct hit took him down with one blow, sending the Normal type into a wall below the stands.

"Exploud is unable to battle!" The judge's voice came out again. "This battle's winner and the Pokemon League World Champion is now the nine-time victor, Red Blueman!" Red turned back around, climbing on top of his barely worn out Salamence, and then flew off. The crowd and the press didn't interest him in the least. Jack Edwards fell to his knees, still shaking from the complete loss. Not only was he completely crushed, but he received not a word from Red.

The only challenge I'd ever get is if I never used my Salamence at all. But…

"Salamence," Red said as he took off to an unknown area. "Good job, partner."

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"WOW! Did you see that!?" Kelly cried out from the living room. The constant play-by-play from the announcer, and then her little sister was getting to be too much.

"I heard…" Kelsey answered from upstairs in her room.

"But that funny guy with the colors in his name only toyed with his opponent!"

"I heard you…" Kelsey said, becoming irritated.

"And that Salamence was really strong! Even stronger than Cyndaquil!" Now she was storming up into her room, stopping when she saw what her big sister was doing. "Umm…" Not one to own many clothes, Kelsey's closet had been nearly emptied, with some clothed rolled up inside of a bag.

"I'm leaving Tuesday morning," She answered sternly. "I graduate Monday, and I'm going to spend the day celebrating with my friends." Kelly immediately latched onto her leg.

"Why are you going to go so soon!?" She asked, already beginning to break into tears. "You can go anytime you want, so why so soon?" Kelsey needed to think carefully to say what she needed to say.

"Well, I've been waiting three years to do this…" She tried to explain. "And… It's just something I have to do. You've never seen your big sis be afraid of anything, right? Besides, the sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back, right?" She patted her little sister on the head, then waved her off. "So let go of my leg, and let me finish. After I'm done, I'll go and play with you for a bit today, okay?" Kelly's eyes brightened when she heard this.

"Weally?" She asked. Kelsey was suddenly confused by the sudden baby talk.

"Of course!" She said with a smile. She then grabbed the back of her shirt, and promptly threw her little sister out of her room. "So let me finish already!"

Just then, the doorbell rang and a shady figure was standing at the front of the door.

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By noontime, the summer heat finally reached the inside of the car.

"Fucking summer…" shaggy hair complained, sweat pouring down his face. "The fucking air conditioner broke, too. We can't roll down our windows, or we'll reveal that people have been in this car for hours now," He pulled out his collar to let some air in.

"It's not so bad," curly head replied, looking perfectly cool, not a bead of sweat anywhere.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" he replied angrily, pointing his finger at his partner. "How can you not be sweating in this heat? Are you even human!?" curly hair looked up at the car hood, as if pondering the question.

"Well…" He tried to explain it. "My fiery passion and soul is always burning fiercely, so I'm already used to incredible heat…" Ironically, he was surprisingly calm and cool when announcing his "fiery passion and soul".

"THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING SENSE!!!"

"She doesn't make much sense, either," curly hair replied, pointing towards a girl, sitting down on the porch, waiting for the target to come. She was leaning her face on her arms and she rested her arms on her legs. She was out here for a couple of hours now, waiting for the target to arrive, they guessed. "Records show that she is Allison Black, twelve years of age, and a classmate of the target. She's the daughter of Jason Black the business tycoon, and Gretchen Black the East Hoenn Region Representative. Oh, records also say she was adopted by the pair… Political move by her mother to win a couple votes, perhaps?"

"STOP CHANGING THE SUBJECT!!!" curly hair's eyes darted to the corner of the street, where a young boy with white hair was walking down towards the house.

"Bingo!" curly hair cried out with minimal enthusiasm. "Here's our target, Ronald Friese, AKA Ronald Frost."

"Not… the most creative name-change…" The sweating shaggy hair muttered. "Even so, how should we go about this? Should we engage?"

"No…" curly hair replied. "We don't want to reveal ourselves too soon…"

"Good point…"

"Besides… I want to watch the drama unfold as the boy and girl talk to each other. If she's been waiting this long, then there's gotta be something important to talk about," shaggy hair wanted to strangle his partner at this point, but when he glanced at the target, he noticed that he was looking over at their car for a little too long.

"Either he's incredibly paranoid…" shaggy hair claimed. "Or he knows who we are… Either way, looks like we've been made."

---------------------

"I got a call from a concerned neighbor telling me that a weird girl was sitting on my front steps," Ronald said, startling the half-asleep Alli. He was holding a grocery bag, contents hidden inside. He had very dark circles under his eyes, and looked like he was ready to take a nap.

"Oh!" She said, suddenly sitting up straight. "Sorry… I Just… I…"

"Spill it, already," Ronald said, looking at his watch. "I don't have much time to spare. I've got to get going soon. Get right to the point, and don't stammer your words. It gets pretty annoying." Alli shrunk down with each sentence, disliking Ronald's confrontational attitude.

"Well, fine!" Alli suddenly cried out defiantly. "I came to ask you a few questions!"

"I'm a Libra, my blood type is AB, my favorite color is silver, I hate the Harry Potter series, I enjoy watching morning soap operas, and yes, my hair is natural. Call your butler and go home already." Alli responded by standing up and stamping her foot on the ground, like a child throwing a tantrum.

"I don't care about any of that!" She replied frantically. Ronald was rather shocked by her odd behavior. He turned to face her, and she was on the verge of being teary-eyed. "I want to know what's going on! Why did you just flunk the exams like you did, and what was up with the way you were acting when you were speaking to one of those thugs?" Ronald sighed, closing the door without entering.

"If I had to put it in percentages, you'd have about a zero percent chance of victory if you took me on. Besides, I don't like beating the crap out of a Pokemon just because their trainer is an inexperienced idiot. And it just wouldn't be very fair if I prevented you from graduating with your friends. So instead of waiting around my house, a simple 'thank you' would do. And I'm not going to answer your other questions." Alli gripped her hand tightly on his shoulder, and for a second Ronald was surprised by Alli's actions. Not at all like the timid girl in the class.

"Then what's so important with that Bulbasaur Vinny has?" Alli asked. "Why did those men from before break in and try to take it? When he was released, it looked a lot different than a normal Pokeball, and there was that eerie orange light…" Ronald grabbed her wrist, and gently pushed her hand away from him.

"Very well, I'll tell you… I'm a spy from the government," He then said with a fierce glare. "That Bulbasaur was a genetically engineered experiment capable of great destruction. I've been sent to be undercover as a student to locate, and retrieve said Pokemon. For that, I've been living undercover for three years because I have the appearance of a teenager, despite being twenty-four years old in reality." He said all of it with a straight face, and then turned away. "If that's what you think, then you have too big of an imagination. I wish it were something cool like that, but I'm afraid life never meets up with expectations.

"If it's not so secret, then just tell me what it is!" Alli practically yelled. "I'm sick and tired of not knowing what's going on around me, and I'm surely tired of all the conspiracies I've gotten myself into!" She looked like she was on the verge of tears, and it whatever Ronald said must have struck a nerve. Even so, Ronald was getting extremely irritated, and he had to hold his head. He felt dizzy, as a surge of anger rushed through him. He didn't like being yelled at. But before anything else could happen, a shaggy-haired man in a suit placed his hand on Alli's shoulder. He held up a golden badge, and Ronald didn't recognize it as the local Police's.

"You're disturbing the neighbors," He said in a gruff voice. "And before you say anything else, I don't really care who your parents are. Stay here any longer, and we'll take you down to the station, princess," He said the last word with obvious sarcasm. She was irritated by the man's mockery, but she finally gave in.

"I apologize for the rude behavior," She said with complete disdain, storming down the steps and walking down the sidewalk.

"Officer," Ronald then said to the gruff man. "I fear that the girl will come back once you have left.

Would you please be so kind as to escort her home?" Ronald's icy blue eyes meeting shaggy-hair's fierce green. "Though it may be a rather personal request, I am concerned for safety concerns," Shaggy hair tried to discern the truth from the bull, but he got the message.

"Very well," He answered. "I will do as you requested. But… shall I inform her of the crimes we're letting her off with?" Ronald looked away for a couple of seconds, then looked back.

"I am sure that would be the wisest course of action," Ronald said, opening his door and going into his house. "Good day, officer."

"Good day, citizen," shaggy-hair said after he shut the door. Bastard just has to beat around the bush like that, doesn't he? Shaggy-hair snapped his fingers and pointed to Alli, and curly hair quickly walked up to her.

"Excuse me, miss, but for general safety concerns, the gentleman you were talking to earlier asked us to escort you directly home," He said, causing Alli to stop in her tracks. She looked back towards him with a slightly angry… actually, she looked completely pissed.

"I'll walk," She replied, continuing to walk away.

"CODEF," Curly-hair then cried out, making Alli turn around. "Criminal Organization Defense and Execution Force," He held out a badge much like shaggy-hair's, and then pulled out a lavender card, and with a smile said, "We've even got membership cards!" After this person completely broke the mood, Alli continued to stare at him, wanting to know where he was going. "I'm Detective Warden Jones, and the sweaty bastard over there is Detective Blitzkrieg Steele. Apparently his mother didn't realize that putting two cool names together doesn't result in a cool kid."

"Hey, you wanted to know who that white-hair was, right?" Steele said, walking up to her as well. "The air conditioner's broke, but we can safely roll down the windows now." He then looked over towards Jones. "And who are you to talk about my mother, you curly-haired bastard!?"

"Please, didn't your mother ever tell you not to curse around little children?"

"You started it, damn it!"

"There you go cursing again…"

"Fuck you!"

I think they completely forgot about me… Alli thought, watching the two bicker like children.

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Jonathan and Derek's backyard wasn't particularly large, but it was a suitable size for training. It was hardly ever used, and the view was blocked by a massive amount of vegetation, so it made it a fairly decent area for training. Thus, the two were trying to avoid all of the possibly dangerous plants. There's no point in getting a poison ivy rash when you're about to go off on an adventure.

"So, we're actually going to do this?" Derek asked, holding the Pokeball in his hand. I'll definitely use Mudkip for this battle. With the vegetation around, it will be easy to track Treecko's speedy movements. Mudkip, on the other hand, can simply wait around and attack when the enemy gets near…

"I want to see what you're capable of!" Jonathan said, Tori perched on his shoulder. "We'll just call this a little light training before you go off, so hurry up and get ready! You already know what Pokemon I'm going to use!" Tori jumped off, and nearly vanished in the various tall grass and other plants.

"Chic, chic tor!" She cried out, already lost.

"Then… I'll go with my Mudkip!" Derek said, releasing the Pokeball, the white light forming Mudkip eventually fading into the field of green.

"Kip kip mud!" He cried out, then realizing the situation.

"Zero visibility, and Tori can't use her Ember attack unless you want to burn away all of this grass," Derek stated. Jonathan gave a slight smirk, and held out his hand, wanting Derek to make the first move. Derek did so. "Mudkip, crouch down to the ground and wait for the enemy Torchic to come," A little bit of rustling was heard as Mudkip lowered his body. Tori heard it, and immediately charged for the enemy, acting on her own.

"Stop, Tori!" Jonathan suddenly boomed. The Fire type stopped in her tracks, only a few feet away from the Mudkip. "Now, use Ember, directly in front of you!" The Torchic complied, and the next thing the two saw was the grass beginning to be set ablaze.

"You're seriously… burning our backyard?" Derek asked in shock.

"And you're seriously underestimating me!" Jonathan answered. "I've never been motivated enough to mow the lawn, and this is the quickest way to get rid of all these disgusting plants!"

Mudkip will be trapped by the flames, and Torchic will eventually find him… And if I try to douse the flames with Water Gun, then I'd be giving away Mudkip's position… But I've got no choice! "Mudkip, douse the ground around you with Water Gun, then take care of the flames around you!" Jonathan smirked at his statement, appearing to already know what his son was thinking. I'll create a reasonable amount of mud to prepare for an attack from Tori once I give away my position. Mudkip can take an attack or two from Tori, and I'll have to retaliate then!

"Tori, jump up high into the air, locate Mudkip, and hit him with your Ember attack!" He replied, giving a large smirk when he saw Derek's reaction.

He's making a target of his Pokemon just like that? He thought, thoughts beginning to connect. He heard the sound of rushing water, and knew that Mudkip was already following Derek's directions. The sound of the flames, and the fact that Mudkip was looking down at the ground while sending the rushing water at the ground around him prevented him from noticing the Torchic above him. Tori unleashed the flames right into Mudkip's head, sending him crashing down into his own mud he created. Tori landed right near Mudkip, sending another barrage of flames towards Mudkip. This send the Water and Ground type sliding back on his own mud. When Mudkip tried to get up, he slipped up in the mud, crashing to the ground once more.

"Now, finish this up with an aerial Crush Claw!" Jonathan yelled out, pointing directly towards the downed Mudkip. Tori ran towards Mudkip, then leaped right above him. She drove a fierce kick with pointed claws, the impact sending Mudkip down an inch or so in the muddy ground.

"Kip…" Derek's Pokemon replied, already realizing the complete and utter defeat. Derek simply stared in shock at the results of the battle.

He even taught Tori Crush Claw…? What's more, he realized my strategy in a split-second, and immediately gave out a counter to the strategy… As if he predicted my every move? Jonathan gave a big grin towards his son, walking over towards Tori and giving her a scratch on the head. Tori's gaze wandered off to the clouds at the scratch, and she then jumped away, realizing that she was being petted.

"Hey, don't pet me like some pet!" She cried out, offended. Derek chuckled at the Torchic's odd outburst, and walked over towards Mudkip.

"Sorry about that..." He said quietly, placing his large hand on Mudkip's small torso. "You just keep losing with me… What do you say we become stronger, together?" Mudkip simply nodded weakly, and Derek recalled his hard-working Pokemon.

"You looked at the ground around you while thinking up of a plan," Jonathan said, walking in front of his son. "Knowing Mudkip's types, I could only assume that would be your reaction. When it's normal, strategy-based battle, you probably would have won, but when it comes down to real-time tactics and unusual methods, you're still incredibly slow to react."

"So… you did all of this just to show me my weaknesses?" Derek asked, Jonathan quickly nodding. Derek looked around him, and sighed. "But I'd say this is a bit over excessive, don't you think?" He pointed to the flames in the yard, gradually getting closer to the house.

"What!? Derek, quickly, fill up a bucket of water and help me put this fire out!"

While they were busy putting out the flames, a shady figure knocked on the door. It took them ten minutes to realize someone was there.

-------------------

"That was amazing, wasn't it?" The kid asked for the fifteenth time.

"We saw it," Was Vinny and Bulbasaur's fifteenth response.

"I mean, it seemed that Edwards guy had the upper hand, but he was actually being played by Red Blueman the entire time! That was just awesome, right?"

"WE SAID WE SAW IT!" The two yelled out in unison. The kid remained unfazed at their outburst. Instead, he looked over towards the Bulbasaur.

"Hey, is that Bulbasaur speaking like us?" He suddenly asked, apparently not freaked out by it.

"You just now fucking noticed?" Bulbasaur replied, amazed at the density of the little kid. "And what the hell are you doing sitting at our table, anyway?" The kid didn't answer the question, however. The three were sitting at the buffet booths in the cafeteria section of the Pokemon Center. Lunchtime served a nice variety of foods, much better than ones at dinner. In fact, yesterday Vinny hid some of the lunch food under a table so he could eat it for dinner, but a patient Pokemon must have sniffed it out, for all that remained were crumbs. Needless to say Bulbasaur was quite full during dinnertime that night.

"Hey… You're Vincent Elias, right?" he asked out of the blue.

This kid is an expert at changing the topic to something less insulting to himself… Vinny mentally praised. "Yeah, that's me…" He said with a certain amount of pride. "Wait, how did you know who I was?" The kid merely put up three fingers.

"Three ways!" He replied, holding a salt shaker in his other hand. "The first time I saw you on the news a couple of times, when those ruffians invaded your school, and that wild Pinsir attack the next day. The second time was because your name came up when I asked a doctor about that one Charmander that's been in here for awhile. And the third way…" He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a strip of newspaper. "This is a list of the ten graduating students that'll officially receive their Pokemon Trainer's license Monday. Your name was on it. I was just wondering if you were him, that's all," Vinny and Bulbasaur gave him a blank stare for awhile, but he didn't seem to get a hint. The kid poured a dash of salt onto his food, and carefully put the salt down to the wall.

"And… what would your name be…?" Vinny finally asked, getting annoyed by the kid. He simply looked back at Vinny with a confused expression.

"Huh? You don't know my name?" He asked with a slight glimmer in his eyes.

"Knowing everybody in the city isn't exactly a hobby of mine…" Vinny replied sarcastically, desperately stopping himself from grinding his teeth. "And you haven't been kind enough to offer it," Vinny saw that his eyes fully lit up, and he nodded to them. He scooted out of the bench, stood before them, and placed his fist on his chest. Vinny took this to fully grasp this kid's appearance.

The most noticeable thing about him was his eyes. They were a shade of faded blue, almost appearing to be gray, even when bright-eyed. They showed signs of intelligence, yet were still youthful and energetic. He wore a lime green t-shirt, with a dark green short-sleeved jacket, left unbuttoned. From Vinny's angle, he saw a single Pokeball attached to the dark blue jeans he wore. He also had a bright pink wristband with a small yellow marble tied onto it with a four-inch white string.

"My name, is Gary. Gary… Green," He dropped his hand down and gave a short bow. "Pleased to meetcha!"

"That's nice…" Vinny said, tapping his finger on the table impatiently. "Now sit down and stop attracting attention," Gary then noticed the stares around him, and grinned at everyone before sitting back down with Vinny and Bulbasaur. Man is this kid dense… Is this how Kelsey and the others feel when they're around me? He then noticed Gary looking directly at him with a semiserious glare.

"To be perfectly frank…" He said, as if unable to express it in words. "I recently received a Pokemon Trainer's license myself…" Vinny gave a curious glance.

"Aren't you're a little young to…" Vinny started. Gary began to sigh.

"My family forced me to begin early…" He said with a sigh. "I don't know how to put it in a modest way… but… my family and all my instructors kept calling me a prodigy… I started the lessons when I was five, and now I'm an official Trainer," Vinny had no idea what a prodigy was, but everything else Gary said was impressive.

"That's… pretty damn amazing!" Vinny practically yelled out. Gary put his finger over his mouth, and Vinny realized his mistake. "My bad…" He apologized.

"I have no idea how I actually stack up against the average Trainer… so…" Vinny seemed to finally understand where he was getting at.

"Well, I'm not really sure if I'm allowed to battle a Trainer yet, but I'm pretty sure that can be overlooked, but…" He looked over at Bulbasaur, half-asleep from the uninteresting human conversation. "To be perfectly honest… Bulbasaur's a little on the disobedient side, and really won't listen to a thing I say…" Now Gary gave a curious look.

"But a starter Pokemon is raised to be completely obedient to a Trainer," He replied. "He should normally do whatever you say in a battle!" Vinny shrugged in response. Bulbasaur finally seemed to notice that they were talking about him.

"Why should I let this guy think for me?" Bulbasaur asked in response. "I've got a brain that works too, and mindlessly obeying an idiot's orders isn't exactly something to smile about!" Gary shook his head, trying to think up an appropriate response.

"Pokemon and humans are supposed to work together!" He tried to explain. "Humans bring out the most potential from a Pokemon, so if you work together with Vinny, you'll no doubt become much stronger than you would on your own!" Bulbasaur looked towards Vinny for a second, and held in a chuckle.

"Somehow, I think playing in the dirt would bring out more of my potential strength," He replied with a cocky smirk. Vinny immediately grabbed his Bulbasaur and lifted him up so they were face to face.

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been able to defeat Heracross," He said with an incredibly serious tone. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have that same Heracross as an ally!"

"If it weren't for you, I would have won that last battle!" He replied angrily. "I was going to take down that Cyndaquil, quickly finish off that Wurmple, and you would have won your first battle!"

"Winning's not winning if the Pokemon doesn't listen to my commands!" He retorted, raising his voice a little too loudly. "If I hung in there, I probably would have still lost, but at least I would have had the peace of mind knowing that I did my best!"

"Enough!" Gary boomed, his face showing a fury towards the Pokemon and Trainer arguing with each other. "I've got a way to settle this once and for all!" Bulbasaur and Vinny looked over towards Gary, interested in his proposition. "It's a simple one-on-one battle against me! Bulbasaur, you'll have to listen to, or at least work together with Vinny for the entire battle. If you win, then Vinny will have proved himself as a Trainer. If you lose, then you proved that your way is the best!" The two stared at each other for a second, seriously considering the deal.

"How would I know if you'd take it seriously or not?" Bulbasaur asked with an angry glare. This time, Gary gave back a glare just as effective.

"As you said, it's shameful for the Pokemon if the Trainer gives up or throws the battle," Gary replied. "And I'll have you know, I'm battling to test my limits, too. If I don't go all out, how will I know how strong I really am?"

---------------------

"To put it bluntly, we're a government-assigned task force formed from police, agents, and other people that don't like to be known. We're designed to take down the various organized crime syndicates that pop up from region to region," Alli looked at Warden Jones, sitting right next to her in the backseat. Steele was driving in the front alone, and Alli wondered if they did this often.

"Hey, why the hell are you sitting in the back?" Steele demanded angrily. Apparently, Alli was wrong in her thoughts. "Don't tell me you're trying to get in with the rich girl?"

"'Get in'?" Alli repeated in a gasp, looking over towards Jones. He gave no visible response.

"You should know better than anyone that I'm interested in older women," Jones stated.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Steele replied angrily.

"Err… scratch that last sentence…" Jones answered innocently. "I'm just sitting back here because your sweaty armpits are starting to smell like onions." Alli sniffed the air a couple of times, and confirmed the fact by plugging her nose.

"What the hell!? Now the little girl is ganging up on me, too!?" Steele retorted, not at all denying the body odor issue.

"Well, if you used some long-lasting deodorant, rather than that generic dollar store stuff, then maybe you wouldn't have such issues…"

"And what the hell is up with you!?" Steele suddenly cried out. "You don't sweat, you don't get angry, you constantly smell like roses, you're sharp as a tack, and you're young and handsome to boot!"

"I'm also fluent in nine languages, can play seven different instruments, have an IQ of 210, and wealthy as well."

"Are you even human!?" Jones looked over at Alli with a slight snicker.

"And apparently I'm a good liar, as well," He said softly.

"I heard that, you bastard!"

"Umm… You said that you were in organized crime…?" Alli interrupted, trying to get the two back on track. Jones nodded, ignoring Steele's various death threats. "Then, what does Ronald have to do with…" Jones put his finger over his lip.

"Classified," He said. "We barely have any information on him ourselves," Alli looked down in disappointment. Looking back in the rearview mirror, Steele noticed the glance.

"Looks like we're almost there," he said, trying to break the mood in a not so ridiculous manner, much unlike his partner. Alli looked back up in surprise.

"Then… could you let me off here?" She asked. "I don't want to let my butler know that I was escorted home by the police," Steele nodded, pulling out to the side of the road. A few cars behind parked their horns in protest, but the angry driver's faces quickly turned friendly when they heard the police siren.

"That ought to shut them up," He replied bitterly. Alli gave her thanks, and opened the car door. Before she exited, Steele spoke up. "You don't have to worry about that white-haired kid," He explained. "Can't go into details, so just know that a big storm is brewing, but that guy is definitely not the one responsible for it." She looked at him for a second with a face that brightened up just a shade, and exited the vehicle at a slightly faster pace than normal. Jones reached over and closed the door, and simply looked at Steele with surprised.

"I never knew you had a 'soft spot' for little girls," He said with a sarcastic tone.

"I have a niece about the same age as her, but my sister and her husband are both assholes, so she often has an unhappy face like hers whenever there's a family reunion," He tried to explain. "I just instinctively have to cheer people like them up."

"So you actually have a 'soft spot' for your niece?" Jones mocked with an even more sarcastic tone. "That's still pretty disgusting,"

"Stop taking things out of context," Steele replied with an unusual calm voice, shifting the car back into drive and speeding away. "And go screw yourself while you're at it."

By the time Alli finally made it to the front gates, she saw someone already leaning up against them. Despite Frank/Wetherbee's protests, the person remained there. He looked over towards Alli, making her freeze in her tracks.

"You…" She said with a slight shiver in her voice.

------------------------

One hour after Gary's challenge, Vinny and Bulbasaur stood behind the Pokemon Center, ready to face off the kid before them. There was quite a crowd that gathered. Apparently word traveled pretty fast that there'd be a battle here.

"Are you two finally ready to go?" Gary asked, reaching for a Pokeball on his belt. "I'm ready whenever you are!" Vinny and Bulbasaur looked at each other for a second, and begrudgingly nodded.

"Let's hurry up and get this over with," Bulbasaur said. "Just know that when this idiot starts to panic, I'm taking things into my own hands. I don't feel like taking hits just because an idiot's orders."

"And that won't be a problem," Vinny replied confidently. "No matter what you bring out, we'll bring it down!" Gary pulled out a small orb, and enlarged it to reveal a Pokeball with a golden top, instead of the normal red. He threw it up into the air, and Vinny and Bulbasaur stared at it in wonder.

"That brat probably has some kind of Fire or Flying type to do away with me…" Bulbasaur said to Vinny.

"Either that, or he has an incredibly nasty Pokemon," He replied. The orb finally opened up, the light bringing upon the figure of Gary's Pokemon.

Yellow in color, this creature only stood a little over a foot tall. Its long, thin ears had a black fur on the end. Its long tail was in the shape of a lightning bolt, and was brown at the base. He had two brown stripes on his back, and the most noticeable item on his body was the two crimson cheeks. A small crackle of electricity formed when he squeezed them.

"Pikachu!" He cried out happily, glad to be out of the Pokeball. He stretched his front legs while standing up on his two hind legs, then got down on all fours to stretch the back ones. As comfortable as the Yellow Ball was for him, he needed to get some fresh air every now and then!

Yellow Ball: A specialized Pokeball made specifically for pure Electric type Pokemon. While it doesn't increase the chances of capturing an Electric type Pokemon in the wild, this Pokeball stimulates and can enhance the static electricity within the body. Most Electric type Pokemon enjoy the confines of the Yellow Ball.

Pikachu turned his head around until he saw his Trainer, and immediately ran to his side. "Pika Pi!" He cried out in excitement. Gary smiled and scratched the Electric type Pokemon in the head, doing his best to ignore the static electricity coursing throughout his fur. Gary's fingers became numb in a matter of seconds.

"Are you ready for a battle?" He asked. The small mouse Pokemon nodded without hesitation, spinning back around to face the other person with a Pokemon out, presumably their opponent.

"That Pokemon is a…" Vinny started to say, trying to recall what that yellow mouse was. He heard the name somewhere…

"He just said is fucking name, and you still can't guess what Pokemon he is!?" Bulbasaur cried out in both shock and anger.

"This is Pikachu, my partner and best friend!" Gary said with a confident stare. Pikachu took a few steps away from Gary, keeping an eye on him at the same time. "The bond between us spans for five years, whereas you and Bulbasaur have met just a few days ago. You're going to see how important the bond between Pokemon and Trainer really is!" He clenched his fist, and pointed his finger at Vinny. "You can make the first move, so hurry up and come at us!" Vinny was tapping his finger at his side for awhile now.

"You like to hear yourself talk, don't you?" He replied with a smirk. "Bulbasaur, use Bullet Seed from a distance!"

"I was already doing that!" Bulbasaur cried out, arching his back so his bulb pointed towards the Pikachu. The yellow mouse was standing on two legs, as if standing defiantly with his chest puffed at the two opponents. Bulbasaur fired the glowing seeds, the projectiles taking a slight arch as they headed towards their target. Without any commands, Pikachu took a stepped to the left, narrowly dodging the Bullet Seed and still keeping an eye on Gary. Gary then pointed towards Bulbasaur with two fingers, and Pikachu complied by getting down on all fours and heading towards him at incredible speeds. There was nothing the Grass type could do but take the quick hit. He was forced back a foot or so, but held a steady ground nonetheless.

"He's fast!" Vinny exclaimed while the Pikachu jumped away from Bulbasaur to gain some distance. "And he used Quick Attack when Gary simply pointed…"

"Idiot…" Bulbasaur interrupted, growling a little. "He pointed with two fingers; a very unusual way to point. They probably have some sort of code that no one else knows!"

"The number one reason why many strategies fail is because the Trainers announce the attacks to both their Pokemon and the enemy," Gary said, acknowledging Bulbasaur's perception. "So by using silent hand signals, the enemy won't know what attack Pikachu is going to use. The only way to figure it out is to pay attention to me, but you really don't want to take your eyes off a quick Pokemon like my Pikachu, do you?" He pointed one finger towards Bulbasaur, and Pikachu's cheeks began to sparkle.

"Pika…CHUUUU!" The Electric type shot out a bolt of lightning, blasting the Grass type. Bulbasaur started to shake as his body became numb, and he crashed to the ground. He struggled a bit, and slowly stood back up.

"Yeah, he definitely likes to hear himself talk," Bulbasaur said with a charred body, looking up towards Vinny.

"He probably practices in front of the mirror!" Vinny said with a grin. Bulbasaur responded with a slight smile, and the two nodded together.

"Just this once, dammit," Bulbasaur said, focusing his attention on the Pikachu. "And don't screw it up this time!"

"Be quiet and focus on the Pikachu," Vinny retorted, focusing on Gary. "I'll keep my eyes on the kid and tell you when he's attacking. You can do your own thing after that!"

"You do your thing and I'll go mine, huh?" Bulbasaur replied to Vinny, still focusing on Pikachu. "I like it…" Gary shivered for a second, looking like he was about to bite his lip.

"They don't get along, so they just accept the fact and still battle together?" He muttered to himself. "Aren't Pokemon and their Trainers supposed to work as one?"

"SCREW THAT!!!" The two replied in unison. Gary pointed one finger, and Pikachu quickly complied.

"One finger, Thundershock!" Vinny cried out the same time Pikachu began to charge up. He fired the bolt of electricity, and Bulbasaur jumped out of the way before the bolt struck where he was standing.

"Doesn't lightning move faster than the speed of sound?" Bulbasaur asked, sending out two vines and smacking the Pikachu just as he powered down his Thundershock attack. Bulbasaur felt a slight tingle go throughout his body as his vines connected, but it didn't slow him down too much. Pikachu rolled back from the blow, then purposely rolling back more to gain balance and stay in motion at the same time. Gary gave a slight groan, and pointed with three fingers.

"Three fingers, it's a new one!" Vinny announced while Pikachu charged towards Bulbasaur. "But he's moving slower than before, meaning…"

"This one's gonna be stronger!" Bulbasaur finished, privately thinking it was scary that he was able to finish this idiot's sentences. He used his vines crossed them in an x-shape. When Pikachu neared him, he placed the cross right in front of the mouse and quickly uncrossed them. Pikachu's feet were caught up in the uncross as he tripped up and fell to his side.

"Pika… Chaaaa…!" He cried out as he tumbled to the ground, right in front of Bulbasaur.

"Grass Knot!" Gary remarked, cursing to himself.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Vinny said with a smirk. "Now, it's time to end this battle, Bulbasaur! Take Down!"

"I thought you weren't going to give me… ah, never mind…" He charged the Pikachu with a vicious ram, knocking the fallen mouse into the air, and subsequently crashing on the ground near Gary.

"Game over!" Vinny replied with a smirk, proud of his victory. Unfortunately, Pikachu stood up right after he said it. "Damn… that spoiled the mood…" Bulbasaur shook off the static electricity he felt from the full force ram, but needed to stay put for awhile. Despite panting in weariness and groaning in pain, Pikachu whirled around to his Trainer and put his front legs out while standing on his hind legs.

"Pikachu… Pi Pi Pi Pi!" Pikachu said, pumping his paw when at each "Pi". Gary shook his head with a serious expression.

"Number four can't be used right now," He simply responded, able to understand what Pikachu was trying to get at. "Right now, we've got to…" He looked into Pikachu's determined eyes, and nodded. "We'll do it, but only at half-strength. You're a little too banged up to do it at full power at this point!" Pikachu gave a little smile, and turned around to face Bulbasaur.

"Looks like they've got an ace up their sleeve!" Vinny said, crouching down to Bulbasaur's level. "Can you move well?" Bulbasaur moved his body around.

"The static electricity over his body keeps numbing me every time I hit him," He said. "But I'm able to move a little right now." He glanced at Vinny, and sighed. "Whatever he's gonna do is probably gonna involve electricity being flung all over the place. You better get away from me before I decide to use you as a shield!" Vinny did so, wanting to make a sarcastic comment on how Bulbasaur didn't want him getting hurt. But he was a little touched on Bulbasaur's feelings.

"Okay, get ready, Pikachu!" Gary cried out. "Attack number four: Volt Tackle!" He pointed out four fingers, completely oblivious to the fact that he just announced his attack. Pikachu got down on all fours, and his entire body was surrounded by a fierce spurts of lightning.

"PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" He cried out, charging right towards Bulbasaur with a massive aura of lightning around him. His fur started to become singed, but he kept on charging.

What the hell… there's no fucking way I can deal with this! Bulbasaur cried out, bracing himself for impact. He waited for the powerful attack to come, closing his eyes. He waited a little bit more, and waited some more…

"Umm… Bulbasaur?" He heard Vinny call out. He opened his eyes to face Vinny, and then spotted the charred Pikachu standing right in front of him, with eyes that were swirling.

"We… still haven't quite got that attack down just yet... And Pikachu ends up shocking himself to the point he faints…" He scratched the back of his head innocently, making Vinny, Bulbasaur, and the entire crowd face-fault. Gary sighed and recalled Pikachu into his Pokeball. It was a good thing they fought behind the Pokemon Center.

"Even so… Looks like…" Vinny began.

"We won!" Bulbasaur cried out in excitement. "Wait… I mean… I won!" Vinny sighed as a response.

"Please, without me focusing on Gary you would have been creamed!" Vinny replied. "We won together!" He placed his hand out for Bulbasaur to shake with his vine or paws or whatever. Bulbasaur stared at it for a second, and something clicked in his head.

"High five!" He said, slapping Vinny's hand with a vicious Vine Whip. "G….g…gyaaaaaaagh! That hurts, dammit!"

"What do you know, looks like you're capable of winning, after all!" He heard a voice say from the crowd. Chad Ian was standing there, sunglasses and all.

"What are you doing here…?" Vinny asked. Chad looked at him as if he was an idiot.

"This is a Pokemon Center, and I'm a Pokemon Trainer," Chad explained. "Try and put two and two together."

"You didn't have to say it like that!" Thomas then said, stepping right past Chad and towards Vinny. "Good job on the win!"

"Please, it was all luck!" Kelsey remarked, stepping into view. "Pikachu was just at too low of a level to use Volt Tackle. The best Electric attack he should know at this level is Thundershock."

"Even so, a win's a win, right?" Derek commented. "Besides, from my point of view, it looked like Vinny and Bulbasaur had the upper hand before the unexpected end. Otherwise, the Pikachu and the kid wouldn't have used such a strong and dangerous move, right?" He looked over towards Gary, and he nodded in agreement.

"My Pikachu's a little on the stubborn side, too," He said with a slight grin.

"What are you guys doing here, anyway?" Vinny then asked.

"Well, Chad called us over here," Kelsey explained.

"I had business here, anyway," Derek added, not sure how the others that Mudkip got beaten down by the cute pet Torchic that lived with him.

"I needed to pick up Growlithe, anyway!" Thomas said. "We were training, and Growlithe got himself hurt again!"

"Flare Blitz?" Vinny asked, a little irked that he somehow got his Pokemon to use such a strong attack. Thomas replied by throwing his hands into the air. Guilty as charged.

"I've brought everyone here because I've a proposition to make," Chad then said, catching everyone's attention. "Everyone come inside, if you will." So Vinny, Bulbasaur, Kelsey, Derek, Thomas, and even Gary followed Chad into the Pokemon Center.

Great… Things have progressed without me… Alli muttered, following the others.

-----------------------

"I'll take care of your Pokemon," Dr. Scar said, grabbing Gary's Pikachu and Derek's Mudkip. Shoving the Pokeballs into his pocket, he suddenly pulled out a tranquilizer gun and shot the male nurse again in the neck once again. He slumped to the ground, and a couple of Chansey casually dragged him off into another room. It seemed they did this often. "Stop slacking off," He said after the guy was tranquilized. Dr. Scar then walked off, Derek and Gary getting back to the crowd. Sitting around a table in the lobby, Chad waited patiently until everyone was there.

"So what's the big deal?" Bulbasaur finally asked.

"Somehow I don't think you're here to give us a congratulatory hug," Vinny said is excessive sarcasm.

"Tempting, but I'll pass," Chad replied, looking over at center of the table. "As for your Pokemon Journey, what exactly are you going to do?" They looked around at each other, then back to Chad.

"I'm going to take the Gym Challenge here, collect the eight Kanto Badges, enter the Kanto Regional Tournament, and qualify for the World Championship…" Thomas said, as if it would be a piece of cake.

"I was going to take a boat over to New Bark Town, and take the Gym Challenge over in the Johto Region," Kelsey said, speaking as if it brought back some past burden.

"I'm not too sure what I want to do just yet, but I'm probably going to take a flight to Hoenn," This was Derek's reply.

"Well… I'd like to go to the Sinnoh Region, but I have my reasons for not going, too…" Alli said, still unsure of her plans.

"Kanto," Vinny simply said, leaning back. He gave Bulbasaur a glance, and he replied by shrugging. He didn't much care where he went, so long as he got to beat around a few Pokemon along the way. Gary didn't speak up. He was just hanging around here, but he was sure the question wasn't aimed at him.

"Have you ever considered of traveling together?" Chad asked, leaning back a little. "As a group?" The others looked around at each other, but Kelsey spoke up afterwards.

"If we're all taking the gym challenge, then we'd have to wait around at the city for several days before everyone can get a gym challenge,"

"And more people means more activity, and activity tends to scare wild Pokemon away. You normally want to catch a full team of Pokemon the first thing and train them as you go on your journey. If going in a group of six or seven you'd be lucky if you filled up your party by the time you get your eighth badge," Gary added.

"Not to mention, that some could also drag us down…" Thomas then commented, much to the shock of everyone else. Thomas wasn't someone who viewed others as "dragging him down".

"They also say that best friends who become roommates normally end up hating each other, but they also say that with marriage, too, so…" Derek added in his piece of advice.

"Random critical comment," Vinny then said, and Kelsey automatically punched his arm.

Alli didn't add anything in. Actually, she wasn't really listening to the whole conversation. She was remembering Ronald saying something about wanting Alli to graduate with all her friends. Then Chad comes and suggests that they travel together, was it a coincidence?

"I wouldn't mind traveling with everyone," Alli spoke up in her normal timid voice. "I know that I'd probably just drag everyone down, but…" She tried to come up with a good reason why, then came up with one. "More people around means a larger variety of Pokemon at our disposal, so whatever dangerous situation comes up, we'd be more likely to overcome it…" Was this the reason why Ronald did what he did? Did he predict some kind of danger…? She took a glance at Bulbasaur. Who were those people that were after him, and why did they attack. Did they escape from jail, or are there more of them? Her head was beginning to spin from all the confusion and thoughts.

She made a valid point and the others nodded in approval.

"Plus, with several Trainers around, you'd never run out of trainers to spar with," Gary added. "I guess that's a benefit of traveling around together,"

"Random compliment," Vinny added, receiving a second and third bruise from Kelsey.

Chad gave off a slight smirk as he looked at all of them, including Gary.

"Ever hear of the Braven Region?"

--------------------

"We all gather today for commemorate the birth of many new Pokemon Trainers…" Levid's voice said, talking as if he was at a funeral. Now that Vinny graduated, he wouldn't get a single bonus for the end of the year. That was probably the last time he'd make a bet with the Dean. His speech was really boring everyone around, and the Dean himself was probably snoring the loudest. After what seemed to be three hours of listening to him talk, about three people gave a polite applaud.

"This cap and gown just doesn't feel right…" Vinny muttered. "And does the tassel go on the left side or right?"

"Stop asking that, already!" Kelsey harshly whispered. "I only walked with you because you're planning on skipping out first thing to go see Czar and Bulbasaur, right? Well, I'm coming with you! My dad brought the camera, and the last thing I want is to have a thousand pictures of me spread throughout the house afterwards!" Vinny nodded as if he understood. Maybe he was just being egotistical, but he would enjoy being reminded of his accomplishment. Then something funny clicked.

"You know, when people see us, a guy and a girl, rushing off alone…" He felt a crushing pain on his foot, and it took every ounce of willpower to prevent himself from screaming.

"Don't get any ideas!" The two of them stood up with their row, and Vinny gimped on the stage of the auditorium to grab his diploma. He was also handed a sealed box. He looked at Kelsey with a confused look and she simply replied by rolling her eyes. Vinny's row went back down to sit to their seats. In the next row were the tall Thomas and short Alli, the height difference definitely noticeable. Soon enough, all fifty-something graduating students had their diploma and boxes.

"Within those boxes you'll find your Pokedex and four Pokeballs," The Dean announced, apparently awake from his slumber. "May I announce that you students are no longer students, but official Pokemon Trainers!" Applause came roaring in, and the graduates threw their hats into the air.

"Good riddance…" Vinny muttered while scratching the itches he was feeling on his head the entire time. Kelsey nodded towards Vinny, and the two headed out. He couldn't wait to tell Czar.

Does seem bad that Ronald didn't make it, though…

-------------------

Stepping back into the car with lunch in hand, Steele muttered a few curses before handing Jones a simple sandwich.

"I don't care what kind of sandwiches they make, waiting an hour just isn't worth it!" Steele muttered.

"You shouldn't talk so loud, you know…" Jones warned quietly.

"I mean, first we get fried on the stupid stakeout, then the target makes us chauffeurs, and then orders us to get the freaking lunch!? I want to know who exactly does he think he is…!" He heard yawning. He looked back to see Ronald sleeping like a baby while lying in the back seat. He gave Jones a confused look.

"Keep quiet…" Ronald moaned. "I'm trying to take a nap…"

"So this is Ronald Frost…" Steele muttered. "If he's really thirteen years old, that would mean he entered CODEF at the age of nine… And at age ten…"

"He became the Vice-Commander… Then disappeared for three years for absolutely no reason at all. Was enrolling in this academy the entire deal?"

"Despite how he looks like when he's awake, he still looks like a little boy when he sleeps…" As a reflex, Ronald grabbed the closest thing he could find, and chucked it right at Steele's face. Thus, a scalding cup of hot coffee broke open precisely on target. After hearing Steele scream in pain, Ronald calmly awoke with a yawn.

"I thought I said I was trying to nap…" He said with a disgruntled tone. He rubbed his bare wrist for a second.

"Is that why you threw a cup of hot coffee at my face!?" Steele yelled out. Ronald scratched his head, trying to recall it.

"Doesn't ring a bell," He answered. "Anyways, what's our current base of operations?"

"Hmm… It looks like there's a great deal of activity going on around in the Braven Region around Central City," Jones said. "But I believe that's just a distraction from another plot,"

"If you ask me, there's a chance something's big about to go down there…" Steele countered. "I think it's at least worth checking out." Ronald nodded, and yawned again.

"How far away is Central City by car?" Ronald finally managed to spill out.

"A couple days, at least," Steele answered, hoping he wasn't suggesting what he thought he was suggesting. "We're not actually going to…"

"I'm afraid of airplanes, I get seasick, and I never get enough sleep on a train," Was all he had to offer. "Oh, I guess I should warn you, my body automatically attacks anybody who talks about me in my sleep. So I'd be quiet when I'm taking my naps." He lied back down, closing his eyes. "Now if I didn't burn your eyes, shut up and drive. If I did, trade with your partner and you can still be quiet." He gave another yawn.

Why I ought to… Even so, Steele wiped the coffee from his face with the sleeve of his jacket, and started the car up. It slowly went in motion, driving away.

"Oh, man… You got some of the coffee on this new shirt of mine, Steele!" Jones quietly exclaimed.

"Bastard…" He muttered under his breath.

--------------------

"Sucks that visiting hours are over…" Vinny cried out, climbing up onto the bed. "I guess I'll let Czar get his rest and tell him the good news!" He pulled the lime green blanket over his body, and hid under it.

"I should have brought a change of clothes…" Kelsey muttered from the bottom bunk of the bed beside his. "This just seems… disgusting!"

"Yeah, Trainers who have been sweating out in the dangers of the wild sleeping on used beds, who knows what kind of diseases or rashes you'll get from sleeping on these sheets…" Gary said from the bunk above hers.

"Please…" Kelsey replied. "I already know that they change the sheets every day…"

"Yeah, but since so many of the employees seem to be the uncoordinated Chansey, I really wonder if they're capable of changing the sheets on the top…" Gary then said. "Of course, I already checked mine, but I'm worried about the other people on the top bunks…"

"Like I'd fall for that…" Vinny replied, rolling his eyes. Wait, they're not serious, are they?

"Then why can I feel the entire bed shivering like a frightened schoolboy?" Bulbasaur mocked from underneath. "Sheesh, you should really be more open to your feelings!"

"I'm not shivering!" Vinny replied, a little too loud. "Besides, the sanitary conditions back home aren't exactly in the best conditions, either! Quite frankly, I've been enjoying the beds here!"

"Dang…" Gary, Bulbasaur, and Kelsey grumbled in unison.

"You're all a bunch of jerks…"

-------------------------

"Sir Manley, we're already nine minutes late," a young woman warned. Manley Davidson was a well-dressed man, well over six feet in height, and tanned skin. His brown hair was kept short, and the scowl on his face made him look like a thug than a company president. Wearing an ash-gray suit he always enjoyed, he took his steps in large strides.

"Thank you, Ms. Crawfish," He said, making sure his clothes didn't have a speck of dust on them. He always people that wore dirty suits. That and he hated people with cluttered desks, and anything asymmetrical. If he cared enough to see a therapist, he would be diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. Manley was a man obsessed with perfection, and having to see a therapist about anything didn't make him perfect. These were his thoughts, at least.

"It's Crawford, sir," The young woman corrected, probably for the thousandth time. Ms. Crawford was five and half feet tall, had a fairly attractive figure, but covered it in the most professional clothing, large glasses, and wore her long blond hair tied back. She was promoted to be Manley's personal assistant through her business skills and professionalism, and she would be damned if she'd continue on otherwise. The clacking of the shoes against the linoleum flooring was the only thing that could be sensed in this dimly lit hallway. She also made sure to make sure her steps were in perfect rhythm, for Manley couldn't stand inconstant footsteps.

"That's what I said," He replied in a demanding tone, and she simply responded by nodding. They were almost to the single door in this long hallway. Manley wondered what kind of efficiency the builders were thinking of designing this section. It was supposed to be a private room, so perhaps the long walk dissuaded visitors from entering? All of a sudden, he began to feel a tingling sensation, and the hair on his neck began to stand up. He looked over towards his assistant, and saw that loose strands of hair were pointing all the way up. "Hmm… I wonder why he's here… I thought he was promoted already…" He said these words with such disdain; Ms. Crawford had to wonder who it was he was talking about. It was the first time she was ever allowed to come with Manley to this Executive meeting, and Manley never talked about his "other" life on the topside.

"Who is coming, if I may ask?" Ms. Crawford decided to ask anyway. Manley gave her a glare, his eyes slightly wide in anger. He simply pointed behind him.

"Him…" He said, giving off a sigh. Crawford turned around to see a young man no older than twenty years of age. His loose blond hair swayed back and forth with each step, and even from this distance, she could tell that his hair was graying so soon. He wore a puffy silver coat, with baggy white sweatpants. What was most noticeable however, was the black infinity symbol on his right cheek, and the red "v" on his left. In an executive meeting, his attire was hardly appropriate, but the carefree smile on his face seemed to make her think he couldn't care less.

"Hiya!" He said cheerfully, completely ignoring the stares at him, and the mood of the hallway. "How's it hanging, Man?" He gave a little nod and smile at him, continued walking.

"What are you doing here, Shiro?" Manley questioned with slight tremor of anger. The person called Shiro either didn't notice it or ignored it.

"Well, you called a meeting, right?" He replied like Manley said something silly. He looked at him for a second and thought he realized something. "Oh, am I too early? I forgot to set back my clock during daylight savings a week ago, and my scheduling's been a little off…" He twitched around as he admitted this, and Ms. Crawford wanted to tell him that daylight savings was several months ago. He noticed Ms. Crawford, and he smiled. "Oh, is this your assistant? You're pretty!" She took a step back and blushed at his sudden blunt comment.

"Shiro lacks… certain people skills," Manley explained. "So you should simply ignore anything outstanding he has to say," Shiro simply nodded as he explained. Ms. Crawford stepped forward and put out her hand.

"I am Ms. Crawford, Sir Manley's assistant. How do you do?" Was how she replied, trying to be as professional as possible. Gin smiled back, but didn't accept the handshake.

"Nothing personal, but if you touched me, you'd die!" He said this with such a carefree manner she thought he was joking, but Manley's grim expression seemed to confirm this.

"What I meant was what are you doing at an OC meeting?" Manley then boomed, getting the conversation back on track. "Weren't you promoted to the IC last month?" Shiro stared blankly at him for a minute, and then blinked a couple of times.

"That's right!" He said, as if it was a revelation. "Well… I feel sort of awkward!" His face turned red for a second, and then he simply laughed it off. "Well, I don't suppose I could sit in and observe, anyway? For old time's sake, pal?"

"We were never 'pals'…" Manley muttered under his breath. "I don't see why not. This is something the IC should be aware of in the least." Manley and Ms. Crawford continued walking down the hallway, and Shiro chuckled to himself. "May I ask what's so funny?"

"If it's is as big as you say it is…" Shiro started with a smirk. "Things may just get a little bit exciting around here!"

----------------------

Vinny: GYAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!

Bulbasaur: What's the big frickin' deal?

Vinny: It's… It's… too horrible to describe!

Kelsey: What, you wake up a rash or something…

???: …Wahwah?

Bulbasaur: …!!!!

Vinny: What did it say…?

Bulbasaur: It said… It said…

Gary: You're taking too long! Next time on Generation V: Farewell, Kanto… Team EVE Takes Flight! Get ready for the Arrival Saga! Miss it at your own risk!

Vinny: You're gonna become a main character, aren't you?

Author's Notes: Just apologizing to everyone, sorry this took so long! I sort of went out of town for a couple weeks, didn't know how to finish up the last two pages, and ended up adding another five to it… Anyways, that's all for the Academy Saga. Next saga will be over twice as long as the this one, so get ready! Besides, I've got a few things to tell you.

I'll give a cookie to the person who can guess which pair the two detectives are based off of. These guys are meant to be there for pure comedy relief reasons, but they'll have their importance later. Whether you liked them or not, expect to see them more, however infrequent their appearances are. For those under the belief that everyone went on their journey in this chapter, I apologize for the misconception. It was truly my plan, but the pages filled up and this is how it went. Anyways, whether the next chapter's a special or not is up to me. I'm starting School again soon, so… so I'll have very little time to work on this story. Plus I want to write another idea for a story of mine, and I want to work on that little by little, too. I get inspired too often…

Anyways, people's levels…

Vinny's Bulbasaur – Level 13 (Level Up!)

Vinny's Heracross – Level 15

Kelsey's Cyndaquil – Lvl 12

Kelsey's Wurmple – Lvl 5

Derek's Mudkip – Lvl 12

Derek's Treecko – Lvl 9

Alli's Shinx – Lvl 12

Alli's Starly – Lvl 3

Thomas's Growlithe – Lvl 12+

Gary's Pikachu – Lvl 10

Chad's Eevee – Lvl… Higher than everyone else is… Just expect that much.

Seeya next chapter!