"GO LUNA GO!"

Kristen cheered from the sidelines with the Delgado family. It was the first day of the six-on-six battles at the tournament for the top 16 competitors.

On the field, the cunning thirteen-year old, Luna Delgado, battled with her ace Pokemon, Crobat. Her opponent was another acquaintance of Kristen's, a strange boy named Harold who battled with a Dewgong. When Kristen and Harold met, Harold already had his eight Kanto badges for the League. At that point, Kristen wasn't even thinking she'd make the League, let alone also be in the top 16.

The two commentators, Lance and Candela, kept reiterating that with the unusually large proportion of newcomers to the League, it wasn't too surprising that half of the top 16 were first-timers like Kristen. Still, Kristen felt small watching the careful way that Luna and Harold battled.

With her closest friends gone on a special research mission in Viridian, Kristen had trained with Harold and Luna. She had learned a lot from observing new techniques, to which she partly attributed her win yesterday. But she'd also had the advantage in that battle anyways. She had used Ninetales, Pikachu, and Pidgeotto. Her competitor had used Ivysaur, Seaking, and Heracross. The cards hadn't been in his favor. Her next battle would not be so easy. Her next battle, she was pretty sure, would be the end.

"IT'S HAPPENING!"

Sarah rushed across the Viridian Pokemon Center lobby. Percy was speaking to the Nurse Joy about the injuries she was seeing from Pokemon who had come from the gym. Jacob was beside him, listening intently and taking mental notes. Sarah jostled Jacob. "It's happening!" she exclaimed again. "I just got off the phone with Kristen. She's fighting Braden."

Jacob went pale. "It's happening," he said. Although Jacob had all along been a proponent for not caring about Braden, the gravity of the event still hit him. Braden was the only kid in the whole League with a Dragonite, and they'd watched him annihilate multiple competitors with it. Kristen was one of the few, perhaps the only one, who had beaten him before, but that had been when Dragonite was a mere Dratini. Both Braden and his Pokemon had grown since then. "Where's Ricky? He'll want to know this."

Ricky was outside, preparing to fight Mewtwo. He had Arcanine, Fearow, and Primeape at his side. It seemed like only yesterday, he had been at this same Pokemon Center with Growlithe, Spearow, and Mankey.

"Ricky! Ricky!" Sarah and Jacob ran out of the Center. "Kristen is fighting Braden today!"

Ricky's face lit up at the news. "No way!" He took a moment to process it, and then he pumped his fist. "Awesome! We're both having important battles today."

Sarah gulped. "I don't know who I'm more nervous for."

"Pretty sure a Mewtwo is more formidable than a Dragonite," said Jacob.

Even Ricky's stomach did a somersault, but he put on a brave face and nodded. Percy came out of the Center. "Okay, Ricky, did you pick your Pokemon?"

Sarah and Jacob were all set to go with their Sneasel and Haunter. Pokemon with type advantages would walk away with less serious injuries. Ricky, though, didn't have a Pokemon with a type advantage.

"I have to go with my ace," said Ricky. "Arcanine."

At the sound of his name, Arcanine barked and nuzzled Ricky. Ricky put Fearow and Primeape back into their Poke Balls.

"Excellent," said Percy. "Then let's get some food while we wait for Lorelei. Where do you like to eat, Ricky?"

"Umm," said Ricky, looking around. He realized he wasn't feeling very hungry for some reason. "Honestly, I just want a milkshake."

Percy nodded. "Milkshakes it is, then."

Kristen sipped a milkshake with her family at the Indigo Plateau. Usually, a milkshake was a comfort food that could take the edge off anything. But today, Kristen could barely stomach it.

"Have you ever fought with six Pokemon before?" her mom asked. Mrs. Manx had also barely touched her food of choice, a seafood salad.

Kristen shook her head. "Harold has been having me watch a bunch of old battles. There's a library here full of videos of them. We even found Uncle Percy's!"

"Oh, well, I bet that's a good one," said Mrs. Manx.

Mr. Manx could tell that both his wife and daughter were on edge. "I'm sure you'll do great!"

Kristen shrugged. "I'll do my best, I suppose."

It was funny. She was probably the most prepared for this battle out of any of them. At least, she was prepared for Dragonite. The rest of Braden's team was...interesting. They were rare Pokemon, but not exactly the best. He just hadn't really needed to use anything besides Dragonite to ever get anywhere. That was what she was counting on. She had beaten him once. She could do it again.

And yet…

Surely he was getting better. Surely he would have all fully-evolved Pokemon. In the end, they couldn't afford both the Thunder Stone for Pikachu, and the TMs for Jigglypufff. So Pikachu hadn't evolved to Raichu. And Pidgeotto hadn't evolved either. Still, her team had carried her this far. It couldn't be that bad.

"It couldn't be that bad!"

Lorelei shook her head. Percy glanced into the courtyard at the Viridian Express Hotel they were staying at. Ricky, Jacob, and Sarah were happily playing with their Pokemon, trying to take their mind off the task again. They had all eaten something at the Center. Lorelei was back from her dinner with the Viridian Mayor. "The Viridian Gym leader, whoever they are, gave a huge donation to the Mayor's charity," said Lorelei. "What more do we need?"

"Okay, so they have money," said Percy. "That doesn't necessarily make them evil. Misty's family gives tons to charity every year, as does Sabrina's."

"Both long standing and respected Pokemon families," said Lorelei. "And they built up their legacies in those cities. I think that's a little different than some anonymous donor becoming an anonymous gym leader. It was a bribe, Percy."

"I mean," said Percy, "I'm not condoning it, but we're kidding ourselves if we think everyone in this region got to where they are without some monetary assistance. Look at the Oaks, for crying out loud. That Gary kid had a car before he knew how to drive."

"Sure, money can give you a leg up, but don't you think this is a bit much?" Lorelei said.

Percy nodded. "It definitely feels like someone who is out just to exert power over others, instead of participating in the spirit of battling."

Kristen entered the arena, her team at the ready. She was concerned about having two unevolved Pokemon on her team, but they were Pokemon who had done well for her in the past. If they carried her this far, they deserved to participate in this battle.

While she and her friends had gotten to know Braden better since their first encounter in the woods, and no longer hated him, at his heart, he was still someone who couldn't enjoy himself unless he was winning the battle. Kristen had lost many battles, but her bond with her Pokemon and her friends had propelled her further into the Pokemon League.

She clutched her first Poke Ball, a Pokemon she had received later in her journey, but one she was especially proud of, and one she hoped Braden would recognize. Braden stared at her across the arena, also clutching a Poke Ball.

The referee for this match was the same that had dealt with the Meowth fiasco the previous morning. Kristen thought of her friends in Viridian, and an extra pit in her stomach formed. Even though it was just for research and nobody expected them to actually win, she still felt like she was missing an opportunity.

Candela was commentating this match. Kristen was curious about the former champion who owned a Moltres. The fire bird Pokemon had captivated her in the opening ceremony. She didn't have time to think on it now, though. She hadn't even heard Candela's opening comments to the match. John the ref had just prompted them to choose their first Pokemon.

"Go for it, Shiny!" Kristen exclaimed, and her non-shiny Ninetales appeared. She saw Braden smirk. He recognized the Vulpix he'd tried to purchase from her in Fuchsia when they had all thought Shiny actually was shiny.

"Kristen has chosen Ninetales as her first Pokemon," Candela said. Her voice was calm and collected. "Braden has yet to present his choice."

Braden tossed his Poke Ball into the air. "I choose you, Ditto!"

The audience murmured, but Kristen had seen the strange pink Pokemon before. She wasn't terribly concerned about it. While it copied the moves of the Pokemon it was facing, it was obviously weaker. "Braden has chosen Ditto," Candela said. "That's interesting."

Ditto didn't even need to be told to Transform. Soon, another Ninetales was on the field. "Hit it with Flamethrower!" Kristen called.

Braden didn't even bother telling his Ditto to dodge. He was scanning it with his Pokedex to learn the moves that Ditto now had. "Ditto, Dig," said Braden.

"Ugh!" Kristen gasped. Braden was using her secret weapon against her. She supposed it was to be expected. "Dodge it, Shiny!" Shiny was able to get away from the brunt of the attack, but it took some damage. "Disable that!"

"Dig again, Ditto!" Braden called. Ditto dodged the Disable shot by burying underground again.

Kristen groaned in frustration. She would not let a Ditto beat her at her own game. Then a wicked idea hit her. "Shiny, Flamethrower into the hole!"

Shiny cocked her head in confusion, causing her to get hit again with Dig. "Incinerate!" Kristen called in anger. In retaliation, Shiny spat a massive fireball at Ditto. The Ninetales imposter collapsed in shock. "Now Disable!" Kristen called.

Braden scowled. Kristen had taken control of the battle now. She ordered Shiny to Dig. Braden then remembered the order she'd given her Pokemon either that Shiny had not understood. "Ditto, Flamethrower into the hole!"

Ditto obeyed. Ninetales was flushed out of the hole without hitting Ditto. Kristen buried her head in her hands. She couldn't be defeated by a Ditto. She had to get through all Braden's starting Pokemon to get to Dragonite. "Dig again, Shiny!" Shiny obeyed. Braden ordered Ditto to do the same Flamethrower move. "You can do it! Keep going!" Kristen cried.

Shiny emerged below Ditto and delivered a devastating blow. Braden cried out in shock as Ditto transformed back to its regular self, an immobile pink blob on the ground. Shiny yelped in excitement and wagged its fluffy tails.

"An outstanding display from our quarterfinalists!" Candela exclaimed. "Although it appears that our challenger from Pewter City forgot about Ninetales ability."

"Flash Fire," Braden sighed. Of course. None of the fire moves had done any damage to Shiny, allowing Shiny to move through the Flamethrower to deliver the final blow. Oh well. Ditto was a novelty Pokemon anyways. He recalled it and sent out something he expected would be a little more challenging. "Kangaskhan, I choose you!"

Kristen thought about everything she knew about Kangaskhan, which was not much. She knew it was a pretty rare normal type. She figured she could fight it with fire, though. "Alright, Shiny, let's use Flamethrower!"

"Kangaskhan, Outrage!" Braden ordered. The two attacks collided: a jet of flame from Shiny, and a head-on attack from Kangaskhan engulfed in steam and a purple aura. The audience gasped and leaned forward to see what would happen.

Shiny fell. Kristen sighed and recalled her Pokemon. Kangaskhan looked like it had taken some damage from the Flamethrower, though, and was panting with exhaustion. She had heard of the move Outrage before. What about it? Think, Kristen, think!

Jacob's voice filled her mind's ear. "Dragonite will certainly know Outrage. It's an extremely powerful dragon move, but it can be reckless, too. Not only is the Pokemon stuck using it for a while, It always leaves the Pokemon confused."

Kristen smiled. Dragon move. And Kangaskhan was stuck using it. Nothing was preventing her from pivoting to Jigglypuff.

But…

Maybe that's what Braden wanted. Maybe he expected to force a pivot here, and then had something that would take out Jigglypuff. And then the battle would effectively be over. Still, it seemed the only play. She would know it was time to switch Jigglypuff back out after confusion, and she could get some damage in on Kangaskhan in the process. "Jigglypuff, I choose you!" she said.

Braden considered. He was impressed that Kristen had thought to switch to Jigglypuff during Outrage. He also didn't have an answer for Jigglypuff on his team. Best to just see this one through. After the Outrage had played out, he could easily knock out Jigglypuff with other moves.

To Ricky, the abandoned gym had always had an ominous feel. Now it was occupied, but still just as ominous, if not more so.

Percy and Lorelei had disguised themselves. Lorelei had put her signature red hair up in a bun and hid it beneath a sunhat. Instead of her typical black attire, she wore a floral sundress that was completely out of her character. She had removed her glasses and put on gaudy make-up. Percy wore sunglasses, a backwards baseball hat, and a baseball jersey. They looked like a very strange couple.

The plan was simple. Percy and Lorelei were parents wanting to watch their "son" Ricky's match. Sarah and Jacob were tagalong friends. While fighting Mewtwo, Ricky would target the curtain the gym leader hid behind to try to force him out. Ricky was chosen for the job because Aracanine's fire moves made it a believable accident.

They entered the gym and were immediately halted by two eccentric looking people. The woman had loud magenta hair swooped back off her face. The man had chin-length blue hair. A Meowth stood behind them.

"Welcome to the Viridian Gym," said the woman. "Who is the challenger today?"

Sarah's ears perked up. That voice seemed oddly familiar.

"I am," said Ricky, stepping forward.

"And what is your name?" asked the man.

Team Rocket? Sarah thought. No, that would be crazy! They wouldn't let Team Rocket run a gym, right? And surely all of those people were in prison! Still, her eyes fell on the Meowth, and a pit formed in her stomach.

"Ricky Grover," Ricky said. No need to disguise the names of the kids.

"Okay, Ricky, the gym leader is ready," said the woman. "You may follow me."

Ricky followed, and so did the rest of their crew. The brightly-haired people turned around. "I'm sorry, there are no spectators allowed in the gym," said the blue-haired man.

"Ah, while I never!' Lorelei said, putting on an accent.

"The gym leader is very particular," said the man. "Audiences make him nervous, you see. I'm terribly sorry. You can all wait out here."

Percy nodded. "I understand. Good luck, Ricky!"

"Mommy loves you!" Lorelei said.

"A little much," Percy whispered to her. She giggled.

When the two gym greeters were out of earshot, Sarah tugged on Lorelei's dress. "I think that's Team Rocket," she whispered.

Percy put his finger to his lips and ushered them into the lounge in the corner. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"No," she said, hanging her head. "But when we were in Silph Co, two people with hair just those colors were there, and they had a Meowth."

Percy and Lorelei stared at each other in shock and concern. Lorelei nodded. Percy pulled out his Pokedex and activated a special app. "Ricky," he whispered. "We're going to try to get behind the scenes ourselves. Just play out the battle as you would normally."

Within the arena, Percy's voice filled his ear. He tapped the bluetooth device to indicate he had received the message.

"Ricky Grover, welcome to the Viridian Gym," said the man behind the curtain. "I am the Viridian Gym Leader. If you defeat me today, you will be rewarded with the Earth Badge. I have yet to give one of these out."

Ricky channeled his inner Braden. "That's because you haven't met me yet!"

The leader chuckled. "I like your spunk, kid. You may use six Pokemon for this battle."

"Six?!" Ricky repeated incredulously.

"Problem?" asked the leader.

"I'm sorry," said Ricky. "I heard you only used one Pokemon, so I figured it was a one-on-one battle."

The leader chuckled again. "You heard correctly. I will only use one Pokemon. You, however, may use six."

Six on one, and nobody can beat Mewtwo? Ricky suddenly felt a surge of determination. He had to try.

Kanghaskan spun around in confusion. Kristen had gotten two Play Roughs on Kanghaskan before it exhibited the signs of confusion. "Jigglypuff, come back! Nidoqueen, I choose you!"

"Kristen has substituted Jigglypuff for Nidoqueen," Candela announced. "Kangaskhan is confused from the use of Outrage."

"Nidoqueen, use Earthquake!" Kristen called.

Boom, crack. The arena shook. "Endure, Kangaskhan," said Braden.

The combination of Kangaskhan's confusion and Nidoqueen's Earthquake caused the Kangaroo Pokemon to fall to the ground. "Again, Nidoqueen!" Kristen said.

"Reversal," said Braden. Kangaskhan hopped up and delivered a blow to Nidoqueen.

That was a move Kristen was not expecting, but it jogged an important piece of information loose from her memory. She might not have a fighting type Pokemon, but she did have a Pokemon that knew a fighting type move, and Normal was weak to fighting. "Nidoqueen, Superpower," she said.

Nidoqueen punched Kangaskhan back, causing Kangaskhan to collapse. "Kangaskhan is unable to battle!" Candela declared. "Braden must select a new Pokemon."

Braden recalled his Kangaskhan with a solemn nod. Kristen was not winning out of sheer luck. She knew her Pokemon, and she had trained them all. Still, the idea that his Dragonite would go down to her Jigglypuff, as he knew she was banking on, was laughable. Besides, he knew his next Pokemon would take out this Nidoqueen, leaving her with no more powerhouse Pokemon. "Mr. Mime, I choose you!" Braden cried.

Mr. Mime appeared on the field. Kristen evaluated her options. She didn't have a Pokemon that was supereffective against it, but she knew Nidoqueen was probably in bad shape after that Superpower, so she decided to pivot. "Nidoqueen, return! Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Kristen has swapped her Nidoqueen for Pikachu," said Candela.

"Psychic," said Braden.

"Thunderbolt," said Kristen.

Both attacks hit.

Sarah and Jacob released Meowth and Skitty into the gym lounge. This caused enough of a distraction for the two gym greeters, and Percy went exploring. He made for the bathrooms and found a hallway that wrapped around the arena. "Jacob, bathrooms are this way!" he called.

"Thanks, Mr. Grover!" Jacob said, pushing himself off the chair. He kept Haunter's Poke Ball in his hand. Percy leaned against the wall, still watching the Meowth and Skitty show in the lobby. Jacob shuffled past him and started to look around. Team Rocket, if it really was them, couldn't have been more obvious about which door led to the gym leader. There was a bodyguard stationed there. Jacob took a deep breath. The plan. Stick to the plan.

"Excuse me, sir, which way to the bathroom?" Jacob asked.

The man raised his eyebrow. "You passed it on the way here, bub."

"Oh," said Jacob. "Sorry! I'm blind sometimes. If I take off these glasses, I really can't see a thing! And also, Slowking, use Yawn!"

"Huh?" the man said. "Hey!"

Slowking appeared and used Yawn as directed. Frantically, the guard reached for a Poke Ball and called out an Alolan Raticate. But he fell asleep, leaving his Pokemon confused. Jacob recalled Slowking and called out Haunter. "Haunter, go help Ricky!" Jacob said.

Haunter went through the wall.

"Pikachu and Mr. Mime are unable to battle!" Candela exclaimed. "Both trainers must select new Pokemon!"

"Poliwhirl, I choose you!" Kristen said.

"Farfetch'd, let's go!" Braden said.

"Our trainers have selected Poliwhirl and Farfetch'd," said Candela.

"Hydro Pump, Poliwhirl," said Kristen.

"Farfetch'd, Leaf Blade!" Braden said. While Leaf Blade was a scary move, Farfetch'd had no chance of hitting it with all of the water barreling at it. "Air Slash, Farfetch'd!" Braden said, hoping that he could blow away some of the water from Hydro Pump.

"Body Slam, Poliwhirl!" Kristen said. Poliwhirl landed on Farfetch'd. This proved to be a reckless move, because Farfetch'd returned with Leaf Blade. "It's okay, Poliwhirl! Hydro Pump again!"

"Agility, Farfetch'd!" Braden said. "And follow it up with Air Slash!"

Farfetch'd dodged the Hydro Pump to land an Air Slash.

"Keep up the pressure with Hydro Pump!" Kristen ordered.

One more Hydro Pump was all it took to knock out Farfetch'd. Braden's next selection was Carnivine, a Pokemon that Kristen was not very familiar with. Carnivine took out Poliwhirl easily, but then Kristen sent out Pidgeotto, and Carnivine was down.

"Braden has one Pokemon remaining," said Candela. "Kristen holds strong with three. Braden's last Pokemon will be…"

Everyone knew what Braden's last Pokemon would be. This fight was far from over.

"Mewtwo," said the Viridian gym leader. "I choose you!"

The first thing that struck Ricky was that Mewtwo was taller than any person Ricky had ever met. Ricky looked up into the cold, intelligent eyes of the beast. This didn't feel like a Pokemon. It felt like a mutated superhuman.

Ricky took a deep breath. There was no expectation that he'd win this battle. Still… "Arcanine," he said, sending out his best buddy Pokemon.

"You know what to do, Mewtwo," said the gym leader.

Mewtwo did indeed. He sent a psychic blast at Arcanine. Arcanine was too surprised to react, and Ricky was too shocked to tell him to dodge. Ricky was just marveling at the way Mewtwo acted of its own accord. In one hit, Arcanine was down.

Ricky felt his pace quicken. He started to sweat. Was this fear? Were these tears rushing to his eyes? No, he couldn't cry, not here. "Good job, Arcanine," he whispered.

The gym leader laughed. Ricky's blood boiled. "Fearow, let's go!" he cried, and Fearow appeared. "Use Drill Peck!"

Mewtwo countered the Drill Peck with another psychic blast. Fearow let out a strained cry before falling.

"HOW?!" Ricky exclaimed, not even fighting the tears anymore. Beating Mewtwo was futile. Beating the gym leader, though, that was another story. "Primeape, come on out! Use Outrage!"

Ricky threw the Poke Ball towards the curtain where the gym leader hid, hoping that when Primeape appeared, it would hit the curtain. On cue, Primeape popped out of the ball, but it pivoted instinctively towards Mewtwo. "Dang it!" Ricky said, probably too loud, but he doubted the gym leader suspected any funny business.

Then he heard a clamor behind the curtain. Had Primeape hit the curtain after all? No, something else was happening. Finally, a person emerged, his face covered, followed by a Haunter. "Nice move, Jacob!" Ricky said. He ran to the arena entrance and opened the doors.

On cue, Lorelei and Sarah rushed in, accompanied by Sneasel and Frosslass.

"DARK PULSE!"

"SHADOW BALL!"

The two attacks actually hit Mewtwo. The creature let out a strange moan. Had it ever been hit before, Ricky wondered? Percy followed with Rampardos. "He went that way!" Ricky exclaimed, pointing towards the back of the arena. Percy beckoned Ricky to follow. Primeape hadn't been knocked out, and Mewtwo was now preoccupied with Froslass and Sneasel, so Primeape went followed. Jacob came through the curtain with Slowking.

"It worked! Let's go!" Percy cried to Jacob. At the back of the arena, Haunter was blocking a back exit. The gym leader cursed and turned around. His eyes rested on Percy.

"You," Giovanni sneered.

"Did ya miss me?" Percy asked without missing a beat.

"Okay," said Giovanni, throwing up his hands in defeat. "You got me. Now what?"

The two boys looked up to Percy. What was their next move? Clearly Percy recognized the man. Was that enough? Ricky turned to look at Sarah and Lorelei behind them. Sarah had brought out Butterfree in place of a fainted Sneasel. Froslass was still going. Perhaps defeating Mewtwo was possible, in a group.

Percy held up his Pokedex. "Gotcha," he said, turning on the video app.

"Nidoqueen is unable to battle," Candela announced. "Kristen is down to her final Pokemon. Will Jigglypuff be able to defeat Dragonite? The pink balloon Pokemon has caused quite a stir in previous battles, and she has a type advantage, but will it be enough this time?"

Both Pidgeotto and Nidoqueen had only landed one hit before fainting to Dragonite's Outrage. Jigglypuff would be immune to the attack, but Jigglypuff had fallen to Dragonair's Aqua Tail before. Kristen anticipated Braden would go for the same attack. Regardless, there was one way to win. Hit Play Rough. Don't get hit with Aqua Tail. Easier said than done, but it looked good on paper.

"Alright, Jigglypuff," said Kristen. "It's your time. Go and Play Rough!"

"Hyper Beam!" Braden exclaimed. That was a new move, and Braden had barked it with intense urgency. Jigglypuff bounced up and landed her hit, cutting the Hyper Beam short. Dragonite staggered. Braden gritted his teeth. He would not be losing to this Jigglypuff again. Ever since meeting Kristen in the forest that day, he had realized having a good Pokemon wasn't enough. He needed to train, and train hard, in order to be worthy of the title of Champion. He even trained his other Pokemon before entering the League, although he hadn't needed them during the gym battles at all. Everything was riding on this. "Aqua Tail!" he ordered.

"Play Rough again!"

Dragonite was worn out from using high powered moves. Play Rough struck again, and Dragonite fell to the ground. "No! This is unacceptable! Use Hyper Beam now!"

Dragonite turned around and hit Jigglypuff with Hyper Beam. Jigglypuff spun around in a daze. "He'll need to recharge!" Kristen said to her Pokemon. "Play Rough again!"

She was right. He had so far gotten by on using overpowered moves. Very few kids in Kanto used fairy types, which had been to his advantage during the first rounds. Play Rough hit again. Dragonite roared in pain.

"Aqua Tail!" Braden barked. Alternating the two moves should help Dragonite, and still have enough power to take out Jigglypuff, Braden reasoned.

Jigglypuff took the Aqua Tail, but instead of backing off like a normal Pokemon, the pink ball kept on towards Dragonite, surrounded by fairy aura. She delivered another blow…

"Dragonite is unable to battle!" the ref announced.

"No!" Braden shouted. "No, that's not possible!" He ran out into the field. "I have revives! He can continue!"

The ref held out his hands. "You aren't allowed to revive your final fainted Pokemon. This match is over."

"Braden," Kristen whispered. She knew she was supposed to feel pride at this moment, but she just felt sorry for him. It was a pathetic display. She walked into the arena and extended her hand. "Braden! That was an awesome battle. Thank you!"

He hung his head. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. It wasn't enough. She had out-trained him and out-smarted him.

"Breaking news from Viridian City!"

Kristen and Braden were torn from their thoughts, just like everyone else in the arena. All eyes turned to the telescreen, where a female reporter was seen in front of the Viridian Gym. The gym had a massive hole in its roof. "A dangerous Pokemon has broken free from Viridian Gym! Mewtwo, the genetically-engineered super Pokemon and only Pokemon used at the newly reopened gym, has flown free following a disturbance at the gym."

Kristen cackled in glee. "Disturbance at the gym" could only mean one thing, that Uncle Percy, Lorelei, and her friends had succeeded in their goal.

"The Viridian Gym Leader, hitherto keeping his identity secret, is rumored to be the notorious criminal Giovanni. How he acquired the dangerous Pokemon, and came to control the Viridian Gym, is currently under investigation," said the reporter. "According to eye-witness reports, a stray Haunter is to blame for the breakout. The loose Pokemon spooked both the gym leader and Mewtwo. Visitors to the gym tried to subdue Mewtwo, but the creature proved too strong to control and fled. If you see Mewtwo, experts urge you not to attempt to engage it, as it can become very volatile and destructive. Instead, alert authorities."

"Let's catch it," Braden whispered.

"What?!" Kristen exclaimed. "Braden, you're crazy."

Braden laughed. "You're probably right about that, Kristen. In any case, I was crazy to think I could rely on one Pokemon to carry me through the League. I realize this is what you have been trying to tell me all along, but I had such an easy time beating everyone with Dragonite, I didn't seriously consider it." He smiled. "But now I think I have been aiming too low. If Candela can have a Moltres, why can't I have a Mewtwo?"

She grabbed his arm. "Because it's too strong to control! It broke out of the gym!"

"That's because Giovanni is a moron," said Braden. "What if Mewtwo had a good trainer, huh? Someone who really cared about it, and took care of it?"

Kristen just shook her head in disbelief. "Alright, Braden. You go catch that Mewtwo."

"You know, I think we would make a good team," said Braden. "I hope our paths cross again one day."

"Me too," said Kristen honestly. But not to catch a Mewtwo. Still, she had to admire his ambition.

Uncle Percy, Ricky, Jacob, and Sarah returned just in time to see Kristen's next match. Unfortunately, it was a losing one. Turns out, Jigglypuff can take down an Electabuzz and a Dragonite, but its own evolution Wigglytuff had proved too much.

Harold joined them in the cafeteria after the battle. "Congratulations!" they cheered to the victor.

"Thank you," said Harold, sitting down. "It was a fun battle."

"Honestly, I'm kind of relieved," said Kristen. "I'm burnt out on battling. I think I'm going to be taking a nice long break. What do you think, Jigglypuff?"

"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff said, although it was unclear whether it was agreeing or disagreeing.

"Sir Wigglesworth and I will be down for a rematch whenever you decide to throw your hat back in the ring," said Harold. "But enough about us." He leaned in to the rest of the group. "Mewtwo?"

"Braden wants to catch it," Kristen said.

"Dude," said Ricky. "No. That thing wiped my Pokemon with one hit. It's better off just floating around in the wilderness somewhere."

"It didn't wipe Sneasel," said Sarah.

"You were with Lorelei," said Ricky. Sarah shrugged and dipped a french fry into her milkshake.

"Nobody is hunting Mewtwo," said Percy. "Although, it was exciting just to see it."

"How will they catch Mewtwo, Uncle Percy?" Kristen asked.

"Well," said Percy, "there are ways of capturing a superpowered Pokemon, if you really need to. I suspect they'll call in the Oaks for the job, and they'll use a Master Ball."

"A Master Ball," Ricky repeated with wonder. "I thought they were just a legend."

"Oh no, they exist," said Percy. "But of course, they're very rare, and very expensive. It's probably how Giovanni got the Mewtwo in the first place." Percy looked up from the children to an approaching visitor. "Hello?"

The kids turned to see Candela. Kristen took in a breath. The woman was more striking, and more severe, up close. "The first-year wonders," Candela said. "Congratulations, all of you. Especially you, Harold."

"Th-thank you, ma'am," said Harold. At least he managed to say something this time, unlike when he met Lorelei.

Candela sat down. "You're all a little young, but I wanted to discuss an opportunity that may be ahead of you in the future," she said. "Percy, you know the challenges of continuing your Pokemon career into adulthood."

"Yes," said Percy, shaking his head. "The competition for gyms and Elite Four spots is fierce. There are so few positions available, and a lot of politics is involved in securing them, I'm afraid. Most of the gyms are family legacy gyms." He shrugged. "So I found other uses for my talents marketing Pokemon products. Settled down, started a family. I wouldn't take any of it back, but you're right, Candela, it does seem to be an issue."

"Me and a few of my colleagues are thinking of revolutionizing the system," said Candela, "by establishing continuing education centers for trainers looking to expand their journey after they age out of the Junior League." She pushed a brochure towards Kristen. "What do you think?"

Kristen picked it up. There was the likeness of Moltres on the front, and in fiery red letters it said, "Valor University."

"Cool," said Kristen.

"I hope that it will be ready by the time you all turn eighteen," said Candela, "and that you will all consider attending."

Candela winked and walked away. The kids poured through the brochure. A hands-on school revolving around completing a series of challenges. It would allow a greater range of people to show their talents and possibly get picked up for gym leader and Elite Four spots.

"Hm," said Percy. "What do you guys think?"

"I think we have to keep getting stronger," said Kristen. Her friends all murmured in assent. She handed the brochure to Jigglypuff, who looked at it with the same amount of interest. For a moment, Percy believed the creature could actually read.

"JIGGLYPUFF!" the Pokemon cried, and everyone laughed. It was probably too early to tell if Valor University was in their future. But like catching Mewtwo, it was fun to think about.