...the other part so I can use it later, so you'll just have to wait if you want to see what it is. Huh? What- Sorry about that, I forgot to stop writing before I finished Part 1. I'm so absentminded... Anyway, out of insane hope that maybe there are people out there who not only read Part 1 but liked it, I've gone on to write Part 2. So, here is the second installment of Earth, Sea and Sky. Stuff actually happens in this bit! Oh, and I almost forgot: I hereby dedicate Part 2 of this fic to Gyarados, Flareofdragon, Celebi, Misty 101803, Dark Tyranno and Lonepichu for making me feel more welcome on Pokemon Tower.

Part Two
In the hills south of Blackthorn City...

It was night. A full moon hung over the mountains, casting a silvery brilliance over the forest. A howl rose up from the trees - an unearthly noise that could not have been made by a normal animal, only a Pokemon of some kind. It ran through the trees, hunting. This was its domain. Nothing could harm it here. It picked up speed. Prey was close...

Cordelia shivered and wrapped her dull green coat closer around herself. She looked around at the others. Tracey was up front, occasionally darting from side to side to check for traps or hidden pitfalls. Brock followed him, picking herbs and stuffing them in a medicine bag. Lana walked behind them, absentmindedly swishing the hammerhead of her staff from side to side. Misty, Calvin and Morgan brought up the rear behind Cordelia. Misty was sharpening her curved scimitar while she walked, as Calvin brushed his white locks from in front of his steel-blue eyes, watching intently as she lectured quietly on sword technique. Morgan just walked, every now and then looking up, adjusting his glasses and blinking his blue-grey eyes as if in reaction to a sound only he could hear. Cordelia checked the Pokeballs at her waist. All three were there, even Clefastral's. She would let them out in the morning. At night, it was too dangerous to have her Pokemon far away from her. This philosophy would be proved sooner than she thought. Tracey looked up suddenly.
"I just heard something. Go, Azumarill." He released a blue mouselike Pokemon covered in white circles. Azumarill cocked its head, its ears twitching. Years ago, Tracey had used his Pokemon to track and observe rare species in the wild. Now they were a perfect reconnaissance team. Azumarill pointed a stubby blue finger into the bushes.
"Azu!"
"Get ready to fight, people." Tracey drew his sword and muttered the words of a shielding spell. Brock followed suit, throwing out his Foretress's Pokeball as he did so. Misty ignored her own arsenal of Water Pokemon and just ran her finger along the edge of her scimitar, speaking out an incantation as she did so. Seconds later, the metal started to ripple like water and glow with a faint blue light. Suddenly, a Houndoom leapt from the bushes at the side of the track and launched a burst of fire at Brock and Tracey. Tracey's Azumarill deflected it with a stream of water. Foretress attacked with a vicious spray of metallic spikes, which bounced off the toughened black skin of the wild Pokemon. Or was it wild? Surely only a trained Pokemon could have defensive strength like that? Cordelia couldn't think who they might've offended so early on their quest. Meanwhile, Lana and Calvin had seized the opportunity provided by Foretress to release a Sableye and a Dewgong. They both ordered their Pokemon to attack. The Houndoom lunged forward at Tracey, who blocked the strike with his sword before commanding Azumarill to counterattack. The stream of energized bubbles hit the Houndoom at the same time as Dewgong's Aurora Beam and Sableye's Shadow Ball attacks. It flinched back, looking around to the new foes. It growled and opened its mouth for another Flamethrower attack. Morgan raised his hand as the fire streaked from the Houndoom's mouth, deflecting the attack with a shield of psychic power. Misty rushed forward to slash at the Pokemon's front leg with her scimitar. It howled with pain and retreated into the forest.
"Houndoom are Fire Pokemon. A weapon with a Water enchantment must've hurt like hell," said Misty, waving her hand to restore her scimitar to normal, brushing her red hair from her eyes with the same movement.
"That Houndoom had to have been trained," said Brock, a worried expression crossing his slitty-eyed face. "Wild Pokemon just don't get that strong; my Foretress's Pin Missile didn't hurt it at all."
"But then where's the trainer? Why didn't he help the Houndoom?" wondered Tracey.
"That's a question for the sages, Tracey."
"Pardon me, but I think that's my job," said Lana, recalling her Sableye. "And I think there's something weird about this. That Houndoom had blue eyes."
"So?"
"Houndoom have brown eyes, ma'am."
"I don't care if it had fluorescent purple eyes, what's your point?"
"It could mean something. Something has to be going on here."
"You're paranoid," said Calvin.
"I am not!"
"Quiet," said Cordelia. "We've all been walking for a while now, and we need rest. Just stop arguing and get ready to camp for the night." No one questioned her; they were all tired and this was Cordelia's mission, in a way.

The morning passed without anything out of the ordinary happening. Brock cooked soup for breakfast, the travelers ate their portions, and the long walk resumed. Lana was studying a thick book about Pokemon behavior in the wild and kept mumbling cryptic things. Misty suspected she was trying to explain the odd Houndoom. Now that the sun was up, Tracey was being slightly less cautious and hung back a little talking to Brock. Cordelia still had her Pokemon in their balls. She didn't like to fight, and avoided it whenever possible. Of course, it was only natural that she would have to fight at some point. Maybe even kill. But that was an issue for the future. She looked around. They had passed into a more hilly region now, the trees were thinner, but there were more rocks and boulders. The trail up ahead was bordered by two hills covered in bushes. Brock, Lana and Tracey reached the entrance to the pass. Cordelia followed. Once Misty, Calvin and Morgan entered the pass, someone shouted an order and some boulders rolled down from where they were hidden in the bushes to close the opposite end of the trench. At least ten archers in black cloaks emerged on the crests of the hills and aimed their arrows. Misty turned to check the path back, only to find that they were boxed in. More archers had shut off the other end of the pass. One man in that group seemed to be the leader. His bow was slung on his back, as he was holding a broadsword in his right hand, while his left was hidden under his cloak. His cloak held no distinguishing marks, but he carried himself with an air of self-assured superiority. This man walked forward a few paces.
"Who are you to trespass on our land?" he demanded, pointing his sword at Misty. Cordelia was struck by how familiar his voice seemed. Did she know him?
"We are travelers," replied Misty.
"I can see that. Where do you travel, and why?"
"We do not answer to highwaymen or bandits." Cordelia scanned the bandit leader with her eyes, looking for something that might help her recognize him. Suddenly, she noticed a necklace he was wearing. A yellow and green yin/yang symbol.
"Gary? Gary Oak?" she asked.
"Who wants to know?" He was obviously thrown off-guard.
"Cordelia Ketchum, from Pallet Town. Remember me?" Gary threw back his hood, revealing his spiked brown hair and defiant eyes.
"You... Ash's mother? Yes, I remember you now. Well, well, well. In that case," he signaled to his men, who lowered their bows, "I suppose I should welcome you. And your friends. I remember you all as well. Ash's girlfriend, the Rock master, and the kid with the sketches." Misty almost protested to being called Ash's girlfriend, but caught herself in time. "Allow me to apologize for attacking you, and invite you back to our camp."

Gary's camp was a little further south, some way off the path. It looked to be a permanent arrangement, or at least long-term. Misty could see at least five sentry posts hidden in the forest, as well as a large storehouse. The camp was enclosed in a palisade, which also looked like it meant business. There were a large number of tents scattered within the wall, but there were some proper wooden buildings as well, and even what seemed like a small stone fort. She could see peasants going about their daily business within the wall; carrying food, collecting vegetables, a few fletchers making arrows, even an artisan or two building Pokeballs. She was taken aback by how organized Gary's group seemed for a gang of bandits. Misty made a point of taking a battalion of Claire's soldiers out of the city once a month to get rid of any bandits setting up camp to close to home. She had never led a group this far out, though. When this expedition was over, she would have to take an army out to eradicate all the highwaymen she could find. Misty stopped herself. Gary might have a Psychic working for him, and it wouldn't do for someone to notice what she was thinking. To be truthful, she felt somewhat guilty about it. Gary hadn't really done anything to them... yet.
"Welcome to our home. Do you want something to eat or drink? Come this way." He took off his cloak and rolled it up, before ambling over to the largest of the permanent wooden buildings. Under the cloak, he was wearing a black shirt and dark brown trousers, and a bandage on his arm. His belt was loaded with Pokeballs, they were all in their compact form and he probably had at least thirty. Gary had always valued quantity as much as quality. As Cordelia turned to follow him, motioning to her friends to do the same, Lana tapped Misty's shoulder.
"Ma'am?"
"Yes, Lana? Is there a problem?"
"There's something strange about Gary. I can't put my finger on it... I asked Morgan while we were walking, and he agrees. There's something about Gary's mind that he can't see through. Plenty of strong-willed people can do that, but still..."
"What is it about him you don't trust?"
"I... nothing... nothing really. I'm a Channeller; I have to rely on intuition a lot of the time. Something tells me Gary is dangerous."
"Gary was Ash's rival for almost three years. I don't need to be told he's dangerous. Just look at the sheer number of Pokemon he has. After the Pokemon League collapsed, he must've been jumping for joy when he realized he could use as many as he wanted. I'll watch him, okay. I tend to be suspicious of people who ambush me and look like they're prepared to kill me."
"Yes. Yes, of course. I'm sorry I bothered you."
"Don't be. It's nice to know you appreciate the need for caution. We need to get moving, we don't want to be left behind." They followed the others to Gary's main building. It was circular and had a peaked, thatched roof. The door was covered by a thick blue-black curtain, and the doorposts featured carvings of legendary Pokemon. It all seemed too fancy. Inside, it was even more so. The walls were covered up by wooden panels, all showing carvings of different scenes also showing legendary Pokemon. There were silvery blue drapes hanging all around the wall, and opposite the door was a stone chair that could only be described as a throne.
"Likes his finery, doesn't he," whispered Lana. Gary was standing by the throne, with Cordelia, Brock, Tracey, Morgan and Calvin gathered around him. Lana quietly slipped into place next to Calvin. Misty walked up to Gary.
"I'm sorry, did we miss anything?"
"Nothing important. I was just telling your friends where you'll be sleeping. They can show you."
"Good. So, if you don't mind me asking... what is this place?"
"This is my camp."
"This?" She gestured to the carvings and drapes. "If you don't mind my saying so, it looks like a palace."
"Not quite. Actually, it's modeled on a Pokemonian temple."
"Why?"
"I can have a little extravagance if I want." Misty had no answer. It was his home - how it was decorated was not her concern. There was an awkward silence.
"So... how have you been, Gary?" asked Cordelia. "I haven't seen you since... well..." she trailed off. The last time anyone had seen Gary was four years previously. Ash had managed to organize all the Masters and Trainers in Kanto and Johto into what some people affectionately called 'Ash's Army'. However, a short time before the defeat of Groudon and Kyogre, Gary and his entire battalion had left and never been seen again. All kinds of bandit gangs and cults had been springing up lately; it was difficult to keep track of one group. Gary was effectively a deserter, so making conversation was somewhat difficult. The awkward silence continued.
"Why did you attack us?" asked Misty. She was determined to say something.
"You were trespassing in our territory."
"What makes it your territory?"
"It is ours because we have the strength to take it and defend it from others. If someone else does not have that strength, they do not have the right to it."
"How is that fair? Humans must co-operate to survive; if we have learned anything these past five years, then this -"
"Your city, what makes it yours? Hmm? Your walls. If the walls of Blackthorn City collapsed tomorrow, you would lose it. Claire and her people have a right to the city because they have the power to defend it, nothing more."
"Claire rules with the sanction of her people, not through strength alone!"
"But what if the winds change, if the opinions of the citizens shift away from her? To keep control of the city, she would have to take it by force. And she can; she has more than enough soldiers."
"But that won't happen because the actions she takes are for the good of the people!"
"Democracy, Misty, is an illusion. Politicians do not have power because they are what the people want. Politicians offer one thing, then convince the people that this one thing is what they want. Claire is no different. Take these refugees of yours, for example. Your city obviously can't sustain many more of them. Claire wishes to take them in, supposedly out of the goodness of her heart. The citizens agree with her, but if they did not then it would not matter. She would simply convince them to side with her. In theory, she would change her own opinions and plans to reflect the majority, but in reality this is not how the system works."
"If the citizens did not wish to accept the refugees, then-"
"They would be made to. You have power if you have the strength to take power. My men and I have that strength, so we have power. This is our land, and we will defend it the way we choose." Misty glared daggers at him.
"Your grandfather might not agree with your views." For the first time, Gary seemed surprised and unsure.
"He... How old is he? He must be at least seventy by now."
"Seventy-six," said Tracey.
"He must be going senile by now, the old fool."
"I assure you, the professor's mind is as sharp as ever even if his body is not what it used to be," replied Tracey, subconsciously moving his hand to the hilt of his sword. Gary did the same.
"Um... settle down now, there's no need to fight," said Cordelia. "We'll be on our way tomorrow, as soon as we're rested, and we'll be out of your territory within a day." Gary and Tracey relaxed slightly, and Misty stopped glaring at Gary so intensely.
"You may sleep in the building next to this one, or put up your own tents if you wish. Goodnight." He turned and left the temple. Lana dropped her staff and ran after him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Lana," warned Misty. "This isn't a good time."
"Under the laws of Blackthorn City, your operation here is illegal; you can't just attack anyone who-" Gary spun round and grabbed Lana by the throat with his good arm, his blue eyes glaring at her with hatred.
"You think I care, *girl*? Your precious little republic can't continue to exist. The old world is *gone*. You can't pretend it still exists. There are no more rules or regulations to protect those without power. You are - ahh!!!" There was a flash of orange light. Gary screamed and pulled his hand away, burnt; he'd accidentally touched a magical charm on Lana's neck.
"A Channeller always has magical defenses," said Lana, catching her breath again. "A little enchanted charm to stop people like you from manhandling me." She tapped a silver necklace she was wearing.
"You..." Gary glared, then stormed out of the temple.
"We should leave right now," said Misty. "I'd prefer to associate as little as possible with Gary. He's a deserter. I'm not even sure about spending the night here."
"I'm sure he had his reasons for defecting," said Cordelia.
"Yeah, he's delusional and thinks we all want to take over the world," said Calvin. "I don't know a lot about Gary, but from what I've heard, Misty's right."
"I don't trust him either," said Brock, "but since he's here, we might as well take advantage of what he has to offer. If we don't let our guard down, what's the worst that could happen?"
"That Houndoom could come after us," replied Lana, "or something like it."
"You're not still worried about that one Pokemon, are you?" asked Calvin incredulously. "And besides, what could it have to do with Gary?"
"It might belong to him," suggested Tracey. "Misty, Brock, do you ever remember Gary having a Houndoom?"
"No..." replied Brock. "But Gary had one or two of almost every species of Pokemon. Most of them would've been lost during the Cataclysm, but he might still have a Houndoom."
"But if it were his Houndoom, why didn't he help it?" wondered Misty. "When he was in Ash's Army, Gary had some of the strongest magic of all of us. He could've raised a shield around it, or healed the wound on its leg, or summoned an illusion to confuse us. No, I don't think that can be it."
"Why don't we just forget about it?" suggested Cordelia. "We can be out of here in five minutes, and Gary's territory can't be too big; we'll be well away from here by morning. As for the Houndoom, it won't bother us if we don't bother it... I hope."
"Fine. It's settled; we're going," said Misty.
"Good," said Lana. "I don't want to spend another minute near Gary."
"You're probably right..." said Brock.
"What are we waiting for, then?" asked Calvin. "Let's get out of here." Everyone hurried away, except Lana.
"Hmm... My charm is magical... but it isn't supposed to do that."

The gates of Gary's camp had been closed, but Clefastral, Morgan and his Abra teleported everyone out. There was no way of knowing how long it took for Gary to miss them, or whether he cared that they were gone. All night, Lana kept muttering to herself and looking up obscure things in thick books; if she took time off to sleep, no one noticed. The next morning, she continued to read as she walked, her staff resting on her shoulder. Occasionally she would call out her Sableye or Misdreavus to ask a question. The hills were starting to level out now. It was only a few more days to New Bark Town, but the plan was to cut through the forests to the east then cross the Tohjo River, heading directly for the ruins of Pallet Town. Cordelia had let her Pokemon out again; Mimey was walking with her, Quetzelle was flying just ahead, and as usual it was anyone's guess where Clefastral was. Quetzelle squawked and swooped down to Cordelia, its emerald green wings glistening in the sunlight. It shrilled at her with a high, melodious voice.
"Hmm? A village? Are you sure?" asked Cordelia. The winged snake continued chirping. "Yes, yes." Cordelia turned to her friends, behind her. "Quetzelle says there's a village a short way ahead of us."
"Interesting," said Brock. "I'm surprised it hasn't been destroyed."
"We should check that out. They might work for Gary," said Misty. "We can't be too careful out here." They were walking through forests again, following a badly eroded path. The hills were getting smaller; soon it would be time to turn east into Kanto. As the trail began to get wider and better-kept, Calvin raised a hand and pointed at the sky ahead.
"Is that smoke?"
"It is..." said Tracey. "What's going on there?" There was indeed a column of smoke rising into the sky. The source of the smoke soon became apparent. Several of the buildings in this village were on fire, and people were frantically running about with buckets of water trying to douse the flames.
"Damn," said Misty. She ran ahead into the clearing that housed the collection of huts. "Tracey! Calvin! Get over here! Starmie, go!" Misty's purple Starmie hovered in the air, its red central jewel pulsing "Water Gun!". Tracey brought out his Azumarill again, commanding it to use Bubblebeam, and Calvin chose Lapras's Water Gun. The blue and white mouse Pokemon joined Starmie, firing streams of pressurized water at the burning huts. Lapras turned its long serpentine neck and released an attack of its own. Within seconds, the three creatures had reduced the fire to nothing.
"Hello? Should we be afraid of you? I don't know yet whether you've come to save us or loot us." A stocky villager with a huge beard and a short staff was approaching Misty. A Geodude hovered behind him.
"We've put out the fire. What does that tell you?" asked Misty, recalling her Starmie as she spoke. Calvin and Tracey did the same. Cordelia, Brock, Morgan and Lana arrived in the clearing, hanging back.
"True, but caution is always important here. You've shown up from the north with clearly very powerful Pokemon. I don't know who you are, and I tend to mistrust strangers. So, who are you and where are you from?"
"My name is Misty. We're from Blackthorn City."
"Ah. I should've known. Very well, Misty. You can call me Howard. Now, what brings you here?"
"We're passing through, on our way to Pallet Town. So, Howard, what happened here?"
"That's a question I'd not like to be the one finding an answer to. Late last night, a Houndoom came out of the woods and started torching everything. That's clear enough. But why it would do that..."
"We were attacked by a Houndoom as well, two nights ago. It was too strong to be wild, but no trainer in sight."
"That's the way this one was, alright."
"Can you think of any explanation?"
"Well, not unless you like to listen to old folk tales."
"I don't, myself. But my student here does. Lana! Come over here!" The rest of the group moved from the edge of the clearing to the outermost of the burnt buildings. Lana was no longer wearing her Academy clothes, now she had a Channeller's black and white robes. Similarly, Morgan and Calvin were wearing clothing more specific to their elements.
"What do you need, ma'am?" asked Lana, putting her latest thick book back in her bag.
"Howard here wants to talk fairy stories."
"I see. So, what's the question?"
"This village has been attacked by a Houndoom, Lana." She blinked.
"The same one? Did you see what color its eyes were?"
"Well, if I remember correctly it had blue eyes, which Houndoom aren't supposed to have, I reckon."
"No. It sounds like the same one. So, what does this have to do with legends?"
"Do you believe in werewolves, girl?" At this, Calvin snorted, Brock and Tracey looked slightly confused, and Cordelia and Misty both looked at Howard and Lana quizzically. Only Lana and Morgan seemed to have any idea what he was getting at.
"Werewolves? Wait... yes, I think I might..."
"What's this werewolf stuff you're on about?" asked Calvin skeptically. "Werewolves aren't real, they're myths."
"Myths often have truth at their core, Calvin," Morgan said pensively.
"This would make a lot of sense... one minute." Lana rummaged in her deep leather backpack and brought out an old, thick book with the hand and eye symbol of the Psychics' Enclave stamped on it. Lana began to peruse the book carefully.
"What's this about?" asked Tracey.
"Werewolves," said Cordelia. "Humans that turn into wolves at the full moon."
"Not exactly," said Morgan. "There are two kinds. One is the type you mention; a regular transformation. The werewolf is unable to control itself while in alternate form, and anyone bitten by the werewolf is afflicted with the condition themselves. This breed of werewolf was supposedly exterminated, oh, centuries ago."
"The other sort?" asked Brock.
"The other variety is thought completely mythical. The legend stems from ancient Pokemopolis, where certain priests underwent rituals to become werewolves. This type of werewolf can change shape at will and maintains control over its actions while transformed. These werewolves cannot ever be wiped out completely, since more can be created using rituals. In the legends of some cultures around the world, the wolf is replaced by the bear, jaguar, hyena, or even a type of Pokemon."
"Yes," said Lana, "This has to be it! Gary has to be a werewolf!"
"Gary, that bandit a few miles north of here?" asked Howard.
"That's him."
"What are you talking about?" asked Misty.
"Listen: That Houndoom's eyes were blue. That's not their normal color. What color are Gary's eyes?"
"Blue, but -"
"He was wearing a bandage on his arm, that's where you cut the Houndoom when it attacked us."
"That could be a coincidence."
"Yes, but this is the key," she tapped a page in the open book with a slim finger. "Aversion to silver. Werewolves are all extremely allergic to silver."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"My charm here," Lana took off the necklace she was wearing, "does have defensive magical powers built into it. But it isn't supposed to burn people's hands. It should just pacify anyone who touches it, influence their mind to calm them down."
"So why didn't it do that?"
"If Gary is a werewolf, touching silver would burn him. However, the normal powers of my charm wouldn't affect him; since Houndoom are Dark Pokemon and they're immune to spells and attacks that affect the mind."
"Which would also explain why I can't use telepathy on him," added Morgan.
"Look, this all sounds great," said Misty, "But what does it prove? It all seems to me like a bunch of weird coincidences, nothing more."
"Believe it or not," said Howard, "that Houndoom is certainly real enough, and something strange has to be going on. Wild Pokemon just don't get that strong."
"He's right," said Brock. "And I think Lana might have a point. We should go back to Gary's camp."
"What? Why?"
"It didn't matter what was going on here, if anything, when it was just us, but now we know that whatever this is about is hurting these people too. We have to go back."
"Brock's right," said Cordelia, her Quetzelle chirping in agreement. "We can't leave without at least trying to do something."
"We can't waste time, we have more important things to do than chase after bandits!"
"Misty, this is certainly important. It's not something we can ignore."
"If we spend our time here instead of doing what we're meant to be, these people could die anyway if we fail."
"But we won't."
"You can't know that for sure, Cordelia."
"No. But I do have faith that we can succeed. We have to." Misty looked at her friends. They all seemed to be against her on this one, even the skeptical Calvin, so she gave in.
"Fine. But if this whole plan goes horribly wrong, don't be surprised if I say 'I told you so,' afterwards."
"So... you'll help us?" asked Howard, "You'll get rid of the bandits?"
"Yes, we will. I've been waiting for a chance to give Gary a good beating for years." She adjusted her ponytail. "So, what do you do to get rid of a were-thingy?"

It was nighttime. The gates of the camp were closed, and the bandits had all come back inside. Everyone was settling down to sleep, and the night watch was getting into position on the palisade, dipping their arrows in Grimer fat to make them more lethal. Not that they'd need it, it looked like a quiet night. A few guards even sat down for a nap. In the towers on either side of the gate, the men started shooting stones and leaves for target practice. A quiet night. Sure.

"Okay, so here's what we'll do: I can use Gyarados's Hyper Beam to smash down the gate. They'll shoot at us, but we'll be fine 'cause Cordelia and Mimey will be using their magic to protect us." Cordelia nodded, so Misty continued, "Once the gate is down, Morgan and Abra can confuse them all so they don't know what's happening. As soon as that's done, Calvin; you have to get in there and use your Pokemon to freeze the doors of all the buildings shut. We don't want to have to hurt too many people; we just need to get Gary to surrender... or kill him. Lana, Tracey, you back up Calvin. Brock and I can go after Gary. How's that?"
"Are you sure the two of us will be able to beat him?" asked Brock, sounding slightly worried. "He had a lot of Pokeballs."
"Yeah, but most of them won't be much to worry about. Remember; Gary preferred to catch a lot of Pokemon and train them all, so he never spent a huge amount of time with any of them. There's only three we really have to worry about: Arcanine, Umbreon, and Blastoise." She remembered those three vividly. Umbreon had been the Pokemon Gary finished with in his championship battle with Ash, and Pikachu had been hard pressed to beat it. Blastoise had been equally difficult to defeat in their battle at the Johto League two years previously. To the best of Misty's knowledge, no-one she knew had ever fought against Gary's Arcanine, but she had seen it take on a Moltres single-handed a few years ago, and it was tough.
"If they have Fire Pokemon," cautioned Calvin, "I won't be able to keep them in for long. Lapras might be able to hold the doors sealed, but Dewgong and Glalie won't."
"If they have Fire Pokemon..." she thought for a minute. "Then we're in trouble. Just hold them off and try not to kill anyone. Now, let's move." She drew her scimitar and cast a spell over it, it began to shimmer and ripple again. Peering through the foliage outside Gary's camp, Misty could see some guards on the wall, but they weren't paying much attention. Clearly unprofessional, but Gary might be making them concentrate more on Pokemon training than fighting. Either way, they were too unprepared to deal with an elite strike force. She grabbed a Pokeball from her belt and threw it out of the bushes into the clearing in front of the gate, then followed it out. A huge Gyarados burst from the Pokeball, it's blue scales twinkling in the moonlight. Misty heard a few shouts from the wall - *that* had certainly gotten their attention.
"Gyarados, Hyperbeam now!" The giant sea-blue serpent opened its fanged mouth, a ball of golden light gathering inside. Behind her, Misty could hear Cordelia chanting, and Morgan opening his Abra's Pokeball. A few of the guards had gotten to their senses enough to notch arrows to their bows, but the Barrier Cordelia and Mimey had created was too strong. Other guards were bringing out their own Pokemon - Misty could see a Raichu, a Mightyena, a Weepinbell and a Sneasel. Some guards were even jumping off the wall into the camp to escape Gyarados's attack. Speaking of Gyarados... the golden light burst forth into a destructive ray of power. The gates were blasted open, and bandits and their Pokemon were sent flying.
"They don't have any idea what's going on," said Morgan. "Abra and I made sure of that. Most of them think they're being attacked by a rival bandit group."
"Good. All right, let's move in. And remember, don't kill anyone. Gyarados, return." She recalled her Pokemon and ran for the gates, with Brock, Calvin, Tracey and Lana in tow. Once they were inside the walls, Misty led Brock towards Gary's temple. Calvin took out three Pokeballs.
"Let's get started then. Lapras, Dewgong, Glalie, go!" A pure white seal, the giant long-necked turtle and a snowball with vicious black horns appeared with flashes of light. "All of you can use Ice Beam on the doors of these buildings. Go, now!" The three Pokemon fired rays of jagged blue lightning, freezing and crystallizing the water in the air and in the wood of the huts to create barriers of ice blocking the exits. Then they turned their attention to the tents scattered all around the camp, freezing them in domes of smooth ice. "I didn't think it would be that easy..." said Calvin.
"Oh, don't worry," said Tracey. "It won't be." The bandits who had been manning the walls had picked themselves up and gathered together. Several of them had drawn their swords, but the looks on their faces still reminded Calvin of dazed Slowpoke. With a silent thankyou to Morgan, he drew both of his swords and cast enchantments on them as Tracey released his Scyther and Lana her Sableye.

Gary was in the temple, just where Misty had hoped he would be. He was sitting on his throne with his hood up, watching the door as if he had been waiting for them, which he probably had been since it was unlikely that anyone else would be able to bash down his gates with a Hyper Beam. He stood up and walked forward to the center of the circular temple.
"So, you've come to get rid of me, I suppose?"
"Depends how you mean," said Brock, his voice level but with a dangerous undertone. "We're willing to accept your peaceful surrender."
"Uh-huh," said Gary, folding back his hood. "And why would I surrender when I can just kill you?"
"Well, no one can say we didn't try," said Misty. "Gyarados, go!" The serpent Pokemon appeared with a flash of white light and coiled itself tightly, rearing its head. "Let's get rid of this annoying building, shall we? It cramps my style. Dragon Rage attack!" Gyarados roared and summoned a whirlwind around itself. Hundreds of small fireballs were flung out of the tornado. Within seconds, Misty, Brock and Gary were standing outside. Misty could see a fight going on near the gates. Tracey was standing back-to-back with his Scyther, slashing at opponents and blocking their attacks with ease. Calvin was twirling like a demon, stabbing his foes' arms and legs while his Pokemon continued to prevent anyone from breaking out of the huts or tents. Lana spun her staff around; smacking bandits with the hammerhead on the end as her Sableye used Hypnosis again and again to incapacitate them. Misty turned back to Gary, who had also taken a second to watch the fight. "You're not going to surrender, so I'll guess you're going to fight back. Shall we?" Gary laughed.
"I remember you perfectly. Always so stubborn and impulsive - just like your boyfriend. You haven't changed a bit. All right then: if you want to die, who am I to disappoint you?" He took most of the Pokeballs from his belt and tossed them on the ground. "You'd cut through these without much trouble. Let's get to the serious stuff." He took the three that were left and threw them towards Gyarados. "Umbreon, Blastoise and Arcanine: Go!"
"Steelix, go!" Brock summoned out his metallic snake Pokemon in response.
"Gyarados, use Hydro Pump on Arcanine now!" Misty's Gyarados opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of pressurized water on Gary's fire-dog Pokemon, which dodged it with ease - and slammed right into a Iron Tail attack coming from the other direction. Brock's Steelix was fighting under its own strategy while its master cast spells to strengthen it and Gyarados. The iron snake roared and clamped its huge jaw down of Blastoise's shell, which didn't sustain a single chip.
"Blastoise, I think it's time to counterattack, don't you? Use Water Gun! Umbreon and Arcanine, you both use Extremespeed!" The twin pillars of water streaking at Steelix were deflected by one of Brock's spells, but the fast tackling attacks both found their mark. Gyarados roared in pain and collapsed.
"Ahh! Gyarados, return!" Misty retrieved her Pokemon with a red flash. "So, we're battling with speed? I'll pick... Golduck!" Ever since Misty's Psyduck had evolved into the sleek blue Pokemon it now was, it had stopped acting like a drunken Slowbro all the time and gained much more powerful psychic abilities. It was also the fastest Pokemon in her arsenal. "Golduck, get Umbreon with Hyper Beam!" The bright gem on Golduck's forehead began to glow, then discharged a beam of intense light at Umbreon.
"Hmph. Too easy. Umbreon, Protect." The dark rabbit-like Pokemon's body glinted orange for an instant. The Hyper Beam attack struck it, but did nothing. Umbreon just stood, rock solid, as it had been before. "Now, Arcanine, use Fire Blast!"
"You've learnt some new tricks, Gary. But try this one on for size: Golduck, Psywave!" Pulses of psychic power exploded from Golduck's head, breaking up the flaming cross of the Fire Blast attack and flinging Arcanine and Blastoise back. Umbreon, immune to mental powers, just kept standing still.
"Good shot, Misty! Steelix, Iron Tail!" Steelix's tail glowed white, and then crashed down towards Umbreon.
"Umbreon, Teleport."
"What!?" There was a flare of darkness around Umbreon, and it vanished. Steelix's attack hit the ground hard, carving a trench where Umbreon had been standing. Then it reappeared on Steelix's head.
"Hah hah!" Gary crowed. "Fissure, now!" Fissure would open up a trench in the earth, but if Umbreon used it on Steelix's head...
"Golduck, Aurora Beam, quickly!" Misty's blue duck Pokemon turned towards Steelix and fired an extremely rapid succession of rainbow-colored beams at Umbreon. Umbreon, concentrating on using Fissure, had no chance to defend. It was blasted off Steelix and fell to the ground.
"Steelix, finish it with Dragonbreath!" The iron snake opened its mouth and fired a stream of green flames at Umbreon, almost killing it.
"One down, two to go, Gary. How do you feel now?" jeered Misty.
"Umbreon, return." Gary turned to recall his Pokemon, then turned back to Brock and Misty. "You still won't beat me."
"We'll offer you another chance to surrender, Gary. We beat one of your Pokemon, and we have plenty of our own left," warned Brock.
"And they'll all go down easily. Blastoise, Blizzard! Arcanine, Fire Blast!" The other two Pokemon, having recovered from Golduck's Psywave, charged back into battle. Blastoise summoned a snowstorm around itself, directing columns of ice and snow at Steelix and Golduck. Arcanine released two Fire Blasts in quick succession, also attacking both Pokemon. Steelix and Golduck both collapsed under the ferocious elemental attack.

Lana cracked a bandit over the head with her staff, knocking him unconscious with a satisfying thunk. She quickly twirled it around, gathering momentum, and smacked a Hitmonchan with the hammerhead. The brown Fighting Pokemon raised a gloved fist to use one of its devastating elemental punch attacks, but was stopped when Calvin's Dewgong froze it solid with an ice beam. The fight was going to be long. Knocking out the bandits was only a temporary fix - they would get back up after a few minutes. Actually tying them up to stop them from returning from the fray was out of the question. There was one way. Lana said an incantation and gestured at her latest human victim. She wasn't good at paralysis spells, but it would last a while. She raised her staff and blocked a fierce sword attack at her head, then twirled it again and kept fighting.

Misty's Kingdra struck Arcanine with a Hyper Beam, but the powerful Fire Pokemon weathered the attack and countered with Flamethrower.
"Arcanine is too strong for anything you have to hurt it, even a Water Pokemon!"
"Is that so? Kingdra, Hydro Pump!" Kingdra screwed up its face and sent a spiraling jet of water at Arcanine.
"Blastoise, Iron Defense!" Gary's giant turtle Pokemon leapt into the path of Kingdra's attack, its shell flashing silver for an instant. The water splashed off harmlessly. Brock finished an incantation and thrust his palm at his Golem. Golem glowed bright red for a second as the strengthening spell took effect, then stomped on the ground and roared.
"Golem, use Rock Blast!" Golem clenched its fists and roared again. Rocks and boulders burst up from the earth around it, then flew through the air towards Arcanine and Blastoise. Arcanine ran out of the attack's path, and Blastoise retreated into its shell. Some of the flying boulders hit the hard barrier, but only chipped it a few times.
"You'll never win that way. Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Blastoise aimed the two cannons on its shoulders at Brock's Golem and opened fire.
"Kingdra, use Ice Beam on the Hydro Pump attack!" shouted Misty.
"Doo-ra!" Kingdra froze the stream of water solid with a beam of intense cold.
"Now, attack Arcanine with Twister!" A tornado built up around Kingdra as the dragon Pokemon glared at Arcanine. Suddenly, the ferocious whirlwind blew across the ground and ensnared its target. Arcanine was trapped.
"Now, Golem, use Rock Blast on Arcanine!" With Arcanine trapped in the twister, it couldn't dodge any of Golem's power-heavy attacks. The hail of boulders crushed it and sent it flying from the twister to Gary's feet.
"Arcanine, return." The defeated fire-dog vanished in a flash of red light. Gary looked up at Misty and brushed back his light brown hair. She could almost swear he smiled. "Blastoise, return." He held out another Pokeball and recalled the huge blue turtle Pokemon as well.
"What?" said Brock. "He's giving up?" He seemed to be. Gary walked calmly between Golem and Kingdra to stand in front of Brock and Misty. He threw off his cloak to reveal that his arm, while scarred, was almost completely healed.
"I think it's obvious I can't hope to best you in a contest of Pokemon. Now it's time to see what you're made of!" He shouted a single word in Old Pokemonian, causing Kingdra and Golem to flash back into their Pokeballs, then drew a longsword. Brock and Misty drew their swords as well. Gary rushed forward and swiped wildly at Misty, who dodged the attack and slashed at Gary's leg. Gary somehow managed to control his blade enough to bring it down and parry Misty's attack. Brock joined the fight with a series of measured, controlled stabs, all of which Gary dodged. Several slashes and parries later, Gary jumped back from his opponents. "So, you're not bad with your swords. But you cannot comprehend my power..."
"What's he raving about?" asked Misty.
"Gary, this is your last chance," warned Brock. "Come quietly, or you die now." Gary laughed. He kept laughing on and on, as his face elongated into a black, fanged snout, his ribs protruded into a partial exoskeleton, and he dropped onto all fours.
"Oh my god... Lana was right!" Gary was now a Houndoom. His sword had seamlessly melted into a sharp metal claw on his foreleg. Looking up and Brock and Misty, he grinned and breathed a stream of fire at them.

Tracey smacked the last bandit in the face with the flat of his sword, then punched him on the nose and finished the job with a simple confusion spell. He looked across the small heap of unconscious, paralyzed bandits at the others. Lana was resting on her staff, composing a healing spell for a nasty cut on her arm. Calvin was checking the icy seals on the buildings and tents. Morgan and Cordelia entered through what was left of the gate.
"Well, you've certainly cleaned up here," remarked Cordelia.
"Mime!" added Mimey.
"We're nothing if not thorough," replied Tracey.
"So," said Morgan, squinting through his glasses at the heap of bandits. "If you don't mind my asking... ah, what are you going to do with all these?"
"I hadn't thought about that..."
"I'll send Abra back to Blackthorn City... I *think* it should be able to Teleport that far - and tell Sabrina and Claire. Claire can send a battalion to pick them up." The little golden-brown fox-like Pokemon nodded and vanished with a flash of light.
"What on Earth is going on over there?" asked Cordelia, curiously. Everyone turned around in time to witness Gary transforming into a large Houndoom.
"I knew it!" said Lana, after completing her healing spell. They watched, enthralled, as the Houndoom attacked with a Flamethrower, and Misty parried with her scimitar's watery blade. The fire was sucked into the sword and disappeared, leaving only a puff of smoke.
"Uh... Do you think maybe we should go and help?" suggested Calvin.
"We'd probably get in their way..." said Morgan.
"Not if we stay back and use magic," replied Cordelia. "Come on!" She released Quetzelle and Clefastral, then ran towards the remains of the hall, with Tracey close behind. Lana, Calvin and Morgan looked at each other, shrugged, and followed.

Gary was unbelievably fast as a Houndoom, and could dodge every lightning-quick strike from Misty and every precise, measured stab from Brock. However, his deadly bolts of flame were utterly ineffectual against parries from Misty's shimmering watery blade. Stalemate. Gary lunged forward, his Houndoom fangs bared and ready for a Crunch attack. Brock held his sword out against the werewolf's snout, blocking the lethal teeth. Misty took the opportunity to stab at Gary's side, but he threw her back with a small Heat Wave attack, stopping her from getting close enough to finish the attack. Brock had to step back as well. Once both of them had retreated, Gary opened his mouth and used Flamethrower again. Again, Misty intercepted the burning stream with her enchanted scimitar and doused it. The battle looked set to continue all night. Then, Cordelia arrived with her reinforcements.
"How are we supposed to aim for Gary?" asked Calvin. "All three of them are moving too fast!"
"We can't," said Morgan. "Unless you'd like to join the fight..."
"No thank you! I hate fire."
"Wait for me!" shouted Lana, running up behind them. "I think I might have an idea!" She pulled the charm off her neck. "We can use this!"
"How is that going to help?" asked Calvin.
"Simple. Remember what happened when Gary touched it by accident yesterday?"
"Of course..." said Tracey. "But what will you do with it? There's no way it'll be enough to kill Gary."
"Um... I hadn't thought about that." Lana watched the fight. Gary opened his mouth again and tried to roast Misty. Predictably, she blocked it, but it gave Lana an idea. "Morgan, is Abra back yet?"
"Yes, it got back just a minute ago, why?"
"I know how we can do this."

Brock was getting tired. Endurance was his greatest virtue, but even the renowned Rock Master could only keep fighting for so long. Misty seemed to be getting tired too. Gary, by contrast, was fresh as a daisy. Another lunge, another block. Another, another... Suddenly, Gary readied himself for another fire attack. Misty was too far to block it this time. Brock held his forearm in front of his face and stood back, trying to summon enough power to cast a fireproofing spell. But his magical reserves had dried up. This was it. Just then, an Abra appeared with a flash of light, clutched onto Gary's head! It was holding a glinting necklace, which it shoved into the werewolf's mouth before teleporting away again. Gary howled with pain, misfiring his Flamethrower straight upward. The burning heat melted Lana's charm, causing the silver to trickle down his throat and burn his insides. Misty and Brock both stepped back. The Houndoom screamed, blasting fire everywhere. In seconds, Gary was dead, no more than a shriveled black body.

A middle-aged man with pale green hair stood at the edge of a table. A hologram replayed again and again, showing an Abra stuff a silver charm down Gary Oak's throat - Gary in his Houndoom form - just before the unfortunate werewolf used a Flamethrower. It was a clever method. The man applauded quietly. He would have to find another servant now, but Oak was too big for his boots anyway. He dabbled a little too much in Old Pokemonian dark magic. To more important matters... he tapped a keypad on the edge of the table, bringing up a hologram of Kyogre and Groudon, locked in their epic battle as always, drifting toward Johto. Soon, they would belong to him. Very soon...

In the next installment...

Prophecy's cause will e'er be served,
Each will get what he deserved.

Bones of resentment ever will lie,
Beneath the earth and under the sky.
A hint, a rumor, a thought, a clue,
To help us now find a friend once true.
Puzzles of old may point out the way,
To a city of sails where lightning doth play.

And there you have it. Who figured out what was going on before Lana pointed it out? Also, who can guess who the guy watching the holograms at the end is? If you think you know, e-mail me at budgiehayward@hotmail.com and I'll tell you if you're right. Also, who thinks I should write a one-off comedy (I'm *good* at comedy)?
That's all for now from the insane professor.