Pre-chapter Conversation
My partner, his meowth, and I were standing in our hotel room. The room had been cleaned up since last night's little disaster.
"You know Izzy, Oahu is pretty cool, don't you think?" I said.
"Aside from the random attacks by the little, naked elf people, yeah." Izzy replied.
"There's one thing I don't get though."
"What?"
"In the climax of the third movie, Otto and Reggie left the Makani compound to go to the Banzai Pipeline after Ray forbade them to surf it."
"And…?"
"When I edited the last chapter, I wanted to make sure I had most of my facts about Oahu right, so I looked at a map of the island." I answered. "It was then that I discovered that the area around Diamond Head, where everybody was staying, is on the south end of the island, while the Pipeline is on the north end."
"Does this have a point?" Izzy asked, crossing his arms. I rolled my eyes.
"My question is: 'How did Otto, Reggie, Twister, Sam, Keoni, and Leolani get to the Pipeline on the same day?' I may not be an expert on distances, but if it was the afternoon when the climax occurred, there's no way they could've gotten to the Pipeline on the same day on foot. It would've been night by the time they got there."
"Don't tell me you got a theory for this." Izzy groaned.
"Ok, I won't." I said before turning to the camera. "For part two of our triple update, Sam will go through the first five matches of the Pacific League tournament. He will also find out why he was sent here. Enjoy!"
"Meow, meow!" Sadie mewed.
------------------------------
Rocketmon Ch. 15: Why am I Here?
The next day, fireworks shot off into the sky. Thousands of people were cheering. Balloons flew into the air. In other words, it was pure pandemonium in Aloha Stadium. The seats were filled to capacity. On one side of the stadium was a huge screen and across from it was the announcer's booth.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer started. "Welcome to Aloha Stadium, the home of the Pacific League!" The crowd roared. "For the next two weeks, it'll be nothing but battles as trainers from all over the world duke it out for the coveted title of 'Pokémon Master!'" The crowd's cheers were near deafening. The announcer continued.
"Four hundred trainers have entered the league after collecting four badges from the gyms in authorized cities all over the world. The authorized cites are any city that borders the Pacific Ocean. This includes Tokyo, Acapulco, and new to the list, Ocean Shores, California. The number of trainers has gone down to a mere fraction. Forty trainers were able to defeat the gym leader of the Pacific League, Keoni Makani." Keoni, who was sitting on a stage in the middle of the field with several important people, stood up and waved to the crowd.
"The most influential trainer to participate in this year's conference is newcomer Lars Rodriguez, son of the world renowned pokémon researcher, Professor Raoul Rodriguez." The announcer continued. "Experts who have studied Lars' training for the past few months have predicted him as this year's champion. Only time will tell if this young trainer has what it takes to be the best of the best." Some whispering was heard over the mic.
"Alright. Now then! We're ready to introduce the forty trainers that have come this far." The crowd roared as music like what was heard last night played over the loudspeaker. From the left side of the field, a group of color guards marched, followed by the trainers who managed to beat Keoni. The crowd roared as all the trainers waved. Sam, who was somewhere in the middle, had a look that was a mix of pride and embarrassment. Pikachu looked equally nervous.
'What a crowd. I hope I don't get stage fright.' Sam thought as his legs started to wobble. Up ahead, Lars was walking with an air of confidence so great, it put even Otto to shame.
'I'm gonna have fun destroying all these little kooks, especially the Squid.' He thought. Near the front, the caped boy yawned.
'I hope they hurry this up. I hate these opening ceremonies.' He thought. His meowth was looking around, meowing animatedly. All the trainers stopped in front of the stage as the music ended. An old man wearing a shirt with floral patterns and shorts walked up to the podium.
"Welcome to the Pacific League, young trainers." The man started. "I am the organizer for the Pacific League."
'Woopdee doo.' Lars thought.
"I know you're all anxious to begin, but with all contests of this magnitude, there are rules you must all follow. Of course, I won't bore you with all the details. I'll just tell how the battles will go. Everybody will be split up into two groups; the southern division and the northern division. Both divisions will play for ten rounds in an elimination style tournament. Once a winner has been selected from each division, they will both battle for the championship."
"The elimination rounds will be three-on-three battles with no time limit. The championship match will be a full six-on-six battle. Once you are eliminated, you may watch the remainder of the tournament. Well, I suppose that's all I wanted to say. We will begin the first round in one hour. Until then, please stay around the stadium. We'll call you when we're ready to begin." With that, he sat back down. The trainers grumbled as they started moving.
'What was the point of getting us up early for then!?' Lars thought with fury. 'Freakin' old bat.' Everyone else walked out of the stadium.
------------------------------
A half hour later, Sam was walking along a strip that was full of stores selling stuff at impossible prices. A bunch of bananas for ten bucks!?!
"Man. I wonder how much cheaper this stuff is in the off season." He said.
"Chu." Pikachu replied, nodding. Sam got a few feet further when something flew past his face and landed on the ground in front of him. The surprise of seeing the object knocked him off balance, sending him and Pikachu to the ground.
"What was that?" Sam asked himself with a groan as he sat up. In front of him was what seemed to be a card. It was stuck in the concrete. Sam got up and walked over to the card. He picked it up and noticed writing on it. He read it.
Sam Dullard,
Congratulations on making it to the Pacific League. If you wish to speak with me, win your first five rounds. Then and only then will I tell you everything you want to know.
Signed,
Anonymous
Sam turned the card over and saw the silhouette of a meowth. He looked up and around the area. He saw no one suspicious.
"Just win my first five rounds." He said, looking over the message again. He then looked at his watch. "Come on Pikachu. We gotta get back to the stadium."
"Pika!" Pikachu said as it followed Sam back to the stadium.
Later…
"We have chosen the divisions and their participants." An official-looking man said from the stage.
The contestants were standing in the field again. The big screen, which was over the stage, turned on and showed everybody's pictures in two sides of the screen. Sam looked and found his picture on the right side of the screen. He looked up and noticed that that side stood for the southern division. He looked around some more and found Lars' picture on the opposite end. He was in the northern division. Sam breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't have to worry about battling his rival. At least not yet. He didn't look at the screen anymore. He was sure he saw some familiar faces on the screen, but he dismissed it. He only cared about which side he and Lars were on.
'I wonder if they're here.' He thought as he looked around at the stands. He had to look through the crowd at least five times before he saw a familiar bunch of purple hair next to some red dreadlocks and a striped hat next to that. Sam grinned and waved at his friends. It brought great joy to know that his friends came to see him, despite the fact they only wanted one thing from him; Pikachu.
------------------------------
It was now Sam's turn to battle. He was in the fourth pair of trainers to battle today. He was standing at the left end of the field. He nervously awaited his first opponent. The doors at the other end opened and someone walked through. Sam gasped as the kid made himself known.
"Trent!? My first opponent is Trent!?" Indeed, the New Zealander was standing across the field, smirking at him.
'No fair! I wanted to beat the pretty boy!' Lars thought from his place in the stands with a grunt.
"Hey Sam! Fancy meeting you here, mate!" Trent yelled over the crowd.
"Yeah!" Sam yelled back. On the stadium's titantron, Sam and Trent's pictures appeared. Three red blocks appeared under Sam's picture and the same amount of green blocks appeared under Trent's.
"For the fourth match of the southern division's first round, it's Sam Dullard VS. Trent." The announcer said. "It seems that both trainers are from the same city; Ocean Shores, California. Perhaps these two are friends? Well anyway, there's no room for friendships in the Pacific League. They'll have to put aside their friendship to gain victory." The crowd cheered.
"Trainers begin!" The ref called. Sam and Trent grabbed their first poké balls.
"Go! Arcanine!" Sam yelled.
"Go! Magnemite!" Trent yelled. Both trainers tossed their balls. In a flash, both pokémon appeared, looking ready to battle.
"And to begin this first round match, it's Arcanine VS. Magnemite." The announcer started. "Arcanine has the type and size advantage, but does Trent have something up his sleeve?"
"Arcanine! Start off with Extremespeed!" Sam ordered. Arcanine barked and charged towards the tiny steel type.
"Magnemite! Thunder Wave!" Trent commanded. The magnets at the electric type's sides glowed brightly and launched a stream of electricity at the pooch. Arcanine got hit and howled in pain as the electricity crackled around it.
"Arcanine's in trouble! Thunder Wave paralyzed it! Will Sam call a substitution or will he continue on?!" The announcer said.
"Arcanine, are you alright?" Sam asked. Arcanine grunted as it stood up. Electricity still crackled around it. "Alright! Use Flamethrower!" Before Trent can issue an order, Arcanine fired its attack, engulfing Magnemite in flames. When the attack ended, the steel/electric type was lying on the ground with a dazed expression.
"Arcanine is the winner!" The ref yelled, holding up a red flag. The crowd roared as one of the green blocks disappeared off screen. Trent called back Magnemite with a smirk.
'You fell right into my trap.' He thought as he brought out his next poké ball.
"Go! Hariyama!" He tossed it and the huge, sumo-like pokémon appeared. It made the entire stadium rumble as it crashed its left foot onto the ground, followed by the right.
"I'm not afraid of that!" Sam yelled, slightly shaken up by the tremors. "Arcanine! Extremespeed!" Arcanine charged forward, but stopped as its paralysis took affect again. "Uh-oh…"
"Hariyama! Smellingsalt!" Trent ordered. Hariyama ran up to Arcanine, brought its huge hands forward, and slapped the dog hard. Arcanine seemed badly damaged by the attack. It was knocked to the ground.
"How?" Sam asked, dumbfounded. Trent laughed.
"Smellingsalt's attack power is doubled if the opponent is paralyzed!"
'So that magnemite was part of his strategy!' Sam thought. "Arcanine! Get up!" Arcanine tried to get up, but the electricity from Magnemite's attack was too much.
"Use Smellingsalt one more time!" Trent ordered. Hariyama did as it was told, slapping Arcanine one more time. The poor pooch didn't make it through the attack.
"Arcanine is defeated!" The ref yelled, holding the green flag. The crowd cheered again as one of Sam's blocks disappeared. Sam called back Arcanine and took out his next poké ball.
'It's a good thing I switched pokémon this morning.' He thought. "Go! Pidgeotto!" He tossed the ball, releasing his bird. Trent cursed to himself as he realized the type disadvantage he had.
"I'm not gonna lose against some flying type!" He yelled. "Hariyama! Cross Chop!" Hariyama ran forward and jumped towards Pidgeotto. Its hands glowed brightly as it brought them to its chest.
"Pidgeotto! Razor Wind attack!" Sam ordered.
Pidgeotto flapped its wings hard, producing a strong gust, as well as mini gusts that were shaped like blades. Hariyama was unaffected by the wind part of the attack due to its immense weight, but it got struck by the air blades. Hariyama's hands stopped glowing as it was knocked towards the ground. It landed with a great crash that shook the earth.
"Come on… You can do it." Trent encouraged. Hariyama grunted as it got back to its feet.
"Wing Attack!" Sam called. Pidgeotto dove towards the fighting type as its wings glowed brightly. The bird rammed into the sumo wrestler, making it spin around a bit before fainting.
"Hariyama is out of the match!" The ref yelled. Another of Trent's blocks disappeared.
"Great job, Pidgeotto!" Sam yelled over the crowd's cheers. Pidgeotto squawked in triumph. Just then, it glowed brightly. Sam gasped as his pokémon grew in height. When the light subsided, it was a brand new pidgeot!
"Sweet!" Sam cheered as Trent slapped his head.
"It seems that the intensity of the battle against Hariyama has caused Pidgeotto to evolve into Pidgeot." The announcer said. The crowd clapped to show their approval at the turn of events. Trent sighed as he called back Hariyama and took out his last poké ball.
'What an idiot I was!' He scolded himself. 'I should've taken my full team with me instead of relying on that dumb strategy. Well, here goes…'
"Go. Machoke." He tossed the ball and the lean fighting type appeared. He sighed. "Mega Punch." Machoke charged towards Pidgeot, who was standing on the ground.
"Aeroblast!" Sam ordered. Pidgeot flew a few feet into the air and targeted Machoke. It flapped its wings once. The fighting type was hit with a massive blast of air that propelled it into the wall behind Trent. It collapsed as the crowd cheered.
"Machoke is out of the match! The winner is Sam Dullard!" The ref yelled. On the screen, Trent's last block disappeared and the word "Congratulations" appeared. Sam punched the air as he jumped for joy.
"What a match! Sam moves on to the second round! Sorry Trent. Maybe next year." The announcer said.
"Wow… The Squid did it." Reggie said at the stands.
"Duh! Anybody can beat Trent!" Otto said. "It's amazing he even made it here! I heard it took him five tries to beat Conroy, who's supposed to be the easiest gym leader!"
"Before the Pacific League's over, we'll get that pikachu." Twister said with an evil grin. "It's only a matter of time."
"Yeah." Otto and Reggie agreed with the same expressions.
------------------------------
Montage time!
The next day, Sam faced off against a trainer from Kanto. The trainer used a furret, while Sam sent out Pikachu. Pikachu shocked the ferret five seconds in, eliminating it. The trainer then sent out a dugtrio. Because he knew about Pikachu's weakness, Sam called it back and sent out Pidgeot. One strong Wing Attack ended the match for the ground type. The trainer from Kanto's last pokémon was an ampharos. It was a tough battle, but in the end, Ampharos got frozen by Tentacruel's Ice Beam. Sam moved on to the third round.
The next day, it was raining as Sam took on a female water type trainer from Hoenn. To be more precise, she was from Sootopolis City. She took necessary precautions against Sam's pikachu by using the water/grass type, Ludicolo. Despite the resistance Ludicolo's grass type characteristics provided, weakness is weakness and Sam proved that by making Pikachu use its Thunder attack. A massive thunderbolt split the sky and struck out the grass type. Sam's opponent's next pokémon was a quagsire. Previous experience told Sam to call back Pikachu. The mouse came back as he took out a poké ball.
"Go! Victreebel!" He called as he tossed it, allowing his new grass type to make the scene. "Razor Leaf!" Victreebel fired a flurry of leaves, destroying the blue blob. The water trainer's last pokémon, a swampert, also fell to the grass type's power.
It was the next night as Sam started off the fourth round against a trainer who was also from Hoenn. He was the same man wearing the red uniform at the party. To make a long paragraph short, the trainer used only fire type pokémon, which were dispatched with a full team of water types. Sam had won the fourth round easily. It was later discovered that he defeated a member of the terrifying Team Magma.
The next day…
"Welcome pokémon fans to the fifth round of the Pacific League!" The announcer said as the crowd cheered. "We start off today's matches with the southern division. First up is young Sam from Ocean Shores. This eleven year-old has certainly made a name for himself, getting through the first four rounds with no problem and even defeating a member of Team Magma! Don't let the presence of that Magma scare you, folks. He was arrested shortly after the match."
"Anyway, let's see who Sam will face." The crowd cheered again.
This time, Sam was standing on the right end of the field. The right side of the titantron was all set up, showing his face and three green blocks. The doors at the opposite end of the field opened and his opponent appeared. Sam's eyes widened, but quickly turned into a scowl.
"Josh, also from Ocean Shores, is the other trainer in this fifth round match." The announcer said as the crowd cheered again. Sam glared hard at the other kid.
"I never thought I would see you of all people here!" He said through clenched teeth. Josh laughed at him.
"Chill, Squid. We're bros, aren't we?" He asked with a smirk. Sam only glared harder. Even in another dimension, Josh was a jerk.
"Trainers begin!" The ref yelled, holding up both flags.
"Go! Venusaur!" Josh yelled, tossing his poké ball.
"Go! Arcanine!" Sam yelled, tossing his own poké ball. Both pokémon appeared.
"Venusaur! Charge up your Solarbeam!" Josh ordered. Venusaur started the battle by taking sunlight into the flower on its back.
"What's that attack?" Sam asked as he took out the pokédex.
"Solarbeam. This is the strongest attack a grass type can use. Lucky for you, it takes two turns to use, so you better get your rear in gear!" The machine said.
"Arcanine! Fire Blast!" Sam ordered. The fire pooch fired a man-shaped fireball at the huge grass type. It connected, but Venusaur didn't seem to be effected too badly. It only had a few burns.
"Attack!" Josh yelled. Venusaur targeted Arcanine and fired a bright beam of light. The Solarbeam landed a few inches in front of Arcanine, tossing it backwards. It flipped and landed on its feet. The crowd roared.
"Flamethrower!" Sam commanded. Arcanine engulfed Venusaur in fire. When the attack ended, the grass type coughed up some smoke and fainted.
"Venusaur is out of the match!" The ref yelled, holding up the green flag. Josh muttered curses to himself as one of his red blocks disappeared. He called back Venusaur.
"Go! Scizor!" He tossed the next poké ball. The red bug type appeared and struck a ninja-like pose.
"Arcanine! Flamethrower!" Sam ordered.
"Scizor! Metal Claw!" Josh ordered. Arcanine launched its attack as Scizor charged forward. The steel type's claws glowed brightly as it weaved around the fire type's attack. Scizor struck Arcanine hard. Due to the damage it took from Venusaur's Solarbeam, the pooch fainted. Does it ever catch a break?
"Arcanine is out of the match!" The ref yelled, holding up the red flag. One of Sam's blocks disappeared. Sam called back the dog and brought out another poké ball.
"Go! Pidgeot!" He tossed it and the eagle-like pokémon appeared. It automatically took to the air, flying high above the stadium.
"Think I won't be able to reach ya!?" Josh yelled. "Scizor! Steel Wing!" Scizor spread out its wings and flew off towards Pidgeot. Its wings glowed brightly.
"Pidgeot! Mirror Move!" Pidgeot dove towards Scizor, its own wings glowing as well. They both rammed into each other a few times in the air. Neither of them wanted to back down. The crowd cheered.
"Wow! You're seeing Pidgeot's Mirror Move in action, ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer yelled. "By looking at the opponent use an attack, it copies the attack and sends it back just as badly." The two pokémon rammed into each other for a few more minutes.
"Scizor! Double-Team!" Josh ordered. Scizor spun around real fast, allowing it to generate multiple copies of itself. Pidgeot's wings stopped glowing as it looked around in confusion. Sam smirked as he figured out a solution.
"Pidgeot! Razor Wind!" He said. Pidgeot flapped its wings hard, generating air blades. It hit each scizor one by one until it got the correct one and sent it falling towards the ground.
"Scizor! Straighten up and use Slash!" Scizor righted itself and charged towards Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot! Aeroblast!" Sam ordered. Pidgeot sent Scizor spiraling to the ground again after hitting it with a blast of air. The bug/steel type had a dazed expression.
"Scizor's out of the match!" The ref yelled. Josh called Scizor back.
"Go! Fearow!" He yelled as he tossed the ball containing his last pokémon. The natural rival of Pidgeot appeared. Sam noticed that his own bird was tired.
"Pidgeot! Return!" He yelled as he called it back. "Go! Pikachu!"
"Pika!" Pikachu yelled as it ran into the field.
"Yeah right! What's that little rat gonna do!?" Josh yelled between fits of laughter. "Fearow! Drill Peck!" Fearow dove towards Pikachu with its beak spinning like a power drill.
"Nobody, but nobody calls Pikachu a rat and gets away with it!" Sam yelled. "Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"
"Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiikaaaaaaaaaaaachuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!"
::ZAAAAAAAAAAAP!!!!!!!!!::
Fearow landed on the ground, sizzling like fried chicken. Josh stood awestruck.
"Fearow is out of the match! The winner is Sam!" The ref yelled, holding up the green flag. The crowd roared.
"He's done it, ladies and gentleman! Sam has moved on to the second half of the Pacific League elimination rounds!" The announcer yelled as Josh pounded the ground in utter defeat. Sam smirked at his enemy as he left the field.
'Heh. That's what you get, geek.' He thought with pure malice.
Later…
"Well, I won the fifth round, so where's my contact?" Sam asked as he walked with his arms behind his head. Pikachu was walking alongside as the two entered an area full of outdoor restaurants. They walked past a table where the caped boy was sitting. He was playing a game of Solitaire with his meowth sitting nearby.
"Meow!" The cat mewed. The caped boy looked up. There was a mischievous glint in the left lens of his sunglasses.
"Well, Pikachu, we might as well get some lunch." Sam said before something flew past him and landed on the ground with a twang. He stepped back with shock as he looked at the card in front of him. It had the ace of spades on it.
"What's that all about?" Sam asked, looking at the card.
"Reeeeoooooowwww…" He heard something hiss. He looked up and saw a meowth who looked ready to pounce. A snap was heard and the cat regained a calm expression as it grabbed the card with its teeth. Sam watched as it ran to the table he passed earlier. The caped person sitting there grabbed the card and went back to his game as the pokémon jumped on the table. Sam and Pikachu walked over.
"Waiter, a couple of drinks please." The caped boy said to a passing waiter as Sam reached the table. He grabbed his cards and shuffled them around a few minutes before looking up.
"Well? Sit down. We have important matters to discuss." Sam looked confused as he sat across from the kid. Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. The waiter came back with a couple cups of pineapple soda.
"I believe you've already met my meowth, Sadie." The caped kid gestured to his pokémon as he took a sip.
"About that, what was with the card?" Sam asked, still trying to figure things out. The other boy chuckled.
"Well, I had to get your attention somehow."
"And what important matters do we have to talk about?"
"To begin, I wish to congratulate you on making it this far." The boy started. "I believe you received an e-mail a couple of months back." Sam gasped.
"You're Dimensional Trainer999?!" The kid grinned and nodded.
"Got it on the first try."
"Oh man! I have so many questions I need to ask!" Sam yelled.
"Well, I'll answer them to the best of my ability. After all, you deserve it for getting this far."
"First of all, what's your name? I think the author and the readers are getting bored of typing/reading, 'the caped so-and-so.'"
"Very well then. You will now know my true name. Prepare to face horrors that make even the greatest of heroes tremble!" Thunder was heard as the caped boy took a dramatic pause.
"Izzy."
Sam's eyes widened as he sweatdropped.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He laughed, pounding the table. "I'm supposed to be afraid of that!? Oh I'm wetting my pants!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Izzy fell over.
"Ugh… Everybody fears my name…" He mumbled as he sat back on the table. Sam calmed down a bit.
"Whew… That was good. Now then, if you're my contact, then you must know how and why I was sent here."
"Indeed I do." Izzy said, nodding. "I guess I should tell ya a bit about myself. We—that is, my boss and I—are travelers from another dimension. It's our job to hop from dimension to dimension and research the inhabitants of each dimension by putting them in different situations."
"That's good and all, but you still didn't answer my question!" Sam yelled.
"I'm getting to that!" Izzy yelled back. "Anyway, I merged the dimensions by use of a magical card."
"The card I found in my house." Sam supplied.
"Bingo. As for why you were sent here, it's because you are the one responsible for linking this dimension and yours!" Izzy pointed an accusing finger. Sam gasped.
"What!? How!?"
"Almost every dimension is unique in someway. Nothing in either dimension is alike aside from the fact that humans inhabit it and breathe the same air. You, Sam Dullard, are responsible because you mentioned two words that should only be used in the dimension of pokémon." The brunet took another sip. Sam followed suit.
"And they are…?" He asked. Izzy chuckled again.
"Team Rocket." Sam gasped again. "As a matter of fact, those two words were said in five different occasions."
"Wait. How do you know this?" Sam asked with confusion.
"I already told you, my boss and I go from dimension to dimension. In our home dimension, we monitor the activities of other dimensions. To go even further, in my dimension, you are the star of a TV show." Sam had stars in his eyes as he heard that.
"I'm a star…" He said dreamily. He shook his head. "In what five occasions did anybody say 'Team Rocket?'" Izzy took out a card from the top of his deck. He showed it to Sam. The blond kid saw a picture of himself.
"Like I said, you were the first one to say it. On Bruised Man's Curve when Lars challenged Otto to go down the mountain, you cheered him on by saying, 'Team Rocket.'" Izzy took out another card. This time, a picture of Otto was seen. "The next instance was the time your friend, Clio, came to Ocean Shores for a visit. Otto said, 'Team Rocket' three times."
"I remember that one. He was real jealous that time." Sam commented. The kid in the blue bucket hat took out another card. It had a picture of Eddie on it.
"The third instance was when Eddie said the magic words when you won that hockey trophy."
"Which one? We won tons of trophies, you know." Sam said.
"It was the one you and your pals fought over."
"Oh yeah…" Sam agreed. Izzy took out another card. This one had two hockey sticks and the NHL symbol pictured.
"The fourth instance was at the NHL Breakout tournament. The announcer called your team, 'Team Rocket.'"
"Yeah. I've been wondering about that." Sam said with a nod. "Our team was called 'The Rockets.'"
"Like the basketball team?" Sam shrugged at the question.
"I guess so." He replied while scratching his head. Izzy took out one last card. This one had a crown, snowboard, surfboard, and mountain bike pictured.
"The fifth and final instance was at the Prince Waikikamukau competition in New Zealand. Your team was—"
"Team Rocket." Sam finished. The other boy nodded as he placed the five cards in front of him.
"It only takes one instance to open the link between dimensions. Because 'Team Rocket' was said on five separate occasions, the link created a bridge that connected the two dimensions." Sam was silent for a few minutes.
"So, what can I do to get back to my own dimension?"
"You have to pass one final test."
"Which is…?" Sam pressed.
"It's nothing difficult, I assure you. Just win the Pacific League."
"What!?" Sam yelled. Izzy just grinned. The blond buried his head in his arms. "I just want everything to go back to normal…" He sobbed silently.
"Stop crying already. You've been doing pretty well lately. Besides, you only got six matches to go." The brunet offered, taking another sip of his soda. Sam sniffed and picked his head up.
"Another thing, why are my friends the way they are?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean they're evil and trying to get my pikachu." Sam replied, petting the pokémon in question. Izzy sighed.
"I was hoping I didn't have to explain this." He said as he picked a card from his deck. This card had Otto, Twister, and Reggie pictured on it. They were wearing their Team Rocket uniforms and grinning menacingly. "You see, the card I used that night contained three spirits. Because you're the smartest being in your dimension, you were supposed to get possessed by all three spirits when you came to this dimension, but something went wrong."
"My friends got possessed instead." Sam finished, glaring icily at the caped boy, who gulped. "I hope you know a way to return them to normal." Izzy slowly shook his head.
"Unfortunately, we don't know how to reverse the effects." Sam huffed and got up.
"Well, this little chat been fun and all, but I better be going. I got a lot to think about." Izzy nodded as he too stood up.
"I understand. You need to rest up for the next round. Before you go though, I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" Sam asked.
"Before this is over, you'll face one more test. A test of courage."
"Wha?" Sam said with confusion. Izzy shook his head.
"I can't say, but know this: It takes great courage to fight your enemies, but even greater courage to stand up to your friends." With that, he walked away, followed by Sadie. Sam stood, trying to process what was said.
"I better go." He finally said as he walked towards the hotel with Pikachu.
------------------------------
Post-chapter Conversation
"Took ya long enough to say my name!" Izzy yelled at me. I shrugged.
"Heh. Anyway, the episodes in which 'Team Rocket' was said were (in order of Izzy mentioning them) Bruised Man's Curve, The Return of Clio, Welcome to Ottoworld, Power Play, and Race Across New Zealand." I said to the camera. "Of course, as far as when each episode actually aired is concerned, that's not in the right order. The reason for this is because the idea for this fic called for having Sam be the hero and Otto, Twister, and Reggie be the villains." I took a breath.
"Now then, can Sam get through the last rounds of the Pacific League and can he get Reggie and the others back to normal? Find out next time!"
"I hate to say this, but what about your theory?" Izzy reminded.
"Ah yes." I said as I snapped my fingers. A videotape appeared in my hands. "In order to figure out the answer to the question of how Otto and the rest were able to get to the Banzai Pipeline in the same day in that scene in Island of the Menehune if they traveled on foot, I went back in time with a special cameraman."
"Oh? Who?" Izzy asked. "Not Twister. You'd cause a hole in the time space continuum."
"Of course not." I scoffed. "I needed someone who could be sneaky about filming." I put the tape in the VCR and turned on the TV. I pressed the play button and static was seen. I was shown on screen standing in a forest.
"Is this thing on?" I said to the camera. "Alright then. Here we are in Oahu, Hawaii to answer an important question that's been on my mind. The question is: 'How did Otto, Reggie, Twister, Sam, Keoni, and Leolani get to the Banzai Pipeline on the same day Ray didn't allow them to surf it in the climax of the movie Island of the Menehune?' In order to answer this question, I went back in time with one of the best cameramen I could find. And just who is this cameraman, you ask? Well…"
The camera was moved so that it faced a turtle in a green striped shell. He was wearing thick glasses. He was riding in a cloud that had a smiley face on it. In his hands was a fishing pole that had a camera tied to the end of the string.
"A lakitu?!" Izzy demanded. "The best cameraman you could find was a lakitu!?"
"Didn't see that one coming, didja?" I asked. Izzy held his forehead.
"No, but knowing you, I should've." We turned back to the TV.
"Assuming, of course, that they got there on foot, I'm going to have my buddy here take over." The recording of me said, gesturing to Lakitu. I took a picture out of my pocket. On it were the six kids in question. "These are the kids I want you to tail. Remember, stay out of sight." I handed the pic to him as he nodded.
"Gotcha."
Static was shown again. The camera showed a first person view of the forest by Diamond Head.
"Man, where are they?" Lakitu was heard grumbling. "This is boring. Why did I even agree to this in the first place? Oh yeah. He saved me from Mario, who was going to fry me." Just then, rustling was heard, as well as a couple of voices.
"Man! I can't believe Raymundo!" A female voice roared.
"Yeah! We'll show him and Noel-lame-o that we could handle the Pipe!" A male voice shouted. Lakitu jumped to action.
"That must be them!" The camera then seemed to back up as the rustling grew louder. A pissed off Reggie and Otto emerged a few seconds later, dissing the two adults in question all the while. Making sure to stay out of the way, Lakitu followed.
"Uhh… Reg?" Otto asked a few minutes later.
"What?" Reggie replied.
"How are we supposed to get to Pipe? It's on the other side of the island."
"Oh don't worry. Keoni showed me a great shortcut." Reggie said.
"Then lead the way, Rocket Girl!" Otto shouted happily. And so, they walked on for about a mile further when Reggie stopped.
"Here we are." She said. Otto looked around, but didn't see anything. Lakitu had to move to avoid getting caught.
"Well?" The smaller surfer asked. The camera showed Reggie putting down her surfboard. She moved to a bush and pulled it back, revealing…
"It's a…" Lakitu gasped.
"WARP PIPE!?!" Izzy and I yelled. Indeed, Reggie just revealed the entrance to a green warp pipe. Otto raised an eyebrow at her.
"Are you sure about this?" He asked nervously.
"Of course I am!" Reggie huffed with a glare. "Last one in's a Squid!" And with that, she grabbed her board and jumped inside the pipe.
"Oh yeah?" Otto challenged. "Wait for me!" He too jumped in.
"Man, this is freaky." Lakitu was heard. Just then, some more voices were heard.
"Are you sure they came this way?" Sam's voice was heard.
"I'm positive, brah! It's the only way to get to Pipe on foot!" Keoni's voice was heard.
"I can't believe you told them about the shortcut!" Leolani yelled.
"How was I supposed to know they would've used it, cuz?!"
"A-are you guys sure we should b-be out here?" Twister was heard.
"Yes, French Fry Boy! The Menehune don't come out til night, remember?" Leolani answered.
"Oh yeah!" Twister said happily. "And stop going on about how I smell!" Just then, the four kids came out from behind a bush. They walked over to the warp pipe, which was still revealed.
"I knew it." Keoni said.
"Come on! We have to stop them!" Sam said before all four of them jumped inside. Static was seen and the tape stopped.
"A warp pipe? That's your theory!?" Izzy yelled at me.
"Yep." I answered with a shrug. "Why do you think they call it the 'Banzai Pipeline?' Another possibility is that they used Chaos Control."
"With what chaos emerald?" Izzy asked.
"Remember what Tikal said back in Dimension Hoppers 2?" I started. "Every dimension has its own set of chaos emeralds. That includes the RP Dimension."
"Ya know, they could have used a bus to get to the Banzai Pipeline." Izzy said, crossing his arms. I shrugged.
"What, and ruin the chance for a little comedy?" I looked at my watch, which had the current page count displayed. "Man! This has been the longest conversation in the entire fic! We better stop while we're ahead." I turned to the camera. "Enjoy part three of this triple update!"