This chapter is a Cross-Over from a great story on FF.net, called "The Pendant".
You can read this and other great stories by my inspiration Blitz, by clicking those links.

Chapter 20

The sun rose over Fuchsia City. As light crept into the single's suite of the Pokémon Center, it slowed dawned onto Samantha's soft, sleeping face. The sun made he beautiful face glow even more. Samantha's eyelashes began to twitch as she slowly opened her eyes. She stretched, rubbed her eyes, and gave a soft yawn. She looked around her small, complimentary room as she sat up in her soft bed. On the edge of her bed, Bobby was fast asleep…curled into a cute little ball position. His head rested gently alongside his best Pokémon friend, Gloom. Samantha really could not tell if that Gloom was asleep too…her eyes were always closed!

After sitting on her bed for a while collecting her thoughts, Samantha's room phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Samantha! This is Nurse Joy! You have a vid-phone call downstairs. Your friends Tony and Kat are eating breakfast right now. Yours is ready whenever you're ready! Good-bye now!"

Samantha hung up, and got out of bed. She closed the blinds, and removed her pajamas. She tied her long hair back into a ponytail, and then proceeded to brush her teeth. She put her favorite black pants on, then her yellow blouse. She walked over to the door to her room, and opened it…

"Let's get some breakfast, Bobby!"

"Bulba!"

"Gloom!"

"Hello?"

"Good morning to you Samantha! So nice to see you've reached Fuchsia City!"

"Good morning Professor Oak, what's up?"

"Well, I was wondering if you planned on challenging the Gym Leader next door…"

"You bet I am." Samantha was far less confident than usual…

"Well as you probably know, the Gym Leader likes to use Poison-Type Poké…say, did you capture that Gloom that's over there by Bobby?"

Samantha looked over to Bobby, Blaze, and the Gloom having some Pokémon food…

"It just follows me—more specifically Bobby—around…"

"Well that's odd, but why not capture it?"

"None of my Pokémon want to fight a friend of Bobby's…and besides, it wouldn't be right…"

"I understand. Well I was wondering if you'd like to take a Pokémon…Poison against Poison may just help you out…"

A female Nidoran popped its tiny head on the screen. It's cute ears and whiskers twitched around, as it looked very happy to see Samantha…

Samantha smiled…she recalled that day she took an alternate road…one that would take her to the toughest Gym Battle of her life…in a lesser known city, by the name of Star City…

Samantha of Star City pressed her back against the chain-linked fence up on the roof of the tower in Star City. She admired the sun set from her great vantage point up on the open roof gym. Her two Pokémon were around the gym, somewhere, though the Star City Gym leader need not know where. When she called for them, they'll be by her side.

The Gym leader sighed, raising her right hand and opening the fist. Slowly, a small fireball appeared on the hand, not burning her whatsoever. She closed her eyes, and exhaled.

A dinging sound from the elevator alerted her of another challenger. Instinctively, Sam closed her hand, dissipating the fireball though not burning her hand. She glanced up at the elevator door, three trainers stepping out. One had a Bulbasaur by her side, a peculiar Bulbasaur, a totally green one. Another had a Growlithe by his side.

"The rest must be in Poké Balls," Sam thought, standing up, brushing the dust off her pants, and then heading over to the field.

"I take it you've come for the badge," Sam asked the other three trainers.

"Just me…" the female trainer in the lead spoke. Sam nodded.

"Spark, Hydra, we got company!" Sam shouted out. Her voice echoed throughout the open-air arena. In a matter of seconds, a Growlithe and Squirtle came running to her side.

"Well, what do you know, she's got a Growlithe too…" Tony mused, glancing down Blaze.

"This will be a two-on-two battle!" Sam shouted across the battlefield, littered with rocky terrain. "And may I have the pleasure of your name?"

"Samantha!" Samantha yelled out, stepping into the designated area. Sam was a bit surprised with the similarities in name.

"Hey, she's got your name," Hydra joked. Sam shrugged, stepping into her own area.

"You want to take the first round?" Sam asked the Squirtle. Hydra grinned, stepping into the arena.

"That Squirtle is pretty confident," Kat commented, pulling a bit closer to Tony. The cold air wasn't doing her justice.

"Yeah, for someone who knows you have a Bulbasaur, that Pokémon is pretty confident," Tony added.

"Doesn't matter to me," Samantha replied, unclipping a Poké Ball from her belt. "Go, Julie!"

The Pikachu appeared from her ball, stretching her arms, also showing an air of confidence.

"This is challenge?" the Pikachu huffed, indicating the Squirtle across the way. "Puh-lease..."

"I'd watch that mouth of yours," Hydra grunted, 'rolling up his sleeves' in preparation to fight.

"Knock it off!" Sam shouted, silencing the two Pokémon. "Save the energy for battling."

"Alright...." both Pokémon responded, though Julie was promptly surprised that Sam was able to understand her. "Whenever you're ready," Sam told her opponent. Samantha nodded.

"Julie, take your best shot! Thunderbolt!" The Pikachu nodded, leaping into the air, raining down bolts of electricity at the Squirtle.

"Knock her down, Hydro Pump!" Sam ordered Hydra. The Squirtle fired a ball of liquid back at the Pikachu. Both attacks impacted at the same time, frying Hydra at one end, slamming Julie through the air and onto the ground on the other. Both Pokémon were far from being bested though.

"Catch him off-guard! Quick Attack!" Samantha commanded. The Pikachu dashed towards the Squirtle, electricity charging in her sacs.

"Ice Beam the ground!" Sam countered. Hydra nodded, making a path of ice in front of Julie. The Pikachu took one step on it and began to slip and slide, little jolts of electricity spraying wildly as the Pokémon tried to regain her balance.

"Hydro Pump!" Sam commanded once more. The Pikachu continued to slip and slide, making her an easy target on the ice. The ball of water hit home, sending her back towards the beginning of the ice path. Even so, Julie persisted, standing back up.

"Julie...you can't fight anymore," Samantha spoke softly. The Pikachu gave her a "thumbs up" sign, turning back to the Squirtle.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore then you are now..." Hydra told the Pikachu, lowering his guard.

"I don't need your sympathy!" Julie shouted, unleashing a full force Thunderbolt at Hydra.

"Julie!" Samantha exclaimed, but it was too late, the bolts were already all over Hydra.

"Hydra, quick, Water Shield!" Sam ordered. As commanded, a shield of pure water surrounded the Pokémon. Lightning lashed against the barrier, only to be absorbed into it.

Samantha recalled her Pokémon before Julie could attack again. The challenger and her two friends were surprised with the Light Screen like attack Hydra unleashed at the last minute.

"I'm so sorry!" Samantha apologized when regaining her composure. "She impulsive when it comes to fighting…I hope she didn't hurt your Pokémon…"

"Nope, not at all…" Hydra answered, walking back towards his trainer.

"He said not at all," Sam translated. Samantha blinked a few times, as did her companions. It was a surprise to see a Water Shield, but also a surprise to see that this Gym Leader understood her Pokémon. "Spark, go ahead," Sam told the Growlithe. The Pokémon trotted onto the arena, awaiting Samantha's next battler.

"Okay then…Joelle, he's yours!" Samantha shouted, tossing the Poké Ball onto the playing field. A Misdreavus was revealed. "Shadow Ball!"

Spark sat back and took the hit, holding his ground. The purple ball did little more then annoy the strong Growlithe. Spark didn't even seem fazed by the attack.

"Oh my…that's got to be a really high level Growlithe," Samantha thought. "Try a Night Shade!"

The Misdreavus launched the telepathic attack of purple energy, surrounding the Spark with Ghost power. Nevertheless, Spark held his ground, damaged by the attack, but far from being out.

"Quick before he fights back, CONFUSE RAY!" Samantha ordered.

"Spark, Flamethrower, full power!" Sam commanded. Spark nodded, biding back his fire all this time until now.

The stream of fire engulfed the Misdreavus completely, surprising everyone at the size of the attack. The size of the flames could engulf a large adult human, let alone this small Ghost Pokémon.

"That's nothing, Blaze…we both already know you can do that…if not better…" Tony muttered, watching the attack go on for a full minute. When the flames finally faded, Joelle fell to the ground, out cold. Samantha recalled Joelle, surprised at how easily she had been defeated…her very first loss.

"I guess…I guess I need to do a lot more training…" Samantha spoke softly, disappointed. Sam giggled lightly.

"Not to sound cocky or anything, but not many trainers can match up to my Pokémon," Sam told the girl with the same name. "My Pokémon…they're special…very special." Sam knelt down, patting each Pokémon under the chin. "You are an excellent trainer though."

"Thanks…" Samantha answered, not very encouraged by those words. Sam sighed, thinking. She then took something from her pocket.

"Tell you what," the Gym Leader spoke. "There's a female Nidoran in the Pokémon Center at the base of this tower who has no trainer. Her last trainer abandoned her…so, she needs another one."

"Are...are you sure?" Samantha looked up, surprised by the offer.

"Yeah, of course, you seem like a passionate trainer," Sam replied. "Her name is Yian." Sam took the item out of her pocket. "Oh, and catch!" Sam tossed a very familiar blue-green rock at Samantha. The trainer caught it, admiring the beauty of the shining stone. "That's a Moon Stone. I guess know what it can be used for." Samantha nodded.

"Thank you, Sam," the trainer spoke. The Gym Leader nodded, stretching her arms out and headed towards the chain-link fence again. Samantha smiled, turning around and going to leave. For a moment, she turned back to watch Sam, and for a split second, she though she saw flames over the Gym Leader's hand.

"I must be imagining things," Samantha huffed, following the other two back towards the elevator.

"There's something really…really…different about that girl…"

"Well Samantha what do you say? Should I send you Yian?" Professor Oak ruined Samantha's flashback.

Samantha looked at the young Nidoran on the screen. As cute as it was, it would serve as a constant reminder of Samantha's first loss. Someday, she would return to Star City and challenge that strange girl Sam again…someday…

"Okay Professor, send her over!"

"Splendid! Hear that Yian? You're going back to Samantha!"

"Nee-Nay!" Yian squealed in delight as the professor recalled her to her Poké Ball.

"Prepare for transfer…"

Within seconds, Yian's Poké Ball was before Samantha, in the teleportation device.

She picked up the Poké Ball and held it up to the screen nodding in affirmation.

"Well I wish you luck, Samantha. But now it's time for my 3 hour chore…"

"Three hours? What takes that long, Professor?"

Professor Oak grunted picking up a huge pail of food…"Why, feeding Ash's Snorlax, of course…"

With that, the screen went blank. Samantha giggled, and hung up her end of the phone.

"Hmmm…I remember Ash. Guess he's still a lazy kid after all…"

Samantha went over to join Tony and Kat for their continental breakfast. Today, would be a very big day, indeed…