Pokemon Heart Soul Adventures

Chapter 63 – The Collector

"Well then, Hilde, this is where we say goodbye, I guess." May said, as she and her younger brother stood near a fork in the road, in front of Max's friend and rival. It was daybreak as the trio, after a good night's sleep and a quick breakfast, had continued on their way, and Hilde had expressed her wish to continue on her own. May and Max had been okay with it – after all, Hilde was not going to let her rival know too much about her Pokemon team, and they certainly weren't going to insist.

"I guess so, yes." The younger girl answered, as she tried to rein in the rebellious cowlick of hair on top of her head. "Both way go to Lavaridge Town, right? Let's see who gets there and obtains Flannery's Badge first."

"Fair enough. Be careful, though… those Team Vicious jerks certainly haven't given up on us, and I'm sure they're just waiting for the right moment to strike at us." Max answered, adjusting his glasses with a somewhat distant look on his face.

"Wouldn't be surprised." Hilde answered indifferently. "Still, I have half a mind on what to do to get those guys out of my feet. On the other hand, Max… you might attract some attention, since you're travelling with a sister who's pretty famous here in Hoenn."

"I see what you mean… but I'll cross that bridge if we ever get to it." Max answered, his sister nodding in assent. "We've given Team Vicious a good clobbering, and they will probably plan better for next time. We won't be hearing of them for a while."

"And when we do, we will know how to deal with them." May commented. "Now that we know about them, they won't get the jump on us that easily. Just try not to get caught again, Hilde… and we hope to see you again soon."

"We might even have a nice battle after our Pokemon have gotten stronger, right?" Max went on with a slight grin. "I'm pretty sure my Mudkip will evolve soon. You will be surprised at what we can do then."

"Two can play at that game. But still, I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy the confrontation." Hilde answered, though she didn't sound particularly enthusiastic. "See you later, then. Try not to get into trouble."

"Later!" May and Max called after her as the younger girl made a friendly gesture with her right hand, and they followed her with their eyes until she was little more than a dot in the distance. Finally, Max sighed in relief and stretched a bit, his mind going to the next Gym he would have to face.

"Well then… time to get back to training. I guess Mudkip and Kirlia have been left behind a bit. Guess I'd better get them up to speed for when I get to challenge Wattson." Max stated, and the thought made him smile in excitement. "We sure have gotten pretty far since I became a trainer, huh? After Wattson and Flannery, we will get back to our dear Petalburg Town… you know what that means, right?"

"Of course I do, Max. That means you'll get to face Dad in his own Gym." May answered, smiling cunningly. "In fact, I am curious to see how you will do when we get there… if I recall correctly, you weren't exactly too keen on Ash beating Dad, back then. You remember that, right?"

Max's face turned red with embarassment as May chuckled at his reaction, and he quickly tried to veer the conversation to less embarassing topics. "Th-that was back when I was eight, sis! I'd like to think I've gotten a little wiser about it, thank you very much!" he quickly answered, before clearing his voice. "A-anyway, I was thinking that I need to catch a few more Pokemon, if I want to have a more competitive team. Let's see, right now I have Mudkip, Ledyba, Mightyena, Linoone and Kirlia… I need some more variety in my team, and perhaps a good Grass or Fire type. As for the moves they need to learn…"

Max started thinking loudly to himself, almost completely oblivious to his sister chuckling to herself about his embarassment. Typical Max, preparing a whole strategy before the battle, in contrast with Ash's trusting in his own team and tendency to improvise. She thought of her friend back in Kanto, wondering with some worry whether or not Team Vicious had him in their sights as well…

Still, between what had just happened in Hoenn and other places, and what was going on right then, May was pretty certain Team Vicious was cooking up something terrible. She was trying not to let this train of thought rule her, but she knew sonething had to be done about those people.

She could only hope Ash, Pikachu and their friends were doing well and were safe. May had a feeling things weren't that quiet in Kanto and Johto either.

oooooooooo

A private villa, in a rarely visited province in Kanto. That elegant and richly furnished place was the property of the famed collector Lawrence the Third, owner of one of the largest and most spectacular collections of Pokemon-related artifacts in the world… which he had, no earlier than three years before, tried to expand by capturing the three Legendary Birds of Kanto, as well as the mythical Lugia, Guardian of the Seas. An attempt that many would have called reckless at best, given the potential consequences. Had Ash and his friends, who were then travelling through the Orange Archipelago, not stopped this project, all the continents would have been struck by calamity.

Still, that was in the past. Lawrence the Third was a changed man now. After his defeat, realizing what he had almost brought about, the collector had gone into retirement, and had begun rebuilding his collection, starting from the Ancient Mew card he had gotten as a young man. This time, however, he was determined not to let his desire for a peerless collection overcome his common sense. And he had made good on that purpouse, though he had never quite regained the goodwill of the people of the Orange Islands – his collection was now even larger and better than before.

At that particular moment, the wealthy collector was busying himself with taking care of his precious collection, to which two mysterious and most precious pieces had been added after an incognito travel through Sinnoh and the far away continent of Unova – an ancient plate sculpted in an unknown lime green mineral, etched with strange readings; and a fossil resembling a petrified turtle shell the size of a basketball, belonging to some unknown prehistoric Pokemon whose knowledge escaped Lawrence at that moment. The plate had been placed upon a large slab of stone, in the center of one of the main rooms, where the most important pieces of his collection were exposed. As for the fossil, it had been placed under a glass case, protected by a complex alarm system, as Lawrence waited for the chance to have it examined and identified.

"Truly, a rare and most precious finding." A pleased Lawrence mused, stopping close to the glass case in order to get a better look at the fossilized shell. "It does remind me of a Torkoal shell, yet the plates have a different arrangement. I am afraid, though, that such a finding eludes the depths of my knowledge. The best thing to do would be, to wait for the judgement of someone who knows better than myself."

A faint sound of steps distracted Lawrence from his contemplation, and the collector turned to one of the great hall's doors, noticing with slight surprise his butler coming through it in a calm, measured manner. That was unusual indeed… his servitors never called him as he was intent in surveying his collection, well knowing the value, both material and personal, it had for him. Being interrupted in such a moment usually meant something serious was going on, a matter that merited his full attention.

"Master Lawrence. I regret to disturb you in such a moment." The butler ventured, bowing almost ninety degrees. "Still, it is a most urgent matter. A visitor from the Sinnoh region seems to have caught wind of your reputation, and is currently asking for an audience. I attempted to tell him that you were not to be disturbed for any reason, yet he remains most insistent. He stated that he brings forward the possibility of a cooperation, and that, were you to refuse his offer, you would miss out on a unique opportunity for mutual gain."

Lawrence the Third frowned in doubt as he turned to his most faithful and competent servant. Although nearing the end of his thirties, Lawrence was an handsome man of striking presence and charisma, with light green hair that seemed to put his head on fire, a shrewd if somewhat dreamy expression on his pale face, and dressed in an elegant white suit with a black streak in the middle, white gloves and matching trousers and shoes. He calmly cleared his voice and answered. "A visitor, then? It is not often that someone seeks to enter business with me. Have you asked about his identity, George?"

The butler seemed to hesitate for a moment. "To be perfectly honest, master, I had no need to ask." He explained, much to Lawrence's further surprise. "He happens to be a most notorious individual… Grings Kodai, the infamous businessman and former owner of Crown City's television network."

Lawrence was already suspicious before, and now, he was ever more so. He himself knew what had transpired in Crown City only a few months before, when Ash and his travelling companions, aided by Zorua and his mother Zoroark, had revealed the atrocities Kodai had committed to hold on to his power and keep Crown City under his thumb to the whole Sinnoh region. He was sure Kodai had been safely secured in prison for that… so why was he now knocking at his doorstep?

"Grings Kodai, then?" Lawrence answered, already having something in mind for dealing with him. "I see. Let him in, George. I will speak with him and try to understand his intentions."

"I understand, master. I shall do so immediately." The butler answered. "If it pleases you to wait in the living room, I shall have Mr. Kodai join you shortly."

Lawrence the Third nodded and followed his butler for a short while in the corridors of the richly furnished estate, until they finally reached a large living room, dimly lit by a few lamps hanging to tge walls. After motioning for his butler to bring the unexpected guest in, Lawrence sat on a sofa, near a crystal table, and began waiting, already formulating a few ideas on what the infamous Grings Kodai might have wanted with him. He was sure it would be nothing good, anyway.

And just like clockwork, George came back only five minutes later, bringing along a 40-something violet-haired man with a blond lock on his forehead, dressed almost completely in white, and with an intense, almost maniacal glint in his oddly colored golden eyes.

There was no mistake about it. This man was obviously Grings Kodai, just as he appeared in the photos seen in the newspapers. He was clearly trying to present himself with the best of intentions, but Lawrence could easily divine the evil intent behind that falsely affable smile. Still, the wealthy collector did not falter, and greeted his guest with a simple gesture.

"You are Lawrence the Third, I take it." Kodai ventured, trying to start the conversation as he approached the table. "I have heard about you… and your magnificent collection of relics and artifacts. And I must say, I would never have thought that one day, I would get the chance to see some of them myself. Very impressive, to say the least."

"Your compliments are well received." Lawrence answered, his tone neutral. "However, if you would but allow me a personal consideration, I doubt your visit is motivated by simple curiosity. Especially considering certain recent events which took place in Crown City. Am I correct?"

Kodai chuckled, but one ciuld see that Lawrence's barb had bruised his immense pride. "Well, I can see that my… fame, as it were… precedes me. That was… simply an unfortunate accident, which will not be repeated in the future. And anyway, it bears no relevance to the issue at hand. If you would but allow me…"

"Please, take a seat." Lawrence invited him, motioning to the sofa in front of himself. Kodai did so and tried to regain control of the conversation, but Lawrence beat him to it. "I still feel the need to ask… why would one such as you seek to enter a partnership with me?"

"Straight to the point, I see. I can respect that." Kodai answered. "The alliance I propose… is for getting rid of a common enemy that has been a thorn in the side to both of us. Ash Ketchum, the winner of the Sinnoh League Championship. He ruined our triumph when we were just one step away from victory. Does the prospect of revenge against him not entice you? Thanks to our combined resources and several reliable allies I have gathered, we can obtain payback on him a lot more easily."

Lawrence listened to all that, without showing any reaction for a few seconds… then, much to Kodai's surprise, the billionairie collector began to chuckle.

"Hmhmhmm… I regret to say, you are not as well informed about me as I am about you, Mr. Kodai." The Pokemon collector answered. "You see, three years ago, when I tried to capture Lugia and Kanto's Legendary Birds, and ended up losing my collection and the flying fortress I had spent most of my money on… I realized that my obsession with collecting Pokemon relics had grown out of my control, turning into a foolish and impractical affair. It had brought me to not caring about the consequences of my actions, and as much as it might seem unbelievable to you, I must thank Ash Ketchum for bringing me back to sanity and convincing me to pursue my dream in an healthier manner. Therefore, I have to reason to nurse a grudge against Ash Ketchum, nor to aid you in your revenge against him."

Though he was caught off guard, Kodai was able to cleverly mask his surprise and tried to appeal to another reason Lawrence might have had for joining Team Vicious. "I understand… clearly, I seem to have misread your intentions. A regrettable mistake, but one that can be remedied." He stated, trying to buy himself some time and reorganize his speech. "Still, I believe that your ambition is still to enlarge your collection as much as possible, with relics from all over the world, which Team Vicious could easily provide for you. Think about it. You have a lot to earn, by striking a deal with our organization."

"So you say." An eerily calm Lawrence answered. "But what I would like to know is, what exactly would I earn from that?"

Kodai's self-assuredness started to falter, even though the corrupt businessman tried not to show it. He was sure he was offering the other party everything Lawrence might have wanted, and was growing frustrated with how all of his attempts were being rebuffed. "I… thought I had been clear enough on that, Mr. Lawrence. Thanks to Team Vicious' technology and what remains of my financial empire… after all, I do have people still loyal to me… you would have access to relics and curiosities you would not find in any other way. Are you not eager to add more to your collection?"

"Without a doubt." Lawrence answered. "However, I have an important caveat to add to that. After my attempt to capture Lugia almost resulted in worldwide disaster, I decided that I would rebuild my collection in the right way. Which does not include cooperating with an outlaw organization, or with a man with several counts of attempted murder, kidnapping and other sorts of felonies pending on his head. Therefore, regardless of your offer, my answer remains a negative."

Kodai grit his teeth, understanding that negotiations were going poorly. However, he quickly recomposed himself, knowing that where diplomacy failed, he had other means he could fall back on. "Fair enough. I admit to all those accusations, and I would gladly commit those acts again, in order to regain my stolen financial empire." He affirmed. "Still, as I said, that has little to no bearing on the issue at hand. Rather, there is another consideration that will soon take precedence."

"Is that so?" Lawrence answered, now sounding almost bored. "And what would that be?"

Kodai smiled sinisterly, and Lawrence barely had enough time to perceive that something was very wrong before three of the living room's doors were thrown open with a startling noise, and three figures walked in with such speed that Lawrence couldn't really see what they looked like at first. Half a second later, the collector found himself seized and roughly forced up by two of the strange figures – a small guy with a wily grin and short short blond hair, wearing a light green Team Vicious uniform;and a large, burly man with bulging muscles, a dim-witted expression on his face, a grey uniform with black boots, and an odd-looking head. The third one, a cruel beauty of a woman with sneaky eyes, red lips and a devilish smile, approached him, pointing a razor-sharp blade at Lawrence's neck.

"That would be us, Mr. Lawrence." The woman said in a soft, harmonious voice tinted with cruel pleasure. "Allow me to make the introductions. My name is Sird, and I am part of Team Vicious' elite force. And these are my companions, Carr and Orm. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

The other two henchmen nodded wordlessly, with Carr snickering nastily, and Kodai confidently stood up from his position. "These three have proved themselves to be reliable, professional and ruthless enough to be entrusted with the success of several important Team Vicious operations, just like today." The corrupt businessman stated matter-of-factly. "Thanks to them, Team Vicious just came one step closer to world domination."

Lawrence glared at the woman called Sird, but admirably kept his cool even in such a vexing position. "I understand." The collector answered. "I shoild have known you'd be prepared in case I turned down your offer. So, that is your endgame? World domination?"

"As I said, my objective is to take revenge on Ash Ketchum and take back what's rightfully mine." Kodai answered smugly. "And now, Team Vicious has given me the chance to do all that and more. Truly a pity that you turned down our offer, because I believe you would have stood to gain more than you could ever imagine. Still, that does not matter any more. There are several pieces in your collection that will help us with achieving our goals. You two, take our guest to his new accomodation. Sird, you're coming with me to take a good look at this place and its treasures. What we are looking for is here, and if we can find something else useful, all the better for us."

"Yes, sir!" the big guy, Orm, answered slowly.

"Consider it done, sir!" Carr went on.

Sird nodded with a slow gesture and walked along Kodai as they headed towards another wing of the beautiful estate, Lawrence's coldly furious stare affixed on them the whole way. To have worked so hard to rebuild his collection, only to see it taken away and mismanaged by such rabble for their terrible goals, it was beyond infuriating. Yet, Lawrence knew it would not do to oppose them so openly. Right now, they held the advantage. All he could really do was bide his time, until more favorable conditions presented themselves, and until then, play along with his captors.

The two odd-looking men nodded and walked away, taking their prisoner along with them and leaving Kodai and Sird to take a good look at the estate, hoping to find a few more useful relics inside. "Very well. This leaves Lawrence the Third's entire collection in Team Vicious' hands. I'm sure we will find something we can use here. After all, the weapons he once used to try to capture Lugia should be still hidden here, somewhere. What do you say, Sird?" the former de facto ruler of Crown City commented.

The mysterious woman nodded. "I am inclined to agree, Mr. Kodai." She answered in her soft yet cruel tone. "And among the artifacts that were in his possessions, there should also be the one we were looking for. Shall we go take a look?"

With a nod, Grings Kodai led his new underling on as he walked through the now empty and silent corridors of the estate, and finally reached the same room Lawrence had been in when the unwelcome visit had arrived. The first thing that caught Kodai's eye was, indeed, the same slab of faintly glowing lime green stone that stood in the center of the room, giving off a strange and somewhat unnatural aura. With a triumphant smirk, Kodai reached out to the stone plate and held it in his hands, admiring it greedily.

"Splendid… just splendid! Another Plate is in our hands, and that makes three Plates for Team Vicious! I guess we will have to speed up our operations, if we want to reach our objective in good time… but it doesn't matter for now, this is a huge step forward!" Kodai stated. "Heh… how ironic, we don't even know where those Plates come from, and for this one, we don't even know what Pokemon they belong to. But it doesn't matter. I'm certainly not about to look at a gift Ponyta in the mouth!"

"With your permission, Mr. Kodai, I would start taking a look at the other rooms as well." The sinister woman named Sird stated, never losing that almost predatory smile of hers. "While I don't believe we will find much else of immediate value, there are still some very interesting and rare objects that will fetch us a fair coin."

"Good idea. Get working on it." Kodai answered, the woman nodding in assent before walking to anither room, leaving the man to take a look at another relic – a fossil kept under a glass case, looking like a large turtle shell blackened by stone deposit and the million years spent underground… a fossil that did not seem to belong to any Pokemon he knew. It was probably from another region, which meant it would be worth a lot even more than any other fossil. All he needed to do was find someone unscrupulous enough to haggle for it, which would be easy enough for Team Vicious.

"Fantastic! Truly a magnificent fossil. Who knows what sort of Pokemon will come out of it?" Kodai mused to himself, his hands placed upon the protective glass. "I really need to thank you, Mr. Lawrence… willingly or not, you are giving a huge contribution to Team Vicious' cause… and my own revenge!"

oooooooooooo

Back in Hoenn, a newly minted trainer was taking his next few steps in the world of Pokemon battles, and his more experienced older sister was helping him both with training and with keeping him out of trouble. Unfortunately, trouble seemed to be all too eager to be found, and now it was taking the form of a massive rampaging Donphan, its ivory tusks scarred with countless past battles, and a mighty trunk seemingly able to break branches and small trees as easily as toothpicks! The elephant-like Pokemon had attacked the siblings while they were walking along some tall rocky formations, ambushing them like some sort of brigand, and now May and Max had called Wartortle and Mudkip to battle, but their opponent seemed to resist even their Water-type attacks.

With a thunderous trumpeting, Donphan picked up a huge stone and tossed it at Mudkip, who was barely able to dodge in time. Then, it attempted a Slam attack, lowering its head and charging at May's Wartortle in an attempt to bring its deadly tusks to bear.

"Wartortle, use Withdraw!" May exclaimed just in time. The Water-type Pokemon protected himself by hiding in his own shell, and the Donphan's attack bounced upon it, leaving Wartortle almost unharmed.

"Nice job, Wartortle!" May cheered. "Now, use Water Gun and Rapid Spin at the same time!"

Making the best use of a combination of attacks he normally used for Pokemon Contests, Wartortle began to spin around like a top even as he was sttill withdrawn in his shell, and several powerful sprays of water shot out of the openings in his natural armor, completely soaking the area around Wartortle before shooting towards Donphan and slapping it in the face. The fierce Ground-type Pokemon trumpeted again and was forced to take a few steps back, giving Max a chance to show off a bit of his own skill.

"Thank you, sis! Now it's my turn, ok?" the bespectacled boy exclaimed. "Mudkip, attack with Whirlpool!"

The Water-type starter exclaimed his name again in assent, then took a deep breath and shot out a blast of churning waters that took the form of a vortex, trapping Donphan inside. It trumpeted again, this time in confusion, as it tried to break through the roaring water, and May could not help but express surprise for the move her younger brother had used.

"Whirlpool?" she asked. "When did you have Mudkip learn that?"

Max pulled up his glasses. "Well, Mudkip and I did have quite a bit of time to practice a few moves." He explained as Donphan still tried to free itself. "Took some trial and error, but we managed to master this move… not too powerful, but it does buy us enough time."

"Mudkip!" the Water-type Pokemon answered in assent.

"That's a pretty clever idea, Max… it's just your style!" May commented with a smile. "However, I'm afraid you might want to think of a new move soon… this is not going to buy you a lot of time!"

As the siblings looked at the Whirlpool, they saw that Donphan had curled itself into a ball and was barreling at high speed along the walls of the vortex, going along with the current in order to increase its own speed. A few seconds later, Donphan shot out of the Whirlpool like a living cannon ball, and then shot up in an attempt to plunge on the enemy in a dead fall. Luckily, Max was able to think and react to that quickly enough.

"Oh, man… use Foresight!" he called out. Mudkip frowned, and his eyes twinkled for a brief moment before the mudfish Pokemon dodged at almost blinding speed, and Donphan's Rollout attack only struck the ground, opening a large fissure in it. The elephant Pokemon rolled back and set itself straight again, his trunk angrily whipping the air, and Mudkip was able to shoot a precise Water Gun attack that seemed sure to hit the bulky creature…

But the opposing Donphan showed itself to be a canny opponent – it flexed its trunk and proceeded to literally drink the Water Gun attack, absorbing it in its long and flexible nose before shooting it back at the sender. The surprised Mudkip was unable to react in time, and was hit and sent sprawling on the ground, but he quickly picked himself up.

"What? Have you seen what it did, sis?" a completely flabbergasted Max commented.

"I can't really believe it either, but yes, I saw that…" May answered, equally surprised. "Man, that was really unexpected…"

"Tortle…" her Wartortle commented with a frown.

Trying to think quickly of a new plan, Max finally came up with an idea. "Okay… maybe I have a plan that will work, but I need that Donphan to use Rollout again." He explained. "Sis, could you try and get its attention for a while?"

"Hmm… I think I understand your plan." The older Maple sibling answered. "And I think I can manage that, too. Wartortle, attack with Water Gun and try to get Donphan to focus on you! Now that it has lost speed, its Rollout attack shouldn't be that sttong any more."

"Wartortle!" the turtle-like Pokemon answered as he sprayed Donphan with another blast of water, causing it to buckle. The Ground-type Pokemon angrily lowered its head and got ready to charge, just as Max had hoped… and as it sprinted forward to try another Rollout attack, Max gave his order.

"Now, Mudkip! Use Mud Sport to muck up its plan!" the younger trainer exclaimed. Immediately, Mudkip fired a blast of slippery mud on the ground right in front of Donphan, creating a puddle of dense and sticky fluid into which the elephant-like Pokemon ended up rolling. The mud quickly stuck onto its dense hide and caused its breakneck charge to grind to a halt, allowing Wartortle another shot and to strike it with a powerful Mega Punch attack, staggering the mighty Ground type. It tried to strike back with a Slam attack, using its trunk as a flail, but Wartortle was fast enough to use Withdraw and retreat into his shell once again just before the blow could reach him. He was sent flying a few feet away, but landed well enough that he was able to shake off the stunning a few moments later and stand upright once again.

Another Water Gun attack from Mudkip struck Donphan in the side, further annoying it and making him turn to the small Water-type starter once again. With a speed Max would not have thought possible for such a bulky Pokemon, the elephant-like beast reared on its hind legs and stomped the ground, sending out a Magnitude attack in the form of a miniature shockwave that rattled both Mudkip and Wartortle. The small Water-type starter tried to grit his teeth and hold on, but the shaking was too strong for him to resist, and he was finally knocked off his feet and sent sprawling at Max's feet.

"Oh, no! Mudkip, are you hurt?" the young boy asked, kneeling near his starter Pokemon to check on him. Mudkip managed to stand up once again, even though he was swaying like a drunk person. "Darn, that Magnitude attack was really bad…"

"Muuud… kip!" Mudkip concurred as he tried to focus once again on the battle…

"Now, Wartortle! Use Ice Beam to lock down Donphan!" came May's voice all of a sudden. The turtle Pokemon had managed to recover quickly enough, and fired a beam of white-blue freezing energy that struck Donphan's legs and covered them in a thick layer of ice and snow, literally freezing the ferocious Ground-type Pokemon to the earth. It trumpeted again in rage and tried to smash the ice with its trunk, but its position kept it from hitting hard enough, and both Max and his Mudkip could get their chance.

"Thank you, sis! And now… Mudkip, use Whirlpool again!" the boy exclaimed. Gathering all of his power, Mudkip breathed out a powerful vortex that struck Donphan with such strength that the ice trapping its legs shattered, and the beast was sent hurtling back, hitting a rock behind it and shattering it with its great weight. Donphan slipped to the ground in a daze, drenched from trunk to tail… and finally decided it had had more than enough for the day. It quickly turned tail and ran way from Max and May as fast as it could. Both Mudkip and Wartortle sighed in relief as they saw the formidable opponent finally retreating, and their trainers congratulated them for the great work.

"Well done, Mudkip! I knew I was right to count on you!" Max cheered. "You're akright, aren't you? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Mud…" the mudfish Pokemon answered rubbing his head. Donphan's last attack had been fairly powerful, and Mudkip was still hurting a bit, but it didn't seem to be anything that some rest at a Pokemon Center wouldn't have cured.

May petted Wartortle on the head and then turned to her younger brother. "Well, we did it, I guess. But I'm afraid this is just a symptom of what's going on all over the world, with the Pokemon growing more aggressive and restless. I'm afraid it won't be long before they become a true threat…"

Max sighed in assent. Indeed, by then he had more pressing thoughts than just getting all eight Hoenn League badges and showing up Hilde. Wild Pokemon growing more aggressive, all the strange events going on in those last few weeks… it was certainly cause for concern.

"You're right, and I think it would be best if we stopped to take a good look at this problem." He answered. "Those Team Vicious guys did say they were planning on capturing all the Legendary Pokemon they could find? Perhaps the Pokemon growing restless is tied to that… I'm just guessing, of course, but still."

May couldn't help but nod. "Yeah, good point, Max… and if we need to, we'll get help from Drew, Solidad and the others." She answered, and she regretted saying that as soon as she saw Max smiling mischievously at her! "Hey, little bro, you are not thinking what I think you're thinking… are you?"

"Oh, I think I am, my dear big sister!" the glasses-wearing boy playfully chided her. "I'm pretty sure you like the idea of getting help from Drew in particular, right?"

May blushed and abruptly turned away. "It's… it's not really like that, Max! And… and even if it was… you're hardly one to talk!" she stated, growing more mischievous at the end. "I mean, don't think I haven't noticed how you sometimes look at your little friend, Hilde! Maybe she's not the most chatty or friendly person ever, but hey, who am I to tell you who you should like?"

May chuckled in amusement when she saw her own previous reaction in her brother's face. "That… that has nothing to do with anything, sis!" he finally stammered, trying to change the subject. "A-anyway, shouldn't we be on our way to a Pokemon Center right now? Our Pokemon wouldn't like it if we let them tire out too much, don't you think so?"

"On that, I agree!" May answered cheekily, knowing the argument would come back later.

ooooooooooo

"Miss J… a call from HQ!" an operator called from his position on Team Vicious' large flying machine as soon as a warning showed up on his screen. The Pokemon poacher sighed in annoyance, imagining it was her current boss blaming her for the most recent failure, and decided she might as well get that problem over and done with as soon as possible.

"Alright. I'll take care of that. Pass the call to me." She affirmed. "And keep an eye on the instruments, the damage we've taken might veer us off course."

As soon as the operators got to work, J reached the comm device in front of a screen where the Iron Masked Marauder's helmeted face had appeared and cleared her voice, trying to find a way to justify herself for her failure at Ecruteak Town. "I apologize for what happened, sir. Our agents did manage to place a fake Rainbow Wing in Tin Tower and draw out Ho-Oh, but Ash Ketchum, our constant thorn in the side, appeared and ruined everything. We had no idea he was so well-prepared."

J's normally stoic voice showed a brief moment of anger towards the end, showing how much she despised that young trainer who had thrown mud in her plans time and again. Much to her surprise, though, the Iron Masked Marauder did not look angry in the slightest. He was actually smirking, as if he felt victory was within reach.

"That won't be a problem, J. At the moment, Ho-Oh can be considered a secondary objective. And he's out of our reach for now, anyway." He answered. "Our focus should now switch to Lugia and the three Legendary Beasts of Johto."

"I understand." J answered, her anger now back under control. "In that case, please give me new instructions as needed."

The Marauder nodded. "Excellent. Our next objective is Lugia, the Guardian of the Sea. We do know that he lairs somewhere in the Whirl Islands, in Olivine Sea, and it is probable that his progeny dwells there as well. You will take advantage of the time you have, and of the agents already in place, to repair our flying fortress and prepare to act as soon as possible. You will get a warning at the right moment. We are counting on your skills, J. Try not to disappoint us."

"I can assure you that Lugia won't escape." The Pokemon poacher answered confidently. "As for our… new ally, so to speak, has he reported anything?"

The Iron Masked Marauder smirked and stroked his goatee. "He most certainly did. He just said that negotiations with the famous collector Lawrence the Third went just as planned, mostly thanks to our three special agents. Lawrence the Third's collection is in our hands, as well as several of the weapons he used to hunt for Lugia. They will serve just as well when our time comes. And we should not forget that the Bug Plate is in our hands as well, so we can safely say that our final goal is one step closer. That's all for now. I wish you a good job."

"I won't make any mistakes." J assured him as the Marauder disappeared from the screen. As soon as Team Vicious' supreme leader was gone, J quickly gathered her thoughts and addressed the rest of the crew. "Good. You have heard the new orders, right? We are to head for Whirl Islands and make it tgere in time for the next part of the plan. Still, only engage the auxiliary engines for now. We need to be careful, with the damage we have taken."

"Aye, miss J!" several voices answered as the operators punched in new coordinates and hoped for this mission to be successful. They had a creeping feeling that their superiors would not have accepted failure this time.

oooooooooooo

"Ladies and gentlemen… I am pleased to announce you our imminent arrival in Olivine City Harbor, the largest sea harbor in Johto! We wish you a pleasant stay!"

Paul snorted in irritation as he listened to the announcement from the ship's personnel, sitting near a window on his way to Johto. He had never cared for those silly, useless circumstantial phrases… he had been to Johto already, and he had seen nothing to convince him it was a better place than any he had been to. Aside from getting the Johto League Badges – one of the easiest Leagues he had ever faced, honestly – and catching a few powerful Pokemon, nothing had really impressed him about that region.

No, the true reason he was now back in Johto had nothing to do with the League. He knew Team Vicious was there, and according to what he had heard, Ash Ketchum was there as well. Fate sure had a sense of humour after all; the irony here was that his pride would not allow anyone to defeat Ash before he did, least of all that bunch of lazy trainer wannabes.

"Hmph. I'm certainly not back in this silly place because of their so-called archeological wonders. They don't even have a decent Pokemon League. I got those eight Badges just as easily as I did with that pink-haired pushover." Paul muttered to himself as he took a look at his own Pojeballs. He had made sure to only take his absolute strongest Pokemon with him, including his Drapion and his Froslass, both of them being powerful and reliable combatants. This time, he was sure there were no flaws in his team. And more importantly, he was not going to underestimate his opponent just as he had done in the Lily of the Valley tournament. As soon as Team Vicious was gone and done with, he would challenge Ash again, and he would humiliate him worse than how he had done at Lake Acuity.

"Your luck has run out, Ash Ketchum." he muttered, staring at the Pokeball storing his mighty Electivire. "I underestimated you, I'll give you that. But a foolish idealist like you, who spews such nonsense about friendship and bonding with your Pokemon, can never be a strong trainer! It was such nonsense that made my brother into a loser... and I'll never be like that."

The purple-haired boy frowned again as he stared at his Electivire's Pokeball. It couldn't be otherwise. No matter how hard they tried, the weak remained weak. It was a law of nature. And a Pokemon trainer was supposed to gather a powerful team, and use it to crush all competition. It was only natural, after all. To think otherwise was being immature and foolish.

But at the moment, Paul knew there was a more urgent problem, which needed to be taken care of before he could think of a rematch. He needed to stop Team Vicious from going after Ash... no one could get the privilege of defeating Ash before he did.

And as much as Paul tried not to listen to it, therewas this small inner voice, making him worry about what Team Vicious would have done with those Dark Pokemon and those Legendaries they were trying to capture. What would happen to the world, if they were allowed to continue? As much as Paul was trying not to think about that too much, those thoughts kept coming back.

"Whatever..." the young trainer muttered as his gaze wandered out of a window and to the Olivine City buildings. This was it. Now, what he needed to do was find Ash Ketchum and stop Team Vicious before it was too late.

After that, he would have all the time he wanted to get his rematch. Everything in due time...

oooooooooo

Jakov shook his head, feeling frustration at what he was seeing in the map of the Johto region placed on the table in front of him and Cezar. From the looks of it, Johto wasn't too large, and it wasn't as hard to navigate as places like Oblivia or Orre... but it was still annoying to have to go through all those places in search of where Lugia might be nesting.

"Look, I know this part is the pits..." Cezar stated, in what seemed to be a rare moment of sympathy from him. "But this could be our best chance to redeem ourselves of the previous failures. If we can at least play an important part in catching Lugia or taking his Plate, we'd at least be able to get some heat off of ourselves."

"Still, we need to find the right place..." the obese Team Vicious lieutenant answered, his gaze wondering among the myriad islands doting the seas between Olivine City and Cianwood City. His Noctowl was perched on his shoulder, and was right then trying to aid in the research... and just a few seconds after Jakov had finished talking, the owl-like Pokemon pointed to a small region of the sea, which was sprinkled with small islands.

"Owl, owl!" the Normal/Flying type Pokemon hooted, his wing pointing at the place he had noticed. Jakov immediately turned to the place his Pokemon had indicated, and nodded in satisfaction as he recognized the famed Whirl Island archipelago.

"Hmm... yeah, those are Whirl Islands indeed. Is there one we should take a look at in particular?" Jakov asked his Pokemon.

"Perhaps that one... you know, the innermost one." Cezar answered, his hawking gaze landing on an island in the midst of a rather secluded and risky-looking part of the sea. "If I were a Legendary Pokemon who wants to keep away from humanity, I'd pick a place people would rarely visit, after all."

"Makes sense." Jakov stated, petting his Pokemon on the head to thank him for his help. "Okay then... shall we make a beeline for that place? If we get there in time, we might even be able to capture Lugia or its Plate before any interloper comes along."

Cezar nodded and smirked in cruel satisfaction, then started to bark out a few orders to their crew. "You heard that, didn't you? Get our ship ready to sail to Johto! We must get to Whirl Islands in time and work on a strategy to capture Lugia. We cannot afford to fail right now!"

"Yes, sir!" a couple grunts exclaimed, running off to carry out their orders and organize the trip, with Jakov watching them in smug satisfaction and munching on a bag of chips he had taken out from who knows where...

oooooooooo

A couple days later...

Goldenrod City, the largest town in Johto. A place teeming with life and activity, where the largest mall in the region resided, and where numerous initiatives for Pokemon fans had had their origin. Right then, the place was even more active and spectacular then ever, decoeated with colorful balloons and strips regarding some special occasion. The happy chattering of the people in the streets was accompanied by the screech of the bullet train on the magnetic rails.

This was what Ash, Pikachu and their friends found themselves looking at, late during that special morning. Once again, Ash felt a wave of nostalgia hit him as he recalled the time when he had earned that gym's badge after a grueling battle with Whitney's Miltank. And now, there they were again.

Ursula was the only one who was seeing that place for the first time, and she couldn't help but feel awed by such magnificence. "Wow... so, this is Goldenrod city, huh? Such a marvelous city..." she commented. "I don't think I've seen anything like it in Sinnoh..."

"Yeah... welcome to Goldenrod City, Ursula!" Ash said with a confident smile. "I am sure you will like that, and you won't regret following us!"

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...