The Dragon Master: Chapter Nine

	I immediately jumped up and got away from him before he tried anything. He 
didn't call his lance, or even come towards me. He just stood there, rain 
coming down on top of the both of us.
	"I know what you are going through," the teal cloaked man said to me.
	"How would you even know," I said with anger on my face.
	"I guess you're right," the teal cloaked man said. "I wouldn't know. It's 
just an expression that people use when someone loses a loved one."
	"What do you want," I said, the anger rising.
	"It was a beautiful eulogy," the teal cloaked man said, apparently not 
listening to me. My anger faded away quickly and confusion replaced it.
	"How would you know," I asked him.
	"Because I gave the eulogy," he stated. I was in shock. The murderer of 
Delilah had given her eulogy. I didn't know who gave the eulogy, as I wasn't 
even there.
	"Who are you," I asked him. He didn't even reply. He lifted his hands to 
his hood and pulled it down. For the first time, I saw who the teal cloaked 
man was. It was Lance.
	"How could you," I asked in wonder. "How could you kill the woman that gave 
you life?"
	"Easy. I took my lance and stabbed her," Lance said, shrugging his 
shoulders. "She had served her purpose."
	"What was her purpose," I asked through gritted teeth.
	"She had me," Lance simply stated. Behind my back, I generated my katana 
and charged. He immediately took off his cloak and sprouted wings. I 
followed him. We flew out of the cemetery and off towards New Bark Town. We 
flew right by my old house where the other twelve Masters were waiting for 
me. Misty was still standing at the doorway.
	"Bob," she wondered out loud as Lance and I flew past. "Guys, let's go. 
Bob's got the teal cloaked man. It's Lance!" She then dived in the water 
west of New Bark Town and Surfed across. She was about ten foot behind me. 
When she had hit the land, she just kept on surfing. Falkner had sprouted 
feathery wings from his back and was flying behind her. Duplica had changed 
into an Alakazam and was teleporting a couple of people away. Sabrina was 
doing the same. Soon, all of the Masters on my side were in pursuit of Lance 
and I. He was headed for the League. I couldn't let him reach it. It was too 
late he was already in the doors. I followed him and the other twelve 
Masters followed me.
	When we all got in there, there were thirteen Masters waiting for us in 
there. They were hidden in the shadows so we couldn't see their faces. As 
the lights came on, their faces were revealed. We had thirteen Masters, and 
they had thirteen Masters. It was fair...or was it? I knew whom I was going 
to take. I pulled off my cloak and let it fall to the floor. My twelve 
companions did the same. Lance pulled off his cloak and let it fall to the 
ground. His twelve companions did the same. They were Karen, a Dark Master; 
Bruno, a Fighting Master; Koga, a Poison Master; Will, a Psychic Master; 
Chuck, a Fighting Master; Pryce, an Ice Master; Blaine, a Fire Master; 
Giovanni, a Ground Master; Lt. Surge, a Thunder Master; Aya, a Poison 
Master; Clair, a Dragon Master; and Agatha, a Ghost Master. All of them 
against Misty, a Water Master; Ash, a Dark Master; Brock, a Rock Master; 
Duplica, a Change Master; Janine, a Poison Master; Sabrina, a Psychic 
Master; Erika, a Grass Master; Morty, a Ghost Master; Whitney, a Normal 
Master; Busgy, a Bug Master; and Falkner, a Flying Master. They would all 
fight while Lance and I would fight each other.
	"Let's begin this, Bob," Lance said quietly.
	"Ladies first," I insulted him. He screamed in rage and came towards me 
with his lance. I ran towards him, my katana raised. Lt. Surge came towards 
Misty with a double-bladed axe made of pure electricity. She quickly blocked 
with her twin blue sai knives. Bruno came directly for Ash with no weapon 
but started to punch away as Ash repeatedly dodged his huge fists. Lance's 
cousin, Clair, came right for Brock and started to send dragon attacks at 
him while he blocked them with his stone sword. Will came at Duplica with a 
foot-long psychic knife like Sabrina's. Duplica transformed into Will and 
another psychic knife, which startled him. Janine ran at her father, Koga, 
and slapped him across the face. He looked surprised, yet mad and generated 
his katana, as did his daughter, and whichever one struck flesh first would 
send the other into a slow, painful death. Karen came right for Sabrina with 
a bow and arrow made out of complete shadows. Sabrina tried to counterattack 
her, but dark is immune to psychic. Aya, Koga's sister and Janine's aunt, 
jumped immediately towards Erika with her poison-tipped katana while Erika 
created her ebony staff and blocked all of Aya's swipes. Giovanni, my 
father, came directly at Jasmine with a sword made out of what seemed like 
dirt. She countered with a shield and sword made from sharp steel. Agatha 
came at Morty and threw a shadow ball at him. He dodged it, and made a 
ghostly set of double two-foot long apiece swords. Agatha retaliated with a 
ghostly blade. Chuck came at Whitney with no weapon, like Bruno, and started 
to use a Dynamic Punch. Whitney used a Counter, and the blasted back at him. 
Blaine came at Bugsy with a double-bladed flaming sword. Bugsy counted with 
morphing his arms into Scyther blades, and blocking Blaine. Pryce came at 
Falkner riding a wave of ice. He created double-ice blades and went off, 
slashing at him. Falkner made a sword with a hilt of a bird on it, created 
his wings, and blocked Pryce's swings.
	Lance and I were still swinging our chosen weapons at each other. We were 
blocking and parrying, swiping and slashing, each of us aiming to kill. I 
looked him straight in the eye and saw only hatred staring back. Why did he 
hate me so much? Why did he hate Delilah? I had top answer these questions 
later, as there was a huge battle going on. Twenty-six Masters, all fighting 
to the death. Lance and I, mostly. Out of all the Masters, it was I that 
drew first blood. I slashed Lance across the arm; just to tell him that I 
wasn't playing games, that I was here for revenge. For revenge is so sweet. 
He responded with more furious slashing and jabbing with his lance. He then 
backed up, away from my reach, and made his weapon twice as deadly. A 
spearhead formed on the other end of his lance, and the lance itself grew in 
length. After Lance was done making that adjustment, he came in furiously.
	"You can't win, Bob," Lance said to me, still swinging his double-tipped 
lance. "You people are nothing for vigilantes."
	"But we're not vigilantes," I argued, swinging my teal katana all the 
harder. "Vigilantes don't have a cause. We do." This made Lance even more 
furious as he sped up his swipes.
	 Misty and Lt. Surge were slashing and jabbing at each other also. Misty 
was blocking every one of Lt. Surge's swings of his bulky weapon. Misty 
kicked his legs out from underneath of him, and the eight-foot giant came 
tumbling back down. She was about to finish him when he sent a zap cannon at 
her. It hit her full blast and she was thrown backwards. She was lying 
against the wall, unable to move from the zap cannon. Lt. Surge went over 
and picked up his axe and walked over to Misty.
	"Any last words, little baby," Lt. Surge asked Misty as he raised his axe 
over his head.
	"No," she said. "Just a last action." She came up with her foot and nailed 
him in the crotch. He fell down to the floor, whimpering like a wounded dog.
	"Ouch," he said, still whimpering.
	"Now who's the baby," Misty asked as she went over and picked up her 
knives.
	Bruno was still punching at Ash, yet he wasn't even connecting a single 
blow. Ash couldn't use dark attacks against Bruno, as they wouldn't be very 
effective. As Bruno was punching and Ash was dodging, Ash went on the 
offensive and used a roundhouse kick on Bruno right in the stomach. He 
followed with many different punching combinations combined with kicks. That 
tables just turned as Bruno was now on the defensive and Ash on the 
offensive. Ash sent a fake punch and then a drop kick right on Bruno's nose. 
This knocked him out and gave him a broken nose.
	Brock and Clair were still going at it, with Brock dodging and Clair 
sending attacks. She sent a twister at him, which Brock promptly got out of 
the way, just in time. Clair then did a flip over Brock and landed behind 
him. Brock turned around and blocked Clair's kick with his arm. The impact 
of Clair's leg on Brock stony arm left Clair's leg in much pain and Brock's 
arm just fine. He then sent a rockslide at her and she was buried under a 
huge pile of rocks.
	Will and Duplica-Will were still stabbing and dodging with their Psychic 
knives. Will seemed to be getting tired and that's when Duplica caught him 
off guard. She then transformed into an Umbreon and used its faint attack. 
Will tried to stop her with a Psychic, but it didn't even affect her. She 
finished the faint attack and Will was left lying on the ground, 
unconscious.
	Janine and her father, Koga, were slashing away with their poison tipped 
katanas. One nick to the skin from either of them would deliver a fatal 
dosage of poison directly into the other's bloodstream. Neither of them got 
a hit off, because neither of them wanted to get a hit off. They weren't 
sure why the other one was here, and which side was at fault. They just 
continued their dance of death, blocking and parrying.
	Karen was still shooting at Sabrina, and Sabrina still dodging the 
dark-arrows. She had no chance to hit Karen with a Psychic blow, so she 
teleported away. Karen was very confused.
	"Where are you," Karen shouted into nowhere. She had and arrow in her bow, 
ready to fire. Sabrina teleported in behind her, with Karen not noticing. 
She tapped Karen on the shoulder, and when Karen looked at her, Sabrina 
punched her in the face, knocking her out.
	Erika and Aya were still attacking and counterattacking each other, each 
one trying to penetrate into a weak spot. Erika was thinking that she 
couldn't let Aya touch her with that blade, because that meant instant 
death. Erika had a plan. While Aya made a downward cut, Erika quickly got 
out of the way, throwing Aya off balance. Erika then hit Aya on the back of 
her neck, sending her face-first into the wall and knocking her out.
	Giovanni was still attacking Jasmine with his dirt blade, her blocking it 
with her steel one. Giovanni sent an earthquake right at Jasmine's feet, 
taking her down. She then kicked his feet out from underneath him, making 
him fall. She just knocked him out with the butt of her sword.
	Morty and Agatha were still swinging their blades at one another, Morty 
twirling around so he could get some leverage. But Agatha was quicker than 
she looked. She was about to send her blade right through his heart, but 
Morty sent a shadow ball right at her face.
	"Fast, but low hp," Morty said as his blades disappeared and Agatha fell to 
the floor.
	Whitney was still dodging Chuck's blows, and he started to get tired. She 
then used a double team, making it appear that there were more than one of 
her. Chuck was confused now, and Whitney came in and finished him off with a 
stomp right to his forehead.
	Bugsy and Blaine were going still. Well, mostly just Blaine. He was sending 
fire blasts at Bugsy, and Bugsy was badly burned. Bugsy hid behind a pillar 
while the fire blasts hit it, melting it further and further.
	"I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die," Bugsy kept repeating as the 
fire blasts got faster. All of a sudden, the fire blasts stopped, and Bugsy 
built up the courage to look around what was left of the pillar. Blaine 
appeared to be frozen solid somehow. Bugsy decided that he would find out 
later and ran off towards the others.
	Falkner and Pryce were still fighting with their weapons of choice and 
Pryce sent ice beams at Falkner was out of his reach. Finally, Pryce got 
annoyed and sent a blizzard that followed Falkner around. Falkner just 
stopped near the ground and let the blizzard consume him.
	"Ha," Pryce said as he went into the blizzard to finish him off. "I've got 
him now." He stopped the blizzard and there Falkner stood, a little 
shivering, but conscious all the same. Falkner then used his most powerful 
wing attack before Pryce could finish him. That knocked him out right away.
	Koga and Janine were still going at it, with sweat pouring down their 
faces. Koga was looking at his daughter with inquisitive eyes and Janine was 
looking at her father the same way.
	"Why are you here," Koga asked, unrelenting in his skirmishing with his 
only daughter.
	"To stop the League," she replied, also not stopping.
	"To stop the League from what," Koga continued the conversation. "All the 
League ever did was..."
	"Take anybody with the Mastery into custody," Janine cut him off. "They 
were going to take me, Father. They were going to take me away somewhere, 
just because I happened to have a gift. If it hadn't been for Bob and the 
others, I don't know where I'd be."
	"What are you talking about," Koga denied. "The League never tried to do 
anything of the sort."
	"Yes they did," Janine persisted. "They tried to take all of us. We just 
couldn't take it anymore. We had to do something to stop the League. I just 
have one thing to ask."
	"I'll be honest with you," Koga told his daughter. "Anything that you ask." 
They had continued fighting with their katanas this entire time.
	"Did you or Aunt Aya know," Janine asked her father.
	"No," Koga answered. "No, we did not. The League called us up here so we 
came. That is the only reason that we are still fighting."
	"Then why should we continue," Janine asked, with tears in her eyes. They 
stopped fighting that very moment. They both dropped their katanas to the 
floor, and embraced.
	Lance and I, however, were not so forgiving. We both wanted the other dead. 
Lance's hair was soaked with sweat, and I had not even started to sweat. I 
didn't have the time. I was too busy making sure that Lance would be killed. 
I had to finish this soon. I sped up my pace and so did Lance. He faked me 
on way, and shot another. I dodged both of them and I ended up on my back.
	"I was always just a little bit better than you, little bro," Lance said. 
"In pokemon, fighting, life in general, you always came up a little bit 
short. Don't worry, that won't happen again." He was about to shove his 
lance into my heart. My katana was inches away from my hand. Suddenly, an 
ice beam shot out from nowhere. Lance looked away from me, his lance still 
raised above his head. This was my chance. I stretched and grabbed my teal 
katana. I then shoved it right through Lance's heart. He looked at me.
	"You won, little bro," Lance said. He then fell over, dead. I stood up and 
looked for the others. They were all walking towards the middle, bringing 
the knocked out Masters with them. The only enemy Master that was not 
knocked out was Koga, who explained to me later, that he and Aya knew 
nothing about abducting Masters. Blaine was frozen in a solid block of ice. 
I wondered how that had happened. Pryce was busy with Falkner at the time, 
and he was also on the other side. That's when I saw her again. The woman 
standing in the doorway in a light blue Master's cloak; the one that had 
saved us in Goldenrod City that night. Once she saw my gaze, she immediately 
ran away. I followed her on my wings. She was surprisingly fast and I 
couldn't catch up with her she was out of view before I landed. I piece of 
paper drifted down from the sky. It fell in my hands and I read it:
	Dearest Bob,
		I know that you know who your parents are. You found out at the 
Cherrygrove City orphanage that your father and I put you in when you were 
born. Then your father, Giovanni, told you anyway. I am truly sorry for 
everything that I have put you through. If I could have kept you, I assure 
you that I would have. But the fact is, is that your father and I could not 
have provided for you at the time. I just hope that you can find it in your 
heart to forgive me. I have never forgotten about you. I never will forget 
about you. I have watched you throughout the years and have watched you 
grow. You are my son, and I am very sorry about your loss of Delilah. You 
loved her very much, as she did you. She loved you as her own. You have 
endured much pain and suffering in the past month, and that shows the man 
that you have become. I love you, and I will see you soon.

					Love Your Mother,
						Lorelei, The Ice Master

	After I was through reading the letter, I realized the sacrifice that my 
mom had made for me. She gave me up for a better life, though she could not 
bear it. I have never met my mother, yet I know her. I don't know how, I 
don't know why, I just know that she is always with me.
I walked slowly back to the Palace of the Elite Four. Misty was waiting for 
me at the door.
	"We defeated the League," Misty exclaimed as she threw her arms around me. 
"What's wrong?" I tucked the letter inside my cloak as I walked back in. I 
didn't feel like sharing it with anybody yet, not even Misty.
	"I'm fine," I replied.
	"Who were you chasing," Janine asked, her father by her side.
	"No one," I said. "Let's go home."
	"But Bob," Koga said. "This is your home. You defeated the League Champion. 
So now, you are the League Champion."
	"I don't know, Koga," I said. "I don't think that I'm worthy to stand up 
there with you, Will, Karen, and Bruno."
	"And give me one good reason why not," Koga persisted. "You waltzed through 
us four and almost beat Lance. And today, you did." I was considering it. I 
seriously was. I looked at Misty, and made up my mind.
	"Koga," I told him. "I'm gonna have to accept your offer." He smiled.
	It has been a year since the phenomenal takeover of the "evil" League by me 
and twelve other Pokemon Masters. I am battling a red-haired boy about my 
age, with his Feraligatr. It's just his Feraligatr and my Puff left.
	"Feraligatr," the red-haired kid yelled at his pokemon. "Use your 
Blizzard!" His Feraligatr obeyed and ice shot everywhere.
	"Puff," I shouted, "counterattack with Thunder!" Electricity exploded from 
Puff and hit the Feraligatr. Amazingly, the Feraligatr got back up after 
being hit with the powerful blast.
	"Feraligatr, Hydro Pump," the red-haired kid screamed at his pokemon. A 
blast of water came towards Puff.
	"Puff," I said quietly, "Elemental Imbalance!" Right before the spray of 
water hit Puff, he turned into pure blue energy and knocked down the 
Feraligatr. It didn't get back up.
	"Feraligatr is unable to battle," the referee declared. "The winner of this 
round and the match is the Champion. The kid returned his Feraligatr to its 
pokeball and walked over to me. Misty ran to me from the bench in the dugout 
that she was sitting in alongside the arena.
	"Good match," I said, holding out my hand for him to shake. He looked at it 
for a second, and then he spit on it.
	"You're nothing but a fucking murderer," he said to me.
	"My name was cleared," I replied politely.
	"I don't care," he said in my face. I turned and started to walk away with 
Misty. "Fine, walk off with your whore." That was it. He could insult me all 
day long and I wouldn't even care, but if he insulted Misty...I ran at him 
and held him up by his shirt.
	"What did you say," I asked him, rage in my face.
	"Ah," he said. "I see that I have touched a nerve."
	"More like slashed it to pieces," I said. Two guards came up to the 
red-haired kid and me.
	"Sir," one of them said to me. "Should I take this young man away?"
	"Yeah," I replied, letting him go. "Show him out."
	"You should have just let me win," the red-haired kid yelled as he was led 
out. "It would have obliterated all the murderers in the League. You'll pay 
for this someday, Bob!" Then he was gone.
	Later that night, I was in my room, watching out the balcony. Misty came up 
beside me. I kissed her on the lips, as we had been interrupted so many 
times before.
	"What's bothering you," she asked.
	"Nothing," I replied. "I was just wondering...Did we do the right thing? I 
mean, should we have really taken over the League?"
	"We'll never know," Misty said.
	"I think we will someday," I said. I watched something glittery speed away. 
I knew that it was Lorelei. She had come to watch my battle. "That day could 
be soon."
-                                         End of Chapter Nine                
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-                                   End of The Dragon Master                 
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