Hey, everyone, apologies for being a day late. Finalising this chapter took longer than I expected.

Warning; the rating has been changed to M due to dark themes.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10 – Environmental Trials

The sun shone brightly in the sky, shining peacefully down onto Ash and his friends as they made their way towards Naval Island. But, compared to naturalistic beauty of the warm day, the atmosphere on Lapras' back was nothing but cold, and quite uneasy.

Ash-seated near Lapras' head-bounced Riolu up and down on his lap as he watched the island they were nearing grow larger. Meanwhile, Misty sat on the other side of Lapras' shell, her legs dangling next to the Pokémon's blue tail as she mindlessly stared out at the sea behind them.

Tracey. Well, Tracey was stuck in the middle of it all. Glancing from one friend to the other, he had no idea what had happened, only that it must have been pretty bad for neither of them to be talking at all. Sure, he'd known something was wrong when he found Misty during Ash's recent battle, but he didn't realise how bad it was until they boarded Lapras to head to the next island.

That had happened nearly a week ago, and yet, they still weren't talking. He'd tried asking Misty, only to receive a glare; he knew not to ask her again as if his life depended on it. He'd then turned to Ash, hoping to receive an answer. Unfortunately, the answer wasn't what he was looking for when Ash only shrugged in reply.

Sighing, he glanced between Ash and Misty again for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. He knew he wouldn't get an answer out of either of them, and that left him with one option; calling their last travelling companion for help.

Luckily, under the new league rules, Tracey had to have the contact details of the people Ash and Misty considered their guardians. Misty, surprisingly, had listed her sisters, while Ash listed his mother, but, for some reason, not his father. Interestingly, they'd both listed Brock on that list, and Tracey had to wonder why.

He hadn't had a reason to call any of them, until now, and he had a suspicion that Brock would be the best to call for such a situation; he was sure that Misty's sisters and Ash's mother knew their respective family quite well, but he had a feeling that only Brock knew about the unique relationship they both had.

"Look at that mountain!" Ash suddenly spoke up, standing to get a better view. Tracey and Misty followed suit, studying the island in front of them. The large rocky mountain at the centre of the island extended high into the heavens, its peak shrouded by the clouds above.

"It sure is a tall mountain!" Tracey agreed, while Misty simply grunted in reply.

"Come on, we should hurry!" Ash said, turning towards his friends. "The quicker we get there, the quicker I can get the next badge and we can move on!"

Coming to a stop on the sandy beach, they departed Lapras and walked slowly inland. Making their way off the beach, they were confronted with the sight of small town that had nearly been overrun by the environment.

"This place sure is quiet," Misty noted, scanning the stone buildings.

"It seems like it's deserted," Tracey added.

"And I don't see any Gym around here either," Ash agreed, his face frowning in concern; he remembered Elisabeth telling him about how many people deserted the Orange Islands after the Great War, he just didn't realise how badly until now.

Suddenly, the silence was filled with soothing tropical music. Turning, they three trainers watched as a boat sailed towards the shore. Clutching the wind sail was a tall muscular man in a simple Hawaiian shirt and blue shorts.

Ash, Misty, and Tracey blinked in shock as the boat landed on shore, the tall man jumping onto the sand beneath. "Hi!" he greeted. "I bet you guys are looking for a gym battle!"

"Uhh… Yeah!" Ash confirmed, nodding his head unsurely.

"Well, you came to the right place," the man said. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Danny." He smiled, the sun reflecting off his teeth.

"Uhh… Hi, I'm Ash!"

"And my name is Tracey."

"Oh!" Misty suddenly spoke up, bowing slightly. "My name is Misty!"

"Misty, aye? That beautiful name suites you," Danny commented.

Tracey was shocked, but not for the reason you would believe. On the other hand, Ash gaped in complete surprise for a purely selfish reason. "You mean her?" they both blurted at the same time.

Ignoring their comment, Danny strode past the two boys, walking straight up to Misty. "My pleasure, Misty." He extended out his hand, offering it in greeting.

"Uhh." Misty nervously leaned forward, grasping Danny's hand while smiling. "Nice to meet you!"

"I've seen some beautiful things in these islands, but nothing as beautiful as you," Danny said.

Misty swooned, her face glowing in a shade of pink. "Beautiful as me?"

Tracey wanted to puke, and not because of the sickly sweetness of the situation, but because of the clear age difference between Misty and Danny. While Misty was still ten, which he knew from the file he received on her when he agreed to be her guardian, Danny was clearly a lot older than her, possibly in his twenties, or at least late teens.

And while he wanted to speak up, he chose not to, believing-or rather hoping-that Danny was simply being overly nice to the people that visited the island. Yep, he was sure of it; there was no way that Danny had any romantic interest in his friend, but he decided to keep a close eye on him just in case.

Danny led them away from the abandoned town, telling them the history of the island. "With so many people leaving for Kanto, it left a sort of vacuum in the larger cities of the Orange Archipelago. Everyone left this island and ventured north to Ascorbia Island."

"Is that where you're from?" Misty asked, absolutely enthralled in the story.

"Sure am." Danny nodded. "I travel here by boat every morning, bring a lot of supplies with me just in case. Most don't know where the Navel Gym would be otherwise."

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "Looks like you've got everything you need in that backpack."

"Well, you can't always plan for the surprises life has in store," Danny continued. "But I always try to make sure I have everything I'll need before I do something."

"That's such a mature way of looking at things," Misty said. She glanced slyly back at Ash. "Too bad some other Pokémon trainers aren't smart enough to think ahead or know when to control their mouth."

"Sometimes you don't have to plan, especially if you're good enough!" Ash retorted.

"Especially if they're with trainers who know what they're doing!"

"Oh, yeah!" Ash yelled, confronting Misty.

"YEAH!" Misty angrily yelled, turning around to face him.

Ash and Misty's stare off was interrupted as Danny fell into a fit of laughter. "It sounds to me like the two of you are pretty close to one another."

"What do you mean?" Misty questioned, turning back towards Danny, any anger seemingly disappearing.

"What's that saying? 'You always hurt the one you love?'" Danny continued laughing, turning around to lead the group.

"Oh! You've got it all wrong!" Misty explained, blushing as she raced up next to Danny. "I-I'd never get involved with a little kid like him! I only like the mature, intellectual types!"

"She's my age!" Ash groaned. "If anything, she's the kid."

"To be honest, you've both been immature brats for the last week," Tracey observed. He froze, realising he'd spoken his thoughts aloud.

Choosing to ignore his friend's comment, Ash followed Danny and Misty, staying slightly behind the two. "Who is this guy anyway?"

"Maybe he's a trainer, here to challenge the gym." Tracey shrugged. "He did say he came here often. Could be an assistant."

"Yeah, well, we better find out soon!"

Pushing open the huge metal doors of the Navel Gym, Ash couldn't believe it when he found the place to be empty. Surveying the place, he noticed a cable car docked nearby that led up into the mountain. "I guess you have to take that cable car to get up to where the gym is."

Suddenly, Pikachu drew his attention towards a sign in front of him, where a large winding path led up into the mountain.

Tracey, noticing the sign too, walked up to it. Realising it contained instructions, he read it aloud so everyone could here. "It says, 'Welcome Pokémon Trainer. All Navel Gym challengers must climb to the top.'"

"Climb to the top?" Ash and Misty exclaimed at the same time.

"There's more," Tracey continued. "'Trainers must reach the top on their own, Pokémon may not provide help. Any trainer using a Pokémon will be disqualified.'"

"I have to climb up that, on my own!" Ash groaned.

"Do we have to climb up, too?" Misty asked, concerned, not even caring that Ash would have to climb; it was the reason they were there after all.

"It says those accompanying challengers can use the cable car," Tracey explained.

"You know what," Ash spoke up, a determined look on his face. "I've faced worse. I can do it if I try."

"That's the spirit, Ash!" Tracey encouraged. "You should get a head start. Misty and I'll try to work out how to use the cable car."

"Great!" Ash groaned, they weren't even going to say goodbye. His two friends departed, leaving him staring at the path in front of him. Sighing, he felt Danny approach.

"Don't worry, Ash," Danny reassured. "I'll be climbing with you."

"Thanks." Ash looked at the mountain, nervous.

Ash wearily gripped the next rock as he climbed the steep mountain. He'd originally though the climb wouldn't be too bad based on the slight winding incline he'd had at the start, but, as he climbed higher, the mountain's surface became nearly vertical, with jagged rocks sticking out everywhere.

One wrong move and he knew he was a goner, but that didn't stop him; he was determined to prove he could do it. Looking up, he noticed Danny several metres up. His annoyance grew, noticing the ease at which Danny climbed the mountain. While he was struggling, Danny didn't appear to be affected at all.

He glanced back down, immediately wishing he hadn't. While looking up made it easier to think you weren't very high, the moment he looked down he realised he was hundreds of metres above this island. He moaned worryingly, trying to regain his focus as the distance nearly doubled in his mind.

"Is everything okay, Ash?" Danny asked, coming to a stop; sensing the younger boy's anxiety.

"Yeah! Everything's just great!" Ash unsurely replied, continuing to climb.

They continued to climb, slowly rising up the mountain as the warm day began to cool the higher they got. Danny climbed unabated, showing his strength, while Ash began to lag behind; he didn't expect to be scaling the sides of mountains when he'd started his journey!

Finally, Ash found a small little inlet on the side of the mountain face. He placed both his arms on it, planning to hoist himself up for a rest, when he heard the sound of the cable car.

"Hey, Ash!" Tracey called before Ash could see them. Ash turned his head, watching as the cable car rose passed him. "We'll see you at the top!" Tracey quickly added.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, jumping onto Tracey's head.

"Hi." Danny waved as the cable car passed.

"Oh, hi!" Misty smiled. "Hi Danny!"

"I'll be at the top in just a little while!" Danny replied.

"Please be extra careful, Danny!" Misty warned, concerned.

Down below, Ash listened to the whole conversation, his anger slowly bubbling. "What's she so worried about him for?" he exclaimed. His anger grew, and suddenly blue energy began to form in his hands from the rage. Without realising, the energy grew too strong, overpowering him as it shot forth, shattering the little inlet he was holding onto. He fell, unable to grip onto anything around him.

"Ash, hang on!" Danny yelled, looking down.

Ash fell several metres as he tried to grab anything he could. Finally, his hand gripped a sharp rock that jutted from the mountain face. Hanging perilously, he quickly used one of his other hands to grab one of his Poké Balls. "Ivysaur, use Vine-"

"Ash! Don't do it!" Danny warned, stopping Ash from summoning his Pokémon.

Ash realised what Danny meant, remembering he would be disqualified if he used a Pokémon. Quickly placing his Poké Ball back onto his belt, he positioned one foot onto a rock below him and pushed himself up.

They continued the climb, eventually coming to small cliff where they agreed to take a rest. The sun was high in the sky and it was clearly mid-day, but it felt colder than it had early in the morning. Gasping for breath, Ash slouched down against the mountain.

"The air is clean; the view is great." Danny sighed. "There is nothing like the mountains."

"Danny," Ash said, drawing the older boys attention. "Thanks for helping me. I would have been disqualified if it wasn't for you."

"No need to thank me, Ash." Danny nodded, showing his appreciation. "I'm just here to help. How about we rest here for a few minutes before we continue?"

"Thanks."

After the long climb, the rock became covered with snow and began to plateau out, allowing Ash and Danny to simply walk. But now they had another problem as it became unbearably cold. Shivering, Ash wrapped his arms around himself, trying to conserve heat.

Finally, they reached the summit. Ash noticed his companions first, waving to them as he approached. "Hey!" He quickly picked up speed, racing towards his friends. "Misty! Tracey!"

"They did it," Tracey said, turning to face Ash.

Misty laughed as they both ran towards Ash and Danny. They had wrapped themselves to pink blankets due to the cold.

"Hey, you guys, I told you we'd make it!" Ash smiled as his friends neared.

"Great job, Ash!" Tracey commended.

"Here, here!" Misty agreed. But as they neared, Misty didn't stop, instead racing straight passed, towards Danny. "Are you okay, Danny?"

Ash nearly collapsed, annoyed at his friend.

"You must be cold, wanna' share my blanket?" Misty offered, ignoring Ash. Tracey paled; this situation could go from bad to worse at any moment.

"Thanks, but I enjoy this brisk weather." Danny declined, easing Tracey's concern.

Brisk? Ash silently questioned, annoyed. I'm shivering over here, there is nothing brisk about it! "What about me?" He whined, never realising what he'd just muttered.

Tracey quickly glanced between Misty and Ash, having heard the young boy complain. He suddenly understood the complex friendship they had; he needed to call Brock, and soon.

Danny laughed, passing Misty as he approached Ash. "That was quite a test, Ash," he said. He extended out his hand towards the younger boy. "Congratulations, you passed."

"I passed?" Ash questioned, unsurely.

"I knew it!" Misty suddenly spoke up, turning towards her oldest friend.

"I figured it out when we got to the top and no one else was here," Tracey added when Ash sent them a questioning look.

"What're you talking about? What're you know, Misty?" Ash questioned.

"Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it, Ash?" Misty replied. "Danny's not here to win a badge, he's the Gym Leader."

"Climbing that mountain was just a test to weed out the wimps!" Tracey added.

Wimps! No one should have to climb that mountain, especially not for a Gym Badge! This is about Pokémon, not the physical strength of their trainer! Ash was seething, but he didn't voice his opinion, instead turning towards Danny for confirmation.

"It's true, Ash," Danny confirmed. "I'm the Navel Island Gym Leader and I'm also a member of the Orange Crew. I climb with all challengers so I can keep and eye on them as they climb the mountain. Not just to make sure they don't use their Pokémon, but to also make sure that they get all the help they can to climb.

"Now, if you'll follow me, I lead you to your first challenge!" Danny gestured for them to follow.

They all followed Danny, who lead towards a series of hot geysers on one side of the summit. "So, here are the rules, Ash," Danny informed, coming to a stop. "Listen carefully. Matches here are decided in three rounds, and if you can two out of three, you get the Sea-Ruby Badge, understand?" He held up the badge, highlighting the seashell in the centre where a small green stone was held.

They wondered why the badge was called the Sea-Ruby Badge when it clearly had an emerald or green sapphire stone instead, but they decided not to voice it; it was quite the conundrum.

Ash nodded in understanding, waiting for Danny to issue the first challenge.

"First we'll see who can freeze hot water the fastest," Danny continued, gesturing towards two holes in the ground. Ash looked on confused, until hot water shot out of the two geysers. The water rose high into the sky before spreading out to cover the area in water. As the water hit the surface, it quickly melted the snow around it before re-freezing.

"That means they're going to have to use ice-type attacks," Tracey explained.

"Doesn't that kind of limit the number of trainers that can participate?" Misty questioned, remembering her argument during Ash's last gym battle. "Not everyone has a Pokémon that knows an ice-type attack. It's like the Mikan Gym; you had to have a water-type, or you couldn't challenge the gym."

As if on que, Danny summoned his Pokémon. "Go, Nidoqueen!" The hulking, blue, bipedal Pokémon raised her two arms into the air, growling triumphantly. "I have a Pokémon that knows Ice Beam, if a trainer that comes up here doesn't have a Pokémon that can freeze the geyser, I'll freeze it for them, but they lose the first round."

"So, Ice-type attacks, huh? I guess I'll have to go with Lapras!" Ash exclaimed, releasing his Pokémon. Lapras squealed with joy upon being summoned.

They waited for the geyser to spew water again before the race could start, each Pokémon eyeing the geysers determinedly.

Suddenly, hot water burst forth from the geyser, and both trainers made their move. "Ice Beam!"

Both Pokémon launched a freezing beam of ice at the same time, but it was clear that Nidoqueen's was stronger.

Quickly, the water from the geysers froze, the ice forming from the outside, travelling inwards as more water burst forth. Lapras gave her all, but it was clear that Nidoqueen's attack was far stronger.

"Hang in there, Lapras," Ash encouraged, but Danny had once last ace up his sleeve.

"Full power, Nidoqueen!" The beam of ice that shot from Nidoqueen's horn doubled in size, instantly freezing the last of the water.

Ash, Misty, and Tracey looked on in shock; hardly able to believe how easy it was for Danny and his Nidoqueen. "Well, it looks like I win the first round," Danny stated bluntly.

Meanwhile, Lapras continued to freeze her geyser. It was clear that she was struggling, but she didn't give up until the entire geyser was frozen.

"Well, done, Lapras," Ash commended before returning his Pokémon. "You did great, but it wasn't your day."

After the frozen geysers were cut, and the ice laid down on the ground, Danny explained the second challenge. "In the second round we'll compete at sculpting that ice." He directed everyone towards the sign behind him. "The first one to carve out this ice sled, using only three Pokémon wins. But remember, Ash, you are already down one challenge, so choose your three Pokémon wisely. If you lose this one, you lose the match."

"I already know exactly who I'm going to use!" Ash declared. He grabbed two of his Poké Balls, summoning the Pokémon. "Pikachu." He pointed towards his first Pokémon. "Ivysaur!" The Pokémon waved his vines enthusiastically. "And Charizard!" But the fire-type looked none too pleased; this wasn't a battle, it was some kind of gimmick!

Danny released his own Pokémon, instructing them to stand on both sides of the ice.

Ash's Pokémon followed his instructions, standing on either side of their own slab of ice.

"Ready?" Danny questioned. When Ash nodded, he began the match. "Let's go!"

While Danny's Pokémon got to work, quickly shattering the ice, all bar one of Ash's Pokémon began to carve theirs. Charizard, who still looked displeased, decided to lay down instead, and have a nap.

One Pokémon down, and even with Ivysaur's vines and Pikachu's Iron Tail, the carving of the ice was going too slow, so Ash turned towards his third Pokémon in annoyance. "Hey, come on, Charizard! I need you to do this! I can't win without you!" Charizard ignored him, and Ash knew he'd have to bribe the Pokémon to get him to do it. "I'm sorry I didn't use you during the last tournament! How about this, if you help me today, you'll be the first Pokémon I use the next time I battle? And if you're not, you can fry me, but only a bit."

Charizard contemplated the offer before agreeing. The large dragon-like Pokémon quickly rose to his feet and walked towards the slab of ice. He unleashed a powerful burst of flames, quickly moulding the ice into shape.

Ivysaur and Pikachu looked on apprehensively, annoyed that all their hard work was useless as the sled was moulded within seconds by Charizard's flames.

Danny gasped in shock; his Pokémon were nearly done, but Ash's Charizard had won him the challenge. "I guess you're the winner of this round." He smiled, declaring that the final round would commence soon.

"Alright!" Ash declared in excitement. "We did it!"

With both sleds complete, it was time for the final round. With the help of Danny's Pokémon, both sleds were pushed to edge of the summit, where a small line had been drawn and a banner with the word 'START' was erected.

"Well, it's all down hill from here," Misty muttered realising the final test was a race.

"This is the final challenge," Danny explained. "The first person to reach the goal line at the bottom of the mountain wins. You must choose three Pokémon to ride in the sled with you. They may leave the sled at any time during the race, but yourself and all three Pokémon must be inside the sled as it crosses the finish line. Understand?"

"Yeah." Ash nodded, wearily; he'd dreaded the climb up the mountain, and now he was going to have to slid down it!

They both climbed into their sled, Danny summoning his Scyther, Electrode, and Geodude, while Ash had Pikachu, Ivysaur, and Wartortle with him.

"Before we begin, Ash," Danny stated. "I like to give trainer's one piece of advice; use the environment to your advantage!"

"I'll try!" Ash replied, unsure of what Danny meant.

They waited as the first red light appeared on the gantry, quickly followed by another, and then finally, when the green light appeared, the race began.

Ivysaur pushed off with his powerful vines, giving them an instant speed boost as they raced down the mountain.

"Right! Now left! Hold it there!" Danny instructed his Pokémon, maintaining a stead balance as they raced down.

But Ash wasn't having as much luck. "A little to the left! I mean the right!" With only Ivysaur's vines to steer them, it was quickly becoming difficult to maintain control at such a high speed. "Not that much! We're going too fast!" He tried to warn his Pokémon, but it was already too late as they suddenly span out of control.

Ivysaur tried to place his vines down to stop them, but it wasn't enough, and Ash knew how to help him. "Quickly, Pikachu, hold onto the side and use Iron Tail to slow us down!"

Following his order, Pikachu gripped onto the side of the sled with Ash and Wartortle's help, smashing his glowing tail into the ground. With Ivysaur's vines, and Pikachu's tail, they managed to regain control, coming to a stop. He sighed, grateful that they hadn't been killed

"Too bad, Ash!" Danny called from up ahead. "You're way too far behind to catch up to me now!"

Ash watched as Danny disappeared further down the mountain, a look of determination appearing on his face. He turned towards his Pokémon, eyeing each of them. "You guys ready to prove him wrong?" All three Pokémon cheered in response, the same look appearing on their faces. "Then let's do this, Ivysaur!"

Ivysaur pushed off with his vines and they again took off down the mountain. Quickly, the snowy surface disappeared, replaced by the rocky ground underneath. As the two environments changed, their speed reduced dramatically, and Ash realised they wouldn't win unless they sped up.

Looking around, he tried o figure out a way to increase his sled's speed on such a rough surface. If only it had less friction! That's when it hit him, an idea forming in his mind. He turned towards his water-type "Wartortle, I need you to use Water Gun out the front of the sled! Make the surface in front of us as wet as possible!" Next, he turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, I need you to use Agility and Iron Tail. Destroy any large rock's that Wartortle's Water Gun won't turn into mud. Ivysaur, you keep steering, but make sure we're always on the sludge!"

Wartortle sat on Ash's lap, aiming at the surface in front of them. As the rocks turned to sludge, Ash noticed a clear increase of speed as the sled slid over the near frictionless surface. Pikachu raced ahead of the sled, using Agility to dramatically increase his speed and destroy any large rocks that were in the way.

"That's it, guys!" Ash encouraged. "You're doing it!" The sled was racing down the mountain now, nearly as fast as it was at the beginning of the race, but Ash didn't know if they would catch up; he could only hope they did.

"Good, we're almost at the finish line," Danny stated as they approached. "Just a few more seconds."

Misty and Tracey stood at the finish line, waiting for the winner. "Look!" Misty exclaimed, realising a sled was approaching.

"Who is it?" Tracey questioned, hoping it was their friend.

"I…" Misty focused on the driver, trying to get a better look. "Think it's Danny!"

"Looks like I'm the winner!" Danny declared. He was sure they'd won; no one had come from behind before. But he was wrong, as Ash and his Pokémon suddenly appeared behind them, gaining fast.

"Hang on!" Ash told his Pokémon; they were travelling so fast that the passed Danny in a matter of seconds, racing away towards the finish line. Pikachu had since returned to sled since there weren't any large rocks or boulders in their way.

"Here comes, Ash!" Misty and Tracey exclaimed.

Before they knew it, Ash's sled had passed the finish line, winning the race. But Ivysaur couldn't stop the sled, barrelling passed the finish and straight into the ocean behind it.

A massive wave splashed up as they collided with the water, and Ash was sure he had whiplash, but that wouldn't stop him from hugging his Pokémon in joy.

"He won," Tracey agreed, completely shocked.

Danny's sled came to a stop at the finish line, the man as equally as shocked as the others, but a smile quickly adorned his face. "He beat me."

"That sure was a rough ride," Ash stated, rising to his feet.

"Ash?" Danny questioned, walking towards the younger boy, concerned. When Ash responded, Danny smiled again. "You were great. You chose your Pokémon well, and you won two out of the three challenges. Now I'd like to give you something you really deserve, Ash, the Sea-Ruby Badge, it's yours!" He extended his hand out, revealing the badge on his palm.

Ash looked confused for a second, before snatching the badge from Danny. "I did it!" he excitedly exclaimed. "I earned the Sea-Ruby Badge!" He quickly turned towards the three Pokémon around him. "Thanks guys, I couldn't have done it without you!"

Just off to the side, Tracey and Misty watched on with a smile on their faces. "That was great," Tracey stated.

"Yeah, but…" A look of sadness appearing on Misty's face.

"But?"

"But Danny lost!" Misty replied.

"Seriously!" Tracey exclaimed, throwing his hands up in apprehension; he really needed to call Brock.

A long time ago…

Talking with Blue wasn't something Red was often used to. In fact, talking wasn't something he did very often at all. He'd found-after leaving his mother to go on his Pokémon journey-that he was starting to open up to people in a way he hadn't before.

First there was Misty Williams; the enigmatic, witty, and feisty girl who'd taken a liking to him after he rescued her from her Gyarados. Then there was Green; the carefree girl who had a problem with authority and nearly died because of it. And finally, there was Blue; the old acquaintance and rival who'd suddenly opened up to him.

Red mused that the sudden change in Blue had to do with the incident in Celadon City, and for the first time ever he noticed the smallest amount of respect in his rivals' eyes; Blue had suffered during the ordeal and was grateful for what Red did to save him.

Their conversation stagnated, and became awkward, as Red and Blue lounged around in the foyer of the Pokémon Centre, when Green suddenly came barging in. "Guys!" she screeched, coming to a halt next to them. "It's happening."

For a moment Red look confused, studying Green's anxious expression, before realisation suddenly struck him, his eyes going wide. "Oh! we better hurry then!"

"Wait?" Blue questioned, giving both of them an equally puzzled look. "What's happening."

Red looked towards Green before turning to Blue. Sighing, he responded. "You remember those guys that used you?"

"Yeah." Blue nodded.

"Well, when I rescued Green from them, I overheard one of them mention Silph Co." Red took a breath before continuing. The whole experience wasn't exactly something he liked remembering, and he couldn't stop the sound of gun shots ringing in his ear. "We've been here watching the company's headquarters ever since."

"And," Blue pushed him to go on.

"Well…" Red didn't know how to respond, but Green did.

"Those guys, they just attacked Silph Co." Green said it so bluntly that it shocked Red; he'd been trying to be gentle with such matters around Blue since the ordeal he'd gone through.

"So?" Blue looked puzzled again. "Why don't you just notify the police."

"I've been down that route, they won't listen to kids like us," Red explained. "They'd think we were making such a big thing up."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Think about it," Red replied. "Three kids barge into a police station talking about a criminal organisation taking control of a multinational corporation's headquarters without anyone getting word out. Would you believe it?"

"Well, no," Blue admitted. "But how do you know word didn't get out?"

"That's what we're going to see now," Green explained. "If no one turns up to help, we're going to have to help them ourselves."

"This seems like a terrible idea," Blue muttered.

"It's the only idea we've got!" Red shot back. "You can stay here if you'd like!"

"Oh, no, I'm going," Blue stated, shaking his head. "If only to keep your ass out of trouble."

Miya waded past the unconscious workers, placing the metal case she held on the desk in front of her. Taking over Silph Co. had been a breeze, with the knock out gas disseminated through the ventilation system as planned, and she was now free to do what she was there for. She removed the multi-coloured stone from the case and placed it inside a clamping device. The energy radiating off the stone sent shivers down her spine.

She'd known about the stone's effects when she was looking for it, but to actually feel it was something else entirely. Ever since she had the stone, she felt like she could take on the world. She was faster, stronger, smarter, and yet, she couldn't get rid of the niggling feeling that having the stone so close to her was a bad idea. She sighed; it wouldn't be her responsibility once she was done here.

Accessing the computer next to her, she fired up the industrial grade diamond cutting tool the lab contained and entered the configuration she wanted carved from the stone. As the long arm of the cutting device began rotating around the stone, Miya entered other configurations she required; there were eight in total, all resembling the Kanto League badges. "Let's hope this works," she muttered, knowing that every other machine they'd tried failed.

The drill span incredibly fast, whizzing as it approached the stone. Miya watched with bated breath, pleading for the drill to work. The diamond head drill finally collided with the stone, sending material flying everywhere, but instead of shattering to pieces like the other devices, the drill carved its first line in the stone.

She smiled, closing her eyes. She listened to the drill hum, letting the feeling of relief wash over her. For two long years she searched for the stone, and now her mission was nearly over. The grunts around her looked at her confused. She didn't mind however; they would never know what she'd been through to get the stone.

With her time now free while the configurations were carved from the stone, Miya decided to see how the rest of the operation was going. "Keep an eye on the machine," she ordered. "Notify me when it is done or if anything goes wrong."

"Yes, mam."

Red, Blue and Green arrived at Silph Co. a short time later. They wandered around the perimeter, noting the uncharacteristic quietness of the large company they'd watched for the last few weeks. At any given time, people would be coming and going, with security checking their identification. But now the place seemed deserted.

There wasn't a whimper of sound from the large office building or any shipments coming and going from the manufacturing plant behind it. Blue looked up concerned, gauging the possibilities as his eyes reached the top of the tall skyscraper. "Something's off," he muttered.

"You think?" Green stated. "Come on, I found a way inside."

"Inside?" Blue questioned in shock. "How are we going to get inside."

"You'll see," Green replied, instructing them to follow her.

Before long they found themselves at a rear entrance to the plant, but there was one small snag; it was locked. "Great! How are we supposed to get in now?" Blue smugly commented, smirking; he knew this was exactly what would happen.

"With this!" Blue's smirk instantly faded as Green smugly pulled out a key card from her bag. "Got it off a security guard a couple of days ago."

"You stole it," Blue shot. "What makes you think that the guard didn't report it missing? They may have locked the card out. And you." He turned to Red. "You're not saying anything about this, what gives?"

"I've gotten used to it." Red shrugged. "Best not to argue about it with her."

"I don't believe this!" Blue blurted a little louder than they would have liked. "You sit back and let her do what she wants. You, with your holier than thou attitude!"

While the boys argued, Green placed the key card on the reader, waiting until there was a sudden beep. The door opened, revealing a small room inside. "Ladies first," Green mocked, pulling the two boys from their argument.

Licking their wounds, Red and Blue entered followed by Green; they'd both clearly underestimated the young girl.

But their minor triumph was impeded when they found the room contained another locked door; this one the key card didn't unlock. "I guess we'll have to find another way in," Red groaned.

"No, we won't," Green stated, searching her bag. "This door requires a key." She pointed towards the lock as she pulled out a set of tools. "Luckily, I know how to pick them."

"Geez, if I didn't know you were from Pallet Town, I would have asked Red where he found you," Blue stated.

Green looked at Blue, stunned. "You know I'm from Pallet Town?"

"Unlike this guy here." Blue thumbed Red. "I remember you from the day we got our Pokémon. You were the girl that stole Squirtle."

Red looked at the girl, replaying the day in his mind. He remembered collecting Saur, then battling Blue and his Charmander. There was a commotion, and he only remembered seeing a small figure race away from the lab with Professor Oak yelling after them. He didn't get a good look at the figure, but they appeared to be young, and have long brown hair.

He'd seen Green with a young Squirtle recently. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "It was you!" Red exclaimed. "Professor Oak said that Squirtle had been stolen by a young girl!"

"Guys, can we not talk about this right now?" Green whined. "Yes, I'm a thief. Yes, I stole Squirtle, but we have more pressing matters to attend to!"

"Fine," Red agreed. "But we're discussing this afterwards."

Miya strode through the upper levels of the building, making her way towards the CEO's office. She knew that's where Giovanni would be and was determined to find out how the meeting was going. As she got closer, she realised how well that gas had infiltrated the building, passing the sleeping forms of several executives.

While she had expected the gas-more like concentrated sleep powder-to work on the lower levels where it had been placed in the ventilation system, she had no idea how effective it would be the further up the building the gas went.

"I don't think you fully understand the situation," she heard Giovanni warn. "We've taken over the whole building. We've jammed any communication to and from this place. There is no one coming to help you."

"Hah!" she heard another man scoff. "And you think I'll take your word for it?"

Miya leaned against the double door of the office, peering inside. She watched as a Giovanni strode towards a large mahogany desk, a sly smile on his lips as he waved a gun around threateningly. Behind the desk sat a large muscly man; nothing like Miya had expected. His well press suit heightened the definition of his muscles, and his vibrant red hair stood out against the plane black suit. The one thing that really surprised Miya was that the man didn't look even a little bit intimidated, instead the look of steely resolve covered his features.

"Not my word," Giovanni continued, placing a document on the table. "But we've had this place on lock down for over an hour, and yet no one has come. There hasn't been a single police car show up; there would have been one by now."

The CEO didn't take his eyes off Giovanni as document was slid in front of him, clearly gaging the seriousness of the Rocket Admin's threat. Glancing down, the CEO scoffed. "You expect me to hand over my company?"

"I expect you to do a hell of a lot more than that," Giovanni explained. "But yes, to put it simply, we want your company."

"My father built this company," the CEO continued. "I'll never hand it over to the likes of you. Threaten me all you want, I'm not afraid of dying."

"I imagine such a man of your reputation would certainly not, Mr. Williams," Giovanni agreed. If he was hoping to find any form of weakness in Mr. Williams' resolve, the CEO clearly didn't show it, making him follow through with his threat. "But I wonder, what would you do if anything were happen to one of your daughters?"

"If you know my reputation, you'd know that I don't take kindly to threats, especially one's against my family."

Miya chose that moment to enter. "Everything is secure, sir," she said, earning a surprised and annoyed look from Giovanni; she wasn't exactly supposed to be there, but when did she ever do exactly what she was told?

Sure, Madam Boss liked her; she was one of the only members to have an impeccable record with a ninety-nine percent success rate, but she still did a few things her own way.

"Good, anything else to report?" Giovanni questioned, hoping Mr. Williams wouldn't pick up on his shock that she was there.

"Only that the badges will be ready soon," Miya explained

Giovanni's eyes lit up at that, a smile adorning his face. "That's some of the best news I've had all day!"

Mr. Williams eyes darted between the two Rockets, trying to gage the strange situation he found himself in. He could tell that both of them had some form of history based on the way Giovanni acted towards the woman's presence. For a moment, a sickly sly smile crossed Mr. Williams' face; he could use this. But before either of the two Rocket Admins could notice, the smile disappeared, the same stern look covering his features as before. He quickly pressed a button underneath his desk, releasing a small pistol that slid from a hidden canopy.

"Well, as you can see, Mr. Williams, everything appears to be in order." Giovanni turned back towards the desk, strutting forward. "I would suggest that you sign the document or some-"

Giovanni was cut off as a loud explosion shook the entire building. Taking it as his opportunity, Mr. Williams rose to his feet and lunged at Miya before either of them could react, wrapping one arm around her neck while the other pointed the gun towards her head.

Mr. Williams turned towards Giovanni. "Doesn't seem like everything is secure now, does it?" Mr. Williams stated, pulling back the hammer on the gun. He draged Miya towards the exit before looking back at Giovanni "I wouldn't follow if you know what's best for her."

The situation turned dire so quickly for Giovanni that he froze, completely paralysed, wondering what to do next; he was in quite a stalemate.

Green groaned as she tried to pick herself up, her muscles aching, her head spinning. Groggily, she raised her hand towards her head, quickly retracting as she felt pain on contact.

Looking at her hand, she wondered how it suddenly had a red stain on it. She couldn't remember much; only that she had run into Team Rocket, summoned one of her Pokémon and ordered it to Self-Destruct so she could escape.

Even in her deliriousness she could tell that the place was a mess. Fire rose from a short distance down the hall, concrete and steel covered the floor, an alarm blared senselessly-although she couldn't hear it that well-and she was sure she could just make out two bodies lying on the ground not too far from her.

Her vision, for a moment, appeared to return to her and she finally realised the level of devastation around her, but it quickly faded as her vision grew cloudy. The sprinkler system came on, and she winced as the cold water landed on her head. She felt light-headed, she wanted to just lay there and sleep, but she willed herself to remain conscious.

She didn't know why, but something inside her told her to remain awake; like the peaceful escape into dreamland was a bad thing. But she was losing fast, her head aching more and more, as the drowsiness took over.

Suddenly, she felt someone grab her. She couldn't tell who it was, but she marginally made out the red jacket the person wore.

"Green?" Red asked, concern evident in his voice. He'd known splitting up was a bad idea, but he couldn't argue with his companions when Green suggested it, and Blue agreed.

"We could cover more ground!" He remembered Green arguing. If only she could see what that decision had caused. But Red had the distinct feeling that Green had no idea what was going on at the moment, given the massive bleeding gash on her head.

Hoisting her up, Red placed Green's arm over his shoulder. Slowly, he carried her past the bodies of the two Team Rocket grunts in the hallway. Dragging her around the corner, safe from the fire and debris, he slowly lowered her back down onto the ground.

"Just remain here for a minute, I'm going to go see if anyone else needs help." He waited momentarily for a reply, only to receive a garbled sentence and a strange smile from Green, who shakily turned her head away.

Red sighed, racing back towards the fires. Stopping, he looked at the two grunts on the floor, his vision slightly distorted by the smoke. Coughing, he leaned down to feel for a pulse, but neither of them had one. Dread spread quickly through him; there was nothing he could do for them, but he could at least figure out why the explosion had happened.

Entering the room just off the hallway, the one with the wall blasted out, he found an electrode unconscious on the ground. Realising what happened, he wondered how the Pokémon had managed to do so much damage when their Self-Destruct attack only had a limited range.

Looking back into the hallway, he noticed a Poké Ball on the ground where Green had been. Quickly picking it up, he held it out towards the unconscious Pokémon, returning it. With the Pokémon secure, Red ventured back into the room.

But he had to make it quick, with the fires spreading faster than the sprinkler system could contain them. He found several unconscious workers, and one by one, dragged them out of the room. Finally, after have one last glance through, he found the room empty. He turned to leave, but something caught his attention as it reflected the light from the fire.

Walking towards the strange multi-coloured object, he leaned down and clutched it in his hand. He recognised the shape immediately, having won the same shaped badge from Misty. But it didn't feel like any ordinary badge; it somehow gave him strength the like of which he'd never felt before.

Placing the stone into his pocket, he made his way back to his friend, contemplating his next move. Instead of having one person to carry to safety, he suddenly had eight, and he was sure in his small frame that he wouldn't be able to drag the others very far; just getting them all out of the room had nearly exhausted him.

Deciding to get Green out first, as she was clearly worse off than the others, he picked up the groggy girl, hoisting her arm over her shoulder like before. "I'll get you outside and then I'll get you some help."

They past several hallways, the smoke thinning the further they went, but when they were finally close to the front entrance, they found their way blocked by several Team Rocket grunts. Quickly, he summoned Pika and Saur, ordering them to attack the Pokémon Team Rocket sent at them.

The battle was short and sharp, with his Pikachu and Ivysaur easily dismissing the countless Raticate and Ekans they sent out. Finally, after growing annoyed at the seemingly endless line of Pokémon, Red ordered Ivysaur to knock the Rocket grunts out.

Struggling to pass the unconscious bodies with Green drearily hanging on, Red's frustration grew. Suddenly, another Raticate rounded the corner, and Red's patience vanished. "Ivysaur, Solar Beam!" He pointed towards the new Pokémon, who looked confused, as Ivysaur charged up his attack in record time.

That's when he felt it. The stone in his pocket suddenly radiated an energy he'd never felt before. The energy leaked out of his jacket, racing towards Ivysaur, before wrapping itself around the Pokémon.

Red tried to stay the attack, but he was too late as his Pokémon unleashed a beam of pure energy so powerful that it blinded them. The stone had amplified Ivysaur's strength, and there was nothing he could do.

The beam smashed into Raticate, sending it flying into the wall behind it. With a thud, it landed.

"Raticate!" Blue yelled in concern, appearing from around the corner. Red raced towards his friend, who was crouched down around the silent Pokémon, realising that the Pokémon had been his friend's and not another Rocket grunt's.

Slowly, blood appeared from beneath Raticate's body, quickly pooling. Blue turned the Pokémon over, revealing a massive hole in its stomach that cut deep into its body. Its eyes were lifeless, unmoving.

Red felt his eyes begin to water, his body shaking in shock as Green muttered something incoherent. What had he done?

What will Happen? Find out Next time!

I used Tracey as a sort of voice for myself in this chapter to point out the disgusting side of the episode. While Danny never shows any interest towards Misty, other than their greeting, it really bugged me how she was swooning over a guy that looked like he could've been double her age, let alone the fact she's only ten. At least Rudy is closer in age, so I don't have as much of a problem with that one as I always have with this one.

There will be no super dark themes just yet in the present, but there will be a lot in the past as shown in this chapter. I took the idea for Red accidently killing Blue's Pokémon from the popular theory that your character kills Blue's Raticate in the game.

Because people have been wondering, I'll explain it here. Ash and Misty's eggs will hatch soon. I've finally decided which Pokémon they will each get, so you'll have to wait and see.

Any questions, Pokémon suggestions, ideas for the story, or OC's you have that you would like to see in the story, just PM me or send it in a review! All are welcome!

Ash's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Pikachu (Electric) (Male)
Lapras (Water/Ice) (Female)
Ivysaur (Grass/Poison) (Male)
Charizard (Fire/Flying) (Male)
Wartortle (Water) (Male)
Rhydon (Ground/Rock) (Female)
Riolu (Fighting) (Male)
Dragonair (Dragon) (Female)
Ralts (Psychic/Fairy) (Male) (Shiny)
Grubbin (Bug) (Female) (Shiny)
Egg

At Oak's Ranch:

Pidgeot (Normal/Flying) (Male)
Arcanine (Fire) (Male)
Nidorino (Poison) (Male) (Shiny)
Umbreon (Dark) (Male) (Shiny)
Raticate (Normal) (Female)
Butterfree (Bug/Flying) (Male)
Kingler (Water) (Female)
Absol (Dark) (Male)
Gengar (Ghost/Poison) (Male)
Primeape (Fighting) (Female)
Muk (Poison) (Male)
Tauros (Normal) (Male) (x23)
Sandslash (Ground) (Male)
Gyarados (Water/Flying) (Male)

Departed:

Mew

Misty's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Starmie (Water/Psychic)
Seel (Water) (Male)
Feebas (Water) (Female)
Vaporeon (Water) (Female)
Psyduck (Water) (Male)
Togepi (Fairy) (Male)
Egg

At Oak's Ranch:

Kabutops (Rock/Water) (Male) (Shiny)
Seaking (Water) (Female)
Staryu (Water/Psychic)
Tentacruel (Water/Poison) (Male)
Pelipper (Water/Flying) (Female)
Seadra (Water) (Female)

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Until Next Time, AshleyH30 Out!