Chapter 1

Champion

AJ looked on in agony as her precious Milotic was thrown back violently against the wall of the arena.

"Starmie, follow through with Rapid Spin!"

"No!" she cried out, her heart pounding furiously against her ribcage. "Milotic, quick! Use Dive!"

It was a mark of how strong the bond was between the young challenger and her pokemon that her Milotic responded so quickly. With a musical cry and displaying a supernatural grace that no earthly creature should ever possess, particularly not in the midst of a heated battle, Milotic twisted her serpentine body in a high arch, her scales glittering resplendently in the garish stadium lighting before vanishing into the pool with barely a splash.

And not a moment too soon; a split-second later, Starmie's lithe form sliced through the air exactly where Milotic had been, the purple-edges of its body glinting ominously as it soared up and around the arena in frustration, awaiting his next command.

AJ resisted the temptation to sigh in relief. She wasn't out of the woods just yet. Grinding her teeth in consternation, her pale knuckles whitening as she tightened her grip on the handrails, a nervous habit she'd developed somewhere through her years as a trainer facing one gym or another. Raising her left hand, she absently tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear, taking advantage of the momentary pause to attempt to form some sort of counter-strategy.

She'd never be able to out-maneuver Starmie; it was simply way too fast for Milotic to handle. On top of that, Milotic had already taken heavy damage in her previous battle, but in spite of that she wasn't stupid enough to think her opponent was going to give her enough time to pull off a Recover or an Aqua Ring, and with the wide array of special moves at Starmie's disposal, AJ would never last long enough to score a winning blow.

Unless…

She grinned. There was a way, she just needed to tough it out and pray for the right opening-!

"Starmie, use Ice Beam!" AJ's challenger called out unexpectedly, her voice slicing through AJ's thoughts with familiar rigid professionalism. "Freeze the surface of the pool so Milotic can't surface!"

AJ blanched as the purple bejeweled pokemon cried in assent, the tip of his top-most point bending and emitting a powerful beam of pure white frost. Starmie's Ice Beam was powerful enough to freeze a layer of ice several feet thick. She wasn't sure that Milotic would be able to break through it. If she couldn't, AJ would be forced to forfeit, and even if she could, the amount of energy it would require would exhaust her pokemon and basically give Starmie the win!

"Uh-oh folks!" the sonorous voice of the commentator, whom AJ had nearly forgotten was there, echoed out all around them. "It looks like AJ's Milotic is in a tight spot! She'll need to do some quick thinking to get out of this one!"

"Milotic, hurry! Use Twister before the ice gets too thick!"

Instantly, the water in the pool began to churn and froth. Despite Starmie's best efforts and the encouragement of its trainer to 'Hurry!', its attempt to freeze the surface of the arena quickly became useless as large chunks of ice began to break away from the portion that had successfully been frozen, caught up in the ferocious current of the water as it swirled around in an ever-quickening whirlpool.

Milotic erupted from the center of the pool, rising into the air in the center of a massive watery funnel cloud. The force of the wind that came exploding out of the emerging waterspout was so strong it nearly knocked AJ backward off her podium. Using one hand to grasp the metal handrail in front of her to secure her person and slapping the other one on the top of her head to keep her cap from flying off, AJ gritted her teeth and squinted through the maelstrom in a desperate attempt to keep an eye on what was happening in the arena.

"Wow-ee!" the commentator exclaimed in shock and delight to the crowds that packed the stadium around them as well as the millions of fans watching at home over the television. "Look at the power of that Twister! Talk about a turn-around! I don't envy Starmie right now!"

It was true. Starmie had completely lost control of his psychic levitation, the force of the winds too great for him to fly against, and he was caught up in the gale against his will. AJ couldn't help the satisfied smirk that grew on her face at the sight of her opponent's pokemon defenseless and at her mercy, buffeted by the wind and water and ice that churned in the vortex of air around it. Oh yeah, this moment had been a long time coming…

"Starmie, use Rain Dance!"

The absurdity of her opponent's command was so great that AJ's jaw actually fell open.

Rain Dance? She told her Starmie to use Rain Dance?!

The commentator seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Well, what a call! Starmie's trainer has ordered it to use Rain Dance! For those of you who don't know, Rain Dance is a special move used by Water-types to strengthen the power of Water-based moves! Although a little extra strength could certainly go to Starmie's favor right now, the rain only seems to be fueling Milotic's Twister!"

The latter part he needn't have said, however. Anyone with eyes could see that the sudden storm clouds that blossomed over the stadium at the beginning of Starmie's Rain Dance had been pulled into Milotic's Twister, adding fuel to the already impressively powerful Dragon-type move. Raindrops were now flying around in the tempest, stinging like needles as they pelted AJ in the face. She grimaced but otherwise ignored them as her mind whirred into overdrive, trying to see her opponent's strategy.

Rain Dance… Rain Dance… Why on earth would she choose that move?! Strengthening the storm was only making her Starmie take more damage from Milotic's Twister!

Deciding she'd better end things fast before she had the chance to find out, she quickly called out to her pokemon.

"Milotic, now! Hit Starmie with all you've got!"

Like the arm of a terrible god of the sea, the twister moved; half-wind, half-water, one-hundred percent pure destructive force. Overhead, Starmie's storm clouds surged with it, lightning crackling ominously through the static-charged air, adding further drama to the already highly climactic scene. This could be the moment that decided AJ's future…

Lightning…

AJ's eyes widened in horror, but before she could do more than gasp, her opponent played her hand.

"Starmie! Thunder!"

The small purple pokemon, who it was nearly impossible to see as he was tossed about in the violent storm winds, suddenly began to glow an eerie, phosphorescent blue. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath as every eye watching from home or here in the stadium trained itself on the incredible luminescent spectacle before them; a glowing Starmie orbiting Milotic's massive pitch black death-funnel like a satellite being sucked into a black hole…

And then, with a roar like an atomic bomb, Starmie fired its Thunder attack straight at the funnel cloud.

There was a flash of blinding light as the funnel literally exploded, and AJ's scream was lost in the din as the resulting explosion sent her flying backward off her podium.

She hit the ground on her back with a heavy thud, the air successfully driven from her body. AJ staggered to her feet on the wet grass, disoriented, struggling to catch her breath. Her cap was gone and her hair in disarray, the once-neat ponytail mussed and slightly askew, but she didn't spare her appearance any extra thought. One of the stadium workers darted forward, catching the confused girl under her arm and helping her gingerly into the box, his expression one of complete shock. AJ didn't have any time to waste on the man, however. She had only one thing on her mind.

Rain Dance didn't just strengthen the power of water-type moves, it also improved the accuracy of the move Thunder. How could she have forgotten that? What a rookie mistake! And now Milotic was…

Milotic was…

From behind her, she heard the frantic cry of "Pi! Pichu!" before her first-ever pokemon, Pichu, suddenly darted into her box, the bill of her missing cap clamped tightly in his jaws. AJ had no thought to spare for her Pichu or her hat; stumbling away from the attendant, she collapsed against the railing, her legs quivering like jelly as she struggled to draw breath through her wounded ribs and take in the scene in front of her.

The arena was a massive, swirling cloud of steam that obscured all vision. Milotic's Twister was gone, and so were the storm clouds generated from Starmie's Rain Dance, both blown away by the ensuing explosion caused by Starmie's Thunder. No sign of either pokemon could be seen in the haze. All was quiet in the stadium. Not a soul made a sound, every eye on the shifting mass of mist, waiting with baited breath for some sign of movement, some indication of who would emerge the victor…

Suddenly, with a whir of spinning limbs, her opponent's Starmie erupted out of the mass of steam, its purple body flying around the cloud in a victory lap. The stadium erupted in a sudden violent wave of noise. Some were cheering, others booing, everyone screaming at the top of their lungs.

AJ, however, didn't feel like making any sort of noise. Her eyes were glued to the swirling mass in front of her, despair and regret welling up inside, searching for some sign of her poor, defeated pokemon.

"Oh, Milotic…" AJ whispered softly to no one, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

"Pi… Pichu-pi," Pichu mumbled consolingly though his mouth full of hat as the tiny electric mouse scrambled up his trainer's back to settle on her shoulder. Gently, he rubbed his cheek against hers, giving off a few weak sparks as was his way of showing affection.

"Incredible!" gushed the commentator to the wildly screeching fans. "What an amazing display! I haven't witnessed a pokemon battle this fierce in years! However, as must all good things, this battle too has come to an end! And the winner of this Kanto Elite 4 challenge Three-on-Three match is, with two wins, Mist-!"

The referee held up his flags, cutting the surprised commentator off mid-word. AJ was speechless. What was happening? Was something wrong? Was it her poor Milotic?

A sudden surge of icy terror gripped AJ's heart. What if something terrible had happened? What if Milotic had been injured beyond what Nurse Joy could heal? That Thunder was exceptionally powerful; the strongest she had ever witnessed from a non-electric pokemon in all her time as a trainer, and coupled with Milotic's predisposed weakness to Electric attacks and the added boost Rain Dance had given Starmie's attack and the fact that Milotic had been in the middle of a churning vortex of water and air…!

Pokemon deaths were incredibly rare in official League battles, but they weren't unheard of. The thought of her beloved Milotic's body floating lifeless in the pool all because of her lapse in judgment earlier in the battle set a new wave of panic and hysteria surging through her and she had to fight back the sob that was threatening to tear itself from her throat.

"Un-be-lievable, folks!" The commentator cried out, and AJ felt her heart leap into her throat in fear, awaiting the horrible news that her precious Milotic had been irreparably damaged all because she was a horrid failure of a trainer and would be stripped of her license immediately. "The match isn't over! Milotic is still moving!"

The fans in the stadium were beside themselves, but AJ felt only dull shock. Though every person in the stands screamed for her to move, though her foe was undoubtedly already again on the offensive, though every fiber of her inner-trainer was pleading with her to call out a command and take control of the battle, she found it was all she could do to stand there, stunned, her knuckles white on the railing before her, her eyes scanning the mist desperately for some visual confirmation that her pokemon was indeed alright, unwilling to believe it could be true until she saw it for herself.

With a sudden, merciful gust of wind, the last vestiges of the steam blew away, and there she was.

Beaten, bruised, slightly burned on one side, her Milotic lay partially in the pool, partially without. From the way her sinuous muscles convulsed occasionally atop one of the tiny rafts the League provided for the aquatic arena, you could tell; Starmie's Thunder had paralyzed her. As tears of relief spilled over AJ's cheeks and a strangled sort of gasp escaped her trembling body, she realized the truth: Milotic wouldn't have been able to survive that attack had she not been paralyzed. From the silvery-metallic glint of her scales, she could tell Milotic's special ability, Marvel Scale, had been activated upon paralysis. It was that that had saved her. Luck. Pure, dumb luck.

The announcer, AJ was sure, was in the midst of explaining this fact to the undoubtedly confused fans, but she had long since tuned his voice out. Leaning as far over the railing as she dared, she called out to her pokemon, her voice still weak from having gotten the wind knocked out of her moments earlier.

"Milotic… Do you… Are you sure…?"

She wasn't sure how to express what she wanted to say. Are you sure you really want to keep battling for me, the trainer who nearly got you killed because of her own reckless stupidity? But before she could let the guilt of her momentary ineptitude overwhelm her, Milotic turned her head and fixed her trainer with a beady stare.

AJ swallowed gruffly past the lump in her throat and understood - this wasn't just AJ's chance to prove how powerful a trainer she was, this was Milotic's chance as well. And there was no way Milotic was about to let anything ruin that for her.

They stared at each other for a moment, trainer and pokemon both, until AJ slowly nodded, accepting Milotic's decision.

Steeling her determination, AJ took up her beloved cap from the tiny rodent on her shoulder, quickly tugged the hair tie from her head, letting her ponytail fall out in dark tendrils behind her as she jammed the cap back on her head, this time twisting it roughly backwards. A couple of her bangs poked out of the hole in the back of the hat and fanned across her forehead, but she ignored them as she faced her opponent once more, determined this time to win; not for her, but for Milotic.

"Well, you've trained your pokemon spectacularly," her opponent called out stoically from across the arena, an unreadable look in her eyes. "It takes quite the water pokemon to stand up to a direct hit from a Thunder attack. Your Milotic is pretty special."

"I know," AJ replied tersely.

"Still, it isn't all about winning. A good trainer knows when to give up. Your Milotic's taken quite the beating, and I don't think she can stand much more without taking serious injury."

To anyone else, it would sound like cautionary advice from an official member of the Elite Four. AJ, however, could hear the all-too-familiar note of reprimand in her tone and recognized the vaguely concerned look in her eye on behalf of her pokemon.

"I know that as well," AJ answered. "But… this isn't just my battle. You ought to know that better than anyone else here. This is Milotic's chance to prove herself, and if she isn't ready to quit, then I won't give up either!"

She finished her speech with an unintended note of defiance in her voice and the stadium roared in approval. AJ didn't really care about their opinion, however; her eyes were locked on those of her adversary, the Kanto Elite Four's premier Aquatic Master, Misty Waterflower.

Finally, after a long, tense moment, Misty nodded; begrudgingly, but there was a definite glimmer of pride in her eyes that made AJ's heart soar.

"Well then, if that's your decision I suggest you don't hold back," Misty taunted, instantly back in battle mode.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time," AJ shot back with a grin.

"Starmie! Let's end this with a bang! Hydro Pump!"

AJ's eyes lit up. Misty had done exactly what she'd been hoping she would. This was her chance!

Offering up a quick prayer to Mew, Arceus, and anyone else who could be listening, she jabbed her finger into the air and cried triumphantly, "Milotic, now! Mirror Coat!"

Starmie's topmost limb bent forward, a desceptively small orb of water forming at the tip, surging with power as water pressure built up behind it, ready to burst. At the same time, Milotic's entire body began to glow with a silvery light that steadily began to crackle and spark. It was a race now - a race that would last mere heartbeats - to see which pokemon managed to fire off its attack first and be declared the winner.

So of course, they moved in tandem, launching their final moves simultaneously. Starmie's Hydro Pump exploded forward in a volatile burst, with all the first of a canon ball, aimed directly at Milotic's limp, half-paralyzed form. Despite how brutal the move was, particularly considering Milotic's injuries - in her current state, a Bubble could have knocked her over - in a removed way, AJ knew this was Misty's way of showing a bit of mercy. She could have fired off another Thunder, or a Psychic or even a Rapid Spin. But a Water-Type move would do the least damage while still winning her the fight in a suitably dramatic fashion, and would cause Milotic the least injury besides. It was the right call for an Elite Four member. The kind and professional way to end the match.

Or it would have been, had Misty been expecting the Mirror Coat.

Starmie's Hydro Pump collided mid-air with the Thunder that manifested from Milotic's Mirror Coat - a powerful yet risky skill that would take whatever special attack the pokemon had just been hit by and fire it back at twice the power. That Thunder that Misty had conjured had been especially strong - strong enough that AJ knew that, by all rights, they should have lost that match. But a combination of Milotic's sheer nerve and the pure dumb luck that was her Marvel Scale ability had allowed her to endure the hit and had afforded them this one, impossible chance.

Before Starmie realized what had happened, the bolt of pure electrical energy ripped clear through its Hydro Pump, splitting the powerful blast of water clean in two until it collided directly with the jewel in the center of Starmie's body. The small aquatic pokemon was blown backward with a tremendous bang, slamming into the arena wall with a sickening crunch. The jewel, now slightly cracked, flickered once… twice… then the glow faded completely as the pokemon slid into the pool, unconscious.

For a moment, the entire arena was dead silent.

"Starmie is unable to battle! The winner is Milotic!"

The ensuing explosion that erupted from the fans was almost equal to the initial Thunder attack on Milotic's Twister, but AJ wasn't listening to the screaming of the celebrating fans, nor the adulations of the commentator who was nearly beside himself with excitement as he bellowed the results into the night.

"AJ Ketchum has just defeated Misty Waterflower of the Kanto Elite Four, two to one! What an unbelievable comeback! I've never seen the like in my life! Don't forget to tune in tomorrow when we watch this promising young trainer take on the Dragon Master Lance for the title of Kanto Champion!"

Leaping off the platform, Pichu perched precariously on her shoulder, AJ all but sprinted down to the water's edge and literally threw herself into the pool towards her pokemon. Pichu, who had leaped off her at the last moment to spare himself an unwanted bath, stood by the edge cheering in delight as his master quickly swam towards the raft and embraced her Milotic, tears of joy streaming down her face as they bobbed up and down in the chilly, turbulent water.

"Milotic! You did it! You were amazing! I can't believe you survived-! That you didn't-! That you're not-!"

The earlier fear of nearly losing her pokemon came back with a vengeance, mixing with the sheer, impossible joy of having actually won that match, and she suddenly found herself trembling and sobbing into Milotic s neck, ignorant of the commotion all around her.

"M-Milotic, I'm s-so sorry, I should've s-seen that coming, and you w-were so hurt, and it's all my f-fault!"

Milotic nuzzled her trainer softly on the head, and instantly she felt herself calming down. It was one of Milotic's special abilities; calming the emotions of those around them, and she was sharing it selflessly with her trainer in spite of everything that had just gone down. AJ understood it as her way of letting her know she didn't blame her, and she felt her heart swell with love and affection for her teammate. She still felt terribly guilty, but she managed to pull herself together enough to offer Milotic a shaky, tearful smile.

"We did it!" she squealed in delight, throwing her hands in the air in victory as her pokemon preened before her, basking in her trainer's praise and the still-ongoing adulations from the crowd.

"Hey!" a voice called from the sidelines, and AJ turned to see her opponent waiting at the water's edge.

"You're going to get sick if you stay in there much longer, the water's freezing! Besides, your pokemon needs medical attention!" she called out sternly, her hands on the hips of her light blue one-piece bathing suit, her official League cape fanning out behind her in the breeze.

Grinning bashfully at the older woman, AJ pulled the empty pokeball off her belt, clicked it once so it grew from the side of a walnut to roughly the size of an orange in a matter of seconds, then cried out, "Milotic! Return!"

A beam of red light shot out, touched Milotic's glittering flank, and then in an instant her champion of the evening was gone, safe and sound in her pokeball where she could rest peacefully. Swiftly paddling to the side of the pool, AJ gripped the rough cement siding and hoisted herself out. Pichu instantly jumped back on her shoulder, chattering animatedly in her ear.

As she straightened up, she found herself suddenly face to face with the woman who only a moment earlier had been her adversary. There was a slight pause, as both women regarded each other quietly, but the older woman's lips swiftly began to tremble as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, baby, I'm so proud of you!"

"Mom…" AJ groaned, half-embarrassed, half-amused as her mother enveloped her in a rib-cracking embrace, ignoring her daughter's wet clothing. Still, she couldn't help but hug her back just as tightly.

"You were so good!" her mom exclaimed when they parted, holding her out at arm's length and gushing enthusiastically. "I'll admit, I was worried for a moment when my Corsola took down your Lilligant so quickly- "

"Lilly was just tired," AJ cut in quickly. "She had that big battle this morning against Bruno and I don't think she got all the rest she needed-!"

"And then when Pichu came out!" she continued, riding right over her daughter as though she weren't talking, "I thought you'd lost your mind! But no, your cute little friend managed to take down my Corsola and my Gyarados!"

"Pichu!" Pichu replied, sticking up his chest in pride.

"Yeah, he's kind of awesome," AJ giggled in response, making Pichu cheer and lick AJ's cheek affectionately.

"And then your Milotic, of course." And here, AJ could see they'd finally gotten to the point her mom wanted to mention the most. "Oh, baby, you don't know how good it feels to see my daughter so adept at using water-type pokemon! And against my Starmie! I know everyone thinks Gyarados is my best pokemon, but really, Starmie's been with me the longest, and-!"

"Misty! Ashlynn!" a familiar voice called out, and the two women turned to see an elderly man jogging toward them, wheezing slightly.

"Oh, goodness me…" he panted, leaning forward and resting his hands on his knees. "Curse this old body of mine… Ladies, you need to get a move on! The car is waiting to take you both to your hotel, and I'm sure everyone can't wait to congratulate you both on your battle! Why, I don't believe I've seen a battle that intense since your father-!"

"Professor," AJ cut in hastily, partially to stop him before he got started on one of his infamous tangents and partially because she didn't want her big night ruined by talk of him, "We can't leave yet, mom and I have to take our pokemon to the Pokemon Center. I still have to face Lance tomorrow, so I need-"

"Oh, yes, yes of course!" Professor Oak exclaimed cheerfully, not at all upset at having been so rudely interrupted not even a moment earlier by someone so much his junior. "Well, I'll just go tell the others to hurry on without you then. We'll meet you there."

"Thanks, Professor," AJ replied warmly, beaming affectionately at the old man.

"Come one, AJ," her mom interjected, flipping AJ's cap back around so it was facing the correct way and linking arms with her daughter. "Let's hurry. Our pokemon need medical attention, and I think Jade might go crazy if you wait too long to call her."

Laughing, AJ headed off with her mother, Pichu chortling delightedly on her shoulder as they trudged off towards the pokemon Center within the Stadium, the fans still packed in the bleachers, screaming themselves hoarse in celebration of AJ's victory over the final member of Kanto's Elite Four. Tomorrow, she would face the Champion and then, if she won, her dream would finally become a reality. Nothing, it seemed, could bring her down.


AJ gave a weary sigh as she shouldered the door to her hotel room open, absently flicking on the light as she kicked off her sodden sneakers, letting her wet socks squish on the luxurious carpet. She closed the door behind her with a snap before moving further into the room, grateful that she'd decided to get her own place to sleep rather than rooming with her mother or one of her aunts; she loved her family to death, but after a long day of grueling battles she was glad for the opportunity to spend some time alone with her thoughts.

Peeling off her fingerless gloves, she set them on the dresser to dry before removing her favorite vest that she'd worn everywhere on her adventures, hanging it up on a coat hook beside her hat. Sliding her fingers beneath the hem of her shirt, she moved to slip the sodden article of clothing over her head when suddenly, the video phone by her desk started ringing.

Slightly annoyed that the front desk wasn't screening her calls like she'd asked, she walked over to unplug the device before pausing when she saw the name on the caller ID.

Harrison, Pewter City, Kanto.

AJ grinned, all thoughts of removing her still dripping clothing and taking a nice hot shower forgotten as she grabbed a nearby chair and sat down in front of the monitor and answered.

There was a pause, then the screen flickered and the face of a familiar middle-aged man appeared, squinting into the screen.

"Uncle Brock!" AJ exclaimed happily, smiling at her mother's best friend.

"Hey, there's our hero!" Brock replied, beaming back at her. "I was afraid you weren't going to answer!"

"I almost didn't," she admitted with a sheepish grin, and to her relief he laughed.

"I don't blame you, you're probably exhausted. So how're you feeling? You looked pretty good out there tonight."

"Heh, thanks. How'd you like my battle against Bruno?"

"Excellent. Your Lilligant is really something special. I can't believe she took down his Steelix and his Machamp! You've really been raising them well!"

AJ flushed with pride. "Well, I learned how to raise pokemon from the best."

Now it was Brock's turn to blush, though he did so with more grace than she did. Brock Harrison had been a near-constant figure in her life as her mother's close, personal friend as well as fellow Kanto gym leader. Though technically he was a pokemon Doctor, he still kept up the Pewter City Gym with help from his father, Flint, and had taught her from a young age everything that he knew about breeding and raising pokemon. AJ had had a lack of supportive older male figures in her life, and now that she was older, she was grateful that he'd been willing to step in and take up the mantle. He may not be her father, but he was definitely something like a favorite uncle.

"So where's Pichu?"

"At the Pokemon Center. I left him with Nurse Joy. He wasn't very happy, but he was exhausted after his fight with mom's Gyarados earlier and I wanted to make sure he got all the rest and attention he needed."

"Mmm," Brock said, nodding in approval. "That was probably for the best, though I'm sure it was a hard decision to make. I know back when I used to travel with your mom and dad, Ash never liked being parted from his Pikachu either-"

And there it was. AJ tried her best to keep her smile plastered on her face, but couldn't help the sudden surge of animosity that welled up inside her like a venomous Arbok. She loved Brock, she really did, but it seemed like every time they spoke he had to make some connection between her and her father.

Thankfully, she was spared having to force the rest of the conversation by a loud interruption on the other end of the line.

"Dad, what are you-? Wait, is that her?! You called her without telling me?!"

Brock suddenly looked panic stricken. "Uh, no- Jade, I just-!"

"Dad! Get outta the way! Move! Let me talk to her!"

Two disembodied arms suddenly appeared on the screen and shoved Brock away from the camera. Off screen, she heard a thud and a loud 'Oof!' as the older man hit the floor, but her attention was quickly centered on the girl who took his place on the monitor.

She was swarthy, like her father, and though AJ wasn't one for beauty, she couldn't deny that this girl in particular was a looker. Her hair fell in gorgeous chocolate ringlets around her heart-shaped face, her dark green eyes glittering like her namesake with poorly-restrained excitement as they focused in on the computer screen.

"Jade!" AJ exclaimed, delighted, all negative feelings inspired by the mention of her father instantly evaporated by the sight of her best friend.

Jade let out an ear-splitting scream of excitement. "Ah! AJ! Girl, I've missed you so, so much, you have no idea how boring life is here without you!"

"Well, I told you to come up here with me. I have this whole, humongous room to myself. We could have shared, you know."

"I know!" Jade whined, sounding petulant. "You know I wanted to! But dad had that medical conference and somebody had to watch the gym while granddad was away on vacation in Unova!"

"I know, I'm just messing with you," AJ laughed, leaning back into the chair with a smile. She missed adventuring with her best friend and getting to spend every day with her. After spending years on the road together off and on, not having her there was like not having her Pichu; it just felt wrong.

"What happened to your hair?" Jade suddenly asked, her nose wrinkling prettily in distaste.

AJ laughed, running a hand absently through her partially dried locks. "Oh yeah. I jumped into the pool after my match with mom. I was a little overexcited."

"And you haven't showered yet? Girl, you're gonna be Pokemon Master! There's gotta be paparazzi swarming all over the place! What if they take an embarrassing picture of you and it's up all over the news tomorrow!

"Oh please," AJ said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Like I care what they say about my hair in the tabloids. Besides, this hotel is super spiffy. They've got security Machoke on almost every floor. I don't think I have anything to worry about."

"Security Machoke?" Jade repeated, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Where are you staying at?"

"Meowth Manor."

Jade's jaw dropped.

"Meowth Manor? But that place is like… Elite. Is your mom paying for it?"

"No. They're letting me stay here for free while I'm challenging the League. Apparently, it's great publicity."

"Wow…" Jade breathed, resting her chin in her hands and looking wistful. "You're so lucky…"

"You could have come with me…" AJ sing-songed, and her friend let out an agonized moan.

"Ugh, this is so unfair! Why are you so mean? I thought you were my best friend! My sister from another mister!" AJ's laughter was cut short by an unexpected jaw-cracking yawn.

Jade snorted.

"Attractive."

"Yeah, sorry."

"I'd probably better let you go so you can shower and get to sleep. I'd wish you good luck, but you're totally gonna cream Lance tomorrow so what's the point?"

"Ugh, don't say that! Now you've jinxed me! Besides, he's the Champion, and I barely managed to win against mom-!"

"Oh please. Lance isn't half the trainer he used to be. The only reason he's the Champion now is out of respect. It's just an honorary thing; he lost his right to the title years ago to your deadbeat daddy. Now shut up, get some sleep, and cream that dude tomorrow so you can get the title of Kanto Champion back in the Ketchum family where it belongs!"

AJ grinned lazily at her best friend. "Right. Thanks, Jade."

"Love you, girl. Night."

"Night."

With a wave and a wink, the screen went black, and AJ was once again alone in the semi-darkness of her hotel room.

Another yawn threatened to tear her face in two, and she cast her bed a look of poorly concealed longing, but as the air conditioner kicked back on and a wave of air gusted over her still sodden body making her break out in a rash of shivers, she remembered her heroic leap into the pool earlier that evening and her desperate need for a nice, hot shower.

"Give me five minutes," she told her bed as she rose to her feet and hurried off down the hall.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and a definite challenge in spite of Jade's optimism, but deep in her heart she knew she could do this. The team she had assembled was the best of the best- she had faith in them, and they in her. Together, nothing could stop them.

With that emboldening thought fresh on her mind, AJ set about preparing herself for bed.