Blade of Destiny



Chapter 8: The Battle of Viridian, Part 2



	The city of Viridian...a beautiful, bustling city with a population over 10 million 
strong; widely considered by many to be the capitol city of the Kanto region. It is on the 
footsteps of the Indigo Plateau, and is home to one of the most elite law enforcement 
units, the League Special Forces. 
	Many have lived their lives here; and unfortunately, many of those same lives will 
be ended here as well. What was occurring at this very moment would go down in the 
annals of history, as the Battle of Viridian; the largest land battle to ever occur in any of 
the three regions. 
	Stryker stood on top of one of the massive skyscrapers that made up the Viridian 
skyline, observing the carnage below that played out before him. He wanted to jump 
down and help the innocent lives that were being slaughtered; end the bloodshed that he 
was seeing. But he knew very well that he could not interfere; this was predicted by the 
Ancients, and even if he did go down to fight, it would make no difference. 
	So all he could do was watch, and hope that the Guardians would rise again to 
save the massacred city below. 


***


	The bullets ripped through the air over Misty's head as she struggled to reload her 
pistol, crouching behind an overturned table with May and Chief Azusa. Team Ultima 
had come out of nowhere and attacked the headquarters with enough manpower to defend 
a small country. She rose over the table and pulled the trigger, taking down four agents 
who had made their way into the conference room. 
	"Chief!! Where are the others?! We can't hold this position by ourselves for 
long!!" she screamed over the sounds of gunfire. 
	"They're all held up all over the building!! We need to find a way to regroup and 
stage an effective defense!!" he answered as he fired off his sidearm, killing two more 
Team Ultima members.
	Azusa handed a small radio to May. "Call all of the agents!! Tell them to head for 
the armory and establish an effective defense!! We have to protect that area at all costs!!" 
May nodded and started shouting orders into the small device as Misty and the Chief held 
off any resistance. 
	"Damn!! Chief, I'm down to my last clip!!" Misty cried out as she slipped the last 
magazine into the gun, cocking back the hammer to load a fresh round into the chamber. 
Another bullet whizzed through Misty's her hair, a few strands thrown into the air. She 
shrieked, and fired over the table; scoring a headshot on the unlucky agent.
	"The order's out!! Everyone's making a push for the armory!!" Azusa nodded, 
and handed May a small USP handgun. 
	"I really don't want to do this, but I have no choice. There's only one clip; fifteen 
rounds. Make em count," he advised. May nodded and clicked the safety off. "Ok!! 
We're heading for the armory!! Let's move!!" 
	They all scrambled from out of their hideout, carefully shooting to preserve their 
precious ammo. The opposing agents dropped like flies; their skill was no match for the 
trio's combined marksmanship. They dashed for the door and exited only to have more 
gunfire rain upon them from down the long hallway. 
	"Sparky, Thundershock!!" A thin bolt of electricity flew from around a corner in 
front of them and struck the Ultima agents until they collapsed. Sparky flew out from 
around the corner, followed by Ritchie and Duplica. 
	"Ritchie!!" May cried as she ran down the thin hallway to meet them. "Thank 
God you're ok!! Where are Ash, Max and Brock?" 
	Ritchie shrugged. "We have no idea. We were just looking for them now." Ritchie 
bent down and picked up one the fallen agent's assault rifles, along with his supply of 
ammo. "Well, old man, looks like we're working together." He tossed another one of the 
weapons to the Chief. 
	He caught it and checked the clip before popping it back in and cocking it with a 
resounding click. "Watch it, little boy," he said as he fired behind Ritchie, killing another 
agent that was rounding the corner. "I'm not the leader of the Special Forces for nothing. 
Now let's get to the armory. The rest of your pokemon are down there, along with some 
weapons and that sword and shield." 
	The others nodded as they took off, heading for the first floor.


***


	"Tracy, behind you!!" Harrison yelled as he fired his machine gun at yet another 
agent. "Man, these guys keep coming!! It's like there's no end to them!!" Tracy nodded 
as he ran through the passageways of the huge Special Forces building, killing any agent 
that stood in their way, Harrison following close behind. 
	"We're near the armory!! Come on!!" Tracy screamed. He slid to a halt as he 
neared the corner and peered around the edge. There were at least twelve or more Ultima 
members engaging a small group of Special Forces agents that hid behind a makeshift 
barricade. 
	Harrison nodded as he slammed a fresh clip into his machine gun. "On three." 
They both took a deep breath and readied themselves.
	"Three!!" Instantly, they dove from the corner, and held down the triggers on 
their guns, spraying bullets wildly at their enemies. By the time they landed onto the cold 
floor, the small force was annihilated; their dead bodies strewn across the hallway. 
	"It's us; Agents Harrison and Sketchit!! Hold your fire!!" Harrison said as they 
climbed from the floor and jogged towards the group of League agents. "It's good to see 
you've been defending the armory. How many of the others have made it here yet?"
	One of the agents wiped the sweat from his brow. "We're the first ones here. 
We've been waiting the arrival of the others while defending this spot. All of the ranks 
are scattered throughout the entire building; all twenty floors of it, so we didn't expect 
anyone to show up this early."
	Tracy nodded and checked his ammo. "We need you to defend this area while we 
go arm ourselves properly," he said as he walked into the armory, Harrison following 
close behind. He whistled as he stared at the racks upon racks of armaments that filled the 
auditorium-like room. The walls were littered with a plethora of firearms; pistols, 
submachine guns, shotguns, and automatic weapons. 
	Tracy grabbed a holster belt and slipped two USP handguns into them, then pulled 
a bulletproof vest over his head. He picked up an M-16 assault rifle and grabbed clips of 
ammo, sticking them into his pockets. Harrison snatched an M-6 automatic shotgun, and 
grabbed a couple of sidearms as well before grabbing another bulletproof vest. 
	"Where are our pokemon?" Tracy asked as he loaded his weapon. Harrison tossed 
him a pokemon belt, and clipped his own on. "You ready, Tracy?" He slipped the last 
shell into the shotgun chamber, and cocked it. 
	"Hell yeah. Let's go kick some ass," Tracy responded with a grin. They stepped 
out of the armory, and took their positions behind a barricade the others had set up out of 
tables. 
	"We just got a ton of transmissions from all over the building. Everyone who's 
still alive has made it to the first floor and is heading this way. We need to set up a 
defense on both sides of the hallway. Sketchit, you and Harrison take this part. We'll 
defend the other side." the agent ordered. Both Harrison and Tracy nodded as the others 
walked towards the other side of the hallway and crouched behind another barrier. 
	From their positions, both groups picked off any Team Ultima members that 
happened upon the armory. Slowly, the remaining ranks of the League Special Forces 
began to fill the massive armory and take what was needed, waiting for the next order 
from the Chief. Harrison caught sight of another straggling Ultima agent and raised his 
gun to fire; but someone beat him to the punch as he was riddled with bullets and 
dropped to the floor like a block of cement. 
	Chief Azusa appeared from the hallway, followed by Misty, Ritchie, Duplica, 
May and Sparky. "Chief!! Geez, it took you long enough. All of the remaining agents are 
suiting up in the armory, awaiting your orders." Harrison said.
	"Good," Azusa nodded as he headed into the armory. "All units pull into the 
armory immediately!!" Harrison and Tracy nodded as they entered the armory and leaned 
against the wall, reloading their weapons with fresh ammo. Azusa punched a code into 
the wall, and massive blast doors slid shut, closing off the area. 
	He stared at the remaining force of the Special Forces; now dwindled down to at 
least two thousand. This was a massive loss considering that the Special Forces were 
included four thousand strong. But, maybe the others were still trapped through the 
various floors of the building. 
	They knew their orders were to meet in the armory, and if they arrived, the 
defending team would tell them what they needed to do. "Listen up, because I don't 
know how long we can last in here. We are going to launch a counterattack against these 
bastards, and I'm going to need almost all of you. I want this half on over to suit up and 
get ready for action," he stated as he waved his hand. "The rest of you, you're going to 
defend this armory and the stolen artifacts from the museum that are locked in the back."
	The agents started to grab weapons from the racks and load them with 
ammunition. "Misty, you and the thieves are coming with me also. You too Harrison; I 
need my best sniper with us. Drop the shotgun and grab a rifle." Harrison nodded and 
tossed the shotgun to a random agent and grabbed a sniper rifle, loading it with shells. 
	"We still need to find our friends!! They're out there somewhere, and they could 
be in danger!!" May exclaimed. Duplica and Ritchie nodded; they weren't going 
anywhere without their friends. 
	"Trust me, you have the best chance staying with us; if you go out there on your 
own, you're most likely gonna get killed," Azusa said. "Okay, ladies, let's get moving!! 
We're gonna push these bastards out of our city now!!" 
	"Chief, I'm gonna stay and guard the armory," Tracy said. Azusa nodded and 
walked over to the keypad and punched the code in. "All right, let's go!!" Almost 
instantly, the doors slid open to reveal a huge force of Team Ultima members as they 
started to fire their weapons at the massive group of agents. The sounds of battle filled 
the armory as men were struck by flying bullets, grenades detonating all through the 
hallways. 
	But the Ultima members were no match for the Special Force's superior numbers 
and weaponry, as they were pushed back and forced to retreat into the hallways. Slowly, 
the Ultima members were fleeing into the streets, the Special Forces following close 
behind. 


***


	As Misty stepped out into the open air, she gasped at the horrors that lay before 
her. The sun was blotted out by the plumes of smoke that filled the air; bodies of civilians 
littered the streets. Helicopters flew overhead, launching random missiles into the city, 
decimating the once beautiful metropolis. Buildings were mere rubble; the walls of still 
standing structures were riddled with bullet holes and artillery shells.
	  She was snapped back into reality as bullets flew over her head, causing her to 
duck behind an overturned car that was still aflame. Harrison crouched beside her, sniper 
rifle in hand. 
	"Misty, you go with those thieves. I'll give you some cover," he said calmly as he 
snapped a round into the chamber. Misty nodded as she peeked out and spotted May and 
the others, pinned down by gunfire from Ultima members that were aboard a massive 
tank. 
	She sprinted out from her cover, firing at the group that stood on top of the tank 
and dodging shots from the enemy at the same time. A bullet ricocheted by her leg, and 
she rolled behind a half demolished wall for cover. She peered around the side and saw 
her assailant as he fell from the rooftop and smashed into the concrete. Harrison, she 
thought as she squeezed the trigger and brought down a few more agents that were 
charging the thieves' hiding spot. 
       The turret of the tank slowly whirred around and pointed at the huge stone block 
that they were using for cover and fired, the shock from the shell rocking the gigantic 
tank back. It smashed into the block with a thunderous blast, and hurled dust and rocks 
that quickly rained down on Duplica and the others. 
       In a mad dash, Misty tore out from her cover and fired at the advancing forces. A 
stray bullet grazed her leg, and she leapt behind the block that the thieves were hiding 
behind. She cried out in pain and grabbed her leg, inspecting it to see if it was seriously 
injured. Duplica turned and noticed she was hurt, and quickly ripped off a piece of her 
shirt to wrap Misty's wound.
       "Are you all right?!" she screamed over the din of the battle. Misty nodded and 
reloaded her assault rifle. 
       "The bullet just grazed me. I'll be fine."
	"Jesus, Team Ultima isn't screwing around!!" Ritchie said as he reloaded another 
clip into his assault rifle. Another shell from the tank exploded near them, sending debris 
flying into the air. "We need a way to figure out how to get rid of this tank!! Did any of 
you get your pokemon from the armory?!"
	They all shook their head; in the commotion, they had completely forgotten about 
their pokemon. Ritchie cursed, only to be answered with another explosive shot from the 
tank. 
	Suddenly, the ground rumbled, as if an earthquake was rocking the very 
foundation of the planet. "What the hell is that?!" Duplica cried out. They looked over 
the rubble just in time to see a gigantic chain of boulders smash into the tank, tearing it 
like tissue paper. A huge explosion rang out from the now demolished vehicle, and the 
boulders began to careen into a large force of Team Ultima members and crushed them 
under the enormous weight of the rocks.
	The dust settled to reveal a giant snake-like creature that roared in anger; it was an 
Onix, and it was very angry. A chain of explosions detonated on the ground near it, rocks 
and dust flew into the sky and rained down onto the Special Forces as the creature 
bellowed and fell to the ground, causing the earth to rattle.  
	A beam of light appeared as the Onix was called back. Another creature, this time 
a huge red dragon, swooped from the skies and let loose a stream of fire, covering the 
enemy in flames. They cries of agony from the men were heard as they were burned 
alive.  
	"Charizard, take out those choppers!!" a voice ordered from behind them. The 
dragon grunted and took to the skies, engaging the machines in combat. The others 
whirled around to find Ash, Brock, Brendan and Max behind a destroyed building, giving 
out numerous orders to their pokemon. 
	"Marshtomp, put out those fires over there!!" 
	"Blastoise, use Hydro Cannon on those troops behind the building!!"
	A plethora of pokemon appeared, attacking the Team Ultima agents and saving 
innocent civilians from the battle that raged around them. A large blue tortoise stomped 
across the ruined street and aimed its cannons at a balcony that barely hung overhead a 
group of Team Ultima members. A huge stream of water slammed into the stone and 
ripped it from building as it crashed onto them. 
        Ash clutched a machine gun, firing at a group of Ultima agents, while the others 
tossed grenades, igniting explosions throughout the ruined street.
	"Ash!! You're alive!!" May screamed as they all rushed over. 
	"Yeah, we're fine. But we can't stand here talking, we have to take out Team 
Ultima!!" he replied as he tossed another pokeball that cracked open and morphed into a 
Pidgeot. "Pidgeot, help out Charizard with those choppers!" 
	The bird took off and zoomed into the sky, towards its targets. A helicopter 
quickly appeared on its tail, firing off rounds from its Vulcan machine gun at the 
pokemon. Pidgeot avoided them with ease and swooped into a massive loop before 
ripping through the metal of the chopper.
	It exploded and crashed into the ground, sending flames everywhere. Another 
volley of missiles was launched at Charizard, only to be quickly disposed of with another 
Flamethrower attack. It roared and charged the chopper, biting through the windshield 
with its razor sharp teeth. The contraption sputtered in the air for a few moments before 
careening into a building, collapsing the structure into rubble. 
       The dragon snarled and launched another Flamethrower attack onto an 
approaching helicopter. The metal glowed red-hot before bursting in flames in mid-air 
and thundering to the ground, sending hordes of shrapnel into the crowds of Team Ultima 
members, Special Forces agents, and civilians alike.
	Max grabbed a rocket launcher from a fallen agent and fired at another tank, 
destroying it in a massive fireball. "Ash, where's Pikachu?!" he screamed as he loaded 
another rocket into the tube. 
	"I told him to get to the top of the building!! Pikachu, use Zap Cannon now!!" 
       A loud cry was heard from the roof of the massive building as a bright light began 
to shine, eclipsing everything in sight with blinding luminescence. A gargantuan 
electrical blast flew from the roof and smashed into the concrete below, before erupting 
into a brilliant flash followed by a massive explosion. Another chain of detonations 
followed, filling everyone's ears with nothing but the sounds of destruction.  
	As the spots in the group's eyes cleared, a humungous crater lay in the middle of 
the street; bodies of Team Ultima agents and wrecked machinery were strewn about the 
blast radius. Water streamed out into the air as broken water mains were unearthed from 
under the ground while electricity crackled from the severed power lines. Buildings that 
used to stand were now collapsed in heap of rubble, and fires littered the street. 
	Misty slowly peeked out and looked at the destruction that lay before her. "Oh my 
god," she said slowly, almost in a whisper. She had never seen anything like this before 
in her entire life; it was as if World War III had broken in less than an hour.
	Unfortunately, the battle still raged around them as the sounds of gunfire and 
other explosions filled the air. Her eyes swept across the demolished street and fell on a 
small little girl who was crouched on the ground, crying endlessly, being drowned out by 
the clamor of battle. Without thinking twice, she began to run across the street, wincing 
as pain shot through her leg with every step. 
       She rushed over and scooped the child into her arms, trying to comfort from the 
hell that surrounded them. As she turned, she heard a loud whooshing sound erupt from 
across the battlefield.  Ash's eyes grew wide as he knew what that sound meant: someone 
had just fired a rocket from a missile launcher. "Misty!!" he screamed as he dropped his 
machine gun and dashed towards her in an attempt to save her and the girl. 
	Time seemed to slow down as he saw the rocket streak through the air, its 
destination set on Misty and the small child. His heart leapt into his throat as he realized 
he was too far; he wouldn't reach her in time. He yelled her name again, but he couldn't 
hear the words out of his own mouth; all he could hear was his own breathing as he tried 
to get to her. He plowed his legs into the ground in a vain attempt to reach them so he 
could shove them out of the way. 
	The rocket smashed into the ground and exploded, sending a fireball into the air. 
The ensuing shockwave slammed into Ash and flung him into a brick wall, smashing his 
frail body against the stone. All Ash could do was struggle to stay conscious as he felt the 
blood trickling through his hair. His whole body ached and throbbed as he desperately 
tried to move. 
	The others were silent; May and Duplica began sobbing into each other's arms. 
Brock, Ritchie, and the other two just stared, dumbstruck by what had just happened, 
unable to even speak.  
	
       The smoke cleared, and revealed Misty, cowering inside of a blue dome of 
energy, clutching the young child in her arms. She looked around slowly, unable to 
realize what had just happened. The sounds of the skirmish still filled the air, none of the 
other combatants paying any attention to what had occurred.
	From the skies, a lone figure descended and landed onto the pavement without a 
sound. His spiky brown hair rustled in the breeze that blew through, a yellow and green 
yin-yang pendant hung from his neck. He was clad in jeans and a black t-shirt, his eyes 
glowing bright silver. 
	He turned slowly and smirked. "I am Shigeru, the Guardian of the Psyche. And 
you are about to meet your end."


***


	Tracy leaned against the wall as yet another explosion shook the building. He 
walked over to one of the agents and grinned. "You know where this sword and shield 
are?" he asked.
	The guard pointed at a door behind him. "In there. I don't see what the big deal is 
about it. It's just some nice looking sword. Ain't worth sending almost an entire army to 
come get it."
	"Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me either," he said as he shot the guard in the 
head. His body crumpled onto the floor as Tracy strolled over to the door and placed a 
block of C-4 on the front, setting the timer for ten seconds. He whistled and walked 
around the corner, the explosion ripping the door off of its hinges. 
	He walked into the small room and laid his eyes on the Legacy Weapons sitting 
on a small table. "Come to daddy," he chuckled as he strapped the sword to his back. He 
placed his hand on the shield, but it began vibrating fiercely, falling off of the table. He 
kneeled down and looked hard at the shield. It hummed loudly, and a blinding flash filled 
the room. 
	He lay unconscious for a few moments before he began to stir, groaning as he 
picked himself up from the floor. "What the hell was that?" he said to himself, walking 
out of the room. A group of agents rushed into the room and spotted the dead guard lying 
on the floor. 
	"What happened?!" one of them asked frantically. 
       "I just gave him a coffee break," Tracy just grinned as he raised his gun and killed 
the other guards. He pulled a small radio out of his pocket and clicked the button.
	"This is Agent Sketchit; I have the Legacy Weapons. Requesting extraction." 
	A feminine voice chimed through the receiver. "All available transports have been 
deployed for battle. You're on your own."
	He sighed and scratched his head through his bandanna. "Fine, I'll get there 
myself." He clicked off the radio and slipped it back into his pocket. "I can never catch a 
break." 

***


	Shigeru's eyes flashed as he removed the barrier from around Misty. "Go 
Mistaria, find a safe hiding spot. I'll take care of this." Misty nodded, dumbstruck and 
fled to where Ritchie and the others were hiding. He cracked his neck and smirked as he 
raised his hand in the air and pointed it towards an overturned car that lay near the crater 
of Pikachu's Zap Cannon. Slowly, it rose from its resting place on the ground and 
hovered in the air silently. 
	He smiled as another tank punched through a building behind him, and turned its 
turret to open fire. Shigeru whipped around and flicked his wrist, sending the car flying 
into the machine. Suddenly, from behind him; an arcing bolt of electricity crackled 
through the air and struck the vehicle, causing it to detonate in a plume of flames. 
	Ash, his body giving off a bright golden glow, walked from behind Shigeru and 
smirked as he raised his hand, forming another sphere of electric energy.  "Come now, 
Shigeru; did you honestly think I'd let you have all of the fun?"
	Shigeru shook his head and levitated another car behind him. "Ah, Ashura. It's 
been quite a while. I trust you've been well?" He spun around and hurled the car at a 
large platoon of Team Ultima members that were charging them head-on. 
	Ashura shrugged, throwing the energy blast onto a roof above them. The building 
collapsed from the following explosion, as lifeless bodies rained down onto the cement 
with a series of resounding smacks. He turned his head to the group that lay huddled 
behind the cover of the destroyed building and smiled. "It seems that the rest of the 
Guardians have awoken as well." 
	Shigeru shook his head, raising a barrier in front of himself to block the hail of 
bullets sent his way. "No, someone is still missing." His eyes glowed as he warped the 
barrier into a small sphere and tossed it into the middle of the attacking forces. 
	Ashura and his companion suddenly tensed and leapt back as a barrage of icicles 
impaled the concrete. He whirled around and sent another bolt of electricity towards its 
origins, only to hit nothing but air. "Well, Shigeru, ready for some amusement?" Shigeru 
smirked as he suddenly disappeared into thin air.
	Ashura turned and was met by a vicious punch to his jaw, sending him flying into 
a wall. He rose and shook off the rubble from his clothes and scanned the area for his 
attacker. He growled as his eyes fell on a giant of a man, a grin on his face as he stretched 
his arms. 
	"I guess you're the big bad Guardian that destroyed my base, huh? I thought 
James was scrawny." 
	Ashura cupped his hand and began to channel his energy, preparing for an attack. 
Steadman grabbed his own shirt and ripped it off, revealing a mass of muscles that would 
make a Machamp look puny. "Silent treatment, huh? That's ok, you'll be crying out in 
pain soon enough." 


***

	Tracy dove behind another corner, barely dodging the bullets that were fired after 
him. The rest of the League forces in the building had come to investigate the commotion 
in the armory and found Tracy standing over the bodies of their comrades, the sword and 
shield strapped to his back. It didn't take long for them to put two and two together and 
start shooting at him. 
	He leaned around the corner and emptied the last of his ammo from his assault 
rifle, just barely able to keep the hordes of agents off of his back. He cursed and threw 
away the now useless weapon and removed his handguns from their holsters. It was 
already bad enough that all of the defending forces of the League Special Forces were 
onto him, but now he had to find his own way back to the Team Ultima base. 
	He had to get out of this building now, and the only way out was through the 
lobby, which was the most heavily guarded area in the whole structure. He sighed and 
checked his grenades; he only had about three left, and he would have to make them 
count. He yanked the pin from one and tossed it around the corner. He was only getting 
out with a full offensive, and he couldn't stand here all day. 
	The explosion rocked the hallway, and Tracy whirled from around the corner, 
firing wildly into the smoke and dust that filled the now demolished hallway. The agents 
cried out in pain as the miniscule bits of metal ripped into their flesh. He smiled and 
grabbed a fallen agent's weapon before continuing through the labyrinth of corridors that 
made up the first floor. 
	He turned another corner and skidded to a halt, ducking behind a wall. He poked 
his head out and observed the sizable force that was guarding the entrance to the League 
Special Forces HQ. He counted twenty, maybe thirty men and women armed to the teeth. 
Okay, Tracy, what now? He suddenly smiled as an idea crept into his mind. Slowly he 
pulled out two small red and white colored spheres, and readied his own weapon.
	"Scyther, Azumarill, go!!" He yelled, tossing the balls into the lobby. They 
opened with a crack and a flash of light, as two forms emerged from their artificial 
homes. The Scyther raised its gleaming sickle like arms and growled, while its large blue 
companion hopped in the air, chattering excitedly. "Scyther, Agility!! Azumarill, use 
Water Gun on the ceiling!!"
	Scyther crouched onto the ground and began dashing through the lobby at an 
ungodly speed, easily avoiding the bullets that were fired at it. A powerful stream of 
water streaked through the air and struck the ceiling, causing it to collapse onto the 
opposing forces below. 
	In a flash, Tracy dashed from his hiding spot and squeezed the triggers of his 
pistols, striking an agent with every shot. Almost as soon as it began, the defending 
forces were strewn about the marble floor. "Good job, guys," Tracy said as he patted his 
pokemon on the head. He called them back and clipped the spheres on his belt, before 
checking the weapons on his back. 
	He sighed as he saw they were not damaged. Doctor Leto would have had his 
head if they weren't in perfect condition. He strapped them back onto his back and turned 
to leave when a massive quake shook the building to its very foundation. "What the hell 
was that?" he asked himself as he rose from the ground. He felt through his pocket and 
fished the radio out, only to find it smashed. 
	Perfect. He threw the device onto the ground and shook his head. "Things never 
go my way," he muttered as he walked through the glass doors into the street. The battle 
had moved from the area and was now raging in another section of the city; the 
explosions and gunfire were very faint in the distance. 
	"Tracy!!" He turned to seek the owner of the voice and spotted Misty and her 
companions hiding in the ruins of a building. "Get over here before you get shot!!" Tracy 
snorted as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his last two grenades. 
	"Sorry Mist, but I've got another appointment," he said sarcastically as he pulled 
the pins out and threw the handheld explosives in their direction. They screamed and 
scrambled from their hideout, narrowly avoiding the ensuing explosion. 
	He laughed out loud and began walking away. "Oh man, that was a good one. I 
gotta write that down." He chuckled some more before smashing face first into the 
ground. He growled and hopped up, seeing a small yellow rodent crouching in front of 
him, his cheeks sparkling with electricity. "Stupid rat," he grumbled as he pulled out his 
gun and prepared to pull the trigger before being hit with a blast of thunder. 
	He yelled out in pain, dropping his gun and collapsing to the pavement. He turned 
and saw another Pikachu, a small tuft of fur falling over its eyes. He scrambled to his feet 
only to find himself surrounded by the group. 
	Misty stared at him, disgusted. "You're a traitor, Tracy? I never would have 
known. Why did you do it?" Tracy smirked and opened his mouth to reply, but was cut 
off by the rumbling of the sword on his back. The weapon rattled violently and vibrated 
out its sheath, clattering to the concrete with a loud clang.  It erupted in a blinding flash, 
causing everyone to look away and shield their eyes. 
	Tracy saw his chance and dashed off into the other direction. This was his only 
opportunity to escape and he had to take it, sword or not. At least I go the shield...he 
thought as he ran off leaving the group behind. 
	Slowly, their vision returned, and they glanced at Misty who lay unconscious on 
the ground. Ritchie shrugged and picked her up gingerly. "Whoa, look at the sword."
	The sword was glowing brightly, ebbing with power as all of the streaks inside 
the blade shone with a magnificent light. Duplica bent down and picked up the weapon, 
and swung it in the air. Another explosion rumbled in the distance as yet another structure 
fell to the ground. 
	"Sounds like Ash is having a bit of fun with ol' Sasquatch over there." 
	Ritchie rolled his eyes and motioned for them to move inside of the League 
building. "Geez Duplica, your one-liners are almost as bad as his."


***

	Ice sprayed all over his face as Shigeru blocked another slash from the redhead's 
icicle, shattering it to pieces. He had levitated a long pipe and was in the process of 
evading her assault through a series of blocks and parries. He was shocked at the relative 
lack of skill that she had possessed as he ducked, avoiding a wild punch aimed at his 
head. 
	He had been enjoying himself, destroying wave after wave of Team Ultima agents 
easily with Ashura when she attacked and disappeared from the rooftops. He quickly 
sensed her presence and fought her, tossing her into this abandoned apartment building. 
	She raised her hands and formed two long ice blades from her palms, the air 
crackling as the moisture hardened in an instant. She attacked again, the room filled with 
clangs of the ice and metal scraping each other as they engaged in their battle. He began 
to grow tired of this, and decided to end it quickly.
	Shigeru grinned and sent a wave of psychic energy into her, throwing through a 
wall. The wall broke apart as her body collided with it, and the debris piled onto her 
figure, covering her in wood and plaster. 
	"Amateur," he snorted as he rifled through the rubble and levitated her body into 
the air. She groaned lightly as he placed her onto the floor and stepped back. "I would kill 
you, but it would be such a shame to end the life of someone so inexperienced," he 
taunted as he released his hold on the metal bar. 
	"So, I'll spare you this one time. I hope your comrades aren't all like this, 
Roxanne, or I will be sorely disappointed," he added. "Just be glad I'm not Ashura. 
You'd probably be a scorch mark on the ground by now." He waved his hand and rose 
into the air. 
	"I look forward to seeing you again, Roxanne. Farewell." His body glowed silver 
for a moment before vanishing into the air. Roxanne groaned as she picked herself off of 
the ground. He had defeated her easily, not even thinking she was worth killing. She 
smashed her foot into the nearby wall, and cursed loudly. Next time she saw him; she 
would wipe that smug little smirk from his face and cram it down his throat. 
	Her pants vibrated as the radio in her pocket. She pulled it out and brushed her 
hair behind her hair, clicking the button on the receiver. "This is Agent Summers. What is 
it?"
	"Agent Summers, relay the retreat order to all remaining ground troops 
immediately! We are pulling out of Viridian City now!"
	She shook her head and pressed the button again. "What are you talking about? 
We came here for the Legacy Weapons; what are we supposed to do, abandon them after 
all this?!"
	"Agent Summers, this is directly from the Board. Pull back immediately, that's an 
order, Guardian or not!!" the voice snapped through the small speaker. She growled and 
channeled her energy to the radio, freezing it solid. 
	She dropped it to floor, shattering it as she turned and ran to find a way back to 
the main base. 


	***

	Ashura ducked another punch and countered with a knee to his opponent's 
stomach, followed by a powerful uppercut to his chin. The giant of a man stumbled back, 
and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, scowling. They had been evenly 
matched as their fight raged through various parts of the city, destroying at least five 
more buildings just from their brawl alone.
	"Wow, Kyoji, you have gotten rusty after all these centuries," he teased as he 
threw a bolt of energy towards him. The man flipped backwards and landed in a 
crouching position and charged Ashura, tackling him through another wall and smashing 
Ashura's body into the concrete below. 
	He swung his fists into Ashura's chest repeatedly and threw him like a rag doll 
across the street into a lamp post. The metal snapped like a toothpick as his body sailed 
through the air and crashed to the concrete. "How's that for rusty, you cocky little 
bastard? And my name isn't Kyoji, its Steadman!!" he bellowed. 
	The rubble exploded into the air as Ashura got his second wind, glowing brightly, 
the electricity from the lamp post sparking into the air and leaping into his body. He flung 
a bolt of lightning from the palm of his hands; it streaked across the air and struck 
Steadman head on, blowing him away. 
       He landed on his feet, barely able to support his own weight. He had no idea that 
Ashura still had enough energy to attack like that; he could barely lift his arms. They had 
been fighting back and forth for over twenty minutes straight, each of them trading blows 
and striking back even harder than last time. 
       The radio in his pocket screeched as the order to retreat was given to all 
remaining Team Ultima units. Steadman glanced at Ashura and grinned. "Looks like 
we'll have to finish this another time, tiny. I will say you're pretty good for someone your 
size, but next time, I won't be holding back. See ya round," he said as he hopped onto the 
roof of a passing Team Ultima car. 
       Ashura watched silently as Steadman fled the city with the rest of his men, and 
glanced at the setting sun in the horizon. "We shall see, Kyoji. We shall see."
       
       ***
       
       Tracy waited in the meeting room impatiently, tapping his feet against the ground 
in an effort to stave off the looming boredom. I should've stayed at the city and fought 
with the rest of the guys. At least I wouldn't be sitting here wasting my time waiting for 
these idiots. How long does it take to get back from Viridian City? 
       He checked his watch and groaned. Mt. Silver was not far from the City of 
Viridian at all and yet they put out the retreat call over half an hour ago. 
       "Agent Sketchit? They're waiting for you in the other room," the voice over the 
intercom boomed. 
        About damn time, he thought to himself as he rose from his seat and walked 
through the doors in front of him. Inside the small room were the Directors of the 
Goldenrod City base. A thin, wiry man in a lab coat sat at the head of the table, his hands 
folded neatly. Doctor Gerald Leto; Team Ultima's leading researcher on the Guardian 
Spirits; he recognized him as well as he slid into a seat next to Jessie.
       The Doctor cleared his throat. "I trust you recovered the Legacy Weapons for us, 
Agent Sketchit?" Tracey nodded as he unclipped the large disk from his back and slid it 
across the table. The Doctor stared at the shield for a second and narrowed his eyes. 
"Where is the sword?"
       "It's back in Viridian. I didn't have a chance to grab it, and the Special Forces had 
already found me out. So I left with what I had." he stated matter-of-factly as he slid back 
into his chair. 
       The Doctor removed his glasses and sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I 
suppose this is better than nothing. After all, if you would have returned empty-handed 
after we just launched almost every available agent in this base to distract the League 
Special Forces, you would have been killed by now. You may leave now, Agent 
Sketchit."
       Tracy rolled his eyes as he rose from his chair. "Asshole," he muttered as he 
gripped the handle of the door and turned.
       "Excuse me, Agent Sketchit?"
       Tracy froze. If the Doctor had heard him, he could report him for insubordination, 
an offense punishable by death. Slowly, he turned and faced the group sitting at the table 
before him. "Y...yes, Doctor?"
       "Before you recovered this shield, did you see any bright flashes or anything in 
the area?"
       Tracy let out a short sigh of relief before he answered. "Yeah, I did. When I 
reached out to grab it, it started vibrating and it blinded the crap outta me. Next thing I 
knew; I was picking myself up from the floor."
       
       The Doctor nodded. "Well Agent Sketchit, it seems that you've just been 
promoted."
       
       
       Next Chapter: Destiny Revealed