Ages:
Matt Rocket: 10
Jake Rocket: 13
Ash/Misty/Gary: 14
Tracey: 15
Brock/Rob Rocket: 16
Jessie/James/Shane Rocket: 21
Pokémon: Masters
Chapter 12 – Generation Gap
"You did what?!" an enraged inmate shouted into the video phone.
"Quiet, Giovanni," a guard snapped at him, "or it's back to your cell."
"Yes, sir," the former leader of Team Rocket snarled. He could not decide whom he was angrier at. The guard or his son.
"I said, father," Shane emotionlessly replied, "I feel that your vindictive against this Ash Ketchum is bad for business."
"Some things are more important than business," Giovanni snapped at his son. "Revenge is very high on that list."
"I'm sorry," Shane told his father, "but we have wasted too many resources on this endeavor."
"And the dismantling of Team Rocket?" Giovanni demanded.
"Again, pokémon theft is such a meager source of income," Shane answered. "Silph Co. makes more in a quarter than Team Rocket has made in the past three years."
Giovanni glared at his oldest son. How dare he betray me like this, he thought as he watched his organization crumble before his eyes.
"Shane, I am very disappointed in you," Giovanni informed his son. "Once I am free of this wretched place, I will have to see how much damage you have done to my empire."
"You know that is impossible," Shane told his father. "I doubt you will be able to do much of anything in forty years."
Before Giovanni would reply, Shane cut off the transmission.
Not if I get out of here first, Giovanni thought as the guard led him back to his cell.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final round of the Indigo League Championships," the loudspeakers announced. "This will be a six pokémon match between Gary Oak of Pallet Town and Ash Ketchum, also of Pallet Town."
Misty, Brock, Tracey, Jessie, and James looked at the huge crowd that filled the stadium. Tracey pointed out that most of Pallet was here.
"I think I see May Oak sitting with her grandfather," he said pointing to two figures on the lower level.
"There's Ash's mom," Brock said as he waved to her.
"You know, Jessie," James spoke as he scanned the crowd. "I think I saw a few people from Team Rocket here."
"Shut up, nit-whit," Jessie shouted as she slapped him with her fan.
"Will you both shut up," Misty shouted at the former Rockets. "The match is about to start."
"Oh, sorry Mrs. Ketchum," James laughed. "I guess you wanted to watch the twerp lose."
"Shows what you know," Misty snapped. "Ash has this one in the bag."
"Why do you say that?" Jessie asked.
"He's my boyfriend," she replied with a smirk. "And I don't date losers."
"You ready, Pikachu?" Ash asked his pokémon.
*Yeah* Pikachu replied.
"Okay," Ash said as he took a breath to calm his nerves, "let's do this."
Ash and Pikachu walked into the arena. Ash forced himself not to look up at the crowd. He knew it would be filled with faces from Pallet. He really did not want to know if which were cheering for him and which were cheering for Gary.
"Are you ready, loser?" Gary called from his side of the arena.
"Yeah," Ash snapped trying to keep confident.
"Since Gary lost the coin toss earlier," the field judged announced, "he must select the first pokémon."
"Piece of cake," Gary replied as he pulled out a pokéball. "Arcanine, go!"
As the wolf pokémon appeared, Ash chose his own pokémon.
"Squirtle, I choose you," he cried as he tossed in the pokéball.
"Arcanine, fire spin," Gary commanded.
"Withdraw," Ash countered.
As Arcanine's flames engulfed the shell, Ash waited for his opportunity. When the flames died down, Squirtle reappeared for his shell, a bit blackened but willing to fight.
"Squirtle, bubblebeam," Ash commanded.
"Arcanine, dodge it," Gary countered.
Unfortunately, the large dog was not quick enough to avoid the beam. It collapsed on the ground, and the judge announced the point to Ash.
"Fine then," Gary said as he gritted his teeth. "Exeggcutor, go!"
"Squirtle, return," Ash said seeing he lost the elemental advantage. "Charizard, I choose you."
"Exeggcutor, psychic," Gary ordered.
"Charizard, fire blast!" Ash countered.
The entire arena was covered with dust from the explosion of the two attacks. When it finally settle, Charizard was huffing from the strain, but Exeggcutor was burnt to a crisp.
"Exeggcutor is unable to continue," the judge announced. "Victory to Charizard."
"Grrr," Gary growled. He was down two, and Ash had not lost a single pokémon. "Nidoking, let's take of this pest!"
"All right, Charizard," Ash shouted to his pokémon. "Two down and four to go, we can do this."
Charizard nodded back to his trainer and glared at his opponent.
"Nidoking, take down attack," Gary ordered.
"Charizard, dragon rage!" Ash countered.
Charizard's eyes turned bright red as the rage within boiled. As Nidoking approached him, he launched into the air. He circled around the pokémon, flaming from side until Nidoking managed a lucky shot at him. Charizard crashed into the side of the stadium.
"Charizard, you okay?" Ash asked.
Charizard shook his head and glared at Nidoking.
*Big mistake* he told his opponent. *Ash, this guy is in the bag*
"Go for it," Ash shouted back.
"Go for it", Gary repeated. "What kind of attack is that?"
*Fissure!* Charizard roared as he leapt into the air and crashed down on Nidoking.
"Nidoking is out," the judge called. "Victory to Charizard."
"I'm down three!" Gary shouted. "No more Mr. Nice Guy. Marowak, go!"
"Charizard, you up for this?" Ash asked his pokémon.
*No* Charizard replied. *But I want to*
"Okay," Ash said. He eyed the Marowak at the other end of the arena.
"Marowak, bone club," Gary ordered.
"Charizard," Ash called to his pokémon, "combine fly and skull bash to take him down."
Charizard attempt the maneuver that Ash describe but was knocked to the ground Marowak's bone club.
"Now show this guy a real fissure," Gary called to his pokémon.
Charizard saw it coming and managed to dodge the attack.
"Charizard, try swift," Ash shouted.
With perfect accuracy, Charizard made contact with Marowak. Marowak flinched from the sudden attack leaving Charizard an opening to use Mega Punch for the knock out.
"Marowak is out," the judge called. "Victory to Charizard."
"Ash is doing it," Misty cheered. "He only has two more to go."
"Mind turning down the volume," Brock complained. "You don't have to shout in my ear."
"Shut up, Brock," Misty replied.
"Charizard, you sure you want to stay in?" Ash asked the dragon.
*Consider this my apology for losing the last time here* Charizard replied. *Besides, I want to kick Gary's butt all over Indigo Plateau*
"Fine," Ash replied. "Here's the next one."
Gary had released Magneton.
"Magneton, thunderbolt," Gary ordered.
"Fire spin!" Ash counted remembering about Magneton's other classification, steel, which was week against fire attacks.
Charizard took the hit but continued to engulf Magneton in the flame tunnel. When he finally stopped, Magneton fell to the ground.
"Magneton is out," the judge announced. "Victory to Charizard."
"This impossible!" Gary shouted. "How can one Charizard defeat four of my best pokémon?!"
Gary had not planned on Ash using Charizard after what happened at the tournament three years ago. He mostly brought pokémon to take on Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu.
"Just one more, Charizard," Ash told his pokémon who was beginning to stagger. I hope he makes it, Ash thought.
"You're my last hope," Gary said as he kissed his pokéball. "Venomoth, go!"
"A bug?" Ash questioned. "Charizard, flamethrower."
Charizard was relieved that it was merely a bug this time. With the elemental advantage, he thought it would be an easy score.
"Venomoth, stun spore," Gary commanded.
Venomoth managed to release the spores before Charizard's flames struck it. Gary dropped his head seeing his defeat, but Ash was more concerned about Charizard than his victory at the moment. The spores managed to reach him and finally fainted the dragon.
"Venomoth and Charizard are both eliminated," the judge announced seeing both pokémon were not moving. "Round to Ash Ketchum.."
Throughout the stadium, the crowd was cheering on both Ash and Charizard. Ash was ignoring them at the moment and ran to his pokémon.
"We did it," Ash congratulated him.
"Char," he weakly replied.
"Let's get you to the Pokémon Center," Ash said as he pulled out Charizard's pokéball.
"Hey, Ash!" Misty called to him at the Pokémon Center. "Why did you disappear after the match?"
"Charizard needed to get to the Pokémon Center," Ash replied. "What kind of Pokémon Master would I be if I didn't after what he did?"
"Ash, you gotta come out here," Brock said from the doorway.
Ash looked past Brock and saw the crowd of reporters.
"How does it feel to win the tournament?" one asked.
"Great," Ash replied.
"Is it true your father also won the tournament?"
"Yes," Ash answered.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Yes, he does," Misty told the reports.
"Will you please leave the Pokémon Center!" Nurse Joy shouted at the reporters. "I have injured pokémon that need their rest."
Ash let out a sigh of relief when the reporters left but did not notice that someone from the crowd remained.
"Ash Ketchum?" the man asked.
"Yes," he replied. "Please, no more reporters."
The man laughed. "You take a lot after your father," he told the boy.
"You know my dad?" Ash asked him. The man reminded him of Dracula and could not figure out how his father knew him.
"Sure," the man answered. "I was junior trainer when he ran the Viridian Gym."
"Ash, I didn't know your dad ran a gym," Misty commented.
"It was before he met Mom," he replied. "I didn't know his junior trainer though."
"He fell out of touch when I got my job," the man told him. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Lance."
"What?!" both Ash and Misty shouted. "Not the head of the Elite Four Lance!"
"The one and the same," Lance laughed. "I came here to congratulate you."
"Thank you, sir," Ash replied.
"Don't call me sir," Lance told him. "You'll make feel as old as Agatha."
"I heard that," an old woman from behind Lance commented.
Lance jumped at the remark. "Where did you come from?"
"I'm here to bring you two to the awards ceremony," Agatha replied. "You are holding it up."
"We're coming," Lance said as he walked out of the Pokémon Center. "Come on, kid."
"Don't call me kid," Ash shouted as he followed the Dragon Master.
"Just like Michael," he laughed.
"It is with pleasure that I give you this Master Badge," Lance told Ash, Gary, and Richie. "You three have demonstrated the very beliefs of teamwork and determination that this League stands for."
Ash looked down at his new badge.
That's for you, Dad, he thought as a tear came to his eye.