Bronze grunted in pain as he slammed into the moving wall again. This was not how he had expected the puzzle for Murkwater Gym to be like. Ghosts, illusions, terror, certainly not clawing up a rotating cube, fighting trainers, all the while moving parts to reach the final doorway!

He had not even seen Captain B., the infamous Gym Leader of Murkwater. Only a recording explaining the rules had played when he had been admitted into the challenge.

Bronze was holding relatively well, though, and his Pokémon were far stronger then the other paid trainers. He had purchased a lot of Revives just before taking on the gym, as Captain B. was notorious for her use of Destiny Bond, combined with several items that increased its effectiveness. Absol would be a help as well, being a Dark-type.

Bronze saw that this puzzle was going to take a bit longer time then he had thought, and the spinning was beginning to get to him. Instead of continuing to push one block, he jumped right over it, lassoed a Escape Rope to a wooden beam, and swung over the entire room straight through the target door, much to the bewilderment of his Pokémon, which also broke the norm and followed after him.

Inside the darkness, Bronze could hear Captain B. speaking. "I would say that stunt you pulled just now is a violation of the Gym terms. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Bronze just barely smiled, and gave his answer. "The rules said that we could use items to assist us through the puzzle. While using a ordinary rope would be considered cheating, a Escape Rope is specially manufactured by the Sylph Corporation, and is considered a battle and utility item. I didn't break the rules, I just turned them in their face."

Captain B. laughed, and the light turned on. A middle-aged woman with a eyepatch stood near a desk full of unlit candles, giving Bronze a sly grin. "Good boy. If you are wondering what the 'B.' stands for, don't even think about asking, because you'll never get a answer. Just call me B. Got it?" Bronze shrugged, and the captain continued.

"Rules: Single battle, three Pokémon, one item usage, held items acceptable. But first..." B grabbed a candle, which suddenly lit. "Follow me before we get down to business. Since you almost have the required amount of badges to enter the tournament, I think you should see some of my family history."

Bronze followed her, confused on why this would occur just before the battle. B went through a downward-angled staircase, candlelight flicking across the old boards. "Fear is a rather interesting thing...so I am proud to say I come from a long line of those who used fear to their advantage. Hurry up, hurry up, we are going to have a battle, you know."

The stairway stopped and spread into a room with a statue displayed at one end, with many book and pictures of humans hanged on the others. B stopped infront of the statue, which was of a small blond woman bent on a stick. "Challenger Bronze, I would like you to meet my mother."

Bronze thought he had seen the woman in the statue somewhere before, although it was a rather fuzzy memory. "I don't recognize your mother B, what is her claim to fame-" Bronze stopped and saw a nameplate that read: AGATHA.

"Wait...your mother..." B finished for him. "Was a member of the Kanto Elite Four, tried to destroy the human race, disappeared, yeah, I've heard it all before. She was a bad egg, but I'll say she taught me a thing or two about fighting with Ghost-types. Since you are clearly on the road to becoming champion, knowing where I come from is a good way to level the scales. Anyway, back to the field."

The Gym Leader and Bronze took their places, and B sent out Spiritomb, while Bronze sent out Electivire. Spiritomb rushed head long at Electivire, much to Bronze's surprise. "Electivire, Thunder Punch!" The crackling attack made contact, knocking Spiritomb back.

Electivire hit again and again, but Spiritomb wouldn't faint. That must be B's strongest Pokémon if it withstood all those hits. It doesn't matter, anyway. "Electivire, finish it off with the move we just learned! Fire Punch!"

Spiritomb started smoking from the impact, but managed to deliver a Shadow Ball attack to Electivire before passing out from its injuries. "Ha!" Bronze gloated. "Not so strong now, are you? I defeated your Trump Card with hardly any effort."

B laughed. "I wouldn't be so sure. Take a look at your Pokémon." Bronze turned, and saw that Electivire was smoking, burnt as well. "What? How?"

"Spiritomb's ability is normally Pressure, but mother taught me a few things about ability changes. The Spiritomb you just defeated had the Synchronize ability, so that's why your Pokémon is burnt. All those Thunder Punches at the beginning were pointless as well, because I Imprisoned the move from the start." Bronze growled and sent Electivire back to its Poke Ball, fainted.

"You are strong, aren't you? Look's like I can't expect anything to go as planned." B grinned, and sent out Gengar, while Bronze sent out Absol.

"A pure Dark-type, eh? Now you've learned not to underestimate me!" B tapped her finger to a small bracelet on her arm, while Bronze did the same.

Both Pokémon Mega Evolved, bringing the fight to a entirely different level of power. "You think Absol has the advantage, huh?" B was huffing with the strain of controlling her Pokémon, much like Bronze. "But, your new at this! Whether Absol will fight as hard as it can depends on your focus! Gengar, Shadow Claw!"

Absol staggered, and Bronze nearly broke the Mega connection. "A critical hit...Absol, Assurance!" Mega Gengar hissed, and dropped into the shadows of the floor. "Not again you don't!" Bronze yelled. "Light it up! Sunny Day!"

Absol created a miniature sun above its head, totally dissipating the shadows around the battlefield. Gengar jumped out, confused at the sudden light. Absol gave it a mighty Dark Pulse, and Gengar dropped, unconscious.

Bronze shook with exhaustion as Absol went out of Mega Evolution form. The Disaster Pokémon seemed extremally tired as well from its effort. B sent out Decidueye, eyeing the weak Absol.

"Well? Aren't you going to send out Charizard? Absol is far too weak to fight my healthy Pokémon. Go on! There isn't any shame in it. Charizard has a type advantage anyway. What are you waiting for?"

B was clearly trying to goad him into something, although Bronze couldn't know why. Determined not to go with her wishes, Bronze stuck with Absol. Decidueye used Brave Bird, but now before Absol could get in another Dark Pulse. Absol fainted, and Bronze sent out Charizard.

Decidueye dodged a Flamethrower attack, and then used one attack that Bronze had not been expecting. "Rock Throw! Take down this flying lizard!" B screamed. A massive stone crushed Charizard to the ground, its damage being magnified by Decidueye's Special Attack X.

"Looks like I win. Now, let us shake hands at a good battle-" She was interrupted by the noise of the rock pile was stirring, and Charizard burst out, barley conscious. Deciduye spun to see what had happened, but not before Charizard completely covered it in consuming fire.

Deciduye fainted, but Charizard flew to Bronze's side, still standing. "H-how?" B was at a loss. "That was my trump card! There is no way Charizard could have survived that attack, combined with the Special Attack X! Did you...no...you did!"

Bronze laughed. "Good thing the rules weren't that we had to register our held items! Focus Sash, plain and simple." Charizard swung its tail around to display the now-dissolving Focus Sash.

B coughed and shook hands with Bronze. "Impressive. I just got cocky! Here is the Haunted Badge, well earned." Bronze trembled as he pinned the final badge on his bag.

"I...really did it." B winked. "Not quite. Everyone you'll be facing in the League will be as strong as you. Since we don't know who the Champion or Elite Four will be, that ought to be a good surprise for you as well. Many people will be watching, including me! At the League, you can use all your Pokémon, not just three or two. So, you might want to get a sixth partner!"

Bronze walked to the threshold of the exit door, and saw through a window that a man in a robe was giving a speech to a crowd of people in front of the Gym. Turning back to B, Bronze asked her if she knew anything about the robed man.

"Hmmmm...nope. Haven't seen anything like him. I wonder what he is saying! Tell me if he is up to no good, and I'll break him like when the giant Octillery sunk this ship!"

Bronze left the Gym, and headed over to see what the man had to say.

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Cypress looked over the latest Genesect Synthesis reports, and left Xerosic and Colress.

After unlocking the storage room, Cypress examined Jake's Pokedex in its clear glass container. It was a curiosity, and even though he had researched it function time and time again, even handling it at one time, it never ceased to amaze him.

The Eclipse Lord felt his heightened senses register a faint gust of air that only meant that a person had somehow entered the room. He quickly sent out Chesnaught, and mentally locked the entrance doors.

"Please, come out. I am in a good mood currently, and if you identify yourself, you will only be reprimanded for entering without my consent." No one answered. "Then I will have to force you out, it seems. Sleep Powder!"

The dust went throughout the room, and Cypress heard a woman coughing. Cypress sent out a Talonflame, and parted the shelves with Razor Wind.

A Starmie immediately jumped out to attack him, but Cypress had Chesnaught grab it by its points, and cut it in half with a abnormally powerful Leaf Blade. A Banette tried to cut Cypress's head off, although he sent out Incineroar and crushed it against a wall with Darkest Lariat.

"Heh, The woman said. "You're stronger then I thought. I though I could sneak into this headquarters by disguising myself, but it all failed in the end..." Cypress held out his hand in the direction of the voice. "Now, come out."

A woman wearing a Eclipse uniform and a leg warmer was dragged out of the shadows, grimacing against Cypress's psychic hold. "What are you doing here, if not to kill me? Who do you serve?"

"I serve none but myself!" The woman spat. "I was so close to stealing that blasted Pokedex, but of course the only way I could get in was sneaking in behind you..."

"Stealing Pokedexes?" Cypress questioned. "I've heard of a former Team Rocket, or should I say Team Galactic executive that was fascinated with the things. What would you possibly use all those pieces of valuable technology for...Sird?"

Sird smiled. "You never understood, Jonathan old boy. You can't conquer or destroy the world with grandiose displays of power! People like you...they will always keep coming. You're a weed, Cypress. Kill you? Two other just like you will sprout up. Arrest you? Then what? If I have a Pokedex, or multiple Pokedexes, then I can use that incredibly advanced technology to create a hidden empire that would be far more effective then your little organization."

Cypress was not slighted in the least. "Sird, your downfall is that you believe that there is no distinctly spiritual element to the world. Whenever you only account for physical occurrences, you will not fully succeed. That is why I am different. I am backed by a force that is far more powerful then you could understand! It's thoughts are not our thoughts. It's ways are not our ways. It is higher."

"Really? You think highly of yourself." Sird sighed. "I won't be getting out of this. But, I would like to give on last request."

"And that would be?"

Sird paused.

"Spare him."

Cypress thought it over.

"No."

Sird dropped dead, her neck broken.

Cypress called some maintenance workers to clean up the mess, and left the room, whistling.