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Pokemon, Asylum of the Damned

Chapter LXVIII

Saga XIII- Master Battles Saga

Chapter X- Round Nine

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Tom was ready to step foot inside the arena at any moment, when a voice 
behind him said, "Hey Tom!"

Turning around, Tom saw Sabre and Laura walking his way. "What's up?" Tom 
asked, thinking Sabre was about to bring him bad news.

"We're just here to let you know that everyone knows the bounty is not a 
kill," said Sabre.

Tom breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear."

"Hope you don't mind us watching your battle," said Laura, trying her best 
to sound pleasant.

"Yeah, I don't mind," said Tom, a little begrudgingly.

"I thought you two made up," said Porygon Two.

"Oh, we did," said Tom, "We're just not friends."

Laura quietly chuckled. "At least we're not enemies."

Sabre rolled her eyes. "We'll just stick around to watch, I guess."

Tom looked over Sabre's shoulder. "Say Sabre," he asked, "Where's Jason?"

"Jason? He's in the crowd. He still thinks another Rocket could be here."

Tom's heart skipped a beat. "Another Rocket?" He gasped.

"Don't worry about it," said Sabre, "they've screened everybody."

"Besides," said Laura, "The only Rockets that knew about you were the ones 
in Mega City, and they're either dead or in prison."

"Or working as a secret agent," Sabre added.

"But," said Laura, "there is just one Mega City Rocket we haven't tracked 
down ye-"

Suddenly, Laura bit her tongue, and Sabre groaned. "What did I tell you not 
to say?" Sabre asked.

"Sorry," Laura murmured.

Tom glanced at the crowd in the stadium uneasily. "Well, thank you very 
much, Laura," Tom muttered, "I'd rather not have known that."

"We've gotten this far without someone trying to kill us, right?" said 
Porygon Two quickly, "I think we're doing pretty good."

Tom let himself give a slight grin. "Yeah, you're right," he said, "We 
should be okay. Thanks for the news, Sabre," said Tom as his rock music 
began to fill the stadium.

"No problem," said Sabre as Tom began to walk into the arena, "And hey, good 
luck!"

Tom waved his thanks as he and Porygon entered the arena. "The following 
contest is for three falls, on the special land mine field!" The voice of 
the announcer blared through the loudspeakers. "From Yorin Town, earning a 
total of ten badges, Tom Simms!"

Tom had already climbed the ladder to his trainer box, and Porygon Two 
stayed beside the support stand. The music shifted to a more mellow tune, 
and Tom's opponent stepped into the arena. "And from St. Baers, earning a 
total of eight badges, Alex Tekcor!"

Tom grimaced when he saw his opponent climb onto his trainer box on the 
other side of the field. "So, it's you again," Tom hissed as soon as he put 
his headset on.

"It's me, all right," Alex replied, his voice with a tone of irritation. "I 
guess if y' want somethin' done right, ya' gotta' do 't yerself."

"Bring it on," Tom snarled back as the referee took the field.

"Go, Venusaur!" Alex commanded, tossing out a Pokeball from his belt.

"Go, Hariyama!"

As soon as the two Pokemon materialized on the field, the referee declared, 
"Trainers ready, Pokemon ready, begin!

"Venusaur, Razor Leaf!"

"Hariyama, Arm Thrust!"

As Hariyama charged towards Venusaur, the flower on Venusaur's back suddenly 
spat out a pair of leaves, shooting at the charging Hariyama. The Razor 
Leaves flew past Hariyama, cutting a clean gash into his shoulder. Hariyama 
winced, still charging towards Venusaur as his would began to bleed. And 
with one thrust from his good shoulder, Hariyama sent his palm smashing into 
Venusaur's face. Venusaur yelped and moaned as Hariyama continued to pummel 
his foe with Arm Thrusts. "Venusaur," Alex commanded, "Take Down!"

Venusaur suddenly bucked his head forward, smashing into Hariyama's chest. 
Hariyama stumbled backwards, and was suddenly engulfed in a massive 
explosion. When the smoke had cleared, Hariyama was lying flat on his back, 
moaning weakly.

"Damn it!" Tom fumed, suddenly beginning to hate the land mine field.

"Bad luck, mate," Alex snickered.

Tom decided to try a different tactic. Zapping Hariyama back into his 
Pokeball, Tom took out another Pokeball and tossed it onto the field. "Go, 
Yanma!"

Yanma quickly took shape, hovering over the field. Alex stood still, keeping 
his Venusaur on the field. "Trainers ready," The referee called, "Pokemon 
ready, begin!"

"Venusaur, Vine Whip!"

"Yanma, Sonicboom!"

As soon as Venusaur's vines spurted out of his flower, Yanma wound back his 
wings and beat them quickly, forcing a blast of air at Venusaur with a 
deafening bang. Venusaur braced himself, withstanding the pummeling wind 
blasting upon him. Suddenly, the ground around him erupted with explosions, 
engulfing him in a shower of smoke and flame. The smoke cleared again, and 
Yanma was still lively hovering above the field, looking at the motionless 
Venusaur.

"Useless Pokemon," Alex snarled, zapping Venusaur back into his Pokeball.

"How did you like that?" Tom smirked, zapping Yanma back into his Pokeball.

"That was just a fluke against me worthless Venusaur," Alex muttered, taking 
out another Pokeball at the same time as Tom. "Go, Pidgeot!"

"Go, Delibird!"

The two Pokemon took the field seconds later, both hovering safely above the 
land mine-covered field below. "Trainers ready," The referee declared, 
"Pokemon ready, begin!"

"Delibird, Blizzard!"

"Pidgeot, Wing Attack!"

As Pidgeot rushed in on Delibird, Delibird sucked in a deep breath and blew 
out a flurry of ice shards, all pelting upon Pidgeot's feathers. Despite 
being half-frozen by the chilly assault, Pidgeot still smashed his wing into 
Delibird's chest, sending Delibrid plummeting to the ground. Only a 
split-second before Delibird would hit the field, he stretched his stubby 
wings, sharply launching him upward and back into the air.

"Good thing he didn't hit those land mines," Tom thought. "Delibird, keep 
using Blizzard!"

"Pidgeot, Wing Attack again!"

Delibird kept raining shards of ice upon Pidgeot, but Pidgeot kept zooming 
past him, battering Delibird with his wings. And just as it looked like 
Delibrid was one Wing Attack away from collapsing, Tom suddenly ordered, 
"Delibird, fly low to the ground!"

Delibird ducked under Pidgeot's Wing Attack and dove towards the field, 
skimming only inches above the mine-infested ground. "Follow him, Pidgeot!" 
Alex commanded.

"Thanks for falling into my trap, Alex!" Tom suddenly laughed. "Delibird, 
Present!"

As Pidgeot began to chase Delibird, Delibird suddenly spun around and hurled 
a glowing ball of energy at Pidgeot. The ball exploded in a flash of energy, 
and the ground quickly erupted in a string of deafening explosions around 
Pidgeot as well. The smoke cleared again, and while Delibird was still 
hovering above the field, Pidgeot was lying motionless on the field inside 
of a giant crater.

"And the winner of this match by two falls," The referee declared, "Tom 
Simms!"

"You worthless Pokemon!" Alex screamed, zapping Pidgeot back into his 
Pokeball.

"You couldn't beat me in a fist fight," Tom taunted, "And now you can't even 
beat me in a Pokemon fight. Alex, you suck."

Suddenly, Alex hopped off of his trainer box, and landed by his end of the 
field. "Sure, you may have beaten me, but I'm not through with your Pokemon 
yet."

"What do you mean?" Tom and Porygon Two hissed at the same time.

Alex quickly dug into his pocket, and pulled out a small device with a tiny 
steering wheel on it. And with a simple turn to the right, Porygon Two 
suddenly angled itself to its side. "Tom! What's happening?" Porygon Two 
shrieked in surprise.

"What are you doing to him?" Tom yelled at Alex.

Alex turned the wheel back to the left, and pressed a few buttons. Porygon 
Two suddenly began to drive forward, inching closer and closer towards the 
land mine field. "It's something I was working on in Mega City," Alex 
snickered as Porygon's toes crossed onto the field, "A mind-controlling 
device for Porygon Twos!"

"Tom!" Porygon Two screamed, "I can't control myself! Help me!"

Just before Porygon Two had fully crossed into the field, Tom grabbed onto 
Porygon Two's tail and began pulling it back with all of his might, holding 
Porygon Two in place.

"Don't try to fight it," Alex snickered as the crowd suddenly started an 
uproar, "I'm going to drag me ol' backstabbin' Pokemon though this here 
field, and I'm not going t' stop until 'ees blown up every single mine!"

Just as Tom's heels were dragged onto the battlefield, a large figure 
suddenly leapt over the sides of the arena walls, tackling Alex from the 
side. The man smashed Alex's back onto the trainer box support stand, 
pinning him flat against it. Alex dropped the device, and Tom and Porygon 
Two were sent flying backwards. Porygon Two landed clumsily on top of Tom, 
driving a wince from the human. When Tom looked up at the man who had saved 
Porygon Two, he saw another familiar figure dash to the man's side.

"Sabre! Jason!"

Tom and Porygon Two quickly dashed around to the other side of the field, 
and were relived to find Alex firmly held in place against the stand.

"That was a close one, Tom," said Sabre.

"Hey Sabre," said Jason suddenly, "look at this!"

With that, Jason placed his hand on the collar of Alex's shirt, and with a 
vicious tug of his shoulder, Jason tore it off, revealing a pitch-black 
shirt underneath, emblazoned with the same blood-red R.

"A Rocket!" Tom gasped.

"Yep," said Jason, "You'll make number thirty-seven," Jason said to the 
scowling Alex.

"Thirty-seven?" Sabre said, "Then that means... we've bagged all the Mega 
City Rockets!"

"Mission complete!" Jason cheered, grinning cruelly at Alex as Alex sneered 
back.

"Lucky little bastard," Alex snarled a Tom and Porygon Two.

"Don't worry, pal," said Jason, as a swarm of police officers suddenly 
encircled them, "you'll have lots of time to be angry... like say, the next 
twenty years in prison."

As the officers took Alex from Jason's grip, Tom managed to get Alex to look 
him face to face. "And Alex," said Tom with a grin, "Say hi to Larry for 
me."

"I'll get you yet!" Alex screamed as the officers dragged him out of the 
arena.

"Well, tell me who was right, Sabre," said Jason. "Huh? Who was right?"

Sabre rolled her eyes. "You were, Jason," She sighed with defeat.

"Who's the man, huh?" Jason teased. "Who's th-"

"Shut up. Please," Sabre moaned.

"So," said Tom, "You said that Alex was the last Mega City Rocket?"

"Yeah," said Sabre, "And a good thing too. I'm going to have to get used to 
being a free agent again."

"Free agent?" Tom asked, confused. "I thought you were Jason's partner."

"Only for this job," said Sabre, "I'm a spy for hire, remember? So until 
someone gives me another mission, I've got pretty much nothing to do."

"Then," Tom stammered, "Who's going to be Jason's partner?"

A light tap on Tom's shoulder made Tom spin around. Laura was standing 
behind him, smiling as she held up a shining police badge in her wallet.

"Oh, right," Tom muttered.

"Come on, Laura," said Jason, "Our work's done. Let's head back to Mega 
City."

"Sounds good," said Laura as she and Jason left the field.

"Seeya', Sabre," Jason called as the left, "Been nice working with you."

"Same here!" Sabre called, waving him and Laura goodbye.

"Hey Tom," Laura called as they vanished into the entrance tunnel, "Good 
luck!"

Tom gave a slight grin. "I'm going to need it..."

-End

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