"And on the red field, looking for a win to seal her place at the top of her group and in the last sixteen, is Misty Waterflower. Her opponent, the only trainer who can catch her in this group…"

Sam tuned out the commentator as he turned to Mellanie next to him. They had sat and watched battles all day, and had spent a lot of time discussing the quality of the battles going on in front of them. A lot of the trainers were relatively weak, but a few had caught their eye. Sam had been constructing a list which he was to send to Cynthia at the end of the tournament. It was part of her recruitment program for talented trainers.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked.

Mellanie snorted. "I could have swept this tournament using just one trio of Pokémon. Some of these battles have been pathetic."

Sam laughed. "Don't hold back on the judgement, get it all out." Mellanie glared at him. "Okay, okay, I get your point." He said. "But remember, the groups are due to take just a day and a half. In groups of eight, that is seven fights in that time. A lot of Pokémon rotation is needed, or they'll get exhausted. Especially after a hard fight."

"Only if they get hit." Mellanie argued. "Otherwise it is just poor fitness."

Sam held his hands up. "I'm not going to get drawn into this argument." He said. "I don't want to fight with you, not on what has been a good day where we actually get to spend time together."

Mellanie smiled at her friend. "Yeah, it has been good. Thank you for inviting me."

"No problem." Sam said. "Gets you away from Champion for a bit."

Mellanie nodded as she turned her attention back to the field in front of them. Misty had just released her Gyarados, clearly trying to win the battle. She had won her first five group battles, and knew that a sixth win would guarantee her a place in the last sixteen. It would also mean that she could rest some of her Pokémon for the final group battle.

"Do you think she could win it?" Mellanie asked suddenly.

"Who, Misty?" Sam asked. "Yes. We expect her to win."

Mellanie nodded again, focusing her attention back onto the battlefield as Gyarados sent a Muk reeling back across the field. Another attack and the Muk was out cold.

Misty's opponent recalled his Muk, an angry look on his face. He was very close to being eliminated from the tournament, and he knew he had to win this one. But Misty had sent out her strongest to end this one quickly. He threw another Pokéball onto the field, causing a Manectric to appear. Misty looked down at the Manectric almost pityingly. Three years ago Gyarados had gotten into a fight with an Electrode that had been able to defeat him due to the double-type advantage. Since then Gyarados had trained harder to resist electricity. It was something very few trainers knew, with many thinking that she could be beaten by using electric Pokémon. Misty could tell by a look at Manectric that she wasn't strong enough to hurt Gyarados.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump." Misty called. As the attack arched in, Manectric fired a Thunderbolt as she tried to electrify the water, but it had no obvious effect. Despite the electricity hitting Gyarados by travelling up the water, Gyarados kept the attack going. Manectric was almost blasted off her feet by the force of Gyarados attack.

Sam turned to Mellanie. "Interesting. I wonder why she didn't use Gyarados when she fought me in Pallet Town…"

"Yeah. A Water/Flying Pokémon that can resist electric attacks." Mellanie mused. "Must be a secret weapon of hers. Ampharos could probably still break through."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Ampharos." Sam said, remembering something. "I saw Max Maple not long after the Johto League. He wasn't happy with you. Something about you using Ampharos as a power Pokémon, when you are always a countering trainer."

Mellanie laughed. "Not that it worked against him. He is a canny battler. With stronger Pokémon he could be a threat to us."

They heard applause ring out around the stadium and looked down. Gyarados had finished off the Manectric, leaving Misty to wave to the crowd as she walked off. Another convincing win, and she had still only lost one Pokémon in six two-vs-two fights. Sam stood up and turned to the organiser behind him.

"I think that is enough for today. When the battles out there finish, we will end it for today. It must be about time."

The official glanced at the clock set up over the fields. "Yes sir, it is nearly at the end of the days fighting. I shall pass on the message."

"Thank you." Sam said, before holding out a hand to Mellanie. "I think it is time we went and got something to eat. We've been sat here all day."

Misty exited the arena, to see the familiar face of Zane Zito waiting for her. She sighed, but she knew she couldn't just ignore him.

"Make it quick Zane." She said. "I want to get to a Pokémon Centre."

"Of course." He said. "Congratulations on your performance today. How hard is it to keep rotating Pokémon?"

"Not hard." Misty said. "I trust my entire team, and the benefits of a tournament like this is that they all get their chance to shine."

"Tomorrow morning, you have one more group battle. Are you planning on resting some of your front-line team? To give some of your other Pokémon a chance?"

"I haven't really thought about it. I just wanted to do as well as possible today." Misty said. "Now we've progressed, we can plan tomorrow's battles. Thanks Zane, but I do need to go."

Misty then shouldered past Zane, striding away. As she turned a corner, she saw Gary waiting for her. He took her hand and they headed for a Pokémon Centre. Unseen, high above them, a tiny shadow was flitting between buildings, following them as they headed through the city.

Ash stood in the centre of the stage, looking out at the trainers assembled in front of him. Every single trainer at the camp was in front of him, including Cynthia and all of the specialists. He stood on the stage alone. It had been nearly a year since he had come to a training camp, but he wanted to observe Sonia for himself. And while his presence would mean that he would have to teach, he didn't mind it in the way he once would have. It meant he could showcase his strength and skill.

"I have agreed with Cynthia that this morning I will run a session for anybody who is interested." Ash announced. "If you do not wish to attend this session, you do not have to. However, if you do, I expect you to pay attention. I will not repeat myself and I will not wait for anybody who is slow."

He looked around the room once more. Nobody seemed inclined to move, all instead hanging on his every word. The shadow of a smile crossed Ash's face, hidden underneath the shadow of his iconic hat. He always used a similar speech, and in the six sessions he had run, not a single person had ever left. It always amused him how trainers thought that an hour or two spent with him would make them much better trainers. Although if he was honest with himself, he knew that it often did.

"Proceed to the mixed fields. We shall use them for the demonstrations."

As one the trainers headed for the door that led to the designated field. Ash stepped off the stage and joined them on the other side of the door.

"One of the key parts of any Pokémon battle is the ebb and flow of the fight." Ash said, once everybody was stood to the side of one of the fields. He was stood in the middle, some forty yards away, but his voice easily carried over the distance. "A skilled trainer is not somebody who is always on the attack. If a trainer attempts to attack permanently, a smart opponent will simply hold them off and wait for them to either get tired or to make a mistake. Remember, attacking is always more tiring than defending. However, a trainer who is permanently defensive can easily be backed into a corner. Observe."

Ash held out both of his hands and released two Pokémon. Charizard appeared with a roar, while Sceptile merely bowed slightly as he materialized.

"Charizard will initially attack, and Sceptile will defend." Ash said. "Sceptile is capable of moving extremely quickly, but if Charizard is clever he will be able to force Sceptile into a corner."

He gestured to his two Pokémon. Charizard immediately unleashed a Flamethrower that Sceptile slipped around the side of. Charizard fired another attack as he slowly started to move forwards, shepherding Sceptile towards the corner of the field.

"As you can see, Sceptile is either dodging every attack, or using one of his own to hold it at bay." Ash said. "This is a well-known defensive tactic, which prevents Sceptile from getting too tired while keeping him from injury. However, as Charizard closes the gap, Sceptile is running out of space to dodge into."

Soon Sceptile was boxed in to one corner, and Charizard threw his head back before unleasHowehing a torrent of flames that spiralled out into a noose. Sceptile had nowhere to go as the noose started to close around him.

"And now, despite his great agility and speed, Sceptile is beginning to get boxed in." Ash said. "Charizard enough."

On Ash's order, Charizard allowed the attack to dissipate as Ash turned back towards the assembled trainers.

"Aside from the obvious of using short distance to trap a defensive Pokémon, this should have shown how a Pokémon that only aims to hang on and outlast their opponents will struggle. This brings us back to the ebb and flow of a fight. If always attacking or defending is a weak strategy, then a skilled trainer will be able transition between the two smoothly and at the right time. When a Pokémon attacks, they often overextend themselves. That is the moment that a defensive Pokémon can take advantage and strike. Equally, when a Pokémon has a preference for attacking then you need to be able to see when they are at risk of being countered against and have a defence against it. I often demonstrate this principle using Water-Pokémon as they are the best at it. Therefore, we shall use the water portion of this mixed field."

Ash gestured to Sceptile and Charizard who both headed to the edge of the water. As the trainers assembled along the edge he released Sharpedo into the pool.

"If anybody wishes to have a Water-type Pokémon watch this, release one now." Ash said. As more Pokémon started to appear in the water, Sharpedo focused all of his attention onto Sceptile and Charizard.

"Both Charizard and Sceptile will use ranged attacks to target Sharpedo." Ash said. "He will initially dodge and fight defensively, but when there is an opportunity, he will strike back. For the purposes of this demonstration he will target a space to the side of Sceptile."

As he finished speaking, Sceptile fired a Bullet Seed at Sharpedo, while Charizard attacked with Flamethrower. Sharpedo shot away with incredible speed, leaving the attacks to try and follow him across the pool. Charizard and Sceptile started to work together, trying to trap Sharpedo, but he was able to evade all of their attacks. As the trainers watched, Charizard started to make his attacks go on for longer, straining himself to try to catch Sharpedo. As one particularly long burst of flame came to an end, with the heat of it causing steam to partially obstruct Sharpedo from sight, the Brutal Pokémon struck back. He shot through the steam, leaving Sceptile's Bullet Seed to crash into where he had been and for a moment he had a free shot. The Hydro Pump that he fired crashed into the space just to the side of Sceptile. Had it been two feet to the side it would have sent Sceptile flying.

Ash made a motion with his hand and his Pokémon instantly stopped attacking.

"Charizard was deliberately overextending himself there to demonstrate." Ash said. "But as you can see, even though his attacks are extremely powerful, if he pushes too hard to hit a Pokémon, it is easy for him to be caught out. It is one of the biggest mistakes I see in trainers; when they are fighting. If they are attacking, and their opponent is forced onto the defensive they often get overconfident. When that happens, they will keep attacking, even when they know better and will be caught out."

He held out a hand and Sharpedo vanished into a Pokéball. "The key is knowing when to strike. Strike too early and you are in danger of getting hit by a powerful attack. Strike too late and you might miss." Ash held out his hand once more and Charizard vanished. "Now, we have focused thus far on ranged attacks. Dodging and blocking using your own attacks. There is another style of fighting that many trainers ignore. Close range attacks. While getting in closer leaves a Pokémon more vulnerable to attacks, it also allows them to deliver far more powerful and harder to avoid strikes. Proceed to the normal field, and I shall demonstrate this principle."

Once again, Ash waited for the trainers to assemble on the edge of the designated field before releasing his Pokémon. Sceptile was still out, but this time his opponent was Machamp who appeared, flexing his muscles.

"Machamp is one of the best known Pokémon for fighting in close range." Ash said. "Yet like many Pokémon he suffers from the danger of having to try and get close to his opponent, particularly when his opponent is very hard to pin down. The important thing to remember when fighting with a Pokémon like him is that you may have to accept hits, but only when you can deal more damage back. Similarly, when facing a Pokémon like him you would do well to keep him at a distance. How you do that is up to you; permanently attacking is one way but is likely to tire your Pokémon out. Pokémon that specialise in close range fighting tend to have better endurance than longer-range Pokémon, so trying to force him to stay away by constantly attacking is a risky strategy."

Ash turned to Sceptile and Machamp.

"In this situation, Sceptile will try to keep Machamp at a distance while Machamp will focus on his approach. Observe."

Sceptile fired a Bullet Seed at Machamp who dropped and rolled to one side. The attack passed by where he had been and as Machamp came up he started to move towards Sceptile. As the next attack came, Machamp rolled underneath it then twisted to the side to avid the follow up. Sceptile started to move around the field, trying to maintain a constant distance from Machamp whilst still keeping up attacks, but it was clear that the distance was slowly closing. When Machamp was just a few yards away he suddenly crossed all four of his arms in front of his chest and charged forwards, barrelling straight through Sceptile's latest attack. As the attack ended Machamp was stood right in front of Sceptile, his four arms extended ready to strike. The two Pokémon froze and then turned back towards Ash.

"Machamp was happy to keep dodging strikes as long as he got closer to Sceptile up to a point." Ash said, turning back to the trainers. "Yet once he was close enough he was willing to take a single hit in order to put himself in a prime position for his own attack. One attack that hits Machamp is enough to put him in a position to win the fight."

Ash held up his hands and both Machamp and Sceptile vanished into Pokéballs that he replaced on his waist. Ash nodded to Cynthia who started walking forwards.

"As a final note, I demonstrate using a few examples. Good trainers will be able to take what they see and incorporate it into their own styles. Imitation has been called the sincerest form of flattery. In battling you will find it as a way of getting quickly beaten."

Ash turned and strode away, leaving trainers gazing after him in admiration. Cynthia stepped out in front of the group and turned to face them.

"That was an insight to the style that makes Champion unbeatable. As we usually do whenever Champion instructs, all of the usual sessions today are suspended. I suggest that you do what myself and the specialists shall be doing; take the opportunity to try and understand what Champion was explaining, whilst it is still fresh in your minds. Tomorrow the normal sessions will resume for the final day of the camp."

Sonia kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the bed in her hotel room, shutting her eyes. It had been a long day for her, firstly observing the teaching of Champion and then trying to adapt it. She knew how she operated, using the terrain to her advantage was crucial to being a ranger and she had never abandoned the style. But having watched Champion she had begun to realise something. All of the trainers she had worked with through the week of the training camp needed to work on understanding the field around them, but she had gone too far the other way. She focused too much on the field without making the most of her own Pokémons individual strengths. She had several ideas of how to combine what Champion had shown her into her own style. The session, short though it had been had convinced her that she had done the right thing by trying to get him to train her. If she ever re-captured her own Pokémon she would be a formidable trainer with his tutelage.

There was a loud knock on the door and Sonia groaned audibly. She just wanted to rest. Forcing herself to her feet she crossed to the door as the knock came again. She opened the door to come face to face with Cynthia.

"Can I come in?" Cynthia asked after a moment where Sonia just stared at her. Sonia nodded and stepped to the side. Cynthia smiled and crossed the threshold and moving into the room.

"Can I help you?" Sonia asked.

Cynthia smiled. "You look tired. Long day?"

Sonia grimaced. "Yeah. I've been trying to figure out what Champion was trying to show us today. How best to adapt it."

"Well I'm afraid you won't be getting that much rest tonight." Cynthia said. "I need you to come with me to a meeting."

"A meeting?"

"Yes. Champion wants to see us."

Sonia blinked, her mind waking back up. "Really? Do you know what he wants?"

"If I did, the meeting would most likely be pointless." Cynthia pointed out. "If you are willing to come?"

Sonia nodded, before reaching for her shoes once more.

The door to the office opened and Sonia and Cynthia walked in. Ash rose from his seat to greet them with a brief handshake before gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk. As the three of them took their seats Ash focused on Sonia.

"I have heard good things from Cynthia." He said. "And you were making good progress with adapting my lesson today."

"Thank you." Sonia said, stifling a yawn with her hand. "It was hard work, but my Pokémon were very willing."

"Would those Pokémon be willing to be captured by you?" Ash asked. "If you asked?"

"I… err… I think so?" Sonia said. "Why?"

"I will explain in a moment." Ash turned to Cynthia. "Sonia will not be attending tomorrow's camp. I suggest you get some rest Cynthia, you have one day left. Make it a good one, you have some good trainers there."

Cynthia nodded and rose, heading for the door which opened for her. As it shut behind her, Ash focused his attention back onto Sonia.

"What I am about to tell you is classified information. You may not share it with anybody. Do you understand?"

"Is that why Cynthia left?" Sonia asked.

"No. She left because she is tired and she should be fresh when she is teaching. Do I have your word Sonia? If not, this meeting will be over."

"Yes, of course." Sonia said hurriedly. "I will keep it secret."

"Good. I have kept an eye on you over the last couple of weeks and spoken to Cynthia. You have impressed her with your attitude and ideas."

"Are you going to train me?" Sonia said excitedly. "Is that why you want to know if I can catch the Pokémon? You want me to have them whilst you teach me?"

"No." Ash said, his level voice hiding the amusement he felt from her outburst. "This is something different."

Ash rose from his chair and turned to the window behind his seat. He looked out across Indigo Plateau, the lights of the town shining in the night. He took a deep breath. "Five years ago, Professor Samuel Oak retired as the Regional Professor of the Kanto region."

Sonia didn't say anything, waiting. Ash turned around to face her once again.

"After he retired he left to travel the world. I saw him infrequently through that time, but he stayed in contact. Nearly three months ago however, he vanished, 230 miles outside the Hoenn Region. My team of Pokémon have been attempting to locate him since, but despite searching the Wilds thoroughly we have made minimal progress."

Sonia nodded slowly. "And you want me to come and help you find him."

"Yes."

"This is why you want to know if the Pokémon would agree to be captured."

"Correct. We cannot take wild Pokémon deep into another Pokémons territory without repercussions." Ash hesitated for a moment. "I am already having a few difficulties with some of the powerful Pokémon outside of the regions. Bringing in wild Pokémon would cause further problems."

"What do you think I could do that your Pokémon couldn't?" Sonia asked.

"You have a relationship with many Pokémon." Ash said. "You proved that in Cerulean City. We are convinced that wherever Professor Oak is, he is outside of the regions. For him to have managed to be brought into a region without my knowing is next to impossible."

"Last time I was in the Wilds I barely escaped with my life." Sonia warned. "The relationship I had with the Pokémon out there is soured. Whatever is upsetting the Pokémon is…"

"There has been no movement on that front in the last three weeks." Ash said. "Backed up by my Pokémon, and with both of us, no Pokémon would refuse us."

"Is the intention to just find Oak?" Sonia asked.

Ash nodded. "If we find any hints as to the other problem then we can address it, but we need to find him. The media cannot find out that he is missing. He is also a Pokémon expert and will have insight into the other problem."

Sonia nodded. "When do you want to leave?"

"First thing tomorrow, assuming you can bring your Pokémon with you. My Pokémon will take us out to where Oak vanished. We will put more pressure on the dominant Pokémon in the region. Last time I was there he attacked my companions and I have been meaning to pay him a visit since. This time he will talk."

"May I suggest we do not start by attacking him?" Sonia asked. "Let me talk to him, I will see what I can do. Which Pokémon is it?"

"Gliscor." Ash said. "Do you know him?"

"No, but I'm sure he will know of me if he talks to his neighbours. We can use force as a back-up."

"Very well." Ash said. "I shall let you get some rest Sonia. You will need your energy tomorrow."

She took the hint, rising from to her feet. As she turned towards the door, Ash's voice rang out once more.

"You also wanted a chance to impress me into training you. This is a good opportunity for you."

Sonia didn't respond as she walked through the door. As it swung shut behind her she let out a breath and clenched her fist in triumph. She had taken the first steps into the Pokémon Master's confidence.

Lance stepped into the executive box that overlooked the arena. It was a small box compared to the ones he was used to at more major stadiums, but it was still large enough for the uses. There were four people inside watching the battle going on. Lance recognized them all instantly. Gary Oak, the researcher who oversaw Kanto. They had gotten to know each other very well over the five years he had been in his role. He was a competent researcher and was able to keep track of all of Kanto's trainers with a skill that was reminiscent of his grandfather. Next to him was Jonathan, the Viridian City Gym Leader. He and Gary were chatting away comfortably, only half focusing on the battle below. Lance knew that wouldn't last long though. Gary's fiancé was due to fight in her quarter-final next. When she was fighting Gary would be completely focused on her.

The other two people were two teenagers that had spent the last five years impressing Lance more and more. Mellanie Rigger, the three-time defending Johto Champion who had recently broken the record for most consecutive victories. Lance had half expected her to challenge his Elite Four and go after his Johto title but she never had. He was also never quite sure what to make of her when they met. She was usually very quiet, and never talked much. In fact, the last time he had seen her he had been surprised by her. Lance had never seen her outside of her appearances in competitions or in brief meetings with Ash. She was usually very quiet, and almost hid behind others. She would only talk if she had to. Yet in her interview after the Johto League he had finally gotten a glimpse at her personality. Although she had clearly been slightly nervous she had hinted at the intelligence that drove her. And her confidence seemed to have grown since that interview. He was very interested to see where she was in a couple of years. With her ability as a trainer the sky really was the limit.

The final person was Sam. Unlike his friend, Sam was easier to read. He had decided that he wanted to take Lance's Kanto title. Given his age, Lance knew that Sam was going to keep improving and sooner or later he would win the title. It was why he had offered to train him, and why he had suggested that he organise the Viridian tournament. When he had worked with Sam he had been torn between frustration at the way Sam was often unable to quickly absorb information and stunned at his ability to spot things that Lance himself had often not seen. It was a bizarre combination. Lance suspected that Sam probably could beat him and his Elite Four now, but the teenager had realized that he wasn't ready. If Lance was right it was a sign of the teenagers growing maturity. Not least, if Sam won he would have to assemble his own Elite Four, and Lance genuinely had no idea who he would invite. Four expert trainers, all of whom were meant to be experts in their own type. It wasn't easy to find.

As Lance descended the steps further into the box, Mellanie shifted slightly, her back straightening and her body stiffening. It wasn't easy to spot, but it was interesting. She was constantly alert, the sign of a trainer who frequently operated away from towns. As Mellanie reacted, Sam twisted in his seat to see Lance coming towards them. A big, almost trademark grin came across Sam's face.

"Lance!" He said, standing up to greet him. "Nice of you to drop in on us."

"Well this is usually a tournament I help run." Lance said, nodding to Gary and Jonathan as he headed towards Sam and Mellanie. "Between the Johto and Kanto leagues, it gives me something to do. I just wanted to make sure you're not messing it up."

Sam laughed. "It's going great. Want to stay and watch the next battle? It's the favourite, Misty."

"The favourite, or your favourite?" Lance asked. "You're not meant to…"

"Have a favourite, I know." Sam said. "I haven't actually spoken to Misty since the tournament started." Lance looked at Gary pointedly. "It wasn't my idea to bring Gary up here!" Sam said defensively. "I invited Jonathan because it is his city, and he suggested we bring Gary. He's famous enough it makes sense."

Lance held his hands up. "I'm not criticising. It is your tournament." He looked the box before smiling slightly. "You know you could probably have put a few more people in here."

Sam glared at Lance. "One moment I have too many people in here, then not enough." He turned back towards the field. "Anyway, I should probably appear to be watching this."

"Indeed." Lance said as he sat down next to Mellanie. "Have you enjoyed yourself Mellanie?"

She turned to look at him, surprised that he was talking to her. "Sorry?" She said.

"The tournament. Have you enjoyed watching it?" Lance asked. "You've watched most of it with Sam right?"

"Yes." Mellanie said, her voice quiet. There was a pause and Lance started to consider whether he had been too hasty to say that she was getting more confident, but she started to talk again. "The standard hasn't been great though."

"Oh?" Lance said, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, I know this is meant to be one of the biggest tournaments in Kanto outside of the Kanto League. But I could beat most of the trainers who have competed with my eyes shut."

Lance blinked, not really knowing how to answer that. He knew that the standard in the Viridian Tournament wasn't fantastic, but there were some good trainers.

"What about Misty?" Lance asked as she walked out onto the field below them. "She is one of the best Water trainers around."

"She's not bad." Mellanie said. "But she lost one Pokémon in seven matches in the group stages. She is cruising."

Mellanie turned back to the field to watch Misty release her Poliwrath to face her opponents Cacturne. Lance watched the opening exchanges of the battle before talking again.

"Why haven't you challenged my Elite Four?"

Mellanie twisted in her seat. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you are clearly a talented trainer. Even if you didn't want to become the leader of Johto, surely it would have been a test for you?"

Mellanie shrugged. "I've never really considered it. I've been pretty happy just competing in the Johto League. Although at some point I might enter another regions tournament."

Lance nodded in acknowledgement, before talking over Mellanie's head. "Sam, do you have an exhibition match to be fought before the final?"

Sam shook his head. "We considered it, but decided against it. We couldn't find anybody who we thought would make a good spectacle."

"But you could fit one in?" Lance pressed.

"Oh definitely. Why?" Sam asked.

"Because you've got two people who will be worth watching."

"Who?" Sam asked.

Lance gestured to Mellanie. "I'm curious to know how good she is. And your mentor is a fan of learning somebodies strength through facing them."

"Wait." Mellanie said. "You want me to fight you?"

"Yes." Lance said. "If we just do a two vs two, we can easily fit it in."

Jonathan leaned across from where Gary was now utterly focused on the field below as Cacturne tumbled to the ground, knocked out. "I'd definitely be interested in watching it. The Dragon Master against the Queen of Johto."

Mellanie flushed as Sam laughed. "When you put it that way it sounds like a hell of a fight." Sam said. "I'll get it set up for between the semi-finals and the final tomorrow."

"Good." Lance said. "I'll look forward to it. I don't fight in public very often."

"Do I get a say in this?" Mellanie finally managed to get out.

"It's a good idea Mel." Sam said. "It'll be a good experience for you. Fight against somebody other than Champion."

Mellanie looked like she was considering arguing a bit more, before she relented. "Fine. Two vs two."

The box turned its collective attention to the field below as Misty's Poliwrath battled its way out of a corner against the Weavile that was Misty's opponents second Pokémon. Poliwrath rolled away from a series of sharp jabs from Weavile's claws before forcing Weavile to retreat with a powerful Water Gun. As Weavile backed off Poliwrath pressed the advantage, landing two hits in quick succession. Weavile was knocked to the ground and although he climbed back to his feet it was clear he was exhausted. He got one more hit on Poliwrath before he went the way of Cacturne, knocked out.

"Is Misty going to win without losing a Pokémon?" Lance asked.

"Probably." Sam said. "She went through her entire group and last-sixteen matches losing only one Pokémon, her Seaking. She is showing she is too good for the tournament."

Lance nodded thoughtfully. "I wonder if we can get her to enter into another regional league. She would be very hard to beat."

Sam shrugged. "You're welcome to give it a go. The worst she can do is say no."

A few minutes later as Poliwrath dispatched his third opponent, Jonathan stood up. "I'm going to head back to the gym. I sometimes get a few who come in after the tournament is done for the day. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Gary rose to follow him, excusing himself from the box. As they also headed for the exit, Lance glanced at Mellanie.

"I'll get Cynthia to notify Champion about our match tomorrow. Something tells me he'll want to see you in action…"

A/N

So another chapter, and probably for those with good memories similar to the Johto League in The Lost Master. I remember a few complaints around then of Ash being less involved in the story - I assure you I am trying to avoid a repeat here! The tournament is in for a reason, but we will get to that. Boy am I glad there is no word limit on these things...

Otherwise, feel free to keep guessing ideas as to how different characters fit in to the story. I am enjoying some of the ideas. We should be getting to a bit more 'actiony' parts of the story soon though. Well... soon is a relative term with my stories.

Till next time,

Iama2p