Chap. 7--The Mountain League

Yuugi and Matt Gated directly to the Mountain League. Upon reaching the Pokemon World, they saw, to their great surprise, Benjamin! His Guardian partner, Bikaymon, sat on his shoulder; Bikaymon was a Dark- Digimon resembling a dark-gray bowling ball with large bat-like wings, bird- like legs, and a face. Next to Benjamin were to very unusual people Yuugi didn't recognize.

One was Miaka, a girl from the underwater Coral Leagues. Her people dwelt in the sea, and although their proportions were humanoid, they had some similarities to fish. They could easily be mistaken for mermaids at a distance, but in truth they had both legs and tails, just as they had both gills and lungs. They were usually a deep shade of blue, and wore only minimal clothing for ease in the water.
A row of spines ran down Miaka's back, and fins stuck out at her elbows and knees. Where a human would have only the internal tailbone, Miaka had a muscular, finned tail that ran from her pelvis to her feet. Her head was smooth, with fin-like appendages coming from behind her tiny ears, and her nose was flatter and narrower than a human's. Her golden eyes were elongated and set at a slant, able to see equally well both above and below water. Miaka's feet were shorter and broader than a humans, and although she could walk on them, they were clearly designed for swimming. Between her fingers and toes were loose webs of skin, to increase the force of a stroke underwater. In all, she looked quite odd.
The tribes of Miaka's people were nearly always in conflict with the Equinox Islanders, who mistrusted them for their appearances.

Beside Miaka stood an equally strange girl, although she was more human in appearance. In fact, she was almost unnoticeable because she was so ordinary. Her hair color was hard to define, as were the colors of her clothing; at first glance they seemed gray, but a second look would show that they had faint tints of color. She was like a shadow on a bright day, ready to disappear at any moment.

As Yuugi and Matt approached, the group turned. Benjamin, his keen senses always on alert, relaxed slightly when he saw that the approaching people were allies. "Yuugi! What are you doing here?"

Yuugi smiled brightly. "I could ask you the same question. How can you be here, exactly when I need you?"

Matt looked confused. "Wait...why are you here, Ben? And who're your friends?"

Benjamin looked at Matt, face serious as usual. "I came because your people are in terrible danger. These are my allies," he added, gesturing slightly to his two friends without giving their names.

Miaka rolled her eyes, used to Benjamin's Darkling mannerisms. "I'm Miaka, this is Rana. We're here 'cause Benjamin could probably use some help--it is our World, after all."

Matt nodded to Miaka, whom he had already met, then turned to Rana. "Hello, Rana. Nice to meet you." Matt stretched his hand forward to shake with Rana, but his hand passed through her! Matt stared at her for a second, then hit himself in the head. "Oh...you're from the Shadow League, aren't you?"

Rana, as far as they could tell from her lack of color, blushed. "I'm still working on my physical manifestation. My full name is Ranahamara, but I guess you can call me Rana for short. I live here--or at least, I would if those damn Mountain League idiots weren't around."

Rana scowled. Her people and those of the Mountain League had long uneasy with each other, for the same reasons that Miaka's people the Equinox Islands were. Both were hated for something they could not control: their species. Benjamin could sympathize with them, and they with him. This was one of the reasons that they were such good friends.

Benjamin turned back to Matt. "We've told you our purpose here; what brings you to the mountains?"
Matt looked at Yuugi. "Maybe you'd better tell them..."

Yuugi hastily began to explain. "Well...it's a long story. When we got separated, I met up with some Clanners. Then I got captured by Chaos, then I got rescued, but my friend Vice is in trouble, so now I'm here to get half of a key by entering the Mountain League."

After this much-abridged version of Yuugi's journey, Rana scoffed. "You? Beat the Mountain League? Yeah, right! You're just one more pathetic human thinking you're something special. Get lost, kid."

Miaka rounded on her. "Rana! Be nice. It's not his fault that he's human."

Benjamin, leaving them to argue, turned to Yuugi. "She's right, you know. You're not a Pokemon trainer, and I don't know if you'd be able to defeat the Mountain League Champion, even if you did get all of the necessary Gym Badges. Yuugi, your friends are my friends; I'll help beat the Mountain League and get that half of a key!"

Matt grinned. "I knew you'd be on our side. Come on; we should go register for the League." All five started for the laboratory of Professor Spruce, organizer of the Mountain League and Mountain Pokemon expert.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Professor Spruce, although an expert in all things concerning her beloved mountains, knew little about the rest of the Pokemon World. Thus, she was very surprised to see such an unusual group come walking through her door. Three of them appeared to be human; little did she know that only two of them were basically human, and none of them were even close to normal. Two Guardians, Matt, and two highly questionable native species (and a spirit, although the Professor didn't know that) rarely arrive at the doors of a League, hoping to sign up. Nevertheless, Professor Spruce welcomed them in and registered them quickly. Even now she did not recognize Matt, or his Dex. The Mountain Leagues are very isolated.

Finally, she stood up. "Now, I suppose you'll all be wanting Pokedexes?"

Rana and Miaka already had theirs. Matt would never need any Pokedex, thanks to Martin. Benjamin refused one on what he said was principle, and no one quite dared to question him. In fact, the silence was broken by an innocent but conspicuous question from one of the mysterious travelers.

"What's a Pokedex?"

Professor Spruce was speechless. All trainers, and for that matter everyone in the World, knew about Pokedexes. No one had ever asked her this before. The traveler's friends, however, took this in stride.

Miaka grinned, pointed teeth looking unnaturally white against her dark, slightly pebbly skin. "Oh, you definitely want a Pokedex. Right, Rana?"

The Shadow League girl was skeptical. "Nothing will make that pathetic excuse for a human a trainer."

Matt and Benjamin, however, also agreed that a Pokedex would greatly help Yuugi. Taking one, however, it was clear to Professor Spruce that he had no idea what to do with it; Yuugi couldn't even figure out which side was supposed to be up, and shaking the narrow rectangular box had no effect. Matt, Miaka, Benjamin, and the Professor strove to explain it. Whether or not this was a success, they had no way of knowing, because at that moment they were interrupted by the ring of a telephone.

"Hello, this is Professor Spruce. May I help you? Oh? Oh. Yes, I'll certainly keep an eye out. No, I'm afraid the registry won't be of much help. Yes, I'll certainly check. Good luck." She hung up, looking worried. Turning to the five travelers, she sighed. "Maybe you won't want to start your training journey after all...I just received word that a young trainer has been kidnapped. The only information we have on the kidnappers is that they wore dark cloaks, as if to hide their clothing, and that their faces were covered with paint, some kind of symbols, I believe. They must be part of a cult or something. Well, you're all registered. Keep on alert at all times; the fact that you're traveling together may deter attack, but all the same, be careful."

Yuugi, Benjamin, Matt, Rana, and Miaka stepped outside. The bare, rocky path in front of Professor Spruce's laboratory reached a junction at the end, but the five travelers did not choose a path. Instead, they paused, wanting to discuss what they had just learned in private.

Benjamin looked grave. "They must be Clanners. Until a picture or an accurate description of the symbols is gotten, we cannot know which Clann it was, but it makes no difference. No Clanner is trustworthy." The half-Darkling scowled. Bikaymon frowned, but said nothing; he knew Benjamin too well to think that anyone could disuade him from this opinion.

Yuugi sighed. The deep prejudice between Clanners and Darklings was a mystery to him. "You know, Benjamin, not all Clanners are evil..."

Benjamin looked away. "The Clanners are traitors--they cannot be trusted."

Yuugi decided that this was not a good time to argue Clanner trustworthiness, as they had just attacked and kidnapped someone.

It was Miaka who pointed out the obvious question. "Why would they attack some kid? Trainers don't have anything of value. It doesn't make any sense."

Benjamin shook his head. "They are Clanners. Who can say what motivates them? I have heard that some Clanns have even joined forces with an army of Chaotic creatures led by the Overlord. What does that tell you about them?"

Yuugi gasped. "The Overlord!? These Clanners must have sided with him. Then that means...they came...to find me..." He turned to Matt. "All your people will die because of me...just like last time...this is my fault..."

Matt hit himself in the head. "Yuugi, this is not your fault. We'll catch the Clanners, and they'll pay for their evil. If they hurt anyone in my World, they'll wish they were never born."

Benjamin nodded. "It was dishonorable to attack without sufficient cause, especially to attack someone innocent."

Bikaymon looked troubled. "The Overlord has no real reason to be interested in the Pokemon World...why is he here? Does he know about us, or is he searching for this half of a key as well?" the Dark-Digimon said softly. Benjamin frowned, thinking about this.

Yuugi nodded resolutely. "Matt, you have to stop the Clanners. I would go with you, but I promised Vice that I would find my half of the Key."

Matt nodded and left, having Martin check to see if any other kidnappings had been reported. The four remaining questors looked at each other; for a moment, no one spoke.

Miaka grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for? If we're gonna beat the League, we'd better get started! Ben, you, Bikaymon, and your friend take that path," she said, pointing down a road heading to their left. "Rana, let's go the other way! If we split up, we'll be done twice as fast. Come on!"

The two groups walked off, ready to face whatever lay ahead.