Marlowe and Isabelle withdrew their Pokémon from the field. Both trainers took a moment to breathe before they chose their next combatant. The fight between Gill and Cacturne had been intense. The match was only halfway over, and the battlefield was already in ruin. Chunks of debris, scorched rock, and large puddles of water dotted the field. The battle was shaping up to be one for the record books.
Scott rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he observed the trainers from his seat in the stands. Marlowe still had his Mightyena, Skarmory, and Tentacruel. While Isabelle was left with her Pelliper, Camperupt, and Ampharos. Given Ampharos' mega evolution, Isabelle was clearly packing more power alongside the majority of type advantages. That being said, Marlowe's team was more proficient at battling. From what Scott had observed, it seemed to him that Isabelle fought with contest like grace and move combinations that had more bark than bite. Her defeat over David came to mind. Isabelle had used a Hurricane Scald combo that created a magnificent steam tornado. It was only effective thanks to the heat from Scald causing a type advantage. When she didn't have a combination lined up, Isabelle would just take her Pokémon's strongest move and use it repeatedly. Exploud's Hyper Voice was a perfect example.
Marlowe and his Pokémon, on the other hand, used moves and combinations solely for the purpose of inflicting as much damage as possible. Raz's Thunder Fang Rain Dance combo or Machina's Tailwind boosted Steel Wing were designed to do one thing and one thing only, eliminate competition. The styles of the two trainers differed greatly, but both somehow managed to make it to the finals. Whose technique would win out? Scott felt a shiver run up his arms. He loved these battles. He lived for these battles. He waited expectantly for the two trainers to continue with their battle.
Meanwhile….
"What do you make this one Cyril?" James pointed his flashlight to the smooth cave wall. Cyril glanced over the symbol etched into the stone. He looked back to the thick, old book he held in his hands.
"Seems it translates loosely to 'stone' or 'jewel'." Replied Cyril as he leafed carefully through the pages. He and James had been spending the majority of their remaining time on the island exploring the vast cave system that stretched underneath it. They were even skipping the championship match in order to get some last minute exploration in.
"So what's that make it so far?" Asked James, scratching his head.
"A star fell from the heavens, carrying a being of light made from stone." Stated Sis the Gardevoir telepathically. "Or something along those lines." Both James and Cyril nodded. James scribbled furiously in his handbook.
"I'm confused." Stated Cyril, closing the translation book. "How can something be made of light and stone at the same time? Maybe it means a jewel that sparkles in the light?"
"I don't think so." Replied James, flipping through his book. "Most of data sources on Deoxys suggest that the Pokemon forms its body around a center piece, like a core. To an ancient bystander, it might have appeared that a stone or jewel formed a body around it in a flashy display using light." James chewed on the end of his pencil. "Or maybe the sorry buggers were just trying to be poetic." Cyril laughed and slid the translation book back into James' backpack.
"Sounds about right. Now, the hour is up, it's my turn." James sighed and pocketed his notebook. He and Cyril were both set on exploring the caves, but for different reasons. James wanted to decipher the runes and symbols left behind in the cave, while Cyril was more interested in the structure of the cave themselves. James was looking for clues to a legendary Pokémon, and Cyril was trying to learn more about the caves themselves. Every hour the two would switch their focus between one another's objective. They both covered more ground that way.
Cyril turned down the cavern and began to walk with the aid of his crutch. James followed closely behind and Sis pulled up the rear. After walking for a bit, Cyril began to speculate aloud. He often did this to help organize his thoughts.
"The cave walls, floor, and ceiling are all equally proportioned curves. They are also nearly perfectly level and smooth, a certain indication of them being a manufactured creation. But the near perfect smoothness and refined look is much too advanced to be of ancient creation. Heck even modern technology would have difficulty replicating this…..and still. The runes covering the walls are certainly hundreds if not thousands of years old."
James listened to Cyril drone on as he followed behind. It was best not to interrupt him when he got like this. He didn't care much for studying the structure of the cave, but as he stared at the walls a faint memory surfaced in his mind. James remembered a battle he had once been a part of. He had been facing off against an unusually powerful wild Pokémon, a Gyarados, if he remembered correctly. The beast had let loose a Hyper Beam that Sis dodged. The beam tore straight through a large boulder, leaving behind small tunnel not unlike the one he and Cyril were currently walking in.
"What if it was a Pokémon?" Asked James absentmindedly.
"And then there's the… sorry what?" Asked Cyril, breaking his stream of dialogue.
"A Pokémon." Restated James. "What if a Pokémon blasted the tunnels into place here? With a move or something?" Cyril stopped in his tracks and swept the flashlight around the edges of the cave. It was well over twelve feet in diameter.
"Well, I suppose it's possible." The trio kept walking. "It would have to be an extraordinary Pokémon."
"I believe 'Legendary' would be more accurate." Observed Sis.
Cyril was about to continue his observations when a slight tremor ran through the caves. The three explorers stopped. The tremor grew to a shake, then a full on quake. After a moment it seemed the entire tunnel was being wracked violently. Suddenly the right wall exploded in a shower of rubble and dust. Sis grabbed James and Cyril using her powers and slung them backward. A tunneling drill the size of a small bus burst out of the right wall and plowed into the left wall. The high pitched whine of the drill ripped through the cave. Debris flew as the tank-like device bore through the left wall in a matter of seconds. As it disappeared into the wall the shaking quelled and in a moment all was still.
"Bloody hell." Coughed James as he sat up. "What was that?"
Meanwhile x2…
David had elected to skip the championship match as well. The young analytic was holed up in his hotel room, running some data. He hadn't gotten much sleep since his loss. His mind constantly flooded with memories of the battle. The best way to cope was to get all the info out of his mind and onto his computer. In between refining his strategies, David had been fiddling with the Team Aqua radio he had picked up earlier in the week. At the moment he was trying to find a way to tap the radio frequency. The skeleton of the Aqua radio was connected to his laptop with a series of cords. He still hadn't gotten the darn thing to work. Had been at it for hours but had nothing to show for it besides stiff fingers and a crick in his neck.
David sighed and rubbed his eyes as he set his computer on the coffee table. The boy stood up and stretched. An ungodly cracking sound rippled through his back. David turned and opened the curtains on the window door that led to the balcony. He blinked and squinted as the room was flooded with natural light. At about that moment David heard the sound of the doorknob being jostled. Turning, David eyed the door. Sure enough, the small golden handle was wriggling up and down. There was a pause, then a light ticking sound began to emanate from the handle. David watched as the lock slowly began to turn.
David began to panic. It was Team Aqua for sure! They had tracked him somehow! Maybe through the hand radio? They knew he stole it and now they were here for him! He needed to defend himself! David scrambled for his backpack as the lock slowly turned ever farther. In a frenzy David grabbed a random Pokeball and clicked the button in the middle to enlarge it. He faced the door, hand shaking as the lock turned with one final loud click. The door swung open and….
In stepped a pink haired boy followed by an annoyed looking Bayleef.
"You!?" Yelled David, incredulous. His arm dropped as he shrunk the Pokeball. "What the blazes Neil! Where do you get off breaking into another person's room!? You darn near gave me a heart attack! I swear on all that is holy if you don't…." David continued to rant angrily as Neil squinted and tapped a finger against his lips. Neil turned to his Bayleef.
"I don't think this is our room, Bayleef." He stated confidently. Bayleef gave him a look that said, 'ya think?'. David didn't even hear Neil's comment as he continued to rage.
"Why did you pick the lock!?" Yelled David.
"Well I lost the key to my room and-"
"This isn't your room!" Interrupted David.
"Yes I know that, now." Replied Neil. The two stared at each other for a moment.
"….Well?" Asked David impatiently.
"Well what?"
"Well leave!" He David.
"Oh, yeah sure." Neil turned back to the door as David rubbed his tired eyes. He didn't mean to sound so angry, but he really wasn't in a very good mood. David lifted his head as he heard a loud slumping sound. Like somebody had dropped a bag of books. Neil was lying face down on the floor in front of the door, snoring softly. His Bayleef sighed and sat down next to him, waiting for him to wake up. David took a deep breath, looked to the ceiling, and walked out onto the balcony of his room. He needed a moment.
David spent a few minutes calming himself with the fresh air and sunlight of the balcony. When he was ready to deal with Neil, he walked back into the room. He instantly began furious again. Neil was seated on the couch, chicken pecking at his computer. David was about to start yelling again, but then something amazing happened. Neil turned a knob on the radio and the device sprung to life. Gruff radio chatter began to blast out of the speakers on David's laptop. Neil pulled a face and turned the knob farther. The voices cut out.
"What are you doing?!" Asked David.
"Trying to find my favorite radio station, but this setup you got here is trippy." Replied Neil as he fiddled with the radio some more.
"Go back, you had the right frequency!" David quickly took a seat next to Neil, his anger gone.
"What? No, that was some old guy talk show or something." Replied Neil, oblivious. David knocked Neil's hands away and turned the knob back like he had done. The voices returned to his laptop. Excitedly David plugged in his headphones and stroked a few keys on his laptop to reduce the fuzziness. He put in his headphones and listened intently. Neil looked annoyed, but waited patiently.
David's face became increasingly grave as he continued to listen to the radio chatter. After a few minutes he pulled out his headphones closed his laptop hurriedly. Neil watched as David stormed around the room, gathering a few of his things and stuffing them into his backpack. The last thing he put in was his laptop, along with the hacked radio.
"We need to go, now." Said David seriously.
"Why?" Asked Neil.
"People and in danger and we may be the only one who know."
"What are you talking about?" Neil caught on to the grave tone of David's voice. David huffed impatiently.
"I will brief you on the way, but we need to move." Neil and Bayleef followed David out the door.
Back at the arena…
Marlowe and Isabelle stared each other down, Pokeball in hand. The crowd was chanting for the match to pick back up. The announcer dabbed sweat from his forehead.
"An intense first half folks, but the battle is not yet won! Let's decide once and for all who the champion is!" Goaded the announcer. In response, both Marlowe and Isabelle raised their arms to throw. Before they could complete the motion, however, a slight tremor ran through the ground. Marlowe and Isabelle were the first to notice. Both the trainers knew small quakes were common in Hoenn and didn't pay it much mind. As the quake grew in force, however, they, along with the rest of the crowd, began to worry. Cries of alarm rang through the stadium as the entire battlefield shook.
All of a sudden the screeching whine of a high powered drill tore through the arena as a silver cone broke through the earth next to the battlefield. A tank-like drill surfaced next to the stage beside the battlefield. Marlowe and Isabelle struggled to keep their balance as the tremor reached its peak, and then quickly quelled. Scott stood up from his seat in the crowd and whipped out a small walkie-talkie. He began to talk into it urgently.
The drill didn't even pause after it surfaced. The machine steamrolled up next to the stage and stopped on a dime. A hatch on top of the drill flipped open and a burly looking man clad in a stripped blue shirt climbed out. He wore a navy bandana that bore the symbol of Team Aqua. Without hesitation the man jumped onto the stage, snagged the case containing the Arch Stone, and returned to his drill. Stadium officials stormed the stage just as the man closed the lid on the drill. The maneuver was complete in less than twelve seconds.
The drill fired back up with a piercing whine and began to bore into the ground in front of it. The vicious tremor it created wracked the arena. It began to descend into the earth with alarming speed. In a matter of seconds the drill's rear end disappeared into the ground. Marlowe and Isabelle once again struggled with their balance as the quake slowly faded. The stadium was quiet for just a moment, then exploded into chaos.
The crowd frenzied. Somebody had just stolen the Arch Stone! Officials attempted to restrain the crowd as Scott raced onto the field. Marlowe and Isabelle got off the battlefield and followed Scott to the stage. The three of them stood staring at the two massive, gaping holes that the drill had created.
"Wha- I mean who." Panted Isabelle, flabbergasted.
"Team Aqua." Stated Scott, his face the picture of rage. Marlowe clenched his fist when he saw Scott's eyes cut in his direction.
"Got something to say, buddy." Asked Marlowe. The coldness in his voice surprised Isabelle. Scott and Marlowe stared at each other for a moment. Scott raised his finger.
"I know you-" He started. Marlowe cut him off.
"Yeah, Yeah! Alright! I used to be part of Team Aqua!" Spat Marlowe. Isabelle gasped and covered her mouth. This was all news to her. Marlowe ground his teeth. "But don't you think for a second I was a part of this! I swore them off a long-"
"You think I don't already know that!" Snapped Scott. The short pudgy man adjusted his glasses and frowned at Marlowe. Now it was Marlowe who was shocked. "You think I'd let you participate this far in the tournament if I thought for a second you were in any way affiliated with Aqua?!" Marlowe and Isabelle were quiet.
"Look." Sighed Scott. "The truth was I had you blacklisted from the very beginning. You, and several other participants that I knew were Team Aqua members, or at least had a connection with them." Scott laughed harshly. "The thing was, none of the Aqua members on the list even made it past the pre-lim's. None of course, but you." Marlowe crossed his arms and sniffed.
"So I ordered my boys to do a little digging on you, Marlowe. They quickly realized you had abandoned Aqua a long time ago, but just to be safe I ordered one of them to tail you. When he reported to me about your encounter with that Blaze child. After he told me about the conversation you had with the boy I was convinced I could trust you."
"….So what do you want me to do?" Asked Marlowe.
"I want you to help me stop them. Help me get my Arch Stone back." Scott looked between Isabelle and Marlowe. "How about it?"
"Of course." Said Isabelle quickly. The prospect of going up against criminals terrified her, but she was ready to face whatever came her way. Marlowe hesitated. He hated having anything to do with Team Aqua. Even if he was standing on the opposite side. He saw the desperation in Scott's eyes, however. Marlowe gave in.
"This was a textbook snatch'n'dash. Get in, get the goods, and get out. The only chance we have of getting your rock back is finding it before it leaves the island. If we don't get it before then you can kiss it goodbye. Nobody catches Team Aqua once they get in the water."
"My men are already swarming the island. If they surface we'll find them." Stated Scott.
"What if they don't surface?" Asked Isabelle. The two men were quiet.
Suddenly there came a rumbling from within the hole the drill first broke out of. It was a deep, pounding sound that grew in intensity. Scott, Marlowe, and Isabelle stepped away from the hole as a Tyranitar climbed out from within it. Marlowe and Isabelle instinctively reached for their Pokeballs. Before they could act, however, James' head popped up over the Tyranitar's shoulder.
"So this is where it went, eh?" He said curiously. Cyril's head appeared over the other shoulder.
"We're at the arena?"
"It would seem that way." Observed Sis, rising out of the hole.
"Cyril, James, perfect timing, get down here!" Called Scott. Tyranitar helped Cyril and James off his back. Cyril withdrew the massive Pokémon as he steadied himself with his crutch.
"What were you two doing down there?" Asked Isabelle.
"Exploring the cave systems." Explained James. "We darn near got flattened by that drill thing and decided to follow it. We intended to give whoever it was tearing up the ruins a piece of our mind." James looked around at the chaotic stadium. "Never imagined it'd come out here, though."
"It was Team Aqua." Said Scott quickly. "They've stolen the Arch Stone and disappeared back underground."
"Stolen the Acrh Stone?!" Asked James frantically.
"Team Aqua?" Wondered Cyril aloud.
"A band of criminal fanatic's hell bent of seeing the world shaped to their own sick vision." Marlowe said harshly.
"We need to find them A.S.A.P." Iterated Scott. "You two know the cave system right? Can you help us?" James and Cyril exchanged a glance.
"We've got a decent amount of it mapped out." Said Cyril.
"But we'd need to know where their destination is first." Finished James. Scott's face fell and he began to chew his thumbnail. Scott was about to order everyone to split up underground when a second duo appeared on the scene. David, with Neil in tow, had just made it to the stadium. Red faced and out of breath, David approached the group. He wasn't cut out for running so much. David had a million things to say, but no energy to say it with. He doubled over on his knees to catch his breath. Neil walked up next to him a bit sweaty but otherwise unaffected by the run.
"Hi guys." Neil said cheerily with a smile. The intensity of the atmosphere was lost on him. The two boys had the group's attention. David tugged on Neil's sleeve, still out of breath. "What?" Asked Neil. David indicated with his hand to the group. He had told Neil all about what he heard over the Aqua radio. "Oh yeah, guys!" Said Neil suddenly. "Team Aqua, whoever that is, plans to steal the Arche Stone!" David ran a hand over his face and motioned for Neil to go on. "And they are headed for the underground lake, wherever that is." David gave Neil a thumbs up and continued to suck air. James grabbed Cyril's shoulder.
"We know where that is! It's our entry point to the caves!"
"But we'll never beat that drill there on foot." Said Cyril. There was a sound of a Pokeball opening and the group turned towards the sound. Marlowe was on the back of his Skarmory, Machina. Her steel feathers glinted in the sunlight.
"Machina can carry myself and one other." He said resolutely. Isabelle tossed out a ball and drew out her Pelliper. The large bird Pokémon wheeled in the air before settling next to Isabelle.
"I'm coming too." She said. "Who knows how many of them there will be." Cyril stepped up next. With a flick of his wrist he brought out his Arcanine onto the field. Arcanine wagged his tail happily at the sight of the large group.
"James you go with Marlowe, Arcanine can carry me through the tunnels. With luck at least one of us will catch up to them." Even with his bad leg Cyril was able to easily mount the boisterous Arcanine. Isabelle followed suit and got onto Pellipers back.
"Don't worry Scott." Said Marlowe from atop Skarmory. "We'll get the stone back." Scott didn't doubt him.
"Watch yourselves, and thank you." He replied. With a flap of her wings Machina shot off into the air. Pelliper was a bit slower on the takeoff, but she and Isabelle were airborne a moment later. Cyril grabbed a hold of Arcanine's mane and lightly rapped him on the shoulder. Arcanine reared like a stallion and bolted down the tunnels. His footsteps echoed off the cavern walls. James was left standing next to Scott.
"Hey, what about me!?" He yelled after Marlowe. James squinted up into the sunlight. He had already lost sight of them.
"Brace Yourself." Said Sis through her telepathy.
"Huh?" James heard a screech behind him accompanied by a rush of wind. Before he could turn around his shoulders were squeezed in a vice-like grip. James was whipped into the air, hoisted by Machina's massive talons. James' cries of protest fell on deaf ears as he and Marlowe soared back up into the air. Sis sighed and began to teleport along the ground. She would be able to keep up so long as she paced herself. Despite himself, Scott chuckled. He turned to the remaining two trainers.
"Thanks for the help boys, er, um, where's Neil?" Scott turned to see that David was standing alone next to him. The red faced boy was still short of breath and waved his hand as if to say 'don't know don't care'. Scott glanced around but didn't see Neil anywhere. Eh, he was probably fine, Scott had bigger problems to deal with. He strode off to his main office, walkie-talkie in hand. David stumbled along behind him.
Meanwhile, at the harbor….
Jean Roberts was up to his usual mischief. Once again Jean was seeking targets for pranking using his patented confetti tubes. Jean sat on the boardwalk facing the harbor, confetti tube in hand. He was going solo today, his Pokémon safely tucked away in their Pokeballs. Jean was down to his last couple tubes so he was choosing his targets carefully. He scanned the crowd.
"No, no, no. To big, to small, to….weird. Hmmm, ah! Perfect." Jean got a wicked grin on his face as Mary Anne Mathews walked into view. Mary Anne's snobby attitude had been getting on Jean's nerves since day one. This was going to be good. Jean slipped into the crowd and hurriedly walked up behind Mary Anne. Taking a hard step forward Jean "accidentally" bumped into her. In the confusion of the collision Jean slipped one of his tubes into Mary Anne' purse.
"Gah! Watch where you're going you simpleton!" Mary Anne yelled, instantly enraged.
"My apologies." Said Jean with mock sincerity. "Please do excuse my clumsiness." As he turned to leave Jean felt a hand grasp his shoulder. Surprised, Jean looked back to see a familiar, trench coat wearing man. Jean gulped. It was the guy who had taken off with one of his confetti tubes earlier in the week. He probably opened it and was back for some revenge. For some reason the man had grabbed Mary Anne's shoulder as well. He stared intensely at Jean, dark circles under his eyes.
"Oh hey, b-buddy." Stuttered Jean.
"Unhand me you ruffia-" Mary Anne was cut off.
"Not here." Whispered the manm cutting his eyes around. "Come with me." The man forcefully led Jean and Mary Anne to the end of one of the docks where they were alone. "It's time, Team Aqua has made their move. We need to close in." The man released the two trainers and fiddled with some buttons on his watch.
"Look man if this is about that tube I can-"
"Yes, and excellent method of covert communication. I was surprised to find another agent on the island." Said the man, cutting in.
"Agent?!" Yelled Mary Anne.
"Ah yes, they call me The Looker. Your friend here unmasked my identity days ago."
"Unmasked?" Asked Jean, bewildered. "All I did was give you a confetti tube."
"Yes, and a perfectly executed 31-TF I must say. You must have worked years to perfect it. I saw you use the same communication maneuver on this lady so you too must be on this mission together!" The man turned to the water as it began to bubble next to the dock. Jean and Mary Anne exchanged a baffled look as a small brown submarine surfaced next to them. The top hatch opened up automatically. The Looker once again grabbed a hold of Jean and Mary Anne.
"No time to lose, let's move." Despite his lanky build, The Looker had a strong grip. In a moment both the trainers were virtually thrown into the sub. The Looker jumped in after them and the sub began to submerge. It was underwater in a matter of seconds.
Back underground Cyril was making good time through the tunnels. He had to pause several times at intersection in order to get his bearings, but with his knowledge of the system and Arcanine's speed he was certain he could reach the lake in time. As Arcanine rounded a particularly sharp corner Cyril had to tighten his grip in order not to be flung off. It was at that moment Cyril felt a pair of arms wrap around his stomach from behind. Startled Cyril looked to see what had grabbed him.
"Neil!?" He yelled over the sound of Arcanine's pounding feet. The pink haired boy had somehow managed to tag along without Cyril noticing. "What are you doing?!" Neil stared back at Cyril with his bright, wide eyes.
"Going to the lake." He said, as though he were talking about a pleasant day trip. "It's what everyone else was doing, I didn't want to be left out." Cyril sighed and returned his focus to the path. It was too late to turn around and he couldn't just leave Neil in the tunnels. Looks like he had a companion for the ride.
High above Cyril and Neil, James Wilson Jr. was fluctuating between amazement and sheer terror. Amazed at getting a birds eye view of the island, terrified that he was dangling from the talons of a giant steel bird. Isabelle glided up next to James on the back of her Pelliper.
"How are you doing!" She yelled over the wind. James forced a cheesy smile.
"Oh I'm just peachy!" He replied. Isabelle smile sympathetically.
"Are we close yet James?" Marlowe yelled down. James peered at the canopy of trees whipping by below his feet. The sight made him a bit queasy every time he looked.
"We're headed the right way." James could just make out the thin path Cyril's Tyranitar had trampled for them on their trips to the lake. Following the trail with his eyes James spotted a clearing in the distance. "There!" He yelled joyfully. "Haha! There she is!" Marlowe traced James' line of sight and spotted the clearing. He steered Machina in a beeline for the area. In a minute the three trainers were wheeling over the clearing. James pointed to the small opening in the middle of the field.
"That's where we drop in! There's a huge cavern just beneath the entrance!" Yelled James. Marlowe nodded.
"Hand on!" He yelled.
"To what!?" Retorted James. James let out a panicked cry as Machina made a dive for the entrance. The ground rushed upward at alarming speed and James was certain he was going to die. He closed his eyes and braced for impact. Miraculously, James did not die. Machina had tucked in her wings and pulled James in closer at the last second. James opened his eyes when he heard the familiar echoed sounds of the underground lake. Machina wheeled in circles in the top of the cavern. Each beat of her wings send fresh echoes dancing along the water. Isabelle and Pelliper dove in a moment later.
"O-Over there." Said James, regaining his composure. "There's a landing and an entrance to the tunnels." Machina flew over to the far wall of the cavern and set down where James had specified. The hole in the top of the cavern provided just enough light for the group to see. James was the first one to touch ground. As soon as his feet hit James collapsed and rolled over on his back. Machina landed right next to him. Isabelle and Pelliper alighted on his other side.
"Bloody hell, okay. Let's agree to never do that again." Sighed James. Marlowe and Isabelle laughed as they dismounted their Pokémon
"Ace job Machina, take a break." Marlowe said quietly as he withdrew his Skarmory.
"You too Pelliper, thanks for the help." Echoed Isabelle. James got to his feet as Pelliper returned to her Pokeball.
"So, did we make it in time?" Asked James.
"Yes, Team Aqua has not yet arrived." Sis emerged from the shadows near the wall, speaking telepathically so that everyone could hear. "Though I expect they'll be here any moment." Sis' appearance seemed to startle everyone but James. Before anyone could respond, there came a low rumbling sound from within the tunnel entrance. The three trainers turned towards the sound and braced for the worst. The rumbling rose into a pounding beat, reaching its climax. Arcanine leapt through the entrance, Cyril and Neil on his back. The trainers relaxed as the fire dog trotted up to them, panting heavily. Cyril carefully climbed off of his Pokémon and leaned on his crutch. There was lying face down on Arcanine's back and slowly slid of the side. He fell to the ground with a thud and a cry of alarm. Apparently, he had fallen asleep. Not missing a beat, Cyril withdrew Arcanine and approached the group. Neil, now wide awake, stumbled up behind him.
"Are we too late?" Cyril asked worriedly.
"No." Replied Isabelle. "The drill isn't here yet, thankfully." No sooner had the words left her mouth, a familiar tremor ran through the ground. Dust shook off the cavern walls and ripples ran through the crystal clear lake as the tremor increased in magnitude. The trainers all stepped away from the walls in anticipation. The drill burst through the wall next to the original entrance and rolled out into the clearing. The shrill whine of the drill quickly died as the machine shut down. The hatch on the top of the drill flew open and two Team Aqua members jumped down to the ground. The two men were nearly identical. Everything about them was the same. Their looks, their stature, their gait, even their dress was almost completely the same. Both men wore standard Team Aqua outfits along with blue bandanas on their heads.
"The Apollo twins." Muttered Marlowe through gritted teeth.
"Friends of yours?" Isabelle asked sarcastically. The twins stood shoulder to shoulder, malicious grins on their faces.
"What do we have here brother?" Asked the first twin.
"A group of lost lambs?" Offered the second. "Run along little sheep, don't want you getting your wool ruffled, do we now?"
"Pretty big talk for some guys outnumbered five to two." Said Cyril.
"An excellent point the crippled one makes brother." Said the first.
"Yes, indeed, let's even those odds." Replied the second. The second twin tapped in a code on his wristwatch and immediately the water next to the landing's edge began to broil. A large blue submarine emerged from the depths of the lake and nestled up to the shore.
"We were planning on escaping quickly to the ocean through this lake, but seeing as how you made it a point to confront us…" The hatch on top of the submarine opened and no less than five Aqua grunts flooded out of sub. "We might as well stay and play a bit."
Marlowe and Isabelle faced the Apollo twins while Neil, Cyril, and James stood at their backs, squaring off against the five grunts. The twins laughed maniacally. As Sis floated over in front of James, the other four trainers silently reached for their Pokeball's. Normally, the trainers would be excited at the prospect of a battle, but this was different. This wasn't just some match. The trainers were going to be battling for their safety and the safety of their Pokémon. This could potentially get very messy.
"Let's go Crobat!"
"Let's go Mightyena!" The Apollo twins called in unison as they threw out their Pokeballs. The Mightyena snarled and lowered his head as he materialized onto the landing. The Cobat let out a high pitched cry and darted back and forth overhead. He was moving so fast it was difficult to track him.
Marlowe had heard about the Apollo twins during his time in Team Aqua, but thankfully had never met them face to face. They were known for their proficiency at hit and run tactics, but when put in a corner they were also a fierce double battle team. If memory served, these were their only Pokémon that they used to battle with. Marlowe and Isabelle just had to last one match. But what about the others, they were outnumbered five to three. Marlowe couldn't take his eyes off the twins to check. His worry lessened a bit, however, when he heard the sound of two Pokeball's opening.
"Come on Bayleef!" Yelled Neil.
"Let's do this, Tyranitar." Called Cyril. The cries of alarm from the grunts and the floor shaking stomp of Tyranitar let Marlowe know that he needn't worry. Marlowe glanced at Isabelle. She looked a bit pale.
"You up for this?" He asked quietly. Isabelle took a deep breath and nodded. The two trainers threw out their Pokeballs.
"Raz, I choose you!"
"We can do this, come on out Ampharos!"
Raz the Mightyena and Isabelle's Ampharos materialized next to each other. Raz instantly locked on to the opposing Mightyena. He lowered his head and growled. Ampharos flicked his head back and forth, tracking the movements of the Crobat. Isabelle was unsure of what would happen next. This was no regulated match, there were no rules and she wasn't about to expect the Apollo twins to show any sort of trainer to trainer courtesy. Before she had too much time to worry, however, the battle started.
"Crunch, on the Ampharos!" Yelled the first twin.
"Follow with Cross Poison!" Called the second. Mightyena bolted towards Ampharos, sinking his teeth into the electric Pokemon's leg. Ampharos cried out in pain and reared back to smack Mightyena away. Just as he did, Crobat swooped in from above and slashed fiercely at the back of Ampharos's head with poisoned claws. Isabelle was at a loss.
"No! S-stop!"
"Raz get in there with Thunder Fang!" Yelled Marlowe. Raz snapped his jaws as they crackled with energy. He leapt at the back of Mightyena and clamped down on the nape of his neck. Mightyena went rigid. With a twist and a roll Raz flipped Mightyena off of Ampharos and sent him sliding across the floor. Ampharos let out a cry and sent a random wave of electricity flying upward. Crobat retreated to safety as the wave washed over him. Isabelle gritted her teeth.
"Ampharos, Discha-"
"No!" Marlowe cut in. "Use a move like that here and you'll fry the lot of us!" Isabelle faltered. The Apollo twins took action.
"Repeat moves, on Raz!" They called in unison. Mightyena lepat on Raz, fangs bared. The two dog Pokémon became a tangle of fur and fangs as they wrestled on the ground. Raz's red Focus Band stood out against the black and white whirlwind of fur. Crobat swooped in at every opportunity he got to slash at Raz. Raz snarled fiercely as he fought but Marlowe knew he wouldn't last long like this. Isabelle gritted her teeth.
"Signal Beam on Mightyena!" She ordered. Ampharos took careful aim and fired at the first opening. A red and green beam spiraled out of the orb on his head and scored a direct hit on Mightyena. Mighyena flew off of Raz and landed on his side, he was slow to get up. Ampharos turned the beam upward and managed to clip Crobat's wing as he retreated. Raz got to his feet looking worse for wear and panting heavily.
"Target the Ampharos Crobat!" Called the second twin. Crobat swooped down from the ceiling at blistering speed as raked his poisoned claws over Amparos' head.
"Thunderpunch!" Countered Isabelle. Ampharos coated his arm in electricity and swung at Crobat. He missed. Crobat came back down. Ampharos swung. Missed again. He got a slash to the cheek. This pattern continued as Mightyena finally got to his feet.
"Fire Fang on Raz!" Ordered the first twin.
"Raz, get that Crobat!" Called Marlowe. Raz snapped his jaws once more and his mouth filled with electricity. He sprinted for Ampharos. Behind him, Mightyena let out a wild bark and chased after him, his fangs glowing red hot. Isabelle saw an opportunity. She waited until Raz was only a step away from Ampharos.
"Ampharos, switch target!" She cried. Raz jumped, Ampharos turned. Using Ampharos like a springboard, Raz launched himself skyward, mouth agape. The sudden change in direct took Crobat by surprise and Raz clamped his electrified jaws around the bat Pokemon's right wing. At the same time, Ampharos threw a lightning powered roundhouse at the place where Raz had just been. Mightyena had been so focused on tailing Raz that he didn't see the punch coming until it was too late. Ampharos' fist slammed into Mightyena's side, plowing him into the ground. A split second later Raz returned to the ground. He gave Crobat a vicious shake before slinging him towards the twins. Neither Mightyena nor Crobat were able to lift themselves off the ground. The Apollo twins were shocked to have the tables turned on them so suddenly. They quickly withdrew their Pokémon. Marlowe approached the twins with Raz at his side.
"The stone. Now." He demanded. Raz bared his fangs and growled. The twins glanced at each other.
"I think it's time to go brother." Said the first.
"Yes, indeed." Agreed the second. The first twin fiddled with some buttons on his watch while the second drew out another Pokeball. Before Marlowe could react the Pokeball cracked open and a Koffing appeared in the air between the twins and Marlowe. "Smokescreen!" Commanded the second twin. Koffing flexed his body and filled the air with thick, black gas. Marlowe lunged at the twins and missed. He immediately lost his bearings. The smoke spread all the way to the edge of the lake, encompassing Cyril, Neil, James, and the grunts. Suddenly a bright red light cut through the smog and Marlowe heard a voice calling to him.
"Marlowe, this way!" Cried Isabelle. Marlowe grabbed the nape of Raz's neck and found his way to the source of the light. It was Ampharos, the red orb atop his head shining like a beacon. Despite the light, Marlowe could just make out the silhouette of Isabelle. "What do we do?" She asked. Marlowe was trying to formulate a plan when the smog suddenly lifted and dispersed, chased away by a pink energy. Sis dropped her arms as the last of the smog faded.
"Ah, thanks Sis." Said James. Sis nodded.
"Where's the stone?" Asked Cyril, looking around. The twins and the grunts were gone, only the trainers were left on the landing.
"You mean that one?" Asked Neil, pointing to the lake. The group collectively turned towards the lake to see the twins standing triumphantly in the hatch of a large blue submarine. The first twin held the Arch Stone in his hand, flaunting it about like a trophy of war.
"So long suckers!" The twins yelled smugly. "No one catches Team Aqua in the water, no one!" The sub began to drift off of shore and it appeared as though the twins were going to get away. Then something happened that nobody expected. A second submarine surfaced in the middle of the lake. It was a small, brown submarine that was racing towards the shore at alarming speed. After a moment it became abundantly clear that the sub had no intentions of stopping or even slowing its rapid approach. The sub slammed into the side of the Aqua sub with a terrific crash. The cries of the Apollo twins mingled with the screech of tearing metal as the Aqua sub was driven onto shore. The twins were flung bodily out of the sub and landed on the shore in a pile. The small brown sub whined to a stop, lodged in the side of the Aqua sub. The hatch atop the brown sub flew open.
"I told you I don't know how to drive a submarine!" Came the echoed voice of a young man.
"Nonsense, all spies are trained to operate any vehicle!" Replied a masculine voice.
"We are not spies you daft imbecile! How many times must we tell you that!" Screeched the voice of a young woman. The three voices continued to argue within the small sub as the trainers on the island circled around the Apollo twins. Most everyone was utterly confused about what had just occurred, but they could work out the details later. Marlowe stepped forward and snatched the Arch Stone out of the hand of the first twin.
"Game over." He said, pocketing the priceless rock. "Let's get out of here."
Epilogue
Marlowe, Isabelle, the other trainers, and one tragically misinformed spy rounded up the Aqua members and led them to the surface. Afterward, they were handed over to the authorities. The Arch Stone was returned to Scott, who was overjoyed to have it back in his possession. The championship round of the tournament had to be postponed indefinitely due to damage to the stadium and general panic of the populous. Though delighted in the return of his stone, Scott was furious and dismayed at the fact that he would not be able to award it to anyone. He was even more upset, however, that he did not get to see the end of Marlow and Isabelle's battle. He would only ever be able to speculate as to who would be the victor.
While a champion for the first annual Arche Town Pokémon Tournament was never crowned, the finalists of the tournament did not leave empty handed. Marlowe, Isabelle, Cyril, Mary Anne, Jean, David, and Neil all received hefty sums of reward money for capturing the Team Aqua thieves. The trainers all departed the next day, going their separate ways and continuing on their individual journeys.
Jean Roberts decided to remain in Hoenn for a while longer. The warm climate and vacation like atmosphere lured him to the mainland. He intended to stay for a while to train his team, explore the region, and prank the locals. Unbeknownst to him, Jean would be tailed by a certain spy who was convinced Jean was supposed to aid him in the downfall of Team Aqua.
David also elected to remain in Hoenn, though for different reasons than Jean. David intended to do some island hopping, participating in all of Scott's world renowned battle facilities. Perhaps he could pick up some new tactics and strategies that would take his team to the next level. Anything to make his team the best it could be.
Mary Anne Mathews had seen enough of Hoenn in her short time spent in the region. She was convinced Hoenn was a land of classless partiers that didn't know how to treat a lady. Mary Anne thought it a shame that such a beautiful region should be home to such ruffians. She was on the next boat back to Unova.
Neil Bito was going home as well. He was tired. It seemed that wherever he went he always got mixed up in some sort of crazy ordeal. It's astounding that a boy could find as much trouble as Neil did without ever looking for, well, anything. Neil was excited to get home and tell his big sister Whitney about all that had happened to him while he was in Hoenn.
Cyril Leblanc was headed to the opposite end of Hoenn. While rummaging through the Arch Town library Cyril had stumbled across some information on an interesting cave system. It was a cave system located on the west side of Hoenn called Meteor Falls. Cyril was eager to get over there and start spelunking the famous caves.
James Wilson Jr. had decided that searching for clues to Deoxys on Scott's island was a dead end. After a short conversation with the pudgy man, however, James had a new heading. Mossdeep City apparently had a state of the arc space exploration facility. Such a facility was sure to have all sorts of information about celestial movements in Hoenn. James set out for Mossdeep with renewed vigor.
Isabelle Stevens wanted to stay on the island a bit longer. Despite the events at the stadium, the festival would still run for a few more days. Isabelle desired nothing more than to relax on the island with her Pokemon and unwind from the stress of the tournament. She had never anticipated to get so far in the tournament, much less get mixed up in criminal activity. Isabelle was going to enjoy some quiet time in the most beautiful region in the world.
Marlowe Eldred took the money and ran, so to speak. After such a close brush with his past, Marlowe decided he needed some time away from Hoenn. Though he didn't get off the island without Scott making him promise to return one day for another battle. Marlowe purchased a ticket to the farthest region possible and left early the next morning. The first annual Arche Town Pokémon Tournament was over.