Chapter Two: Check and Mate
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I was heading down the road alone. I would've normally let out a Pokemon or two, but today I wanted to be alone-to think. What was in that Pokeball? I couldn't stand it I had to find out! I reached for Dranto's Pokeball. I figured I would go to Proffessor Oak for some kind of idea on what that Pokemon was. Then I'd go to...Lance. He is the number one Pokemon Master! He is most likely to be behind this. As I was about to release Dranto I heard a child yelling from wher I had just come.

"Mis Pokemon Master Foxumon!! Please wait! I have to have your autograph!" The child yelled out to me.

I chuckeled to myself and smiled as I saw him and one of his friends come running over the horizon each holding out a copy of Pokemon Mainia. "Sure, you got a pen?" I asked as my smile widended

"Of coarse I do!!" The child quickly grasped a pen from his pocket and gave to me as he and his friend grined and sqeeled with delight.

I took each copy of the magazine and signed them. I waved to the children and was about to let Dranto out again as another child came running up.

"I...I want to challenge you to a Pokemon match!" The child blurted out studdering.

I saw he had an issue of Pokemon Mainia with him and devised a plan to give nurse Joy a hard time. My 'accomplise' looked like the execclent tool.

"I accept your challenge! On one condition! If I win show that magasine to nurse Joy and tell her that Foxumon sent you!" I told him as I enlarged Smuff's Pokeball.

The child's eyes seemed to light up, it looked to me like my proposition might make him throw the match, "Oh wow! Really? Um...if I win I want you to sign my magazine 'to my best friend Zack'!"

"agreed" I smiled "One on one okay with you!" I asked

"Yea!" The child took out one of his Pokeballs and trew it "Come on out Flaffy!" A Flaffy energed from his Pokeball and stretched out its limbs.

"Come on out! Smuff!" I realesed Smuff and we battled for a little while. I let the battle drag on for a little bit and I tried to leave his Flaffy in ok shape.

"Aww...I lost." The child seemed very disappointed. Did he think that he could acctually beat me? no matter..

I walked up to the trainer, "Here, you did a really good job out there! I'll still sign your magazine, if you still want me too of course!"

The child lept for joy "Oh thank you, thank you! I'll make sure to show it to nurse Joy and everyone in the entire town!" the boy then gave me his pen

"Its nothing, not for a friend anyway!" I winked and took his pen and signed his magazine 'to my best friend Zack ~Foxumon'

The boy's eyes lighted up when he saw what I wrote.

I waved goodbye to the children as they all crowed around my signature. I walked out of site and thought about riding my Dragonite to pallet town, I decided to stick around for a little while and continued walking.

I walked for a few more hours as the sun began to set, "I better stop at the next town" I said to myself as my Pokegear started to ring again. I lifted it to my ear and heard a voice I had never heard before.

"Come meet me at the Cafe Royal at ten o'clock tommarrow. Its in the next town,charclo town, which is only ten minutes away from your current position CLICK" the call ended and I placed the Pokegear back into my back pack. I took a deep breath as I headed twards forward.

I check my watch. It was exactly ten minutes ago since I recieved that call that I was standing in front of a town. How could they have known where I was? How did they know how long it would take. I swalowed hard as I walked into the town. I came up to the Pokemon center where I decided to stay for the night.

In the lobby I met up with the three trainers I had seen before. The black-haired boy, red head, and the guy with the green vest. "Hi!! I never caught your names before, I'm Foxumon!"

"huh? Oh, I'm Misty!" The red-haired trainer replied.

The next trainer stepped in front of me, "I'm Brock, and do you have a boy friend?" I stepped back and rubbed the back of my hair as Misty pulled him away by his ear.

"Ouch..." I said under my breath

"I'm Ash! I hope to become the worlds best Pokemon Master!" The black-haired boy said emphatically as I shacked his hand.

"Its nice to see more people trying to be masters! It feels like theres so few of us!" I smiled as I let go of his hand and fixed my jacket collar.

"Your a Pokemon master! Wow! How about a match!" Ash seemed to be the type with endless energy.

"Ok everyone! Time to break it up! Its time to go to bed! Its not time to battle!" nurse Joy called out from the back as the center's lights began to dim

"You heard the nurse! Maybie another time!" I smiled as I headed to the sleeping area.

Ash seemed very dissappointed. Him and his friends followed me into the back as the lights went completely off. When my watch went off it was nine o'clock. I had one hour to get ready and to the Cafe Royal. All the other trainers were gone by now. They must've got up earlier do I got ready in peace. I decided to leave my Pokemon with nurse Joy. The were pretty worn out, I hadn't been at a Pokemon Center for quite a few battles. I had all my things in order by nine thirty, and decided to make it to the Cafe Royal.

In the Cafe Royal I took a seat in the lobby and waited for my surprise guest. I waited for five minutes when something unexpected happened-Lance walked in through the door. I was startled and dropped a Pokeball. As I leaned over to get it Lance sat next to me.

"funny seeing you here." I said refusing to look at him in the eye.

"I could say the same thing about you. Last night we intercepted your call. I noticed you decided to keep this to yourself" Lance's arrogance only proved to annoy me.

I glared at him, "Seems like everyone knows a lot about me lately. I figured seeing you would make who ever called nervous, lord knows I can't bare sitting next to you!" I stood up and fixed my jacket collar, "Thanx for the house call, but I can take care of myself." I made my way to the door.

"Don't do this Foxumon! Your not indestructable! Whats going down here is way over your head!" Lance tried to reason with me.

I stopped in my tracks and Lance walked up behind me, "Its for your own good." He said lightly into my ear.

He made me blood boil and I pushed him away and turned twards him, "Shows what you know, Lance! If I were you I wouldn't be so smug with me!" I turned back to the door.

"Foxumon!" Lance called out, apparently I was getting on his nerves as much as he was on mine. But he didn't know what I was. I could hold my ground and then some.

As I reached for the handle I felt something evil...something familiar. I stopped for a moment surprised as an explosion knocked open the door and sent me back a few feet. I coughed and squinted to see what had caused the explosion. I heard Lance yell out for all the people to get out of there as I made out a few figures. I closed my eys tightly shoock my head, and got up. When I opened my eyes again I clearly saw a group of Rockets. I had a feeling they were here for the same reason that I was. If Lance had traced the call then they must've traced it too. I ran out of the cafe and into the street. It was empty most of the people had run away. The three trainers...Ash Misty and Brock where there as long as Lance.

"What do you want here?" Lance asked the Rockets

"Where here for the same reason you are! To stop the wildcard from discovering the truth!" The Rocket pointed in my deirect. My jaw dropped I knew that they were keeping an eye on me, but was it for longer then now? Did they know...what I am.

"Wildcard..." I said quietly

"They're just trying to break us up! Lets send them to the next time zone!" Lance smilled at me, but I could tell he was lying I could feel it.

My anger rose and my temper shortened. I was begging to lose controll, but I could'nt help it. was I being used here, by both sides? "Thats a lie and you know it!! Tell me the truth right here and right now!" I yelled at Lance.

"The truth...?" Lance swallowed hard as he look at me...almost frightened.

"If that whining coward won't tell you the truth then I will!" I turned my head to the voice it was familiar...it was him, Giovanni! "Plain and simple we know what you, Foxumon! We've known for years. and all this time they have been using you! They made it easy for you to make it to the top! They knew they could keep a closer eye on your that way!" As he finished speaking I didn't know what to think.

I looked at Lance tears streaming down my face. The feelings of fear anger distrust confusion, and betrail wrapped around me like a smothering blanket I couldn't move and could hardly breath, "Is it true? Lance? Everything I worked for? Everything I've done? Was it all just some big lie?? Lance???" I barley chocked it out

Lance only looked at me in distress. He had nothing to say.

Giovanni launched an attack while I was still starring at Lance. .He sent out his most powerfull Pokemon. Ash and his friends treid to help Lance, but they were outnumbered. Maybie if I had helped...I had no idea which side I was on, if any. Giovanni ordered his Nidoking to launch a hyperbeam twards Ash and his Pokemon. They didn't stand a chance.

"ASSSH!" Misty yelled and ran to his side. The blast had hit him pretty bad him and his Pikachu. Misty sobbed over him, I couldn'tn tell if he was breathing.

I straightened out and trembling fixed my colar once more. I shut my mouth and peered over at Ash. I took a deap breath then took my attention to Giovanni's Pokemon. The feeling inside of my were raging out of controll and my powers were soon to follow, they were like a raging wildfire swelling inside of me. I looked down at the ground in a futile attenpt to controll them I shut my eyes tightly, but that only seemed to make it worse.

I opened my eyes and world seemed to glow a bright green, the psychic energy was growing inside of me and I could'nt keep ot bottled up any longer. I looked at Giovanni's Pokemon and a small droplet of sweat formed and fell from my forehead. I raised my arm twards the Nidoking, and thrust it into a neaby building as hard as I could. The Pokemon plowed throught the brick wall and left a pile of smashed bricked as It landed inside the store. I lifted up both my arms and all of Giovanni's realeased Pokemon, and I thrust them back at Giovanni and his accomlisses. Most of the scattered and got out of the way but some were caught under the wiegth of thier own Pokemon. Not one died, but none was left without any injury. I fell to the ground. The wiegth of the Pokemon was a lot to bear. There were over two dozen Pokemon there.

Giovanni only smirked and let out a few more Pokemon. I had no choice I knew what I had to do.

I panted heavily as Lance Brock and Misty looked on with horror. It took a great effort, but I managed to stand up I brushed off my pants and looked at Giovanni he smiled at me as I panted and desperatly tried to stand up on my legs which didn't seem to be able to hold me up anymore. I painfully walked over to Ash and neeled beside him.

As long as my 'extravagent' career was over it might as well go over...completely. I summoned what little psychic energy I had left I put my hand over his chest and whispered "recover." All of Ash's injuries were completely healed, and mine were about to begin. If Team Rocket believed I was still a threat maybie they would let the other go if...I went along willingly.

I swallowed hard, and stood up to face Giovanni, "You've seen what I can do! Don't think I can't do it again! If you let them go..." I looked down at Ash and Misty. Misty had given him a hug and he looked oblivious to the whole thing. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, "I'll go with you willingly!"

"Foxumon! No you can't!" Lance protested and I turned to face him.

"But.. I have to." I said quietly as I looked into his eyes.

Just as I said that I felt a hand on my shoulder "Agreed!" Giovanni said hapily.

I collapsed as he laid his hand down. He caught me and carried me to his helicopter. I didn't even have the power left to raise my arm in protest. As I felt his tight grip on my arm I felt more then a captured Pokemon then anything, I also felt like I had betrayed everything I had worked so hard for, but they had betrayed me first. As these thoughts went through my head I looked up at Giovanni and he smiled back at me-victoreous. I closed my eyes and fell asleep in his arms.

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