DISCLAIMER: Damn copyright infringement… it's not as if any of us are making a profit from their characters… but just to keep them happy, I do not own Pokemon!

MESSAGE TO READERS: Back in full form at last. I have to say I am deeply proud of this chapter as it finally brings some home truths and new twists into the story. I am thinking about doing a spin-off story, but perhaps when things are a little more established here first. All the spoilers are over as well regarding the anime for now, so keep on reading to your hearts content! So go grab a lemonade or something, kick back and enjoy!

THE LEAGUE OF CHAMPIONS

CHAPTER 35: BLISSFUL WISH ENRICHED BY CHAOS! SQUADRON SEVENTEEN!

No one seemed to want to break the awkward silence that had suddenly filled the clearing. It just seemed to be one twist after the other. We had only just learned the bare minimum about these two strangers, Tyne and Sabheen along with their connection to that bastard, Darkhan. Although we had yet to fully come to terms on our bargain, my mind was mixing itself up with my own goals and what was currently happening. The much older man stood tall and proud, just as his Dragonite was, although the Dragon Pokemon was quite literally over double the man's height. His attire was vaguely similar to that of his underlings, although his clothes were a shade of purple or vivid blue. A colour that apparently was associated with the Dragon Type, from what I could gather. The exceptions to this were a pair of jet black boots and a matching set of gauntlets over his hands. His hair, however was the most distinctively similar feature to Sandra. A shiny green colour with a hint of purple. Strangely, this hairstyle seemed to suit the man yet not in a stereotypical kind of way. Sandra seemed to be pinching herself, apparently denying reality.

"This isn't happening," Sandra whimpered with a voice of mixed feelings of delight and despair, her emotions apparently going wild. "Is it really you? Please tell me it's true!" I noticed a tear roll down the side of her cheek before dripping to the ground below.

"You can be the judge of that," the man grinned. "Does your memory serve you as well as you would like it to? If it does, then you can answer the question yourself."

"I…" Sandra stammered, overcome by emotion. "I've missed you so much!"

"Yes," Gordon seemed to stick his nose up at his daughter. "Status report," he faced Sabheen as he spoke, who was still seemingly frozen still by his mere presence. Tyne quickly gave her a quick nudge, snapping her out of her daydream.

"Uh… well, Master Gordon," Sabheen trembled, apparently not wanted her superior to know about their recent failure. "We did indeed confront Darkhan and reclaim the Pokemon that he had borrowed. Unfortunately we were interrupted by a division of the Team Rocket group."

"A small obstacle like Team Rocket should not interfere with your assignment," Gordon bellowed, apparently outraged at their failed mission. "So you're saying that the contractor has fled?"

"Well…" Sabheen shook, fearing for her well being. "He has… I mean, he hasn't as such, but it's just… it's just that we… we can't…"

"You didn't answer my question, Sabheen!" Gordon roared once again, causing Sabheen to flinch slightly. For someone who had seemed so serious and sinister beforehand now fearing her life, it made me wonder whether or not Tyne and Sabheen were just all talk, or whether Gordon was the real deal. Sabheen was shaking so much now that she could not say a word, thus enraging Gordon even more. "ANSWER ME!" Gordon boomed at the very top of his voice, his echo scaring a wild flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto from the scene in a scramble in the midnight sky.

"N…n…no, sir… I mean yes, sir!" Sabheen squeaked, searching for some sort of remorse from her superior, who looked down on her extremely disapprovingly.

"And what say you, Tyne?" Gordon snarled, kicking some dirt in Sabheen cowering direction. Tyne, who seemed much more relaxed than Sabheen at the moment simply unfolded his arms. I didn't realise that his Tyranitar was still out of its Poke Ball, or whether or not he had summoned it forth once again. Things were happening so quickly that I couldn't remember one moment from the next.

"You think we have failed, yet our mission is not yet completed," Tyne said with a remarkably relaxed tone. "No one specified that we capture the man on the first attempt. And I see no deadline for our mission." Gordon gave him a stern, yet semi-impressed look, before letting out a small frown.

"For someone of your status, I would have expected you to try a lot harder," he grumbled. "Especially if you want to move further up the ranks… being the new boy and all."

"I apologise," Tyne bowed respectfully. "But we are on the case, I can assure you. And we have had some unlikely assistance in our expedition." It was at that moment that Gordon noticed that we were all stood together. Sandra, Misty, Nurse Joy and myself looked in different ways, yet at the same target. Gordon took a step forward, as his Dragonite sat down, balancing itself with its long, thick tail.

"So you must be friends of Sandra," Gordon chuckled a little. "It's about time she found some decent folk who wouldn't betray her in the way that Darkhan did."

"I've heard the story," I nodded quietly, not trying to sound too cocky or anything.

"Your names?" Gordon asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"I am Misty, former Gym Leader of the Cerulean Gym and Water Pokemon Master!" Misty declared proudly.

"Jonathyn Christian of Azalea Town," I proclaimed, not taking my eyes from Gordon. He gave me a dagger-like stare as I said my name, but for what reason I did not know. He quickly shook his head, as if trying to forget whatever thoughts had entered his mind. "Something the matter?" I asked.

"It's nothing," Gordon muttered, giving me another strange glance. "Nurse Joy, I think you should head back to attend to your duties."

"No… I've finished for the day," Nurse Joy suddenly replied, surprised that Gordon had addressed her in such a formal manner.

"You have more urgent matters to attend to rather than this mindless jargon," Gordon smiled. "Sabheen, you have a Pokemon on your team that knows Teleport?"

"Yes, sir," Sabheen replied, having regained her composure since her stern telling off from Gordon. "Scyphe has provided us with the use of one of her Abra, which can use it naturally well."

"An Abra?" I let out a small chuckle. "I thought you were so elite trainers! If you're training something as simple as an Abra…"

"You're so naïve, child," Gordon let out a sly cackle of his own. "We are so much more than just Pokemon Trainers. You are possibly one of those who think that Pokemon are simply caught and then raised to be strong. But you do not even know half the story."

"Master Gordon, I don't think it is wise to tell these brats about our work," Tyne murmured to him on the side.

"No more so than you already have done, Tyne," Gordon sneered back to him, shooting his suggestion down. Tyne bowed his head in a respectful manner once again despite his superior's arrogant tone. "But you do have half a point, I suppose," he paused, thinking of what he should possibly say.

"Father… where have you been all this time?" Sandra asked, approaching the man. Gordon gave her a strange glance, taking a step back as she approached him. Yet it was not as though he was scared… it was more like he was trying to keep a fair distance from her. "What's wrong?" Sandra's voice fell as she noticed his hesitation.

"I was hoping that this day would not come," Gordon sighed, locking eyes with his daughter. "Sandra, what happened back at Silph Co… I don't know how to explain this to you, but it was staged…"

"Staged?" Sandra gasped in shock. "You mean it was a set-up right from the start!?"

"Not entirely," Gordon confessed. "You see, you blame Darkhan for the incidents that happened… and so you should. If I had known who he was sooner I would have seen to it that he never had ANY work ever again."

"What do you mean "know who he was sooner?" I queried.

"Before the boss hired him," Gordon replied, giving me another strange glare. "I heard about how he left you to die when he obtained the Master Ball and the Articuno, but what happened after that…"

"I thought he… he killed you," Sandra whimpered, tears still streaming down her cheek.

"Not quite," Gordon smirked. "Indeed, he did attack us to obtain more information on the Master Ball he did not slay us as he intended to. Whereas many of my colleagues were killed, I managed to escape. It was at that point that I was taken into care…"

"Into care?" Misty frowned. "But you're an adult." Gordon, Tyne and Sabheen all let out a laugh at the same time.

"Stupid girl," Sabheen mocked, but was quickly silenced as Gordon gave her another stern look.

"I could not survive on my own. I had no family to go to and I was sure that my daughter had been left for dead. The only companion I had with me at the time was a Lapras that had been brought to us for examination. I used it to ferry me to the Sevii Islands. That's where I met him."

"His Lordship," Tyne blurted out.

"Keep your mouth shut!" Gordon boomed, yet Tyne did not cower as much as Sabheen had done when spoken to in such a manner. "Yes, the man who was gathering specialist trainers to help him for a noble cause."

"That cause being?" Sandra listened with intent.

"Now is not the time, nor the place to be telling you this," Gordon frowned. "But I have always had a fondness for Dragon Type Pokemon. A trait that seems to have brushed off on you, Sandra."

"Explains the giant Dragonite, at least," I shrugged, looking over to the colossal dragon.

"Yes, and to thank His Lordship for taking care of me in my time of need, I shall appease him in the best way that I can."

"But what about me?" Sandra suddenly frowned. "I'm your daughter! Where were YOU in MY time of need?"

"Don't be such a fool," Gordon hissed. "Your youth sustains you. I am reaching my limit, whereas you have the rest of your life ahead of you."

"But you're my father!" Sandra cried. "What is so important that puts this man who you call your boss on a higher level of importance than your own flesh and blood?"

"You don't understand what we are doing, Sandra," Gordon grinned. "We are an elite force! Darkhan failed to get what we require, so vermin like him must be eradicated."

"You can't kill the man," I stepped in. "Not even Darkhan deserves that."

"You're right," Sabheen nodded. "We should torture him instead."

"Sounds good to me," Tyne snickered, licking his lips deviously.

"You're sick!" Sandra scowled. "You're demented. Can't you see what this man has done to you? You're not the same loving man that I once called my father! You're a disgrace." Gordon shot Sandra a venomous look, one filled with anger.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" Gordon bellowed once more. "For years, I dedicated my life to research. The Master Ball would have made us rich beyond our wildest dreams. And I did it all for you! But such disrespect such as that you have just displayed, it makes me proud that I made the decision to stay with His Lordship and follow in his footsteps."

"How could you!" Sandra wept, lunging forward and hitting her father in the chest in sheer sadness. The punches were not meant to hurt physically, but more mentally. Gordon simply stared at his daughter as she barraged him with more light punches. To my horror, Gordon raises his arm and swung a fist, connecting to Sandra's open jaw knocking her to the floor. We all gasped, simply not believing what Gordon had just done. Sandra coughed and spluttered, spitting a mouthful of blood to the ground. She wiped her mouth with one hand, still trembling in despair. As soon as she noticed the blood on her hands, she stood back up and faced her father. Her face filled with a crimson red of sadness and rage. We all glared at Gordon, who seemed almost satisfied with what he had just done.

"You make me sick!" I snarled, running over to Sandra to check on her. "Are you alright?" No sooner than I said, she shoved me back fuelled by her anger.

"Don't touch me," she warned threateningly. "I will never forgive you for what you have done!"

"Get over it," Gordon hissed once more. "My devotion lies with His Lordship and Squadron Seventeen."

"Squadron Seventeen?" I frowned in question.

"That must be the seventeen specialist trainers' collective name," Misty suggested.

"How clever," Tyne chuckled, rejoining Sabheen. "Master Gordon, we shall continue our pursuit of Darkhan immediately."

"Not if we get to him first!" I challenged purposefully. "We'll make sure he gets locked up for good! Then you will never get hold of him or his Articuno."

"How do you know we are after the Articuno as well?" Gordon snarled, before turning to face Tyne and Sabheen. "I suppose you two know something about this?" Tyne was about to respond, but was quickly cut off. "Never mind. Just get him now. Teleport to Pewter City and split up from there. He could only have gone in two directions from there. I don't care what it takes. Just get him!"

"Yes, sir!" Sabheen and Tyne both responded obediently. Sabheen threw a Poke Ball forward. An Abra emerged, just as they had described. Obviously, Nurse Joy was still stood with us as the conversation had not resulted in her departure. They both took hold of the small Psychic Pokemon.

"Oh, no you don't!" I snarled, throwing myself forward towards the Abra. But before I could tackle them down, they vanished into thin air. Slowly, I pushed myself off the ground, punching it in frustration. That is before turning my focus back to Gordon, who was glaring at his daughter intently. "We've got to get out of here and catch Darkhan before they do!" I called to Misty, who nodded at me.

"I can't allow you to do that," Gordon smiled darkly. "Dragonite, if you would be so kind…" With that, the giant dragon's gentle expression changed to that of merciless determination. It's eyes narrowed as it got back up to its feet, pushing itself up with its tail. This was going to be tough.

"Dragons can't do much to Steel Types, no matter how big they are," I grinned. "Aggron, show 'em a lesson!" I grabbed his Poke Ball and was about to throw it forward.

"No!" Sandra roared at me, causing me to flinch to a stop. "This is my fight," she growled a little quieter. "Let me deal with my father myself." I paused hesitantly for a moment, unsure whether to follow Sandra's instruction. "No time for standing around, Jonathyn," she snarled at me. "Just go!" I gave a small look to Misty and Nurse Joy, who both nodded at me. With that we began to scarper, disappearing into the thick trees that had not been disturbed neither by Gordon's Dragonite, nor Team Rocket's destroyed mecha. Once we were further into the woods, we could hear a battle raging nearby. Obviously, Sandra had began the battle with her father.

"I have an idea," Nurse Joy smiled, pulling a Poke Ball out of her apron pocket. "Chansey, come on out." In a sudden flash of light, one of the egg shaped Pokemon reappeared in front of us. "This is a different Chansey than before," Nurse Joy explained. "It happens to know the move Teleport!"

"That's… convenient," I gawped.

"What should we do? Head after Darkhan?" Misty began, trying to think of the best solution to dilemma.

"You have a battle tomorrow, don't you?" Nurse Joy asked me, to which I responded with a simple nod of the head. "You should get some sleep. I can alert the authorities to help out Sandra and search for Darkhan."

"The tournament is the last thing on my mind with what is happening right now," I sighed. "Sandra's fighting a losing battle over there and we can't just leave her to it. Not even Officer Jenny can take down Darkhan AND that Seventeen Squad,"

"Squadron Seventeen," Misty corrected me, to which I gave her a short frown.

"I'm sure there are enough security personnel to deal with Gordon," Nurse Joy proclaimed. "And Darkhan may not even be in the area anymore. And even so, with the curfew and whatnot they are bound to know to keep an eye out for him."

"But we just can't let that group run amock!" I retaliated. "What if they're up to something really bad? You heard what Gordon said, they were going to change the world as we know it. That's exactly what Team Galactic said, but they were trying to create a whole new universe using Dialga and Palkia."

"Who are Team Galactic?" Misty asked.

"A criminal group back in Sinnoh," I answered. "They've disbanded now, since their leader seems to have gone into hiding."

"All groups, whatever they call themselves are usually up to no good," Nurse Joy nodded in agreement. "Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua, the list goes on and on."

"Then it's settked," I declared. "Seventeen Squad need to be taken out before they do any real harm!"

"It's Squadron Seventeen, Jonathyn," Misty corrected me yet again.

"Does it matter what they're called?" I replied, a little frustrated but trying my best not to upset my girlfriend. "All that matters is they need to be stopped."

"Very well," Nurse Joy smiled. "I'll transport you two back to the Trainer Village. At least tomorrow you will be ready for your match. Come by the Pokemon Center in the lobby and I can let you know if anything happens. In the meantime, I'll take Jenny and her team to where Gordon and Sandra are battling."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Misty smiled kindly. The Pokemon nurse turned back to her Chansey, who was waiting quite pleasantly patiently for an instruction.

"Chansey, please Teleport us back to the Trainer Village," Nurse Joy sweetly ordered.

"Chan-sey!" the egg shaped Pokemon smiled.

"Grab a hold, you two," Nurse Joy said to us, placing her hand on her Pokemon's shoulder. Misty and I exchanged a small smile, before placing our hands on the Pokemon's body as well. The Chansey closed its eyes and began to focus. There was a sudden bright flash of light, literally blinding me for just a few moments. When my sight returned, we had indeed arrived at the end of the Trainer Village, just a couple of hundred yards away from where my log cabin dormitory was situated. Immediately, we were surrounded by a group of security personnel, pointing their weapons at us.

"State your names!" one of the security guards ordered in a fakely butch voice.

"They're with me," Nurse Joy said to the armed man, who immediately lowered his weapon.

"Honestly, pointing a weapon at children in such a manner," a suited man said from nearby, approaching our position. "Ah… Jonathyn. Good to see you, despite the time."

"Uhh… yeah, sorry about that Rufus," I apologised.

"Can you give me a good explaination as to why you are out after curfew?" Rufus asked in a polite and kind tone, yet folding his arms as if a little bit annoyed.

"I can explain that, Mr. Goodshow," Nurse Joy interevened. "You see, it was only a few moments before the curfew took effect and we were all in the Pokemon Center in the main lobby. However, we were attacked by a Rotom which destroyed most of the equipment and locked us inside."

"I knew that thing was going to be a nuisance as soon as I saw it," Rufus frowned to himself. "But nonetheless, I gather the situation is under control?"

"Jonathyn here captured it, so it won't be bothering us for much longer, hopefully," Nurse Joy smiled.

"An interesting tale to tell," Rufus nodded his head, apparently believing the truth. "And at least it explains why it was in such a state when I went to inspect it. I already have a team cleaning up the mess and replacing the damaged equipment there. So tell me, what happened after that?"

"Well… it's kind of a long story to explain, Mr. Goodshow," Nurse Joy sighed. "But you have my word that Jonathyn and Misty here have done nothing wrong at all. In fact, I believe they should be praised."

"As much as I would like to do that, Nurse Joy, they are still breaking curfew," Rufus looked at Misty and I as he stated this fact.

"I know that, sir," I bowed apologetically. "And for that, I am truly sorry." There was an awkward silence. I could tell that Rufus was more than likely trying to think of a suitable punishment.

"Very well then," he finally spoke. "Please go to your dorms and stay there until morning once the curfew is over. I'll let this one slide, as I know full well that you had good intentions, despite breaking the rules." I bowed respectfully and thankfully to the tycoon.

"Thank you, Mr. Goodshow," all three of us thanked Rufus simultaneously.

"No need to thank me," Rufus insisted. "Now then, you two head on. Nurse Joy, please explain the situation to me."

"Yes, of course," Nurse Joy bowed. "Goodnight, Jonathyn. Goodnight, Misty."

"Goodnight, Nurse Joy. Thanks for your help," we both gratefully departed, heading straight back to the dorm in the opposite direction of where Nurse Joy and Rufus had begun to walk. We quickly entered my dorm, attracting some attention from the patrol units on duty before closing the door behind us. We both let out weary tired sighs, both preparing to go to sleep. I kicked my boots off my feet and removing some of my clothes, namely my jacket, shirt, jeans and socks until I was only stood in my underwear. Misty had gone into the bathroom to change into her nightdress, which allowed me some time to get under the covers before she could see my half naked attire. She soon walked out, with her hair let down rather than in the spiky bobble that she usually has it in. She got into bed with me too, turning the lights out as she did so.

"Everything is going to work out, you know," Misty said reassuringly.

"I know that," I sighed. "It's just there's only so much that we can do."

"Yeah," Misty replied with a small sigh of her own. "But don't let it worry you. The police are on their way to help out Sandra, catch Gordon and Darkhan and then we won't have anything to worry about." I paused for a moment, letting out an exhausted yawn.

"I've still got no idea how I'll beat that girl tomorrow," I muttered to myself. "But I'll manage."

"Let's get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning," Misty smiled at me, giving me a soft kiss on the lips. I remember kissing Misty for a short while after that, before finally falling asleep once again in each others arms.

TO BE CONTINUED

NEXT TIME: Jonathyn makes his final preparations for his next Pokemon League battle against Mimi. But will the ramifications of yesterday's experience prove costly as the clock ticks away?