Operation GEAR: The Angel of Reckoning

by The Great Butler

A girl and her friends set out on a search for truth in a land torn apart by political and religious strife. However, they are unaware of what they are stepping into: the grasp of a terrifying, inescapable enemy that aims to bring down mankind's greatest achievement, the Pokemon League. Soon, the truth becomes clouded, and a desperate struggle for survival begins.

4. Reaching for the Arcade Star (Part 1)

For the sake of caution, this chapter contains mentions of several crimes including murder and kidnapping, and a scene involving abduction victims that may be slightly disturbing to some.

-:-

CHAPTER 4: Reaching for the Arcade Star (Part 1)

-:-

Cherrygrove City was a busy city on a coastline, larger than New Bark Town but still smaller than many of the other metropolis-size cities on the continent. Few of its buildings reached comparable heights to the skyscrapers those cities had, but Cherrygrove's buildings – both residential apartment complexes and commercial centers – were enough to pack plenty into the small area of land the city actually occupied.

The previous night, while Matt, Olivia, Nekou and Bunny were staying at the home of Dr. Dante Fantomos, rain was buffeting Cherrygrove City much like Route 29. As a result, few were outside, and Pierce was completely fine with that fact. His mission entailed meeting a contact covertly, so as he stepped into an alley between two buildings, he appreciated the additional cover the rain provided him on top of the darkness of night.

Pierce walked a short distance down the alley before stopping, and after a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers four times.

"So… you've come," a woman who was hiding in the alley's darkness said, emerging nearly immediately upon Pierce's giving the signal. She was wearing a heavy coat that appeared to have significantly discolored over time along with a tattered blue scarf wrapped around her head and shoulders, obscuring the upper half of her face in a shadow. Though he did not voice it, what troubled Pierce about this seemingly homeless woman was that she carried a small child wrapped in a blanket in her arms. "Why has your organization sought us out?"

Significantly unsettled by this woman for a reason he could not fully identify, Pierce struggled to maintain his rigid composure. "Polaris has made its move, which has left Team Rocket with no choice but to take all available action to counter them. We are aware that you Tenganists who are left are planning to oppose them as well, so I have come to offer you a negotiation. Team Rocket can offer your group supplies to battle Polaris in exchange for your assistance in destroying them."

"And why should I trust you?" the woman scoffed, though with a strange hint of fear in her voice.

"If you're not convinced of my sincerity," Pierce flatly stated, extending his right hand, "then take my hand. Everything will become clear."

The woman haltingly placed her own right hand in Pierce's, and the two of them abruptly froze. This lasted for several seconds before she pulled away, gasping for air.

"I could feel it in your mind… you're one of us, too… one of my people… but why? Why turn to Team Rocket?"

"The circumstances of our lives are not easily controlled. My Tenganist heritage is not something I was raised in, as you were. Now, about the offer we can provide you…"

"I cannot make that decision right now. I am merely a symbol for the horrors inflicted upon our people by Ghetsis Harmonia, a symbol to motivate what remains of our dying culture to survive by any means necessary. Our enemy is Ghetsis, not Polaris."

"You must not be aware that Ghetsis Harmonia is, in fact, a high-ranking member of Polaris."

That apparently was the case, for as soon as Pierce stated that fact, the woman stepped back and gasped. Her voice became shaky and uncertain. "If Ghetsis is a member of Polaris, than this could be my chance to… I could finally…" Looking up at Pierce, the woman said, "I can't decide right now. What that man is responsible for doing to us… and to me… I need some time to know if I'm ready to face it."

"I will return here tomorrow night," Pierce declared, turning toward the street. "I request that you make your decision by then."

-:-

By the next morning, the rain had cleared up, and bright sunlight peeked through the patchwork of clouds still in the sky.

Nekou, Bunny and Dante led the way as the group entered Cherrygrove City from Route 29. Matt trailed behind them in order to stay alongside Olivia, who had to walk on crutches with her broken left leg bent up off the ground. The leading trio halted a short distance into the city's boundaries, causing Matt and Olivia to stop as well.

"What is it?" he asked them. "Why did you stop?"

"You have to know where you're going before you can go there," Bunny replied. "So where exactly are we going?"

"I do say, we should head for the Pokémon Center first," Dante proposed, switching which hand he used to hold the briefcase containing the Meteonite fragment and his cane. "We don't want to burn out already."

"You're right. Olivia looks pretty tired, too… I don't want to force her to walk for too long."

"Let's just go to the Pokémon Center," muttered the sullen Olivia as she fell into agreement with Matt, Bunny and Dante.

"It's not far from here," announced Nekou, prompting the group to begin walking again. After they had been moving for a bit, she suddenly piped up again, saying, "So, Olivia, I'd say that with four Pokémon, you should have a good shot at that first badge."

"Minccino, Roselia, Oshawott and Lillipup now," Bunny reiterated. "Remember, Violet City's Gym is a Flying-type Gym, so aside from Roselia, you have a pretty decent assortment of Pokémon to take it on. Just don't forget to keep your team in shape, and that badge should be yours, no problem."

"I don't really want to talk about it right now," Olivia growled back at the two women, shifting her gaze downward as she carefully hobbled on her crutches. "The last thing on my mind is a Gym battle. I'm a disgrace."

"Don't ever call yourself anything like that!" Nekou forcefully said, looking back over her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. This world is a bitch and the only way to beat it is to be a bigger bitch right back at it. That's what Maman taught me, and it's helped keep me going."

"I do think I owe you an apology, though, Olivia." Unlike Nekou, Dante did not turn at all while he spoke. Instead, he simply kept walking. "It was my experiment on the Meteonite that caused the Bisharp and Pawniard to go wild. If not for my experiment, you would be perfectly fine right now. I'm sorry."

"I guess I forgive you, then…"

"That was thoughtful of you, Dr. Fantomos. Thank you, I think it means a lot."

Just as Matt finished his sentence, the five travelers stopped again. They were standing before a red-roofed building primarily constructed of blue-tinted glass, which had a Poké Ball shape above its entrance. Nestled within the more developed buildings of Cherrygrove City, this building and the trees visible beyond it presented an anachronistic appearance.

"Well, we're here. The Pokémon Center," Matt said out loud, not specifically addressing any of the others in particular. "Let's go."

No objection was raised, so the group moved forward once more. The double doors representing the entrance into the Pokémon Center slid aside when Nekou stepped before them, allowing her and the others inside.

The interior of the Pokémon Center presented a drastic contrast to the cold-feeling city outside its walls. Warmth radiated from the golden walls of the two-floored building, and the number of trainers in the facility with their Pokémon – ranging from those clustered around a large plasma-screen television to the left of the entrance, to those using a bank of public computers on the right, and still more traveling up and down between the two floors – truly made the Pokémon Center feel like a central terminal for the community.

As the first and most pressing order of business, Matt led Olivia to the desk at the center of the first floor, nestled between the two escalators going up to and down from the second floor; Nekou, Bunny and Dante followed shortly thereafter.

"Good morning!" the pink-haired nurse behind the desk cheerfully exclaimed in greeting. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center! What can I help you with?"

"We've all got some Pokémon that need healing," Matt explained. He noticed that Olivia refused to speak to the nurse, though he reasoned that she might have just not been paying attention, so he stepped in.

"How many of you need healing? All five?"

"No, just four of us," Bunny corrected. She glanced over to Dante; the old scientist hadn't battled the Pawniard and Bisharp like they had, so she correctly reasoned that whatever Pokémon he had wouldn't require healing.

"Then please place your Poké Balls in these trays one at a time," the nurse explained, all while setting out a tray with six circles depressed into it on the brown surface of her desk. Olivia suddenly snapped back to attention and wobbled up first, carefully maintaining her balance as she placed her four Poké Balls in the tray. "Do you have a Pokédex, young lady?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah…here." Carefully reaching into a pocket within her cape, Olivia produced her pink Pokédex and handed it to the nurse, who promptly scanned it with an electronic device.

"So you met up with Professor Juniper, Olivia? She's a great person," the nurse said, handing back the device before setting out a second empty tray. "You're lucky to know her. Now, who's next?"

"I am," Matt answered, stepping forward carefully to allow Olivia space to move aside. Without hesitation, he placed six spheres of his own into their places. "Thank you for being so kind."

"It's my job, after all. May I see your Pokédex, sir?"

"I don't have one."

As soon as Matt said those words, the smile on the nurse's face began to slowly fade. "Then in that case, the charge will be three hundred dollars."

"Pokémon Centers in this region charge for service?" What Matt had just learned completely stunned him. He'd never heard of such a concept before; in his home region of Sinnoh, Pokémon Centers were entirely free, so the idea of having to pay for their services caught him completely off guard. Compounding his confusion further, though, he remembered that the nurse had clearly not asked Olivia for any sort of fee.

"Only trainers who have obtained a starter Pokémon and Pokédex receive free service at a region's Pokémon Centers," explained the nurse.

This made the whole idea make more sense in Matt's mind, for in Sinnoh he had a Chimchar and often used a Pokédex loaned to him by his grandfather for fieldwork. Even though he was still rather surprised, he resigned himself to the situation and handed over his credit card to cover the fee.

"Transaction complete, thank you," said the nurse, carefully returning the card to its owner.

Stepping aside to allow Bunny to move forward in line, Matt turned around and noticed an unusual number of people clustering around the television in the Pokémon Center's lobby. He suddenly felt rather impatient due to his intrigue in the scene.

"Dr. Fantomos, look over there," Matt commented, gesturing to indicate the area by the television. "What do you think is going on?"

"Obviously there's something being broadcasted that has them all interested. Let's go see what it is, shall we?"

Matt curtly nodded to the elderly scientist, indicating his agreement with the proposal. They walked side-by-side across the lobby to the viewing area with Olivia following closely behind. Once they reached the edge of the crowd, Matt tapped one of the trainers on the shoulder.

"Yeah, what?" When the young man, who was wearing a black leather jacket, turned around, his rather pronounced brown pompadour ended up right in Matt's face, forcing Matt to back up a step.

"Just wanted to know, what's going on here?"

"Oh, they're saying that some speech is going to be given by a representative of something called Polaris," he answered, turning back around. "I don't really know what that means either."

"Polaris… the group that tried to kill me in Whitegold City, and the ones Dr. Fantomos warned me about…" Matt thought to himself. "There must be a reason why that name keeps coming up…"

Something was clearly going on, and whatever it was, Matt found himself deeply troubled by it. While he pushed himself to think of some sort of connection between these events, though, Bunny and Nekou arrived, having dropped off their own Pokémon.

"So what the hell is going on here?" Nekou demanded in her typical fashion.

"Someone from Polaris is about to give a speech."

Almost as soon as Matt answered her, though, the newscaster on the television attracted the attention of the entire crowd.

"We're now going to go live to the speech to be delivered by a representative of the Polaris group."

The image on the screen switched from the elderly, gray-haired newscaster at his desk to a simple, tight shot of the Polaris representative – that representative being Ghetsis, seen from the shoulders up with the oversized collar of his cape partially covering his mouth.

Though neither of them nor anyone else noticed, both Nekou and Dante scowled when they saw him.

"Good morning, people of the Tohjo Continent. My name is Ghetsis Harmonia, and I would like to speak to you today about a very important subject. More and more in this day and age, young trainers are suffering. The ideals we as older generations push upon our successors in this world are forcing our children to put themselves in dangerous, difficult positions. All Pokémon trainers are born equally, as are all Pokémon. It is this world, this system we have created that leads to inequality and suffering! It saddens me to the bottom of my heart to see young men and women suffer with no money on the road because they lost all of it in battles." Ghetsis's voice was actually losing its composure at this point, as if his sadness was sincere. "We must ask ourselves, what is the best way to help make this world a more equal and fair place? Polaris is pursuing that truth. We will find the way to bring about true equality and fairness in the world! Please, continue listening to what we have to say as we work for a better tomorrow! Thank you for your time."

Upon his thundering conclusion, Ghetsis disappeared from the screen, and the crowd in Cherrygrove City's Pokémon Center descended into a loud discussion of what his speech precisely meant. Many questioned the true meaning of the rambling speech, while plenty of others intensely discussed the merits of his point about the inequality of Pokémon trainers. It was as if the crowd had become possessed.

"What… was that?" Bunny wondered aloud, noticeably unsettled by the spectacle.

"I don't know, but I don't give a fuck about what that disgusting freak has to say," Nekou immediately hissed.

Though he was equally as disturbed by Ghetsis's speech, Matt pondered questioning why Nekou was so overtly agitated by it. He decided against doing so, however, and instead offered, "Let's just forget we saw that and get our Pokémon."

Matt, Nekou, Olivia, Bunny and Dante walked back toward the counter to retrieve their Pokémon. However, there was something else they weren't aware of.

The homeless Tenganist woman, the one who had met with Pierce the night before, was hiding behind a pillar in the corner of the Pokémon Center. She had seen Ghetsis's entire speech, and saw Matt's group as well.

"It's all starting to happen…" she mumbled to herself, nestling her child closely against her chest as her nerves frayed. "I didn't want you to get involved…"

-:-

A short while later, Matt, Olivia, Nekou, Bunny and Dante were sitting around a table in the Pokémon Center's dining area, discussing the events of the previous twenty-four hours over their respective meals.

"I really cannot apologize profusely enough for the consequences of my experiment." Dante kept tripping over himself verbally in his efforts to express just how remorseful he was. "It was never my intent for such chaos to break out."

"I appreciate it and all, and I'm glad you fixed my leg, but…" Olivia looked away before finishing, "…just stop apologizing."

The mood at the table became incredibly awkward as a result of Olivia's dour attitude. Matt just stared into his breakfast sandwich of egg and cheese on an English muffin, while Bunny shifted uncomfortably in her seat while rapidly glancing between Olivia, Dante and Nekou.

Perhaps fittingly, it was Nekou who broke the silence, blurting out, "Hey, Olivia, remember that pizza I promised Matt would get us? We're still getting that!"

"Wait, I never…"

"Thanks, then…"

Matt was interrupted and subdued by the forced smile Olivia showed him. He'd seen that smile before, and it was one of his primary weaknesses related to her. It wasn't a sarcastic smile, nor a genuinely happy one; instead, she used it when she was forcing herself to find one shred of positivity in a situation, usually when it involved her father.

"Want a newspaper?"

While collapsing in on himself over how much Olivia's false smile bothered him, Matt failed to notice the still-disguised Pierce approach the table until the undercover Team Rocket agent was holding a folded-up newspaper right in his face.

"Yeah, um… I guess so? Thanks."

As Matt accepted the paper, Pierce sat down at the next table so that their backs would be facing and opened up one of his own. Once he had made sure that the others were occupying themselves with eating, Matt unfolded and opened the paper he'd received from Pierce.

Almost immediately, a black file folder fell out onto Matt's lap.

"What is this?"

"Open it," Pierce instructed, not moving his head or even setting down his newspaper.

When Matt put his newspaper on the table but hesitated to do anything more, Nekou wasted no time in chiming in, saying, "You might as well take a look inside it. What harm could it do?"

"Eh, I guess so."

When Matt opened the file, he was greeted by several documents, the topmost of which bore a large picture of Ghetsis in its upper-right corner. The rest of the folder's contents elaborated in detail upon what appeared to be criminal case files regarding him.

"What is this?" Matt questioned, glancing back at Pierce, who still hadn't moved. "And who are you? What's going on?"

"That man you saw earlier on television, Ghetsis Harmonia, is not who he appears to be," Pierce explained, seemingly ignoring Matt's questions. "He was once the number one criminal on the International Police's most wanted list for an array of crimes in Unova including kidnapping, forced servitude, Pokémon abuse, child abuse, burglary, assault and murder, both attempted and successful, all as the leader of an outfit called Team Plasma."

Nekou and the others were listening to Pierce's furtive explanation, too, and she gritted her teeth as he went on.

"So yeah, this man is bad news. The reason why I said he was once the International Police's most wanted fugitive is because a little over two years ago, he was entirely purged from their database, meaning no evidence of his crimes survives, nor does any warrant for his arrest. That's part of why he was able to make a fresh restart here as a member of Polaris."

"What's the other part?"

"Someone in the government is shielding him, I fear. The internet and all other communication mediums have been carefully controlled to make finding out the truth about Team Plasma and Unova impossible in this country. I dread to think what could happen if Polaris has already infiltrated deeply into the highest ranks of the government here."

With that, Pierce rose from his seat, his newspaper tucked under his arm. Before he could leave, however, Matt spoke up again.

"Why are you telling me this, and who are you exactly?"

"You may call me Sam. Consider me an information broker… what I just gave you is essentially free. If you ever need my services, look for me in the one place not constrained by any rules, the place where the government cannot clamp down on the truth."

"What was that all about?" Bunny groaned as she watched Pierce walk away. "Why do these strange things keep happening?"

"Don't pay it too much mind," Nekou abruptly answered. "He didn't do anything to hurt us."

"I guess not," Matt decided with a shrug. "Let's finish up here, then."

-:-

Ghetsis hobbled down a cold, gloomy corridor in Polaris's base shortly after his speech. His gait was crooked and uneven, and the white cane he supported himself on crashed noisily on the metal floor with each step. The cane was itself a rather unusual item; it was topped by a hollow circle with a knob-shaped handle at its highest point. Within the circle, positioned at the nexus of two narrow rods forming a cross shape, was a shield colored half-black and half-white that bore a blue 'P' insignia overlaid on a backward 'Z.'

Approaching an iron door, Ghetsis raised the cane up and slammed it into the ground, activating a secret mechanism that opened the portal. He went inside, and the door slid shut behind him.

A dark, gloomy chamber waited beyond the doorway. It was illuminated only by the light filtering up from flickering computer screens and the pale blue neon lights fixed in a glass enclosure within the room.

Anthea and Concordia, the two women who Ghetsis had presented to the Sacred Helix, were contained within the transparent cage. They were still dressed shabbily in torn rags, and had loose chains connected to their wrists and ankles. Neither woman noticed Ghetsis come into the room and begin approaching their prison, as they were both more interested in the books of mythology their jailer had given them; however, when Ghetsis slammed his cane into the ground again, they immediately turned their blank eyes toward him.

"I see you two wenches have put yourselves to some use," he menaced, seemingly deliberately trying to taunt them. "Are those books of myth decoded yet?"

"Lord Ghetsis, sir…"

"Of course they are not finished yet!" Ghetsis thundered, interrupting Concordia before she had a chance to do much more than open her mouth. Both she and Anthea flinched, but only slightly; by this point they were beyond knowing Ghetsis's typical behavior. "In the amount of time you have had those books, only a genius could have deciphered their secrets already! Of course, we all know that that word is one of the last ones we'd use to describe you two!"

In a fit of rage, Ghetsis swung his cane out and smashed a blown-glass flowerpot sitting nearby on the floor, leaving soil and a cluster of flowers to spread out on the ground. This outburst prompted a stronger-but-still-muted reaction from the two women, who still had enough left of their broken instincts to raise their arms over their faces; this also served the secondary purpose of hiding the tears of terror developing in their eyes.

Once Ghetsis was done with his explosive anger, he calmed down and began breathing deeply, trying to catch his breath. "But, it's okay. None of it matters, because in the end, you two are simply nothing more than used, broken waste with little to no use left for me! I have everything I needed from you two, but I will allow you to live to see the world I will shape from the cold flames Polaris will reduce this planet to. A perfect world, in the image of a perfect ruler… you Tenganists cannot die out completely before some of you bear witness to what the king of Harmonia will create. And do you want to know what the best part about this entire thing is? All that remains to be done simply requires that defective freak son of mine along with the woman you Tenganists consider a prophet. You two have a front-row seat to the greatest spectacle this world will ever see!"

Though their faces remained blank, when Anthea and Concordia turned to face each other, terrible realizations came over them. Everything Ghetsis had said in his deranged rant, despite sounding like it made no sense, actually was completely true.

A sound like a gust of wind suddenly rang out in the chamber, prompting Ghetsis to turn around.

"Very well, you've returned. Report now."

Three identical young men stepped out from the shadows. Each one was wearing a wig of long, white hair along with sleeveless, figure-hugging gray mesh uniforms and mouth covers. Their hands were covered by heavy black gloves that matched their equally-heavy boots, and their baggy black pants were surrounded by dark skirts closed up in the fronts by gray crosses.

"Lord Ghetsis, we have analyzed and searched Route 44 and the Ice Path," one of the three stated.

"Neither your son or the woman you told us to look for was present in either location."

"Some of the Pokémon in the areas we searched appeared to have been befriended without capture, however. This would suggest your son was in fact there at some point, Lord Ghetsis."

"I see," Ghetsis said, pondering this new information as he leaned forward on his cane and tightened his grip on it. "Redouble your search and expand the area. We must find that inhuman boy and the Tenganist woman before the others do."

"We will meet your demands, Lord Ghetsis."

Another gust of wind indicated the swift disappearance of the three ninja-like young men. Ghetsis briefly turned back to Anthea and Concordia.

"You two saw and heard nothing just now. I'm sure you both want to keep getting the amount of food you do get."

Disappearing back into the darkness, Ghetsis wobbled to the door and exited the chamber. Once it was silent again, Concordia crumpled down onto her back and twisted slightly in the bedding that stretched from one end of their cage to the other.

"Anthea…" Concordia whispered, staring up at the ceiling, "…please, pray with me..."

-:-

"Are we heading to the Battle Arcade now, Matt?"

Bunny's question came as the group left the Pokémon Center to return to the streets of Cherrygrove City. She had become the one walking alongside Olivia, as Matt had taken the lead, leaving the two of them along with Dante and Nekou to carry the rear.

"I don't think I want to go there yet," Matt announced, pausing his walk so the others could hear him. Putting his hands on his hips, he turned slightly and explained, "The Frontier Society facility leaders, the Frontier Brains, change their Pokémon to match the skill level of each challenger. With the Pokémon I have, it's likely I'll be facing a trainer at Gym Leader level or higher, so I'd like to find a place to do some training first."

"Then I can help you with that, youngster!"

Having been sitting on a bench right outside the Pokémon Center, a surprisingly energetic-looking old man in a green sweater approached Matt. He had plainly overheard Matt and Bunny talking, and appeared eager to add his own contribution, his narrow eyes and thin mouth curled into expressions of genuine excitement.

"Who're you?" Nekou said, grimacing. "And don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?"

"You should talk…" Matt sarcastically mumbled under his breath.

"Now, now, it's no problem at all," the old man hurriedly assured. "People around town call me the Guide Gent, because I give tours of Cherrygrove. What's this I hear about you wanting to go to a place where you can train your Pokémon?"

"Exactly that. I'm going to challenge the Battle Arcade soon, and I want to practice before I go."

"Well, then, you're in luck, kid!" The Guide Gent did not notice how uncomfortable Matt looked every time 'youngster' and 'kid' were used to refer to him, but both Nekou and Olivia did, and they began whispering mischievously to each other in the background.

The Guide Gent continued, "There's a place in this city called a Trainer House. A lot of towns have 'em now. Pokémon trainers gather there and have battles with each other, which should be just what you're looking for. Interested?"

"Well, Olivia, what do you think?" Matt asked, turning halfway around. He was intrigued by the concept, but wanted to confirm that Olivia was comfortable with such a thing first.

"It couldn't hurt." Nekou suddenly whispered something in her ear, prompting Olivia to smile more broadly than she had all day and add, "Right, youngster?"

"Oh, come on," he sighed, exasperated and yet encouraged by Olivia's slow return to form. After running his hand down his face, Matt looked back at the Guide Gent and said," Show us the way, please."

"Will do! Come, youngsters, follow me!"

-:-

Before the group knew it, they found themselves standing outside of a spacious three-story building in the heart of Cherrygrove City. Aside from the Poké Ball logo on the building's doorway, it was a rather inconspicuous structure that blended in well with the small but busy city around it.

"Here we are, the Trainer House!" the Guide Gent declared, spreading his arms and speaking with great pride in his voice. "This is right where you'll want to be if your goal is to train your Pokémon."

"Thank you very much for taking us here," Matt said graciously. The old man's help had definitely shaved quite a bit of time off of their trip, which in turn allowed Matt more time to dedicate to practicing for the Battle Arcade.

"Think nothing of it. I hope what you get out of coming here is worth the price."

"Wait, what?" Bunny stopped the Guide Gent from walking off by putting her hand on his shoulder. She was troubled by his ominous statement and, as she was unable to put it out of her mind, Bunny resolved to clear it up. "What exactly do you mean by 'price?'"

"This city was not always so congested," responded the Gent, his voice becoming poisoned by a hint of bitterness. "It used to be a small, peaceful city on the shore. But when the Battle Arcade was built, and the Trainer House along with it, things changed around here."

"Let the gentleman go, Bunny," a bored-sounding Dante instructed. "There is nothing more he can offer us."

Dante's advice prompted Bunny to realize that he was right, and accordingly, she released her grip on the Guide Gent, who promptly bowed slightly to them one last time before exiting the area. There was no more business to be had outside the Trainer House, so the group moved inside, passing through the automatic double doors of the facility.

Inside was a sight much like the Pokémon Center, but different in a way that Matt and the others had trouble putting their fingers on. The facility's vast lobby took up the entirety of the first floor; its floor, patterned with black and silver tiles alternating in a checkerboard arrangement, was polished so well that it reflected everything on it, from people to Pokémon to fixtures such as the elegant elevators and marble reception desk.

Another similarity between the Trainer House and Pokémon Center was that a thick cluster of people were gathered around a large television not far from where Matt and the rest of the group entered. Aside from Dante, they were drawn to the scene by a natural desire to see just what was going on.

Matt, Nekou, Bunny and Olivia discovered a battle playing out on the television, depicting a Ludicolo facing off against an unfamiliar Pokémon. This creature had an insect-like appearance, taking on the general shape of a green mantis with leaves coming from his neck and waist.

"Another close call between Nando's Leavanny and Dahlia's Ludicolo!" blared the commentator of the match. "Leavanny has a distinct advantage, but the Arcade Star is powerful! She's holding her own!"

"It's Mister Nando!" Olivia exclaimed, finally cheering up as she recognized one of the figures on the television. He was someone she knew from five years ago, a man who indulged in both battles and the far showier Pokémon Contests. She didn't know him to have the Pokémon he was now using, Leavanny, but it fit in with what she knew of his preferences, which tended toward Grass-types, Bug-types and Pokémon with musical ties.

"So he's here too…" Matt mused, recognizing Nando as well. "This is the Battle Arcade, then?"

-:-

Indeed, the battlefield seen on the television was that of the Battle Arcade. A huge video screen loomed over the half-black, half-red arena floor, flanked on each side by a tall, cylindrical screen. Each of the side monitors displayed the three Pokémon designated for the battle by each trainer, while the center screen simply displayed a giant black square with several progressively smaller, outlined white squares condensing toward its middle.

Going downward from the top, Nando's Leavanny was his second Pokémon, as was Dahlia's Ludicolo. Their first Pokémon – Dragonite for Nando, Togekiss for Dahlia – were grayed out, indicating that they had fainted.

"What fabulous luck you've had so far!" Dahlia exclaimed, twisting around her space on the red side of the battlefield with fluid dance moves. The Arcade Star was a tall, thin woman whose skin showed a tan. Her clothing – a midriff-exposing yellow shirt and a pair of blue jeans – was so tight it left little to the imagination, and her messy, black, tendril-like hair wrapped around her as if it had a mind of its own as she danced. "But, I won't let you leave here without a real test! Let's see if you have enough luck to defeat me. Ludicolo, Energy Ball!"

"Very well," Nando calmly responded, strumming the strings of the golden, Mew-shaped harp in his hand, "I shall show you what you seek. Leavanny, please use Signal Beam."

Between the leafy antennae atop Leavanny's head, a sphere of white light took shape briefly before transforming into a rainbow-colored beam aimed straight in Ludicolo's direction. However, Ludicolo seemed to be much faster, and the glowing Energy Ball she launched had nearly connected before Leavanny intercepted it with his own attack.

The resulting explosion not only threw Leavanny back, it also created a gust of wind that visibly disturbed Nando's long black hair and green cape. His cape would have blown off if he didn't have it pinned in place with the red jewel and sky blue cravat he used, in fact.

"Those two attacks cancel each other out!" declared the announcer, to the delight of the audience gathered in the Battle Arcade. "It's pretty clear that Leavanny is suffering under the effect of the Trick Room induced by our game board, while Ludicolo is benefitting from a boost in its speed. Can Nando overcome this to gain the upper hand against our Arcade Star?!"

The question made Nando adjust his wide-brimmed green hat and squint with his right eye, the one that was not covered by his hair, while he pondered the situation. It was true, he knew, that the speed-inverting effect of the Trick Room created at the start of the battle was forcing his Leavanny to move more slowly than Dahlia's Ludicolo. This made dodging and attacking far more difficult than it usually was.

"Ludicolo, Hyper Voice!"

Dahlia's command made Nando realize what he had to do right away. "Leavanny, please, bear with me and take the attack!"

Leavanny braced himself as Ludicolo began screaming, her voice taking visible form in sound waves that washed over Nando's Pokémon. As much as he wanted to crumple before the deafening noise, Leavanny knew he had to hold fast and put as much effort as he could into doing so. Once Ludicolo's Hyper Voice subsided slightly, Nando jumped on the opening.

"Now, Leavanny, I call for Air Slash!"

Jumping up into the air, Leavanny pulled his arms back. Blades of air formed around them, and with Ludicolo in his sights, he sent the blades plummeting down by swinging his limbs. Dahlia and Ludicolo were caught off guard by this sudden move and thus had little time to prepare, resulting in large pieces of Ludicolo's grass poncho being cut off as she slipped to her knees.

"Dahlia's Ludicolo is down, but is it out?!"

"Oh, not yet, honey! Try my last-ditch longshot move! Drain Punch!"

Nando simply shut his eyes and gently smiled as Ludicolo rushed Leavanny with her right arm drawn back. He knew a close-quarters move like this had to be coming, and it had finally arrived. As soon as he heard Ludicolo's fist connect, he instructed, "Leavanny, grab Ludicolo."

Much to Dahlia's surprise, Leavanny effectively followed this direction, pinning Ludicolo in his grip. With her Grass-and-Water-type Pokémon frantically trying to escape its enemy, Dahlia exclaimed, "What?"

"And now it is time for my finishing move~" Nando sang while again strumming his harp. "Signal Beam!"

Another Signal Beam formed between Leavanny's antennae and hammered Ludicolo into the ground at point-blank range with relentless force. A number of the audience members gasped at this turn of events, especially when the smoke cleared to reveal that Dahlia's Ludicolo truly was defeated.

"Ludicolo is unable to battle!" the referee declared as Ludicolo's icon was grayed out on Dahlia's side of the field. "The winner is Leavanny!"

"Another one of Dahlia's Pokémon is down! The challenger now has a numbers advantage, with two of his Pokémon remaining against only her last one… but it's also Arcade Star Dahlia's most mighty fighter! Who is going to win this battle?"

"Well done, Ludicolo, I hope you had a good time," Dahlia said as she drew Ludicolo back into her Net Ball, a blue Poké Ball with black lines drawn on it to simulate a net pattern. The next ball she drew out, however, was a Master Ball; two bulbous red circles framed the letter 'M' in white against its dark blue top. "You've shown me excellent luck so far, Nando. I think it might even be more than that. Even with this Trick Room condition, you've managed to hold your own well against the Pokémon of a Frontier Brain… but I'm not the Arcade Star for no reason, you know! Prepare for my ultimate Pokémon! Now… dance, Zapdos!"

The flash of light from Dahlia's Master Ball took on the shape of a large, avian Pokémon, one with a long, pointed beak and jagged-edged wings. When its yellow-and-black coloring filled in, there could be no more doubt in any viewer's mind that it was indeed the Legendary Pokémon, Zapdos.

"Yes, it's Dahlia's Zapdos! Now, let's see how Nando deals with fighting a legend! And remember, Trick Room is still in effect, so that could also affect the outcome!"

"Legendary Pokémon are indeed creatures with incredible levels of power," Nando said out loud, though the calmness in his voice now sounded rather forced. What truly betrayed his feelings, though, was the subtle shaking of his fingers as they wrapped around the base of his harp. "But… they can be beaten, and I think I may have an advantage in that regard…"

"Do you now?!" exclaimed Dahlia, the Frontier Brain's energy boiling over. "Zapdos, don't hold back! Show him what you've got! Heat Wave!"

"Leavanny, escape and use Air Slash!"

Zapdos pulled its wings back, but before it could complete its attack, Leavanny shot behind it in a burst of Trick Room-fueled speed. As a result, the gust of fire that Zapdos produced was left to flow aimlessly away, and the Legendary Electric-and-Flying-type took an Air Slash to the back that it easily shrugged off.

"Ah, that's right, normally Zapdos would be faster," Dahlia realized. "I must give you credit for using Trick Room to your advantage now after being hurt by it earlier. That's not just luck, it's taking control and making it your own. Unfortunately for you, your luck has run out! Zapdos, get behind Leavanny and use Drill Peck!"

"What?"

Nando was left briefly stunned when, instead of the frontal counterattack he was expected, Zapdos twirled through the air to get behind Leavanny. Even Zapdos's movements, which were as agile and fluid as its trainer's, exuded power.

"It makes sense, a dancer training their Pokémon to reflect their personal style." Nando's voice was calm once again, but this time, it was because he was seemingly resigning himself to his fate. "Repel it with Leaf Storm, please."

From his own body language – particularly the steely, tense expression he wore on his face – it was clear that Leavanny also knew his fate was sealed. He knew he couldn't run forever, even with Trick Room boosting his speed and agility, as that would never win the fight. For that he'd need to land effective strikes on his foe, and none of his moves would prove effective enough to stop Zapdos.

Nevertheless, Leavanny turned around to courageously face his fate, which took the form of Zapdos diving toward him beak-first while spinning rapidly like a drill. The torrent of sharp leaves he called forth did little to injure or otherwise halt Zapdos, and when its Drill Peck made contact, Leavanny was hurled dozens of feet back across the stage, past Nando and into the wall at the back of the Battle Arcade.

"Leavanny is unable to battle! The winner is Zapdos!"

"And Nando's Leavanny falls to Dahlia's mighty Zapdos! It's a stunning show of strength from our Arcade Star, and we now have a sudden death situation on our hands! One Pokémon left on each side... who will win?!"

"Please take a rest, Leavanny, you have more than earned it." After returning his utterly defeated Leavanny to the safety of its Poké Ball, Nando turned back to face Dahlia and took out another sphere from his brown messenger bag. "Arcade Star Dahlia, I thank you for a most exhilarating match so far. When I entered the Battle Arcade today, I desired precisely this kind of battle, and I don't want to let it end yet. Exploud, make your entry!"

Unlike Leavanny, who cut an elegant and refined figure, Nando's final Pokémon was much more homely in appearance. The most distinguishing features on her blue body were her large mouth and the yellow-tipped tubes protruding from her head and tails.

"For his final Pokémon, Nando calls upon a master of sound, Exploud! Could he be hoping to tap into the wide array of moves Exploud can offer?"

"I don't think I want to take chances with this one," Dahlia mumbled, acknowledging her gut feeling telling her that Exploud was dangerous. "Zapdos, Heat Wave!"

Quickly running his fingers over his harp's strings, Nando called out, "Get beneath it and use ThunderPunch!"

Normally, Exploud would be an even slower Pokémon than any of the others, but with Trick Room in effect she was able to slide underneath Zapdos with great speed. While Zapdos's Heat Wave went off with no effect, Exploud's right fist became wrapped in a shroud of electricity shortly before she leapt up to try and hit the Legendary Pokémon.

"Don't let it!" Dahlia hastily warned. "Drill Peck!"

Even with the effect of Trick Room slowing it down, Zapdos was able to contort itself in the air to face downward, meeting Exploud's ThunderPunch with a Drill Peck. The electricity of Exploud's move combined with Zapdos's spinning motion to send sparks and bolts of lightning all over the arena for a time; not long after the two combatants were separated by the force of their respective attacks.

"An impressive showing from both trainers creates a gorgeous combination of moves! Most exciting!"

"A combination of moves..." Nando thought to himself. "That's it! Maybe my Pokémon Contest techniques will help!" Thrusting his arm out, he called, "Exploud, please, use Fire Blast!"

"Such a thing won't put me down! Zapdos, show no fear! Drill Peck!"

Dahlia's words were not lost on her Zapdos, as it courageously dove right into the thick fireball that Exploud burst from her mouth. When the rapidly spinning avian Pokémon made contact with the burning blast, the fire exploded into a twisting spiral; however, by that time, Exploud had already appeared behind Zapdos.

"Now, use Hyper Voice!" Nando commanded, pointing forwardly across the field.

"I see what you're up to. Thunderbolt!"

Like Dahlia's Ludicolo before her, Nando's Exploud took a deep breath and let out an explosive roar that manifested as visible sound waves. However, Zapdos stopped short while still enveloped in the remnants of Fire Blast and discharged electricity from all over its body. The electricity fused with not only the fire but the sound waves of Hyper Voice as well, creating shining rings of sparkling red energy that ultimately caused a gigantic explosion.

The bright light and gusting wind that radiated from the point of the explosion forced both Nando and Dahlia to cover their eyes. It took a full minute before the blast died down, revealing both Exploud and Zapdos, injured and breathing heavily.

"You were trying to force this to look like a Contest battle, weren't you?" Dahlia correctly guessed, standing confidently with her hand on her hip. "I've participated in plenty of Pokémon Contests myself, so if you want to go there, I'll gladly do it."

Nando took a step back, clutching his harp with nervousness that also reflected in his eyes. "Both Pokémon are getting exhausted," he thought, apprising both Exploud and Zapdos standing still on the battlefield. "I have to break through and start landing hits directly upon Zapdos, or we cannot win this…"

"It's time to wrap this up, Zapdos!" Dahlia shouted, as if she was reading Nando's thoughts. She threw her hand upward into the air and yelled, "Launch Ominous Wind into the air, then Drill Peck through it!"

Turning completely away from Exploud, Zapdos swung its wings upward, blowing a gust of purple-hued wind into the open air. Then, in front of the stunned eyes of Nando and the crowds both in the Battle Arcade and watching on television, Zapdos initiated Drill Peck, spinning right through the Ominous Wind before aiming for Exploud.

Staring at the purple spiral careening straight for his Pokémon, Nando came to a nervous realization. "We lose if we cannot keep up. Exploud, use ThunderPunch from below!"

Like earlier, Exploud attempted to slide beneath Zapdos and hit it with ThunderPunch, but this time, the aura surrounding the powered-up Electric-and-Flying-type clipped and stunned her.

"Go for the win now!" Dahlia exclaimed as Zapdos glided back to her side of the field. "Thunderbolt!"

"Exploud, don't give up yet! Fire Blast!"

Exploud's fireball and Zapdos's lightning bolt cut past each other in midair, just barely avoiding a collision. As a result, both Pokémon suffered direct hits and were sent falling to the ground, where, burned and battered, they stared each other down with what strength they had left.

"I'm truly impressed. It's been a while since Zapdos has had a fight this worthwhile... but it's about time this came to an end! Use Heat Wave and then Drill Peck!"

As Zapdos mimicked its earlier combination move, substituting Heat Wave for Ominous Wind, Nando realized just how serious his situation was. "We're going to have to go for the long shot, Exploud. Combine Ice Punch and ThunderPunch, I ask you!"

On Nando's order, Exploud's right fist began emanating ice while her left fist became electrified. She hit them together, combining the powers of ice and electricity into both fists, then swung them both forward to intercept Zapdos's fiery drilling attack.

The two managed to hold even ground against each other. Neither could knock out or even force the other back. Embers from Zapdos's body flaked over Exploud, singeing her skin, while the ice and electricity of Exploud's punches began to nullify the force of Zapdos's charge.

For a brief moment, Exploud and Zapdos could see into each others' eyes within the maelstrom of their attacks. A glare of respect was exchanged between them – then they each gave their last ounce of strength into a final push forward.

From the explosion that resulted from the powerful clash, Zapdos dropped forward past Exploud, crashing into the ground – and it did not get up. A split second later, Exploud fell down, but her opponent was already defeated.

"Zapdos is unable to battle! The winner is Exploud, and the victory in this Battle Arcade match goes to the challenger, Nando!"

A thunderous cheer went up among the assembled crowd at the Battle Arcade as the announcer, channeling the excitement into his voice, declared, "And there's an outcome we rarely see! I know I never expected it today… Dahlia's Zapdos has been beaten! Nando's Exploud has managed to defeat it!"

"Hm… so that's how my luck runs out…" A broad smile came over Dahlia's face as she recalled Zapdos to its Master Ball. "You did great, Zapdos! The luckiest thing of all is when you get to battle all out, and I couldn't have had such a treat without your help!"

With that, Dahlia began walking over to Nando, who was kneeling next to his badly wounded Exploud and petting her head.

"And I must congratulate you too, Nando!" she said happily. "A fierce battle is truly a joyous occasion, and you have the honor of being the winner! You too, Exploud, you were truly impressive!"

"I sincerely thank you, Arcade Star Dahlia," Nando responded, rising back to his full height. "My Pokémon thank you as well, for this most excellent battle."

-:-

Having seen the conclusion of Nando and Dahlia's battle, much of the crowd surrounding the television in the lobby of the Trainer House began to dissipate. Matt, however, remained firmly rooted where he stood, and as a result, the others in his group didn't leave either.

"Mister Nando's just as amazing as always, don't you think?" Olivia cheerfully said to him, seemingly forgetting about her crutches for a brief moment.

However, Matt was all but oblivious to what she was saying, as his attention was fixated on what had just unfolded at the Battle Arcade. "So that's what I'm up against?" he mumbled to himself. "I'm not sure I stand a chance…"

"I told you, the road to the truth is not an easy one." Seemingly having overheard Matt's musings, Dante stood alongside him, pushing up his glasses before speaking further. "But if you cannot stand up to Zapdos, how do you hope to ever have a chance of finding Reshiram, whose power greatly eclipses it?"

"You've got a point. I'll need to prepare if I'm going to have any chance of winning, though."

"That means you'll be training here, then?" Bunny chimed in, having made her way into the conversation. "The registration counter's right over there," she then added, gesturing to her right.

"Let's do it, then."

With a sudden spring in his step, Matt strode across the lobby, arriving at the registration desk well before the others, with Olivia and Dante bringing up the rear. A brunette woman dressed in a plain white blouse and green pencil skirt was operating the counter, and she smiled at the group when they arrived before her.

"Welcome to the Cherrygrove City Trainer House." Though her voice was pleasant enough, she was hoarse and spoke robotically, as if she'd said the same thing repeatedly and worn herself out on it. "We offer facilities for Pokémon trainers to develop and hone their battling skills in controlled environments. Would you like to rent one of our training rooms?"

Disregarding what he thought was the woman's obvious boredom with her job, Matt replied, "Yes, that's exactly what I'd like, please."

After signing his name to the guest ledger that the receptionist thrust in his direction, Matt was handed a ticket that she printed out from the computer on her desk. It read "S1-R12."

"Your battle room is number twelve on sublevel one. Please take the elevator to your left. Thank you for using our services, Mr. Chiaki."

Almost immediately upon his turning around, Nekou grabbed Matt's arm and began dragging him toward the elevator. "No time to lose! Wasted time can't be regained!"

Wrenching his arm free of her grip, Matt growled, "What's gotten into you? This time, I mean."

"If you don't train, you won't beat Dahlia. And if you lose, what good are you to me?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means… um… fuck. Did you forget about that pizza you promised me and Olivia? If you lose, you can't keep your promises!"

"I didn't promise that…" Matt sighed in exasperation before turning to Bunny, Olivia and Dante. "I need a training partner, though."

"I'll train with you," Dante offered as the group resumed their trip to the elevator. "I think battling you would be a rather intriguing affair."

"You've got Pokémon of your own?" Bunny questioned, plainly surprised by Dante's words. "I hadn't quite expected you to be a trainer yourself."

"Well, not professionally like the younger generation, at least." A wistful look filled Dante's eyes as he spoke. "Things aren't like how they were when I was younger."

"Then why are you offering to train with me exactly?"

"I like you and your little team, Matt," Dante confessed. "You four remind me of how things used to be, when people quested for big things. Well, that and the fact that I can just feel how badly my Alakazam and Ditto want to battle again, but do forgive this old man for making you listen to his ramblings."

"It's no big deal, in fact, what you had to say was actually kind of interesting." Matt caught Nekou grimacing in the corner of his eye and realized that she didn't share his appreciation of Dante's philosophizing at the time. Disregarding that, though, he realized that they had reached the elevator, and reached for the call button.

Before Matt could press it, the doors opened in front of him. Inside the elevator was someone Matt recognized – a young man, dressed plainly in a black jacket and blue jeans but sporting shoulder-length red hair and an intense facial expression. He plainly recognized Matt too, and stepped out of the elevator before putting his hand on his hip and confronting the group.

"Somehow I'm not surprised I ran into you here, Matt Chiaki. I knew I had to get stronger before facing you, and it looks like that time has come."

"Have we met before?" Bunny questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I remember you," Matt said. He then tilted his head back and looked over his shoulder to Bunny. "Silver, the trainer I was going to battle at the Frontier Society tournament back on the Indigo Plateau. Remember? I was going to battle him but he decided to surrender and leave the tournament."

"Oh, now I remember!"

"So what's the matter, Silver?" Nekou mockingly asked of the young man. "Did Matt, of all people, scare you?"

"You, be quiet." Silver's casual, rude dismissal of Nekou's provocation surprised Matt far more than her original action did, leaving him to stare blankly as Silver turned an intense glare toward him. "I have unfinished business with Matt Chiaki."

"This young man certainly appears to mean business, Matt," Dante advised. "I'll politely step aside from battling you this time, because it looks like you've found your real opponent."

"I guess it makes sense, doesn't it? Silver, if you're serious about this, and I have no reason to think you aren't, follow us back downstairs. Come on, Olivia."

With Silver now in tow, the group crowded into the ivory-walled elevator. Olivia and Dante entered first, owing to the fact that they had assistance devices for walking. Matt, Nekou, Bunny and Silver all followed them.

On the wall next to the door was a selection of buttons, marked "1," "2," 3" and "S1." Matt chose the final button and pressed it, prompting the elevator's doors to close so the car could transport its passengers down.

"You never really explained why you quit the tournament, Silver."

Silver growled; evidently he was bothered by having to think about his previous encounter with Matt's group, even though nothing bad had happened. "I wasn't strong enough," he finally admitted, however. "I saw your strength and I knew I was outmatched."

"Why not just battle him and find out how it would go?" Olivia questioned.

"There was no reason to. I could have, but I would not have gained anything from it. In order to get stronger, I believe that you must fight on the same level as your enemy, which meant I had to hone my skills further." Silver thrust his finger upward, pointing right in Matt's face, and declared, "I've done that, so now, consider this battle the one we didn't have then."

Before Matt could say anything in regards to the challenge laid down against him, the elevator stopped and its doors opened. Beyond the threshold on sublevel one was nothing more than a wide, brightly-lit corridor. Six doors lined up next to each other on each wall, each leading to its own athletic court.

"Tell me what number room you got," Silver demanded.

"Twelve," Matt replied, fumbling for the reservation ticket in his pocket.

"Fine. It's this way."

With his hands tucked into his own pockets, Silver skulked over to the door nearest to the elevator on the right side, which had a large number '12' painted on it in yellow. Silver snatched the ticket from Matt's grasp and held it up to a sensor next to the door, prompting it to open. He then crumpled the paper up and tossed it back to Matt before abruptly entering the room.

"Someone got their cornflakes pissed in this morning," Nekou groaned, following behind Olivia into the room.

"Please don't make a scene now," Matt pleaded with her. "Let this go as smoothly as it possibly can."

Surprisingly enough, Nekou listened and backed down, allowing both herself and Matt to finally enter after the others.

Inside was an entirely blank, slate-gray room. A crude battlefield outline was drawn on the floor in chalk, and off to the side, there was a bench for spectators. Bunny, Olivia and Dante were already there, so Nekou joined them while Matt took his place on the battlefield to face Silver.

"This is where we're going to fight?" Matt blanched. "It's so lifeless."

"That's why they give you the opportunity to customize it," snapped the redheaded young man. "Learn what you're doing, or you aren't a worthy opponent for me."

As if on cue, a robot in the shape of an oversized Poké Ball floated down next to the spectator bench. Nekou immediately jumped up, and using a keyboard attached to the machine, activated the program to edit the battlefield. Small, crystalline domes surrounding the battlefield space began to glow as a result.

With only a few clicks, Nekou loaded a battlefield map, and the crystal generators shined even brighter. When their light faded, the room had been completely transformed, now resembling an artificial forest in a greenhouse. Trees and rocks were everywhere, and the rocky floor had been transformed into a cool, healthy clearing of grass.

"So it's true!" Bunny exclaimed. "I had heard these places could become any kind of battlefield, and it really was true!"

"All computers and holograms," explained Nekou. "This battlefield is for all intents and purposes solid, but it can be reverted back into data and put back into the system when we're done with it."

With Matt and Silver each on their respective end of the forest arena, the battle only needed some rules put into place before it could begin, an opportunity Silver seized without hesitation.

"We'll make this a Single Battle with three Pokémon on each side," he announced while pointing straight at his opponent, leaving no room for debate. "Obviously, the battle will be over when all three Pokémon on one side faint."

"Fine by me," Matt agreed, grasping the front of his hat. "Do you want to use the Pokémon we used in the tournament first?"

"I don't care about that. The rules of that tournament were too restrictive for me to get much out of it, so I don't care what Pokémon you go with. For myself, on the other hand…"

Cutting himself off in the middle of his own sentence, Silver took a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it. A hulking, blue Pokémon with a muscular build and powerful jaws erupted out; he stood on a pair of firm legs as he stretched out his clawed, club-like arms.

"I was training Feraligatr at the tournament," Silver elaborated, "so I'll use it here too."

"I see." Still holding the front of his hat, Matt quietly pondered what he had to do. "This battle is to practice for the Battle Arcade. Dahlia uses Togekiss, Ludicolo and Zapdos, and with me now… I have Heatran, Reuniclus, Aggron, Rotom, Golurk and Salamence with me. Based on that… I know which three I'll go with."

Readying a Poké Ball of his own from his bag, Matt called out, "Tony, make your mark!"

Feraligatr's bulk was more than matched by the Pokémon Matt sent out to face him, a dinosaur-like creature whose craggy black body had bands of silver metal around the limbs. Coming in at a height just shorter than that of his opponent, the Aggron turned his steel head upward to allow his blue eyes to meet the gaze of Silver's Feraligatr.

"An Aggron," Bunny noted with a bit of apprehension, "against a Feraligatr. Aggron is Steel-and-Rock-type, while Feraligatr is Water-type. I've got to wonder what Matt was thinking, sending in something with such an obvious disadvantage…"

"And Feraligatr is the final evolution of Totodile," Olivia added, somewhat bitterly. "I wonder how much I missed out on…"

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but sending in a Rock-type against a Water-type?" On his side of the battlefield, Silver was just as confused as Bunny about Matt's choice. "Basic type logic is on my side, but I'm sure you know that already."

"I'm getting ready to challenge Dahlia over at the Battle Arcade," Matt explained, "so I'm going with the Pokémon I want to use there, to warm them up."

"If your path to the Battle Arcade goes through me, I'll see to it that you never get there! Feraligatr, Waterfall!"

"Tony, I think you can outgun it! Head Smash!"

Both Tony and Feraligatr started to charge at each other, their bodies each taking on different qualities to reflect their moves. Tony's head took on a bright glow, while Feraligatr's entire body was surrounded by a current of water.

When they collided, the two Pokémon pushed against each other for several intense moments before Tony was overwhelmed and thrown back. However, his attack was not entirely a failure, as Feraligatr also stumbled backward in Silver's direction, just in a far more subtle way.

"So that didn't work. Fine, I'll try something else. Tony, give Iron Tail a shot!"

"Hmph, how desperate can you be?" Silver sighed, as if he was annoyed by how the battle was going. "Feraligatr, you use Iron Tail as well!"

Both Pokémon lunged at each other again, this time with their tails glowing with silvery light. They both tried to hit the other by swinging their tails, but once again, Feraligatr prevailed, pitching Tony back into a tree textured by the battlefield. The false foliage cracked under Tony's weight, and a large portion of it faded into thin air in a cloud of binary code.

"The reason why Aggron is an especially poor choice against Feraligatr is actually twofold," Silver spoke before not only Matt but Nekou, Olivia, Bunny and Dante, who were all fascinated in the battle for their own reasons. "One, the reason you already know, that Water is super-effective against Rock. You already knew that, but what shocks me is that you don't know reason number two – Steel-type moves don't affect Water-types much. For that reason, you have no chance. Recall Aggron if you want to have any chance of defeating Feraligatr."

Matt stopped and stared nervously at the ground. "He's got a point. I knew that, but it slipped my mind," he thought, running a hand over the stubble on his face. "If my attacks can be so easily repelled, I won't be able to win. Maybe I should recall Tony…"

"Time's up, your decision for Aggron is made. Feraligatr, Waterfall!"

Seeing the water-cloaked Feraligatr charging his way again, Matt panicked and blurted out, "Block it with Double-Edge!"

Matt hadn't noticed yet, but Tony seemed to realize something about the battle and Feraligatr. As a result, he lowered his head and turned Double-Edge into a headbutting move instead of a tackling move. He charged ahead, right into Feraligatr's attack, and managed to hit Feraligatr's own head directly. Both Pokémon were affected by the collision, but Feraligatr was visibly shaken up by the force he'd been hit with.

"Tony, what did..." Suddenly, what his Pokémon had done clicked with Matt. "Aggron as a species is far more defensive than Feraligatr! If we simply parry Feraligatr's attacks with similar moves of our own, Feraligatr will end up defeating himself!" Undoing and opening his coat, Matt said to his Pokémon, "Good thinking, Tony! That's how we'll win!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I will be the winner! Feraligatr, Iron Tail!"

Tony's Double-Edge had more of an effect on Feraligatr than either Matt or Silver realized, however. The hulking Water-type could not carry out his orders immediately due to the fact that he was having difficulty maintaining his balance after the blow he'd received.

It wasn't long before Feraligatr managed to overcome his dizziness, though, and Matt was ready for him when he did. "Hit Feraligatr's tail with Dragon Claw!"

As Feraligatr swung his tail around, Tony had a glowing claw ready to intercept it. Iron Tail had so much force put into it that Tony had to strain greatly for his own move to have any effect, but it paid off when he managed to reverse the pace of Feraligatr's attack, throwing Silver's Pokémon into a spin.

"If that won't work, we'll get even closer! Feraligatr, use Ice Punch repeatedly!"

In order to stop his spinning, Feraligatr leaned down and dug his claw into the ground, quickly halting his movement. He then rose to his full height, tensed the muscles in both of his arms and charged at Tony anew, with his claws and forearms radiating icy air.

"I'll gladly fight up close! Meet every one with Dragon Claw, Tony!"

Bracing himself, Tony met every one of the punches dealt by Feraligatr by stabbing Feraligatr's fists with his claws; both alternated their strikes, matching each other evenly.

"Now this is a battle," Nekou commented, still standing behind the floating computer. She seemed to be paying surprisingly close attention to the match. "Olivia, what do you think?"

"Feraligatr's strong, but I expected that." Smiling, she continued, "But Matt's doing really well. I'm actually impressed."

"I agree," Bunny concurred. "Even with the bad type matchup, Matt's figuring out ways to make it work. I'm not sure if he can actually pull off a win, though…"

For his part, Dante simply sat still and quietly observed the events unfolding before him.

Tony and Feraligatr were still exchanging blows when Silver suddenly smirked. "I've got you right where I want you," he tauntingly hissed. "Iron Tail!"

In the blink of an eye, Feraligatr halted his punching assault and switched back to using his tail, undercutting Tony and forcing him to fall forward. He fell right into Feraligatr's grasp, and the Water-type Pokémon gripped Tony by wrapping his arms around the Aggron.

"What?!" Matt gasped in disbelief, a sentiment shared by his friends on the sidelines. "How am I supposed to... use Iron Tail, I guess!"

Tony's tail did begin to glow, but he was unable to wriggle free of Feraligatr's grasp and therefore was unable to use it. Feraligatr smiled; it was not a smile of happiness but one of cocky confidence, much like the one worn by his trainer.

"Now, Feraligatr!" Silver called out, pointing directly forward. "Throw Aggron with Waterfall!"

A veil of water erupted around the two Pokémon, putting Tony into visible distress. That wasn't enough for Feraligatr, though; he began trying to lift his opponent, exerting all the energy he could into raising the Aggron up.

It was Feraligatr's clear struggle to pick up Tony that inspired Matt to continue. "I know you've got some more left in you, Tony. I can feel it!"

Responding to Matt's encouragement, Tony growled and shifted himself against both Feraligatr's grip and the water pounding his body, making himself even heavier and thus harder for Feraligatr to lift.

"Come on, Feraligatr, finish it!" roared Silver. Despite the resistance Tony was putting up against his Feraligatr's advances, Silver still thought he could feel victory within his reach.

"Dragon Claw!"

Even though he was still trapped in Feraligatr's grasp, Tony managed to pull his left arm free. He jabbed his glowing claws into Feraligatr's torso, a move that finally broke the Waterfall and freed him from the Water-type.

"Aggron got away!" Bunny exclaimed as she, Nekou, Olivia and Dante watched the two Pokémon separate in what appeared to be preparation for a final clash. "Matt just might pull this one out after all!"

"Maybe he isn't so bad after all," Nekou deadpanned at the battlefield controls. "He might actually earn some credit this time."

"Feraligatr's strong, but… maybe Matt and Aggron are stronger?" With her hand over her mouth, Olivia's voice came out muffled but still reflective of the thought in her mind.

Tony threw off the water that was still dripping down his steel armor by flicking his arms and head. After that, seeing that Feraligatr was still standing prompted to shake the room with a mighty roar.

"Tony…" Interpreting the roar as a sign of his Aggron's emotions toward the battle, Matt hesitated for a moment before smiling. "You want to finish this up, then? Be my guest. Head Smash!"

Growling in frustration, Silver would have none of this. "Feraligatr, get the upper hand! Waterfall!"

In the exact same way that the battle had begun, Tony and Feraligatr rushed each other and collided head-to-head. However, unlike the first time, Feraligatr's body had become weak after trying to pick up Tony, and as a result he could not hold out. Tony's Head Smash made full impact and threw Feraligatr over, and with his head reddened from the blow, the Water-type did not get up.

"Well done, Tony," Matt congratulated, wiping his brow. Both he and his Aggron were gasping for air after Feraligatr finally went down, exhausted for different reasons. "That was excellent work."

It slipped their minds for just a brief second that Feraligatr was only the first of Silver's Pokémon to fall and that the battle was far from over. This was not a fact forgotten by Silver, though, and as he wordlessly recalled Feraligatr he already had his second Pokémon ready.

"That was the first Pokémon I ever got that you just beat." Holding up a Great Ball – a blue Poké Ball with two red bars on its top – in his right hand, Silver spoke in a voice that was subtly poisoned by an angry, frustrated growl. "I must have underestimated you, and that will not happen again! Mamoswine, enter the battle!"

If Feraligatr could be called a large Pokémon, the beast that followed him as Silver's second choice could rightfully be known as huge. Her massive body was supported by four stout legs and covered in brown fur. A white-and-blue frame surrounded her fairly small eyes, and below the smattering of cream-colored fur around her red nose, two grand tusks shaped from solid ice emerged. She stamped her foot into the ground repeatedly as she looked down on the Pokémon before her.

"Mamoswine's a completely different obstacle than Feraligatr," commented Bunny, "what with being an Ice-and-Ground-type."

"It's true that his Ground-type is a risk," Matt responded, having heard Bunny speaking, "but Mamoswine is half Ice-type, too. Tony, still up for this?"

Though he was visibly tired, Tony was enjoying the fight too much to quit. He grunted and nodded back to his trainer, so Matt adjusted his hat and steeled his stance.

"Good luck, then, Tony. Use Iron Tail!"

"You aren't getting me this time!" Silver yelled out. "Mamoswine, Earthquake!"

Long before Tony had any chance of reaching Mamoswine with his glowing tail, the towering Pokémon slammed her front legs into the ground. The resulting shockwave ravaged much of the illusionary landscape on its way to violently shaking beneath Tony's feet. Blasts of seismic energy radiated through Tony's body from underground, causing him to spasm sharply before falling down as soon as the attack abated.

"To be expected," Nekou scoffed. "Aggron would have had a hard time even without the stress from beating Feraligatr first."

"Good job, Tony," Matt said to the Poké Ball in his hand after recalling his Aggron to its confines. "That wasn't an easy fight by any means."

"We're even now," Silver called out across the field, his voice as cold as the ice composing his Mamoswine's tusks. "Tell me that your next Pokémon is going to actually give Mamoswine a challenge. I won't get any stronger if I just crush you."

"And I won't get stronger either if that happens, so wouldn't you say a tough battle would be good for us both?"

"Now that's what I wanted to hear." A daring smile crept onto Silver's face, breaking his usual dour attitude. It wasn't out of happiness, though; instead, it was fueled entirely by his eagerness for a brawl. "Show me your next Pokémon!"

"That's fine by me! Patrick, make your mark!"

Matt threw the Dive Ball after taking it from his bag, sending Patrick out once again. The Seismitoad briefly yawned, but when he saw Mamoswine, he realized that he was in a battle and snapped to attention.

On the sidelines, Bunny seemed slightly alarmed by Matt's choice. "Matt's going with a Pokémon he only just caught recently, against a well-trained opponent no less?"

"Well, he's got to help get Seismitoad stronger at some point, right?" Olivia pointed out. "And Seismitoad did help us fight that nasty Bisharp, so it could work."

"Don't think you've got this wrapped up yet," Silver grunted, standing with his hand tucked firmly in his pocket. "Give me everything you've got."

"Gladly," Matt quickly replied. "Patrick, if he wants to be hit hard, let's give him just that. Scald!"

"Mamoswine, Hail."

The two Pokémon maneuvered their bulky bodies in curves around the field, matching each others' movements. Neither broke eye contact with the other, but it was Patrick who acted first, opening his wide mouth to spit up a stream of steaming-hot water into Mamoswine's face. The Ice-and-Ground-type closed her eyes as the burning water erupted into steam against her face and singed her fur.

A splash of red, discolored hair formed a bizarre spot on Mamoswine's face as a residual of the attack. She did, however, manage to snap back into focus rather quickly, and once she did, she looked up to the high ceiling and howled. A soft white aura surrounded her body briefly before bursting into a thick cover of clouds that enveloped the entire chamber, within which a relentless ice storm began. Hailstones buffeted Patrick, but they had no effect on Mamoswine, who seemed to fade into the mist.

"Matt better watch himself," Nekou muttered to Bunny and Olivia while wiping the water off of her glasses. "If Silver's doing what I think he is, then this is going to be quite a ride. I'm not surprised he'd use a Ground-type with such skill, though."

"His favorite type, like my dad with Water-types?" Olivia wondered.

"It's just in his blood, I guess you could say."

Matt was openly as bothered by the clouds in the air as Nekou was. He squinted his visible eye several times and wiped condensation off of the mask covering his other eye before saying anything.

"So you're going to work me down slowly with Hail?" he breathily said. "I'll have to deal with you quickly, then. Patrick, use Scald again!"

"Just what I wanted," Silver mumbled with a smirk.

What happened next was hard to describe. Patrick thought he saw Mamoswine clearly in the storm while he aimed Scald, and as far as Matt, Bunny, Nekou and Olivia all could see, there was no reason to doubt that. Just before the searing stream made contact, though, what appeared to be Mamoswine simply vanished, revealing itself to be little more than a mirage.

"What? How did it miss?"

"That was Mamoswine's ability, Snow Cloak," Nekou explained, her glasses catching the light from the fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling and glowing as a result. "It becomes more evasive in a hailstorm."

"So the Hail wasn't itself what was going to wear me out, it was Mamoswine escaping my attacks…"

"That's right. I wanted to test this tactic out on opponents who could give it a challenge." While offering these details, Silver remained nearly still, keeping his body stiff and his hand in his pocket. He finally moved shortly after, however, pointing at Matt as he called out the command, "Earthquake!"

Mamoswine had completely disappeared in the murk consuming the battle, so when she roared, her disembodied voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. It was impossible for anyone to tell where the shockwave radiating through the ground originated from, but regardless of that fact, Patrick was shaken to his knees as a result.

"I think it's behind you, Patrick! Hit it with Drain Punch!"

A gurgling sound rumbled from Patrick's mouth, indicative of his anger as he whirled around and swung his glowing fist in a wide arc across the space previously to his back. It was all for naught, though; if Mamoswine had been there just a moment earlier, she no longer was.

"This works better than I expected," Silver mused. "If I'm getting this much mileage now, I can only imagine how well it'll do against his Pokémon. It's about time to wrap this up, so use Earthquake one more time!"

Once more, Mamoswine bellowed from no discernible location and broke the ground with a seismic shockwave. Patrick fell from his knees onto all fours, trembling violently from the repeated spasms forced through his body. Yet, he did not faint, and that was what visibly flustered Silver while leaving Matt relieved.

"That didn't do it? I'll have to admit it, then… you're giving me just the kind of challenge I wanted."

"Underestimating your opponent's a mistake," Matt advised the younger trainer. "If you underestimate what you're against, you won't bring your best to the fight."

"That's good and all but I wasn't underestimating you," Silver sneered, his façade of smug calmness beginning to crack. "You are a means to an end for me, and for that, I need you as strong as you possibly can be. You think I'm underestimating you? I'll show you how serious I can be! Mamoswine, Ice Shard! Finish it off!"

A glint in the churning murk of the hailstorm caught Matt's eye, and he knew immediately what he had to do. "Ninety degrees to your right! Scald!"

In a sudden burst of agility, Patrick deliberately fell onto his stomach and turned around by exactly the prescribed angle. The chunks of ice that Mamoswine had directed his way simply flew right over his head, having no effect on him as he spat back another burst of boiling water.

"Mamoswine, wha…" Silver stopped his response to Mamoswine's pained wail short when he spotted her amongst the clouds. She was now the one trembling, with some sort of injury near her mouth acting as the source of her suffering. From the bright red discoloration of her fur in that area, Silver realized that she had been inflicted with a burn. "Damn it! Stopped when I was so close... this is not over yet. Mamoswine, come back!"

Seeing no sense in forcing Mamoswine to fight further at the moment, Silver called her back into the relative safety of her Great Ball. He then gripped another Poké Ball in his hand, but hesitated in throwing it.

"My third and last Pokémon," Silver thought aloud. "To call this a win for myself, I must make everything I can out of this one. Mamoswine can't do this alone, and if I want to get strong enough to defeat him, I have to be able to win battles like this…" Finally throwing the Poké Ball, he shouted, "Gengar, enter the battle!"

In keeping with the eclectic, random nature of Silver's team, his third Pokémon was a roughly five-foot-tall ghost with the appearance of a black shadow. Just about the Gengar's only distinguishing features were his sinister red eyes and wide, toothy smile.

"A Gengar? Now I'm interested." Stiffly pushing her glasses up on her nose, Nekou walked away from the control computer and dropped herself next to Bunny on the bench. "This might be where Silver turns it around."

"What's gotten into you all the sudden?" Bunny questioned, genuinely confused regarding how Nekou's mind had changed so fast.

"Ghost-types fight completely differently than users of brute force like Feraligatr and Mamoswine," Nekou explained. "I'm interested to see how Matt handles one…" She then abruptly added, "Strictly from a knowledge standpoint, of course. I just want to know what he's capable of."

From his spot on the battlefield, Matt was having similar thoughts. After taking a moment to assess the situation and his chances, he thrust his hand out and called, "Patrick, use Scald again!"

"Counter it with Shadow Ball!"

In the haze of the continuing hailstorm, neither Patrick nor Gengar could get a clear lock on where the other was. As a result their attacks sailed within inches of each other on their way to grazing their respective targets.

"This hailstorm has got to end soon…" Matt mumbled to himself. The weather effect laid out by Silver was indeed making it more difficult for him to strategize Patrick's moves. "Just try another Scald for now!"

"If you're going to have trouble hitting me, I'll try my luck. Gengar, Metronome!"

Moving with great speed, Gengar pointed straight up with both hands and then waved his arms back and forth. A split second later, an orange aura surrounded him as rushed forward with his arms crossed, karate chopping Patrick in the stomach in an 'X' shape. Though this Cross Chop attack did knock the wind out of the Seismitoad, he was able to quickly recover and take advantage of his now-close proximity to his enemy to blast Gengar with hot water. The phantom tumbled through the air, groaning shrilly in pain.

Much to Matt's delight, the hailstorm finally abated at that point. The entire virtual battlefield – much of it damaged by the vicious sparring it hosted – returned to full view, and the two panting Pokémon growled while sizing up what it would take to defeat each other.

"It's time to put an end to this once and for all. Patrick, hit Gengar with one more Scald dead-on!"

"That's what you think!" Silver shouted in response. "Gengar, Toxic! Now!"

Patrick opened his mouth in preparation to launch yet another Scald, but before he could get any water out, Gengar complicated things. Stretching his right arm out in Patrick's direction, Gengar focused a swirl of poisonous sludge around it, ultimately using the arm as a guide to shoot the vile substance right into Patrick's face.

The Seismitoad's entire visage was covered by the sludge, throwing his Scald far off target. He completely panicked, desperately trying to wipe away the thick fluid that was already sapping his last bits of endurance.

"Patrick, is there anything I can…"

"There's something I can do," Silver interrupted. "End this fight. Gengar, Venoshock!"

Gengar stared upward and spread his arms, letting out a high-pitched cry. Four pools of similar purple sludge erupted around Patrick, and Gengar's power caused each puddle to rise into the air in the shape of a lightning bolt. Suddenly, the four spears of poison converged on Patrick, shocking him from head to toe in brutal, agonizing pain.

"Venoshock is a special toxin that attacks the bodies of already poisoned targets," Silver explained while he and Matt watched Patrick writhe desperately within Gengar's assault. "Do what you must to win, with no rules or limits… that's the way of the world and the way I battle. Your Seismitoad's name is Patrick, right? Patrick, thank you for being a useful training partner."

Silver snapped his fingers, making the Venoshock barrage finally cease. Almost instantaneously, Patrick crumbled to the ground in front of Gengar, unable to move even a centimeter more.

"Patrick, no…" Looking up with grief in his eyes, Matt yelled to Silver, "Call the rest of the battle off! I have to take Patrick for treatment now!"

"Don't fucking choke now!" Nekou suddenly called out, startling the others. "It's just regular damage, Patrick's no worse hurt than he'd be from any normal fight! Silver's just trying to psych you out!"

"Yeah!" Olivia piped up in support. "Don't let him get inside your head!"

"Yeah, my head is mine…" Matt chuckled, shaking it to work out a cramp in his neck. Turning back to the battle, he held up the Dive Ball and recalled Patrick, saying, "Patrick, you fought courageously. I'll get you to the Pokémon Center soon."

"So what's it going to be last?" demanded Silver. "It's two against one now. Face it, my training here will end with my victory!"

"Not if my old friend has anything to say about it!" Matt countered, pulling a yellow-and-black Ultra Ball from his bag and throwing it. "Nikola, make your mark!"

As Matt's last Pokémon took shape, its form became a rather unusual one: an orange refrigerator with a spike on top, cloaked in a blue plasma that formed a pair of lightning bolt-shaped 'arms.' On the refrigerator's front, two white-and-blue eyes framed a small, smiling mouth.

"It had to be a Rotom, something I wasn't prepared for?!" Silver exclaimed in surprise and disgust. "I see you're not going to make that victory easy for me. Gengar, it's time to go all out! Toxic!"

"Stop it with Thunderbolt, Nikola!"

Gengar raised his arm again and started to funnel sludge around it, but Nikola cut him off. The electric blast loosed by the Rotom cut right through Gengar's Toxic and powerfully shocked him, making him stumble onto one knee.

"You're not going to stop me! Not yet!" Silver swiftly pointed forward and roared in command, "Gengar, Shadow Ball!"

Trembling, the weakened Gengar extended his arm again, this time to draw dark energy out of the air in the shape of a sphere. He locked his eyes on the floating refrigerator Rotom and flicked his finger, sending the orb of shadow at its target; Nikola, however, made no effort to dodge, instead opting to take the hit and endure it. The Electric-and-Ice-type emerged nearly unscathed.

"Show that Gengar a Shadow Ball of your own, Nikola." By this point, Matt's confidence levels were rising. Barring any unforeseen turns, all Silver had left in reserve was a burned, injured Mamoswine, which would be far from enough to win him the day, a fact Matt was well aware of.

Obliging its trainer's direction, Nikola focused the same dark energy as Gengar between its lightning bolt arms. The resulting Shadow Ball was smaller than Gengar's but hit its mark perfectly, dropping the Ghost-and-Poison-type completely to his knees.

"It's all or nothing now!" Silver was beginning to completely lose his composure, which was something that was off-putting to Matt and the others, who were used to his normal cool, calm demeanor. In fact, he was acting with such intensity that it was almost frightening. "Put everything on the line for one last shot! Metronome!"

Something in Silver's fiery voice stirred Gengar, and the Pokémon stood back up. Wearily, he waved his arms once more, but this time, the result was something unusual – overcome by a surge of energy, Gengar held his arms out, allowing them to take on the shape of large scythes.

"That's…" Matt gasped.

"Shit!" Nekou exclaimed.

"It's Guillotine!" Bunny finished. "If this hits, it's all over!"

Olivia, meanwhile, simply sat and stared, completely silent in her fascination with the turns the battle was taking. Dante still sat next to her, carefully observing every single movement both Matt and Silver made.

Leveling the blades that his arms had become, Gengar let out a bloodcurdling scream and leapt at Nikola. His intent plainly was to use his transformed arms like a pair of shears to critically injure and cripple Nikola all at once.

"Get out of the way and use Shadow Ball!" Matt cried out, almost reluctant to even look at the battle any further. He didn't think Nikola would be able to move swiftly enough to avoid the brutal attack due to the heavy appliance serving as the Pokémon's body.

Despite its bulk, however, Nikola managed to lift itself just enough to cause Gengar's scythes to come together harmlessly right below it. In immediate retaliation, the Rotom dropped another Shadow Ball on its foe, slamming the screeching ghost into the ground.

"Not yet!" A slight growl worked its way into Silver's speech as he saw Gengar trying to stand up, but even then, he was beginning to realize that the Ghost-and-Poison-type had been pushed to his limits. "Toxic!"

"I won't let you!" Matt countered. "Nikola, drop a Thunderbolt and finish this!"

With his injuries impeding his movements, Gengar was barely able to lift his arm toward Nikola before the Rotom answered by striking him with an electric blast. This was what pushed Gengar over the edge, and he crumpled back onto the floor and became still.

Before anyone had a chance to speak, Silver swiftly and wordlessly sent Gengar back to his Poké Ball and released Mamoswine from her Great Ball again. Unlike earlier, her fur was matted and messy, and she labored for breath as a visible burn around her mouth took its toll.

"Get ready, Nikola! It's time to end this!" Once he saw that Nikola was ready to make its move, Matt clenched his fist. "Knock it out once and for all using Blizzard!"

"Oh no you don't! Mamoswine, use Superpower and aim for the rocks, then the trees!"

Just as Nikola sent a gust of freezing air and ice at Mamoswine from its plasma coat, the great giant cloaked herself in a red aura before charging forward.

The Blizzard missed, but Matt was more puzzled by why Mamoswine appeared to be charging at one of the virtual boulders making up the battlefield. "Keep attacking, Nikola! Keep up the pressure!"

Nikola released blast after blast of Blizzard, but they all fell short of hitting Mamoswine. The Pokémon, despite her huge body, was actually climbing into the air by using the rocks as platforms. Faster than Matt or the spectators could process it, Mamoswine was on top of the tallest tree.

"Now, Mamoswine! Do it!"

With Superpower still activated, Mamoswine made a valiant leap, aiming to crush Nikola with her weight. The Rotom froze, fearing the rapidly growing shadow covering it.

"Now's your chance, Nikola! Finish with Blizzard!"

Matt's direction gave Nikola the confidence it was lacking, and spurred it to overrun Mamoswine with a massive Blizzard. The concentrated storm packed so much force that it actually flung Mamoswine out of her path and crashed her to the floor.

Mamoswine did not stand up again.

"He did it!" Olivia exclaimed, her excitement boiling over. Quickly propping herself up on her crutches, she hobbled over to her and threw her arms around him, a sentiment he returned by setting his own hand on her shoulder.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Nekou smirked, and when combined with the light once again filling her glasses, she presented a face of obvious mischief. She and Bunny had followed Olivia to Matt. "Maybe I can get something out of this bargain after all."

"What does that mean?" Matt asked in confusion.

"It… it means…" Flushing as she searched for words, Nekou finally settled on an excuse and said, "Now that pizza tonight can be for all of us! You know, to celebrate you winning today."

Matt sighed. "Fine. You know, sometimes I wonder if this all wouldn't make more sense if you actually were taking advantage of me outright."

"Why don't you join us, Silver?" Bunny called to the sullen young man, who was slowly making his way to the door after recalling Mamoswine.

"Idle time is time wasted," he grumbled in response, slowing to a stop but not turning around. "My father is powerful and ruthless, both as a person and as a trainer. I will not rest until I defeat him and put him in his place. Matt Chiaki… I took the loss this time, but it was valuable training for when I ultimately confront him. You only concern yourself with growing stronger, so you will continue to give me the challenges I need for training."

"Um… fine, I guess?" By that time, Silver was through the door and Matt was talking to the inner side of the portal. "How unusual."

"That boy, Silver…" Dante spoke up, having remained silent for some time. "He appears to be skilled, but raw emotion dominates all his functions. If he learns to control that anger for his father, he could become a truly powerful Pokémon trainer."

"Whatever," Nekou sighed, "I don't even want to worry about it anymore. I want to go relax."

"For once, you've actually got a good idea," Matt flatly said.

-:-

The sun was high in the sky as Silver exited the Trainer House, casting a warm light over much of Cherrygrove City. He silently filtered into the street and began walking to the Pokémon Center, but he was soon distracted by the sound of a telephone ring.

"Who's calling me at a time like this?" he sneered, reaching into his pocket for a communication device. Colored blue with a white half- Poké Ball patterned on each side, the Pokégear continued to ring loudly in Silver's hands until he flipped it open, revealing two screens inside. On the top screen was Looker, the thin-faced detective from the Kiss of Death case.

"Oh, it's you," Silver groaned. "What do you want?"

"Important information to pass on, yes. Still caught up at this location taking a look into and investigating the Clemens murder, but word comes back to me from the officers who are working elsewhere in the field."

"Spit it out already."

"Activity that is suspicious is taking place in Azalea Town. People wearing suits colored black, like the darkness of the night. Gathering supplies of equipment for some purpose that is obviously nefarious!"

"So Team Rocket finally resurfaces… Thanks, then." Abruptly hanging up and putting the Pokégear away, Silver resumed his march to the Pokémon Center, but at double the speed.

"I'll take out your worthless team one-by-one, I swear… and then I'm coming for you, father."

-:-

That night, after the sun had gone down and the group retired to their room in the Pokémon Center, Matt made good on the so-called 'promise,' even if Nekou had entirely invented the idea. The long coffee table near the room's television was covered by a combination of two pizza boxes and a myriad of beverages As was becoming familiar to Matt, Bunny and Olivia, Nekou's unstoppable appetite earned her a pizza all her own, while the second was mainly divided up between Bunny and Olivia. Matt insisted on only taking two slices for himself.

"Aaaaaaaah!" Nekou gasped after taking a sip from the can of beer in her hand. "This is the life, you know? Pizza, some friends to share it with, and…" Nekou shook the can and glanced to the rest of the six-pack resting on the couch next to her before finishing, "my old buddy with his five brothers to keep me company. It doesn't get better than this."

"It is nice to finally relax a little," Bunny admitted. "The Pokémon look like they're having fun, too."

Bunny's assessment was completely correct. They'd set out plates of Pokémon food on the floor, inviting Marie along with Nekou's Gothorita, Murkrow, Duskull and Zorua to eat out of two of the plates, Marie taking one all to herself. Balin was eating out of a third plate, while Olivia's Minccino, Roselia, Oshawott and Lillipup shared two others.

"They're all so cute," Olivia said, her voice devoid of its usual warm energy. "I wish I could sit with them, but this leg…"

"Don't you worry, Olivia, you'll recover soon," Nekou assured the younger girl. "Once you do, the Pokémon will still be here for you to play with all you want. I don't want to see you stressing out over anything, so let's just enjoy the pizza, okay?"

Olivia nodded her head. "Yeah, good idea," she whispered, smiling. "Thank you."

Off to the side, Matt was eating his own pieces of pizza while reading a book, staying away from getting too involved in the peaceful, cheerful exchange the others were having. He looked up when he heard Olivia and Nekou talking, and found himself feeling comforted by the honest connection they seemed to share.

-:-

Just like the night before, Pierce walked into the dark, dank alley and snapped his fingers four times. The signal still worked, for almost immediately, the Tenganist woman emerged from the shadows at the end of the alley.

"You came back," she muttered, sounding surprised in her words but not in her voice, which remained flat.

"I did," Pierce affirmed, "because our shared goals are precious to us both. Have you made a decision?"

"I must go to the survivors living near Blackthorn City to fully confirm the arrangements, but I have made a decision. We accept the proposal of an alliance between our forces, with the condition that my people remain autonomous, free from taking orders from your leader."

"That is something I can pull some strings to arrange. For now, I can furnish you with supplies and some explosives."

"A fair deal," the woman agreed while nestling her infant in her arms.

"I'll be going back to my base to iron out the details, then. What's your name, if I may ask? How should I refer to you to my superiors?"

"I am a woman with no name. It was stripped from me. Today I am merely the prophet that sustains the life of my people."

"Your identity was stripped from you…" Pierce turned away as his voice became shaky. "Just like me, then. Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to aid you in your battle against Ghetsis and Polaris."

END of CHAPTER 4