Pokémon: The PAL Chronicles

by BookPrincess32

Ash has been hurt to hear what they really thought of him. Out of anger, he accidentally activated his aura that teleported him to an entirely new region: PAL. Four Years later, he became the Champion and is invited to a tournament with his own Elites. His life makes a turnaround from there and he must solve the mysteries that are putting everyone in danger, before it's too late.

10. The Top 64, the Zodiacs, Court session

BP: Thank you all for the reviews, favourites, and followers! Now, as some of you may have read in the previous chapter, Pakura seemed to be a sadistic psychopath, the thing is, she actually used to be a nice person, but circumstances made her change drastically, and make her hate the entire world.

She's actually a femme fatale character, and I was inspired to create her as a beautiful but insane person because no one would suspect anything bad from a pretty face in books and movies (in general). I'll accept your opinions of what to do with her once Ash takes her down (Yes, he'll win when he confronts her later) and he and everyone else reads her memories to find out the answers to all these mysteries.

"Y-You must have poached Jirachi!" Max shouted upon recognizing that this Jirachi was the same one that he helped reawaken during the week of the thousand-year comet as his partner and friend. Max thought Jirachi saw him as his best friend, so why is he under some cloaked man, who isn't even a proper Champion's, ownership?

"Poached it? You are all the same, accusing me of poaching Pokémon, when I am the one who protects Pokémon from poachers." Ash replied calmly. "And Jirachi chose to come with me."

"No, he didn't! He wouldn't follow someone like you!" Max accused.

"Yes I did!" Jirachi said, glaring at Max.

"But why? If you wanted a trainer, you could've gone to me!" Max protested. And that way, he would've had a Legendary in his team, and the PAL Elites won't be able to stop him with a powerful Legendary on his side.

"He is my new best friend now, Max!" Jirachi turned away. "I'm ashamed to be friends with you."

"Both Trainers ready?" Evan asked.

"No, not until this Red-" he said the name in venom, "-returns Jirachi to me!"

"Evan, just continue with the match." Ash interrupted. "I don't want to waste any time, and there are still people who want to battle today."

"Wait!" Max started, but Evan nodded and said, "Let the battle begin!"

"Jirachi, start things off with Trick Room!" Ash commanded. He knew Sceptile is faster than Jirachi (based on max speed), so he decided to use Trick Room to reverse their speed. Max didn't do anything, still dumbstruck on the fact that Jirachi is under Champion Red's ownership.

"Now, use Flash Cannon!" Ash commanded.

Max didn't say anything, thinking Jirachi would hesitate, but instead, it shot a powerful and fast Flash Cannon towards Sceptile.

"Sceptile, use Detect, hurry!" Max yelled at the last second. Sceptile's eyes glowed light blue and it narrowly dodged the Flash Cannon.

'Hmm…Jirachi was too far from Sceptile at the time of use, if not, it would've hit even if he used Detect.' Ash thought. "Alright, use Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge it, Sceptile!" Max countered.

As Sceptile dodged the Shadow Ball by jumping, Ash said, "Use Aerial Ace!" Since Sceptile was mid-air when Ash commanded Jirachi to use Aerial Ace, it hit Sceptile, sending him to the ground, but he got up.

"Use Swift!" Ash commanded.

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade to take on the Swift!" Max yelled. The four leaves on Sceptile's wrists glowed light green and formed into two, and Sceptile began hitting the Swift Stars back at Jirachi.

"Jirachi, use Toxic!" Ash took advantage of the distraction to fire a Toxic at Sceptile. Jirachi spat a purple liquid at Sceptile, and when it hit, Sceptile is glowing purple, indicating a poisoned status.

"Sceptile!" Max shouted in concern.

"Use Zen Headbutt!" Ash said, and Jirachi struck Sceptile with its head, making Sceptile flinch.

"Sceptile, use Mega Drain!" Max commanded.

"Psychic to stop him in his tracks!" Ash said to Jirachi. Jirachi nodded, and unleashed a powerful Psychic and lifted Sceptile in the air.

"Finish it. Throw him in the air, and use Signal Beam, followed by Ice Punch!" Jirachi threw Sceptile in the air, opened his third eye located on his stomach, and fired a rainbow coloured beam at a falling Sceptile.

After Scpetile fell to the ground, Jirachi didn't give him a chance to recover, and punched his stomach, creating a huge crater around the spot where Sceptile was punched on the ground. Everyone was surprised at the sheer strength shown by Jirachi just by one Ice Punch. When the smoke cleared, it was shown Sceptile was down with swirls in his eyes.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! Trainer Max, please send out your next Pokémon!"

"You can do better than that, can't you?" Ash asked.

Max glared at him, as he returned his Scpetile, and took out another Pokéball.

"Breloom, I choose you!" He sent out the Mushroom Pokémon.

"You know you're at a disadvantage, right?" Ash raised his eyebrows.

"Shut up." Max advised him. "I can win even at a disadvantage."

"Champion Red, are you switching?" Evan asked.

Ash shook his head. "I'll stick with Jirachi until the end or when it faints."

---

Meanwhile, at the bleachers, May was seething. "I knew he was a poacher! No matter what he says, the evidence is right there before our eyes!"

"Him having at least five Legendaries makes a really shocking but suspicious taste." Cilan agreed.

"What else did he poach, I wonder?" Trip asked. "So what do we do?"

"Well, we can't confront him outright. Remember, he's much stronger than we are, so we better thread carefully."

"What can we do? Kidnap one of his Elites?" Iris suggested.

"Great idea. I know of some substances that can knock a person out, and all we need to do is to inject it on one's skin in order for it to take effect." Brock said.

"Hey, sounds good. So who should we target?" May asked.

Brock looked at the Elites in the VIP Box, and immediately, his eyes were on Pakura, who was quietly watching the match, as opposed to her Elites, who were exchanging comments on the battle.

"Her." He pointed to Pakura. "I think she's probably the closest to Red."

---

"Breloom, use Stun Spore!" Max commanded.

"Blow it away with Icy Wind!" Ash countered. Both the Stun Spore and Icy Wind clashed, only to be quickly overpowered by Icy Wind, and both attacks hit Breloom, slowing him down and paralyzing him.

"And it looks like Champion Red's Icy Wind easily overpowered Stun Spore, and Breloom is now damaged by both attacks! Breloom is now paralyzed and slowed down from both attacks! Can Trainer Max get out of this pinch?" Ken wondered.

Max glared at Ash, and commanded Breloom to use Drain Punch, and Ash asked Jirachi to use Fire Punch. What Max didn't notice was Jirachi activated Fire Punch on both hands so when their respective moves connected, Jirachi took advantage of the momentarily distraction to use the other hand to punch Breloom, who was sent flying.

Breloom got up, but Max looked hesitant to call out a move.

"Out of moves?" Ash asked.

"Not yet!" Max yelled. "Breloom, use Hyper Beam!"

"I'm impressed that your Breloom knows Hyper Beam, Max." Ash said. "But, you'll need more than that to take Jirachi down. Jirachi, Shadow Ball!" The Hyper Beam hit the Shadow Ball, which exploded and it formed a purple wall between the two Pokémon, obscuring each other from view.

"Use Swift!" Ash commanded. To Breloom, the Swift stars suddenly appeared out of nowhere through the purple wall, and it hit him effectively.

"Don't let it recover! Use Aerial Ace!"

Jirachi then used Aerial Ace, which rammed Breloom against the wall, and dust clouds appeared, covering both Pokémon. When it cleared, Breloom was shown with swirls in his eyes.

"Breloom is unable to battle! Trainer Max, please send out your final Pokémon!"

Max returned Breloom and there was a lot of hate in his eyes as he sent out his Gallade.

"Gallade, I choose you!" Max hollered.

"It looks like Gallade is your strongest Pokémon." Ash scanned Gallade and checked the friendship meter using his CommuniDex. Much to his disappointment and amusement, the result he got was quite low. "But it looks like your bonds are not deep enough to have a Mega Evolution."

"Gallade can Mega Evolve?" Max's eyes lit up greedily.

"Yes." Ash held up a Galladite for him to see. It was similar to a Gardevoirite, but with a lighter red and lighter green.

"Give it to me! I want it!" Max demanded.

"And why should I give it to you just because you want it? You aren't my superior, you know." Ash replied calmly, as he placed the Galladite in his pocket. "Anyway, your bond with Gallade is only average, so you can't activate Mega Evolution even if you wanted to."

"Yes we can!" Max insisted. "You're just sore because you don't own an awesome Gallade like me."

"It takes more than just a Key Stone and a Mega Stone to Mega Evolve your Pokémon. It takes a deep bond as well."

"You're just making it up so I can't use Mega Evolution."

"Fine." Ash doesn't want to hear Max whining anymore. "Just this once, I'll lend you a Key Stone and the Galladite to Mega Evolve in this battle, if you would just shut up. Although I doubt you can activate it." Ash folded his arms. Max immediately nodded, and held his hands out for the two items.

Ash hesitated, as he thought of the consequences that may happen. "But I need to warn you…" Before he could finish his sentence, Max impatiently took the two items from his hands.

"He didn't even let me finish." Ash said.

"Just leave him be, Ash. Anyway, he suffers in the end, not you." Pikachu replied.

"Max, it isn't…" Ash started, but it was too late.

Max grinned, and after he handed the Galladite to his Gallade he said, "Gallade, Mega Evolve!" The Mega Evolution lights appeared, and Gallade Mega Evolved. Mega Gallade had red plates on its arms, and the helmet and cape-like protrusions that appeared on its head and back gave it a knightly appearance.

"Alright!" Max cheered. His friends were smiling smugly, thinking Max had proved Ash wrong. Ash took back his Mega Glove from Max, much to his displeasure, and Ash reminded him he'd lend him just this once. Max reluctantly nodded, as he did keep his promise.

"Are both sides ready?" Evan asked, as both of them nodded. "Alright, then, battle begin!"

"Alright, Gallade, use Psycho Cut!" Max commanded. Gallade did, and Ash asked Jirachi to dodge. Jirachi did, and the Psycho cut hit the battlefield, and small explosions occurred where Psycho Cut hit.

"Wow, Mega Gallade's even more powerful!" Max commented. "Alright, use Leaf Blade!"

"Counter with Dazzling Gleam!" Ash countered. The Dazzling Gleam caused Mega Gallade to take damage and distract him. "Now, use Aerial Ace!" Jirachi's Aerial Ace was strong enough to send Mega Gallade flying towards the wall, but Mega Gallade used one of his blades to prevent himself from hitting the wall.

"Great reflexes too! Good job, Gallade!" Max encouraged. "Now, use Focus Blast!" However, Gallade didn't do a thing.

"Gallade, what's wrong?" Max asked, worried when Gallade didn't make a move after a minute.

That was when Ash noticed that Mega Gallade's red eyes were glowing.

"Uh oh. That's not good." Lucario said, as he took a step back.

"Yeah, it looks like Gallade's being manipulated by the power." Pikachu added.

Mega Gallade charged towards Jirachi, about to use Close Combat.

"Jirachi, use Psychic!" Jirachi obeyed, and used Psychic to throw Mega Gallade against the wall. Mega Gallade got up, and upon seeing Pikachu, teleported behind Ash, and activated Leaf Blade. Ash jumped, as the Leaf Blade narrowly missed his shoulder.

"Gallade, what are you doing?" Max shouted.

But Mega Gallade was no longer listening, as it started to attack Lucario with Earthquake for defending Ash with Aura Sphere.

"And it looks like Mega Gallade is on a rampage! How is this situation going to end?" Ken wondered.

"Champion Red, do you want to get help?" Evan asked.

"No, this is still a battle. I'll handle it myself." Ash replied. Evan nodded, and continued the battle.

---

"What's going on?" Jude yelled. "What's happening?"

"I don't know!" Rosaline replied. "This never happened with us."

"Is this what would happen if a Pokémon Mega Evolved with low bonds with the Trainer?" Phillip wondered, looking down at the rampaging Mega Gallade.

"…" Pakura stayed quiet.

"Oh My God…" Cynthia was worried for Ash as Jirachi started to attack Mega Gallade so he'll turn his attention to him. Sure enough, Gallade started attacking Jirachi.

"Why don't you say something?" Grimsley asked Pakura.

Pakura shrugged. "For what? I expected it. Pokémon who couldn't cope with the sudden increase of power during Mega Evolution becomes like that, which is why a deep bond with Pokémon is required. It's so that the Pokémon would be able to hear the owner's voice to help calm it down. Otherwise, the Pokémon would just see everyone as enemies."

"What? Why didn't you say anything?" Jasmine yelped.

"Max was the one who snatched the things out of his hands before he could finish the warning. So I think he deserves it. Besides, Red isn't the one suffering, so why worry?"

"Well, fair point." Phillip said, settling back on his seat to watch the show.

"Phillip!" Rosaline was appalled Phillip would take her side.

"It's true. Red did try, but Max didn't listen. So that should teach him a lesson." Phillip replied.

'Wow, I like his assertive side. It looks like he can be assertive if he really want to be.' Jasmine thought.

---

"Jirachi, Energy Ball!" Ash commanded, and Jirachi shot an Energy Ball at Mega Gallade. Mega Gallade simply used Leaf Blade to slice it in half, and shot a Signal Beam at Jirachi, much to Max's dismay, since Mega Gallade was disobeying him.

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

"Gallade, dodge it!" Max attempted to command Gallade, but Gallade simply held up Signal beam, and both clashed in the middle.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Ash said, and Jirachi charged a Shadow Ball, and the Thunderbolt helped electrify it, increasing the power. Jirachi shot the powered up Shadow Ball at Mega Gallade.

"Gallade, you've got to dodge! Hurry!" Max yelled desperately. However, it was futile, and Mega Gallade was damaged badly by the electric-infused Shadow Ball.

"Thunder Wave!" Ash instructed, and Jirachi paralyzed Mega Gallade.

Mega Gallade started using Close Combat immediately, much to Max's horror.

"Jirachi, dodge them all!" Jirachi agilely dodged the barrage of punches and kicks. Soon, the paralysis took its toll and Mega Gallade groaned in agony, and saw Ash, Pikachu and Lucario, and assumed they were enemies as well. He then shot a Shadow Ball at the three of them. However, Jirachi got in the way, and used Protect.

Suddenly, Mega Gallade then let out a pained scream, and turned back to normal, falling to his knees, before hitting the ground. Ash retrieved the Galladite with teleportation, and silently placed the Galladite back into his pocket.

"Gallade is unable to battle! Jirachi wins! And thus, the winner is Champion Red!"

"What happened, Gallade?" Max wailed. "You were doing so well!"

"Gallade couldn't cope with the sheer and sudden increase of power in Mega Evolution, and ends up getting manipulated by the said power. That is why it's not advised to use it when you don't have a deep bond with Pokémon."

"You cheater! You must have tampered with it didn't you?" Max accused. "Isn't it enough you stole Jirachi? Do you have to make Gallade suffer too?" Ash heard Max's friends jeering at him as well, while the rest of the audience stayed silent, wondering what he would say to counter Max's accusations.

"Not even I can tamper with items that has a power of their own." Ash replied. "I did try to warn you, but you snatched the stones away and Mega Evolved Gallade before I can even tell you. As for stealing Jirachi, Jirachi clearly said that he chose to come with me. I think everyone can witness to that."

"I agree." A somewhat familiar voice among the audience said. Ash turned to see Savannah, a member (and probably leader) of the Mothers for Pokémon, a group that idolized Pokémon Trainers and Coordinators. Apparently, they came here since this is a gathering for famous Trainers and Coordinators, and those two are their obsessions. And judging by the looks they are giving him, he was probably one of their current admirations.

"Me too." A little boy said, and slowly, the audience began to express their agreement with Ash's statement, humiliating Max.

He nodded to Evan, who went to call the paramedics for Gallade. Max watched in distress as the paramedics rushed Gallade to the Pokémon Center.

---

"It looks like Champion Red kept his promise." Paul smiled. He was sitting among Ash's former rivals from Kanto to Sinnoh, some whom they had met in their journeys.

"Yeah." Gary nodded.

"Wait, you guys are acquainted with Champion Red?" Harrison, Ash's rival in Johto, said incredulously.

"Yeah, how come you didn't tell us?" Ritchie was slightly pissed, as his Pikachu, Sparky was perched on his shoulder.

"I'm so going to fine you!" Barry yelled. He stayed and watched the tournament despite being kicked out at the Top 128 by Agatha, the Ghost type Elite.

"Can you introduce us?" Tyson asked eagerly. He had admired Red ever since he first saw him battle in that very first round alongside Champion Cynthia.

Paul gave him a look that said, "I'm not going to let you use my status as his friend to bypass the fans that are waiting to meet him up close"

Gary frowned. "I don't think their manager Phlox would allow a meeting with just anybody."

"Yeah. Sometimes, if we want to send a message, we'd ask Pakura to send it. She's practically his right-hand man….or woman, for that matter." Tracey said.

"And if you want us to introduce her, forget it, even the male Gym Leaders, Elite Fours and Champions admire her beauty, and she doesn't pay attention to them, so what makes you think she'll pay attention to you?" Paul said, seeing the looks on the boys' faces at the mention that they knew Pakura.

"If only we have a chance to meet any of the PAL Elites up close." Morrison commented. "I'd be one very happy trainer."

---

"I'll go with him!" May said, as she ran, stepping on people's toes on the way, and ignoring the glares they sent to her. Those people weren't important, her brother is. How dare Red humiliate him when he had done nothing wrong, and she was sure he had tampered with the Key Stone or the Mega Stone. When she finds out how he did it, he'll lose his titles before he could say, "Mega Evolve".

"I'll come with you." Brock volunteered.

"Iris and I would stay here. We want to support Cilan." Trip said, as Iris nodded.

"Alright. Fill us in if we missed his match." Brock replied, as he and May made their way to the Pokémon Center.

"The next match would take place in Icy Terrian, and our two competitors are Elite Jude and Leader Cilan! How would a battle between two high class Connoisseurs go?" Ken wondered as both of them were launched into the battlefield. Jude was launched along with Purrloin.

---

"I didn't think you were that Jude Harrison." Cilan said, trying not to look at Jude's Purrloin. Now he thought of it, he did a fact sheet on the S-Class Connoisseurs and he copied down the name of the youngest one, who was Jude. But even then he didn't connect him with Jude the PAL Elite member, since he didn't know Jude's last name (everyone mentions him by his first name), and the picture of him must have been totally old, since Jude had a slightly messy version of black hair, the back of it nearly reached his shoulders and the bangs had to be brushed to one side otherwise it would cover his eyes and the picture shown in the encyclopaedia he used was someone with short brown pageboy style hair.

"I expected no one would recognize me since I decided to change my hair style, and remove the brown hair dye and keep my natural hair colour after I moved here." Jude replied smoothly. "Why don't we start out battle? I want to see what an A-Class like you can do."

"With pleasure." Cilan nodded. Jude thought if it wasn't for the fact that he betrayed Ash, he might have been fooled to think Cilan had a gentlemanly behaviour about him, and think that he was harmless. "Go, my Pokémon!" The Pokéball opened to reveal a Stunfisk.

"Corsola, show them what you got!" Jude sent out the Corsola that formerly belonged to Misty.

"Battle begin!" Evan announced.

"You may have the first move." Jude said.

"Don't mind if I do. Stunfisk, use Thunderbolt!"

"Use the ice to slide away!" Corsola obeyed and she slid away, effectively dodging the Thunderbolt. Stunfisk kept firing the Thunderbolt, but each time, Corsola simply slid away.

"Alright, then, use Scald on the battlefield!" Stunfisk then released boiling hot water on the ice battlefield, effectively melting it.

"And it looks like the Scald has managed to melt the battlefield! What is Leader Cilan's strategy?" Ken asked. Eventually, the ice was all melted and it became a Water battlefield. The remaining Ice was where Corsola and Stunfisk were standing at.

"Into the water, Stunfisk!" Cilan commanded. Stunfisk dove into the water and all Jude could see was a dark shape in the water. However, he could still detect where Stunfisk is.

"Your Pokémon are fairly close to each other. However, I've seen better." Jude commented.

"I could say the same for you. Your Corsola has high marks in Attack and Defence. However, there is a foreign taste between your relationship with Corsola, which makes your marriage with Corsola debatable."

"Then your tasting is questionable. I am very sure I can Mega Evolve all my Pokémon if those Mega Stones exist." Jude said.

---

"What? He is the S-Class Connoisseur? How come Cilan gets to battle him and not me?" Burgundy screamed from the middle row of the bleachers. She was sitting with Georgia, Stephan, Luke, Bianca, Cameron and Virgil. It was almost like a reunion among Ash's Unova rivals. However, only Virgil is still in the running for the Cup, as the rest were kicked out in the Top 128, mainly by the other regional Elite Fours. Virgil was up against Lucian in the afternoon.

"Would you shut up?" Georgia grumbled. She was in a bad mood ever since her loss to Lance, but she decided to watch the tournament until the end.

"You're just sore because you lost to the Dragon Master with the most powerful flavour." Burgundy smirked.

"When I find and defeat the members of the Dragon Duo, you'll be singing a different tune." Georgia huffed.

"And who is this Dragon Duo?" Virgil asked.

"They are renowned to be the strongest Dragon users in the Pokémon World. Apparently, every single Dragon user dreams of battling the members one day, including Iris herself. She keeps talking about finding them to battle them, but apparently, they are very evasive so no one can find them so far."

"Yeah, as if you can find them. I bet they won't even accept a battle if you do ask for it." Burgundy said.

"What did you say?" Georgia shouted, as Stephan and Cameron pulled them apart.

"Alright, keep it down, girls." Stephan said.

"Yeah, we would disturb the others." Cameron added.

"Luke, what are you doing?" Bianca asked, trying to get his Zorua, who just kept dodging her clutches. Luke was holding his camera towards the VIP Box.

"Er…nothing!" Luke lowered his camera.

"Yeah right. You're trying to get a shot of the Champion Red's face!" Stephan pointed at him. "Forget it. That guy never takes off his hood and the distance where we are sitting would prevent a good shot even if you try to get a glimpse of his face from below."

"Yeah, but at least I can get a glimpse of the other Elites." Luke grinned. "All of them are pretty good looking, especially the Pakura girl."

"Oh yeah she is." The boys started looking dreamy at the thought of the beautiful Elite Leader, and the girls huffed at their sudden change of attitude. Well, all except Virgil, but even he was blushing slightly. However, he knew she would never go any of them, since she most likely had very high standards when it comes to a boyfriend. He refrained from saying anything out loud, since he didn't really want to ruin their so-called hormone dreams.

"Anyway, speaking of which, have you guys seen Ash in this tournament?" Bianca spoke up. "I was hoping he's in here."

"Cameron and I asked Iris and Cilan earlier, and they said they haven't seen him since they separated when they left Unova." Stephan said thoughtfully.

"I don't know, they sounded hostile when they said Ash's name." Cameron said. "Even told us that we shouldn't associate with him anymore."

"Maybe they had a fight?" Virgil suggested.

"For four years?" Georgia was incredulous.

"I think there's a suspicious taste." Burgundy commented.

"I'm sure he's fine, and he's probably in this region to. He wouldn't miss a tournament for the world." Stephan said confidently, as Jude's Corsola finished Stunfisk off with an effective Ice Beam that froze Stunfisk, followed by a powerful Earthquake.

"Yeah, I want to know what happened too." Virgil said, as his Eevee nodded.

"Stunfisk is unable to battle! Corsola wins! Leader Cilan, please send out your next Pokémon!"

Cilan chose Crustle as his next Pokémon, and Jude chose to switch Corsola for Alomomola.

"Trainers ready?" Both of them nodded. "Alright….battle begin!"

---

"Whose idea was it to pit two high class Connoisseurs together?" Ash groaned. During the battle, all he heard was them telling each other about how competent the opponent's Pokémon is with their Trainer. He watched as Jude ordered Alomomola to use Scald on Crustle, and Cilan countering with Withdraw. Jude then changed his tactics, and use Ice Beam, freezing Crustle.

"Well, I think the audience would vote for Jude's judgement since his is more understandable." Cynthia replied. "I don't really get Cilan saying something about the taste, or marriage….whatever that means."

"Same here." Rosaline agreed. "Do all Connoisseurs talk like that?"

"Nah." Ash disagreed, as Crustle managed to break out of the ice, and thus Jude managed to fire a Toxic on Crustle, poisoning it. "I think Cilan probably talked like this since he likes cooking and he probably imagined a battle to be like cooking a meal. I think Burgundy imitated his style as well, thus she referred to her evaluating Pokémon as "tasting time" too."

Cilan then used the opportunity to show off a new move he had been working on, called Façade, a move that increased Attack when the user is burned, paralyzed, or poisoned. As Crustle charged towards Alomomola, Jude asked Alomomola to use Scald, and Crustle took the brunt of the attack.

"Not bad. Cilan actually prepared a few moves in case his Pokémon is in a pinch." Grimsley said.

"You're right. And now Crustle's using Flail on Alomomola, or trying to at least." Jasmine replied, watching as Flail was stoped when Alomomola use Blizzard, and finished Crustle off with Surf.

"Crustle is unable to battle. Leader Cilan, please send out your final Pokémon."

"I bet he'll send out Pansage." Ash said. True to his words, when he send out his final Pokémon, it was Pansage. Jude returned his Alomomola, and asked his Purrloin to get on the battlefield, much to Cilan's chagrin.

"I don't know if Jude sent her out to scare Cilan, or he had planned beforehand." Cynthia commented.

"Either one is possible." Ash shrugged.

"…" Pakura didn't say a word, and critically watched as Jude ordered Purrloin to use Assist against Pansage's Solar Beam, which turn out to be Flamethrower. Both the attacks clashed in the middle, and both attacks exploded in a cloud of smoke.

"Pansage, use Dig!" Cilan commanded.

"Shadow Ball into the hole!" Jude countered, and Purloin fired a Shadow Ball. It caused Pansage to jump out, and used Bullet Seed on instinct. It hit Purrloin, and she fell to the ground. However, she simply got up, and shook her head before getting into battle stance.

"Now, use Rock Tomb!" Cilan said.

"Use Shadow Claw to destroy those boulders!" Jude instructed, and Purrloin destroyed them easily. "Now, use Night Slash!"

"Solar Beam, once more!" The Solar Beam hit Purrloin before Purrloin was able to reach Pansage, and she hit the ground. As she fell, Pansage used Bullet Seed, which Purrloin managed to use Thunder Wave to destroy the projectiles. Pansage then used Low Sweep on a still getting up Purrloin, followed by another Bullet Seed, and she was sent flying to Jude's feet.

"Purrloin, are you alright?" Jude asked, concerned, as Low Sweep was a super effective move.

"I'm….not…done yet!" Purrloin shouted, and she suddenly glowed white.

"What's this? It looks like Purrloin is evolving!" Ken announced, as the audience waited in anticipation.

Purrloin's head became bigger, whiskers started growing on her face, the body became more slender, the legs became bigger, and the tail became longer. The place where Purrloin once stood had a beautiful feline Pokémon that now stood on all fours.

"What do we know? Jude's Purrloin evolved into a beautiful Liepard! Let's see what Liepard has in store for all of us!" Ken commented, as the audience cheered for Liepard.

"And it looks like you learnt a new move too, Liepard. Torment, go!" Liepard used the move, and now Pansage was unable to use the same move twice in a row.

"Now, use Attract!"

"Bullet Seed to destroy the hearts!" Cilan countered, forgetting that Pansage can't use Bullet Seed due to it being the last move he used during the battle. Pansage was affected by the hearts, as Liepard is of the opposite gender.

"Toxic, go!" Liepard badly poisoned Pansage, and Pansage's movements were hindered.

"Pansage, pull yourself together, and use Bite!"

"Finish it off with Assist once more." Assist turned out to be Venoshock, and it dealt double damage thanks to the Poison status Pansage had, and Pansage, having run out of energy, fell to the ground with swirls in his eyes.

"And Pansage is unable to battle! Liepard wins! Which means, the victor is Jude!" As Jude made his way back, he politely waved to the crowd, and some of the girls shrieked, as some of them sitting at the front rows held out their hands, trying to touch him.

Ash couldn't blame them, since Jude was a supermodel, he was renowned as the most handsome boy in PAL, and him running his own shop (though Pakura does the bookkeeping and bill paying for him since he isn't very good at numbers) and being a popular socialite in addition to his Elite status only adds to the reasons why girls want him. But as far as Ash is concerned, Jude would probably never get a girlfriend after what happened to him.

---

"What are you watching, Phillip?" Jasmine asked. Phillip jumped, as he was so engrossed with watching something at his laptop when there are many people it didn't occur to him that someone would get curious and question what he was watching.

"I-It's nothing." Phillip tried to close the laptop and stow it away, but Jasmine took the laptop away from him, and looked at the screen. The group gathered to see what Phillip was looking at. It was apparently a video of Rosaline painting a picture of the scenery while her Pokémon played around her, and her Delphox accidentally knocked over one of the paint, accidentally splashing Espeon, which made Epseon look like a shiny version of herself. Everyone started laughing, and the video ended like that. There was a big number 1 at the corner of the video.

"Oh, it looks like our PokéVision video won first place again this week." Ash commented absent-mindedly.

"We won?" Rosaline sounded excited.

"Wait, what?" Cynthia was confused.

"Well, PokéVision are promotional videos made in our region. Pokémon Trainers can do anything to feature themselves and their Pokémon for a theme. They can do anything really, like showing off their fashion sense by dressing up as their own Pokémon, cooking together by making Poké Puffs or other sweets, or just express their bonds together by spending time with each other. These videos can be uploaded into the video website, and the best 10 PokéVisions later be viewed in the Pokémon Center TV. It's very popular in the PAL region considering our environment is a perfect place for filming." Ash explained, and at the same time he was watching as Ken announced that the next battle is on Grassy Terrain.

"Yeah, we actually take turns to film a video each week, and we usually win first place." Jude said, as he came in the VIP Box with his newly evolved Liepard.

"We used to do it for fun, but since our videos are so popular, they even allowed us to start our own web show called PAL Online. However, it's only on PAL websites, so you guys won't be able to access it if you're back in your own region."

"And our two contestants are Elite Aaron and Elite Pakura!" As he said this, the two of them were being launched in the battlefield. "This battle between two people who holds the same Trainer Class is sure to be one intense exchange!" Rosaline added, turning to watch Evan say, "Elites, please send out your Pokémon!"

"Now, Drapion, you're the star!" Aaron sent out his Drapion.

"Let's go, Gardevoir!" Pakura sent out the Embrace Pokémon. The Gardevoir was wearing a Mega Stone on her neck.

"And it looks like Princess Pakura decided to send Gardevoir out against Drapion. In this circumstances, Elite Aaron would have double advantage, so what does Princess Pakura have in mind?" Ken wondered aloud.

"Elites ready?" Evan asked. Both Aaron and Pakura nodded. "Then, battle begin!"

"Wait…why would she send out a Gardevoir against Drapion? She's at a double disadvantage here." Jude enquired.

"Beats me, but knowing Paku, she probably had something in mind, like Ken said." Ash replied.

"And what do you do on your web show?" Grimsley asked, interrupting them.

"A lot of stuff, from a day in our lives, to advertising clothing, showing the viewers the new combination we developed and how to execute it perfectly, and even discussing various topics and rumours that are in PAL." Phillip replied, taking his laptop back, and closing it.

"Can we watch them?" Jasmine asked eagerly.

"Yeah I want to see what you guys have filmed so far in your web series." Cynthia added, looking to Grimsley, who nodded in support.

"Later." Ash said, as he now turned his full attention to the battle.

---

"Drapion, use Shadow Ball!" Aaron commanded.

"Psychic it back, Gardevoir." Pakura countered. Although the Shadow Ball hit, it wasn't very effective.

"Are you going to Mega Evolve that Pokémon?" Aaron asked, pointing to Gardevoir's Mega Stone.

Pakura shook her head. "With you? I don't think I need to."

"Why you-!" Aaron glared at her.

"Gardevoir, use Attract, followed by Draining Kiss." Pakura cut him off. The Attract hit, and Drapion became infatuated. The Draining Kiss also took some of Drapion's health away and recovering Gardevoir's at the same time.

"Use Moonblast." Pakura instructed, and Gardevoir shot a powerful Moonblast at Drapion.

"Drapion, use Poison Fang!" Aaron yelled, and Drapion did, despite his infatuated status, managing to inflict damage on Gardevoir.

'Gardevoir's Trace copied Drapion's Battle Armour, so it's unlikely that it's a critical hit. However, Gardevoir, being part Fairy, is now weak to Poison.' Pakura thought. "Gardevoir, use Will-O-Wisp." Gardevoir did, and it burned Drapion, who let go of her. He now had the burn status condition.

"Use Thunderbolt." Pakura said, and Gardevoir managed to hit Drapion before he could recover.

"Drapion, use Sludge Bomb!" Aaron commanded, and when the Sludge Bomb hit, Gardevoir was glowing purple, indicating a poisoned status.

"Use Façade." Pakura countered.

"Drapion, use Dig!" Drapion narrowly missed the Façade attack. Gardevoir stopped, and looked around.

Just then, Drapion reappeared from the ground, and gave Gardevoir a Night Slash, and a Venoshock, which Pakura quickly countered with Hyper Beam. Both clashed, and the Hyper Beam managed to overpower Venoshock, and Drapion was sent to the ground. Gardevoir groaned as the poison is taking a toll on her.

"Drapion, one more Shadow Ball!"

"Destiny Bond." Pakura countered. The Shadow Ball hit Gardevoir, and she fell to the ground with swirls in her eyes. However, two swirling purple lights came out of Gardevoir's eyes to Drapion. Drapion became surrounded by a purple aura and instantly fainted.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle. Elites, please send out your next Pokémon."

---

"Gardevoir is stronger than that. Just that against Drapion she had a double disadvantage, and her most powerful Psychic moves won't even work. Paku probably knew of the powerful Poison type Pokémon, and her Fairy types won't be very effective, so she made use of Destiny Bond. Clever move." Ash commented.

"So she was gunning for that moment all along?"

"Apparently." Ash replied. "Why else would she send a Pokémon where most of the moves are useless against the opponent? When she sent Gardevoir out, I knew she had something up her sleeve."

As he spoke, Aaron sent out his Beautifly and Pakura sent out Glaceon.

"Battle begin!" Evan announced.

---

"Vespiquen is unable to battle! Glaceon wins! Which means, the winner is Pakura!" Ken announced, as everyone cheered.

"Oh man! Now I'm as useless as Lance!" Aaron cried out.

'I'm not useless!' Lance thought, slightly ticked off.

"Yes you are, you annoying cockroach." Pakura muttered, as she left the battlefield.

"Well that was harsh." Lucian commented, as they started laughing.

"I wonder why she doesn't like interacting with us." Bertha said, as Aaron returned to the VIP Box shaken about his loss.

"That's because she thinks social interactions are a hassle. She's never good when it comes to manners, small talk, or even smiling. She thinks it's too troublesome. She doesn't talk much either, and when she does it's usually very sarcastic." Ash replied.

"Evan to you guys?" Brycen asked.

"Yeah, even to us. Alright, she's fairly polite to our Champion, since she somewhat respect him." Jude nodded to Ash.

"How do you put up with her?" Maylene frowned.

"Well, as long as you leave her alone she'll leave you alone." Phillip shrugged, as Cynthia got up and made her way to the door with Caitlin as her match is next. "No big deal actually."

"But really, she's a bit too gloomy and unfriendly, if you ask me." Rosaline commented, as Cynthia opened the door, only to gape as Pakura was standing there.

"How much did you hear?" Cynthia asked.

"From the moment Bertha asked why I don't like interacting with people." Pakura replied, as she glared at them to get a move on, before facing her Elites. "That is why I don't like social interaction, because all you do is talk about people behind their backs. It's disgusting. And if you want to talk about me, make sure I'm not on my way back." With that, she slammed the VIP Box door.

"Should we go after her?" Phillip sounded worried.

Ash shook his head. "Even if she stayed here, she'd have left halfway through Rosaline's match because I remember she was going downtown to stock up on some ingredients and then picking some berries in the forest to make more Poképuffs. But she's right, we shouldn't really gossip about other people behind their backs. That's how arguments start, and relationships fall apart." After all, he knew it first-hand ever since the betrayal four years ago.

---

"So, should we go for lunch?" Cynthia suggested. The lunch break began as soon as Rosaline won against Will, although she had lost her Talonflame to him. Everyone had won their matches for today, but Ash knew that some would start losing from Top 32 onwards, as the weak ones would be weeded out by then, and the strong ones would be pitted against each other. As the traitors are no longer in the competition, he wondered who he would be up against.

"Yeah, we should." Rosaline nodded, as they filed out of the Battle Arena lobby.

Once again, they walked past Jessie, James and Meowth, along with Wobbuffet, who were selling items based on the Pokémon that had fought today. James was nursing a bruised head, as Jessie looked like she was angry with him.

"So, how did the date go?" Ash asked them.

"Horrible! James took me to see a movie that was terrible!" Jessie yelled, hitting James once again with her expensive purse. Thanks to their very successful sales and their jobs of being League Officials, they can now afford more expensive items and even luxury food.

"Ouch! Dear, you don't have to hit so hard!" James whimpered.

"Dear?" Jasmine asked curiously.

"Oh, those two are married. They married 3 years ago." Phillip replied.

"Yeah, they married way too late, though. How old are you guys now? 32?" Ash inadvertently let slip their age.

"You-!" Jessie didn't like her gave being said out, as a woman's age is usually kept secret, and she threw one of the products on sale at him (a Jirachi statue). Ash used telekinesis to slow down the projectile, before catching it.

"Well, thanks for the free gift!" Ash announced, before walking away with his friends.

"Hey, come back here! You have to pay for it!" James yelled, but he was laughing. He was immediately silenced again by Jessie hitting him with her purse.

"I think this would be a great gift for Jirachi." Ash said, holding up the statue. A slight shake of Jirachi's Luxury Ball indicated that he agreed.

They stepped into the elevator, and they zipped up to the twelfth floor, where lunch was waiting for them. They filled the bowls for their Pokémon, before sending them out, and then going to the table to get their own lunch.

As they ate, the conversation somehow got to the web show the Elites had.

"Oh yeah, Phillip's the main cameraperson for the show, since he's good at operating all sorts of technological devices and machines. I usually do the prop work, and finally, Rosaline is the location scout. Jude and Phillip are also executive producers, and Pakura is usually the one who keeps us in schedule. We usually take turns to be in the camera." Ash explained the roles each of them had in the show.

"So all of you are the main cast?" Grimsley asked.

"Something like that." Ash replied, as he drank his cranberry juice.

"Do you have any side casts?" Cynthia enquired.

"No, we usually produce the show by ourselves."

"Yeah, we have all we need among ourselves, and we only borrow costumes from the Pokémon Center once in a blue moon." Phillip answered.

"They have costumes in the Pokémon Center?" Jasmine was incredulous.

"Oh yeah, they provide equipment and costumes for trainers who want to make a PokéVision video. There's also a service where they help you cut and edit to make your videos look their best." Jude nodded, as he ate his mashed potatoes.

"Wow." Cynthia was impressed. She wondered if she should try making a PokéVision video, as it sounded like fun.

"What are you going to do after the trial?" Ash decided to change the subject. After the one hour lunch break, they only have 20 minutes until Misty's trial, so they decided to head to the court right after lunch.

"I think I'll go do some sports at the Sports Complex." Jude said.

"I'll come with you." Phillip piped up.

"You guys do sports?" Cynthia was surprised.

"Er….yeah, we do it to keep fit and maintain our stamina." Rosaline said. "Jude is the athlete of our group, though. He's the best when it comes to sports. Besides, we think sports is fun."

"So what is your favourite sport?" Grimsley asked.

"Tennis is what I like." Phillip replied. "I'm also good at Shot Put and badminton."

"Well….I like jogging." Rosaline answered. "I jog every Sunday. I also do Aikido."

"I like all of them actually, but swimming and surfing is my best forte." Jude said promptly.

"Cycling." Ash nodded. "I also like Discus, Javelin Throwing and rock-climbing."

"And what does Pakura like?" Cynthia asked.

"I think it's..." Ash started.

"Gymnastics." Phillip said.

"Bowling." Jude answered.

"Ice skating." Rosaline said.

"Archery." Ash replied. They all looked at one another in puzzlement, wondering why their answers are all different.

'They know her the best among all of us, and they don't even know what her favourite sport is?' Grimsley, Jasmine and Cynthia thought in unison. Just how much did they actually know about their Leader?

---

"Now come on, let's get the bus before it…" Lance trailed off and let out an expletive that should never be repeated in front of ladies.

"Watch your mouth, Lance." Clair warned him. "And what is it anyway?"

Lance checked his Pokégear. "We missed the bus." He said tightly.

Clair repeated his expletive, as both of them had left their Pokémon behind as they thought they won't need them when they went shopping together. Well, Clair wanted to go shopping, and made Lance come so he could carry her purchases.

"Now what are we going to do? I was counting on the bus to get me back in time for my match! Now I'll be 15 minutes late and I might be out of the tournament!" Clair cried.

"What's going on?" An aloof voice said.

Both of them turned to see Pakura carrying some groceries, her Pokémon looking at them with curiosity.

"We missed our ride. Now I'm going to be late for my match." Clair explained.

"I can give you a ride back if you'd like." Pakura offered.

"Really?" Clair sounded excited.

Pakura nodded, as she gestured for them to follow her. They walked together to the parking lot, where vehicles of various shapes, sizes and colours sat gleaming in the sun. She took out a car key, and pressed a button and a black sports car beeped, indicating it was unlocked. She nodded for them to get in the car, and helped loaded Clair's items in the trunk.

Lance got into the backseat, while Clair decided to take the passenger seat next to the driver's seat. Sylveon, Skitty and Eevee joined Lance in the backseat. Pakura helped her Pokémon put on the seat belts, before getting into the driver's seat, and started to pull out of the lot.

And just like that, the Johto Dragon users were riding in Pakura's car.

Clair had decided to make some small talk.

"When did you learn how to drive?" Clair asked, as she started drinking the Diet Coke she had bought.

"When I was around 18, before Red defeated me during the Elite challenge." Pakura replied.

"So, what are you doing out in town?" Lance asked.

Pakura looked at him through the rear-view mirror, before answering. "I was picking up ingredients to make more Poképuffs."

"What are they?" Lance asked.

"It's a sweet cake specially made for Pokémon, deepen the bond between Pokémon and Trainer." Clair explained. She had read about them in one old issue of Trainer's Weekly, which was why she knew about them. "Do you make Pokéblocks and Poffins too?"

"Yes, but it's for them to enjoy, not to prepare for a Contest or whatever." Pakura stopped at a red light. "Anyway, have you heard? Three of our Elites started dating already."

"Really?" Lance sounded interested at the new-found gossip.

"Yeah. Red was first, going out with Cynthia, Rosaline was next, dating Grimsley, and Jasmine seems to be determined to get Phillip's attention." Pakura replied.

"How about you, will you start dating too?" Clair asked.

Pakura shook her head. "I don't have time for boyfriends, I'm a very busy person. In fact, once we get back I have to get to court immediately for Misty's trial, and then I still have the PAL Contest to prepare for right after the trial. So how about you two? Are you guys seeing someone?"

Clair shook her head, as the light turned green and she continued driving. "Both Lance and I are still single."

"Really?" Pakura glanced at Lance in her rear-view mirror again. Lance nodded.

Clair nodded, as she drank her Diet Coke. "Yup. Girls practically throw themselves at him, but he doesn't have any interest in them."

"That's because those girls only like him for his looks, position and money. They don't see him as a person." Pakura replied knowingly. "Right?"

"Yeah, so that's why I don't take any of those girls as my girlfriend."

"Don't worry, you'll find someone." Eevee chirped next to him.

"Gee, I wonder who would be the unlucky person that gets him." Pakura said sarcastically.

"Hey!" Lance glared at Pakura.

"What did Eevee say?" Clair asked.

Pakura translated for them, and Clair stifled a laugh into her can, while Lance blushed.

"But it's a relief, though." Clair said, as she polished off the remains of her soda.

"What's a relief?" Lance asked.

"That a catch like you is still available." Clair replied, and started laughing at the look on Lance's face. To Lance's surprise and relief, Pakura stayed silent.

---

"Finally, some time alone, before I go to the court." Phillip sighed in relief, walking into the forest with Emolga.

"You really don't like crowds, do you?" Emolga asked.

"Of course not. When I still lived in Hoenn, I was taunted for being different due to my extremely high intellect. They thought I was the biggest freak in Mauville City because I didn't really like playing and instead read books and researched stuff that I was curious about. I was also quite distant with my younger brother since he's the social butterfly and he's very popular with the people, and my parents adored him more than me. That was why when I left for my journey, and at some point got the offer to go to PAL to take the Hunter Exam to test myself, I accepted, and when I passed, I stayed in PAL permanently, and only been back twice."

"No wonder you were awkward with people. You've grown up rather isolated and you didn't interact much with the children that made fun of you." Emolga nodded. "Does the others know about it?"

"Yeah, they do, and they accepted my decision without question." Phillip replied.

Unbeknownst to him, Jasmine had heard the whole thing, since she followed him.

'Wow….I didn't know Phillip had such a childhood.' Jasmine thought.

"Hey, did you hear that, Emolga?" With his enhanced hearing, he heard a few voices talking.

Emolga nodded, although it's faint.

Both of them crept closer to the source of the noise, and he saw a group of men talking.

"Have you found the weapon?" One man asked.

"No, it's hidden very well." Another said.

"I don't know why Giovanni want that weapon that badly." A third grunted. "Years ago, he was asking to eliminate it since it was disobedient, and escaped with a boy."

"I think it's because it was the only successful weapon he created." A fourth nodded. "And the PAL Elite Four is after them, so he wanted to use it against them."

Phillip listened on in disgust. Judging by the way they talked about the weapon, it's most likely the weapon was a human, but yet they talked about them like they're an object and they don't have feelings.

"Phillip?" Emolga looked concerned when she saw Phillip's expression. He only had this expression when he's about to snap.

Phillip looked for something sharp, and found a few sharp rocks that could be used as a knife. He infuse it with electricity, and threw it at the men, making sure to aim at their throats. The rocks hit the targets dead on, and they fell, gurgling out their own blood. Phillip went over to check on them.

"Y-You…" said the only one who was still alive. Phillip sneered in disgust, as he quickly snapped the man's neck, and threw him to the ground, before examining the bodies. He noted that the Five Bosses must've gotten their grunts to infiltrate PAL or something since they had the symbols of the former evil organisation on their clothing. It seemed to him that Giovanni was hell-bent on looking for the weapon which he believed was in PAL.

'This is bad….I better go tell the others!' With that, he rushed to the direction of the court, where he said he'd meet them. He ran past a hidden Jasmine, who had seen the whole thing. She was staring at the scene with wide eyes.

'Wow…I never knew Phillip had a badass side to him, and I know Hunters can kill, but it looks like Phillip could do it without blinking an eye.' Jasmine thought. 'That just makes me want to know you better, Phillip Robinson.'

---

"A human weapon?" Jude sounded disgusted, as they took their seats that were next to the jury in the courtroom.

"Yeah, and those people are talking about this weapon like it's an item, you know." Phillip sounded equally repulsed.

"So you're saying it's a human weapon with a letter R mark somewhere at the part of their body?" Rosaline asked.

When Ash heard Rosaline's remark, he shuddered when he imagined men holding a younger Dragon Princess down, and using some branding iron to mark her. He wondered if it would leave a permanent scar, but remembered Pakura saying that the Dragon Princess most likely had the ability to heal rapidly from any physical injury, which was why she was able to survive Team Rocket, so the information regarding the brand is now useless.

"It doesn't have the brand mark." Ash said curtly, as he used telekinesis to absent-mindedly spin a pen.

"How did you know?" Cynthia enquired.

Ash hesitated, as the pen stopped spinning and dropped to the ground. "Because I think the Dragon Princess has the ability to regenerate herself, if she was able to survive Team Rocket's experiment."

There was silence, before Grimsley spoke up. "So you think she's the weapon?" he said quietly.

"Well, I deduced it when I dreamt that a boy stole the weapon from Team Rocket Headquarters."

"How can you trust dreams?" Jasmine was sceptical.

"Ash has the ability to dream of the past, whether his own or others, Jasmine." Phillip replied. "His ability never lies to him."

"Dreams usually contain important information, and/or predict the future," Rosaline piped up. "That is especially true in Ash's case for the first, not so much for the second. His dreams are the only dreams I can't interpret."

"Still, you are the best fortune teller in our region." Ash nodded to Rosaline. "Your prophecies always came true, though you usually make it unconsciously. With practice, I think you can activate it at will."

"Yeah, someday I would be a great clairvoyant, just like the Dragon Duo." Rosaline smiled. "I will show the Dragon Princess who the strongest psychic is." She declared, just as Pakura arrived, and sat down next to Phillip. Pakura inwardly rolled her eyes at Rosaline's statement. Rosaline was overestimating herself if she thought she had a chance.

"Where were you?" Ash asked.

Pakura shrugged, as the Jury entered, and a young man with brown hair and sapphire blue eyes also stepped into the court wearing the black robes typical for a judge. He was in his mid-twenties at best. He was William Anderson, the Chairman of the Hunters Association, and he was an accomplished Three-Star Poacher Hunter, and his job as a Hunter is to study Pokémon and protect them from poachers.

The Jury were the 12 Zodiacs of the Hunters Association. The Zodiacs are a group of twelve Hunters whose skills have been recognized by the Chairman. They occasionally acted as counsellors, and the Chairman would entrust the Hunters Association to them in times of emergency. The Zodiacs have a high standing within the Association. Their codenames are associated with one of the 12 signs in the horoscope. Some of them held an everyday job that is somewhat related to their Hunter occupation.

Ash, getting bored, decided to hear what the jury had to say. His Pokémon were currently chatting with the other Pokémon about what moves were useful in the time where they were at a disadvantage.

"So, are we supposed to examine and trial the case?" Tenma (Codename: Sagittarius) asked the other members. He is a Lost Hunter, and his specializes in seeking those from whom contact has been lost and has engaged in the problem related to lost members of the Hunters Association. He is also PAL's best postman, as whatever duration he was asked to deliver something, he can accomplish it.

"You, Tenma, are seriously born under the sign of morons." Mika (Codename: Aries) remarked. She is an Archaeological Hunter, and her job is to uncover ruins and revive ancient societies. "A jury is to decide whether or not a person is guilty based on statements and evidence given."

"Hey! I'm not stupid, Tomboy!" Tenma retorted.

"Better a Tomboy than an idiot." Mika replied.

"Yeah, but most guys doesn't like a Tomboy!" Tenma countered.

"I doubt idiotic guys are attractive to girls either."

"At least I won't look like a gay couple!"

"I do not look like a man!"

"You behave like one!"

"Tenma, sis, please stop it, even Prince Red is laughing!" Kenta (Codename: Leo), Mika's younger brother, tried to pacify them. He, like Mika, is an Archaeological Hunter. Sure enough, Ash was shaking with laughter, along with Pikachu and Lucario.

"Shut up, Kenta!" Tenma and Mika said in unison.

"…why can't those two stop arguing for once?" Akira (Codename Gemini) sighed to Ryoko, who is sitting next to him. He is a Poison Hunter, and he specialized in various poisons and their pharmaceutical usage. He is the oldest among the Zodiac. He is also one of the best doctors in PAL General Hospital.

"Beats me." Ryoko, (Codename: Aquarius) replied. She is a Trouble Hunter, whose job is to resolve various kinds of problems when called upon. It can range from minor to life threatening. She is also a social worker. "I think this case would be a very interesting one."

"Huh, what did you say?" Jin, (Codename: Libra) looked up from his phone. He's a Youth and Beauty Hunter, whose main goal is to maintain the beauty of people and make them look younger despite their age. He's also a famous fashion designer, being the one to design some of Pakura's and Jude's outfits.

"Jin, pay attention." Akira glared at him.

"Why? We still have five minutes until Chairman Anderson starts the session." He pointed out.

"Prince Red, you're a witness, right?" Ryoko asked Ash, who was sitting nearest to them.

"Oh, yes I am." Ash nodded. "But I won't tell you what happened, as I don't want you to be biased against the defendant in question."

"Fair enough." Naoto, (Codename Taurus) nodded curtly to him. He is a Head Hunter, who specializes in discovering and cultivating new talents. He was a former Champion fighter, and he was only defeated twice in hand-to-hand combat- once by Pakura, and another time by Ash himself.

"Let's get this over with, I want to practice a music piece after this." Ran (Codename: Virgo) said, but she sounded excited for the upcoming session. She is a Music Hunter, and Hunters of her type are usually musically talented and in pursuit of rare musical pieces. She is a dance instructor as well.

"At least it's a hobby and not a compulsory event." Cynthia pointed out. She had decided to join in the conversation. "She has to rush off to the Contest after this, and if this session delays beyond the schedule, she'll be late."

"Fair point." Ran smiled.

"Honestly, I don't see why the defendant had to cause so much trouble." Gou (Codename: Capricorn) shook his head. He, like Rosaline, is a Crime Hunter. He is an officer, and he is something like an Officer Jenny from the other regions.

"I don't really care what she did to me actually." Ash admitted. "It was the fact that she allowed a man in to see Paku in person was unforgivable."

"She what?" Makoto (Codename: Scorpio) interrupted. He is Information Hunter, like Phillip. He is good at photography, and is currently a reporter for The PAL Times, but he knows to respect privacy, which is PAL's policy when it comes to gathering information for an article.

Ash repeated himself to Makoto, who shook his head in disgust.

"So, is this a serious case?" Ai (Codename: Pisces) asked, eager for a new experience. She is a Virus Hunter, and her job is to try to find new elements to cure immedicable diseases. She's the youngest among the Zodiacs. She works as a trainee nurse in the PAL General Hospital, under Akira.

"If it has involved both the Prince and the Princess, I think it's a very serious one. After all, they don't attend court sessions unless it's serious." Tappei, (Codename: Cancer) replied. He, like Jude, is a Sea Hunter.

Ash nodded absent-mindedly, as he got bored, and settled to watch William arrange some papers at the table where he was seated.

"Or it could be because they are asked to be witnesses." Ryoko pointed out dryly.

"But Prince Red was the one who called for the arrest." Gou said.

"And what added to her charges is that she put up a fight and had been defiant instead of coming quietly." Naoto added. "It's a miracle Kendra and Alexander didn't hit her. If I were them." He cracked his knuckles. "She's be mush before you can say Hunter."

Ash gave him a wry smile. "Promise me you'll prosecute her fairly and not because we're friends."

"We promise." The 12 of them replied, as the door opened and two guards dragged Misty in handcuffs, and made her sit behind one of the microphones. The two guards then stood on either side of her, in case she attempted to escape. At a distance, the same man that was in the Tower was also placed behind a stand, guarded by another two people.

Ash looked at him closely, and noted that the man had blonde hair and blue eyes. He wasn't bad looking. He thought there'd be some cute girls that would kill to date him any day.

"Defendant has arrived. All rise." said the Bailiff. "PAL's Superior Court is now in session. Judge William presiding. Please be seated." That was when the reporters started filming, and they stayed quiet, and got their notebooks and pens ready.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." William greeted. "Calling the case of the Tower events, which is the People of PAL versus Misty. Are both sides ready?"

"Ready for the People, Your Honor." the District Attorney said.

"Ready for the defence, Your Honor" Misty said. Since her sisters called and said they wouldn't hire a lawyer, she was forced to defend herself in court.

"Will the clerk please swear in the jury?" William requested.

"Will the jury please stand and raise your right hand?" The clerk said, and the jury stood up. "Do each of you swear that you will fairly try the case before this court, and that you will return a true verdict according to the evidence and the instructions of the court, so help you, Arceus? Please say "I do".

"I do." The jury said in unison.

"You may be seated." The clerk nodded, and they sat down.

Derek Evans, the Deputy District Attorney, stood up. "Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: the defendant has been charged with the crime of using her status to get her friends into the Tower to steal the Legendary Pokemon Manaphy that belonged to Prince Red, and bringing an accomplice to who attempted to assault Princess Pakura. The evidence will show that a four girls were see trying to get into Prince Red's room in an attempt to steal a Legendary. The next day the defendant was arrested at the Pokémon Center by orders of Prince Red. The evidence I present will prove to you that the defendant is guilty as charged." He concluded, and sat down again.

Misty stood up. "Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: under the law I am presumed innocent until proven guilty. During this trial, you will hear no real evidence against me. You will come to know the truth: that I was just trying to help rescue a Pokémon that Champion Red has poached from the Samiya. Therefore I am not guilty."

"The prosecution may call its first witness." William nodded.

"The People call Prince Red." Derek replied, as the bailiff took Ash to the witness stand.

"Please stand." Ash obeyed, and stood up. "Raise your right hand." Ash did as he was requested. "Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you Arceus?"

"I do." Ash replied solemnly.

"Please state your first and last name."

"Red Satoshi." Ash answered.

"You may be seated." The clerk said.

Derek stood up. "Red, what is your occupation?"

"I serve as a three-star Contract Hunter, Champion of PAL, and the Prince of PAL." Ash replied.

"Where do you live?" Derek asked.

"I live in Caelum City, which is where the Elite Mansion is located. It is situated on top of the Mt. Ardua."

"You left home to compete in the Pokémon World Championship, am I right?"

"That is correct. The Tower is located at Luonto City, and we live on the twelfth floor of the Battle Tower, the highest floor." Ash nodded.

"Were you there on the night the break-in happened?"

Ash inclined his head.

"Do you own a Legendary Pokémon called Manpahy?"

"Yes."

"How did you catch it?"

"He chose to come with me."

"Liar!" Misty shouted.

"Would you just shut up?" Tenma yelled at Misty.

"Enough, both of you." William glared at them. "Please continue."

"Could you please recount what happened in the night of the break-in?"

Ash frowned, as if he told the truth, Croagunk would be exposed and Arceus knows what they'd do to Croagunk. He needed Croagunk there to keep an eye on the others.

"I was sleeping when I heard a really loud noise outside my bedroom as if many people collapsed at once. I went to check, as I thought it's unusual for my Elites to be up…well, except Paku, but she isn't a noisy person. I opened the door and saw four girls passed out and a Pokémon hidden in the shadows. Apparently this Pokémon knocked them out. I didn't see what that Pokémon was because it disappeared before I could get a good look. I knocked them out with Sleep Powder from my Butterfree before they could wake up. I immediately teleported the girls back to their rooms, was about to return to sleep when I heard a man screaming, and he didn't sound like Jude or Phillip, so I went to check, and Paku was there with that man, who stepped into a trap." He pointed to the guy that was guarded by two people.

"I see. Do you know who this man is?"

"No." Ash shook his head. "Never seen him before."

"Do you know why Misty allegedly brought him along?"

"Not really, though I have a theory."

"And what would this theory be?"

"I think he was sent to distract us while they sneak in from the staircases. The staircase and elevators are on opposite ends of the Tower, which means if we were all in one side distracted by him, the others can sneak in from the other side."

"So you ordered her arrest after that?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, I have no further questions." Derek said

William frowned, as he wrote something on a piece of paper. "Does the defence have any questions?"

"Yes, why did you poach Manaphy?" Misty glared at Ash. Ash sighed, as he placed a hand on his forehead, and slid it down his face.

"Miss Waterflower, you do not have evidence that it happened, so that question can't be asked. Moving on." William interrupted.

"The witness is excused." Ash left the witness stand.

"There is evidence pertaining to what Prince Red had said." Derek informed William. "Shall we play the evidence?"

"Please." William nodded, and Derek walked over to insert the tape, and the tape played. Sure enough, the video matched what Ash had described. All the girls' faces were unmistakable, and many people turned to stare at May and Iris, who turned red in embarrassment and anger. The PAL reporters looked at each other, and started whispering, and shot a few puzzled looks at Misty.

"Well, that does show that Prince Red is telling the truth. Enough said." Ran said.

"I don't know why Misty had to cause so much trouble by resisting arrest and forcing Prince Red to call a court session." Ryoko muttered. "I mean, look, he was lenient enough not to arrest the other three girls in the tape." She shot a look of disgust at the girls sitting freely among the audience.

"I don't think Prince Red would even catch a Pokémon without permission, so how can he poach?" Kenta asked.

"Beats me. Maybe she's delusional?" Tenma replied.

"If that is so, are you sure she didn't escape from a mental hospital?" Gou asked. "Because the way she resisted arrest and screaming that Prince Red is poaching, you'd think she isn't exactly sane."

"I think Misty's fighting a losing battle here." Akira agreed, as Derek said "The prosecution may call the next witness."

"The People call upon Princess Pakura." Derek said, as Pakura was led to the witness stand. Ash frowned as he saw the same man eyeing her like a kid eyeing his favourite candy.

"Please stand." The clerk requested, and Pakura obeyed. "Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you Arceus?"

"I do." Pakura replied.

"You may be seated." The clerk said, and Pakura sat down again.

"Please state your first and last name."

"Pakura Ameyuri." Pakura said.

"Pakura, what is your occupation?" Derek asked.

"I serve as a three-star Blacklist Hunter, Leader of the PAL Elites, and the Princess of PAL." Pakura answered.

"Am I correct to assume you live with Prince Red in the Elite Plateau located at Mt. Ardua at Caelum City?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell us what had happened on the night of the break-in?"

"I was in the sitting room reading a magazine when the elevator arrived in our floor. I wondered who it was since I knew all the other Elites were already in their rooms. It turned out a man I don't even know was in that elevator. When he saw me, he immediately said something about finally finding his bride after a long time, and I wasn't getting away this time. I was really puzzled, since I don't even know this man, and wondered how he got here and why he thought I would be his wife. I asked him how he got in, and he said Leader Misty kindly let him in to see me. He's a pervert, really, as when he was talking all he was looking was at my chest. Anyway, he tried to approach me when I backed away and reached for my waist, but he stepped into a trap that I had made. I waited until he realized he was trapped before knocking him out."

"You said you don't even know the man. Does it mean you don't know his name, or you never seen him before?"

Pakura searched her memory, and shook her head. "Never seen him before."

"I see. I have no further questions." Derek said.

"Does the defence wish to ask any questions?" William asked.

"Yes." Misty said, and she stood up. "How do you know that the man isn't lying to you when you asked how he got in?"

"First of all, the man didn't stutter his answer. When one is lying on the spot, usually they would hesitate, unless they had been practicing for a long time, and he answered immediately without stuttering which meant he is telling the truth, or had been practicing the lie for a long time, which I highly doubt since he is too stupid to lie without anyone finding out, since it took him 10 seconds to register that he fell into a trap." She made sure to be as blunt as possible, hurting the man's feelings, which she didn't care.

"I don't have any more questions." Misty gritted her teeth.

"We have the tape that corresponds to what happened in Princess Pakura's point of view. Shall we play it?" Derek asked.

"Go ahead." William approved, and Derek played the tape. Sure enough, what Pakura described was all in the tape.

"I'm not surprised though." Makoto commented, though he was watching the tape in disgust.

"Yeah, I mean, Princess Pakura is PAL's beauty queen." Mika nodded.

"Poor girl gets a lot of men drooling over her." Ai said.

Jin, however, was staring at space dreamily, only to snap out of it when Naoto hit his head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Jin asked, rubbing his head.

"Stop daydreaming." Naoto chided.

"Oh come on, this is a little boring, won't you let me dream about something nice to entertain myself?"

"Yes, yes, but you know Princess Pakura is way out of your league." Tappei said sarcastically.

Jin sighed, but he smiled. "Hey, a guy can dream."

Meanwhile, Ash looked at the tape in disgust. Who did the man think he is, having the thought that Pakura was promised to him by his father? He can't even meet the standard Ash mentally made in what he wants for a romantic partner, let alone Pakura's (Ash just knew her standards are way too high for jus anyone to meet, though he thought she didn't use it since he just knew she was engaged.)

"The People call upon the accomplice who had agreed to give his statement." Derek announced, as the man took the witness stand.

"Please stand." The clerk requested. The man did. "Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you Arceus?"

"I do." The man said.

"Please state your first and last name." said the clerk.

"Josh Richter." The man replied.

'Wait, his family name sounds familiar.' Pakura thought. She then realized that his father was one of her victims that Benzene forced her to "entertain" for his business deals. Not that she really did, however. She usually told them to write a will to leave all their property and money to her (because she would cost a lot if she really entertained them and it's the last payment they'll ever do anyway), and with her good looks, they never said no. She then used Mind Control (originally Shiki's) and Persuasion (originally Shiki's) to convince them she gave them a pleasurable time, before killing them. The list of victims she had during that time was pretty long.

And about Josh's dad, he, like all others, paid Benzene so she could keep him company. His motive was a little different, however. Pakura sneered in disgust as she realized he was married and thus he wanted her to marry his son after they spend some "quality time" so he and his son could share her, and she then realized why he thought she'd marry him, since his father promised her to him.

"You may be seated." The clerk nodded.

"Josh, what is your Trainer class?" Derek asked.

"I'm an Ace trainer from a rich family. Or at least, we were once rich, until my father died and left everything to someone, probably someone who he had an affair with." Josh said.

'Ace trainer?' Ash thought. 'More like a rookie.'

"How did you get to help Leader Misty?"

"I was just minding my own business when she came up to me with three other girls. She said if I would like to see Princess Pakura up close. I knew her because my father said she was to be my bride, and I knew this was a good chance to get my wife back."

Ash inwardly vomited when he called Pakura his wife. After this session, he'll make sure he never goes near her, not if he had anything to say about it.

"How did your father know her?" Derek asked, frowning.

"I think he was a business associate of Benzene Von Karma, their previous manager. He paid Benzene a lot of money for her to go our house to keep my father company for one night." Josh frowned. "It's too bad the bride ran away, because if we married, we'll be posing pictures for the paparazzi every time we go on dates, and make sure everyone knows she's mine, and she can be happy by staying at home and cook and take care of our many kids, and then…." He went on and on.

'In other words, he's a male chauvinist.' Everyone thought, as they heard his little speech.

"I see." Derek finally interrupted, not being able to listen on.

"He's not right in the head." Cynthia whispered.

"Tell me about it." Grimsley agreed.

The PAL Elites (sans Ash), however, were frowning. Benzene sounded like he had sold Pakura. If he did carry his plans out, why were they left alone in the end?

Ash, on the other hand, felt that his Elites must be hiding something from him, and it was something to do with their previous manager. He made a mental note to ask Pakura, since he knew she'll never lie to him.

"Ok, I get it. The witness may be excused." William said hastily. "Does the prosecution have any other witnesses?"

"Yes, the People call in the expert Hacker Hunter." Derek said, as the expert walked in the court.

"Aren't Hacker Hunters the ones who have vast knowledge of computers and specialize in working with the Internet and dealing with cybercrimes?" Naoto asked.

"Yeah, which means they can tell if a video evidence is fabricated or sabotaged in anyway." Makoto said.

"Please stand." said the clerk, and the expert did. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case now before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you Arceus?"

"I do." The Expert answered.

"Please state your first and last name." the clerk said.

"Victor Mitchell." The expert replied.

"You may be seated." The clerk said.

"Victor, where do you work?" Derek asked.

"I am an employed Hacker Hunter in the Hunter's Association. I have been qualified to determine whether a cyber-evidence is compromised for 8 years."

"Have you seen these before?" Derek asked, holding out the two tapes.

Victor looked at them. "Yes. I was asked to check them for any edits in the said video."

"Are the videos edited in any way?" Derek questioned.

"No. I checked it over 5 times, but I couldn't find any changes to it." Victor replied.

"Maybe Phillip Robinson changed it!" Misty interrupted. "He's a technological genius after all!" She was silenced when William slammed his gavel.

"Miss Waterflower, please be quiet or I'll have to charge you for contempt in court. Victor, sorry, please continue."

"It's okay, Your Honour. Anyway, to answer Misty's question, while it's true Phillip had the skills to be a Hacker Hunter, I don't think Phillip can change the video edits since the video evidence was with the Leader and Champion the whole time, and neither of them are technological experts." Victor said.

"Alright. So the evidence is genuine, am I right?" Derek asked.

"Yes." Victor nodded.

"Thank you. I have no further questions and no other witnesses, Your Honour." Derek declared.

"Does the defence have any questions?" William asked.

"Yes. How do you know that the evidence is with the Champion and Leader the whole time?"

"Simple. Phillip has invented something called a sensory touch device. It's the size of a small chip, and I attached it to the thumb drive I gave to Champion Red, and it gives a shock to whoever touches the device, and there would be an ink mark on the hand that cannot be covered up that would last for three days. The device only deactivates at Champion Red's or Leader Pakura's touch. Otherwise, it would shock the person. Once a person puts down the item, it would automatically activate the device. If Phillip didn't have a mark on his hand, it meant he didn't touch the device."

"And how did you know Phillip didn't tell them what to do?" Misty said smugly.

"Easy. The video edits, to make it look like it hadn't been edited, one has to be an expert at the computer, and we all know that both Prince Red and Princess Pakura aren't experts in it. In fact, one of them got a zero for computer class test, so even if Phillip told them they wouldn't understand."

"He got that right." Ash muttered.

'First time I got a zero for something. Oh well. I'm as good as a Magikarp with the move Splash when it comes to IT Applications.' Pakura shrugged.

"Thank you. I have no further questions." Misty glared at Victor.

"The witness is excused." William nodded at Victor, who left the witness stand.

"Your Honor, the People rest their case." Derek declared.

"Is the defence ready with its case?" William asked.

"Yes, I am." Misty said confidently, and the bailiff took Misty to the witness stand.

"Please stand." The clerk instructed, and Misty obeyed. "Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case now before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you Arceus?"

"I do." Misty replied.

"You may be seated." The clerk said, as Misty hastily sat down. "Please state your name."

"Misty Waterflower." Misty stated.

"What is your occupation?" Derek asked.

"I am a Gym Leader, and I own the Cerulean Gym in Kanto." Misty replied.

"Alright. So tell me, why did you use your position to let people in the Tower to take a Manaphy?"

"We were just trying to rescue Manaphy as Manaphy isn't his to begin with. We were just trying to reunite Manaphy with his mother."

"And who is Manaphy's mother?"

"I am!" May said, standing up.

"Ok….so why would you say this girl here is Manaphy's mother?"

"When the Manaphy Egg hatched in May's arms, May was the first person Manaphy saw, so it thought she was its mother." Misty explained.

"I see. Prince Red, could you bring the Pokémon in question out?" Derek requested.

Ash shrugged, and threw the Luxury Ball, and out came Manaphy.

"Manaphy!" May started to run towards Manaphy to grab him, but she was restrained by Rosaline's telekinesis.

"What are you doing? Let go!" May yelled, struggling against Rosaline's restraints. The traitors (except Misty) tried to help, only to be intimidated by a Luxray that Phillip had sent out.

"Please keep calm. This is a court session, not a reunion dinner." Rosaline replied, glaring at May.

"Alright, Manaphy, you heard everything in the court session through your Pokéball, am I correct?" Derek asked.

Manaphy nodded.

"Can you please kindly tell us if what Misty said is true?"

"It's true that I hatched from an Egg and saw May as my mother at first, but after what she did to Ash, she is no longer my mama! Cynthia is my new mama!" Manaphy declared.

"No! Manaphy! I am your mama! Champion Red must've had brainwashed you with psychic powers!" May wailed.

"Wait, Ash? You don't mean the boy who disappeared four years ago, do you?" The District Attorney was frowning. The disappearance case even reached PAL's ears, as some of the G-men members who are Hunters were ordered to find him. However, they failed.

"I don't know why he disappeared, don't ask me." Misty said quickly. "The important thing is Red poached Manaphy!"

"Fortunately, we can verify this through a psychic. As Rosaline and Red are your opposition, we have called in someone from a region other than Kanto or PAL. Derek, please go and contact her to come in."

A few minute later, Derek returned with Caitlin.

"How did you get my number?" Caitlin asked. "No, I shouldn't be asking that, should I? You're the one who started the tournament idea and planned it along with a few others, Chairman of Hunter's Association and have friends in high places, so you can get anybody's number you want. So how can I help you?"

"How did she know William was the one who gave the idea?" Kenta whispered.

"She's Psychic. What do you expect?" Mika replied.

"Ah yes, I want you to check Manaphy, and see if Manaphy is brainwashed like May said. And while you are at it check if Manaphy came willingly or was forced to." Derek said.

Caitlin nodded, and went over to Manaphy to scan his mind. She confirmed he wasn't brainwashed, but she nearly gaped when she realized she only could find the answers that Manaphy is willing to give and nothing else. When she tried to find out who Red really is, all she drew was a blank.

Caitlin withdrew and said, "Manaphy isn't brainwashed. I can't detect any foreign psychic power. Manaphy went to Red of his own accord."

"She's lying!" May shouted. There was no way Manaphy would go to Red of his own accord, since Manaphy already had her.

"Lying?" Caitlin was offended.

William slammed his gavel down. "May Maple, if you say one more word, I'm going to charge you with contempt of court. Caitlin, you may go."

Caitlin nodded, and left the courtroom, but not before glaring at May, and thought May was lucky she can control her emotions now, otherwise, her psychic powers would cause a lot of damage in the courtroom due to her former explosive temper.

Pakura checked her CommuniDex for the time, and decided to use Mind Control on Misty to make sure she told the truth, so that they could go for dinner during recess and return for the verdict. The Top 8 had been postponed since she couldn't make it, and she is the Head Judge.

"So is there a reason why you brought a man that you don't know with you?" Derek asked Misty.

"Well, it's because he's supposed to be a distraction and alert us when they are distracted and the coast is clear, so we can sneak in to the room. I was hoping he'd do something to Pakura as well so that she wouldn't do anything to us if we succeeded."

Ash had the sudden urge to go up right there and punch Misty on the face, but that'd be unfitting of PAL's Prince and Champion.

"That's sick." Jude said in disgust.

"Ok...Thank you. I have no further questions." Derek said uncertainly. He sounded like he wanted this to be over and done with.

"The witness is excused. Does the defence rest?" William asked.

"Yes, Your Honour." Misty replied.

William then stood up. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am now going to read to you the law that you must follow in deciding this case. To prove the crime charged against the defendant, the prosecution must prove three things to you: First, that the defendant broke into the Tower, second that the would-be victim did not give the defendant permission to enter his floor and third the Pokémon wasn't in need of rescuing. If each of you believes that the prosecution proved all three of these things beyond a reasonable doubt, then you should find the defendant guilty. But if you believe the prosecution did not prove any one of these things beyond a reasonable doubt, then you must find the defendant not guilty. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt does not mean beyond all possible doubt. It means that you must consider all of the evidence and that you are very sure that the charge is true."

"Are you ready with final arguments?" William went on.

"Yes, Your Honour." Derek said.

"Yes, Your Honour." Misty replied.

"Your Honour, and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: The judge has told you that we must prove three things. There is absolutely no question about the first two things we must prove. First, the defendant did break into the Tower. Second, the would-be victim was in the room sleeping when it happened, which meant they weren't given permission, why else would they sneak in when he's sleeping and not when he's alert? Therefore, all we have to prove is that the Pokémon did not need rescuing. The Pokémon in question, Manaphy, seemed very happy under the ownership of Champion Red when we talked to him. There was no signs of distress or abuse on him. According to what the judge just told you, that is all we have to prove. Based on the evidence, you must find the defendant guilty." Derek concluded.

"Your Honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury: We didn't break into the Tower because at that time, those who opted out of the Tower rooms were allowed access because of status, and they are also allowed to bring friends in. Second, at that time we were allowed to go to whatever floor we wanted, and we simply chose to go to the 12th floor. Thirdly, May was the first person Manaphy saw and so the Manaphy thought she was its mother, and this imprint cannot be changed." She knew since she was the first person her Togetic saw, which meant the baby Pokémon thought she was its mother, and thus became hers. "The prosecution has presented no real evidence to you to show that this is not true. That means that there is a reasonable doubt and, therefore, you must find me not guilty."

"Alright, I'll call a recess. We'll be back here in an hour to announce the verdict." William said. He stopped when Josh began hyperventilating, and collapsed to the ground, struggling to get air. Akira and Ai rushed over to help him, and held him while trying to get him to breathe properly, and when they failed, Ash rushed over to try and help.

He focused his aura on the man's chest, and forced the heart to keep pumping at a regular rate, but he was too late as Josh stopped struggling a minute later, indicating death.

Ash, Akira and Ai checked his body to see the cause of death, but found nothing.

Nobody saw a needle flying back to Pakura's hand, and being crushed into smithereens, before the owner placed all the pieces back in her skirt pocket.

Ash watched as Akira and Ai took the body away using a stretcher, and wondered if the Dragon Princess was among the audience. What grudge did the Dragon Princess have against Josh? Or was it because she was a mindless killer killing whoever she wanted?

"We're extending the recess to two hours." William was slightly shaken by the turn of events, and his gavel came slamming down.

BP: And that's all for chapter 10.

I apologize if Ash didn't have as much spotlight in the court scene, as there was no way I could insert Ash's thoughts all the time, and I'm sorry if the Pokémon had no lines at all, as there was no way I could fit it in. I'm very sorry if the court scene was way too long, because I used a Mock Trial script I found online and translated it to a story and rewrote it to fit the storyline. I really don't know how a court session works, so please forgive me.

There are a few things I want to announce as well.

The members of the jury were based on the characters of an old show called the GranSazers. The 12 members themselves have star signs corresponding to them, so I thought I'd use them for the Zodiacs (although Hunter x Hunter used the Chinese Zodiac). The types of Hunter is related to their daily jobs in the series. It was really hard to make 12 OC for the jury, and mysterypink98 had the wonderful idea to base the characters on the GranSazers as there were 12 of them. Whether they would return for later chapters remains to be seen.

The judge and the Deputy District Attorney were actually based on OC I made for my first story as well. The Hacker Hunter is also another OC, though I won't be using him anymore after this chapter.

Also, yes, Pakura is not entirely sane. She wasn't born like that, it's the events of her life that turned her into what she is. It would be explained later, and yes, she isn't good at technology, she also has a huge fear of something which I would reveal later. Her "theory" of the Dragon Princess having a Healing Regenerative Factor is correct, and this is actually her very first ability. She usually tells facts to sound like theories to help and harm the investigation, as theories can't really be trusted. Also, her killing streaks are mainly people she doesn't like for various reasons (she's the 'you leave her alone she'll leave you alone' type of person)

Unfortunately, I couldn't display Ash's other abilities in this chapter, as the court scene was very long (I'm sorry for my terrible writing) so he'll have to use it when he's training by himself (He's not going to find out Pakura is training Cynthia, as it's going to be a girl-to-girl secret.)

I emphasize that Pakura used to love her own Elites, but the love turned to hate somehow, and she erased their memories mainly of the good times they had together and how she used to love them, and only she or Shiki can remove it (this is actually Shiki's ability and not hers).

I also have good and bad news. The bad news: I know many of you want her with Ash, which is why you suggest an Ash x Cynthia x Pakura for this story since he can't be with Pakura without breaking up with Cynthia. I understand your reasons and as much as I'd like to do this pairing, mysterypink98 vehemently refused, and since she has the bigger say, I won't do that pairing. But after consideration, I decided for my readers, I'm wiling to write an Ash x Pakura story, which brings me to my good news. I talked to mysterypink98, and she had agreed to this idea.

The good news: While we can't do this pairing, I am more than willing to do an alternate version of this story where Pakura ends up with Ash (in other words, Ash x Pakura), and there would be a few major differences in the plot itself, though some details would remain the same. I already decided that if I were to write it, it'd be a darker version of the story. You'll only know why it's darker if you want me to write it. If you want me to write an alternate version of this story (which I would be delighted to write) just say the word. I would start writing it depending on how many readers want me to write this alternate version.

Suggestions are welcome on the following:

1. Pairings in the story (For Jude and Pakura. Pakura is optional)

2. Any traitors you want Paul, Gary, Tracey, the Elites, or their love interests to battle in particular (unfortunately, it has to be outside of the tournament, since as you can see they usually foolishly challenge them to battle)

3. What should Pakura train Cynthia in?

4. What kind of Key Stone should Grimsley, Jasmine and Cynthia get (necklace, bracelet)

5. The story is split into two Arcs: The Mystery Arc and the Five Bosses Arc. Do you want the Top 8 to happen during the Mysteries Arc (which means the mysteries would be solved right after Top 8) or the Five Bosses Arc (which means the mysteries would be solved between Top 16 and Top 8)

6. What Pokémon should Cynthia, Grimsley and Jasmine catch? (Can be any Pokémon except those listed in previous chapter.)

7. When should the traitors find out who Red really is, and how?

8. I've watched episodes where Ash and his friends met Elite Four members and hung out with them so I decided that people should meet Ash and the others for a change, since this time, Ash is the celebrity instead of a fan. Who should Ash meet? It can be his old rivals from the regions he traveled in, or even characters of the day from Pokemon episode (but if it's the latter, I'd appreciate it if you mention which episode this character came from)

9. Do you want me to write the Ash x Pakura version of this story? If yes, what differences do you want in the alternate version from this story you read so far (it can even be the personalities of the Elites)? If no, why not?

10. Whose turn should it be to film the next week's PokéVision and what should it be about? I'll be counting the votes for this one. It can be Rosaline again if you wish to.

11. What verdict should Misty be given in the next chapter?

12. Any suggestions on how I can write the next chapter? (running out of ideas)

Do favourite, follow and review this story (Though I know I did a terrible job this time, since I didn't really have time to look over as I was trying my best to update ASAP)