Disclaimer: *lands with a plop in Disclaimer Land* Where am I? *Reads a sign* Disclaimer Land? What the heck is that? *Mysterious voice: It's where you can choose or create your own disclaimers so people can't sue* Ok… then I guess I'll choose this one: If you think I own Pokemon, you belong in a insane asylum. *Mysterious voice: Paper or plastic?*

Always Competing


By: Ele

Ch. 6: Feelings Revealed


~ Orange Elite Quarters ~


"Ok guys," Drake said to the group of teenagers before him. "Here's the place you'll be staying in for the rest of your life. Make yourselves at home, and please try not to kill each other. I just had the carpet dyed white."

Emily laughed with the rest of the group, but noticed that Drake was looking straight at her and Mary. As the weeks flew by in the Orange Elite Pokemon Competition (OEPC), Emily and Mary had a few nasty encounters that nearly got them suspended from the battle. She knew that Drake wasn't very trilled of the idea of her and Mary living in the same house.

"Em, come on," Sarah Johnson said to her friend, nudging Emily out of her train of thought.

"Coming," Emily said, picking up her bag and following Sarah into the pretty two-story house next to the Pummelo Arena. Setting her bag down gently, Emily joined Sarah on the couch in front of a 28-inch TV.

"Couch potatoes," Mary said airily, flouncing past them towards the stairs.

Sarah made a face at Mary. Emily giggled softly. No one really liked Mary, especially not Sarah.

Sarah Johnson, with her cousin Jeramy Johnson, were the winners of the Indigo field. Sarah, with her pretty blue hair and eyes, had become a instant competitor with Mary in the looks department.

Ralph came downstairs to hear Emily talking to Sarah. "…and she just bribed him! I mean, I don't care about a stupid Moon Stone, I just wanted to battle with him!" Emily said.

Ralph saw Sarah shaking her head. "You know Em, you should have told Ralph earlier that you liked him."

"I know, but now it's too late. He probably likes Mary now," Emily said regretfully.

Ralph turned away, knowing the two girls hadn't seen him. I can't believe she likes me! He thought, suddenly furious with himself. Now I'll never get another chance…

~ Upstairs, boy's room ~

Ralph closed the door to the boy's room, plopped down on his bed, and buried his head into a pillow, not noticing that Jeramy and Tracey were in the room too.

"Uh Ralph? You ok?" Tracey asked hesitantly.

"No," Ralph's muffled voice said.

"Do you need anything?" Jeramy asked.

Ralph mumbled something.

"What?"

"I said, nothing."

Tracey smiled slightly. He knew what Ralph had said, which only confirmed his suspicions that Ralph liked Emily. It's so obvious that they liked each other. Too bad they're not battling together. If only something would happen that would cancel this competition, he thought.

Little did Tracey suspect, however, that Team Rocket had a plan to do that.

~ TR Headquarters ~

"Boss, everything's ready. We plan to strike first thing tomorrow morning," Cassidy said, standing in front of the VidPhone.

"Don't. Steal the Pokemon in the third match," Giovanni said.

"Why?"

"The competitors in the third match will have the strongest Pokemon, and that's what I want."

"Yes Boss," Butch said.

Giovanni chuckled to himself as he hung up. "Don't expect a bail this time."

~ Next morning ~

"Wake up Em!" Sarah yelled, throwing a pillow at her friend. Emily sat up sleepily and turned just as a pillow smacked her full force in the face.

Sarah tried to keep a straight face as she saw Emily fell backwards off the bed. "Are you ok?" she asked. After a moments silence, Sarah turned her back and began to walk out of the room.

"Ok, well I'm about to-" Sarah began to say before she got cut off by a barrage of pillows.

~ Downstairs ~

Emily skidded at the base of the stairs, slipped and crashed into a person. Dazed, she apologized to all 6 Ralphs.

"Sorry," Emily said. "Hey, there's 6 of you!"

Drake looked amused as Emily tried to stand up, only succeeding in falling down.

Sarah zipped into the kitchen and slid into a seat. "I won!" she declared, eyeing the spiral-eyed Emily being helped into her seat by Ralph.

"Cheater," Emily mumbled.

"Now that you're all here, some tardier than others," Drake said, "eat a good breakfast. All of you will need it for today's battles. Today we'll sort you into your levels. First match is Sarah and Jeramy against Ralph and Mary. The next match is Emily and Tracey against Sarah and Jeramy. The final match is the winner of the first match against the winner of the second match. If Sarah and Jeramy win both matches, then the final match is between the losers of the 1st and 2nd matches. Any questions?"

"Can we just be named as Level 1? I mean, it's obvious that we're going to be Level 1 anyway, so do we have to waste so much time?" Mary asked.

Drake frowned. "Yes, we do. I'll see you all at the Pummelo Arena in a half hour. Good luck."



A/N: Suspense………….Who will be Level 1? What will happen when TR strikes? Why am I so anti-Cassidy and Butch? Why do Ralph and Emily make such a good couple? Why is Microsoft Word being so screwy? I apologize for the funky spacing arrangement there….I swear, if I didn't love Microsoft Word so much (It IS the only typing program I have on my laptop)….I would have strangled it by now ^_^. I'm NOT a violent person…Send questions, comments, flames, whatever to misty102588@yahoo.com .