The Dragon Master IV: Chapter Eight

	It was dark before we reached the entrance to the Ice Path. Jimmy went in, 
then Giovanni, and then I followed them both. After about an hour of 
walking, we came to a large sheet of ice with large rocks scattered about 
it. We all stared at it for some time, until Jimmy broke the silence.
	"How do we get through the rest of the cave," Jimmy asked. "I don't even 
see an exit." He put his hands over his eyes and squinted, but gave up. 
Meanwhile, my brain was at work. After about another five minutes, I had 
figured it out.
	"Follow me," I said. I jumped on the ice, making me slide until I came to a 
rock and stopped myself.
	"What the fuck are you doing," Giovanni yelled at me. "Get your ass back 
here right now!"
	"Why don't you come out and get me," I asked tauntingly. I jumped again, 
sliding to another rock. Giovanni was fed up. He jumped after me, and we 
were bouncing around the rocks. Jimmy finally jumped in, and collided into 
Giovanni. They hit hard, and both fell on the ice hard. I heard a faint 
cracking. In the blink of an eye, both Giovanni and Jimmy fell through.
	"Help," Jimmy and Giovanni yelled simultaneously. I quickly pulled out the 
Psychic Shard.
	"Telekinesis," I cried. At once, I could feel the powers of the Psychic 
Shard entering me. I concentrated hard pulling them out of the water, and 
they were lifted out. I then concentrated on all three of us. I carried us 
over to the exit. Giovanni and Jimmy were shivering.
	"Get us something to warm up with," Giovanni demanded. "NOW!" I smirked and 
shook my head.
	"I just saved your life," I said quietly. "I could have easily let you 
freeze to death."
	"You wouldn't," he spat. "I'm your father-"
	"No you're not," I said. "Like I said before, 'Since you were never my 
father, I'm never going to be your son.'" I pulled out the Fire Shard.
	"What are those," Jimmy asked, cautiously looking at it.
	"Ember," I said, placing the Shard down on the ground in front of my ally 
and my enemy. "Elemental Shards. They contain the powers of all the 
elements."
	"And this one does fire," Jimmy asked.
	"Yeah," I said. "You two warm up. I'm going to be sleeping." I walked over 
to a nice rock, and sat down beside it. I closed my eyes, and pulled the 
Psychic Shard out of its pouch. Holding it in my palm, I would know 
everything that was going on around me, while I was sleeping.
	"J-J-Just between you and m-m-me," Giovanni said. "I-I-I don't trust Bob at 
all." Jimmy looked surprised.
	"I d-d-do," Jimmy chattered. "B-B-But you would th-th-think that you and 
h-h-him would be c-c-close." I rubbed his hands over the fire.
	"We're not," Giovanni said, stopping his chattering of his teeth and warmed 
up. "He wants me dead. I want him dead. Had it been me on the outside, I 
would've let him freeze to death in the hole." Now Jimmy was really shocked.
	"You would let your own son die," Jimmy gasped.
	"You heard what he said," Giovanni stated. "'Since you were never my 
father, I'm never going to be your son.' That's raw hatred right there." 
Jimmy shook his head.
	"Can't you try to bond with him," Jimmy asked.
	"I did try," Giovanni said. "When I kidnapped him-"
	"There was your first mistake," Jimmy cut Giovanni off. Giovanni waved his 
hand aside at it.
	"Anyway," Giovanni continued. "When I kidnapped him, I was happy to see 
him. I wanted us to rule together."
	"Rule what," Jimmy asked.
	"My company," Giovanni answered. "He just saw it as a joke to get him off 
Lance."
	"But he hated Lance," Jimmy said.
	"So do I," Giovanni replied defensively. "I hated the man. The only reason 
that I took his side was because he was giving money to my company."
	"So he bribed you," Jimmy asked.
	"Sort of," Giovanni answered. "The only reason that I took the money was 
because I was about to file bankruptcy..."
	"So you lost your son," Jimmy said. "All because you were going 
broke...That's sad, Giovanni."
	"Believe me," Giovanni retaliated. "If I knew what was to come of this, 
then I wouldn't have taken the money..." Jimmy still shook his head.
	"You knew where the money came from, right," Jimmy asked.
	"No," Giovanni said. "Only after I had spent it all did he tell me where it 
came from..."
	"Where did it come from," Jimmy asked, getting impatient. Giovanni sighed, 
and rubbed his eyes.
	"It came from poachers paying Lance large amounts of money so they could 
hunt pokemon in the Safari Zone," Giovanni shouted.
	"Be quiet," Jimmy said, hushing him up. "If Bob heard that, then he would 
hate you even more." I did. Now I hated him all the more. He wasn't telling 
the truth. He knew where the money came from, I thought. I just loathed my 
so called "father." I left the Psychic Shard in my hand as Jimmy and 
Giovanni retired.
	During the middle of the night, I got very cold. I tried to move to warm 
myself, but I couldn't budge. I opened my eyes, and there stood Pryce, the 
Ice Master. He had an evil grin on his face.
	"Hello again," he said. He waved his hand at me, covering me with another 
sheet of ice.
	"So you stayed with the League," I grunted.
	"I had no choice," Pryce said. "Had I been moved to a concentration camp 
like the others, I would've died within days. Forgive me, Bob, but I have to 
do this..." He raised his hand once more, this time at my head, but I 
thought quicker than him.
	"PSYCHIC," I cried, thanking myself for keeping the Shard in my hand. Pryce 
was blasted away, and I called the Fire Shard to me using Telekinesis.
	"You little bastard," Pryce said with his teeth clenched.
	"FIRE SPIN," I cried, using the Fire Shard with my Telekinesis. It wrapped 
around the ice prison, and melted it away. Using the Fire Shard, I freed 
Jimmy and Giovanni.
	"ICE BEAM," Pryce shouted, hitting Giovanni in the stomach.
	"ROCK SLIDE," I cried, pulling out the Rock Shard. Rocks covered Pryce, 
trapping him.
	"Let's go," Jimmy cried. I ran away from Pryce, but I forgot all about 
Giovanni. Jimmy did, too. We forgot that he existed until he yelled.
	"HELP," Giovanni yelled.
	"Oh, shit," I said. "We forgot him. Go on. I'll catch up." Jimmy continued 
to run, as I ran back for my father. He was trapped beneath some ice, and I 
tried to pull it off with my bare hands. Meanwhile, Pryce was digging his 
way out.
	"Hurry," Giovanni ordered. I pulled out the Fighting Shard.
	"Dynamic Punch," I said to the shard. Its powers coursed through my body, 
and I punched the ice away. I pulled my father to his feet, and we were off 
in a dead sprint. As we passed the pile of rocks that my father was under, a 
beam of ice shot from under them, and Pryce came out. Giovanni and I were 
sprinting away from him, because we knew that he couldn't catch up.
	"BLIZZARD," Pryce shouted. Tons of bits of ice flew from his hands directly 
at us. There was a cliff in front of us, and it looked like the only way 
out.
	"Ready," I asked Giovanni, clutching the Flying Shard in my hand. He just 
shook his head. "Too bad." I grabbed him, and he screamed as we jumped off.
	"ARGHHHHHHHHHH," he screamed.
	"FLY," I shouted. Long six-foot wings sprouted from my back, and we jolted 
upward. The blizzard attack hit the wall, and I spotted Jimmy climbing the 
cliff with gear from his pack.
	"What the hell," Jimmy gasped. I grabbed him, and the three of us flew 
towards the shortcut of the Ice Path.
	"Nice, huh," I asked Jimmy, still admiring my wings.
	"Where are we going," he asked, while I was speeding up.
	"I know a shortcut that will get us out of here," I said. There was a 
crevice in the ceiling, and we flew through it. We landed on the ledge, and 
I recalled my wings, putting the shard back in the pouch.
	"Where are we," Giovanni asked.
	"Above the Ice Path," I said, looking at my watch. It was near morning. "We 
need to get a move on. As soon as the sun rises, we can't stay out in the 
open. For all we know, Blackthorn City could be swarming with League guards. 
We have to start now if we want to get there before sunrise." I started 
walking with my backpack. Since we were on top of the Ice Path, we might be 
able to be seen from a distance. We had to keep moving.
	At about sunrise, we were all out of breath, and we reached the end of the 
path above the caves. I hopped down, and my foot stepped on something. It 
was an envelope. For some odd reason, it has my name on it. I picked it up 
and sliced it open with a knife from my backpack. It read:
Bob,
	I knew that you would be here soon. So, I left you a little gift. I won't 
say too much about it, though. That would just ruin the surprise. Until 
then,

						The Man in the Black Trench Coat
	I walked into the town. In the middle of the town there was a huge pile of 
something. I sprinted over to investigate. As I got closer, I wished that 
I'd stayed back. The mound was made up of bodies. Tons of bodies; I 
estimated about fifty. I saw what one of the bodies was wearing. It was a 
little girl. She was wearing a maroon velvet coat. These people were the 
people from Mt. Mortar. I fell to my knees. Jimmy walked up behind me.
	"Oh...my...God," he said, bowing his head. Giovanni looked almost bored.
	"These murders will be avenged," I said, coming to my feet, my fist almost 
breaking itself because I was clenching it so hard.
	"We should give them a proper burial," Jimmy said, his head still bowed.
	"That's not what obsessive Fighting trainers want," I said. "Obsessive 
Fighting trainers are always cremated so no one else can possess their 
strength. Whoever did this knew it. Obsessive Fighting trainers like to be 
burned outside. Help me move them into straight lines."
	"Bob," Giovanni said. "You can't possibly be serious. We don't have time 
for this."
	"DO IT," I roared at my father. He looked angry, but the three of us moved 
the bodies into straight lines for a proper cremation. There were three rows 
of eighteen. Each of us took a row, and dropped a match on each person. The 
last person in my row was the girl with the velvet coat. I knelt down beside 
her.
	"Bob," Jimmy said, reaching out. Giovanni stopped him with his arm.
	"Your death will be avenged," I vowed. "You believed I could save Kanto and 
Johto. I will." I dropped the last match on her, and stood up. For the first 
time, I realized that what Koga had told me in Violet City was true. He 
said, "You have forgotten that you are not saving just Misty, but Kanto and 
Johto in its entirety. You are one of the greatest Pokemon League Champions 
to ever live. You are one of the greatest Pokemon Masters to ever walk this 
earth. I knew a young man who took the job because he did not want the 
League to be corrupt. As far as I'm concerned, the young man died the day 
that he knew the League was not his to run any longer. You're a fool, Bob 
Shepardson. You're a fool, and you should keep your priorities in order. 
Brian is a casualty to a bitter war between good and evil. There have been 
millions. Sadly, there will continue to be many casualties between good and 
evil. Both Brian and Dave knew what they were getting into when you told 
them about this. It's not your fault, Bob. You need to continue to be the 
Pokemon League Champion. You may not hold the title right now, but that is 
because of a lie. We need to save the world from the grips of evil. You need 
to realize who you are fighting for. You are fighting for people like Brian, 
Dave, and the rest of the hardworking people in this world. If that evil son 
of a bitch wins, then Brian died in vain. Don't let that happen." I 
remembered what my friend had said. He was right. I started walking down 
Route 45, Jimmy or Giovanni on either side.
	We stopped to make camp near New Bark Town. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go 
back yet. I didn't know what I was going to find there. But, I thought, it 
had to be done.
	"What's the plan as of now," Jimmy asked. The three of us leaned in.
	"We're going to infiltrate Viridian City base," I said. "Find whichever 
ex-Master is there, and take off. We only have three minutes tops. Get that 
watch out of your pack, and set it for three minutes."
	"Exactly how will this all work out," Giovanni asked. "I want details."
	"Fine," I said. "Giovanni, you will take out the alarm system and the 
electric fence. Jimmy, you and I will go in under the fence. We're going to 
limit the use of the shards within the base. Now, the safest place in 
Viridian City is the Gym. That's where I'll check. Jimmy will check the 
PokeCenter and PokeMart. Any questions?"
	"What don't you want me in there," Giovanni asked.
	"You know I don't trust you," I said. "But, if you betray us, I will kill 
you. You can count on it."
	"Why would I betray you," Giovanni asked.
	"God only knows why," I retorted. "Just don't screw up. We're going to have 
to leave soon in order to make it right when it gets light enough for them 
to shut off the lights."
	"Why don't I just shut them off while I'm at it, too," Giovanni said.
	"We don't want them to know we're in there," I said. "They'll find out 
eventually, but we want to keep it a secret as long as possible."
	"Anything else," Jimmy asked.
	"Yeah," I said. "Now that you mention it, the juice will only be off for 
three minutes before the backup kicks in. After that, you're stuck in there. 
Don't get stuck in."
	"Let's go," Giovanni said. "I want this over as quick as possible."
	"Fine," I said. Giovanni took his gun from his holster. He put ammo in it, 
and nodded. Jimmy did the same.
	"Bob, where's your gun," Jimmy asked.
	"I don't carry guns," I said.
	"They will help you," Jimmy said. I pulled out my katana and held it to his 
throat. He went up on his toes to avoid being cut.
	"I'm more deadly with a katana," I said, putting it back. We entered New 
Bark Town, which was deserted. Everyone had been sent to concentration camps 
in Johto. Only three camps existed in Johto: Goldenrod City, Ecruteak City, 
and Olivine City. Those were the largest towns on the map in Johto. We 
continued on into Kanto. Usually trainers training for the Elite Four would 
challenge everyone they saw. But there were none. Sadly I traveled on, 
remembering what had once gone on here. I remembered what my pokemon and I 
had gone through to fight the Elite Four. Before I knew it, we were at the 
gates to Viridian City. They were different than the last time I was there. 
Instead of wooden doors, they were electric fences. Instead of the town's 
motto at the top, there was barbed wire. I looked at Giovanni.
	"There's the control box," I said, pointing out a map. "Everybody meet up 
at the gate leading to Pewter City when the time is up. Giovanni, shoot this 
silver bullet up in the air when you're ready. It goes off silent, and 
shines off the light of the sun. Go." I handed him a bullet made of pure 
silver. Jimmy and I waited. Suddenly, I saw it. Giovanni had shot the bullet 
up into the air. I started my timer. I took out my katana, and sliced a 
corner off the gate big enough for Jimmy and I to go through.
	"Good luck," I said to Jimmy. He nodded and went the other way. There was a 
guard standing in front of the door to the Gym. Using the window of the Gym, 
I climbed up on the roof and dropped silently down behind him. I pinched a 
nerve on his shoulder, and he was out like a light. I stole his keys and 
turned around. Quickly, I looked at my timer.
	"Two minutes," I said quietly. I flipped through keys, jabbing them in the 
lock, until one worked. I pulled open the door, and slipped in. But, I was 
surprised to see the inside. Inside was a tiled floor, each tile a foot by a 
foot. Back in the Gym, I spotted someone sitting on an ice chair. Lorelei!
	"Mom," I asked inquisitively. She seemed to be sleeping, and woke up.
	"Bob," she said. I was about to step on the floor, but she stopped me. "NO! 
The floor is booby-trapped. Out of all four hundred tiles on the floor, only 
fifty are safe to walk on."
	"That could be a problem," I said. I glanced at my watch. "I only have 
seventy seconds to get you, and get my team out of here."
	"Do something," Lorelei said. "I have to get out of here." I searched 
through my backpack. "Faster!" I decided to pull out my heat vision goggles. 
They allowed me to see heat areas. I pulled them out, and put them on. It 
seemed that if I went towards the wall diagonally, it would be safe. I took 
a step, and nothing happened. I moved quicker, and reached the wall. It was 
about halfway there. My timer read forty seconds. I sprinted, using both my 
goggles and luck. I reached her, and untied her.
	"Let's go," I said. I picked her up, and looked back. The pattern had 
changed!
	"If I am removed from my chair," she said. "The pattern changes." I jumped 
on a free square, and just kept hopping and jumping. I reached the exit. I 
put my mother down, and opened the door.
	"Follow me," I said. I ran towards the exit, looking at my watch. Still far 
away from the gate, my watch read ten seconds. 
Nine...eight...seven...six...five...
-                                         End of Chapter Eight               
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