Hey, everyone. Please forgive me for the major delay in updating, but I somewhat underestimated the intensity of this new semester. I'm even sacrificing Saturdays just to keep up in all the assignments and such, but I'm not going to bore you with any more tales about me. The only reason you'd be here is to read the latest chapter. So go for it, now that I got around writing this. Again, I apologize for making you wait this long for an update…
The Next Week…
Activity in New Island was as robust as ever. The ongoing announcement from the end of last week that the second round preliminary of the Champions League was still ongoing was fresh in everybody's mind, given that certain unforeseen circumstances took place and caused a good number of matches to be pushed back. The Pokémon League Committee had been getting to the bottom of this case, but in the meantime, there wasn't much else for competitor and spectator alike to worry about except for wondering who would be advancing to the third round.
Even as Monday morning was reaching noon time, competitive spirit was flaring at an all-time high. However, there was one particular battle, regardless of spirit, in which overwhelming power had made itself known from the shadows once more. Turning to the grass field stadium, there was one Trainer down to his last Pokémon while his opponent remarkably had a full useable team. Such occurrence would be considered uncommon, but given who the opposing Pokémon was, there wasn't any real surprise to it…
"Finish it with Ice Beam!"
"Mmh…!" the Pokémon growled, firing out the powerful Ice Beam from dark clawed hands at its helpless opponent, who only stared widely at its impending fate.
*Boom*
"Sylveon, no!"
"Sylveon is unable to battle!" the referee declared as the collision haze disappeared, revealing the Intertwining Pokémon lying on its side with spiraling eyes. "Darkrai wins! This means that this three-on-three match goes to Tobias!"
"Quite an unbelievable display of single-handed annihilation!" the commentator exclaimed amidst the cheers. "Tobias and his Darkrai alone have made it to the third round without breaking a sweat. Even contending against a winner of the Unova League Vertress Conference, Virgil, and his secret Fairy-type weapon didn't faze him much! Well, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes this match, but stick around for the next scheduled match within the next half-hour to hour here in the grass stadium!"
"Sylveon, you did great," Virgil whispered to his fallen Pokémon on the field, pulling out its Poké Ball. Sylveon smiled back weakly before being recalled. "You'll get better soon, I promise."
"I must commend you, young man," Tobias spoke up, approaching the Unova Rescue Worker with his Darkrai. "Your Sylveon was certainly new to me, and its power nearly pushed Darkrai to the limit. That doesn't happen often, granted it had the type advantage, but I'm afraid that it still wasn't enough to take us down."
"I never imagined someone like you existing, a Trainer with the power of a Legendary Pokémon at his side," Virgil commented offhandedly. "If I recall correctly from previous records, you were forced to reveal another Legendary Pokémon years ago at a League Conference."
"Ah, yes. I still remember that great battle against that young man," Tobias replied with particular fondness. "The only known Trainer to have defeated my Darkrai in battle, I truly wish to have a rematch against him in the later rounds, to see how much stronger he's become since then."
"Well then, I wish you both the best of luck when that time comes. It's time I went back to work anyway."
On that final note, Virgil and Tobias ended their confrontation with a genteel handshake, inciting a great roar of cheers and accolades for both Trainers for an invigorating battle. A particular small group watched from the sidelines, sharing their own inputs from the battle they witnessed.
"I can't believe Virgil lost," Iris said lamentingly. "Just who is that guy anyway?"
"Tobias, the Trainer that controls Darkrai," Brock answered. "Not only Darkrai, but in his match against Ash at the Sinnoh League, he also used a Latios."
"A Latios?! You're kidding me! Just how powerful is he?"
"Considering that he's been using only Darkrai throughout his known career, no one really knows," Brock stated somberly. "With that kind of power under his wing and making his debut in large competitions like this, it's a wonder how he's been able to stay within the shadows for so long. Tobias is still regarded a great mystery to this day."
"I don't care how mysterious he is; with that Ice Beam, he's someone you don't want to mess with," Iris muttered with a shudder. "First Dino's knocked out in the first round and now Virgil. These Trainers don't play around. It almost seems like everyone that came from the Vertress Conference last year is a joke."
"No need to worry, Iris," Dawn spoke up. "Ash is still hanging in there. And as far as I remember, Steuben recently made it to the third round too."
At the Pokémon Center training battlefield…
"It's 'Stephan'!" Stephan cried out in outrage, only to wind up blinking in confusion following from his outburst.
"Uh, what're you talking about now, bro?" his training opponent asked.
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," Stephan brushed off. "Let's get this on! Are you ready to handle Sawk's might?"
"If he survives my Hitmonlee's onslaught, you have my respect, Butch."
Stephan felt like jumping off a steep cliff at the moment, but he had to settle for falling on his face in the metaphorical sense. The incorrect pronunciations and names were somehow getting ridiculous, even for his limits.
"Man, can't anybody my name right? That wasn't even close," Stephan sighed to himself, crying mentally. Why is it just me…?
Elsewhere at a secret location in the Kanto region…
"Ah-ah-choo!"
"Gesundheit, Hooch," a guard said casually, not even looking at the cell behind him.
"How many times now… since I've been here?! It … is… Butch!"
"Watch it, Biff, or it'll be solitary confinement for you again," the guard warned.
"That's it," Butch grumbled to himself in defeat, lying pitifully on his front upon the stone cold floor. "I'm changing my name once I get out of this Raticate hole." He then gave off a heavier sigh. "… If I ever get out."
"Be quiet, Buzz!" a voice from a neighboring cell shouted.
"D'oh, I quit…"
"Yeah, I know that, though sadly they're the only ones I actually know," Iris resumed with Dawn. "We probably should get to know more people while we're here."
"Hey, Brock, do you think Tobias and Ash will face each other in the Champions League Victory Rounds?" Max asked.
"Honestly, I don't know the likelihood of them being match up again, but it's possible. I have no doubt that Ash would want a rematch with him, among many others. We'll see if he's reached that level when that time comes."
"I still can't believe we didn't even try to catch up with him after his match last week against Katie," Dawn mentioned in an afterthought.
"Dawn, you, me, and the rest of us know that Ash's been through more than we could comprehend right now," Brock responded, reminiscing fleeting moments from Ash's most recent battle. "The growth in strength in Torterra… not to mention his newest Pokémon, Marowak… Appearance alone should indicate in leaving Ash alone unless he seeks for us or that any one of us would run into him at some point in happenstance."
"But… Ash promised to battle me once I became a full-fledged Pokémon Trainer," Max sighed. "I even competed in a League Conference so that I'd have the experience to fight him on even ground. But I guess now, even if I got to battle Ash, he'd clearly wipe the floor with me."
"Now I wouldn't jump to that conclusion," Iris intervened. "When I was traveling around with that kid, he made a lot of basic mistakes, which included throwing a Poké Ball at my head when he thought I was a Pokémon. However, he did get better by the time the Vertress Conference came around. Plus, you don't know how you'll actually compare to Ash unless you battle him."
"I suppose you're right, Iris." Max then stood out of his seat and stretched out both his arms and legs after sitting to watch Tobias and Virgil's match. "I'm going to find my dad and challenge him to a practice battle. He's got to keep his strength up if he's going to win this thing."
"Tell Norman we all said 'hi,'" Brock requested with a brief chuckle.
"Will do!" Max exclaimed, taking his leave from the small group.
"Well, with that settled, I wonder how Cilan, Misty, and May are doing," Iris mused.
"You know that will all their battles and their training in between, Misty and Cilan have wanted to explore what else has been built in New Island," Brock explained. "I can tell. Forrest's been having the same sentiments when he finished his last match that he hasn't had time to explore since he and the other Gym Leaders have been keeping their strengths up."
"And out of all of us, May has the most experience on what's going on outside of battles, such as the attractions, small restaurants, and stuff like that," Dawn continued keenly. "She even told me a new café was recently built on the corner of New Two X and Y streets, just between the rock and grass field stadiums. It's said to feature karaoke and Pokémon Tag Battles on occasion."
"I heard about that," Iris commented. "I thought it was just a rumor. Do you know what it's called?"
"Um, well…"
Dawn tried to recall everything May told her about, but the name of this new café was still a mystery to her. The Petalburg City Coordinator had never mentioned the name to her aside from what it held, so all Dawn could've done was respond with a disappointed shake of her head and a brief shrug of her shoulders.
"That's okay," Brock reassured. "Do you know if it's opened yet?"
"I don't think they've made their grand opening yet, but are planning to do so once the third round commences."
"That won't be for another week then, so they must be putting in the finishing touches to the design plans. Hey! Since we don't have anything else going on right now, why don't we go see where it is?"
"That's a great idea, Brock!" Iris agreed. "Let's go there now so we can be the first ones to enter when the grand opening comes around."
Iris quickly leapt up to the aisle of stairs leading to the exit, impatiently gesturing to her friends to hurry up and join her. Brock and Dawn shared a glance and chuckled to themselves out of amusement over the Dragon Trainer's enthusiasm.
"Part of me thinks that she wants to beat Georgia to it," Dawn said aloud, accompanied with squeaks of agreement from the Piplup hanging on her shoulder.
"I wouldn't put it past her to do it," Brock concurred with an easy chuckle. "Rivalries are certainly something else."
The Pewter City Pokémon Doctor and younger Twinleaf Town Coordinator rose to their feet and made their way to Iris, who was already scaling her way to the nearest doorway. They managed to catch up to her before making their leave from the stadium together, passing through the walkway where several Pokémon fans and spectators passed around them to sit in for the next scheduled match.
Brock opted to stay a few feet behind Iris and Dawn as they talked about various female things, some he knew well enough considering that he had a number of smaller sisters to take care of in addition to his equally numerous brothers. However, his solitude came to an abrupt end when passing a pair of Pokémon League officials whispering to each other by the exit gate.
"What?! What do you the culprit's not caught yet?" one of them objected harshly; Brock couldn't help but overhear their conversation, even as the other official attempted to quiet and calm his partner down.
"Look, that's what I was told," the other official replied in a strained whisper. "We can't have this broadcasted throughout the competition lest we stir up the people into a panic. Plus, it's just one guy."
"One guy that even the Elite Four from all competing regions with the police force can't catch," the first official remarked cynically. "Really, it's been almost a week. The matches and some other events were postponed because of this guy. Did you know that the new café was originally going to be opened this week?"
"Complaining about it is not going to change anything. We just have to stay at high alert and make sure the other Trainers are safe."
Dawn and Iris didn't have anything to worry about as they completely passed over the officials and made their way outside. Brock kept a somber expression as he placed a mental note to the side to warn the others about this certain individual interfering with the tournament and festivities once they were back together.
This would definitely be bad if this news got to the public, Brock thought, glancing over Iris and Dawn amusing themselves without a care with their smaller Pokémon also joining in on the fun. We have to watch out for each other until this guy's caught. I hope you'll be okay too, Ash…
In the Pokémon League Meeting Room…
"Everyone, you know why I've gathered you all here," Charles announced, sitting at the head of the long conference table with a stern demeanor that notably contrasted with his usual outgoing personality.
"It's about the one that managed to make his way here to cause trouble for Trainers, bystanders, and Pokémon alike," Alder surmised.
The Champions and Elite Four from the five main competing regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova were all together sitting in a rather tense environment. Few glances were exchanged, mostly in shared concern. The problem had, unfortunately, gotten to the point that an emergency meeting was called on by behalf of President Charles Goodshow.
"One week already and about a sixteenth to an eighth of the competing Trainers here were injured by the assailant," Koga reported. "My daughter, who's also been a witness to a few of these cases, also shared to me that few of the Trainers also had their Pokémon stolen on hand as well. Moreover, these scenes from the past week were not the first ones to be recorded. What a disgraceful crime this is."
"Really? It's that dangerous?" Aaron asked.
"Aaron, you know that the lives of Trainers and their Pokémon are on the line," Cynthia answered, sighing inwardly. "To think, this went on since the Champions League began and none of us saw this coming until last week."
"We're guilty of carelessness from time to time, but we shouldn't let that drown our hopes six feet under," Wallace assured.
"President Goodshow, if I may!" Lance beseeched, having immediately stood out of his seat in haste. "Let me take care of this. As also a member of the Pokémon G-Men, this was my responsibility in the first place, and I failed to take in account of everything that day. My oversight allowed him to escape. He wants vengeance now, and he's having it by sabotaging the Champions League in any form he can. He's proven quite dangerous if he's evaded being discovered by Officer Jenny this long."
"That may be, but remember that this case was yours and his responsibility in the first place," Charles mentioned.
"I know, but he's already been through enough," Lance replied grudgingly. "He's still having a bit of trouble opening himself up again and so far, he's made progress since his last battle. I can do this myself, but I would also get Interpol involved as part of a worst-case scenario."
"I actually sent for them days ago when the rate of injuries and theft have noticeably increased," Charles admitted with a sigh. "I was told that a pair of agents had arrived Saturday, but so far, they've done so well in keeping a low profile that even I don't know if they're actually here on New Island."
"Excuse me, but shouldn't we try asking Scott and his Frontier Brains for extra assistance?" Will suggested with a raised hand. "Their numbers would be collectively less than getting the Gym Leaders from our regions involved if we're trying to keep this under wraps."
"I think the whole point we're together is to stomp this threat out as soon as possible before innocent bystanders get involved," Lucian countered. "It's been contained as Pokémon Trainers getting injured and having their Pokémon stolen, but for how long until this escalates and young lives are on that thin mortal border?"
"Besides, my colleague, Scott, has been placed in authority to preside in matches during my absence along with my counselors," Charles added. "Getting him and his Battle Frontier Brains would be superfluous, especially with all of you powerful Trainers residing in this room."
"Well, I certainly did not get out of inactivity for this," Lorelei commented to the side.
"There's no need for you to worry too much about it, dear," Agatha reassured her former Kanto Elite Four colleague. "Bruno, Koga, and the two youngsters from Johto under the championship of Lance have been covering both Kanto and Johto for quite an amount of time now, though not as long as I've been active. It'd be easier if there was a new Elite Four set for the Kanto region so that Lance in the others wouldn't have to manage simultaneous challenges from the Indigo and Silver Conference winners."
"And you'd think it'd be enough for us to step back out again?"
"Well, it's a good reason why we're having this tournament, isn't it? We might be able to determine who'd be the strongest in their generation of Trainers to allow into the Elite Four and possibly be named a Champion Master when this is all over."
"Excuse me, Agatha and Lorelei," Charles interrupted by clearing his throat. "While I do appreciate your foresights into the future of the Champions League, I'm afraid this current predicament with a single criminal on the loose takes precedence for now."
"Yes, sir," the two Kanto Elite Four members replied with solemn nods.
"Good. I believe we all know what must be done because the longer we stay around, the greater the change for that escapee to wreak havoc and hide before anyone could bat an eyelash. You are all hereby dismissed until further notice!"
"Help! S-Someone please help me!"
The cry for help reached out a little too late. People and Pokémon had gathered into a spot on the sidewalk, surrounding a young woman that appeared unable to get off of her knees. An Officer Jenny and her Growlithe arrived in as the people surrounding the female victim parted a path for the Police Officer to investigate.
"Miss, what happened? Are you hurt?" Officer Jenny interrogated immediately, kneeling down to the girl's side.
"I-I got ambushed!" the young woman cried out, struggling to contain her tears. She leaned closer to Officer Jenny, who merely placed her in a one-armed embrace to calm her down. "A man in black a-attacked me, had m-me twist my ankle, and stole m-my Nidoqueen's P-P-Poké Ball!"
"Again?" Officer Jenny muttered to herself, distraught that this crime had been more frequent than before.
"W-What should I do?" the young woman sobbed.
Officer Jenny looked down to her vulnerable state, trying to think of a way to appease the girl Trainer as well as the other handful of Trainers that were ambushed recently as well as catch the criminal behind these brutal attacks. The Police Officer was frustrated at this situation of helplessness; the longer the brute remained uncaught, the more victims he was bound to assault and the severity of his crimes possibly increase. They've been lucky with minor injuries and fractures, but it won't be long until the criminal decides to step up a notch and actually take lives instead of merely causing suffering among the populace in New Island. The crowd of people murmuring uneasily over the situation didn't help with the tension either.
"Alright! All of you good people, please resume your daily activities!" Officer Jenny announced. "My squad and I will get to the bottom of this and catch the lowlife responsible for this!"
Although in the mood of skepticism of the mystery being solved soon, the surrounding people did as they were told and began walking away. However, a particular Trainer in red and his Pikachu watched from a fair distance passing through. The same thought ran in their minds as they looked each other in the eye. Witnessing one more victim was just enough to confirm their suspicions.
"Pikapi," Pikachu muttered resolutely, looking straight into his Trainer's eyes despite the rim of his red cap shadowing over them.
"… … I know," he replied with a curt nod.
It was time to act and dispel this rising reign of terror in New Island before it claimed someone precious to him.
Someone like one of his friends.
He knew he can't let that happen and have history repeat over again for him.
This had gone on long enough.
So I know or at least guess two things possibly going on your heads after reading this: that this chapter was unsatisfyingly short with no battling and that it was quite a sudden turn of events from the usual tournament battling and Ash's progress. You'll all find out in the next couple of chapters how this will turn out.
I apologize a third time for not being as frequent as I used to, but think of it this way. You should be grateful that I'm still continuing this as I want to see this story to the end and I don't want to do what my brother did with his last "masterpiece." Speaking of my brother, his time is near, for those that know. And for those that don't, I made an announcement regarding my brother in Chapter 16 at the author's note at the end.
Anyway, it's time to measure up my writing skills. Please review!
L-ater!