Chapter 25

Cassidy and Butch thundered down the corridor of level 3. The sounds of their feet pounding against the floor echoing all around them.

"You know what? We should have lured Ketchum here with promise of the bird and revealed his daughter as the bargaining chip. That would have been a way cooler plot twist." Butch panted as the pair ran.

"Oh, shut up! It's far too late to be thinking of that now!" Cassidy snapped back. "Come on they'll be heading this way; we have to get there first!"

The two continued running disappearing into the darkness of the corridor.

"Look up ahead! Cinnabar Island!" Lance called out to his team.

The Elite Four, Gary and Elaine were still hot the trails of Moltres and Articuno, racing across the Southern Ocean currents.

"Oh no!" Will dismayed, seeing the Island coming into view.

"Lance, we need to evacuate the Island, we can't risk public safety if we get repeats of Viridian City and Pallet Town." Gary called over to the Dragon Master.

"We need to put those birds down – now!" Koga shouted over wind currents.

"Our pokémon are exhausted, we can't go another round against those birds." Elaine shouted back back.

"But surely they must be tired too?" Karen interjected.

"They are. But it doesn't matter, once they start fighting for dominance they won't stop themselves. We're looking at a battle to the death unless we intervene." Gary stated.

"We need more help! Why did you make Champion Ketchum go?!" Elaine shouted.

The rest of the Elite Four looked over to Gary, also extremely interested in his answer.

"Trust me, Ash is working on something much bigger that will stop all of this, we're merely a band aid!" Gary retorted. "We just got to wind these birds down and stop anyone else getting hurt."

"Well, you'd think the Elite Four and a Gym Leader could manage that…" Elaine replied with a level of sarcasm.

"What did you say?!" Gary shot back.

"I said a Gym Leader should be able to manage!" Elaine challenged.

Gary's face lit up. "Of course! Elaine! Great idea! Lance, we need to contact all the Kanto Gym Leaders. Get them all over to Cinnabar Island now, with their help we might just be able to pull this off!"

"Great idea Gary!" Lance called back

Elaine narrowed her eyes and pouted. "It was actually my idea."

"Will, Koga go down to the Island, start evac procedures with authorities. Gary, Karen, Elaine, try again to slow those birds down till back up arrives. I will get in touch with the gym leaders and then join you."

"Right." Everyone chorused together.

Gary gave his Aerodactyl a couple of Leppa berries and flew fast towards the legendary birds once more. Ash I hope you find you're daughter and Zapdos soon … I hate to admit it, but we need you!

Shane, Thea and Amber ran to the lift, punching in level 3 and making their way up to Zapdos. Time was no on their side and tension was thick.

"So … Why are we doing this again?" Thea turned to Shane.

Amber also looked at Shane interested in what he had to say.

The Rocket agent looked between his partner and the red headed teen. He blushed slightly. "Um well … because … it's the right thing to do?" His response almost sounded more like a question than a definitive answer.

Amber turned her head to look at the lift panel. They would be reaching the floor soon. "We're doing this because an innocent pokémon is in serious danger through no fault of it's own and the impact is affecting everything, people and pokémon alike." Amber looked at Thea. "We are literally saving the world."

Thea slightly ignored Amber and continued to look at Shane. "Ok. But why are we doing this?" Thea repeated gesturing between her and her Rocket partner with her hand, making it very clear she meant the two of them.

Shane turned to Thea. "Listen Thea, you don't have to come with us. You haven't burned your bridges with Team Rocket like I have. If you want to hang back, I understand."

Thea cocked her head to the side and let out a laugh. "Oh Shane, I don't care about Team Rocket!"

"You don't?!"

"No silly, I care about you. It's always been about you, about us. You're my very best friend, my only friend really. I only joined Team Rocket to stay close with you. To be by your side. I was all alone in this world till I met you."

"I was all alone till I met you …" Shane replied softly.

"We're in this together. Me and You. Like always. Besides, I think I've burned my bridges too." The Rocket Agent flashed back to her fight with Yumi and pulled out her stolen key card. She grasped it tightly. "So, no I don't care about what happens with Team Rocket because, the truth is … well …" Well, if it is the end of the world, there's no better time to say it …

The lift beeped and the doors opened. "Saved by the bell." Thea spoke out, her tone hard to distinguish as she promptly pushed past Shane and Amber, both a little taken back by her burst, but quickly followed suit. "Follow me, Zapdos is dead ahead."

Thea led the group to the location Zapdos was being held. It wasn't long before they came to a locked entrance. The blonde opened it up with the stolen key card and there in front them stood the powerful Zapdos, imprisoned in a shock absorbing cage encased in a glass dome with water cascading down it. The domed chamber was filling up with the water around the pokémon.

Fortunately, its confinement was a lot bigger than Ambers, so it was taking longer to fill up. But it still, it wouldn't be long before the bird was submerged with no means of escape.

"SQUUAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" The legendary pokémon let out a mighty cry, fighting valiantly against the cold rushing liquid.

"Zapdos …" Amber was in awe. The teenaged trainer walked slowly up to the glass dome encasing the caged pokémon. Amber placed her hand flat against the glass.

Zapdos continued to thrash and squawked loudly.

"We'll save you Zapdos. I promise."

Amber flattened herself against the glass. She looked into the bird's eyes. Chocolate brown eyes met piercing black ones. Zapdos stopped thrashing and looked back at the girl before it.

There was something familiar about this … but Amber couldn't place it.

The legendary pokémon began to thrash again as the water pouring down didn't relent.

"We've got to get it out of here." Amber turned to Shane and Thea who both nodded.

"Electabuzz, Chinchou, Pikachu, Magnemite, Voltorb, Electrode, everyone come out."

Amber's pokémon all materialised.

"Ok Electabuzz, Pikachu I need you to use your Focus Blast and Mega Punch attacks. Remember the Katas we did at the fighting dojo back in Saffron City! Hit that glass with everything you have!"

"Pika!" "Electabuzz!"

"Magnemite, Chinchou, Voltorb, Electrode use your Signal Beam attacks. Focus on the glass. Attack together!"

"Koffing, help out" Shane threw out his only pokémon.

The pokémon all began to attack the glass furiously. Amber clenched her fist. This had to work.

Electrode began to rock back and forth until the screeching noise caught the balls attention, it turned and saw Zapdos, captive and water pouring down on it. Electrode narrowed its eyes. It then turned to look at it's trainer. Her hands clenched so tight it looked like they might bleed, her bruised face, full of determination. It looked over at the other pokémon, every single one giving it their all.

Electrode charged up and unleashed it's own powerful signal beam combining it with it's fellow teammates. The glass dome shattered all around them. The group cheered with their victory.

"Electrode!" Amber knelt down into the waterlogged floor and hugged her pokémon. "Thank you." She kissed it's smooth exterior. Now the dome was broken water poured across the floor. Whilst still running at least now the danger of Zapdos drowning was taken care of.

"Electrode electrode electrode" The ball accepted the gesture.

A foot smashed down in the broken glass in front of them. Amber and Electrode looked up. Tyranitar stepped forwards from the shadows. The giant dark rock pokémon had followed them.

"Tyranitar…" Amber glared. She stood up and held her arms out wide. "I won't let you hurt Zapdos! Electrode use signal beam again!"

The ball belted out another beam attack, it hit Tyranitar but seemed to do little damage. The fully evolved pokémon advanced forwards.

Amber's jaw dropped "No way! That signal beam should have hurt. This pokémon is strong. Really strong."

Zapdos began to screech loudly. It let off an attack but it was simply absorbed by the bars of the insulating cage. The legendary pokémon was helpless.

"Koffing use a sludge attack!" Shane commanded his pokémon. The advancing Tyranitar swatted the projectile of sludge away like it was nothing. It then unleashed a powerful Earthquake attack knocking Koffing clean out, and severely damaging Ambers party.

"Koffing no!" Shane recalled his feinted pokémon.

Amber gritted her teeth. They wouldn't last against another one of those Earthquake attacks.

Amber's Pikachu burst forwards using his impressive speed and used the water on the floors surface to skid across, creating his signature Splishy Splash attack, weakening the ground type significantly. Chinchou also jumped into the fray and used a powerful water gun attack, halting Tyranitar in his tracks.

"Alright!" Amber stood up. "Ok now Tyranitar is wet! Everyone Thunderbolt!" Amber pointed to the rock beast and her pokémon all blasted out their electric attack.

Tyranitar roared loudly as electricity encased it. The pokémon gave out one last cry before dropping to his knees and falling to the floor.

"We did it!" Amber jumped up, her pokémon all cheered. Zapdos continued to cry out in the background.

Shane and Thea sighed in relief.

The teen recalled her tired pokémon one by one, she was about to recall Pikachu when a noise crept up behind them.

"What a disappointment." A familiar voice broke the mood.

The group turned around as Cassidy and Butch made their appearance.

Cassidy looked down at the feinted Tyranitar lying flat on the wet floor and sneered in disgust. "Of course, that isn't the only thing disappointing." Her livid eyes flashed up and bore into Shane and Thea. Shane stepped forwards in front of everyone, holding his arm out slightly, signalling everyone to stay back.

"I'm most let down by you boy. After everything we've done for you. We took you and your little friend here in when you had nothing." The older woman pointed challengingly at Thea "We gave you everything and this is how you repay us? TRAITOR!"

"You didn't give us anything!" Shane shouted back "We worked tirelessly for you, and you were happy to sit back and drown us all! You betrayed Team Rocket, not us! All you ever wanted was Champion Ketchum at any and all cost. You didn't care about the pride, the purpose, the mission, the Team. You didn't care ABOUT US!"

"How dare you stand there and speak to us like that you little upstart. WE ARE TEAM ROCKET!" Butch growled. "We're the ones who brought this organisation back from the brink of annihilation. Team Rocket is us. And we don't require deadbeats that can't beat a Rattata in a trap."

Cassidy continued. "You really think you'd be put out on the field at your age? You've had special treatment from day one here and you know it, you spoilt brats! We've been family to you! The only family you've ever known! You can't deny it! We own you."

Shane grimaced.

"They are not your family!" Ash cried out.

Everyone turned to face the caped man with a Pikachu on his shoulder and red headed woman approaching.

"Mom! Dad!" Amber called out in joy. "Pikachu!"

"Pi Kaaaaa" Ash's Pikachu cried out happily.

"Amber!" Misty's face lit up seeing her daughter. She ran over and embraced her kid, kneeling in the cold water and glass around them. She hugged her so tight, she thought she'd never let go. Amber blushed, a little bit embarrassed by her mother's open affection. Misty looked up from her daughter and her eyes narrowed at Butch and Cassidy.

"Well, well speaking of family, what perfect timing." Cassidy smirked, a devious twinkle in her eye as she eyed Ash, Misty and Amber.

Lance, Koga and Will touched down on Cinnabar Island, a crowd had gathered on the shore line looking at the magnificent sight of the legendary birds battling over the ocean with famous trainers desperately trying to combat them.

The ocean waves had become choppy and the winds blistered but the spectators didn't seem to care if they indeed noticed at all, after all this was a once in a lifetime event.

"Oh Arceus! Is that Dagon Master Lance?!" A man shouted out pointing at the new arrivals.

"It is it is! And that's Elite Master Koga, and Elite Master Will!"

The crowd rushed over to the famous trainers. Screeching for autographs, pictures and explanations of the events in the sky.

"People, people, PLEASE!" Lance commanded authority. "This is no mere drill, the presence of these birds poses a very real threat here. We need you all to evacuate the Island."

The crowd were silent for a moment but then erupted. "Evacuate the Island?!" "What is he saying?!" "Does he have the power to do that?!" "Well I'm not leaving!" "If the Elite Four say we should go, we should go!" "But I've left the stove on!"

The sound of a deep whistle blow halted the commotion in it's tracks. "Ok what's going on here? Break it up, break it up!" Office Jenny came thundering in on her motorcycle.

She cut through the crowd and skidded to a halt in front of the Elite Four trainers. "Ok what's going on here?"

"Officer Jenny there is no time to waste, I leave you with my trusted colleagues as I have important business to attend." Lance flicked out his cape and marched down the shoreline towards the Cinnabar Island Gym.

Will offered his most charming smile. "Now if you'll all please listen to me."

"Shaney, you're right." Cassidy cooed.

"Eh?" Shane dropped his guard a little at tone shift.

"You're right. We did prioritise revenge on Ketchum. Over absolutely everything else. It was our sole purpose and the whole reason we revived Team Rocket. But do you have any idea why?"

The teenager shook his head.

"How long has it been since you were abandoned by your parents? 10, 11 years?"

"My parents left when I was 7." Shane replied, his voice quiet.

"Seven? Oh Mew, so young." Cassidy put her hand to her cheek, feigning an over-the-top dramatic tone.

Ash's jaw clenched.

"And how old are you now?" Cassidy continued.

"…19."

"Oh my. 12 whole years. 12 whole years with no parents. You must feel so much resentment."

The Rocket boss turned her attention "Champion Ketchum, how long ago was it that you so heroically stormed the Rocket Head Quarters and put an end to our benevolent leader Giovanni?"

Ash softly growled in his throat. "Cassidy. Stop."

"No? Don't want to play? Then I'll tell him. It was 12 years ago."

Shane's face hardened, his stomach dropped. He had an awful feeling in his gut. Amber looked between her father and Shane. This wasn't making any sense.

"Connecting the dots hun? Perhaps it's story time." Cassidy goaded.

*** Flashback ***

The team of Ash, Gary and Leaf barged through double doors. Light poured in from the outside illuminating the group and casted imposing shadows across the floor of the Kanto Trio as they boldly entered the gym chamber with their partner pokémon. Ash with Charizard to his side Pikachu on his shoulder, Gary next to his Blastoise and Leaf with her Venusaur.

Bright lights instantly clapped on and illuminated the gym floor. A slow clap echoed around the room; Team Rocket Boss Giovanni stepped forwards into the light.

"Well, well, Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum, Former Kanto Champion Leaf Greene and the famous Gary Oak, all under my roof. What an honour. What could possibly bring such an impressive sight here to my humble abode? Surly not a challenge for the Earth Badge? League business perhaps?"

The years had been kind to the Rocket Boss, though his body showed signs of aging, his eyes still twinkled with menace. He had lost none of his edge in his advancing years.

"What did you do to Zapdos and the other pokémon?!" Ash called out, direct to the point and in no mood for bantering.

The Rocket Bosses composure didn't falter in the slightest. "Zapdos? Other Pokémon? Why, whatever do you mean?"

"Save it!" Gary snarled and pointed an accusing finger. "We know about you experimenting on pokémon and we saw you take Zapdos into this building!"

Giovanni closed his eyes and smirked. There was little point in feigning ignorance now. "Ah yes the bird. I can't thank you enough for bringing it to me, you saved me a lot of hassle of trying to find it again after it evaded my men."

"We didn't bring you anything! You took it!" Leaf angrily called out.

"Heh, if you say so. Building on our earlier genetic experiments with cloning Mew and of course the founding achievements and research of the famous Pokémon expert Bill, our top scientists discovered not only can we create new pokémon species from an existing pokémon's building blocks, but we can also combine them to make brand new pokémon."

The old man clicked his finger, a back wall dropped revealing a large laboratory, large glass liquid filled chambers of unconscious deformed looking pokémon lined the walls. It was like something out of a horror sci-fi movie. In the middle stood a large opaque chamber, clearly live and in use.

The Kanto trio gasped in horror at the sight before them. Pikachu folded back his ears sadly.

"You're the ones who broke in and stole Bill's research!" Gary hissed. "No respected pokémon researcher would ever do this!"

"Ha, what we've done here, that boffin' in the lighthouse could only dream of, we are beyond mere researchers. Taking Ditto and splicing with the unique elemental DNA of Eevee, we have been able to blend many elements creating even stronger, faster, powerful pokémon than their originals. With little to no weakness. Now of course we've had some failures along the way, but what's the expression … you can't make an omelette without breaking a few exeggcutes." Giovanni smiled menacingly.

Ash peered into one of the chambers, he saw a mutated jynx with a long electabuzz looking tail and magmar like limbs.

James words rang in Ash's head. Here's one for you. What do you get if you cross a Jynx, an Electabuzz and a Magmar?

"He really wasn't joking …" Ash felt his stomach flip and heart break at the unsettling sight before him. Meowth was right Team Rocket had gone too far this time.

Leaf spotted a Clefable, only it didn't look like her Clefable … its ears were that of a Wartortle's, it had sharp claws on its fingers, talons on its feet and the wings on its back were brown and feathery like a Pidgeotto's. She felt sick to her stomach. "I'm so sorry…" she whispered, tears pricking her eyes.

"But finally, we got it right. Turns out creating a pokémon was a bit of dead end, but combining existing pokémon, now that is another story. That breakthrough came in the shape of Dodrio and it's unique biology. Three individuals combined into one working structure. So now if you would be so kind, I'd like to test out the power of my newest, most powerful pokémon, and why who better than against Kanto's best?" Giovanni smirked.

The large opaque chamber opened. Steam billowed out. A large taloned foot stepped out, the sharp claws echoing on the hard floor.

The three trainers and their pokémon took a step back in horror as a 3 headed bird emerged from the chamber. The right side comprised of Zapdos, the left Articuno with Moltres blazing down the middle, its wings sprouting out the back creating a 4-winged, 3 tailed legendary bird beast of elements.

"What is that thing?!" Leaf cried out.

"He,.e, he, combined them!" Gary gasped in horror. "He combined the three legendary birds of Kanto!"

"First let's have a demonstration…" Giovanni clicked his fingers, a wall revolved around revealing Jessie, James and Meowth chained up and clasped to it, trapped unable to move.

"Jessie! James! Meowth!" Ash cried out. "Let them go right now!"

"Yeah let us go!" The three chorused together.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Traitors of Team Rocket must be made … an example of." Giovanni hissed.

"Traitors? We've been you're loyal and dedicated followers for decades!" James cried out, his voice a mixture of anger and desperation.

"That's right!" Meowth cried out.

"Really? Loyal and dedicated? Is that why you were caught leading the Pokémon Champion and his friends into our private domain and then attempting to flee?"

"What?! No! We … we were leading them into a trap!" James called out.

"A trap?" Giovanni raised an eyebrow. He wasn't buying any of it.

"Yeah that's it! A trap! We knew the three twerps by themselves couldn't possibly be a match for you, so we lead them in here into your gym floor totally unprepared and defenceless!" Jessie smiled falsely.

"Like a Venomoth to a Flame Wheel!" Meowth added.

"Defenceless?"

"Yeahyeahyeah!" the three chortled in union.

"The Champions of Kanto. With their pokémon teams at their full disposal?"

"Uhhh well when you put it like that…"

"Thu-Fi-Zer. Attack!"

"NONO DON'T DO THIS WE HAVE A"

The beast unleashed a blast at the rocket trio unlike anything any of the trainers had seen before. It was a thick beam of light of flaming ice, it moved at such a speed and force there was nothing anyone could do but watch in horror as the attack engulfed the chained prisoners. The rockets screamed as the flaming ice light engulfed them. Then all went silent.

As the attack subsided, the dust cleared revealing the three former rockets as stone cast statues.

"NO!" Ash screamed out.

*** End ***

"See. There you have it! The Champion of Kanto! So called protector of us all! Hero. Sat back and did NOTHING. He led your parents to betray Team Rocket. He let them get captured. THEN HE LET THEM GET BLASTED BY A MONSTER!" Cassidy raged.

Ash dropped his head and scrunched his eyes shut, as if trying to block out the horrifying memory. "There was nothing I could do … Nothing any of us could do …"

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRY!" Butch seethed standing next to his partner.

Misty looked over at her husband, her expression filled with concern. "Oh Ash..."

…""Pika piii." Pikachu flattened his ears back, he looked at his friend sadly.

"We were there, Ketchum. We saw everything." Butch snarled. "We know everything. You can't hide from this any longer."

"… No…" Ash breathed out. Struggling with the flashback.

"Daddy …" Amber looked at her father, her eyes slightly watering. Everything was making sense now, why she had been sheltered her whole life, her parent's justified fears. She then looked at Shane, she couldn't imagine what he must be going through. Shane merely stood there motionless. His expression unreadable.

Thea also looked at her best friend, her eyes glistening with empathy for him.

"And then Ketchum, you left their only son, orphaned at the tender age of 7, with nothing, not even an explanation." Cassidy turned to Shane "Poor Shaney, left all alone in this world. With no-one." Cassidy sniffed.

"No one but us." Butch intervened and placed his hand on Cassidy's shoulder, presenting a united front. "We stepped in and took you in when you had no one else in this world. We raised you like our own."

"Jessie was my best friend." Cassidy held her hand to her chest, tears in her eyes. "My very best friend, we went back years. Oh the memories." She swivelled and pointed her finger accusingly at Ash "AND HE'S THE REASON SHE'S DEAD!"

"NO!" Ash cried out, his eyes still shut. "That isn't true! None of this is true! You're twisting everything!"

Misty looked at the crazy woman and spat. "Oh give it a rest Cassidy. YOU HATED JESSIE AND SHE HATED YOU!"

"IT WAS A COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP YOU BITCH! YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND!" Cassidy screeched back at the younger woman, before putting back on her tearful persona towards the young man with green eyes. "So, there you have it Shaney. That's it. That's everything, that's the reason we've been consumed with Ketchum's revenge for over a decade. For you're fallen family. For Meowth. For James. For Jessie. For you."

Butch kicked a large shard of glass from the broken dome over to the brown-haired teenager.

Shane looked down at the big, jagged piece by his foot.

"Pick it up." Cassidy's eyes grew larger with a flicker of excitement.

As if on autopilot Shane picked the glass up.

"Use it. Avenge your father. Your mother. My dearest friend …" Her voice almost hypnotising. "Take from him what he took from you. Let him feel your pain. The pain you've had deep in your heart for 12 years. Make the hurt stop."

The teen studied the object in his hands, he ran a finger over the cool sharp edge.

"I spent years wondering why they never came home that night. I wondered what I'd done wrong … was I bad? … Did they leave me because they … didn't want me? All these thoughts whirling around, they never went away. I hated my parents, resented them, thinking they'd left me all alone. I hated myself for driving them away … I joined Team Rocket to vent my frustrations, but also because I thought it might make them proud of me, to be a Rocket Agent just like they were … maybe they'd be proud enough to come back to me … but they never did."

Shane held it up like a knife. Amber and Misty's image reflected in the glass shard.

"But all this time … It was never because me or them. It was never their choice … and now I finally know why."

"Yes Shane. Take away his precious family. As he did you. Get your revenge." Cassidy and Butch urged the teen on.

"Shane …" Thea whispered quietly.

Ambers eyes widened. Her Pikachu jumped in front of her and Misty, instinctively holding his little arms out wide. He'd protect his family at all costs.

Misty's breath hitched in her throat. She hugged Amber tighter.

"Shane please, you're Mother and Father, Meowth, I'd do anything to save them." Ash spoke up, his eyes shifting between the boy holding the blade and his family.

"But you didn't though." The Rocket looked down at the red haired Ketchum women and took a step towards them. "My family. They helped you. Trusted you. And you did nothing." Shane spoke, still studying the glass. "And I'm the one who paid for it, through no fault of my own."

Ash took a large step towards Shane, Pikachu on his shoulder ready. He held out his hand. "Shane! Listen to me!"

Everyone paused and looked at Ash.

"There's more you don't know."

Elaine and her Pidgeot dropped to the ground panting. Gary swooped down following her, leaving Karen as the last line of defence against the birds reaching the island.

Elaine petted her pokémon before returning her to her pokéball, she looked up at Gary sadly. "I'm sorry. We just can't do anymore."

Gary put his hand on the young woman's shoulder and smiled. "There is no need to apologise. You've done amazing. Really. You and Pidgeot can be proud."

Gary looked up at Karen struggling in the air and then to his Aerodactyl who had also flopped to the ground exhausted. "I'm not sure there is much more any of us can do …"

Gary's pokégear lit up.

"Gary?"

"Cole! How is everything at Pallet Town?"

"We're ok here, we got everyone up to your lab on the hill. The water swelled a little but so far no major flooding. The weather is still kinda crazy and the pokémon are acting up, but I think the worst is over. I think we're going to be alright."

"Good to hear. Nice work. Hey Cole you're girlfriend is a Gym Leader from Unova right?"

"Errrr yeah?"

"Bring her over to Cinnabar Island as quickly as you can! We need all the help we can get! Cause believe me the worst isn't over yet." With that Gary hung up.

"Heads up!" Karen bellowed at the top of her lungs as Moltres and Articuno blitzed past her and Mandibuzz.

Elaine and Gary watched helplessly as the legendary birds of fire and ice began to battle over the Island. The tide began to draw in as embers and hail reined down on the town below.

Moltres and Articuno circled around the volcano, blasting furiously at one another. Ice beams and fire blasts smashing against the giant rock formation, as the birds dodged each others attack efforts.

Three shadows passed across the two grounded trainers as Lance on his dragonite, Will and Xatu and Koga with Crobat raced in overhead to support Karen in pushing the legendary pokémon away from the Island as the local emergency services went about their evacuation procedures.

A huge shadow under the ocean approached the island at great speed. It's movement just below the surface of the choppy waves was fluid and mesmerising.

"What's that in the water?" Elaine pointed

Lugia burst forth from the ocean. It spread it's impressing wing span out creating an imposing silhouette against the sky.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, in awe of the beast before them.

"What in the world?!" "Oh my is that a pokémon?" "I've never seen anything like it!" The public crowds below couldn't comprehend what they were seeing.

"Lugia!" Gary's mouth dropped open at the impressive sight.

Lugia flapped it's wings together creating almighty winds, blowing all the falling embers and icicles off the town below. The blast of wind immediately caught the attention of the two battling birds. The Elite Four backed off instantaneously and swooped down to the ground join Gary and Elaine.

"It's down to Lugia now." Lance commented. The Elite members allowing their hard working pokémon much needed recovery time.

Moltres and Articuno, rather than submit decided to challenge and squawked loudly, aiming their attacks at the larger legendary bird as well as each other still, creating a free of all royal rumble in the sky.

Lugia ducked and dived, evading the attacks with ease, luring it's two counter parts away from the human populous below. It released a psychic attack, intended to calm it's friends down into submission.

The psychic attack hit Moltres, who thrashed against the wave, but slowly subdued to it's power. Articuno seizing the opportunity of it's rivals distraction squealed loudly and flapped it's wings creating a devastating close range blizzard attack. Only Lugia happened to be the object of impact.

With no time to dodge, Lugia was hit hard by the ice attack, it's wing partially froze on impact. The large legendary pokémon roared out in pain.

Moltres snapped out of the psychic wave and unleashed it's own attack from behind, a powerful fire blast smashed into Lugia's back, sending the pokémon spiralling into the sea below.

Lugia fell into the water. It did not resurface.

The pokémon trainers on the ground all looked on with disbelief. Lugia the legendary guardian of the seas and trio master of the legendary birds … was down.

Authors Note: Was kinda a little fourth wall break at the start, I realised I goofed up the story as Amber was supposed to be the surprise bargaining chip and Zapdos the lure to Rocket HQ, but it was far too late to change the story now. I hope you're all enjoying this! I'm aware the possible change of pace in the story that everything has moved through quite quickly but we've been in the Rocket Base for what feels like a long time now ... I hope it's not dragging. But reading it back I don't think it is. Thanks everyone for your patience and continuing to read and comment, you're all awesome. Most of the story is now written so I won't leave you hanging for as long as previous.