The First Warriors

by The Blue Engine

When aspiring trainers and war orphans Red, Blue and Leaf leave home and embark on a journey across Kanto, they each hope for greatness. However, the vengeful leader of Team Rocket wants them dead as part of his quest for power. The trio finds must find a way to defeat Giovanni and uncover his mysterious plan before he destroys their home and before they destroy each other.

6. Smash the Skies

Of all my stories affected by the delays brought on by my personal life, this must have been the longest wait, so I apologise deeply to those that enjoy this fic for that, and I hope that this part and the next, which I hope to release soon, will make up for it.

Smash the Skies

Thunder roared across the Pewter skies as the first guests began the short journey to the museum, their limousines splashing through leaf and rubbish filled puddles and getting battered by the heavy wind. People had come far and wide for what would be the social event of the year for Pewter City, with every motel room and bed and breakfast booked out and every restaurant experiencing a full house. It was an awful night for such an event, but it would go ahead rain or shine, and all the guests had spent hundreds on the event: they would let nothing ruin their night.

"It is going to be a doozy out there," Brock mumbled as a white flash filled his room, followed by the loud rumble of thunder. He stared at the black suit he was wearing in the mirror, wondering how it would feel if the multiple layers got soaked. Probably just as uncomfortable as it is now, the gym leader thought, tugging at the bow tie that seemed intent on squeezing the life out of him.

"I got a call from one of my friends, apparently a lot of people are heading over already," Brock's assistant, a bubbly twenty year old named Lucy, called out from down the hallway. "Do you want to go there now or would you rather wait a little bit?"

Do I have to go at all? Brock asked himself, again examining the suit in the mirror. It looked unnatural, so different from the usual cargo pants and vests that he wore. Brock had never been one for all the pomp and parties that came with something as significant as being a gym leader. He attended the odd gathering with his fellow gym leaders or at the Pokemon League, but rarely anything outside of that. Tonight's event at the museum was being hosted by Mark Hanson, a good friend who Brock had known for years and had helped him get this gym leader job when it became vacant. Brock did not want to sour his friend's evening but not coming to his big event, but the gym leader would rather spend the night training his inexperienced gym assistants than heading into a storm to attend an event more about the frocks and champagne than the actual meteorites.

"Brock?" Lucy yelled, and Brock snapped out of his thoughts, realising his assistant was now standing behind him with pursed lips smeared with grape coloured lipstick, waiting for her answer.

"Oooh, um… let's just leave it for a little while, shall we?" Brock replied, forcing a smile. "Give Mark a chance to chat up everyone he has to before I go in and ruin his evening." Lucy laughed as she leant across and loosened the bowtie, giving Brock a powerful whiff of her flowery perfume.

"I know you hate these things, but I am sure tonight will be fun!" She said, giving him a light pat on the cheek that got his heart pounding. "Just have a drink and a few h'orderves, chat to some people, it will all be over in no time."

"It better," Brock said as he straightened his suit and frowned over it in the mirror once more. "I am not staying there with all those rich snobs longer than I absolutely have –"

And then there was a knock at the door.

Brock and Lucy both turned and stared out at the dimly lit gym right outside the door. The knock came again, the sound of knuckles rapping against glass echoing throughout the empty building, competing with the rain and thunder for the most attention.

"Who on earth could that be? I put a sign out saying we were closed for the evening!" Lucy tutted. She marched over to Brock's computer and tapped at the keys, and the gym leader followed over. His background image of his first Onix was replaced by the CLYDE Security Program screen, which Lucy quickly logged into, and a series of grainy black and white images appeared in boxes to the left of the screen. Lucy clicked one near the top, and the right of the screen was taken up with the current image of the front entrance. Two boys of about thirteen stood there, dripping wet with angry scowls on their faces, though Brock could see from the way they were looking at each other that this was a personal thing rather than annoyance at being locked out.

"I am very sorry but the gym has closed early for the day," Lucy said, trying to sound authoritative as she spoke into an intercom right by the computer. She clearly thought the matter was over, but one of the boys knocked on the door again as the other searched for the source of the voice as looking for a way to talk back.

"They aren't going to take no for an answer," Brock said, smiling slightly at the young trainer's determination. Lucy looked at her boss with a scowl that would make most people run and hide, but Brock knew her too well to be intimidated.

"You have a party to go to; you are not dressed in the slightest for a gym battle!" She explained. "Your other suits are in the wardrobe, I didn't bother to dry clean them when you picked this one, you have no fall back if this one gets dirty!" Brock didn't particularly care about the suit, but he did not want to upset his assistant when she had tried so hard to get him ready for the party. However, Brock had been a young trainer once like those boys once: he had travelled across Kanto, survived through all kinds of weather, sleeping outdoors most nights with little more than a Geodude for protection from the creatures of the night. He would not be standing here today if he had not lived through such conditions, and Brock could not help but smile as the boys both knocked on the doors once more.

"Hang on a second," he said into the intercom and pressed a button underneath his desk, overriding the security and allowing the doors to open. Lucy looked shocked, but Brock put his hands on her shoulders and smiled broadly. "I will only be a few minutes; I just want to find out their situation, then we can go to the party, alright?" Lucy looked like she wanted to argue, but she could never resist the twinkle in his eyes and gave her permission via a simple nod. Brock quickly moved out of his simplistic office and onto a metal walkway, connecting Lucy's office, a staffroom and bathroom together with a single spiral staircase going down to the gym. Brock could see his two challengers making their way towards him, and he truly wished that they were eager for a battle, longing for a good match and an excuse to get him out of the party.

Red and Blue briefly noticed Brock as he came down the staircase, but the two were too caught up in the rush of the situation to truly pay him much notice. Both were soaking wet and had a chill running across their bodies, but they were weary from running all the way from the museum. Blue had tripped over after running through a deep puddle, tearing up his sleeves, while Red had slipped on a patch of mud and had pains in his back as well as a filthy jacket, but neither of them wanted to show their true emotions. A bitter tension hung in the air now that they were inside, and they waited to see what would happen with Brock.

However, both of them were secretly thrilled to be inside an actual Pokemon gym, awaiting their very first gym battles ever. Their eyes followed the rock path that had begun outside, crossing the concrete entry and moving onto a sandy, rectangular field stretched out before them. The path twisted and moved between boulders spread out around the sandy pitch, stopping right before a clearly marked battlefield near the back of the gym, the sand glittering as the fluorescent lights above flickered on. The field was not grand, but the cavernous space entombed inside the rock shaped building made it all seem much grander, and Red and Blue's excitement levels began to peak.

"Welcome to the Pewter City Gym!" Brock boomed as he walked across his battlefield, smiling widely at the two sodden teenagers before him. The gym leader was always shown wearing his trademark clay coloured pants and thick orange vest, so it was a surprise for Red and Blue to see him dressed up in a three piece suit, but neither one of them wanted to let shock hold them back from getting the first battle.

"Hello Brock, my name is Blue, from –" Blue said, stepping forwards with an outstretched hand, but Red leapt forwards.

" – Pallet Town, like me, Red," he said with a smile, and managed to grasp onto Brock's hand first. The gym leader smiled at the pair, sensing the animosity between them but not wanting to point it out, secretly admiring their competition: he would never have reached this position had he not strived his hardest to be better than every other trainer he had met. But, as Brock considered that, he noticed that the rivalry brewing between these two trainers felt different to any normal trainer-against-trainer face off.

"Anyway, I am here for a battle!" Blue said, stepping forwards to prevent Red from getting in a way and throwing a smirk back towards his old friend. "What do you say, can we have a match, right now?"

"I'm sorry boys, but Brock has an event to get to," Lucy said, suddenly appearing from behind Brock with a smile on that did not match her eyes. "The gym will be open again in the morning, and you will be able to –"

"Lucy," Brock interrupted, turning around so his back was to Red and Blue. "These boys went out in this storm in order to have a battle; I can't possibly turn them away! Isn't it in the rules that I can't turn down a challenge unless there is a grave personal issue to deal with?"

"This party is a grave personal issue!" Lucy hissed, looking fiery. "You need to promote yourself a bit more, make more of a name with the right people. That's how we get the money to renovate this place and finish adding in that bridge! Besides, the sign clearly said closed, and –"

"That never stopped me before," Brock added, flashing her his pearly smile in order to win her over, but Lucy simply scowled. "Look, I am not saying we don't go to the party; I want to support Mark, but I think that these two show real determination and they deserve to have it rewarded! They are starting trainers anyway, from the looks of them, so they will only be quick battles." Lucy did not look convinced, but Brock simply stood his ground and looked as pleading and sexual as he could. After a minute Lucy simply rolled her eyes and pulled her mobile out, giving him a look that could send a Snorlax running.

"You have half an hour to be done with both battles, because if we leave it any later then you won't have any time to socialize before the main event starts!" She snapped, beginning to text the relevant people the change in plans whilst looking at him. "This better be worth it!"

"Cheers Lucy! I promise to smooze up to as many people as possible when I get there!" Brock said, taking his jacket off and passing it to her. He turned smirking back to the trainers behind him, neither of whom seemed to have paid much attention to what had just happened. "Alright, we have half an hour, so let's get started! I'll use only two Pokemon each, you two can use however many you want. Now, which of you wants to go first?"

"I do!" They both said simultaneously, and then turned and glared at the other. Brock could see Lucy watching at him from the side of the field and knew that this was going to be trickier than he had anticipated.

"Well… Blue, your name is first alphabetically, so let's just do things that way!" The gym leader said, grinning at them before moving down to his part of the mountain-like battlefield. Blue was surprised for a second, taking in that it he would be battling first, but than cockiness took over and he turned and grinned cheekily at Red before advancing towards the field.

I will get my turn on the field soon enough, don't you worry Blue! Then we will see who deserves to smile, Red thought viciously, glaring at his so called friend as he strutted away. As he watched him go, Red's anger began to subside as he realised he would need to battle next. Nervously, the trainer reached into his pocket and felt his three PokeBalls: after confronting Blue again and seeing how confident he was, Red had told himself that Charmander, Rattata and Caterpie would be able to do this, that they were ready for battle. Now that he was here though, Red was not as certain; he gazed around the huge space, which seemed bigger than it had on the outside. The remaining lights all flickered on, the unnatural beams giving the sand, rocks and cold floor as a harsh white glow, but there was still so much hidden away in darkness, making Red shiver. This was not the same grand feeling he had felt back at the Pokemon League: Red felt tiny and insignificant, alone inside this huge building, and he only realised now just how big this all was.

"You have battled before, haven't you?" Brock called out as he moved into position.

"Of course, plenty!" Blue said, still beaming with cocky enthusiasm, but the question put a big dent in his confidence. Of course, twice I have had to be rescued from Team Rocket, and I only have three, unevolved Pokemon to fight with, who struggled at times to even defeat those pesky bug catchers roaming the forest, but don't worry, I have battling experience…

No, I am ready for this, of course I am! Blue thought huffily as he watched Brock send for his PokeBalls. I wouldn't be standing here if I wasn't! I have Bulbasaur, he has super effective moves against whatever Brock sends my way. I will show Red that I was right all along: I will sweep Brock's Pokemon, and then I will sit back and watch as Red's team falls down one by one!

"That is good to know!" Brock boomed as Lucy trotted back with a small tray loaded with rattling PokeBalls. "Some people come in, thinking it will be easy, and they are completely unprepared and get slaughtered!"

"I know the type," Blue laughed pointedly. Brock scooped his PokeBalls up and smiled at a still sour Lucy, before slipping most of them away and keeping only one in his hand. My first opponent, Blue thought, tensing up as he wondered what the Pokemon would be.

"Very well Blue, it is time to put yourself to the test!" Brock shouted, feeling more excited every second, simply pleased to be battling rather than dealing with the dreaded Pewter City social scene. "We all know that this is a Rock gym that is, pun intended, the first stepping stone for so many trainers. I first started my journey with a Pokemon quite like this, and in fact, this is the son of my very first Pokemon! I did not want to send my oldest friend out though, as he is too well trained and experienced for you, but that does not mean that this will be easy even with a type advantage!" Blue desperately tried to remember all the information he knew about Brock, trying to work out what this first Pokemon was: was it a Rhyhorn? … no… maybe a Geodude?

"ONIX, ATTACK POSITION!" Brock roared, and Blue's mind stopped. He watched the PokeBall as it sailed through the air, bursting open near the middle of the field; red energy poured out, more than Blue had ever seen. A Pokemon began to solidify from the matter, stretching up towards the roof…

Onix… Blue thought, heart sinking, and he inclined his head towards the ceiling; the Rock Snake loomed over him, taller than his house in Pallet Town, and with a much angrier expression. Blue swallowed nothing as he thought of Bulbasaur going out against this creature, and he realised too late that he was in over his head…

---

"Excellent… everything is going according to plan…"

Archer smirked to himself as moved through the room he had found himself in. It was meant to be a storage area for bits of exhibitions but seemed more like a glorified cupboard, loaded with so many chunky, brightly coloured displays that there wash barely enough space to breathe. However, there was enough room for all eight bodies: four standing and four piled unconscious on the floor.

This was easier than I expected, Archer laughed as he examined their prizes. Even with a big event on tonight, there were no extra security checks, and all of the admins had slipped inside with only minimal disguises. They hid in plain sight as typical tourists, and had just waited around for the right moment. It had been pure luck that Leaf and her friends had shown up, but Archer had quickly worked to ensure they would be the key pawns in their elaborate plan…

While this had all been easy, Archer knew his job was far from over. He had a lot to make up for after the disaster in Viridian Forest, and though they had easily captured Leaf, along with two friends and one of the richest women in Kanto, the extra bodies only making his job easier, Archer had to ensure everything else ran smoothly. Within the next two hours, the museum would fill with guests there to witness the rare meteorites, all unaware of the true show that Team Rocket would be giving them.

"Everyone is getting into place both inside and outside," Arianna reported as she pocketed the altered PokeGear that they used to communicate. "The half a dozen Grunts pretending to be waiters are in position, and we have some outside serving as valets, so they can lock the doors when the time is right. Several limousines have already arrived, and I hear that plenty more will be here within the next twenty minutes."

"It does not matter if people arrive early, as long they don't get in the way and things remain on schedule," Archer snapped back, smiling on the inside as Arianna nodded and backed down. You won't remain Giovanni's precious aide for much longer, he thought coldly, watching her retreat back to her corner of the cupboard.

"If enough people arrive early though, I would image Mr Hansom would start his proceedings early. The pretty boy is hardly known for his patience, and as this has been built up for a while now, I imagine he will get it going as soon as possible." Archer's brief happiness evaporated as the calm, calculated snark of Petrel came from the shadows. His fellow admin stepped forwards, leaping delicately over Madame's unmoving body and approaching Archer with his typical grace.

Petrel did not give off the impression of being an intimidating man. He was very slim, with pencil like arms and legs to a narrow head topped with slicked back purple hair. Spectacles rested on the end of his long nose, giving him the permanent look that he was gazing down at you when he spoke. A slight violet goatee topped his prominent chin, which clashed with his outfit; unlike the other admins, Petrel wore a tight fitting black outfit emblazoned with a large red 'R', nearly identical to a Grunt uniform except for shinier black boots and a brown leather belt with several small pockets.

However, despite looking like a clown crossed with a biker, Archer was always unsettled when Petrel was around. He knew little of the man's past, unlike those of the other two admins, and was unsure about what he did for Team Rocket. Archer and Arianna were in charge of organising the attacks and arranging the organisation following Giovanni's orders, while Proton trained the Grunts and served as muscle. Petrel just simply seemed to be there, and it made Archer feel weary whenever they interacted.

"I am well aware of what Mark Hansom is like, thank you Petrel, but we have a plan we need to stick to," Archer explained as calmly as possible. Petrel simply raised an eyebrow as he began examining some metallic artefact on the shelf before him.

"If you say so, but I do think it would make the most sense to have everyone and everything in position earlier rather than later. Do we even know where Gideon is?"

"Gideon does not need to be here for the main part of the plan, he is only necessary afterwards," Archer snapped before realising he was losing his temper. Petrel smirked as he began juggling two museum pieces, and Archer had to look away, focussing instead on Proton. He was the bulkiest of the four admins, bringing the brawn to match the other's brains. His uniform was mostly black with white strips down the side, clinging tightly to his bulging muscles. His muscular frame did not reach his face, which had a youthful but sinister quality to it. Proton's hair was a mix between blue and green, similar to Archer's, with a black hat rested atop his gelled style.

"Proton, we need to get the slabs and the girls into position," Archer explained. "Get some of the Grunts to help you if you need –"
"I won't," Proton replied, flexing his arms and grinning at them all. He walked past Archer and checked the coast was clear before disappearing down the corridor. Archer was only letting them move about in uniform because the security cameras were under their control, having been turned off and replaced with images of empty corridors and rooms. The museum staff were busy on the first floor trying to get everything ready for the party, meaning the top floors were free for Rocket to roam about.

"What do we do with them?" Arianna asked. Archer looked down at the three girls and the old woman lying on the floor before him, their eyes shut and mouths ajar, sprawled at odd angles from where they were placed. They looked so innocent and helpless laying there, unaware of the role they would play in the night's events.

"Wait until Proton gets back, then he can put them into position," Archer replied, smirking as he stared down at Leaf and Janine. He would love to have some time alone with them, to teach them a lesson in crossing people like him, but there was not enough time.

Besides, Archer thought to himself as he turned away, they will be dead before midnight anyway.

---

Crap…

That was the only thing Blue could think of. He still could not get over the shock of Onix being sent out: he had expected something tame like a Geodude or maybe a rare Kabuto or Omanyte, tiny, unthreatening Pokemon. But Onix… this was a Pokemon that looked like someone had pulled a chunk out of Mt Moon and had brought it to life. The grey- brown Pokemon was staring down at Blue with wide, unmoving eyes, expressionless mouth ajar, wide enough to make Blue think it would lunge down and swallow him whole.

How does this thing even digest anyway? Blue thought. Wait, why the hell am I questioning its diet? I need to focus! I have Bulbasaur, he can do this for me! There is nothing to worry about!

"Are you going to send your first Pokemon out?" Brock asked, hidden away behind Onix's massive body. "We are on restricted time you know!"

"Yes, right… sorry!" Blue said, shaking his body a little bit to get him back into the mood. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Bulbasaur's PokeBall, beginning to feel confident once more. I can do this… I know I can! "Bulbasaur, GO!" He shouted and threw the ball forwards. The capsule burst open with a blast of red light, and moments later Bulbasaur was squatting on the ground a few metres away. Blue's confidence sunk once more as he took in the height and weight difference between the two Pokemon; the rocks scattered across the field were bigger than Bulbasaur, let alone the fact Onix could swallow the Seed Pokemon whole.

"Can you handle this one Bulbasaur?" Blue asked, trying to stay confident up even though he was asking the question more to himself than his Pokemon.

"Saur Bulba Saur!" Bulbasaur replied in his grouchy tones, turning back and nodding at Blue, and the trainer relaxed a bit.

"Bulbasaur, eh? A fine choice, though you are not the first trainer to come through with one of these!" Brock exclaimed. "We will just have to see how you compare to the rest! Challenger has the first move – let the battle begin!"

"Vine Whip, go!" Blue commanded instantly, and Bulbasaur sprinted forwards as fast as his stubby legs would carry him. As he got nearer, two thick, green vines began to emerge from underneath his bulb.

"Harden!" Brock ordered. Onix made a slight grunting noise, and before Bulbasaur could strike a slight white gleam slid down the Rock Snake's body.

"SAUR!" Bulbasaur cried, stopping a few feet away from Onix, and he lashed out with his vines, smashing them against the highest point he could reach. Onix glanced down at the Grass type with a look like he was examining an irritating bug rather than a proper opponent. Blue cursed the use of Harden, which would make Tackle even more useless than it currently was and would greatly weaken the effectiveness of Vine Whip.

I can't let this stop me though… Imagine what Red would say if I gave up already! Blue thought bitterly, glancing briefly at his companion. "Alright Bulbasaur, launch a Leech Seed!"

"Tackle!" Brock cried, and Blue stifled a terrified gasp.

"OOOONNNN!" Onix roared, and he raised his body up to its fullest height, barely balancing on the tiniest part of his tail. Blue and Bulbasaur both looked up in terror as the Rock Snake dived downwards, a massive grey blur that would quickly and easily strike. If that move connected, Blue was not sure Bulbasaur would be able to survive, and then he would only have Rattata and that mysterious Pokemon he had brought….

"JUMP!" Blue screamed, losing all sense of strategy and coolness as he saw his dreams of winning getting crushed. Bulbasaur responded, and he turned and threw himself towards the nearest boulder, using it as a shield. It was only then that Blue actually realised the genius of his plan: Onix was so massive that turning smoothly was not an easy option, especially as he was mostly airborne, but that did not stop him. Onix saw Bulbasaur move and tried to turn, but the sudden change upset the weight of his serpentine body, and Blue watched in delight as Onix collapsed in a heap, sending a big enough cloud of sand to engulf the whole field, the thud of his body shaking the building.

"SAUR!" Bulbasaur yelled from somewhere in the sand cloud, and Blue knew that a small seed was being fired from his bulb, and that seed would unleash a series of vines that would wrap around Onix and slowly drain his energy and transfer it to Bulbasaur.

This… this is actually going well! Blue thought, smiling to himself. For a moment all hope had seemed lost, but now it appeared as though nothing could stand in his way.

"Nice work there, though that seemed more like a happy accident than strategy," Brock called out, a touch of annoyance in his voice. Blue scowled at his comments, but he was not going to let the gym leader throw him off his game like that.

"How's this for strategy then? Jump onto Onix's head and score a direct Vine Whip!" He shouted. The sand was beginning to settle, so Blue was able to see Bulbasaur again, standing atop a boulder and getting ready to jump. Onix nearly blended into the surroundings, especially now he was covered in sand, and Blue hoped Bulbasaur would be able to make it before Onix moved.

"Bind him with the end of your tail!" Brock commanded. Blue cursed at his easy win getting crushed, but still felt confident as he saw Bulbasaur launch off his boulder, vines flailing. Onix had barely reacted to his order before Bulbasaur landed right above his eyes, and quickly the Grass type began thrashing him directly on the head.

"Onnn!" Onix groaned, and he raised his head up, lifting Bulbasaur several metres into the air. Blue watched as Onix repositioned himself so that he rested on the middle of his body, and then he arced the rest of his stony body to bring his head and tail closer.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur exclaimed as the stony tail appeared from nowhere, suddenly wrapping itself around his body. Blue felt terrified as Bulbasaur was lifted up into the air, being hold up purely by his enemy. The Seed Pokemon tried to pry himself free with his vines, but the Bind was too tight and Bulbasaur gave up after over a minute of struggling. Energy flowed across from the Leech Seed wrapped around parts of Onix's face, but Blue did not think it would be enough to ensure Bulbasaur survived.

There has to be something I can do, I can't lose like this! Blue thought nervously, but as he went over all the possible moves and attacks he had, he knew that there was little more he could do asides from what he was already struggling with.

"Now Onix, release him from Bind and let's finish this with Rock Tomb!" Brock yelled. Blue was horrified: once Bulbasaur became trapped by the rocks, there would be nothing he could do to win the battle…

Unless… Blue pondered as he Onix geared up for the attack. If Onix would release Bulbasaur from the Bind, then there would be some time in between the two attacks where Bulbasaur could get free. It would be too difficult for him to leap away without getting caught again, but Bulbasaur did have methods of getting around that.

"Use your bines to swing back onto Onix's head, then hit him in the eyes with Vine Whip!" Blue commanded and he saw Brock's eyes bulge at the command.

"Saur Saur!" Bulbasaur cried, and as soon as Onix's grip lessened the Grass type extended his right vine as far as possible: it wrapped around the middle of Onix near where his body touched the field, and Bulbasaur swung forwards, dramatically swooping down. Blue thought that he might crash into the sand, but Bulbasaur was able to get his left vine out and wrapped around Onix. The Rock Snake seemed startled by the unconventional move, and Bulbasaur was able to maximise on the surprise and get his right vine wrapped around his head.

"BULBAAAA!" Bulbasaur cried as he lifted himself up, and he raised both vines and brought them crashing down, scoring a direct hit on Onix's eyes.

"OOOOOONNNNN!" Onix roared in pain, the cry so loud that some of the lights shuddered. Blue suffered through the pain as it was clear that he was winning. Onix slumped forwards out of tiredness, the Leech Seed draining more energy out of him, while Bulbasaur appeared on top of the world.

"AGAIN!" Blue yelled ecstatically, and Bulbasaur quickly responded, bringing his vines down twice. Brock seemed to have accepted the defeat of his Pokemon as he did not bother giving a command. Indeed, a moment after the attack Onix gave a weary grunt and crashed down to the sand, the last of his energy drained away by the Leech Seed. Bulbasaur jumped onto a boulder before Onix could crush him, and Blue saw that he remained in perfect health – good enough to defeat the next opponent.

"Very well…," Brock said quietly half a minute after Onix had fallen, "it appears Onix has been defeated." The gym leader was clearly taken aback by the sudden defeat of his prize Pokemon, but Blue could not feel happier; not only had he won, he had shown up a gym leader in the early stages of his first gym battle. Now that was something that anyone would be proud of, especially his grandfather…

"Great work Bulbasaur!" Blue shouted as he jumped excitedly on the spot. All his worry and nervousness evaporated over the glory of this win, and he knew that nothing would stay in Bulbasaur's way now.

"You're a good trainer – you may not have a strategy, but you think quickly on your feet, that is a good sign," Brock said as he withdrew Onix. In a normal mood Blue may have taken the compliment, but he was too high on his own joy to think straight.

"I wish I could say the same about you!" He replied with a devilish smile, and savoured the shocked looks on both Brock and his assistant's face. They seemed unimpressed, and Blue saw Bulbasaur looked a bit uncomfortable, but he was far too delighted to care. He glanced back over at Red as thunder growled overhead, making the building feel like it was shaking, and he gave his friend a smile, daring him to pull off the same feat.

---

As Leaf returned to consciousness, she knew already that she was in deep trouble.

Her head was spinning; her vision was blurred so she could not make anything out, and every noise sounded faint and distant like it was coming through a tunnel. Leaf could feel a sharp pain in her shoulders and arms, which were raised above her head, and when she tried moving them they remained stiff….

Leaf groaned quietly as her memories came back; the last thing she could remember was finding everyone unconscious in the Educational Room, and then a familiar face looming over her right before she had passed out herself….

It was Archer…Leaf thought, and she could not help but moan again, anger and disappointment rising up inside. Why was she getting caught up in yet another one of Team Rocket's schemes? Her day had been going so well since she had arrived at the museum and Leaf had so been looking forward to attending the fundraiser, but now she had no idea if she was still on the museum premises. Her vision was getting a bit clearer now, but all she could see were a bunch of shelves, half cast in darkness.

Does it even matter where I am? Leaf thought irritably. I am kidnapped, I am bound up against something, I am not going to be able to attend the party even if it is happening right downstairs! Why does Team Rocket keep coming after us? What have we ever done to deserve this treatment?

"Leaf… Leaf, are you awake?" Someone groaned near her, and Leaf turned her head to the right so quickly it made her dizzy, but she was relieved to find someone else was awake.
"Susie, is that you?" She whispered, not wanting to raise her voice too much as she still had no idea where she was or who was around. Leaf could barely make out her old friend as she was away from the light, but the trainer could see that her arms were raised as well, and they were attached to a large slab of wood.

"What's going on Leaf?" Susie whimpered. "The last thing I remember is seeing that dead old woman, and then I fell asleep, and now… and now… where are we Leaf, I'm scared?!" Susie wailed, and she began to sob, desperately pulling at her restraints as if she would magically come free. Leaf felt as defeated as she did, but she knew that one of them had to remain tough.

"Don't worry Susie, we'll get out of here," she said, hoping she sounded encouraging. "I am pretty sure we have just been kidnapped by Team Rocket, but –"

"Kidnapped?! By TEAM ROCKET!" Susie cried, and she let out a long, loud groan that made Leaf cringe, largely as it was the sort of noise that would attract guards. "How can you act calm about that? Have you not seen a newspaper lately?"

"I can't say I have," Leaf replied, feeling a bit stupid.

"Well, not much is actually known about them except for rumours, but my father said they are a group of thugs that are going around stealing people's Pokemon!" Susie replied, her tears stopping as she changed into the slightly snobbish person she always became whenever she knew stuff other people didn't. Leaf normally got amused when her friend acted like this, but it was not an appropriate situation, and she was too surprised by the news that Team Rocket were well known, and that they were viewed as terrorists. She had seen them as over glorified thugs that had decided to specifically target them, but what if this was all part of some much larger scheme?

"Whoever they are, there is still a chance we can get away!" Leaf said, pushing her worries to the back of her mind. "Mark Hansom, the host of the party, saw us before and we said we were going to come. He will probably be on the lookout for us, and Madame as well, she is very well known; if we don't show up he is bound to notice!"

"That's your grand plan?" Susie snapped, and Leaf glared at her, tempted to hit her if her hands were not bound.

"There's Red and Blue as well, they are bound to notice if I don't turn up!" Leaf added, though that was even less likely to happen; they were too absorbed in their squabble to notice or care about her right now, and it could be hours before they finally asked where she and Janine had gotten to. "If I could reach my PokeBalls I would send Squirtle out, though they must have taken them off us…"

"They better not hurt my Spearow!" Susie said, suddenly sounding emotional again. "I only caught her the other day, I don't want to lose her already!" She sniffed and seemed like she was going to start crying again, and Leaf would have felt sympathetic if she did not think a guard would appear any moment, searching for the source of all the racket.

"I am sure your Spearow will be fine, just be quiet!" Another voice snapped behind them, and Leaf could tell it was Janine.

"Janine!" She exclaimed in a whisper. "How are you feeling, can you see properly? Do you have any of your weapons on me?"

"I feel fine, except that my arms are all bound up," Janine replied, "so even if they had left me with any I can't reach them… though I am sure there will be a few they haven't quite gotten to, or at least I hope they didn't," she added, sounding repulsed, and Leaf did not inquire any further. She looked around, wondering where Madame was, but the old woman was nowhere in sight. Something rumbled overhead and Leaf figured the storm must be ongoing. I'm not wet though, they can't have taken us outside… maybe we are still in the museum.

"I can hear voices," Susie said suddenly, and Leaf paused in her thoughts. She could indeed hear some low murmuring that sounded as though it was in the next room, and for a moment she panicked to think that there captors were only a few metres away.

"Stay quiet!" Janine hissed, and Susie cut her sobbing immediately. Leaf bit her lips to try and prevent herself from making a sound, and she stared around, trying to work out where the voices were coming from and if the owners were about to enter. The distant roar of thunder, now reduced to a slight grumbling, sounded what felt like every few seconds, but in this tense silence Leaf had no idea how much time had passed as they waited, hoping those voices would go away…

The voices stopped, and for a moment they did not continue, and Leaf breathed a sigh of relief. Moments later though, a door swung open at the end of the room, and Susie could not hold back her whimper as light framed the two figures standing in the doorway.

"Well, well, well, it appears our Sleeping Beauties have awoken!" Archer purred, his voice much calmer than the last time Leaf had heard it. He did not appear at all harmed from his attack on their camp, and walked in with the definite swagger of a very successful person. Leaf wanted to come up with some witty one liner like they always did in movies, but she felt too helpless and exposed, bound to the wood like this, and the figure that followed Archer in drained the last of her courage; the man wore a figure hugging outfit that showed off the powerful muscles underneath, and his young face had an evil sense of malice spread across it as he sneered in her direction.

"Leaf my dear, have you had the pleasure of meeting Proton before?" Archer asked, gesturing towards his associate, acting like a host bringing two friends together. "He is in charge of training our Grunts, and he definitely has the strength to deal with any of you should you try misbehaving."

"Oh, he trains those weaklings that my Ekans defeated the other day?" Janine chimed out from the back. "Wow, you must not be very good at your job – those little bastards dropped like flies!" Proton turned towards her and anger flashed across his face, and for a second Leaf was certain he would advance towards her. However, Archer smirked and slightly put his arm out, preventing him from going further.

"What a lovely joke, I am sure you enjoyed that, but Proton will enjoy punishing you for it later," the admin said, chuckling to himself. He then turned suddenly towards Leaf, a creepy smile crawling across his face, and Leaf shivered in disgust. "Leaf, Leaf, Leaf, after all those attempts to kill you, how simple it has been to capture you for what will be the final time! I hope you know, my dear girl, that you are not going to survive the events of tonight; while I would relish in finishing you off now, you and your friends have a large role to play, not only tonight, but in the entire Team Rocket scheme! Now Proton, put her into position, and then come back for the others– quickly now!"

"Yes boss," Proton grunted, and he marched towards Leaf. She tensed up, expecting to be touched, but the muscular man moved behind her, and a moment later Leaf swayed as he picked up the slab. Easily, Proton carried the wood forwards, moving so quickly that Leaf was unable to make out anything on the shelves around them. He stepped out of the room and into a corridor, and Leaf mentally gasped as she realised that they were indeed still in the museum: the white, marble walls were far too distinctive, and Leaf could make out a familiar display case in the corner of her eye.

We're still on the top level, she thought to herself in shock. Proton turned right and walked towards the balcony, and Leaf could hear fine orchestral music playing below and the general murmur of a large group of people talking. The party has begun… I am meant to be down there, not tied to a piece of wood about to get murdered! She wanted to look down and see what was happening, but Proton swerved her away, heading down a bare corridor past class rooms where school groups were brought to. Two Rocket grunts stood by one door and they held it open, allowing Proton and Leaf to pass through.

They began making their way through an empty classroom, all the tables and chairs stacked to the side. Leaf wondered if they would be stopping here, but another door was held open and Proton carried his victim into a narrow corridor, and Leaf presumed that this connected the two sides of the museum together. The walls were just plain concrete, with exposed pipes and wires about that did not appear very safe. Though that hardly matters now, I am going to die anyway…

Leaf drifted off into thought, barely noticing when they went from the corridor into an empty room, the opposite to the classroom. All she could really think about was how she had ended up like this. Leaf had left Pallet Town to go on a journey, to experience the real world and leave her small town behind. She yearned for independence and excitement, to train her own Pokemon and get a taste of what was out there. She had never wanted anything like this; being targeted and hunted like some wild Pokemon, being harassed, attacked, injured, having all the good things ruined. She had wanted to experience things like the party happening below, and instead Leaf would die in some unknown way as part of some unknown scheme, and for the first time since leaving Pallet, Leaf truly wished she had never stepped over the town limits…

"Here we are, princess," Proton grunted, and he dropped the slab with a thud. Leaf looked up and realised she was opposite the balcony she had been on what seemed like a minute ago. She could hear rain and thunder mixed with the chatter and violins below, and Leaf was curious; why exactly was she being left here of all places? Wouldn't someone see her, all exposed like this? None of this made any sense…

"Do you like the view here?" Proton asked with a cruel tone as he appeared before her, smiling broadly. "You'd better, cause it's the last thing you'll ever see!" And before Leaf could say anything, a fist appeared out of nowhere, and suddenly she was seeing black once more.

---

Before Brock had even brought back his unconscious Geodude, Red moved forwards into position.

He had watched Blue's battle with a mixture of awe and rage: his friend had clearly trained Bulbasaur well and the two worked well together, easily bringing down Onix and then having no issue with Geodude, but Blue clearly had no strategy. He merely rolled with the punches and hoped that his moves paid off, which they miraculously did. Red had always been under the impression that a proper strategy would be needed in order to secure a victory, yet Blue had won his badge so easily it was almost laughable.

I have to do better then him, Red thought bitterly, clutching his PokeBalls in his hand. He had watched Brock and gone over all the different strategies and moves he had considered these past few days; Red had hoped for more time to work on them and make everything flawless, but now that he was here he would have to do the best he could with what he had, but Red would not walk out of here without a badge.

"That was definitely an interesting battle," Brock said to Blue, the two standing in the middle of the field. "We are many people's first gym, and more than half of them fail the first time, but it always makes me proud when someone in that forty percent or so comes along and kicks my butt!" The gym leader was acting friendly and joyful as he had earlier, but Red could tell he was annoyed with the way Blue had won from the look on his face. Blue had no idea though as he took his Boulder Badge and TM and shook Brock's hand, turning away wearing a broad, cocky smile.

"Good luck Red," he said as he walked past, "you'll need it."

"I think you've used up enough luck for both of us, I will stick with strategy and skill, thanks," Red retorted, and was satisfied with Blue's shocked expression. He was sure their friendship would get past this once the battling was over, but for now, Red was happy to compete if Blue was in that mind sight.

I just need to win this… he thought, turning back to the field. The sand and rocks had been disturbed by the previous battle, the field now uneven and one boulder had shattered due to a badly timed Tackle. They were not the best conditions, especially for what Red had planned, but he could only hope that this battle would go well.

"We need to hurry along Brock, the actual event will be starting soon!" Brock's assistant cried from the sidelines, and Brock nodded as he got a fresh PokeBall from his pocket.

"So Red, are you ready to begin?" He asked as he moved into position.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Red replied, and Brock chuckled.

"That's the attitude I like to see!" He laughed. "Alright then Red, let's find out just how ready you are!" And with those words, the battle began: Brock threw his first ball forwards, and quickly a new Geodude was on the field. The Pokemon basically looked like a small boulder with an aggressive face and massive brown fists, and Red had certainly seen those in action against Bulbasaur. However, Blue and Bulbasaur had the advantage of Vine Whip and Leech Seed to eliminate their opponent; Geodude was a powerful Pokemon, but Red had hoped Brock would start out with the Rock Pokemon. It made things much easier…

"Go Caterpie!" He cried, and threw his first PokeBall forwards. Laughter erupted from behind, and Red turned and glared at Blue as he doubled over and laughed. He turned back to find Caterpie had formed, his lime green skin sticking out amongst the various shades of brown. It was clear already that Geodude, though small compared to Onix, had a distinct height and weight advantage over Caterpie. Red had been worried about the size comparison, and he only hoped that his strategy would work.

"Interesting decision there," Brock said, a sceptical look on his face, and Red was pleased that the gym leader was made uncertain by his decision. "I hope that you have some sort of strategy going here?"

"Don't worry, I do!" I just hope it works…

"Very well then… your move first!"

"String Shot!" Red bellowed with forced enthusiasm.

"Tackle!" Brock commanded, and Geodude did not hold back: he pushed his hands against the ground and launched forwards, his body easily smashing into Caterpie.

"Prieeee!" Caterpie cried as she was sent rolling backwards, and for a moment Red thought the attack had been too powerful. Fortunately, Caterpie was able to get back up, and she fired her String Shot. The attack struck Geodude on the face and right arm, and the Rock type looked uncomfortable but appeared mostly unbothered.

"I was wondering what you were planning on doing, and I think I have your plan worked out," Brock called out, smirking, and Red merely shrugged back.

"We'll have to see about that, won't we?" He replied, making Brock chuckle once more. "String Shot again, let's go!"

"Defence Curl! Two can play at this game!" Brock cried. Geodude wrapped his hands around his body, making him look more like a boulder than normal, and he briefly glowed as his defence rose. Caterpie fired her String Shot as Geodude uncurled, getting his left arm this time and making her opponent grumble. It was not the most exciting of battles, but Red had to build up in order to guarantee a win with the Pokemon he had.

"String Shot, keep it up!"

"Rock Throw!" Brock yelled, and Red gulped: if this super effective attack hit, Caterpie would be done for. Geodude instinctively went towards the shattered pieces of boulder, scooping them up in his massive hands as easily as if they were feathers.

"Hide Caterpie!" Red ordered, and the Pokemon turned and quickly scuttled across the sandy field towards the closest boulder. Geodude saw her moving and began to throw, but Red was stunned but excited to see the String Shot was taking effect: the attack was slowing him down and making his arm tense up as he raised it to throw. Caterpie reached the safety of the nearest boulder as the bombardment began, but the only thing that got damaged was the boulder itself, the pieces of rock harmlessly bouncing off.

"Caterpieeeeeee!" Caterpie cried, appearing around the boulder unscathed and firing her String Shot, and this time Geodude was hit right in the face, nearly covering his eyes. Red was ecstatic that his plan was actually working, and he could not help but beam as he got out two PokeBalls.

"That's enough Caterpie, return!" He cried. "Charmander, it's your chance to shine!" Caterpie disappeared in a flash of red, and was replaced moments later by the Flame Pokemon in the exact same spot: Charmander's orange skin and bright, burning tale stood out as well, but he was more of a match height wise for Geodude, and having longer legs would hopefully help with moving swiftly.

"So you switch a Bug for a Fire type?" Brock said, amused. "Has anyone ever taught you about type advantages and disadvantages?"

"Who needs them when you've got strong Pokemon?" Red retorted, and Brock was taken aback by the response.

"Very well then: let's see how you handle Rock Throw!"

"Hide again!" Red yelled, and Charmander quickly jumped towards another boulder. Geodude slowly gathered more of the damaged boulder and tried to move towards his target this time, but his reduced speed was not helped by the heavy rocks. The gym fell silent except for the raging storm outside as Geodude grunted and tried to move with only one hand, but it all seemed too much.

"DUDE!" He yelled before anti-dramatically initiating his attack, and the rocks simply rebounded off the massive boulder.

"Metal Claw!" Red commanded quickly, wanting to move things along.

"Tackle!" Brock yelled, looking irritated. Charmander quickly ran around the side of the boulder and rushed towards Geodude, his right claws flashing silver. Geodude geared up for Tackle, pushing his hands against the ground, but Charmander leapt up before he could move.

"CHAAAAR!" He roared, though it did not sound very threatening. However, he brought his Metal Claw down on the back of Geodude's head as he landed, making the Rock type cry out. Something flashed in Charmander's eyes, and Red stifled his excitement as he sensed a stat change.

"Again!" He yelled.

"Defence Curl!" Brock cried, but Charmander was too quick: he slashed out once more, using more force so that Geodude was sent crashing into a boulder. Red cheered as Geodude fell to the sand unconscious, and his suspicions that Metal Claw had boosted Charmander's attack were proved.

"That was a rather risky but effective strategy," Brock called out as he withdrew Geodude. "I was not sure where you were going, but your idea clearly worked, so congratulations to you!" Red smiled back at him and glanced briefly back at Blue, pleased to see his annoyance.

"However, let's see how you go against this!" Brock yelled with a smirk, and he threw his next PokeBall. Charmander stepped backwards as the energy poured out, and Red looked up as another Onix formed before him. Even though he had seen one less than half an hour before, Red was still impressed by the massive, boulder-like beast with a body that nearly filled the field. This is the real test – Geodude was easy, but he and Charmander were on a similar level. If we can defeat him, then nothing else will get in our way…

"Can you handle this Charmander?" Red called.

"Charman Char Chaaar!" Charmander replied, turning back and showing no signs of fear.

"Excellent! Start this off with SmokeScreen!"

"Get a Harden in straight away!" Brock ordered, and the second fight kicked off dully: Onix remained still and simply gleamed as his Defence rose, while Charmander waved his tail around, black smoke rising from his flame that began to cover him.

"Metal Claw!" Red shouted. This sole move was his greatest asset against the Rock Snake looming above him, and he hoped that Charmander was strong enough for the attack to be effective.

"The SmokeScreen won't help you against Onix! Tackle!" Brock yelled.

"OOOONNNN!" Onix roared. The beast leaned backwards, arcing most of its body and lowering his head, and Red tensed up as the Rock Snake dived down in a sort of sports tackle, rocketing towards the swirling black cloud. Charmander was smart enough to know not to stand in the open, and he turned and jumped behind the closest boulder, with a hint of silver flashing in the dark.

However, the move did not work: Onix ploughed easily through the boulder, blasting it into fragments that scattered everywhere, and Charmander roared as he was sent flying backwards, struck down by the juggernaut of an opponent. A cloud of dust rose up and covered most of the action, but a worried Red took some relief in the muffled groan of Onix, hopefully from a Metal Claw related injury. He watched Charmander land on the very edge of the field, the SmokeScreen not hiding the fact he looked battered.

"Are you alright?" Red shouted, wanting to run forwards but unsure if he was allowed. Charmander looked at him with less of the happiness he had displayed earlier, but nodded as he wearily got the feet, the same time as Onix reared back up like a drawbridge rising for a boat. The Rock Snake was not as easy to attack as Blue had made it look, and Red realised he would need an all out assault to make this work.

"Metal Claw again!" He cried, hoping it would be a direct hit this time.

"Bind!" Brock ordered, and Red was taken aback, having expected some Rock or Ground type move to utilize the type advantage. Onix was ready, and he quickly repositioned himself and swung his tail out, capturing the black smoke that was Charmander before the Fire type could get away.

"Chaaar!" He cried out as Onix lifted him up and began to crush the life out of him. Red saw Metal Claw flash and Onix grunted as the attack struck, but it was not enough for him to let go of Charmander. Bind would also prevent Red from switching Charmander out, so he was simply stick until Onix either let him go or he fainted…

"Come on Charmander, Metal Claw!" The trainer shouted, struggling to think of what else he could do, his hopes shattering before him.

"Harden!" Brock yelled almost triumphantly, and Red knew that Onix could simply just raise his defence until Charmander finally fainted, the Bind doing all the work for him. The Rock Snake's body glowed and Charmander got another direct hit, though the Bind was leading to an uneventful fight as Brock waited for Charmander to faint. Red knew he would have to try a different tactic if he wanted to win: Charmander had one move he had not tried, as it seemed too risky with such a type disadvantage, but if the extra effect came into play, it just might be enough…

"Ember!" He shouted, and the cry echoed in the suddenly silent gym. Brock looked surprised for a second, but then he simply smirked, beginning to chuckle almost cruelly.

"A Fire type move? Really?" He scoffed. "I am sure you know that will never do anything! Harden again, let's wrap this up."

"We'll see," Red replied with a smile as Onix shone once again, raising his Defence for the third time. The young trainer tried to stay hopeful, but this was a very risky move, and he watched intensely as a ball of fire that seemed miniscule in comparison to its opponent rose from the SmokeScreen, flying up and striking Onix just below his head.

"On," Onix mumbled, looking down at the slight scorch mark, wondering what that had been. Red was certain it had failed, but a second later the mark erupted into flames: orange and yellow fire danced across Onix's rocky body, and the Pokemon roared in pain as the burn began to take effect. His body weakened, and Red watched gallantly as Charmander fell to the ground. Brock looked stunned, and Red glanced back to see Blue was just as surprised, but he was too happy at the change in battle to really care about what they thought; there was a chance that Charmander could win this!

"That was excellent! Use SmokeScreen once more!"

"Bind him again!" Brock yelled, his laughter getting replaced with annoyance. The burn died down for the time being and Onix looked down at the cloud of smoke with rage filled eyes. The Rock type lunged with his tail once again, but this time it went right through the smoke and came out the other side.

"Char Char!" Charmander yelled as if taunting him, and the SmokeScreen thickened, his body completely disappearing as his disguise grew to the size of one of the boulders. Onix yelled again as his injury burnt once more, and Red could see weariness coming into his eyes.

"This is nearly it Charmander! Metal Claw, do it down his entire body!"

"ROCK TOMB!" Brock bellowed at the same time as thunder crashed above them. Onix roared just as loudly, and he angrily smashed his tail into the nearest boulder. The massive rock shattered into pieces, and Onix waved his tail around them, firing the segments towards the cloud of smoke. If the move hit, a Bind weakened Charmander would be done for. Red watched the stone shards soar towards his Pokemon, crossing his fingers that they would become lost in the smoke, that Charmander would be able to get away…

The Rock Tomb landed, crashing into the sand and sending dust up to join the smog, and Red had no idea what had happened to Charmander: was he hit, was he conscious, had it missed? He leaned forwards as if it will help, and tensely watched, waiting for a sign…

"CHAAAAAR!" Charmander yelled, and the black cloud of smoke leapt forwards. Onix was so stunned that he remained still, allowing Charmander to leap onto his body and jump up near his head. The Rock Snake roared as Charmander moved down his underside, and Red beamed as he knew that Metal Claw was responsible. Charmander jumped away as he finished, and Red cheered as Onix dramatically slumped forwards, crashing onto one of the few whole boulders left.

"Onix… Onix has fainted, meaning that Charmander has won. As both of my Pokemon have fainted, the battle is over, and I hereby declare Red the winner," Brock announced, sounding a tad annoyed but forcing a smile in order to be a gracious leader. Red beamed and whooped, and he ran forwards to Charmander, the SmokeScreen fading away and revealing a very tired but smiling orange lizard.

"That was AWESOME!" Red yelled, scooping up his weary Pokemon and hugging him as close as his flaming tail would allow. "I can't believe you managed to do that! I am so proud of you right now!"

"Mander Char Man Char!" Charmander exclaimed, hugging his trainer back and beaming in a tired way. There was a flash in the corner of Red's eye and he looked to see Onix had been withdrawn, Brock now approaching him with his assistant in tow. The gym leader definitely looked annoyed but wore a smile as he brought over the prizes. Red tensed up as Brock passed over the main prize: a small, dull grey badge in his right hand. It was his first gym badge, the first step of his journey to the Pokemon League, his first real achievement, and Red was overcome with delight.

"Those were risky moves, but they definitely paid off, so well done on taking those gambles!" Brock said with a forced smile, and he passed the prizes across. Charmander climbed onto Red's shoulder so that the two trainers could shake hands, and Red beamed widely as he got his rewards.

"We did it!" He cried to Charmander, all sense of calm and cool disappearing as he became overcome with victory. Charmander beamed broadly, and even Brock seemed to soften a bit at this display of joy. However, Red could see Blue was advancing towards them, and he fell silent as he saw the look on his companion's face.

"You were so lucky there!" Blue snarled as he approached them all. "If you had gotten a few more Rock moves your way, your entire team would have been crushed!"

"I had a strategy at least, unlike you and your random orders!" Red snapped back, his happiness disintegrating as their animosity arose once more. "You won't win like that against the other gym leaders!"

"My Pokemon will be ready to take on any gym leader and handle anything that comes their way –"

"Will you two shut up?" Brock snapped, and Red and Blue fell silent, turning to face the gym leader as he glared angrily between them. "I will admit that when I was a travelling trainer, I would occasionally argue with my friends, but this is just ridiculous! You should be congratulating each other, not bickering like petty children!"

"We wouldn't be fighting if he hadn't said my team was useless!" Red huffed, glowering at Blue.

"If you had just listened to me in the first place –"

"Enough!" Brock said firmly. His assistant impatiently tapped her watch and dangled his jacket, and Brock sighed and gave her a nod, extending his arms out. "A gym journey is no game you can play on your own! You need support, you need friends to help you train and get you through the bad times and celebrate the good! You both defeated me, you should focus on that!" He said intensely as his assistant helped put his jacket on. Red looked at Charmander and got a nod of approval from his starter, and he began to feel ashamed. He did not look Blue directly in the eye, but as silence fell between them, he could tell that his friend shared the feelings of guilt and shame.

"Now, I need to go now, I really should attend this blasted party," Brock grumbled. "Do you two need a lift anywhere?"

"Actually, our friend got some free tickets to the party, so I think we should probably go to the museum as well," Red said. He had no idea what else to do asides from going back to the Pokemon Center, but they would both get soaked if they made their way there. The assistant did not look too happy with the idea of taking two scruffy trainers with them, but Brock seemed to either not mind or care as he gave a nod. He led the way to the door, and Red and Blue followed in tow. They did not speak, but Red wished now that they had never fought, staring down at the small grey badge in his hands; was this really worth losing a friend?

---

The storm showed no signs of stopping, tearing down trees and ripping up roofs, but the party was only just beginning.

Mark Hansom stood proudly on the west staircase, looking over the event he had spent months organising. About one hundred people were crammed into the museum foyer, all wearing their best tuxedos and dresses, dining on the fine cuisine and lapping up free champagne and cocktails. Classical music echoed throughout the entire building from the quartet in one corner, while the buzz of delightful chatter rose up to the ceiling, nearly drowning out the storm.

I knew this would be brilliant, but I did not think it would go so wonderfully! Mark thought as he nodded and flashed his dazzling smile to a trio of famous singers. This event may be expensive, but there will be enough of a profit from this to last the rest of the year! Even though the roar of thunder and the occasional flash of lightning reminded them of the storm raging outside, things were warm enough inside to take people's minds of it, and hopefully back on their wallets; donation boxes were scattered around in all the key places, and Mark could see plenty of people marvelling at the rarest objects he had put on display for the evening.

Wait until they see the meteorites… Mark turned and rubbed his hands excitedly, feeling like a small child about to show all his toys off. He knew that moving the meteorites was a big risk, largely as there were rumours Deoxys reacted badly to anyone disrupting them, but the aftermath was making it all worthwhile. The four rocks were currently hidden beneath sheets in the middle of the floor, and many people were already beginning to gather around as it neared time for the unveiling. Their interest is peaked; they've brought the tickets, they have the bubbly, now the want to see what all the fuss is about, Mark pondered, eyeing the potential donators, their hands, wrists and ears glittering with golden watches and diamond jewellery. He checked his own watch and saw it was nearly seven and time for the unveiling.

Mark moved through the crowd in order to do the last minute checks before his big speech. One of the singers waved at him as he passed, and Mark smiled and nodded back at her; he would have time for a private chat later, but Mark always focussed on his work first when necessary and his women later. After I say my words though, I will be able to have anyone in this room…

The podium was raised so that everyone would be able to see Mark when he spoke, and as he stood up to check the microphone, Mark saw he could see everyone that had arrived for the event. It was clear from here how many people there were, and most began to move towards him as they saw he was standing, ending their conversations abruptly as they turned their focus towards what they had come for. Mark beamed, pleased to see so many familiar, wealthy faces in the crowd, ready to listen to him and hopefully give them the money they needed.

He saw even the wait staff looked interested, forgetting about their cleaning and drink pouring as they sneakily tried to pay attention as well. Well, most of them, Mark thought; about half a dozen waiters were either looking at each other or glancing up at the above levels rather than at him. Mark found this oddly suspicious, especially as several almost looked nervous, but he could not stop things now simply because of some odd waiters: this was his time, the museum's time to shine, and nothing would ruin this moment…

Red, Blue, Brock and Lucy rushed in just as everyone began to gather around Mark. The rain was so heavy outside that they had nearly gotten soaked in the few seconds between the limo and museum, and when Red glanced back the grey veil was so thick he could barely see beyond the car park; it seemed coming here had definitely been the drier option.

"Look, we're late!" Lucy fumed as she threw her coat at a waiter. "Mark is already giving his speech. We were supposed to come early so you could chat to everyone!"

"I will make it up later, don't worry," Brock replied, rolling his eyes. He passed their tickets across and nodded at Red and Blue, the gesture a simple sign of farewell, and he and Lucy made their way into the crowd, the assistant briefly glaring back at them. Red glanced awkwardly at Blue as he realised they did not have tickets and they were now being intensely stared at by the person at the door.

"Our friend's Leaf and Janine are here with an elderly woman, they were given tickets by Mark Hansom – we were in here earlier," Blue said on the spot, trying to sound fancy, but the man simply raised an eyebrow, looking up and down at their informal clothing.

"Give me a second," he tutted and walked off, probably to contact security, and Red and Blue found themselves alone at last. The two awkwardly glanced at each other before looking away, unsure what to say but both dwelling over Brock's advice. Red glanced at the tables of food and his stomach grumbled, having barely eaten nearly all day. He tried to signal a waiter, hoping they would pass some food over, but the only one that saw him looked almost afraid for a few seconds before quickly heading in the opposite direction.

"That's weird…," Red muttered to himself, taken aback by the way the man's eyes had bulged in surprise.

"I can't actually see Leaf or Janine anywhere," Blue huffed. Red turned to look into the crowd himself, but there was no obvious sign of his friends anywhere in the crowd of suits and dresses.

"Maybe they went back to the Pokemon Centre to get changed?" He suggested, but as he said it he knew that would take up too much time and neither of the girls had fancy clothing to warrant a change anyway. However, it was highly odd that they would turn down free tickets like this and not bother to inform them at all, especially as Leaf had seemed so excited earlier.

"This feels weird… I don't think Leaf and Janine would just leave somewhere like this," Red whispered, and Blue nodded, the first time the two had agreed in days. "Do you think they are still upstairs?"

"They could be… maybe they got a cold or something?" Blue suggested with a shrug. Red glanced upwards, as if by chance Leaf would be leaning over the balcony waiting for them to look up. There was no obvious sign, and Red was tempted to just pay a fee and go up to properly investigate, but the sound of a finger tapping on a microphone echoed around the room, and it appeared the all important speech was about to begin.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the opening of 'Secrets from Space' here at the Pewter City Museum of Science and History!" Mark Hansom announced, and all the guests applauded. "I am very pleased to see so many faces out there here to celebrate this splendid acquisition by the museum – an oxymoron, if you will, as these items are so seemingly common around the world but are also so rare in their own sense." Red pushed Leaf to the back of his mind as it clicked that the Deoxys meteorites were about to be shown. Despite his worries, this would still be a grand sight to see, and Red would not give up on the opportunity to witness this bit of history.

"Before we unveil them, I should inform you all the processes it took to gather these stones here tonight, before the glittering rocks distract your champagne-addled minds," Mark added, and the crowd chortled at the little joke. "This whole idea began about three years ago after our massive fossil exhibition closed, and I began to wonder – how the hell are we going to top this?" The crowd laughed again, though Red did not find either of the jokes particularly amusing and his interest waned. He looked around for any sign of Leaf again, and it was then that he noticed something turquoise moving behind a glass display case. This seemed weird, but it was only when the turquoise moved into light that Red saw it was someone's hair, and he quickly remembered who had turquoise hair…

"Blue, look!" He cried and pointed over the crowd, and Blue gasped in recognition, his arm twinging in memory of the pain he had earned last time. The waiter that had seemed shocked to see Red suddenly dropped a tray of glasses, looking fearfully towards the two trainers in fear. He clumsily lunged for a bag next to a table, and seconds later emerged with a large semi automatic gun out. The other waiters screamed at the sight of it, and Red pulled Blue back behind a pillar as the crowd turned in shock.

"EVERYONE DOWN!" Mark yelled, but instead panic erupted; the guests turned and fled for the exits, most going for the main doors but others looking to the stairs, the side rooms and the display cases for protection. It was pointless though: gunfire began to sound, and as Red saw several people fall, an elderly couple rushed for the doors only to find them locked.

"OPEN THE DOORS!" The woman screamed, but within seconds she found herself getting crushed as people surged for this door. Red and Blue watched as more waiters appeared with weapons, while Team Rocket Grunts ran down the stairs and emerged from behind the cases. The green haired Archer strutted forwards smiling, his Houndoom leading the way as it chomped at the legs of fleeing guests, while the red headed Arianna that they had first encountered pointed at the crates and one of the display cases.

"People, people, please!" Archer called into the microphone. "None of you are going to die yet! Just sit back, relax, enjoy the show and then you will most likely die," he added, and the admin laughed as more screams sounded and people continued to ram the door. Red was less than a metre away from the surging crowd and he pushed Blue forwards to avoid getting caught up, heading past the admission desk and moving to the left side of the building. He could see Grunts smashing a display case open and grabbing an item inside, while others were beginning to pull the covers off the meteorites.

Despite the chaos, Red had to admire the beauty of the four rocks. Underneath the bright lights the black rocks seemed to glitter, light reflecting off in a symphony of colours. Each one glowed in its own unique way, and Red found himself unable to look away, nearly forgetting about all the chaos happening around him.

"What are you going to do with them?" Mark yelled, struggling against the two Grunts holding on to him. Houndoom growled in his direction but Archer chuckled and stroked his Pokemon as a Arianna delicately passed across with seemed to be an old leather book.

"The meteorites are now in our possession, so why does it matter what we do with them?" Archer replied as he straightened up and opened the book, resting it on the lectern. "If you must know, we intend on gaining control of Deoxys, and these meteorites are the easiest ways of doing so."

"Deoxys could be millions of miles away in space, what makes you think you can control it from the middle of Pewter City?" Mark scoffed.

"Magic," Archer replied with a smile as he reached the page of the book he seemed to be looking for. "Yes, just the right amount of magic…." The admin had only been given a rough page number to guide his journey, but the hand drawn picture of Deoxys gave it away. The text was looped and slanted and had slightly faded after two thousand years, but Archer could just make out Charlotte's writing and it matched up with the information he had been given.

"Alright then people! You paid the big bucks, its time to give you a show!" Archer boomed, and he turned to face the meteorites. The crowd had stopped trying to flee, held back by the lack of exits and the threat of being shot, so they turned in submission and waited for the insane green haired man to act. Arianna and the Grunts moved away from the meteorites as Archer held the book up in one hand; tense silence filled the room, not a single person moving now. Red and Blue watched from behind an upturned table as Archer raised the book up; somehow, he planned to take control of the stones by reading to them.

"Four women stand bound above me," he cried, gesturing above. "In the name of Deoxys and for the sake of power, I sacrifice their lives; let the four meteorites before me find these women, let the meteorites drain them of their life, and let their spilling of their blood bind these women and these all mighty meteorites to me!" Suddenly, four Grunts stepped forwards, each one holding a knife dripping with blood. Red's heart sank as he realised what women Archer must be talking about, a sick feeling brewing in his stomach. He watched as the Grunt's smeared a knife against a meteorite each; suddenly, the stones began to glow, not from the lights above but from inside. At first they shone a vivid red but quickly moved between different colours like a rainbow. The Grunts moved away as the meteorites began to shake violently, but Archer remained still. High above, light began to shine from the balconies on the top level, and Red and Blue exchanged horrified looks, seeming to come to the same conclusion…

"Here me Deoxys!" Archer yelled, his voice ringing with power and glee. "I call out to you, across the stars and throughout space, I demand you to hear my message! The four meteorites of your four formes, the meteor from which you were created, stand before me. Hear me Deoxys, as the blood sacrifice of four innocents brings your meteorites under my control! Hear me Deoxys, your power is now my power, you are to do as I so command. Hear me Deoxys, HEAR ME!" Archer roared, and the entire museum gasped as rainbow columns exploded from the four meteorites. They rose up like spotlights towards the ceiling, four towering pillars that made the entire lobby glow, and Red could see Arianna's face shine as she stared in awe and excitement at the light.

"What is this? This is impossible!" Someone screamed, but everyone else was too captivated by the unreal sight before them to notice her. Red looked up and saw the two lights near the balcony were glowing brighter.

Leaf must be up there… maybe she isn't dead yet, He thought wishfully. He turned to Blue and saw his friend looked furious, and Red hoped he would not have to restrain him. While he wanted to go up to the top floor and find Leaf, there was no way they could with so many Grunts around; what could their battle worn Pokemon do against armed men?

"GENGAAAAAR!" People jumped and heads turned as a Pokemon cry sounded from above, and suddenly something burst through the wall above the entrance. Red leapt backwards, expecting rubble to come crashing down, but he quickly realised nothing had been damaged. He watched the Pokemon as it flew around, and guessed from its black-purple skin like his mother's wine that this was a Ghost type, capable of phasing through walls like that.

"GENGAR GEN!" The Pokemon yelled, and it turned to face the crowd; the only notable features on its dark body were a wide, cheeky grin and devilishly narrowed eyes on a face that merged in with the rest of the body. Red recognised Gengar now: he had never seen it up close, but it was a regular sight around Halloween and a recurring character in all manners of horror stories.

"What the hell is that thing doing here?" Archer snapped as the meteorites continued to glow behind him, his face furious. Red tensed up; this could be the distraction they needed to escape. However, before he could form a plan, heavy footsteps sounded, and they all watched as a new figure emerged from the shadows of the east wing. Red gasped, more shocked but this man than the rainbow lights, but he smiled and looked at Archer, and relished in seeing the admins fear as the Pokemon Champion of Kanto advanced towards him.

"I knew there was a reason why I never attend events like this," Casimer said he stepped forwards, taking off a cream coat to reveal a smart navy shirt underneath. His brown hair was wet from the rain, but the middle aged man appeared not to care as he marched across the empty marble floor, every eye in the room on him. "I thought it had something to do with the boring chit chat or the usually sub par meals, but it seems that I avoid them due to scum like you coming in and ruining the entire party."

"What are you doing here? How did you know of our plans?" Archer yelled, his confidence and ringing powerful tones disappearing into a nearly hysterical screech that made Casimer and his Gengar smirk.

"I have my methods, but those are beside the point. I am here for one reason, and that is to stop you killing innocent people and gaining power your group does not deserve! Shadow Ball!" Casimer yelled, and before anyone could react, Gengar summoned a ball of swirling dark energy out of nowhere.

"GEN!" He shouted, and the Shadow Ball was thrown towards the meteorite on the right. Archer and Arianna both screamed, but their worry was premature: the attack disintegrated as it phased through the rainbow beam, leaving the light column and meteorite unchanged. All hope that had risen up in the room was crushed, and Casimer appeared taken aback. Archer turned back towards him, breathing deeply from shock but displaying a nasty, victorious smile.

"Oh dear, what a pity – the great Casimer, brought to his knees by a simple light display," he hissed mockingly. "FIRE AT HIM!" He roared, and at once, Grunts quickly appeared with their weapons ready. Gengar dived down as they pulled the triggers, and Red gasped, certain that he was about to witness one of his idols get shot down. However, as Gengar pushed his trainer aside, a PokeBall suddenly flew into the air, and the screaming crowd was forced to retreat as red energy poured onto the marble.

"OOONNNN!" An Onix roared as it formed, quickly swelling inside the cramped space, and the bullets uselessly rebounded off his rock hard skin. The Rock Snake seemed disorientated and annoyed by this, and it angrily thrashed around, sending tables and chairs flying and forcing the crowd to back away.

"Gengar, Focus Blast!" Casimer shouted, and the Ghost type flew through Onix's body as if it was water, flying down towards a waiting Houndoom.

"HooooUUUUUUU!" Houndoom cried, and he jumped forwards with fire shooting from his mouth. Archer looked furious and he angrily threw the lectern aside and pointed at the crowd.

"KILL THEM ALL!" He roared, and the Grunts, unable to target a protected Casimer, turned around and took aim at the waiters and guests. Red fell to the ground as war erupted in the middle of the museum: gunfire started up, join quickly by ear piercing screams, the shattering of glass and thunks and pings as the bullets went through wooden or rebounded off marble and concrete. Red saw Archer get sent flying by a collision of attacks, and there were bright flashes as more Pokemon were sent out, most notably a group of Geodude that began throwing chairs at the Grunts.

"Do you think we should send ours in?" Red whispered to Blue, trying not to watch as a waitress only a few metres away screamed as she clutched her right leg, crimson blood pouring over her hands.

"Do what you want, I am going to save Leaf," Blue hissed, and Red turned in surprise but found his friend had already gotten to his feet and was sprinting towards the staircase leading to the west wing of the museum.

"GET BACK HERE!" Red shout-whispered, but Blue was already racing up the stairs, thinking only of his cousin that was having her life drained away, not caring about the battle raging around them. Red looked around, wanting to signal for someone to help, but the bullets had shattered the glass of the front doors and people were pouring out, getting away from the deadly battle. Red did not want to run into open fire, but he could not let Blue risk his life on his own. They still had issues to sort out, but Red and Blue were still the oldest of friends, and Red was not letting that friendship end today. Nervously but willingly, he got to his feet, and the trainer ran out into urban warfare.

In the few seconds it took to get to the staircase, Red was terrified. Bullets were flying everywhere as the Grunts hopelessly focussed on trying to kill Onix and get to the greater prize of Casimer, but the Champion was well positioned to avoid attacks and Onix was thrashing about, his tail sending anyone that came close flying. The Geodude were fighting against other Pokemon, though Red could not tell what they were, seeing only flashes of purple and brown and splotches of violet poison. Houndoom lay unconscious in the midst of this all, and Gengar was now duelling against an Arbok that Red presumed was Arianna's.

The museum will be destroyed by this, Red thought, watching as Onix scraped his head against a bit of ceiling, bringing chunks of it down with him. A display case was roaring with flames, the rare items inside burning up, never to be replaced. Red watched it burn with a mix of sadness and horror, and did not notice as he collided into someone. He bounced off them but retained his balance, but the startled other person toppled over and crashed to the ground.

"Oh, I am so sor –" Red began, but froze when he realised who it was: the waiter that had first pulled out a gun, someone that clearly knew who Red and Blue were. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, but the Grunt reached for his fallen weapon, and Red turned and leapt onto the first step.

"It's one of the Dex Holders!" The waiter yelled, and Red looked to see Arianna turning around at the cry, blood dripping down her face, and malice flashed in her eyes.

"AFTER HIM!" She cried, and several Grunts appeared with machine guns in hand. Red yelped and ran up the staircase, trying to put as much of a distance between them and himself as possible. A display case filled with ancient pottery shattered as bullets slammed tore through the glass, and Red knew that this time they would not hesitate at all in murdering him.

"Caterpie, I need you!" Red yelled as he ran up the next flight, seeing the hem of Blue's pants flapping around the corner. Caterpie formed onto Red's shoulder with a smile that quickly vanished as shouts echoed up from the lobby, and she began to look scared. "Use String Shot on the floor and on anyone you see approaching!" Red commanded, and Caterpie quickly obeyed and sprayed the sticky white stuff across the staircase.

Yells sounded from above, and as Red rounded the staircase he had to jump back as Blue's Bulbasaur pushed a Grunt down the stairs with Vine Whip, the man crashing into the stone wall and sliding down unconscious. Red kicked their gun away and saw his plan was working: a horde of Grunts were held up as their feet stuck in the String Shot, but he doubted how long it would hold. Red looked for something else to slow them down and he saw a large painting hanging on the wall, showing Pewter City decades ago.

"Charmander, use Ember!" Red shouted, throwing the PokeBall backwards, before quickly heaving the landscape picture off its hook and carrying it towards the staircase heading up. Red dropped the painting so it covered the bottom steps but so it was not close to the unconscious Grunt, and Charmander fired a ball of flame; the classic piece of work erupted in flames, and Red felt guilty that he was destroying this, but it quickly caught aflame and he knew it would help hold up their enemies.

"Let's go make sure Blue isn't getting killed," Red said wearily to his Pokemon, and he ran up to the top floor expecting the worst. However, Blue was standing in the middle of the floor, looking unharmed except for several bruises. Two Grunts lay unconscious around him, the shattered remains of a stone bust scattered nearby.

"Who said Vine Whip could only bring down an Onix?" Blue called out with a cheeky grin, and Red smirked a little, unable to hide the fact he was impressed. However, his happiness evaporated as he saw something large out of the corner of his eye: it was a giant wooden slab, staying up only by two props at the bottom. Red and Blue exchanged looks and rushed around to the other side, and there was Leaf; eyes shut, head hanging down, arms bound to the top of the slab. Blood dripped down her right arm, and Red sighed with relief that she had not been stabbed anywhere else. However, the source of the golden light seemed to be coming from inside of her; Leaf's skin was shining as if there was a chandelier inside of her,

"How is this even possible?" Blue cried, staring in horror at his dying cousin. "This is like… magic!"

"It could just be some sort of illusion, something to try and trick us," Red suggested, but he had an uneasy feeling that something quite unnatural was going on here. However, that was something to worry about later. "We need to free her hands, or move this slab away. Maybe if we did that then she would be alright?"

"Good idea!" Blue yelled, and he instantly began to fiddle with the chains on his side. Red reached up to work on his, but doubted it would be that simple.

"Charmander Char!" Charmander exclaimed, and Red turned and looked where he was pointing. The central exhibit was shrouded in darkness so they could not see what was inside or what had startled Charmander. Then a moment later, a figure emerged from the shadows, smirking as he walked forwards to meet them. It was clear from the man's black outfit that he was a member of Team Rocket, and his heavy muscles showed that this was not someone to mess with. Blue-green, highly styled hair put him on the same level as Archer and Arianna, but Red felt a bit more threatened by this man than he did by the ones down below, largely from how muscular he seemed to be.

"You little shits aren't taking her anywhere!" He growled, halting just near the burning staircase. Red looked nervously at his friend, unsure what to do, but Blue was not as threatened. He glowered at him, but noticed that he did not have any weapons on him, or any sign of Pokemon.

"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" He shouted, and Bulbasaur instantly fired the green seed from his bulb. The man watch at it as it came towards him, and then he expertly swatted it aside, the vines spilling out across the floor.

"You think your Pokemon are going to be able to stop me?" He snapped, and he quickly moved forwards. Blue was frightened now, and he tried to turn and hide but to no avail: the man grabbed him by the neck and pushed him aside, and Blue crashed heavily to the floor. Red knew he would be next and he decided to act: he couldn't stand by and let himself be taken down, leaving Leaf to her strange, magical fate.

"EMBER, STRING SHOT!" He shouted, and his Pokemon rushed forwards to fight: Caterpie sprayed his String Shot so it hit the man in the face, while Charmander fired a ball of flame. The bottom of the man's pants caught aflame, but he easily wiped the String Shot away and stamped the flames out before turning angrily back to Red.

"Oh, it is going to be a pleasure to kill you!" He snarled and ran forwards. Red moved to his right so the slab stood between him and the Rocket member, but it would not last for long. He could see Leaf's clothes were becoming stained with her blood now, and the glow was getting brighter as her life was somehow drained away. Red had to do something to save her before he was knocked out or killed, and thinking quickly, he pushed his entire weight against the slab. It was heavier than he had expected, his arms and shoulders quickly groaned, and he did not seem to be making any progress.

"The props!" He yelled, and Charmander looked around and saw what his trainer meant. Quickly, the Flame Pokemon fired an Ember at the wood and began to attack with Metal Claw. It seemed to resist all attacks for a time, but Charmander used the last of his energy and slashed it to splinters; the slab wobbled as it became unbalanced, and Red grinned as he sensed a change in power.

"STOP THAT!" The Team Rocket admin bellowed, and he put his own weight against the slab. Red put all his strength against it, but his opponent was too strong, and his feet began to slip backwards as he was pushed towards the edge….

"RATTATA!" A high pitched squeak sounded from nearby, and Red got a brief glimpse of purple before it disappeared behind the slab. Blue watched gleefully as his Rattata collided into the man's leg, offsetting his balance, before furiously beginning to swipe at it. The Rocket Admin grunted but did not back down. However, the other Pokemon saw an opportunity: Caterpie fired more of her String Shot so that it completely covered his face, while Charmander dug a Metal Claw into his leg.

"Rattata, Flame Wheel and Bite!" Red shouted, briefly letting go of the slab to throw his final PokeBall. Seconds later, his Rattata joined the fray, flying into his back with Flame Wheel before sinking his sharp teeth into his shoulder.

"STOP IT, GET OFF ME!" He roared, but Caterpie fired a String Shot directly onto his lips, forcing him quiet. While the others fought, Bulbasaur used Vine Whip to pull furiously at the other prop. As the other one had broken, there was more pressure on this one, and after a few seconds it snapped, causing the slab to shift.

"BLUE, HELP ME!" Red shouted, and his friend rushed forwards, jumped over Bulbasaur and put all his weight onto the piece of wood. Their Pokemon all backed off their target and put their weight onto the slab as well, and the burnt, bitten and blinded Team Rocket strongman could not hold them off any longer: he slid backwards, and with that the slab came crashing down. There was a sickening thud as it crunched the person underneath, but Red, Blue and their Pokemon cheered as the golden light disappeared.

Down below, the lobby was nearly empty: the only people remaining except Team Rocket were Casimer, Brock, Mark, Lucy, some officials and a few injured guests and staff. Everyone else had fled into the storm that was now creeping inside, wind roaring through the smashed windows and adding swirling rubble to the mess. Gengar and Onix were still going strong, but while the Geodude had taken down plenty of Grunts and rival Pokemon, they were easily falling themselves.

Archer and Arianna stood beside a charred wreck of a display case, watching as Onix and Gengar continued to fight off the Pokemon and manpower they sent towards them. Houndoom and Arbok had both been brought back and neither wanted to see their other Pokemon out into this blood bath, but they were both aware that the forces against them were getting ever closer.

"There has to be something else we can do, another spell, perhaps?" Arianna hissed. Their summoning of Deoxys would go uninterrupted as long as the elements remained in place, so it was just a matter of holding their foes off until the spell was completed. Archer looked at the ancient book in his hands, wondering if there would be something he could use to bring this battle to its end. However, before he could open it, the rainbow display began to lessen out of the corner of his eye. Archer turned quickly and watched in horror as the light from the meteorite closest, the one connected to Leaf, began to fade away, going from a dazzling column to a plain old rock in seconds.

"NOOO!" He roared, leaping to his feet, and the battle paused as everyone turned to see what had happened. Gengar looked at the now unmoving meteorites and glanced to his left: he had noticed the slabs before and could see the one on that side had fallen.

"Gengar Gen Gen!" The Ghost called teasingly, and he soared to his right: another slab stood there, another girl bound, and Gengar had a theory. The Grunts guarding raised their guns, but the … Pokemon slammed into the slab before they could act. A second meteorite stopped glowing, and now only two of the rainbow columns remained. However, they began to flicker violently like a weakening signal, and Team Rocket's guns went quiet as their plan fell apart.

"This can't happen, not after all the time we spent planning… this can't happen!" Archer yelled, and he flicked through the spell book, desperate to find anyway of restarting their operation. The page with Deoxys on it seemed to be hiding though, and Archer screamed and was tempted to just rip the useless book apart until he did.

"Give it up!" Casimer yelled from behind Onix. "You have failed, there is no point in dragging this out any longer! Just hand yourselves in, Deoxys is not coming! End this madness now, Archer, before it is too –"

Then at that moment, the roof exploded.

Red, Blue and their Pokemon jumped as half the ceiling suddenly fell through and the entire museum shuddered. The storm was fully exposed now; the sound of thunder roared through the museum, and the temperature quickly. The rainbow lights faded completely as the rubble fell onto the meteorites, and Archer roared as Arianna pulled him away, watching as another plan was destroyed.

"What the hell caused that?" Blue asked incredulously.

"That can't have been the storm, lightning couldn't do that," Red said as he ran to the edge of the balcony, staring up to see what was happening. Lightning flashed through the hole, a flash of blue across the grey sky, and he was stunned to see something illuminated by the light: it looked human, but there was no logical way someone could float in the sky like that.

However, Archer and Arianna saw the silhouette as well, and they exchanged smiles. "It's him!" Archer hissed. "DEOXYS IS HERE!" He boomed to them all. Red and Blue looked at each other in dismay, unable to comprehend the idea that Team Rocket could have won, while the Grunts below cheered at the victory.

What makes you think I am here for you? A voice said that sounded throughout the entire museum, and silence fell once more. Archer's face fell as he looked up at the hole as lightning flashed again, and the dark silhouette appeared closer to the roof. I am here because the remains of my birth capsule are being threatened, and I will not be abused by weaklings such as yourselves. Red gasped, and he could see Blue had come to the same conclusion: this was Deoxys speaking, projecting its voice into them all.

"But… but the spell, it was meant to work…" Archer whispered, and he looked at Arianna for help, but she was just as startled as he was.

I do not know of such a spell. I am here to take back what is rightfully mine, and to punish those involved in this crime. Something began to glow in the sky, standing out against the dark, raining backdrop. Farewell, those that made the mistake of wronging Deoxys, the mysterious Pokemon boomed, and suddenly the light was coming towards them. Red and Blue stepped away as a giant glowing ball, shining a mixture of gold and pink with electricity crackling inside, soared through the hole. Grunts and guests alike sprinted for the exits, but the rest watched in amazement and horror as the attack fell towards them.

Arianna grabbed Archer's arm and trying pulling him towards the nearest exit, but he was staring stunned at the sight before him. Everyone watched as the ball struck the meteorites and exploded; a wave of energy was released, smashing into the walls and making the whole museum shake. Onix roared as he was sent flying backwards, knocking the ones he was protecting over before crashing into the front wall. The attack was powerful, but it did not seem to be causing the effects Deoxys had vowed, as everyone was sent flying but no one had died.

"Look at the meteorites!" Mark yelled, The four rocks suddenly began to glow once more, but this time sparks began to fly off them. The meteorites began to rise, getting brighter and brighter, slowly starting to spin up towards Deoxys. Red pulled his Pokemon close in fear as the meteorites shuddered violently the further up they got, beginning to become masked by the rainbow glow. They had no idea what was happening, but were too captivated by the sight to do anything.

"Red… Blue…," a voice croaked, and both trainers and their Pokemon turned.

"Leaf!" Red and Blue exclaimed simultaneously, relief washing over them: their friend was alive, a weary smile crossing her face. She pulled weakly at her chains and Red moved forwards to let them free. However, he paused when he saw Leaf's eyes widened in shock, and he turned back to find the entire museum was glowing, as if a rainbow had just sprouted from the lobby. The building was shaking, sending dust and plaster down from the damaged ceiling, but it faded away into the sudden glow. Whatever was going on was completely impossible and unnatural, but Red could not focus on that now, not when the building seemed like it was going to collapse.

"We need to get out of –" he began, but suddenly his vision was filled with harsh white light. A rushing noise like a steam engine racing past began to sound from all around, deafening over the cries of worried Pokemon. Red tried to see where they were, where anything was, but it felt as though something was crushing his body, two weights weighing down upon him. He opened his mouth to yell, but Red could not even hear himself.

Suddenly, something smashed into his body, and Red continued to cry out as he was sent soaring backwards. His head smashed into something, and everything faded away into darkness.

The Pewter Trilogy concludes next time!