=Author's Note= All righty, here it is; the first League Games story for BadgeQuest. Can you feel the excitement? I sure can. No, wait; that's the caffeine buzz I got putting in the extra hours to get this done. Anywho, this story has it all; sex, murder, intrigue...okay, so there isn't any sex or murder, but it has a lot of intrigue. Enjoy! =Legal Disclaimer= *sigh* For the last time; No, I don't own Pokémon. No, I don't own the characters, or the animals, and I don't own Viridian City either! How many times do I have to say it??? Why don't you go bug those Nintendo people, they're the ones that own the friggin' series! BadgeQuest #8 The League Games, Part I Ash slowly came to life, waking to a new day in a bed that was not his own. His eyes fluttered open, stinging slightly with the beaming light of a new day as he rolled over on his side. The piney scent of wood permeated the rustic cabin he, his friends, and his mother had been assigned for the Pokémon League this year. It was nice to be away from all the noise, all the screaming fans that seemed to pack into Indigo Stadium every year. There would be no fanatics to wake him at the crack of dawn, no hot dog vendors polluting the air with the smell of their greasy wares; just peace, quiet, and tranquility. He leaned over, taking a peek at Pikachu. His power-packed Pokémon was parked parallel to his bunk, snoozing peacefully. "Good morning, sleepyhead!" Ash's mother burst into the room with a tray full of breakfast, wearing her favorite casual dress and her favorite blue apron. "Time to rise and shine to meet the challenge of a new day." Ash rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking drowsily at his mother. "Huh? What? What day is it?" He brightened. "Is it my birthday?" He had nearly forgotten his birthday, what with all the training he had been doing. The big 1-6 had sneaked up on him pretty fast. His mother shook her head, setting the tray down on his lap and patting him on the head. Pikachu 'Pika'ed happily, leaping up onto the bed. It snagged a piece of toast before Ash even had a chance to touch the tray. "No, silly, today isn't your birthday. That's not for another four days." Ash's mother smiled. He shrugged, digging into the eggs with toast. "Today's the opening day of the Pokémon League." Ash choked, spewing a mouthful of runny eggs out over the bed's sheets. Knocking both the tray and Pikachu aside, the frantic trainer dove for the clock at the side of his bed, tumbling to the floor. "Oh my God!" he screamed, his face half-planted into the wooden floorboards, "The torch-lighting is in twenty minutes!" He scrambled up, running for his travel bag full of clothes. "Mom, why didn't you wake me up??? Where's Misty? Where's Brock?" His mother bent down, trying to collect the remains of the breakfast she had so lovingly prepared. "They're already at the stadium...I just couldn't wake you up, honey. You looked so peaceful." she explained, shooing Pikachu away from the eggs. "Peaceful?" Ash screamed, pulling on his pants. "In less than twenty minutes, I have to be there to light the ceremonial Torch of Moltres. If I'm *not* there, then the League winner lights the torch!" He pulled on his fingerless gloves, curling his hands into tight fists. "I'm not going to let that ego-blown bag of wind light that torch; no way, no how." "That's nice, dear." Mrs. Ketchum picked Pikachu up off of the puddle of eggs, wiping its feet off with her apron. She handed the Pokémon to Ash, who accepted the despondent (and hungry) Pikachu gratefully. Ash grabbed a single white sock, searching for its partner. After a moment of searching he discovered another pair; one blue, and one red. "Why is it that when I'm in a hurry, my socks always want to play HIDE AND SEEK???" * * * Misty looked at her watch, scowling. She turned to Brock and Richie, who sat next to her in the executive box seats nearest to the ceremonial Torch of Moltres. Being close friends of the League Champion had its advantages. "Where in the world is Ash? That torch is going to be lit in ten minutes, and I haven't seen hide nor hat of him!" Brock shrugged, peering out at the field. "He was still asleep when we left. Knowing him, he probably woke up five or ten minutes ago, and he's on his way now." "Uh-oh..." Richie pulled out his binoculars, pointing them towards the Torch. "Jeez, it figures he'd be hovering there like a buzzard." "Who?" Misty said. Richie handed her the binos and pointed her in the right direction. Sticking her eyes up to the lenses, she saw a magnified view of none other than Gary Oak, standing near the edges of the group of League officials with a ten-foot smile on his face. "You know who lights the torch if Ash doesn't show up..." Richie sighed. Misty growled at Gary, putting the binoculars down. "I'll bet 'he' knows, too. That opportunistic vermin, I should have pounded his head straight into his stomach when I had the chance." She checked her watch; Ash had nine minutes to make a last-minute entrance. * * * Ash burst out of the cabin door, hastily dressed and panting heavily. Pikachu bounded after him, leaping up onto his shoulder and clinging to his hat desperately. He checked his watch; eight minutes to make a last-minute entrance or Gary would light the torch. "Oh man, am I late!" Wasting no more time, he pulled Pidgeot's ball off of his belt, activated the release mechanism and tossed the sphere a few paces ahead. Pidgeot quickly formed from the dazzling stream of energy, rustling its feathers and trilling happily. "Pidgyoooooo!" "A'right Pidgeot, let's hit the clouds and max out the throttle!" Ash began to mount his massive bird, placing Pikachu on its head, when his mother called after him. "Ash, wait!" He froze as his mother ran out of the cabin, leaping down the steps and making her way over to his skyway steed. "If you're going to travel faster than the speed of sound, at least take these." She handed him an old pair of brown flight goggles. He grinned, strapping them on and snapping the lenses over his eyes. "You gonna come up to watch the games?" "Of course." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now get going, or you're going to be late!" He nodded, getting aboard Pidgeot. "Up, up and away!" Pidgeot began to beat its wings, lifting off of the ground and shooting skyward at amazing speeds. Ash's mom stood in the swirling dust, waving and coughing. "Good luck honey!" * * * "Excuse me." President Goodshow's weathered voice echoed from the stadium speakers, "Excuse me. May I have your attention please?" He cleared his throat. "In the absence of our League Champion, Mr. Ashlan Ketchum, I am pleased to announce that the ceremonial torch will be lit by last year's winner of the games and runner-up to the championship, Mr. Garret Oak!" The entire crowd roared, giving Goodshow and a cocksure Gary a standing ovation. "Thank you, thank you, I more than deserve this." Gary praised himself as he took the torch from Goodshow's hand. He began climbing the many steps to the torch, his ever-present smirk growing wider with each step he took. "That's one small step for me..." he leapt up three of the narrow steps, barely containing his glee, "And a really really BIG step for me!" he cackled. Richie suppressed a gag, muttering to Misty and Brock under his breath. "I'd love to give him a big step from behind, straight up the middle." This brought a chuckle out of Brock, but Misty remained serious. "I can't believe Ash was late to the torch lighting..." She said for the millionth time. She looked over at her friends. Brock merely shrugged, but Richie was squinting off into the distance. "Richie? Is something wrong?" Richie picked up his binoculars, peering off into the blinding bright blue sky. He put the binos down, grinning from ear to ear. "I'd hold onto my hat if I were you." he quipped, doing just as he had suggested. Misty and Brock gave him a quizzical look, then shrugged to each other, bracing themselves for whatever it was Richie had seen. Gary continued to clamor up the steps, slowly but surely making his way to the torch. He was close-so close he could almost taste it! -When a bright flash appeared from over the horizon. Within an instant, it shot overhead, gobbling up the miles between far away and the stadium like they were peanuts. Spectators in the crowd caught a glimpse of the brown-and-white blur before they were blown back with a wash of hurricane gusts, blowing garments and refreshments about the stadium like debris in a tornado. Gary was knocked back, his arms pinwheeling as he tumbled down the steps to the hard dirt at the base of the torch platform. Ash dismounted Pidgeot in mid-landing as it swooped towards the ground. Tucking and rolling, he came up on his feet a handful of meters from Goodshow and the League Officials, throwing his arms out like a true showman. "Tah-da!" The audience was in shock, momentarily stupefied by the Champ's grand entrance. Then, slowly, they began to clap, the coliseum thundering and roaring. Not everyone cheered, however; some booed, even went so far as to hurl insults at Ash. Most, however, maintained the applause whether they meant it or not. Ash strutted over to Gary, who lay next to the still-burning torch. "Hey Gary, how ya been?" He knelt down, picking up the flaming staff. "Thanks for keeping it warm for me. I'll take it from here." He jogged up the steps, somehow avoiding the stumble that impaired him so often at crucial moments. With a wave to the crowd and a fanfare of trumpets, he placed the flame to the fuel-fed torch, lighting it with a bright flash of fire. If one looked had been looking close enough, one might have seen a brief image of a flaming bird appear within the first tendrils of the flame before it quickly vanished, consumed by the hungry fire. The crowd was on its feet; with Ash or against him, 'all' of the stadium cheered for the newly lit Torch. Gary leered up at Ash from his place among the rest of the dirt, sneering at his longtime rival with a renewed sense of loathing. Each and every year, it had been the same thing; something had snatched victory from his grasp, humiliating him and shaming him to the point of tears. Ash, AJ, Richie...But this year, it would be different: This year, he had a plan: This year he was ready. * * * "Hey, Mr. K! Glad to have ya back!" Ash walked into his favorite Indigo restaurant, the Velocity Burger, with Pikachu bounding in behind him, chirping happily. Ash immediately spied the owner of the place, an old friend of his. "Speedy, you ol' Growlithe, how ya been?" He walked over to the wraparound counter adorning the center of the fast-food establishment. Standing behind the counter was a short, middle-aged balding man; he had thinning brown hair, a well-rounded waistline and a bright, wide smile. "Glad to know that 'someone' is still rooting for me." The corpulent restaurant owner reached across the counter, grasping Ash's hand firmly. "You've always got my vote, Mr. K." he said jovially. He reached down behind the counter as Ash had a seat on one of the many stools. "Have your favorite right here, just the way you like it." He placed a sandwich on a plate in front of Ash, the slices of bread reeking with the smell of peanuts and fruit. "And of course, someth'n for the little slugger." He handed a bottle of fresh ketchup to Pikachu, who eagerly ripped it from the man's sausagelike fingers. Ash bit into the sandwich with a ferocious appetite, sighing with pleasure. "Peanut butter and banana..." he swallowed, grinning from ear to ear. "You know, I think you're the only one on the island that makes 'em." Speedy laughed, wiping the counter with a rag. "You're just lucky I don't fry them...that was the King's recipe, you know." "Oh, you mean that Elle-Visse guy?" Ash asked, taking another bite. The large man shook his head, wondering exactly how the youth of today survived with the crutch of ignorance slowing them down. "So where are Brock and Richie? And Misty, for that matter." Ash talked around a mouthful of banana and peanut butter, momentarily gagging. "They wanted to go see the Hitmonchan juggling exhibition down at Indigo Plaza. I left a few minutes before it ended 'cause I wanted to get a bite to eat." He looked over at Pikachu, who was inhaling the bottle of ketchup as if it were a last meal. "They'll be here any minute." As if on cue, his trio of friends walked through the restaurant's front doors, chattering about the latest show put on in the Plaza. Brock held an ice pack to his head, having received it from a generous First Aid station. He was grumbling, icing down a rather large lump on his forehead, his cheeks slightly pink with humiliation. "I told you not to hit on that juggler in the middle of her routine..." Misty lectured him as they entered the fast food establishment, snorting at her friend's pain. "But she was so cute..." Brock whined. Richie laughed at his friend's plight, sauntering up to the counter next to Ash. After greetings were exchanged and meals were dispensed with, they settled in on their stools to eat. Richie happened to glance up at the television Speedy kept on the far end of the counter, which was always tuned to Indigo League Network. "Hey, they started up the First Round!" Ash took a large bite of his sandwich. "Who is it?" he said, spitting out small chunks of fruit and peanut butter as he spoke. Speedy examined the coverage for a moment. "Looks like AJ is facing off with Gary on the Ice Field..." Ash choked at this, turning red. It wasn't until he began waving his arms and making pathetic gagging sounds that someone took notice of him; Misty came from behind and performed a heimlich, squirting the small piece of half-chewed sandwich back onto Ash's plate. She grimaced, pushing her own food away as she returned to her seat. "There goes my appetite...Turn the match up." "Yes, it's a beautiful day for a match, folks." the announcer's tinny voice rang from the television, "Not a cloud in the sky. We have a great match forming up today as longtime sweetheart of the League Gary Oak-" * * * "-Takes on the hard-hitting team from AJ. There's been a bit of a rivalry going on for some time between these two, ever since the League Games two years back. It looks like Gary's ready for some payback..." Gary Oak stood in the stylized Trainer's Box, a small platform podium sitting a few feet above the frigid field of ice. His three Pokéballs rested in the small ports in front of him, already registered for the battle. They were three of his best, but part of him wondered if it would be enough; AJ was a tough competitor, and his Sandslash was even tougher. AJ's face appeared in the communication monitor to the side of his Pokéball ports. "Well hey there, Gary. Been a long time, hasn't it?" He gave his opponent a wink and a smile. "Hope you don't mind too much when I smear your butt all over the field today. That ice gets mighty cold." With a small cackle, he broke the connection, turning the screen to static. Gary scowled, but kept his calm; he was going to win this match. He could afford to stand some of the other trainer's ego...for now. With a wave of the flag and a shout from the judge, the match began: "Fearow, I choose you!" AJ started off with a flying type; the gigantic buzzard-like Fearow was released from its containment, screeching and cawing. Gary started off with an old favorite of his. "Nidoking, pound that turkey flat!" Nidoking grunted, stomping on the ground. With a roar and a shriek, the battle was joined. "Fearow, Drill Peck!" "Nidoking, counter with Poison Sting!" A large drill of energy formed around Fearow's beak, whirling as it dove at the large lavender Poison type. Nidoking opened its gaping maw, a thousand needles of pure toxin spraying up to meet the bird. Nidoking's counterattack came too slow, however; the energy drill struck the large Pokémon square in the chest, driving it through the ice until it slid to a stop, buried beneath a mound of snow. Gary's Pokémon remained still; as far as Nidoking was concerned, the battle was over. "Fearow is the winner." the judge cried, holding up a red flag to indicate AJ's victory. His Fearow let loose with a cry of victory, then suddenly spiraled downward, striking the ice with a sickening thud. It trembled, vicious poison coursing through its veins, eating away at its internal organs. The judge took one look at it and held up his green flag. "Fearow is unable to battle and must be recalled. One feint for AJ, one feint for Gary Oak." He brought the flag down. "Choose new Pokémon!" "Arcanine!" "Geodude!" The new Pokémon circled each other, making careful, calculated attacks to test the other's strength. Then AJ decided that the time for caution was past. "Geodude, Seismic Toss!" Geodude floated forward, grabbing the fiery hound and rising into the air, ready to slam it all the way through the ice if necessary. Gary wouldn't have it. "Arcanine, Raging Inferno now!" Arcanine began spewing red flames, not particularly caring which direction it was aiming in. The flames grew to yellow, then blue, then became white hot as they swept back and forth. As Geodude heaved the dog towards the ground, it was caught in one of the blasts of white fire, blasting high into the air. Arcanine hit the ground hard, creating a small crater in the ice. Geodude was soon to follow, smacking into the hard, cold surface like a meteorite. Its hard, rocky skin was red hot, melting the ice around it. The judge brought up both flags. "Double elimination. Each trainer has one Pokémon remaining." The crowd was going wild now; matches this close, this tense, rarely happened within the first few rounds of the League. AJ smiled, knowing exactly which card to play from his hand; when only one play remains, a good player 'always' used his trump card. He drew the Pokéball from the small round port in the podium, cocking his arm back. "Let's finish this, Sandslash!" he hurled the ball, sending it out into the field. In an instant his longtime partner, friend and companion was released from its Poké- prison; Sandslash, a gigantic rodent with menacing spikes and spines covering its body. "Slash!" Gary smirked; tough or not, AJ was far too predictable. That was why he would lose today. He pulled out his own final play; AJ's trump card would fall to a joker in the deck. "Go, Paras!" His Pokémon was released; a tiny, eight pound beetle with two mushrooms growing from its back hit the field, wobbling on small spiky legs. "Parrrras." it squealed, rolling the 'r's. Paras crawled forward, clicking and squawking. AJ and his Sandslash took one look at the newcomer to the fight, then began laughing uncontrollably. The crowd had turned on Gary, booing and hissing, throwing cups and insults. Gary accepted the booing and the hisses for the moment; they would be cheering soon enough. "Sandslash, wipe the field clean with this little bug." AJ chortled, leaning back. Sandslash nodded back at him, advancing on the mushroomed bug with a smirk on its lips. Paras shivered, crouching down and whimpering. AJ couldn't believe that Gary would throw the match like this...it didn't make sense. Gary, however, was unconcerned. "Thank the Goddess for TMs." he murmured, calling out, "Paras, Solarbeam!" Paras' mushrooms began absorbing light, glowing a bright yellow with solar energy. Before Sandslash could move, Paras shot the energy off in twin beams of sapphire power, slamming point-blank into the large spiked Pokémon. Sandslash flew backwards, slamming into the opposite Trainer's box and knocking it from its rooting. AJ tumbled down from the half-destroyed box with a scream, drowned out by the approving roar of the crowd and the judge's call. "Sandslash is unable to battle: Paras is the winner! Paras is the winner!" * * * Ash watched from the upper wings of the Fire Field as the judge called out over the speaker system; "Eevee is unable to fight. Arcanine wins the match!" Even from this great a distance, he could see Mikey's disappointment as he recalled his Eevee, stepping despondently from the trainer's box. It was only his second League Games; Ash hoped that he wouldn't feel too disappointed, as Ash had early on. Then he shifted his attention back to the winner of the match. It was hard to believe, but Gary had swept through his second, third and fourth match with a fair amount of ease after that close call in the first round. His nemesis danced with glee, recalling his fiery pup with a snap of the wrist. Ash could almost hear his self-praise from up there, his gloating and back-patting. He had no doubt that Gary would continue to win match after match until there were only two...the only person who might stand a chance of stopping him was- "Excuse me, sir?" a soft voice behind him interrupted, taking his mind off of the troubles he faced. He turned to see Paige, a young page for the upper ranks of the Indigo League. She knew better than to bother Ash when he was watching a match; something was up. "Yes, Paige?" "I don't mean to interrupt, sir, but you have a match coming up in ten minutes on the Rock Field. If you neglect to show, you will forfeit the match." Ash frowned, confused. "Paige, you know that the Champion doesn't participate in the Games unless the winner challenges him for the title...Who was it that entered me into the lineup? "No one, sir." Paige sounded apologetic. "It's just that-" "What?" "One of the trainers requested that his fourth round be against the League Champion. I informed him that you weren't to be disturbed, but he told me that you would accept the challenge." Ash snorted. "He did, did he?" He exited the small balcony, walking down the steps with Paige on his heels. "And just who is it that signed me up for this match?" * * * "Hey Ash!" "Richie?" Ash stared in disbelief as Richie's face smiled at him from the trainer's box's communication screen. Richie stood on the far side of the Rock Field, his podium rising above the barren, boulder-filled arena as Ash's did. "Richie, what in blazes are you doing?" Pikachu gave Richie a 'pika' of greeting and a tiny, clawed wave from Ash's feet. "These youngsters in the first couple of rounds weren't any challenge." Richie winked, laughing. "I figured I'd test my mettle against a 'real' trainer. Up for it?" Ash scowled, cursing his bad luck; Richie had no idea how badly he had just screwed things up. If he beat Richie, there would be no one to oppose Gary on his rise to the top. If he *lost* to Richie, he would automatically lose his title anyway. Either way, he was in trouble. "Man oh man, you sure do pick the worst times for these things." "What, you saying you don't wanna battle me?" Riche sounded hurt. Ash gave his old friend some semblance of a smile. Screwed or not, he wouldn't let Richie down. "Only if it's the best battle we've ever had!" Richie laughed, readying his retort when the judge spoke up. "Trainers, select your Pokémon. No callbacks, no items, no time limit!" His flag dropped with a wave, "Begin!" "Happy, I choose you!" Richie released his Butterfree with a flair of energy. Excited for battle, the graceful Bug type flew high into the air, trilling a battlecry. Ash made a split-second decision, choosing his first Pokémon. "Let's get it on, Muk!" He released his Poison Pokémon, Muk; the large pile of toxic sludge landed on the hard rocky surface, splattering and re-collecting itself. "Mu-mu-mu-muk!" Richie took the opening move. With a smile and an fist of excitement, he ordered; "Happy, use your Sleep Powder!" Happy cooed, sweeping over Ash's mound of goo with a stream of sparkling blue powder. The sleeping potion covered Muk, but the Poison type didn't even flinch. "Muk, minimize!" Muk rumbled, shrinking in size with a small popping sound. Happy searched desperately for its opponent, but couldn't spot the Muk anywhere. Then, as if from nowhere, a spray of toxic Sludge shot up at the Butterfree, blasting it out of the sky and searing its delicate wings. Happy screamed, spiraling to the ground in a pathetic heap. "Butterfree is unable to battle. Muk is the winner!" the judge made the call, holding up a green flag for Ash. However, when Richie recalled his wounded Butterfree, Ash followed suit with his Muk, returning it to an energy state within the containment sphere. "What are you doing?" Richie said through the comm channel, his voice filled with incredulity. "Now we 'both' only have two Pokémon left." Ash smiled. "Just warming up a little bit." he said. "Warm up, huh? I'll show you a warm up." Richie chose his second Pokémon and released it; out sprang his gigantic Charizard, roaring with fury at Ash and his Pikachu. "How's that for a warm up, oh great Champion? Go get 'em, Zippo!" "A fast and furious Charizard...not bad." Ash conceded, choosing his own second. "But sometimes the race goes to the slow and steady!" He tossed the ball, releasing his Pokémon out among the boulders and pebbles. "Wartortle!" Ash's water turtle landed in a forward roll, sneering at Zippo and giving him a red-tongued raspberry. "Warrrrrrrr!" Before the judge could even get a word in edgewise, Zippo engaged the battle with a devastating stream of fire. Reacting in time, Wartortle pulled back into his shell and bounced away, skidding on the abrasive rocks. Enraged, Zippo took off after the turtle, beatings its mighty wings and letting loose with a thunderous roar. Wartortle came out of its shell, continuing to retreat with several hand- flips and rolls. Ash smiled at his turtle's agility...it had taken years to instill that kind of coordination and balance into a creature with a ten-pound plate of armor on its back, but every minute they had spent training was worth it. As Zippo blasted at him with another Flamethrower, the Wartortle cartwheeled to the side, leaping up and over a set of boulders and out of the Charizard's sight. Zippo searched the area in vain, trying to find Wartortle. Try as he might, Richie could find the Pokémon no better among the cover of the rocks than his Charizard could. Now was his chance. "Okay Wartortle, enough hide and seek. Finish him off with a Bubblebeam!" Wartortle popped out of a rock outcropping, as if it had been a part of the rocks all along. "Tortle, war war!" Drawing in a deep breath, the massive turtle let loose with a rainbow stream of silvery bubbles that lanced at Zippo. The unsuspecting Charizard hadn't been prepared for an attack; it roared in agony as the watery spheres slammed into its scaly chest, blasting it back with an elemental advantage that KO'ed the lizard in a heartbeat. Zippo slumped against the boulders and did not get back up. Now Richie was visibly annoyed. "Man, that's two faints in two battles...I must be slipping." his face on the screen scowled. Then his frown slowly blossomed into another smile, this time even wider than before. "So, you like to use Wartortle against Fire types, do you?" He snickered, pulling his last Pokéball from its port. "How about trying 'im against my newest Pokémon?" "Oh, a replacement for Zippo?" Ash teased his friend. Richie chuckled again. "Just a little something I picked up on Victory Road on the way here..." he threw the ball, letting it spiral in the air for several seconds. The ball split on the unseen hinge, releasing a wash of energy. It began to take shape, growing to gigantic proportions; a wing...two wings...long, jagged talons...After an instant of restructuring and reforming, the bright light subsided and the Pokémon's true nature was revealed. Ash's face became ashen. "Moltres..." his whispered in a hoarse voice. The legendary bird of Fire floated before him, large as life. It bellowed a terrifying screech that seemed to shake the entire coliseum, screaming at Ash's Wartortle with fiery rage. Wartortle was frightened stiff, and pulled back into its shell. Ash could hardly blame the little fellow; he probably would have done the same thing. "So what d'ya think of my new friend?" Richie gloated mirthfully. Ash recalled Wartortle with the familiar beam of red energy, snapping the turtle into its ball and placing it back in its port. "I think he's about to meet his match." Ash said with forced cheer; inside his demeanor was grim. If he couldn't beat Richie, how could he even hope to beat Gary? This would be a preliminary test, a warm-up for the real fight to come. "Let's mix it up!" he tossed his third choice out, the ball hanging in the air for several seconds before splitting in half and releasing a torrent of energy to match the one Moltres itself had produced. In a heartbeat, the wash of dazzling white light coalesced into Ash's legendary bird of Ice; Articuno, his most powerful Pokémon by far. "Cunewwwwwwwwwwww!" the frosty titan screeched, leering at its flaming cousin with battlelust. Moltres gave a scream in return, not waiting for an order from its trainer as it leapt into battle. Articuno dodged nimbly, avoiding Moltres' flaming fireballs with an Agility dodge that shot it high up into the air. In the meantime, the crowd had recovered and was cheering like mad, howling and hooting for the unbelievable match. Much to Ash's chagrin, most of the crowd seemed to be cheering for Richie. 'Misty was right,' he thought, 'They really *are* rooting for the underdog...' He pushed those thoughts from his mind, shouting orders and counter-orders to Articuno as the battle raged on. Both he and Richie knew how delicate the situation was; Fire was weak to Ice, and Ice weak to Fire. One solid hit, and the match would be over. He wasn't about to pull any punches...but then again, neither was Richie. "Articuno, keep using Agility!" The important thing right now was to dodge Moltres' shots. That overgrown Phoenix had a lot more attack power than his own frigid ally; if he could keep ahead of it, wear it down somehow, then they might have a chance. But Moltres apparently hadn't heard Ash's plan; the fiery titan kept coming, turning several of Articuno's tail feathers crispy black. Articuno screeched indignantly, pouring on more Agility as it tried desperately to stay ahead of Richie's toasty turkey. Seeing that Moltres was unimpressed with Articuno's superior speed, Ash opted for plan B. "Articuno, Mist attack!" Articuno began glowing with a freezing aura, supercooling the humid air in the stadium. In a few moments, the air was thick with a rolling, frigid mist that cut visibility down to where Ash could barely see the nose in front of his face. He was betting that Richie-and his Moltres-couldn't see a thing either. But Articuno could. "Okay Articuno, it's time for Ice Pick!" Articuno screeched an affirmative, its beak glowing with a bright surge of freezing energy. It flew towards its blinded, confused opponent, tucking its sea-blue wings as it gained speed. Moltres never saw the finishing move coming; it was struck square in the breast with Articuno's freezer-tipped beak and blasted back into the rocky surface of the stadium, throwing up dust and boulders alike. Articuno willed the mist away, clearing the hazy fog with a mere thought as it stood over its fallen foe, a high trill of victory ringing across the field. The judge took one look at Moltres and made the call: "Moltres is unable to battle. Articuno has won the match!" * * * A few hours (and one trip to the Pokémon Center) later, Ash and Richie walked side-by-side into the Velocity Burger, talking and laughing. Ash steadied Pikachu on his shoulder, who was all but bursting with energy; it was disappointed that Ash hadn't let it battle against Richie, and had been over- stimulated by the final one-on-one, bird-on-bird bout. "Man, I had no idea you would pull out an Articuno, Ash!" Richie exclaimed with admiration. "That was an awesome win...not that I don't vow to return the 'favor' tenfold, mind you. Where did you ever find one?" Ash couldn't hold his curiosity at bay any longer. "Never mind how I got Articuno...how on earth did you ever find a Moltres? I've only seen two, and they're a bit...inaccessible." Richie laughed. "Two is one more than I've ever seen...but that's not the weirdest part, either. Y'see, there's this woman-" Richie was interrupted by a high-pitched, "Hey Ash, hey Richie! Over here!" Looking towards the source, the pair of trainers spotted Misty accompanied by Brock sitting in their favorite booth. Pikachu bounded from Ash's shoulder and ran over into Misty's waiting arms, which were surprisingly vacant of Togepi's egg-like form. Cuddling with the tiny mouse, she welcomed her friends in, scooting over for Ash while Tracy slid in with Brock. "We saw the fight on the TV, you guys..." "Yeah, that was amazing!" Brock hailed, clenching his fist. "I've never seen a battle like that before." "Pika!" Ash's stomach growled and grumbled, getting stares of questioning from his friends and Pikachu. He blushed, embarrassed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess all that battling worked up an appetite, huh?" "Yeah," Richie smirked, "Standing behind a podium and shouting orders must really be tough." Misty giggled at this, elbowing Ash. Ash's hunger was not ignored, however; Speedy came up to the table with four plates of food and an extra-large bottle of ketchup before the teens could even order anything. He gave them a wink as he set the food down in front of them, handing the ketchup to Pikachu while saving Ash's plate for last. "Got yer favorite right here, Mr. K!" he beamed, setting the peanut butter and banana sandwich in front of the Indigo Champion. Ash gave him a thank you, muffled by a mouthful of banana and gooey peanut butter. Misty grimaced in disgust, gagging as she stuck her tongue out. "How in the world can you stand to eat those things, Ash?" "Hey, it's good!" he said defensively. He ripped the sandwich in half, offering the part he hadn't bit in to Misty. "Try it; you'd be surprised." "Yeah, surprised as how quickly it'll kill me." She slurped at an iced mocha java, better than any she had gotten at Pewter City's Quarry. She rubbed Pikachu behind the ears, setting the Pokémon on the tabletop in front of them before digging into her burger and fries. Ash shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, taking an enormous bite. The large mouthful gave him plenty to choke on when a loud "KETCHUM!" startled him from behind, causing him to gag in surprise. His choking continued before Misty reached over and gave him a quick jab to the stomach, clearing his windpipe. He coughed, turning around to find the source of the yell. Standing behind him was three-quarters of his biggest rivalry within the Indigo League...besides Gary. The Elite Four: Lance, Agatha and Lorelei. Bruno's massive form was nowhere to be found. Lorelei folded her arms across her shapely chest, smirking at Ash from behind her glasses. "Well well, look who we have here...and stuffing his face, as usual." Agatha cackled, leaning on her cane from behind Lorelei. For some inexplicable reason, the ancient woman was wearing a thick wool shawl in ninety- degree weather. Ash wondered if maybe she wasn't clinically dead and just used the cloth to keep her cadaver warm. The thought brought him a bit of humor in an otherwise obnoxious confrontation. Lance, as usual, was giving him the silent glare while Lorelei continued her ranting. "Gary has two more matches before he'll be able to challenge you for the Championship." She leaned in close to the table, still smiling. "You worried?" Ash forced himself to remain calm. "Not especially." "You should be," she said, poking Pikachu in the Pokémon's belly with a laugh, "With such poorly trained Pokémon." Agatha cackled again, leering at Pikachu with her lazy eye. Pikachu fumed, sparking and snarling. It leapt at Lorelei, and would have taken the young woman's face off had Ash not snatched the mouse out of the air in mid-jump. He received a mild jolt for his efforts, smothering Pikachu into his lap while giving Lorelei a weak smile. "And how do you know he won't lose?" * * * "Ladies and gentlemen," President Goodshow stood behind his podium, which in turn was mounted in front of the steps of the Indigo Torch of Moltres, " I hope you will join me in congratulating our winner of this year's Indigo League Games, Gary Oak!" The crowd roared wildly as Gary took his place by Goodshow's side, holding his arms up with a smug smile of victory plastered on his thin lips. "Thank you, thank you, one and all!" Gary shouted into the microphone, causing a small feedback loop that screeched over the speakers for a moment. After the horrid squalling had died down, Gary tried again. "I know I can count on my loyal fans to back me up!" Goodshow looked over to Gary, raising a white, weathered eyebrow. "I assume," the old man said in his rough, hewn voice, "That you'll be challenging young Ketchum for the title." "Goodshow," Gary grabbed the mike from the podium and began to walk the length of the platform, waving his arms in huge gestures. "Not only will I challenge him for the title, but I'll beat the pants off of him, too!" Again the crowd roared, totally taken in by Gary's proclamation...all but four, that is. "What was that about Gary not winning?" Misty shot Ash a sidelong glance, hanging on to her now-released Togepi for comfort among the barely contained mob rising out of their seats. Ash shot her a look that would make a Gyarados blink. "Shut up." He held his own favorite Pokémon in his lap, who perked its ears up in interest with a quiet 'pika'. "She has a point, Ash." Richie said from the other side of Misty, looking back at the crowd. "Maybe Gary has some sort of trick up his sleeve..." He shook his head, pulling his cap down tighter over his ears. "The crowd sure thinks he can win." Ash snorted in disgust, casting his glare up at the crowd. "Let them side with that windbag." He looked down at Pikachu, smiling with pride. "We'll show them...we'll show them all who's Number One in this league, right Pikachu?" "Pika!" The rambunctious rodent thrust its tiny fist of claws into the air, crying out in unison with its trainer. Ash nodded triumphantly, standing up with his Pokémon in his arms. He began walking down the row, leaving the stadium with an air of defiance that his friends had never seen before. Misty shook her head sadly, hugging Togepi hard enough to make the egg child squeal a bit. "I've never seen him like this..." Richie and Brock gave her a look of incredulity. "What do you mean?" Richie beat Brock to the punch, glancing at Ash's receding form. "He's moody, arrogant, unstable, filled with anger..." She rolled her eyes. "Okay, I mean, obviously, we've seen 'all' of those before. This time it's different..." her face drooped with sadness as she stroked Togepi's head lovingly. "Usually he limits himself to just one of those obnoxious traits. This time, though..." Richie eyed his friend slyly. "Do I detect a hint of something more than worry in your voice, Misty?" He waggled his eyebrows, ribbing her a bit with his elbow. This earned him a smack upside the head with the heel of Misty's palm as she spat in anger. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Both Brock and Richie were laughing now; starting with a few chuckles, it grew to raucous, deep belly laughter. Her rage grew, as did her voice. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" Several people around them glanced at the angry redhead, but gave most of their attention to Goodshow's lecture on the process of beating the Elite Four. Richie wiped a tear that had escaped from his eye away. "Boy oh boy, Misty; you have it bad, don't you?" Her voice grew quiet with fury. "Excuse me." But Brock spoke up first. "That's nothing; you should have seen her at the Master's Ball. She was practically melting into his arms!" He, too, received a flat-handed blow from Misty's palm, his laughter growing as his head snapped to the side. "Like a Ditto on a hot griddle!" "I am NOT in love with Ash!" she cried out defensively. "Maybe I was a little confused after he died, but you can hardly blame me for that!" Her cheeks were bright red as she blushed with embarrassment. "Imagine; me, in love with a little kid like that!" She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with either of the snickering boys, letting her gaze drift downward to her battered red sneakers in shame. Now they stopped laughing, instead frowning with a mixture of confusion and disapproval. "Now wait a minute..." Brock said, folding his arms. Misty tried to shut him out, but he walked over to her and bent down, looking straight into her eyes. "You can fool yourself, you can fool Ash...Goddess knows 'that' isn't hard." She smiled a bit at his humor, but grew serious as he finished, "But you can't fool me, Mysterious Waterflower." She sighed, finally owning up with a mixture of sadness and annoyance. "Give me a break...I'm working on the whole 'Not In Love With Ash' thing, okay?" Brushing a lock of her hair out of her face, she stood up and left in a similar manner as Ash had; huffy, speedily and without a word. Brock and Richie exchanged knowing glances once more. "Oh yeah, she's got it 'bad'." "Real bad." * * * The Elite Four had given Gary some terrific battles to contend with, but had fallen one by one to the young trainer's team of well-taught Pokémon; some might have had the tenacity to claim that Bruno was the only one of the four that hadn't fought half-heartedly, but most agreed that it was just as tough as any other battle the Elite Four had offered in the past. In either case, it was time for the final match. The crowd was roaring and screaming, sending thunderous waves of noise echoing across the modern coliseum and shaking the foundation of the stone-and- mortar monument. It was filled beyond capacity for this fight the isles and sidelines brimming with thousands of people who had come too late to find a seat. The evening sky was devoid of all natural sunlight, lit up now by the stars, the moon, and most of all the stadium's own massive array of towering spotlights that bathed the field in a wash of dazzling white brilliance. Of course, not everyone had been required to show up early to get good seats; a certain quartet of reoccurring characters sat front row center, taking in the sights, the sounds, and the smells of Indigo Stadium at its peak. "Oh my, this is certainly exciting!" Ash's mother nearly swooned, leaning over the railing as she tried in vain to spot Ash among the officials on the field; it was apparent that the current League Champ hadn't taken the field just yet. Gary, on the other hand, was snug in his own trainer's box, his Pokémon already in the podium's registry ports and ready to go. If it was at all possible, he had an even bigger smirk than usual plastered on his smug little face. "It's as if the entire 'world' showed up to see my Ash battling tonight!" As much as she hated to admit it, Misty had to agree with Mrs. Ketchum; this 'was' exciting. No one had given Ash any real competition since he had swept the championship five years ago. This match had been building up for half a decade, ever since her longtime friend had beaten Gary. Now it was time for a final showdown of sorts, something to end this rivalry once and for all...at least until the next League Games. "Wow, is this great or what?" Brock said, munching on a mouthful of popcorn before taking a long drag from a cup full of soda. "Best seats in the house!" "Noisiest, too." Richie winced as the crowd got to its feet, pounding their hands together at the merest wave from Gary. It was utterly disgusting, the way he was playing the crowd for all they were worth. "C'mon, Ash, where the heck are you?" he muttered, urging his friend to take his stand before the entire 'world' turned against him. "Lllllladies and gentlemen..." the announcer's voice came to life over the loudspeaker system, booming and squalling across the field and the noisy stadium. The din died down a bit as people settled in to listen to their favorite announcer, T. G. Masters, talk them through the match. "Welcome to the main event; in the Red Trainer's Box we have the "Bad Boy" of the Indigo League and tonight's favorite to win...Ga-ry Oak!" The crowd went wild, clapping and screaming. A few of the more fanatical women positioned up front tossed hotel room keys and marriage proposals at the young trainer, which he took with a sparkling smile and a wink. "And in the Green Trainer's Box is Pokémon Island's sweetheart, and the rough-and-ready Cham-pion of the Indigo League...Ash-lan Ter-rance KET-chum!" This was the moment Ash had chosen to take his trainer's box, stepping up to the podium as it lifted off of the brown, smooth ground with a soft pneumatic whirring. Pikachu also took the stage, opting to stand below and to the side of the aquamarine hued box with its claws placed defiantly on its hips. The crowd took Ash's fashionably late entrance with distaste, booing and hissing. He tried to ignore the traitorous fans who had cheered him to victory only five short years ago, pushing them to the back of his mind. * * * "And the crowd does not look happy to see Ketchum take the field..." T. G. had switched his microphone over to radio feed only, broadcasting his take of the match over to the thousands of listeners who weren't lucky enough to be there. "It looks like Ash has fallen out of favor with the fans. He could be in real trouble tonight." He shifted in his chair, looking out at the field from his broadcaster's box high atop the stands in the Indigo Stadium. The broadcaster cleared his throat, covering the mike so as not to broadcast his throaty rumbling over the airwaves. "Now folks, we have a real special treat for you at this match; a special guest with a real inside look at both of tonight's fighters, Professor Oak of the Oak Institute for Pokémon Research." Oak nodded in gratitude from his seat next to Masters. "Thank you, T. G. It's a pleasure to be here." "Now Oak, I'm going to cut to the chase." T. G. started right off the bat, playing hardball. "You've taken the Ketchum boy in as a sort of protégé, if I'm not mistaken, and Gary Oak is quite obviously your grandson. Tell me; which one are you rooting for?" Oak gazed out at the two combatants with calm serenity. "Mr. Masters, I cannot and will not take sides in this match." "But your own flesh and blood-" Oak cut the wheeling-and-dealing DJ of Pokémon off, "While Gary 'is' my grandson, I have come to think of Ash as more than a protégé; he is as much family to me as my young Gary. In either case, it really doesn't matter which side I'm on. This match will be decided by one thing and one thing alone; the skills of the two trainers, pitted against each other." T. G. blinked, taken aback at Oak's neutrality. "Well, which one do you think has the better shot of winning, Professor...er, in you esteemed opinion, of course..." "It isn't an easy question to answer, Mr. Masters." Oak folded his arms, beginning a lecture that he had given to many people who asked similar queries about his two rivaling disciples. "Their training methods are quite different; like day and night. My grandson has chosen a training technique that involves multiple Pokémon of many different types, each with their own weaknesses and strengths. This gives him an advantage when it comes to selecting the right Pokémon for a battle; a wider range of selection means a better chance of finding the perfect combatant for a particular fight." He paused, shifting his gaze from Gary to Ash. "Young Mr. Ketchum, on the other hand, has been training for many years with a specific series of Pokémon that I like to call "The A Team". Within Ash's 'A Team' there exist countless hours of training and battling. He has pitted each of them against opponents of all different sizes, shapes, types, and elements. In addition, Ash has done quite a bit more traveling and adventuring than my grandson has. I very much doubt there is anything that Gary will be able to do that will surprise Ash, which gives him a substantial advantage." "Oh-kay, back to the fight!" T. G. said, looking down on the field as the officials began to set up the match. * * * "The Green Trainer and Indigo Champion has selected the battle rules;" the field judge called out, his arms held up high to attract the crowd's attention. "Three-on-three match. No callbacks, no time limit, and no items. Trainers, select your Pokémon!" The judge raised his large green and red flags simultaneously, waiting for the gladiators to choose their weapons. * * * Gary glowered at Ash from across the field, trying to read his opponent and outguess him. It was a safe bet that he wouldn't start with Pikachu, but the rodent would undoubtedly enter into play sometime in the match. It was important that Gary not play his trump card until he needed to...and even more important that no one catch him while he was doing it. He selected his Pokémon, taking it out of the registry port and expanding it from its travel size (about the equivalent of a marble) to capture/release mode (a large softball, but substantially more powerful). Ash had done the same, which meant that Gary had guessed correctly; Pikachu would remain on the sidelines for the moment. * * * "Trainers ready...and...BEGIN!" the judge dropped his flags, signaling the beginning of the match. Each trainer threw his Pokéball out into the middle of the field, releasing a set of blinding white energy that soon coalesced into a pair of Pocket Monsters. "Koo-kie, koooo-kie!" Ash's Kingler rumbled from its half of the field, snapping its massive claws. "Kahn!" Gary's choice, a Kangaskahn sans infant, stamped its feet and leapt forward with fire in its eyes. Kingler made a valiant effort to stop the larger Pokémon's charge, but couldn't force the Kangaskahn's blitz back; the giant crab took a clawed foot to the face, tumbling backwards until it rolled to a stop a mere inch from the edge of the ring. Confident, the Kangaskahn kangaroo-hopped forward, trying to best use its momentary advantage. "Kingler, Harden quick!" Ash shouted desperately at his punch-drunk crustacean. Kingler was surrounded with a golden aura as its skin became as hard as steel. When Kangaskahn's foot met with Kingler's exoskeleton, the brown titan was horrified to find that the crab wasn't moving, and that its foot was screaming with pain. Kangaskahn soon followed suit, howling in agony and hopping on one foot as the other became swollen and blue. Ash regained some of his own confidence as Kingler got back to its long, spindly feet and shook off the effects of the first hit. "Okay Kingler, now let's finish him off with a Hyperbeam!" Kingler responded with a grunted "Koo-kie!" and raised the larger of its two claws, taking aim. Kingler's claw blasted forth with a golden stream of deadly energy as Kangaskahn hobbled away on its injured foot. The beam struck the Kangaskahn square in the back, lifting it up off of its feet and carrying it across the field, slamming it into the base of Gary's podium with explosive force. Gary very nearly lost his footing, narrowly keeping hold of the railing as his Kangaskahn slumped against the trainer's box. The judge hadn't even waited for Kangaskahn to hit the podium before raising the green flag. * * * "Kangaskahn is unable to battle. Kingler takes the first faint!" Up on the score board, a single red box disappeared from its place next to Gary's image, leaving only two remaining. Gary forced himself to take a deep breath, calming his nerves. He began to reach for the Pokéball in the far right port, but forcibly stopped himself; it wasn't time yet. Instead, he selected his other Pokémon, tossing it. Losing the first faint often didn't mean a thing; with no callbacks, Gary was free and clear to hammer Ash's Kingler with an elemental disadvantage. "Let's do it, Weepingbell!" * * * "Bell!" Gary's large yellow Grass type was recreated from the wash of white light as its Pokéball snapped back to its owner's hand. Weepingbell bounced out into the ring, wasting no time much as Kangaskahn hadn't. Ash was sweating bullets, but didn't call Kingler back; with any luck, the crab could inflict some damage before Weepingbell took the Water type down. "Weepingbell." "Okay Kingler, let's give him a Crab Hammer!" Kingler leapt into the air with its 'Koo-kie' battlecry ringing across the field as it raised its massive claw high, coming down on Gary's Weepingbell with a devastating non-elemental attack. Weepingbell's soft body took the brunt of the blow, but the dopey plant was driven into the ground with the force of Kingler's attack regardless. Ash prayed that Weepingbell had a glass jaw, but it wasn't to be; Gary's plant bounced out of the shallow crater, slashing at Kingler with its long vines. Kingler was struck across the face, spinning with the force of the blow as a jolt of Grass elemental energy charged from the vines into its body. The massive crab smacked into the ground, clearly unconscious; a quick call by the judge, and a green light next to Ash's image disappeared from the score board. The fight was now two-on-two, but the odds were hardly even; it was now Ash's turn to play the elemental card, and he played it well. "Okay Charizard, it's your turn!" Ash released his dragon of fire, which returned to a solid state, bellowing a terrifying roar as it swooped over the field. Before Ash could even issue orders, Charizard blasted Gary's ill-fated Weepingbell with a ferocious bath of red-hot flames, nearly vaporizing the Pokémon. All that remained of Gary's Grass type was a blackened, charred mass that lay on the ground, whimpering in agony. * * * Gary immediately recalled the poor Pokémon, losing another light on the scoreboard. Two-on-one; now he was in trouble. He pulled out his last Pokéball, kissing it for luck. He had little to worry about, however; if his plan worked, the championship would be his. First, though, he would need to dispose of this flaming menace. * * * "Go, Alakazam!" In an instant, Alakazam joined the fray; standing four feet tall, Gary's Alakazam wasn't much to look at; appearing to be a freakish cross between a weasel and a human, it stood on spindled legs and possessed thin limbs, a large head, an elongated snout, and small, pointed ears. A polished silver spoon was clutched in each of the Psychic Pokémon's three-fingered hands, gleaming in the bright light of the stadium. Ash looked at his new opponent with a hint of dread, not looking forward to this next match-up; Psychic types were notoriously unpredictable, and were often unbeatable. Still, Charizard was by no means a bad choice for this match. Ash wouldn't trust his Charizard too far, but he was certain that he could count on the fiery lizard in a fight. "Okay, Charizard, it's time to pour on the speed!" Charizard roared, complying with Ash's orders; beating its massive wings, the dragon began to circle the ring at high speed. As Ash had hoped, Alakazam was having a hard time getting a mental bead on the Charizard, and couldn't launch an attack with the deadly accuracy that characterized Psychic types. Gary, however, was ready for this. "Alakazam, Disable Wave!" Alakazam raised its silver spoons, scowling at the speed-blurred form of Ash's Charizard. It began to concentrate, creating a blue aura around the spoons as it gathered psychic energy for its attack; with a blast of blue-white light, a wave of destructive force was released from Alakazam's spoons, moving upward and outward from its point of origin at a fantastic rate. The unfortunate Charizard was caught right in the middle of the disabling energies, spinning to the earth as it lost all consciousness and control. Alakazam stood over its fallen foe, placing a foot on the lizard's head and raising its spoons high into the air with a cheer. * * * "Typical," Ash muttered. "Gary's Pokémon showboat just like he does..." The worst part of it all was the crowd; they were eating the Alakazam's antics up, screaming and stamping their feet, making as much noise as they could for their new favorite and his Psychic dynamo. His blood boiling, Ash looked down at his Pika-partner standing down by the base of the box, giving the thunderous mouse a nod. He and Pikachu would show these people exactly what it was to show off. * * * "Pika!" Bottom of the match, two out, and Pikachu was up to bat. Ash decided to make the first move quickly, while Gary was still enrapturing the crowd. "Pikachu, Agility!" Pikachu leapt forward at lightning speeds, leaving a trail of starry sparks in its wake. This time, Alakazam couldn't even use its Disable Wave to take the mouse out as it had Charizard; it couldn't hit what it couldn't see, and Pikachu was moving too fast for its highly-trained eye to follow. Before Gary knew it, Pikachu was bouncing off of his Alakazam's head with a series of Quick Attacks. Alakazam was trying to bounce back with its Recover technique, but Pikachu's dizzying headshots were making it hard for the Psychic type to concentrate. "Alakazam!" Gary howled with frustration, slamming his fist against the podium, "Do something!" But it appeared to be too late for Alakazam; Ash had ordered Pikachu through a series of gravity-defying flips, placing the mighty mouse behind its psychic opponent. Whereas before Alakazam seemed to be unbeatable, it now appeared that the Psychic type was a stuffed toy being bombarded by Pikachu's powerful Thundershock and Thunderbolt. It stood in the center of the ring, wobbling on its feet as the Pikachu ran circles around its electrocuted opponent. Helpless, Gary looked across the field and directly into Ash's gaze; judging by the smirk on his rival's face, Ketchum was gearing up for the final blow. It was now or never; time to pull out his last ace in the hole. "Alakazam, Special Kinesis!" Gary's heart raced as he saw his Alakazam's eyes glow blood red. The Psychic type made a few quick gestures with its wiry arms, chanting with its limited vocabulary. Oddly enough, its spoons were pointed not at Pikachu, but instead at its trainer. * * * Ash leaned against his trainer's podium, grinning in anticipation; the final moment would be sweet, when he defeated Gary once and for all. "Pikachu, Thund-AAAAAAAAAAAA!" Without warning, defying all sense and reason, Ash was bombarded with a pain he had never felt before. His vision became a field of pure white, and it seemed that his eyes had become living flame and were trying to burn out of his skull. Then, as quickly as the pain had come, it was gone. His vision, however, was still less than perfect; all he could see was white, no matter where he looked or how hard he blinked. He screamed again, this time more out of frustration than of pain as he clutched his eyes, rubbing uselessly in an attempt to regain his sight. * * * Pikachu's attention shot back to its trainer at the first cry of pain, its tiny yellow-black ears perked with concern. The crowd, however, had not noticed Ash's plight and remained focused on the match. Pikachu gasped in shock; Ash's eyes were glowing! Normally with irises of golden amber, Pikachu's trainer now possessed glowing orbs where his eyes once were. The Pokémon would have been better off showing concern for its opponent rather than its trainer; Gary still possessed perfect sight, and wasn't wasting this opportunity. "Alakazam, Psybeam now!" "Ala!" Alakazam powered up, creating a huge globe of glowing yellow Kai betwixt its spoons. The crowd roared with approval, with the exception of Ash's only friends among the crowd. "No!" Misty screamed, leaning against the railing of the stadium, trembling with fear for Pikachu, trembling with worry for Ash. "FINISH IT!" Gary cried out, lifting a fist in victory. The moment seemed to happen in slow motion, especially for Misty; she could hear every individual voice of the crowd screaming and yelling; she could see Pikachu and Alakazam frozen in time, the latter poised to attack, and the former oblivious to the danger; she could count each heartbeat as it slammed into her ribcage, pounding in her ears. The Psybeam leapt from Alakazam's lethal spoons, lancing towards Ash's power-packed rodent. The golden spear traveled slowly in Misty's mind's eye, traveling inch by inch across the desolate ground of the Stadium. After what seemed an eternity, it lanced into Pikachu with bone-jarring force, engulfing the tiny rodent in a burning field of mental power. Soundlessly, the Pikachu fell to the ground and lay there, motionless. At this distance, Misty couldn't even be sure that the Pokémon was breathing. The once-roaring crowd was now speechless, waiting for the judge to speak. It was hardly necessary, though; they all knew what he was going to say. "Pikachu is unable to battle. Alakazam is the winner." the judge's voice rang out over the loudspeaker, echoing in the quiet field. Lights flashed around Gary's image on the scoreboard, congratulating the trainer on his victory. For a moment, the Stadium remained dead silent, as if the audience was still absorbing the information. It didn't last for long. "Hooray for Gary!" someone screamed from high up in the nosebleed sections. That was all it took for the crowd to explode with frenzied cheering and yelling, stamping their feet and pounding their hands together. Amidst the storm of fanatics, Ash's cheering section remained defiantly still; Mrs. Ketchum was moaning in sympathy for poor Pikachu whilst Brock and Richie gazed grimly out upon the field, still not understanding how it could have happened. "Ash had that match in the bag...I don't get it." Richie muttered, glaring daggers at Gary as the arrogant trainer took his bows and blew kisses to the crowd. Brock didn't say a word. True to his element, the beefy teen remained silent as a stone. "Oh, Ash...Pikachu..." Misty whispered as concern, among other feelings, filling her heart. * * * Ash's vision was slowly getting better, but he still couldn't see clearly; instead of a bright field of white, the trainer was able to see the blurred outlines of Indigo Stadium from his inside perspective atop the trainer's box. He hadn't needed to hear the judge's call to know what had happened; Pikachu had taken a hard hit. His best friend had fallen, and it was all his fault. Though his eyes were less than sterling, his ears could hear the voice of T. G. Masters as it broadcasted over the loudspeaker system for all to hear. "Ladies and gentlemen, the match is over! THE MATCH IS OVER! GARY IS THE WINNER!" Ash dropped to his hands and knees; hearing it out loud was severely different from knowing it inside. It had finally happened...he had lost the Indigo Championship. He had lost to Gary. Gary had won. To Be Continued... Next- BadgeQuest #9 The League Games, Part II Quiet Hindsight So Gary won the match, beating Ash by a hair...but was the match fair-and- square? Just what 'was' Gary's special last-ditch plan? And why did Ash lose his sight at exactly the wrong moment? Find out all this and nothing more on the next exciting episode of Pokémon: BadgeQuest!