*Chapter 8*

	"We know you're in here, you little pests." Mary shouted into the dark.
Night had now fully fallen and everything was silent and still. "You
can't run from us forever."
	"I don't intend on running, Mary." Ryan's voice seemed to be coming from
up on the stage. "This ends here and now." Mary scoffed at Ryan's
consistent indignance.
	"You! You actually think you can beat us with just that Metapod you let
lose?" Jack mocked Ryan openly. "You're pathetic!"
	"Any last words, ‘Altar boy'?" Mary asked the still unseen hero.
	"I thought you'd never ask. Hit it!" Ryan called out. Now it was Jack's
turn to wonder what he meant.

	Several bright lights shot into action, illuminating the stage. Ryan
stood in the very center of the stage back-to-back with Kayla, a fresh
new uniform on under his classic silver jacket. His brothers and sister
stood at his sides, microphones in all of their hands. Behind them, CYBER
CROSS was ready to go, each of the six band members at an instrument. The
band's drummer beat out a ‘1-2-3-4' on his drum sticks and the band began
to play background music for "OUR GOD IS..."
	"This one's going out to all the saints and to show you guys" Kayla
pointed a finger right at the Rocket Five. "Exactly who you're up
against." Mack reached for the gun in his pocket, but Mary stopped him.
	"Not yet. Let these kids have their fun. It is the last song they'll
ever sing." She whispered.
	"OUR GOD IS HOLY, HE'S MIGHTY HOLY, OUR GOD IS HOLY!"Ryan, Devan,
Garrett, Jennifer, and Kayla sang while the band kicked up some killer
music. "OUR GOD IS HOLY, HE'S MIGHTY HOLY, OUR GOD IS HOLY!"
	"Reach down from Your heavenly home, touch us with Your mighty hand!"
Ryan sang out the first non-chorus line with one hand lifted to praise
God. "Send down a heavenly host, bring revival to this land!"
	"OUR GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, HE'S MIGHTY RIGHTEOUS, OUR GOD IS RIGHTEOUS! OUR
GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, HE'S MIGHTY RIGHTEOUS, OUR GOD IS RIGHTEOUS!"
	"Send down Your righteous judgements, through Your mighty right hand!"
Devan started, followed up by Garrett. "Break the back of the enemy's
encampment, release Your power in the land!"
	"OUR GOD IS POWER, HE'S MIGHTY POWER, OUR GOD IS POWER! OUR GOD IS
POWER, HE'S MIGHTY POWER, OUR GOD IS POWER!"
	"All gods will bow before the MASTER, as we proclaim Him in the land!
Every tongue will openly confess that-" Jenna sang, accompanied on the
last verse by all of the band members and her brothers. "WORTHY WORTHY IS
THE LAMB!"
	"OUR GOD IS WORTHY, HE'S MIGHTY WORTHY, OUR GOD IS WORTHY! OUR GOD IS
WORTHY, HE'S MIGHTY WORTHY, OUR GOD IS WORTHY! OUR GOD IS HOLY, HE'S
MIGHTY HOLY, OUR GOD IS HOLY! OUR GOD IS HOLY, HE'S MIGHTY HOLY, OUR GOD
IS HOLY! OUR GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, HE'S MIGHTY RIGHTEOUS, OUR GOD IS
RIGHTEOUS! OUR GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, HE'S MIGHTY RIGHTEOUS, OUR GOD IS
RIGHTEOUS! OUR GOD IS POWER, HE'S MIGHTY POWER, OUR GOD IS POWER! OUR GOD
IS POWER, HE'S MIGHTY POWER, OUR GOD IS POWER! OUR GOD IS WORTHY, HE'S
MIGHTY WORTHY, OUR GOD IS WORTHY! OUR GOD IS WORTHY, HE'S MIGHTY WORTHY,
OUR GOD IS WORTHY!" The music wound down with a few key drum hits; it was
time to begin the battle.
	"Playtime's over, Jesus Freaks. Not even your God can save you now!"
Mary spat as she pulled out her Pokeballs. Her brothers followed suit.
"Pokemon, ATTACK!"
	Mary's Charizard and Garados were the first Pokemon to hit the
battlefield, followed by Jack's Porygon and Arcanine, Zack's Pinsir and
Venamoth, Mack's Syther, and Tack let lose with Digglett and Butterfree.
Suddenly, Ash, Misty, and Brock stepped out from behind the stage.
	"Who are you three?" Zack questioned.
	"Ash, Misty, and Brock: we're the defenders on truth and love!" Ash
stated, followed up by Misty. "And we're gonna shut you down permanently!
Staru, Starmie, Go!"
	"Pikachu, Squirtle, go!"
	"Onix, I choose you!"
	"Squirtle, Haunter, teach them a lesson!" Devan called out.
	"Staru, Ditto, go for it!"
	"Pikachu, Dratini, I choose you!"

	"What about you, Ryan? Are you and your little Metapod gonna beat me
up?" Mary asked sarcastically. Ryan could barely keep from scoffing at
her.
	"You don't actually think this is just a Pokemon battle when our lives
are at stake? Just to clue you in, this is all out war!" Ryan lunged at
her on his hoverboard, but Mary dodged at the last second.
	"You little pest! Charizard, Firespin attack now!"
	Charizard, however, was a little busy at the moment...
	"Ok, Squirtle..." Devan, Squirtle in his arms, ran circles around
Charizard on his hoverboard with blinding speed. "Water Spin attack,
now!"
	Squirtle shot out a continuous stream of water that quickly, with the
speed of the hoverboard adding to the effect, turned into a cyclone of
hydriodic power. Charizard slashed at the hoverboard with it's immense
claws, but to no avail. It was surrounded on all sides by water closing
in on it, and several times nearly doused it's tail. Charizard was under
wraps in not more than a few minutes.
	"Ok, I hate to have to take out a Butterfree" Ash said. "But this one's
for freedom! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
	"Oh yeah! Butterfree, Confusion attack!" Tack yelled to his Pokemon.
Butterfree darted in the air, sometimes shooting off flashes of light at
Pikachu. But Pikachu fought back, sending up a massive Thunderbolt right
at Butterfree.
	"Onix! Tackle attack!" Onix and Garados grappled aggressively with one
another. Onix hurled itself at Garados, throwing the mid-section of it's
body at the fierce Dragon. Garados, however, shot a powerful Hyperbeam
attack at Onix when it was in mid-air, throwing Onix back across the
battlefield. Brock was barely able to get out of Onix's flight path in
time to avoid becoming a human pancake.
	"Devan, Garrett, Jenna! Let's take out that Garados with our Revelation
Group Take-Down! Ready?"
	Garados turned just in time to get sent flying via a 90mph head-on
collision with four Titanium-plated hoverboards. Now it was Mary and her
brother's turn do run for cover. The collision Garados made with the
ground both felt and sounded like an earthquake. Garados just lay there,
dazed and whiplashed.
	"Arcanine! Fireblast those water Pokemon into next Tuesday!" Staru and
Starmie were simultaneously hit with a powerful Fireblast that sent them
to the ground.
	"Hang in there!" Misty suddenly doused Staru and Starmie with a huge
water gun/ water tank combo weapon that hung over her back. As soon as
the water touched the two Pokemon they were re-powered and ready for
battle.
	"Hey, Misty." Jenna tapped her on the shoulder. "Where'd you get that
thing, anyway?"
	"I... uh... you see...um..."

	"Haunter! Show that Pinsir who's boss!" Devan called out.
	"Pinsir!" Zack countered. "Give it your Guillotine attack!" 
	Pinsir hurled itself at Haunter, it's twin mandibles open and ready for
the attack. Haunter's Nightshade blasts shot at the fierce Pinsir, who
took several hits but kept on coming. Haunter, realizing a direct assault
would prove unprofitable, vanished into the ground. Pinsir was caught off
gaurd when Haunter appeared behind it, Hypnotic waves flying.
	"Venamoth! Quick, hit that Haunter with your Si-beam!" Venamoth, wings
glowing purple, shot off a powerful beam of energy from the air. Haunter
never even saw the attack coming.
	"Haunter, return! Abra, go!"

	"Pikachu, Thunderbolt now!" Jennifer called to her bruised Pokemon.
Syther backhanded Pikachu, sending the small rodent to the ground.
Pikachu rebounded off the grassy turf and shot a bolt of blue electricity
at Syther from the air.
	"Alright, Metapod, let's have some fun. String Shot, now!" The cocoon
Pokemon shot a spray of sticky, web-like fibers down from the hoverboard.
Mary, who didn't see it coming until it was too late, was caked with web
strings within seconds. She tore off the fibers, all the time cursing
loudly at Ryan who was now busy fighting another battle. Mary,
infuriated, quickly made her way behind the stage.
	The battle was going well for Team Revelation. With Ash, Misty, and
Brock's help the Rocket Five were losing ground fast with minimal losses
to the good guys. Jack, Zack, Mack, and Tack were down to Arcanine,
Venamoth, and Digglett. They were about to lose them, too.
	"Starmie, Staru, Watergun attack now!"
	"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
	"Pikachu, Thunderwave, now!"
	"Staru, Airborne Tackle. Attack!"
	"Squirtle, Watergun, now!"
	"Metapod! Keep em' busy with your String Shot!"

						*Chapter 9*

	"Ahha! We're outta Pokemon!" Tack wailed. Ryan, Devan, Garrett,
Jennifer, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu stood triumphantly in front of
the stage. Zack, Mack, and Jack stood at the opposite end of the
battlefield, angry as Beedrills at having lost to such insignificant
Pokemon.
	Except for Tack, who was panicking and nervous with ever part of his
being. Go figure.
	"I can't believe we left the stolen Pokemon in the truck!" Zack mumbled
under his breath, imagining himself with an army of Pokemon destroying
Team Revelation and their three little friends. Jack reached for the gun
at his side, but realized Pikachu would have him electrocuted before he
could pull it out of his pocket.
	"Are you guys ready to give up?" Brock inquired.
	"The Rocket Five never say ‘die'!"
	"In that case, the police can deal with you when they arrive." Ryan
stated, starring down the four brothers. Wait, only four? Where was Mary?
	"Not today, ‘Charlie Church'!" Mary challenged from somewhere behind
him. All of them turned to look up on the stage. Out of the shoadow
walked Bloody Mary, holding a gun to Kayla's head. "Now, if you don't
want little miss preppie here to,... lose her head, hand over the Pokemon
and the hoverboards now. All of you, NOW!"
	Jack stood a bit behind the rest of his brothers, securing the extortion
at gunpoint. Mack, Zack, and Tack grabbed all of the group's Pokeballs
and the four hoverboards. When they came to Ash, however, they got a
little resistance.
	"You can't have Pikachu. I won't let you take it from me!"
	"Hey, Mary! Pretty-boy over here won't give up the electric rat." Mack
called to his sister. Bloody Mary got an annoyed look on her face.
	"Well, duh! Kill him, stupid!"
	"My pleasure..." Mack said, stepping back and aiming the gun at Ash.
Pikachu never had a chance to react. Mack pulled the trigger and the
whole scene seemed to go in slow motion. Ash covered his face with his
arms, anticipating the incoming bullet. Misty screamed and Brock called
Ash's name in panic. Without a second to waste, Ryan tried to pushed Ash
out of the way. The bullet lodged in his chest, sending Ryan spinning
backward. Jennifer, Devan, and Garrett screamed, lunging for Ryan. Kayla
screamed, trying desperately to pull away from Mary. Ryan hit the ground,
and the whole scene returned to normal.
	"Ryan! No! No...!" Kayla screamed out.
	"Ryan! Ryan!" Devan, Jennifer, and Garrett rushed to Ryan's side. "No!
God, don't let this happen! No, no, no, no....!"
	
	"I told him so." Mack said to himself. He couldn't even control the evil
grin that came over him. "I tried to warn him. Some people don't know
when to quit."
	"Looks like Mack needs to work on his aim." Mary said to Kayla, still at
gunpoint. "Not that the little creep didn't deserve it, right?"
	"Ryan!" Ash scrambled over to Ryan. "Ryan! Why did you do it? Why?"
Ryan, weak and trembling, managed to respond.
	"I couldn't let them. You're... not ready yet." 
	Ash broke down in tears. Misty and Brock rushed to his side, desperate
to see if they could help. Devan desperately tried to stabilize Ryan.
Garrett shook Ryan's arm, trying to get a response from his brother,
while Jennifer just bawled, praying feverishly. Mary thought she was
going to barf.
	"Oh, that's so sweet I'm getting cavities. Too bad I couldn't have
finished him myself." Mary scoffed, glaring down at the desecrated body
of her most hated enemy.

	Out of nowhere, Jack suddenly flew backwards like he'd gotten hit with a
truck. Mary stared in disbelief as Zack got thrown from in front of the
stage to the back wall by an invisible attacker. Kayla at gunpoint, Mary
rushed over to the side of the stage and activated all the lights. She
heard a noise behind her and turned to see Tack fly across the stage and
land right next to Zack on the back wall. What in the world was going on?
	Mack suddenly saw something out of the corner of his eye and opened
fire. Mary looked on in total disbelief as the bullets stopped in midair,
then were thrown to the ground at Mack's feet. Wide-eyed, Mack stood
petrified as invisible footsteps walked towards him.
	"No, no! Don't hurt me! Please, don't hurt-" The next thing he knew, his
head was suddenly face to face with the grass.
	"If I were you, I'd stay there." The deep, double-echoed out of nowhere
casually suggested. Mary opened fire on the invisible phantom, with
barely as much of a reaction as when Mack had tried. Bullets froze, then
dropped to the ground, not even slowing down the transparent hero. Mary,
still continuing to fire, suddenly had the nozzle of her gun collapse
inward like someone crushing a soda can. She took a step back, released
Kayla, then ran for her life. Within a minute she was behind the stage
area, running so scared she dared not look back, when an invisible foot
caught her in the stomach.
	After flying about fifty feet through the air, Bloody Mary hit the
ground. Hard. She was scared out of her mind. She wanted to scream, but
nothing came out. Mary thought she was going to die right there, right
then. What was that thing?
	She was suddenly being pulled to her feet. She opened her eyes and
realized the creature had her. Up close, she could just barely make out
the creature's form. It seemed to be composed of heat waves, like the
ones you see coming off a car in summer, only given humanoid form. It's
face was like a smooth sphere, having no eyes or nose or mouth or hair to
speak of. It's shoulders jutted out of it's frame at perfect 90 degree
angles, and it seemed to have a sword the same material as itself
strapped onto it's back. With one hand on her shoulder it hoisted her
into the air. Mary couldn't even feel the hand on her shoulder even
though she could clearly see the palm-shaped indentation on the shoulder
of her Team Rocket uniform. It was like she was living some kind of
horrible nightmare. What was that thing?
	"If you even so much as threaten them again," The double-echoes of the
voice seemed to ring inside Mary's head. "Then you'd better pray my
orders aren't to kill you."
	Mary was frozen with fear. She trembled as the invisible monster slowly
put her back on her feet. Without a trace it simply vanished, leaving
nothing to indicate it had ever been there. Mary fainted. Off in the
distance, sirens were heard.

					*Chapter 10*

	"Are you kids alright?" Officer Jenny came up behind the group. Then she
saw Ryan. "Oh my God! What happened to him?!"
	"He took a bullet protecting me from the Rocket Five." Ash turned to
look Jenny in the eye. Jenny pushed her way in amongst the group and
examined Ryan.
	"He's unconcious. Lucky he's still breathing. That means the bullet
missed his lungs and heart somehow, but I can't imagine how. No way to
tell if there's internal bleeding, though." Jenny looked really
concerned. She grabbed a walkie-talkie off her belt. "I need a Meda-van,
STAT! Condition critical!"
	"What can we do to help?" Jennifer asked.
	"Not much, unless you have some Pokemon that can help."
	"My Bulbasaur can do Sleep Powder." Garrett suggested.
	"Abra can Teleport him wherever you need him." Devan interjected.
	"That'll have to do for now. Let's put him to sleep, then get him into
the meda-van. Don't use Stun Spore, though. It could send him into shock.
Hopefully we can get him to the hospital in time." The ambulance pulled
up along side them and Jenny went off to deal with the captured Rockets.
Nurse Joy and another Doctor jumped out of the ambulance and rushed over
to help save Ryan.
	"It just came outta nowhere, like some freakin' phantom." Zack rambled,
his hands cuffed behind him. "Like somethin' outta a horror movie. You
believe me, don't ya?"
	"Yeah, sure." The policeman behind him said. "Don't worry, you'll be
safe from the Boogie-Man where you're going."

	"Hold it! Jenny called out. Mack just lay there, paralyzed with fear.
Officer Jenny went behind him, pulled him up off the ground, and
handcuffed him. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say
may be used against you in a US court of law." Mack just stared straight
ahead, completely zoned out.

	"Please be OK, Ryan. Please..." Kayla said, crying. The ambulance
bounced and turned as a team of doctors tried to stabilize Ryan's
condition. When they reached the hospital, they were all ushered into a
waiting room while the doctors preformed surgery on Ryan. Ash felt like
he had when he first reached the Viridian City Pokemon Center. Even the
normally perky Togepi and Evee looked downcast and worried.
	Hours passed and the tension grew higher. The doctors were able to
determine that Ryan had indeed suffered internal bleeding and gone into
shock as well. Just to complicate things, the bullet had become lodged in
between a pair of arteries next to the heart. Ryan's chances of survival
were not good. Even if the doctors could remove the bullet, they still
had not located the source of the internal injuries.

	Mary felt like a scared animal on a hunting range. She couldn't go back
to the concert, and she definitely couldn't go back to HQ. Her plan had
failed and backfired, a first for her. Giovanni could make her life
miserable if he found out she'd failed. What was that thing, anyway? What
could it possibly have been?
	Maybe Ryan was right, at least about their being angels and demons. But
what could have possibly done that to all of them? But if Ryan was right
about that...
	No! She refused to let herself think like that. So what if angels and
demons exist? She would never lower herself to the level of those
Christian freaks of nature. Never! Not for all the power in the world!
Besides, if this God of theirs loved people so much, why did he let Mary
grow up in a family with no mother or father? How could a Holy God do
that?
	She wanted revenge. She wanted to make those trash pay for her loss. But
what of the angel's warning? Bullets didn't even slow that thing down?
There had to be a way...

	Devan paced the hospital waiting room. His face was solemn and downcast.
He hated feeling powerless, not being able to take things into his own
hands. Jennifer and Evee sat in one of the waiting chairs, reading in
Proverbs. Both of they're eyes looked bloodshot, as his probably did.
Garrett was on the video phone, talking to Prof. Oak. Kayla was just
sitting, stunned, and praying continually in tongues. What was happening
in there?
	Ash, Misty, and Brock sat on the other side of the waiting room, staring
at the clock. Occasionally, Ash would open his Pokedex and view over his
Pokemon data, or Misty would have to quiet Togepi. They were all worried.
What was taking so long?

	Mary's head suddenly started spinning. She stopped and leaned against a
tree for balance. What was happening to her?
	She suddenly felt like she was being watched, someone was watching her,
creeping up on her. She spun all around but there was no one nearby. No,
more than being watched. It was like the air itself was watching her,
probing her mind.
	"Who...are...you?" She said, barely able to whisper because of fear. Her
whole body trembled. Her vision blurred. She felt voices all around her.
Felt? What on earth was happening to her?! She wanted to scream, but she
couldn't. She felt her body collapse under her. There were hundreds...
no, MILLIONS of the voices. What was this? Where was she?...
	"...I've been watching you, child." All of the voices suddenly spoke at
once. "I want to help you."
	"Who are you? What are you? Where am I? What's happening to me?" Mary
heard her thoughts projected out like one of the voices. It was real,
more real than anything she'd ever experienced. The voices frightened
her, yet she seemed to know each one by heart. Then a thought came to
her. "Am I dead?"
	"You know me, child. I've been watching you, seeing you grow and learn.
You are not dead, far from it. I am here to help you, Mary. I want to
give you a power, an authority you have never imagined. I want to take
you to a higher plane of reality then the commonplace world in which you
have lived your life for. What is it, child, that you most desire?" The
voices began to sound more soothing, like... who she had always imagined
her father to be.
	"Revenge..." The word came out of her mouth before she had barely knew
she had thought it. The moment she said that, she was back on earth,
leaning against an oak tree. "I need... revenge..."
	"I will help you get your revenge. Anyone who wrongs you deserves worse
than death. You will take your sweet revenge... in power, with me. You
will take your revenge!"

						*Chapter 11*

	"Good news." The doctor pulled off a pair of rubber gloves as he talked.
Team Revelation and friends immediately jumped out of their chairs and
rushed over to the surgeon.
	"What is it, doctor?" Kayla asked. Jennifer continued the thought. "Is
Ryan going to be OK?"
	"I can tell you all without a doubt that the surgery was more preformed
by God than me or my colleges." He looked straight at Garrett, Devan, and
Jennifer. "Your brother's condition is stable and he's recovering
incredibly, even if he will be here for a few weeks to get up to speed."
	"Can we go in and see him?" Ash inquired.
	"Let me see if he wants any visitors. What did you say your name was?"
	"Ash Ketchem."

	"Ryan, your brothers and sisters would like to see you, if you feel up
to it. Also, a young man named Ash Ketchem and his two friends would like
to talk to you as well." Ryan sat up a little when he heard Ash's name.
	"Yes please, doctor. Send them in."

	"Ok, it looks like Ryan feels up to talking. Try not to overload him,
though." The doctor lead the way down the hall to Ryan's hospital room.
He stooped at the door and turned to face Ash and co. "You'll probably
want some time alone. I'll be here if you need me."
	"Thanks, doctor." Ash opened the door and the group walked inside. Ryan
sat up on his white hospital bed and was wearing a typical hospital
outfit. He turned towards Ash, revealing the wounds on his face from when
Mary had beaten him.
	"Hey, Ash. What's new?"
	"How do you feel, Ryan?"
	"I've felt better, but I'll survive. You know, we've really been through
an awful lot tonight."
	"I know. I really owe you for saving my life."
	"Friends forever?" Ryan stretched out his hand to Ash. Ash shook it
gladly.
	"Friends forever."
	"Um," Brock suddenly interrupted. Ryan and Ash turned to face him.
"Ryan, do you have any idea what that thing was that stopped the Rocket
Five?"
	"Yeah. I mean, it's no kind of Pokemon I know about." Misty added.
	"Well, if I don't miss my guess, I'm pretty sure what we saw tonight was
an Arc-Angel, a warrior."

	Outside of Ryan's hospital room window, an invisible figure floated in
mid-air. He listened with interest as Ryan described what the Bible said
about Spiritual Warfare.
	 "Good guess, my friend. Close, but not quite. Maybe one day I can tell
you my story...

(And don't give out on me yet! I've still got three more complete stories
to write up on the computer, a fourth in production, and more on the way!
It's a FANFICTION SERIES! Team Rev. blasts off at the speed of net! Hold
onto your seat, CUZ' IT AINT' OVER YET!)