Hey Everyone, the next chapter is finally here! I don't know how many times I started this chapter and then scraped it because I didn't like where it was heading.

Finally, I decided to focus on neither of the main characters and instead focus on one of my OCs. It made the chapter a hell of a lot more fun than just writing battles. And, I still managed to incorporate the Arc's theme of learning how to be a better trainer.

Just a warning for swearing if anyone doesn't really like it, but it does occur in this chapter a few times.

Another note; I don't know if I explained it already, but Pokémon on hand represents when they are out in the wilderness. During tournaments such as the one here, the characters can switch out any Pokémon they like.

Enjoy!


Chapter 8 – Honour-Bound Duty

Elisabeth brushed her long brown hair away from her face as she registered for the Mandarin Island North tournament. Never one to be tardy, she found herself first in line as registrations opened. It also gave her the chance to evaluate the competition as they arrived, as well as keep an eye out for her objective.

She knew he was here, at least that was what she had been told, and so she awaited his arrival. One by one young trainers filtered in, entering their name before departing. Some older trainers arrived to enter, but she paid them no thought, knowing that Pokémon training could be taken up by young and old. While it seemed odd that some trainers in their early twenties, thirties, and even fifties, would be challenging predominantly ten- and eleven-year old's, she herself would be considered somewhat of an outcast given her own age. Sure, she was only thirteen-she'd celebrated her birthday quote recently-but even then, anyone older than her was a rare sight.

She sat down with a glass of water from one of the stadium's food outlets. She was offered a free coffee, but she didn't like coffee, or any stimulant for that matter; she felt that it caused her to lose focus. She sat there, watching trainer after trainer go by, when finally, after waiting what seemed like days, her objective arrived; Ash Ketchum.

"Damn it, Ash, we're late!" Misty whined, dragging the young boy through the doors of the stadium foyer. "Registration will be closing soon."

"Sorry," Ash apologised. "I was trying to get Riolu to use that new move I've been teaching him."

"Looks like they're still open," Misty noted, ignoring Ash's apology. "So, come on, we don't what to miss our chance."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I've been looking forward to this all week!"

Elisabeth watched as the two young trainers made their way towards the reception desk as she had done a few hours earlier. She mentally checked everything was in place; she'd spent hours going through every possibility, but she didn't know if her plan would work.


A few hours had passed when Elizabeth sat down in the stadium's cafeteria. She'd already won her first two matches easily-far too easily if you asked her-and everything appeared to be progressing as planned.

The two trainers hadn't recognised her yet, and she hadn't figured out a way to get over that hurdle. She couldn't just walk up to them and say "Hi, remember me? I'm the girl that you faced in Lavender Town and then helped you against Team Rocket at that Lab near the Safari Zone in Kanto!" Quite frankly, it was too straight forward.

No, it was better to let them approach the subject, if they recognised her. Sure, her hair was different, but that shouldn't stop them. Perhaps it'd been too long? Six months had passed since their last encounter. They probably thought she was locked in some prison, not entering the local battling circuit in the Orange Archipelago; free and clear of any authorities.

But alas, she still had plenty of time, and a few more rounds before the tournament was over. But she knew she'd have to make her move soon however, or let this chance go begging. And if there was one thing she hated more than failure, it was the punishment she'd receive from her master for failing such a simple task.

Her fear, or trepidation, turned to anger and annoyance when her partner, Simeon, sat down next to her. Not that you would see it, but Simeon was a massive ass, or at least, that what Elisabeth liked to tell herself.

Once upon a time she looked up to the boy, perhaps even considered him a brother, before his pilgrimage of course. Now she saw him as an egotistical jerk who liked to think he knew it all and would try to put Elisabeth down every chance he got. "When you have your pilgrimage, you'll understand," was his common reply to most things. But Elisabeth saw straight through it, realising he said that when he knew nothing.

"What do you want?" She asked him bluntly, annoyingly through gritted teeth. "You know you're not supposed to be here? This area is for competitors only."

"I know." He shrugged, moving his long, shoulder length, blue hair. "But that hasn't stopped me in the past."

"I get it. What do you want?" She wasn't in the mood for a conversation, she needed to focus on her mission.

"I'm just seeing how everything's going?" he replied. "Making sure everything's set."

"Of course, it is! You think I can't plan a mission?" If her anger grew anymore she'd explode; how dare he question her decisions on her mission.

"I didn't say that." Simeon replied. "As you know, it's best for everyone to be on the same page during an operation. I was only asking if you'd made contact yet?"

"Unfortunately, no," she sternly replied. "And I'm sure you're loving every minute of it."

"My personal opinions aside, you were chosen to lead this mission," Simeon retorted. "And the only reason I'm here it because of that stupid rule the League recently introduced. Someone had to babysit you, and for what ever reason, the Master chose me. So, if you fail, I fail. You see; it's in my best interest for you to succeed."

"It certainly didn't seem like that earlier," she stated.

"I had some time to meditate over it," Simeon replied, his focus drawn elsewhere.

Elisabeth followed his eyes, turning towards the entrance to the cafeteria where she saw the fiery red-headed girl, Misty, enter the room. She must have just won her last match and had entered the cafeteria for a break.

"Don't worry, I think I know just how to get her attention," Simeon stated.

Elisabeth didn't know what he meant when she suddenly found herself in a very uncomfortable and compromising position. Her face was mere millimetres from Simeon's and to the outside observer it would look like they were kissing.

While she hated the closeness, it was the next thing that came out of his mouth that made her boil over. "Your mother was a whore."

She immediately pushed him away. "HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, slamming her hand across his face in a slap that rang across the room.

Simeon seemed unfazed, however, instead glancing around the room before muttering "Good job."

Elisabeth followed his gaze, realising everyone was looking at them. There was no noise, but the silence was deafening for Elisabeth as her cheeks flared in embarrassment. She wanted to disappear after such a moment, but everyone's gaze changed towards Simeon as he silently left.

Quickly, the room fell into normality as the trainers talked amongst themselves again. But Elisabeth realised that one person still had their eyes on her, and that they were slowly making their way towards her.

"Are you alright?" Misty asked as she approached.

"Um, yes, thank you, I'm fine," Elisabeth replied hurriedly. Simeon's plan had worked, much to her annoyance.

"Are you sure?" Misty questioned again, concern evident in her voice. "You should report him."

Under normal circumstances Elisabeth would have been annoyed that someone had come to talk to her after such an embarrassing moment. "No. No, everything's fine." Elisabeth gave the best smile she could, trying to convince the red-head that everything was alright. Truth be told, she would love nothing more than to report her partner-see him rot in jail for a little while-but that would compromise the mission, and the mission came first.

"Oh, um, okay." Misty didn't know what to do; she'd expected the girl to agree with her. Awkwardly, she looked around for a spot to sit, but her attention was quickly brought back to the young girl sitting in front of her.

"Why don't you sit down, I'd enjoy the company," Elisabeth offered, hoping to continue the conversation. "These tournaments can be really boring if you don't have someone to talk to."

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

Like you weren't when you came to ask how I was? Elisabeth thought. "It's not a problem at all," she offered.

Misty tentatively sat down in the vacant seat, trying to figure out what to say. "So… How'd you go in your last round?" She tried.

"Good, I'd assume, I'm still here, aren't I?" Elisabeth gestured around the room.

"I guess…" Misty looked away nervously; embarrassed for asking such a stupid question.

Elisabeth quickly realised she needed to change her tune, or she would lose Misty. "So, how'd you go in the last round? I mean, how hard was the battle for you?"

"Quite easy actually," Misty admitted. "I'm not trying to brag, but the first few rounds have been quite easy for my friend and I."

"The boy you're with, Ash, right?"

Misty eyed Elisabeth with suspicion, worrying the young girl that she'd shown too much of her hand. Suddenly, Misty's eyes widened, and Elisabeth noticed the look of realisation cross Misty's face.

"I thought you seemed familiar!" Misty blurted a little louder than she would have liked. "You're the girl from that lab near the Safari Zone. You were there when Team Rocket attacked Lavender Town! Last I remember, you were locked up in some prison. How'd you get out?"

"If you must know," Elisabeth responded nonchalantly. "Because I helped you at that lab, and because I gave the authorities information, they let me out, gave me a knew identity and let me on my merry way."

"So, you were released?" Misty questioned. "You didn't escape?"

"God no." Elisabeth sniggered. "Do you think I would be entering an official tournament if I'd escaped. My photo would be in every database known to man. They'd pick me up the second I registered for the tournament, even if I had the chance to somehow get an official Trainer Licence."

"Sorry," Misty replied, lowering her voice. "I don't mean to judge, but we didn't exactly have good experiences in the past." She straightened up and sighed before looking at Elisabeth again. "We got off on the wrong foot." She extended her hand. "I'm Misty."

"Elisabeth," Elisabeth replied, shaking Misty's hand. "But most people call me Grace."

The conversation continued as they two girls got to know each other. Misty talked about the problems she was having with her Seel, all the while Elisabeth tried to give tips that could help her.

They'd been talking for so long, that when the chime that signified the end of the round occurred, they both looked at the screen on the other side of the room.

Eight boxes appeared with lines spreading out to join where only four boxes remained. The screen repeated the process until the lines finally converged at one box. Misty realised it was the fixture for the rest of the tournament. Quickly, the names of the remaining contestants appeared inside the first eight boxes. Misty knew she was through to the final eight, but she was yet unaware of Ash's fate. So, when his name appeared in the last slot, she sighed in relief that her friend had made it to the next round.

After studying the fixture, Elisabeth and Misty looked at each other, coming to the same conclusion; if they both won their next matches, they would face each other in the next round.

"Would Ash Ketchum and Dave Underwood please make their way to the battlefield!" The speaker blared inside the room. Ash wasn't there, she knew he was probably somewhere preparing his next Pokémon, she only hoped he hadn't strayed too far.


Elisabeth tentatively waded her way through halls of the stadium, following Misty in her quest to find seats for the next battle. She couldn't understand how determined Misty was to watch her friend. Weren't they rivals right now?

When they finally sat down, Elisabeth noticed the absence of a certain Pokémon watcher she knew had been travelling with Ash and Misty for the last few weeks. She would have brought it up, but she had to appear to know nothing about the current predicament. There was one question she could ask, however.

"So, where's your friend? Brock, I think was his name." She played dumb, she knew exactly where he was.

"He's no longer travelling with us," Misty explained, watching the battlefield intently as she waited for her friend to enter. "He's got an internship with a breeding company."

"Oh, that's nice for him." Elisabeth gave the most convincing smile she could before continuing. "Then who are you travelling with? You have to have a babysitter, don't you?"

Misty smirked at the jibe towards the Pokémon League, stifling a laugh as she composed herself. It wasn't the first time she'd heard someone ridicule the new rule, but it was certainly the most inventive way she'd heard someone describing their new travelling companion.

"Yes, we do have a 'babysitter' as it were." Misty air quoted. "But he's not here right now. He had some errands to run in the city. Wouldn't tell me what it was about though."

"Well, that's too bad. I thought he would be here cheering you both on."

"You'd think." Misty shrugged. "But that just means that Ash and I have to cheer for each other that little bit harder." Suddenly the announcer's voice blared around the stadium, introducing the next two trainers to enter the battlefield.

Misty cheered loudly while Elisabeth remained as stoic as ever, carefully studying the girl next to her.

"That's what I don't understand," Elisabeth stated, drawing Misty's attention as Ash and his opponent called out their Pokémon. "You're rivals right now, why would you be cheering for him to win? You'll be battling him soon if you both continue to advance through the tournament."

"That may be so," Misty agreed. "But our friendship is worth so much more than a simple tournament. We're friends first, rivals second. But don't get me wrong, I'll give it my all if we end up facing each other. It's what friends do; encourage each other to be stronger, challenge each other, but also help each other if we ever fail."

"Wow, that's such a nice way to put it." Elisabeth gave the best smile she could, but internally she was fuming. Jealousy had taken hold. Here she was, following her orders, never once having time to do what she wanted, all the while, her master's precious daughter got to live a life of freedom, a life she longed for. She hated Misty from that moment, she was glad she'd been sent on the mission, if only to someday make the girl cry. But that wouldn't be today, today she had to gain their trust.

Their conversation was cut short when they heard Ash yell out in distress, followed by murmurs in the crowd as the audience discussed what had just happened. Looking down, Elisabeth realised the match wasn't exactly going the way she thought it would.

While it wasn't over, it was clear that the match was in Dave Underwood's favour. Pidgeotto, Ash's Pokémon of choice for the match, had gotten caught in a trap no one saw coming. Down on the field, Pidgeotto was wrapped around hard by Dave's Tangela. But it wasn't the blue vines that had surprised everyone, but rather where they had come from.

Somehow, Tangela had forced its vines underneath the dirt of the battlefield, surprising Pidgeotto when it landed to rest.

"Dave must have combined the moves Bind and Ingrain," Elisabeth noted. "It's the only way Tangela would have been able to dig it vines through the ground."

"You can do that?" Misty questioned. "Combine moves, it seems almost preposterous."

"You can." Elisabeth noted. "It takes heaps of training, but it can be quite effective if you can achieve it, even then you need a Pokémon capable of doing it in the first place. I can count the number of trainers on my hand that I know that can do it. For Dave to have done it, he's either a great trainer or he had help training his Pokémon; I would suggest it's the later."

"How can you know that?"

"Quite frankly, because that kid down there hasn't done anything like it before. He's barely ever won a single match at one of these tournaments." Misty looked at her sceptically, causing Elisabeth to explain herself. "I look up all my opponents before a tournament. It's better to know everyone's weaknesses than battle blind."

"But everyone signed up this morning, there's no way you could know who was entering, unless…"

"…Unless I registered early and studied who was entering the tournament after me," Elisabeth finished.

The crowd suddenly applauded, drawing the attention of the two girls who were again lost in their conversation. Down below, Pidgeotto had somehow managed to free himself from the confines of Tangela's vines.

"Woo! Go Ash!" Misty cheered, earning some glances from the people around them. "Show everyone what you're made of!"

Rising up into the air, Pidgeotto suddenly began to glow. There were gasps in the crowd as Pidgeotto body grew larger, his wings extending wider, and his talons sharper. As the glow dissipated, Pidgeotto was replaced with a fierce looking Pidgeot.

"Yeah! Go Pidgeot!" Ash cheered from below. "Now follow again with a Wing Attack!" Pidgeot's wings glowed white as it swung back down towards Tangela at amazing speed.

"Dodge it, Tangela!" Dave ordered.

"Wrong move." Elisabeth tsked, shaking her head. "Wrong move."

"How so?" Misty asked.

"Dave hasn't even taken into consideration Pidgeot's increased speed after it evolved." Elisabeth explained. "The evolution may as well have thrown out his whole play book because he's suddenly facing a faster and stronger Pokémon than he'd planned for."

Indeed, Elisabeth was right. Down on the field, Tangela didn't even have a chance as Pidgeot homed in on his target, striking the grass-type Pokémon with a super-effective move. The attack flung Tangela back to Dave, who was in as much of a daze as his Pokémon was.

"Tangela is unable to battle!" the ref declared. "Ash Ketchum is the winner."

The stadium rang with thunderous applause as Misty considered what Elisabeth said. She looked down towards the battlefield and then back towards Elisabeth. "Okay, what would you have done then? In Dave's place, I mean."

"I would have known that Tangela's speed would have been nearly half that of its opponent. I would have known that Tangela had no chance of escaping the attack, so I would have immediately come up with a defensive strategy," Elisabeth explained.

"What type of defensive strategy?" Misty asked.

"Tangela can learn Protect, so if it knew that, I would have used it, otherwise-if Dave hadn't already used the move-Ingrain would have been great in that situation; use its health boosting ability to help Tangela endure the hit and then reassess the situation." Elisabeth clarified, earning a look of respect from Misty.

"You sure do know a lot about Pokémon."

"Yeah." Elisabeth smiled, agreeing with the compliment. "I got it from my dad. He made me read a lot of books about Pokémon before I fell in with Team Rocket." It wasn't a total lie, but it was the closest response to the truth she could give.

"I would love to hear more, but I think we should go meet up with Ash."

"S-sure." Elisabeth stuttered. She didn't know why she was nervous, but she knew she had to get it out of the way for her mission.


"What the hell is she doing here?" Ash asked, annoyed at the presence of one of the few people he wished never to meet again; she had hurt Pikachu.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, his cheeks sparking warningly.

"Look, I know what she did was bad," Misty agreed, mediating the current situation. Even with her change of hair colour, Ash had recognised Elisabeth straight away, and he was none too pleased. "But just listen to what she has to say, that's all I'm asking."

"Fine," Ash reluctantly agreed. "But you better make it quick, I want to prepare for my next battle."

Elisabeth sighed. "Look… I wanted to apologise for what I did while I was a part of Team Rocket. I was foolish, and stupid, and angry, and I took it out on you and your Pokémon."

"We've already had this conversation," Ash interjected. "I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to Pikachu, even though you saved him at that lab. You apologised to me there. I'm wanting to know why I should continue to let you remain in my presence instead of ignoring you?"

"I… Umm… I don't have an answer for that," Elisabeth stammered, shocked that he'd remember their last conversation in such detail. "All that I ask is that you give me a chance and I'll prove to you that I've changed."

"We'll see."


Elisabeth calmly waded her way outside the stadium, having won her next battle. She needed some fresh air after the heavy talk she'd had with Ash and Misty.

"So, how did it go?" Simeon asked, leaning up against the wall outside the stadium.

"About as well as you would expect," Elisabeth replied. "I'm through to the next round."

"Not that." Simeon waved off. "Your mission. You know, that two targets I saw you talking to earlier."

"About as well as you would expect," Elisabeth repeated. "No thanks to you. Misty wanted me to press charges of harassment."

"And I'm sure you'd love to," Simeon replied, a smug smile adorning his face. "But alas, you need me, so you're stuck with me."

"Don't remind me." Elisabeth groaned. "Why couldn't I have been partnered with Whitney, or even Staci, at least they wouldn't have been such a jerk."

"You'd rather be partnered with Staci?" Simeon raised an eyebrow. "At least I would help you! That bitch wouldn't do a damn thing and then she'd try and take all the glory."

"Awe, did I hit a soft spot?" Elisabeth quipped.

"You damn well know you did!" Simeon growled. "You know what that bitch did to me."

"I've heard the rumours," Elisabeth replied. "Can't say I believe them though. Staci doesn't seem like that type of girl."

"Well she is. And if you ever end up partnered with her, you should watch your back; you might find a few knifes in it if you're not careful," Simeon warned.

"What makes you think you won't find a knife in your back here?" Elisabeth turned around heading back into the stadium.

"You've changed, you know?" Elisabeth stopped, eyeing her partner in confusion. "Those two years in Team Rocket, they changed you. You used to be so sweet and innocent. You'd usually scowl if I said such words as 'bitch' or 'whore,' but now you barely bat an eye."

"I grew up," Elisabeth explained. "I had to if I wanted to survive. What you said was nothing compared to what I heard some of them say over the last two years."

"That's why I think you were sent there," Simeon suggested. "The powers that be didn't like where you were heading, so they sent you on a mission where they could mould you into what ever they wanted. Just watch your back. I don't like that they've sent you on a mission such as this. They could have sent anyone else, anyone who didn't have history with the target, and it would have been so much easier to befriend them… And yet our masters chose you. You're not the type of person they want you to be."

"Noted," Elisabeth replied. "But for now, I have a mission to accomplish, so if you don't mind."

"I'll leave you to it." Simeon nodded. "I'll always have your back, no matter how much of a jerk I act like."

As Elisabeth re-entered the stadium, her mind wandered in clarity. She'd thought that her long-time friend had changed, but maybe they both had. She'd set up walls to protect herself, and for the first time ever, she realised how much her defences had altered her personality.

Once, she was an outgoing, free-willing, person, but now she was closed off. She hid her emotions, only she did it with cold calculation, whereas Simeon hid behind egotism and false bravado. They had changed, she just didn't know if it was for better or for worse.


"You ready for this?" Elisabeth asked, eyeing Misty, her opponent, from the other side of the field. It was the second semi-final match, with the winner to face Ash in the final.

"Sure am, Elisabeth, show me what you've got!" Misty replied.

"Both trainers, please release your Pokémon!" the ref declared.

"Misty calls Tentacruel!" The large jellyfish Pokémon sprung from his Poké Ball. His two large red orbs reflected the light from the stadium as he used his tentacles to hold himself up on the battlefield. Misty knew she wouldn't have any speed in this battle, but that wasn't what she was after.

"Go Nuzzy!" Elisabeth called, releasing a small bipedal Pokémon with a leaf connected to its head. Its two brown hand bumped together, showing it preparedness for battle.

"Nuzleaf!"

Misty studied the Pokémon, realising that it had to be a grass-type, smirking as she knew she had a type advantage; while most water-type Pokémon were weak to grass-types, Tentacruel's secondary typing of poison nullified the advantage.

"Begin!" the ref declared.

"Okay, Tentacruel, let's see how fast that Pokémon is! Hydro Pump!" A large blast of water shot forth from behind Tentacruel's large blue stinger, racing straight towards Nuzleaf. Elisabeth didn't order her Pokémon to do anything, confusing Misty as the blast of water hit the Pokémon. "Why didn't she order her Pokémon to do anything."

But as the water subsided, Nuzleaf was nowhere to be seen. "Now, Nuzzy! Razor Leaf!"

Misty watched on in complete confusion as Nuzleaf appeared in another corner of the battlefield. Its leaf above its head glowed as it swung it around in circles, firing several sharp leaves at Tentacruel.

Misty, so lost in her confusion, failed to order her Pokémon to protect himself as the leaves smashed into several of his tentacles.

"How?" Was all Misty could ask as the attack died down. Her Pokémon had only taken minor damage.

"I don't reveal all my secrets, Misty," Elisabeth replied. "But let's just say that I substituted a target for you."

"Tentacruel, are you alright?" Misty questioned, finally turning her attention towards her Pokémon after Elisabeth's cryptic message. Tentacruel answered by raising one of his tentacles. "Then let's try and see if we can slow Nuzleaf down! Supersonic!"

Tentacruel's red gem glowed, emitting waves of sound towards Nuzleaf. The smaller bipedal Pokémon was far too fast however, easily leaping out of the way of the attack. Tentacruel tried to follow the smaller Pokémon, but with his tentacles his only support, he was impossibly slow.

Misty began to wonder if she'd made a mistake in using Tentacruel after he was hit with another torrent of leaves. She'd chosen power over mobility, and it appeared Elisabeth had chosen the exact opposite. "We can't hit Nuzleaf from a distance, so we'll have to try and draw him in," she muttered. "Tentacruel stop!"

Tentacruel, who was still trying to hit Nuzleaf with Supersonic, stopped, confused. "Tenta?" he questioned.

"It's alright, I've got an idea." Misty reassured. "Now hold and wait for my signal."

Elisabeth eyed Misty suspiciously, trying to determine what was going through the young red-head's mind. She quickly looked back at her Pokémon, deciding to spring the little trap Misty had seemingly set. "Nuzzy, Solar Beam!"

There were murmurs from the crowd as they waited for the attack to charge up. They wondered why Misty wasn't ordering her Pokémon to do anything. But Ash, who had seen Misty battle with Tentacruel before, had a strong suspicion that he knew what was about to happen.

Nuzleaf's leaf glowed green as it absorbed light for the attack. Quickly, it opened its mouth, all the energy forming there as it prepared to launch its attack.

Just as the attack fired, Misty turned to her Pokémon. "Now, Barrier!" A purplish-blue energy barrier formed around Tentacruel, blocking the green beam of energy from hitting Tentacruel. The barrier disappeared after the beam died down, revealing Tentacruel was unharmed.

If Elisabeth had sprung a trap, she didn't exactly know what type of trap it was. She knew she had to give her Pokémon time to recover, so she ordered her Pokémon to return to her end of the battlefield.

She studied the battlefield, remembering that the field was the equivalent of a sandy terrain. She wanted to end the battle quickly, and she knew how. "Nuzzy, let's finish this. Use Nature Power now!"

With the sandy terrain, Nuzleaf's attach changed to the conditions as it suddenly glowed with a dim yellow light. Quickly, fissures began opening up from where Nuzleaf stood and spread out across the battlefield like a wild fire.

Misty only had enough time to order her Pokémon to protect himself, and while the barrier prevented Tentacruel from taking any damage from the attack, it had no effect on helping the jellyfish Pokémon when a giant hole opened beneath him. Tentacruel lost all balance and fell into the hole, leaving the Pokémon wide open.

"Game over, Misty!" Elisabeth called. "You may have thought that I was at a disadvantage when I chose Nuzzy, but I knew exactly what I was doing." She turned towards her Pokémon. "Now, Nuzzy, finish this with Extrasensory!"

Nuzleaf jumped over the hole that Tentacruel was trapped in, its eyes glowing gold before it fired a multi-coloured beam at Tentacruel.

Tentacruel attempted to raise another barrier, but the shield was too weak as it shattered on impact with the beam. With no way to move, Tentacruel felt the full strength of the super-effective attack, collapsing in exhaustion.

"Tentacruel is unable to battle!" the ref declared. "Elisabeth Carter is the winner!"


"That was a great battle, Misty," Elisabeth commended, meeting up with the younger girl after their battle.

"Mmm, yeah, thanks," Misty replied gloomily.

"Hey, don't be so down," Elisabeth tried to consol. "You've got a long way to go, but you'll get there. I was just lucky with my choice of Pokémon is all."

"I guess, but I wonder how hard it will be to raise my rank if everyone knows what type of Pokémon I'm going to use before the match even begins."

"It's very hard to remain with one Pokémon type throughout your whole career, Misty," Elisabeth explained. "Sure, you use water-types in water tournaments, but you should try and catch a variety for when you have to compete in tournaments like this. You don't have to use only one type in these matches."

"Thanks." Misty half smiled. "Someone told me that before. Perhaps they were right, I need to branch out with other types so I can get to know them as much as I know water-types. It'll let me know their strengths and weaknesses for when I'm facing multiple types of Pokémon with only water-types in hand."

"That's the spirit, now come on, we should go get our Pokémon checked out."


Misty and Elisabeth met up with Ash before heading to the tournament's Pokémon Centre. When they arrived, however, they noticed something was completely off.

"Where's Nurse Joy?" Ash questioned, frantically approaching the desk. "I'd left Pikachu here after my last battle and now they're nowhere to be seen!"

"Ash, you need to calm down," Misty reassured. "She might be out the back looking after all the Pokémon."

Ash sighed, ringing the bell. But when no one appeared, his worry returned. "Nurse Joy!" he called out. "Nurse Joy!" Ash activated his aura sense, trying to see if he could sense her anywhere nearby, but without distinctly knowing the shape of Nurse Joy's aura, it was a lost cause.

"She's not here!" Elisabeth called, emerging from the room where the Pokémon would usually be. "And neither are the Pokémon!"

"Then…" Ash paused. "Then where's Pikachu?"


Will Ash get Pikachu back? Will Elisabeth accomplish her mission? And Who will win the Tournament? Find out next time!

I had to cut it here because the next part will be quite long, and I wanted to update as soon as possible. I'm nearly finished with the next part and hope to update soon.

Any questions, Pokémon suggestions, ideas for the story, or OC's you have that you would like to see in the story, just PM me or send it in a review! All are welcome!

Ash's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Pikachu (Electric) (Male)
Lapras (Water/Ice) (Female)

Ivysaur (Grass/Poison) (Male)
Charizard (Fire/Flying) (Male)
Wartortle (Water) (Male)
Rhydon (Ground/Rock) (Female)
Riolu (Fighting) (Male)
Dragonair (Dragon) (Female)
Ralts (Psychic/Fairy) (Male) (Shiny)
Grubbin (Bug) (Female) (Shiny)
Egg

At Oak's Ranch:

Pidgeot (Normal/Flying) (Male)
Arcanine (Fire) (Male)
Nidorino (Poison) (Male) (Shiny)
Umbreon (Dark) (Male) (Shiny)
Raticate (Normal) (Female)
Butterfree (Bug/Flying) (Male)
Kingler (Water) (Female)
Absol (Dark) (Male)
Gengar (Ghost/Poison) (Male)
Primeape (Fighting) (Female)
Muk (Poison) (Male)
Tauros (Normal) (Male) (x23)
Sandslash (Ground) (Male)
Gyarados (Water/Flying) (Male)

Departed:

Mew

Misty's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Starmie (Water/Psychic)
Seel (Water) (Male)
Feebas (Water) (Female)
Vaporeon (Water) (Female)
Psyduck (Water) (Male)
Togepi (Fairy) (Male)
Egg

At Oak's Ranch:

Kabutops (Rock/Water) (Male) (Shiny)
Seaking (Water) (Female)
Staryu (Water/Psychic)
Tentacruel (Water/Poison) (Male)
Pelipper (Water/Flying) (Female)
Seadra (Water) (Female)

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