The Greatest Trainer Part 2 by Lord Kadabra I don't own Pokemon, and none of the characters except Allegra are mine. (And do not use her unless you ask my permission!). Not all first-person narratives are Allegra's point of view, but I will make it obvious whose POV it is. *** Mrs. Ketchum looked back through the trees. Someone was following her. Well, she was a lot more than a housewife. With nearly two years of survival training, she could lose anyone but the best tracker. She looped back on herself, careful not to disturb the delicate grasses that would betray her passage. *** She had lost the trail. Misty sat down angrily on the moss. "How did I lose it?" she asked of Togepi. The egg trilled happily, and she shook her head. "It shouldn't have been that hard to follow Mrs. Ketchum through the forest. Well...maybe this is a sign that I shouldn't look for Ash. Maybe it's never meant to be." She sighed. "But all I wanted was to tell him how I feel." *** "Argh!" I yelled, slamming my fist into the wall. I had been searching for a week, and still had no idea where he could have gone. There were no records, forwarding addresses, or even accounts of him appearing anywhere. Apparently the only creatures who were privy to his secret were his Pokemon, because there was no other way to hide those tracks. But then I saw something. A letter he had written to his mother, just before he had left. "Dear Mom," it read, "I want you alone to know where I'm going, because I want to get away from society. If you remember my favorite book, you only need to make a mountain out of a molehill to find me." On the surface, it was incomprehensible, but it gave me all the information I needed. Mrs. Ketchum knew where to find her son, and probably would if some outside incident made his skills needed. Well, I could make her call him. I had the elemental forces at my disposal. *** Officer Jenny was dozing lightly when a call came over the radio. "Jenny, we've got a code red down here! There's some sort of Pokemon attacking the gym, and there's nothing that can stop it!" She awoke in a flash and mounted her motercycle. In a screech of tires, she headed to the Celadon City Gym, where Erika and her trainers were trying to fend off the attacks of this ultimate creature. *** I awoke groggily. The blast had nearly killed me, and probably had destroyed the gym. That Pokemon-it was powerful. Then, I realized I was lying on the ground. A small foot was placed on my chest. Looking up, I saw an orange-tinged face smiling like a crocodile. I recognized it immediately as the attacker. "Hello, Erika," she hissed. "I demand a Rainbow Badge for my victory." I nearly choked. "What? Who are you-" She cut me off quite abruptly. "Maximestis is the name I was given, but you may call me Maxim. And I want a Rainbow Badge. I beat you fair and square," she said quietly. "And, I want you to give this message to the world. That I will attack and destroy every gym like I have this one until my demands are met. Every night from 8 to 8:30, I will wait on the roof of the Silph, Co. Building. I will wait for only one person, Ash Ketchum. When he has delivered himself to me, I will fight and kill him, and will then stop my renagade." Shocked, I didn't notice when she took the Rainbow Badge from my jacket. Instead, I wondered who this monster was, and why she was doing this. *** Ash listened silently to the radio that his mother had brought. "-Only Erika, the gym leader, survived the attack, and gave the identity of the attacker as the name 'Maxim.' She also has delivered a message that this mysterious Maxim gave to her." Erika's voice then came over the radio, distinctly hers, but strained. "Maxim is unbeatable. She used every type of elemental against us, destroying every Pokemon we sent against her. She burned the gym to the ground, and froze the survivors to death. She says that she will attack another gym tonight, and another tomorrow, until every gym in the world has been destroyed. She has given an ultimatum. She will stop this rampage if...if Ash Ketchum approaches her on the Silph Co. roof between 8 and 8:30 at night. Please, Ash, if you hear this, take heed, and help us." Mrs. Ketchum turned off the radio. "You see? They've been playing this loop every hour. Ash, they need you to come." Ash shook his head. "I can't go back. I can't handle the attitude of 'here comes Ash, the conquering hero.' I just want to be able to go down there and be Ash, Pokemon trainer from Pallet." His mother gave him a stare, however, that filled him completely with guilt. "All right," he murmured, "Don't get so...I'll do it. I'll do it; but I'm going to be in disguise until I get there." Mrs. Ketchum smiled. Pikachu just laughed. *** I was in disguise, or rather, I assumed the form I would have had had I not...changed. My long brown hair didn't curl, exactly, but it wasn't flat. I made sure that my eyes would remain green, for I didn't want to expose myself. I had clothed my abnormalities (such as the vines and electrodes) with illusion, and felt quite normal, almost cheerful, when I walked through the streets of Saffron City. I knew I would attack here next; after all, I had a score to settle with Sabrina. I didn't watch where I was going, and apparently, neither was he. I collided with the boy, and we both fell over. Mumbling apoligies, he reached over to help me up. When we were both standing, I took a look at him. He had long, brown hair, and quite beautiful green eyes. He looked about 13 or 14, and not very tall, about 5'11''. His face was slightly red from embarassment, so I decided to make him feel more comfortable. "My name's Allegra; I'm really sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," I said, holding out my hand. He blanched, but then put out his own hand. "My name's...Richie, and it really was my fault, I should have been paying more attention." There was something ineffably charming about him. I smiled, and braved a question. "Could I take you to lunch? I mean, to gloss over this little incident," I corrected myself, not wanting to seem too forward. "Sure!" he exclaimed, then, blushing, said, "I mean, sure, I wouldn't mind." Yes, he was definately charming, but not exactly Romeo. "Well, then I know the perfect place." *** Misty was sitting at a table in the Psychic Cafe, waiting for Sabrina. "Well, apparently being psychic doesn't help you be prompt," she thought to herself. Ever since Ash had left, she had formed a friendship with the now- sociable Saffron gym leader. And, because she had been feeling confused, she decided to talk over her feelings with Sabrina. The woman was psychic, and would probably have a better perspective on this than anyone else. She glanced over to the next table, where a 13-year-old girl was chatting amiably with a boy about the same age. Both had brown hair and green eyes, nearly the same shade, which she thought was odd, because apart from that, they looked nothing alike. She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the lips, and he looked shocked, but then smiled at her. He leaned over and kissed her a little deeper, and Misty had to turn away. It was a little nauseating, but it made her jealous. She wished she had someone like that to kiss. Well, not anyone, but Ash. She sighed dejectedly, and looked at her watch. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the boy get up, evidently to get his girlfriend and he their food. *** Sabrina was hurrying into the cafe, hair rather frazzled, and feeling annoyed. Haunter had been acting up again and had nearly frightened her general manager out of his wits. She suddenly collided with someone, who grunted and dropped something. Completely on reflex, Sabrina grabbed the objects with her mind, keeping whatever it was from hitting the ground. Turning to the man she had run into, she dropped the items softly onto the plate. "Sorry about that," she said apoligetically. He was still amazed, and she took an unconscious probe to see if he was in shock. Instead, she reeled at finding a particular touch. Lowering her voice, she leaned closer to him. "Ash?" she inquired, looking him straight in the eyes. He appeared startled, and then whispered back to her. "Well, if anyone could see through this disguise, you could, Sabrina, but KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN. I'm disguised for a reason. And what are you doing here?" "I came to meet Misty to talk about something. And you?" He jumped at hearing her name, but responded anyway. But his response was reluctant. "Just having lunch with a...friend," he mumbled. Sabrina looked up to see the brown-haired girl waving at Ash. "Ah, well then, I'll not detain you," she said smugly. She then turned to Misty's table and stode quickly over. Ash sighed in frustration and hurried over to where Allegra was seated. *** "I'm sorry; Haunter was acting up," Sabrina apoligized, sitting down across from Misty. Misty shrugged it off. "As long as I get to speak to you," she said. "Sabrina, I've been feeling very confused lately, about myself, and my gym, an-" "Ash?" Sabrina guessed. "Yeah. It's just that, ever since he left, I've been feeling like I've lost a part of myself, or that I'm all alone in the world." Sabrina appeared a little worried, but then smiled. "That's what's commonly called missing a dear and near friend. Maybe you can find out where he is and visit him every once in a while." Misty looked as if she didn't quite believe that Sabrina was telling the truth, but answered her anyway. "But Mrs. Ketchum won't tell anyone where he is," she protested. "I'm sure she'd tell good friends," Sabrina said quietly. Misty smiled at that. "Maybe you're right. I guess there's nothing to do but try." *** He was cute, and there was something familiar about him. I sighed, lying back on my bedroom in the Saffron City hotel. It was only the second time I had experienced love at first sight, and I was savoring it, as my last love had disappeared. But, something lurked in my mind that I had 'listened' to in Richie's mind. Love (or at least fond feelings) for another. And I recognized the face, the laugh, the voice. From years of researching Ash Ketchum I recognized that Richie was in love with Misty of Cerulean City. I would have to eliminate my competition, which would be easily done when I destroyed the Saffron Gym. Because I had sensed that mind that flitted over Richie's thoughts right next to me, at a table with Sabrina, and I knew that she would be staying the night at the psychic gym. And...I was in heaven, because he had asked me on a date for tomorrow; a lunch date. It was all so perfect. I tore away the illusions, letting my true form show. It was almost 8, and I had to be at Silph Co. *** She was beautiful, nice and considerate, laughing politely when he made a joke, ignoring his stupid remarks, and even blushing lightly when he complimented her. He truly believed that he could love her. Everything about her was perfect. But he had to stop thinking about her, because it was almost 8, and he needed to be at Silph Co. But he suddenly was frozen in place, and realized that the force holding him was psychic in nature. "Why can't you just whisper from an alley like a normal person?" Ash demanded. Sabrina stepped from the darkness, and released Ash. "And take all the fun out of it?" she asked, turning in annoyance when her Haunter grabbed her from behind. "Besides, there's something I think you should know, Ash." He frowned. "What?" But Sabrina suddenly thought better of saying anything about Misty. It would simply confuse him. "What?" he asked. "That...you be careful out there tonight." She patted him on the back. "Thanks." *** Ash held his ankle gingerly. It was definately sprained, but he could walk on it. He tried to stand up, but collapsed in agony. That was no good. And he was four blocks from Silph Co. And it was 8:15. *** I sensed the figures before I saw them. Twenty Growlithes with five police officers were standing at the base of the building, accompanied with seven psychic trainers. Which made 27 Pokemon. Poor things; it was an unfair match. I leapt from the building, floating gently downward. "Foolish people," I yelled. "Do not interfere with my affairs. Let this be a warning to you to leave me alone." I was truly angry now, and decided to show them the power of the Dark Pokemon. My eyes became an encompassing black, and I threw a ball of energy down at them. It hit, and exploded, destroying everything on the street. The creatures having fallen (whether dead or unconscious, I didn't care), I floated towards the gym. If Ash sent weak trainers against me, I would assume he was rejecting my challenge. This would be fun. *** I heard all of the commotion, and got up. I ran outside, expecting to see something with Team Rocket or something, but I saw something beyond belief. A woman about 6' tall was hovering several yards over the pavement. But calling her a woman was a stretch. Her skin was a deep orange tint, like that of Dragonite. Four long vines whipped angrily from her back, and her hair was a deep chestnut brown. Her eyes were glowing an intense black, giving the impression of having deep sockets. But the strangest thing was the three electrodes implanted in her forehead, crackling with static electricity. She stared down at Sabrina haughtily, and angrily spoke. "Sabrina, I want you always to remember who killed you. I know you don't remember it, but I was the 10-year-old girl whom you rejected to enter your psychic training center because she had 'not enough potential.' Do you remember me? Allegra Johnson!" Sabrina gasped. "What are you doing here, Allegra? And what did you do to yourself?" Allegra laughed. "Do not call me Allegra. My name is now Maxim, and I came here to show you how much 'potential' I have, and to take my revenge on you and your gym. And you," she snapped, turning to Misty, whom she had just spotted, "You will suffer more than anyone here, because you are taking the affections of my beloved from me!" Her eyes abruptly became blue, having no distinction between retina and cornea or white. And then a bar of blue lightening lanced out to strike the front of the gym, splitting the wall in two. She then focused her attention, and the entire gym glowed blue, and suddenly vanished. "Where did it go!" Misty asked, looking frantically around. Allegra smiled. "That one action required more power than all of my students have combined!" Sabrina said, astonished. She suddenly opened her mouth in a silent scream. Maxim continued smiling, and hissed at the two trainers. "The building is four thousand feet above your heads and falling. And you are rooted to the spot, but left to your own devices, for I want to see what happens when three tons of metal and stone fall on your heads." A thin whining filled the air, and Misty looked to see the dark shadow growing quickly in size. But Sabrina's eyes glowed blue, and the two people vanished in a flash of a Teleport. The building crashed to earth in a resounding crash, and Maxim screamed. Her vines lashed out to grab various corpses that lay in the wreckage. "I will destroy you two, if it is the last thing I do. I want revenge on you, Sabrina, and I want to secure the love of my dearest Richie." *** Ash was sitting in his hotel room, flicking through the channels, trying to avoid the news related to last night's incidents. His ankle was now healed (such that he could walk on it) but he felt terrible, cursing himself at his bad luck of missing the meeting. He suddenly saw that it was 11. He realized that he should be getting ready for lunch with Allegra. Allegra. He knew in his heart that he liked her, and since, unlike his other love interest, she was interested in him, he actually thought the relationship could go somewhere. He walked into the bathroom, reaching for the can of hair dye. *** I was feeling worried. I was very annoyed, and I knew that could result in losing my concentration, and drop my illusion. I would have to put on a physical disguise. First, I covered most of my skin (and the vines) with clothing. Then, I used a can of makeup over my visible skin to keep my tint of a normal color. I placed green contacts in my eyes, hoping that it would be enough to keep any use of psychic abilities unnoticed. And I carefully covered the conductors with makeup and put on a hat, so that he couldn't see them. I looked into the mirror, and saw my face looking back. Perfect. I was completely ready for my date with Richie. *** Sabrina had taken us to Cerulean City, and I was dangling my feet in the pool. She had destroyed an entire gym with a thought, and there was nothing I could do to stop her. And she had said I had taken the heart of her beloved. What could that mean? There was only one person I could have infatuated and- Ash? Was it possible? Could he really and truly like me? And then I remembered where I had seen those green eyes and brown hair. Eating with that boy in the restaurant. But that was someone I'd never even seen before, unless...Yes, it was Ash. He could just as easily wear contacts to shade his brown eyes, and even dye his hair brown, because every other feature of that boy belonged to Ash. So, he liked this girl, which meant that I should step aside, and let him be happy. I sighed. I could do that, but it would be hard. *** I looked at the enraged face in the video phone. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Maxim? I ordered you to destroy Ash Ketchum, not Pokemon gyms!" I interrupted Giovanni before he could get to ranting. "By destroying innocent lives, I can pull Ash into the open. Besides, I have some scores to settle. Toodle-oo!" I shut off the connection, knowing I wouldn't get anywhere with further conversation. I waltzed over to my table, waiting for Richie. I suddenly saw him, and waved. He smiled and headed over to me. But he ran into a waiter who dropped a tray of food. Almost on instinct, I righted the trays and rearranged the food before it could fall on the floor. The waiter turned to me, and stared in astonishment. Richie, sitting next to me, also looked a little awed. "You didn't tell me you were a psychic!" he said. I looked nonchalantly over to him. "You didn't ask," I responded. He smiled. "Of course I didn't," he said, half-teasing. Then, his face became more serious. "You haven't been reading my mind, have you?" "Oh, no!" I exclaimed, "I just like to keep a tab on your surface thoughts, to have an idea of your emotions. But...a certain girl kept popping up in your head, that I think that you like." Richie blushed at this, and stammered, trying to recover. "I, well, I DID like her, but she never gave any indication of liking me, so I guess I dropped it." But I saw that he hadn't dropped it. Sure, he liked me a lot, but there was underlying affection for her. "I don't think you're telling me the truth, Richie," I hissed. He recoiled a little bit. "If she were to come over here right now and say she loved you, what would you do?" Richie looked flustered, and drew back. "Well, I don't know..." he trailed off. I knew it. He still had feelings for her, and the only way I could ensure that he never got back together with her was to destroy her. The next gym I destroyed would be Cerulean City's. *** She was right. I did still have feelings for Misty, but I knew she would never come to me. The meal was almost over, and Allegra wiped her hand over her forehead. A small metallic shine emerged from amidst her makeup, catching my attention. "Allegra, are you all right?" I asked. She looked confused, and reached up to her forehead. With a gasp, she stood up. "I'm very sorry, Richie, but I have to go," she stammered. "I had a lovely time, but I just have something I have to do." Hurriedly, she grabbed her hat and walked quickly from the restaurant. I called for the bill. Well, that was confusing. But what was that metal on her forehead? Was it sweat? But she wouldn't have reacted so adversely to just sweat. But then an image popped into my mind. A woman with three metal nodes implanted in her forehead, arranged in the form of a triangle. Could it be? But why would she want to kill me, if she obviously likes me? Except she didn't know who I was. Well, maybe I could talk to her about it tomorrow. *** Ash suddenly sat straight up from his chair. "Misty!" he shouted. Of course, she knew that I had feelings for Misty, and she was destroying gyms. She wanted to eliminate Misty. I looked at my watch. It was 6. Too late to take the bus. I ran onto the balcony and called out Pidgeot. As an afterthought, I threw the billed amount of money and my key into the room. "Pidgeot, fly me to Cerulean City!" I ordered. Pidgeot nodded, and gestured for me to hold onto her. She then, with a flap of wings, took off. *** I decided to keep my disguise. It was useful, perhaps, until I got to the gym. I thought that walking would be adequate. It would take about 10 minutes, and then, I could use my two weapons. Under my makeup, my skin became greener, and my cells began manufacturing poisonous powders and powerful spores, and the nodes on my forehead sparked. *** Misty was sitting on the front steps of the gym with Sabrina. Both were silent, not knowing what was about to come. A girl of about 13 years of age approached the two leaders. "Hello, Sabrina and Misty?" she inquired. They nodded in unison, and she smiled. "I'd like to know if I could challenge you for a badge. Cause my mom won't let me start my journey until I'm 15, I have to challenge the gym trainers here." Misty smiled at her. "Sure, we'll fight you. I choose you, Psyduck!" She released the goofy- looking duck Pokemon, and the girl laughed. "In that case, I choose...Maximestis!" With a hideous laugh, she raised her hands, and a torrent of water fell onto her body, washing away makeup, and at the same time, the back of her coat ripped open, revealing four muscular vines whipping angrily around her. And then, she threw out her hands. A greenish color, they released a cloud of purple powder into the air. The powder engulfed the two trainers and the Psyduck, poisoning them badly. Maxim smiled. She advanced, the metal plates on her forehead glowing more brightly every step. "You see? I am the greatest trainer in the world, not because I have caught many Pokemon, but because I am one with them. No Pokemon can hurt me, because I have achieved the quialities of one type stronger than any Pokemon. Electricity can't hurt me, because I can deflect it with an air lens." An intense heat wave radiated from her body. "Water attacks can't hurt me because I have the characteristics of a plant Pokemon. Even ghosts and psychic types are weak against me, because I have learned to master the Dark abilities. And now, you two will die by me." Electricity crackled from her forehead, almost ready to be released as a Thunder attack. "Stop, Maxim! Your fight is not with them; it is with me." She turned, and as a result, the high voltage was released at the voice. She saw Richie standing there, angrily glaring at her. Before she could shout a warning, the Thunder struck him, blasting through him. When the smoke cleared, he still stood there, a little scorched, but none the worse for wear. Maxim stepped back, a little confused. "You're not, it can't be, it's not," she stammered, but then turned to him. "Ash Ketchum? is that you?" He nodded, and she sobbed. With a blast of psychic energy, she vanished. *** *** Continued...in part 3-Finale!