Part 21

Route 20

"You can land down there Salamence." The man said as he pointed down to the beaches below.

"Wait, I thought we were going to Fuchsia City." Ash pipped up.

"Well I was originally planning to leave you there, but now that you're coming with us, I'm going to take you straight to my boss." He replied as Salamence landed softly on the dry sand with a grunt of annoyance as the sand quickly got caught in between its claws.

"Where's your boss then?"

"Indigo Plateau." The woman said, causing both Ash and Anabel to look at each other in confusion.

"But how we going to get there. It'll take at least to days to get there by flying." Ash pointed out.

"We won't be flying." The man said before motioning to his Gallade as it climbed off the back of Salamence. "We'll be using Teleport to jump there."

There had been some recent research on using the move Teleport to cover long distances. Numerous scientists had labeled this method as too dangerous for us because of the mechanics within the move. In order for a psychic type to Teleport, it has to break down its molecular composition and then transmit itself to the area of its choosing where it rebuilds itself. Most psychic types have a proper understanding of their own bodies to do this safely, but since they lack an understanding of the human body, there have been cases where a psychic Pokemon has been unable to rebuild a human that was teleported with it.

"Does that bother you?" The man asked as he recalled his Salamence rather nonchalantly. Ash remained poised, but as he glanced at Anabel, he could see that she was thinking about what could happen.

"Are you okay with it Anabel?" Ash asked her, patiently waiting for her response.

"I'm not leaving without them."

"I have to get my Pokemon back."

"For my Pokemon, I would give my life."

Anabel glanced at Ash, wondering where all of this courage and determination came from. But as she remembered how gingerly he had been holding Pikachu as they ran through the Palace earlier, she realized that all of his strength came from his Pokemon. He was so strong because of them. And she wanted that strength too.

Anabel gulped hard before giving them a nod.

"I'm fine with it." She proclaimed. "I want to save my Pokemon too."

The man raised an eyebrow before giving his Gallade a nod.

"I just have a few questions before we go." Ash said before the man could give his Gallade the order to proceed.

"Go right ahead."

"Who are you guys? We don't even have so much as a name for either of you." Ash began, causing the couple to look at each other before giving each other a small smile.

"Boy, its been a while since I've told anyone my real name." The woman said as she looked up, trying to recall the last time she had shared this bit of information.

"I don't think I've ever told anyone my real name." The man added. "And I plan on keeping it that way. But if you really need to call me something, I'm Joker."

"Joker." Ash stated as he gave him a funny look.

"Well you can call me Julia." The woman jumped in.

"Julia and the Joker." Anabel said as studied the two of them.

"No, just Joker." He replied in a deadpan.

"Is there anything else you would like to know?" Julia asked.

"Yeah. Who do you guys work for? You were well prepared for all of this, almost like you knew it was going to happen." Ash continued.

"We have some inside sources. In our profession, you have to be well prepared for any and everything." Joker replied. "When we get to Indigo Plateau, we'll show you everything you want to know."

"Wait a second, why didn't you just Teleport from the Palace to Indigo Plateau?" Anabel asked.

"Number one, the Palace is in motion and using Teleport from an object in motion makes it virtually impossible for Gallade to bring us along with it. Number two, I wanted to find a place to put a tracking beacon where the Arbok wouldn't be able to do anything to it." Joker explained. "Now we don't have anymore time to waste. Gallade, Teleport!"

Gallade quickly grabbed the hands of Julia and Joker who took a hold of Ash and Anabel's hands as well. Together the group of five disappeared in a flash of light that brightened the area around them for just a moment.

Indigo Plateau

Ash and Anabel found themselves seated in a small room, unnerved by the numerous cameras that were watching them coupled with the empty stare the receptionist was giving them. They knew they were being watched, but they didn't know by who.

Gallade's Teleport had taken them directly to this room where they were immediately told to take a seat while Julia and Joker left them, taking Pikachu with them. They had a lot of the questions, but the receptionist refused to answer anything. The only thing they knew is that they were on Indigo Plateau.

Ash couldn't help but think that he might have gotten them in way over their heads. With a name like Joker, Ash should've put more forethought into joining the couple they had met. They might have been part of some crime syndicate, and now Ash might have just gotten himself and Anabel involved with them.

Just this morning he was in Fuchsia City trying on suits to figure out what to wear for the ceremony. About two hours ago he was seated comfortably in the hall where the induction was taking place, eagerly awaiting to see who would be next to join the Hall of Fame. And now, he had no idea what was going on!

The silence of the room was finally broken by the phone which the receptionist quickly answered. She nodded her head a few times before ending the call. She then looked up at Ash and motioned for him to come over to her desk.

"You escort has arrived." Was all she said before placing her hand on a small panel on her desk which turned green. The only entrance and exit to the room opened up. "You can go."

"Wait, what about Anabel?" Ash asked as he looked back at his travelling partner.

"I didn't receive any orders to release her. Just you." The receptionist stated as Julia stepped into the room, dressed in more casual clothing.

"Julia, what's going on?" Ash asked as he turned to the woman he recognized.

"It's standard procedure Ash." She explained as she took a hold of his arm and gave him a tug to follow her out the room.

"But I can't just leave Anabel." Ash exclaimed as planted his feet, refusing to move any further.

"Ash, she'll be fine. I can promise you that." She said to him. Ash glanced at Anabel, giving her a small nod as if to promise her that if anything went wrong, he would surely return.

"Alright." Ash said with a sigh as he followed Julia out the room. The door slid shut behind him, causing Ash to jump as he looked back. "So why can't Anabel come with us."

"She didn't pass our background check." Julia replied.

"A background check? Why would you need something like that?" Ash asked as Julia began lead him down the corridor.

"We like to make sure that there's no one suspicious within our ranks. So anyone who enters the base has to get checked out. You passed, but we're still going through Anabel's background." Julia explained as Ash raised an eyebrow, looking around at his surroundings.

"So we're on Indigo Plateau, right?" Ash asked, receiving a nod from Julia. "Just checking. Does that mean you guys are some part of the Pokemon League."

"In a way. Or at least we were created by the League." Julia began. "I was given clearance to tell you everything, so listen closely. Decades ago the League was a lot smaller than it is now, and it was difficult for them to keep organized crime under control. So crime syndicates such as Team Rocket used to run wild. So the Kanto League created this division as a means to watch over these crime organizations. From there this division was expanded to Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh."

"Wow, I had no idea all of this was going on in the League."

"You'd be surprised. Only a few people within the League know of our existence, along with people who come into contact with us like you." Julia continued. "We're known as the Cards."

"The Cards. Like a deck of playing cards?" Ash asked, receiving a nod from Julia. "And that explains why the other guy calls himself Joker."

"Well, sort of. That's also his rank in the Cards." Julia clarified. "We also use the face cards of a deck as the ranking system among us. For example, I'm the Queen of Diamonds. There's also the Jacks, Kings and Aces, and work in teams of four in each of the regions we have access to. We have eyes and ears everywhere to keep track of everything that is going on. And then there's two Jokers that work alongside the Dealer. The Joker you met was the Red Joker."

"Whoa." Was all Ash could say. This was a lot to take in at once. He would've never thought that an organization like the Cards even existed. They were like a group of crime fighters.

Deeper within the base, two men were discussing the current situation surrounding the disaster that was the Hall of Fame induction.

"He has all of them contained within the same room the induction was taking place. Unfortunately, that was all I could determine. He has a lot of Arbok patrolling each floor of the Palace, so I don't know where all of the stolen Pokemon are located." Joker explained to the man was seated on the opposite side of the table.

"Well then I'll leave that part of the mission to you."

"I understand."

"And what about the two trainers you brought with you."

"One of them hasn't been able to pass our background check, so I'll have to look into that. The other is Ash Ketchum."

"Hmm, I think I've heard that name before."

"You might have." Joker said with a small smirk before the door to the room opened up, revealing Julia and Ash.

"Here he is." Julia said as she motioned to Ash who tentatively looked at the two people in the room. He recognized Joker who was seated on one side of the table, but the other man was new. He was an elderly man that was even smaller than Joker, but his eyes were sharp as though he was still an ambitious teen.

"Hey there." Ash said softly as he looked at the two men that were sizing him up.

"So this is him." The older man said as he stroked his chin. "Hmm."

"Who this?" Ash whispered to Julia, causing Joker to chuckle.

"Ash, this is the Dealer. He's the leader of the Cards." Julia explained causing Ash's eyes to widen as he studied the man.

"This guy?" Ash said as he wrinkled his forehead. For such an important part of the League, Ash wasn't expecting a little old man to be leading an elite organization of crime fighting trainers.

"Don't let appearances deceive you Ash." Joker stated. "This man is an incredibly strong trainer."

"What?" Ash exclaimed as he looked down at the man who gave him a small smile.

"Don't flatter me. Every member of the Cards is powerful." The Dealer replied. "But we can discuss this later. Right now, we have more pressing matters to handle. Julia, go send out a call to gather the Diamonds and Hearts together."

"You got it." She said before leaving them to continue their discussion.

"In the mean time, I'd like to know what else you've learned about Lawrence." The Dealer said as he focused on the Joker once again. "But first, Ash, shut the door."

Ash quickly followed the order, closing off the room from the outside room before their conversation could continue.

"So as I was saying earlier, the safety of the captured trainers hinges on you taking control of the throne room. If we don't gain control of it, we'll have to break everyone loose, and it'll be a lot more difficult to get them all out safely." Joker explained.

"I see. Then I'll have the Aces join me on my mission." The Dealer declared.

"Agreed. And I'll bring Ash with me to find the Pokemon." Joker added causing Ash to perk up at the mention of his name.

"And what about Anabel?" Ash asked, causing Joker to sigh as he looked down.

"I'm sorry Ash, but she hasn't gotten past our background check." Joker began.

"Well what does that mean?" Ash asked.

"It means we can't find anything about her. We don't know who she, where she's from or what she's been doing. She could be a spy for all we know." Joker explained, causing Ash to give him an incredulous stare.

"Are you kidding me?" Ash exclaimed. "There's no way she's a spy."

"And how do you know Ash?" Joker asked him before Ash could continue speaking. This caused him to pause as he began to think.

Anabel couldn't be a spy. He had picked her up from the Battle Frontier as a trainer with no experience whatsoever. He had seen her work hard day in and day out since her journey began. She was sincere, honest and a hard worker. With all the time he had spent with her, he had never detected an ounce of deceit from within her. There was no way she could be a spy.

"She's not a spy." Ash declared as he gave the Joker a hard stare, causing the Dealer to sigh.

"Can I take your word for it?" He asked asked Ash, causing Ash to set his gaze on the older gentleman.

"She's not a spy. That a guarantee." Ash repeated for him. The Dealer tilted his head as he stared directly into Ash's eyes.

"Alright, release the girl and bring her to the briefing room. It won't be long before the rest of the Cards arrive." The Dealer said as motioned for the Joker to complete the task. Joker gave him a nod before rising from his seat, leaving the room to retrieve Anabel from her containment unit.

"Wait, what?" Ash exclaimed.

"Is something wrong?" The Dealer asked Ash as he rose from his seat, inviting Ash to follow him out into the corridor.

"You barely know me. How do you know my word is trustworthy?"

"If you haven't noticed Ash, I'm very old. And with the work I do, I've seen and spoken to all sorts of people. I can tell when someone's telling the truth." He replied calmly as he led Ash to their next destination.

It took them a while to reach the briefing room moving at the slow speed that the Dealer preferred, and during that time Ash enjoyed a light hearted conversation with the man. Even though he was the leader of a secret of organization, Ash couldn't help but notice how open and approachable the Dealer was to the staff that they passed by on their way to the briefing room.

He revealed that he was good friends with Spenser in the Battle Frontier. In fact, the Dealer was well acquainted with many famous trainers. But then again, Joker had revealed that he was one of the strongest trainers in the world and with a reputation like that he would surely know other powerful trainers.

Upon arriving at the briefing room, Ash found that there were four other people already present. Ash could see that all of them held one thing in common, and that was emblem that was carefully placed on the left shoulder of whatever they were wearing.

This emblem contained all four of the small symbols for each of the types of playing cards, leaving Ash to assume that this was logo of the organization.

One of the trainers then began to wave at Ash to get his attention.

"Hey, don't stand there!" He shouted.

"What, why not?" Ash asked in return, but before he could receive an answer he was knocked to the floor, landing on his bottom with a groan. Ash could only place a hand on his head as he looked up at the young man and the Kadabra that had suddenly appeared in front of him without any warning.

"Oh, sorry about that." The young man said as he extended a hand toward Ash to help him return to his feet. "Although you really shouldn't be standing here."

"Why not?" Ash repeated as he was taken across the room.

"We use Teleport to move around the base. The area you were just standing in is usually the spot we teleport to, so normally there's no one there." He explained. "I take it you're new here?"

"Um, I think." Ash replied with a bit of frown. He knew what he was here for, but right now he had no idea what was going on.

"You think? Well then I can only assume you have something to do with the emergency call everyone got." He replied as the Dealer called everyone together. Looking around at the small group of people, Ash could count four guys and two girls along with the Dealer and himself. As he observed them, Ash noticed that he couldn't feel any sort of presence from them.

The Dealer had said earlier that everyone is a strong trainer, but none of them gave off the vibe of a fearsome trainer.

"I'm glad to see that most of you made it on such short notice." The Dealer began. "I want to commend all of you for arriving so quickly, which means that this mission can begin as soon as possible. I'm not sure if all of you are aware of it, but the Hall of Fame induction was tonight, and it took a disastrous turn for the worst as Lawrence III has revealed his true colors. He has taken all of the trainers there as hostages, and he's ransoming them off to their respective franchises. What he wants to do with the money, we don't know. But he must be stopped immediately."

The door to the briefing room slid open, revealing Joker and Anabel who stepped in quietly. Ash was the only to look back at the two of them while the rest of the Cards focused intently on what the Dealer was sharing.

"I see that the Jacks, Queens and Kings have gathered already, so I'll share you portion of the mission right now. Within the hall where the induction is taking place, all of the trainers are being held captive. There are numerous Arbok guarding every entrance and exit so it is impossible for them to leave because their Pokemon have been taken from them." The Dealer went on. "You mission is to first position yourselves in order to remove the Arbok as swiftly as possible, and then lead those trainers to safety. We will be leaving in exactly forty five minutes."

They all gave him a nod in unison before clearing out of the room to gather what they need for the mission. Ash took in several deep breaths to slow down his heart. It felt as though he was getting ready to enter a war zone, but as he took a moment to think about it, he was going into a highly volatile situation. There would be highly aggressive Pokemon, defenseless hostages and a scheming crook.

What a night this has become...

"It was pleasure meeting you Ash." The Dealer said as he shook hands with Ash before turning to the Joker. "I'm be leaving them in your care now Joker. Make sure they leave this mission safely."

"Don't worry, I will." He replied. "If you don't mind Ash and Anabel, can I speak with the Dealer privately for a moment?"

Ash and Anabel gave Joker a nod before heading out into the corridor, giving them the opportunity to speak.

"Is something wrong?" The Dealer asked.

"That girl-I mean Anabel. She's the one."

"Hmm?"

"She's the child that Lawrence has been searching for all these years."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Her origin remains a mystery even to our best sources which can only mean that someone has been trying to keep her hidden for a while. And while she was in the Palace, she demonstrated a strange power on one of the Arbok." Joker explained.

"I had a feeling she was the one. Spenser mentioned a girl who had an absurdly deep connection to Pokemon that was in the Battle Frontier. It appears as though Anabel is that girl." The Dealer noted as he looked down in thought. "If we fail to capture Lawrence tonight, things are going to get a lot more hectic in Kanto."

"We won't let this opportunity pass. We will stop Lawrence before his plot can unfold." Joker stated, receiving a nod from the Dealer.

"Excellent. But for now, let's prepare for the task at hand." He said as motioned for Joker to go to Ash and Anabel.

Joker turned away from the Dealer, heading toward the exit of the room with a crooked smile on his face.

Ash could only shake his head as he thought about how this was night was changing drastically. He and Anabel had been stripped of the formal clothing they had worn to the induction, and given an all black uniform to wear for the mission. The final pair of Cards the Dealer had been waiting for, the Ace of Hearts and the Ace of Diamonds, had finally arrived, allowing the Dealer to officially declare when they would mobilize.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Ash could see that the time for this mission to start was approaching. Pikachu had already been treated and returned to him in perfect shape. Ash had also retrieved his Tauros, Haunter, Mr Mime, Pidgeot and Muck in preparation for the battles ahead. Joker had told him that they would be meeting resistance in the Palace, so he instructed Ash to bring all his available Pokemon.

Turning to Anabel who was seated beside him, Ash could see her hands trembling as she looked around the room.

"Are you okay Anabel?" He asked.

"I'm just worried..." She said before sighing. "I've never been this far away from Espeon, so I can't help but wonder how she's doing right now."

"I know how you feel." Ash said softly. This was the first time he had ever been separated from his Pokemon in the full sense of the word. There were times where he had to place them in the box system, but he could always go and retrieve them. Tonight was the first time since their capture that Ash had no way of knowing if his Pokemon were alright. 'Don't worry guys, I'm on my way.'

Route 18

Palace

Lawrence sat quietly on his throne, sipping the water in the glass he held. He could see everything from the top of his Palace. Although right now he paid no mind to the beautiful moonlit waters outside his Palace, preferring to keep an eye on the guards that were working on the Palace's flight control system. Despite his promise to return the trainers that were bought back by their respective franchises, Lawrence had others plans for everyone on board.

Despite Lance's announcement that the highest powers in Kanto would be working to save the trainers that had attended the induction, many franchises had already contacted Lawrence and paid him a hefty sum of cash for the safe return of their trainers. There was still time for him to continue building on the fortune he had amassed, but right now his focus was placed firmly on preparing for the guests that would be arriving at his Palace shortly.

"Lawrence, everything is ready down here." One of the guards called out to him. Lawrence smirked as he set down his glass, pleased with how well everything was progressing. In one night, he had made a fortune. All he had to do now, was wipe out the enemy which would be entering his Palace soon enough. "I believe it's time we made our next move."

Ash, Anabel and the ten man Card unit stood together at the edge of the cliff of Route 18, looking out at the vast seas that stretched out to the west and south. Hovering high above the water was Lawrence's Palace, the building that held over a hundred trainers captive. Once the Diamonds and Hearts had fully assembled and were ready to leave, they all teleported to Route 18, the current location of the Palace.

"You all know your assignments!" Joker declared to the group as they climbed onto their flying Pokemon. "Make sure your communicators are on, and remember, if we work swiftly and cohesively, we should be out of there by sunrise!"

With that each of the Cards gave the order to their Pokemon to take off. They all rushed into the air a group, rushing toward the Palace, but as they neared the Palace they all split up to begin their respective missions. Ash, Anabel and Joker were the last to take off on his Salamence in search of the entrance that they had selected to use. As they neared the Palace, Ash couldn't help but notice that Anabel still appeared to be distraught.

"Don't worry Anabel, we'll get your Pokemon back." Ash said to her as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Anabel gave him a nod and a weak smile as appreciation for Ash's concern. But she was currently wondering what exactly had gone through Lawrence's mind. She had known him from a young age, and he had never seemed like a man with a bad intentions. So much had changed since she had left the Palace years ago.

"Get ready you two." Joker said as he spotted the stained glass window they would be entering through. Pointing it out for Salamence, the dragon Pokemon surged forward, smashing through the glass fearlessly while raising its wings to protect the trainers on its back. Salamence went skidding down the corridor as it landed, coming to a stop with a grunt before it quickly scanned the hall for any enemies.

"Cha!" They could hear several Arbok approaching their current location to see what had broken the window they had entered through. Ash didn't waste a moment calling out Pikachu from its Pokeball who stretched a bit to loosen itself up now that it was free to move again.

"Pika-chu." It said as it waved to Ash.

"It's good to see you're better buddy, but we've got a battle on our hands." Ash said as he pointed down the corridor were they could see a group of Arbok rounding the corner. "Pikachu, keep them back with Thunderbolt!"

"Salamence, help out with Flamethower!" Joker added. Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack forced the Arbok back to the end of the hall while Salamence set the hallway on fire to cut off the Arbok from getting any closer. "Come on, we'll go this way!"

Joker quickly called back his Salamence before leading Ash and Anabel in the opposite direction of the Arbok, heading toward the window they had come crashing through.

"So Joker, do you know where the Pokemon are?" Ash asked.

"Not exactly. But based on how there were more Arbok on the lower levels when were here last time, I can assume their protecting something, and that must be the stolen Pokemon." Joker explained.

"But why would he protect the Pokemon? It's not like he really needs them." Anabel noted.

"I guess in the situation that the guests escaped, he wants to ensure that they have no chance of them re-obtaining their Pokemon." Joker replied as he spotted the entrance to a staircase which they would use to begin their journey deep into Lawrence's massive Palace.

Drifting down from one level to the next, the team of three soon discovered how heavy the opposition would be as dozens of Arbok patrolled the corridors they were trying to move through. The progress they made was slow and unfruitful from time to time as they tried to avoid attracting attention to themselves. Anabel felt a chill go up her spine as entered the next basement level. Glancing around, she could see that there were no Arbok in sight, but it felt as though they were being watched right now.

"The Arbok are on edge, they know we're here." Anabel whispered to Ash and Joker. "I can feel it."

"Then we're probably close to whatever they are guarding. Let's keep going." Joker stated, receiving a nod from Ash.

But as Anabel had said, the Arbok here were sharper on this floor, checking everything in each corridor as they moved around. And soon enough, the team of three found themselves pinned down with Arbok coming at them from both sides with no way out but to fight.

"Gallade, Psycho Cut!" Joker ordered as he called out his Pokemon.

"Mr Mime, come on out and use Psychic!" Ash said as he released the psychic Pokemon that was a member of his reserve party.

After extending both its elbows, Gallade's arms gained a pink hue as it rushed down toward one group of Arbok, engaging all of them in battle. Expertly dodging their attacks, Gallade would strike them down ruthlessly as it tore through the group. Mr Mime looked down at the other group of Arbok that were approaching them as it prepared its attack.

"Mime!" It shouted as it thrusted both its hands forward, firing a shock wave that seemed to warp the corridor as it traveled toward its target. As each Arbok passed through the warped area, they gave a shriek of pain before collapsing to the floor.

"Nice job Mr Mime!" Ash said as he approached his Pokemon, but he could see that its gaze was firmly placed on something further down the hall.

"Pika." Pikachu said softly as Ash looked up, spotting a figure standing at the end of the corridor. Clearly a man, with spiky hair that Ash immediately recognized.

"I knew the Arbok had gotten tense for a reason. It's good to see you came back Ashy-boy." He said as pointed toward Ash, wearing the same arrogant smirk that hadn't been seen since their days in high school. Anabel could see Ash's aura darken as he stared at Gary Oak, clearly irritated by just his presence alone.

"I was hoping you would be here Gary." Ash began as Pikachu jumped off his shoulder to the floor, its cheeks beginning to crackle as it prepared for the battle that was soon to follow. But Gary was looking back Ash and his Pokemon, focusing on Joker who stood behind Ash. He could see the emblem on Joker's jacket, the emblem of the Cards. Lawrence had given Gary a warning if he were to run into anyone that wore this emblem.

Joker raised his eyebrows as he met Gary's gaze, recalling that Gary had escaped from prison not to long ago. This was an excellent chance to put him back behind bars.

"Ash, leave Gary to me." Joker said as he stepped forward while calling for his Gallade.

"No." Ash stated as he raised an arm to prevent Joker from going any farther. "Leave him to me."

"Ash, he's been in jail for successfully stealing Legendary Pokemon from the Johto League. He's a convict who's extremely dangerous." Joker pointed out, but this didn't deter Ash.

"I know." He replied as he continued to observe Gary. Their last meeting had ended with Ash leaving the scene, but this time he had no intention of leaving. There was information Ash wanted that he was sure Gary knew. Not to mention Gary had harmed both Brock and Misty, something Ash planned to pay back to him tenfold. "I can handle him."

Joker sized up the two of them, recalling pieces of the information he had read in the report about Gary's capture on Tsugi Academy. Apparently Ash had played a major role in his capture, and perhaps he could trust Ash to do it again.

"Alright, I leave him to you." Joker said as he stepped back. "Just remember to use your communicator if you need help."

"Anabel, make sure everyone's Pokemon get out of here safely." Ash said as he looked back her. Anabel gave him a nod before Joker led her off with his Gallade.

"Well well, I never thought we'd have a chance to battle each other again Ash." Gary said as he plucked a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it into the air to call out his first Pokemon. His Umbreon. "Let's settle this, once and for all!"

"Pikachu, Thunderwave." Ash said in reply, ignoring the small talk Gary was trying to make. There was only one thing on his mind, and that was defeat Gary right here, right now.

The Dealer quietly looked around at the grand hallway that led to the throne room of Lawrence's Palace. It really was a marvelous structure that was well taken care of. It was such a shame that it was turning into a massive battleground.

"I'm sure that Lawrence is waiting for us. Let's not keep him waiting." The Dealer said as he invited the two Aces to join him in the walk down the hall. There was a large red carpet traveling up the center of the hallway with numerous marble columns lined up on both sides.

Arriving at the two towering doors that acted as the entrance to the throne room, one of the Aces stepped forward with a Pokeball in hand, prepared to blow the door open. But before he could get to work, the Dealer raised a hand to stop him.

"That won't be necessary." The Dealer said as he placed a hand on one of the doors, giving it a slight push which opened it up. He then looked back at he two Aces and motioned to his wrist communicator. "I'll call you in if I need assistance, make sure nothing interferes."

"Yes sir." They said together, watching as he disappeared into the throne room.

Taking one glance around the room, the Dealer could see that Lawrence spared no expense in making sure that his favorite room of the Palace was well furbished. But two things stood out against the extravagant decorations of the room, and that was Lawrence's throne which was resting at the top of pedestal at the center of the room, and the control panel of the Palace. Despite all of this, the there was still something missing.

Lawrence...

The Dealer had thought about the possibilities of this being a trap, but Lawrence as trying to ransom off these trainers for money. There was no need to abandon the situation because as long as he had the trainers, he would have the authorities at his mercy. But what if he didn't need the trainers...?

Approaching the control panel, the Dealer could see the course that had been set for for the Palace to follow. It was headed straight for the center of Vermilion City where it would stop with no further instructions. But why would Lawrence leave it there? Examining the course that had been input into the panel, the Dealer could see that the Palace would be descending into Vermilion City until it finally hit the ground. It was on a crash course!

Lawrence had left with the intention of wiping out everyone within the Palace, but now the top priority was not only saving the trainers on board, but stopping the Palace from crashing into Vermilion City. There were even more lives at stake than they had first thought. Entering the navigation system, the Dealer tried to adjust the course of the Palace, but to no avail. It had been thoroughly locked, and none of the overrides were working.

The Dealer drew in a deep breath as he looked up in thought. If they couldn't change the course of the Palace, the only other option was to force the Palace out of the sky before it could get to its target. They would have to damage the engine enough to disable it. Returning to the window that showed the course the Palace was taking, the Dealer could see that there was roughly an hour left before they would arrive at Vermilion City.

"Kings, Queens and Jacks, are you in position?" The Dealer asked into his wrist communicator.

"Yeah, we're ready to go down here." A woman replied.

"Good, because your mission is starting now. Free the guests and get them out of here."

"Yes sir."

The Dealer sighed once again as he lowered his arm. Lawrence had already left, and he was quickly becoming a threat that the Cards would have to focus on once this mission was over. Glancing out of the windows of the throne room, the Dealer could see that the skies above were beginning to light up. The sun was finally rising, and hopefully by the time it was actually out, they would all be off of this death trap.

A/N

I guess I ought to start by apologizing for how long this chapter took. But there's a reason. I already finished writing this entire event, but it turned out to be so long that I was wondering whether or not I should split it into two chapters. In the end, that's what I did so the second part to this will be up in a few days.

Moving on, I can see some of you area already asking if Blake is back under the title Joker, but I will just point you back to the point in this chapter where Julia pointed out that there are two Jokers in the Cards, just like how there are two Jokers in a deck of Cards. Is Blake back, or are you seeing the other Joker right now? I don't know...heh heh.

As I said earlier, keep an eye out for the next part because it will definitely be up sooner rather than later. And I know its a little late, but I hope all of you enjoy your summer!