Dark City (Day 18)

Stone Town proved to be a productive trip for Ash and the gang. Clefairy evolved into Clefable, everyone got a new evolution stone, and they managed to help a young boy and his Eevee out. Those were all good things, but to Ash, they paled in comparison to the bombshell Professor Oak dropped on him the other day. A new official Pokemon League sanctioned Gym had opened up in a town a few days away! Not much was known about this Gym, but that hardly bothered the boy. A Gym was a Gym, and Ash was ready for a new challenge. Therefore, the group departed Stone Town, making their way to Dark City.

It was an uneventful journey for the most part, but Ash did manage to get in some training. Pikachu mastered Electro Ball, which it hard previously started on during their last training session. Haunter, who Ash had brought back onto the team, also managed to help Espeon get the hang of Shadow Ball. Charizard's flying endurance continued to improve with practice, and he now added in attacks such as Flamethrower and Fire Blast while in the air, pushing himself even further. Krabby and Shellder spent most their time practicing together with some mock battles. That left Tyrogue, who was the other Pokemon Ash brought back onto the team.

Ash shouldn't have been surprised, by apparently the Fighting Pokemon had kept up his training regime and more back in Pallet Town. Tyrogue now knew several powerful moves, including High Jump Kick and Brick Break. He had also refined others, while upping his speed and endurance. Ash was severely tempted to use him in the upcoming battle. If the typing wasn't too bad of a match up, he would.

Misty spent the few days in-between Stone Town and Dark City getting back to training her Pokemon as well, who she felt she had neglected a bit after getting her new Pokemon Egg. They didn't seem to take it too badly though, and her Pokemon continued to gain strength. Magikarp and Horsea were both showing signs of an impending evolution, which would drastically alter the composition of her team. Tentacool had been brought on for Seel as well, and Misty began the process of training with the jellyfish Pokemon in earnest.

Then there was Brock. The first thing Brock did when he received his Fire Stone was to call Susie. She had assured him that Vulpix was his Pokemon, and that she would not be asking for her back. Thus, Brock now had her blessing to evolve Vulpix, though he was in no hurry to do so. As any breeder should, Brock sought to bring out the best in Vulpix before proceeding with the evolution. Perhaps in a few months, but time would tell.

The gang arrived in Dark City in the early afternoon. From the front gate, they looked up at the archway to see a freshly painted sign on new wood. The city in front of them was nice and vibrant. People crowded the street, talking to one another and selling wares. Old traditional wooden buildings were everywhere, and some of them appeared to be in a state of disrepair, but each of these buildings had people and Pokemon performing construction to bring them back up to snuff.

"What a nice little town," smiled Misty, as the gang began to walk around.

"It is pretty good. The guidebook says this place was supposed to be something of a ghost town. Maybe the opening of the new Gym revitalized it?" theorized Brock.

"How about we stop somewhere for lunch. I don't know about you guys, but i'm starting to get pretty hungry," Ash said to the growls coming from his stomach.

"Says the boy who wanted us to skip lunch to arrive here faster," quipped Misty.

"Well, we're here aren't we?" weakly chuckled the boy.

Misty sighed and the three began to look for a place to eat. A small local restaurant proved to be the perfect place, and they walked into a two story building. The cheery atmosphere from outside filled the restaurant as well, but at least it wasn't completely crowded, with only a few people eating at various tables. a thin man with a brown shirt and blue apron spotted the trio from the kitchen.

"Welcome to my restaurant kids. Take a seat where you'd like and I will be with you all shortly," he called out in a kind tone. Ash, Brock, and Misty obeyed, making their way to an empty table, along with Espeon and Pikachu of course. A few minutes later, the man came by and took everyone's orders.

"So, what brings a group of travelers to our out of the way city?" asked the man, storing away his notepad.

"We heard a new Pokemon Gym opened up, and i'm here to challenge the Gym Leader to a battle," answered Ash. The man immediately perked up at that.

"Great to see our new landmark is bringing in travelers. I'll tell you kids, just a few weeks ago this place was practically a wasteland. Thanks Arceus for that boy and his Pikachu though, which is kind of funny seeing as you have one on your shoulder. He looked a bit like you too. What was his name again?" mused the man.

Ash also furrowed his brow for a moment, and the answer came pretty fast. "Was this boy's name Ritchie by chance?"

"Ritchie! Yes, that's its! You folks friends of his?" asked the man with curiosity.

"We met him back in Vermillion City," explained Misty.

"Sir, what did Ritchie do that has you so thankful?" pointedly observed Brock.

"It actually has to do with how we got a Gym in the first place. You see, there were two factions, or rather gangs, who had come together to attempt to form a Gym here in Dark City. They were known as Yas and Kaz. However, a town is only allowed one official Pokemon League Gym, and both groups knew this well. Thus, they decided to try and nip their competitor in the bud. It was how they did this that drove residents away and kept tourists out," frowned the man.

"What did they do?" Ash asked, now invested in the story. The restaurant owner shook his head in disgust

"They had an all out turf war and used the city as a battlefield. Homes, businesses, including this restaurant, and even innocent people were harmed by their many battles. Not to mention that every Pokemon Trainer, local or traveler, was intimidated to the point of either joining one of the gangs or leaving town. Sadly, this led to youth despising Pokemon and Pokemon Trainers for quite a few months."

"How awful!" cried Misty.

"Yes, but that is in the past. Ritchie and his Pikachu arrived, and they were able to humble both of the local gang leaders in battle. Combine this with a Pokemon League inspector warning them to shape up, and the two gangs quickly merged into one single entity, which not only managed to open a Pokemon League approved Gym, but has been behind the repairs and updating of the town at large. Our two new Gym Leaders in particular have been seen volunteering on a daily basis," smiled the man.

"Wait! Did you say two Gym Leaders?" Ash asked.

"Of course. They may have come together to stop the fighting, but neither wanted to give up the prestige of being a Gym Leader. Thus, the two of them decided to become Co-Gym Leaders," explained the man with a shrug.

"Misty and her sisters also share the title Ash, so it is not entirely unheard of," Brock pointed out.

"That may be true young man, but these Gym Leaders took inspiration from a Gym in a far off region, and hold their battles together," interjected the man.

"Are you referring to the double battles of the Hoenn region?" Ash asked with widened eyes. The man nodded and was about to explain further, but at that moment Ash's stomach gave yet another growl.

"Oh my! It seems you folks are hungry and I got lost in a conversation. My apologies. I'll go ahead and get your meals prepped in no time at all," bowed the man, before hustling away.

"What's a double battle Ash?" Misty asked, now that the man had walked away.

"It's not something you see around here Misty, but it's pretty popular in Hoenn and Sinnoh. Basically, one trainer uses two Pokemon in battle against another trainer who does the same. There are also tag team battles, which involves fours trainers, who battle two on two with one Pokemon each. In this case though, I think the man meant that each Gym Leader would use one Pokemon at the same time, while the challenger used two though," summarized Ash.

"That doesn't seem too fair," frowned Misty.

"Remember what Koga said Misty. The job of a Gym Leader is to serve as a test for trainers and their Pokemon. His interpretation involved a serious of seemingly harmful traps, so it doesn't surprise me that the Pokemon League would allow this to fly," rationalized Brock.

"I guess that makes sense," muttered the girl, before turning back to Ash. "So, what are you going to do then?"

"Plan Misty. I'm going to head back to the local Pokemon Center and plan," Ash answered with a thoughtful expression.

Dark City Pokemon Center (A Few Hours Later)

Ash, Brock, and Misty enjoyed a nice lunch at the restaurant, before splitting up. The boy decided to go back to the Pokemon Center, as he had told his friends, while Brock and Misty explored the town. While having his Pokemon looked over, Ash was also able to learn the two Pokemon that the Gym Leaders would likely be using, thanks to Nurse Joy. Ash would be facing an Electabuzz and a Scyther. With the valuable knowledge acquired, the boy went to his room to do some thinking.

I don't really have any super-effective options for Electabuzz. Well, Ryhorn may know some ground-type moves, but I haven't been able to train him yet, so he's out. I'll circle back to Electabuzz. There are a few ways I could go for Scyther. Charizard is the most obvious answer. That said, I do plan to use him for the Cinnabar Island Gym Battle. He isn't exactly the fastest flyer either, and his new flying-type status will make him vulnerable to Electabuzz. Pidgeot presents the same problem, but he is actually fast. Not to mention the fact that I haven't gotten to use him in a while. That settles it. Pidgeot will be my first choice, Ash thought with resolve.

"Now for the other one," Ash said aloud.

"Other what daddy?" the Espeon laying down at the foot of Ash's bed asked, as she stretched out.

"Other Pokemon. I'm trying to decide who to use in the upcoming Gym Battle. Pidegot seems like a good match up for Scyther, and he hasn't gotten to battle in a while, so I figured he would make a good choice," explained Ash.

"That sounds nice. Can I help you come up with the second Pokemon?" pleaded Espeon in a cute high pitched voice.

"As long as you realize that it will not be you, then I have no problems with it," an amused Ash answered. Espeon visibly seemed to pout, but she understood why. She had gotten to battle against Koga, and was featured in the finals of the Laramie Ranch Tournament.

"Fine. So, you need to choose somebody with an advantage over Electabuzz right?" questioned the Pokemon.

"That, or somebody without any obvious weaknesses," agreed Ash.

"I think you already have someone in mind," probed Espeon.

Ash chuckled at her picking that up so easily. "I was leaning towards Tyrogue. He has been working so hard, and deserves a chance to participate in a big battle," argued the boy.

"Maybe, but there is another Pokemon who needs this more daddy," Espeon responded in a softer tone.

"What do you mean need?" a now confused Ash asked.

Espeon sighed at this. "After the way he got knocked out in the Laramie Ranch Finals, Ivysaur got pretty depressed. He didn't show it in any obvious manner, so i'm not surprised you didn't pick it up, but his pride was seriously wounded."

"Really?" Ash asked, internally mad at himself for not noticing.

"Really," replied Espeon with a nod.

"Then I don't have a choice. Tyrogue will have to wait. With the way he is training and how I don't think Shellder is ready, I may just use him in Cinnabar instead anyway. As for Ivysaur, he is naturally resistant to Electabuzz's attacks, and he doesn't have a blatant weakness to Scyther either. Thanks for the help princess," finished Ash, looking at his Espeon fondly.

"Anytime daddy!" sent back Espeon in an equally warm voice.

Dark City Gym (Day 20)

Following Ash's discussion with Espeon, the boy had contacted Professor Oak and made a few exchanges. Tyrogue and Charizard were sent to the lab, and Ivysaur and Pidgeot were recalled. Ash felt a bit guilty about sending Tyrogue back so soon, but he promised the Fighting Pokemon he would bring him back as soon as possible to train for the final Kanto Gym battle.

A nice reunion between Ash and Pidgeot was held, as Ash had not seen the flying Pokemon since the Celadon Gym. From what Espeon had told him, Pidgeot and the other Pokemon kept up their daily routines to stay in shape, which pleased the boy. As for Ivysaur, Ash had to sit down and have a heart to heart with the Grass Pokemon. He apologized for not noticing Ivysaur's feelings over his defeat, and promised that the two of them would train twice as hard to become even stronger. Ivysaur took it well and that was that. Beyond reconnecting with both of his Pokemon, Ash got the two of them together and planned out some interesting combination attacks. With a day and a half of training and strategizing, he now felt they were ready.

It was this conclusion that brought Ash and the gang to the Dark City Gym after an early morning breakfast at the Pokemon Center. It wasn't the most impressive structure that the trio had come across during their travels, but it did fit the town aesthetic nicely. The Gym was made completely out of wood and had shoji sliding doors to mark the entrance. Plastered over the entrance was a newly painted picture of a Scyther and Electabuzz shaking hands.

"Time to check it out?" Ash proposed, prompting the group forward. Sliding the doors open, the trio found the inside to be much like the outside. It was a modest interior that reminded Ash of the Fighting Dojo from Saffron City. Also Inside, humans and Pokemon could be seen getting a workout in, and this was in the literal sense. They were lifting weights, stretching bands, stretching themselves, and the whole nine yards. Two men supervised the operation from the back of the facility. One man was rather tall and skinny, while the other was short and muscular. Both wore a uniform that was green and blue, split completely down the middle. A giant U was etched on each of their chests.

"Welcome to the Dark City Gym," called the taller of the two, as both had now noticed Ash and his friends.

"Are you here for a Gym Battle?" asked the shorter one, with veiled excitement.

"I am," answered Ash, stepping forward, while his friends and Espeon moved to the side. Pikachu, as always, remained on his shoulder.

"My name is Ash Red Ketchum from Pallet Town and I challenge the two of you to a battle!" declared the boy.

"We accept," the men answered simultaneously.

"Students, prepare the battlefield and then to your positions!" ordered the shorter man. A flurry of activity took place as the trainers and Pokemon quickly cleaned up the workout equipment, and then took up meditative poses, watching the battle from the sides. One person walked to a location clearly designated for a referee. Ash took his position on the now cleared battlefield, and the Gym Leaders took theirs.

"Are you aware of the unique rules of our gym?" questioned the taller man.

"A two on two double battle right?" smirked Ash.

"So you did your homework. It won't help though. The two of us are undefeated," bragged the shorter man.

"Let's just get to the battle then and we will see," evenly countered Ash, aware that the Gym had not been open long enough for that streak to mean anything significant. At that, the referee stepped forward.

"This will be a two on two double battle between the Gym Leaders Yas and Kaz, and the challenger. At stake is the Unity Badge. No substitutions will be allowed. The victor will be determined when one sides's Pokemon are unable to battle. Send out your Pokemon and let the battle begin!" called the referee.

"Electabuzz, give this kid a shock!" called out Kaz, sending out a yellow Pokemon with black stripes in a humanoid shape. It also had a tail and sharp feline like fangs.

"Scyther, cut through the competition!" yelled Yas. The mantis Pokemon materialized in front of him ready for battle.

Just like I heard, which means our strategy is good to go. We'll focus on Scyther first, and hopefully Pidgeot's super-effective attacks can knock it out fast. After that, we can tag team Electabuzz for the win, internally reasoned Ash.

"I choose you Pidgeot and Ivysaur!"

Ash's flying stalwart and his grass starter appeared on his side of the battlefield, and then the fight was on. Ash went to work right away.

"Growth Ivysaur," Ivysaur's body glowed with power as he began to power up, but the Gym Leaders had something to say about that.

"Make him pay with a Wing Attack Scyther!" ordered Yas.

"Pidgeot, Grab Ivysaur and take to the sky," interjected Ash. Pidgeot soared forward, snatched Ivysaur with his claws, and flew into the air, easily dodging Scyther's attack.

"THUNDERBOLT ELECTABUZZ!" Kaz yelled out.

"Negate that attack with Magical Leaf," quickly countered Ash. Glowing leaves met the incoming lightning in a clash, easily blocking the special attack thanks to the power increase. In fact, the upped power allowed Magical Leaf to push through and deal some damage to Electabuzz. Ash wasn't done yet. Before Yas and Kaz could make their next move, he brought out his first combination.

"180 degree turn and dive towards the ground with Aerial Ace Pidgeot!"

"Send in Air Slash in their direction to stop the attack!" responded Yas, now showing nerves.

Too easy. "Drop Ivysaur now, and then user Vine Whip to hold Scyther in place! Ash instructed. The diving bird released Ivysaur, allowing him to gain more speed in his descent, which let him avoid the Air Slash that passed harmlessly overheard. Ivysaur's sudden drop also allowed him to dodge. Speaking of Ivysaur, as soon as he was released, the Pokemon shot out vines at a high speed, immediately latching onto Scyther and locking him into place. Meanwhile, Pidegot had just pulled up from his dive, and was no on a collusion course for the restricted Scyther.

"SCYTHER NO! DO SOMETHING!" Yas screamed at his partner, who had momentarily lost focus.

"Uh, right. Use Fire Punch on that helpless Ivysaur," smirked Kaz. Electabuzz began a charge at Ivysaur's back with his fist coated in flames, seemingly catching him off guard. Ash of course had a plan for this as well.

I have to wait. Just a little longer... Pidegot reappeared, an instant from striking Scyther, while Electabuzz was nearly upon Ivysaur.

NOW, thought Ash. "USE YOUR STRENGTH AND LIFT SCYTHER OVER YOUR HEAD TO PLACE HIM DIRECTLY AT YOUR BACK!" Ivysaur gave a might heave, and Scyther was lifted at breakneck speed, though Pidgeot still managed to clip the Pokemon, stunning it and dealing super-effective damage. In the next moment, Scyther was slammed to the ground behind Ivysaur, and right into the path of an oncoming Fire Punch.

"ELECTABUZZ STOP!" panicked Kaz. It was far too late. The fist had already been swung, and Scyther was hit by yet another super-effective attack.

"SCYTHER!" cried out the Bug Pokemon in pain, taking the Fire Punch right to the face. Silence followed for a short moment, and then Scyther fell.

"Scyther in unable to battle!" declared the referee.

Yas and Kaz were stunned, but Ash hadn't stopped his maneuvers. Pidgeot had circled back and was now flying over Ivysaur.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT KID! USE ANOTHER FIRE PUNCH ELECTABUZZ!" an angry Kaz yelled.

"Vine Whip straight above you and then reel in fast," swiftly called Ash. Electabuzz heaved his fist back again, while Ivysaur's vines soared upward, successfully wrapping around Pidgeot. The flaming fist flew forward, but Ivysaur flew upward, avoiding the attack yet again.

"Stun Spore straight below you," continued Ash.

"Get out of there Electzbuzz!" cried out Kaz with worry. Electabuzz ran, but Pidgeot simply flew to stay directly above him, allowing enough spores to leave their mark. Electabuzz was paralyzed and completely helpless.

"Wrap this up with a combination of Twister and Magical Leaf!" finished Ash. Pidgeot gave a might wave of his wings as a cyclone formed, while Ivysaur fired more enhanced glowing leaves into the tornado. Electabuzz had no chance of dodging the combined attack, and when it connected he was drawn in. The poor Pokemon was simultaneously spun around, while being pelted with the leaves within. Mercifully, the attack soon ended and a bruised and battered Electabuzz joined Scyther on the floor.

"Electabuzz is unable to battle! As the Gym Leaders have lost both of their Pokemon, Ash Red Ketchum from Pallet Town is the winner!" judged the referee.

"H-He creamed us..." muttered Yas.

"How could we lose so badly?" moaned Kaz.

On the other side of the battlefield, Ash was thanking both of his Pokemon for a good fight, but internally he was also confused. That was way easier than it should have been. Each of my previous Gym Battles seemed to get harder and harder. Maybe these guys were pushovers? Whatever the case, I can't let this go to my head. We still have another badge to win, soberly thought Ash, as he returned both of his Pokemon.

When neither Gym Leader seemed like they would come out of their pity party, Ash had to actually walk to the other side of the Gym to get their attention.

"Excuse me, but I think you two owe me a badge?" the boy called out expectantly with his hand out.

Yas scowled as he got something out of his pocket and threw it at Ash, who managed to catch it with nice reflexes. "The Unity Badge. Take it and get out."

Ash frowned, but looked in his palm to see a diamond shaped yellow and green badge. He gave the Gym Leaders a nod, and gestured for his friends to follow.

"Talk about sore losers," grumbled Misty, after the group had exited the Gym.

"They didn't exactly display impressive battling skills either," criticized Brock.

Ash simply chuckled and continued walking in high spirits.

"What has you in a good mood? I figured you would be a little annoyed, even if you did just win a badge," said Misty, noticing the jolly boy.

At this, Ash turned to Brock with a wide smile. "You see Misty, I realized something as I was walking out of the Gym. I just won my 7th Badge," Ash said with a knowing look towards the older teen.

Brock's eyes widened in realization and he let out a laugh as well. "I guess you did. Looks like both of us will be getting a new Pokemon back at the Pokemon Center."

"What do you mean?" Misty asked, now annoyed even more at being left out of the inside joke.

"Just wait and see Misty. Just wait and see," smiled Ash with a wink.

High Above the Seas (Unknown Location)

The sea is quite calm today, Idly thought the refined man, petting the Persian by his side and staring down from his position in a helicopter hundreds of feet in the air with his black eyes. It was fitting he supposed. The calm before the storm that was to come. Only a few hours ago he had been otherwise occupied with routine duties, including sending out irritating reports to a certain old hag. Oh how it angered him to be subjugated, and to play such a role. Yet, his patience had finally been rewarded. The patience that allowed him to maintain his organization in a state of readiness for over 10 years! During his latest write up about nothing, the phone call had come. One of his leading scientists from the New Island facility informed him over the phone that it appeared the latest specimen would survive. The patient man immediately ceased his unimportant writings, gathered a few associates on hand, and took off on his private helicopter.

This brought the Rocket Boss back to the present. Looking around, his companions within consisted of a pilot up front, a female grunt with green hair, the blonde haired Agent 009, and an older grunt with long red hair and a beard. The truth is, other than Agent 009 and the pilot, the other two were not particularly of note. They had seemingly been in the right place at the right time to be called upon as an escort. A coincidence perhaps? The Rocket Boss did not believe in such things, and he was a meticulous man. Before those two were even stationed nearby his Gym, he had requested extensive research to be done on each of their backgrounds. What he found about one of them, was of particularly great interest.

"Sir," the pilot spoke out loud, breaking the boss from his musings.

Restraining himself from lashing out at the interruption, he looked towards the man and responded in his normally calm voice. "Yes?"

"We are coming up on the island, and should be landing in the next 15 minutes or so."

"Excellent," smirked the man. Peering out the window once again, he could make out a singular land mass surrounded by waves. He was getting closer. The helicopter continued to approach the island, unimpeded. Everything was going to plan.

That was about to change.

It was just ten minutes later and a gigantic explosion enveloped the island facilities, as a beam of pure energy shot out from the center of the island and straight into the sky.

"NOOOO!" roared the boss in anger, filled with rage at the sight of history seemingly repeating itself. Luckily, the helicopter was still far enough away that the resulting shockwave had no effect, but the passengers couldn't help but at least flinch at the explosion coming from their boss. The green-haired grunt and the pilot both wore expressions of terror, while the Black Tulip and the red-haired grunt had more restrained reactions.

Turning to the pilot, the boss looked at him with a hard stare. "Proceed as planned. I want to touch down on the island immediately!" he said with malice.

"B-But sir," quivered the man.

"OBEY ME OR YOU WILL BE THROWN FROM THIS VESSEL!" fired back the boss. The pilot withered and weakly nodding, turning back to manage the controls. The Rocket Boss watched him carefully for a few moments, but was soon satisfied, and his attention focused back on the island. The facilities were completely destroyed and in flames. He doubted anyone could survive such a thing, but the scientists would be easily replaceable, and the man could care less about the loss of life. No, what grated the evil man was the loss of his prize. The ultimate being that would bring him dominion over Kanto and his enemies. His rage began to stir once more at this thought, and would likely have simmered over into another tirade, but fortune smiled on him.

"Is that," whispered the man to himself in excitement. The helicopter now hovered over the island, and he could make out a figure standing amidst the ruins. "It is," repeated the man to himself, a cruel grin growing on his face. He could still achieve his dreams. Domination was within his grasp. A delicate touch would be needed perhaps, but the man had the charisma utilize this approach. If that failed, there was always the contingency plan. As the helicopter slowly landed, the man turned to his underlings.

"It seems that the mission is not yet a complete failure. I will approach the asset and make contact. The rest of you are to stay here, and not interfere. Am I understood?" the man asked with warning.

"YES SIR!" cried out everyone within. The helicopter touched the ground, and the door opened. The Rocket Boss left alone, even leaving behind his precious Persian. Walking through the flames and the rubble, he soon heard a voice. Likely a telepathic projection, but this will certainly make things easier, thought the man.

"Am I more powerful than you Mew? Can I be the world's most powerful Pokemon?" the conflicted and confused creature asked aloud. The Rocket Boss could see it now. It was a tall humanoid Pokemon with grey and purple skin. Other obvious features included A long tail emerging from the back of the body, three fingered hands, and small horns. Walking through the smoke, he revealed himself, and gave the creature an answer.

"Perhaps you are the world's most powerful Pokemon. However, there is another dominant species that shares this planet with power of their own." calmly explained the man. The creature turned, looking at him with loathing.

"Humans," it spat out. A small grin formed on the Rocket Boss's face.

I can feel that hatred and power it is exuding. Project Mewtwo was a complete success. Oh the things I will use you for, thought the man.

"Yes, humans. If you combine your abilities with my human resources and capabilities, the world will be ours," offered the man.

"The world will be ours? Those scientists said I was nothing but an experiment. Something for humans to amuse theirselves with and to control! Are you not any different?" accused Mewtwo with narrowed eyes, psychic aura radiating off of the Pokemon and equipment now levitating.

The Rocket Boss did not skip a beat, nor did he show fear. "They were foolish weaklings, who did not understand the concept of power. They deserved to be crushed. However, I see you, and I can feel it. The potential for greatness lies within. I see my new partner," smirked the man.

"P-Partner?" asked the Pokemon, completely caught off guard and dropping his powers and the equipment.

And now, I have won, the man thought with a smug satisfaction, but outwardly he nodded. "Partner. You would be my equal and together we would develop your powers further, bringing you control, and giving us dominion over the world at large. Will you join me?" offered the Rocket Boss with an artificial smile.

The creature observed the man for some time, trying to assess the trustworthiness of this human. Perhaps, some humans could be trusted after all? He nodded.

"Wonderful my friend. As a sign of good faith, I offer you my name and true identity. I am Giovanni and I run an organization known as Team Rocket, whose purpose is to dominate the world at large. It is my hope that you will join me as the co-leader of this glorious organization," explained the man.

"Yes. I will help you lead," quickly responded Mewtwo, happy at the power being offered to him.

"Now, before we begin, there is a human on the device I used to arrive at this island. This human is a treacherous creature, who snuck his way into our origination. It is only recently that I discovered such a thing. I would like your help in bringing this human to his knees, bowing before us where he belongs," said Giovanni with hate.

"Who is this human?" asked Mewtwo, growing in anger and curiosity.

Giovanni longed to release an evil laugh, but he was content with a few words instead. Words that would seal the fate of an enemy. "His name is Lance."

END CHAPTER

Hello everyone! I hoped you all liked today's chapter. I never got talented vibes from Yas and Kaz, which is why I made it an easy battle for Ash. The Cinnabar Gym Battle will be far more difficult, especially since it will now be a battle for Ash's 8th Gym Badge. In other news, we caught up with Giovanni. A few of you thought the man infiltrating Team Rocket a few chapters back was Silver, but as you now know, it was Lance. Don't count Silver out of this story yet though. After all, he was referenced once in an earlier chapter if you were paying attention.

As an aside, we are now back in the office for three days a week, which cuts into writing time. Just wanted to put that out there if some chapters start to take longer to come out.

Next Time - Ash and Brock follow up on their deal, Misty partakes in some battles in an event just for her, and we get some fallout from the scene at the end of this chapter.

I am vegito - Thanks for the review! Hope you liked the chapter.

Espeon860 - Thanks for the review! Glad you liked the twist with Umbreon. As for Karen, she will not make an appearance for a while. I'm not sure she will be showing up until Johto.

Reader - Thanks for the review! I honestly didn't consider Ash keeping the egg, but looking back on it, I suppose it could have been an interesting change. What's done is done though, and we move on. As for your prediction, not telling if you are right, but right or wrong, very good guess!

Magdenfan311 - Thanks for the review! Glad you liked the choice with Togepi. I can promise you that the character Ash will mentor is somebody that I have never seen utilized in that manner before in a Pokemon Fanfic. It will be a character whose temper matches Ash's, or anime Ash's anyway. I like to think this Ash is a little more even keel.

Flame55 - Thanks for the review! Glad you are enjoying the story. Hope you liked this chapter!

Remember to review with your thoughts and critique :)

Smell ya later!