Sorry for the unexpected delay. Things are getting really hectic and my writing time has become significantly reduced. I'll try and write as much as I can, when I can.

Chapter 6

The teams gathered in the gymnasium as they always did when they were meeting with Domino. They had handed their pokeballs with the Miltank over to men in lab coats and answered several questions about what had happened.

The blonde rocket executive had a disgusted look on her face as she looked at a document with the results of the captures.

Moltres was currently short a member as Cassandra was in the infirmary receiving attention.

"These results are pathetic. I was expecting so much more from you all. So much more." Domino shouted.

"You failed to warn us that there would be complications." Aspen spoke up.

"Like angry, vicious Dodrio." Michel yelled.

"Or rampaging Tauros." Starky complained.

"And the highly trained Ampharos." Rick added.

"Boo hoo, cry me a river, did you expect every single one of your assignments to be cake walks. You're being trained here for the real thing. That farm was nothing compared to missions you will be expected to take on when you're an executive like me." Domino retorted.

"Can we just have the results?" Hershel asked annoyed with how dirty he had become from the pasture.

"Zapdos won, Moltres lost. I'm not even going to go into how pathetic the results are." Domino scoffed.

Zapdos erupted with cheers while Moltres silently blamed each other.

"You said we get a reward, what's our reward?" Giles questioned.

"Moltres, as punishment for coming in last, you will be docked 25% of all rations that we give you. That's food, water, electricity, potions, everything." Domino glared at Moltres.

"That doesn't really answer our question." Mystery noted.

"As your prize Zapdos, you will be receiving the rations we are docking from Moltres. So what they're losing, you will be gaining." Domino explained.

"Not only do we get more stuff, but it weakens our competitors at the same time." Rick laughed.

"We're already under the gun with Cassandra being hurt, now this." Frizza spoke up.

"That's not my problem. You people will have to face the consequences for your loss." Domino responded. "And everyone is going to face the consequences for this pathetic display."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alex questioned.

"When you returned and handed in your pokeballs we questioned each of you individually on what happened in the field." Domino began.

"Oh yeah, the performance evaluations." Willow nodded.

"From Moltres, Comet and Michel. From Articuno Starky and Chase. From Zapdos Rick and Giles. You six have been identified as the reason for team performing so badly. Tomorrow the six of you will be tested and those who fail… Let's just say you don't want to fail." Domino finished before leaving.

XXXXX

"What the hell did you guys say?" Giles demanded to know.

Hershel and Sanus were shell-shocked and had no response. The three had decided to secretly meet at the Star Academy library after the meeting with Domino.

"I didn't say anything bad about you; in fact I didn't say anything bad about anyone." Sanus replied.

"I tore into Rick; I bad mouthed him from here to kingdom come." Hershel admitted.

"Then Rick or Mystery must have called me out as the weak link." Giles theorised.

"Domino was pissed off at the results. I think she's going to take it out on the six of you tomorrow." Sanus warned.

"Yeah, that's what I would do if I was her. Make an example so the others know what to expect if they mess up." Hershel nodded.

"In the case if she asks the rest of the team to pick a person, I can count you guys' right?" Giles asked.

"Off course, this haphazard alliance is my ticket to success." Hershel smirked.

"I gave you my word that I would be throwing my hat in with you and I'll keep it." Sanus replied.

XXXXX

"Those three are gone off somewhere probably discussing tomorrow." Rick sighed as he waited for his toast to get done.

"They think they're so smooth in their alliance." Mystery laughed.

"We're stuck here on the outs." Rick nodded.

"Whatever Domino is going to throw at you tomorrow is going to be hellish." Mystery lamented.

"I'm not scared. I came here prepared for anything. If you guys feel that I was a liability on that assignment then I'm going to use tomorrow to prove that I can be an asset." Rick declared.

"I don't know how they fingered you and Giles as the weak links. I don't remember saying anything negative about anyone." Mystery admitted.

"It was probably in the way they phrased the questions, they made us identify who was the problem without actually saying it." Rick speculated.

"With Domino, that's a real possibility. Anyway, best of luck tomorrow, beat that alliance." Mystery smiled.

XXXXX

"I called for us to withdraw and now everyone thinks I'm a weakness to the team." Michel cursed.

"At the time it seemed like the right thing to do." Frizza empathized.

The two were wandering around the school grounds under the cover of night so as not to be seen.

"I'm screwed; things are not going to work out like this." Michel muttered.

"You're forgetting about Comet, the others must have mentioned how he messed up." Frizza pointed out.

"Domino might not see it that way; he was under no obligation to follow my half baked orders." Michel sighed.

"Things are really going to go downhill tomorrow. I have a feeling we're going to see Domino's full wrath." Frizza gulped.

"My only hope is to somehow throw Comet under the bus." Michel admitted.

"Are you sure? Before this whole thing we were considering letting him in on our plans." Frizza questioned.

"There's no way we'd be able to bring Comet into the fold. He is too independent." Michel mumbled.

"So you're saying that I'm not independent." Frizza questioned.

"Now's not the time for nonsense." Michel scoffed.

XXXXX

Tess and Cinzia went through all the supplies in the kitchen trying to figure out how much of an impact the reduction in their supplies will have on them.

"You know whose fault this thing really is." Comet said entering.

"Yours for not staying in formation." Tess answered.

"I was just about to say the same thing." Cinzia nodded.

"It's Michel's fault." Comet replied.

"I wasn't very pleased with the decision to pull out but he and Frizza were leaving and Cassandra was out. The three of us wouldn't have stood a chance." Tess cursed.

"No, the decision to withdraw was right in the circumstances. Cassandra needed help." Cinzia sighed.

"I agree with you both but you're missing the point. We were forced into that position because Michel tried to be our leader and order us around. If he had just left each of us to do everything on our own we would have been fine." Comet explained.

"When you explain it like that it actually makes sense. Michel has been trying to establish leadership since day one." Tess agreed.

"You're doing a pretty good job of taking the heat of yourself." Cinzia complimented.

"I just want you guys to remember all this tomorrow in case this becomes a problem that needs to be decided by the entire team." Comet said.

"Like a vote at tribal council." Tess laughed.

XXXX

The entire Articuno team met in the lounge area of their dorm. There were no secret meetings, no whispering behind each other's back. The team had come to an understanding during the chaos in the pasture. An unusual but firm bond was formed in that pandemonium.

"I get it, I know why I caused us to lose, I don't have any Pokémon. I love Pokémon but I've never owned any. I'm a thinker not a fighter. Give me a puzzle to solve and I'm your man." Chase lamented.

"If I was a better trainer, Coulomb would have been strong enough to help out more and we would have won." Starky apologized.

"You two are not solely to blame. We handed in more pokeballs then Zapdos, we should have won but unfortunately some of those pokeballs contained Tauros and not Miltank." Alex sighed.

"How do you know that?" Willow asked.

"Alex is a peeping tom who asked me to distract Domino so he could steal a look at the results." Wendy answered.

"Just as long as you're not peeping in the showers." Aspen joked.

"Oh he does." Starky added.

The mood in Articuno temporarily lifted as they all laughed.

"Tomorrow is going to be really messed up." Wendy gritted her teeth.

"This team had just managed to find some kind of harmony and Mew only knows what will happen tomorrow." Willow muttered.

"Domino might get rid of us tomorrow." Starky gulped.

"There's no way she'd get rid of the both of us. In all likelihood, one person from each team might be going." Chase hypothesized.

"Domino likes games, she might make you compete and the loser will have to leave." Aspen added.

"That's one thing, or she could ask us to choose." Alex mumbled.

"I wouldn't know who to pick." Wendy said.

"No offensive but I'd vote off Chase, sorry but no Pokémon." Willow admitted.

"I've still got a lot more to show you guys, my Pokémon are young but you saw Coulomb, Coulomb has so much potential. All my Pokémon do." Starky declared.

"That's nice, what about you Chase. Anything to say in your favour." Wendy asked.

"I have nothing to say, it very much appears that being a skilled Pokémon trainer will play a big role in everything from here out. If it appears that way tomorrow then I won't blame you guys for keeping Starky and getting rid of me." Chase spoke.

"Wow, that's actually pretty noble." Alex mumbled.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, we should all try to keep Articuno intact. I'm willing to bet the other teams aren't this united." Aspen cheered.

XXXXX

The three teams assembled on the track field as instructed by Domino. Comet, Michel, Starky, Chase, Rick and Giles stood in front of their respective teams ready to take on whatever Domino had in store for them.

"Sometimes when you're a member in Team Rocket you're forced to make the hard decisions and bear the consequences of those decisions." Domino explained.

Her words filled the recruits with ominous nerves as they anticipated the worst.

"Each team is going to pick the person you feel should stay, it's that simple. So now, stand by the person you want to stay." Domino explained.

Sanus and Hershel stood alongside Giles while Mystery walked up to Rick. Frizza stood by Michel while Cinzia and Tess joined Comet. Articuno moved in complete sync, Alex, Willow, Wendy, Aspen and even Chase walked to Starky.

"Chase, do you understand what you're doing?" Domino asked.

"These people, we're a team. I can't call them my friends yet but being part of a team means doing what's right for the team. The way things appear to be going, I won't be able to help them much." Chase explained.

"Do you all feel that way about team work?" Domino questioned.

"It was in the middle of the chaos in the pasture. We were able to reach an unspoken understanding that being a team was better than six individuals." Alex answered.

"There's always some strength to be found in unity." Willow said.

"I like those answers. Articuno will remain intact but as for the other teams, you will lose someone." Domino spoke.

"So you're saying all we had to do is have someone willing to leave and everyone stand together and then we could have avoided this whole thing?" Hershel complained.

"There's no way Moltres or us could have pulled that off. None of us would have been willing to walk away." Mystery explained.

"So what's going to happen now?" Michel questioned.

"It's simply, Tess and Cinzia will battle Frizza, Sanus and Hershel will battle Mystery. Whoever wins will get to keep the team member they picked.

"There's no way this can be settle like that? Two on one will be impossible odds." Rick yelled.

Domino was irked by Rick's outburst and it was clearly visible on her face.

"That's just the way it works but I'll make things interesting. Tess and Cinzia will team up with Sanus and Hershel to face Frizza and Mystery." Domino declared as punishment.

XXXXX

Hershel, Sanus, Tess and Cinzia stood across the track field from Mystery and Frizza. Articuno sat in the stands watching the battle unfold while Michel, Comet, Giles and Rick remained on the sidelines of the battle.

Hershel had decided to go with his Scizor while Sanus was with Lucario. Tess and Cinzia went with Rhyhorn and Skarmory respectively.

Frizza had her Mightyena and Mystery choose her Jolteon.

"We'll handle Mystery and you two take on Frizza." Tess suggested.

"That's fine by me." Hershel nodded.

"A more effective strategy would be to attack all at once and just overwhelm them with power." Sanus spoke up.

"The guy wearing the tracksuit it right, we can end this battle quickly and get things over with." Cinzia agreed.

"I'm fine with that, I wanted to enjoy a battle but if you guys want to end this quickly so be it." Tess sighed.

"I guess quick and effortless would be best." Hershel acknowledged.

Domino raised her hand signalling for the battle to begin.

"Rhyhorn, drill run." Tess ordered.

The spikes Pokémon glowed with white energy as it charged. The spiny protrusions on its body glowed brighter than the rest of it as Rhyhorn leapt and began rotating while launching itself like a rocket.

"Torre hit them with iron head." Cinzia shouted.

The armour bird Pokémon flew up into the air and it body became surrounded by a white aura, making it seem black and white, as it dove down.

"Scizor, use X-Scissor." Hershel called out.

The pincer Pokémon's claws glowed green as it crossed its arms and charged.

"Lucario, attack with bone rush." Sanus yelled.

The aura Pokémon ran towards its opponents placing its paws together and spreading them apart, creating a light green bone of energy.

"Sparky, dodge then discharge." Mystery screamed.

"Mightyena, dodge then shadow ball." Frizza ordered.

The spirally Rhyhorn bore down on Jolteon and Mightyena but the lightning and bite Pokémon were able to dodge by separating. Jolteon's cheeks began releasing blue sparks as it prepared to unleash discharge but it was cut off by Skarmory slamming its head into it.

Scizor then sprung upon the shaken Jolteon and slashed in an X-like pattern striking the lightning Pokémon. A black ball formed in Mightyena's mouth. Lucario then closed in on Jolteon preparing to club it. The bite Pokémon closed its mouth over the black ball, releasing the ball at aura Pokémon knocking it away from Jolteon.

"They're concentrating on knocking us off one at a time." Frizza warned.

"I've already picked up on that." Mystery cursed.

"Mightyena, Snarl." Frizza ordered.

Mightyena jumped in front of Jolteon and unleashed a high pitched bark that echoed forward throughout the battle field affecting the opponent Pokémon and causing pain and discomfort.

"Sparky, hit Skarmory with thunderbolt!" Mystery shouted.

Jolteon became surrounded in sparks before releasing a bolt of lightning sky ward at Skarmory. The thunderbolt then changed direction mid air and flew to Rhyhorn which it struck to no effect.

"It appears my lighting rod has saved your Skarmory." Tess boasted.

"Torre, return the favour by using tailwind." Cinzia smirked.

Skarmory glowed bright white as it flapped it wings unleashing powerful winds that washed over Rhyhorn, Lucario and Scizor boosting their speed.

"Rhyhorn, dig." Tess laughed.

The spikes Pokémon then burrowed underground leaving Jolteon and Mightyena clueless.

"Scizor, use metal claw." Hershel commanded.

"Time for close combat." Sanus yelled.

With tailwind boosting their already incredible speed, Lucario and Scizor were on Mightyena and Jolteon in a flash. The aura Pokémon then unleashed a severe series of kicks to Mightyena before brushing past it and punching Jolteon into submission.

The pincer Pokémon the knocked the bite Pokémon to ground with its glowing white claw before slashing Jolteon and knocking it down next to Mightyena.

"You have to get up!" Frizza shouted.

"Come on Sparky!" Mystery screamed.

The ground beneath the two Pokémon erupted as Rhyhorn burst out of the ground delivering the final blow.

Skarmory's beak began to glow while it hovered in the sky. The armour bird Pokémon's beak then started spinning as it activated its drill peck and descended from the sky determined on adding to the two beaten Pokémon's injuries.

Before Skarmory could connect with the attack it was blasted by a powerful cannon of water that came from the side of the field which caused it go crashing into the ground.

"I'm sorry for doing that but the match was already over." Michel said with his Poliwrath in front of him.

"You managed to beat me to the punch." Rick sighed as his Golbat flew above him.

"I guess the match is over, your winners Hershel, Sanus, Tess and Cinzia." Domino announced.

Mystery and Frizza checked up on their Pokémon and were relieved that the injuries were just superficially and would only take a day or two to heal.

The winners then joined the people they were supporting as they recalled their Pokémon.

"You guys fought well, the odds were too heavily stacked up against you guys." Michel lamented as he walked over to Frizza and Mystery.

"Everyone gather in the gymnasium, Moltres and Zapdos are about to lose a member." Domino declared as she walked away.