Jason Creight awoke to the sound of the fire alarm going off.
His eyes popped open instantly, and he was on full alert. Fires were to be taken seriously; the fire alarm wouldn't be going off if the Pokemon could control it, and because of Jason's condition, he had to be even more cautious.
His head whirled over to where Kelly lay. She, too, had awakened to the blaring noise, and she was looking at Jason in an almost fearful manner.
Jason pushed himself up and out of bed, into his wheelchair. There was no time for changing out of his pajamas; he and Kelly needed to get outside on the double. Kelly likewise rose from her bed and grabbed a pair of bathrobes for her and Jason; she knew that they had to go outside, and it was blistering cold this time of night.
But first, they needed to get all the Pokemon out of the building, and quickly. Especially the Grass types.
Jason moved his wheels as fast as he could, nearly falling backwards through his own intertia trying to overcome the momentum. He made his way down the hall and up another one, heading straight for the vault where all the Pokemon were kept.
*If I can get a couple of my bigger Pokemon to help me out...*
Kelly ran behind him; he could hear the pattering of her bare feet against the cold tiles of the floor.
They made it into the vault, and Jason reached his stockpile of filled capture balls. He chose two, and got Golem and Gengar.
*Perfect.* "Golem, Gengar, start getting all the Pokemon out of here! Grass types first!"
But Gengar's smile was fading. It seemed to sense something. "Gengar! Gen-Gengar!"
Jason frowned. "What is it?"
Gengar couldn't answer him verbally, but it could answer him mentally. It projected an image into Jason's mind... an image of the outside of the complex, where no half a dozen helicopters were hovering... men in black uniforms were descending from the copters on ropes, surrounding the complex... men with red R's on their uniforms...
Jason's eyes snapped open. He started grabbing capture balls at random, enlarging and tossing them, until he had about 20 Pokemon in the middle of the vault. "Gengar, is there actually a fire?"
"Gen-gar." Gengar shook its head.
"Jason, what is it?" Kelly asked.
"Team Rocket," he responded. "Lots of them. They're storming the lab. It was a false alarm to get everyone out of the complex. Whatever it is, my money says they want all the Pokemon in here, and we need the Pokemon out of their balls to protect it." He looked at his living armada. "Guard the vault at all costs!"
Collectively, they confirmed his order and began filing out of the vault, forming waves and stacking themselves on each other. Jason and Kelly continued to send Pokemon out of their capture balls, ordering them to protect the vault.
Jason glanced to his left and noticed another tray of Pokemon. It possessed only six capture balls in it, all of a class that Jason had never seen before. The upper half was purple, with a lavender oval on each side of the enlarger button. Directly above the button was a white M.
The tray had no identification on it, but a capture ball belt sat next to it. The belt was white, as opposed to standard black, the color given to modern trainers. And instead of the slots being directly on the belt, there were two strips on it that apparently were meant to hang down from the trainer's hips. Each strip had three capture ball slots. At the bottom of these strips were locking straps that seemed to be meant to encircle the legs, presumably for stability.
Jason looked at it for another moment, wondering whose it might be, but then chose not to swell on it and instead returned his focus to protecting the vault. He tossed another half dozen capture balls, then felt satisfied that the vault was secure, at least for the moment. From Gyarados to Gengar, Golem to Lanturn, Cloyster to Steelix... all of them waited for any opposition to come running down the hallway.
Jason and Kelly waited there for many tense moments. Kelly grabbed her upper arms and shivered. "I'm cold."
Jason also noticed that the air was getting rapidly colder. "Must be from the open doors."
The distant sounds of explosions and battle commands reached their ears. They looked at each other in hopelessness.
And they wondered how bad it was.
***
Adam had stayed up late that night, doing some late reading and writing. He had an idea for another book, but he wasn't sure exactly how he wanted to go about writing it...
That was when the fire alarm had started.
Instantly, Adam had shoved his notebook and pen into his backpack, donned his prosthetic legs and overcoat, thrown his backpack over his shoulders, and rushed out of his borrowed room. He moved as fast as he could up the hallway, turned right, and...
One of the lab assistants was standing on the right side of that hall. His hand was still on the fire alarm, and it was spraying purple ink all over his hand and arm.
Adam frowned. This didn't make sense. There was no fire in sight, and he couldn't smell any smoke. For someone to pull a fire alarm here would be sheer nonsense; there were alarm panels all over the complex.
The assistant, who had not spotted Adam, took his lab coat off and revealed a heavy black sweatsuit.
He reached into the pockets of the coat he'd just removed, and took out a pair of black gloves, a black beret, and a black mask.
Alarms not associated with fire went off in Adam's mind.
*Rocket grunt.*
The grunt began to stalk up the hallway, away from Adam. Adam took the opportunity to quickly pull a capture ball from his belt, and he sent out his Espeon. Espeon's neon energy form flew out of the ball, up the hall, and landed directly in front of the grunt. It solidified, and then it growled menacingly at its quarry.
"And what do you think you're doing?" Adam asked, moving toward the grunt.
The grunt glanced from Adam to Espeon, and back to Adam again. He glowered under his mask. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?!"
"Haven't you heard? There's a fire. Everyone needs to wake up and get moving," Adam responded. "What are you doing here?"
"Just a little hit-and-run," the grunt responded. "Nothing major."
"I'm sure," Adam responded. He stopped at arm's length of the grunt. "And what's the heist? The vault, I suppose?"
The grunt grinned evilly. "I guess you got me all figured out, don't you?"
Adam smiled insincerely... then his fist shot out suddenly, and with lightning speed, flying directly for the grunt's belly.
The grunt never saw it coming. He keeled over coughing, but Adam grabbed him by his sweatshirt, brought him up, and shoved him against the nearest wall.
"You couldn't possibly be stupid enough to do this alone, could you?" Adam growled, his nose a centimeter away from the grunt's.
"You... bet... I ain't," the grunt wheezed, winded from the punch.
"How many others?"
The grunt didn't respond at first. Adam pressed him harder against the wall. "How many?!"
"Too many for you to handle."
Adam whirled, and he saw at least half a dozen Rockets, apparently come to back up their comrade. Their leader was a taller man wearing an open black overcoat, its tails hanging at his ankles, with a Rocket uniform underneath. However, he did not wear a beret; instead, he wore a ski mask whose eyeholes had been covered by a visor with reflective surfacing. And his uniform top was slightly different, as well; the red R across the front was in a different font, its edges sharper and... more threatening, somehow.
Adam envisioned the man smiling underneath his mask.
"I'll give you five seconds to start running," the leader advised.
"Forget it," Adam retorted. "My Pokemon can take you losers on any day."
"Wrong," said the leader. With that, he pulled out a capture ball of a class Adam didn't recognize. The top was yellow, and a wide black rectangle in the center stretched across to either side. Just above the enlarger button was a yellow H. Its bearer simply held the bottom of the ball, and the top opened on its own.
It revealed a Rhydon.
Adam shook his head. "Easy. Vaporeon, go!"
As soon as Adam called out his water Pokemon, a grunt tossed another Pokemon into the "field". It was an Electabuzz.
Adam shrugged, though he didn't have a Pokemon that had stepped-up defense against Electric-type attacks. He called out Espeon.
Another grunt threw in a Slowbro.
Adam responded with Umbreon.
The leader began ordering attacks, as did the grunts.
Adam was in trouble, and he knew it. He only had six Pokemon, and among the Rockets, they could have as many as thirty-six. Forty-two, counting the grunt he'd just clobbered.
So he gave the only order he could. "Everyone, attack at will!"
***
He woke up to the alarm with a start. He'd barely gotten two hours' sleep; he didn't like being constantly awakened.
He sighed, turned to the psychic Pokemon standing next to the door, and asked, "What's happening out there?"
The Pokemon continued to stare into space, but at the same time, it projected an image for him. He saw it clearly in his mind's eye... and his temper flared.
*He'll never learn.*
He struggled to get his clothes on, not bothering with his lab coat, and said, "I'm going to the vault. Try to keep anyone from passing you."
The Pokemon kept staring.
***
The sounds of battle were becoming more intense. Jason looked at Kelly as he realized who it was that was battling, and the opposition he was against. Kelly realized it the same instant, and they knew they had to do something.
"He's in trouble," Jason said. "He can't fight that many people at once, not even with his skills."
"I know," she responded. "We have to help. My Pokemon are back in our room, but I need you to come with me in case we run into anyone."
He nodded gravely, quickly selecting a team of six. The two of them moved past the Pokemon guarding the vault and headed for their room.
***
Moments after Jason and Kelly had vacated the area, he made his way up the hallway to the vault. He was pleased, though not surprised, to see that many of Jason's Pokemon were standing patient watch in front of the door. All of them recognized him and moved aside just enough to let him in, though their gazes did not shift from the hall.
He quickly took the white belt, strapped it on, and inserted each of the six Master balls into the according slots. He then took other capture balls that had been left alone, enlarged them, tossed them, and told their occupants, "Just in case Jason's Pokemon can't make it, I need you in here to stand watch."
They acknowledged his request and took defensive stances.
He moved out of the vault and down the hall with determination in his stride and fire in his soul.
*Bring it on, Giovanni.*
***
Adam was seriously outnumbered. His Pokemon, while having done an excellent job so far, were beginning to wear out, and they wouldn't last very much longer. The leader had revealed the strongest Pokemon so far, and even with Vaporeon, Rhydon absolutely refused to go down.
Also, the grunts were getting frustrated and they had started throwing in two at a time. Now it was Adam's six to the Rockets' fifteen, and it wasn't getting any better.
And the leader hadn't revealed any of his other Pokemon. He just seemed content to sit back and watch.
Infuriating.
To make matters worse, Adam hadn't been expecting a battle with anyone, much less six people at once, and he had traded Eevee for Pidgeot in order to get to Pallet Town faster.
Suddenly...
Every single Rocket standing in front of Adam, and all of their Pokemon, flew across the lobby as if hit by a massive concussive blast. They smashed out the front doors and landed in a crumpled heap.
Adam was amazed. Only a psychic Pokemon of extreme skill could have accomplished such a feat, and his Espeon, while a powerful Pokemon, was not nearly up to the task.
*Does Jason have any Pokemon that powerful?* Adam didn't want to put it past the paraplegic Pokemon master, but then again, from what Adam had seen, it seemed rather unlikely.
Still, he wasn't about to argue the point. He took off his backpack and took out a package of max revives. "Everyone, come get healed!"
His Pokemon quickly obeyed.
***
Jason and Kelly had made it back to their room, and Kelly had insisted on putting on some clothes. She knew, as Jason did, that it would do her no good to battle if the elements were to bother her. She quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a gray sweatshirt.
Jason, meanwhile, had put on a T-shirt and his leather coat, and was struggling a pair of pants on when Kelly finished dressing. She clipped her capture ball belt into place, then said, "Come on, Jason, let's go!"
Jason didn't feel like getting caught with his pants down--literally-- but he understood the necessity of speed. "Just push me, Kelly, we'll make it!"
Kelly complied, taking his wheelchair's handlebars and pushing him quickly through the hallways. In Jason's opinion, they made better time than they might have if he'd spun the wheels himself...
They heard a massive explosion, followed by a horrendous screeching of metal on metal.
Their hearts stopped as the thought that they might be too late passed through their minds.
Abruptly, two rough hands grabbed the back of Kelly's sweatshirt and threw her across the floor. She emitted a sharp, piercing shriek as she hit the floor hard and skidded.
As Jason twisted around in his chair to find Kelly's attacker, those same hands grabbed his handlebars and shoved him down the hall.
Jason pulled desperately at his brakes, but before he could stop himself, his front wheels turned sharply to the right and he crashed into the wall. His forehead smacked into it, and, dizzied, he slumped back in his chair, his head ringing.
Another Rocket grunt took advantage of his predicament, rushed up, and toppled his wheelchair. Jason grunted in protest as the chair clattered to the ground, and his ribcage bounced uncomfortably against the armrest.
The grunt yanked Jason completely out of his chair and kicked the titanium frame down the hallway. Kelly screamed again.
He grabbed for one of his capture balls and threw it blindly.
Jason's Slowbro emerged and was immediately on the attack. It used its developed psychic powers to immobilize the bold grunt, lift him off the ground, and send him flying into his partner down the hall. Both grunts skidded across the floor, groaning at the counterattack.
"Kelly! You all right?" Jason called out.
She groaned incoherently.
"Kelly?" Jason pushed himself up just enough to see her. She was lying on the floor, and she wasn't moving.
"Kelly!"
She muttered something he couldn't hear.
"Slowbro, help me back into my chair!"
But before Slowbro could comply, another Rocket grunt came running down the hallway. He tossed a capture ball silently, revealing a Hypno. The Hypno attacked Slowbro with a devastating Psybeam, and Slowbro stumbled back. With its inconvenient habit of being an amnesiac, it forgot all about Jason, returned the attack, and a battle was on.
"Damn!" Jason muttered.
Yet a fourth grunt came around a corner at the other end of the hall and approached Kelly. Jason saw him and yelled, "Stay away from her, you low-life!"
The grunt ignored Jason and looked down at Kelly. "My, my, my. A damsel in distress. Why don't I rescue her?"
He picked her up and began pulling her out of the hall by her wrists. She struggled.
He slapped her across the face, then threw her to the floor again.
She screamed again. A scream of agony.
"Damn! Damn it all to hell!" Jason pulled out his remaining capture balls and tossed them all. One by one, Magcargo, Rapidash, Azumarill, Jynx, and Sandslash entered the fray. Jynx threw the grunt back with a psychic blast, and Magcargo and Rapidash created a doubled Fire Spin, trapping the grunt within a tower of flame.
"Jynx!" Jason called despairingly.
Jynx knew immediately what Jason wanted, and it wasn't going to stop him. It lifted him off the floor and flung him in the grunt's direction. It kept him just above the ground as he came to a halt in front of the inferno. He could hear the grunt begging for mercy within.
"Azumarill!"
Azumarill used a Water Gun attack to hose down the fire. The floor was charred and blackened from the Fire Spin.
Jason didn't care.
Jynx let Jason fall on top of the grunt.
Jason grabbed the grunt's neck and began squeezing with all his might.
He wanted to choke the life out of the man who'd dared hurt Kelly.
The grunt grabbed Jason's forearms, trying futilely to break free. He even shoved a knee between Jason's legs, but Jason's paralysis, as well as his rage, allowed him to totally disregard it.
After a few tense moments, the grunt gave up on it, his face turning purple. He finally slugged Jason in the stomach.
Jason's stomach muscles were already flexed and rock-solid, but enough of the hit slipped past his guard to make him relent just a fraction.
Jason shouted, and bashed the grunt's head on the floor.
He had solid force behind him, after all the years he'd spent using his arms to move himself around.
The grunt groaned and slipped away into unconsciousness.
At that moment, the grunt on the other end of the hall saw just how badly his comrade had been beaten, and he took a couple of steps back.
Jason's hate-filled eyes locked on him.
The grunt stepped back even more and recalled his Pokemon.
He began to run.
"*Get him!*" he shouted.
All six of his Pokemon answered the order...
The remaining grunt soon joined his other three comrades on the cold tiles.
Jason breathed heavily, trying to reclaim his grasp on reality from the red haze that had an iron grasp on him.
He saw Kelly still lying there, her chest rising and falling steadily.
Slowbro chose that moment to remember Jason's last instruction to it-- help him back into his chair--and sent the chair to Jason, righting it along the way. It then lifted Jason gently into it, knowing that he was enraged and that simply dropping him into it would not be the best option.
Jason sighed, rested his right elbow on his armrest, and ran his fingers through his short brown hair, still trying to regain his self- control. Shakily, he breathed in and out and looked up and down the hall.
There were very distant sounds of action, but none here.
He moved to Kelly's side. Her eyes were closed, but there was no peace on her face; she was in severe pain.
"Kelly," he uttered softly.
She gasped loudly. "Jason... my ankle..."
"Which one?"
"L-left..."
"Jynx."
Jynx moved to Jason's side.
"Is Kelly's ankle broken?"
It paused a moment, then said, "Jynx," and shook its head.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Sprained, then. Can you take her to the hospital? She'll still need to be treated. And get Officer Jenny while you're at it." He glanced down at the four grunts littering the hall. "I imagine she'll want to talk to these gentlemen."
At that moment, Jason heard Gyarados roar. A second later, he heard the shriek of an energy blast. Moments after that, the sound of rushing water reached his ears, as well as the shouts of several surprised--and undoubtedly bedraggled--Rocket grunts.
Jason almost grinned. *Yeah. They're doing fine on their own.*
***
Adam and his Pokemon rushed through the shattered entrance to find out what had happened to the Rockets and their leader.
They were trying to find the source, as well. They looked all about themselves in confusion. But to their dismay, they could find nothing and no one out of the ordinary... besides Adam and his Pokemon.
The leader growled and advanced on Adam.
Suddenly, three other lab assistants exited the building. None of them were Jason or Kelly, but all of them bore full capture belts of Pokemon, and all three of them had determination in their faces.
Adam knew that Jason and Kelly weren't the only former trainers to work for Oak. Other assistants here had been, as well. *These must be some of them. Glad they're here.*
And they looked to be out for blood.
They tossed their capture balls...
And a massive battle was on.
The terrain swarmed with Pokemon attacking each other, then moving on to the next enemy. Adam's own Pokemon were no exception, diving right into the combat and letting loose a furious assault on their attackers. The air was alive with energy and flying extremities.
Adam finally took to fighting two of the grunts, while the other three trainer/assistants chose their targets.
The leader still refused to reveal his second Pokemon, and his Rhydon, as stubborn as its master, still wasn't hitting the ground.
Adam knew the man had to be smiling behind that mask. Nor was it hard to find out why. His single Pokemon wasn't down yet, while Adam's Pokemon, as well as most of the Pokemon belonging to the other trainers, had been revealed, giving him a perfect advantage against them.
Even in the titanic power struggle, Adam somehow managed to hear his PokeGear ringing. He hit the "CALL" button. "What?!"
It was Jason. "Adam, where are you?"
"Outside the lobby! Get out here!"
The line went dead, and Adam knew that his reinforcements weren't exhausted yet.
That gave him hope... and determination.
***
Jason wheeled out to the lobby, surveying the damage to the glass doors.
"Jeez..." he muttered. "Looks like a war zone."
And from the spikes of light illuminating the front desk, it looked like the war was still raging.
Jason mentally rubbed his hands together in anticipation, while in reality he wheeled himself out the entrance.
There, Adam and three lab assistants that had once been Pokemon trainers were battling half a dozen Rocket invaders. One of them was clothed differently, different enough that Jason suspected he was their leader.
He immediately released his Pokemon. He had sent Jynx off to take care of Kelly and replaced it with Quagsire.
His Pokemon, eager to join the battle, rushed into the wild fight.
Jason didn't even try to direct their attacks. They were smart enough that they knew which attacks would work best on which Pokemon.
He smelled smoke, and glanced to his left. Nearby, the wreckage of a helicopter smoldered.
*That must've been the noise Kelly and I heard,* Jason thought. *Could it have been brought down? Maybe by a Pokemon one of the others has?*
He didn't care, either way... it was one less getaway vehicle. Which meant more people Officer Jenny could arrest... if she ever got here.
*Then again,* he thought, as he turned back to the frenzied battle, *she's probably never seen anything like this. Doubtful if she could actually be of much help with only a Growlithe.*
Gradually, the energy beams, special attacks, and even the claws, fists, and feet began to slow down, as all of the involved Pokemon started wearing out. Even the leader's Rhydon was seeming to feel it, although it was still attacking the defenders' Pokemon with all it had.
But the leader stood calmly beside his desperate men, his gloved hands in the pockets of his flapping overcoat.
One of the grunts turned to the leader. "Boss, we may not be outnumbered, but we're outgunned! They're wearin' us down! We gotta get out of here before the cops come when we're down!"
The leader snorted and ignored his minion for a moment. Then he nodded. "Very well. Recall your Pokemon and take your leave. I will deal with these pests myself."
The grunts all gratefully returned their Pokemon and raced away.
The leader stepped forward, calm and collected. He addressed all of the trainers. "You've interfered with the wrong man. And it will be your final mistake."
He began to give Rhydon its orders...
"*STOP!*"
Everyone, even the leader, whirled and faced the complex entrance, where a lone figure stood. Shadows hid his features, and his dark maroon shirt and black pants blended with the night.
But his white belt stood out.
He waved the trainers and their tired Pokemon aside.
Amazed, the trainers and Pokemon obeyed the wave and stepped well away from the leader and his Rhydon.
"You speak of final mistakes. Yours was coming here in the first place."
The leader stepped forth. "You dare threaten me?"
"I don't threaten." The dark figure's smile was evident in his speech. "I promise."
"And you believe you have a chance against me?"
"You won't move an inch closer until you move me out of the way. And you won't move me out of the way until you defeat me in battle. And you'll never do that, because you can't. You don't have the heart of a trainer... you have the heart of a conqueror. Your day is done."
"Rhydon, Horn Drill attack!" the leader roared.
Rhydon charged forward, ready to gore the challenger on its drill-bit of a horn.
The challenger calmly removed a purple capture ball from his belt, enlarged it, and tossed it lazily.
The neon flash from the ball brightened the challenger's features for a moment, and the trainers saw the challenger's face.
They weren't sure what to deny more readily... who the challenger was, or what the Pokemon was.
The ball revealed a Pokemon that had once been thought extinct.
"Aerodactyl, Seismic Toss!" Professor Oak shouted.
Rhydon was six five four three meters from Oak, its heavy body unstoppable. It was sure to ram straight through the professor without slowing...
Aerodactyl, the fearsome Rock-type flying Pokemon, swept down on its huge wings and clamped onto Rhydon's shoulders...
And lifted it into the air as if it were a feather.
Rhydon's legs were still moving when it was ten meters in the air, not fully comprehending what was happening.
Aerodactyl broke the ice by putting Rhydon into a dizzying spin in midair until Rhydon literally didn't know which ways up and down were.
To finish the move, Aerodactyl held Rhydon firmly in its grip as it flew headlong for the ground.
When Rhydon hit, it penetrated the concrete and the hard dirt below it by more than two meters.
The move knocked Rhydon out.
The leader snorted as he returned his Pokemon. "Rhydon was worn down, anyway. You won't be so lucky this time." He tossed another of his strange capture balls. "Nidoqueen, go!"
Oak shook his head. "Aerodactyl, return! Go, Arcanine!"
"Nidoqueen, Body Slam!"
"Arcanine, Fire Blast!"
Arcanine's attack struck far before Nidoqueen's ever did. The "stick figure" symbol was much brighter and more powerful than even Jason or Adam had seen from their own Pokemon, and they were entranced by this one.
It flew and struck Nidoqueen dead center.
Nidoqueen went down.
The leader growled. "Nidoqueen, return! Go, Kingler!"
"Arcanine, return! Dragonite!"
Jason and Adam's jaws dropped about a meter below the ground at this revelation; Oak actually had a Dragonite of his own?
Even the leader seemed shaken by this. "Kingler, Crabhammer!"
"Dragonite, Thunder attack!"
Again, Oak's Pokemon was faster than the leader's could ever have hoped to be... the tower of lightning sizzled down onto Kingler's tough shell before it could even prepare for its attack.
"Kingler, return!" The leader stood for a moment, his hands shaking in rage and frustration. His enemy had him exactly where he had never wanted to be... on the run.
Oak smiled slightly. "I told you. You can't defeat me. Best you start running before I start chasing you."
The leader howled at the night sky in anger.
Oak suddenly moved forward with a quickness that none of the trainers had ever seen in him. He stepped straight up to the leader and ripped off his ski mask, and with it his visor.
The trainers couldn't see the leader's face.
But Oak could.
"You listen to me very... very carefully," Oak whispered. "If you ever... *ever* even *think* about pulling this sort of thing again... here or anywhere else... you won't survive the thought. As it is, you won't survive the media coverage when you go to prison. Believe me when I say I'll be enjoying every minute of it."
"Don't count your eggs before they hatch," Giovanni responded. He grinned. "Persian, come on out!"
Another neon bolt revealed Giovanni's favorite Pokemon, and it hissed at Oak.
Oak didn't back down, though he knew that Giovanni would be long gone before the police ever arrived. "I know you've threatened Jason with whatever you think you know. You'll keep that to yourself, or I'll personally make sure you don't have a reason to keep it. Nor any other earthly possession of yours."
"Cheap words," Giovanni responded. "We'll meet again, Professor. Persian, Teleport!"
Giovanni and his Persian disappeared in a flash of light.
Oak glanced down at his feet, where he'd dropped the mask. *If he left it behind, we can get DNA off it that'll be his...*
The mask was nowhere in sight, to say nothing of where Oak had dropped it. He sighed. *He must've slipped his foot into it and taken it with him.*
His shoulders slumped, and he turned around and trudged back toward the complex.
The trainers rushed up to him in awe. Adam was the first to get words out. "Professor... that was amazing!"
"Absolutely amazing," Jason breathed in agreement.
Oak stared sadly at the entrance to the lab complex. "Yes, but look what it cost us."
The entrance was completely demolished. Glass shards were strewn everywhere, and the metal frames for the doors were bent and ripped apart.
"We'll have to rebuild," one of the trainer assistants agreed. He smiled. "But that should be no problem with the collective riches of your assistants."
"Gen-gar."
A Gengar floated down from the sky and came to rest in midair directly in front of Oak. "Gar."
Oak smiled faintly. "I wondered where you went. Thank you for getting those thugs out of my lab, Gengar." He pulled out another Master ball from his belt. "Return."
"Why didn't you tell us you had such Pokemon with you, Professor?" another trainer asked.
Oak glanced at him. "Because I'm not a Pokemon trainer anymore. These are among the Pokemon that wished to stay with me, and I allowed them to stay. You've seen some of my Pokemon day after day... you just never knew they were mine." He looked at the group of awe-struck trainers. "They were my best team. They are now my only team. I trust you with them... and I implore you, never tell anyone else that they belong to me."
The trainers all nodded solemn affirmation. They would keep the secret.
Oak and the trainers re-entered the complex and awaited the police, who were just down the road now.
Jason and Adam exchanged looks of wonderment.
Oak had, almost single-handedly, reversed a hopeless situation by doing something he'd sworn he would never do again.
All for their protection. And the protection of the Pokemon.
*What a story we'll have to tell Kelly,* Jason thought.
But for now...
Jason Creight waited on.
To Be Continued
His eyes popped open instantly, and he was on full alert. Fires were to be taken seriously; the fire alarm wouldn't be going off if the Pokemon could control it, and because of Jason's condition, he had to be even more cautious.
His head whirled over to where Kelly lay. She, too, had awakened to the blaring noise, and she was looking at Jason in an almost fearful manner.
Jason pushed himself up and out of bed, into his wheelchair. There was no time for changing out of his pajamas; he and Kelly needed to get outside on the double. Kelly likewise rose from her bed and grabbed a pair of bathrobes for her and Jason; she knew that they had to go outside, and it was blistering cold this time of night.
But first, they needed to get all the Pokemon out of the building, and quickly. Especially the Grass types.
Jason moved his wheels as fast as he could, nearly falling backwards through his own intertia trying to overcome the momentum. He made his way down the hall and up another one, heading straight for the vault where all the Pokemon were kept.
*If I can get a couple of my bigger Pokemon to help me out...*
Kelly ran behind him; he could hear the pattering of her bare feet against the cold tiles of the floor.
They made it into the vault, and Jason reached his stockpile of filled capture balls. He chose two, and got Golem and Gengar.
*Perfect.* "Golem, Gengar, start getting all the Pokemon out of here! Grass types first!"
But Gengar's smile was fading. It seemed to sense something. "Gengar! Gen-Gengar!"
Jason frowned. "What is it?"
Gengar couldn't answer him verbally, but it could answer him mentally. It projected an image into Jason's mind... an image of the outside of the complex, where no half a dozen helicopters were hovering... men in black uniforms were descending from the copters on ropes, surrounding the complex... men with red R's on their uniforms...
Jason's eyes snapped open. He started grabbing capture balls at random, enlarging and tossing them, until he had about 20 Pokemon in the middle of the vault. "Gengar, is there actually a fire?"
"Gen-gar." Gengar shook its head.
"Jason, what is it?" Kelly asked.
"Team Rocket," he responded. "Lots of them. They're storming the lab. It was a false alarm to get everyone out of the complex. Whatever it is, my money says they want all the Pokemon in here, and we need the Pokemon out of their balls to protect it." He looked at his living armada. "Guard the vault at all costs!"
Collectively, they confirmed his order and began filing out of the vault, forming waves and stacking themselves on each other. Jason and Kelly continued to send Pokemon out of their capture balls, ordering them to protect the vault.
Jason glanced to his left and noticed another tray of Pokemon. It possessed only six capture balls in it, all of a class that Jason had never seen before. The upper half was purple, with a lavender oval on each side of the enlarger button. Directly above the button was a white M.
The tray had no identification on it, but a capture ball belt sat next to it. The belt was white, as opposed to standard black, the color given to modern trainers. And instead of the slots being directly on the belt, there were two strips on it that apparently were meant to hang down from the trainer's hips. Each strip had three capture ball slots. At the bottom of these strips were locking straps that seemed to be meant to encircle the legs, presumably for stability.
Jason looked at it for another moment, wondering whose it might be, but then chose not to swell on it and instead returned his focus to protecting the vault. He tossed another half dozen capture balls, then felt satisfied that the vault was secure, at least for the moment. From Gyarados to Gengar, Golem to Lanturn, Cloyster to Steelix... all of them waited for any opposition to come running down the hallway.
Jason and Kelly waited there for many tense moments. Kelly grabbed her upper arms and shivered. "I'm cold."
Jason also noticed that the air was getting rapidly colder. "Must be from the open doors."
The distant sounds of explosions and battle commands reached their ears. They looked at each other in hopelessness.
And they wondered how bad it was.
***
Adam had stayed up late that night, doing some late reading and writing. He had an idea for another book, but he wasn't sure exactly how he wanted to go about writing it...
That was when the fire alarm had started.
Instantly, Adam had shoved his notebook and pen into his backpack, donned his prosthetic legs and overcoat, thrown his backpack over his shoulders, and rushed out of his borrowed room. He moved as fast as he could up the hallway, turned right, and...
One of the lab assistants was standing on the right side of that hall. His hand was still on the fire alarm, and it was spraying purple ink all over his hand and arm.
Adam frowned. This didn't make sense. There was no fire in sight, and he couldn't smell any smoke. For someone to pull a fire alarm here would be sheer nonsense; there were alarm panels all over the complex.
The assistant, who had not spotted Adam, took his lab coat off and revealed a heavy black sweatsuit.
He reached into the pockets of the coat he'd just removed, and took out a pair of black gloves, a black beret, and a black mask.
Alarms not associated with fire went off in Adam's mind.
*Rocket grunt.*
The grunt began to stalk up the hallway, away from Adam. Adam took the opportunity to quickly pull a capture ball from his belt, and he sent out his Espeon. Espeon's neon energy form flew out of the ball, up the hall, and landed directly in front of the grunt. It solidified, and then it growled menacingly at its quarry.
"And what do you think you're doing?" Adam asked, moving toward the grunt.
The grunt glanced from Adam to Espeon, and back to Adam again. He glowered under his mask. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep?!"
"Haven't you heard? There's a fire. Everyone needs to wake up and get moving," Adam responded. "What are you doing here?"
"Just a little hit-and-run," the grunt responded. "Nothing major."
"I'm sure," Adam responded. He stopped at arm's length of the grunt. "And what's the heist? The vault, I suppose?"
The grunt grinned evilly. "I guess you got me all figured out, don't you?"
Adam smiled insincerely... then his fist shot out suddenly, and with lightning speed, flying directly for the grunt's belly.
The grunt never saw it coming. He keeled over coughing, but Adam grabbed him by his sweatshirt, brought him up, and shoved him against the nearest wall.
"You couldn't possibly be stupid enough to do this alone, could you?" Adam growled, his nose a centimeter away from the grunt's.
"You... bet... I ain't," the grunt wheezed, winded from the punch.
"How many others?"
The grunt didn't respond at first. Adam pressed him harder against the wall. "How many?!"
"Too many for you to handle."
Adam whirled, and he saw at least half a dozen Rockets, apparently come to back up their comrade. Their leader was a taller man wearing an open black overcoat, its tails hanging at his ankles, with a Rocket uniform underneath. However, he did not wear a beret; instead, he wore a ski mask whose eyeholes had been covered by a visor with reflective surfacing. And his uniform top was slightly different, as well; the red R across the front was in a different font, its edges sharper and... more threatening, somehow.
Adam envisioned the man smiling underneath his mask.
"I'll give you five seconds to start running," the leader advised.
"Forget it," Adam retorted. "My Pokemon can take you losers on any day."
"Wrong," said the leader. With that, he pulled out a capture ball of a class Adam didn't recognize. The top was yellow, and a wide black rectangle in the center stretched across to either side. Just above the enlarger button was a yellow H. Its bearer simply held the bottom of the ball, and the top opened on its own.
It revealed a Rhydon.
Adam shook his head. "Easy. Vaporeon, go!"
As soon as Adam called out his water Pokemon, a grunt tossed another Pokemon into the "field". It was an Electabuzz.
Adam shrugged, though he didn't have a Pokemon that had stepped-up defense against Electric-type attacks. He called out Espeon.
Another grunt threw in a Slowbro.
Adam responded with Umbreon.
The leader began ordering attacks, as did the grunts.
Adam was in trouble, and he knew it. He only had six Pokemon, and among the Rockets, they could have as many as thirty-six. Forty-two, counting the grunt he'd just clobbered.
So he gave the only order he could. "Everyone, attack at will!"
***
He woke up to the alarm with a start. He'd barely gotten two hours' sleep; he didn't like being constantly awakened.
He sighed, turned to the psychic Pokemon standing next to the door, and asked, "What's happening out there?"
The Pokemon continued to stare into space, but at the same time, it projected an image for him. He saw it clearly in his mind's eye... and his temper flared.
*He'll never learn.*
He struggled to get his clothes on, not bothering with his lab coat, and said, "I'm going to the vault. Try to keep anyone from passing you."
The Pokemon kept staring.
***
The sounds of battle were becoming more intense. Jason looked at Kelly as he realized who it was that was battling, and the opposition he was against. Kelly realized it the same instant, and they knew they had to do something.
"He's in trouble," Jason said. "He can't fight that many people at once, not even with his skills."
"I know," she responded. "We have to help. My Pokemon are back in our room, but I need you to come with me in case we run into anyone."
He nodded gravely, quickly selecting a team of six. The two of them moved past the Pokemon guarding the vault and headed for their room.
***
Moments after Jason and Kelly had vacated the area, he made his way up the hallway to the vault. He was pleased, though not surprised, to see that many of Jason's Pokemon were standing patient watch in front of the door. All of them recognized him and moved aside just enough to let him in, though their gazes did not shift from the hall.
He quickly took the white belt, strapped it on, and inserted each of the six Master balls into the according slots. He then took other capture balls that had been left alone, enlarged them, tossed them, and told their occupants, "Just in case Jason's Pokemon can't make it, I need you in here to stand watch."
They acknowledged his request and took defensive stances.
He moved out of the vault and down the hall with determination in his stride and fire in his soul.
*Bring it on, Giovanni.*
***
Adam was seriously outnumbered. His Pokemon, while having done an excellent job so far, were beginning to wear out, and they wouldn't last very much longer. The leader had revealed the strongest Pokemon so far, and even with Vaporeon, Rhydon absolutely refused to go down.
Also, the grunts were getting frustrated and they had started throwing in two at a time. Now it was Adam's six to the Rockets' fifteen, and it wasn't getting any better.
And the leader hadn't revealed any of his other Pokemon. He just seemed content to sit back and watch.
Infuriating.
To make matters worse, Adam hadn't been expecting a battle with anyone, much less six people at once, and he had traded Eevee for Pidgeot in order to get to Pallet Town faster.
Suddenly...
Every single Rocket standing in front of Adam, and all of their Pokemon, flew across the lobby as if hit by a massive concussive blast. They smashed out the front doors and landed in a crumpled heap.
Adam was amazed. Only a psychic Pokemon of extreme skill could have accomplished such a feat, and his Espeon, while a powerful Pokemon, was not nearly up to the task.
*Does Jason have any Pokemon that powerful?* Adam didn't want to put it past the paraplegic Pokemon master, but then again, from what Adam had seen, it seemed rather unlikely.
Still, he wasn't about to argue the point. He took off his backpack and took out a package of max revives. "Everyone, come get healed!"
His Pokemon quickly obeyed.
***
Jason and Kelly had made it back to their room, and Kelly had insisted on putting on some clothes. She knew, as Jason did, that it would do her no good to battle if the elements were to bother her. She quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a gray sweatshirt.
Jason, meanwhile, had put on a T-shirt and his leather coat, and was struggling a pair of pants on when Kelly finished dressing. She clipped her capture ball belt into place, then said, "Come on, Jason, let's go!"
Jason didn't feel like getting caught with his pants down--literally-- but he understood the necessity of speed. "Just push me, Kelly, we'll make it!"
Kelly complied, taking his wheelchair's handlebars and pushing him quickly through the hallways. In Jason's opinion, they made better time than they might have if he'd spun the wheels himself...
They heard a massive explosion, followed by a horrendous screeching of metal on metal.
Their hearts stopped as the thought that they might be too late passed through their minds.
Abruptly, two rough hands grabbed the back of Kelly's sweatshirt and threw her across the floor. She emitted a sharp, piercing shriek as she hit the floor hard and skidded.
As Jason twisted around in his chair to find Kelly's attacker, those same hands grabbed his handlebars and shoved him down the hall.
Jason pulled desperately at his brakes, but before he could stop himself, his front wheels turned sharply to the right and he crashed into the wall. His forehead smacked into it, and, dizzied, he slumped back in his chair, his head ringing.
Another Rocket grunt took advantage of his predicament, rushed up, and toppled his wheelchair. Jason grunted in protest as the chair clattered to the ground, and his ribcage bounced uncomfortably against the armrest.
The grunt yanked Jason completely out of his chair and kicked the titanium frame down the hallway. Kelly screamed again.
He grabbed for one of his capture balls and threw it blindly.
Jason's Slowbro emerged and was immediately on the attack. It used its developed psychic powers to immobilize the bold grunt, lift him off the ground, and send him flying into his partner down the hall. Both grunts skidded across the floor, groaning at the counterattack.
"Kelly! You all right?" Jason called out.
She groaned incoherently.
"Kelly?" Jason pushed himself up just enough to see her. She was lying on the floor, and she wasn't moving.
"Kelly!"
She muttered something he couldn't hear.
"Slowbro, help me back into my chair!"
But before Slowbro could comply, another Rocket grunt came running down the hallway. He tossed a capture ball silently, revealing a Hypno. The Hypno attacked Slowbro with a devastating Psybeam, and Slowbro stumbled back. With its inconvenient habit of being an amnesiac, it forgot all about Jason, returned the attack, and a battle was on.
"Damn!" Jason muttered.
Yet a fourth grunt came around a corner at the other end of the hall and approached Kelly. Jason saw him and yelled, "Stay away from her, you low-life!"
The grunt ignored Jason and looked down at Kelly. "My, my, my. A damsel in distress. Why don't I rescue her?"
He picked her up and began pulling her out of the hall by her wrists. She struggled.
He slapped her across the face, then threw her to the floor again.
She screamed again. A scream of agony.
"Damn! Damn it all to hell!" Jason pulled out his remaining capture balls and tossed them all. One by one, Magcargo, Rapidash, Azumarill, Jynx, and Sandslash entered the fray. Jynx threw the grunt back with a psychic blast, and Magcargo and Rapidash created a doubled Fire Spin, trapping the grunt within a tower of flame.
"Jynx!" Jason called despairingly.
Jynx knew immediately what Jason wanted, and it wasn't going to stop him. It lifted him off the floor and flung him in the grunt's direction. It kept him just above the ground as he came to a halt in front of the inferno. He could hear the grunt begging for mercy within.
"Azumarill!"
Azumarill used a Water Gun attack to hose down the fire. The floor was charred and blackened from the Fire Spin.
Jason didn't care.
Jynx let Jason fall on top of the grunt.
Jason grabbed the grunt's neck and began squeezing with all his might.
He wanted to choke the life out of the man who'd dared hurt Kelly.
The grunt grabbed Jason's forearms, trying futilely to break free. He even shoved a knee between Jason's legs, but Jason's paralysis, as well as his rage, allowed him to totally disregard it.
After a few tense moments, the grunt gave up on it, his face turning purple. He finally slugged Jason in the stomach.
Jason's stomach muscles were already flexed and rock-solid, but enough of the hit slipped past his guard to make him relent just a fraction.
Jason shouted, and bashed the grunt's head on the floor.
He had solid force behind him, after all the years he'd spent using his arms to move himself around.
The grunt groaned and slipped away into unconsciousness.
At that moment, the grunt on the other end of the hall saw just how badly his comrade had been beaten, and he took a couple of steps back.
Jason's hate-filled eyes locked on him.
The grunt stepped back even more and recalled his Pokemon.
He began to run.
"*Get him!*" he shouted.
All six of his Pokemon answered the order...
The remaining grunt soon joined his other three comrades on the cold tiles.
Jason breathed heavily, trying to reclaim his grasp on reality from the red haze that had an iron grasp on him.
He saw Kelly still lying there, her chest rising and falling steadily.
Slowbro chose that moment to remember Jason's last instruction to it-- help him back into his chair--and sent the chair to Jason, righting it along the way. It then lifted Jason gently into it, knowing that he was enraged and that simply dropping him into it would not be the best option.
Jason sighed, rested his right elbow on his armrest, and ran his fingers through his short brown hair, still trying to regain his self- control. Shakily, he breathed in and out and looked up and down the hall.
There were very distant sounds of action, but none here.
He moved to Kelly's side. Her eyes were closed, but there was no peace on her face; she was in severe pain.
"Kelly," he uttered softly.
She gasped loudly. "Jason... my ankle..."
"Which one?"
"L-left..."
"Jynx."
Jynx moved to Jason's side.
"Is Kelly's ankle broken?"
It paused a moment, then said, "Jynx," and shook its head.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Sprained, then. Can you take her to the hospital? She'll still need to be treated. And get Officer Jenny while you're at it." He glanced down at the four grunts littering the hall. "I imagine she'll want to talk to these gentlemen."
At that moment, Jason heard Gyarados roar. A second later, he heard the shriek of an energy blast. Moments after that, the sound of rushing water reached his ears, as well as the shouts of several surprised--and undoubtedly bedraggled--Rocket grunts.
Jason almost grinned. *Yeah. They're doing fine on their own.*
***
Adam and his Pokemon rushed through the shattered entrance to find out what had happened to the Rockets and their leader.
They were trying to find the source, as well. They looked all about themselves in confusion. But to their dismay, they could find nothing and no one out of the ordinary... besides Adam and his Pokemon.
The leader growled and advanced on Adam.
Suddenly, three other lab assistants exited the building. None of them were Jason or Kelly, but all of them bore full capture belts of Pokemon, and all three of them had determination in their faces.
Adam knew that Jason and Kelly weren't the only former trainers to work for Oak. Other assistants here had been, as well. *These must be some of them. Glad they're here.*
And they looked to be out for blood.
They tossed their capture balls...
And a massive battle was on.
The terrain swarmed with Pokemon attacking each other, then moving on to the next enemy. Adam's own Pokemon were no exception, diving right into the combat and letting loose a furious assault on their attackers. The air was alive with energy and flying extremities.
Adam finally took to fighting two of the grunts, while the other three trainer/assistants chose their targets.
The leader still refused to reveal his second Pokemon, and his Rhydon, as stubborn as its master, still wasn't hitting the ground.
Adam knew the man had to be smiling behind that mask. Nor was it hard to find out why. His single Pokemon wasn't down yet, while Adam's Pokemon, as well as most of the Pokemon belonging to the other trainers, had been revealed, giving him a perfect advantage against them.
Even in the titanic power struggle, Adam somehow managed to hear his PokeGear ringing. He hit the "CALL" button. "What?!"
It was Jason. "Adam, where are you?"
"Outside the lobby! Get out here!"
The line went dead, and Adam knew that his reinforcements weren't exhausted yet.
That gave him hope... and determination.
***
Jason wheeled out to the lobby, surveying the damage to the glass doors.
"Jeez..." he muttered. "Looks like a war zone."
And from the spikes of light illuminating the front desk, it looked like the war was still raging.
Jason mentally rubbed his hands together in anticipation, while in reality he wheeled himself out the entrance.
There, Adam and three lab assistants that had once been Pokemon trainers were battling half a dozen Rocket invaders. One of them was clothed differently, different enough that Jason suspected he was their leader.
He immediately released his Pokemon. He had sent Jynx off to take care of Kelly and replaced it with Quagsire.
His Pokemon, eager to join the battle, rushed into the wild fight.
Jason didn't even try to direct their attacks. They were smart enough that they knew which attacks would work best on which Pokemon.
He smelled smoke, and glanced to his left. Nearby, the wreckage of a helicopter smoldered.
*That must've been the noise Kelly and I heard,* Jason thought. *Could it have been brought down? Maybe by a Pokemon one of the others has?*
He didn't care, either way... it was one less getaway vehicle. Which meant more people Officer Jenny could arrest... if she ever got here.
*Then again,* he thought, as he turned back to the frenzied battle, *she's probably never seen anything like this. Doubtful if she could actually be of much help with only a Growlithe.*
Gradually, the energy beams, special attacks, and even the claws, fists, and feet began to slow down, as all of the involved Pokemon started wearing out. Even the leader's Rhydon was seeming to feel it, although it was still attacking the defenders' Pokemon with all it had.
But the leader stood calmly beside his desperate men, his gloved hands in the pockets of his flapping overcoat.
One of the grunts turned to the leader. "Boss, we may not be outnumbered, but we're outgunned! They're wearin' us down! We gotta get out of here before the cops come when we're down!"
The leader snorted and ignored his minion for a moment. Then he nodded. "Very well. Recall your Pokemon and take your leave. I will deal with these pests myself."
The grunts all gratefully returned their Pokemon and raced away.
The leader stepped forward, calm and collected. He addressed all of the trainers. "You've interfered with the wrong man. And it will be your final mistake."
He began to give Rhydon its orders...
"*STOP!*"
Everyone, even the leader, whirled and faced the complex entrance, where a lone figure stood. Shadows hid his features, and his dark maroon shirt and black pants blended with the night.
But his white belt stood out.
He waved the trainers and their tired Pokemon aside.
Amazed, the trainers and Pokemon obeyed the wave and stepped well away from the leader and his Rhydon.
"You speak of final mistakes. Yours was coming here in the first place."
The leader stepped forth. "You dare threaten me?"
"I don't threaten." The dark figure's smile was evident in his speech. "I promise."
"And you believe you have a chance against me?"
"You won't move an inch closer until you move me out of the way. And you won't move me out of the way until you defeat me in battle. And you'll never do that, because you can't. You don't have the heart of a trainer... you have the heart of a conqueror. Your day is done."
"Rhydon, Horn Drill attack!" the leader roared.
Rhydon charged forward, ready to gore the challenger on its drill-bit of a horn.
The challenger calmly removed a purple capture ball from his belt, enlarged it, and tossed it lazily.
The neon flash from the ball brightened the challenger's features for a moment, and the trainers saw the challenger's face.
They weren't sure what to deny more readily... who the challenger was, or what the Pokemon was.
The ball revealed a Pokemon that had once been thought extinct.
"Aerodactyl, Seismic Toss!" Professor Oak shouted.
Rhydon was six five four three meters from Oak, its heavy body unstoppable. It was sure to ram straight through the professor without slowing...
Aerodactyl, the fearsome Rock-type flying Pokemon, swept down on its huge wings and clamped onto Rhydon's shoulders...
And lifted it into the air as if it were a feather.
Rhydon's legs were still moving when it was ten meters in the air, not fully comprehending what was happening.
Aerodactyl broke the ice by putting Rhydon into a dizzying spin in midair until Rhydon literally didn't know which ways up and down were.
To finish the move, Aerodactyl held Rhydon firmly in its grip as it flew headlong for the ground.
When Rhydon hit, it penetrated the concrete and the hard dirt below it by more than two meters.
The move knocked Rhydon out.
The leader snorted as he returned his Pokemon. "Rhydon was worn down, anyway. You won't be so lucky this time." He tossed another of his strange capture balls. "Nidoqueen, go!"
Oak shook his head. "Aerodactyl, return! Go, Arcanine!"
"Nidoqueen, Body Slam!"
"Arcanine, Fire Blast!"
Arcanine's attack struck far before Nidoqueen's ever did. The "stick figure" symbol was much brighter and more powerful than even Jason or Adam had seen from their own Pokemon, and they were entranced by this one.
It flew and struck Nidoqueen dead center.
Nidoqueen went down.
The leader growled. "Nidoqueen, return! Go, Kingler!"
"Arcanine, return! Dragonite!"
Jason and Adam's jaws dropped about a meter below the ground at this revelation; Oak actually had a Dragonite of his own?
Even the leader seemed shaken by this. "Kingler, Crabhammer!"
"Dragonite, Thunder attack!"
Again, Oak's Pokemon was faster than the leader's could ever have hoped to be... the tower of lightning sizzled down onto Kingler's tough shell before it could even prepare for its attack.
"Kingler, return!" The leader stood for a moment, his hands shaking in rage and frustration. His enemy had him exactly where he had never wanted to be... on the run.
Oak smiled slightly. "I told you. You can't defeat me. Best you start running before I start chasing you."
The leader howled at the night sky in anger.
Oak suddenly moved forward with a quickness that none of the trainers had ever seen in him. He stepped straight up to the leader and ripped off his ski mask, and with it his visor.
The trainers couldn't see the leader's face.
But Oak could.
"You listen to me very... very carefully," Oak whispered. "If you ever... *ever* even *think* about pulling this sort of thing again... here or anywhere else... you won't survive the thought. As it is, you won't survive the media coverage when you go to prison. Believe me when I say I'll be enjoying every minute of it."
"Don't count your eggs before they hatch," Giovanni responded. He grinned. "Persian, come on out!"
Another neon bolt revealed Giovanni's favorite Pokemon, and it hissed at Oak.
Oak didn't back down, though he knew that Giovanni would be long gone before the police ever arrived. "I know you've threatened Jason with whatever you think you know. You'll keep that to yourself, or I'll personally make sure you don't have a reason to keep it. Nor any other earthly possession of yours."
"Cheap words," Giovanni responded. "We'll meet again, Professor. Persian, Teleport!"
Giovanni and his Persian disappeared in a flash of light.
Oak glanced down at his feet, where he'd dropped the mask. *If he left it behind, we can get DNA off it that'll be his...*
The mask was nowhere in sight, to say nothing of where Oak had dropped it. He sighed. *He must've slipped his foot into it and taken it with him.*
His shoulders slumped, and he turned around and trudged back toward the complex.
The trainers rushed up to him in awe. Adam was the first to get words out. "Professor... that was amazing!"
"Absolutely amazing," Jason breathed in agreement.
Oak stared sadly at the entrance to the lab complex. "Yes, but look what it cost us."
The entrance was completely demolished. Glass shards were strewn everywhere, and the metal frames for the doors were bent and ripped apart.
"We'll have to rebuild," one of the trainer assistants agreed. He smiled. "But that should be no problem with the collective riches of your assistants."
"Gen-gar."
A Gengar floated down from the sky and came to rest in midair directly in front of Oak. "Gar."
Oak smiled faintly. "I wondered where you went. Thank you for getting those thugs out of my lab, Gengar." He pulled out another Master ball from his belt. "Return."
"Why didn't you tell us you had such Pokemon with you, Professor?" another trainer asked.
Oak glanced at him. "Because I'm not a Pokemon trainer anymore. These are among the Pokemon that wished to stay with me, and I allowed them to stay. You've seen some of my Pokemon day after day... you just never knew they were mine." He looked at the group of awe-struck trainers. "They were my best team. They are now my only team. I trust you with them... and I implore you, never tell anyone else that they belong to me."
The trainers all nodded solemn affirmation. They would keep the secret.
Oak and the trainers re-entered the complex and awaited the police, who were just down the road now.
Jason and Adam exchanged looks of wonderment.
Oak had, almost single-handedly, reversed a hopeless situation by doing something he'd sworn he would never do again.
All for their protection. And the protection of the Pokemon.
*What a story we'll have to tell Kelly,* Jason thought.
But for now...
Jason Creight waited on.
To Be Continued
