Jason Creight awoke for the briefest period of time. He felt himself
rocking back and forth gently, almost immeasurably. But he was indeed
rocking back and forth.
He was still out at sea. It was dark out.
And all he wanted was to return to the black pit of the dream world.
Moments later, that's exactly what he did.
And he dreamed.
***
Jason's first selection revealed itself to be Dragonair. It shone in the light of the strobe arrays.
Mark's first selection was a Sneasel.
Jason leapt right into it. "Dragonair, Extremespeed, right now!"
"Sneasel, Faint Attack!"
Dragonair got the first attack in, smashing straight into the pit of Sneasel's belly and causing it to keel over. However, it quickly recovered and vanished in the night, only to reappear a moment later right at Dragonair's front door. It slashed across Dragonair's body; Dragonair gave some ground.
*Good. I've got an idea on how bad its attacks are.* "Dragonair, Slam!"
Dragonair's tail lashed out and whacked Sneasel across the arena.
"Sneasel, Beat Up!"
Sneasel attacked for itself and every one of Mark's Pokemon. However, the attack seemed to do little good, which gave Jason some hope. Perhaps Mark's Pokemon weren't as strong as he made them out to be.
His memory of the Astronomical's captain's reports on the battles only served to reinforce that image of his opponent.
"Dragonair, Fury Attack!"
Dragonair conjured a variant of a Swift attack, hurling spikes of light at its dark opponent. Each hit chipped away at Sneasel's HP.
"Sneasel, Slash attack!"
Sneasel's sharp claws proved useful once again; it brought them to bear across Dragonair's lithe body. Dragonair did not so much as protest, and that made Jason proud.
But he also knew he needed humility for this match; he couldn't get overconfident. "Another Slam attack!"
"Quick Attack!"
Sneasel got in the first hit, smacking into Dragonair as it raced around the platform. Dragonair returned with equal force to knock Sneasel off its feet.
"Dragonair, Hyper Beam!"
A red-orange beam of pure energy boiled away at Sneasel's thick skin, pushing it across the platform as a hurricane would push a leaf.
Sneasel was down.
***
Adam grinned. His Eevee had managed to mop the deck with Sneasel rather easily, and he was looking forward to seeing what else this guy had in store.
"Your Eevee is strong," Mark admitted. "But can it withstand this?"
He tossed out another Ultra Ball.
Pinsir.
Adam raised his eyebrows, assessing the situation. Then he said, "Probably. But I'm not here to just win. I'm here to get my wish."
With that, he recalled Eevee and sent out the perfect opponent for Pinsir. "Go, Flareon! Flamethrower!"
Flareon was on the attack as soon as it took form, blasting liquid fire at its Grass-type opponent.
"Pinsir, Focus Energy!" Mark shouted.
The Pokemon withstood the Flamethrower attack, though it dealt a decent amount of damage. Pinsir's body took on a brassy sheen as it saved its power, presumably for Mark's next attack.
"Another Flamethrower!"
"Pinsir, Seismic Toss!"
This time, Pinsir got in the first attack, taking Flareon by its barbed horns and spinning it in circles. Flareon became dizzy, and Pinsir took that opportunity to slam in into the ground as hard as possible. The metal made a harsh *clang* that bounced off the hulls of the Astronomical and the Endgame, positioned on either side of the floating stadium.
Flareon struggled to get back up; the Seismic Toss had taken a good portion of its HP away.
But it faced Pinsir bravely, and with a growl, it blasted another stream of fire at its foe.
Pinsir took the full measure of the blast.
And it stayed up.
"Pinsir, Guillotine!" Mark shouted, apparently sensing an approaching victory.
But Adam wasn't finished. "Flareon, Fire Spin! Make yourself the center of the spin!"
Flareon didn't question the order. It had made such special dispensations before, realizing the strategy its master was employing. Adam didn't expect the Fire Spin to stop Pinsir from attacking; he was taking advantage of Pinsir's aggression and making sure that it would take damage, even if Flareon had to take it as well.
That's exactly what happened; Pinsir charged straight into the tower of flame and took damage even as it inflicted its own attack. Adam heard Flareon cry out as Pinsir's horns closed around its body, sensitive from the Seismic Toss, but he stared into the tower resolutely.
Moments later, the fire dissipated.
Flareon was down to its last HP.
But Pinsir had been taken down.
***
Jason resisted the urge to pump his arm in victory. Charizard had taken Pinsir down with relatively little damage to itself. The "switching" strategy he and Adam had agreed upon was paying off.
"Don't get too cocky, Mr. Creight," said Mark. "Otherwise you'll be drowned in your own overconfidence!"
He tossed his third Ultra Ball.
*A Kabutops? How did he get one of those?* Jason gawked at the long- extinct Pokemon for a moment, knowing that, comparatively speaking, there were only a handful of Kabutos in the world, and even less Kabutopses. *Must've been an archaeologist who took it to that lab at Cinnabar... or just an extremely lucky trainer.*
At any rate, Jason knew that he couldn't battle with Charizard against this one. "Charizard, come back!" *Hmm, I don't have any Grass types with me. Shame on me for that one. And it doesn't have a weakness to electricity, so don't use Ampharos yet... Gengar might be a good fighter, but I want to hold it in reserve...*
Jason made his choice. "Go, Gyarados!"
The huge leviathan that had been with Jason from the beginning entered the arena with a roar and a baleful stare at its shorter opponent.
"Kabutops, Slash attack!"
"Gyarados, Crunch!"
As Kabutops whipped in with its bladed extremities, Gyarados leaned forward and clamped its considerable jaws around its foe's thin, rocky form. There was an audible *crunch*ing noise, although the attack had little effect on Kabutops, as hard as its hide was. In total, it was a stalemate turn.
"Kabutops, Ice Beam!"
Kabutops began to concentrate on a point just away from its chest. That point began to gather blue-white energy, forming into a ball, contained ice energy just waiting to be released.
At the last moment, Jason shouted, "Mirror Coat!"
The beam flew on the word "coat," and Gyarados barely had time to defend itself before the attack hit.
But the Mirror Coat was erected in time.
The beam bounced straight back to its origin and shoved Kabutops violently backward.
"Cold?" Jason muttered, more to himself than to Kabutops. "We should warm you up. Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"
"Kabutops, Hydro Pump! Put those flames out!"
Blue fire crashed against blue water. The two were almost impossible to distinguish, and yet, at the same time, they were complete opposites.
The water pushed through the fire and blasted against Gyarados' body.
Gyarados barely paid attention to it.
"Another Crunch!"
"Ice Beam again!"
Gyarados lunged forth and caught Kabutops's midsection in its teeth. It crushed its jaws against Kabutops's body, intent on doing as much damage as possible, a requisite in all battles. The *crunch* was more pronounced than the first time; Kabutops was getting tired.
Kabutops chose that moment to strike its foe with its charging Ice Beam. The freezing energy wrapped around Gyarados and completely froze it.
But Gyarados still had hold of Kabutops.
"There's your chance! Slash!" Mark yelled.
Kabutops did so, and for all it was worth. It ripped into Gyarados as furiously as it could, trying desperately to get Gyarados to let up. But Gyarados remained firmly attached, and all Kabutops's antagonism seemed to do was make Gyarados bite down even harder.
The freezing effect let up a moment later, and Gyarados's tail flapped around shakily. It lifted Kabutops in the air and finally let go, allowing the Rock and Water-type Pokemon to drop to the ground.
"Gyarados, Hyper Beam!"
Gyarados emitted a flaring beam of red energy from its mouth, and the energy put Kabutops on the deck.
It stayed there.
***
Adam was no longer feeling so cocky. He'd used Espeon against Kabutops at first, which had seemed to work, but the Ice Beam attack had been effective on Espeon, and it only warmed up again when it was close to its final HP. Kabutops had knocked it out with its next attack. He'd revealed Umbreon then, and used it to take Kabutops down the rest of the way. It had been a taxing job.
But, on the other hand, half the match was overwith.
He had two faints to work with.
Meanwhile, Mark had lost three of his own Pokemon.
Mark wasn't being as cocky as before, either. The smirk on his face had been wiped off when Kabutops went down; apparently, that had been a trump card for him. He pulled out a fourth Ultra Ball. "Let's see if you can handle this!"
The ball revealed a Kingler. A strong-looking one.
Umbreon was obviously beginning to feel the burn of battling. Adam wanted to give it a few moments' rest, at least. And Kingler would be an easier Pokemon to deal with. "Umbreon, return! Go to it, Jolteon!"
Jolteon growled, ready to fight.
"Kingler, Crabhammer!"
"Jolteon, Thunder!"
Kingler was fast, Adam had to grant it that one; it was across the arena in a matter of three seconds, and it caught Jolteon in its left pincer almost too fast for Adam to track. It used its right pincer to bash down onto Jolteon's spiked body. Adam could hear the pincers make contact, and imagined it was rather painful for Jolteon.
But it wasn't nearly as painful as what Jolteon used to counter with. Its body crackled with static discharges, and it called forth a tower of lightning from the cloudy, early morning sky. The tower hit Kingler dead center, insinuating its effects beneath Kingler's tough shell and paralyzing it.
"Quick Attack, Jolteon!"
"Kingler, Harden!"
Kingler didn't have a chance to defend itself; Jolteon got in the hit, even as Kingler still stumbled from the effects of the Thunder attack. It was across the arena and back before Adam could even count to one.
Kingler belatedly increased its defenses by hardening its shell. The shell became more shiny than before.
"Kingler, Stomp!"
"Jolteon, another Thunder!"
Kingler moved faster than Adam would have thought possible, racing up to Jolteon and using its powerful legs to jump up and land directly on Jolteon's back.
Jolteon again called a tower of electricity onto Kingler, taking somewhat less effect because of Kingler's raised defense, but no less effective, in totality.
Kingler slumped over. It had been taken out.
***
Ampharos stood tall and proud, its skin marred somewhat by the cutting attacks of Kingler, but victorious over the Water-type Pokemon.
Mark was getting less cocky by the second. He pulled out a fifth Ultra Ball. "Take this!"
Scyther.
Jason knew that Ampharos, powerful though it was, would not be the best choice against this one. *But on the other hand, Scyther may have an unexpected move waiting for Charizard. Probably best to play around with it a little bit before changing.*
"Ampharos, Swift attack!"
Mark's eyebrows went up; apparently, he'd been expecting a shift to Charizard. Whatever was going through his mind, though, he chose not to divulge it. "Scyther, Double Team!"
Scyther had the faster move this time around, and multiple images of it appeared all around Ampharos.
But Swift had never failed for Ampharos. It fired glowing spikes all around, soon revealing the real Scyther and pummeling it with them.
"Ampharos, Thunder Punch!"
"Scyther, Swords Dance!"
Scyther began to spin around in place, its sword-like arms crossed in a defensive posture.
Ampharos raced up, sparks flashing over its clawed fist, and it pounded into Scyther for all it was worth.
And it was worth a considerable amount.
But Scyther, while it did lose HP, to its credit, didn't lose its balance, and continued to spin at a dizzying pace.
"Scyther, Slash!"
Scyther stopped spinning abruptly, and deftly brought its arms to bear across Ampharos's body. Ampharos protested this treatment, but it still took it with a measure of dignity; it didn't give any ground to its enemy.
"Ampharos, Solarbeam!"
Mark's eyes went wide. "Scyther, Double Team!"
Ampharos charged its head-mounted light as Scyther separated into multiple representations of itself.
Ampharos wasn't intimidated. Its head-light glowed bright, letting everyone in sight know that the attack was ready to be let loose.
And a moment later, it was. Ampharos swept its head back and forth, and the attack raked across the images. It speared three of them before hitting the real one, and Scyther screamed as the Solarbeam made it fly across the arena.
"Ampharos, Swift attack!"
"Scyther, Quick Attack!"
As Scyther charged forward, Ampharos called more glowing spikes into existence. They struck just as Scyther did.
Ampharos fell back.
And so did Scyther.
Ampharos struggled back to its feet. It was worn and tired and almost out of energy.
But Scyther stayed on the deck.
***
Jason and Adam had reached the final Pokemon.
Adam could lose two Pokemon to fainting and still gain his wish.
It was the same situation for Jason.
Mark revealed his final Pokemon of the match.
Scizor.
***
Jason's spirits rose when he saw the Steel-type Pokemon. *Weakness to fire. And Charizard's still ready to fight.*
"Ampharos, return! Let's get that wish, Charizard!"
Charizard looked eager to battle. Its intimidating roar served to confirm that.
"Scizor, Double Team!"
Jason shook his head. *Same as before.* "Charizard, Flamethrower! Sweep it across the images!"
Charizard complied, and Scizor was soon found out. It emitted a metallic screech at the flames heating its body.
"Charizard, Fly!"
Charizard took to the sky, hanging high above the arena.
"Scizor, Swords Dance!"
*He must not have evolved it too long ago. It still has Scyther's attacks,* Jason thought, as Charizard swept down to deal damage to its enemy.
"Fire Blast!"
"Steel Claw!"
Scizor's claw became even more rigid as it slammed into Charizard's midsection. Charizard grunted as it took the hit.
The "stick figure" symbol sprung into being and blasted its full measure into Scizor. Scizor screeched as the flames superheated its metal armor.
"We're not finished yet! Quick Attack!"
"Neither are we! Flamethrower!"
Charizard took a beating under Scizor's expert pummeling.
But Scizor took the worse beating under a sidewise column of fire.
Both combatants faced each other, neither willing to give in.
Charizard stared Scizor down, while Scizor looked defiantly up at its opponent.
And then...
Scizor fell.
***
Adam groaned. He had used just about the last of Flareon's energy to wipe Scyther out, and now Mark was revealing another Pokemon weak to fire. But Adam imagined it was stronger than Scyther, which had him in a bit of trouble.
*I'd better do what damage I can.* "Flareon, Fire Blast!"
"Scizor, Quick Attack!"
Scizor hit first and sent Flareon flying. Flareon barely held on to consciousness, and it had almost no energy left; it was down to its last PP for Fire Blast.
It made the most of it; the blast was super effective, washing over Scizor and burying it in fire.
Flareon looked almost sick, so starved was it for energy. Adam took pity on it. "Flareon, return!"
*What next? Espeon's out, Flareon's as good as out, Jolteon, Eevee, and Umbreon aren't exactly at their best... I haven't used Vaporeon yet. But I'd better save it, just in case...* "Go, Jolteon!"
"Scizor, Quick Attack!"
"Jolteon, Thunder!"
Again, Scizor got in the first attack, smacking into Jolteon with such force that Adam almost immediately began regretting having brought that one out. But the near-regret was pushed away when Jolteon's Thunder attack blasted into Scizor at full force. Sadly, Scizor was not as susceptible to electric attacks as Water-types were, but it still did a decent amount of damage.
"Scizor, Steel Claw!"
"Jolteon, Agility!"
Jolteon raced circles around Scizor as the Steel-type tried to hit its target. No success; the attack missed completely.
"Great job! Now use Swift!"
"Scizor, Pursuit!"
*Thinking ahead,* Adam thought, as Scizor attacked. Pursuit would do heavy damage to Jolteon if Adam pulled it out now.
He kept his mind on the match at hand. Jolteon called forth the glowing spikes of a Swift attack and fired them at Scizor. Each one struck it, making their own tiny *clank* noises. Scizor fell back, but stood up again.
And then both trainers made the same call.
"Quick Attack!"
"Quick Attack!"
Jolteon and Scizor met each other head-on with equal, brutal force. They both fell back to each other's attack, but both got to their feet again.
Adam kept pressing. "Jolteon, Agility!"
"Another Quick Attack, Scizor!"
Jolteon was undeterred by the hit, and it raced around the arena as it waited for its next order.
"Jolteon, Thunder!"
"One more Quick Attack!"
The Quick Attack missed this time, such was Jolteon's speed.
The Thunder attack did not miss, however. It hit Scizor dead-on, and Scizor fell back once more.
It was feeling it.
"Swift attack!"
"Steel Claw!"
Scizor powered through the spikes of the Swift attack and landed a devastating hit on Jolteon, knocking it across the arena. It landed limply, and stayed there.
Jolteon was down for the count.
Scizor was close, but not close enough.
Adam had only one more faint before reaching his limit.
"Jolteon, return! Go, Umbreon!"
The Dark-type stared Scizor down, its rings glowing bright.
"Umbreon, Faint Attack!"
"Scizor, Quick Attack!"
Scizor hit Umbreon with a decent strike, but Umbreon returned the favor a hundred times over with its own hit. It knocked Scizor back and to the deck.
Scizor stood up, but it was gasping for breath and its strength was almost out.
"Umbreon, Crunch!"
"Scizor, Steel Claw!"
Umbreon clamped its jaws on Scizor's leg and held on as Scizor beat it down with its claws. Scizor screeched as Umbreon bit deeper and deeper into its leg.
The pain overloaded Scizor's senses.
It began to slump down.
*And now for the grand finale.* "Umbreon, Quick Attack!"
Umbreon reared back, then crashed head-on into Scizor.
Scizor skidded across the metal stadium.
The shrieking of metal on metal brought goosebumps all over Adam's body.
The sound slowly faded into the morning.
Silence reigned over the sea.
Scizor remained where it stopped.
It didn't move.
It was knocked out.
And Adam had won.
Mark silently recalled Scizor to its Ultra Ball and looked up at Adam.
Adam took a deep, shuddering breath.
Surprisingly, a grin split Mark's face. "Congratulations, Mr. Sands. You've won the Atlantis League, and you've earned yourself a wish. What shall it be?"
***
"What do you wish, Mr. Creight?"
Jason stared straight into Mark's eyes. They no longer burned into his soul with their acidity. They only searched it for his answer. And he gave it. "I wish for Atlantis League Rule Thirty-Four to be rescinded, effective two days ago, never to be used again, nor replicated in a later revision of the rulebook."
Jason expected a fight of words. He expected some resistance.
Whatever he was expecting, he didn't get it.
All he got was a single nod from Mark.
"Very well. If it had been any more than one rule, we would have refused. We don't want trainers destroying our ways. However, you've requested a change in one rule, only. Your wish is granted. The rule will be rescinded. You will not be required to become part of the Atlantis League Gym Corps, nor will anyone else who has battled me and won. However, with the trophies you and your fellow trainers receive comes an open invitation to be part of it."
"And be restricted to a ship for the duration? No, thank you," said Jason.
"I understand. However, the offer does remain open. And the Atlantis League still has much to be seen, if you look hard enough." Mark smiled, and gestured toward the Endgame. "Your ride is waiting for you. When you depart this place, you will be awarded the Atlantis League trophy, and proof that your wish has been granted. And, as I understand, quite a celebration."
Jason grinned. "It's been an honor."
Mark extended his hand. Jason took it.
All of Jason's hostility dissolved in that handshake.
He patted his backpack, which hung securely on his wheelchair, left the platform, and boarded the Endgame.
***
Adam took a deep breath, remembering that the Astronomical's captain had announced Jason's victory and his wish.
"I wish for all Atlantis League gym leaders, present and future, to be allowed to leave the league if they should so desire, for as long as they desire. I wish for this option to be presented to them immediately."
Mark paused for a moment, then nodded once. "Very well. Your wish is granted. All future gym leaders will join the league of their own will. I imagine it will provide quite a variety." He smiled. "In the meantime, the Endgame awaits. Once you leave this place, you'll be awarded the Atlantis League trophy, and proof that your wish has been granted. There is also a celebration aboard; I doubt very much you will want to miss it."
Adam nodded. "Thank you."
Mark extended his hand, and Adam took it firmly.
Adam held no animosity toward Mark. Toward the league, perhaps, but not to Mark.
He rolled his shoulders, where his backpack hung securely. He left the platform and boarded the Endgame.
*We're going home. And Amanda is finally free.*
***
Jason saw Adam coming into the reception area of the Endgame. Adam had an exhausted look on his face, and he looked drenched in sweat, although the cold early morning of their battles had put Jason in his leather jacket and Adam in his overcoat.
Adam spotted Jason... and grinned.
Jason returned the expression, and he moved his wheelchair to meet Adam.
They warmly clasped hands.
"We did it," Adam said, his grin getting wider. "We actually did it."
"Yeah," said Jason. "And, good God, does it feel great to be finally finished with the league."
They both let out great sighs of relief.
"Well," said Adam, "I'm going to go find my quarters, drop my stuff off, and find this celebration Mark talked about."
"Yeah, it's something to see," Jason responded.
Jason Creight and Adam Sands, Atlantis League champions, made their way through the Endgame, and didn't look back.
***
Jason awakened once again, only two hours after the first time. It was still dark outside, although light was beginning to creep up over the horizon.
He didn't feel sleepy now, although he wouldn't have minded going back to his dreams again. Still, they were close to the Selto marina, where they had first left aboard the Colossal.
The celebration had been going on ever since the Endgame had pulled away from the platform. Trainers looking to party were partying, those looking to battle were battling, those looking to eat were eating, and those looking to sleep were snoring to their hearts' content.
He yawned, dug around in his backpack for some clothes, and found a gray T-shirt and blue jeans. He put them on, then got into his wheelchair and grabbed his PokeGear, PokeDex, and capture ball belt. He didn't actually expect to battle anyone, as he wasn't really in the mood, but he didn't see anything wrong in bringing his Pokemon to join in any festivities taking place.
He glanced down next to his backpack. There sat his Atlantis League trophy, customized to his specifications, as all had been. Sized gold representations of his team stood atop a black marble base, and a gold name plate was on the front of the base. It read simply:
Jason Creight
Atlantis League Champion
Also in the backpack was his proof that his wish had been granted: a revised rulebook, dated for the next league battles.
Jason smiled faintly, then left the room and made his way to the main hall, where trainers from far and abroad talked, joked, ate, and even battled. The battles were hardly the climactic struggles that inevitably broke out between a trainer and a gym leader; the hall wasn't big enough for the larger Pokemon that trainers here carried. No, the trainers aboard the Endgame wishing to battle participated in a tournament they jokingly referred to as the Half Pint League. Only Pokemon at skill levels of 10 and below were allowed, so their attacks wouldn't damage the ship. Trainers who didn't participate, or who lost in the tourney, spectated the matches, and a good time was had by all.
Adam had apparently chosen to participate in the Half Pint League, and he was doing well; from an original pool of 32, he'd managed to make his way to the Final 4 with a Wooper, a Gastly, and an Elekid.
Jason wheeled over to the table where the food resided, and got himself a bowl of oatmeal, mixing honey, strawberries, and bananas into it. Then he made his way back to a good spectator's post and watched the battling as he contentedly ate his breakfast.
It felt almost as if he were reaching a crossroads. He wasn't quite sure why that might be, but as he watched the tourney, he found himself getting bored. Disinterested. As if the battle didn't really matter, as if the Pokemon who battled didn't really matter.
*How can that be?* he thought, trying to maintain his interest. *I've lived with Pokemon all my life. Sure, the exhilaration of being around them has long since gone away, but how can I be getting bored watching a battle? Seeing trainers go at it, watching them as they sense their victory, as they try to get out of whatever rut they're stuck in...*
Still, the boredom was there. And it was manifesting itself quickly.
And suddenly, strangely... a thought entered his mind. A thought he had never believed he would end up thinking. It was there for only a moment or so, and then it flew away...
...but it had been there.
*What am I doing here?*
Jason couldn't believe it. He'd gone there to take his mind off some of the harder moments in his life, to try and get back into the spirit of battling for competition and not survival... he'd ended up fighting for his own salvation from a rule that other people had fallen to... he'd found a new friend and confidant...
And yet, there it was. For the briefest of moments, he had asked himself, "What am I doing here?"
It was one of the most unsettling thoughts he'd ever had. It implied that Pokemon battling was beginning to get old, that he needed to do something that didn't involve such...
*Violence. Barbarism.*
*Stop it!* he told himself. *This is the one thing I've managed to hold on to in my life!*
But he couldn't even bear to watch the battle anymore.
He moved away, and found an empty table. He placed his bowl there and kept his back turned.
***
Fifteen minutes later, Adam joined Jason at the table. He chuckled as he sat down. "I win a tournament, they don't even give me so much as a kewpie doll. Although I think they were taking a couple of bets as to who would win. At least my Pokemon got some experience."
Jason smiled faintly. "I suppose that's payment enough, eh?"
"If I plan to train them, yeah. And I do. My Eevee team is the best, but I also want the challenge of training new Pokemon. And it doesn't hurt for them to have experience in trainer battles like these."
Adam looked at Jason. "Something wrong? You seem a little down."
Jason shook his head. "I dunno, Adam. I've just been having some really weird thoughts lately. They're unsettling."
"Thoughts like what?"
"Well, I was watching the tournament for a little bit, when this random thought entered my head. It asked, 'What am I doing here?' And I thought it was ridiculous... I mean, I'm here for a lot of reasons, and good ones, in my opinion. But..."
"You're beginning to think battling is getting old, aren't you?"
Jason glanced up. "Is it that obvious?"
"No. It hits me sometimes. Sometimes it's easy to deal with, sometimes it's not. When I battle, and I'm in a mindset like that, I try to think of a reason that doesn't involve me. Otherwise it gets really boring, really fast. I think about the experience my Pokemon'll gain, and if there's a wager, I think about getting it and spending it to help my Pokemon training in some way or another. It's all about them, after all. You can't just do it for yourself."
"Maybe that's the problem, then," Jason said. "I went into the Atlantis League looking to take my mind off some things, and I ended up winning it for myself, because I didn't want to be stuck on a boat, fighting Pokemon for the rest of my life."
"Maybe it's that," Adam said, nodding. Then he shrugged. "Or maybe it's just because you feel worn out on it. You're tired of it, you feel that it's been a good haul, but now maybe it's time you might try doing something other than battling."
"Boy, you sure know how to cheer a guy up," Jason muttered.
Adam spread his hands wide. "Just being a realist." He sighed. "When we get back, take a break. Better yet, finish up your Johto League tour, then take a break. Go back to Pallet Town, work at Professor Oak's lab, like you did before. The call to train comes and goes. Maybe it'll come back, maybe it won't. But I can tell from that look on your face you're not feeling called to train right now. So get Johto overwith, and go home."
Jason smiled awkwardly. "I don't have a home."
"I figure you might call Pallet Town home. Home is where the heart is, and your heart happens to be with Professor Oak, Kelly, and Pokemon, all of which have chosen to reside there. I doubt if there'll be many people in Pallet Town who'll want to battle you, even for bragging rights."
Jason scoffed. "There aren't many people in Pallet Town, period."
"Exactly. So that's one place you know you won't be bugged. Anywhere else, they might ask you to become a gym leader or sign autographs or some such." Adam stood up. "Think about it, Jason. If you finish the Johto route, you'll have completed three Pokemon journeys. Surely that would be enough experience in battling to let you challenge the Elite Four."
"I could have challenged them when I finished the Indigo League."
"And now you're even better. You've taken on most of the Johto League and the entire Atlantis League, and you've made it. Finish Johto, challenge the Elite Four... if you defeat them, you'll be a certified Pokemon master. Then you won't need to go on any more journeys to prove yourself. The world will recognize you as one of the best. They'll ease up on you, and they'll let you live your own life."
Adam walked away. Over his shoulder, he added, "Maybe you will, too."
***
Two days later, the Endgame docked at the Selto marina. Jason and Adam gladly disembarked, finding themselves in the midst of a crowd of trainers who had both won and lost against Mark. It was a cool morning; they both wore their coats, and their backpacks were overstuffed with their trophies and personal effects.
Jason and Adam decided to take some time to peruse the marina, as lined as their pockets were with the money they'd won from the league. They didn't find anything that really piqued their interest, however.
They stopped at a local food court, where they bought candy bars and soda. As they ate, Jason said, "To prove my wish had been granted, I was given a rulebook for next season. It doesn't have the rule about being part of the Corps in it."
"Cool," said Adam, around a mouthful of candy.
The corner of Jason's mouth jerked upward a little bit, but it went back down as he asked, "Have you gotten any proof yet?"
Adam swallowed his candy and sighed. "No. But if you got proof, then I suppose I'll get mine soon enough."
Jason hesitated. "You want to see her, don't you?"
Adam sighed again and took a gulp of soda. "More than anything. If the wish came true, I know she'd have left the Gargantuan by now."
"You don't think she has?"
"I don't know what to think right now, Jason. I hope she's off that ship. She was so sad. All I wanted to do was take her away... get her away from the Atlantis League... help her..."
"And that's exactly what you did. If my wish came true, yours had to have come true as well."
"I hope so. For her sake."
There was a brief pause. Then Jason asked, "Do you think she might come here?"
"She might. She might not. She's always been the type to be spontaneous... as least, she was when I knew her. She might come here, she might go home to her family... I don't know."
Jason leaned back. "Tell you what. Let's go looking at some other stuff for a while... take our minds off the whole business. I think this place has got something I want to get. So I'm going to go look for that. You go on, and we'll meet back here at about four this evening. We'll head back to Cinnabar then."
Adam thought about this, then nodded. "Okay. Here at four."
For the moment, he and Jason parted ways.
***
Adam was rather glad he was wearing his overcoat; today was cooler than the days he, Jason, and Kelly had spent aboard the ships. Almost five months had passed them by. The rest of spring and most of summer were gone now, leaving them with the fall weather to contend with.
He went window shopping, looking at clothes, books, games, and the like. He also spied some specialized capture balls, which he found himself mildly interested in. He ended up buying several of those, as well as a guide to their enhanced performance.
He also found a recently published book of poetry, which he immediately bought. He was pleased to see that apparently, one of his own poems had gone into it.
"I think of nothing else from day to day
Than of how my friend has chosen her own way
She must follow her heart, her destiny
Her path lies before her, in its complexity
I hope that I may see her once more; her path I may tread
But will I find her, or her shadow instead?"
He snapped the book shut. *Perhaps it's not such a good thing that that one went in.*
He trod the wooden planks of the Selto marina, his head down, his overcoat and his clothes flapping slightly in the cold breeze. He barely noticed the people passing him by. The collar of his coat was raised up, hiding half his face from sidewise view. His hands were shoved deep into his overcoat's pockets.
The sun passed slowly overhead, less of a spectacle now than it had been during the height of the summer season; clouds also occupied the sky, diminishing the light of the sun across the otherwise beautiful panorama of the sea.
"Adam?"
His head came up.
He turned around slowly.
And there she was, standing not three meters away.
Large as life.
And as lost as a child.
Both of them stood where they were for a moment, neither saying a word, allowing the years to slowly evaporate between them until there was nothing left for them to hide behind.
The years melted away.
And all that was left was them.
Adam and Amanda rushed to each other. Embraced each other. Clung to each other, held by their own static electricity. Tears filled their eyes as they silently welcomed each other back.
She buried her face in his shirt, taking him in.
He held her close and stroked her head gently.
There was no need for words anymore.
***
Jason found what he was looking for, went on a search for useless things, found a couple of interesting items, and returned to the food court promptly at 4:00. He spotted Adam.
And he grinned when he spotted Adam's proof that his wish had come true.
He didn't even need to say anything. Adam said it for him.
"Let's go home."
Jason brought out his Charizard, while Adam called out a Pidgeot.
They took to the air.
No one looked back.
***
Jason landed at Cinnabar, but Adam and Amanda stayed in the air. Jason looked up. "So, where you off to now?"
"Back to Celadon City," Adam responded. "It's time to bring Amanda home. I've fulfilled my obligations. Now it's time to rest and relax. Maybe write a book." He grinned. "But keep in touch. I've had a great time with you guys. I'll try to make it to Pallet Town once in a while."
"You do that," Jason said.
Adam pointed a finger at Jason. "Finish the Johto League, and I guarantee I'll make the time."
Jason nodded. "You've got it."
Pidgeot slowly ascended, and Adam tossed off a final goodbye wave.
Jason knew their paths would cross again, perhaps sooner, perhaps later. But their paths would cross again.
He headed for the Pokemon Center, where he found Kelly waiting for him. She smiled. "Took your time, I see. Where's Adam?"
"He's gone home," said Jason.
Her expression became more somber. "Did he win? Did *you* win?"
"We did. And we were granted our wishes, too."
"What did he wish for?"
Jason smiled slightly. "A girl. And he got one."
Kelly frowned. "What?"
He chuckled. "Long story. But it's a good one. I'll tell you on the way back."
Still confused, she nodded and followed him out of the Pokemon Center.
"For now," he said, "let's go home."
He brought out Charizard once more, and he and Kelly climbed onto its broad back.
Charizard took flight.
Jason Creight held on.
----------------------------------------------
Jason went on to defeat the Johto League gym leaders, and he challenged the Elite Four. Unprepared and overconfident, he was defeated by Koga. Undeterred, he trained intensely for another month, returned, and fought the Elite Four again. He defeated all of them in a massive upset, then went on to battle Lance, whom he defeated in a nail-biter match held in secrecy. He became renowned as the world's first disabled Pokemon master, and returned to his research position at Professor Oak's side in Pallet Town. He has not yet made a decision concerning Dr. Kendrick's offer.
Kelly Shields stayed faithfully at Jason's side throughout his exploits in Johto, and likewise took up her old position at Professor Oak's lab.
Adam Sands returned to Celadon City, where both he and Amanda received a huge Welcome Back reception, organized by the mayor herself. He wrote several more poems, some of which have since been incorporated into books of international poetry. He also began work on a book about the lives of disabled trainers, traveling and gathering information on every one he could find.
----------------------------------------------
This is the end of a journey.
But not of *Against All Odds.*
He was still out at sea. It was dark out.
And all he wanted was to return to the black pit of the dream world.
Moments later, that's exactly what he did.
And he dreamed.
***
Jason's first selection revealed itself to be Dragonair. It shone in the light of the strobe arrays.
Mark's first selection was a Sneasel.
Jason leapt right into it. "Dragonair, Extremespeed, right now!"
"Sneasel, Faint Attack!"
Dragonair got the first attack in, smashing straight into the pit of Sneasel's belly and causing it to keel over. However, it quickly recovered and vanished in the night, only to reappear a moment later right at Dragonair's front door. It slashed across Dragonair's body; Dragonair gave some ground.
*Good. I've got an idea on how bad its attacks are.* "Dragonair, Slam!"
Dragonair's tail lashed out and whacked Sneasel across the arena.
"Sneasel, Beat Up!"
Sneasel attacked for itself and every one of Mark's Pokemon. However, the attack seemed to do little good, which gave Jason some hope. Perhaps Mark's Pokemon weren't as strong as he made them out to be.
His memory of the Astronomical's captain's reports on the battles only served to reinforce that image of his opponent.
"Dragonair, Fury Attack!"
Dragonair conjured a variant of a Swift attack, hurling spikes of light at its dark opponent. Each hit chipped away at Sneasel's HP.
"Sneasel, Slash attack!"
Sneasel's sharp claws proved useful once again; it brought them to bear across Dragonair's lithe body. Dragonair did not so much as protest, and that made Jason proud.
But he also knew he needed humility for this match; he couldn't get overconfident. "Another Slam attack!"
"Quick Attack!"
Sneasel got in the first hit, smacking into Dragonair as it raced around the platform. Dragonair returned with equal force to knock Sneasel off its feet.
"Dragonair, Hyper Beam!"
A red-orange beam of pure energy boiled away at Sneasel's thick skin, pushing it across the platform as a hurricane would push a leaf.
Sneasel was down.
***
Adam grinned. His Eevee had managed to mop the deck with Sneasel rather easily, and he was looking forward to seeing what else this guy had in store.
"Your Eevee is strong," Mark admitted. "But can it withstand this?"
He tossed out another Ultra Ball.
Pinsir.
Adam raised his eyebrows, assessing the situation. Then he said, "Probably. But I'm not here to just win. I'm here to get my wish."
With that, he recalled Eevee and sent out the perfect opponent for Pinsir. "Go, Flareon! Flamethrower!"
Flareon was on the attack as soon as it took form, blasting liquid fire at its Grass-type opponent.
"Pinsir, Focus Energy!" Mark shouted.
The Pokemon withstood the Flamethrower attack, though it dealt a decent amount of damage. Pinsir's body took on a brassy sheen as it saved its power, presumably for Mark's next attack.
"Another Flamethrower!"
"Pinsir, Seismic Toss!"
This time, Pinsir got in the first attack, taking Flareon by its barbed horns and spinning it in circles. Flareon became dizzy, and Pinsir took that opportunity to slam in into the ground as hard as possible. The metal made a harsh *clang* that bounced off the hulls of the Astronomical and the Endgame, positioned on either side of the floating stadium.
Flareon struggled to get back up; the Seismic Toss had taken a good portion of its HP away.
But it faced Pinsir bravely, and with a growl, it blasted another stream of fire at its foe.
Pinsir took the full measure of the blast.
And it stayed up.
"Pinsir, Guillotine!" Mark shouted, apparently sensing an approaching victory.
But Adam wasn't finished. "Flareon, Fire Spin! Make yourself the center of the spin!"
Flareon didn't question the order. It had made such special dispensations before, realizing the strategy its master was employing. Adam didn't expect the Fire Spin to stop Pinsir from attacking; he was taking advantage of Pinsir's aggression and making sure that it would take damage, even if Flareon had to take it as well.
That's exactly what happened; Pinsir charged straight into the tower of flame and took damage even as it inflicted its own attack. Adam heard Flareon cry out as Pinsir's horns closed around its body, sensitive from the Seismic Toss, but he stared into the tower resolutely.
Moments later, the fire dissipated.
Flareon was down to its last HP.
But Pinsir had been taken down.
***
Jason resisted the urge to pump his arm in victory. Charizard had taken Pinsir down with relatively little damage to itself. The "switching" strategy he and Adam had agreed upon was paying off.
"Don't get too cocky, Mr. Creight," said Mark. "Otherwise you'll be drowned in your own overconfidence!"
He tossed his third Ultra Ball.
*A Kabutops? How did he get one of those?* Jason gawked at the long- extinct Pokemon for a moment, knowing that, comparatively speaking, there were only a handful of Kabutos in the world, and even less Kabutopses. *Must've been an archaeologist who took it to that lab at Cinnabar... or just an extremely lucky trainer.*
At any rate, Jason knew that he couldn't battle with Charizard against this one. "Charizard, come back!" *Hmm, I don't have any Grass types with me. Shame on me for that one. And it doesn't have a weakness to electricity, so don't use Ampharos yet... Gengar might be a good fighter, but I want to hold it in reserve...*
Jason made his choice. "Go, Gyarados!"
The huge leviathan that had been with Jason from the beginning entered the arena with a roar and a baleful stare at its shorter opponent.
"Kabutops, Slash attack!"
"Gyarados, Crunch!"
As Kabutops whipped in with its bladed extremities, Gyarados leaned forward and clamped its considerable jaws around its foe's thin, rocky form. There was an audible *crunch*ing noise, although the attack had little effect on Kabutops, as hard as its hide was. In total, it was a stalemate turn.
"Kabutops, Ice Beam!"
Kabutops began to concentrate on a point just away from its chest. That point began to gather blue-white energy, forming into a ball, contained ice energy just waiting to be released.
At the last moment, Jason shouted, "Mirror Coat!"
The beam flew on the word "coat," and Gyarados barely had time to defend itself before the attack hit.
But the Mirror Coat was erected in time.
The beam bounced straight back to its origin and shoved Kabutops violently backward.
"Cold?" Jason muttered, more to himself than to Kabutops. "We should warm you up. Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"
"Kabutops, Hydro Pump! Put those flames out!"
Blue fire crashed against blue water. The two were almost impossible to distinguish, and yet, at the same time, they were complete opposites.
The water pushed through the fire and blasted against Gyarados' body.
Gyarados barely paid attention to it.
"Another Crunch!"
"Ice Beam again!"
Gyarados lunged forth and caught Kabutops's midsection in its teeth. It crushed its jaws against Kabutops's body, intent on doing as much damage as possible, a requisite in all battles. The *crunch* was more pronounced than the first time; Kabutops was getting tired.
Kabutops chose that moment to strike its foe with its charging Ice Beam. The freezing energy wrapped around Gyarados and completely froze it.
But Gyarados still had hold of Kabutops.
"There's your chance! Slash!" Mark yelled.
Kabutops did so, and for all it was worth. It ripped into Gyarados as furiously as it could, trying desperately to get Gyarados to let up. But Gyarados remained firmly attached, and all Kabutops's antagonism seemed to do was make Gyarados bite down even harder.
The freezing effect let up a moment later, and Gyarados's tail flapped around shakily. It lifted Kabutops in the air and finally let go, allowing the Rock and Water-type Pokemon to drop to the ground.
"Gyarados, Hyper Beam!"
Gyarados emitted a flaring beam of red energy from its mouth, and the energy put Kabutops on the deck.
It stayed there.
***
Adam was no longer feeling so cocky. He'd used Espeon against Kabutops at first, which had seemed to work, but the Ice Beam attack had been effective on Espeon, and it only warmed up again when it was close to its final HP. Kabutops had knocked it out with its next attack. He'd revealed Umbreon then, and used it to take Kabutops down the rest of the way. It had been a taxing job.
But, on the other hand, half the match was overwith.
He had two faints to work with.
Meanwhile, Mark had lost three of his own Pokemon.
Mark wasn't being as cocky as before, either. The smirk on his face had been wiped off when Kabutops went down; apparently, that had been a trump card for him. He pulled out a fourth Ultra Ball. "Let's see if you can handle this!"
The ball revealed a Kingler. A strong-looking one.
Umbreon was obviously beginning to feel the burn of battling. Adam wanted to give it a few moments' rest, at least. And Kingler would be an easier Pokemon to deal with. "Umbreon, return! Go to it, Jolteon!"
Jolteon growled, ready to fight.
"Kingler, Crabhammer!"
"Jolteon, Thunder!"
Kingler was fast, Adam had to grant it that one; it was across the arena in a matter of three seconds, and it caught Jolteon in its left pincer almost too fast for Adam to track. It used its right pincer to bash down onto Jolteon's spiked body. Adam could hear the pincers make contact, and imagined it was rather painful for Jolteon.
But it wasn't nearly as painful as what Jolteon used to counter with. Its body crackled with static discharges, and it called forth a tower of lightning from the cloudy, early morning sky. The tower hit Kingler dead center, insinuating its effects beneath Kingler's tough shell and paralyzing it.
"Quick Attack, Jolteon!"
"Kingler, Harden!"
Kingler didn't have a chance to defend itself; Jolteon got in the hit, even as Kingler still stumbled from the effects of the Thunder attack. It was across the arena and back before Adam could even count to one.
Kingler belatedly increased its defenses by hardening its shell. The shell became more shiny than before.
"Kingler, Stomp!"
"Jolteon, another Thunder!"
Kingler moved faster than Adam would have thought possible, racing up to Jolteon and using its powerful legs to jump up and land directly on Jolteon's back.
Jolteon again called a tower of electricity onto Kingler, taking somewhat less effect because of Kingler's raised defense, but no less effective, in totality.
Kingler slumped over. It had been taken out.
***
Ampharos stood tall and proud, its skin marred somewhat by the cutting attacks of Kingler, but victorious over the Water-type Pokemon.
Mark was getting less cocky by the second. He pulled out a fifth Ultra Ball. "Take this!"
Scyther.
Jason knew that Ampharos, powerful though it was, would not be the best choice against this one. *But on the other hand, Scyther may have an unexpected move waiting for Charizard. Probably best to play around with it a little bit before changing.*
"Ampharos, Swift attack!"
Mark's eyebrows went up; apparently, he'd been expecting a shift to Charizard. Whatever was going through his mind, though, he chose not to divulge it. "Scyther, Double Team!"
Scyther had the faster move this time around, and multiple images of it appeared all around Ampharos.
But Swift had never failed for Ampharos. It fired glowing spikes all around, soon revealing the real Scyther and pummeling it with them.
"Ampharos, Thunder Punch!"
"Scyther, Swords Dance!"
Scyther began to spin around in place, its sword-like arms crossed in a defensive posture.
Ampharos raced up, sparks flashing over its clawed fist, and it pounded into Scyther for all it was worth.
And it was worth a considerable amount.
But Scyther, while it did lose HP, to its credit, didn't lose its balance, and continued to spin at a dizzying pace.
"Scyther, Slash!"
Scyther stopped spinning abruptly, and deftly brought its arms to bear across Ampharos's body. Ampharos protested this treatment, but it still took it with a measure of dignity; it didn't give any ground to its enemy.
"Ampharos, Solarbeam!"
Mark's eyes went wide. "Scyther, Double Team!"
Ampharos charged its head-mounted light as Scyther separated into multiple representations of itself.
Ampharos wasn't intimidated. Its head-light glowed bright, letting everyone in sight know that the attack was ready to be let loose.
And a moment later, it was. Ampharos swept its head back and forth, and the attack raked across the images. It speared three of them before hitting the real one, and Scyther screamed as the Solarbeam made it fly across the arena.
"Ampharos, Swift attack!"
"Scyther, Quick Attack!"
As Scyther charged forward, Ampharos called more glowing spikes into existence. They struck just as Scyther did.
Ampharos fell back.
And so did Scyther.
Ampharos struggled back to its feet. It was worn and tired and almost out of energy.
But Scyther stayed on the deck.
***
Jason and Adam had reached the final Pokemon.
Adam could lose two Pokemon to fainting and still gain his wish.
It was the same situation for Jason.
Mark revealed his final Pokemon of the match.
Scizor.
***
Jason's spirits rose when he saw the Steel-type Pokemon. *Weakness to fire. And Charizard's still ready to fight.*
"Ampharos, return! Let's get that wish, Charizard!"
Charizard looked eager to battle. Its intimidating roar served to confirm that.
"Scizor, Double Team!"
Jason shook his head. *Same as before.* "Charizard, Flamethrower! Sweep it across the images!"
Charizard complied, and Scizor was soon found out. It emitted a metallic screech at the flames heating its body.
"Charizard, Fly!"
Charizard took to the sky, hanging high above the arena.
"Scizor, Swords Dance!"
*He must not have evolved it too long ago. It still has Scyther's attacks,* Jason thought, as Charizard swept down to deal damage to its enemy.
"Fire Blast!"
"Steel Claw!"
Scizor's claw became even more rigid as it slammed into Charizard's midsection. Charizard grunted as it took the hit.
The "stick figure" symbol sprung into being and blasted its full measure into Scizor. Scizor screeched as the flames superheated its metal armor.
"We're not finished yet! Quick Attack!"
"Neither are we! Flamethrower!"
Charizard took a beating under Scizor's expert pummeling.
But Scizor took the worse beating under a sidewise column of fire.
Both combatants faced each other, neither willing to give in.
Charizard stared Scizor down, while Scizor looked defiantly up at its opponent.
And then...
Scizor fell.
***
Adam groaned. He had used just about the last of Flareon's energy to wipe Scyther out, and now Mark was revealing another Pokemon weak to fire. But Adam imagined it was stronger than Scyther, which had him in a bit of trouble.
*I'd better do what damage I can.* "Flareon, Fire Blast!"
"Scizor, Quick Attack!"
Scizor hit first and sent Flareon flying. Flareon barely held on to consciousness, and it had almost no energy left; it was down to its last PP for Fire Blast.
It made the most of it; the blast was super effective, washing over Scizor and burying it in fire.
Flareon looked almost sick, so starved was it for energy. Adam took pity on it. "Flareon, return!"
*What next? Espeon's out, Flareon's as good as out, Jolteon, Eevee, and Umbreon aren't exactly at their best... I haven't used Vaporeon yet. But I'd better save it, just in case...* "Go, Jolteon!"
"Scizor, Quick Attack!"
"Jolteon, Thunder!"
Again, Scizor got in the first attack, smacking into Jolteon with such force that Adam almost immediately began regretting having brought that one out. But the near-regret was pushed away when Jolteon's Thunder attack blasted into Scizor at full force. Sadly, Scizor was not as susceptible to electric attacks as Water-types were, but it still did a decent amount of damage.
"Scizor, Steel Claw!"
"Jolteon, Agility!"
Jolteon raced circles around Scizor as the Steel-type tried to hit its target. No success; the attack missed completely.
"Great job! Now use Swift!"
"Scizor, Pursuit!"
*Thinking ahead,* Adam thought, as Scizor attacked. Pursuit would do heavy damage to Jolteon if Adam pulled it out now.
He kept his mind on the match at hand. Jolteon called forth the glowing spikes of a Swift attack and fired them at Scizor. Each one struck it, making their own tiny *clank* noises. Scizor fell back, but stood up again.
And then both trainers made the same call.
"Quick Attack!"
"Quick Attack!"
Jolteon and Scizor met each other head-on with equal, brutal force. They both fell back to each other's attack, but both got to their feet again.
Adam kept pressing. "Jolteon, Agility!"
"Another Quick Attack, Scizor!"
Jolteon was undeterred by the hit, and it raced around the arena as it waited for its next order.
"Jolteon, Thunder!"
"One more Quick Attack!"
The Quick Attack missed this time, such was Jolteon's speed.
The Thunder attack did not miss, however. It hit Scizor dead-on, and Scizor fell back once more.
It was feeling it.
"Swift attack!"
"Steel Claw!"
Scizor powered through the spikes of the Swift attack and landed a devastating hit on Jolteon, knocking it across the arena. It landed limply, and stayed there.
Jolteon was down for the count.
Scizor was close, but not close enough.
Adam had only one more faint before reaching his limit.
"Jolteon, return! Go, Umbreon!"
The Dark-type stared Scizor down, its rings glowing bright.
"Umbreon, Faint Attack!"
"Scizor, Quick Attack!"
Scizor hit Umbreon with a decent strike, but Umbreon returned the favor a hundred times over with its own hit. It knocked Scizor back and to the deck.
Scizor stood up, but it was gasping for breath and its strength was almost out.
"Umbreon, Crunch!"
"Scizor, Steel Claw!"
Umbreon clamped its jaws on Scizor's leg and held on as Scizor beat it down with its claws. Scizor screeched as Umbreon bit deeper and deeper into its leg.
The pain overloaded Scizor's senses.
It began to slump down.
*And now for the grand finale.* "Umbreon, Quick Attack!"
Umbreon reared back, then crashed head-on into Scizor.
Scizor skidded across the metal stadium.
The shrieking of metal on metal brought goosebumps all over Adam's body.
The sound slowly faded into the morning.
Silence reigned over the sea.
Scizor remained where it stopped.
It didn't move.
It was knocked out.
And Adam had won.
Mark silently recalled Scizor to its Ultra Ball and looked up at Adam.
Adam took a deep, shuddering breath.
Surprisingly, a grin split Mark's face. "Congratulations, Mr. Sands. You've won the Atlantis League, and you've earned yourself a wish. What shall it be?"
***
"What do you wish, Mr. Creight?"
Jason stared straight into Mark's eyes. They no longer burned into his soul with their acidity. They only searched it for his answer. And he gave it. "I wish for Atlantis League Rule Thirty-Four to be rescinded, effective two days ago, never to be used again, nor replicated in a later revision of the rulebook."
Jason expected a fight of words. He expected some resistance.
Whatever he was expecting, he didn't get it.
All he got was a single nod from Mark.
"Very well. If it had been any more than one rule, we would have refused. We don't want trainers destroying our ways. However, you've requested a change in one rule, only. Your wish is granted. The rule will be rescinded. You will not be required to become part of the Atlantis League Gym Corps, nor will anyone else who has battled me and won. However, with the trophies you and your fellow trainers receive comes an open invitation to be part of it."
"And be restricted to a ship for the duration? No, thank you," said Jason.
"I understand. However, the offer does remain open. And the Atlantis League still has much to be seen, if you look hard enough." Mark smiled, and gestured toward the Endgame. "Your ride is waiting for you. When you depart this place, you will be awarded the Atlantis League trophy, and proof that your wish has been granted. And, as I understand, quite a celebration."
Jason grinned. "It's been an honor."
Mark extended his hand. Jason took it.
All of Jason's hostility dissolved in that handshake.
He patted his backpack, which hung securely on his wheelchair, left the platform, and boarded the Endgame.
***
Adam took a deep breath, remembering that the Astronomical's captain had announced Jason's victory and his wish.
"I wish for all Atlantis League gym leaders, present and future, to be allowed to leave the league if they should so desire, for as long as they desire. I wish for this option to be presented to them immediately."
Mark paused for a moment, then nodded once. "Very well. Your wish is granted. All future gym leaders will join the league of their own will. I imagine it will provide quite a variety." He smiled. "In the meantime, the Endgame awaits. Once you leave this place, you'll be awarded the Atlantis League trophy, and proof that your wish has been granted. There is also a celebration aboard; I doubt very much you will want to miss it."
Adam nodded. "Thank you."
Mark extended his hand, and Adam took it firmly.
Adam held no animosity toward Mark. Toward the league, perhaps, but not to Mark.
He rolled his shoulders, where his backpack hung securely. He left the platform and boarded the Endgame.
*We're going home. And Amanda is finally free.*
***
Jason saw Adam coming into the reception area of the Endgame. Adam had an exhausted look on his face, and he looked drenched in sweat, although the cold early morning of their battles had put Jason in his leather jacket and Adam in his overcoat.
Adam spotted Jason... and grinned.
Jason returned the expression, and he moved his wheelchair to meet Adam.
They warmly clasped hands.
"We did it," Adam said, his grin getting wider. "We actually did it."
"Yeah," said Jason. "And, good God, does it feel great to be finally finished with the league."
They both let out great sighs of relief.
"Well," said Adam, "I'm going to go find my quarters, drop my stuff off, and find this celebration Mark talked about."
"Yeah, it's something to see," Jason responded.
Jason Creight and Adam Sands, Atlantis League champions, made their way through the Endgame, and didn't look back.
***
Jason awakened once again, only two hours after the first time. It was still dark outside, although light was beginning to creep up over the horizon.
He didn't feel sleepy now, although he wouldn't have minded going back to his dreams again. Still, they were close to the Selto marina, where they had first left aboard the Colossal.
The celebration had been going on ever since the Endgame had pulled away from the platform. Trainers looking to party were partying, those looking to battle were battling, those looking to eat were eating, and those looking to sleep were snoring to their hearts' content.
He yawned, dug around in his backpack for some clothes, and found a gray T-shirt and blue jeans. He put them on, then got into his wheelchair and grabbed his PokeGear, PokeDex, and capture ball belt. He didn't actually expect to battle anyone, as he wasn't really in the mood, but he didn't see anything wrong in bringing his Pokemon to join in any festivities taking place.
He glanced down next to his backpack. There sat his Atlantis League trophy, customized to his specifications, as all had been. Sized gold representations of his team stood atop a black marble base, and a gold name plate was on the front of the base. It read simply:
Jason Creight
Atlantis League Champion
Also in the backpack was his proof that his wish had been granted: a revised rulebook, dated for the next league battles.
Jason smiled faintly, then left the room and made his way to the main hall, where trainers from far and abroad talked, joked, ate, and even battled. The battles were hardly the climactic struggles that inevitably broke out between a trainer and a gym leader; the hall wasn't big enough for the larger Pokemon that trainers here carried. No, the trainers aboard the Endgame wishing to battle participated in a tournament they jokingly referred to as the Half Pint League. Only Pokemon at skill levels of 10 and below were allowed, so their attacks wouldn't damage the ship. Trainers who didn't participate, or who lost in the tourney, spectated the matches, and a good time was had by all.
Adam had apparently chosen to participate in the Half Pint League, and he was doing well; from an original pool of 32, he'd managed to make his way to the Final 4 with a Wooper, a Gastly, and an Elekid.
Jason wheeled over to the table where the food resided, and got himself a bowl of oatmeal, mixing honey, strawberries, and bananas into it. Then he made his way back to a good spectator's post and watched the battling as he contentedly ate his breakfast.
It felt almost as if he were reaching a crossroads. He wasn't quite sure why that might be, but as he watched the tourney, he found himself getting bored. Disinterested. As if the battle didn't really matter, as if the Pokemon who battled didn't really matter.
*How can that be?* he thought, trying to maintain his interest. *I've lived with Pokemon all my life. Sure, the exhilaration of being around them has long since gone away, but how can I be getting bored watching a battle? Seeing trainers go at it, watching them as they sense their victory, as they try to get out of whatever rut they're stuck in...*
Still, the boredom was there. And it was manifesting itself quickly.
And suddenly, strangely... a thought entered his mind. A thought he had never believed he would end up thinking. It was there for only a moment or so, and then it flew away...
...but it had been there.
*What am I doing here?*
Jason couldn't believe it. He'd gone there to take his mind off some of the harder moments in his life, to try and get back into the spirit of battling for competition and not survival... he'd ended up fighting for his own salvation from a rule that other people had fallen to... he'd found a new friend and confidant...
And yet, there it was. For the briefest of moments, he had asked himself, "What am I doing here?"
It was one of the most unsettling thoughts he'd ever had. It implied that Pokemon battling was beginning to get old, that he needed to do something that didn't involve such...
*Violence. Barbarism.*
*Stop it!* he told himself. *This is the one thing I've managed to hold on to in my life!*
But he couldn't even bear to watch the battle anymore.
He moved away, and found an empty table. He placed his bowl there and kept his back turned.
***
Fifteen minutes later, Adam joined Jason at the table. He chuckled as he sat down. "I win a tournament, they don't even give me so much as a kewpie doll. Although I think they were taking a couple of bets as to who would win. At least my Pokemon got some experience."
Jason smiled faintly. "I suppose that's payment enough, eh?"
"If I plan to train them, yeah. And I do. My Eevee team is the best, but I also want the challenge of training new Pokemon. And it doesn't hurt for them to have experience in trainer battles like these."
Adam looked at Jason. "Something wrong? You seem a little down."
Jason shook his head. "I dunno, Adam. I've just been having some really weird thoughts lately. They're unsettling."
"Thoughts like what?"
"Well, I was watching the tournament for a little bit, when this random thought entered my head. It asked, 'What am I doing here?' And I thought it was ridiculous... I mean, I'm here for a lot of reasons, and good ones, in my opinion. But..."
"You're beginning to think battling is getting old, aren't you?"
Jason glanced up. "Is it that obvious?"
"No. It hits me sometimes. Sometimes it's easy to deal with, sometimes it's not. When I battle, and I'm in a mindset like that, I try to think of a reason that doesn't involve me. Otherwise it gets really boring, really fast. I think about the experience my Pokemon'll gain, and if there's a wager, I think about getting it and spending it to help my Pokemon training in some way or another. It's all about them, after all. You can't just do it for yourself."
"Maybe that's the problem, then," Jason said. "I went into the Atlantis League looking to take my mind off some things, and I ended up winning it for myself, because I didn't want to be stuck on a boat, fighting Pokemon for the rest of my life."
"Maybe it's that," Adam said, nodding. Then he shrugged. "Or maybe it's just because you feel worn out on it. You're tired of it, you feel that it's been a good haul, but now maybe it's time you might try doing something other than battling."
"Boy, you sure know how to cheer a guy up," Jason muttered.
Adam spread his hands wide. "Just being a realist." He sighed. "When we get back, take a break. Better yet, finish up your Johto League tour, then take a break. Go back to Pallet Town, work at Professor Oak's lab, like you did before. The call to train comes and goes. Maybe it'll come back, maybe it won't. But I can tell from that look on your face you're not feeling called to train right now. So get Johto overwith, and go home."
Jason smiled awkwardly. "I don't have a home."
"I figure you might call Pallet Town home. Home is where the heart is, and your heart happens to be with Professor Oak, Kelly, and Pokemon, all of which have chosen to reside there. I doubt if there'll be many people in Pallet Town who'll want to battle you, even for bragging rights."
Jason scoffed. "There aren't many people in Pallet Town, period."
"Exactly. So that's one place you know you won't be bugged. Anywhere else, they might ask you to become a gym leader or sign autographs or some such." Adam stood up. "Think about it, Jason. If you finish the Johto route, you'll have completed three Pokemon journeys. Surely that would be enough experience in battling to let you challenge the Elite Four."
"I could have challenged them when I finished the Indigo League."
"And now you're even better. You've taken on most of the Johto League and the entire Atlantis League, and you've made it. Finish Johto, challenge the Elite Four... if you defeat them, you'll be a certified Pokemon master. Then you won't need to go on any more journeys to prove yourself. The world will recognize you as one of the best. They'll ease up on you, and they'll let you live your own life."
Adam walked away. Over his shoulder, he added, "Maybe you will, too."
***
Two days later, the Endgame docked at the Selto marina. Jason and Adam gladly disembarked, finding themselves in the midst of a crowd of trainers who had both won and lost against Mark. It was a cool morning; they both wore their coats, and their backpacks were overstuffed with their trophies and personal effects.
Jason and Adam decided to take some time to peruse the marina, as lined as their pockets were with the money they'd won from the league. They didn't find anything that really piqued their interest, however.
They stopped at a local food court, where they bought candy bars and soda. As they ate, Jason said, "To prove my wish had been granted, I was given a rulebook for next season. It doesn't have the rule about being part of the Corps in it."
"Cool," said Adam, around a mouthful of candy.
The corner of Jason's mouth jerked upward a little bit, but it went back down as he asked, "Have you gotten any proof yet?"
Adam swallowed his candy and sighed. "No. But if you got proof, then I suppose I'll get mine soon enough."
Jason hesitated. "You want to see her, don't you?"
Adam sighed again and took a gulp of soda. "More than anything. If the wish came true, I know she'd have left the Gargantuan by now."
"You don't think she has?"
"I don't know what to think right now, Jason. I hope she's off that ship. She was so sad. All I wanted to do was take her away... get her away from the Atlantis League... help her..."
"And that's exactly what you did. If my wish came true, yours had to have come true as well."
"I hope so. For her sake."
There was a brief pause. Then Jason asked, "Do you think she might come here?"
"She might. She might not. She's always been the type to be spontaneous... as least, she was when I knew her. She might come here, she might go home to her family... I don't know."
Jason leaned back. "Tell you what. Let's go looking at some other stuff for a while... take our minds off the whole business. I think this place has got something I want to get. So I'm going to go look for that. You go on, and we'll meet back here at about four this evening. We'll head back to Cinnabar then."
Adam thought about this, then nodded. "Okay. Here at four."
For the moment, he and Jason parted ways.
***
Adam was rather glad he was wearing his overcoat; today was cooler than the days he, Jason, and Kelly had spent aboard the ships. Almost five months had passed them by. The rest of spring and most of summer were gone now, leaving them with the fall weather to contend with.
He went window shopping, looking at clothes, books, games, and the like. He also spied some specialized capture balls, which he found himself mildly interested in. He ended up buying several of those, as well as a guide to their enhanced performance.
He also found a recently published book of poetry, which he immediately bought. He was pleased to see that apparently, one of his own poems had gone into it.
"I think of nothing else from day to day
Than of how my friend has chosen her own way
She must follow her heart, her destiny
Her path lies before her, in its complexity
I hope that I may see her once more; her path I may tread
But will I find her, or her shadow instead?"
He snapped the book shut. *Perhaps it's not such a good thing that that one went in.*
He trod the wooden planks of the Selto marina, his head down, his overcoat and his clothes flapping slightly in the cold breeze. He barely noticed the people passing him by. The collar of his coat was raised up, hiding half his face from sidewise view. His hands were shoved deep into his overcoat's pockets.
The sun passed slowly overhead, less of a spectacle now than it had been during the height of the summer season; clouds also occupied the sky, diminishing the light of the sun across the otherwise beautiful panorama of the sea.
"Adam?"
His head came up.
He turned around slowly.
And there she was, standing not three meters away.
Large as life.
And as lost as a child.
Both of them stood where they were for a moment, neither saying a word, allowing the years to slowly evaporate between them until there was nothing left for them to hide behind.
The years melted away.
And all that was left was them.
Adam and Amanda rushed to each other. Embraced each other. Clung to each other, held by their own static electricity. Tears filled their eyes as they silently welcomed each other back.
She buried her face in his shirt, taking him in.
He held her close and stroked her head gently.
There was no need for words anymore.
***
Jason found what he was looking for, went on a search for useless things, found a couple of interesting items, and returned to the food court promptly at 4:00. He spotted Adam.
And he grinned when he spotted Adam's proof that his wish had come true.
He didn't even need to say anything. Adam said it for him.
"Let's go home."
Jason brought out his Charizard, while Adam called out a Pidgeot.
They took to the air.
No one looked back.
***
Jason landed at Cinnabar, but Adam and Amanda stayed in the air. Jason looked up. "So, where you off to now?"
"Back to Celadon City," Adam responded. "It's time to bring Amanda home. I've fulfilled my obligations. Now it's time to rest and relax. Maybe write a book." He grinned. "But keep in touch. I've had a great time with you guys. I'll try to make it to Pallet Town once in a while."
"You do that," Jason said.
Adam pointed a finger at Jason. "Finish the Johto League, and I guarantee I'll make the time."
Jason nodded. "You've got it."
Pidgeot slowly ascended, and Adam tossed off a final goodbye wave.
Jason knew their paths would cross again, perhaps sooner, perhaps later. But their paths would cross again.
He headed for the Pokemon Center, where he found Kelly waiting for him. She smiled. "Took your time, I see. Where's Adam?"
"He's gone home," said Jason.
Her expression became more somber. "Did he win? Did *you* win?"
"We did. And we were granted our wishes, too."
"What did he wish for?"
Jason smiled slightly. "A girl. And he got one."
Kelly frowned. "What?"
He chuckled. "Long story. But it's a good one. I'll tell you on the way back."
Still confused, she nodded and followed him out of the Pokemon Center.
"For now," he said, "let's go home."
He brought out Charizard once more, and he and Kelly climbed onto its broad back.
Charizard took flight.
Jason Creight held on.
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Jason went on to defeat the Johto League gym leaders, and he challenged the Elite Four. Unprepared and overconfident, he was defeated by Koga. Undeterred, he trained intensely for another month, returned, and fought the Elite Four again. He defeated all of them in a massive upset, then went on to battle Lance, whom he defeated in a nail-biter match held in secrecy. He became renowned as the world's first disabled Pokemon master, and returned to his research position at Professor Oak's side in Pallet Town. He has not yet made a decision concerning Dr. Kendrick's offer.
Kelly Shields stayed faithfully at Jason's side throughout his exploits in Johto, and likewise took up her old position at Professor Oak's lab.
Adam Sands returned to Celadon City, where both he and Amanda received a huge Welcome Back reception, organized by the mayor herself. He wrote several more poems, some of which have since been incorporated into books of international poetry. He also began work on a book about the lives of disabled trainers, traveling and gathering information on every one he could find.
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This is the end of a journey.
But not of *Against All Odds.*
