6

[2:23 PM. Indigo Plateau. Hall of the Champion. The same day.]

Rena shouted first. "Cain! What are you doing?"

Cain pressed the knife to Moira's throat. "Settle down little sis, I'm just mixing things up, running with a new crew, you know?"

Porter took a step forward in blatant challenge to Cain. "By order of the Pokemon League I demand you release that girl."

The brute laughed once more. He did not move from his spot. "Now, hold on right there Mister Portly, you don't know my half of the story. This bitch comes and bothers me, screaming bloody murder and comes at me. I defend myself. What's a man got to do to get a fair trial?"

Sabrina glided down from her chair, her once dark hair now a mane of quicksilver against the pristine white Hall of the Champion. "You will release the girl."

"I don't think you all quite get the severity of what's going down out there." Sabrina hesitated.

"This one knows more than he cares to let on, it would seem," Claudia said, not moving from her chair.

"Spooky over there gets it, why can't you all?" Moira let out a whimper as Cain pushed the knife tighter, breaking the skin and drawing blood.

"Regardless of what you may or may not know, you did not hear me: you will release the girl."

Cain laughed. "Just try."

"Very well." Sabrina closed her eyes. Then, as if Cain was having a reluctant change of heart, his blade arm moved slowly away from her neck. Moira saw her chance and gave him a sharp elbow to the side, then barreled towards Werner as his guard was dropped. Cain dropped the knife, but Sabrina seemed exhausted.

"Heh, neat trick. I got a buddy that can do something like that," Cain said, stretching his arm now that he was free of Sabrina's influence. It was then that three more people appeared in the Hall: a young man and woman, and an older man. "Meet your new Elite Four."

The attendants in Hall all tensed, as if they could sense their power. Ian did as well. And hesitated. The young man stepped up beside Cain.

"You cannot hope to beat us all," Octavius boomed.

The young man closed his eyes. "The odds of your victory, all contingencies accounted for are four thousand six hundred twenty-eight to one."

"You hear that?" Cain shouted. "Hector here's a goddamn super-computer."

"That seems pretty wrong considering there are at least thirty of us and only four of you," Gaap said lazily.

"Does nobody in here listen?" Cain pleaded facetiously, "That's with all contingencies accounted for!"

The young woman laughed. "Oh, that's right! They don't know about the bombs in the refugee warehouses? You know, the places for all the people to go who got blown up in those BOMBS you're not dealing with?"

Cain laughed yet again. "I almost forgot about them! That's right. Naomi, Gillian, how about you two head on over and make sure those poor people get a proper welcome to their new homes."

The two behind Cain and Hector nodded and dashed for the door. "Now all we're looking for is a fair fight. The rest of you all can go on down and try and put a stop to our little plan."

"I cannot stand by while you hurt innocent people," Blue said, rising from his chair. From the crowd, Mia tried to stop him, but Octavius waved him aside.

"There is no need for that, Professor. I am more than a match for these two miscreants." He checked his pocket watch. "My guess is I'll have them done in time to get back to Cinnawood for dinner."

"About that, Grandpa," Cain mused. "How's the Missus doing?"

Octavius dropped his watch.

Porter shouted. "Find your family, Octavius. If my prediction is correct, Claudia and I can handle this."

"The plain one speaks the truth," Claudia assented.

"No," Sabrina said. "I will fight alongside Porter."

Claudia shrugged and flittered away into nothingness.

"The rest of you, find the other two, there's no time to waste!" Porter barked.

"I will accompany you to Cinnawood, Master," Santiago said, "I sense a trap."

"Huh, lame. I guess I'll be going. I wanted to fight. Huck? Where are you at? We're leaving," Gaap said.

Ian could only watch in terror as the scene unfolded, which wasn't long until Werner nearly picked him up on his way out. "We're leaving this place. I got family in Celadon!" Ian looked to Moira who hadn't said anything. She mouthed one thing: "Later."

With the rest of the trainers gone, the four masters had some space.

"I don't know what you think you're gonna do, here, but I guarantee that you won't leave," Porter said. He loosened up his tie and reached for a pokeball.

"I know that my guys gotta better chance against your guys considering the matchup you see."

"You speak as if I never encounter a Fighting trainer regularly. I spar with Gaap. I think I can handle myself. I spar with Gaap."

Hector produced a pokeball from the folds of his coat without even reaching for it. "I suppose I have to battle the old adding machine, correct?"

Sabrina did the same, though hers was considerably slower. "Don't worry about me, Porter. It's been quite some time since I've really let loose."

The battle began instantaneously. Cain pitched his Conkledurr against Porter's Slaking, which to Cain's surprise, stood tall and alert. Hector led with a Claydol and Sabrina sent out her Espeon. Conkledurr swung his pillar like a bat, but the sloth caught it in one hand. The Espeon used this opportunity to run up the back of the Slacking in attempt to attack the distracted Conkledurr, however, the cat hit an invisible wall that tossed it back towards Sabrina.

"I am your opponent," Hector said.

Conkledurr used the force of Slaking's grip to propel him towards the Slaking, striking him with a wicked punch. More resolute now, the Conkledurr broke the pillar free of the opposing pokemon's grip, swinging it towards the Slaking's head. Slaking merely punched back; shattering the pillar. The Claydol began to spin, throwing out jagged rocks in every direction. Slaking beat the away, and Espeon was nimble enough to dodge the initial wave, but now the problem of the rocks on the ground was apparent. The Espeon concentrated, pouring all its energy into assaulting the Claydol's mind, but the Claydol did not flinch. Slaking leapt into the air and delivered a bone shattering elbow to the Conkledurr, which merely snickered and bashed its massive fist against the sloth's head. Conkledurr stood, cracked its neck, and looked as if it hadn't just taken a brick wall to the body. Slaking lurched back in obvious pain. The Espeon ceased its assault on the Claydol and closed its eyes. A faint shimmer and a beam of light streaked across the hall.

"Make this count," Sabrina said.

The Claydol rammed into the defenseless Espeon, knocking it back. Cain saw an opening and commanded his Conkledurr to finish the feline. Slaking was still too dazed to intercept the lightning-fast punch that connected with the Espeon and Sabrina returned it to its ball. She sent out Alakazam, her most trusted partner. Hector smirked, withdrew the Claydol, and sent out an Alakazam of his own. "Most interesting," he said to himself.

The Alakazam's looked intently at each other, then, in perfect synchronization, assumed the same meditative stance. Porter could feel the psychic energies radiating from their silent mental battle.

"Maybe they're playing chess," Porter shouted.

Slaking ran towards the Conkledurr like a creature possessed, shouting and roaring, shoulder raised. The Conkledurr wound up for another punch, but that wasn't enough to stop the assault, and Slaking crashed into the titan who fell like a tree to the ground. Seconds later, a faint star crossed over the Slaking, and it flexed, enjoying its newfound vitality.

Cain retuned the dazed Conkledurr to its ball and sent in a fearsome Machamp, it flexed its four rippling arms before winding up and throwing a massive punch towards the Slaking faster than the eye could register. Porter heard the sounds of several bones breaking. The Slaking struggled to stand up against the Machamp and counterattack, but in its dazed and confused state, tripped on a rock and impaled its shoulder on a pointed rock.

"I'd love to continue this little charade, but there's some business I have to attend to with my dear sister," Cain said before he dashed off. Porter returned his Slaking to the safety of its ball.

"Follow him, Porter, I can handle the boy on my own," Sabrina said, her words strained.

Porter nodded. "Good luck, Sabrina."

She mustered forth a smile. "Luck was never part of the equation."

Porter left, hot on the trail of Cain.

Time passed. Seconds, minutes, hours. They all felt like decades to Sabrina, eons. She began to feel her companion crack, slip. The boys mental assault was slip through holes in Alakazam's defense.

Hang in there.

Yes, perhaps this is meant to be.

We've been through so much together.

I don't know how much longer I can hold out.

This is it, my friend.

I can only give you one thing.

I see the future.

This is my end.

But I see a future when this one is defeated by you, Alakazam.

I have foreseen the attack.

I'm so proud of you.

I can't help you anymore.

I'm too old.

Goodbye.

Her Alakazam's eyes burst open and he flew backwards. Sabrina began to scream in pain as Hector invaded her mind.