Pokemon Legend
Part III
Goodbyes and New Beginnings
Sam was back at the hotel, along with Xander, Camry, and their newfound friends, Ash, Misty, and Brock.
"Where is he?" Sam growled, still struggling to hold on to the totodile that would be Ryan's birthday present.
"Toto!" it cried.
Back in the pokemon center, Ryan had finished telling his story. Unfortunately, there was nothing that either of them could do to help him.
"Well, it's after twelve. I think maybe you should get back to your room and get some rest." said Nurse Joy.
"Thanks for everything, Nurse Joy. I'd say goodbye, but I'll probably see you again soon. After the Elite Four, my friends and I are going to take on Kanto." Ryan said. "I'll stop by your center for sure, and maybe even pay a visit to Team Rocket headquarters."
"That could be dangerous." she told him.
"I know. But I'm going to have to face him sooner or later. Don't tell anyone about the identity of the leader of Team Rocket. If anyone from Team Rocket found out that you were the one who gave the police information, you'd be in a lot of trouble. It's better if only one of us gets hurt."
"I understand." she said. "Good luck. And happy birthday."
"Thanks, Joy. Jolteon, Eve, return." Ryan returned his two eevees to their pokeballs and walked out of the room, Houndoom following behind. They walked back to their hotel room, ready for a six hour sleep. They were surprised when they found all of their friends sitting inside, waiting for them.
"Happy birthday!" they all cried.
"Nice surprise." Ryan yawned.
"Oh. Wait, that's right. I forgot, we do the same thing every year." said Xander. Sam shook her head.
"Well, I'm sure you'll get a surprise out of this." Sam said, grabbing the totodile from the bathroom.
"Wow. You found a totodile. Those things are hard to find. It's pretty big, too." Ryan commented.
"And he's yours." Camry added. A small smile came to Ryan's lips.
"Did he just smile?" asked Xander.
"Apparently so." said Sam. "Here, take him before he bites my hand off." Ryan took the crocodilian pokemon from his friend, sure to hold his jaws closed with one hand. The totodile stopped struggling, and Ryan let go. Sam got a puzzled look on her face. Ryan pulled a his lureball out of his pocket and the totodile touched it. He came back out almost instantly, crying happily. Ryan sat down on his bed and Totodile curled up on his lap, falling asleep almost instantly.
"How did you do that?" asked Misty. "That totodile looked ready to take a bite out of Sam's arm."
"Pokemon can understand people, or did you forget?" he answered. "Totodile probably heard you guys talking about how he was going to be given to me, and decided that since none of you was his trainer, he'd make a nuisance of himself until I got here."
"Sounds like a good explanation to me." said Brock.
"Brat." Sam stated.
"Well, I say we all follow Toto's example and go to sleep. The five of you are welcome to stay with us, although, you'll have to sleep on the floor." Ryan offered.
"Well, carpet is probably softer than ground." Misty said.
"Come with us, Misty." said Camry. "We have our own room next door." The girls left for their own room, and the guys went to bed themselves.
"Aren't' you going to sleep in that bed there?" Ash asked Ryan.
"Nah. I prefer to sleep on couches. It's yours if you want. Unless Brock wants it. In that case, you'll have to fight for it." he replied.
"No thanks. I'm comfortable on the floor." the spiky haired trainer said, zipping up his sleeping bag.
"All right! I get the bed!" Ash cried.
"Pi pikachu!" his pokemon companion shouted.
"Just go to bed." Xander growled, pulling the covers of his own bed over his head.
Later that morning, everyone awoke, refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Ryan and Sam got all of the pokemon they'd need for their matches, and returned the ones they wouldn't need. Ash and his friends decided to stay and watch Sam and Ryan compete against the Elite Four. Professor Elm was there as well, along with the Kimono girls from Ecruteak city, and some of the gym leaders. Among them were Jasmine and Whitney, who had small crushes on Ryan, and Clair, whom had promised she'd be there to watch him fight Lance, if he got that far. Even Nurse Joy was there to cheer him on. Sam's match was after Ryan's, so all of the pressure was on him. Not only were his friends watching, but the stadium was packed with people. He even thought he saw Jesse, James, Meowth, and the two rookies, as well as Kit, sitting in the nosebleed section. Kit was probably just there to laugh at Ryan if he lost, though. Strangely enough, Sam and Ryan were the only two trainers to make it to the Elite Four.
'And the first match of the day takes place between Ryan and Prima. Ryan hasn't lost a single League match, and won each of the eight badges on the first try." said the announcer. "Let's see who they'll use first."
"Cloyster, go." Prima said calmly, tossing a pokeball into the arena.
"Let's do it, Jolteon." Ryan, said, throwing his own pokeball. "Jolteon, start things off with sunny day." The electric pokemon did as commanded, and the sun seemed to get brighter and hotter.
"Oh, it seems that Jolteon's sunny day technique is making Cloyster a little weak. It doesn't look like it can stand the heat." cried the announcer.
"Jolteon, use thunder wave and thunder bolt." Ryan ordered, Jolteon blasted the shelled pokemon with an incredible thunder wave, paralyzing it. After that, the thunder bolt was enough to knock it out.
"Cloyster, return." said Prima. "Go Lapras." The pokemon appeared in the large pool of water, awaiting its command.
"Hmm, a thunder bolt won't take that out, and thunder won't work very well now." Ryan thought. "Jolteon, use shadow ball!" Jolteon spat out a ball of dark purple energy, engulfing Lapras and forcing it to dive under the water. "Now use thunder bolt!" The water was electrified, and Prima was forced to return Lapras to its pokeball, replacing it with a jynx. Ryan recalled Jolteon and sent out Houndoom, the sun still shining.
"Jynx, future sight." Prima commanded.
"Good move, Prima. But you forgot about Jolteon's first move, which is still in effect. Houndoom, use fire spin." Houndoom did as told, and a blazing hot twister of flame was sent Jynx's way. It was fried almost immediately, and Prima sent out her fourth pokemon, a dewgong.
"Now what are you going to do?" asked the Elite trainer.
"This. Houndoom, let's take away Prima's advantage. Use sludge bomb on the water a few times." The canine pokemon spat the toxic goop into the pool, further preventing any swimming pokemon from standing a chance against Ryan.
"A strategic move. Dewgong, use aurora beam." the aquatic pokemon shot a colorful beam from its horn, narrowly missing Houndoom.
"Houndoom, hit it with your best fire blast." Ryan ordered.
"Aah!" Prima cried, returning Dewgong. "Go Slowbro!"
"Ha! A water psychic type, eh? Houndoom, quickly, while the sun is still bright, use solar beam!"
"An amazing feat by Ryan, he has apparently taught his houndoom the most powerful grass move known. He is sure to beat Prima's slowbro with this attack!" shouted the announcer. Houndoom charged up and released the bright beam before the slow moving pokemon could even react.
"Impressive." said the Elite. "Go Gyarados!"
"Houndoom, return. Now it's your turn, Gyarados!"
"And both competitors are using a gyarados. Ryan still has three other pokemon, while Prima is down to her last." the announcer stated.
"Let's pull out all of the stops Gyarados. Use your secret weapon. Thunder bolt now!" Ryan shouted. Prima's gyarados never knew what hit it, as a surge of electrical energy slammed into it. It fell into the pool, damaging it even more. The whole stadium went silent, then burst into cheers, whistles, and cries of glory. Both trainers recalled their pokemon, then went to shake hands.
"I must admit, you are the best trainer I've fought in a while. I didn't even stand a chance." Prima said.
"That's because I didn't want to take any chances." Ryan answered. "I don't think I'll have a problem with Bruno either, though. Most of my pokemon have shadow ball, and Girafarig will do pretty good with his psychic attacks."
"Good luck, young man." she said, shaking his hand. Both trainers parted ways, and Ryan's admirers and fans followed him to the pokemon center. Prima was there as well, getting ready for Sam.
Sam won her match against Prima, because of Chinchou, Jigglypuff, and Charizard, and Ryan had beaten Bruno and Agatha with ease. Sam was now about to face Bruno.
"And now for the fight between Sam and Bruno. Let's see if she'll have the same luck as her friend, Ryan." said the announcer, a different one than before.
"Go, Jigglypuff!" Sam cried. Bruno let out his Hitmonchan, and the battle began.
"Hitmonchan, mach punch!" Bruno ordered.
"Oh no!" Sam cried. "Jigglypuff, sing!" It was too late. The small, pink pokemon was caught in the flurry of blazing punches, and was down for the count. "Jigglypuff... No... Go Charizard!" The huge, flying pokemon charged at the fighting type, grabbing it, then slamming it into the ground. Not even Bruno's hitmonchan could have withstood that seismic toss.
"Hitmonchan, return. Go Hitmonlee." Bruno said, his next pokemon appearing in the field.
"Charizard, use fire spin, then steel wing!" the girl demanded. Charizard blasted Hitmonlee with the flaming tornado, then slammed into it using his wings as deadly weapons. Sam now had beaten two of Bruno's pokemon. But his next pokemon was an onix. "Oh no. Charizard, return. Go Marril!" The round water type appeared where Charizard had been, and started spraying water at the huge serpentine pokemon.
"Onix, bind it!" commanded the Elite Four member. Onix wrapped its tail around the small marill, and began to squeeze it tightly. Marril was still spraying water though, and both pokemon went down at the same time. Sam's next pokemon was Diglett, while Bruno sent out another onix.
"Diglett, dig!" Sam said.
"Onix, use earthquake." Bruno ordered. Before the tiny pokemon could do anything, it was shaken up by the small earthquake that the onix produced.
"Diglett, return! Go Lickitung!" Sam's second pink pokemon appeared on the field, and began to slap Onix around with its tongue. It wasn't effective, and Sam had Lickitung use surf instead. The second onix crashed to the ground, signaling the coming of Bruno's fifth pokemon.
"Go Hitmontop!" he shouted. The small fighting type spun around on its head, kicking Lickitung repeatedly. The pink creature tried to stick its tongue out, but kept getting a foot in the face by Hitmontop. Sam's lickitung fell quickly, and she sent out her last hope, her persian.
"Persian, use thunder bolt!" Sam cried. The feline pokemon unleashed the surge of energy, completely taking both Bruno and Hitmontop by surprise.
"An impressive move. Go Machamp!" Bruno's last pokemon was the four armed menace, Machamp.
"Persian, fire blast and rage!" Sam shouted. Persian spat a ball of fire, which knocked the huge fighter over, then pounced on it and started slashing away at it.
"Machamp, use the last resort maneuver." Bruno said. "Vital throw and cross chop." The muscular pokemon grabbed a hold of Persian's paw and slammed it to the ground. Then, using all four of its powerful arms, did an amazing cross chop attack. Persian was out cold, and Sam had lost to Bruno. She returned the cat to its pokeball, then walked over to where her friends were.
"That was a great try." said Ryan. Bruno came up to her and offered his hand.
"You fought well. I'm sure if you had one more flying type, you would have won." Bruno said.
"Thanks. It was great getting to meet and battle you." she said, shaking his hand.
"Ryan, it is now time for you to face Lance. Only your friends, gym leaders, and other Elite members will be watching. There might be a camera or two, though." Bruno told Ryan.
"The moment of truth. Will I rise to victory, or have it all crumble beneath my feet?" he said.
"You can only try." said Sam. "We'll be there to root for you."
Meanwhile, Giovanni sat in his hotel room, watching everything that happened through a camera that Meowth was wearing.
"It's been so long, Ryan Lachlan. I will have you back in Team Rocket yet." he said, then laughed a long, sinister laugh.
Lance and Ryan were both on the field, and Lance threw out his first pokemon, his gyarados. Ryan sent out Jolteon, and the battle began.
"Jolteon, use thunder!" Ryan shouted. A large bolt of lightning struck Lance's gyarados, and it looked as though it was going down. But it struck back at Jolteon, knocking him back several feet. Jolteon quickly got up, ready for more. His fur began to crackle with electricity, and he spat a large ball of it from his mouth, knocking Lance's gyarados out.
"Ahh, zap cannon. A powerful move. Return Gyarados. Go Dragonair!" The long, draconic creature cried, then let lose with its own electrical storm. But Jolteon was too powerful to be hurt by a minor electrical attack. The dragonair had just charged him up. That pokemon soon fell, and Lance sent out his next, a charizard.
"Uh oh." growled Ryan. "Jolteon, use shadow ball." The flying dragon was too quick for the ghost move to hit it, and it delivered a fire punch to Jolteon's side. Charizard hit it with a flamethrower, and Ryan returned him.
"Nice try." said Lance. Ryan sent out Gyarados next, in hopes that he might take out Lance's charizard. Unfortunately, lance's charizard knew hyper beam, and Gyarados slammed into the wall, shrieking in pain.
"Return. Let's do it, Girafarig!" Ryan called, sending out the two headed pokemon. "Start things off with a psychic attack!" Girafarig's front half concentrated, and Charizard was lifted off of the ground. It slammed into the ground a few times, then Girafarig threw it into the wall, where Gyarados had fallen. lance returned it and sent out another dragonair. That one grabbed the psychic pokemon with its tail, while hitting it with lightning bolts.
"It seems we're tied so far." Lance said.
"Not for long." Ryan stated. "Girafarig, return. Go Skarmory." the steel bird pokemon popped out of his ball, soaring in circles over Dragonair.
"Dragonair, show him what dragons are made of." Lance told his pokemon. "Use dragon breath." The dragon pokemon spat a stream of blue flame, searing Skarmory and sending him plummeting to the ground.
"Go, Totodile! Give that dragon an ice beam!" Ryan commanded, releasing his fifth pokemon. The totodile blew a light blue beam at the dragon pokemon, freezing it solid.
"Incredible. A totodile took out my dragonir." Lance commented. "Now it's time to stop playing around. Go Kingdra!" The water dragon appeared, ready for battle.
"Totodile, crunch it!" the younger trainer commanded. The reptilian pokemon bit into Kingdra, piercing its armor and making it flail about madly. Totodile was thrown into a wall at a high speed, rendering it unconscious.
"That's it. I've gotten this far, and I'm not going to lose to you." Ryan stated. "Houndoom, you can do it! finish off Lance and bring us all victory!"
"Doom!" Houndoom barked fiercely. He hopped onto the field and immediately took out the damaged kingdra with a well place hyper beam.
"So it's a one on one now, is it?" asked Lance. "I always save my best pokemon for last. Go, Dragonite!" The large dragon pokemon appeared in front of Lance, and Ryan was sure Houndoom was in for the fight of his life. "Dragonite, use outrage!" Dragonite began to bash everything furiously, trying to get at Houndoom. Houndoom quickly ran out of rocks to hide behind, and found himself spitting sludge bombs, shadow balls, and fire blasts, all while trying not to get hit by the larger pokemon. In its frustration, Dragonite missed an easy shot on his opponent, allowing the canine pokemon to climb on top of him. Houndoom started to claw and bite Dragonite, attempting to damage it as much as possible before it regained its senses.
"Houndoom, get off of dragonite and use a solar beam!" Ryan ordered. Realizing that Dragonite's confusion was the perfect time to charge up a solar beam, Houndoom jumped off and began charging up. Dragonite came to just in time to see a bright beam of light fly his way. The solar beam landed square in Dragonite's chest, blowing back and onto its back.
"Dragonite, let's end this." said Lance. "Hit it with your best hyper beam, then give it a full force dragon rage seismic toss." The large pokemon sprang up, a calm look on its face, then suddenly shot a bolt of energy at Houndoom. Being a little tired from the solar beam, Houndoom took the full impact of the hyper beam. Before he knew it, Dragonite had him in its arms, and they were spinning around in the air. Dragonite tossed him to the ground, sending a large ball of blue fire after him. The canine pokemon crashed into the ground, and was washed over by the dragon fire.
"Houndoom, no! You have to get up! We are so close to winning." Ryan cried. "Just look at that dragonite. Houndoom attempted to stand, but fell half way. He was too weak, and couldn't dodge anymore attacks. But he still had one move left. Ryan remembered this and figured it was his last hope. "Houndoom, beat up attack, now!" Ryan's pokeballs started to emit an eerie glow, and transparent figures appeared from them. These figures were the spirits of Ryan's pokemon. Houndoom had summoned them to execute the most powerful dark type move, beat up. Both lance and Dragonite were shocked, as the spirits of the five beaten pokemon rushed at Dragonite. Although they were dealing him massive amounts of damage, Dragonite found that he could not hit these pokemon. He felt himself getting weak, and Lance thought that Ryan might win, but the spirits disappeared suddenly. Houndoom's power was completely spent, but Dragonite was breathing heavily, and sat down on the ground.
"That was an incredible attack, Ryan, but your houndoom is exhausted. Although weak, Dragonite can still fight." said the Elite. PWill you have mercy on your friend and concede, or will you allow him to be injured further?"
"I should have used Houndoom first. That way, I might have had a few more pokemon to use on Dragonite. But, I can't change the past." Ryan sighed, walking out onto the field. "Yes, Lance, I concede." Ryan picked up Houndoom in his arms, and proceeded to walk to the nearest pokemon center. Nurse Joy came along, because she said that she was working at that center, and Lance went as well.
"I am impressed by your skills as a trainer, as well as your determination and love for your pokemon. It's not a trophy, but you deserve it." Lance said, placing something small and purple in the trainer's hands. Ryan gasped as he looked at the object closer.
"A master ball! But these are so expensive!" Ryan gasped.
"I know. I give them only to trainers who make it to me, which is very, very few. I give them one whether they win or lose, just because they made it so far." the Elite member explained.
"Thanks a lot, Lance. It was an honor to battle with you, and I look forward to it next year." the pokemon trainer said.
"Ha. I look forward to it as well. In fact, why don't you stay here and train with me and the rest of the Elite Four?" Lance asked. "We can teach each other."
"Well, I kind of had plans to go to Kanto with my friends, but I'd be glad to train with you." he replied.
After Houndoom and the rest of Ryan's pokemon were in perfect condition, he went back to his hotel, where all of his friends and greatest admirers were waiting for him.
"Better luck next year." said Clair. "But keep up the good work. Even if you're not a pokemon master, you're still Professor Elm's greatest assistant."
"That's right." agreed the Prof.
"We'll all be here to cheer you on next year." said nurse Joy.
"And I'll be waiting for that rematch. In fact, if you prove yourself during your training, we'll let you challenge us before the next League competition." said Lance.
"What does he mean, Rai-chan?" queried Sam. Everyone went silent.
"Well, I agreed to stay at Indigo Plateau to train with the Elite Four." Ryan responded.
"But I thought we were all going to go to Kanto together." Sam said.
"Not all of us." piped Camry. "Xander and I were thinking of going off on our own."
"Wow, it looks like you're all alone." said Kit. "I'll go with you!"
"Yeah, well, my brother and I were getting kind of bored traveling by ourselves, so count us in!" said Gord.
"Yeah!" cried Chris, Gord's brother.
Just then, a crash was heard by all, and a net dropped on everyone except Ryan and Houndoom. The net pulled them through the roof, and Jesse and James dropped through, both wearing ridiculous looking sailor girl uniforms.
"Ha ha." laughed James. "If you can't beat em, separate em and beat the leader."
"James, James, James." Ryan sighed. "After all this time, you sill haven't given up that habit of yours."
"What are you talking about, pretty boy?" growled Jesse. "How could you possibly know about his past?"
"Simple." said the trainer. "I taught both of you the art of disguise. And I thought the three of you would've remembered me the first time you tried to steal Houndoom."
"Ryan?" gasped James. "But it can't be. You went missing years ago."
"Yeah. I was tired of being team Rocket's workhorse, so I left and started over in Johto. I got an honest job, and started my pokemon journey." Ryan explained. Jesse gasped once more.
"We'll definitely get a promotion if we turn you in to the boss." she said.
"Not going to happen. When I face Giovanni, it'll either be when I'm ready. If you try anything now, Houndoom is going to blast you." the brown haired boy growled. "Oh, wait. you already did. Totodile, Larvitar, go. You three teach these two a lesson. I'm going to rescue our friends. By the way, where did Danny and Chris go?"
"Oh. The boss sent them to another country for training, or something like that." replied Jesse.
"Oh. Okay, then, have fun." Ryan ran outside and climbed up a fire escape ladder.
At the top of the building, Ryan found Meowth in his hot air balloon. Everyone in the net was struggling to get out, tangling them further.
"Ahh, Meowth. Long time no see." he said.
"Uh oh. What happened to Jesse and James?" the feline pokemon cried.
"A few of my pokemon are playing with them." At that, Jesse and James flew through the roof, landing in the basket with Meowth. Larvitar and Totodile came through the hole, thrown up by Houndoom. Ryan's partner appeared a moment later.
"Forget them, Meowth." cried James. "We have to go! Now!" Houndoom bit the rope attaching the net to the basket, and the three Team Rocket lackeys lifted up into the air.
"Houndoom, use fire blast." Houndoom hurled the ball of fire at the basket, igniting the gas within. It exploded, sending the three off into the distance. By the time they vanished from view, Ryan's pokemon had torn the net apart, freeing everyone.
"Wow. He rescued us all." said an amazed Kit.
"Forget all of those cute pop singer guys. Ryan is number one on our list now!" exclaimed one of the Kimono Girls. The rest of the teenage girls on the roof voiced their agreement.
'Why can't I have that kind of luck?" whined Brock.
"Maybe you try too hard." said Ryan. "I don't try at all."
After everyone was inside, they all filed into the restaurant, where Lance and Sam unveiled a huge birthday cake, easily able to serve everyone in the room.
"I don't think we can finish this whole cake tonight." commented Chris, Gord's brother.
"Oh well, I can always eat it for breakfast, and share it with the Elite Four." said Ryan.
"Oh, that's right. You're staying here." Sam said, her face looking depressed. "I just met you, and now I have to go on without you." Ryan began to think about his decision. He would miss being with his friend, but he had to train, so that he could beat Lance the next time around. He had to do it for himself, his fans, and most importantly, his pokemon.
"You can always visit." he offered. "We can go on our journey through Kanto another time. I have to do this. It's my greatest dream, and my pokemon's as well."
"I understand." she sobbed. "I've always got Kit, Chris, and Gord. And I'll always know where to find you."
"Look, let's worry about goodbyes tomorrow." said Lance. 'It is, after all, Ryan's birthday."
Everyone celebrated for the rest of the night, and everyone left late, leaving Xander, Camry, Sam, and Ryan with one final sleep together before they parted ways.
Ryan woke up refreshed and ready to take on any challenge, despite yesterday's tiring events. He packed his bag with everything he needed; Lance had already taken the remainder of his birthday cake to the large mansion where the Elite Four lived. He and Houndoom walked out of the door to their temporary room to find Xander, Camry, Sam, and their pokemon companions standing there, waiting for him. They walked to the lobby to find Lance waiting with his charizard, and Kit, Chris, and Gord waiting for Sam. The four trainers checked out, then went outside to say their goodbyes.
"Well, we're heading off to be together." said Xander. "I don't know if we'll ever see each other again, but it was great traveling around Johto with you."
"Yeah." agreed Camry. "Thank you. For your friendship, for your caring, and for all of those times you've come through for us."
"And the same goes out to all three of you." Ran said.
"And I guess this is goodbye for the two of us as well." Sam said softly. "Rai-kun, I'll miss you." Sam hugged him then, and although he had learned to live without love, Ryan returned it with all of the compassion he had. Even in the short time he had known her, Sam had turned out to be a great friend, like the sister he never had.
"I'll miss you too. But don't worry, we'll meet again some day." The two let go, and all went their respective way.
From on top of the hill where the Elite mansion stood, Ryan could see Sam and her new friends heading east for Kanto, and Xander and Camry heading west back to New Bark Town. Ryan would remember this day, and wait for the day when he was reunited with his friends.
"Come on, Ryan. It is time for you to begin your training." said Lance.
"Let's go Houndoom. We've started another new chapter in our lives, and this time, I'm gonna make sure it has a happy ending."
"Doom."
End of Chapter 1
Part III
Goodbyes and New Beginnings
Sam was back at the hotel, along with Xander, Camry, and their newfound friends, Ash, Misty, and Brock.
"Where is he?" Sam growled, still struggling to hold on to the totodile that would be Ryan's birthday present.
"Toto!" it cried.
Back in the pokemon center, Ryan had finished telling his story. Unfortunately, there was nothing that either of them could do to help him.
"Well, it's after twelve. I think maybe you should get back to your room and get some rest." said Nurse Joy.
"Thanks for everything, Nurse Joy. I'd say goodbye, but I'll probably see you again soon. After the Elite Four, my friends and I are going to take on Kanto." Ryan said. "I'll stop by your center for sure, and maybe even pay a visit to Team Rocket headquarters."
"That could be dangerous." she told him.
"I know. But I'm going to have to face him sooner or later. Don't tell anyone about the identity of the leader of Team Rocket. If anyone from Team Rocket found out that you were the one who gave the police information, you'd be in a lot of trouble. It's better if only one of us gets hurt."
"I understand." she said. "Good luck. And happy birthday."
"Thanks, Joy. Jolteon, Eve, return." Ryan returned his two eevees to their pokeballs and walked out of the room, Houndoom following behind. They walked back to their hotel room, ready for a six hour sleep. They were surprised when they found all of their friends sitting inside, waiting for them.
"Happy birthday!" they all cried.
"Nice surprise." Ryan yawned.
"Oh. Wait, that's right. I forgot, we do the same thing every year." said Xander. Sam shook her head.
"Well, I'm sure you'll get a surprise out of this." Sam said, grabbing the totodile from the bathroom.
"Wow. You found a totodile. Those things are hard to find. It's pretty big, too." Ryan commented.
"And he's yours." Camry added. A small smile came to Ryan's lips.
"Did he just smile?" asked Xander.
"Apparently so." said Sam. "Here, take him before he bites my hand off." Ryan took the crocodilian pokemon from his friend, sure to hold his jaws closed with one hand. The totodile stopped struggling, and Ryan let go. Sam got a puzzled look on her face. Ryan pulled a his lureball out of his pocket and the totodile touched it. He came back out almost instantly, crying happily. Ryan sat down on his bed and Totodile curled up on his lap, falling asleep almost instantly.
"How did you do that?" asked Misty. "That totodile looked ready to take a bite out of Sam's arm."
"Pokemon can understand people, or did you forget?" he answered. "Totodile probably heard you guys talking about how he was going to be given to me, and decided that since none of you was his trainer, he'd make a nuisance of himself until I got here."
"Sounds like a good explanation to me." said Brock.
"Brat." Sam stated.
"Well, I say we all follow Toto's example and go to sleep. The five of you are welcome to stay with us, although, you'll have to sleep on the floor." Ryan offered.
"Well, carpet is probably softer than ground." Misty said.
"Come with us, Misty." said Camry. "We have our own room next door." The girls left for their own room, and the guys went to bed themselves.
"Aren't' you going to sleep in that bed there?" Ash asked Ryan.
"Nah. I prefer to sleep on couches. It's yours if you want. Unless Brock wants it. In that case, you'll have to fight for it." he replied.
"No thanks. I'm comfortable on the floor." the spiky haired trainer said, zipping up his sleeping bag.
"All right! I get the bed!" Ash cried.
"Pi pikachu!" his pokemon companion shouted.
"Just go to bed." Xander growled, pulling the covers of his own bed over his head.
Later that morning, everyone awoke, refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Ryan and Sam got all of the pokemon they'd need for their matches, and returned the ones they wouldn't need. Ash and his friends decided to stay and watch Sam and Ryan compete against the Elite Four. Professor Elm was there as well, along with the Kimono girls from Ecruteak city, and some of the gym leaders. Among them were Jasmine and Whitney, who had small crushes on Ryan, and Clair, whom had promised she'd be there to watch him fight Lance, if he got that far. Even Nurse Joy was there to cheer him on. Sam's match was after Ryan's, so all of the pressure was on him. Not only were his friends watching, but the stadium was packed with people. He even thought he saw Jesse, James, Meowth, and the two rookies, as well as Kit, sitting in the nosebleed section. Kit was probably just there to laugh at Ryan if he lost, though. Strangely enough, Sam and Ryan were the only two trainers to make it to the Elite Four.
'And the first match of the day takes place between Ryan and Prima. Ryan hasn't lost a single League match, and won each of the eight badges on the first try." said the announcer. "Let's see who they'll use first."
"Cloyster, go." Prima said calmly, tossing a pokeball into the arena.
"Let's do it, Jolteon." Ryan, said, throwing his own pokeball. "Jolteon, start things off with sunny day." The electric pokemon did as commanded, and the sun seemed to get brighter and hotter.
"Oh, it seems that Jolteon's sunny day technique is making Cloyster a little weak. It doesn't look like it can stand the heat." cried the announcer.
"Jolteon, use thunder wave and thunder bolt." Ryan ordered, Jolteon blasted the shelled pokemon with an incredible thunder wave, paralyzing it. After that, the thunder bolt was enough to knock it out.
"Cloyster, return." said Prima. "Go Lapras." The pokemon appeared in the large pool of water, awaiting its command.
"Hmm, a thunder bolt won't take that out, and thunder won't work very well now." Ryan thought. "Jolteon, use shadow ball!" Jolteon spat out a ball of dark purple energy, engulfing Lapras and forcing it to dive under the water. "Now use thunder bolt!" The water was electrified, and Prima was forced to return Lapras to its pokeball, replacing it with a jynx. Ryan recalled Jolteon and sent out Houndoom, the sun still shining.
"Jynx, future sight." Prima commanded.
"Good move, Prima. But you forgot about Jolteon's first move, which is still in effect. Houndoom, use fire spin." Houndoom did as told, and a blazing hot twister of flame was sent Jynx's way. It was fried almost immediately, and Prima sent out her fourth pokemon, a dewgong.
"Now what are you going to do?" asked the Elite trainer.
"This. Houndoom, let's take away Prima's advantage. Use sludge bomb on the water a few times." The canine pokemon spat the toxic goop into the pool, further preventing any swimming pokemon from standing a chance against Ryan.
"A strategic move. Dewgong, use aurora beam." the aquatic pokemon shot a colorful beam from its horn, narrowly missing Houndoom.
"Houndoom, hit it with your best fire blast." Ryan ordered.
"Aah!" Prima cried, returning Dewgong. "Go Slowbro!"
"Ha! A water psychic type, eh? Houndoom, quickly, while the sun is still bright, use solar beam!"
"An amazing feat by Ryan, he has apparently taught his houndoom the most powerful grass move known. He is sure to beat Prima's slowbro with this attack!" shouted the announcer. Houndoom charged up and released the bright beam before the slow moving pokemon could even react.
"Impressive." said the Elite. "Go Gyarados!"
"Houndoom, return. Now it's your turn, Gyarados!"
"And both competitors are using a gyarados. Ryan still has three other pokemon, while Prima is down to her last." the announcer stated.
"Let's pull out all of the stops Gyarados. Use your secret weapon. Thunder bolt now!" Ryan shouted. Prima's gyarados never knew what hit it, as a surge of electrical energy slammed into it. It fell into the pool, damaging it even more. The whole stadium went silent, then burst into cheers, whistles, and cries of glory. Both trainers recalled their pokemon, then went to shake hands.
"I must admit, you are the best trainer I've fought in a while. I didn't even stand a chance." Prima said.
"That's because I didn't want to take any chances." Ryan answered. "I don't think I'll have a problem with Bruno either, though. Most of my pokemon have shadow ball, and Girafarig will do pretty good with his psychic attacks."
"Good luck, young man." she said, shaking his hand. Both trainers parted ways, and Ryan's admirers and fans followed him to the pokemon center. Prima was there as well, getting ready for Sam.
Sam won her match against Prima, because of Chinchou, Jigglypuff, and Charizard, and Ryan had beaten Bruno and Agatha with ease. Sam was now about to face Bruno.
"And now for the fight between Sam and Bruno. Let's see if she'll have the same luck as her friend, Ryan." said the announcer, a different one than before.
"Go, Jigglypuff!" Sam cried. Bruno let out his Hitmonchan, and the battle began.
"Hitmonchan, mach punch!" Bruno ordered.
"Oh no!" Sam cried. "Jigglypuff, sing!" It was too late. The small, pink pokemon was caught in the flurry of blazing punches, and was down for the count. "Jigglypuff... No... Go Charizard!" The huge, flying pokemon charged at the fighting type, grabbing it, then slamming it into the ground. Not even Bruno's hitmonchan could have withstood that seismic toss.
"Hitmonchan, return. Go Hitmonlee." Bruno said, his next pokemon appearing in the field.
"Charizard, use fire spin, then steel wing!" the girl demanded. Charizard blasted Hitmonlee with the flaming tornado, then slammed into it using his wings as deadly weapons. Sam now had beaten two of Bruno's pokemon. But his next pokemon was an onix. "Oh no. Charizard, return. Go Marril!" The round water type appeared where Charizard had been, and started spraying water at the huge serpentine pokemon.
"Onix, bind it!" commanded the Elite Four member. Onix wrapped its tail around the small marill, and began to squeeze it tightly. Marril was still spraying water though, and both pokemon went down at the same time. Sam's next pokemon was Diglett, while Bruno sent out another onix.
"Diglett, dig!" Sam said.
"Onix, use earthquake." Bruno ordered. Before the tiny pokemon could do anything, it was shaken up by the small earthquake that the onix produced.
"Diglett, return! Go Lickitung!" Sam's second pink pokemon appeared on the field, and began to slap Onix around with its tongue. It wasn't effective, and Sam had Lickitung use surf instead. The second onix crashed to the ground, signaling the coming of Bruno's fifth pokemon.
"Go Hitmontop!" he shouted. The small fighting type spun around on its head, kicking Lickitung repeatedly. The pink creature tried to stick its tongue out, but kept getting a foot in the face by Hitmontop. Sam's lickitung fell quickly, and she sent out her last hope, her persian.
"Persian, use thunder bolt!" Sam cried. The feline pokemon unleashed the surge of energy, completely taking both Bruno and Hitmontop by surprise.
"An impressive move. Go Machamp!" Bruno's last pokemon was the four armed menace, Machamp.
"Persian, fire blast and rage!" Sam shouted. Persian spat a ball of fire, which knocked the huge fighter over, then pounced on it and started slashing away at it.
"Machamp, use the last resort maneuver." Bruno said. "Vital throw and cross chop." The muscular pokemon grabbed a hold of Persian's paw and slammed it to the ground. Then, using all four of its powerful arms, did an amazing cross chop attack. Persian was out cold, and Sam had lost to Bruno. She returned the cat to its pokeball, then walked over to where her friends were.
"That was a great try." said Ryan. Bruno came up to her and offered his hand.
"You fought well. I'm sure if you had one more flying type, you would have won." Bruno said.
"Thanks. It was great getting to meet and battle you." she said, shaking his hand.
"Ryan, it is now time for you to face Lance. Only your friends, gym leaders, and other Elite members will be watching. There might be a camera or two, though." Bruno told Ryan.
"The moment of truth. Will I rise to victory, or have it all crumble beneath my feet?" he said.
"You can only try." said Sam. "We'll be there to root for you."
Meanwhile, Giovanni sat in his hotel room, watching everything that happened through a camera that Meowth was wearing.
"It's been so long, Ryan Lachlan. I will have you back in Team Rocket yet." he said, then laughed a long, sinister laugh.
Lance and Ryan were both on the field, and Lance threw out his first pokemon, his gyarados. Ryan sent out Jolteon, and the battle began.
"Jolteon, use thunder!" Ryan shouted. A large bolt of lightning struck Lance's gyarados, and it looked as though it was going down. But it struck back at Jolteon, knocking him back several feet. Jolteon quickly got up, ready for more. His fur began to crackle with electricity, and he spat a large ball of it from his mouth, knocking Lance's gyarados out.
"Ahh, zap cannon. A powerful move. Return Gyarados. Go Dragonair!" The long, draconic creature cried, then let lose with its own electrical storm. But Jolteon was too powerful to be hurt by a minor electrical attack. The dragonair had just charged him up. That pokemon soon fell, and Lance sent out his next, a charizard.
"Uh oh." growled Ryan. "Jolteon, use shadow ball." The flying dragon was too quick for the ghost move to hit it, and it delivered a fire punch to Jolteon's side. Charizard hit it with a flamethrower, and Ryan returned him.
"Nice try." said Lance. Ryan sent out Gyarados next, in hopes that he might take out Lance's charizard. Unfortunately, lance's charizard knew hyper beam, and Gyarados slammed into the wall, shrieking in pain.
"Return. Let's do it, Girafarig!" Ryan called, sending out the two headed pokemon. "Start things off with a psychic attack!" Girafarig's front half concentrated, and Charizard was lifted off of the ground. It slammed into the ground a few times, then Girafarig threw it into the wall, where Gyarados had fallen. lance returned it and sent out another dragonair. That one grabbed the psychic pokemon with its tail, while hitting it with lightning bolts.
"It seems we're tied so far." Lance said.
"Not for long." Ryan stated. "Girafarig, return. Go Skarmory." the steel bird pokemon popped out of his ball, soaring in circles over Dragonair.
"Dragonair, show him what dragons are made of." Lance told his pokemon. "Use dragon breath." The dragon pokemon spat a stream of blue flame, searing Skarmory and sending him plummeting to the ground.
"Go, Totodile! Give that dragon an ice beam!" Ryan commanded, releasing his fifth pokemon. The totodile blew a light blue beam at the dragon pokemon, freezing it solid.
"Incredible. A totodile took out my dragonir." Lance commented. "Now it's time to stop playing around. Go Kingdra!" The water dragon appeared, ready for battle.
"Totodile, crunch it!" the younger trainer commanded. The reptilian pokemon bit into Kingdra, piercing its armor and making it flail about madly. Totodile was thrown into a wall at a high speed, rendering it unconscious.
"That's it. I've gotten this far, and I'm not going to lose to you." Ryan stated. "Houndoom, you can do it! finish off Lance and bring us all victory!"
"Doom!" Houndoom barked fiercely. He hopped onto the field and immediately took out the damaged kingdra with a well place hyper beam.
"So it's a one on one now, is it?" asked Lance. "I always save my best pokemon for last. Go, Dragonite!" The large dragon pokemon appeared in front of Lance, and Ryan was sure Houndoom was in for the fight of his life. "Dragonite, use outrage!" Dragonite began to bash everything furiously, trying to get at Houndoom. Houndoom quickly ran out of rocks to hide behind, and found himself spitting sludge bombs, shadow balls, and fire blasts, all while trying not to get hit by the larger pokemon. In its frustration, Dragonite missed an easy shot on his opponent, allowing the canine pokemon to climb on top of him. Houndoom started to claw and bite Dragonite, attempting to damage it as much as possible before it regained its senses.
"Houndoom, get off of dragonite and use a solar beam!" Ryan ordered. Realizing that Dragonite's confusion was the perfect time to charge up a solar beam, Houndoom jumped off and began charging up. Dragonite came to just in time to see a bright beam of light fly his way. The solar beam landed square in Dragonite's chest, blowing back and onto its back.
"Dragonite, let's end this." said Lance. "Hit it with your best hyper beam, then give it a full force dragon rage seismic toss." The large pokemon sprang up, a calm look on its face, then suddenly shot a bolt of energy at Houndoom. Being a little tired from the solar beam, Houndoom took the full impact of the hyper beam. Before he knew it, Dragonite had him in its arms, and they were spinning around in the air. Dragonite tossed him to the ground, sending a large ball of blue fire after him. The canine pokemon crashed into the ground, and was washed over by the dragon fire.
"Houndoom, no! You have to get up! We are so close to winning." Ryan cried. "Just look at that dragonite. Houndoom attempted to stand, but fell half way. He was too weak, and couldn't dodge anymore attacks. But he still had one move left. Ryan remembered this and figured it was his last hope. "Houndoom, beat up attack, now!" Ryan's pokeballs started to emit an eerie glow, and transparent figures appeared from them. These figures were the spirits of Ryan's pokemon. Houndoom had summoned them to execute the most powerful dark type move, beat up. Both lance and Dragonite were shocked, as the spirits of the five beaten pokemon rushed at Dragonite. Although they were dealing him massive amounts of damage, Dragonite found that he could not hit these pokemon. He felt himself getting weak, and Lance thought that Ryan might win, but the spirits disappeared suddenly. Houndoom's power was completely spent, but Dragonite was breathing heavily, and sat down on the ground.
"That was an incredible attack, Ryan, but your houndoom is exhausted. Although weak, Dragonite can still fight." said the Elite. PWill you have mercy on your friend and concede, or will you allow him to be injured further?"
"I should have used Houndoom first. That way, I might have had a few more pokemon to use on Dragonite. But, I can't change the past." Ryan sighed, walking out onto the field. "Yes, Lance, I concede." Ryan picked up Houndoom in his arms, and proceeded to walk to the nearest pokemon center. Nurse Joy came along, because she said that she was working at that center, and Lance went as well.
"I am impressed by your skills as a trainer, as well as your determination and love for your pokemon. It's not a trophy, but you deserve it." Lance said, placing something small and purple in the trainer's hands. Ryan gasped as he looked at the object closer.
"A master ball! But these are so expensive!" Ryan gasped.
"I know. I give them only to trainers who make it to me, which is very, very few. I give them one whether they win or lose, just because they made it so far." the Elite member explained.
"Thanks a lot, Lance. It was an honor to battle with you, and I look forward to it next year." the pokemon trainer said.
"Ha. I look forward to it as well. In fact, why don't you stay here and train with me and the rest of the Elite Four?" Lance asked. "We can teach each other."
"Well, I kind of had plans to go to Kanto with my friends, but I'd be glad to train with you." he replied.
After Houndoom and the rest of Ryan's pokemon were in perfect condition, he went back to his hotel, where all of his friends and greatest admirers were waiting for him.
"Better luck next year." said Clair. "But keep up the good work. Even if you're not a pokemon master, you're still Professor Elm's greatest assistant."
"That's right." agreed the Prof.
"We'll all be here to cheer you on next year." said nurse Joy.
"And I'll be waiting for that rematch. In fact, if you prove yourself during your training, we'll let you challenge us before the next League competition." said Lance.
"What does he mean, Rai-chan?" queried Sam. Everyone went silent.
"Well, I agreed to stay at Indigo Plateau to train with the Elite Four." Ryan responded.
"But I thought we were all going to go to Kanto together." Sam said.
"Not all of us." piped Camry. "Xander and I were thinking of going off on our own."
"Wow, it looks like you're all alone." said Kit. "I'll go with you!"
"Yeah, well, my brother and I were getting kind of bored traveling by ourselves, so count us in!" said Gord.
"Yeah!" cried Chris, Gord's brother.
Just then, a crash was heard by all, and a net dropped on everyone except Ryan and Houndoom. The net pulled them through the roof, and Jesse and James dropped through, both wearing ridiculous looking sailor girl uniforms.
"Ha ha." laughed James. "If you can't beat em, separate em and beat the leader."
"James, James, James." Ryan sighed. "After all this time, you sill haven't given up that habit of yours."
"What are you talking about, pretty boy?" growled Jesse. "How could you possibly know about his past?"
"Simple." said the trainer. "I taught both of you the art of disguise. And I thought the three of you would've remembered me the first time you tried to steal Houndoom."
"Ryan?" gasped James. "But it can't be. You went missing years ago."
"Yeah. I was tired of being team Rocket's workhorse, so I left and started over in Johto. I got an honest job, and started my pokemon journey." Ryan explained. Jesse gasped once more.
"We'll definitely get a promotion if we turn you in to the boss." she said.
"Not going to happen. When I face Giovanni, it'll either be when I'm ready. If you try anything now, Houndoom is going to blast you." the brown haired boy growled. "Oh, wait. you already did. Totodile, Larvitar, go. You three teach these two a lesson. I'm going to rescue our friends. By the way, where did Danny and Chris go?"
"Oh. The boss sent them to another country for training, or something like that." replied Jesse.
"Oh. Okay, then, have fun." Ryan ran outside and climbed up a fire escape ladder.
At the top of the building, Ryan found Meowth in his hot air balloon. Everyone in the net was struggling to get out, tangling them further.
"Ahh, Meowth. Long time no see." he said.
"Uh oh. What happened to Jesse and James?" the feline pokemon cried.
"A few of my pokemon are playing with them." At that, Jesse and James flew through the roof, landing in the basket with Meowth. Larvitar and Totodile came through the hole, thrown up by Houndoom. Ryan's partner appeared a moment later.
"Forget them, Meowth." cried James. "We have to go! Now!" Houndoom bit the rope attaching the net to the basket, and the three Team Rocket lackeys lifted up into the air.
"Houndoom, use fire blast." Houndoom hurled the ball of fire at the basket, igniting the gas within. It exploded, sending the three off into the distance. By the time they vanished from view, Ryan's pokemon had torn the net apart, freeing everyone.
"Wow. He rescued us all." said an amazed Kit.
"Forget all of those cute pop singer guys. Ryan is number one on our list now!" exclaimed one of the Kimono Girls. The rest of the teenage girls on the roof voiced their agreement.
'Why can't I have that kind of luck?" whined Brock.
"Maybe you try too hard." said Ryan. "I don't try at all."
After everyone was inside, they all filed into the restaurant, where Lance and Sam unveiled a huge birthday cake, easily able to serve everyone in the room.
"I don't think we can finish this whole cake tonight." commented Chris, Gord's brother.
"Oh well, I can always eat it for breakfast, and share it with the Elite Four." said Ryan.
"Oh, that's right. You're staying here." Sam said, her face looking depressed. "I just met you, and now I have to go on without you." Ryan began to think about his decision. He would miss being with his friend, but he had to train, so that he could beat Lance the next time around. He had to do it for himself, his fans, and most importantly, his pokemon.
"You can always visit." he offered. "We can go on our journey through Kanto another time. I have to do this. It's my greatest dream, and my pokemon's as well."
"I understand." she sobbed. "I've always got Kit, Chris, and Gord. And I'll always know where to find you."
"Look, let's worry about goodbyes tomorrow." said Lance. 'It is, after all, Ryan's birthday."
Everyone celebrated for the rest of the night, and everyone left late, leaving Xander, Camry, Sam, and Ryan with one final sleep together before they parted ways.
Ryan woke up refreshed and ready to take on any challenge, despite yesterday's tiring events. He packed his bag with everything he needed; Lance had already taken the remainder of his birthday cake to the large mansion where the Elite Four lived. He and Houndoom walked out of the door to their temporary room to find Xander, Camry, Sam, and their pokemon companions standing there, waiting for him. They walked to the lobby to find Lance waiting with his charizard, and Kit, Chris, and Gord waiting for Sam. The four trainers checked out, then went outside to say their goodbyes.
"Well, we're heading off to be together." said Xander. "I don't know if we'll ever see each other again, but it was great traveling around Johto with you."
"Yeah." agreed Camry. "Thank you. For your friendship, for your caring, and for all of those times you've come through for us."
"And the same goes out to all three of you." Ran said.
"And I guess this is goodbye for the two of us as well." Sam said softly. "Rai-kun, I'll miss you." Sam hugged him then, and although he had learned to live without love, Ryan returned it with all of the compassion he had. Even in the short time he had known her, Sam had turned out to be a great friend, like the sister he never had.
"I'll miss you too. But don't worry, we'll meet again some day." The two let go, and all went their respective way.
From on top of the hill where the Elite mansion stood, Ryan could see Sam and her new friends heading east for Kanto, and Xander and Camry heading west back to New Bark Town. Ryan would remember this day, and wait for the day when he was reunited with his friends.
"Come on, Ryan. It is time for you to begin your training." said Lance.
"Let's go Houndoom. We've started another new chapter in our lives, and this time, I'm gonna make sure it has a happy ending."
"Doom."
End of Chapter 1