Disclaimer: I have no right to profit from Pokémon, so I don't. The idea for this story comes from Farla, author or co-author of about 66 stories; the one that inspired me was her '2BA Master'.

Author's Note: This fic isn't actually anti-trainer. It's just anti-badge. Also, this is slightly based on Game canon, and slightly based on TV canon. Mostly, it's my dimension. So it may not conform exactly.

Defenders of the Badge

Part Two: For and Against

Occasionally we watch Giovanni's Gym battles from chambers above the gym, as he does, as part of our training. But our chambers have bars of reinforced steel, and are soundproofed from the arena, so the challenging trainers cannot hear us roar.

There are six of us - Dugtrio, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Rhydon, Donphan, and I. I am a Rhyhorn. We change often, however. Most gymleaders face a problem of retiring their old Pokémon, when they reach a level too high for that set by the Gym. Giovanni doesn't; we only live for the time it takes to gain a few levels, and he is always training replacements.

Today it was Nidoqueen fighting below us in the arena. She was against a Jumpluff, and was alternating Poison Sting with Body Slam - usually a devastating combo against grass/anything types. But the Jumpluff was unusually agile, and had used Cotton Spore well in the beginning of the match.

Nidoqueen's Body Slam seemed unable to connect, but her Poison Stings hit every now and again. She tried other moves as Giovanni commanded them - but failed... in every one.

Growing desperate at her failure, she lunged too far, too desperately, and tripped hard with her arm under her. There was a crack that made us, watching, begin to keen, fearing for the Badge - for Nidoqueen had clearly damaged the plates on her left arm, and would be unable to battle.

We shot jealous glances at each other, wondering who would be chosen next to defend the badges; but as Nidoqueen was carried out by Team Rocket medics, none of us was called down.

A new door began to slide open, one we had never seen opened before.

A strange creature emerged in futuristic armour, its head and arms unusually protected. And we all felt a strange feeling of gratitude and relief - broadcasted by the badges, reflecting Giovanni's confidence - in that the Badge would be protected.

It was. The new Pokémon regarded the Jumpluff, which ran towards it, and suddenly a blue cloud formed around the Jumpluff that was the same shade as the growing light in the Pokémon's eyes. The Jumpluff was hurled to the ground ten metres away. It didn't get up. The next challenger was disposed of just as easily, and Giovanni's strange creature withdrew.

"What was that?" demanded the trainer, her hand over the Pokéballs containing her defeated Pokémon.

Giovanni laughed. "Your Pokédex is clearly not equipped to handle my champion," he said offhandedly. "Perhaps you should upgrade it." The trainer stared at him, then stalked out of the gym.

We were relaxing, bathing in relief. With a Pokémon like that to defend the Badge, it barely mattered if we lost or won. The badges would be safe from now on.

Giovanni picked up our body language as he glanced at us.

"Mewtwo will not usually be able to fight for the Gym," he told us, amused.

A shiver went through us and we straightened, tense again.

v v v

There was something, however, in Mewtwo's attitude that I didn't like when I was faced with it in the daytime. Giovanni set us against him as part of our training, and although we eagerly attacked and defended, he pushed us aside with effortless... boredom.

Boredom. The badges set off alarm bells in my brain. Boredom - meant that Mewtwo didn't care, wasn't loyal to the badges. He might let them slip - not defend them, not keep them close to the gym. He might betray us.

"Who are you, Mewtwo?" I snarled, pushed by alarm.

He looked surprised and alerted. Perhaps because none of us had spoken before, and perhaps because of the nature of the question.

"I am Mew... two," he said enigmatically into our heads, and he stared at his paws.

"What are you doing here, in Giovanni's gym?"

"Fighting... you, you pitiful weak little Pokémon."

"Giovanni would not keep us if we were weak. We have to defend the Badge," Dugtrio said warily with all of her three mouths.

"The badges," said Mewtwo, an odd light in his eyes - not the blue one, something else. "They make you quite pathetic... you give all your power to Giovanni, so you have none left of your own. It doesn't really matter what I say to you, since you're Giovanni's slaves."

"Not the slaves of Giovanni..." Nidoking hissed. "We serve the Badge..."

Nidoking was far down the road to insanity. In my badge-mind, I thought distantly that he would soon be useless.

"I serve no one," said Mewtwo, coolly. "Giovanni and I are partners, and by his training I will grow stronger... strong enough to claim all my powers and fill all my potential... of control." He smiled.

"Partners," I spat. "You wear his chains. The only difference between us and you is the Badge."

"It makes all the difference," said Mewtwo, his eyes gleaming.

v v v

I came to the conclusion that Giovanni understood Mewtwo well enough, and since the wishes of the badges and of Giovanni were in effect the same, Giovanni would keep Mewtwo from betraying the Badge. There was enough uncertainty, however, to keep me eager in my training. If Mewtwo failed, one of us would have to fight. Giovanni never fought one-on-one battles.

But Mewtwo seemed to showed too much pride to ever let himself lose.

v v v

It was an odd kind of time. Giovanni's attitude was no different, so the Badges exerted the same force on us. But we were confused by Mewtwo – whether we could count on him, whether we should hate him.

It wasn't thus a very good time to be thinking about how to escape the badge, but that is a cowardly excuse, because it was never a very good time to plan rebellion.

There were several possible ways of getting out of the control of the badges.

One was to destroy them. The effect on us would be unpredictable – but at least no other Pokémon would be enslaved by them again. But how? They were manufactured away from the gym; we didn't know where.

And with Mewtwo here, it would be more difficult than ever even to damage the badges within the gym.

Another way was to change my own mind so that I was no longer controlled by the badges. After considering this for a long time, I had given it up. The badges were too well designed. They fed on struggle.

Finally, to change the badges themselves so that they didn't work the right way on us. This was what I generally thought about.

But even if all this was accomplished, there would still be Giovanni to deal with. And he was the Badge's master.

v v v

In order to think of escape plans, I have to consider exactly how the badges work. It's horribly simple.

Each of the Earth Badges is 'owned' by and keyed to Giovanni, which means that they control all Pokémon that he officially trains. They broadcast his wishes and translate them into commands we can understand and follow.

A Pokémon who isn't trained by an owner of an Earth Badge doesn't feel the mental force at all. It's only when they come under the Earth Badge that they become tuned into the frequency.

At night, we pity the Pokémon whose trainers have won badges that day. But sometimes we envy them too. One badge isn't designed to drive Pokémon mad. We could handle one badge, we think, its powers shared among a team of six.

We, who suffer under a thousand.

Thanks everyone! Those who have noticed: no, my fic does not run quite true to any Pokémon canon.