DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters portrayed herein, with the exception of those not seen in any sort of Pokemon game or shown in the anime.
MESSAGE TO READERS: This will be the last update for about a week or so now as I'm trying to figure out how to make the next few chapters flow. They seem a bit random to me so far and misleading from the actual plot. Perhaps that is a good thing, I don't know. But constructive criticism would be most helpful if you feel I deserve it enough! But other than that, go grab a lemonade or something, kick back and enjoy!
WARNING! OC-Shipping and Pokeshipping will be heavily featured in the later parts of this chapter. If you are offended by this kind of material, I kindly urge you not to read. Fortunately, it is soft, as there is a certain rating to this story that I am attempting to maintain to. Thank you.
THE LEAGUE OF CHAMPIONS
CHAPTER 14: PAUL CAUGHT AZELF!? DANGER OF A DIFFERENT KIND!
"He…he really caught it," Misty stammered in disbelieving captivation. "I can't believe Paul just caught a Legendary Pokemon."
"I've… never seen that happen before," Brock stuttered, equally as shocked and surprised as the rest of us. I simply stood there, speechless. I could not apprehend what had just happened. It was almost as though I was dreaming, yet I would never wake up even if I pinched myself. It had really happened. I stared at Paul, who in turn was gazing sternly, yet wondrously at the spherical orb that he had imprisoned the mystical Azelf within. He had a cocky grin on his face, not taking his eyes off his prize. The whole cave had gone silent. I noticed that the flame torches on the cave walls had begun to fade. Cynthia had told us earlier that the legend says if Azelf were ever to leave, the torches would burn themselves out. The light was fading fast, yet that Crobat and Weezing were still up above us in the air. The last remnants of the Smokescreen had now faded away. I wanted to vent my frustration, but there was so much of it. Combined with the shock, the words simply would not exit my mouth. I grunted a couple of times. Paul's eyes rolled towards me, sensing my rage. He placed the Poke Ball inside his jacket, before pulling out another.
"We still have a battle to finish," Paul shouted into the dimming light. I then looked down the length of the chamber. I could now see someone stood in the midst of the clearing Smokescreen. He was wearing a long black jacket, not dissimilar from Cynthia's. He wore a strange hat with a large, silver feather curling up and over from the top of it. He reminded me of a bard that I once met in Sinnoh called Nando, but he was a very peaceful man. There was something about this trainer that I did not like. Among other features, he had a long black cape that hung down the length of his back and stopped just beneath the stitchline of his boots. His hair was long and jet black, just like his clothes. He also appeared to be holding what looked like a sword in his hand. His whole appearance in general was that of a highwayman of some description.
"Agreed," he lowered his head as he paced forward. "Select," he added randomly. I did not know why this man seemed to speak only in one or two word sentences. It certainly shrouded him in all sorts of mystery. Although his Crobat looked completely drained, it still had a burning desire within it to fight for its trainer. The Weezing hardly looked in tip-top condition, but it seemed to be fairing a lot better than its partner. Cynthia's Garchomp stepped forward along with its trainer. Paul also paced a step closer, beginning to chuckle.
"You know, I've faced some tough opposition in the past," he said to both the anonymous trainer and Cynthia. "But I have become a better trainer due to the mistakes that I have made before. My Pokemon are strong. And to prove it, I'll show you my latest addition to my team." He began to smirk almost uncontrollably. "Let me introduce you," he grinned wildly, throwing his Poke Ball forward. With a huge flash of red light, a colossal Pokemon appeared in front of us. It was unlike most Pokemon, it looked almost mechanical. It stood on four legs that resembled arms, which supported a flat, steel body. It's head seemed to be merged into its torso, only a pair of black and red facing diagonally forward, separated by a large orange cross-like formation across its face. It's whole body was the shiniest shade of silver I had ever seen. "This is my Shiny Metagross. Perhaps just as rare as the Azelf that I've just acquired," he smirked arrogantly. The huge Pokemon stood right next to Cynthia's Garchomp. It was certainly an intimidating combination. I seemed to recall that these two particular Pokemon were known as "pseudo-legendary Pokemon," meaning that they both had similar power and skill as that of Pokemon like Azelf and Groudon. "I'll take both of your Pokemon down without breaking a sweat," Paul taunted to the unknown trainer.
"Smokescreen," the voice seemed to sound a lot more nervous than it had done previously. The Weezing then began to expel smoke from its hollow body, heading directly towards where we were stood. As the cloud of black soot covered us, Misty and Casey immediately began choking. Brock and I covered our mouths with the necks of our shirts to prevent breathing in the fumes. However, Cynthia and Paul both seemed completely unfazed. I could barely depict the outline of Misty in the thick smoke, but I could hear Paul utter an instruction.
"Psychic, Metagross," Paul smirked. I felt the ground shake slightly as Metagross took a step forward, before the smoke began to lift. As the darkness came to light, I could see that the Crobat and Weezing were both screeching and crying out in pain. Crobat was no longer flapping its wings, yet the powerful Psychic attack still managed to keep it floating in mid-air. "Good, now then Cynthia… would you like to finish them?" he turned to face the young Champion.
"Certainly," she grinned with a competitive look. "Dragon Rush, Garchomp." The Weezing and Crobat were still under the effects of Metagross's incredible Psychic attack. As Garchomp surged forward, its whole body began to glow a pale blue whilst it was gaining speed. Exhibiting overwhelming menace, Garchomp tackled both Crobat and Weezing with one swift movement. Both of the Pokemon groaned as the attack hit. And despite a small amount of effort to stay in the battle, they dropped down to the ground in defeat at the same time. Paul and Cynthia both looked at each other with competitively stern looks. Casey's jaw had almost dropped to the ground as though she had never seen such power before. Misty had also moved even further back.
"That was incredible!" Brock gasped. "Metagross's Psychic not only dealt critical damage to both Crobat and Weezing, but it also got rid of Weezing's Smokescreen. Not to mention it was able to hold the Psychic Attack whilst Garchomp used Dragon Rush… it's beyond belief,"
"It's…really strong," I stammered, not taking my eyes away from the two awesome Pokemon. The sheer strength of these two fighting machines was enough to make me tremble. I considered all of my Pokemon supremely strong. Houndoom, Gabite, Pelipper, Lairon, Bayleef, Nidorino… and all the other Pokemon that I had either back at home in Azalea Town or with Professor Elm. But just looking at these two, I could tell that they were in a different league. I was beginning to have a few small doubts about my future in the Indigo Tournament. Just watching Cynthia's Garchomp and Paul's Metagross defeat those two Pokemon with such ease that it made me wonder whether I was up for the challenge. They were both such powerful trainers, almost completely heartless. They showed no emotion but desire when they battled. Paul more so, since I had seen the same expression when he battled Misty. I tried to negate such thoughts, but it just wasn't working. Fortunately though, my train of thought was derailed by the interruption of the anonymous voice.
"Regards," he congratulated darkly to his rivals, returning Weezing and Crobat into their Poke Balls. Finally he walked forward, revealing his full attire once again. What struck me the most was the sword-like weapon that he carried. There were six "slots" down the groove of the blade. It appeared to be a unique Poke Ball release system yet the blade seemed to be used for something much more sinister. "Next time…" he sneered before walking past all of us without so much of a second look. We all looked at each other in confusion, with the exception of Paul.
"Who the heck was that guy?" I asked, staring at him as he faded back into the shadows.
"He's a Pokemon Hunter," Paul replied sternly. "He was after Azelf for a large sum of money from an unknown benefactor. Fortunately for us, we caught him before he managed to get his hands on it."
"Hold on," Casey suddenly butted in. "A Pokemon Hunter? What's that?"
"Uhh… I'm guessing it's someone who hunts Pokemon?" I sarcastically commented. Misty gave me a small cuff behind the head. "What was that for?" I muttered, brushing my hand through my hair rapidly.
"Now's not the time, Jonathyn," Misty sternly told me.
"Sorry, you're right," I nodded, before turning back to face Paul. "So what do you intend to do with the Azelf now, then?" I interrogated with a firm look on my face.
"You must think I'm really shallow, don't you?" he frowned back at me. "Azelf are mythical, and you've seen what it can do. I've heard all about that incident with the Vespiquen," he referred to the moment Azelf saved us last time. "You want to know what I'm going to do, then I'll show you…" he smirked. He threw a second Poke Ball forward but rather than appearing from a red light, this time the light was blue. The Azelf appeared before us yet again, cautiously looking around the chamber.
"Azel, zelf?" it whimpered, still looking around for any threats.
"Don't worry, Azelf," Cynthia smiled. "The hunter has gone. You may do as you please without fear. But be careful, you don't know if he'll come back…"
"Zel--f!" it squealed with relief. Cynthia and Paul returned Garchomp and Metagross respectively. Azelf then began whizzing around the chamber happily and freely like it had done before the Pokemon Hunter had come along. It seemed so carefree all of a sudden. I looked over at Paul and felt a little different about him now than when he left his first impressions with me. He may relish from causing grief to others, or he may not. But his arrogance is what really made me angry with him. But this selfless gesture to release it after capturing it made me gain a level of respect for him.
"Why did you release it?" I asked with a much more softer tone. "You just captured a legendary Pokemon… and now you've nothing to show for it."
"Wrong," Cynthia replied, stepping forward. "Let me explain what happened. Azelf could not escape from the battle due to Crobat using Mean Look. It could not teleport away or even get as far as the end of the chamber. Once the Crobat began to tire a little, the Hunter had the Weezing come out to attack to defend Crobat. Paul knew that the only way to prevent the Hunter from capturing Azelf was to capture it himself. That way, we could release Azelf as soon as the Hunter was out of the way. And it also allowed us to defeat Crobat before it used Mean Look again." I took in the information in leaps and bounds, not paying attention to every little detail. But I got the idea of what had happened.
"Cunning," I replied, not thinking of anything better to say. "I suppose I owe you an apology, Paul," I hung my head.
"Can it!" he snapped. "I didn't come here to save you, I didn't come here to help Azelf. I came here to train for my next battle. And the last thing I need is a petty little distraction like you."
"Say that again!" I taunted, taking an aggressive stance. Misty ran over to my side to try and calm me down. "Say it again, it'll be the last time you do!" I challenged.
"Face it, you claimed that your Nidorino was as strong as any Nidoking. Yet it's Horn Drill failed miserably. You'd be better off battling with a Magikarp," he mocked.
"I'm warning you Paul," I snarled, "Don't try and toy with me."
"Or you'll what?" he snorted in response. He glared at me with an egotistical grin on his face. He knew that he was getting under my skin. "There isn't a single skill you don't have that I haven't exceeded. I've battled all over the world. I've won more tournaments than you've caught Pokemon. Yet you see yourself better than what you really are, just like your girlfriend over there," he pointed at Misty. She frowns…
"He's not…" she stammered, before coming to an abrupt pause as my eyes seemed to dawdle on her. "We're…" she tried to continue, failing. "Ah, what do you know?" she muttered.
"Pathetic," he snorted, turning back to me. "I don't need to waste my time with you. I came here to train and that's what I'm going to do." With that he began to walk back down the tunnel from which we had entered. "So stay out of my way," he sneered as he passed Casey and Brock. I clenched my fist, the respect that I have briefly had for him quickly dispersed.
"How's he going to get out?" Misty suddenly whispered to me. "The route's blocked off from that cave in…"
"Don't fret," Cynthia smiled. "He's resourceful. He'll find a way." She walked forward towards the Azelf. "Now that's you're safe, could you teleport us all out of here?" she asked the pixie-like creature.
"Aze--lf," it nodded cheerfully as it began to concentrate.
"Wait one second," I suddenly interrupted. Both Cynthia and the Azelf looked at me with a puzzled look. "Casey, isn't there something you wanted to do?"
"Oh yeah," she smiled, bounding up to my side whilst gleaming at the Legendary Pokemon. "Azelf, we all wanted to thank you for saving us earlier… you know, from my Vespiquen…"
"Azelf, zelf, azelf," it thanked. Casey seemed very pleased that the Pokemon seemed obliged to help anyway, but recognised the acknowledgment that she in turn had thanked it.
"Yes, if not for you I'd be dead," I nodded, rolling my shoulder which was now fine. It was as though Vespiquen had never dislocated it at all.
"Zelf, zelf," it bowed to Cynthia.
"You're welcome, little friend," she bowed back as Azelf began to concentrate once again. Misty walked up to me and held on to my arm.
"I guess now we can go back to your place?" she murmured in my ear. I looked at her and smiled.
"Yeah… I guess so," I replied, shaking a little through nervous emotion. The next thing I knew the Azelf was glowing a bright white colour just as it had done before. Cynthia did shield her eyes like the rest of us, but Misty buried her head in my arms…
All was quiet for just a few seconds…
When I could finally bear to open my eyes, I found that I had been teleported to my dormitory. I was sat on my bed in the same way that I was right before Casey knocked on the door and gone to find Azelf. I looked at the time, it was just before midnight. Only eighteen hours until my next battle. It seemed like a short amount of time, but I knew that it would seem as though it would be days before it finally happened. I then looked down at my hands. I could see another pair clasping my own… my eyes travelled up the occupant's arms, before looking at her eyes. Misty smiled at me sweetly, gazing at me like she had done before…
"So, I guess there's still some things left unsaid," she sighed softly, still with a small grin on her face.
"Some things are better left that way," I smiled. "Sometimes silence says a lot more than what words can."
"I know…" she blushed slightly. "But there is still something that I need to tell you."
"You don't have to say anything, if you don't want to," I could not take my eyes away from her beauty.
"I want… I mean I think that you… I mean… oh, heck to it!" she stammered before leaning forward and pressing her lips against my own. It felt strange as they touched. I'd never been kissed before. Not without being slapped around the face afterwards. It was strange, yet so relaxing at the same time. I soon got into the flow of how this kissing-malarkey worked. She pulled away for a moment.
"I know what to say now," she whispered passionately. "I love you…"
"Huh?" my eyes widened, having heard the three words.
"I love you, Jonathyn," she repeated. My mouth hung open dumbfounded. I could not say anything. My throat went incredibly dry...
"L-L-L-Love…" I stammered, shaking like a Leafeon. "Uh…I…well, I…" I turned away, turning the brightest shade of red I think that I have ever been.
"What's the matter?" Misty's worried voice sank. "Don't you love me too?"
"It's not that," I shook. "It's just I've… well, I haven't… err…"
"What?" she questioned. "Oh, aren't we a bit young for that?"
"Huh?" I grunted again. "No, not THAT… it's just that I've never really had a girlfriend before, or any sort of relationship for that matter."
"So?" Misty giggled. "Why would that change anything?"
"Because...well… I don't know. I guess I'm just a little bit nervous."
"Why are you nervous?" she giggled once again. "It's not as if I'm going to bite your head off just because I'm the first girl you've kissed."
"You kissed me first," I trembled argumentatively. "Sorry, I guess I'm not very good at this."
"Don't worry," she smiled. "Do you want to do it again?" I looked back up at her and lightly bobbed my head. This time, we both approached each other and locked our lips together. I could tell that Misty was enjoying the kiss, but perhaps I was even more. It was breathtaking. We got a lot closer to each other, beginning to softly rub one another… when suddenly…
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Misty sighed slightly… "It'll only be Casey again," she muttered to me before resuming kissing me once again.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Hey Misty… you in there?" came a voice that I did not recognised. She suddenly gasped. I stood up with a huff, slipping my hand out from Misty's.
"Jon, don't answer it!" she whispered.
"Why not?" I shrugged. "It might be important…"
"Well don't tell him I'm here and don't let him in, she quickly tried to hide herself by climbing underneath my bedsheets. I shook my head, smiling at her before walking up to the door and answering. As soon as I opened the door, a small Pokemon ran straight past me and started looking around the place. "What the…" I looked down at the mouse-like Pokemon. I looked up to see a boy. He looked around my age, if not a little younger. He was wearing a hat, along with a black and yellow shirt.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he looked a little embarrassed. "Come on, buddy, she's not in this one," he called to his Pokemon.
"Pika?" it wondered, looking at the bed which Misty had curled herself under.
"Is that a Pikachu?" I asked.
"Yeah," the boy replied. "He's my best friend, right Pikachu?"
"Pikachu, pi," it nodded, whilst jumping onto the bed.
"Come here, Pikachu," the boy called once again. The small yellow mouse looked over to it's trainer, then at the lump in the bed where Misty was hiding before leaping down from the bed. It scuttled towards the door and climbed back up onto the trainer's shoulder. "Sorry about that," he apologised.
"No need to," I grinned. "If you're looking for Misty, she's already been knocked out of the tournament."
"I know," the boy replied. "My friend told me. But he said that she might be staying with someone called Jonathyn."
"That's me," I nodded. "Jonathyn Christian of Azalea Town. Nice to meet you," I extended a welcoming hand. The boy took hold of it and shook it firmly.
"Same to you. My name is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town…"
"W-What!? Wait, hold on a second," I suddenly stopped the boy, remembering what Misty had said. "YOU'RE Ash?"
"Yeah, what about it?" he asked, sounding a little defensive.
"Oh… sorry, I didn't mean to take that kind of tone," I sighed. "It's just Misty has told me a lot about you. You two are pretty close, huh?"
"You bet!" Ash nodded. "Pikachu and I have just returned from the Sevii Islands and thought we'd stop by to see her. Her sisters in Cerulean City said that she had entered the Pokemon League this year and I came to cheer her on. I guess I'm a little late.
"Oooh… aren't you a little stud?" I heard a camp voice call. Ash turned around and I peered further out of the door.
"Ah! You!" Ash gasped with surprise.
"Nice to see that you recognise me, hun," Harley smirked. "How's my sweet little May been? She been travelling with you again?"
"No, she visited me for a while when I was out in Sinnoh, but I haven't seen her since. I think she's staying with her family for a while," he replied.
"I haven't seen her since the Johto Grand Festival," Harley smirked. "I beat her in the quarter finals. I only lost in the final to Soledad."
"Good for you," Ash frowned, turning back to face me.
"What? So you're turning your back on me now, are you?" Harley snarled. "I guess you'd better go back to your bunk boy, eh?"
"You WHAT!?" I shouted. "That's sick! And besides, I have a girlfriend…"
"That what I mean, you big stud," he taunted again with his perverse mind.
"Get outta here, Harley," Ash frowned.
"Pi--ka," Pikachu growled as it began to charge an electric attack. I could tell this due to the fact that sparks were flying from its cheeks.
"Fine…" he sneered. "But I'll be thinking of ya," he winked as he walked off chuckling to himself.
"He's so weird!" Ash muttered to me.
"I gathered that," I replied sarcastically. "I'm not sure where Misty is right now, but if I see her I'll try and let you know."
"I'd appreciate it," Ash nodded. "Tell her that I'll be staying with Brock for a few nights, could you?"
"No problem," I nodded. "So are you entered in the Pokemon League tournament as well or not?"
"Nah, I've been travelling around the Sevii Islands and the Sinnoh region for a while now, so I'm just trying to work out where to go next. I just thought that since I hadn't seen Misty in such a long time I owed her a visit…"
"Well I'll let her know," I said.
"Thanks," Ash bowed in thanks. "Well, sorry to bother you. I'll see you around."
"Yeah, see you soon," I began to close the door.
"Oh, just one more thing," Ash added, reaching into his pocket. "Could you give her this for me? It's just a little token of our friendship…" he passed me a strange object. It looked like a little bell of some sort. "I won it out in Sinnoh. I thought she might like it." I looked at it intently, before looking back up at Ash.
"Sure," I nodded. "Well, goodnight."
"Yeah, see ya," he smiled, walking off into the Trainer Village. I closed the door behind me before turning back to face Misty, who looked a little upset. I walked over to her and sat down at her side, handing her the bell that Ash had wanted to give to her.
"This is for you," I held the item out in front of me. She took it and faintly smiled.
"A Shell Bell," she whispered, holding it close to her heart. She fell silent for just a few moments. I felt as though it would be a little awkward if I was to interrupt.
"You okay?" I broke the silence after a few more seconds.
"…yeah…" she quietly murmured, before looking up at me. She softly kissed me on the lips one more time. "I think I'm going to get some sleep," she smiled.
"No problem with me," I nodded. "I'll sleep over there if you want…"
"No, no…" Misty smiled. "Push the bed next to this one," she winked. I nodded obligingly. I half-lifted the bed as so it did not scrape across the wooden floor and wake any of the neighbouring residents. I removed my dirty clothes and placed them on a nearby chair. I clambered beneath the covers in only a shirt and my boxer shorts. Misty had taken off the braces holding her skirt up. She wrapped her arms around me, as she laid her head on my arm. We began to kiss for an unknown amount of time before finally falling asleep in each others arms…
TO BE CONTINUED
Next Time: With Misty's old flame Ash in the picture, will Jonathyn be able to continue his relationship with her? Also, there is trouble brewing around the village… Pokemon Thieves are in the area!