Fight of the Ninja

Dirk was squirming as he sat upon a very fluffy green pillow as he looked around, noticing that the walls seemed to be made of faux paper dressing that had paper white windows with black lines to denote panes. The rest of the walls were a yellowish tan color. "I wonder what Ninja's eat? I mean do they eat exotic foods? Or normal foods like us?"

Robert only laughed as he also sat on a fluffy red pillow he then ruffled his younger brother, "You've asked that question five times now, you'll have to be patient and wait and see for what comes next." He then waited as well.

The silence that followed… one could hid within it and not be notice. Indeed that was what happened, as if from no where Koga dropped from the ceiling and landing right beside Matthew Vixen who visible jumped but stayed right on his Cream Colored pillow.

Koga had forgone his cape from before and instead a long black scarf wrapped itself around his neck. "Well now, I hoped you liked that little display, but come, the hour grows late and you must be famished, so eat, and drink up." Koga had directed the first part to Dirk who was looking awed at Koga's skills, what more was amazing was that during the moment that the trainers were riveted upon Koga, the table had been set with food and plates. The food was steaming hot so it meant that it was fresh and ready to eat.

Dirk was wide Eyed, "It looks so normal… so they eat like us, no special diet it seems." Dirk then dished himself a good portion of food, and soon the others were dishing up food and, as some people might say, tucking it in.

"Come… Come, no need to be shy, allow your Pokemon to be out and let them eat as well." With that he clapped his hands and a few people dressed in simple black clothing brought out another table and a pile of pillows for the Pokemon to sit at and eat.

A few minutes later all the Pokemon amounting to literal fifty five Pokemon, for not only were the Pokemon of all the trainers at the now two tables, but Koga's Pokemon were their as well. They all were eating and in between bites they were exchanging comments and stories, as well as some jokes by the sound of things.

Matthew Vixen was mainly eating while studying Koga and his Pokemon team when a question from him caught him off guard. "Uh, wait? Could you repeat that?"

Koga smiled and repeated the question. "You seem to be quiet, is something wrong? But my original question was this. Would you mind being the first to challenge me, you seem weak on the outside, but the way your eyes move about you…. You know what you want and what you are looking for, it would be an honor on my part to battle a trainer who has his wits about him for once."

Matthew Vixen was taken aback by Koga's frank and critical view of observation. He was glad he hadn't tried to listen in on the Pokemon's conversation. Now that could have been bad for him, he smiled and began to think about it, he knew that he was trying to get him off keel and a little over confident by that comment, but he knew that his past had been full of troubling attacks from Team Rocket. He had however had never gone up against a poison type in those attacks, they wanted him in one piece and alive, but here…. He smiled a smile that was almost told his answer. "I accept you challenge, but first, let us finish our meals."

"Koga smiled brightly as he leaned back a little, "Of course, you are patient, some would have taken the challenge now, but you, you wait for the time that is best suited for both of us, I commend you for your tack and respect." With that Koga returned to his plate of food and began to eat again.

Soon all everyone had eaten and were leaning back as the conversation moved to topics usually left until after dinner.

Becky and Ethan had gotten into a whispered argument about rather there had been any dates between Matthew and herself, Ethan thought so, but Becky was saying no.

Robert and Dirk were talking about what they might say to Della their sister when they saw her again.

While Richard and Sarah seemed to be in a whispered conversation about something or another, rather important by the sounds of how they were deliberately keeping their voices low and trying their best to not be overheard by the others.

Matthew was unable to hear the conversation because he was walking around the tables of Pokemon looking for his teammates and tapping them on the base of their heads, and signaling them that he wanted to talk with them in private.

Soon he had gathered together his teammates and were in a side room, and by the looks of it, it was the room trainers sit in while waiting for the Gym Leader to let them into his Lair.

"Okay, listen up, I know now that we might have eaten a little too much, or maybe not." Matthew added the second part upon seeing Flare licking some sauce from his paw and then whined as if still hungry. Matthew only shook his head, "We are going to face against our third to last Gym Leader, and frankly I am a little worried, he has trained as a Ninja, and that in itself is something to keep an eye on, we are also facing Poison Types as well, this could turn out to be a hard battle to fight, but we must not loss our courage or spirit of fight. So tell me, who wants to go first?"

Their were low muttering among the group, and then finally after a minute of back and forth talking, Flare stepped forward proudly and smirked. "I believe it is my turn, and I will hold my temper Mast… I mean Matthew." The way he corrected himself was by his tone of voice indicated that he only did it for fun and as a joke.

"Very funny Flare, you're very funny indeed." Matthew responded in a deadpan tone of voice showing that he was tired of the old joke that had been tossed at him. "Now shall we go?" Matthew waved his hand and indicated the door, which upon Flare's approach opened smoothly and silently as if they were made of feathers.

The room had been cleared of tables and a section of the wall had been slide away to allow for the other eight trainers to watch the battle. Koga was on the other end of the painted gym floor standing relaxed as if not really caring for the battle at hand.

But Matthew could tell that he was only acting, his eyes were watching him as was he watching him. When Matthew reached the floor, Koga snapped his finger and a Venomoth fluttered from the eves of the Gym Room and Flare stepped forward.

"Okay Flare, Let's start things off with a Flame Thrower." Matthew snapped in a voice cool, collected, and emotionless. Flare only nodded his head and let out a small bark of agreement before letting loss a stream of Fire at the duel Bug and Poison Type.

Venomoth only began to stare at the oncoming stream of fire, suddenly it stopped and then shot back at Flare, though the fire sack grew hotter, he was pushed back by the Confusion Attack. But the next moment Flare had jumped out and seemingly without Matthew's Command issued Bite Attack upon the Venomoth by running and then using his hind legs to jump at the low flying Venomoth.

"Well done, I barely noticed your hand twitched you have trained your team well I can see." With that he fell silent but then the Venomoth suddenly stopped fluttering and sent out a Psybeam. Flare was hit but he shook off the effects before firing off another Flame Thrower. Matthew had been saddened that because of Team Magma's experiments, it seemed that he had forgotten over time the TM's that he had either learned their or that he had tried to teach him, Matthew however had a gut feeling that something like this would happen.

"Keep up the good work Flare we got that bug where we want it." Matthew smiled as the Venomoth weak against fire, and just a level below Flare fainted in the hit.

Koga only smiled and laughed as he took a Pokeball, painted black so as to blend in with his uniform and returned his Venomoth. He then clapped his hands in a way that made it sound more like two branches of a tree hitting each other, next moment a Koffing descended from above and floated above the ground.

"Did I mention that this is will be only the beginning?" Koga said with a mysterious laugh. Matthew thought that he was only referring to his adventure and goal for the Elite Four. Then Koga gave his first order to Koffing. "Let's use a smog attack, cover the field, and hid us from our foe." Koffing only said his name both to human, and Pokemon ears before belching out thick black smog that caused both Matthew and Flare to begin to choke. Flare chocked so hard that he belched out a little bit of Ember that right away set the smog alight, it then spread so fast that before anyone could react the Koffing used explosion on itself, the blast due to the thickness of the smog didn't really hurt Flare that much, but it did clear away the smog and what was revealed shocked Matthew Vixen into a silent stare before he stepped back as he teammates stepped forward.

The group sitting in the side room also got up only to have the doors slide shut on them and then a speaker lowered, before any of the could react and pull off a pokeball, or direct them to attack the speaker or wall, for Ruth and Eve were indeed out once again. The speakers began to pipe in the song of a Jigglypuff and soon, the group was snoring quietly and dreaming of pleasant things while beyond the wall a battle was about to be waged that wouldn't do well for one side.

Koga had taken his scarf off revealing a little red R on his collar indicating just who he represented, as well as most likely who stood behind him. Matthew Vixen was not one to swear and indeed the only words the escape his mouth were, "Oh-oh." Upon which he backed up and his teammates charged forward. Flare whose head was still ringing decided to stay near Matthew and try to protect him while the other rushed forward.

However, four well placed gas beads had Matt, Firestorm, Sir Thief, and Stripes asleep like babies. Flare began growling as the group of Ninja's advanced forward, all of the carrying a small black clay ball, most likely ready to send both trainer/Hybrid along with the last awake Pokemon to slumber land.

But Koga waved his hand and smiled. "Come now, I must say that it is good seeing my apprentice again," He then smiled at the surprise in Matthew's eyes. "Come now, I have been a Ninja for many a years and one of my assignments were to train you and your girlfriend in the arts of martial arts, you got to the first achievement before running, but come now, I know that Ninetales mind of yours remember, I'll go easy on you, but I want you to do your best." Koga then rushed forward with what seemed to be a Karate Chop.

Matthew Vixen's mind went blank, but Light Tail's didn't he took control of the human body careful not to let his mind create it to his liking and dodge to the left while throwing his legs up into the air to block the attack.

Koga saw the move coming and mid-step he shifted his weight to avoid the kick and then grabbed Matthew's leg, and flipped him.

Light Tail felt himself leave the ground and right away using his own instinct he landed semi safely, the jolt was still painful but still, he was in the fighting.

Koga rushed in before Matthew could get onto his feet and what seemed to be only a brush across from one shoulder to another and he was past Matthew.

Light Tail was confused and when his tried to stand a pain shot from nerves in his back and shoulders and he blacked slowly sinking to the floor of the Gym unaware that he had been hit by a Ninja move to disable one's opponent.

Flare just stared wide eyed, but then upon seeing what he felt was a low down and dirty trick done to Matthew forgoes what Matthew had told him, his eyes turned a bright green and as his eyes turned green, his muzzle opened and green ball of energy soon took form. The rest of the Ninjas saw this and threw their balls of sleeping gas, but when a Pokemon get into a rage it usually forgets nor desires to sleep and soon the ball grew bigger and bigger. He was aiming right at Koga, however his own energy had been drained during the battle and before he could finish the attack, he blinked, stumbled and then fainted, the energy dispersing into a harmless mist from his jaws.

Koga smiled as he looked about the Gym, he had done something that others had not been able to do, and he has in his grasp the renegade Dark Mirror project. As well as more likely subjects for their hybrid experiments, with these thoughts he signaled for his team to open up the doors to the side room, which after being piped in the Jigglypuff music, had then been gassed with sleeping powder, to insure that the humans and Pokemon were to stay asleep.

Koga then allowed himself a small smile, something that he never does even when in the throws of victory. But this time, this one time he allowed himself the pleasure of a smile, he had done something that had taken Team Rocket many hours of work and money.

When the sliding doors opened, two figures with gas masks were standing amongst the sleeping trainers. Koga turned and only smiled.

"So, how is the Jhoto Branch doing Richard, and ah, Sarah, I must say, you have done well hiding yourself amongst this Junior Police, it was lucky that you stumbled across Dark Mirror, Giovanni will be pleased."

Richard and Sarah looked at each other and didn't remove their gas masks. But Richard spoke first. "We have a slight problem, you see… it seems they have been able to locate the location of the Cruise Ship and our lost division, as you can see…. This is a dilemma."

Koga only laughed, "Nonsense, when we put them through out machines we will glean the information needed from their brains." He then signaled for his men to come up to the two spies. In one swift movement the two lied still on the ground permanently.

Koga only smiled, "So sorry but we can't have anyone else try to claim the credit, especially teenaged mercenaries." Koga then laughed before suddenly the long wall in the rectangle that was facing the opposite of where the sleeping forms of seven trainers blow up, thick black smoke billowed inside and outside as flames began to lick the sides of the hole. Through the hole stepped into the fry where two people, both of which were instantly recognized. One was Riku, wearing red shorts, and a red T-shirt with a red plain Baseball cap and now was Six foot two,

The other person was only recognizable if you kept following the new in Hoenn, for the man standing next to Riku was wearing a red business suite along with some black pants with shiny shoes. His name was beginning to be connected to a more police activities against Team Rocket, Maxie leader of Team Magma.

Maxie spoke first his tone was one of sophistication and high class, as well as a little sore. "Hand over those trainers; you are under arrest for kidnapping and unethical experimentation."

Koga only laughed, "You think I will bow to two of you? Think again, you are facing a Ninja Master, and so you are in for a beating."

"I don't think so," Riku shouted back, "You underestimate us, greatly." With those words people flooded in through the hole, some wearing red, others a black and gold uniform, while others…. Were wearing blue with a black artsy A.

A third figure stands now amongst the two. "I will support their claim and order. You have no idea what your plans can cause. You will anger the legendaries and all will go down the drains." Archie was the third figure and a neat and well kept short beard was on his chin, he was wearing the same thing as an Executive of Team Aqua, looking somewhat like a modern Pirate.

Koga knew that the fight had been lost before it had even began, and knowing that it would be fool hearty to escape with dead weight of sleeping bodies, he signed before suddenly throwing smoke bombs onto the ground, others around them throw smoke bombs down and when the purple smoke cleared…. No one was left except for those that were sleeping.

Maxie and Archie both looked at the empty gym frustrated at being unable to capture Koga. "That is the second Exec that we have failed to capture." Archie growled in frustration.

"Easy Archie," Maxie said without much emotion, "At least we have the teens still alive and well."

At this a grunt from Aqua came up to them, "Sir, two of the kids… they…. Well…. They won't see another day." He seemed nervous as well, "That's not all, they had some Team Rocket gear with them, I think they were spies, and well, I think they tried something too big for them."

Maxie only looked around, "That is a Ninja code, we can't be bothered by missed opportunities, and we were in fact still here because of one. Now, let's move these kids out of here, this place gives me the creeps." Maxie then had his grunts, and Archie had his grunts, while Riku had his men work together to quickly remove the trainers from the now deserted Ninja home.

Meanwhile Koga was hiding in the basement of his own Gym while holding vials of some kind or another. "It doesn't matter anymore if you live or not Dark Mirror, for we have what is most important, you're DNA." Koga then like the shadow that all Ninjas moves, he slipped down hidden corridors and passages and soon was away from the Patrols looking for him.

Meanwhile, the Pokemon Center was filled with not a Poison Convention anymore, it seemed that this was a ruse to gather a small Team Rocket force under disguise to try and capture the city. But now the Center was filled with another kind of convention, one of beating Team Rocket.

Robert was shaking his head, "I can't believe it, Sarah and Richard members of Team Rocket? Why I never would have accepted there company if I knew the truth."

Dirk only smiled, and seemed to speak wise words for his age, "Hey they fooled us all, and Team Rocket is good at doing that, at least they got some type of payment." Dirk shuddered he couldn't believe that those two were dead.

Freda, a person that is of few words and liked to stay in the back ground spoke, "They were always too perfect for my taste I should have seen this coming for a while."

Matthew Vixen only stared at Freda, having never heard her speak. "Look you can second guess yourselves all night long, it is over and done with, we were compromised on security but now… now we are safe. However, we now have a new problem. How do we get back on track to finding your sister and that ship?"

Matthew Vixen's words brought the loud din of many conversations to a dead stop. Archie came up to them and slowly and making sure they heard the question asked them once. "What did you just say?"

Matthew Vixen, one that had no fear for any Teams or Organizations turned around to face him right in the eyes and responded, "I said we are looking for a Ship with my friends Sister and others trapped, most likely by those Hybrid Patrol people who sure love it when they try to disprove the existence of Hybrids."

The looks that he got back were ones that made him surprised. Riku who was standing nearby walks over with a smile. "Well then I believe we can help one another."

VT: Well, there you have it folks…. We finally get to the ship; stay tuned because this will be getting most interesting.