"Tickets to Kanto cost how much?!"

Jack stared incredulously at the screen of the airport terminal. Even counting Nova and Razgriz as his Pokémon, although they were incapable of going inside Pokéballs, the cost of passage to Kanto was… shall we say, steep. Checking his bag, Jack's fears were confirmed. He only had a little money left, and it wouldn't be nearly enough to get them to Kanto.

"Well," Jack commented dryly. "That's a problem."

"What is?" Nova inquired, looking up at where Jack was, not really understanding anything on the board, just that there were various numbers next to words.

"We don't have enough money to pay for tickets to Kanto," Jack explained.

"Ah…" Nova said before she looked back at Jack. "I might have a solution to that."

Jack glanced at her. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Well… it is a bit underhanded, but Razgriz and I have used it before. Use my illusions to create money to pay for tickets," Nova responded, rubbing the back of her head with her paw.

Jack was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. It really would be that easy...

"I…" he paused again, legitimately torn. He wanted to get to Kanto as soon as possible. Every day they wasted was another day his friends were in Team Rocket's hands. Even so, "We can't."

Razgriz glanced over at Jack, he had remained mostly silent. He was currently under one of Nova's illusions as to hide his true appearance. Nova also made sure the blue in her fur had been replaced with red, giving them the appearance of two normal Pokémon. He didn't see the problem with Nova's idea as they had done it before.

"Why not?" He asked, letting his arms fall to his sides.

Jack's voice was a little forced. "It's wrong. 'You shall not steal', and 'you shall not bear false witness.' We would be lying, and it would be as good as stealing from the airline. We can't… I won't do it."

Razgriz shrugged in response. He didn't quite understand what Jack was talking about. Personally, he didn't have any problems stealing from humans given how much humans had stolen from him.

"Well, how are we going to get enough money then?" Nova asked.

"I don't know," Jack replied, clenching his fist. "But we will. There must be some way to earn a lot of money quickly."

Jack turned and started walking away from the terminal. It seemed like it was always one thing after another. Part of him was once again starting to despair of ever rescuing his friends, but he forced it down. He refused to give up.

Heedless of whether Nova and Razgriz were following him, and not caring much either way, Jack wandered through Hearthome City looking for any likely sources of quick cash. He didn't have much luck. No normal job could get him the kind of money he needed in anywhere near a short enough time. There were casinos and lotteries but, besides most of them being a little too shady for his liking, Jack had heard horror stories about people who had wasted a lot more money on gambling than he currently had and failing to win a penny. Besides, something about gambling just didn't sit right with his conscience.

Jack wandered further and further, until eventually he heard a voice. "Hey, kid."

Jack glanced up to see a man walking up to him. The man was middle-aged and thin as a beanpole, although he was barely taller than Jack. He had a shock of steel-grey hair, and piercing hazel eyes that seemed to be appraising Jack like a collector might appraise an expensive work of art. He was wearing plain clothes that didn't give Jack any clues as to who he might be.

"Who, me?" Jack replied. He had decided to forego his normal robes for less conspicuous clothing, so he doubted that the man could have recognized him.

The man nodded. "Yeah. You seem like you could use some cash, and quick. That about right?"

Jack furrowed his brow. "And if I do, what then?"

The man chuckled. "Suspicious? Good, you should be. Still, I assure you my intentions are honest. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you seem like you could handle yourself in a fight. I was just wondering if you'd like an opportunity to put your skills to use, and make a lot of money doing it. Don't worry," he added, seeing Jack's expression. "It's completely legitimate. You won't be breaking any laws. Interested?"

Jack would've been lying if he said he wasn't. "I'm listening."

"It's just a little tournament," the man continued, gesturing with his hands for emphasis. "People come from all over Sinnoh to compete. Martial artists, boxers, wrestlers, it's like a big contest of skill to see who's the best. Matches are assigned at random, and for each one you win you get a prize based on whether people think you're going to win or not. The more the odds are stacked against you, the more money you make if you win."

Jack nodded. "Okay… and I can leave at any time?"

"Yup," the man replied. "As soon as you've got enough to do whatever it is you want to do."

"And what do you get out of it?" Jack asked, somewhat pointedly.

The man chuckled. "Sharp as a razor, aren't you. That's good. Yes, I do get something out of it. As your 'recruiter', I get twenty-five percent of your total earnings. Of course, if you don't like that number it's open for negotiation. Just keep in mind that I have to eat too."

Jack shrugged. "Twenty-five percent is fine."

"Does that mean you're in?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jack was silent for a moment, then nodded. "It certainly sounds intriguing. I'll give it a try, but you said I can leave at any time and I'll hold you to that."

The man nodded. "Fair enough." He then smiled and held out his hand to Jack. "You can call me Snake-Eyes, or just Snake for short. It's a nickname I picked up in the business. How about you?"

Jack hesitated a moment, then shook Snake's outstretched hand. "You can call me Storm."

Snake chuckled. "Well now. That's a pretty grand title, and for some reason I get the feeling you'll live up to it. Anyway, do you have a place to stay? Well then," he continued as Jack shook his head, "The tournament does provide simple living quarters to contestants who are from out of town."

"Well that's good," Jack replied, although he furrowed his brow as he thought about Nova and Razgriz.

Snake seemed to sense his thoughts. "I see you're a trainer," he said, gesturing towards the belt of Pokéballs at his waist. "If you're worried about your Pokémon, don't be. You can bring them along. You just can't get any help from them during the match."

Jack nodded. "Fair enough. So, where is this tournament?"

"It's hosted in an underground arena," Snake told him, "So as not to disturb the peace. I can lead you right to it."

"Alright then," Jack replied. "Can you wait here a moment though? I need to do something real quick."

Snake nodded, and leaned up against a nearby building. "Sure. I'll be right here."

Jack walked a ways back and stopped behind a small advertisement sign then sent out a mental probe to see where Nova and Razgriz were. The two Pokémon were not too far behind Jack. Razgriz was looking in their general direction with a slight scowl on his face. Nova was a bit more distracted, looking at a nearby flower bed.

Jack waved them over, sending a quick telepathic message. "I found something."

"And what might that be? Based on what I overheard, it sounds quite shady," Razgriz stated, slightly skeptical about this situation.

"It seems like a pretty easy way to get the money we need." Jack countered.

"Easy or not, I still think it sounds shady…" Razgriz replied, still highly doubtful of this Snake character.

Jack sighed. "I know… but he seems nice, and I didn't sense him planning anything underhanded. At any rate, I don't intend to use my superhuman abilities. Might as well fight them fair and square. Plus, if anything shady is going on, it might get them to underestimate me. Don't worry, I'm not going to just blunder into some sort of trap."

"A guy who doesn't give his real name and who works in an underground fighting ring… yeah, absolutely nothing underhanded about that…" Razgriz retorted rolling his eyes.

Jack also rolled his eyes as well. "I never said it wasn't suspicious, but I also don't think he's lying to me. I didn't sense any lies from him at least."

"I never said that he was lying, just that this entire fight rings sounds… oh what is that human word… illegal?" Razgriz replied as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Jack blinked. "You, concerned about things being legal? Will wonders never cease…"

"I couldn't care less about human laws, but last I checked you did," Razgriz said.

"Yes, I do," Jack replied with a nod. "And that's another reason I can't just pass this up. If there is something illegal going on, I could provide the police with valuable information."

"That is more like it," Razgriz said with a smirk.

Jack rolled his eyes again. "Anyway, come on. Let's not keep our benefactor waiting."

He walked back towards the spot where Snake was waiting, with Nova and Razgriz following him.

"Alright," Jack said. "We're ready."

Snake nodded. "Alrighty then. Follow me."

He then headed off down the street, not even bothering to check if they were following him. Jack glanced at Nova and Razgriz and shrugged, then darted after the man. The two Pokémon followed behind him.

Nova was looking around as they progressed further into the alleyway. Razgriz kept his eyes on Snake, not trusting the strange human. He closed his eyes for a second as his tendrils on the back of his head were surrounded in purple aura as they briefly floated. A small frown made its way across his muzzle. Something about Snake's aura seemed… off. It was very faint, but it almost felt like he wasn't fully human.

"Jack…" Razgriz started as he opened his eyes. "Have you looked at his aura?"

Jack furrowed his brow, then glanced back at Snake for a moment. "What about it?"

"Can you not see that it is not normal?" Razgriz asked, a bit curious.

"Not normal…?" Jack replied in complete incomprehension. "How so?"

"Let's just say it isn't entirely… human," Razgriz answered.

Jack blinked. "Really… so then what is it?"

"I am not sure… not like anything I have seen," Razgriz said, shaking his head.

"I see… well, I can't see anything unusual so I'll have to take your word for it. Still, this means that whatever else he is, he's no run-of-the-mill con artist," Jack replied thoughtfully. "Would you mind keeping me posted on any new developments?"

"Of course," Razgriz started before glancing towards Snake. "As I have already said, I don't trust him or anything he has to offer."

"Noted," Jack said evenly.

Snake led them all the way through the alley and onto the main streets again, then on a winding route through the city until they came to a rather classy-looking hotel. Jack raised an eyebrow as Snake strolled right in as if he owned the place. The man at the front desk took one look at Snake, glanced at Jack and the two Pokémon, and waved them through.

"Not what I was expecting…" Razgriz muttered as they passed through the building.

"Neither was I…" Nova said in agreement based on what she had gathered while Jack and Razgriz had been talking.

"Same," Jack agreed.

Snake led them through a large main room towards an elevator. Snake called it down and then boarded it, motioning for Jack, Nova, and Razgriz to follow him.

Jack stepped into the elevator with him, now very curious indeed as to what this tournament was all about. Nova and Razgriz were equally curious as well. This was easily the nicest building they had ever been in and it did not fit the description of any sort of fight ring.

Snake took out a key from his jacket pocket and opened a small panel on the wall of the elevator. Behind this panel was a single button, which he pressed. The elevator then began to descend, although to where Jack could only guess.

Eventually, the elevator decelerated and then stopped. The doors opened, and Snake led them out into a hallway that was lit with electric lamps on either side. The hallway soon split into three, and Snake led them down the middle path which eventually led to a large room. The room was set up like a movie theater, with tiered rows of seats facing a thick pane of glass that served as the far wall.

Snake nodded towards the glass wall. "Take a look. That's where all the magic happens."

Jack went over and looked out the window, and drew in a sharp breath. The window looked out upon an enormous circular arena, the floor of which was a good ten feet below them and the domed ceiling reaching ten feet above. The entire cavernous room looked as though it had been carved out of solid rock, and a layer of packed dirt had been laid down as the floor.

Nova and Razgriz looked around the set up. It would have taken several large machines or ground type Pokémon. Maybe even both. Needless to say that it would have taken a lot of time and effort to create this underground complex.

"Wow…" Jack stated simply.

Snake grinned smugly. "So, are you convinced now that this isn't some illegal fight club, and that I'm not a con artist?"

Jack blinked, feeling ashamed and rather foolish. "I never said anything like that."

Snake gave him a strange look. "No, but you thought it. You," he then glanced at Nova and Razgriz, "And your friends there too. And don't try to tell me you didn't."

Razgriz simply crossed his arms under his chest spike and glared at the human. Nova just shrugged her shoulders, having not really been a part of the conversation at that moment.

"I'm sorry for being suspicious," Jack apologized. Razgriz let out a grunt and rolled his eyes, not sharing Jack's sympathy.

Snake snorted slightly. "Don't be. A healthy dose of suspicion can keep you alive. If I'd been in your shoes, I'd have been pretty suspicious too. I mean," he then smiled ruefully, "I am a pretty shifty-looking character, and my nickname probably didn't do much to inspire trust either. Still, believe me when I say that this establishment is government approved. Although, admittedly, we are still underground; in more ways than one."

Jack furrowed his brow. "How come?"

"Well…" Snake hesitated a moment, as if trying to come up with the right way to phrase his response. "I guess the only way to really explain it is, this tournament was created by fighters, for fighters. It's a place where people go to test their skills, and the skills of others. But… well, there are some people who aren't keen on broadcasting their abilities to the world so it's a private show. Entrance into the tournament is by invitation only and only other combatants, current or former, can watch the fights. It's an unspoken rule that what happens here stays here, and what happens outside gets left at the front door. Unless of course you're a certified recruiter, which I am."

Jack took a moment to process the massive load of information that was being dumped into his head. "So… the fights here aren't broadcast at all?"

Snake shook his head. "There are a few people who get fights streamed live to them. Once again though, only former combatants."

"So then… you called yourself a recruiter," Jack observed. "So your job is to bring new people into the tournament?"

"Bingo," Snake affirmed. "The system may seem a little counter-intuitive, but it's worked well thus far. Mainly because, at the end of the day, the people running it are concerned with more than just turning a profit. Which they do anyway, thanks to the hotel above us."

Jack nodded. "Alright then… I guess I just have one more question."

"Fire away," Snake said.

"What kind of opponents will I be facing?" he asked, looking Snake in the eyes.

Snake chuckled wryly. "Very skilled ones. I wouldn't let your guard down if I were you. But aside from that, I'll brief you a little more when we actually know who you'll be facing. First off, we need to get you registered for a match."

"Is there some sort of special badge I need?" Jack commented, with only a hint of sarcasm. "A license maybe?"

Snake gave him an odd look. "No, but you do have to sign up. Otherwise, how do they even know you want to fight?"

Jack shrugged. "Fair point."

"Now then," the recruiter continued, "Let's go get you signed up, then I'll show you all to your room. For a combatant, room and board is half-price."

Jack glanced at Nova and Razgriz. "Do you guys want your own room again?"

"Sure, though not too far from you. We aren't exactly accustomed to cities…" Razgriz replied. Nova nodded her head in agreement.

"Okay then," Jack replied. Out loud he said, "Alright then, lead on."

They followed Snake back up the elevator to the main lobby of the hotel, then to a small office off to one side that said 'manager' on the door. There Jack met with an elderly man sporting a rather impressing moustache, who had him sign a form which stated the tournament was not liable for any injuries sustained during a scheduled match. With that out of the way, the manager said he'd find Jack a match at the earliest convenience.

Having signed up, Jack then headed back to the front desk to book a two-bedroom suite; one for himself, and one for Nova and Razgriz. He still had enough money left to pay for a week's lodgings, although even at half-price the suite was rather expensive. If everything went as well as Snake said it would however, he'd make that money back several times over with his first match alone.

Not seeing anything else he could do besides wait, Jack led Nova and Razgriz up to their new suite. The accommodations were much nicer than any of them were used to, not that Nova or Razgriz particularly cared. The two Pokémon then went over into their own room that was connected to the main living area. Jack's room was on the other side of the room.

Jack, being quite used to this lifestyle by now, quickly unpacked the things he'd need in the next few days and left the rest in his bags. Then, not really having anything else to do at the moment, he grabbed his bible and flopped down onto the bed to read for a while.

After a few minutes, there was a knock at his door. He furrowed his brow a little as he got up, wondering who it could be. Upon entering the living room, he saw Razgriz closing the door to their room. He opened the door, and one of his eyebrows went up as he saw that it was Snake.

"Oh, it's you," he commented.

"I hope this isn't a bad time," the recruiter said apologetically. "I just wanted to brief you on what to expect with your first match."

Jack nodded. "It's fine, come on in. Do you know who my first opponent will be already?"

Snake shook his head as he stepped into the room and leaned against the wall. "No, your first match hasn't even been scheduled yet. Still, there are some things you should know before you even step into the ring."

"Go on," Jack prompted.

"First off, you already know where your money is going to be coming from correct?" Snake asked rhetorically. "Well, your first match is the best chance you'll get to make a lot of money quickly. Especially if you're as strong as I think you are. The whole thing about the gambling system is that people will put their money on whoever they think has the best chance of winning. Of course there will always be a few who put their money on a new face just in case, but for the most part…"

"They don't know how strong I am," Jack finished, catching on. "So they'll play it safe and bet on the guy they already know."

Snake nodded, grinning. "Exactly. But here's the thing, most of the betting actually goes on during the match. So if you want the maximum amount of people to bet against you, the best trick is to pretend to lose at first."

Jack blinked. "So… you're saying I should hold back at first. It'll look like I'm outmatched, and even more people will bet against me. And," he continued, thinking of something else, "I'll probably want to make it look like I won by the skin of my teeth so they'll bet against me the next time too."

"Exactly," Snake replied with a chuckle. "You catch on quick. Are you sure you haven't done this before?"

Jack shrugged, a smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Well, I'm no stranger to fighting. Although having people bet on whether or not I'll win is a new experience for me."

Snake nodded. "Fair enough. Anyway as you've probably guessed already, in this place showmanship is almost as important as actual strength. To make the most money not only do you have to beat your opponent, you have to keep your audience guessing as to whether or not you'll be able to pull it off. I will say one thing though, I have no idea who they'll match you up against first. It probably won't be anyone too dangerous, but if you ever feel for a second like he's actually going to beat you, stop holding back. You won't make a red cent if you lose."

"Noted," Jack replied, but then he furrowed his brow. "But still, isn't a fake-out like that a bit of a simple trick to rely on? I mean, won't people be wise to it by now and be looking for signs that a combatant is deliberately holding back?"

Snake nodded. "To a certain extent. The old pros will be for sure, so you'll have to make it look good. And like I said, there will always be a few who'll bet on you just on the off chance that you're good for it. Still, you'd be surprised how effective 'simple tricks' can be when you pull them off right."

Jack nodded. "Fair enough."

"Aside from that," Snake said, scratching the back of his head, "There's nothing much you need to know up front. Your first match will probably be either the day after tomorrow, or the day after that. After your first match though, if you do well and you're up to it, you can count on a match every day or two. At that pace, once again depending on how well you do, you should be able to make the kind of money you need inside of a week or two."

Jack furrowed his brow, and not for the first time the thought of waiting even a week or two left a bad taste in his mouth. For all he know, in that week his Pokémon could have…

"No," he told himself. "Don't think like that. They'll be fine. I will save them. And besides, Snake is right. Outside of stealing it, there's no way I could make enough money in less time than this."

"So," he said aloud. "Just to clarify, if I pack up and leave one day and never come back…"

"As long as you're not scheduled for a match at the time," Snake affirmed, "That's absolutely fine. You can leave any time."

Jack nodded. "Alright. Thanks."

Snake got up and headed for the door. "I'll come up and tell you when your first match has been decided. Until then, relax and get plenty of rest. You'll need it if you intend to make the most of your time once the matches begin."

"I will, thanks again," Jack said as Snake walked out of the room and closed the door behind himself.

Jack flopped back down onto his bed again, and went back to reading. If Snake's prediction was correct, these next few days would be the longest of his life.


Me: Yeah… I've got nothing.

Osean: yeah… me either….

Razgriz: you are both horrible people.

Nova: we were beginning to think you had forgotten about us.

Jack: Despite how hard that would be…

Me: Okay, we admit it. We slacked off again, and we're really sorry.

Osean: I would say more than slacked off… I would say I am mostly to blame as it took me far too long to get my half of this ready… For that, I offer my humblest apologies, to both Jack and you guys.

Jack: Careful, you're starting to sound Canadian...

Osean: Careful, them is fightin' words

Me: Woah there Yosimite. It's not wabbit season yet.

Osean: but it is always hog season here in Texas.

Me: In all seriousness though, it's not entirely your fault. I didn't exactly twist your arm to get the chapter finished, so as far as I'm concerned we're in this together.

Osean: Thanks Jack.

Jack: How noble of you. Personally, it suits me fine. This'll be much more fun with two… *pulls out a bucket of tar and a bag of feathers*

Me: ...welp, you're on your own Osean. Good luck and fair seas.

Osean: Hey! You cannot tar and feather an American! We bloody invented that! Tar and feather the Canadian, he is the Brit descendent!

Jack: Hmm… let's put it to a vote. Nova, Razgriz?

Nova: Both?

Razgriz: Both.

Osean: traitors….

Jack: Well then, I guess that makes it unanimous… *cackles maniacally*

Osean: run away?

Me: Pull a brave Sir Robin.

Jack: Come back here you rascally authors!