Pokémon, RWBY 1. Ruby's Journey Begins

__Welcome. My name is Professor Ozpin, and I'm a Pokémon researcher.__

__For as long as humans have lived on this planet, there have been the presence of these creatures. Some believe that their existence predates even that of humans. Perhaps it was Pokémon themselves who created the world we live in today. Together, humans and Pokémon have lived side by side, almost as if one cannot exist without the other.__

__Humans use Pokémon in many different ways. Some simply keep them as pets or for entertainment. Some use them to protect other humans and Pokémon against those who choose to use Pokémon to cause chaos around the world.__

__The most popular use for Pokémon is training them for battle. Adults and children alike around the world go on journeys to become trainers and compete in professional battles. Those who prove to be the strongest go on to become champions of the various regions around the world.__

__You came at a most interesting time. As we speak, word is quickly spreading of the Vale region looking for its next Pokémon champion.__

__Welcome to the world of Pokémon.__

#

A man in a white coat and black bowler hat walks the streets of Beacon City, being followed by his various henchmen in masks and armor bearing the symbol of the notorious Team White Fang. The people who catch sight of them make sure to step away as to not start trouble lest they want their Pokémon stolen. Their leader heads towards the city's Pokémon Center, a resting place for trainers and their Pokémon.

"Everyone freeze!" shouts their leader as he enters the center. His henchmen quickly run in and bring out their Houndours to scare the other trainers into giving up their Pokémon. The leader goes up to the nurse in charge behind the desk, hiding behind the counter as to not be seen.

"Excuse me, can I get some service here?" asks the leader.

"Please sir, we're just a Pokémon Center!" says the nurse. "What can you possibly want from us?"

"This center also doubles as an orphanage for abandoned Pokémon doesn't it? I'd like to adopt all those poor Pokémon you have back there, along with everyone else's Pokémon as well. And make it quick! I'm a very busy man!"

"Yes sir! Right away sir!"

The nurse rose up from behind the counter; the first thing the White Fang leader noticed was the nurse's long blonde hair, almost golden in color.

"Wait a minute," said the leader. "You're the nurse?"

"Yes sir," said the nurse as she was making her way to the back.

"But don't the nurses usually have pink hair?"

"Well you see...I'm a special kind of nurse."

The nurse turned around to face the criminal. As soon as he got a look at the nurse's face, he suddenly recognized who she was.

"The kind who bust criminals like you!" shouted the nurse, ripping off her nurse uniform to reveal her Pokémon ranger uniform underneath. "Roman Torchwick, you're coming with me!"

"So we meet again Yang Xiao Long!" said Torchwick. "Sorry, but I've got places to be. So if you don't mind, I'll just be going now!"

Roman and his men were about to leave when two more rangers showed up at the entrance with Pokémon of their own.

"We can do this one of two ways," said Yang. "You give back everyone's Pokémon and come with us willingly, or we force you to."

"I'm going to have to go with option C," said Torchwick, taking out his Poké Ball to call out his Krookodile.

"You never learn, do you?" said Yang. "All right Celica, let's do this!"

Yang reached for her ball and called out her signature Pokémon, the giant green Dragonite she loved to refer to by its nickname.

"Celica, Dragon Tail!" commanded Yang.

"Krookodile, Iron Tail!" commanded Torchwick.

The two Pokémon clashed tails against each other, each trying to overpower the other. Celica went for another swing against Krookodile; this time the Krookodile caught the tail with his mouth and began to bite down using its Crunch attack. With Krookodile's grip so strong that it couldn't let go, Celica flew over to a wall with Krookodile attached and swung its tail, slamming Krookodile into the wall, causing Krookodile to finally let go.

"Celica, Ice Beam!" shouted Yang. Celica fired an Ice Beam from its mouth at Krookodile; Krookodile escaped at the last second as the beam hit the wall and formed a glacier that could have trapped Krookodile.

"Now Celica, Dragon Rush!" Celica charged up its strength and immediately charged at Krookodile.

"Krookodile, time for some Foul Play!" said Torchwick. As soon as the Dragonite grabbed Krookodile, Krookodile suddenly grabbed Celica, lifted her up in the air and slammed her hard into the ground, causing the entire center to shake. Krookodile then threw Celica with such strength into the counter that it crashed through the equipment and through the back wall that lead to the storage room full of Pokémon. The Pokémon inside scattered away and tried to hide amongst the wreckage to avoid the intense battle. Celica laid still in the debris, damaged heavily from Krookodile's counter.

"Finish her off Krookodile!" Krookodile charged to the back to finish off Celica. As Krookodile was about to Crunch down on Celica's head, Celica suddenly fired her Ice Beam at Krookodile, sending Krookodile flying back into the center. The ice cold feel of the beam caused severe damage to Krookodile, barely able to stand after that attack.

"C'mon you croc, get up!" shouted Torchwick.

"All right Celica, send these jokers flying!" Celica got up and rushed in with its Dragon Tail. With Krookodile barely able to move, Celica slammed its tail into Krookodile. Krookodile went flying into Torchwick and both got sent out of the Pokémon Center. Krookodile was no longer in condition to battle, and after that devastating attack, neither was Torchwick. Yang and Celica walked outside to finish the job.

"Could have saved yourself a lot of trouble Torchy," said Yang. "Now come quietly before Celica here gets really mad."

"You forget who you're talking to?" said Torchwick. Before Yang could respond, a bullhead suddenly showed up above as a group of White Fang grunts jumped down.

"Bring it on!" responded Yang. "Celica here can take you all out single-handedly!"

"Perhaps another time," said Torchwick. "Boys?"

One of the grunts called out a Skunktank. Celica was about to attack when the Skunktank suddenly sprayed a thick, nauseous Smokescreen that caused Celica and Yang to lose sight of them. As soon as the smoke cleared, the White Fang and Torchwick had already escaped into their bullhead and flew away from the area. Yang kicked the ground in frustration, upset that Torchwick had slipped through her fingers again.

The local authorities soon arrived and arrested the remaining White Fang members in the center. Yang went back inside to meet up with her fellow rangers Pyrrha and Coco.

"Well Torchwick escaped again," said Yang, "but overall I think we did pretty well."

"If you don't count the fact that you nearly wrecked this place," said Pyrrha.

"We need to make sure everyone's Pokémon here is accounted for," said Coco. "Yang, go to the back and assess the damage."

"Why me?" asked Yang.

"Because you caused it in the first place!" responded Coco. Yang sighed and went to the back.

Yang took out her scroll and quickly scanned all the Poké Balls in the back. Celica began to clear out the wreckage and gather all the loose Pokémon out of the center. As they continued to work on the back, Yang noticed something hiding in a dark corner. Curious as to what was over there, Yang went to the corner to find out. She shone her scroll's flashlight and noticed an Eevee balled up in the corner, eyes closed and body shaking.

"Hey there little fella, don't be scared," said Yang. "I'm a nice trainer. Come here."

The Eevee didn't respond. Yang reached over to grab the Eevee; the Eevee tried to move back but was already in the corner. Yang picked up the Eevee and tried to give it a reassuring hug. The Eevee stopped shaking but still kept its eyes closed, not fully trusting Yang just yet. Yang opened her scan app and analyzed Eevee; according to the scroll, this Eevee was one of the abandoned Pokémon that had no trainer.

"No trainer huh? Guess that means you're up for adoption. How'd you like to hang out with me for a while?"

"Yang!" shouted Coco. "Hurry up already!"

"Yeah yeah I hear ya," responded Yang.

As the rangers were going over the damage, on a rooftop across the center was a trainer dressed in nearly all black. She had followed the White Fang to the center and was about to intervene until the rangers appeared. She stayed to watch the entire incident go down, and now that it was over, she disappeared into the darkness.

#

In Beacon City, there is a boarding school named Beacon Academy that teaches children how to become Pokémon trainers along with their usual school subjects. Once a student graduated from Beacon Academy, they would get a starting Pokémon and begin their professional training career by journeying across the Vale region. Although anybody can become a trainer, only those who met certain qualifications can compete in the professional leagues. To become qualified, a trainer would have to earn a minimum of eight gym badges from leaders appointed around Vale. Today was graduation day at Beacon Academy, and so many trainers were now going to begin the first step in their long journey.

One of them being a girl by the name of Ruby Rose.

Despite Ruby's alarm blaring in the room, Ruby tried to cover her head with a pillow and get back to sleep. Not touching the alarm simply caused it to get louder and louder. Ruby gave up trying to get some sleep and slammed her fist on her alarm clock.

"Time for another boring day of classes," said Ruby. Still half asleep, Ruby got up and slowly headed to the washroom. Along the way she looked over at the calendar she pinned to her wall. She looked at the date to see which books she needed for today. "Let's see, today is Tuesday. So...wait." Ruby suddenly noticed she had written something on today's date. "Oh yeah, today's graduation day."

Still being half asleep, it took a few moments for Ruby to realize what she had just noticed. Ruby went back to the calendar and made sure she was reading it right.

"Today's graduation day?" said Ruby, double and triple checking to make sure she had the right date. "It is! It's graduation day!"

Ruby was now jumping up and down in excitement. She had been looking forward to this day since she started at Beacon Academy, and now, after four long years of studying, homework, group projects, and all sorts of boring nonsense, she was finally going to become a Pokémon trainer. Ruby quickly rushed into the washroom, showered, brushed her teeth, and got dressed all in record time. She usually took her time and didn't care about being a minute or two late to her classes, but she didn't want to miss a single minute of her graduation ceremony. Once she was done, she burst open her door with great enthusiasm.

"Good morning Beacon!" she shouted in the hallway.

"Morning sis!" someone replied. Ruby turned to see Yang waiting outside her dorm. Ruby was suddenly embarrassed that someone actually heard her.

"Oh, hey Yang," said Ruby. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I was going to miss my little sister's big day? You're finally going to become a trainer!"

"But don't you have ranger work to do?"

"I've got people covering for me."

"You say that every time you skip out on work."

"Hey, just because I take a few days off here and there doesn't mean I'm not a busy person."

As Ruby was about to retort about Yang's constant vacation time, she noticed Yang holding something in her arms. It was a small Pokémon sleeping in her arms.

"What's with the Pokémon, Yang?" asked Ruby.

"Oh, this little cutie?" said Yang. "White Fang attacked a center last night that houses abandoned Pokémon. This Eevee was amongst the abandoned, so I decided to adopt it for now."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It seemed really scared so I tried to comfort it, and well...I just couldn't let go after that."

The Eevee began to wake up, and turned over to see Ruby looking at it.

"Hey there, I'm Ruby," whispered Ruby, reaching out to pet Eevee.

"Careful Ruby," said Yang. "This Eevee might still be scared to be interacting with..." Yang stopped talking as Ruby softly petted Eevee's head. Rather than act scared, Eevee smiled and tried licking Ruby's fingers. Yang was surprised to see Eevee take a liking to Ruby right away.

"Hey, she seems to really like you," said Yang. Yang put Eevee down; the Eevee circled around Ruby and then rubbed up against Ruby's leg.

"Nice to meet you too Eevee," replied Ruby.

"Speaking of meeting Pokémon, don't you need to meet up with Ozpin to get your starter now?"

"Oh, right!" said Ruby. Ruby started running down the hall, not wanting to be late to her ceremony. Yang and Eevee quickly ran to try to catch up with her.

"Slow down sis!" shouted Yang.

Ruby ignored Yang's plea and continued speeding down the hallway. As she made her way outside, she suddenly bumped into someone and caused the both of them to fall to the ground. The person she bumped into was another graduation student, wearing an all white dress that matched her hair color.

"Whoops, sorry about that!" said Ruby. The other student got up and was livid.

"Watch where you're going you mindless dunce!" shouted the girl.

"I said I was sorry!" said Ruby.

"Instead of being sorry, how about paying for my laundry since you've ruined my dress?"

"Jeez lady, no need to overreact like that."

The other student was livid to hear this clumsy oaf refer to her as simply "lady."

"Lady? Do you know who I am, you idiot?" asked the other student.

"Let me guess, an annoying spoiled princess?" replied Ruby, getting sick of this other girl's attitude.

"You really are such a dunce! I am a member of the world prestigious Schnee family, Weiss Schnee!"

"Never heard of ya," retorted Ruby.

"Never heard of..." Weiss buried her face in her hands. "I don't think I have ever met someone as dumb as you."

"And I don't think I've ever met a jerk as rude as you!" replied Ruby.

Before things were about to escalate into a brawl, Yang and Eevee finally arrived on the scene.

"What's going on?" asked Yang.

"Princess here is throwing a fit over me bumping into her," said Ruby.

"To be fair Ruby, you should have watched where you were going."

"You're not helping sis!"

"I'd listen to her if I were you," said Weiss. "By the way, my name isn't princess, it's Weiss Schnee!"

"Schnee?" asked Yang. "As in the Schnee family?"

"Wait, you actually know her?" asked Ruby.

"FINALLY someone intelligent I can talk to!" replied Weiss.

"The Schnees are quite famous Ruby," said Yang. "They're the family behind Schnee Co., the company that makes tons of Pokémon items."

"Not to mention my father also happens to be, oh...the Vale region's Pokémon champion!" bragged Weiss.

"Seriously?" asked Ruby. "Her dad's the Pokémon champ?"

"Correction, WAS the champion," said Yang. "He reigned for nearly a decade until he recently stepped down to focus on his company full time."

"And it's only a matter of time before I take over for him," said Weiss. "Perhaps you'd like my autograph now so it becomes valuable once I'm crowned champion?"

"I think I'll wait until you actually become champ to get one," said Ruby. "Actually, IF you become champ."

"Your loss," said Weiss. "Now, if you excuse me, I have my graduation to attend to. I'll see you again at my championship coronation."

Weiss walked away as Ruby was fuming, eagerly wanting to tackle her again.

"I can't wait to put that obnoxious ice queen in her place!" said Ruby.

"Calm down sis," said Yang. "Acting like a hothead is not going to help you become the next champion."

"Say, how do you become champion in the first place?"

"Well first, you need to be a professional trainer," explained Yang. "That requires getting eight gym badges. Then if you want to challenge the champion, you first have to defeat all members of that's region Elite Four. After that, then you get to challenge the champion for the title."

"But wait," said Ruby. "Didn't you say that Schnee guy stepped down as champion? So now what happens?"

"This year, the committee decided to hold a tournament a few months from now. Any professionals registered before the tournament date will compete against the Elite Four. Anyone who beats the Elite Four will be entered in another tournament to determine the new champion. The tournament could wind up having any number of people compete. Heck, if only one person is able to beat the Elite Four, then that person automatically becomes the new champion!"

"All right!" said Ruby. "I'll get my badges, beat the Elite Four, and then become the new champion! I'll show that Schnee girl who the real dunce is!"

"Glad to see you're all fired up, but you need a Pokémon first, remember?"

Ruby suddenly realized she had wasted too much time, and started sprinting to the graduation ceremony.

#

All the graduating students stood at attention in the outdoor auditorium. The head professor of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin, took the stage to give his speech.

"Today is a special day for all of you. Today is the day you take your first step into your personal journeys. While every graduation here is special, this one is of great significance, as the Vale region is now looking for its next Pokémon League champion. Those of you who have chosen to become trainers here today could be that champion. Whether you decide to become a professional trainer, or breeder, or ranger, or any other endeavor, remember the key to succeeding in any of them is to be respectful of your Pokémon. The Pokémon you encounter and raise as your own will be more than just monsters that serve under you; they will become a part of you. Do not take your Pokémon for granted. Mistreating your Pokémon is not just a crime against your Pokémon; it is a reflection of what kind of person you really are. Congratulations, and may you succeed in your future endeavors."

Once the ceremony was complete, the graduates headed to the ballroom where everyone would be supplied with their starting kits, including their starting Pokémon of choice. Ruby was looking over her form, having trouble deciding who she wanted to start with.

"You'd better hurry up sis," said Yang. "It's first come first serve."

"I know, but I can't decide!" said Ruby. "I mean these Grass types look cool, but so do these Fire types, and the Water types! I don't know which to choose!"

As Ruby was racking her brain trying to make a decision, Yang's Eevee was trying to climb up Ruby's leg, wanting to be picked up. Yang picked up Eevee so it wouldn't bother Ruby.

"Sorry Eevee, Ruby's pretty busy right now," said Yang. Suddenly, Ruby had an idea.

"Wait a minute," said Ruby. "Yang, you said that Eevee doesn't have a trainer, right?"

"Not officially, no."

Ruby turned to the Eevee in Yang's arms. "Say Eevee, how would you like to go on a journey with me?"

"Wait a minute Ruby," said Yang. "I don't think this Eevee is up for traveling and fighting other Pokémon just yet."

"So I'll just have to try extra harder to make sure it is!"

"Ruby, I know you're excited to start training right away, but you should start with a Pokémon already able to fight."

"Sorry Yang, but I've made my decision! My starting Pokémon will be Eevee!"

Yang lifted Eevee up and stared into its eyes. "Well Eevee, it's up to you. Ruby here is going to go on a long treacherous journey, and she's going to need a strong Pokémon to back her up. Are you willing to be that Pokémon?"

Eevee turned her head towards Ruby. Eevee had only met Ruby nearly an hour ago, but for some reason, it felt safe being with Ruby, and it didn't want to leave her side. Eevee turned to Yang and nodded.

"Then it's settled," said Yang, handing Eevee over to Ruby. "Eevee is officially yours."

Ruby smiled as she held Eevee in her hands. Eevee was equally happy, constantly chanting its name in joy.

Ruby finished her paperwork and went to the registration desk. Waiting at the desk was none other than Ozpin himself.

"Hello Miss Rose," said Ozpin. "Excited to begin your journey are we?"

"More than anything!" said Ruby. Ozpin was going over the form and noticed Ruby had marked the spot where she would not be taking a starter Pokémon.

"No starter chosen I see," said Ozpin. "So I assume you already have one with you?"

"Yep!" said Ruby, holding up her newly acquired Eevee.

"Ah, an Eevee. That happens to be one of my favorites. Here, allow me to supply you a ball for it."

Ozpin reached under his desk and pulled out an empty ball to store Eevee in, but Eevee suddenly wriggled out of Ruby's hands and hid behind Ruby.

"Eevee, what's wrong?" asked Ruby.

"It appears to be scared of going inside a ball," said Ozpin. "That's usually a sign of a Pokémon that has been treated badly. Is there something I should know?"

"Well, I did kind of adopt it about a minute ago, but I swear it really likes me!"

"Starting with an adopted Pokémon is a big risk Ruby. Are you absolutely sure you want to start with Eevee?"

"Positive Mr. Ozpin!"

"All right then. Here's your starter kit."

Ozpin pulled out a small box containing five empty balls for capturing, three potions, and what looked like some kind of handheld tablet.

"What's that?" asked Ruby.

"This is a personal invention of mine," said Ozpin. "It's a Pokédex. It's a scroll I've modified to help trainers on their journey. The dex will help you identify Pokémon you've come across, provide a map of the region, and several other functions. Think of it as carrying a personal encyclopedia."

Ruby took out the device and pressed the power button. After it was done booting up, a ginger-headed girl suddenly appeared on the screen.

"Salutations trainer!" said the girl. "What's your name?"

"Ruby Rose. Who are you?"

"My name is Penny. I serve as the personal AI for the Pokédex. It will be a pleasure to help you!"

"Glad to have you aboard Penny," replied Ruby. Ruby took her kit and shook Ozpin's hand.

"Good luck Miss Rose," said Ozpin.

Ruby headed out of the ballroom and was ready to mark her first destination on her journey. As she was going through her Pokédex, she was approached by a familiar white-haired nemesis.

"You're seriously going to be a trainer?" asked Weiss. "I bet you don't even know the first thing about raising Pokémon!"

"I know plenty about raising them, ice queen!" responded Ruby.

"Oh really? What say we have a battle with our Pokémon right now?"

"A battle already? But we just got our Pokémon-"

"I thought so," said Weiss with a smug look on her face. Ruby had enough of Weiss' antagonizing.

"Fine!" said Ruby. "I accept!"

The two went to the nearest opening outside and got ready for battle.

"All right Eevee, time for our very first battle!" said Ruby. "We're going to show ice queen here what we've got!" Ruby's Eevee walked into the center of their battlefield.

"Really?" said Weiss. "That's your starter? This is going to be a breeze."

Weiss threw out her Poké Ball and out popped a small black dragon. Ruby took out her Pokédex to get more information.

__Deino__

__Irate Pokémon__

__They cannot see, so they tackle and bite to learn about their surroundings.__

"All right Eevee, Tackle that Deino!" yelled Ruby. As Eevee charged at Deino, Weiss laughed at Ruby's amateur tactics.

"Deino, Headbutt that furball!" commanded Weiss. Deino ran at Eevee and butted heads. Deino's size and strength outclassed Eevee and sent her flying back. Ruby was shocked to see a starting Pokémon have such strength at an early level.

"Now Deino, Dragon Rage attack!" Deino started to scream loudly and sent a strong shock wave at Eevee, sending Eevee flying back even further. Eevee was so damaged it was barely able to move.

"Eevee!" Ruby ran over to her Pokémon and picked it up. As Ruby was worrying for Eevee's health, Weiss laughed.

"Two attacks and you're already done!" said Weiss. "You really are a dunce of a trainer!"

"You cheated!" said Ruby. "How can your Pokémon be so strong at such a small level?"

"The Schnee family are the best Pokémon breeders in the world. I can't help it if my folks send me a starting Pokémon that just happens to outclass your poor little baby." Weiss reached into her pocket, pulled out some lien, and threw it at Ruby's feet. "Here's some money. Go buy yourself some more potions. Odds are you're really going to need it."

Weiss took back her Deino and laughed at how easy it was to beat Ruby. Ruby wanted nothing more than to grab that money and shove it down Weiss' throat, but she needed to get Eevee to a Pokémon Center immediately.

#

Ruby was in Beacon Academy's Pokémon Center, waiting for Eevee to fully recover. As she was moping in a chair in the lounge, she was approached by Yang and Ozpin.

"I heard you lost your first battle," said Ozpin.

"Maybe Weiss was right," said Ruby. "I let Eevee get annihilated back there. Maybe I'm not actually cut out to be a trainer."

"Ruby, it's only been one battle. You're not going to be good at anything if you decide to give up after one loss."

"Besides, that Deino was clearly too strong to be a starter Pokémon," said Yang.

"But if I can't beat Weiss now, what chance do I have even if I get better Pokémon?" asked Ruby.

"You'll just have to keep trying," said Ozpin. "Or perhaps you would like a new Pokémon. I still have a few left."

"Yeah Ruby," said Yang. "I know you like Eevee and all, but she's not ready to be a fighter just yet. Let's go pick out another Pokémon for you."

Ruby stood up from her chair. Yang and Ozpin walked out of the center thinking Ruby was going to follow, but Ruby remained where she was.

"No," said Ruby. "I've made my choice to start with Eevee, and I'm going to stand by my decision. I'm not going to let that Eevee get abandoned again because of my faults. I'll prove I have what it takes to become Pokémon League champion, and I'll do it with her!"

Ozpin smiled. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Before I go, I'll let you know that you should head to the Emerald Forest first. There you'll find plenty of low-level Pokémon to help boost your Eevee's strength, not to mention start forming your team."

"Thank you Professor Ozpin," said Ruby.

The nurse returned to the lounge with Eevee, fully recovered and ready to go.

"All right Eevee, you and I are heading to the Emerald Forest, and together we're going to get stronger! Before you know it, you and I are going to have eight badges and be in the Pokémon League! You ready to go?"

"Eevee!" replied Eevee.

"And hey," said Yang, "if you ever need help with anything, give me a call, all right?"

"I don't think we'll be doing that much, will we Eevee?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

Ruby packed up her belongings and headed out en route to the Emerald Forest. Ruby's Pokémon journey had officially begun.


	2. Panic in the Emerald Forest

The Emerald Forest is home to many different kinds of Pokémon. Most of them are around the low level range, so it also serves as a good starting point for trainers just beginning their journey. However, there are still many dangers that lie in the forest that all trainers should be weary of.

The trainer in black who witnessed the White Fang attack at Beacon City overlooks the forest. According to her investigation, the White Fang were somewhere in this forest. Looking over the Pokémon that inhabited this area, she had a good idea of what they were up to. She needed to find them and put a stop to them as soon as possible.

#

Ruby was walking around the forest, keeping her sights out for any wild Pokémon to capture. Her Eevee was sticking out of her backpack; Eevee did not feel comfortable inside a ball, so Ruby decided to carry Eevee around, even if it was a pain in her back.

"See anything yet Eevee?" asked Ruby. They had been walking around for close to an hour and had yet to encounter a Pokémon. Ruby was starting to think she was going around in circles, as she could have sworn she was seeing the same tree over and over. Ruby dropped her bag and rested on a log. Even if she was somewhat lost, the forest was pretty peaceful at least.

That peace lasted for about three seconds as Ruby heard a loud rustling in the bushes. Ruby got up and looked to where she heard a noise. Out of the bushes came a Pidgey. Ruby smiled at her first opportunity to catch a Pokémon. She took out her Pokédex to get better information on Pidgey.

__Pidgey__

__Tiny Bird Pokémon__

__A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand.__

"All right Penny, what else can you tell me about Pidgey?"

"Pidgeys are Normal and Flying type," explained Penny. "A wild Pidgey will usually use Sand Attack to blind Pokémon to give themselves an advantage."

"Okay, so all we have to do is avoid the Sand Attack and we'll be fine. C'mon Eevee, let's get to work!"

The Pidgey walked around pecking the ground searching for food, paying no attention to Ruby. Ruby went over to her backpack and took out Eevee.

"Eevee, attack that Pidgey with a surprise Tackle!" said Ruby. Upon hearing Ruby's command, the Pidgey suddenly turned to see what Ruby was up to. Ruby expected Eevee to start attacking, but instead Eevee just stood in place.

"C'mon Eevee, use Tackle!" Eevee started shaking and whimpering, then suddenly ran back to hide in Ruby's backpack. "What are you doing Eevee? It's just a Pidgey!"

"Eevee!" shouted a scared Eevee. While Eevee was trying to hide, the Pidgey started stepping closer to Ruby. Ruby looked down to see the Pidgey looking up at her. Not exactly sure what to do now, Ruby decided to leap at the Pidgey herself. Pidgey jumped back as Ruby flopped face first to the ground. As Ruby looked up, Pidgey suddenly flapped its wings and sprayed sand into Ruby's face. Ruby screamed as her eyes got burned from the sand, then the Pidgey flew away into the forest.

Ruby went into her backpack and poured water into her eyes to ease the burning sensation. Once her eyes were back to normal, she looked down on Eevee, who had a melancholy expression on her face. "What's wrong Eevee? Why did you suddenly freeze up like that?"

Eevee just looked down and didn't respond to Ruby, but Ruby was starting to think she knew what was wrong. The last time Eevee was in battle was against Weiss and her Deino. The Deino defeated Eevee with little to no effort, and Eevee was severely injured. Yang and Ozpin had told Ruby that Eevee may not be capable of fighting, as Eevee was an abandoned Pokémon rather than one bred for battle. Despite the hardship, Ruby had figured that Eevee would eventually get adjusted with Ruby and be able to fight, but it looked like Eevee wasn't ready to fight just yet. Ruby picked up Eevee and sat Eevee on her lap.

"I'm sorry Eevee; this is all my fault. I made you battle when I shouldn't have, and you got seriously hurt because of it. From now on, I won't use you for battle until you're 100% ready, okay?" Eevee still felt upset, but nodded in agreement with Ruby.

Ruby continued looking for more Pokémon in the forest. She stopped by a thin tree that had a Wurmple crawling along a branch, stopping to feed on a leaf.

"Penny, what can you tell me about Wurmple?"

"Wurmples are Bug types that love to eat leaves," said Penny. "Wurmples are usually very easy to catch due to their low level of power."

"Perfect; it means I don't have to battle it first. I should get it down so it's easier to catch."

Ruby shook the tree, trying to shake the Wurmple off. After shaking it for about a minute, the Wurmple finally fell to the ground. "All right Wurmple, time for you to join Team Ruby!"

Ruby got out one of her Poké Balls and was about to throw it when suddenly a Fletchling jumped out of a bush and tried to attack the Wurmple.

"Hey!" shouted Ruby. "Wurmple's my catch! Get out of here!" Ruby tried to kick some dirt at Fletchling to shoo it away. Annoyed by Ruby kicking dirt at it, the Fletchling turned to Ruby and used its Sand Attack on Ruby.

"Not again!" yelled Ruby as her eyes burned once again from the sand. Wurmple used the distraction to crawl into the dirt and flee from its predators. With its meal now gone, Fletchling flew away, while Ruby was trying to clean her eyes again.

"At this rate I'm never going to catch a Pokémon." Ruby heard rustling in a bush nearby. Ruby snuck over to the bush and saw something poking out. Ruby couldn't quite make out what it was supposed to be, but it looked like two small black horns sticking out.

"This time I'm not going to waste any time. Prepare to be caught whatever you are!" Ruby threw the ball as hard as she could at the bush, hoping to catch the Pokémon off guard for an easy capture. The ball hit the creature on the top of its head, making a loud thud.

"OW!" shouted the creature.

_"Ow?" _thought Ruby. She wondered what kind of Pokémon would make a noise like that, until she suddenly realized that what she threw her ball at wasn't a Pokémon at all. The "horns" were actually the bow on top of the person who stood up holding her head in pain. Ruby was mortified; she ran up to the trainer to make sure she was okay.

"I'm so sorry!" stuttered Ruby quickly. "I thought you were a Pokémon! Are you okay? Are you bleeding?"

"I'm fine," said the trainer decked in black. "Just...what are you doing throwing balls at random?"

"I'm trying to catch my first Pokémon and I thought you were a Pokémon and I didn't want to get blasted with sand again so I figured maybe if I just threw this ball really hard I can catch the Pokémon and I'm really really really really really really-"

"Okay, I get it!" said the other trainer. "You can stop apologizing."

"I'm sorry. Oops! I mean...uh..." Ruby buried her head in her hands, ashamed of everything she was doing right now. "Is there anything I can do to make up for all this?"

"Do you at least have an ice pack or something?"

"I have some cold water. Will that do?"

"It will have to for now. What's your name by the way?"

"Oh right, I never you told my name. I'm sorry...I mean, I'm Ruby!"

"I'm Blake."

Blake and Ruby sat on a log as Ruby pulled out a cold bottle of water to give to Blake. Blake placed the water on the back of her head; the water wasn't very effective but it was better than nothing.

"Thank you," said Blake.

"Again, I'm REALLY sorry about doing that," said Ruby.

"It's not a big deal. But why were you trying to catch Pokémon at random instead of battling them first? You don't have a Pokémon of your own?"

"Oh, I have a Pokémon. It's just...well…." As if right on cue, Eevee crawled out of the backpack to stretch its legs. Eevee noticed Blake and ran up to greet her.

"Is this your Pokémon?" asked Blake.

"Yeah," said Ruby. "Say hi to Blake, Eevee."

"Eevee!" greeted Eevee.

"So you have a Pokémon already but you don't use it for battle?" asked Blake.

"It's...kind of complicated right now," said Ruby, looking away and twiddling her thumbs.

"Perhaps Eevee here can give a better explanation." Blake picked up Eevee and stared deeply into her eyes. "Eevee, why do you not fight for your trainer?"

Blake noticed Eevee's eyes dart around, as if she was trying to avoid answering the question as well. Eevee's facial reactions was all Blake needed to know exactly what was going on.

"So Eevee has lost the will to fight," said Blake. "It suffered a loss so devastating that it refuses to get into any kind of battle."

"Whoa!" said Ruby. "You're good."

"Not to call you a bad trainer, but you must have done something really bad to cause Eevee to feel this way."

"I know. I made Eevee fight when it wasn't ready and I got her seriously hurt. But I promise it won't happen again!"

"It doesn't matter if you promise to never do it again; it could already be too late."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me, how did you get this Eevee in the first place?"

"It was an abandoned Pokémon. I adopted it."

"So this Pokémon already has trust issues from being abandoned, and instead of taking the time to let her get readjusted being with another trainer, you immediately sent it out to battle. It's no wonder this Eevee has lost all respect for you."

"You think Eevee lost all respect for me?" Ruby stood up, not believing what Blake was saying. "But Eevee likes me! It agreed to come with me in the first place!"

"It may have only agreed to come with you because you just happened to be nice to it the day you met," said Blake. "Or perhaps it was just so desperate to be with a trainer that it agreed to come with you without realizing what exactly she was agreeing to do."

"You're wrong!" yelled Ruby. "I know I screwed up, but I care about Eevee, and Eevee cares about me!"

"Ask your Eevee if she feels the same way."

"I will! C'mon Eevee, show Blake that you still like me!"

Ruby bent down and held her arms out, waiting for Eevee to come running over and jump into her arms. Eevee instead just looked away and frowned. Ruby couldn't believe it, but Blake was right; Eevee didn't actually like Ruby. Ruby was feeling heartbroken.

"Eevee? You...you really don't like me?" Eevee didn't respond.

"I know you mean well Ruby," said Blake, "but you've given Eevee no reason to trust you."

"Then I guess I really am a worthless trainer."

"I'd love to stick around and help out, but I've got work to do."

Blake stood up and was about to walk off when she was suddenly grabbed by Ruby.

"Wait!" said Ruby. "You've got to help me get Eevee to like me again!"

"Ruby, I can't help you with that," said Blake. "You need to sort out whatever issues you and Eevee have on your own."

"Then can you at least help me catch a new Pokémon? If I don't catch Pokémon soon, I'll never be able to become a trainer!"

"Ruby, I'm very busy with something else right now. Please, let me go!" Blake broke her arm free from Ruby and was about to run until Ruby suddenly attached herself to Blake's leg instead.

"Please Blake, I'm begging you! I know I can become a great trainer! I just need some help!"

Blake sighed. She really didn't want to get herself involved in this, but she wouldn't have a clear conscious if she just left his poor girl on her own.

"Fine, I'll help," said Blake. "Tag along with me and I'll give you some pointers."

Ruby smiled, jumped right back up and bowed over and over again. "Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU!" Ruby gathered her belongings along with Eevee and started following Blake.

#

As Ruby and Blake were walking in the forest, Blake was giving Ruby various pointers about how to catch and fight Pokémon.

"Now if your Pokémon aren't up for battle, you can try using berries to distract Pokémon," said Blake.

"Berries, got it," said Ruby, frantically scribbling notes on every word Blake was saying.

"You're lucky you're in this forest. This place has plenty of berry trees around. In fact, we should be right next to one."

Blake looked around and noticed a tree growing berries right next to them.

"Perfect," said Blake.

"So now what?" asked Ruby. "Do we start laying out our trap?"

"No need to," said Blake. "In a place like this we simply need to wait for the Pokémon to come to the tree. Then once the time is right, you should be able to catch it by surprise."

"Okay!" said Ruby, hiding in the nearby bush waiting for her first catch. After some time passed, Blake and Ruby looked up to see a Combee flying above them, nibbling at the bark of the berry tree. Ruby took out her dex to get more info.

__Combee__

__Tiny Bee Pokémon__

__It collects and delivers honey to its colony.__

"Looks like it's too busy collecting honey to notice us," said Ruby. "Now's my chance!" Ruby grabbed her ball and was about to throw when Blake stopped her.

"Wait!" said Blake.

"What now?"

"I need to follow this Combee."

"Why?"

"This Combee will lead me to its nest. It's important I get there as soon as I can."

"What's so important about this nest?"

"I'll explain later."

After the Combee was done gathering honey, it flew off for its nest. Blake and Ruby quickly started following it.

"I get it," said Ruby. "Combee must be taking us to other Pokémon, so that way I can catch even more of them."

"That's not why I'm following it," said Blake.

"Well then why are we following it?"

"The reason I came to this forest is because someone I know is trying to find this nest for bad reasons, and I need to stop them before something really bad happens."

"Who is this someone you're talking about?"

"Look Ruby, I know you're trying to be helpful, but I don't want you getting involved in this, especially when you don't have anything to fight back with."

Ruby wanted to respond that she still wanted to help, but Blake was right. What good was Ruby going to be if she didn't even have a Pokémon to use?

After following the Combee for a while, the two of them came into a wide clearing. The clearing was swarming with Combees flying all over the place. In the middle stood a tree with Kakunas lying everywhere, and flying around the tree was Vespiquen.

"Whoa," muttered Ruby, taking in the amazing sight of Vespiquen's nest. "What is this?"

"It's a nest for bee type Pokémon," said Blake. "That Vespiquen you see down there is the leader. The Combees gather honey for the Vespiquen, who then uses the honey to feed her children."

"How many children?"

"You're looking at them." Ruby looked around and immediately lost count of how many Combees were flying around.

"Why would anyone want to attack this place?" asked Ruby.

"The honey that Combee gathers can be used to attract rare Pokémon," said Blake. "It's much more effective than berries."

As Ruby tried to count over and over how many Combees there were, she noticed one of the Combees had something sticking to the back of their body. It was a small device that was constantly blinking on and off.

"Hey Blake?" asked Ruby. "Why does that Combee have that thing on its back?"

"What Combee?" asked Blake. Ruby pointed to the Combee with the weird device. Blake immediately ran over and grabbed the device off the Combee without being noticed. When Blake saw the device, she started to panic. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong Blake?"

"Ruby, I need you to get out of here before-"

But it was too late, as suddenly a large horde of Houndours suddenly came charging out of the forest and starting spraying fire all over the place. The Combees started flying around in a panic to avoid the flames.

"Blake, what's going on?" shouted Ruby.

"I'll handle this!" said Blake, grabbing her Poké Ball and tossing it. The ball opened up and out came her Greninja. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

The Greninja immediately threw shurikens made out of water at every Houndour in sight, knocking them down in one hit. Once the Houndours ceased firing, the Greninja put out any nearby flames burning the grass area. Ruby stood back in amazement at the Greninja's quick work.

"Looks like somebody showed up at the wrong place at the wrong time!" A man in a white coat and black bowler hat suddenly appeared along with a group of henchmen in masks behind him.

"Who are you?" asked Ruby.

"They're the bad people I was telling you about," said Blake.

"Allow me to introduce myself!" said Torchwick, spinning around the cane he liked to carry with him. "I am the stylin'...profilin'...master of Pokémon crime! Commander of the White Fang, the one, the only, THE Roman Torchwick!"

"Why are you trying to hurt these Pokémon?" asked Ruby.

"Ruby, just get out of here!" shouted Blake.

"I'd listen to her if I were you little red," said Torchwick. "The White Fang doesn't like people interfering in our affairs, which speaking of..."

Torchwick pointed his cane towards the Vespiquen by the tree. Torchwick fired a bomb that burst into a net and tangled the Vespiquen.

"Group A, go gather all the honey from our queen," said Torchwick. "Group B, burn this forest to the ground."

The Houndours got back up and started attacking the Combees again; Blake used her Greninja to fight off all the Houndours. Meanwhile, Torchwick and a bunch of grunts went to the Vespiquen nest and tried to gather as much honey as they could. Not wanting to be useless, Ruby ran over to the nest to fight off the grunts herself.

"Leave those Pokémon alone!" said Ruby, grabbing onto Torchwick.

"Big mistake kid!" said Torchwick, knocking Ruby back. Torchwick took out his ball and called out his Krookodile. "Krookodile, show this kid what happens with those who mess with the White Fang!"

The Krookodile lobbed at Ruby with its giant jaws. Ruby got up and immediately backed away before getting her head bitten off. The Krookodile kept its eyes locked on Ruby as the rest of the White Fang continued to gather honey. Once they gathered as much as they could carry, Torchwick carried the honey in a giant sack.

"All right boys," said Torchwick, "I'll be taking this to our boss. The rest of you stay here and make sure everything gets burnt to a crisp."

Torchwick took his sack of honey and was leaving with Krookodile, while the rest of the grunts used their Houndours to attack the Combees and Greninja trying to fight back. Meanwhile, Ruby was trying to think of some way she can stop Torchwick.

__"What do I do?" ___thought Ruby. ___"I can't use Eevee to fight back and he's got that giant croc protecting him! C'mon Ruby, THINK!"__Ruby was pounding her head trying to come up with a solution, and surprisingly, pounding her head did just that. She took out one of her Poké Balls and ran towards Torchwick.

"Heads up Roman!" said Ruby, chucking the ball as hard as she could. Torchwick turned to see what was going on and got smacked in the forehead from Ruby's Poké Ball, causing him to drop his sack and grab his forehead in pain. Ruby ran over to grab the sack and start running.

"Oh that's it!" said a livid Torchwick. "You're going to pay for that little red! Krookodile, get her!"

The Krookodile started chasing Ruby around the field. Having to carry around a giant sack along with her normal stuff, Ruby couldn't get very far before being exhausted and falling to the ground. Ruby turned around the see the Krookodile about to attack her. Ruby looked around to see what she can use to fight back, and noticed she was laying in a pile of dirt.

"Here's a Sand Attack of my own!" said Ruby, grabbed a handful of dirt and throwing it at the Krookodile, causing it to temporarily go blind. Ruby got up and started running away again.

"Enough of this!" said Torchwick. "Krookodile, Earthquake now!"

The Krookodile powered up its strength, lifted one leg off the ground, and stomped it as hard as he could, causing the entire landscape to start shaking. Ruby fell down along with everyone else in the area. The Earthquake also caused the Kakunas to fall from the tree. Seeing the Kakunas get disturbed, the trapped Vespiquen started releasing a strong pheromone at the Kakunas. Torchwick went over to Ruby and lifted her up with the hook of his cane.

"Time you learn what happens when you mess with Roman Torchwick!" Before he can do anything, all the Kakunas from the tree started to glow, catching everyone's attention. Once Blake saw what was going on, she knew they were in trouble.

"Everybody get out of here now!" shouted Blake.

"I'm not leaving until I get my honey!" responded Torchwick.

"If you don't leave now, you're going to get killed!"

"What are you talking about?"

The glowing Kakunas began to break apart, and out of their shells emerged their ultimate evolution, Beedrill. There had to be at least a couple dozen of them. Everyone was starting to become worried about what was going to happen next.

"Oh," said Torchwick. "That's why."

Two of the Beedrill freed their queen from her trap. The angry Vespiquen let out a loud buzz, signaling her colony to attack everyone in sight. As soon as the Beedrills started swarming, everyone ran for their lives.

"Where do you think you're running off to?" yelled Torchwick as he was running with the rest of the White Fang. "You need to go back and get our honey!"

"With all due respect sir," said the White Fang grunt, "I'd rather NOT be doing that!"

"If you don't go back and get that honey, I'll be in trouble, which means you'll be in trouble as well!"

"Then I quit!" shouted the grunt as all of them continued running away from the Beedrills giving chase.

Meanwhile, Ruby was trying to run away while Blake stayed behind.

"Blake!" yelled Ruby. "What do I do?"

"Just run as far away as you can!" said Blake. "I'll try to fight off as many as I can!"

Greninja tried to gather the Beedrills' attention to draw them away from Ruby. One of them flew past Greninja and chased Ruby into the forest.

"Eevee, are any of them still chasing us?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

"All right then. Hang on tight Eevee; time for me to reenact 5th period gym class!"

Ruby put all her strength into her legs and started sprinting super fast, jumping over every fallen branch along the way. Ruby was starting to get a good distance away from the Beedrill until she tripped over a rock and fell to the ground hard. The force of her decent caused Eevee to fly out of her backpack and tumble across the ground. As Eevee was getting up, the Beedrill had caught up to them and set its sights on Eevee. Eevee looked up at the Beedrill, too scared to make a move. Ruby looked up and saw the Beedrill getting ready to attack Eevee.

"Eevee, run!" yelled Ruby, but Eevee was too scared to listen. Beedrill placed its needles together and dived at Eevee. With Eevee just standing there shaking in fear, Ruby got up as quickly as she could and jumped towards Eevee. She grabbed Eevee and rolled out of the way; the Beedrill missed Ruby by less than an inch. Ruby stood back up and started running, carrying Eevee in her arms. She hid behind a tree as the Beedrill searched for Ruby.

"I don't think we're going to be able to outrun that Beedrill," said Ruby. Ruby looked around and saw a tree with a giant hole in its trunk. Ruby went up to the tree and placed Eevee inside.

"Okay Eevee, I need you to listen real carefully. I want you to stay in this tree so the Beedrill doesn't find you. At least that way one of us will make it out alive."

"Eevee?" responded Eevee, worried about what Ruby was going to do herself.

"I'm going to distract the Beedrill, and Eevee, no matter what happens, don't get out of this tree, okay?"

Eevee wanted to protest until they heard the sound of a Beedrill buzzing by. Ruby turned around and called for the Beedrill's attention.

"Hey Beedrill! Looking for me?" shouted Ruby. The Beedrill turned to Ruby and started chasing her. Eevee poked out of the tree to see the Beedrill going after Ruby. It was only going to be a matter of time before Ruby would get exhausted and the Beedrill would attack her. For the second time in her short life, Eevee was about to lose another trainer.

She couldn't remember why her first trainer decided to let her go; she couldn't even remember her trainer's face. She only remembered being dropped off at the Pokémon Center and the trainer deciding never to return. Was it because Eevee was weak? Did the trainer simply not like Eevee? Whatever the reason, Eevee was now alone and afraid.

Then just yesterday she met Ruby, and grew attached to her in the short time they knew each other. At least until that battle with Deino. Even if Ruby meant well, she still allowed Eevee to get hurt, and now she couldn't trust Ruby with keeping her safe from harm. The only reason Eevee didn't run away was because she wasn't strong enough to live on her own. Now with that Beedrill going after Ruby, it looked like Eevee was going to be abandoned yet again, this time because Ruby was willing to put her Pokémon's safety before her own.

Because Ruby knew Eevee wasn't strong enough to fight back.

__"At least that way one of us will make it out alive."__

No, thought Eevee. She wasn't going to lose a second trainer. Not this way. Eevee jumped out of the hole and headed to where she last saw Ruby and Beedrill run to.

Ruby had tried running, hiding, and even throwing small rocks at the Beedrill, but it was hopeless. With Ruby exhausted, she sat down and laid against a tree to gather her strength back. She wouldn't have enough time however as the Beedrill found Ruby and hovered over her. Ruby was done for. With nowhere to run, she was now a sitting duck for the Beedrill. The Beedrill raised its arms and dive-bombed at Ruby. Ruby closed her eyes and prayed for some kind of miracle to save her.

Seeing her master in danger, Eevee ran and jumped at the Beedrill, tackling it from the side and knocking it away from Ruby. The Beedrill fell to the ground as Eevee stood tall, ready to strike again.

"Eevee, you saved me!" said Ruby, crawling over and hugging Eevee. "I knew you really cared about me!"

Ruby's celebration was short lived, as the Beedrill got back up and had its sights set on Ruby and Eevee. Ruby stood back up and wanted to run away, but looked down and noticed Eevee with a determined look on her face. It was as if Eevee was begging to fight Beedrill.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, confirming she was ready for a fight.

"All right Eevee, let's do this together!" Ruby pointed towards Beedrill with the same determined look. "Prepare to be captured Beedrill! Eevee, Tackle attack!"

Eevee charged full speed at Beedrill. Beedrill took to the air to dodge Eevee's attack, then came rushing down and thrust its needles for a Fury Attack. Eevee quickly dodged left and right to avoid getting hit. Beedrill then quickly use its stringer to hit Eevee with a Poison Sting. Eevee took some damage but thankfully wasn't poisoned.

"That Beedrill attacks really fast. Eevee, try blinding it with Sand Attack!" Beedrill took the air again and dive-bombed at Eevee. Eevee turned around and use its hind legs to kick up sand and blind Beedrill. Beedrill still attempted to use its Fury Attack, but can barely see and just started swinging wildly.

"It's blind Eevee! Move in now!" Eevee ran after Beedrill and hit its Tackle attack. The Beedrill took the full force of the hit as it still couldn't see. Eevee moved in for another Tackle, landing a second hit. Eevee tried to go for a third Tackle, but Beedrill suddenly regained its eyesight and thrust both its needles at Eevee, striking Eevee with its Twin Needle attack. The attack caught Eevee off guard and sent it tumbling across the ground.

"Eevee!" Ruby ran towards Eevee, thinking Eevee was too hurt to battle. "Are you okay?"

Eevee slowly got up and nodded to Ruby to assure her she was okay. Beedrill took to the air and began to concentrate. Ruby took out her Pokédex to find out what Beedrill was up to.

"Beedrill will sometimes use Focus Energy," said Penny, "a move that allows Beedrill to land critical hits on their foes."

"Okay Eevee, we need to time this right! We've only got one chance to beat this pest!"

Eevee looked up at Beedrill, waiting for it to come down. Beedrill looked down, placed its needles in front of itself, and then came down for one final attack on Eevee. Eevee waited for Ruby to give the signal before making their move.

"Now!" shouted Ruby as the Beedrill was nearly a foot away from hitting Eevee. Eevee jumped out of the way as Beedrill crashed into the ground, burying its needles into the earth. Beedrill was struggling to free itself from the ground.

"Okay Eevee, finish it off!" Eevee ran with everything she had and Tackled Beedrill head on, landing a critical blow. The force of the Tackle freed Beedrill, but it was moot as Beedrill flopped to the ground, barely having the strength to get up. With Beedrill unable to move, Ruby took out one of her Poké Balls.

"I hope this works!" Ruby threw the ball at Beedrill. The ball opened up and transported the Beedrill inside. The ball landed on the ground and started to shake. After a few seconds of shaking, the ball made a loud click noise to confirm a successful capture. Ruby smiled and jumped with glee.

"We did it Eevee!" shouted Ruby. "We caught our first Pokémon!" Ruby ran over and picked up Eevee. Eevee was also shouting with joy at winning her first major battle. Ruby walked over and picked up the ball containing Beedrill.

"It's kind of funny. This Beedrill was nearly going to kill us, and now it's part of our family. But we'll still treat this Beedrill with love, right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee. As they were admiring their latest catch, Blake had caught up to them.

"Oh hey Blake," said Ruby.

"Ruby, you're okay?" asked Blake. "What happened to the Beedrill chasing you?"

"I caught it with the help of my Eevee," said Ruby, holding up the ball containing Beedrill. Blake was surprised to see Ruby actually catching it rather than running away.

"Guess I was wrong about you," said Blake. "Looks like Eevee really does respect you as a trainer."

"No, you were right. I was a bad trainer, but now I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen again."

"Then you won't be needing my help. Take care Ruby."

"Wait a minute, what happened to the Beedrills and the White Fang?"

"The Beedrills calmed down, and unfortunately the White Fang escaped, but more importantly all the honey is safe. My work is done here."

"You know Blake, if you need help fighting these White Fang goons, you can always call me for help."

"I appreciate that, but this something I have to do on my own. Until we meet again."

Blake jumped up to the closest branch and quickly ran out of sight. Ruby wondered why Blake seemed to be obsessed with stopping the White Fang by herself, but figured she could find out the next time they met.

"C'mon Eevee, let's get out of this forest already," said Ruby, picking up Eevee to place in her backpack, but Eevee wriggled out and instead wanted to walk by her side.

"Oh, you want to walk with me instead?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

"I'm glad. To be honest you were starting to get really heavy."

Eevee lightly headbutt Ruby in the leg, not appreciating Ruby possibly calling her fat. Both of them laughed it off and started to find their way out of the forest.

#

With the White Fang failing their mission on obtaining the Vespiquen's honey, Torchwick dreaded having to call the boss to let them know what happened.

"Hello, boss? It's Roman. So, about the honey. We may have had some interference with-" Torchwick's boss didn't waste time yelling at him for screwing up the mission. "Well how was I supposed to know some random trainers were going to show-" His boss continued yelling at him and let him know the consequences of failing again. "Yes, of course. I won't screw up again." Torchwick hung up and massaged his forehead to get rid of the headache he received from all the yelling.

"That little red is going to pay for this."

#

Using the map on her dex, Ruby and Eevee traveled on the path that would lead them out. Suddenly, a Fletchling jumped out of the bush and got in their way. "I think we can use a Fletchling on our team. What do you think Eevee?"

Eevee nodded and got in front of Ruby, ready to fight Fletchling. After a quick battle, Eevee triumphed over Fletchling. Ruby threw her ball and captured Fletchling, adding one more Pokémon to the team.

"Good job Eevee!" said Ruby. "We keep this up, we'll have a strong team in no time!"

"Eevee!" replied Eevee.

Ruby and Eevee finally made it out of the forest, but before they can take a breather, they were approached by a trainer wielding a bug catching net.

"Hey you!" shouted the trainer. "You're a trainer, right? I challenge you to a battle!"

"A battle huh?" asked Ruby. "What do you say Eevee? Up for a couple more battles?"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee enthusiastically. Eevee ran in front as the trainer let out their first Pokémon.

They may have had a bumpy start, but Ruby and Eevee were finally working together as a true team. It wouldn't be long before they would have their next big challenge: Ruby's first gym badge.


	3. The Despondent Rookie! Ruby vs Jaune

"Now Fletchling, Quick Attack!" said Ruby. Fletchling quickly charged at Pidgey and rammed into it, knocking it out. Another successful victory for Fletchling. "All right Fletchling!"

Before Ruby can call Fletchling back, Fletchling started to glow in a bright light, meaning Fletchling had now powered up enough to evolve into its next form, Fletchinder. Ruby pumped her arms up in excitement. Before heading into Amarillo City for her first badge, Ruby decided to spend a lot of time battling every wild Pokémon and trainer in the area she came across. She wanted to make sure that her team was more than ready to fight whoever she would be challenging.

With Eevee, Beedrill, and her newly acquired Fletchinder all getting a boost of strength from their training, Ruby felt now was the time to win badge number one.

#

Amarillo City was a pretty small city compared to others in Vale. The only thing notable about the city was that it was usually the first stop most trainers visited to earn their first badge. Ruby decided she would head to the Pokémon Center first to make sure her team was 100%, then head to the gym to win her first badge.

As Ruby walked towards the center, she noticed the gym along the way.

"Wouldn't hurt to know who I'm up against," said Ruby. Ruby walked to the gym and was about to enter inside when the doors opened up as a familiar looking ice queen was exiting. Ruby was immediately regretting her decision as Weiss noticed Ruby outside.

"Ruby?" said Weiss. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to earn my first badge," said Ruby. "Why else would I be here?"

"You mean you actually decided to become a trainer even after I embarrassed you at Beacon? Aww, bless your little heart!" Weiss made sure to say that last line as condescending as she could, making Ruby's blood boil. Even Eevee was growling at Weiss.

"Make fun of me all you want Weiss, but you won't be laughing once I get my first badge!"

"You mean this badge?" said Weiss, pulling out the badge she had just won. It was in the shape of a yellow crescent moon.

"You already won your first badge?"

"Of course I did! After all, the Schnee family motto is 'A Schnee Never Loses!' Winning this badge was effortless, especially with the leader they've got in this city. He uses Normal types of all things!"

"What's wrong with Normal type Pokémon?"

"Nothing if you don't mind using the most weakest, useless Pokémon there is! You should know firsthand how worthless Normal types are, isn't that right?"

Eevee growled louder at Weiss, knowing well she was the Pokémon being insulted. Ruby was starting to growl like Eevee and was resisting her urge to just punch Weiss in the face.

"Well, I've wasted enough time here. I'm off to go win the rest of my badges. Good luck Ruby, although even a dunce like you can't lose in this gym."

As soon as Weiss was gone, Ruby and Eevee let out a sigh of relief. "C'mon Eevee, let's go cool off at the Pokémon Center."

#

Ruby arrived at the Pokémon Center and dropped off her Pokémon. Since her Pokémon only needed a touch-up, it would take about ten minutes for them to be fully ready. Ruby decided to kill time in the lounge until then.

_"Maybe I'll give Yang a call,"_ thought Ruby. She pulled out her dex and was about to call Yang when she noticed a young man sitting in the lounge looking pretty upset with himself. He had his hands folded over his head and was just staring at the floor mumbling to himself. Ruby decided to put her call on hold and took a seat next to the kid.

"Are you okay?" asked Ruby. The kid sat up and turned to Ruby.

"I'm miserable," replied the kid. "Thanks for asking."

"I'm sorry, did you want to be alone?" said Ruby, about to get up and leave.

"Wait, don't go! I'm sorry, I'm just really upset right now. I can really use someone to talk to."

"No problem. I'm Ruby Rose." Ruby held her hand out for a handshake; the kid gave a slight smile and shook Ruby's hand.

"I'm Jaune Arc."

"So Jaune, what are you so upset about?"

"I just lost another battle. I'm waiting for my Pokémon to recover."

"I know how upsetting it is to lose a battle - trust me, I've felt the same way you did - but you'll get better."

"I doubt that. This is like the thirtieth time in a row I've lost!"

__"Wow," __thought Ruby. __"He lost thirty times in a row? And I thought I was upset after losing just one."__

"Well, okay, so you lost thirty times in a row. You'll just have to work hard to make sure you don't lose thirty-one times in a row!"

"I doubt that. I think I'm just destined to lose every battle I get myself into."

"Now c'mon, there has to be at least one person you can beat. In fact, you should try challenging the gym leader here! I heard they're really easy to beat! Even someone like you should be able to beat them!"

"Sounds like a good idea, except there's one problem."

"What is it?"

"That gym leader you heard can be beaten by anyone? That...leader is me."

Ruby felt surprised and awkward for what Jaune just said. Not only was Jaune on a losing streak, he was also the gym leader that Weiss had claimed was incredibly easy to beat and Ruby accidentally insulted. Ruby wanted to pity Jaune, yet at the same time wondered how a kid who lost thirty times in a row was doing being a gym leader of all things.

"You probably want to face me now so you can earn a badge like everyone else," said Jaune. "As soon as my Pokémon are ready we'll get it over with."

Ruby could tell that Jaune was definitely not in the mood for battle, and Ruby didn't want to fight him in this state. It would be like kicking the man while he was down. "Actually Jaune, why don't we put off our battle?"

"You don't want to face me yet?"

"Nah. Why rush? Let's kill some time together before we face each other. Want to get something to eat?"

"Are you...asking me out on a date?"

"What? No, nothing like that!" Ruby was embarrassed at what Jaune was thinking. "I mean I know it sounds like a date but it's not-"

"No, I get it!" Jaune was now embarrassed at what he said. "Just two friends hanging out! Not a date! Sorry I even brought it up!"

"I'm sorry I didn't make it clearer!"

"You don't need to be sorry, I'm already sorry!"

"I'm sorry you have to be sorry!"

The two quickly went quiet before one of them said anything to make the other feel more embarrassed than they already were.

"We should just stop talking," said Jaune.

"Agreed," said Ruby.

Ruby picked up her Pokémon and left the center with Jaune.

#

Ruby and Jaune stopped by a café for a quick meal. Jaune kept quiet as he was drinking his coffee, tapping his fingers against his glass, not exactly sure what he wanted to talk about. With Jaune keeping to himself, Ruby decided to break the ice.

"So Jaune...I heard you use Normal types in your gym."

"I do," said Jaune. "Go ahead and laugh; everyone else does."

"I actually think that's quite admirable of you to use Normal types."

"Really? You don't think it's weird or pathetic that I decide to use Normal types in my gym?"

"Why not use Normal types? I mean just because they don't have any type advantages doesn't mean they're useless, right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee, jumping up into Ruby's lap. Jaune smiled and began to speak up.

"See, that's what I keep telling everyone. Most people think Normal Pokémon aren't special just because they don't have fancy moves or abilities. But I think every Pokémon is special in their own way; you just have to find out what makes them special."

"So what makes your Pokémon special?"

"Well...I haven't quite figured it out yet," said Jaune, going back to feeling down again. "If I did I wouldn't be losing every single one of my battles."

Eevee suddenly jumped out of Ruby's lap on to the table. Eevee walked over to Jaune and rubbed her head against his arm, trying to cheer him up.

"Aww, thanks Eevee," said Jaune, rubbing Eevee's head. "So Ruby, how long have you been a trainer?"

"A few days now," said Ruby. "Eevee was my very first Pokémon."

"Really? I would of thought you'd choose one of those elemental starters they give out to new trainers."

"It was tempting, but as soon as I laid my eyes on Eevee, I didn't want anyone else."

"So what are you going to evolve Eevee into?"

"Evolve my Eevee?"

"Yeah. Most people evolve their Eevee to the type of their choice. You've got the three that could evolve by stone: Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon; then you've got the ones that evolve from climates: Glaceon and Leafeon; then you've got the ones that evolve from happiness: Espeon and Umbreon. None of those interest you?"

"Not really. Quite frankly I'd be happy to just keep Eevee the way she is unless she really wants to evolve; what do you think Eevee?"

Eevee turned back to Ruby and shook her head. She was perfectly content to remain an Eevee.

"Or maybe if you're really lucky," said Jaune, "it'll evolve into that new one I've heard rumors about."

"There's a new Eevee evolution?" asked Ruby.

"Well, it's only rumors for now, but I've heard there's been this new Pokémon sighted that people are claiming is somehow related to Eevee. They call it a Sylveon."

Ruby took out her Pokédex and searched the database for Sylveon. A picture came up of a fox like creature with ribbons tied around its neck and forehead. It certainly looked like something Eevee can evolve into.

"Penny, tell me more about this Sylveon."

"I'm afraid I can't offer much information," said Penny. "Sylveon is still considered newly discovered. It is speculated that they are Fairy type Pokémon, but how they are linked to Eevee is currently unknown."

"If you evolve Eevee into Sylveon," said Jaune, "you can be known as the trainer who discovered the secret."

"That would be cool," said Ruby, "but I've already got plans to be known as the trainer who becomes the new Vale region champion."

"That's great; certainly better than what I'm going to be known for."

Jaune sighed and looked down at his coffee again. It was as if he was in a perpetual state of self-loathing. Ruby didn't want to make it any of her business, but she was sick of Jaune constantly being down in the dumps over his losing streak.

"You know Jaune, it is a bit odd for a gym leader to lose so many times in a row. But you can't be that bad of a trainer if you were able to become a gym leader. I heard gym leaders have to pass some rigorous exams in order to qualify for the position."

"Ruby, can I be honest with you?"

"Sure you can."

"It's true that a trainer has to earn their certification from the region's professional league in order to be a gym leader. But the thing is...I never took those exams."

The revelation was quite a shock to Ruby, although it certainly explained why Jaune was so bad. "Then how did you get to be the gym leader here?"

"The reason I'm a gym leader is...my dad helped me get this position. My dad decided to retire and insisted I take over his gym. Thanks to his connections I didn't have to pass an exam to take over. I just got put on the spot."

"So you just got the position even though you had no experience as a trainer?"

"I had experience as a trainer before, but even back then I was terrible at it. I tried to go out and be a trainer just like everyone else, but no matter what I did I could never beat other people. I didn't even earn my first badge before I decided to call it quits."

"Well Jaune, you're not going to be a good trainer if you just keep giving up every time you lose! Instead of crying and moaning about never winning, you should try looking into how you can improve yourself in battle!"

"Well maybe I don't WANT to be battling in the first place!" yelled Jaune, slamming his cup on the table and spilling his coffee all over.

Jaune realized he was starting to make a scene, so he got up and left the café. Ruby quickly cleaned up the mess and followed Jaune outside. Jaune lied face down in the middle of the road. Ruby poked at Jaune's sides with her foot to see if he would be bothered to turn around and look up.

"Leave me alone Ruby. A trainer like me doesn't deserve help."

"I'm not going to leave you alone until I know why you're a gym leader when you just admitted you don't like battling."

Jaune sighed and rolled himself over to look up at Ruby. "Because even though I was awful at battling, I really like raising Pokémon; but I don't know what I wanted to do with myself. I decided to take up the gym leader position because at least I'd have a job and my dad wouldn't get mad at me for doing nothing with my life."

"Jaune, if you don't feel like being a gym leader is for you, then you need to quit. Instead of taking up the position and doing something you hate, tell your dad the truth and do something you love."

"Yeah, I'm sure my dad would LOVE to hear me decide to quit so I can find myself."

"Would you rather he heard you decided to quit, or that ever since you became the gym leader you lost thirty times in a row?"

"So I'll keep losing until I'm fired. At least that way I can stave off my execution."

That's it, thought Ruby. If Jaune wasn't going to be the one who would stand up and do what he needed to do, Ruby was going to force him to.

"Jaune, before we battle, I want to make a bet."

"What kind of bet?"

"If you beat me, I'll give up being a trainer for good."

"And if you beat me, I give up being a gym leader, right?"

"There's more. Not only do you quit being a gym leader...you come along with me until we find your true calling!"

Hearing this caused Jaune to stand back up. "You want me to come with you?"

"Yep! You call your dad, tell him you're stepping down as gym leader, and you're going to travel with me until we can figure out what your true calling is!"

"No deal," said Jaune. "I'm not going to get myself killed because you're trying to help."

"Well then, it was nice meeting you Jaune," said Ruby, before walking off.

"Wait, what? You're just going to leave?"

"Yeah. No point in making you feel more of a loser than you already are. I'll go earn my first badge against someone who isn't a spineless coward. Maybe they'll even have Pokémon who aren't useless weaklings."

Jaune was called a lot of things. Weak, dumb, loser, incompetent, useless...but the "spineless coward" comment really got to him. Even when he knew he was a bad trainer, at least he had the guts to fight any challenger that came to his gym. He wasn't going to let Ruby get away with calling him a coward, especially since she was so confident in winning she would retire herself if she lost.

"I accept!" shouted Jaune.

Ruby stopped and turned to face Jaune. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear that."

"I said I accept! But you have to promise that if I win...WHEN I win, you give up being a trainer!"

"Trainer's honor!" said Ruby, holding her hand up. Eevee held up her front paw as well.

"See you in the gym," said Jaune, running back to the center to pick up his Pokémon and get everything ready for their bout.

#

Ruby entered the gym for her battle against Jaune. After filling out her forms at the front desk, Ruby entered into the gym's arena, which was very plain looking. The floor was solid dirt like an outdoor sports area; the right side had a giant monitor to display the trainers and their Pokémon, while the left side had bleachers for spectators to sit and enjoy the battles. With Jaune's losing streak reputation however, the bleachers were empty as usual. Jaune stood at the other side of the arena, folding his arms and trying to look intimidating, which even if Ruby didn't know about Jaune's losing streak, would fail to even intimidate a child.

"Because you have no badges, our battle will consist of using two Pokémon each! Your dream of being Pokémon champion ends here Ruby Rose!"

"If I lose to someone like you, I wouldn't deserve to be champion anyway."

The monitor counted down to the official start of the match. Once the signal was given, both trainers threw out their first Pokémon. Jaune started with his Dunsparce, while Ruby started with her Fletchinder.

"All right Dunsparce, time to start with Rollout!" said Jaune. The Dunsparce curled into a ball and charged at Fletchinder.

"Fletchinder, Agility!" said Ruby. Fletchinder concentrated and boosted its speed. As Dunsparce bounced up to hit Fletchinder, Fletchinder dodged the attack with ease.

"Keep going Dunsparce!" The Dunsparce turned around and aimed for Fletchinder again.

"Keep dodging Fletchinder!" Every time Dunsparce bounced up to attack Fletchinder in mid-air, Fletchinder would fly even higher. Dunsparce tried again for a third and fourth time, going even higher than its last two attempts. Dunsparce powered up and went for a Rollout one last time. Fletchinder tried to fly up but bumped into the ceiling. Without any more room to fly, Dunsparce nailed a direct hit on Fletchinder, dealing heavy damage to Fletchinder. Fletchinder crashed to the ground, losing a lot of health from that attack.

"Guess my Pokémon aren't weaklings after all, huh Ruby?" boasted Jaune.

"It takes more than one good attack to win a fight Jaune!" replied Ruby. "Fletchinder, Quick Attack!"

Fletchinder got back up and flew at an incredibly fast speed at Dunsparce, striking it quickly with its wing as it flew by.

"Dunsparce, strike back with Pursuit!" Dunsparce waited for Fletchinder to strike again, then thrust its drill tail at Fletchinder. The Fletchinder was too fast for Dunsparce however and struck it again with another Quick Attack.

"Seems your Dunsparce is a bit too slow to finish the job," said Ruby.

"Yeah?" said Jaune. "It's still stronger than your bird! Dunsparce, time for another Rollout!"

"Seriously?" asked Ruby. Jaune ignored Ruby as Dunsparce curled into a ball and charged at Fletchinder. Fletchinder flew back into the air to avoid Dunsparce's first attempt.

"Running away again Ruby? Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"Of course I remember. In fact, I've seen Rollout happen so many times I've already figured out how to counter it."

"Counter Rollout? How?"

Dunsparce missed Fletchinder for a third time, landed back on the ground, then geared up and jumped up for a fourth attempt.

"Fletchinder, fire your Ember towards that way!" said Ruby, pointing to where Dunsparce was about to land. Fletchinder dodged Dunsparce and shot a small flame to the ground where Dunsparce was about to land and sure enough, Dunsparce landed in the flames and got burned by the attack, causing it to roll around in the dirt to put out the fire, putting an end to its Rollout. Jaune was in disbelief that his Rollout suddenly failed.

"I can't believe that didn't...I mean, HA!" said Jaune, trying to hide his disbelief. "Don't think you've won just yet! Dunsparce, time to start digging boy!"

Dunsparce spun its drill tail and borrowed into the ground. Fletchinder flew around trying to find out where Dunsparce was hiding.

__"With Dunsparce underground, that Fletchinder has no idea where Dunsparce will pop up, and by the time Dunsparce does, it will already be too late!" __thought Jaune. He looked at Ruby who was confused as to what Jaune was up to. Jaune smirked, thinking he definitely had Ruby cornered.

"Now Dunsparce!" yelled Jaune. The Dunsparce popped out and launched at Fletchinder tail first. Jaune thought his attack would work, but the Dunsparce missed reaching Fletchinder by over a foot. Jaune was dumbfounded as to how his brilliant strategy backfired horribly.

"Fletchinder, Peck attack!" said Ruby. Fletchinder reared its head back, then thrust forward and jabbed Dunsparce in the face with its beak. The Dunsparce fell to the ground, knocked out by Fletchinder's attack. The monitor gave the signal to indicate Dunsparce was officially eliminated.

"How did that not work?" asked Jaune, calling back his Dunsparce.

"Jaune, you do know Dig is a Ground type attack, right?" said Ruby.

"What does that matter?"

"Jaune, Ground attacks don't work against Flying Pokémon! How could you not know that?"

Jaune just shrugged his shoulders, honestly having no idea why he didn't know something that would seem obvious to any other trainer in the world.

"Jaune, if these are the kind of mistakes you keep making, it's no wonder you lose all the time!"

"So I made one mistake! I've still got one more Pokémon to help make my comeback! Let's go Raticate!" Jaune tossed out his ball, releasing his signature Pokémon, Raticate. The Raticate made a loud hissing noise at Ruby and Fletchinder.

"Jaune, even if you used a hundred Pokémon, you can't win if you don't even know the basics of battling."

"So I forgot Ground doesn't work on Flying! What I do remember is your Fletchinder is on the verge of defeat, and Raticate is going to finish it off! Raticate, Quick Attack!"

"Fletchinder, use Quick Attack back!"

Raticate and Fletchinder charged at each other, striking each other with their attacks again and again, both taking the same amount of damage against each other.

"Fletchinder, Peck attack!" Fletchinder charged at Raticate and got ready to jab it in the head with its beak.

"Raticate, Hyper Fang!" As Fletchinder went to jab Raticate, Raticate opened its mouth wide and bit down on Fletchinder's head, driving its fangs deep into Fletchinder's neck.

"Fletchinder! Get out of there!" Fletchinder tried to run away, but Raticate's bite was too strong for Fletchinder to escape from, causing Fletchinder's health to dwindle down to zero. The monitor signaled that Fletchinder had fainted and couldn't continue. Raticate let go of Fletchinder, its job done.

"We're even now!" said Jaune. "Just one more easy victory like that and your career is over! Better pick your next Pokémon wisely!"

"I know exactly who I'm going to use," said Ruby, turning to her Eevee standing behind her. "Ready for your first gym victory Eevee?"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, running past Ruby and entering the battlefield. Raticate hissed loudly at Eevee, but Eevee wasn't going to be scared by a giant rat and his ugly teeth.

"How appropriate! A final battle between two Normal types! Raticate, Quick attack!"

"Eevee, Quick Attack!"

Raticate and Eevee ran after each other, colliding in the middle of the field. Raticate and Eevee stood head to head, each trying to overpower the other.

"Raticate, Bite attack!" Raticate opened its mouth and tried to bite Eevee quickly. Eevee backed up before Raticate can sink its teeth into Eevee. Raticate kept going after Eevee as Eevee kept jumping back to avoid getting bitten.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee turned around and kicked sand into Raticate using its hind legs. Raticate backed up and shook its head wildly, trying to get the sand out of its eye. "Now Eevee, Quick Attack!"

While the Raticate was blinded, Eevee charged fast and struck Raticate head on.

"C'mon Raticate, use Super Fang!" Raticate barely opened its eyes and tried to bite Eevee, but was nowhere close to hitting Eevee.

"Keep using Quick Attack, Eevee!" Eevee continued to hit Raticate with its Quick Attack. With no chance of fighting back, the Raticate started to run away from the Eevee. Eevee gave chase to Raticate. As Raticate was running away, it began to regain its eyesight. As soon as Jaune noticed, he ordered Raticate to attack.

"Raticate, Super Fang now!" Raticate turned around and opened its mouth wide, its front fangs glowing brightly. Realizing it was about to strike, Eevee turned around just before she was about to reach Raticate and tried to run away, but it was too late. Raticate jumped forward and latched on to Eevee's tail, biting down as hard as it could, causing Eevee to let out a loud yelp.

"Eevee!" shouted Ruby. Raticate let go of Eevee's tail. Eevee collapsed to the ground, feeling her energy drain quickly.

"Hey Ruby," said Jaune, "since you're so smart, do you what half of 100% is? Because thanks to Super Fang, that's exactly what Eevee's strength is at! Just a couple more good bites and you're finished!"

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee got back up and kicked sand at Raticate. Raticate jumped to the side to avoid being blinded again.

"Raticate, Bite attack!" Raticate jumped forward and dug its front fangs onto Eevee's forehead, causing Eevee to flinch back. Before Eevee could react, Raticate bit Eevee over and over again. Eevee tried to run but fell to the ground. "Now Raticate, finish it off with Hyper Fang!"

Raticate opened up and sunk its teeth onto Eevee's tail. Eevee screamed in pain as it tried to get out of Raticate's grip, but Raticate wouldn't let go. If Ruby didn't think of something quick, Jaune was going to pull a major upset.

__"That Raticate is relentless! No matter what it just keeps attacking over and over...wait a minute, that's it!"__

"Ready to give up Ruby?" asked Jaune. "It doesn't look like your Eevee can handle much more of this!"

"Give up?" replied Ruby. "I'm about to win this battle!"

"You're bluffing!"

"Watch me! Eevee, use your Baby-Doll Eyes!"

Eevee stopped screaming and turned to face Raticate. Eevee looked at Raticate with a cute yet teary-eyed stare. Looking at Eevee's sad eyes, Raticate was suddenly struck with guilt from the pain it was putting Eevee through.

"Don't look at her eyes Raticate!" yelled Jaune. "Finish her off!"

"Eevee?" muttered Eevee, pleading with Raticate to let go. Raticate tried to obey Jaune, but Eevee's eyes were too much for Raticate to handle, and released its grip on Eevee's tail.

"Now Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee stood right back up and kicked sand into Raticate's eyes, causing it to go blind again. Raticate was angered it had fallen for Eevee's trick.

"Raticate, use your Hyper Fang again!" Raticate, now focused on defeating Eevee, leapt at Eevee with its fangs. Being blinded by sand however, Raticate completely missed its target.

"Eevee, Sand Attack again!" Eevee continued kicking sand at Raticate. Raticate blindly tried to bite Eevee, failing to do so no matter where Raticate went. Jaune was starting to lose his cool at seeing Raticate miss every time.

"Raticate, Bite! Super Fang! Do something!"

"Your Raticate has strong attacks Jaune," said Ruby. "Sadly, strong attacks are all you seemed to have taught it, giving Raticate a poor move pool. With Raticate's accuracy at near zero thanks to my Eevee's Sand Attack, its moves are now useless!"

"Impossible! Raticate, hit that Eevee already!"

Raticate continued to try biting Eevee, but as Ruby pointed out, every one of Raticate's attacks failed to land on Eevee.

"All right Eevee, let's end this! Swift attack!" Eevee summoned energy stars around her and launched them at Raticate, nailing a direct hit.

"Raticate, run away!" said Jaune. "Stall for as long as you can!"

"It's no use," said Ruby. "Swift's specialty is that it homes in on the opponent, meaning it will never miss no matter where your Raticate runs off to!"

"But if I can never hit you but you can always hit me, that means..."

"Time to retire Jaune! Eevee, Swift attack!"

Eevee kept shooting stars at Raticate, helpless to fight back. It wasn't long until Raticate was no longer able to battle. The monitor signaled the end of the match, indicating Ruby was the victor. Ruby ran over and picked up Eevee.

"We did it Eevee! We won our first badge!"

"Yeah, you sure did," said Jaune, not even trying to hide how brittle he sounded. He called back Raticate and went up to Ruby. "Congrats Ruby. As leader of the Amarillo City gym..." Jaune could barely finish before shedding some tears. He was always upset after a loss, but this one was worse, because now he was forced to do what he had tried to put off for as long as he could. Ruby went up to accept her badge and cheer Jaune up.

"Jaune, believe me, you're going to be okay. We just need to find something you're good at."

"But what if I'm not good at anything? What if I'm just as bad at everything else as I am at battling?"

" Jaune, remember when you said that every Pokémon is special in their own way, you just have to find out what makes them special? We'll find what makes you special eventually, even if takes me my entire journey and then some."

Jaune wiped the tears from his face and smiled. "Thanks Ruby. As I was saying, as leader of the Amarillo City gym, I hereby award you the Crocea badge for your victory!"

Jaune pulled out the Crocea badge and handed it to Ruby. Ruby attached the badge to the right strap of her backpack. One down, seven to go.

#

Ruby waited in the Pokémon Center as Jaune made the phone call to his dad explaining how he didn't want to be the gym leader anymore. Ruby couldn't hear what Jaune's dad was saying on the other end, but Jaune was very quiet as he listened to everything his father said.

"Yes dad, I'm absolutely sure this is what I want to do," said Jaune. Jaune was quiet for another few minutes. Ruby was starting to get worried Jaune's dad was mad at him. "I understand. All right; bye." Jaune hung up.

"Well?" asked Ruby.

"Officially as of now, I am no longer the gym leader of Amarillo City," said Jaune.

"Was your father mad?"

"He's disappointed I'm not going to follow in his footsteps, but he says if I can find my true calling and stick with it, he'll be proud."

"See? I told you it was going to be okay! Now pack your things and let's head out already!"

Jaune went home to pack up everything he would need and set off with Ruby towards their next destination.

"Ruby, are you sure I'm not going to slow you down on your journey?"

"Of course I am. Besides, it'll be nice to have someone to talk to on these long walks besides my Pokémon."

"Eevee!" chimed Eevee, sounding insulted that Ruby didn't like talking to her.

"Oh c'mon Eevee, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant it's nice to talk to someone I can have a conversation with."

Eevee turned her head in disgust, not buying Ruby's excuse for a second. "Eevee, there's no reason to be acting like that!" Eevee continued to ignore Ruby as she walked in front of her. "This isn't funny Eevee! Knock it off!"

As Ruby continued arguing with her uptight Eevee, Jaune smiled to himself. If he wound up never finding a new career, at least the journey itself was going to be fun.


	4. Fighting Spirit Tyrogue

"Don't worry Jaune," said Ruby. "According to the Pokédex, we'll arrive at the Pokémon Center in about five minutes."

Jaune would reply to how grateful he was that they would be arriving at the center, but couldn't speak due to his mouth being wrapped up by String Shot. Along their way to the next city, Ruby decided to try and catch more Pokémon. Upon encountering a horde of Caterpie, Jaune got the idea of becoming a bug collector and tried to catch a Caterpie on his own, resulting in Caterpie firing its string at Jaune and sealing his mouth. With the string more powerful than duct tape, Jaune's only chance of treatment was to wait until they went to the Pokémon Center.

Once they spotted the building in the distance, Jaune immediately ran faster than Ruby into the center. Jaune went straight to the nurse and started begging for help. The nurse could only look at him in confusion since he couldn't actually say anything.

"Sir, are you okay?" asked the nurse. Jaune tried pointing at his mouth and talking slow, but it didn't make things any clearer. Ruby finally arrived to clear things up.

"My friend here got a mouthful of String Shot. Is there anything you can do?"

"Of course," said the nurse. "Come with me to the back."

While Jaune went with the nurse to get treated, Ruby decided to stock up on supplies at the center's market.

"Let's see, I've got potions, Poké Balls, treats...oh, they got technical machines here!" Ruby went over to the TM section to see what moves they had on sale. Upon looking at the prices, she checked her wallet and realized that after all the supplies she needed to buy, she couldn't afford any of them. "Aw nuts. I'm gonna have to call dad again."

Ruby took her supplies and headed to the counter to ask for directions.

"Excuse me sir, do you know how to get to Marrón City?"

"You've got one of two ways," said the man at the counter. "You can take the path just outside the center and keep going that way, or you're feeling brazen, you can go through A-M Cave."

"What's A-M Cave?"

"The Amarillo-Marrón Cave. It's quicker than taking the path, but it's pitch black and full of wild Pokémon, so it's not safe for normal travelers."

"I'm not a normal traveler. I can handle some wild Pokémon."

"I see you're itching to go. Normally I'd help you out, but right now you're better off taking the long route to Marrón City."

"Why? Something wrong with the cave?"

"Word going around is that one Pokémon in particular is causing trouble for everybody in that cave, human and Pokémon alike."

The merchant pointed to a bulletin board next to him. Posted on the wall was a wanted poster for a Pokémon called Tyrogue. Ruby took out her Pokédex to get more information.

__Tyrogue__

__Scuffle Pokémon__

__To brush up on its fighting skills, it will challenge anyone. It has a very strong competitive spirit.__

"That thing doesn't look so menacing," said Ruby.

"It may look like a typical Pokémon, but that thing attacks every trainer and Pokémon in sight without a second thought."

"But how is that different than any of the other Pokémon in that cave?"

"See, Pokémon in an environment tend to have respect for each other and the environment they live in. Pokémon may pick fights with each other now and again, but they always make sure to protect the place they call home. This Tyrogue on the other hand isn't from around here, and just tries to fight anybody by any means necessary. Ever since that thing showed up, we've been getting more cases of cave-ins and landslides than normal. If someone doesn't catch this Tyrogue soon, A-M Cave is going to have to be closed permanently."

"Well I'm not going to let some random Pokémon scare me off. I need to capture some strong Pokémon, and maybe this Tyrogue is just the one I need!"

"You're pretty brave to be wanting to go in that cave. Tell you what, I'll help you out." The cashier pulled out a TM and handed it to Ruby. "This is for a move called Flash. Teach this to a Pokémon and they'll light the way for you, so you don't have to waste your scroll's battery power. I'll throw this baby in for free."

"Thanks mister!" said Ruby, taking the CD and smiling.

"Good luck with dealing with that Tyrogue. Take extra precaution now you hear?"

Ruby paid for her goods and headed to the PC in the center to teach one of her Pokémon Flash. Meanwhile, Jaune had the String Shot removed but was feeling sore from the operation.

"Feeling okay Jaune?" asked Ruby.

"It was like ripping off a tight band-aid!" complained Jaune. "It really hurt!"

"Oh don't be such a baby. Anyway, once I'm done here we're heading into A-M Cave."

"A cave? You mean a dark place full of creepy Pokémon? Couldn't we just take the normal way?"

"What's wrong Jaune? Scared of the dark?"

"Yes! Dark places are where all the scariest Pokémon come from!"

"Sorry Jaune, but I'm not going to waste time taking the safe route, and I need stronger Pokémon. Besides, maybe cave exploring could be your calling."

"Okay, I'll come with you. But only because it's never a good idea to go into creepy caves alone."

"My hero," said Ruby sarcastically.

#

Ruby, Eevee, and Jaune entered A-M Cave, and sure enough, it was pitch black the moment they entered the cave. Flying beside them was Ruby's Beedrill, whose eyes were emitting bright red lights to help them get through the cave. Jaune was crept out having to walk alongside a Beedrill.

"Ruby, do we really need to have your Beedrill out like this?" asked Jaune. "These red lights are really freaking me out."

"Sorry Jaune," said Ruby, "but Beedrill was the only Pokémon I had that can learn Flash. Besides, who else is going to protect us from all the 'scary' Pokémon in this cave?"

"I'm telling you, caves are home to the worst Pokémon out there!"

"Jaune, you're really overreacting-"

Suddenly the two of them heard a loud screech nearby. Jaune freaked out and curled up into a ball on the ground. The Beedrill looked around for the source of the noise; it looked up and spotted a Zubat flying around them.

"Get it away, get it away!" cried Jaune.

"It's just a Zubat Jaune," said Ruby. "Beedrill, go take care of it."

The Beedrill swung its needles and took out the Zubat with relative ease. Ruby threw a Poké Ball and caught the Zubat easily, then helped Jaune back up to his feet.

"See Jaune? There's nothing to worry about."

"Heh, I guess you're right." As they kept walking through the cave, Jaune was starting to calm down. "Maybe this cave isn't so bad after-" Jaune suddenly tripped over a rock and fell on his face. "Dang it!"

"Are you okay?" asked Ruby.

"I tripped over this stupid rock!" said Jaune, getting up and trying to kick the rock that caused it to trip, only to get a stubbed toe in return. As Jaune was moaning in pain, the rock suddenly sprouted arms and turned to Jaune. Upon seeing the rock come to life, Jaune started freaking out again.

"AAH! That rock just came to life!"

"It's not a rock Jaune, it's a Geodude. Get'em Beedrill."

Jaune crawled away to safety as Beedrill started fighting Geodude. Beedrill attacked Geodude with its Twin Needle, but did little damage against Geodude. Geodude picked up a rock and threw it at Beedrill, who dodged it and went for another Twin Needle, still doing little damage. Geodude curled up to raise its defense even further.

"This thing has a strong defense. Beedrill, use Poison String!"

The Beedrill raised its poisoned stinger and started to jab the Geodude repeatedly. Although the move would barely do any damage, Ruby was hoping that the Geodude would be poisoned to weaken it sufficiently, and sure enough, Geodude started showing signs of being poisoned. The Geodude started moaning as if it was sick. Ruby threw her Poké Ball and captured Geodude.

"Good job Beedrill. That's two for two." Ruby turned to see if Jaune was okay; Jaune laid back against a wall and was tightly holding on to Eevee for comfort, who wasn't liking Jaune's death grip.

"I told you!" said Jaune. "I told you caves have the worst kind of Pokémon!"

"Jaune, caves are not creepy. You need just to watch where you're going. Now c'mon, we still have more exploring to do."

"Fine, but I'm holding on to Eevee!"

"Eevee?" said Eevee, not wanting to have to be assigned as Jaune's babysitter.

"All right, you can hold on to Eevee if it'll help you get through this cave." Ruby bent down to whisper to Eevee. "Do this for me and I'll reward you with some Poképuffs later, okay?"

Eevee squinted at Ruby and frowned; she wasn't sure delicious treats was going to be enough for this job, but didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

Ruby's party continued to explore the cave, with Jaune walking slowly and holding on to Eevee for moral support. For a while the only Pokémon they came across were Zubats and the occasional Geodude. While her Beedrill was getting some good experience from all the fights, Ruby was getting disappointed by the lack of variety the cave had to offer. She was hoping that before she found the exit she would come across a particularly wanted Pokémon. As they continued exploring the cave, they began to hear something coming out of the wall.

"What's going on?" asked Jaune, panicking and squeezing the life out of Eevee.

"It sounds like something is digging out of the wall," said Ruby. "Beedrill, see if you can find anything."

Beedrill pointed it's Flash brightened eyes at the wall and began searching; in the middle of the wall, rocks and dirt starting falling out as something was emerging from the wall. Ruby was anticipating for something cool, while Jaune was praying for something not scary. What came out was a small Pokémon with an iron head, digging its way out.

"Now that looks like something worth capturing!" Ruby took out her Pokédex to scan her new find.

__Aron__

__Iron Armor Pokémon__

__This Pokémon has a body of steel. To make its body, Aron feeds on iron ore that it digs from mountains.__

"Iron armor huh? Sounds exactly like the kind of Pokémon that needs to join Team Ruby!" Ruby grabbed her Poké Ball and called out Fletchinder. Noticing Ruby calling out a Pokémon, the Aron turned to Fletchinder and started charging at it.

"Fletchinder, Ember attack!"

Fletchinder spat a fireball at Aron. The fireball hit Aron in the face and caused it to stop. The Aron tried to use Mud-Slap on Fletchinder, only for Fletchinder to simply fly up and avoid being hit. Fletchinder hit Aron with another Ember, dealing some more damage to Aron. "All right Fletchy, keep it up!" said Ruby. The Aron started to get mad and began gearing up for a Headbutt.

Before it can start its attack, something from the dark suddenly came running in and tackled Aron on its side. The Pokémon grabbed Aron by the head and tried to throw Aron; the Aron shook the Pokémon off and turned its attention to its mystery assailant.

"What is that?" asked Jaune. Beedrill focused its eyes on the mystery Pokémon; it was the wanted Pokémon Tyrogue.

"It's Tyrogue!" said Ruby. "Just the one I was looking for!"

Tyrogue tried to Tackle Aron again, only to get a Mud-Slap to the face. As Tyrogue was wiping the mud out of its eyes, the Aron charged at Tyrogue with a Headbutt, causing severe damage to the Tyrogue.

"Better act fast," said Jaune. "If that Aron beats up Tyrogue too badly, it'll be impossible to catch."

"Fletchinder, get Aron's attention!" said Ruby. Fletchinder got in front of Aron and started to Peck at it. The pecking barely did any damage but was enough for the Aron to focus back on Fletchinder instead of Tyrogue. Aron starting swiping its Metal Claw at Fletchinder; Fletchinder flew back in order to get the Aron away from Tyrogue.

As Ruby was dealing with Aron, Tyrogue got up and looked around to find something to throw at Aron. He found a boulder lying near the wall; he picked it up and started making his way towards Aron and Fletchinder. Meanwhile, Aron knocked Fletchinder to the ground with its Metal Claw, then rammed into it with a Headbutt. Fletchinder flew back up and fired Ember at Aron. The flames caused Aron to back away from Fletchinder.

"All right Fletchinder, use Quick Attack!" Fletchinder flew quickly at Aron and was about to strike when Tyrogue threw its boulder at them. The boulder almost hit Fletchinder, who thankfully stopped mid-flight before getting seriously hurt. Beedrill turned its eyes on Tyrogue.

"Hey!" shouted Ruby. "You nearly hurt my Fletchinder!"

"Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, then charged after Fletchinder. Tyrogue tried to jump up and grab Fletchinder, who simply flew up to get away from Tyrogue. Seeing the Pokémon that sucker attacked it, Aron rammed into Tyrogue with a Headbutt. Tyrogue got up and hit Aron with a Fake Out, causing Aron to flinch. He then picked Aron up and rammed it straight through a pillar, causing it to break apart; some of the rocks above them began to fall down as a result. The Aron was barely in any condition to fight, but Tyrogue keep attacking Aron without letting up.

"That's enough Tyrogue!" said Ruby. "Leave that Aron alone!"

Tyrogue ignored Ruby and continued to pummel Aron. A minute ago Ruby saved Tyrogue from Aron, and now she needed to save Aron from Tyrogue. "Fletchinder, go after Tyrogue!"

Fletchinder flew down and used Peck on Tyrogue. The pecking caused Tyrogue to lose focus on Aron and turn around to hit Fletchinder. With Tyrogue being a Fighting type, he had a hard time trying to attack Fletchinder who simply stayed in the air to avoid his attacks. With Tyrogue now distracted, the Aron got up and ran towards one of the cave walls, then started digging into the wall to make its escape. Tyrogue saw Aron trying to escape and immediately ran after it, but by the time he reached Aron, Aron had already dug several feet into the wall where Tyrogue couldn't reach.

"Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, frustrated that Aron ran away. He began to punch the wall repeatedly, causing more rocks to fall from the ceiling. Suddenly, the rocks kept falling in rapid numbers.

"What's going on?" asked Jaune.

"Beedrill, scan the ceiling!" said Ruby. Beedrill looked up and lit the ceiling with its Flash; the ceiling was forming cracks in all directions. A large chunk of the ceiling suddenly fell to the ground, causing a loud thud that shook the ground, forcing Tyrogue to stop and notice the ceiling as well.

"The cave is coming down!" said Jaune. "We have to get out of here!"

Ruby called back Fletchinder as she and her party started to run away as more large chunks of boulder started falling down. Ruby looked back to see if the Tyrogue had run away, but the boulders came down so fast it was impossible to tell.

After about a minute the cave stopped collapsing; Ruby and Jaune made it a safe enough distance to avoid getting hurt. Once they were in the clear, they stopped to catch their breath.

"Since when does a Tyrogue live in a cave?" asked Jaune.

"They don't," said Ruby. "That Tyrogue is an exception."

"An exception?"

Before Ruby can explain, a light suddenly flashed on them.

"Hey!" said a voice near the light. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine!" said Ruby. "Who are you?"

"Pokémon Ranger Fox," said the voice. "Come with me; you need to leave the cave immediately."

#

Ruby and Jaune were now outside of the cave as miners entered the cave to assess the damage. Overseeing the operation was a Pokémon ranger named Fox. Judging by the scowl on his face, he didn't seem like the kind of ranger to ever be in a good mood.

"It's a good thing you escaped when you did," said Fox. "What happened in there?"

"Oh, you know," said Ruby. "Just...trying to catch some Pokémon." Ruby tried to avoid mentioning she went in there to capture Tyrogue on purpose.

"Until this Tyrogue suddenly showed up and attacked us!" exclaimed Jaune. Ruby hit Jaune for blowing their story.

"Tyrogue huh?" said Fox. "So he's still in this cave after all. I'm afraid you two will have to stay out of the cave until further notice."

"Come on!" said Ruby. "Just because of some random Pokémon causing trouble?"

"This isn't a random Pokémon ma'am. I've been tracking this Tyrogue for several months."

"Did you say months?" asked Jaune. "He's been doing this for months?"

"I first received word of Tyrogue on another route," explained Fox. "Trainers were calling the rangers and telling them about an unusually aggressive Pokémon. At first we figured it was just a Pokémon that loved fighting, but we decided to investigate just in case. Turns out Tyrogue is dangerous; he's been attacking any Pokémon and trainer it comes across to a fight without a second thought. When I first came across Tyrogue, I tried to scan it to obtain more information about it, and that's when I found out why Tyrogue is so aggressive; it had a previous trainer."

"So that Tyrogue was an abandoned Pokémon?" asked Ruby.

All this time Eevee was simply lying around Ruby waiting for them to leave, not paying attention to their conversation. Hearing that dreaded word caused Eevee to suddenly listen to what Fox was saying.

"Most people who let go of a Pokémon drop them off at a center or daycare; this one was improperly let go into the wild. Abandoning Pokémon in the wild can cause them to become emotionally unstable, including being violently aggressive. I tried to capture it myself and ensure it a better life, but that Tyrogue refuses to listen. It's almost as if it refuses to ever associate itself with trainers, and wants to fight for the sake of fighting. Now that it's been causing problems in A-M Cave, we've been ordered to detain Tyrogue permanently."

"What do you mean detain permanently?" asked Ruby.

"If we feel a Pokémon is too dangerous to be in the wild, the rangers are ordered to capture the Pokémon and keep them away from the wild for good."

"What you're basically saying is you're going to give Tyrogue a life sentence!"

"Don't you think that's an inhumane thing to do?" asked Jaune.

"I'm personally against that myself," said Fox, "but as rangers, we have to ensure the safety of other people and Pokémon, even if it means taking the extreme measurement of detainment."

"Look, I'll just capture Tyrogue and we'll be done with it!" said Ruby.

"I'm sorry, but as the Pokémon ranger in charge of this operation, I cannot allow you to enter the cave until Tyrogue has either left the premises or has been caught."

"C'mon Ruby," said Jaune. "There's nothing more we can do here."

"Eevee," confirmed Eevee. Ruby sighed and decided to head back to the Pokémon Center.

As Ruby was heading back, the only thing on her mind was what was going to happen to Tyrogue.

"I feel bad for that Tyrogue. First it gets abandoned, and now they're going to detain him. It isn't fair!"

"You heard what Fox said though," said Jaune. "That Tyrogue is too dangerous. They need to stop him."

"That's bogus!" yelled Ruby. "Tyrogue is only acting that way because some jerk trainer decided to abandon it! Why should Tyrogue get blamed when..." Ruby kicked the dirt, upset at Tyrogue's predicament. Eevee rubbed herself against Ruby to cheer Ruby up. Ruby picked up Eevee and petted her.

"Why are you so upset over Tyrogue?" asked Jaune.

"Because they're treating Tyrogue like a criminal. Tyrogue isn't a criminal; it just needs help. I figure if I can catch Tyrogue, I can be a good trainer to him like I was to Eevee. Guess that won't be happening."

The two arrived at the Pokémon Center. Jaune went into the lobby and played games on his scroll, while Ruby dropped off her Pokémon as she went into the mart and decided to read magazines near the back of the store to kill time. As she was reading, another customer entered the mart.

"Can I help you?" asked the cashier.

"Yes, I'd like to know just how big of a reward that Tyrogue is worth."

Overhearing the customer, Ruby felt disgusted about someone interested in capturing Tyrogue for the money.

"That thing? He's worth about...," the cashier stopped when he got a good look at who he was talking to. "Hey wait a minute, aren't you-"

"Ah ah ah," said the customer. "Now you wouldn't want me to cause a scene here would you?"

Ruby turned around to see what was going on, and was shocked to see a familiar face. The customer was Roman Torchwick, and he was holding his cane up to the cashier like he was going to mug him. The cashier held his hands up and went quiet, not wanting to get hurt or worse. Ruby hid behind a shelf so she wouldn't be seen.

"Now, how much for that Tyrogue on the wall?" asked Torchwick.

"About 20,000 Lien."

"Just 20,000? Guess that's better than nothing. Where was this Tyrogue last seen?"

"He's currently in A-M Cave, but the rangers have shut down the cave-"

"All right then. Before I go, mind giving me some of those TMs at say, a five finger discount?"

The cashier slowly walked over to the TM section and handed Torchwick several TMs. Ruby wanted to jump out and stop Torchwick so badly, but she had no Pokémon to defend herself with.

"Pleasure doing business with you," said Torchwick, tipping his hat and leaving the center.

Once Torchwick was out of sight, Ruby immediately ran to Jaune in the lobby.

"Jaune, we need to get to A-M Cave and find Tyrogue!"

"But that ranger said we couldn't-"

"This is important! We can't let that Tyrogue fall into the wrong hands! We're going!"

Ruby asked the nurse for her Pokémon back, then sprinted out the door to A-M Cave, with Jaune lagging behind.

#

Ruby and Jaune reached A-M Cave, only to find the entrance being blocked by several miners, and it didn't look like they would be moving from their spot for any reason.

"What do we do now?" asked Jaune.

"We need to cause some sort of distraction," said Ruby.

As Ruby and Jaune were trying to come up with an idea, a Zubat suddenly flew out of the cave and started to fly around the miners. The miners were swatting the Zubat away as it flew off into the wild. Seeing this gave Ruby the perfect plan.

"Time to drive these miners batty!"

Ruby called out her Zubat and sent it towards the miners. The Zubat flew around and was annoying the miners, who tried to swat at it and make it go away. Ruby's Zubat used its Supersonic to make a loud screeching noise that pierced the miners ears. Just as the miners were about to use their tools to get rid of Zubat for good, the noise caused several Zubats from inside the cave to suddenly fly out. While the miners were distracted by the Zubats flying around them, Ruby and Jaune quickly ran past them into the cave without being noticed, with Ruby's Zubat quickly flying back to its master.

Now inside the cave, Ruby had Beedrill light the way and looked around to find Tyrogue, hoping neither Fox nor Torchwick got to him first.

"I didn't realize how hard it actually is to find one Pokémon in a cave this big," said Ruby. "There has to be an easier way to find him."

"But how?" asked Jaune. "It's not like we can just go 'Oh Tyrogue!' and he'll suddenly show up."

"Actually...maybe he will!"

"Wait, what?"

"That Tyrogue loves to fight. Maybe if we call him out, he'll show up!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"We don't have much of a choice."

"Actually, we have plenty of choices. Choice one: We leave the cave now-"

Ruby ignored Jaune and started shouting for Tyrogue to come out. Realizing Ruby was dead set on capturing this Tyrogue at all costs, he reluctantly starting calling for Tyrogue to come out as well.

"Come out and fight Tyrogue!" said Ruby.

"Or rather just come out and don't hurt us please," said Jaune, causing Ruby to groan.

Hiding behind one of the stalagmites was Tyrogue. He recognized Ruby and Jaune as the trainers who tried to capture him before. As much as Tyrogue wanted to go after them because of his hatred for humans - especially the one who called themselves "trainers" - he remained where he was to be safe.

"What's wrong Tyrogue?" said Ruby. "Suddenly too scared to fight? Don't want to get your butt kicked all over again?"

Turns out it didn't take much to get under Tyrogue's skin. He immediately jumped out and stood in front of Ruby and Jaune. Jaune quickly backed away as Tyrogue got into his fighting stance, ready for whatever Ruby was about to do.

"That's what I thought!" said Ruby. "All right Fletchinder, time to-" Before Ruby can call out Fletchinder, Eevee suddenly nudged Ruby's leg to get her attention.

"What's wrong Eevee?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee, Eevee-vee!" responded Eevee.

"You don't want me to call out Fletchinder?"

Eevee nodded, then started walking up to Tyrogue.

"Wait Eevee!" Ruby wanted to grab Eevee and get her away in case the Tyrogue seriously hurt her, but Eevee turned around and smacked Ruby's hand away.

"Eevee Eevee!" said Eevee.

"Really?" asked Ruby. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Eevee nodded. Ruby nodded and backed away from Eevee. Jaune was confused as to what was going on.

"What's Eevee doing?" asked Jaune. "Is she going to fight him?"

"No," said Ruby, "I think she's going to talk to him."

The Tyrogue stood ready to fight as his opponent slowly approached him.

"[So you'll be fighting me?]" asked Tyrogue.

"[Tyrogue, you need to stop what you're doing!]" said Eevee. "[You're going to cause the cave to collapse!]"

"[So what? I'll collapse this whole mountain if it makes me stronger!]"

"[Make you stronger? Is that why you've been trying to attack every Pokémon you come across?]"

"[Enough talk! Are you going to fight me or not?]"

"[Why are you so obsessed with fighting? Is it because you were abandoned?]"

The Tyrogue growled and Tackled Eevee for using that word. Jaune was shocked to see Tyrogue attack Eevee.

"We need to do something!" said Jaune.

"Relax," said Ruby. "I trust Eevee knows what she's doing.

Instead of fighting back, Eevee stood back up and continued talking to Tyrogue.

"[What would you know about being abandoned?]" said Tyrogue. "[You don't know what it's like to be gotten rid of because some human thinks you were too weak to fight!]"

"[You're wrong! I too was abandoned for reasons I'll never know! But I found a human who now takes care of me. Eventually you'll find a human to take care of you.]"

"[I don't need a human! I don't need anybody! I can get strong on my own!]"

Tyrogue Tackled Eevee again, who took the hit full force. Tyrogue expected Eevee to start fighting back, but Eevee refused.

"[Don't you realize what you're doing?]" asked Eevee. "[If you cause this cave to collapse, it's going to hurt the Pokémon who live here! If you don't care about the humans, at least think about the Pokémon who need this cave as their home! Are you going to let all the Pokémon here suffer just so you can get stronger?]"

"[What do I care if some Pokémon lose their home? It just shows that they're weak!]"

"[Because then you'll be just as heartless as the trainer who got rid of you!]"

"[You think I'm as heartless as a human? How dare you compare me to them!]"

Tyrogue trudged towards Eevee and picked her up by the fur of her neck. Tyrogue was seething at being compared to the trainer who got rid of him. Tyrogue held up one of his arms, ready to strike Eevee with its Mach Punch. Jaune was nudging Ruby in an effort to jump in and stop this, but Ruby stood where she was.

"[Go ahead and attack me,]" said Eevee. "[I'm not going to fight back.]"

"[Because you know I can defeat you!]" said Tyrogue.

"[Do it then. Prove how heartless you are by attacking a defenseless Pokémon. You'll be guaranteed to never have a trainer look after you when you show them how cruel you are.]"

Ruby and Jaune were holding their breaths, wondering what Tyrogue was going to do. Tyrogue still had his arm wound back ready to strike, but was having second thoughts about hitting Eevee. Tyrogue didn't need a trainer to get stronger; he was getting stronger all on his own. He didn't need help from some human who would just abandon him if he didn't live up to their standards, even if he was only trying his best. He didn't need a trainer to survive the harsh weather environments, or recover his wounds when he got seriously hurt, or comfort him whenever he felt sad, or encourage him whenever he lost a fight he thought he could win. He didn't need a trainer.

Or rather, he wanted a trainer so badly, but he tried convincing himself the opposite, so he wouldn't have to be abandoned all over again.

Tyrogue placed his arms down and let go of Eevee. Ruby and Jaune were relieved to see Tyrogue calm down.

"[You let go of me,]" said Eevee. "[Guess you're not so heartless after all.]"

Before Tyrogue can say anything, a bright flashlight from a distance shined on the two Pokémon. Suddenly they heard a loud burst of what sounded like gunfire, and the next thing the two Pokémon knew, a steel net entangled them and threw them against the wall.

"Where did that come from?" asked Jaune.

"I bet I know who!" said Ruby, turning to the source of the light. It was as Ruby thought; Roman Torchwick had arrived.

"Thanks for doing all the work for me!" said Torchwick. "I heard that Tyrogue was pretty menacing, but you somehow stalled him long enough for me to capture. I'll be sure to send you a thank you note after I rake in the reward money."

"Let go of those Pokémon Torchwick!" demanded Ruby.

"Who is this guy?" asked Jaune.

"Ah, I see you have a new friend," said Torchwick. "Let me introduce myself: I am the stylin'-"

"He's Roman Torchwick," interrupted Ruby, "a scumbag from the White Fang."

"How rude! I'm not just some scumbag from the White Fang, little red! I'm the Commander!"

"So what's a Commander like you doing capturing some wild Pokémon?" asked Jaune. "That kind of sounds like grunt work to me."

"Shut up!" yelled Torchwick. "I am one of the White Fang's top Commanders! In fact, I'm actually the Second in Command!"

"You can be a trainee for all I care!" said Ruby. "Let go of my Eevee and Tyrogue!"

"Sorry, but I need the Tyrogue for the cash, and I need the Eevee because...well, because I just want it."

Torchwick grabbed his Poké Ball and called out his Krookodile. "Now are you going to stay back like a good little trainer or do I have to sic Krookodile on you again?"

"I'm not the same trainer you met in the Emerald Forest!" Ruby grabbed her Poké Ball and called out Fletchinder.

"And I'm going to help!" said Jaune, calling out his Dunsparce.

"Aw, two against one? Now how is that fair?" asked Torchwick rhetorically. "Krookodile, Crunch that annoying kid's bird!" Krookodile ran up to Fletchinder and tried to squeeze Fletchinder with its giant jaws.

"Fletchinder, Agility!" said Ruby. Fletchinder quickly flew away as Krookodile missed.

"Dunsparce, Rollout attack!" said Jaune. Dunsparce curled up into a ball and charged at Krookodile.

"Krookodile, Iron Tail!" said Torchwick. The Krookodile turned its tail into iron and smacked Dunsparce, sending it flying into a wall, knocking it out in one hit. The impact was so great that it caused the cave to start shaking.

"Dunsparce!"

"Well that was easier than I thought," remarked Torchwick, making Jaune feel like an idiot. He really was useless in a battle.

"Fletchinder, Quick Attack!" said Ruby. Fletchinder flew by Krookodile quickly and struck it with its wing. Fletchinder turned around and went for another Quick Attack; Krookodile tried to Crunch down on Fletchinder but was too slow to connect. Torchwick was trying to think of a way to stop Fletchinder now it was much faster than Krookodile; that's when he looked up to the ceiling and got an idea.

"Krookodile, Earthquake attack!" commanded Torchwick.

"Huh?" said Ruby. Earthquake was a Ground move, which means Fletchinder wouldn't be taking any damage. Nonetheless, the Krookodile raised one leg up and stomped it to the ground, causing an Earthquake within the cave. The shaking of the cave caused the stalactites above to start swinging, which Ruby didn't notice.

"Fletchinder, hit him with another Quick Attack!" Fletchinder was going to charge at Krookodile when one of the stalactites fell down on Fletchinder, clipping one of its wings. Fletchinder fell to the ground in sharp pain, unable to fly due to its injured wing. "Fletchinder!"

"Now Krookodile, time for some Foul Play!" Krookodile picked up the injured Fletchinder and slammed it into the ground, causing further damage to Ruby's bird. Just like Dunsparce, it too was unable to continue fighting.

"That's enough!" said Ruby, calling Fletchinder back.

"Will that be all little red?" asked Torchwick. "Or do you have more Pokémon for me to send to the injury ward?"

"I'm just getting started!" said Ruby, calling out her newly acquired Geodude next. Ruby knew Geodude wasn't quite as powerful as Fletchinder, but she needed to do something to stop Torchwick.

Meanwhile, Jaune was just standing back wondering what to do. He could call out his Raticate to help out, but considering how terrible he was at fighting, would probably just get his butt kicked again.

__"I can't just stand here and do nothing!" __thought Jaune. __"But at the same time, I don't stand a chance against this guy! There has to be something I can do to save Eevee and Tyrogue..." __That's when Jaune suddenly realized that while Torchwick and Ruby were occupied with fighting each other, neither of them were paying attention to Eevee and Tyrogue.

Jaune turned to make sure Torchwick wasn't looking his way. Indeed, Torchwick was too busy ordering his Krookodile to attack Ruby's Geodude. Jaune quietly called out his Raticate.

"Raticate," whispered Jaune, "sneak over to Eevee and Tyrogue and see if you can break them free of that net."

Meanwhile, Krookodile attacked Geodude with its Iron Tail, knocking Geodude out. A frustrated Ruby called back her Geodude and brought out Zubat in its place.

"A Zubat?" said Torchwick. "You must be getting desperate!"

"I'll do whatever it takes to stop you Torchwick!" said Ruby. "Zubat, Leech Life!"

The Zubat latched on to Krookodile and tried to suck energy out of it. Krookodile grabbed Zubat and slammed it to the ground, then knocked it out in one hit with its Iron Tail. Now the only Pokémon Ruby had left to fight was Beedrill, and Ruby needed it to see in the cave.

"Looks like you're only down to one Pokémon little red!" said Torchwick. "Tell you what, because I'm such a nice guy, I'll cut you a deal."

"What kind of deal?" asked Ruby.

"You let me keep the Tyrogue, and I'll let that Eevee go. I say it's more than fair; after all, it isn't like Tyrogue is your Pokémon anyway."

"Forget it! I'm not letting that Tyrogue get turned in by a jerk like you!"

"In that case, I'll just take every single one of your Pokémon and send you crying back to mommy! Krookodile, Crunch that Beedrill!"

"Beedrill, Twin Needle!"

The Beedrill flew in needles first at Krookodile. Krookodile got it's jaw ready to bite Beedrill's head off, when suddenly Tyrogue appeared and punched Krookodile square in the jaw with a Mach Punch. The surprise attack caught Krookodile off guard and nearly broke Krookodile's mouth with that move.

"Hey, you're supposed to be trapped in that net!" yelled Torchwick. Ruby and Torchwick turned to the net to see Raticate had chewed off part of the net and freed the Pokémon. Eevee came running into Ruby's arms as soon as it got free.

"Are you all right Eevee?" asked Ruby. Eevee chirped happily back.

"Looks like the tides have turned now Torchwick!" boasted Jaune.

"You're one to talk, scrawny blonde!" replied Torchwick. "My Krookodile still outmatches any of your Pokémon!"

The Krookodile was about to charge at Ruby and Jaune when the Tyrogue jumped out and got in the Krookodile's way.

"Tyrogue!" said Tyrogue, daring Krookodile to come after him.

"I'll deal with you two later," said Torchwick. "First I'm going to put this Tyrogue in his place!"

Krookodile charged at Tyrogue and tried to bite down with Crunch. The Tyrogue dodged to the side and hit Krookodile with another Mach Punch to the jaw, dealing critical damage. As the Krookodile was trying to adjust its jaw, Tyrogue rammed into Krookodile and Tackled him to the ground. With Tyrogue on top, he continued pummeling Krookodile. Ruby looked on and started cheering for Tyrogue.

"Way to go Tyrogue!" said Ruby. "Teach that croc a lesson!"

"Krookodile, Foul Play!" ordered Torchwick. Tyrogue went to punch Krookodile again, only for his fist to be caught by Krookodile. Krookodile grabbed Tyrogue's arm and flung Tyrogue into the wall. Tyrogue got up and charged at Krookodile with another Mach Punch; Krookodile swung its Iron Tail and tripped Tyrogue, causing him to fall to the ground. With Tyrogue laying across from Krookodile, Krookodile kept slamming its Iron Tail into the back of Tyrogue, causing serious damage to Tyrogue.

"Uh oh," said Jaune. "I don't think that Tyrogue is going to last much longer!"

"We need to jump in now!" said Ruby. "Let's go Eevee!"

Eevee was about to run over and help Tyrogue when suddenly a stalactite fell from the ceiling and crashed to the ground. Ruby and Jaune looked up to see the ceiling looking in really bad shape, even worse than the first cave-in.

"I don't think we have enough time!" said Jaune. "This cave looks like it's going to collapse at any second!"

An idea sparked in Ruby's head. Perhaps they can use this dilemma to their advantage.

"Jaune, take Eevee and get ready to run," said Ruby.

"Why? What are you going to do?"

"I'm about to get us all out of here."

Krookodile continued to pound on Tyrogue until he was so injured he could barely move. With Tyrogue unable to move, Torchwick took out an empty Poké Ball.

"I hate having to capture these things the old fashioned way," said Torchwick, "but at least I'll still get that reward money." Torchwick went up to the injured Tyrogue and held the ball over its limp body.

"Beedrill, Flash them!" shouted Ruby. Beedrill increased the intensity of its Flash and emitted a bright light that blinded Torchwick and Krookodile, giving Ruby enough time to run over and grab Tyrogue, lifting him away to safety.

"Hey, you can't interfere with another trainer capturing a Pokémon!"

"As if you're one to talk about morals!"

"Good point. Krookodile, swat that overgrown pest!"

Krookodile lunged at Beedrill with its Iron Tail. The Beedrill flew away to avoid getting hit, and decided to take to the air as high as it could.

"Come down here and fight like a real Pokémon!" said Torchwick.

"Can't reach my Beedrill, Torchwick?" asked Ruby. "What are you going to do, use Earthquake to get it back down?"

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea! Krookodile, Earthquake attack!"

The Krookodile stomped its leg hard into the ground, causing the entire cave to shake. Beedrill flew around to avoid the rocks falling from the ceiling as the cracks began growing.

"C'mon Torchwick, that all you got?" mocked Ruby.

"Krookodile, stomp even harder!"

Krookodile stomped the ground even harder, causing the cave to shake even more. The rocks were now coming down at a rapid pace, causing Beedrill to fly back near ground level to avoid getting trampled by the debris.

"Now I've got you! Krookodile, Crunch that Beedrill!"

Krookodile opened its jaws and went to chomp Beedrill when a large rock suddenly fell on its jaw and crushed it to the ground. Krookodile removed the rock and whimpered in the pain. Soon another large rock fell down to the ground, followed by another.

"The cave is collapsing!" said Jaune.

"That's our cue!" said Ruby. "C'mon Beedrill!"

Beedrill flew in front of Ruby's party to light the way as they made their escape.

"Oh no you don't!" said Torchwick. "Krookodile, go after them!" Krookodile was about to give chase when a large boulder fell on its head, knocking it out. "Do I HAVE to do everything myself?" Torchwick recalled Krookodile and started chasing Ruby when a mountain of dirt suddenly came down and blocked Torchwick from going after them. Now Torchwick needed to find a way out or else he'd be buried in the cave.

Ruby and crew were running as fast as they could as the cave continued to come tumbling down. They made it out to the entrance just as the ceiling came down and completely blocked the pathway. Now that they were outside, they all stopped to catch their breath.

"I never ran that much in my life!" said Jaune, collapsing to the floor in exhaustion.

"Ahem!" Ruby was suddenly greeted by Ranger Fox. "Care to explain what you were doing in that cave?"

"I was trying to save Tyrogue," said Ruby.

"Save him? He just caused this cave to collapse! It could be weeks before the cave is cleared enough for anyone to pass through."

"Tyrogue didn't cause this; I did. I'll take the blame for what happened here."

"You sure about that? Causing a collapse this big is grounds for a serious fine, not to mention a prohibition on your trainer license. On the other hand, you can hand over Tyrogue and admit he was the cause."

"Then go ahead and fine me," said Ruby, clutching the injured Tyrogue in her arms. Fox admired the way Ruby was standing up for this Pokémon that didn't even belong to her.

"You really care about that Tyrogue. In that case, I'm going to mark this down as an unrelated accident. Let's get him to a Pokémon Center right away."

"Thank you," said Ruby, relieved to see Fox have a change of heart.

#

Ruby and Jaune spent the night at the Pokémon Center as everyone's Pokémon were recovering. By morning, Ruby and Jaune got up and were getting ready to head to Marrón City.

"You realize with A-M Cave out of commission, we're going to have to walk, right?" said Jaune.

"I don't mind the walk," said Ruby. "Besides, you can use the exercise yourself."

"I'm not that out of shape," muttered Jaune under his breath. Before they left, they were greeted by Fox.

"Heading off?" asked Fox.

"Yep," said Ruby. "So what will happen to Tyrogue?"

"I was going to help Tyrogue find a home, but the nurse told me as soon as he recovered, he ran away. Kind of sad really; I would of thought he'd want to stay with you after how much you helped him."

"Guess that Tyrogue just likes being alone," said Ruby. "I just hope he doesn't cause any more trouble for other Pokémon."

Ruby and Jaune left the center and started on their path towards Marrón City. With the route being a regular plain with few grassy areas, it didn't look like they'd be stumbling into Pokémon any time soon.

"Sorry that you couldn't get your Tyrogue Ruby," said Jaune.

"Easy come easy go," said Ruby. "They'll be plenty of other Pokémon to catch."

"Tyrogue!"

"Did you just hear that?" asked Jaune. Ruby and Jaune turned around to see Tyrogue standing behind them. Eevee walked up to Tyrogue.

"[Are you still trying to pick a fight?]" asked Eevee.

"[No,]" said Tyrogue. "[I came to thank you and your human friends. You saved me from the collapse and showed me what I was doing was wrong. Before you leave, I wish for one more favor.]" Tyrogue pointed up to Ruby. "[I want to fight your human partner's Pokémon and see if she's worthy of being my trainer!]"

"I don't speak Pokémon, but it sounds like you want to fight me."

Tyrogue nodded, then got into position, ready to fight whoever Ruby would send out.

"All right then! Let's go Fletchinder!"

Ruby called out Fletchinder to battle Tyrogue. Tyrogue immediately tried to attack with a Mach Punch, but Fletchinder dodged the attack and Pecked at Tyrogue. Tyrogue used Fake Out to flinch Fletchinder, then jumped up and Mach Punched Fletchinder in the face, knocking it to the ground. Tyrogue went to Tackle Fletchinder; Fletchinder shot Ember at Tyrogue to stop him. Fletchinder then got up and nailed Tyrogue with several Quick Attacks, then used another Ember to knock Tyrogue down.

"Now's my chance!" said Ruby, throwing her Poké Ball to capture Tyrogue. Tyrogue went inside the ball and tried to fight out of it, but ultimately succumbed to it and officially became Ruby's Pokémon.

"Welcome to the team Tyrogue!" said Ruby as she held up her newly acquired Pokémon. Despite losing the battle, the Tyrogue felt at peace; he finally got the trainer he wanted.

#

"Dig faster you stupid croc!" said Torchwick. Him and his Krookodile spent all night trying to dig out of A-M Cave, and were still no closer to finding a way out.

"Stupid boss making me do this stupid mission because that stupid little red messed up my stupid plans," pouted Torchwick. He got so frustrated he picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could. The rock hit a Zubat hanging from the ceiling, causing it to start screeching. Suddenly, Torchwick could hear what sounded like hundreds of wings flapping at the same time. Torchwick looked up and saw he had awakened all of the Zubats, and all of them were now going after him.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" yelled Torchwick as he was tortured by the Zubats.


	5. The Status Tactician! Ruby vs Velvet

After walking for a couple hours, Ruby and the gang were taking a break on their route to Marrón City. There were hardly any Pokémon for Ruby to battle, so the walk had been pretty boring. Ruby and Jaune's Pokémon were eating their treats or running around playing. Ruby was on her scroll getting information about Marrón City. The pictures of Marrón City showed trees standing beside nearly every building in the city. Tall grass and flowers were growing all across the sides of the roads, with small Pokémon scampering through. The place looked less like a city and more like a park. Ruby was looking up info about the city's gym.

"According to this, Marrón City's gym leader likes to use Grass type Pokémon," said Ruby.

"So it should be a cinch for you, right?" asked Jaune. "Your Fletchinder alone should be able to beat whatever Pokémon they use."

"Do you know what kind of Pokémon they use?"

"Not a clue."

"Really? You don't know anything about the gym leader there?"

"What makes you think I would know anything?"

"I just assumed gym leaders would get to know each other."

"They do, but..."

"You've never talked to another gym leader, have you?"

Jaune crawled up into a ball and moaned. So not only was Jaune unable to battle properly, he never interacted with his fellow gym leaders like a real gym leader would have.

"How come you never talk to any of them?" asked Ruby.

"Just think about it," said Jaune. "A kid who didn't earn his position and went on an incredible losing streak trying to act like he's on the level of trainers who actually know what they're doing? Does that sound like someone you'd want to hang out with?"

"I see your point."

"I really hope I find this true calling of mine soon."

The group gathered their stuff and went back on the route to Marrón City. Jaune looked down and felt miserable after Ruby brought up how lousy of a trainer he was. Ruby patted Jaune on the back.

"Sorry I brought it up," said Ruby. "We'll find your calling eventually Jaune. I promise."

#

After about another hour of walking, the group arrived at Marrón City. It was as beautiful as it looked on the scroll. Ruby and Jaune walked around and were amazed at how the buildings fit perfectly amongst the scenery. They went to the Pokémon Center to heal their Pokémon, then headed to the Marrón City gym. Unlike the one in Amarillo City, this one was much grander in size.

"Look at this place!" said Jaune. "This one looks like a mall compared to the one in Amarillo!"

"I didn't want to say anything," said Ruby. "This doesn't bother you at all?"

"Every city builds their gym to their own preferences. My dad kept things simple and to the point. I wonder what this place is like?"

Ruby and Jaune entered the gym. The lobby was full of people with their Pokémon, mostly small children. Most of the Pokémon they were playing with were low level monsters.

"You think all these kids are here for a battle?" asked Ruby.

"They don't look like the battling type," remarked Jaune. "Maybe they're just here to watch the gym leader battle."

"Well then I'll give them a show worth watching."

Ruby went up to the front desk and rang the bell for service. Out from the back came a man nearly seven feet tall and wearing light green armor. Ruby was in awe at the size and look of this man; his face alone looked like the face of someone who was ready to battle and destroy anyone who challenged him to a fight. Jaune's legs were starting to tremble at the sight of him, while Ruby was trying her best to not look intimidated. The man went up to the desk and looked down on Ruby.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I uh...want to...bah...," stuttered Ruby.

"Excuse me?"

Ruby suddenly shook her head and pointed her finger up to the tall man. "I challenge you to a battle for my second badge!"

"You wish to battle for a badge?"

"That's right! Why, you think I'm scared of you? I'm not afraid of any trainer no matter how big and strong they look! Bring it on big boy!"

With Ruby trying to sound loud and tough, everyone in the lobby turned their attention to her. The tall man simply smiled.

"I admire your tenacity to battle, but if you're here for a badge, I'm not the gym leader."

"Wait, what?" asked Ruby, starting to sound embarrassed for her behavior.

"Velvet! You have a challenger waiting for you!"

Out from the back came a woman just slightly taller than Ruby, wearing an apron and carrying a Bunnelby in her arms. She was also wearing some kind of hat that made her look like she had rabbit ears growing out of her head.

"Sorry about that," said Velvet. "These little ones get really antsy when they're hungry."

"I told you I could handle the Pokémon for you," said the tall man.

"I'm fine Yatsuhashi. So, which of you will be challenging for a badge today?"

"That would be the fierce one in red," said Yatsuhashi, pointing to the girl whose face was now about as red as her outfit. Ruby snapped out of her embarrassment to shake Velvet's hand.

"I'm Ruby Rose."

"Nice to meet you Ruby. I'm Velvet. Do you mind waiting for a bit while I get the area ready?"

"Not a problem."

#

Jaune was amazed at the sight of the Marrón City gym. Much like Jaune's gym, there was a monitor to the side to keep track of the Pokémon's health and bleachers for fans. Unlike Jaune's gym, the area itself looked like a grassy plain one would find wild Pokémon in, and the bleachers were full of the children from the lobby cheering for Velvet. A bunch of Pokémon lined up in the front row, also cheering for Velvet. Jaune and Yatsuhashi stood towards the back of the stands to get a view of the entire area.

"Is this really the gym?" asked Jaune.

"For battles, yes," said Yatsuhashi. "Other times this place serves as a breeding center. Velvet is more than just a gym leader; she's an expert Pokémon breeder. She takes care of baby Pokémon and helps trainers in breeding their Pokémon. Trainers of all skills come to visit us, from children wanting to learn the basics to experts in trying to create the strongest fighters possible."

Once Ruby was done with her forms, her and Eevee came out from the challenger's side. Velvet came out from the leader's side, now dressed in her brown armor while still wearing the rabbit ears hat. As soon as Velvet came out, all the children and Pokémon started cheering for her.

"Because you have one badge, we will be using two Pokémon each," said Velvet. "Good luck Ruby."

"You can do it Miss Scarlatina!" shouted one of the kids.

"You're the best Miss Scarlatina!" shouted another.

Once the starting signal sounded, the trainers called out their first Pokémon. Velvet's first Pokémon was Petilil; Ruby's first Pokémon was Fletchinder. Knowing Velvet used Grass types, Ruby figured her best bet was to use Fletchinder for the entire battle.

"Ah, a Fire and Flying hybrid," remarked Velvet. "An excellent choice against Grass types."

"Hate to break it to you and your fans," said Ruby, "but this battle isn't going to last very long."

"It won't be that easy Ruby. Type advantage isn't the only way to win battles."

"Let's make this quick Fletchinder. Ember attack!"

Fletchinder started shooting small fireballs at Petilil. Petilil ran around to avoid the flames, but with the grassy plain, quickly started to find herself surrounded by fire. Despite the danger it was in, Petilil and Velvet kept calm. Fletchinder flew down closer, ready to fire at Petilil from nearly point blank range.

"Fire away Fletchinder!" Fletchinder shot another Ember at Petilil.

"Petilil, Stun Spore now!" Petilil shot a burst of yellow pollen at Fletchinder. The Ember smashed into Petilil and did serious damage to Petilil, while the pollen nearly covered Fletchinder's body. Fletchinder tried to fly away when it suddenly fell to the ground, barely able to move its wings.

"What's going on?" asked Jaune. "What happened to Fletchinder?"

"It's been paralyzed by the Stun Spore," said Yatsuhashi.

"A little paralysis isn't going to stop us!" said Ruby. "C'mon Flet, use Quick Attack!"

Fletchinder tried to get up and use the attack but could barely flap its wings. The Stun Spore was worse than Ruby realized.

"Petilil, Leech Seed," commanded Velvet. Petilil shot a seed at the paralyzed Fletchinder. The seed attached to Fletchinder and sprouted into vines that wrapped itself around Fletchinder. The seed drained Fletchinder's energy and transferred it to Petilil.

"Shake it off Fletchinder!" said Ruby. Fletchinder tried to remove the leech seed, but was impossible due to its limited mobility. The seed drained more energy from Fletchinder as Petilil was starting to recover from the damage done by Ember.

"Petilil, Magical Leaf." Petilil powered up its leaves and fired at Fletchinder. Being a Grass move, it barely did any damage to Fletchinder, but combined with the Leech Seed, Fletchinder was losing a lot of health.

"Fight back Fletchinder! Peck that little plant!"

Fletchinder recovered some feeling in its body and went to Peck at Petilil. The move did major damage to Petilil, nearly knocking it out if not for Leech Seed giving it the energy it needed to stay alive.

"Your Petilil may not be a pushover, but Fletchinder still has more strength than it does!"

"Petilil, time to use Toxic!" said Velvet. Petilil fired a glob of purple liquid from its head onto Fletchinder. Fletchinder began gagging, its body now badly poisoned. Ruby was getting worried that Fletchinder was going to fall.

"Hurry Fletchinder, use Quick Attack!" said Ruby. Fletchinder flapped its wings and charged at Petilil, but the poison took its toll and caused Fletchinder to stop as its body couldn't take the pain. Whatever energy Fletchinder had left was drained by Leech Seed, putting an end to Fletchinder's battle.

"No way!" said Jaune. "She beat Fletchinder!"

"Velvet's key to winning battles is to inflict status conditions on the opponent," explained Yatsuhashi. "By causing the opponent's Pokémon to suffer various ailments, it impairs their ability to fight at their fullest, if at all. People around here like to call her the status tactician."

Ruby sighed and called back Fletchinder. She underestimated what Velvet's Pokémon would be capable of and it cost her. Now she needed to think about who to send out next.

"Do you need more time to think of your next Pokémon?" asked Velvet.

"I know exactly who I'm using," said Ruby, turning to Eevee. "All right Eevee, let's win that badge-"

Suddenly one of Ruby's Poké Balls opened up on its own. Out came Tyrogue, ready to start fighting.

"So Tyrogue will be your second choice?" said Velvet.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" said Ruby. "Tyrogue, I didn't call you out!"

"Tyrogue!" he shouted back. He really wanted to start fighting. Ruby didn't want to use Tyrogue, but considering she hadn't put any thought in her second choice, decided to let Tyrogue do what he wanted.

"If you really want to go, so be it." Before Ruby can give the first command, Tyrogue charged straight for Petilil. "Tyrogue, wait!"

"Petilil, fire your Stun Spore!" said Velvet. Petilil fired its Stun Spore at Tyrogue and paralyzed Tyrogue much like she did Fletchinder. Tyrogue tried to fight through the paralysis and use a Mach Punch, but his body was so slow that Petilil was able to dodge. Petilil fired a Leech Seed and started to absorb Tyrogue's energy much like she did to Fletchinder. Ruby can only watch as Tyrogue's body was unable to move, taking the brunt of Petilil's attacks. Tyrogue was down before it can even lay a finger on Petilil, and just like that, Velvet was the victor.

"Your winner, Velvet Scarlatina!" declared Yatsuhashi. The children and Pokémon cheered for Velvet's victory while Ruby called back her Tyrogue and sighed.

"Well, guess it's off to the Pokémon Center for me," said Ruby, turning around to leave.

"Actually Ruby," said Velvet, "we have a healing center right here. You can rest your Pokémon here, and while you wait, how would you like to be a part of my class today?"

"Class?"

"I'm not just a gym leader; I also teach trainers about raising Pokémon. I'd be more than happy to give you any pointers."

"Sure. I could definitely use some after that loss."

#

The children sat on the grassy plain next to their Pokémon, with Ruby and Jaune sitting towards the back. Velvet and Yatsuhashi stood in front of the class; next to Velvet was her signature Pokémon Lilligant.

"Okay class, before we begin our first lesson, I'd like to ask you a question. What factors do you believe makes a Pokémon strong?" The kids immediately tried to raise their hand, while Jaune was waving like mad hoping to get picked.

"Settle down Jaune," said Ruby.

"Why don't we ask our new students what they think?" said Velvet, pointing towards Ruby and Jaune.

"Strong Pokémon need powerful moves!" said Jaune.

"Good moves do help, but there's more to it than that."

"Well, you also need to train with them a lot."

"Training is important as well, but you're only seeing things through a battling perspective. Many trainers tend to overlook one key factor that makes your Pokémon strong. Can anyone tell me what it is?"

"I believe I know," said Ruby. "It's happiness."

"Bingo," said Velvet. "Your Pokémon's happiness is an important factor when raising them. A high level Pokémon with no love or respect for their trainer will always be weaker than a Pokémon that does."

"But how does being happy make them stronger?" one kid asked.

"Studies have shown that Pokémon who have a strong bond for their trainer are more likely to land critical hits and survive intense attacks that would otherwise knock them out."

__"I wonder if that's why Tyrogue is still weak," __thought Ruby. Tyrogue had to have put himself in dozens, if not hundreds of battles, and yet no matter how intense Tyrogue trained himself, he never seemed to actually improve.

"Today, we're going to learn to bond with our Pokémon with an exercise I like to use with my Pokémon called face matching. Watch me and Lilligant."

Velvet sat in front of Lilligant and made the same blank face Lilligant made. Lilligant tilted it's head to the right, so Velvet tilted hers to the left. Lilligant tilted the other way as Velvet followed. Lilligant made a happy face, so Velvet did the same. Lilligant jumped up and down in joy of Velvet mimicking her.

"All right everyone, start making faces with your Pokémon."

The children turned to their Pokémon and started mimicking their faces. Velvet walked around to observe how everyone was doing. Jaune was trying to practice with his Dunsparce, but Dunsparce kept giving off the same dull face; it was hard to tell how exactly Dunsparce was feeling. Ruby was making faces with Eevee, and even copied Eevee's Baby-Doll Eyes look. Eevee chuckled at Ruby's mimicking.

"You and Eevee get along really well," said Velvet. "She must like you a lot."

"It hasn't always been like that," said Ruby. "But I've gotten better."

"I can tell you're a nice trainer Ruby; that's why it surprised me to see that Tyrogue seem like it hated you."

"Well, to make a long story short, I captured him after his last trainer decided to get rid of him."

"I see. How long have you had this Tyrogue?"

"A few hours at most."

"Perhaps instead of doing these exercises with Eevee, we should do them with Tyrogue. I'll have the nurse bring him out for you."

"Are you sure about that? He might not...I mean, what if he just goes off again?"

"Tyrogue's behavior is not going to improve simply on its own. You should bond with him the same way you bond with Eevee. Trust me, I've dealt with misbehaved Pokémon before."

While Velvet and Ruby waited for Tyrogue, Yatsuhashi was showing some of the children and Jaune the various tools he used when training Pokémon at the center.

"This is called a Macho Brace," said Yatsuhashi. "This doubles the effort values a Pokémon gains in battle."

"What's an effort value?" asked Jaune.

"Effort values are special enhancements a Pokémon gains from battle depending on who they fight. Expert trainers search for Pokémon that give off certain values in order to buff their Pokémon accordingly."

"Um...I don't get it."

"I get it!" said one of the kids. "If I wanted to improve my Pokémon's attacks, I'd find a Pokémon that gives off a specific effort value!"

"Precisely," said Yatsuhashi. "Now the usual way of fighting can take a long time, so experts usually use tools such as these to aid the process."

"Can we use them?" asked one of the kids.

"Sorry, but we reserve these tools for the more experienced trainers to use. Speaking of, I need to check on some of the Pokémon here."

As Jaune and the children followed Yatsuhashi around, a nurse arrived with Ruby's Tyrogue. Ruby called out her Tyrogue and sure enough, Tyrogue had a mean look on his face.

"Hey Tyrogue," said Ruby. "You and I are going to do some bonding exercises. Won't that be fun?"

Tyrogue responded by turning his back to Ruby, folded his arms, and sat down. Tyrogue was not in the mood to be doing anything after his humiliating loss in the gym battle.

"C'mon Tyrogue, it'll be fun!"

Ruby tried to get in front of Tyrogue, but Tyrogue just turned around, not wanting to look at Ruby.

"Now Tyrogue," said Velvet, "I know you're upset about losing, but we're here to help. I think the reason you lost isn't because you're weak, but because you don't get along with Ruby."

The Tyrogue looked up to Velvet, slightly interested in what she had to say.

"I think if you and Ruby bonded the way she bonded with Eevee, you can become a great fighter in no time. So what do you say?"

"Hmph," muttered Tyrogue, not interested in doing what Velvet wanted. Ruby was starting to lose it with Tyrogue.

"Fine, be that way you little brat," said Ruby.

"Now Ruby!" replied Velvet. Ruby turned around and sat in the same way Tyrogue was sitting and made the same angry face.

"Grr, I'm Tyrogue!" said Ruby in a mocking voice. "I just want to punch everything until I get strong and throw a fit when I don't get things my way!"

Ruby's mocking of Tyrogue caught his attention. He turned around to see Ruby trying to copy him. As Ruby kept ranting, Tyrogue got up and stood in front of Ruby. Velvet and Eevee were worried about what Tyrogue was going to do. Tyrogue suddenly crossed his eyes and pretended he threw a ball.

"Tyrogue Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, then he smacked his forehead a couple of times.

"What's that about?" asked Ruby.

"Oh dear," said Velvet. "I...I think he's calling you stupid."

"Tyrogue!" confirmed Tyrogue.

"So you think I'm stupid huh?" said Ruby, making an angry face at Tyrogue. Tyrogue made the same angry face at Ruby. Ruby stuck her tongue her out, causing Tyrogue to do the same. Ruby and Tyrogue kept making mean faces at each other, not realizing they were inadvertently doing the mimicking exercise.

__"Well, at least they're bonding...somewhat," __thought Velvet.

While Ruby and Tyrogue were bonding in their own weird way, Jaune was watching Yatsuhashi feed the Pokémon that were under his care. The children went off to play with Velvet's Lilligant.

"So Yatsuhashi, what's it like being a Pokémon breeder?" asked Jaune.

"It's a one-of-a-kind experience," said Yatsuhashi. "I get to look after all different kinds of Pokémon, and raise them to become ready for battle and life in general."

"Do you have to be an expert in battling to be a good breeder?"

"It helps to know how to battle properly, but overall it's more about raising them than teaching them how to fight. Why do you ask?"

"I'm not a very good battler, but I do love Pokémon. I want to become a Pokémon breeder!"

"Are you sure? Becoming a breeder requires a lot of dedication and patience. This isn't something Velvet and I learned to do overnight; it's taken us years to hone our breeding skills to where they are today."

"I'll do whatever it takes! I'll learn everything you need to teach me!"

"For starters, how many Pokémon have you raised in your lifetime?"

"I've got Raticate and Dunsparce."

"...is that it?"

"Well I had a few more Pokémon in the past, but I had to let them go. They uh...didn't like me so much."

"Jaune, I don't want to discourage you, but it doesn't sound like you're anywhere close to ready to learning Pokémon breeding."

"Please, just give me a chance! This could be my purpose in life!"

Jaune got on his knees and begged. Yatsuhashi thought about what to do, then came up with an idea.

"If you really think you have what it takes to become a breeder, we can run a test."

"What kind of test?"

Yatsuhashi took out his scroll and gave Velvet a call.

"What's up Yatsuhashi?" asked Velvet.

"Velvet, do we still have that egg that was left here a few days ago?"

"I believe so. Check the nest."

Yatsuhashi lead Jaune to a roped off corner of the gym. The corner had trees and shrubs nearly covering the entire corner. In the middle of the shrubbery was a nest containing a Pokémon egg laying on its side.

"What's with the egg?" asked Jaune.

"Sometimes we keep eggs left behind by trainers when they want us to breed their Pokémon," explained Yatsuhashi.

"What kind of Pokémon is inside?"

"We're not quite sure. Whatever is inside, it'll be up to you to raise it into a strong Pokémon." Yatsuhashi carefully picked up the egg and handed it to Jaune.

"So uh, how exactly do I hatch it?"

"Just keep it on you and the egg will eventually hatch on its own. If you can properly raise whatever hatches, then you'll be starting your first step into becoming a Pokémon breeder."

"I won't let you down!" said Jaune, trying to salute with one arm, causing the egg to fall out of his grip. Jaune quickly realized his mistake and quickly caught the egg before it dropped to the ground.

"I suggest placing it in your backpack to protect it," said Yatsuhashi.

"Good advice."

With the day about to come to an end, Velvet made the announcement that today's class was now over.

"All right children, that will be all for today," said Velvet. "Remember that a happy Pokémon is a strong Pokémon."

"Can we see another battle?" asked one of the kids. All the kids were now asking to see Velvet battle again.

"Sorry, but I believe Miss Rose would like to wait for her Pokémon to recover before our rematch."

"Actually," said Ruby, "I think I'm ready for a rematch."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. I think I have what it takes to win this time."

"Well then children, how many of you would like to see us battle one more time?"

All the children cheered, happy they would get to see their teacher show off her Pokémon again.

#

Once the preparations were finished, Velvet and Ruby returned to their previous positions.

"The rules will remain the same," said Velvet. "Each of us will use two Pokémon each. Good luck Ruby."

Velvet called out her Petilil as expected. Ruby was about to call out her first Pokémon when Tyrogue suddenly came out instead.

"Not again," sighed Ruby. "Tyrogue, return!"

"Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, not wanting to come back to Ruby.

"Can I have a minute?"

"Of course," said Velvet. Ruby knelt down to Tyrogue and held him by the shoulders.

"Listen Tyrogue, I know you really want to fight to prove yourself, but this isn't the right time. It's important I win this badge, and I have to win it using the right Pokémon. You're just not the Pokémon I need right now. Please Tyrogue, come back and let the others do the fighting."

Tyrogue looked upset that Ruby wasn't going to let him fight, but nodded in response, deciding to put his faith in Ruby's decision.

"Thank you Tyrogue," said Ruby, calling Tyrogue back into his ball. Velvet smiled at seeing Tyrogue and Ruby's bond growing stronger. "Now, without further interruption, my first Pokémon will be Eevee!"

Eevee ran up from behind Ruby and entered the battlefield.

"Changing up your strategy I see," said Velvet. "Let's hope it pays off."

"Eevee, Swift attack!" Eevee summoned her energy stars and sent them at Petilil, dealing some minor damage.

"Petilil, Stun Spore!" Petilil shot her spores at Eevee.

"Get back Eevee!" Eevee started backing away to avoid getting hit by the Stun Spore. Eevee then used Swift again, dealing more damage to Petilil.

__"She's keeping her Pokémon at a distance to avoid getting hit by my status attacks," __thought Velvet. __"She's a very quick learner. I'll have to damage her Eevee first."__

Velvet ordered her Petilil to use Magical Leaf, striking Eevee for some minor damage. Ruby continued to play it safe and kept having Eevee use Swift; Petilil continued to use Magical Leaf. Both Pokémon were dealing the same amount of damage until one of the leaves cut through Eevee's leg, severely hurting her.

"Now Petilil, run up and paralyze her!" said Velvet. Petilil ran as fast as it could to reach Eevee and use its Stun Spore.

"Run away Eevee!" said Ruby. Eevee tried running but the damage to her leg reduced her speed, allowing Petilil to get in close enough and spray Eevee with Stun Spore. Eevee was now inflicted with paralysis.

"C'mon Eevee! Fight through the paralysis!"

"All right Petilil, now use Leech Seed!" Petilil bent its head and fired its Leech Seed. Eevee rolled out of the way and avoided the attack.

"Eevee, Quick Attack!" Eevee ran quickly and struck Petilil head on, causing Petilil to fall back. Velvet was surprised to see Eevee able to keep going even after being paralyzed. "Good work Eevee! Keep using Quick Attack!"

"Petilil, Toxic attack!" Petilil tried to hit Eevee with Toxic, but Eevee was moving too quickly to be hit. Petilil was bordering on getting knocked out.

"Now Eevee, finish it with Swift!" Eevee distanced herself from Petilil and fired her Swift attack. The stars struck Petilil and took out what little health she had left. The children were surprised to see Petilil get knocked out by a Pokémon that was supposed to be paralyzed.

"Way to go Eevee!" cheered Ruby. Eevee cheered at Ruby right back. Velvet couldn't help but smile at seeing Ruby and Eevee acting so happy.

"You're a smart trainer Ruby. You have quite the ability to adapt to a situation quickly."

"No disrespect, but maybe you should give up now."

"We're not done yet. Beating my Petilil was one thing, but let's see how well you handle my top Pokémon."

Velvet called back her Petilil and brought out her Lilligant. The children were getting excited at being able to see Velvet's signature Pokémon in action.

"Lilligant, start things off with Sunny Day!" Lilligant leaned her flower towards the air and fired a ball of energy. The energy went up to the ceiling and gave off a bright light that illuminated the gym, almost as if they were now outside in the middle of the day.

"Nice special effects," said Ruby, "but it isn't going to help you! Eevee, Quick Attack!"

Eevee charged at Lilligant, but Lilligant quickly moved to the side before she can be hit by Eevee. Eevee tried to turn around and attack again, but Lilligant was still able to easily dodge Eevee. Lilligant was moving lightning fast for a Pokémon that didn't look like the speedy type.

"How is that Lilligant so fast?" asked Ruby.

"Simple," said Velvet. "My Lilligant has a special ability that makes it go faster in bright sunlight. Now Lilligant, hit Eevee with Toxic!"

Lilligant quickly ran up to Eevee and fired its poisonous goo. Eevee was too slow and got hit, now suffering from poison.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee tried to kick sand at Lilligant but was useless; Lilligant was already on the other side of the gym.

"Lilligant, finish it with Solar Beam!" Lilligant started gathering energy to launch her Solar Beam. With Sunny Day in effect, it wouldn't take long for Lilligant to use her attack. With Ruby running out of options, she decided to try delaying the attack.

"Eevee, use your Baby-Doll Eyes!" Eevee stared at Lilligant with tears in eyes in an attempt to make Lilligant lower her guard.

"Sorry Ruby, but that won't work on Lilligant! Fire away!" Lilligant lowered her head and fired a powerful energy beam at Eevee. Eevee took the full brunt of the attack and started rolling all the way across the gym. Ruby bent down and caught Eevee to stop her. Jaune ran down to check on Eevee.

"Eevee, are you okay?" Eevee slightly opened her eyes and smiled before fainting. Ruby held Eevee close to her chest and whispered into her ear. "You fought great out there. I promise I won't let you down."

"Is Eevee all right?" asked Jaune.

"She'll be fine. Take her to the healing center." Jaune took Eevee and ran to the gym's healing center as fast as he could.

"It all comes down to this Ruby," said Velvet. "Choose your next Pokémon wisely."

"I already know who to choose," said Ruby, reaching for her second Pokémon on her belt. "Go Beedrill!"

Ruby threw her Poké Ball and called out her Beedrill. Beedrill flew a few feet in the air and set its sights on Lilligant.

__"Ruby is wise in using Beedrill," __thought Yatsuhashi. __"Since Beedrill is a Poison type, it can't be poisoned itself, making Toxic useless."__

"Another dual type advantage," said Velvet. "Then again, your last type advantage didn't work out so well."

"I didn't choose Beedrill for its type," said Ruby. "You're not the only one that can use status effects to their advantage!"

"You're right, but I am the one who does it best, and I'll prove it! Lilligant, Stun Spore!"

"Beedrill, blind her with Flash!"

Lilligant quickly ran to where Beedrill was floating about and sprayed at Beedrill; Beedrill looked down on Lilligant and emitting a bright Flash from its eyes. Beedrill's body was paralyzed from the Stun Spore while Lilligant's eyes were hurt by the light. Meanwhile, the energy ball emitting the bright sunlight had started to fade.

"Beedrill, keep using Flash at Lilligant!"

"Lilligant, Sunny Day!"

Lilligant used her Sunny Day again while Beedrill kept emitting bright flashes at Lilligant. Sunny Day was back in full power, but Lilligant had suffered serious visual impairment from the flashes.

"Your Solar Beam won't do you any good with a blinded Pokémon!"

"A blinded Pokémon can still hit better than an immobile one! Lilligant, attack Beedrill with your Solar Beam!"

Lilligant quickly powered up and fired a Solar Beam at Beedrill. Beedrill moving slowly would have made it an easy target, but with Lilligant barely able to see, it was easily missing Beedrill.

"Phase one is complete," said Ruby. "Time for phase two! Poison that Lilligant with your Poison Sting!"

"Keep firing Solar Beam, Lilligant!" shouted Velvet. Beedrill flew close and struck Lilligant with its Poison Sting, then flew away before Lilligant can hit it with its Solar Beam. The children were getting excited at seeing the back and forth battle, and were cheering for Lilligant to finally land an attack on Beedrill.

Beedrill was about to hit another Poison Sting when suddenly it stopped flapping its wings and landed on the ground. The paralysis was really starting to take its toll.

"Now Lilligant!" Lilligant bent down and fired at Beedrill, finally landing a critical hit. The attack wasn't as powerful thanks to Beedrill's type resistance, but still did significant damage to Beedrill. One more successful attack and Ruby was going to lose again. All the children and Pokémon were now standing up and calling for Velvet to end the match. Ruby grinded her teeth and was hoping for something to happen to Lilligant.

"Lilligant, finish it off with another Solar Beam!" commanded Velvet. Lilligant was gathering the energy needed for her attack when it suddenly began coughing and wheezing, losing its focus. Lilligant had been poisoned by Beedrill's last attack. It was the break Ruby needed.

"This is our chance Beedrill!" said Ruby. "Twin Needle attack now!"

Beedrill slowly got up and flew at Lilligant; Velvet was praying that Lilligant would fight through the poisoning and use her Solar Beam.

"C'mon Lilligant, fight it!" shouted Velvet. "Fight it!"

Lilligant tried to gather the strength to use Solar Beam, but it was too late. Beedrill approached Lilligant and struck its needles at Lilligant, knocking her to the ground. The children held their breath as Lilligant tried to get up, but the poisoning did her in and caused her to faint. The match was over.

"Lilligant has fainted," announced Yatsuhashi. "Your winner is Ruby Rose!"

"Yes!" shouted Ruby. "I win another badge! Pokémon League here I come!"

Ruby kept jumping and cheering for herself until she realized the children and Pokémon watching were upset about Velvet losing. Now Ruby was starting to feel guilty about gloating. Velvet recalled her Lilligant and turned to her students.

"Now children," said Velvet, "there's no reason to be upset. Even the best of trainers will lose a battle."

"Couldn't you use some of your stronger Pokémon?" asked one of the children.

"Only against the proper trainers. As gym leader, I am obligated to use Pokémon that matches a trainer's skill based on their badges earned. Now I want everyone to give Ruby a round of applause for putting on an amazing battle." The kids stood up and clapped for Ruby. Velvet went over to Ruby and shook her hand. "That was a remarkable battle Ruby. You have shown exceptional skills in both battling and bonding with your Pokémon. It is with honor that I award you the Lagos badge."

Velvet pulled out the Lagos badge, which resembled a brown rabbit's head, with ears similar to Velvet's hat. Ruby pinned the badge right next to her Crocea badge.

"You know, this badge reminds me," said Ruby. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"What's with the rabbit ears?"

"Oh, these?" Velvet pulled down one of the rabbit ears from her hat. "The kids and the Pokémon get a kick out of me wearing them, so I wear them nearly all the time. It's essentially become my look."

"Maybe I should get a pair of animal ears."

"I think you look cute enough as is. Now before you go, I'd also like to reward you with this." Velvet pulled out a technical machine and handed it to Ruby. "This is a TM that contains the move Toxic. This move can be learned by nearly any Pokémon; I think you'll find it very useful."

"Thank you Velvet. I'll be sure to put it to good use."

"I have no doubt you will."

Velvet shook hands with Ruby one last time before parting ways.

#

After spending the night at the city's Pokémon Center, Ruby and Jaune were getting ready to leave for their next destination. As Ruby was packing up her things, she kept looking down at the two badges on her shoulder strap and smiled.

"Two down and six to go," said Ruby. "Won't be long until we reach the Pokémon League, right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee. Meanwhile, Jaune was looking over the egg he received from Yatsuhashi.

"I wonder what's going to hatch from this egg," said Jaune. "Maybe it'll be some legendary Pokémon!" Jaune imagined the egg hatching and out coming a legendary force that would make him a powerful trainer.

"I don't know Jaune; are you really ready to handle raising some super-powerful legendary?" Jaune suddenly imagined that legendary force attacking him for being such a weak trainer.

"On second thought, maybe it's just a baby bird of sorts."

Ruby, Eevee, and Jaune left the center and headed out for the next city. As they were walking, the egg in Jaune's bag began to slightly move around. It seems whatever was inside, it wouldn't be long before it hatched.


	6. The Joy of Fatherhood

Ruby and Jaune were camping in a forest on their way to New Vale City. Ruby had decided to camp out for the day and train her Pokémon, while also searching for potentially strong Pokémon to add to her team. Jaune was staying by the campsite, looking over the egg given to him by Yatsuhashi. Jaune recently decided he was going to become a Pokémon breeder like Velvet and Yatsuhashi, so Yatsuhashi gave him a Pokémon egg for him to hatch and raise. He took the egg out of his backpack, which he could have sworn had somehow gotten more heavy than it originally did, and placed it by the campfire.

"I hope you're about to hatch any minute now little Pokémon inside," said Jaune. "I've already written out a plan of what to do, and the sooner you hatch, the sooner I can raise you and become a Pokémon breeder."

A spark from the fire popped up and landed on the grass near the egg, causing a small fire. Jaune panicked and quickly ran over to stomp the fire out, then checked the egg frantically to make sure there wasn't any damage to the egg. "But before that, let's get you away from anything that might kill you."

Jaune decided to put the egg back in his backpack. A few moments later, Ruby and Eevee returned from their latest Pokémon search.

"Catch any new Pokémon?" asked Jaune.

"Zilch," said Ruby. "I've only got two Poké Balls left, and I want to save them on a Pokémon that's really worth capturing. On the bright side, my team got some good training in."

"Eevee!" said Eevee, holding out one of her front legs as if trying to flex her muscles.

"How long do you think we'll stay here?" asked Jaune.

"New Vale City is still a pretty long distance from here," said Ruby. "We'll definitely have to sleep here overnight. Let's move up now so we don't have to walk so far tomorrow."

The two of them put out the fire and packed up to leave. Jaune grabbed his backpack and just started to walk when suddenly he felt something pull him from behind. Jaune turned around to see what was grabbing him, but nothing was behind him. He turned around to start walking again when some kind of force was pulling him around. Jaune realized this force was coming from his backpack. Ruby stopped walking when she noticed Jaune moving in all sorts of directions.

"Are you okay Jaune?"

"I think something's moving in my backpack!"

Jaune took off his backpack and tried to open it. The moment he did, he noticed the egg shaking around a lot. Jaune put down his backpack and pulled the egg out; the egg suddenly jumped out of Jaune's hands and landed on the ground, continuing to shake wildly.

"Oh no!" yelled Jaune, worried about what was happening. "I think I did something wrong!"

"Actually Jaune, I think that egg is going to hatch!"

Sure enough, the first crack of the egg started to appear on top. Ruby and Jaune watched with bated breath as the cracks slowly got bigger, then small specks of the egg began to fall off, and then the entire egg suddenly burst apart, caused by the small glowing force that came from within. Ruby and Jaune were mesmerized at witnessing the birth of a new baby Pokémon. The glow soon took the form of a small, teal colored feline standing on its two legs.

"MUNCHLAAAAAX!" shouted the newborn Pokémon.

"Whoa!" said Jaune. "That thing's pretty big for a baby!"

Ruby took out her Pokédex to learn more about Jaune's new Pokémon.

__Munchlax__

__Big Eater Pokémon__

__It conceals food under the long fur on its body. It carts around this food stash and swallows it without chewing.__

"Hey there Munchlax," said Jaune, bending down to greet Munchlax. "I'm Jaune; you're going to help me become a Pokémon breeder!"

Munchlax turned to face Jaune and looked up at him. Jaune held out his hand for Munchlax to shake; Munchlax looked at Jaune's hand and frowned.

"Munchlax!" he shouted.

"What's wrong?" asked Jaune.

"Munch, Munch!" he shouted, pointing to his mouth. Jaune was confused as to what Munchlax wanted.

"Yes, you're Munchlax. I'm Jaune."

"Jaune," said Ruby, "I think Munchlax wants food."

"Oh, you're hungry?"

"MUNCHLAX!" shouted the newborn Munchlax. Ruby and Jaune nearly got a headache from how loud Munchlax was shouting for food.

"Okay okay, take it easy!" said Jaune. "I've got plenty of food in my backpack."

Jaune dove into his backpack and pulled out all of the snacks he saved for himself, then rummaged around for the berries he fed to his Pokémon. Unbeknownst to Jaune, Munchlax looked at all the human food and started to drool.

"Okay Munchlax, I've got some nice juicy Leppa Berries for you. Open up and say-"

"Munchlax!" shouted Munchlax, immediately grabbing Jaune's food and eating it at a rapid pace.

"Munchlax no!" shouted Jaune, trying to grab a bag of cookies away from Munchlax, one of the last human snacks Jaune had on him. "That isn't for Pokémon!"

After an intense tug of war, Jaune finally nabbed the cookies away from Munchlax. Munchlax tried to jump up and get the cookies back, but Jaune already put it back in his bag. Being denied of his cookies, Munchlax started to bawl up.

"Now now Munchlax, I already have snacks just for you. Here you go." Jaune dropped the Leppa Berries next to Munchlax. Rather than start eating the berries, Munchlax kicked the berries away and started crying.

"MUUUUUNCHLAAAAX!" screamed Munchlax. Munchlax was crying so loudly the whole forest could hear him. Jaune was starting to panic about what to do.

"Ruby, help me out here!"

"What do you expect me to do?" complained Ruby. "He's your responsibility!"

"Eevee!" complied Eevee, not enjoying having to hear Munchlax's screaming.

"All right, I'll just put him in a Poké Ball," said Jaune. "That should calm him down."

Jaune took out a spare Poké Ball he had and tried to put Munchlax in it. Munchlax swatted the ball away and kept crying.

"What gives?" asked Jaune. Ruby's Pokédex suddenly began to beep in response.

"If a Pokémon is too emotionally distressed, it may refuse to go back into its trainer's ball," explained Penny.

"So how long until Munchlax stops crying?" asked Jaune.

"A baby Pokémon can continue crying for several hours at a time."

"Several hours?" said Ruby. "We have to hear this thing wail on for hours?"

"Maybe I can calm it down by cuddling it," said Jaune. "That usually calms a baby down, doesn't it?" Jaune went over to pick up Munchlax. As Ruby was looking up more info on Munchlax, she realized that was going to be a bad idea.

"Wait Jaune, I wouldn't-"

Jaune tried to pick up Munchlax and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his spine. He fell to the ground as he can feel major spasms in his back.

"This Munchlax weighs like a million tons!" moaned Jaune.

"Correction," said Penny. "A newborn Munchlax weighs approximately 231 pounds."

"NOW you tell me!" said Jaune, starting to form tears of his own from the back pain. Now Ruby had both a crying Munchlax and a crying Jaune to deal with.

"Something tells me we're going to be in this forest for a while longer," sighed Ruby.

"Eevee," sighed Eevee.

#

After three hours of non-stop crying and back spasms, Munchlax and Jaune had finally calmed down; or rather, Munchlax had gotten hungry again and ate everything left in Jaune's backpack, but it did stop him from crying for now. Ruby and Eevee were walking in the forest with Jaune and Munchlax following behind them. Munchlax was a slow walker, and Jaune had to walk slowly due to his back pain, so Ruby and Eevee had to slow down their pace in order for them to catch up. It wasn't exactly the pace Ruby wanted to walk at, but at least they'd be closer to reaching New Vale City.

"So I'm thinking of spending a couple days in New Vale City to check out all the shops they have," said Ruby. "They have a mall that literally carries everything a trainer could want." Ruby was expecting Jaune to reply back, but Jaune hadn't said a word. "Jaune? You okay?"

Ruby turned around and saw that Jaune and Munchlax had stopped in front of a tree. Munchlax was looking up and was salivating at the berries hanging from the tree.

"Sorry Ruby," said Jaune. "Munchlax saw some berries and stopped to look at them."

"Well can't you tell him we need to get a move on?"

"And hear him cry for another three hours? No thanks!"

Before Ruby can complain about Jaune's lack of obedience, they suddenly began to hear a loud buzz nearby. The buzz sounded like an insect's wings flapping rapidly.

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee, pointing them at the direction of the noise. The two of them turned and saw a giant green mantis Pokémon flying in their direction.

"Oh man, a Scyther!" said Jaune. "We gotta hide!"

Jaune grabbed Ruby's arm and hid themselves behind a tree. Eevee hid alongside with them, while Munchlax was too busy looking at berries to even notice. The Scyther stopped in the area close to where they were standing. The Scyther went up to another tree containing berries and used its scythe arms to cut down all the branches quickly, then picked them up to feast on the berries attached to them. Upon looking at the Scyther herself, Ruby can feel her heart beating rapidly and her arms shaking.

"Jaune, you see what I'm seeing?" asked Ruby.

"I sure do Ruby," said Jaune. "Thankfully I don't think it saw us."

Rather than sound relieved or scared, Ruby suddenly smiled widely and was laughing ecstatically.

"A Scyther!" screamed Ruby. "A genuine, honest-to-goodness Scyther!"

Ruby was so excited at just seeing the Scyther, she started doing a little dance. Jaune was confused by Ruby reacting like she had won the lottery. "Um, Ruby? Why do you sound...happy?"

Ruby calmed herself down to explain why she was overjoyed to be in the presence of a Scyther. "When I was little, Scyther was my absolute number one super favorite Pokémon! Those bladed pincers along with that gorgeous green coat, and it evolves into the even cooler Scizor! For years I kept promising myself that when I became a trainer, the first thing I was going to do was catch a Scyther!"

Upon hearing that Ruby was dead set on fighting that Scyther, Eevee shook her head and was slowly backing away, not interested in picking a fight with that scythe-wielding insect.

"Don't worry Eevee, you won't have to fight that Scyther," said Ruby. Eevee breathed a sigh of relief. "You and Jaune can stay back; I can handle this!"

Ruby jumped out from behind the tree, causing the Scyther to turn around and face her. Now that she had the Scyther's attention, Ruby called out her Fletchinder.

"Fletchinder, Agility!" said Ruby. As Fletchinder increased its speed, the Scyther immediately charged in and tried to attack with Fury Cutter; Fletchinder narrowly dodged Scyther's attack.

"That thing is fast! Good thing my Fletchinder is faster! Fletchinder, Peck attack!"

Fletchinder swooped in and Pecked at Scyther's forehead, dealing some modest damage. Before it can fly back, Scyther swung its right arm and Slashed at Fletchinder, dealing the same amount of damage. Fletchinder took to the air and fired Ember at Scyther; Scyther dodged the fireballs with ease. Once it stopped dodging Fletchinder's attack, Scyther began to slowly move its arms around as its body began to start glowing bright blue.

"What is it doing?" wondered Ruby, taking out her Pokédex to find out.

"Scyther is using Swords Dance," said Penny. "This move greatly increases the power of Scyther's physical attacks."

"So one good hit and we can be done for. Fletchinder, Quick Attack!"

Fletchinder charged at Scyther with lightning speed and lightly hit Scyther with its wings. Scyther tried to Slash at Fletchinder, but the bird was too fast for Scyther to land a hit on. Fletchinder kept using Quick Attack in order to damage Scyther and quickly escape. Scyther decided to use Swords Dance again, powering up its attack even further. If Scyther could land just one attack on Fletchinder, it would likely result in an instant knockout.

"Okay Fletchinder, hold your position," commanded Ruby. Fletchinder remained where it was flying, waiting for Scyther to attack. Thinking now was its chance, Scyther went for another Slash attack.

"Now Fletchinder, use Ember!" Fletchinder fired its Ember at Scyther, nailing the bug in the torso, dealing critical damage. When Scyther fell to its knees, Ruby smiled. This was the chance she was waiting for. "All right! Poké Ball, go!"

Ruby threw her ball at Scyther. Scyther was warped into the ball as it fell to the ground. Ruby was excited at the thought she had captured Scyther, but suddenly the ball broke apart as Scyther escaped.

"Scyther!" it shouted, standing back up and ready to keep fighting.

"Darn it! That Scyther is more powerful than I thought. Fletchinder, Ember attack!"

Jaune and Eevee watched Ruby continue to fight Scyther. Munchlax walked up to Jaune and tugged at his shirt for attention.

"Munchlax Munchlax!"

"What is it Munchlax?" asked Jaune. "Are you hungry again? Please don't tell me you're hungry again." Munchlax shook its head and kept pulling on Jaune's shirt. "What? You want to show me something?" Munchlax nodded its head. "Okay, what is it?"

Munchlax distanced himself a bit from Jaune and held up one finger on each hand. Munchlax then waved his hands left and right as if he were doing a dance.

"Oh, I've seen this before. You're doing Metronome. Very good Munchlax!"

Munchlax stopped his Metronome dance by pointing directly into the sky; Jaune wondered what attack Munchlax was going to perform. Munchlax then shot some kind of misty ball into the air from its mouth. The misty ball went high into the clouds. Jaune didn't know what Munchlax just did, but he clapped for him anyway.

"Good boy Munchlax! That was impressive!" Jaune suddenly felt a drop of water land on his head. He looked up and saw rain clouds suddenly appear out of nowhere.

Meanwhile, Ruby was nearing the end of her fight against Scyther. Ruby didn't notice, but those rain clouds were starting to gather above her as well.

"We've got this Fletchinder! Use Ember!" Fletchinder fired another fireball at Scyther. Before the fire can reach Scyther, a downpour of rainwater suddenly appeared and put out the flame. Ruby, Fletchinder, and Scyther all looked up to see the suddenly changed forecast.

"Where did this rain come from?" yelled Ruby. The rain was starting to come down pretty hard. Neither Pokémon appreciated suddenly being drenched in the middle of battle. Fletchinder flew into a tree to take cover, while the Scyther turned around and started flying away.

"NO!" screamed Ruby. "I was so close to catching a Scyther! Why did it suddenly have to start raining?"

"It appears the rain appeared due to a Pokémon using the move Rain Dance," explained Penny.

"But neither Fletchinder nor Scyther know how to do that attack!"

"Um, Ruby?" said Jaune. "I think I know what happened. See, Munchlax was showing me his Metronome, and he just happened to..."

Munchlax started clapping for itself, proud of pulling off that attack. Frustrated beyond belief, Ruby walked up to the Munchlax and stood over the newborn Pokémon.

"I hope you're really proud of yourself Munchlax," yelled Ruby, "because you just cost me my chance to catch the one Pokémon I've always wanted, you stupid baby!"

"Ruby!" said Jaune. "Munchlax didn't mean to do that!"

Hearing Ruby yell at him so angrily, Munchlax started to form tears. Jaune knew what was coming and tried to calm Munchlax down.

"Munchlax, Ruby didn't mean what she said! She's just a little upset! Don't listen to what she said! Please don't cry, please don't cry, please don't-"

"MUNCHLAAAAX!" cried Munchlax. Munchlax was crying louder than ever, which was causing Jaune to cry, which was causing Ruby to get angrier, while the Rain Dance kept going and caused everyone to get wetter.

#

Ruby and Jaune made their new campsite for the night and tried to get some sleep. Ruby was dreaming of fighting Weiss in an epic battle. The two of them were standing in a grassy field, lightning striking in the background as they were down to their final Pokémon each, Eevee and Deino.

"It's time I finished you off once and for all Ruby!" said Weiss.

"Not this time!" said Ruby. "This time I will be victorious!"

Eevee and Deino charged at each other; the more powerful one would be the one left standing.

"C'mon Eevee, give it all you got!" shouted Ruby.

"LAAAX!" shouted something from afar.

"Huh? What?" said Ruby. Ruby blinked a couple times and suddenly found herself back in the forest.

"LAAAX!"

Ruby looked over and realized that the noise that woke her up from her great dream was from the Munchlax snoring incredibly loud. Ruby tried to turn on her side and ignore Munchlax, but his snoring made it impossible. Even Eevee woke up from the loud snoring and crawled over to Ruby.

"I know Eevee," said Ruby. "I'll talk to Jaune."

Ruby got up and walked over to Jaune, who looked to be sleeping like a baby.

"Jaune, wake up," said Ruby, nudging Jaune with her foot. "You need to mute that Munchlax of yours."

"Just pay him no mind," said Jaune. "I'm sure he'll stop eventually."

"You seriously think that Munchlax can be ignored?" yelled Ruby. "How can you sleep through all that?"

"Whoever said I was sleeping?" said Jaune, rolling over to face Ruby. Jaune's eyes were wide open and turning red. He had just as much trouble trying to get to sleep.

"So you're just going to let him keep snoring all night?"

"If I wake him up, he's just going to cry, and we'll still not get any sleep. At least this way he won't be upset at me all night."

"For the love of...fine. I'm packing up my things and sleeping elsewhere tonight. See you in the morning."

Ruby packed up her sleeping bag and moved into the forest, with Eevee following suit. Jaune continued to try ignoring Munchlax, hoping his snoring would soon come to an end. About an hour later, Jaune was feeling very tired and still couldn't sleep. He decided to finally take action.

__"Maybe since Munchlax is asleep, I can finally put it a Poké Ball." __Jaune reached into his backpack and pulled out one of his empty Poké Balls. Jaune walked over to the sleeping Munchlax with ball in hand, but being really exhausted from the lack of sleep, Jaune started to drift off and wasn't paying attention to where he was walking. He suddenly tripped over a stick and fell to the ground, jolting him awake.

"OW!" yelled Jaune, holding up his cheek that got cut on the ground. Jaune's scream of pain suddenly woke up the Munchlax, who didn't like being woken up so suddenly. Before Jaune can say a word, the Munchlax started crying again. Jaune just laid flat on the ground, helpless to do anything to stop Munchlax.

#

Ruby and Eevee woke up from the morning sun hitting their eyes. As soon as they got away from Munchlax, both were able to enjoy a good night's sleep. While still having some peace and quiet away from Munchlax, Ruby decided to eat breakfast and get dressed before going back to Jaune. When Ruby and Eevee visited Jaune, Ruby was surprised to see the Munchlax sound asleep.

"What do you know, he somehow got him to stop snoring," said Ruby. Ruby went over to wake up Jaune, and noticed that Jaune's eyes were wide open and staring up into the sky. "Oh, you're already awake."

"I was always awake," said Jaune. "First he snored, then he cried, then he snored again, and he only finally stopped about...five minutes ago?"

"You couldn't even get one second of sleep?"

"Nope. So if you don't mind, I'm just going to try sleeping for the rest of the day. Good night."

Jaune turned to his side and closed his eyes, causing Ruby to groan. If Jaune tried sleeping now, it would waste hours of Ruby's time and they'd have to spend another night in the forest. Ruby had enough.

"That's it Jaune," said Ruby. "We're putting an end to the Munchlax experiment."

"Huh?" yawned Jaune. "What experiment?"

"Jaune, the moment we get to New Vale City, you need to give up Munchlax."

"What?" said Jaune, sitting up in reaction to Ruby's suggestion. "Give up Munchlax? But I need to raise him to be a breeder!"

"At what cost Jaune? Look at you! Your eyes look like they were hit by Poison Powder!"

"A minor..." Jaune had to stop talking to yawn. "Setback."

"Jaune, you're in way over your head. All that Munchlax does is eat all your food, cry, and is slowing us down terribly. I don't think you have what it takes to be a breeder."

"You know, you're being a pretty big hypocrite right now Ruby!" said Jaune, agitated at Ruby having no faith in his breeding abilities.

"How am I a hypocrite?"

"I have a problem with Munchlax and you suggest I just give him away; yet when you had your problems with Eevee, you didn't just give her away!"

"Because Eevee wasn't the problem! The problem here is you can't contain that Munchlax at all!"

"This is because of that Scyther incident, isn't it!"

"If it was just about the Scyther, I would be over it, but Jaune, you can't even calm Munchlax down enough to get him inside a Poké Ball! That thing needs a trainer who knows what they're doing!"

"You're wrong!" said Jaune, starting to form tears from how upset he was at Ruby. "I know what I'm doing! I know I can raise Munchlax into a strong Pokémon! As a Pokémon breeder, it is my responsibility to stick with Munchlax no matter what! I'll give up sleep for the next week if that's what it takes to realize my calling!"

Ruby sighed. She would usually admire someone who had the spirit to never give up, but in Jaune's case he was being too stubborn to admit that he couldn't handle raising Munchlax and was just going to exhaust himself even further.

"Look," said Ruby. "At this rate we're never going to reach New Vale City. I'm going to go on ahead. When or if you decide to arrive, you give me a call. Let's go Eevee." Ruby turned around and started walking away with Eevee following behind.

"Fine!" yelled Jaune. "I'll see you at New Vale City, and when you see how great I've raised Munchlax, we can call off our stupid bet!"

Jaune buried his head in his hands. He was tired, hungry, and in pain, but he couldn't give up now. He needed to do this so he can finally feel like a worthy trainer.

"Get it together Jaune!" said Jaune to himself. "The first day is always the hardest! I'm going to raise that Munchlax without Ruby's help and prove I can be a great Pokémon breeder! I can do this!" As Jaune was trying to motivate himself, he suddenly wondered where Munchlax was right now. He turned to where he last saw Munchlax sleeping and found nothing.

"Oh no, he's missing! He must have heard what Ruby was saying about him and ran away! Oh jeez, there's no way I can find him in a forest this big! I'm the worst breeder-"

"Munchlax!" shouted Munchlax. Jaune turned to see Munchlax standing behind him.

"Jeez Munchlax, you almost gave me a heart attack! You can run off on your own like that."

"Munch Munch!" said Munchlax, pointing up to the berries growing on top of the tree.

"You want the berries huh? Those are pretty high up Munchlax. I'm not going to be able to get them down."

As soon as he saw Munchlax starting to tear up, Jaune suddenly changed his tone. "Wait! I'll get them down! Just please don't start crying again!"

Jaune rolled up his sleeves and wrapped his arms around the tree, then slowly began to climb up. His body was not in the best condition to be doing this, but as long as it kept Munchlax from crying, Jaune was going to bear whatever pain his body was going through to get those berries. He climbed up on the branch and sat on top of the tree to catch his breath. His Munchlax looked up and starting clapping for him. For the first time in the past several hours, Jaune smiled.

"Hey Munchlax, look what I got!" said Jaune, plucking a berry and holding it up high. Munchlax jumped up and down, begging Jaune to throw him the berry. "All right Munchlax, catch!" Jaune dropped the berry over Munchlax. Munchlax opened wide and ate the berry in one swallow, then begged for another one. "Okay, go long!"

Jaune threw the berry several feet away from where Munchlax was standing. Munchlax ran over and still caught the berry with its mouth. Jaune kept throwing down berries as Munchlax was starting to enjoy this game they were playing.

"Having fun down there?" asked Jaune.

"Munchlax!" shouted Munchlax, smiling widely at Jaune. Jaune went over to pick another berry but noticed the tree was fresh out.

"Uh oh, this one's out of berries," said Jaune. Munchlax was starting to look worried that they were going to stop so suddenly. Jaune jumped down and patted Munchlax on the head. "Still hungry little guy?"

"Munchlax!" confirmed Munchlax.

"Let's go find another berry tree then. This forest is full of them!"

"Munchlax!"

Jaune headed to a different part of the forest, with Munchlax marching behind him. Jaune still wasn't feeling good, but as long as Munchlax was happy, it's all he cared about it.

"Munchlax!" said Munchlax, stopping to sniff the air.

"What is it Munchlax?" asked Jaune. "Did you find something?"

"Munchlax!" confirmed Munchlax, suddenly sprinting to where he was smelling the berries he wanted.

"Slow down Munchlax!" said Jaune, too exhausted to be running alongside Munchlax.

#

"Time is money, gentlemen!" said Torchwick. "Boss wants the Payapa berries delivered ASAP!"

"We're going as fast as we can sir," said one of the White Fang grunts.

After finally escaping A-M Cave, Torchwick was assigned to gathering berries with a couple of grunts. The mission wasn't exactly something a right-hand man like Torchwick needed to be doing, but after finding out about Torchwick's past failures, the boss of the White Fang wasn't happy with Torchwick and didn't trust him to get the more important assignments completed. Torchwick hated to do these assignments, but figured if he got them done quickly, he can get back into his boss' good graces.

As the grunts were picking the berries, one of them fell from the tree and hit the ground. Torchwick went over to pick it up when a Pokémon suddenly came from the bushes and snatched the berry.

"Munchlax!" said the Pokémon, opening up and swallowing the berry quickly.

"Hey, these are our berries!" said Torchwick. "Back off you little snatcher!"

Munchlax ignored Torchwick and headed to the trees where the grunts were picking berries, hoping to get more berries from them. Meanwhile, Jaune finally caught up to where Munchlax was and noticed he was bothering some trainers.

"Munchlax, leave those trainers alone!" said Jaune, running up to grab Munchlax's hand. "I'm sorry if my Munchlax caused you any..."

Jaune stopped when he realized who he was talking to. Torchwick and Jaune instantly recognized each other the moment they made eye contact.

"So we meet again scrawny blonde!" said Torchwick.

"I remember you! You're that guy that tried to capture Tyrogue!"

"Congratulations kid, you're not as stupid as you look."

"What are you up to now? Kidnapping more Pokémon? Trying to set this forest on fire?"

"How rude! I'm just out here collecting berries. Is that suddenly a crime?"

"It has to be when you're involved!"

"Kid, do you ever think before you speak? Actually, don't answer that, I'm pretty sure you don't. But you could answer this one: Where's that little red friend of yours?"

"Like I would ever tell you! Munchlax, run!"

Jaune turned around to run when he was suddenly blocked off by the two White Fang grunts. Munchlax ran off to gather berries on the ground and wasn't paying attention to what was going on.

"You're not going anywhere scrawny blonde. Not until you answer my questions."

"I'll never answer to scum like you!"

"Oh I beg to differ," said Torchwick, taking out his Poké Ball.

#

Ruby was walking out of the forest as quickly as she could. Eevee was following behind, constantly looking back to see if Jaune was going to catch up. After about ten minutes of Jaune not appearing, Eevee started to whimper.

"Something wrong Eevee?" asked Ruby. Ruby turned to see Eevee had stopped to look back. "It's about Jaune isn't it?"

Eevee turned to Ruby and gave her a sad look. Eevee didn't like having to leave Jaune behind, even if the Munchlax was causing so many problems.

"I know I seem cruel leaving Jaune behind, but he's not going to learn anything if I have to bail him out like this. Either he learns how to raise Munchlax properly or admit he's over his head and gives up this breeding nonsense."

"Eevee!" cried Eevee. She really wanted to go back and help Jaune, and despite Ruby trying to act otherwise, she wanted to help Jaune as well.

"Fine, we'll bail him out just this once. But don't come crying to me when that Munchlax gets on your nerves."

Ruby turned around and started running back to where they last left Jaune.

#

Despite having a two on one advantage, Jaune's Pokémon fell quickly to Torchwick's Krookodile. With nothing left to defend himself with, the two grunts grabbed Jaune by his arms and held him in place. Torchwick went up to Jaune and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm supposed to be the boss' right-hand man, and yet because of you and that pest, I'm stuck having to do grunt work for the time being." Torchwick pressed the end of his cane on Jaune's throat. "Do you know how frustrating it is to be perceived as a useless grunt because some punk kids decided to mess up your big plans?" Even if Jaune wanted to answer, he couldn't respond from Torchwick choking him out with his cane. Torchwick loosened his grip, causing Jaune to cough and gasp for air.

"Make this easier on yourself. Just tell me where the girl went and I won't harm you and your Pokémon."

"I'll never tell you!" responded Jaune.

"Suit yourself," said Torchwick, backing away from Jaune. Krookodile went up to Jaune and slammed his Iron Tail into Jaune's gut; Jaune felt like his stomach was about to explode.

"I'll ask you again. Where is that little red friend of yours?"

"I told you...I'm never going to answer!"

"Krookodile, you know what to do."

Krookodile slammed his Iron Tail into Jaune's stomach again. The grunts let go of Jaune as he fell to the ground, his body in serious pain from Krookodile's beatings. Torchwick placed his foot on the back of Jaune's neck.

"You're lucky I'm the merciful type scrawny blonde. Had you come across any other commander in the White Fang, you'd be sleeping with the Magikarps by now. I'm going to give you one final chance to tell me what I want to know before I show you how the White Fang really deals with pests like you."

While Jaune was being tortured by Torchwick, Munchlax was eating and gathering berries. After he was done with his berry hunt, he came back to see Jaune in trouble.

"Munchlax!" shouted Munchlax, running up to check on Jaune.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about you," said Torchwick, turning to Munchlax. "Run back to where you came from little baby."

"Munchlax!" yelled Munchlax, walking up to Torchwick and trying to smack him in the leg. Rather than get mad, Torchwick started to chuckle at the little Pokémon trying to fight back.

"Isn't that cute guys? This little fellow wants to fight!"

"Munchlax," said Jaune, "get out of here. Run and get help."

"Munchlax!" yelled Munchlax, trying to push Torchwick off Jaune.

"If the little guy wants to fight, so be it. I don't discriminate. Krookodile, Iron Tail attack!"

Krookodile ran up to the Munchlax and swatted it away with its Iron Tail. With Munchlax having no fighting experience, it took serious damage from that one attack.

"Leave Munchlax alone!" shouted Jaune.

"It's either him or you, and quite frankly you're boring me. Krookodile, Iron Tail again!" Munchlax was trying to get up when Krookodile attacked it again, this time sending the baby flying into a tree.

"MUNCHLAX!" shouted Jaune. Munchlax laid unconscious against the tree, taking too much damage from Krookodile to get back up. Jaune tried to get up when he was grabbed by the grunts and couldn't break free.

"That's enough Krookodile," said Torchwick. "I'm sure that Munchlax learned its lesson by now."

The Krookodile turned to Torchwick and shook its head. Torchwick pretended to act shocked by Krookodile's response.

"Really Krookodile? You think that Munchlax still needs to learn its place?" The Krookodile nodded. "If you say so. I think one more Iron Tail will suffice."

Krookodile powered up its tail and went in for the finishing blow. Jaune could only look in horror as Munchlax still laid unconscious against the tree, helpless to defend itself as the Krookodile went for the final attack. Suddenly, another Pokémon appeared out the bushes.

"Tyrogue!" shouted Tyrogue, punching Krookodile right in the jaw and stopping his attack. Beedrill, Fletchinder, and Eevee then appeared as well, with their trainer showing up right behind them.

"Why don't you pick on Pokémon who can fight back?" yelled Ruby.

"Well if it isn't little red!" said Torchwick. "I was just asking your scrawny blonde friend where you were, and you actually showed up!"

"Ruby?" said Jaune. "How did you find us?"

"Your Munchlax has a bat habit of leaving crumbs and discarded berries wherever it walks," said Ruby. "Speaking of bad habits, it's time we take out a bad habit named Torchwick!"

"I've been waiting to get my hands on you little red," said Torchwick. "When I'm done here, neither of you will be leaving this forest alive!"

"Teach this jerk a lesson Ruby!" shouted Jaune.

"Boys, if you don't mind?" One of the grunts punched Jaune hard in the stomach to keep him quiet. "Thank you!"

Munchlax was starting to regain consciousness when it saw the grunt attacking Jaune. With Jaune losing the strength to stand, the grunts decided to drop him to the ground. The sight of seeing Jaune hurt and in need of help caused something to stir in Munchlax. He couldn't stand to see his trainer in this much pain. Munchlax suddenly felt the energy to get back up and approach Torchwick; the only thing on that Munchlax's mind now was to save Jaune. Ruby was about to send her Pokémon to fight Krookodile when she noticed Munchlax walking by.

"Stand back Munchlax!" said Ruby.

"Munchlax!" responded Munchlax, ignoring Ruby and walking towards Krookodile. Torchwick couldn't help but laugh at Munchlax being dumb enough to keep fighting.

"I don't know whether to laugh or cry!" said Torchwick, laughing in tears at Munchlax. Munchlax was starting to form tears of his own, but this time the tears weren't out of sadness, but out of rage.

"MUNCHLAAAAAX!" shouted Munchlax before suddenly being engulfed in a bright light. Torchwick stopped laughing when he saw Munchlax glowing.

"What's Munchlax doing?" asked Jaune.

"No way," muttered Ruby. "Can Munchlax be...?"

Where the little cat once stood, now stood a giant behemoth that towered nearly seven feet tall.

"SNORLAAAX!" bellowed the new Pokémon.

"Did...did my Munchlax just evolve?" asked Jaune. Ruby took out her Pokédex to confirm what everyone was thinking.

__Snorlax__

__Sleeping Pokémon__

__The evolved form of Munchlax; Its stomach can digest any kind of food, even if it happens to be moldy or rotten.__

"Heh," snorted Torchwick. "So you went from a little baby weakling to a giant baby weakling. Krookodile, take out this giant eyesore!"

Krookodile charged at Snorlax with its Iron Tail, nailing it in the gut; Snorlax growled and punched Krookodile so hard he went flying back several feet. Ruby checked her Pokédex to see what Snorlax was doing.

"Snorlax used Counter," said Penny, "a move that inflicts double the damage inflicted by a physical attack."

"All right Snorlax!" said Jaune. "Go get him boy!"

Snorlax ran after Krookodile to Tackle him; Krookodile grabbed Snorlax by his palms and countered Snorlax's strength with Foul Play, tossing him overhead. Torchwick had to run away before he got squashed by the massive Pokémon.

"Watch where you're throwing him around you croc!" said Torchwick.

Snorlax stood back up and tried to Tackle Krookodile again. Krookodile slammed his foot down and caused an Earthquake, causing Snorlax to fall back down. With Snorlax down on its stomach, Krookodile ran up to Crunch down on his head.

"Snorlax, fight back!" said Jaune. Instead of getting up, Snorlax started to take a deep breath.

"LAAAAX!" yawned Snorlax loudly. Jaune and Ruby were in disbelief that Snorlax decided now was the best time to take a nap.

"The bigger they are, the faster they lose," said Torchwick. "Finish it off Krookodile!" Krookodile opened its jaws and was about to use Crunch, but suddenly stopped to yawn as well. "Krookodile, stop stalling and Crunch him!" Krookodile shook its head and tried to Crunch again, but stopped to yawn once more. Suddenly the Krookodile took a few steps back and fell down, falling asleep.

"What are you doing?" yelled Torchwick. "Wake up you stupid croc!"

"How did that happen?" asked Ruby. Her Pokédex was beeping in response.

"Snorlax used the Yawn attack," said Penny. "Yawn causes surrounding Pokémon to feel tired and eventually fall asleep."

With Krookodile asleep, Snorlax reached into its thick fur and pulled out a bunch of berries it had picked earlier. He quickly ate them all up and stood back on his feet, ready to fight back.

"Way to go Snorlax!" said Jaune.

"Boys, some help here!" said Torchwick. The two grunts called out their Houndours and stood by Krookodile. Ruby's Pokémon ran up to Snorlax to fight alongside him.

"Snorlax!" said Snorlax, taking a few steps forward and signaling the others to stand back. Snorlax raised his hands in the air and started moving them back and forth, performing Metronome.

"Snorlax, now is not the time to be using that," said Jaune, remembering what happened the last time Snorlax pulled off that move.

"What are you waiting for?" asked Torchwick. "After him!"

The two Houndours ran at Snorlax and jumped up to Bite him at the same time. As Snorlax completed his Metronome, the Houndours each bit down onto one of Snorlax's hands. Rather than yell in pain, Snorlax suddenly started giving off a red aura and growled menacingly. He threw his arms down and detached the Houndours from himself. He then charged at one Houndour and punched him, sending it flying high into another part of the forest. He then turned to the other Houndour and punched him out as well. Ruby checked her Pokédex to see how Snorlax was doing this.

"By Metronome, Snorlax is using Superpower, an extremely powerful Fighting type move."

Snorlax then turned to the sleeping Krookodile and charged full speed ahead.

"Wake up you dumb croc!" yelled Torchwick. "WAKE UP!"

Krookodile finally woke up, only for the last thing to see was Snorlax using Superpower to send him flying through several of the berry trees in the forest. Suffice to say, it wasn't going to be up to any more fighting. Torchwick's jaw was agape at seeing this giant baby trump the entire team with one lucky attack.

"What do we do now sir?" asked one of the grunts.

"What do you think we do?" said Torchwick. "We run away before that thing comes after us!"

The White Fang quickly ran to where they saw their Pokémon go flying. Snorlax smiled and clapped his hands, feeling proud that he defeated the White Fang.

"You did it Snorlax!" said Jaune. "You saved me and my Pokémon!"

Snorlax walked over to Jaune to pick him up, then squeezed him in a hug that was doing more harm than good.

"Snorlax...let...go..."

Snorlax let go of Jaune as he dropped to the floor in even worse pain. Ruby went over and lifted Jaune onto her shoulder.

"Well Jaune," said Ruby. "I guess this proves you have what it takes to become a Pokémon breeder after all."

"Actually Ruby, I've been thinking," said Jaune. "I'm not cut out for Pokémon breeding. If I can barely handle Snorlax, I don't think I can handle the dozens or hundreds that someone like Velvet does."

"Feeling disappointed?"

"Actually, coming to terms with my limitations feels pretty good." Jaune tried to laugh but only caused pain when he did. "My stomach on the other hand..."

"Don't worry. We'll get help at New Vale City as soon as we arrive."

The two were about to make their way out of the forest when Snorlax was sniffing the air looking for something. Once he smelled what he was looking for, he nudged Ruby's shoulder.

"What now?" asked Ruby. Snorlax was jolting his head to where he wanted Ruby to go. "This had better be important Snorlax."

Ruby and Jaune followed Snorlax to where he was leading them. About a minute later, Snorlax led them into a clearing.

"Snorlax!" shouted Snorlax, pointing to what he found. Ruby looked over and saw a Scyther sharpening its scythe arms on a tree trunk. Ruby was getting ecstatic again.

"Yes! A second chance! This time I will capture you Scyther!"

Ruby carefully put Jaune down as she grabbed her Poké Ball and ran after Scyther. Scyther heard Ruby and turned to face her again as she called out Fletchinder. "All right Fletchinder, you know what to do!"

Fletchinder did a series of Quick Attacks to hit Scyther and get away before it would land one of its own attacks. This time however the Scyther was using a different tactic, using Wing Attack to counter Fletchinder's speed. Fletchinder started using Ember to deal major damage to Scyther, making sure to keep its distance. The Ember caused Scyther to suffer burns, lowering its attack power.

"Keep it up Fletchinder!" shouted Ruby. With Scyther getting weaker, Fletchinder flew in and Pecked at Scyther, causing Scyther to fall onto its back. "I've only got one chance at this. Please let this be enough!"

Ruby threw her final free Poké Ball at Scyther. The Scyther was transported into the ball and tried to fight out of it. The more the ball kept shaking, the more nervous Ruby got. After what felt like an eternity, the ball finally stopped shaking and confirmed a successful capture. Ruby's face lit up like it was Christmas morning as she picked up her new Pokémon.

"I did it! I caught Scyther! I caught Scyther!" Ruby started dancing in joy. Snorlax walked up and started dancing a bit too. Ruby was so overjoyed she went up to hug Snorlax. "Thanks for helping me find the Scyther, Snorlax."

Snorlax hugged Ruby back, nearly crushing her ribs from his strength.

"Snorlax, let go of Ruby!" shouted Jaune. Snorlax let go of Ruby before her body would be as limp as Jaune's. "Are you okay Ruby?"

"I'm great," said Ruby, picking Jaune back up. "I got my favorite Pokémon and I have Snorlax to thank."

"Laaaax," yawned Snorlax before laying down and falling asleep.

"I think it's time you went into the ball," said Jaune, pulling out a ball and throwing it at Snorlax. This time Snorlax went into the ball without a problem. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to New Vale City!"

With no more distractions getting in their way, Ruby and Jaune headed to their next destination.


	7. Everything You Schneed

New Vale City is the biggest city in all of Vale. Every store or service you can imagine is available in this city, save for a Pokémon League gym. While the city offered many attractions, the biggest one the city was most known for was located by the North side: The headquarters of the Schnee Corporation Vale branch. The Schnee Corporation was responsible for creating everyday items used by anyone having a Pokémon. The Vale branch was headed by James Ironwood, a man who served under Schnee for over twenty years. The branch was best known for creating the different variety of Poké Balls sold around the world. Scientists work every day into coming up with new brands and styles to release for the market.

Before Ruby can visit any of the city's attractions, she needed to take Jaune to a hospital to recover from the beating he took at the hands of the White Fang from earlier today. Thankfully Jaune only suffered from bruises and scrapes, so he was able to leave after he was checked out by the doctors.

"Glad to get that over with," said Jaune. "So, where to first on the New Vale City tour?"

"The bank," said Ruby. "I just checked my funds and it doesn't look good. Unless there are some money battles I can participate in, I'm going to have to take out a huge loan just to keep going."

"Shouldn't be a problem for you, right? I mean, two badges and a team of strong Pokémon; you should be able to rake in some dough in no time."

"I hope so."

The two walked around the city taking in the sights and sounds when they heard some kind of commotion up ahead. Two people dressed in the White Fang uniform were running down the street being chased by Pokémon rangers. All the civilians were staying out of the way for their safety. One of the White Fang members was carrying a white briefcase with a snowflake logo on it.

"Cease your running now or we will use force!" shouted one of the rangers.

"Not if we use force first!" shouted the White Fang member without the briefcase. He stopped to call out a Skunktank and used Smokescreen to slow down the rangers. With the rangers far behind, it didn't look like anyone was going to stop them.

"Up for a little heroics Jaune?" asked Ruby.

"After what they did to me?" said Jaune. "You bet I am!" Jaune grabbed his Poké Ball and called out his Snorlax. "Snorlax, block them off!"

Snorlax came out and stood in the middle of the street. The White Fang members saw the Snorlax up ahead, so the one with the briefcase jumped on the other's shoulders and jumped over the Snorlax, landing behind him and continuing running.

"You keep that one busy!" said Ruby. "I'll take care of the other!"

Ruby picked up Eevee and started her mad dash towards the escaping White Fang member. The White Fang member turned to see Ruby chasing after him, so he quickly ducked into an alley where he planned to lure Ruby into a trap.

"Once she enters this alley, I'll ambush her and take her Pokémon!"

"I don't think so," said a voice from behind him.

Ruby finally caught up to the White Fang member in the alley. Despite being short of breath, she was ready to do battle and return whatever it was that the White Fang was stealing. "All right White Fang, put up your...huh?"

Ruby was expecting to fight the White Fang member waiting for her, but when she arrived, the White Fang member was already beaten down. Ruby looked past him to see a familiar face holding the briefcase; it was the trainer she met back in the Emerald Forest.

"Hey Blake!" said Ruby.

"Ruby?" said Blake. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to perform my good deed of the day, but it looks like you beat me to it. Let's return that briefcase to its rightful owner!"

"Actually Ruby...I need this briefcase."

"What? But it belongs to someone else."

"Trust me, it's important I get what's inside this case."

"But Blake, that's stealing! You're committing the same crime the White Fang just did!"

"This is different Ruby."

Blake pulled out a small knife and broke the lock on the case, looking inside to make sure it was what she needed. All she found in the case were documents.

__"These are just the plans for the project. Does this mean they haven't completed it yet?"__

"Drop that briefcase now!" said Ruby, grabbing a Poké Ball and getting ready to call out a Pokémon. "If you're going to steal like these White Fang thugs, I'll fight you like one!"

"Take it," said Blake, closing the case and tossing it to Ruby. "I have no use for this."

"Oh. Well...thank you I guess?"

"Ruby, you have good intentions, but I'm warning you; do not continue interfering with my affairs."

Ruby was about to ask what Blake was talking about when Jaune and the rangers arrived on the scene. Blake took it as her cue to make a quick escape deeper in the alley.

"Who was that?" asked Jaune.

"Just a friend...I think," said Ruby. She thought Blake was an ally until that last comment she made.

"Thank you for your help citizen," said one of the rangers. "Do you know who that briefcase belongs to?"

"Not really. I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"Trouble? Hardly! That case belongs to the Schnee Corporation. I think their President would be very happy to hear of your heroics."

"Oh c'mon, it was nothing! Besides, I wasn't even the one-"

"Is there a cash reward involved?" interrupted Jaune.

"Considering who this belongs to, there just might be."

"Hear that Ruby? I say we pay the Schnee Co. a visit and earn our just rewards!"

Ruby held on to the briefcase as the rangers gave Ruby and Jaune a lift to the Schnee Corporation building. Ruby didn't mind whether or not she got rewarded; she'd rather be talking to Blake and finding out what she was up to between chasing down the White Fang and trying to steal from the Schnee Corporation.

#

It was hard to not tell the Schnee Corporation building from any other. It stood at least twenty stories tall and was painted in pure white on the outside, with the snowflake logo standing at the very top.

"I bet we'll be rewarded at least five figures, maybe even six!" said Jaune. "Whatever is in that briefcase must be super important if the White Fang were trying to steal it."

"Just because the White Fang were stealing it doesn't mean it can be so valuable," said Ruby.

"But Ruby, this is Schnee Co. we're talking about! How can it not be valuable?"

"I'm just saying, it could wind up being something not important."

"I doubt the Pokémon rangers went out of their way to catch the thieves over something not important."

"I guess so," said Ruby. Ruby didn't doubt Jaune that the briefcase contained something important, yet if what was inside that case was supposed to be so important, why didn't Blake take it with her?

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the building, Ironwood was having a meeting with the daughter of the company's namesake.

"Glad to hear everything is going well as usual," said Weiss. "Father will be pleased to know how well the new line of balls are selling."

"We put a lot of hard work into making sure we only produce the best," said Ironwood. "Anything less would be an insult to the family that never loses."

"Speaking of never losing, my father should be calling later about a project you're working on?"

Ironwood sighed. "I was afraid you were going to bring that up. We may have hit a huge snag in the project. Seems we fell into the hands of some outside espionage."

"Just how huge is this snag, Mister Ironwood?"

"Enough to put the entire project in jeopardy."

Before Weiss can reply, Ironwood's phone began going off. Ironwood looked over and saw he was getting a call from the lobby receptionist. He pressed the speaker on his phone, hoping it would be good news.

"Ironwood speaking."

"Mister Ironwood, there are two kids here sent by the Pokémon rangers; they've retrieved the briefcase stolen by the White Fang."

"Thank goodness!" said Ironwood. "Those two just saved our company. Tell them I'm on my way."

Ironwood and Weiss left the office and got into the elevator heading to the lobby.

"That was a close call," said Weiss. "You need to keep your information more secure Ironwood. My father won't hesitate to fire you if such a thing like this happens again."

"No one is more disappointed about this happening than myself," replied Ironwood. "I won't let something like this slip between my fingers again."

Ironwood and Weiss arrived at the lobby where the two heroes of the day were waiting. Weiss was ready to thank whoever saved her company from disaster, until she saw who it was.

As soon as they heard the elevator arrive, Ruby and Jaune got up to greet the branch President when they noticed him arrive with a guest. The moment Ruby saw who that guest was, she felt her spine chill about as cold as that witch's heart.

"YOU?" said Weiss, surprised to be the amateur make it to New Vale City.

"YOU!" replied Ruby, angry to see her arch-rival at a time like this.

"Who?" asked Jaune.

"Have you two met before?" asked Ironwood.

"We graduated from the same academy," said Weiss, "although my skills are much higher than hers."

"Is that so ice queen?" said Ruby, dropping the case and holding up the strap of her backpack. "Check it out: I've got two badges!"

"Two badges you say," said Weiss, opening up her jacket and revealing the badges attached inside. "I have three. Looks like I'm still better than you, amateur!"

"You say that as if you're already a professional! Last time I checked you've still got five badges to go, ice queen!"

"It'll be more than you'll ever achieve you dunce!"

"Ladies, please!" said Jaune, getting in between the two trainers before one of them would jump at each other. "Is all this fighting really necessary?"

"This obnoxious snob has been goading me since the day we met!" said Ruby.

"Okay, you two have had bad blood in the past. Maybe you two just got off on the wrong foot and need to start over."

"Wait a minute," said Weiss. "Aren't you the loser I defeated so easily back in Amarillo? Figures that losers like you two would be traveling together."

Jaune started sobbing at Weiss bringing up his embarrassing defeat to her. He crawled up into a ball and sat in the corner.

"That's it!" said Ruby. "I challenge you to a battle right here and now, ice queen!"

"Bring it, dunce!" replied Weiss.

"That's enough!" interrupted Ironwood. "Now is not the time to be determining who is the superior trainer. I'd like to talk to our two heroes about what has occurred today. Will you be staying with us Miss Schnee?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to be going," said Weiss. "I can't make it to the Pokémon League standing around like this. Take care Mister Ironwood."

Weiss left without so much as saying thanks to Ruby and Jaune for saving her company. Ruby was resisting the urge to throw the briefcase at Weiss while she wasn't looking.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, let's formally introduce ourselves. I am James Ironwood, President of the Vale branch for the Schnee Corporation."

"I'm Ruby, champion trainer in the making," greeted Ruby. "He's Jaune, former gym leader and not quite sure what in the making."

"Before we go any further, may I have my briefcase back?"

Ruby handed the briefcase over to Ironwood. Ironwood opened up the case to make sure all the contents were still there.

"Looks like everything is accounted for. You've done a great service for us Ruby. I'm sure you'd like to be rewarded for your good deeds."

As soon as he heard the word "reward," Jaune snapped out of his depression and was back to being overjoyed. "Yes we would Mister Ironwood sir!"

"Mister Ironwood?" said Ruby. "Would it be too much to ask what was in that briefcase?"

"Classified documents," said Ironwood. "I think we can leave it at that."

"Yeah Ruby, leave it at that," said Jaune, internally praying for Ruby to not screw up whatever potential reward they were about to be given. Ruby wanted to get more solid answers, but considering who she was trying to ask, decided it was best to leave this mystery unsolved so that she wouldn't suddenly be accused of stealing company secrets.

"I'm sorry," said Ruby. "I guess I got a bit too curious."

"No apologies necessary," replied Ironwood. "Everyone is always curious about what goes on in our company, from the press to our competitors to the everyday tourists."

"Tourists?"

"We get a lot of visitors who come to tour our company and see what goes into making our products. I tell you what; to make up for Weiss' rude behavior, how would you two like to take a free tour with me?"

"Does that count as the reward for returning your property?" asked Jaune.

"Think of it as a bonus to what you'll eventually receive. What do you say Ruby?"

"Since it's free, why not!" said Ruby.

"Perfect," said Ironwood. "I'll drop this case in my office and arrange a private tour for the three of us."

As soon as Ironwood left, Jaune was pumping his fist in excitement at getting to go on the free tour. Ruby was excited to go on the tour, but was still somewhat bothered about those briefcase documents.

#

After receiving exclusive tour badges, the group entered the elevator that would take them to the factory below.

"You two are lucky," said Ironwood. "Not only are you getting free admission, you'll be in the company of the man who heads this entire branch's operation."

"It's a real privilege, Mister Ironwood sir!" said Jaune, not even attempting to hide how much he was trying to suck up to Ironwood.

"Thank you Mister Ironwood," said Ruby. "Where exactly are we going?"

"The upper floors are all offices and such," said Ironwood. "Below our lobby is where the magic really happens. You'll see firsthand at how the Schnee Corporation creates and tests their products. But before we see the creation process, let's take a little history lesson."

The group got off the elevator and entered the first office in the hallway. The office consisted of benches with a projector at the front of the room. Ironwood pulled out a remote and turned off the lights. The first thing the projector started showing were images of colorful crystals.

"Are you two familiar with Dust?" asked Ironwood.

"I've heard of that," said Ruby. "Those are the crystals filled with energy or something?"

"In simple terms, yes. Our world is full of these naturally powerful crystals containing the elements of nature. To this day, scientists are still trying to figure out how and where Dust exactly came to be. It's a mystery as old as life itself. Back in the old days, mankind would use them for weapons of war." As Ironwood was talking, the projector showed images of people mining the Dust crystals and using them to create weapons and armor. "Now we mostly use them to create a vast majority of the technology used in nearly every Pokémon product you can imagine."

After showing off the various products created by Schnee, the next image showed a group of businessman standing outside the flagship headquarters located in Atlas.

"The Schnee Corporation was the first company to begin using Dust to invent their products; our most famous of products being the Poké Ball. Would you believe there used to be a time when trainers didn't have a ball to control their Pokémon with?"

"But then how would they capture Pokémon?" asked Jaune.

"The old fashioned way: handmade traps. Taming a Pokémon with your bare wits was dangerous, even if you had other Pokémon to help you. Now it's just a matter of weakening the foe and throwing a ball."

The next image showed Ironwood and Schnee standing on a stage outside of the Vale headquarters, displaying the numerous types of balls they had for sale.

"The Vale branch specializes in creating the various kinds of Poké Balls available worldwide. We use the various forms of Dust discovered to create all different kinds of balls. Our most popular model of course is your basic run-of-the-mill Poké Ball that we create so that even the poorest of trainers can afford them. To those with a little extra in their pocket or seeking better ways to capture Pokémon, we offer many special models." Ironwood pulled out different balls from his coat pockets to show off to Ruby and Jaune. "Take this one for example. This is our Net Ball. This ball makes the capturing of Bug and Water type Pokémon easier. How about Pokémon you meet in a cave or other dark areas? Our Dusk Ball here will work better than even our Ultra Balls. We currently create twenty-three varieties of balls, but we're always looking to create more."

"Do you have a favorite type Mister Ironwood?" asked Jaune.

"Personally I'm a fan of the Luxury Ball. It may not be as effective as other balls we have, but I love the design that goes into it, and the Pokémon enjoy being inside one more than our other models. Perhaps Eevee over there would like to be in one!"

"Eevee!" replied Eevee, shaking her head.

"Sorry Mister Ironwood," said Ruby, "but Eevee really likes to travel by my side."

"You're missing out then Eevee," said Ironwood, "but to each their own. Now that we've discussed how our balls are made, let's see it happening up close, shall we?"

The tour group exited the room and were heading to the factory when a scientist holding a clipboard ran up to Ironwood.

"Sir, we need to talk about our latest project," said the scientist.

"One moment please," said Ironwood to his tour group. Ironwood stepped aside so that the scientist and Ironwood can talk privately.

Jaune didn't mind waiting, but Ruby wanted to sneak up and hear what they were saying. All this talk about secret documents and projects was driving Ruby's urge to figure out what was going on with everybody involved with this company. However, Ruby stood where she was to avoid getting caught up in some potential scandal.

Ironwood was going over the notes made by the scientist to make sure there wasn't anything they overlooked. "Are you absolutely sure?" asked Ironwood.

"We've done the calculations over and over again. We think it's time."

"Excellent. I'll inform Mister Schnee as soon as he calls." Ironwood patted the scientist on the back as he left. "As you can see, we're always quite busy here at the Schnee Corporation. Now on to the main attraction!"

The group entered the catwalk over the factory floor. The factory expanded to as far as the eye can see. The machines were constantly running and churning out various balls while the workers were overlooking all the machines and making sure nothing went wrong. Ruby and Jaune were in awe at seeing firsthand how these balls were made.

"This is where the creation of all our Poké Balls take place. As you can see, when you produce as many types as we do, you need a LOT of room. The process goes like this: After coming up with the design of the ball, we first create the outer shell, or husk of the ball. Then we infuse the proper dust inside. Each ball design has a unique combination of dust infused into them. Once the fusion is complete, we bring the balls to the testing area."

The group went over to the side of the factory where the balls were hooked up to computers. Above the balls were monitors running lines of data that neither Ruby nor Jaune could understand.

"In order to make sure that all our balls are working properly, we put them in a simulation test. We hook up the balls to specialized PCs and test them virtually against a variety of Pokémon. Ruby, you say you're a champion in the making. Pop quiz: Are all Pokémon equally difficult to capture?"

"Not even close," said Ruby. "Stronger or rarer Pokémon are a lot harder to catch than some of the more common ones."

"Precisely. Every species of Pokémon has what we call a 'catch rate.' Using an algorithm of our own creation, we assign a number to a Pokémon's catch rate and calculate the odds of a ball working on said Pokémon through a variety of different scenarios. Doing every possible scenario physically would take hours if not days to complete, but thanks to our virtual simulation, we can test the effectiveness of our Poké Ball in less than a minute! Let's observe one of the new balls to see how well it does."

The ball stood in place on the conveyor belt. The ball opened up as two lasers scanned the two inner sides of the ball. The monitor above displayed the results of the various scenarios, all written out in some cryptic code. After the inspection was complete, a red light flashed as a buzzer went off, indicating that the Poké Ball failed the inspection.

"As you can see, this ball failed on scenarios it should have passed. When that happens, we throw it into our recycle pile, where the materials will be salvaged to make other balls. The ones that pass are sent back up to our packing offices, waiting to be sent to the various Pokémon markets around the world."

"Mister Ironwood?" said Jaune. "I have a question about all these balls you make."

"What's on your mind Jaune?"

"If you can make all kinds of balls that makes capturing Pokémon easier, why don't you just create a ball where it's guaranteed you capture a Pokémon no matter what?"

"Be realistic Jaune," said Ruby. "A ball that guarantees capture would be impossible to make, right Mister Ironwood?"

"I wouldn't say impossible Ruby," said Ironwood. "Perhaps not with today's technology, but thirty, twenty, perhaps even ten years from now, what seemed impossible to create will become a common item everybody has. Tell me Ruby, what academy did you graduate from?"

"Beacon Academy."

"So you should have a Pokédex on you, correct?"

"Yeah," said Ruby, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her Pokédex. "Let me guess; Schnee Co. created this too right?"

"Actually, it was Professor Ozpin who invented the Pokédex. I remember when everyone thought Professor Ozpin was crazy that he can create some kind of portable Pokémon encyclopedia, and now his invention is considered one of the biggest revolutions in Pokémon technology. So who knows? This 'Guarantee Ball' you think is impossible to make may one day come to fruition."

"And when it does, can I be the first to have it?" asked Jaune.

"I'll be sure to reserve one just for you Jaune," said Ironwood. "If you can afford to pay for it that is."

"Oh man," said Jaune, mildly upset he wouldn't be getting one for free.

"Mister Ironwood, do you know Professor Ozpin?" asked Ruby.

"He was an old colleague of mine," said Ironwood. "We used to work together on all kinds of projects before I starting working for Schnee. In fact, it was also thanks to him that we created the PC system to help store a person's Pokémon with ease. Could you imagine how hard it was for professional trainers to abide by the six Pokémon rule when it came to battles?"

"So how come you work for Schnee and he doesn't?" asked Jaune.

"Unfortunately, we had a bad falling out on a project we were working on. He's refused to work with me ever since."

"One bad project caused a fallout?" asked Ruby. "Just what exactly were you working on?"

"The past, as they say, is in the past. I'd rather look forward and continue the work I'm doing now than look back with regrets."

Ruby internally sighed. Today was apparently the day nobody was going to give her a straight answer for any question she asked.

The tour wrapped up after they left the factory and Ironwood showing them the offices where the balls were packaged and packed up into the trucks that would take them to their final destination.

"So, did you two enjoy the tour?"

"Absolutely!" said Jaune.

"It was interesting to see where these things came from," said Ruby. "Thanks Mister Ironwood."

"I hate to cut our goodbyes short," said Ironwood, "but as you know, I've got a lot of important work to do. Let's talk about that reward I promised the two of you."

"Actually Mister Ironwood," said Ruby, "you don't really need to reward us." Hearing those words almost gave Jaune a heart attack.

"Nonsense," said Ironwood. "I'd hate for you to leave without receiving some kind of compensation. I'd like the two of you to have these."

Ironwood pulled out two silver cards with the Schnee logo on it and Ironwood's signature.

"Take these cards to the Poké Mart on Juniper Street. The owner will give you a free stack of supplies, from balls to potions to anything else you'll need on your journey, all on the house."

"Thank you Mister Ironwood!" said Ruby. "This is definitely going to save me a lot of money."

"Good luck on your journey Ruby. Perhaps the next time we meet, I'll be watching you and Weiss compete against the Elite Four."

"But unlike Weiss, I'm going to beat the Elite Four!"

The two of them said their goodbyes to Ironwood and headed to the Poké Mart to pick up their free goods. Jaune was going on about all the stuff he was going to attempt to get, while Ruby was distracted in thought about everything that happened today. Blake telling Ruby to back off, the secret documents, Ironwood and Ozpin having a sour past; if Ruby wasn't already busy trying to get into the Pokémon League, she'd go out and start solving these mysteries bugging her.

#

Ironwood was in his office going over the documents the White Fang nearly stole from him. The documents contained several pages of text along with a blueprint of what appeared to be a new kind of ball in the works.

"Years of research nearly down the drain because of one screw-up," said Ironwood. "I'm going to have to apply more extreme security measures to make sure this project gets done."

His phone rang with a call from his secretary.

"Mister Ironwood, Mister Schnee is calling on line one."

Ironwood got up and shut all the blinds in his office, then used his scroll to scan the room for bugs. Once the coast was clear, he answered Schnee's call.

"Good afternoon Mister Schnee. How is everything in Atlas?"

"Business as usual," replied Schnee. "Let's cut to the chase; what is the status of Project Master?"

"I just received word from our lab; Project Master has finally completed the calculation phase. It won't be long until we put it into production."

"It had better be. Every second we waste gives those White Fang filth the upper hand in finding you-know-who."

"I assure you Mister Schnee, Project Master will be completed on time, and you'll have you-know-who in the palm of your hand."


	8. The Spirit of Mining (Part 1)

After spending a couple days shopping around New Vale City, Ruby and Jaune were resting in a Pokémon Center. Since they had some time to spare before needing to head out, Ruby decided now would be the time to call Professor Ozpin to let him know how far she's come, along with solving a couple of problems lingering in the back of Ruby's mind.

"Hi Professor Ozpin, it's Ruby," greeted Ruby.

"Nice to hear from you Ruby," said Ozpin. "How goes your journey?"

"So far I've got two badges, and in a few days I'll be getting badge number three."

"To be honest, I'm surprised of the progress you've made so far, considering who you decided to start with. How is your Eevee doing?"

"She's getting stronger every day."

"Where are you now?"

"I'm resting in New Vale City. I met Mister Ironwood the other day."

"Let me guess; he spent most of the time bragging about how great Schnee Co. is and all the brilliant things they invent."

"Yeah, but he was nice enough to give us a tour and free stuff. He told me you and him used to work on projects a long time ago."

"Did he mention what exactly?"

"I was calling you to find out. He said one led to you and him falling out."

Ozpin turned his scroll away and sighed. Despite the project taking place so long ago, he still remembered every detail of what happened, and why the results were the reason him and Ironwood have only talked a handful of times since.

"I'd rather not go into the details about it."

"What was so bad that you two can't speak with each other anymore?"

"His greed and ambition got in the way of true progress. That's all I have to say about that."

Ruby realized that no matter how many times she asked, she was never going to get an answer. This mystery was going to remain unsolved forever.

"I have to get going. It was nice talking to you again Professor Ozpin."

"Good luck Ruby. See you in the Pokémon League."

Ruby hung up and sat back down with Jaune. "Ozpin didn't say anything either huh?" asked Jaune.

"Only that it's somehow Ironwood's fault," said Ruby. "So enough with this project-gate nonsense; let's find the next city with a league gym."

As Ruby and Jaune were going over the map to find the closest city they can walk to, a bus pulled up in front of the Pokémon Center making a weird car honking noise.

"What was that?" asked Ruby.

"I think that was the Nutcracker Suite," said Jaune.

"What kind of car has a horn like that?"

Ruby and Jaune were about to get up and check when a group of trainers entered the Pokémon Center. All of them were males wearing shirts with a logo of a bright green center with a black Poké Ball silhouette in the middle. The trainer in front was an older male with a weird curly mustache.

"I thought we'd never arrive in this city," said the mustache trainer.

"It didn't help that Gavin needed to make so many rest stops," said the bearded trainer behind him.

"But I really needed to go all those times!" said the trainer Ruby assumed was Gavin.

"Then learn not to drink so much while we're on the road!" said an angry trainer behind Gavin.

"Or just go in a jar," said a trainer with a rose pin on his chest.

"You know I've got plenty," said the older male wearing a kilt.

The group went to the other side of Pokémon Center much to Ruby's relief. Ruby was weirded out by the conversation they were having and didn't feel comfortable talking to them. Jaune on the other hand looked like he had been starstruck and started breathing rapidly.

"It's them," muttered Jaune. "It's really them!"

"Are you okay Jaune?" asked Ruby.

"Ruby, do you know who those guys are?"

"Should I?"

"Those are the Achievement Trainers!"

"The Achievement Trainers? Are they some kind of band?"

"They're the funniest group of Pokémon trainers in the world!"

"Funny is not how I would describe them right now."

"I know they seem a bit weird, but trust me, if you ever watch some of their stuff on the net, you'd be laughing your butt off too!"

Jaune then went on to explain who each member of the Achievement Trainers were.

"The one with the curly mustache is Geoff; he's the group leader. The one with the big beard is Jack; he's kind of like Geoff's right-hand man. The guy wearing the kilt is Ryan; he acts really crazy sometimes. The one in glasses is Michael; he's usually the one who always gets mad. The guy with the rose on his chest is Ray; he's really an expert but doesn't like to act like one. Finally, there's Gavin; people think he's really stupid, but I think he's the funniest guy on the team."

While Jaune began rattling off his favorite Achievement Trainer moments, Ruby walked up to them while they were sitting around talking to each other.

"Excuse me," said Ruby. The trainers stopped talking and turned towards Ruby.

"Can we help you?" asked Geoff.

"Are you guys called the Achievement Trainers?"

"That's us. What's up?"

"My friend over there is a really huge fan of yours," said Ruby, pointing to Jaune at the other end of the center. Jaune suddenly stopped when he realized that Ruby had walked off to where the Achievement Trainers were sitting, and was mortified that his internet favorites were suddenly turning to him.

"That's cool. Hey buddy, come join us!" said Geoff, waving Jaune over. Jaune could barely form the right words as his body went on autopilot, slowly pushing him towards the Achievement Trainers. "What's your name?"

"J...J...," stuttered Jaune.

"His name is Jaune," said Ruby. "I'm Ruby."

"So what brings you two out here?" asked Geoff.

"I'm resting here before continuing on my journey to be the next champion. Jaune here retired as gym leader and is looking for a new line of work."

"Oh really? What'd you have in mind Jaune?"

"I...uh..."

"Dude, do you have some kind of speaking problem? You act like we're going to kill you or something."

"I'm sorry! I'm really, REALLY huge fans of you guys! I don't want to bother you with whatever it was you're doing!"

"Not a problem, dude. We're just resting before heading out to our next challenge."

"Challenge?" asked Ruby.

"We tour around Vale doing various challenges amongst ourselves to battle for the coveted GS Ball," said Geoff. Ryan pulled out the ball and handed it to Ruby. The ball was plated in gold and silver with the letters GS carved into it. Jaune was ecstatic to see the ball in person.

"There it is!" said Jaune. "The GS Ball!"

"What is this supposed to be?" asked Ruby. "This isn't a real ball is it?"

"Nah," said Geoff. "It's just a trophy we like to pass around to whoever wins the challenge we set up."

"I'm the one who bought it," said Gavin. "Without me, we wouldn't have any actual awards to give out."

"Except the only reason you bought it was because you thought it was a real ball," remarked Jack.

"I thought it was some kind of super rare ball!" replied Gavin.

"But what kind of ball is made with this kind of plating?" said Ruby, inspecting the ball up close. "You can't even open it."

"Gavin's a dimwit like that," said Ray.

"I'M the dimwit?" yelled Gavin, suddenly putting Ray into a headlock. "I'm not the one who once confused a Pangoro with a Beartic!"

"Oh yeah?" yelled Ray, pulling on Gavin's hair. "Who was it who asked if Leaf Stones were actually made out of leaves? Dimwit!"

"You're the dimwit, dimwit!"

"Nice comeback, dimwit!"

Gavin and Ray continued arguing with each other as the rest of the Achievement Trainers tried to break them up. Ruby was looking on in bewilderment of how childish these grown men were acting.

"Do they always argue like this?" asked Ruby.

"I know," said Jaune. "Isn't it awesome?"

"You have weird tastes, Jaune."

After everyone eventually stopped arguing with themselves, Geoff stood up to explain what he had in store for the AT Crew.

"This will be AT Challenge number ninety-six," said Geoff. "A few miles from here is a place called Magus Town. Have any of you heard of Magus Town before?"

"Is it a town full of magicians?" asked Ray. "Are we gonna have to do magic tricks?"

"Can I saw Gavin in half?" asked Ryan.

"No," said Geoff, "but make a note of that for a future challenge. Anyway, Magus Town is best known for having a pathway that leads to the Underground Network, a series of tunnels that's said to expand to nearly all of Vale. People like to go mining in these tunnels for evolution stones, shards, and even Pokémon fossils. Hey Geoff, you might be asking, what does this have to do with our next challenge?"

"Hey Geoff," said Jack, "what does this have to do with our next challenge?"

"I'm glad you asked! Our challenge will be whoever gets the most points based on what he digs up wins the GS Ball this week."

"This Underground Network has fossils?" asked Ruby. "Like the kind that scientists use to resurrect old Pokémon?"

"Yep," said Geoff. "So if anybody winds up finding one, they can add a new Pokémon to their collection."

Ruby started to grin at the thought of finding Pokémon fossils. She had heard stories of how prehistoric Pokémon were some of the most powerful Pokémon in the world. If Ruby can find one of those rare fossils, she can have an ally powerful enough to put her nemesis Weiss in her place. Ruby imagined herself facing off with Weiss and her Deino. She'd call out her giant prehistoric Pokémon that would squash Deino flat as a pancake, then proceed to do the same to Weiss. "Please Ruby, have mercy!" Weiss would beg. "I was a fool to ever think I was better than you!"

"Heh heh heh heh," giggled Ruby at seeing Weiss crushed beneath her feet.

"What's so funny Ruby?" asked Jaune.

"Jaune, we're going to Magus Town to get ourselves some fossils!"

"Since you're going that way," said Geoff, "and because Jaune is such a huge fan of ours, how'd you two like to participate in our challenge?"

"Really?" asked Jaune. "You...you want us to compete with you guys?"

"For this challenge, consider yourselves honorary members of the Achievement Trainers."

"I get to...I'm really...Achievement..." Jaune could barely form any more words before his eyes rolled up and he fainted to the floor.

"I think Jaune got a little overexcited," said Ruby.

"Try slapping him real hard," suggested Ray.

#

Ruby and Jaune were on the Achievement Trainer bus heading on its way to Magus Town. Jaune was sitting close to the driver's seat in order to talk to Geoff.

"So Geoff, how exactly do you decide who to hire to be a part of Achievement Trainers?"

"Simple; I find someone dumb enough to agree to do this and work for cheap."

"Really? Because I'm pretty dumb and will work for cheap!"

"All right, I'll be serious with you Jaune. I usually hire people I think can be entertaining and can put in a lot of work hours. There's a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into those videos you like watching."

"I'll put in as many hours as you want me to!"

"I tell you what Jaune; if you can really impress me with today's challenge, I'll consider adding you to our group."

"Thank you sir!"

"My name's Geoff, not sir."

Ruby was sitting by herself, looking up information about Magus Town on her Pokédex.

"Town of mages, Underground Network...I pretty much know all of that." She continued to scroll down until she came across a section titled Legends and Myths. "Figures a town like this would have stories to tell." She clicked on the link and saw a list of stories involving the mages; the one that caught her eye was a legend entitled "The Evil Spirit Pokémon."

"An evil spirit Pokémon? This I've got to hear." Ruby put on her headphones and clicked on the audio version of the story. Penny appeared to read the story.

"500 years ago, there were a band of 108 evil thieves who traveled from town to town robbing everything in sight, and burning whole villages to the ground. One day, the thieves set upon a village known to housing people who practiced the mystical arts. The village was nicknamed and later came to be known as Magus Town. When the thieves came to pillage Magus Town, the mages overwhelmed the thieves by using a combination of their magical powers and powerful Pokémon. Trapping the 108 thieves in their village, the mages of Magus Town created a spell that sealed the souls of all 108 thieves into a keystone. Their souls all merged as one and created an evil Pokémon that the mages called 'Spiritomb.' Spiritomb was a powerful foe, but was defeated by the mages. The mages took the stone and sealed it deep in the Underground Network so that it may never be discovered by man."

The story was accompanied by sketches of what the keystone and Spiritomb supposedly looked like. Ruby was used to seeing creepy looking Ghost Pokémon, but Spiritomb had a more menacing feel to him.

"We're here," announced Geoff. Ruby looked out the window to get a glimpse of Magus Town. The town was pretty small with no notable buildings outside of the Pokémon Center and a shop that sold goods relating to the Underground Network. As the AT Crew were getting off the bus, they were greeted by a tall young man with dark skin and green hair.

"Hello travelers," said the young man. "My name is Sage. I assume you're all here to go into the Underground Network?"

"We sure are," said Geoff. "So where can we pick up our stuff and start mining?"

"I'm sorry, but we're not allowing anyone to go down into the Underground right now."

"Why not?"

"A group of dangerous men are hiding in the Underground. For the safety of other trainers, we don't want anyone else to go down there."

"How dangerous are we talking about?" asked Ruby.

"They robbed our supply store earlier today. Many of them save for their leader were wearing masks and body armor."

As soon as Sage described the suspects, Ruby knew it had to have been Torchwick and the White Fang. Now Ruby really wanted to go down there so she can teach the White Fang a lesson.

"Listen," said Geoff, "we appreciate your concern, but the eight of us are capable of handling a bunch of glorified petty thieves."

"Petty thieves or not," said Sage, "we cannot risk anyone getting hurt due to our negligence. Your scrolls will not work down there, and the only way in or out is through the elevator. If something were to happen to you down there, it would be hard to send help right away. I ask that you reconsider your options."

"Dude, we're professionals. We know what we're doing; most of us anyway."

"And I've dealt with these thieves before," said Ruby. "I can handle them."

"As much I don't want you to go," said Sage, "there isn't anything I can do to ultimately prevent you from going. Come, I'll give you what equipment we have left, but be aware that I gave you all fair warning."

Sage took them into the shop that looked like a complete mess thanks to the White Fang robbing the place; thankfully they still had enough equipment for everyone to use. Sage then guided them to the mountainside outside of town that would take them down to the Underground while explaining how to mine for treasures. Most of the AT Crew didn't seem to be paying attention; Jaune was getting himself pumped to win the GS Ball and impress Geoff, while Ruby had the White Fang on her mind. After Sage was done with his explanation, Geoff explained the rules to his crew.

"Here's how it works: Every dust shard is one point, heart scales are three points, evolution stones are five points, and fossils are worth ten points. We'll go for two thirty-minute halves, whoever has the most points wins the GS Ball. This is an individual challenge, but to make sure nobody gets lost, we'll be split into two groups. Myself, Ryan, Jack, and Jaune will be in group one, the rest of you will be group two."

"Can we give ourselves team nicknames?" asked Jaune.

"I call Team Dugquatro!" said Ryan.

"No fair Ryan!" said Ray. "I was going to call our team that!"

"We'll just call ourselves the Lads as usual," said Michael.

"But Michael," said Gavin, "we have a lady on our team now. It won't make sense."

"Fine, we'll be the Lads and Lady!"

"I don't really like that name."

"Then you come up with a name, you dimwit!"

"I have an idea for a team name," said Ruby. "Since we're all buddies and my last name is Rose, how about we call ourselves the Rosebuds?"

"I like it!" said Gavin.

"I hate it!" said Michael.

"I'm hungry," said Ray.

"All right Teams Dugquatro and Rosebuds!" said Geoff. "Let's go mining!"

As Sage was about to leave, Ruby quickly ran up to Sage to ask him a question.

"Quick question sir," said Ruby. "I've heard about a Pokémon named Spiritomb supposedly being down there. He's not actually real, is he?"

Sage turned to Ruby with a deadly serious look on his face. "Spiritomb is very real. Pray you never come across him if you value your life!"

Ruby was stunned by Sage suddenly acting more serious than he already was. It seems the people of Magus Town took that Spiritomb legend very seriously. Ruby was a bit worried about what would happen if Spiritomb was found, but considering the size of the Underground, what were the odds that would actually happen?

Ruby caught up with the AT Crew as they headed down the elevator to the Underground.

#

The teams split up to two different sides of the Underground. Being such a popular tourist attraction, the tunnels were lit up so everyone could see where they were going. Jaune was relieved since he could hide the fact that he was scared of dark caves and the Pokémon that came out of them.

"So Jaune," said Geoff, "Ruby said you used to be a gym leader. What happened?"

"To be honest?" said Jaune. "I was really bad at it. I never won a single match."

"You never won a battle and you got to be gym leader? How did that happen?"

"It's a long story. My dad-"

Jaune was about to explain when Team Dugquatro were suddenly greeted by a screeching Zubat. Jaune yelped in fear while the others were trying to swat it away. Hearing Jaune's yelp cause the others to laugh.

"You can calm down now Jaune," said Ryan. "The Zubat is gone."

"Sorry!" said Jaune. "Zubats just really scare me sometimes."

"Zubats?" said Geoff. "Really? If you want to be an Achievement Trainer, you can't be scared of some measly Zubats."

"Hey guys?" said Jack. "Is that a Golbat flying towards us?"

"Golbat?" yelled Geoff. Geoff quickly hid behind a large stalagmite and curled up into a ball whimpering. Jaune looked around but didn't see a Golbat anywhere nearby.

"I don't see a Golbat," said Jaune.

"That's because there isn't," said Jack. "I just like messing with Geoff. He's scared to death of Golbats."

"You're lucky I don't fire you for that!" yelled Geoff, angered Jack made him freak out over nothing.

#

Five minutes into their challenge, and all Ruby had found were some dust shards. She was really hoping to find a fossil. The rest of Team Rosebuds weren't haven't much luck either.

"This is boring me already," said Ray.

"You say that for every challenge we do," said Michael.

"Are challenges the only things you guys do?" asked Ruby.

"We do some other stuff as well. We either try catching rare Pokémon together or have one on one versus battles. Ray's won like what, twenty times in a row now?"

"Twenty-five," corrected Ray. "Helps I used to be a professional trainer."

"You're a pro trainer?" asked Ruby, surprised that Ray was actually that good.

"Like I said, used to. Pro battling got boring for me, so I work for Achievement Trainers instead."

"I wish he went back to pro battling," said Gavin. "Maybe the rest of us would win more challenges if he quit."

"You only say that because you never won a challenge at all!" said Michael.

"Yeah well..." Gavin tried to come up with something but couldn't.

"That's what I thought," said Ray. "Dimwit."

Ruby was starting to notice how much they kept using that word on Gavin and she didn't appreciate it.

#

Jack was on a roll, finding several evolution stones in a row, giving him a commanding lead amongst the rest of Team Dugquatro. Ryan was mining on a wall when he found a rock that looked like a seashell.

"Look what I found!" said Ryan, holding up his find. "A Helix fossil!"

"That's ten more points for Ryan!" said Geoff. "Looks like Jack finally has some competition."

"Hey guys...did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That voice. None of you hear a weird voice right now?"

The others looked at each other in confusion as to what Ryan was talking about.

"Are you okay sir?" asked Jaune. "We don't hear any voices."

"I think...it's coming from the fossil," said Ryan, looking down at the Helix fossil. He held up the fossil to his ear like he was talking on the phone. "What's that Helix fossil? You want me to kill my friends? I...shall...obey!"

Ryan suddenly raised his pickaxe and started walking towards the rest of the team with his eyes wide open. Jaune was starting to shake in fear at Ryan going crazy.

"PRAISE HELIX!" shouted Ryan.

"Aaaah!" screamed Jaune, running away like his life depended on it. He turned back to see that rather than run with him, the Achievement Trainers burst out laughing.

"Calm down Jaune, I was kidding!" said Ryan.

"You'd think a fanboy like yourself would know when Ryan does one of his 'I've gone mad' antics," said Geoff.

"Oh, right, of course!" said Jaune, embarrassed he fell for Ryan's joke. "Ryan the Crazy Guy, heh heh..."

Jaune felt ashamed for panicking; there was no way he'd be able to join the Achievement Trainers at this rate.

#

"Eevee, you wouldn't happen to have some kind of fossil finding abilities, do you?" asked Ruby. Eevee shook her head. Ruby sighed; she had the feeling she wasn't going to be finding a fossil at all. Meanwhile, Gavin was mining on a wall when the wall had a big collapse before anyone can find any treasures.

"OH C'MON!" said Gavin, frustrated things weren't going his way.

"DARN IT GAVIN!" yelled Michael. "That's like the fourth time you've caused a wall to collapse!"

"I'm sorry! I keep trying to pick at these iron things and it causes the wall to cave in."

"Because that's what mining on the iron does!"

"Oh...that's why?"

"Weren't you listening to the instructor before we did this?" asked Ray.

"What instructor?"

Ray and Michael groaned at how dumb Gavin was for not paying attention. Ruby decided to offer Gavin some help.

"If you find a piece of iron, don't mine around it," said Ruby. "Pick another corner and work your way from there."

"Thanks Ruby," said Gavin.

"I'm going to mine somewhere else before Gavin gets us all killed," said Michael.

"Agreed," said Ray. Michael and Ray went off to another tunnel. Ruby saw this as the perfect time to talk to Gavin about his treatment.

"Are you feeling okay Gavin?" asked Ruby.

"I'm perfectly fine," said Gavin.

"You can be honest with me Gavin. Are you really fine?"

"What? You think I'm coming down with a virus or something?"

"I mean about how the others treat you. I don't think it's nice of them to bully you like this."

"Oh, they're not bullying me; it's all in good fun."

"Doesn't look like good fun to me. It doesn't bother you how they constantly make fun of you?"

"I know they seem harsh, but we're good friends. Michael and Ray are actually the best friends I've ever had."

"They don't act like best friends to me. Are you sure they're really friends?"

"Of course they are. Believe me, I wouldn't be wanting to travel around with anyone else."

#

The first half of the hunt was almost over, and so far Jaune felt like a big disappointment. He felt like he wasn't blending in with the group and wasn't performing as well as he hoped. He needed to find something valuable and fast if he wanted to stand a chance in joining the AT Crew. While the others were busy talking to each other about some weird TV show they liked watching, Jaune wandered off down the tunnel; he made sure to go straight forward so he wouldn't wind up lost. After reaching a dead end, he took out his tools and started mining.

"Please let there be some kind of super rare fossil in this wall!" begged Jaune. He constantly picked at the wall until he heard a large clank sound like he hit a stone. It had to be a fossil. "Yes! I've finally found a fossil!"

Jaune kept slamming his axe into the wall as quickly as he could, hoping to uncover the fossil before the wall collapsed. At one point he slammed his pickaxe so hard it wound up stuck to a crack that was forming in the fossil, causing Jaune to pull the fossil out of the wall as it fell to the ground.

"Oh no, don't tell me I broke it!" said Jaune. Jaune picked up the fossil to get a better look at it. That's when he realized whatever he pulled out wasn't actually a fossil. "This isn't a fossil, it's a...what is this thing?" The "fossil" was actually some big stone that looked like it was making a frowning face. The cracks also appear to have been there the whole time.

"I guess it's just some weird shaped rock. I'll just get rid of it and go back-"

Suddenly Jaune felt as if his body had gone numb. He lost all feeling in his body, yet something was keeping him standing. He looked down and noticed the cracks in the stone suddenly glow bright purple. He tried to yell for help, but couldn't breathe in or out. It was as if he was no longer in control of his body.

__"My body...I can't move it! What's happening to me?" __thought Jaune.

__"Your body belongs to me now!"__

__"Who said that? What are you..."__

When the first half ended, Jack noticed Jaune wasn't with them and ran off to find him. Jack found Jaune at the end of tunnel, staring into some kind of stone he was holding.

"There you are Jaune," said Jack. "Find anything good?"

"Huh?" asked Jaune.

"Find any fossils or stones?"

"Oh. Uh...I found this?" Jaune held up the odd looking stone in his hands.

"Looks cool, but I don't think it's going to be worth any points. The first half is over, so we all have to meet back with Geoff. Follow me."

As Jaune followed Jack back to the others, he began to snicker.

__"After 500 years I'm free!" __thought a voice in Jaune's head. __"It's time to conquer Remnant!"__


	9. The Spirit of Mining (Part 2)

With the first half of the challenge over, the two groups got back together to tally who had the most points so far.

"So how was everybody's mining?" asked Geoff.

"Terrible," said Ray. "I found the most stuff in our group, and I've only found a few heart scales and a Fire Stone."

"All I found was some useless shards," lamented Gavin.

"Did your group have any better luck?" asked Ruby.

"Based on what I've found," said Jack, "I'm currently standing at thirty-seven points, so I'm pretty sure I'm in the lead."

"How'd you do Jaune?"

"How'd I do what?" replied Jaune.

"Your mining; how much stuff did you find?"

"Oh! Um...nothing really."

Ruby was a bit baffled by Jaune's reply; he sounded as if he was distracted by something. It was also baffling he said he found nothing while carry some giant stone with him.

"What are you carrying Jaune?"

"Just a stone I found; I thought it looked cool."

"Looks like the stone is making a face," said Michael. "Kind of looks as homely as Gavin."

"I don't look as ugly as that!" said Gavin. "In fact if you add glasses to that thing it looks exactly like you!"

"You calling me ugly boy?" replied Michael, getting into Gavin's face. While the AT crew went off on another one of their arguments, Ruby kept looking at the stone.

__"I felt like I've seen that stone before, but where?" __thought Ruby.

Before Ruby can remember where she saw that stone, a loud explosion echoed throughout the Underground. The walls rumbled as some rocks and dirt fell from the ceiling and some of the lights flickered. The sudden noise freaked out everyone except for Jaune.

"What in blazes was that?" asked Gavin.

"That definitely sounded like a bomb going off," said Ryan.

"It has to be the White Fang!" said Ruby.

"Don't these idiots know that using explosions down here is extremely dangerous?" asked Geoff.

"If they did, we wouldn't be hearing them!" said Ryan.

"I have to stop them," said Ruby. "Sorry everyone, but I'm dropping out of our challenge."

"Like we're just gonna let you fight them by yourself?" said Geoff. "No one ruins an Achievement Trainer challenge except us!"

"And as fellow members of Team Rosebuds," said Michael, "we've always got your back!"

"Thanks for the support," said Ruby. "Eevee, think you can lead us to where the explosion came from?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

The AT Crew followed Ruby and Eevee to the source of the explosion. Jaune followed behind them, laughing at the situation at hand.

__"Looks like I won't have to wait long to gather some souls."__

#

"People, we don't have many explosions!" said Torchwick. "So you better find that stone with the powerful Pokémon so the boss can finally stop being mad at me!"

The White Fang continued to mine all over the tunnel; the explosion caused a wide gap in the walls that made it easier than having to mine, but the White Fang had no luck finding what they came here for. They were going to set up a second bomb when they were interrupted by Torchwick's nemesis.

"Stop right there!" shouted Ruby. Torchwick sighed and turned to see Ruby, along with several more trainers behind her.

"Well if it isn't my number one fan, the little trainer in red!" said Torchwick. "And you brought some new friends with you!"

"I take it you're the leader of this group?" asked Geoff.

"Greetings everyone; I am the stylin', profilin', master of Pokémon crime! The Second in Command of the White Fang, Roman Torchwick!"

"The White Fang?" said Gavin. "Wasn't that the name of some rock band?"

"You're thinking of White Ekans," replied Jack. "Man those guys were good."

"Best rock band of the 80's am I right?" said Ryan.

"Best rock band period!" said Geoff. He started to pantomime holding a microphone and began singing. "Here I go again on my own!"

Soon the entire AT Crew was singing along with Geoff. Ruby was baffled by the AT Crew's reactions, while Torchwick was getting angry that they've completely ignored his introduction.

"Hey losers!" shouted Torchwick. "Did you not hear what I just said?"

"We heard you loud and clear Candlewick," said Geoff. "We just don't actually care."

"It's TORCHWICK! And you would care if you knew just how dangerous I can be!"

"Yeah," said Jack, "because nothing says dangerous like eyeliner and a bowler hat."

"But he's got a cane!" said Ryan sarcastically. "Watch out or he might hobble menacingly at us!"

"Seriously though," said Ray, "can we get rid of this guy and go back to what we were doing?"

"I'm with Ray," said Michael. "Let's send these jokers packing."

"I'll show you who a joker is!" replied Torchwick. He called out his Krookodile ready to do battle; the grunts all called out their Houndours as well.

"You wanna play Torchwick?" said Geoff. "Let's play!"

Ruby and the AT Crew were about to call out their Pokémon when Jaune suddenly burst out laughing. Everyone turned to see Jaune walking up to Torchwick, laughing maniacally.

"Jaune, are you okay?" asked Ruby.

"Gentlemen," said Jaune, "if you don't mind, I'll take care of this by myself."

"You really think you stand a chance scrawny blonde?" asked Torchwick. "Don't you remember what happened last time we met?"

"I'd run away now if I were you. You're dealing with forces you can't possibly comprehend."

"This is no time for jokes Jaune!" said Geoff.

"Yeah man," said Ryan. "The whole acting crazy bit doesn't work on real criminals."

"Trust me," said Jaune, "I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Then why aren't you calling out a Pokémon to fight back?" asked Jack.

"Who said I needed a Pokémon to beat these clowns?" replied Jaune.

Now Torchwick was the one who burst out laughing. Everyone else was starting to get worried Jaune was acting in way over his head.

"Do you have a death wish scrawny blonde?" asked Torchwick, wiping the tears away from his crying face. "Because I'll be more than happy to oblige!"

"Jaune," said Geoff, "if this is about trying to impress me to join our group, now is not the time to be doing that!"

"I SAID I'VE GOT THIS!" yelled Jaune. Before anyone can ask what Jaune was thinking, Torchwick wasted no time in commanding his Krookodile to attack.

"Krookodile, Iron Tail attack!" commanded Torchwick.

Krookodile was about to swing its tail at Jaune when Jaune's eyes glowed brightly and fired a ball of light at Krookodile. When the ball hit Krookodile, the Krookodile suddenly stopped and was confused about what he was doing.

"Why did you stop Krookodile? Attack!" Krookodile swung its tail to attack, only instead of hitting Jaune, it slammed into a wall and hurt itself. "What are you doing Krookodile?" yelled Torchwick.

"Simple," said Jaune. "I used my Confuse Ray. Now for my next trick, I'll be using Shadow Sneak!"

Jaune suddenly disappeared from view, shocking everyone in the tunnel. He reappeared behind Torchwick, lifted up the stone he was holding, and slammed it in the back of Torchwick's head, knocking him unconscious.

"How is Jaune doing this?" asked Geoff.

"I have no idea," remarked Ruby.

"Looks like I win Torchwick," said Jaune. "Now, who's next to step up?"

The rest of the White Fang were shaking in fear of Jaune's abilities; the Houndours were also too scared to make a move.

"I take it you all forfeit then," said Jaune. "As punishment for your loss, I hereby claim your souls!"

Jaune held his stone up high. The stone glowed bright purple as did Jaune's body. Torchwick and the White Fang's bodies, along with their Pokémon, suddenly went numb as their bodies glowed bright purple as well. The White Fang were trying to scream from the pain they were in, but could barely make a whimpering gasp. As soon as the stone stopped glowing, the entire White Fang collapsed to the ground. Everyone was freaking out at Jaune's body glowing a bright purple aura.

"What in the world was that?" asked Gavin.

"What did you do Jaune?" asked Geoff.

"Jaune?" said Jaune. "Jaune...doesn't exist anymore!" Jaune turned back to the others and laughed. Jaune's left eye had suddenly transformed into some kind of twisted swirl, and his mouth was turning into a weird shape like something out of a Jack-O-Lantern.

As the AT Crew were freaking out about Jaune, Ruby looked at the glowing keystone Jaune was holding, and it finally dawned on her why the stone looked familiar.

"Wait a minute...that stone!" said Ruby. "I've seen that stone before! That was the stone the mages used to trap Spiritomb!"

"What the heck is a Spiritomb?" asked Michael.

"Spiritomb?" said the spirit. "Is that what they call me? I like that name!"

"Spiritomb was a Pokémon created centuries ago by the people of Magus Town! They sealed him in a keystone so that he could never be found again."

"Right you are little girl," said Spiritomb. "500 years ago before taking this form, I was a group of 108 thieves feared across all of Remnant! But then I was sealed away by the mages of this town. Being trapped underground while in this stone prison prevented me from escaping back to the surface, but then your friend here just happened to make the luckiest discovery in the world!"

"What have you done to Jaune and the White Fang?"

"They're all with me. Or rather, in the place that was once my prison!" Spiritomb held up the keystone as it glowed brightly. "I can still hear their screams! It sounds like music to my ears!"

"You better let everyone go or I'll-"

"Or you'll what? Attack me with Pokémon of your own? Go ahead! I'm sure your friend's body is capable of withstanding such punishment!"

Hearing Spiritomb's threat caused Ruby to hesitate. She wanted to call out her Pokémon and beat this spirit, but if he was possessing Jaune's body, any harm that would be inflicted on Spiritomb would also be inflicted on Jaune. Spiritomb laughed knowing Ruby didn't have the guts to attack him while he was in control of Jaune's body.

"One hundred and eight souls," said Spiritomb. "If I can gather the same amount of souls that were sealed to create me, I can be free! I'll plunge this world into the same eternal darkness that I have experienced for five centuries!"

"Nuts to that!" said Geoff. "I'm not gonna let some talking ghost rock take our souls! Jack, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Plan Nido?" said Jack.

"Plan Nido!"

Geoff grabbed his Poké Ball and called out Nidoking, while Jack called out his Nidoqueen.

"Listen up everyone! Jack and I are going to hold off Spiritomb as long as we can! All of you get back to the surface and find help!"

The Achievement Trainers immediately turned around and started running. Ruby was hesitant to leave Geoff and Jack behind, not wanting to see their souls get trapped by Spiritomb.

"But what about you-"

"Forget about us and go!" commanded Geoff. Against her wishes, Ruby ran away with the others.

"You should have ran away with them," said Spiritomb. "But who I am to stop willing victims?"

"We'll see who the victim really is!" said Geoff. "Nidoking, Earth Power!"

"Likewise Nidoqueen!" said Jack.

Both Nidoking and Nidoqueen slammed their arms into the ground. The ground around Spiritomb began to rise up and trap him in a solid circular wall. Spiritomb laughed as it created a ball of energy and fired a Dark Pulse, knocking down the wall instantly.

"If that's the best you can do," said Spiritomb, "you might as well hand over your souls now!"

"We're far from done you supernatural freak!" said Geoff.

#

While Geoff and Jack were stalling Spiritomb, the AT Crew were running back to where they came when they noticed another trainer up ahead; the young woman in monochrome attire who came to stop the White Fang. The trainers stopped, thinking she was another enemy in their way.

"Oh great!" said Michael. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I can ask you the same thing," said Blake. Ruby caught up and was relieved to see Blake.

"Blake!" said Ruby. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Ruby? What's going on?"

"We were going exploring when suddenly Jaune got possessed by this thing called Spiritomb and now he's sucking everybody's souls and Geoff and Jack are trying to fight him and-"

"Slow down!" interrupted Blake. "Did you say Spiritomb?"

"You know about him?"

"Spiritomb is the reason I came here. I heard the White Fang were down here trying to find it."

"Well you're already too late!" said Michael. "The White Fang already got their souls sucked by that thing and if we don't get out of here now-"

"I'm afraid that won't be happening!" said a grim voice from behind them. Everyone turned around and saw the Spiritomb in Jaune's body, laughing menacingly at the next batch of souls he was sure to absorb.

"Are you kidding me?" said Ryan. "How does this thing keep catching up to us?"

"Where's Geoff and Jack?" asked Ruby.

"That depends," replied Spiritomb, holding up his keystone. "Their bodies are lying face down in a pile of dirt somewhere, but their souls are right here. Would you like to meet them?"

"Curse you, Spiritomb!" said Ruby, grabbing a Poké Ball and wanting to fight, but Blake grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Hold on Ruby," said Blake. "I know how we can free everyone from Spiritomb."

"How?"

"We need to get to the surface. I'll explain on the way there."

"What makes you think I'm going to let you escape?" asked Spiritomb, approaching the trainers.

"Get back," said Blake, calling out her Greninja. "Greninja, Smokescreen!"

Greninja created a ball of smoke and threw it to the ground, causing the area to quickly fill up with thick smoke. Everyone took it as their cue to leave, following Blake to the exit. Spiritomb was barely affected by the smoke and started chasing the trainers.

"So care to explain your plan there miss?" asked Ryan.

"Long ago, Spiritomb was sealed away via a spell created by the village mages," explained Blake. "That spell has been passed down for generations, and I found the one person who still knows how to perform it."

"And what about everybody's souls?" asked Michael.

"Their souls will be freed, but we have to hurry; the more souls Spiritomb absorbs, the more powerful he gets."

Ruby looked back to see if Spiritomb was catching up to them. The moment she looked back, she didn't notice the rocks up ahead. Ruby tripped over a rock and fell. The others were so focused in trying to make it to the exit that they didn't notice Ruby had fallen behind. By the time Ruby got up, she was suddenly greeted by a floating possessed Jaune.

"Well well, looks like somebody didn't watch where they were going," said Spiritomb. Eevee got in front of Ruby and tried to bite Jaune/Spiritomb's leg. Spiritomb got mad and kicked Eevee, sending her into a wall.

"Eevee!" shouted Ruby, running over and picking up Eevee. Spiritomb laughed as he held up the stone he was contained in.

"Do you miss your friends Ruby? Don't worry; you'll be joining them soon enough!"

Spiritomb's stone started to glow as Spiritomb was absorbing Ruby's soul. Ruby felt like as if someone was choking the life out of her as her entire body began to go numb. Before Spiritomb can complete his ritual, he was suddenly blasted by a pulse of water. His stone stopped glowing as Ruby regained feeling in her body.

"Where did that come from?" yelled Spiritomb. Ruby turned around to see Gavin suddenly appear with his Slowbro.

"Hit him with another Water Pulse, Slowbro!" commanded Gavin. The Slowbro fired another Water Pulse at Spiritomb, who this time defended itself from the attack. As Slowbro kept Spiritomb busy, Gavin went over to check on Ruby. "Are you okay Ruby?"

"My body felt like it was going to shut down," said Ruby. "Thanks for the help Gavin."

"The others are just up ahead. I'll distract Spiritomb while you catch up."

"No! I'm not going to let your soul get sucked in as well!"

"I'll be fine. Besides, I know you and the others will save us eventually, so get moving already."

Eevee already started to run ahead and called for Ruby to catch up. With little time to spare, Ruby got up and ran away, trying her best to not look back while Gavin attempted to fight off Spiritomb.

"Gavin was it?" said Spiritomb. "You must be pretty dumb to think you stand a chance!"

"Wouldn't be the dumbest thing I've ever done," replied Gavin.

Ruby ran as quickly as she could, making sure to avoid any more obstacles along the way. To her relief, she could see the group already in the elevator waiting for her to get in. As soon as Ruby got into the shaft, she quickly slammed the button to shut the door. As the elevator was ascending back to the surface, everyone suddenly noticed the absence of Gavin.

"Where's Gavin?" asked Michael. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry," said Ruby. "I fell behind, and then Spiritomb showed up, and then Gavin came back to get me, and then..." Ruby nearly started crying trying to explain what happened. Michael was clenching his fists, trying to contain his rage over what happened to Gavin. He suddenly turned to Blake and grabbed her by the front of her vest.

"You better be right about that spell freeing souls or I swear to Arceus-"

"Calm down Michael!" said Ray, pulling Michael away from Blake.

"Gavin will be saved along with everyone us," said Blake. "There's no reason to get mad."

"Easy for you to say!" yelled Michael. "You don't have a best friend's soul being trapped in some stupid ghost rock!"

"Well getting mad about it isn't going to help either," said Ryan. "We need to focus on how we're going to fight off Spiritomb in case he shows up again."

"Judging from his attacks," said Ray, "he's definitely a Ghost type. He's not going to have a lot of weaknesses type wise."

"My Dark type Pokémon should be able to handle him," said Blake.

As Ryan, Ray, and Blake were going over a strategy to fight Spiritomb, Ruby was crawled up into a ball trying not to cry about seeing her friends get taken away by Spiritomb. Michael sat beside Ruby and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Look," said Michael, "it's not your fault about what happened to Gavin. We'll find a way to save him and the others, even if I have to get my soul sucked and destroy that poltergeist from the inside."

"Thank you Michael," replied Ruby.

Once the elevator reached the surface, the crew ran as fast as they could until they were suddenly greeted by their otherworldly enemy.

"What took you so long?" asked Spiritomb.

"How did you possibly get ahead of us?" asked Ray.

"When you're a powerful spirit with nearly a dozen souls at your disposal, anything is possible."

"If you're here," said Ruby, "that must mean Gavin's..."

"He's in here along with everyone else! I have to say, I think I enjoy his screaming more than anyone else's. It has such a unique sound to it. He thought his Slowbro was going to be enough to stop me! What a moron!"

Spiritomb laughed at how he easily defeated Gavin. Hearing him laugh about Gavin's situation caused Michael to snap.

"NOBODY TALKS ABOUT MY BOY LIKE THAT!" yelled Michael, grabbing his Poké Ball and calling out his signature Pokémon Ursaring.

"Michael wait!" said Ruby, but Michael wasn't listening. All he wanted to do now was go after Spiritomb, even if he had to go through Jaune's body to do it.

"Ursaring, Fury Swipes!" Ursaring charged at Spiritomb, ready to strike him down.

"How pathetic," said Spiritomb, easily moving from side to side to avoid the Ursaring's attacks. Spiritomb then used his Shadow Sneak to teleport behind Ursaring and attack it from behind, knocking Ursaring to the ground.

"That's not possible!" said Ryan. "Ghost moves aren't supposed to work on Normal types!"

"It's pretty obvious this Ghost isn't playing by the rules," said Ray.

Ursaring got up and turned around to use Fury Swipes again, only for Spiritomb to teleport again and use a Dark Pulse to knock Ursaring away.

"Another one bites the dust!" said Spiritomb. "Now since your Pokémon is down, how about I take your...huh?"

Spiritomb looked around to find Michael, only to notice he wasn't where he was standing. The others didn't notice where Michael went either.

"Ha! He must have run away like a scared little rat! Not that I blame him. Still, to abandon his friends and Pokémon to save himself? At least his worthless friends were brave enough to-"

"SURPRISE SNEAK ATTACK!" yelled Michael as he suddenly came charging at Spiritomb from behind. Spiritomb barely had time to react as Michael tackled Jaune/Spiritomb from behind, causing the stone being held by Jaune to fly out of his hands. Michael grabbed Jaune by the collar and started slamming him repeatedly into the ground. "Bring back everybody's souls you monster!"

Michael kept shaking Jaune, but Jaune was already unconscious, which Michael was too mad to notice. Ruby and Ray grabbed Michael and forced him to let go of Jaune.

"I think you knocked the ghost out of him," said Ray.

"So where's Spiritomb then?" said Ruby. "Back in the stone?"

"I guess as long as none of us pick up that stone," said Ryan, "he won't possess us."

"That's one problem solved, but we still need to free everyone else."

"I'll head into the village and find the mage who knows to spell," said Blake. "The rest of you make sure Spiritomb does not get any stronger and escapes!"

Blake hurried back to the village. Ruby picked up Jaune and laid him by the side of the mountain. Eevee stayed by Jaune's side to make sure he was all right.

"Don't worry Jaune," said Ruby. "We'll rescue you soon enough."

"So what are we supposed to do now?" said Michael. "Just wait here until that mage shows up?"

"At least we don't have to worry about fighting that thing," said Ray.

As if on cue, the stone Spiritomb was sealed in began to glow bright purple and emit a weird screeching noise. Everyone turned to the stone to see it float several feet into the air, with Spiritomb's true form emerging around it.

"Of course he comes out the moment I say that!" said Ray.

"I don't need that worthless human's body!" said Spiritomb. "I'm powerful enough to fight you all in my truest form!"

"Spiritomb!" said Ruby. "I'm going to send you back into whatever hole you crawled out of!"

"Sounds like my kind of plan!" said Ryan.

Ruby and the AT Crew each called out a Pokémon; Ruby called out her Scyther, Ray called out his Roserade, Ryan called out his Miltank, and Michael kept out his Ursaring.

"You can call out a hundred and eight Pokémon at once," said Spiritomb, "and you would still not stand a chance against me! Prepare to join your friends in your eternal prison!"

Spiritomb fired several Dark Pulses at everyone's Pokémon. Everyone quickly spread out as they were avoiding the Dark Pulses.

"Hey Ray!" said Ryan. "You ready to board the R&amp;R Connection?"

"I'll get things started!" replied Ray. "Roserade, use your Stun Spore!"

"Miltank, time to Rollout!"

Ryan and Ray's team strategy was to paralyze Spiritomb with Roserade so Miltank can attack with Rollout without having to worry about missing. As Miltank formed into a ball and was getting ready to strike, Roserade ran up to Spiritomb and fired its Stun Spore from one of its rose hands; Spiritomb moved away to avoid being hit by the Stun Spore. Miltank started her Rollout and narrowly missed Spiritomb. Miltank spun around and stood in place as Roserade kept trying to use Stun Spore to no avail.

"Be gone you overgrown weed!" said Spiritomb, knocking Roserade back with a Dark Pulse. Miltank kept using Rollout hoping to land a lucky hit on Spiritomb, but Spiritomb was too fast for her to hit. As Miltank went for another attempt, Spiritomb fired a Confuse Ray at Miltank, causing her to get confused in the middle of her Rollout. Not knowing which direction to turn, Miltank suddenly started rolling after Ray; Ray jumped out of the way as Miltank rolled past and kept going until she crashed into a boulder.

"Watch where your Miltank is going Ryan!" said Ray.

"It's not my fault the Rollout train has no brakes!" replied Ryan.

While Ray and Ryan were attacking, Scyther and Ursaring were powering up using Swords Dance and Bulk Up respectively. With the R&amp;R Connection getting derailed, it was Ruby and Michael's turn to attack Spiritomb.

"Ursaring, Fury Swipes attack!" commanded Michael. Ursaring charged at Spiritomb with its claws out ready to slash. Spiritomb smirked and stood still, waiting for Ursaring to attack. Ursaring got close to Spiritomb and slashed him multiple times; his claws went right through Spiritomb like he was just swinging at air.

"Did you really think you can physically hit me?" laughed Spiritomb. Spiritomb then used Shadow Sneak to teleport behind Ursaring and knock him down. A furious Ursaring got up and tried to attack Spiritomb again; nothing Ursaring can do was going to work. Spiritomb kept using Shadow Sneak to get behind Ursaring and knocking him down, causing Michael to get frustrated.

"C'MON URSARING!" yelled Michael. "TEAR THAT THING APART!"

"Michael, you need to calm down!" said Ruby. "We can't save Gavin with you getting frustrated and attacking! Call Ursaring back so it can recover!"

As angry as Michael was and how desperately he wanted to land an attack on Spiritomb, he knew Ruby was telling the truth. He took a deep breath and called for his Ursaring to come back.

"Who said I was done with you?" said Spiritomb, firing a Dark Pulse while Ursaring's back was turned. Scyther quickly flew in and blocked the Dark Pulse for Ursaring.

"Scyther, use your Fury Cutter!" commanded Ruby. Scyther flew in and swung its scythe arms at Spiritomb. Even though Scyther was much quicker with its attacks than Ursaring, Spiritomb was still able to avoid Scyther's attacks.

"When will you fools learn it's impossible to land a hit on me?" said Spiritomb. Just like with Ursaring, Spiritomb attempted to use Shadow Sneak to get behind Scyther and land a cheap hit.

"Behind you Scyther!" shouted Ruby. Scyther quickly turned around and did a backswing with one of its arms to hit Spiritomb. Spiritomb stopped itself just as Scyther's blade swung and chipped a part of the stone Spiritomb was trapped in, causing Spiritomb to groan slightly in pain. Ruby noticed the way Spiritomb tried to stop itself and his facial reaction when Scyther hit the stone. She had discovered Spiritomb's weakness.

"Everyone, we need to attack the stone!" said Ruby. "Hitting the stone is the only way we can damage Spiritomb!"

"Of course!" said Ray. "The stone is where Spiritomb's soul emanates, so hurting the stone should hurt Spiritomb!"

"Congratulations," mocked Spiritomb. "So you've realized you need to hit my keystone instead of me. It doesn't change the fact that you'll never be able to pull it off! I'm still more powerful than all of you combined, and I'm going to make myself stronger!" Spiritomb's aura was soon turning a very dark purple as it began to cover itself in a thick fog.

"I say we charge him all at once!" said Michael. Everyone's Pokémon charged in to attack Spiritomb.

"Big mistake!" said Spiritomb. "Feel the wrath of my Ominous Wind!"

The thick fog surrounding Spiritomb soon burst out in all directions, sending a powerful dark wind that blew everyone's Pokémon away, dealing critical damage to all of them at once. The wind also caused Spiritomb's power to grow even greater than it already was. Spiritomb laughed once again at seeing everyone fall so quickly, then started shooting more powerful Dark Pulses at a faster pace.

"There goes trying to attack him up close!" said Ryan. "Now how are we supposed to attack him?"

"If we can't hit up close," said Michael, "we'll just do it from a distance!" Michael ripped opened his backpack and spilled out all the stuff he found when mining in the Underground. He grabbed a Water Stone and tossed it to Ursaring. "Ursaring, Fling that at Spiritomb as hard as you can!" Ursaring wound back its arm and used its Fling attack to throw the Water Stone at Spiritomb. The stone landed on Spiritomb but did seemingly no damage as it shattered to pieces.

"Down to throwing rocks like a simpleton?" said Spiritomb. "Instead of desperately trying to fight back, just surrender and be done with it!"

Michael kept tossing every item he found, but nothing was doing any significant damage to Spiritomb. With Spiritomb keeping everyone at a distance and too powerful to fight up close, it looked like the crew didn't stand a chance of defeating Spiritomb.

"Darn it!" said Michael, going through the last of his stuff. "I don't have enough to throw at him!"

"And nothing I have is going to work either!" said Ray.

"Hold on!" said Ryan. "I might have better stuff you can throw!"

Ryan opened his bag and emptied it out as fast as he could, trying to find whatever objects can deal good damage to Spiritomb. While desperately thinking about what to give Michael, Ryan's GS Ball dropped out and was rolling away. Ruby saw the GS Ball and quickly ran over to pick it up. She was about to give it back to Ryan when she noticed how heavy the ball weighed; it gave her an idea.

"Michael, catch!" said Ruby, tossing Michael the GS Ball.

"The GS Ball?" asked Michael. "What's this for?"

"That thing is made out of solid gold and silver, right? I bet if you Fling that real hard, it can do major damage!"

"That's just crazy enough to work!" Michael tossed Ursaring the GS Ball. Ursaring first decided to Bulk Up so it can attack at full strength. When Spiritomb saw the ball in Ursaring's hand, he laughed, thinking the ball was a real Poké Ball.

"You think you can capture me with that thing?" asked Spiritomb. "Are you that foolish?"

"Fling it now, Ursaring!" said Michael. Ursaring wound back its arm and threw the GS Ball at full power.

"You're wasting your time! I'll escape from that thing faster than you can say-"

Before he can finish mocking the crew, the ball hit Spiritomb directly in the facial part of the stone. It was at that moment Spiritomb realized he wasn't hit by the kind of ball they kept their Pokémon in. The ball made such a hard impact into the stone that it caused the crack on top to widen even further, nearly down the whole face. Spiritomb screamed in pain like it had its head split open, which was literally the case.

"Bullseye!" said Ruby.

"That GS Ball was actually useful for once!" said Michael.

"You dare attack me with a worthless piece of junk?" yelled Spiritomb.

"You mad Spiritomb? Come at me, ghost bro!"

An enraged Spiritomb charged to attack Michael, only to get cut off by Miltank using her Rollout and landing a critical hit on Spiritomb's side, knocking Spiritomb several feet away.

"The Rollout train connects!" said Ryan.

"I'm getting sick of you fools' antics!" screamed Spiritomb. Spiritomb got up and tried to charge at the nearest person he can attack when he suddenly found himself stuck in place. "WHY CAN'T I MOVE?"

Spiritomb looked down and saw his stone tied up by a Grass Knot being held by Ray's Roserade.

"Now's your cue, Ruby!" said Ray.

"Quickly Scyther!" said Ruby. "Fury Cutter attack!"

Scyther quickly flew in and slashed at Spiritomb's stone several times with its sharp scythe arms. Each slash was more powerful than the last, and was chipping away at Spiritomb's stone piece by piece. Every time a piece fell off, Spiritomb would scream in pain. Now he was the one getting furious at being attacked so easily.

"When I finally get your souls," yelled Spiritomb, "I'll torture you worse than all my previous victims combined!"

"You know," said Ruby, "for a spirit whose had 500 years to prepare for this, you're not very good at fighting. I bet you can't even land a hit on me!"

"You just gave yourself a death wish!"

Spiritomb broke free of the Grass Knot and went after Ruby. Scyther swung its arms to hit Spiritomb, but this time he ducked under Scyther and kept charging for Ruby. Once he was just a few feet away from her, Spiritomb used Shadow Sneak to get behind Ruby. It was just as Ruby planned.

"Now Beedrill!" said Ruby.

"Beedrill?" said Spiritomb. Spiritomb turned around and realized Ruby had Beedrill hiding behind her, waiting for Spiritomb to get between them so Beedrill can attack. Beedrill lifted its poison sting and released a large dose of Toxic at Spiritomb. The thick purple gunk landed on Spiritomb, causing the ghost to become badly poisoned. Spiritomb started gagging as the stone dropped to the ground; Spiritomb was losing the strength to stay floating in the air.

"You had us going for a while there, Spiritomb," said Ruby. "But once you got frustrated by our attacks, you weren't paying attention to what we were doing. Now you're powerless to stop us."

"You think you've won?" asked Spiritomb. "You may have weakened me significantly, but I can never lose! As long as I have the souls of your compatriots, I'm the one with the upper hand! Go ahead and knock me out! No matter what you do, you'll never see your friends again!" Despite being poisoned and injured, Spiritomb laughed maniacally.

"They may not be able to do anything," said a different voice, "but I can."

Everyone turned around to see the young man who guided them to the Underground Network standing next to Blake.

"Sage?" said Ruby. "Are you the mage that knows the spell?"

"It was my family's ancestors who first created the spell," said Sage. "It has been a family tradition to pass it down our bloodline. I've added some modifications of my own since; this spell will free everyone's souls from the keystone and seal Spiritomb inside once again."

"You'll have to catch me first!" said Spiritomb. Spiritomb was about to use Shadow Sneak and run away when in the blink of an eye, Blake pulled out a sticker ingrained with ancient writing and placed it on Spiritomb, suddenly causing him to be paralyzed.

"Did you think we would not come prepared?" said Sage. "Even after 500 years, you continue to underestimate the power of the mages. Now Spiritomb, it is time to seal you back into the keystone and free the souls of those you've captured!"

Sage approached the fully paralyzed Spiritomb who was using everything in his power to move or attack to no avail. Sage pulled out a piece of chalk and drew a circle around the Spiritomb, then pressed his hands on to the circle and began chanting.

__"Mujitsu no tamashi wa jiyude jaakuna seishin o mippu suru koto ga dekimasu!"__

As Sage continued to repeat the chant, Spiritomb can feel as if his spiritual body was being torn apart. He hadn't felt a pain this excruciating since the day he was first created from the souls of the 108 fallen thieves. His form was starting to shrink in size as the keystone's glow started to dimmer.

"This can't be happening!" screamed Spiritomb. "Not after I've waited 500 years!"

Spiritomb's screams got lower in pitch as he slowly faded away until nothing was left of him. As soon as Spiritomb disappeared, Sage picked up the odd keystone, which caused everyone to worry that Sage was going to be possessed.

"Do not fret," said Sage. "Spiritomb has been sealed once again. By the time he regains consciousness, he will have been buried even deeper in the Underground."

"That's all fine and dandy," said Michael, "but what about our friends? Did you get their souls back or what?"

"See for yourself," said Sage, pointing towards Jaune. Jaune suddenly woke up like he was having a nightmare.

"Oh man, where am I now?" asked Jaune, freaked out from returning to life.

"Back with the living!" said Ruby. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better than I was a moment ago. I felt like I was in this place where I couldn't see, hear, or feel anything, and yet I was still able to think. I've never felt anything so scary."

"If Jaune's okay," said Michael, "that means Gavin and the others must be okay too! Let's go!"

Meanwhile in the mine, Geoff, Jack, and the White Fang suddenly came back to life. They looked around to find themselves back in their own bodies.

"Looks like we're back to normal!" said Jack.

"I knew I hired those guys for a reason," said Geoff.

"What do we do now boss?" asked one of the White Fang grunts to Torchwick.

"Well, if we can't get that ghost Pokémon, we can settle for these fools," said Torchwick, turning his attention to Geoff and Jack.

"Dude," said Geoff, "we just got our souls back into our bodies, and the first thing you want to do is steal our stuff?"

"That's right! Now hand over your Pokémon!"

Geoff sighed and turned to Jack.

"Plan Nido?" said Jack.

"Plan Nido."

#

"OH BISCUITS!" shouted Gavin as he suddenly sprang to life. He looked around to find himself back in the mine where he tried to stop Spiritomb. He was soon greeted by Ruby and the others.

"What happened?" asked Gavin. "Is my soul still gone?"

"No," said Ray, "but you're still a dimwit."

"I'm so glad you're okay Gavin!" said Ruby, hugging Gavin.

"Hey, how come I don't get a hug?"

"I'll hug you Ray!" said Gavin, getting up and holding his arms out.

"Just this once," said Ray, reluctantly hugging Gavin. The AT Crew were soon joined by their leader and his right-hand man.

"Oh, are we doing team hugs?" asked Jack.

"Can we not?" said Geoff. "I really want to get out of this death trap already."

"Wait," said Blake. "Where's the White Fang?"

"Buried under a pile of dirt. You can go take care of that; we're getting out of here."

Blake said her goodbyes and headed to where the White Fang were, while Sage went off to find a better spot to bury Spiritomb.

#

After returning their mining equipment, the AT Crew were relaxing in the town's Pokémon Center.

"So that's going to make for one amazing episode huh?" joked Geoff.

"If the footage actually recorded that is," said Ray.

"Well whatever happens, let me just say I'm proud of everyone here for how you handled Spiritomb. I couldn't ask for a better team than you guys."

"It's all my fault," said Jaune. "If I never found Spiritomb, none of this would have happened. I'll understand if you don't me to tag along."

"Nonsense!" said Geoff. "I think you'd fit right in with us Jaune."

"You mean it?" said Jaune, ecstatic that Geoff was going to let him join the Achievement Trainers.

"Jaune, if this is what you really want, welcome to the AT Crew!"

"YES!" shouted Jaune. "Thank you so much! This is such an honor sir...I mean, Geoff!"

"Honor is not what most people would call it, but you're welcome."

"There's still one thing we need to take care of," said Ryan, pulling out the GS Ball. "Who gets this week's GS Ball?"

"I'm not one of you guys," said Ruby, "but if you ask me, I think Gavin deserves the GS Ball."

"Really?" asked Gavin.

"Yep. If it weren't for you, I would have been just another trapped soul."

"I agree," said Michael. "Plus using the GS Ball is what helped us beat Spiritomb, which we would never have without Gavin. I say Gavin wins the ball for today."

"Then I guess congrats Gavin," said Ryan, handing over the ball to Gavin.

"I don't believe this!" said Gavin. "I won! I finally won the GS Ball!"

"Wait a minute!" said Geoff, grabbing the ball from Gavin. "Jack and I sacrificed ourselves before Gavin did! If anything, we should get the ball!"

"Actually, only I should get the ball!" replied Jack, grabbing the ball away from Geoff. "The goal was to get the most points from what we mined and I was clearly in the lead before all this Spiritomb stuff went down, so the ball belongs to me!"

"Are you serious?" yelled Michael. "We're trying to do a nice thing for Gavin and you two have to go and ruin it?"

"To be fair," said Ray, "Gavin wouldn't have had his soul lost if he wasn't a dimwit."

"At least I had the courage to fight Spiritomb you cowardly dimwit!" yelled Gavin.

As the Achievement Trainers continued arguing with each other over who should really get the GS Ball, Ruby turned to Jaune.

"Are you sure you want to travel with these guys?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah, I'm starting to have second thoughts myself," said Jaune. "I think I'll stay with you a bit longer."


	10. The Jerk of Steel! Ruby vs Cardin

Outside of Rosso City, where Ruby was going to compete for her third badge, she was training her Tyrogue against a wild Machop. Tyrogue went for a Fake Out to flinch Machop, then attempted to Tackle it. The Machop grabbed Tyrogue and slammed him into the ground with a Seismic Toss. Tyrogue got up and tried to throw a Mach Punch, but Machop ducked and kicked Tyrogue's legs with a Low Sweep. With Tyrogue's legs hurt, it was easy for Machop to knock him back down with a fierce Karate Chop, nearly taking all of Tyrogue's health away.

As Tyrogue struggled to get back up, he can hear the voices of disapproval; the voices that had followed him everywhere he went.

__"You're pathetic Tyrogue! Even a Magikarp could have beaten that thing!"__

__"Are you TRYING to make me lose?"__

__"You're so weak that nobody even wants to trade for you! You're worthless!"__

Hearing those voices again caused Tyrogue to flail about on the ground, upset that it couldn't get up and fight back. Seeing her Tyrogue in trouble, Ruby ran over to calm him down.

"It's okay Tyrogue," said Ruby, grabbing hold of Tyrogue to keep him still. "You'll get better eventually. Calm yourself down."

Hearing Ruby's voice, Tyrogue stopped flailing, but he still felt very upset about losing. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how many battles he fought, and no matter how much Ruby tried to reassure him, he was just as his old trainer has always said: He was a weak, worthless Pokémon.

#

Ruby and Jaune were having a lunch break in the city's Pokémon Center. Sitting next to Ruby were Eevee and Tyrogue; while Eevee was enjoying her meal, Tyrogue just looked at his plate solemnly. He wasn't in the mood to do anything. Eevee tried to cheer Tyrogue up, but nothing short of winning a fight was going to snap Tyrogue out of his depression.

"So how are you going to beat the gym leader here?" asked Jaune. "Steel types are resistant to nearly every other type of Pokémon."

"But there are two types it isn't resistant to," said Ruby, "Fire and Fighting. Luckily, I just happen to have those two type of Pokémon on me."

"Yeah, but your Fighting type is...well...you know..." Jaune felt awkward trying to point out how Tyrogue wasn't a strong Pokémon while Tyrogue was sitting right next to him.

"Tyrogue will get better Jaune; I know he will."

Tyrogue appreciated Ruby's moral support, but to him, Jaune was right. Tyrogue won about as much fights as Jaune has gym battles.

While discussing their strategy, they suddenly heard a boy crying from across the center while two people were arguing with each other. They turned around to see the boy's mother talking to a tall ginger kid clad in knight's armor, while his similar dressed friends were standing behind him.

"How dare you talk to my son that way!" said the mother.

"Not my fault your kid uses lousy Pokémon!" said the armored jerk. "What kind of idiot uses small shrimps like Bidoof anyway?"

"You tell her Cardin!" said one of the friends behind him. The others repeated similar sentiments and kept laughing at the kid.

"I'm going to report you to the Pokémon League!" said the mother. "I'll make sure you never become a gym leader again!"

"You do that lady," said Cardin, dismissing the woman's threats. "You're not the first to make these threats, and as long as I keep up a good winning percentage, the league doesn't care how much of a jerk I act to pathetic little trainers like your son."

As soon as the son's Bidoof was ready to be picked up, the mother took her son and stormed out of the center. Cardin and his friends kept laughing and making fun of the woman after she left. Seeing these trainers act this way was making Ruby sick to her stomach.

"I'm going to give those jerks a piece of my mind!" said Ruby.

"Please don't!" said Jaune. "The last thing we need is for them-"

"Hey you!" shouted Ruby, getting Cardin's attention. The boys stopped laughing and turned to Ruby.

"You talking to me?" asked Cardin.

"You bet I am! Who do you think you are teasing a kid like that?"

"Me? I'm the best gym leader in all of Vale. You got a problem with that little girl?"

"Hey Cardin, check it out!" said the kid with the mohawk beside him. "Is that blonde guy who I think it is?"

Cardin looked over to the blonde kid sitting across from Ruby trying to hide his face, but Cardin easily recognized him regardless.

"Jaune?" said Cardin. "Is that you?"

Jaune sighed. This was why he was hoping Ruby wouldn't start something. "Hey Cardin," he said sheepishly.

"Jauney boy!" said Cardin, grabbing Jaune and rubbing his fist against his head. "How long as it been old chum?"

"Two years I think?" said Jaune.

"You know these jerks?" asked Ruby.

"Ruby, this is Cardin. The three behind him are Russel, Sky, and Dove. We all went to the same academy together."

"Those were some fun times, weren't they Jauney boy?" said Cardin, placing an arm around Jaune's shoulders. "Remember that time I stuffed you in a locker and nobody found you for at least twelve hours?"

"Yeah," said Jaune, clearly sounding very uncomfortable. "That was pretty wild."

"So Jauney boy, what have you been doing since graduation? I heard you somehow became a gym leader!"

"I did, but...it didn't work out."

"HA!" said Cardin, punching Jaune hard in the shoulder. "You always were such a loser Jaune!"

"That's enough!" said Ruby. "Why do you have to pick on everybody? You think that makes you a tough guy?"

"I talk tough because I can back it up. Anybody who steps into my gym always comes out a loser."

"Except that one chick," said Russel. "What was her name? Rice or something?"

"You mean that ice queen in the white dress? At least she had good looks."

Ruby was already mad with having to deal with Cardin, and hearing about her cold-hearted nemesis was enough to make Ruby's blood boil.

"She's not the only one that can beat you!" said Ruby. "Cardin, I challenge you to a gym battle!"

"Really?" said Cardin. "You think you're tough enough to face a gym leader, little girl?"

"I've already got two badges that says I am!"

"Big deal. You were probably given those badges for free. What'd you do, cry until they felt sorry for you?"

Cardin and his cronies laughed at the thought of Ruby crying for mercy. Having heard enough of Cardin's nonsense, Ruby suddenly slapped Cardin hard across the face. Everyone else gasped and held their breath.

"How's that for tough?" yelled Ruby. Jaune was scared of what Cardin was going to do and took out his scroll, ready to call the police. Cardin growled and grabbed Ruby by the straps of her backpack.

"That wasn't very smart," said Cardin. As soon as he grabbed Ruby, Eevee and Tyrogue got up and were ready to attack Cardin. Knowing he'd probably get into trouble, Cardin decided to let go of Ruby. "All right kid, I accept your challenge...on one condition."

"What condition?"

"If you're so confident you can win, let's place a bet."

"I'm 1000% confident I can beat you! Name your bet!"

"Whoever loses has to give up their favorite Pokémon to the winner!"

"Wait a minute!" said Jaune. "You can't place a bet like that! That's against Pokémon League conduct!"

"Well if Ruby is that scared of losing one of her Pokémon, then I guess we won't-"

"I accept!" said Ruby. Eevee and Tyrogue were shocked to hear Ruby accept Cardin's bet. "If you win, you can have my Eevee!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, not wanting to be part of Cardin's bet.

"And if you somehow win," said Cardin, "I'll let you have my Steelix. So is it a deal?"

Cardin held out his hand; Ruby didn't even hesitate for a second to shake it.

"Deal," said Ruby.

"See you in the gym kid," said Cardin. "Let's go boys."

As Cardin and his gang were leaving, a familiar trainer in black entered the Pokémon Center. Cardin purposely got in the trainer's way, planning to knock the trainer down with his shoulder. As he was about to push the trainer down, he was taken by surprise when the trainer grabbed Cardin's wrist and twisted it in the air, putting Cardin in pain.

"Watch where you're going," said the trainer coldly, then let go of Cardin's wrist. She turned to Cardin's cronies to see if they tried to do anything, but they simply backed off and left with Cardin. Ruby turned to see who was putting Cardin in his place, and was glad to see it was her mysterious friend.

"Hey Blake!" greeted Ruby.

"Oh, hello Ruby," said Blake. "What brings you here?"

"I'm going to teach that steel-plated bully a lesson and win my third badge!"

"You had better!" said Jaune. "Otherwise he's going to take your Eevee!"

"What?" said Blake. "What do you mean take her Eevee?"

"Oh," said Ruby. "Well, we were arguing with each other, and one thing lead to another and we...bet our Pokémon for keeps." The more Ruby talked, the more she realized just how big of a mistake she made because she was too overcome with trying to act tough. Blake couldn't believe the words that came out of Ruby's mouth.

"You bet your own Pokémon in a battle?" asked Blake. "What in the world were you thinking?"

"I don't know!" said Ruby. "I was just getting really mad at his bullying and his arrogance and that Weiss is even further ahead of me and...I was just trying to stand up to him!"

"That was very reckless of you Ruby! You should know better than to make a bet like that against another trainer!"

"I know! I screwed up! That's why I'm going to train my Pokémon super hard to make sure we win!"

"You better know what you're doing. Cardin has very strong Pokémon on his side, especially his Steelix."

"You know about Cardin's Pokémon?" asked Jaune.

"Cardin has a policy of the bigger, the better. He trains his Steel type Pokémon to have as much physical strength as possible. His Steelix has such enormous defense that it's nearly impossible to beat that thing without having a just as strong Pokémon to fight back."

"How do you know so much about Cardin's Pokémon?" asked Jaune.

"I tend to study a lot about gym leaders. So Ruby, how you plan to beat him?"

"Simple," said Ruby. "Steel types are weak to Fire and Fighting, so I'll be using my Fletchinder and Tyrogue. We'll get strong enough in no time, right Tyrogue?"

Blake looked over to see Tyrogue bent over on the table, holding his hands to his head like he was stressing out. "Not to burst your bubble, but I can tell Tyrogue is far from being ready to face Cardin."

"Tyrogue may not be strong now, but I believe in him!"

"So you think simply believing he'll get stronger will be enough?"

"Of course I do! I have faith Tyrogue will be able to pull through!"

"It's nice to see you have faith in Tyrogue, but your Tyrogue looks like he's ready to give up."

Ruby turned to see Tyrogue groaning any time Ruby mentioned how she believed in Tyrogue. He wanted to believe in Ruby's encouragement, but his constant losses were proving otherwise. Ruby sat down next to Tyrogue and patted his back.

"I know you can get stronger Tyrogue," said Ruby. "I don't care how long it takes for us for you to get to that level; I'm never going to give up on you."

As pessimistic as Blake was, she had to admire Ruby's determination to win and sticking with Tyrogue. Her heart was definitely in the right place, but Blake knew that it was ultimately smarts that would win out in a fight. She would love to see Ruby win, but in Tyrogue's current state, Ruby didn't stand a chance against an opponent like Cardin.

"Even though I'm very busy right now," said Blake, "I can't stand bullies like Cardin, and a darker side of me would love to see someone like him lose. I'll help you out."

"Really?" said Ruby. "How?"

"If you really think Tyrogue is capable of beating Cardin, I'll teach him abilities that will help you beat Cardin."

"Thank you Blake! I swear I'll pay you back for this!"

Ruby was happy to see Blake help her out yet again, but Tyrogue and Eevee weren't feeling so joyful. If Tyrogue didn't pull through, Eevee was going to have a new master.

#

The trainers gathered on the eastern route outside of the city. Jaune and Eevee stood aside while Ruby and Tyrogue would go up against Blake and Greninja. Before the training began, Blake tossed a headband to Tyrogue.

"What's this?" asked Ruby.

"It's a Focus Band," said Blake. "It gives Pokémon a better chance in surviving knockout blows. You can go ahead and keep that."

"Thanks!" said Ruby. Ruby tied the band around Tyrogue. "So, what are we going to learn first?"

"Before I teach Tyrogue anything, I need to see if he's first worthy of training. I want Tyrogue to land one hit on Greninja."

"One hit? That's all?"

"My Greninja far outclasses your Tyrogue. If we were to do a normal battle, Greninja can win in mere seconds. Instead, my Greninja will go on the defensive and rarely attack. If Tyrogue can land just one hit at any time, I'll help Tyrogue. If he can't hit my Greninja before he exhausts himself, you'll have to find a way to beat Cardin on your own."

"No problem! Tyrogue, use your Fake Out quickly!"

Tyrogue ran up to Greninja fast and attempted to use Fake Out; just as he was about to hit Greninja, Greninja suddenly turned into a Pokémon doll. The real Greninja reappeared behind Tyrogue and gave him a light slap to the back.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" asked Blake. Tyrogue turned around and threw multiple Mach Punches at Greninja. Greninja easily dodged the punches, then used Smokescreen to cover the area in smoke while it ran away. Tyrogue frantically turned in every direction to find Greninja, but didn't see a sign of him anywhere. Ruby looked up and noticed Greninja hanging from the tree above Tyrogue.

"Above you Tyrogue!" shouted Ruby. Tyrogue looked up and noticed Greninja hanging upside down. Greninja jumped off the branch he was hanging on and dived at Tyrogue. "Now's your chance Tyrogue! Mach Punch!"

Tyrogue threw a Mach Punch just as Greninja was getting close. It was looking to be a direct hit until Greninja suddenly shot water out of his palm and changed the direction of his fall, causing Tyrogue to miss. As soon as Greninja landed safely, he threw Water Shurikens at Tyrogue, knocking him to the ground. Once again, Tyrogue was getting frustrated at losing in another battle, and his trainer was expressing the same frustration.

"C'mon!" said Ruby. "How can Tyrogue hit Greninja when he's so fast?"

"My Greninja is indeed much faster," said Blake, "but even an attack like Mach Punch should land at least one hit. Your Tyrogue is quick to anger, and is fighting sloppy because of it. Ask yourself Ruby: Why am I trying to hit Greninja?"

"Is this a trick question? You said to hit Greninja so you can train Tyrogue."

"You're missing the point. I have no interest in training Tyrogue. I have no stake in what happens in your battle with Cardin, therefore I have no reason to care."

"Then why are you even helping me?"

"Sounds like you don't want my help. If that's what you wish-"

"No no no!" begged Ruby. "Please stay! We really need your help!"

"Then you need to earn it," replied Blake in her cold demeanor.

Tyrogue got up and Tackled Greninja head on. Greninja simply jumped up and got behind Tyrogue to avoid the attack. Tyrogue then stopped and turned around to throw a Mach Punch, which Greninja blocked using his hands. Tyrogue kept trying to throw one Mach Punch after another, but Greninja was always quick to block Tyrogue. Tyrogue started to get exhausted and slowed down, which gave Greninja the opportunity to chop on top of Tyrogue's head and knock him to the ground. Worried that Tyrogue was knocked out, Ruby ran over to check on Tyrogue.

"Tyrogue, are you okay?" asked Ruby. Tyrogue looked up at Ruby and tried to keep himself from crying. Ruby tried to pick up Tyrogue but Tyrogue knocked her hands away, wanting to get up on his own.

"Your Tyrogue has a lot of fighting spirit compared to most Pokémon," said Blake. "Now ask yourself: Why does Tyrogue want to fight so badly?"

"Even I know that one; because he wants to get stronger."

"Then he's wasting his time and mine."

"How is this wasting time? Isn't the whole point of this training to make Tyrogue stronger?"

"We all want to get stronger, Ruby. Nobody wants to become weaker on purpose. I'll ask you again: Why does Tyrogue want to fight?"

Ruby was about to respond by explaining Tyrogue wanting to prove he can fight, but would probably cause Blake to ask more questions or leave. She stopped to think about what he needed to prove, and why it was so important to him.

__"Ever since he was abandoned, he's been wanting to prove he can get strong on his own. He didn't want to be seen as some weakling who couldn't win a fight; but no matter how many times he fights, he can never get to that next level. It's almost as if he's missing something important. Blake's right; nobody tries to get weaker on purpose. Purpose...purpose..."__

"I got it!" exclaimed Ruby. "He needs a purpose to get strong!"

Tyrogue was about to start attacking again when Ruby grabbed Tyrogue and faced him towards herself.

"Listen to me Tyrogue," said Ruby. "Don't get strong just because you want to be strong. Get strong for the people you need to fight for."

"Yeah Tyrogue!" said Jaune. "You need to get strong or else Ruby loses her bet!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee. Ruby shook her head in response to Jaune and Eevee.

"No; forget about me and my stupid bet. I want you to think about Pokémon like Eevee. My sister found Eevee as an abandoned Pokémon for reasons we'll never know. Think about trainers like that kid who gets called names by bullies like Cardin. Imagine all the Pokémon in the world that are looked down upon for being weak or small, who get abandoned or mistreated. Imagine how discouraged they must feel because they don't think they can get stronger, and how their trainers feel when they think their Pokémon are worthless. Perhaps they wouldn't be discouraged if they had a Pokémon they can look up to. Someone who was in their situation, and yet overcame the same adversities to become a champion level fighter."

Hearing Ruby's speech caused Tyrogue to remember the long months he spent alone. Going from route to route, getting into fights, surviving harsh weather, spending days if not weeks recovering from serious injuries; all to prove he wasn't weak. He didn't have anyone to look up to; no trainers, no heroes, nobody.

"I want you to become that Pokémon, Tyrogue! I want you to be the hero for the Pokémon and their trainers to look up to for inspiration. Don't get strong just because you want to be strong; get strong because you need to do it for them!"

Fighting for someone else; it was a new concept for Tyrogue. Sure he used to fight for his old trainer, but more often it felt like he needed to fight to impress his trainer and convince them to not abandon Tyrogue. When they weren't impressed, they ditched Tyrogue without a second thought. Even under Ruby's ownership, Tyrogue was fighting more to convince Ruby he can win, and that he can be a strong contributor to her team instead of being just a pity case. Taking Ruby's words to heart, he nodded to Ruby and set his sights on Greninja, who stood by Blake to see what Tyrogue would do next.

"That was a good speech Ruby," said Blake. "However, Tyrogue still needs to prove he's worthy of being trained! Greninja, you know what to do!"

Greninja nodded and jumped in front of Blake, waiting for Tyrogue to strike. Tyrogue ran after Greninja to Tackle him; as soon as Tyrogue was about to hit him, Greninja used Substitute and escaped while Tyrogue brought down the doll that took Greninja's place. Greninja appeared behind Tyrogue and chopped him again.

This time was different; Tyrogue swung his left arm back and blocked the chop from Greninja, and in the one second that Greninja left himself defenseless, Tyrogue countered with a Mach Punch to Greninja's face. Greninja tumbled back a bit from the surprise attack and barely took any damage, but it didn't matter; Tyrogue had completed his challenge. Ruby and Jaune were surprised to see Tyrogue counter Greninja's attack; Blake simply smiled.

__"Once that Tyrogue found a bigger purpose for himself," __thought Blake, __"he stopped fighting with his heart and started fighting with his brain. That's why he was finally able to land a hit."__

Tyrogue suddenly found himself glowing with white energy. He felt his body start to transform as he was taking his new evolved form.

The Pokémon formerly known as Tyrogue now found himself standing taller, his body made to look like he was wearing a tunic, and his hands forming a look similar to boxing gloves.

"Hitmonchan!" shouted the new evolved Pokémon, punching rapidly to test out his new form.

"Congratulations Ruby," said Blake. "Your Tyrogue has evolved into Hitmonchan."

"Way to go Tyrogue!" said Ruby. "Or rather, Hitmonchan! You'll definitely be strong enough to defeat Cardin!"

"Not yet. Evolving has definitely helped him, but you need to know the right moves in order to win. Are you ready to learn some new moves Hitmonchan?"

Hitmonchan placed his arms to his side and bowed to Blake. Hitmonchan was ready to do whatever it took to win, because now he didn't want to win; he needed to win.

#

Cardin and his men were hanging out in Cardin's gym, wondering if Ruby was actually going to show up or run away. Cardin's gym had an elevated platform for battling; the arena had boulders lying on the floor, which was covered in a thick coat of steel to match Cardin's preferred type of Pokémon.

"I bet you anything she ran out of town the moment she realized she could never beat you!" said Russel.

"Yeah," said Dove. "Her little baby Pokémon don't have a chance in beating your Pokémon!"

"Even if she does show up," said Sky, "you'll beat her so fast, she'll have wished she never agreed to battle!"

"Then once I beat her," said Cardin, "my Pokémon get a new chew toy to play with! I'll torture that Eevee so much, I'll have to rename it Jaune!"

The four of then laughed until they were interrupted by someone entering the gym. They turned to the gym entrance to see Ruby, Jaune, and Eevee enter the gym.

"Well what do you know, she actually did show up! Ready to lose, little girl?"

"Yep," said Ruby. "I came here to get my butt whooped so badly, I might as well be giving my Eevee to you."

Cardin was a bit thrown off by Ruby's remarks. "Um...what?"

Ruby chuckled. "Didn't expect me to say that, did you? If you're this easy to mess with, then I won't have anything to worry about."

"Enough talk!" said Cardin, upset Ruby made him look like an idiot. "Let's get this battle over with!"

Jaune and Eevee headed to the stands along with Cardin's men. Ruby and Cardin stood at the opposite ends of the gym.

"Before we begin," said Cardin, "we need to make one more adjustment to the gym." Cardin snapped his fingers. The platforms they were standing on suddenly began to lift up from the ground. "For safety reasons, we'll be standing on these platforms thirty feet in the air. Hope you're not scared of heights!"

"If I was scared so easily," said Ruby, "I would have ran away the moment I saw your ugly face."

"Whatever. We'll be battling with two Pokémon each, with the winner receiving the loser's most prized Pokémon! Hope you said your final goodbyes!"

Once Ruby and Cardin reached the heights they needed to go, the monitor across the gym gave the official signal for the match to begin. Ruby brought out her first Pokémon Fletchinder; Cardin called out his Skarmory.

"This will be interesting," said Cardin. "Your bird against mine! Skarmory, Steel Wing attack!"

"Fletchinder, Agility!" said Ruby. Fletchinder quickly raised its speed and avoided being hit by Skarmory's Steel Wing. Skarmory chased down Fletchinder in the sky, but Fletchinder had the speed advantage and was able to distance itself from Skarmory.

"All right Fletchinder, use Ember!" Fletchinder looped behind Skarmory and launched a fireball, landing a direct hit to Skarmory's back. Fletchinder kept firing its Ember at Skarmory, who could barely avoid getting hit with Fletchinder following so closely behind.

"Looks like your bird is about to lose flight!" said Ruby.

"You think a few lucky hits is enough to take down my Skarmory?" said Cardin. "Skarmory, blast that bird with Metal Sound!"

Skarmory turned around and suddenly made a loud yell that pierced through everyone's ears. The sound was so headache inducing, it caused Fletchinder to lose focus and fly around in a small circle. "Now Skarmory, hit it with Air Cutter!"

While the Fletchinder was thrown off by the Metal Sound, Skarmory spread out its large wings and launched several sharp wind gusts at Fletchinder. The attack did serious damage to Fletchinder and caused it to lose altitude. Fletchinder tried to fly back up to Skarmory, but Skarmory soon charged at Fletchinder with its Steel Wing attack, giving Fletchinder no time to counter.

"Fletchinder, use your Agility and avoid Skarmory!" said Ruby. Fletchinder increased its speed further and flew away from Skarmory; Ruby wanted Fletchinder to stay away from Skarmory until it recovered enough to start attacking again.

"Running away like a chicken!" said Cardin. "Skarmory, blast some more of that Metal Sound!"

Everyone covered their ears as Skarmory let loose another loud yell; no matter where Fletchinder flew, it couldn't escape the piercing scream of Skarmory and lost focus of where it was flying.

"Time to send that little birdie to the hospital Skarmory! Drill Peck attack!" Skarmory retracted its wings and dive bombed at Fletchinder while rotating its body at nearly hurricane like speed.

"Fly up Fletchinder!" shouted Ruby. Fletchinder began flying up as fast as it could, but Skarmory was able to adjust its body and follow Fletchinder without missing a beat. Skarmory slashed through Fletchinder and knocked the bird out of the sky, causing Fletchinder to fall to the arena floor below. Cardin's men erupted in cheers at seeing Cardin take out Ruby's first Pokémon.

"Just goes to show you that Steel types are the toughest types in the world!" bragged Cardin. Cardin looked over to Jaune holding Eevee and waved. "One more KO and I get to be your new master Eevee! I just know my Pokémon are going to LOVE playing with you!"

Ruby called back her Fletchinder and held the ball carrying Hitmonchan. "All right Hitmonchan, this is your time to shine. Let's teach this bully a lesson." Ruby called out her Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan stood on the arena floor wearing his Focus Band, looking up at the Skarmory watching from above.

"You think that little guy is going to help you win?" said Cardin. "I've dealt with Fighting type Pokémon before, and let me tell you, even the best of them have failed to beat my Pokémon. Heck, that thing can't even reach my Skarmory!"

Rather than get mad at Cardin, Hitmonchan simply raised one hand and waved Cardin off, not caring for anything he had to say. "I agree with Hitmonchan," said Ruby. "Less talking, more fighting!"

"I'll make this quick!" said Cardin. "Skarmory, Metal Sound!"

Skarmory once again made another loud yell, and not even Hitmonchan was immune to the deafening noise of Skarmory's shout. While Hitmonchan was distracted by the noise, Skarmory retracted its wings and was getting ready to use Drill Peck.

"Hitmonchan, watch out!" shouted Ruby. Hitmonchan looked up to see Skarmory dive bombing to where he was standing. Hitmonchan jumped back a mere second before Skarmory landed with the Drill Peck, creating a large dent in the arena floor. "Quickly Hitmonchan, Mach Punch attack!"

Hitmonchan wasted no time getting in close and striking Skarmory with his Mach Punch. Skarmory took the punch will full force, but barely felt any damage from the attack. Skarmory knocked Hitmonchan away with its Steel Wing, then took back into the air where Hitmonchan couldn't reach it.

"Skarmory, Air Cutter attack!" commanded Cardin. Skarmory spread its wings and launched razor-sharp gusts at Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan ran around the arena trying to avoid the attack. He was so focused on Skarmory that he wound up running into a boulder that caused him to stop. That split second mistake cost him as one of the gusts landed a direct hit to his chest, dealing a serious amount of damage that already brought him down to one knee.

"Hang in there Hitmonchan!" shouted Ruby. Cardin laughed, thinking the fight was going to be over soon.

"What'd I tell ya? Even Fighting types don't stand a chance! Skarmory, end this with Drill Peck!"

Skarmory retracted its wings and dove at Hitmonchan. Cardin expected Hitmonchan to start running like Fletchinder did, but instead got back on its feet.

"It's not over yet Cardin! Hitmonchan, use your Fire Punch!"

Hitmonchan reared one of his fists back as it was suddenly engulfed in flames. As Skarmory got close enough to hit Hitmonchan, Hitmonchan ran up and punched Skarmory point blank at the tip of Skarmory's beak. To everyone's surprise, the force of the punch was strong enough to knock Skarmory out of the air and flop to the ground. The flames were so hot it caused a part of Skarmory's beak to melt; the Skarmory would have been screaming in pain if it weren't already knocked out.

"No way!" shouted Cardin. "That little wimp knocked out my Skarmory!"

"Don't you know that it's not about the size of the Pokémon in the fight?" asked Ruby. "It's about the size of the fight in the Pokémon!"

"We'll see about that!" said Cardin, calling back his Skarmory. "Beating my Skarmory was one thing, but let's see how he fares against one of the tallest Pokémon in the world!"

Cardin threw out his Poké Ball, and out came his gigantic signature Pokémon, Steelix. The Steelix stood at the same height that Ruby and Cardin were elevated to. Just the mere size of a Pokémon that big was a sight to behold. Steelix bent down and roared at Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan didn't move a muscle. He was determined to beat Steelix and stand up for all the Pokémon like himself who trainers dismissed for being weak. He got into his fighting stance and was ready for Ruby to give the first command.

"Hitmonchan, get in close and hit him with your Mach Punch!" commanded Ruby.

"Steelix, stop him with Rock Slide!" commanded Cardin.

Steelix smashed his tail into one of the boulders and caused it to break into several rocks, all flying towards Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan ducked down and avoided every rock thrown his way, then closed in on Steelix and started throwing his Mach Punches. Despite having the type advantage, Steelix's body was so strong he barely felt any of Hitmonchan's attacks.

"You think some measly punches are going to stop Steelix? My Steelix has the greatest defense of all the Pokémon in the world! Physical attacks hurt about as much as a tap on the shoulder!" Steelix swatted Hitmonchan away with its tail, barely taking any damage from the Mach Punches. "Now Steelix, crush him with Heavy Slam!"

Steelix descended with its entire body onto Hitmonchan. With Steelix being one of the heaviest known Pokémon in the world, the attack was going to do a tremendous amount of damage. Fortunately for Hitmonchan, Steelix was also known to be slow moving, giving Hitmonchan enough time to dodge Steelix's attack.

"Get on top of him Hitmonchan!" said Ruby. After Steelix slammed into the ground, Hitmonchan jumped on top of Steelix's head. "Now, Fire Punch away!" Hitmonchan engulfed his fists in fire and proceeded to punch on top of Steelix as fast as he can. Steelix may have top notch defense, but even it couldn't stand the flames emitted by Hitmonchan's fists. Steelix swung its body around to throw off Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan hung on with one hand and kept punching with the other.

"All right Ruby!" cheered Jaune. "No way that Steelix can attack Hitmonchan now!"

"Eevee!" cheered Eevee.

"That's what you think," said Cardin. "Steelix, Rock Slide attack!"

Steelix grabbed one of the boulders below with its tail and crushed it to pieces, sending them flying towards where Hitmonchan was holding on. Hitmonchan kept punching Steelix to do as much damage as possible before getting hit by one of the rocks and falling off of Steelix. Steelix grabbed another boulder and crushed it to pieces, sending the rocks flying at Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan landed on the arena floor and ran around to avoid getting hit by the falling debris.

"Keep dodging Hitmonchan!" said Ruby. "Then attack him with another Fire Punch!"

Hitmonchan lit his hands on fire again and charged at Steelix.

"Not this time!" said Cardin. "Steelix, Earthquake attack!"

Steelix lifted its tail and slammed it into the ground, causing the entire arena to shake. Ruby held on to the rails to stop moving. The shockwave of the quake passed through the floor and knocked Hitmonchan several feet into the air; he fell face first onto the steel floor, causing him to be disoriented a few seconds.

"Now Steelix, Heavy Slam!" Steelix descended onto Hitmonchan while he was still trying to stand up after being hit by the Earthquake. He looked up and saw Steelix falling onto him, with no time to be able to get out of the way.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" commanded Ruby. Hitmonchan tried to punch Steelix as it came down but it was no use; Steelix was too strong to be affected by the punch and crushed Hitmonchan under its own weight. Cardin's side cheered at seeing Hitmonchan get stomped, while Ruby, Jaune, and Eevee were hoping Hitmonchan was okay as Steelix got back up. Hitmonchan laid motionless on the floor, looking to be knocked out. Cardin waited for the monitor to signal that Hitmonchan was knocked out, but the monitor showed that Hitmonchan still had just a sliver of health left in him. Everyone looked down to see Hitmonchan still breathing, but in too much pain to move.

"So he's still kicking after that," said Cardin. "Whatever. The next attack will definitely finish him off!"

"C'mon Hitmonchan, get up!" shouted Ruby. "You have to keep fighting! You have to win so I don't lose my Eevee! GET UP!"

Hitmonchan tried to get back on his feet, but didn't have the strength to do so. Ruby looked like she was about to have a panic attack.

"Get up Hitmonchan! You can't fail me like this!"

"Wow," said Cardin. "Even I wouldn't say that to my Pokémon! I'll try to make this finish as painless as...who am I kidding? Let's finish this weakling off for good! Time for Giga Impact!"

Steelix stood straight up, gathering the energy necessary to launch its most powerful attack. Hitmonchan continue to lay on the ground, barely able to move a muscle; he was a sitting duck waiting to be hit. As Steelix was getting ready to dive into Hitmonchan head first and end the match, Cardin was too busy laughing and cheering for Steelix that he didn't notice the smirk was that starting to form on Ruby's face.

This was exactly what she was hoping would happen.

#

__Earlier that day__

"These new moves are awesome Blake!" said Ruby. "Along with the Focus Band, there's no way we can lose now!"

"We're not done," said Blake. "It will take more than powerful moves to defeat Cardin. I'm now going to teach you a move called Detect." Blake had Greninja turn its back to Hitmonchan. "Hitmonchan, I want you to hit Greninja with any attack you can."

Greninja stood still as Hitmonchan slowly approached the ninja frog. Hitmonchan waited a few moments to catch Greninja off guard, then threw a Mach Punch hoping to take him by surprise. Greninja tilted its body sideways and avoided the lightning fast punch with ease.

"Whoa," said Ruby. "He didn't even need to see the punch coming!"

"This move involves honing your senses beyond sight," said Blake. "By using this move at the right time, you can escape any move the opponent is about to pull."

"Perfect! So when they try to attack, we just use Detect to move out of the way and then throw a powerful attack of our own!"

"However, there is one major flaw in the attack. Using Detect requires a lot of time and concentration, so it's important you time this move properly."

"Then we have a problem. I doubt Cardin is the kind of trainer to let us take our time in order to ready such an attack. He would definitely see this kind of thing coming."

Ruby thought about how she can use Detect without Cardin knowing she was going to use it.

"Here's an idea! Maybe we should come up with a secret phrase that they won't see coming. Hmm...how about 'you can't fail me like this?' I'll say it when Hitmonchan takes a strong hit and Cardin will think I'm getting distraught, when I'm really telling Hitmonchan to get ready to use Detect and counterattack!"

"That's brilliant!" said Jaune. "There's no way he'll see that coming!"

"That's a pretty amateur tactic to me," said Blake. "But then again, Cardin's arrogance will probably blind him from such a ridiculous ploy that it'll work."

#

"Crush that Hitmonchan, Steelix!" commanded Cardin. Steelix bent its head down and dived at Hitmonchan. Jaune and Eevee held their breath at the thought that Cardin was going to win.

Seconds before Steelix can connect with Giga Impact, Hitmonchan suddenly jumped up to his feet and moved back to avoid being crushed by Steelix. Steelix plowed his head into the ground so hard he nearly buried himself underneath the steel floor. Cardin and his cronies were shocked that Hitmonchan was able to dodge so quickly.

"YES!" said Ruby. "Perfect timing Hitmonchan!"

"How?" yelled Cardin. "How did that thing suddenly dodge so easily?"

"Because it's easy to dodge anything when you know Detect!"

"WHAT? But you didn't...and he was..." Cardin was at a loss for words and couldn't comprehend what was going on.

"There's an old saying that describes people like you Cardin: Million dollar strength, ten cent IQ. Knowing how you love to give Steelix super strong moves, I figured you would give him a move like Giga Impact. I was waiting until you would use such a move before signaling my Hitmonchan to use Detect."

"But you never told him to use Detect! All you did was cry that he was failing..." It took a few minutes, but Cardin was finally starting to catch on to Ruby's trickery. "AAAAH! Telling him he was failing WAS the signal!

"And now we begin phase two of my master plan! Giga Impact is powerful, but it comes with a heavy price; the Pokémon who uses it becomes so exhausted, they have to wait a while before attacking again, which means now I have a plenty of time to do this! Hitmonchan, focus your energy!"

Hitmonchan concentrated everything he had into his right fist. Along with Fire Punch and Detect, Blake also tutored him on how to use Focus Punch. It was a very powerful attack, but an attack that Hitmonchan needed time to pull off. While he was focusing his energy, Cardin was yelling at Steelix to get up faster. Exhausting everything he had into Giga Impact, it was taking a while for Steelix to gather the strength needed to stand back up.

"This battle hasn't been won yet you little snot!" yelled Cardin. "My Steelix is still far more powerful than your puny boxer! I just have to land one attack and I'll win this!"

Steelix stood straight up and roared as loud as it could to intimidate Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan wasn't moved in the slightest as he was too busy thinking about all the Pokémon in the world that needed him to win. Hitmonchan was betting everything he had in this last attack.

"Steelix, Heavy Slam attack!" commanded Cardin.

"Hitmonchan, Focus Punch!" commanded Ruby.

Steelix began its descent to crush Hitmonchan as Hitmonchan moved in for the finishing blow. What occurred in just a few seconds might as well felt like minutes to everyone watching. With Steelix just a few feet above Hitmonchan, Hitmonchan threw his Focus Punch. Hitmonchan's fist collided with Steelix's jaw; for a brief moment, the entire gym went completely silent as the two Pokémon stood still, making everyone wonder whose attack was going to triumph.

The answer was soon given as Steelix was suddenly thrust into the air by the force of Hitmonchan's punch. Ruby, Jaune, and Eevee looked on in amazement at the sight of the thirty foot titan being flung into the air like it was a lightweight, while Cardin and his men were in disbelief. Steelix crashed into the ground, causing a giant rumble in the building. Any hope for Steelix to rise back up were squashed by the look of unconsciousness on Steelix's face. The monitor sounded the buzzer for Steelix's KO, giving the victory to Ruby.

"All right!" said Ruby. "I win my third badge!"

"Way to go Ruby!" shouted Jaune.

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee, relieved that it wasn't going to be in the hands of Cardin.

"This...this can't be happening!" said Cardin, falling to his knees. "Steelix...lost..."

The platforms lowered to the ground as Cardin contemplated his loss. As soon as Ruby's was back on ground level, she jumped the rail and ran over to Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan was in a lot of pain, but he couldn't care less; it was worth it to see himself win such a big match.

"You did it Hitmonchan!" said Ruby, grabbing Hitmonchan by the shoulders. "You won! I'm so proud of you!"

Hitmonchan hugged Ruby and cried. He never had someone ever tell him how proud they were, much less win such a decisive battle. Eevee ran over to them and jumped for joy, proud to see her friend finally overcome his biggest hurdle.

Their feel good moment was short lived however as Cardin's cronies approached them.

"Don't think you've actually won brat!" said Russel. "This match doesn't count!"

"What do you mean it doesn't count?" said Ruby. Hitmonchan stopped crying and turned back to the cronies.

"You only won because you cheated!"

"Yeah!" said Dove. "There's no way you could have won without using that Detect trick!"

"Oh please!" said Ruby. "The three of you are just mad because your leader lost! I won fair and square!"

"If you're so good," said Sky, "challenge us to a battle right now!"

"I don't need to do any such thing!"

"We're not asking," said Russel. "We're demanding!"

Despite not being in shape to keep fighting, Hitmonchan was ready to take out every single one of Cardin's cronies.

"That's enough!" said Cardin. "The three of you back off now!"

"But Cardin!" said Russel. "She won-"

"She won fair and square. Now BACK, OFF!"

Cardin's men quickly backed away, not wanting to incite the wrath of Cardin. Cardin walked up to Ruby carrying a badge in his hand.

"I may not like the way things turned out, but I'm going to accept my loss like a real man. You defeated me Ruby, and therefore, you've earned the Cardinal badge. Congratulations."

Cardin gave Ruby a badge in the shape of a yellow bird, closely resembling the emblem on Cardin's armor. Ruby pinned the badge on her backpack; now she was back to having the same number as Weiss.

"Wait a minute," said Jaune. "I think you also owe Ruby something!"

"Of course," said Cardin. Cardin then pulled out the Poké Ball containing his prized Steelix.

"Don't do it boss!" begged his men.

"Sorry boys, but I'm a man of my word. Here's your new Steelix, Ruby."

"I'm not taking your Steelix," said Ruby.

"So what, you want Skarmory instead?"

"I don't want your Pokémon, Cardin. Yeah you were a jerk about the whole thing, but it was a stupid bet that shouldn't have been made, and I'd feel like a jerk taking away someone's Pokémon like that."

"I may be a jerk, but I stand by everything I say! I made a bet to give up Steelix and I'm going to own up to it like a man! If you won't take my Steelix, then we'll trade!"

"Nope. I'm happy with all the Pokémon I have."

"Then I'll...I'll trade with Jaune!"

"Wait, really?" said Jaune. "You'll trade your Steelix to me?"

"Yeah. What Pokémon have you got?"

"I don't have anything good to offer. All I have are Snorlax, Raticate, and Dunsparce, and I really don't want to give up Snorlax or Raticate."

"Then I'll take the Dunsparce!"

"Are you sure? I mean, your Steelix is so strong and my Dunsparce is...well, not."

"I can always catch and train a new Steelix; one I'll make even better than this one. So do we have a deal or not?"

"If that's what you want to do, I accept!"

Jaune and Cardin took out their scrolls and opened the trading app. Once they linked their accounts, they selected their respective Pokémon to be traded. The app exchanged the data between Dunsparce and Steelix; after about a minute, the trade was made official: Jaune and Cardin now had each other's Pokémon.

With the trade complete, Ruby and Jaune headed to the Pokémon Center to rest for the night.

"That turned out a lot better than I hoped," said Jaune. "You've got a new badge and I've got a new Pokémon. Good thing you won that battle Ruby."

"It was all thanks to Hitmonchan," said Ruby. "He's the real hero here."

Inside his Poké Ball, Hitmonchan was resting peacefully, proud of achieving his greatest accomplishment. No longer did he hear the disapproving voices from his past; in their place were the voices of the Pokémon who would no doubt cheer for their new hero. Now Hitmonchan had a new goal set; to get Ruby into the Pokémon League and become the future hall of fame champion.


	11. The Sweet Smell of Forever Fall

Forever Fall was a unique location in Vale. It was a forest where the trees' leaves always had a red shade to them, as if they were changing to their Fall colors. The ground was completely covered by the fallen red leaves, making Forever Fall truly look like a location out of a fairy tale. Many nature-based Pokémon called Forever Fall their home, and Ruby was hoping to find a good one to add to her team. She was scrolling through her Pokédex to find out which Pokémon she wanted to focus on capturing.

"Looks like a majority of the Pokémon here are either Grass, Poison, or both," said Ruby.

"So which one are you thinking about training?" asked Jaune.

"Honestly, none of them really appeal to me, so I'll probably just capture them for my collection. On the bright side, my current team should have no problem getting stronger in an area like this. Ready for some intense training Eevee?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee, ready to start fighting.

"I'll go gather berries to feed our Pokémon," said Jaune. "Meet you back here in a couple of hours."

Jaune went off to find berries while Ruby and Eevee went into the forest to find Pokémon to fight. As the three of them continued to walk around the forest, they looked up and were mesmerized by all the trees constantly staying the same color.

However, in another area of the forest was a man who hated the sight of the red leaves, as it reminded him of the trainer who was ruining everything he was trying to accomplish. After narrowly escaping the Underground Network, Torchwick was once again demoted to grunt work by having to go to Forever Fall by himself and capture Pokémon for her boss. He hated every second of having to be there.

"I swear the next time I see that little red trainer," growled Torchwick, "I'm going to wring out her neck! Nobody gets away with messing with Roman Torchwick!"

#

"Finish it with a Take Down!" commanded Ruby to Eevee. Eevee charged with all her might and knocked into the Spinarak, dealing the knockout blow. The attack also took a bit out of Eevee, who started to feel exhausted from all the training she was doing.

"Good job Eevee; time for a break." Ruby pulled out a Super Potion and sprayed it on Eevee, healing Eevee back to full health instantly. Ruby had been training her Pokémon for about an hour and a half, and so far everything was going smoothly. It felt somewhat weird to Ruby; after running into the White Fang several times, she almost expected them to come out and attack her by now, or have Jaune calling her for help.

"Too bad every day can't be like this, huh Eevee?"

"Eevee," chirped Eevee. She was just as glad to not have to worry about the White Fang or some trouble-causing Pokémon for now.

"I think we've got enough training in; let's get back to Jaune."

Ruby and Eevee walked down the path they came through, looking up at the trees filled with Pokémon they've been sparring against. As they were walking, Ruby noticed a Pokémon sitting by a pile of leaves. The Pokémon looked like a little yellow humanoid with black hair; the creature was sitting in front of the leaves and appeared to be crying.

"What's wrong with that Pokémon?" wondered Ruby. "You think something bad happened to it?"

Concerned for the crying Pokémon, Eevee ran up to it to find out what was wrong.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee.

"Mawile," said the sniffling Pokémon. As Eevee was asking Mawile why it was upset, Mawile pointed in the other direction. Eevee and Ruby turned around to see what Mawile was pointing at, but nothing appeared to be there. While they were distracted, the Mawile grimaced as it took out its giant mouth-like horns and was going to attack Eevee. Luckily, Ruby turned back to Mawile and realized it was a trap.

"Eevee, look out!" shouted Ruby. Eevee turned around to see a giant pair of jaws try to chomp her; Eevee jumped back just in time to avoid the attack. Mawile growled, angry that it failed to trick Eevee. Ruby took out her Pokédex to learn more about this deceptive Pokémon.

__Mawile__

__Deceiver Pokémon__

__It uses its docile-looking face to lull foes into complacency, then bites with its huge, relentless jaws.__

"Mawile is classified as a Steel and Fairy type Pokémon," said Penny.

"Steel and Fairy huh? That's a pretty powerful combination; one I can definitely use on my team! Let's go Eevee!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee. She was ready to teach this trickster a lesson. The Mawile stood up and turned its back to Eevee, getting into its fighting stance.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" said Ruby. Eevee dug her paws through the leaves and kicked up the sand underneath to blind Mawile. Mawile ran towards Eevee and blocked the sand using its horns, then lifted its horns to nab Eevee in a Vice Grip. The Mawile's horns were so strong that Eevee couldn't wriggle out.

"Eevee, use you Swift to get free!" Eevee summoned the energy stars and used them to attack Mawile from inside the horns. Attacking from within put Mawile in severe pain, causing it to break free and back off from Eevee. As Eevee was getting ready to attack again, Mawile suddenly turned around and began crying again.

"Mawile!" said Mawile, sounding upset. Ruby scanned Mawile to find out what it was up to.

"Mawile is using Fake Tears," said Penny. "The attack deceives Pokémon into lowering their defenses, leaving them wide open for an attack."

"Nice try Mawile," said Ruby, "but we're not falling for that again! Eevee, Take Down attack!"

Eevee charged at Mawile with everything she had, knocking herself and Mawile into a nearby tree. The attack took a lot out of Mawile, giving Ruby the opportunity to capture it.

"Time to join the family Mawile!" said Ruby, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a Great Ball. She got closer to the Mawile and was about to throw when Mawile suddenly lifted its horns and sprayed a light pink gas at Eevee and Ruby. The gas smelled like someone was baking thousands of cakes at once; it would have been pleasant if it wasn't so overwhelming. Ruby started coughing as she inhaled a large amount of the gas Mawile sprayed and was having a hard time seeing; Eevee could barely see as well.

"You're not going to get away!" said Ruby, throwing the ball blindly. She tried waving her arms to get the gas to go away. By the time the gas went away, Ruby looked over to see the Great Ball laying still on the ground.

"Did I capture it?" asked Ruby. Eevee went up to the ball and poked it; based on how light it felt, the Mawile had definitely escaped being caught. "That's just great; I miss the Pokémon and now I smell too sweet. I hope this place has a river or something so I can wash this off." Ruby looked up Mawile on her Pokédex to find out what exactly she got sprayed with.

"Mawile used Sweet Scent," said Penny. "Sweet Scent is a technique that can be used to lure Pokémon into a battle."

"You don't say," said Ruby, looking around and noticing some low-level monsters coming out as if wanting to fight. Ruby grabbed her Pokémon and called them out to deal with the hordes quickly.

#

Jaune had arrived back to their meeting spot in time, but Ruby was running several minutes late. Jaune didn't think Ruby was in any serious trouble, as she's shown several times before to be able to handle things on her own; he figured she was getting more training in and lost track of the time.

"Jaune!" shouted Ruby from a distance, running out of the forest short of breath.

"You okay Ruby?" asked Jaune.

"Yeah," said Ruby between breaths. "Just sick of all the Pokémon relentlessly coming out to fight me. How'd the berry picking go?"

"The good news is that Steelix made getting the berries a lot easier," said Jaune, holding up a sack of berries. "The bad news is that Snorlax was feeling hungry and wound up eating most of them, so this is all that's left."

"Figures. We'll get more food when we reach the next town. Let's go."

As they were making their way out of Forever Fall, Jaune started to notice the sweet aroma emanating off Ruby.

"Ruby, you smell...different."

"Don't remind me. I got sprayed by some stupid Mawile. Hopefully we don't cross paths again."

Jaune took another deep breath to take in more of Ruby's scent. Whatever it was that Ruby was sprayed with, it was the most wonderful smell Jaune has ever sniffed. Breathing in this delicious smell caused Jaune to look at Ruby in an entirely different light. Looking at Ruby caused new feelings to dwell up inside him; his heart began to race, his head suddenly breaking out in a nervous sweat. He didn't know why he suddenly felt this way about Ruby, but he believed it to be truly genuine.

With the leaves covering up so much of the ground, Ruby didn't notice the small hole that was dug up and tripped over the hole.

"Ow!" said Ruby. "Stupid hole!"

Seeing his partner in danger, Jaune ran over to aid Ruby. "Are you okay Ruby?"

"I'm fine," said Ruby, brushing the leaves off her. "These leaves cover up so much-"

"Are you sure?" interrupted Jaune. "Can you walk?"

"Uh, yeah Jaune, I'm fine. Just watch out for any-"

"Get behind me! I'll look out for future holes!"

Jaune stood in front of Ruby and started to kick the leaves away as they were walking to avoid any more potential hazards. Ruby was baffled by Jaune's sudden change of behavior. Ruby was about to ask why Jaune was acting so strange when the duo was suddenly approached by a swarm of Oddish, no doubt because of the Sweet Scent.

"Oh great, more hordes," said Ruby. "Fletchinder should be able to-"

"Stand back Ruby!" said Jaune. "I'll deal with these Oddish!"

Jaune called out his Raticate and began fighting the Oddish as if their lives depended on it. Ruby stood mouth agape at Jaune acting so dramatically over nothing. After knocking out a few Oddish, the rest began to scamper away. Jaune called back his Raticate and kneeled before Ruby.

"You're safe now Ruby," said Jaune. It's official thought Ruby; Jaune was going overboard.

"Jaune, what are you doing?" asked Ruby.

"Why, I'm helping you of course! That's what a gentleman is supposed to do!"

"Okay, but there's acting like a gentleman, and then there's overreacting."

"Overreacting? I was trying to protect you!"

"From what? A bunch of little Pokémon I could have beaten in like ten seconds? I can handle my own fights Jaune!"

"But I needed to protect you because..."

Jaune suddenly turned away, too embarrassed to admit his true feelings to Ruby, but he knew that he had to share them here and now.

"Ruby, I...I'm head over heels for you!" proclaimed Jaune.

"Wha...what?" said Ruby, her face turning red after hearing Jaune's confession. "Jaune, when have you felt this way about me?"

"I don't why I suddenly have these feelings for you, but I take just one whiff of you and...well...I can't help myself!"

"A whiff of me? What are you talking about?"

"This is embarrassing, but Ruby, you...you just smell so sweet!"

Ruby felt a chill run through her spine. Her problems with the Sweet Scent was worse than she realized.

__"That Sweet Scent gas the Mawile sprayed on me is causing all this! It was bad enough it caused more Pokémon to attack me, but now it's gotten Jaune to fall in love with me!"__

"Jaune, listen to me," said Ruby. "You're not in love with me! You're just being fooled by the Sweet Scent!"

"No Ruby," said Jaune. "This isn't some kind of trick. I...I love you!"

Jaune looked into Ruby's eyes with a puppy-dog look, holding his arms out for a hug. Ruby slowly started to step back from her love struck friend. "Snap out of it Jaune! We're not a couple! This isn't real romance!"

Ruby's words went in one ear and out the other. Jaune had breathed in so much of the Sweet Scent that nothing was stopping him in believing he and Ruby were meant to be. Ruby needed to get away and figure out how she was going to wash off this troublesome smell.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" yelled Ruby. Eevee kicked up sand and blinded Jaune, giving Ruby time to run away as fast as she could. Even in a place full of leaves like Forever Fall, Ruby was still able to run super fast.

__"This is all Mawile's fault! Maybe if I capture it, I can find a way to get it to reverse this stupid Sweet Scent!"__

Ruby was so distracted by the thought of getting her revenge, she didn't watch where she was running and bumped into someone in the forest, causing them both to fall to the ground.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" yelled the man she bumped into.

"I'm sorry!" said Ruby. She really had a bad habit of bumping into people at the speeds she ran. She got up and was going to help the man when she noticed who it was she bumped into: Her arch-nemesis in the White Fang.

"Little red!" said Torchwick, getting back on his feet. "It figures we'd meet again like this!"

"Torchwick!" said Ruby, backing away. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get my...revenge..."

Torchwick felt his heart starting to skip beats upon laying his eyes on Ruby. There was something different to her this time. For some reason, Torchwick felt his anger for Ruby rapidly disappear. No longer did Torchwick see the little girl in red as his arch-nemesis, but rather as this beautiful maiden who deserved to be pampered and protected.

"If you think you'll capture my Pokémon, think again!" said Ruby.

"Capture your Pokémon?" said Torchwick. "Why would I ever do that to such a beautiful young lady like yourself?"

"What? Did you just call me a...beautiful young lady?"

"I'm sorry! Beautiful is not enough to describe such a lovely woman as yourself!"

Torchwick suddenly grabbed Ruby's hands and looked into her eyes with the utmost sincerity. Ruby was getting creeped out by where this was going.

"Especially a woman who smells so...sweet!"

__"Oh no!" __thought Ruby. _"___The Sweet Scent got to him too!"__

"Back off!" yelled Jaune, who despite not being in shape, was somehow able to catch up with Ruby. "You're not good enough for her, you wretched swine!"

"You're the one who is not good enough, you scrawny knave!" replied Torchwick.

"Ruby, he's not the one meant for you! Come with me!"

"Little red, you know he's not good enough for you! Come to me!"

"I don't want EITHER of you!" yelled Ruby, but it was to no avail. The Sweet Scent had gotten a hold of Jaune and Torchwick, and the both of them were dying to show their affection.

#

Blake had been trying to track the movements of Roman Torchwick, and believed he was somewhere in Forever Fall. As she continued her search for Torchwick, she heard a scream nearby.

"Sounds like someone's in trouble," said Blake. "Torchwick has to be behind this!"

Blake quickly ran on top of the trees to where she heard the scream. Landing back on the ground, she could see Torchwick from a distance grabbing onto someone; he must be trying to rob the person or worse. Blake didn't waste any time grabbing a Poké Ball and jumping in.

"Hold it right there...Torchwick?"

Blake had expected to see Torchwick attacking an innocent bystander, but instead was witnessing Torchwick hugging one. Torchwick and Jaune had Ruby grasped tightly between them. Ruby looked mortified at these two men coddling her in their arms; Eevee was keeping her distance, wanting nothing to do with this.

"Ruby? Why are-"

"Stay away Blake," said Ruby. "I don't want you to start hugging me as well."

As Blake got closer to Ruby, she could smell something powerful coming off Ruby; Blake pinched her nose to block out the smell.

"You smell sickeningly sweet," said Blake. "What happened?"

"I was trying to capture a Mawile when it sprayed a heavy dose of Sweet Scent at me. Now I've got these two acting like lovebirds!"

"All right you two, break it up!" said Blake, forcing Jaune and Torchwick to separate from Ruby.

"Are you here to break up our love?" asked Jaune.

"Break up you and little red!" replied Torchwick.

"Ruby and I are going to have a chat about this situation," said Blake. "It's best Ruby consults a third party to determine who her heart belongs to."

"Of course," said Jaune. "That way we'll know she's meant for me!"

"Or rather meant for me!" replied Torchwick.

Blake grabbed Ruby and quickly got away while Jaune and Torchwick continued to argue with each other.

"How can I get rid of the Sweet Scent?" asked Ruby.

"The only way to get rid of a scent that strong is to use another scent that's the complete opposite of sweet," explained Blake.

"You mean I have to get sprayed with something disgusting?"

"Afraid so."

"Forget it! I'll just wait until we arrive at the city and shower myself for days."

"You sure you can wait that long?" asked Blake, pointing to Jaune and Torchwick making lovey-dovey faces from a distance.

"As I was saying, where can we find this disgusting cure?"

"We need to find a Pokémon called Gloom."

Ruby pulled out her Pokédex to look up Gloom. "Gloom is a Grass and Poison Pokémon that is known to emit horrible smells from its drool," explained Penny. "Glooms can usually be found in forests such as Forever Fall."

"All right then," said Ruby, "let's go find ourselves a Gloom!"

Jaune and Torchwick suddenly appeared beside Ruby, each of them getting down on one knee and holding out their right arm.

"Allow me to be your groom little red!" declared Torchwick.

"If anyone should be your groom, it should be me!" declared Jaune.

"I said GLOOM!" shouted Ruby. She couldn't wait to find this Pokémon and end this ridiculous love triangle.

#

Ruby and Blake went into the forest to find Gloom, with Jaune and Torchwick following behind. As they were traveling, Jaune was trying to come up with a love song to sing to Ruby.

"Ruby my love, I wrote a song for you!" said Jaune. "Would you like to hear it?"

"As if I have a choice," muttered Ruby. Jaune cleared his throat and began to sing, sounding nasally and terribly off-key.

"Ruby, your cape is as red as roses! Like your name, you smell like...roses!"

"That was terrible!" said Torchwick. "Watch how a true pro works!" Torchwick cleared his throat and sang in a low baritone voice.

"Little red, when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's-"

"Are you comparing Ruby to pizza?" interrupted Jaune. "That's not romantic at all!"

"What would you know about romance, you spoony bard?"

"Enough!" said Blake, getting sick of their cheesy attempts at romance. "If either one of you want to win Ruby's heart, I suggest you either find a Gloom or keep quiet!"

Seeing Blake get mad scared Jaune and Torchwick into keeping quiet. Ruby was starting to wish Blake was her traveling partner instead. Meanwhile, Eevee was sniffing around the area searching for a Gloom. A few yards from their right, she began to smell a faint noxious odor. She jumped up on Ruby's leg to let her know she found something.

"Find something Eevee?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee, leading them through the bushes. Ruby and Blake went through the bushes and found a field full of plant Pokémon. Amongst the plants was a Gloom, standing around and drooling from its mouth.

"That drool is the source of Gloom's stench," said Blake. "The more danger or frightened the Gloom is, the more powerful the stench becomes. If we battle it and then capture it, it should give us plenty of time to harvest the drool at its worst."

"No problem," said Ruby. "I'll focus on the Gloom while-"

"Don't worry Ruby!" said Jaune, suddenly jumping out of the bush. "I'll capture that Gloom for you!"

"Jaune, I don't need-"

"Nay!" interrupted Torchwick. "I will capture that Gloom for Ruby!"

"But I was going to-"

Jaune and Torchwick ignored Ruby, heading into the field and calling out their Pokémon to attack Gloom. The rest of the Pokémon began to scatter away as Gloom turned to face the two hopeless romantics.

"Raticate, Super Fang attack!" said Jaune.

"Krookodile, Crunch attack!" said Torchwick.

Raticate and Krookodile lunged at Gloom at the same time. The Gloom jumped back as the Raticate and Krookodile wound up biting into each other's mouths. Raticate and Krookodile quickly let go as they and their trainers began arguing with each other.

"You fool!" shouted Torchwick. "You got in the way of my attack!"

"No, YOU got in the way of MY attack!" replied Jaune.

Ruby buried her face in her hands. "Why does being in love suddenly turn them into idiots?" she asked.

"I said I was going to fight Gloom first!" said Jaune. "So it's my right to fight it, not you!"

"Fine!" said Torchwick. "I'll just fight it once you get your scrawny butt kicked!"

Torchwick and Krookodile backed away from the battle, leaving Jaune and Raticate to fight alone.

"All right Raticate, Bite attack!" commanded Jaune. Raticate jumped up and bit down on one of the bulbous petals on top of Gloom. The bite caused Gloom to spray Acid from the top of its head. The Acid got into Raticate's eyes and caused him to let go and roll around the ground in pain. Gloom then bent down and sprayed Sleep Powder on Raticate; Raticate stopped rolling and fell asleep right away.

"Wake up Raticate!" yelled Jaune, but Raticate was sleeping too deeply to do so.

"Watch a true suitor in action!" said Torchwick. "Krookodile, Iron Tail attack!"

Krookodile powered up its tail and swung at Gloom, knocking it back several feet. Torchwick cheered as if he already won.

"Did you see that little red? I hit that Gloom just for you!" While Torchwick was too busy waving at Ruby, Gloom got up and sprayed Stun Spore at Krookodile. The Krookodile was paralyzed from the powder, giving Gloom the opening needed to use Mega Drain. The attack drained nearly all of Krookodile's health and transferred it to Gloom, allowing Gloom to fully recover. With both Pokémon temporarily stopped by status ailments, Gloom ran away from the field.

"All right Krookodile, now we'll...huh? What happened to Gloom?"

"You let it get away!" said Jaune. "If you truly loved Ruby, you wouldn't have let it escape so easily!"

"At least I was able to land an attack! What good are you to little red if you can't protect her?"

"We're never going to catch a Gloom if these two keep trying to interfere," said Blake. "We need to keep them busy somehow."

As Blake was coming up with an idea to keep them busy, Ruby suddenly held her stomach and fell to her knees, moaning like she was in serious pain.

"Oooow!" wailed Ruby. Hearing Ruby's cries, Jaune and Torchwick quickly ran over to help.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" asked Jaune.

"My stomach is in terrible pain!" cried Ruby. "I'm also suffering from headaches, drowsiness, and...uh...dry mouth! Guys, I think I have the Pokérus virus!"

Jaune and Torchwick were aghast at Ruby's sudden illness. Blake just looked on in confusion as to how Ruby was suddenly suffering.

"But Ruby, the Pokérus virus doesn't..." Blake suddenly realized what Ruby was actually up to. "I mean, not the Pokérus virus! Are you sure Ruby?"

"I'm sure!" moaned Ruby, throwing in a few wheezing coughs for emphasis.

"What do we do, what do we do?" asked Jaune.

"Calm down!" said Blake. "In order to cure Pokérus, we need to harvest the sap of the Forever Tree!"

"Not a problem!" said Torchwick. "We just need sap! Easy peasy!"

"But we don't know where the Forever Tree is!" said Jaune.

"Oh no, you're right! We have no idea where the Forever Tree is!"

"I know where the Forever Tree is," said Blake. "It's the biggest tree in this forest, located about a mile north from here! You need to hurry!"

"Don't worry Ruby!" said Jaune. "I swear on my honor I will save you!"

"I swear on my honor and my own soul I will save you!" said Torchwick.

Jaune and Torchwick ran up north like Ruby's life depended on it. As soon as they were out of sight, Ruby got back to her feet.

"That should keep them busy long enough," said Ruby. "Let's go find that Gloom."

#

Jaune and Torchwick had run approximately a mile into the forest and were searching for the so-called Forever Tree. They kept looking up to determine which of the trees was the tallest.

"I say this tree is the tallest!" said Jaune, pointing to the tree he was standing next to.

"Are you blind?" replied Torchwick. "That tree is clearly not the tallest! The tree next to me is much bigger!"

"Only one way to find out!"

Jaune jumped and started climbing his tree, causing Torchwick to do the same. The two of them reached the top of their trees and realized they were about the same height.

"Neither of them are the Forever Tree," said Torchwick. "Good job wasting our precious time!"

"You're the one wasting time!" said Jaune. "We would have gotten here faster if you hadn't drop your stupid hat!"

"But you were the one who took a detour because you didn't know which way was north! Little red can never love someone with no sense of direction!"

"And she can never love someone who looks as ridiculous as you!"

"All right, there's truly only one way to settle this! We must have a gentleman's battle!"

Both of them jumped back to the ground and grabbed a Poké Ball.

"We will call out our best Pokémon and fight to the very end!" declared Torchwick. "Whomever's Pokémon remains standing will be the one to win little red's heart!"

"I accept!" said Jaune. "May the best man, which is obviously me, win!"

Just as the two were going to have the battle for Ruby's love, a familiar deceptive Pokémon suddenly walked by and started crying.

"Mawile!" cried Mawile, sitting down and pretending to be upset. Jaune and Torchwick stopped what they were doing and turned to the Mawile. Seeing the depressed Pokémon caused them to go up to Mawile and find out what was wrong.

"Are you okay Mawile?" asked Jaune. "Don't worry, Jaune Arc is here to help!"

"Ignore him Mawile," said Torchwick. "Roman Torchwick will help you with anything you need!"

"Help it do what? Get kidnapped by you?"

"As opposed to what, get lost in the forest?"

"I saw this Pokémon first, I'm going to help it!"

"I saw it first, you scrawny blonde!"

"Ugly ginger!"

"Scaredy cat!"

"Evil jerk!"

The two went back and forth calling each other names to the point where they completely ignored Mawile. Mawile stopped crying when it realized the two weren't paying attention.

"Mawile!" shouted Mawile, trying to grab their attention.

"Old man!" yelled Jaune.

"Crybaby!" yelled Torchwick.

"Mawile! Mawile!"

The two were more interested in arguing with each other than helping Mawile. Mawile started to get annoyed at constantly being ignored.

"MAWILE!" screamed Mawile.

"Will you be quiet?" responded Torchwick.

"Yeah, we're trying to determine who gets to help you!"

Its deception plan backfiring, Mawile lifted its horns and sprayed both of them with a strong amount of Sweet Scent. Jaune and Torchwick were coughing from the overdose of the gas as the Mawile ran off.

"I hope you're happy!" said Jaune. "You made that Mawile upset!"

"You made it more upset than I did!" said Torchwick.

Once the gas had evaporated, Jaune and Torchwick turned to each other and were ready to start throwing blows of their own. As soon as they made eye contact however, they both felt their hearts sink into their stomach. Looking into the eyes of their foe caused the two of them to become wrought with guilt over everything they argued about.

"What have I done?" said Jaune. "Torchwick, I'm sorry I-"

"No," said Torchwick. "I should be saying sorry. It's all my fault we've let down little red."

"You know Torchwick, I have to be honest; I think you deserve Ruby more than me. You're clearly better looking and tougher than I'll ever be!"

"You're wrong Jaune! You have a heart of gold and the bravery to match! You're the one that truly belongs to little red!"

"Liar! Nobody deserves a scrawny wimp like myself!"

"Like a criminal such as I would be any better?"

The both of them began forming tears in their eyes, then suddenly got together and hugged.

#

Ruby and Blake were going all out in finding Gloom. Ruby had Fletchinder fly in the air looking for a Gloom while Eevee continued sniffing on the ground. Blake and Greninja were jumping from tree to tree, scouting any nearby area.

"Find anything yet Blake?" asked Ruby.

"Not yet," said Blake.

"Hey Blake, hypothetically, if we can't find this Gloom, how long does it take for the smell to go away naturally?"

"With the amount Mawile sprayed on you, I'd say at least a week."

"Great," said Ruby sarcastically. "I wonder if Weiss ever has to put up with this?"

Just then, Fletchinder started chirping and flapping its wings rapidly.

"I hope that means you found one Fletchy!" exclaimed Ruby. Ruby and Blake ran over to where Fletchinder was flying above, and sure enough, they had found the Gloom. "Finally! Okay Fletchinder, do your thing!"

Fletchinder shot an Ember at Gloom; the Ember made severe burns to one of Gloom's petals. Gloom aimed at Fletchinder and fired Stun Spore; Fletchinder dodged the spray and dove at Gloom with a Quick Attack. Gloom tried to fire Sleep Powder at Fletchinder but was too slow to nail Fletchinder in time as it went back in the air. Gloom was starting to get anxious from the damage it was taking; this anxiety caused Gloom to start drooling heavily from its mouth. Ruby and Blake can smell the stench from far away.

"That smells really bad!" said Ruby, clenching her nose. "Tell me that'll be enough!"

"A couple more hits should do the trick," said Blake.

"Okay Fletchinder, use your Acrobatics!"

Fletchinder dove straight down and pecked at Gloom several times; Gloom couldn't counter due to Fletchinder's amazing speed. The more damage Fletchinder caused, the worse the smell of the drool got. After the attack, Gloom was nearly knocked out, causing the drool to smell its worst.

"Capture it now Ruby!" said Blake.

"I'm trying!" said Ruby. Ruby was trying to take off her backpack with one arm, as she used her other arm to cover her mouth and nose. She didn't even want the slightest whiff of Gloom's drool. Blake jumped down and helped Ruby take off her backpack, then went in her bag and pulled out a Great Ball for her.

"Thanks Blake," said a muffled Ruby. Ruby threw the ball at Gloom and captured it with no problem.

"All right, do you have an empty bottle of any kind?" asked Blake. Ruby reached into her bag and pulled out an empty spray bottle. "Perfect; release the Gloom and I'll harvest the drool for you."

Ruby released her Gloom and immediately backed away; not even the Sweet Scent infested in Ruby's clothes can mask that drool. Even Eevee jumped into Ruby's bag to avoid the smell. Blake on the other hand had no problem dealing with Gloom's stench; she collected the drool into the bottle and mixed it around to thin out the liquid.

"All done," said Blake.

"Thank Arceus!" said Ruby, calling back her Gloom and exhaling a deep breath. "So now what?"

"Spray this a couple times on your neck and on your clothes. The stench will mask the effects of the Sweet Scent long enough to stop Jaune and Torchwick from fawning over you."

Ruby took a deep breath and sprayed the Gloom drool on herself. She can smell the Sweet Scent slowly start to fade away and get replaced by a tolerable stink of the Gloom drool.

"The first thing I'm going to do when I get out of here is take a nice, long shower," said Ruby.

"I'll spray some on myself just in case," said Blake. Blake sprayed herself several times on her neck, then sprayed her arms and legs. Ruby was surprised to see Blake spray so much of the drool on herself.

"Don't you think that's too much Blake?" said Ruby, covering her nose. "You're starting to smell worse than Gloom!"

"Actually, I don't mind the smell of Gloom drool. That Sweet Scent on the other hand almost makes me want to throw up."

"THAT makes you want to throw up? You have weird tastes, Blake."

#

Meanwhile, Jaune and Torchwick were sitting side by side, crying as they let out their true feelings.

"Sometimes I don't think the boss appreciates anything I do!" said Torchwick. "I work so hard and do everything I'm told, but do I ever get any recognition for it? No! I just keep getting yelled at!"

"Everybody thinks I'm a loser!" said Jaune. "Just because I'm not a good trainer or too scared to go into caves. I'm not allowed to be scared of going into caves? Nobody respects me!"

"Nobody respects me either!"

Jaune put a hand on Torchwick's shoulder. "I respect you Torchwick! It's not easy being a criminal mastermind!"

Torchwick smiled and put a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "I respect you too, Jaune. A lot of people are scared of caves!"

"You're a true friend Torchwick!" said Jaune, turning around and hugging Torchwick.

"So are you Jaune!" said Torchwick, hugging Jaune back.

Ruby and Blake arrived to witness the hug fest going on between Jaune and Torchwick. Blake was weirded out by how emotional they were to each other while Ruby couldn't stop laughing.

"Hurry up and spray them already," said Blake.

"Do I have to?" said Ruby. "I want to see where this goes!"

"Ruby!"

"Oh fine!" pouted Ruby. She sprayed the bottle of Gloom's stench at Jaune and Torchwick. The smell of the foul odor quickly reversed the effects of the Sweet Scent. The moment they no longer smelled the Sweet Scent, Jaune and Torchwick realized what they were doing and quickly backed away from each other.

"What were you doing hugging me?" yelled Jaune.

"You were hugging me!" yelled Torchwick.

"Who in their right mind would ever hug you?"

"A lot more than you, scrawny blonde!"

"If you two are done arguing," said Ruby, "I'd like to get out of this forest now."

"I'll be on my way once I nab your Pokémon!" exclaimed Torchwick.

"Ahem," coughed Blake. That's when Torchwick realized now was not the best time to get revenge on little red.

"On second thought, how'd you like to see a magic trick?"

"Magic trick?" asked Ruby.

"Observe!" said Torchwick, pulling out a Dust crystal from his pocket. "If I shoot this Dust crystal with my cane, this happens!"

Torchwick threw the crystal up and shot it, causing a bright explosion that blinded the other trainers. Torchwick quickly turned the other way and made his escape. Blake quickly gave chase without saying goodbye; Ruby and Jaune took it as their cue to start heading out of Forever Fall.

"Well that cares of that," said Ruby.

"That stuff you sprayed is nasty, Ruby," said Jaune. "What is that?"

"Gloom drool; it was the only thing disgusting enough to get you to stop acting so lovey-dovey."

"Can I see that bottle for a moment?"

Ruby handed the bottle to Jaune; Jaune twisted off the cap and smelled the drool directly. One whiff and he quickly regretted wanting to do so.

"WHOA!" said Jaune, almost going into a coughing fit. "That stuff is the worst!"

"I know!" said Ruby, back to holding her nose. "Can you put the cap back on now?"

"Oh right; sorry."

Unbeknownst to Jaune and Ruby, the Mawile they had encountered was following them. Rather than attempt the crying act, the Mawile was just going to leap out and attack them head on. The moment Jaune and Ruby stopped in their tracks, the Mawile jumped out of the bush with its horns wide open to attack.

"Mawile!" yelled Mawile as it went in for the attack.

"Aaah!" yelled Jaune, taken by surprise from the Mawile. The sudden attack scared Jaune into accidentally dropping the bottle; whether by instinct or sheer luck, the contents just happen to have spilled on the horns of Mawile. Mawile not only could smell the horrid stench it was infected with, it could feel the saliva oozing all over.

"Mawile!" screamed Mawile, freaking out over being covered by the Gloom drool.

"Oh man!" said Jaune, covering his mouth with both hands. "Not even Mawile deserves that!"

"Say," said Ruby, also covering her mouth. "With that Mawile distracted... quick Eevee, use your Take Down attack!"

Eevee took a deep breath and used Take Down on Mawile, knocking Mawile to the ground. Ruby then took a deep breath and quickly went into her bag to pull out another Great Ball and throw it at Mawile. Mawile was too busy having a meltdown to notice the oncoming ball, and soon found itself inside with little chance of escape. After a few seconds, the ball signaled an official capture for Ruby.

"Good job Eevee!" said Ruby. "We just got ourselves a Mawile!"

"Eevee!" cheered Eevee. Ruby went over to where the ball laid and picked it up. She held the ball close to her nose and took a long sniff.

"What are you doing Ruby?" asked Jaune.

"Oh nothing," said Ruby. "Sometimes I just enjoy that new Pokémon smell."


	12. Turning the Game Corner (Part 1)

Once Ruby was in the next city, she wasted no time heading straight to a motel and taking a long, hot shower to wash off all the horrible smells she had been put through in Forever Fall. While Ruby was showering, Jaune was looking at a brochure that detailed about the city they were staying in for the night.

Ruby and Jaune were in a small city known as Nippontown. A majority of Nippontown consisted of stores selling souvenirs and toys. During the daytime the city appeared to be a nice, friendly tourist stop. But once the sun settled, the town would take on a different persona. Gone was the family-friendly atmosphere of the shops and restaurants; in their place were shysters selling illegal wares, bars full of gamblers and degenerates, and streets filled with pickpockets. On the surface, the nightlife seemed like a cool place to hang out, but those who weren't careful at night can lose everything they had on them in a matter of minutes. This dark side of Nippontown came to be known as "Grimm City."

At the heart of Grimm City was the Game Corner. Many people have criticized the Game Corner for promoting unethical behaviors that caused the nickname of Grimm City to surface. Calls have been made to shut down the Game Corner, but defenders say that the establishment is doing nothing illegal; simply providing entertainment for those willing to participate, and claimed the profits it generated would benefit the city overall. Because it couldn't be proven that nothing illegal was actually taking place, the much maligned Game Corner continues to operate at a very profitable rate.

"Wooo!" said Ruby, coming out of the shower in her pajamas and flopping on the bed. "I really needed that."

"So what are the plans for tonight?" asked Jaune.

"Order room service, watch a movie, and sleep until noon. I'm making tonight Self Appreciation Night!"

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee, jumping onto the bed and curling into Ruby's lap.

"You mean we're just going to stay in our room tonight?" asked Jaune, sounding disappointed.

"Of course. Why, were you hoping to ask me out on a real date?"

"Ruby, we're in Nippontown! This city has some of the coolest nightlife spots in all of Vale! We need to get in on some of that action!"

"N to the O on that idea. I've heard stories about what goes on in this city, and I am not getting myself involved."

"C'mon Ruby, where's your sense of adventure?"

"I have enough adventures during the day catching Pokémon. I don't need any more at night, especially with the kind of people that hang around this city."

"Okay, so are there some bad eggs that come out at night, but it's also when all the cool people come out! This is when all the exciting things happen! For once in my life I want to know what it feels like to really live!"

"What's wrong with the way you're living now?"

"Look at me! Do you really need an explanation?"

After the long day Ruby had, she was not in the mood to argue. She would have let Jaune just go off on his own if that was what he really wanted, but the last time Ruby let Jaune do something on his own was the Munchlax fiasco, and they both knew how that turned out. She could only imagine the kind of trouble Jaune would get himself into if Ruby wasn't there to save him.

"Fine," said Ruby. "We'll go out and have some fun-"

"Yes!" shouted Jaune, already getting his belongings.

"-under certain conditions!" finished Ruby.

"Name it," said Jaune.

"Give me all your Pokémon."

"All my Pokémon? Why?"

"The last thing we need happening is to have all of our belongings stolen. All our Pokémon will stay here except for Scyther; he'll be our bodyguard in case someone tries to mug us."

"I think you're acting too cautious."

"Says the guy who freaks out over Zubats!"

Jaune could go into a long speech about how a mugger was far less dangerous than a wild Zubat, but instead went along with Ruby's rules and gave up all his Pokémon. Ruby stored all the Pokémon save for Eevee and Scyther into her bag.

"Anything else?" asked Jaune.

"Hand over your wallet," said Ruby.

"Why?"

"We'll each carry a small amount of money, so even if someone stole from us, at least we won't lose everything we have." Ruby took out a small amount of lien out of her and Jaune's wallets and placed the rest in the bag. "The moment we run out of money or things go wrong, we come back to the motel and that's it. Understood?"

"Yeah yeah," said Jaune dismissively.

"Will you be okay on your own Eevee?"

"Eevee," said Eevee, laying down on the pillows and getting ready to sleep.

"I'm going to get dressed and grab a snack downstairs. Meet you down there in a few minutes."

As Ruby went to the bathroom to change, Jaune silently opened Ruby's bag and took out his wallet, grabbing all the lien he had on him. There was no chance he'd get to do anything really fun with the petty amount Ruby assigned themselves; he was going to make this night last as long as he could. Once he took every lien he had, he headed downstairs to wait for Ruby.

#

Nippontown/Grimm City looked spectacular at night. The bright neon signs of all the shops and bars looked pretty; too bad their interiors were another matter. Jaune looked amazed staring at all the places the city had to offer, while Ruby kept her hands sealed tightly in her pockets while her Scyther hovered close behind her. Up the block there was a man in a hoodie and stained jeans holding up a sign pointing to a place called the Game Corner.

"Hey there!" shouted the stranger. Ruby immediately looked away to avoid eye contact, but Jaune immediately walked up to him. "You two looking to have some fun?"

"You bet!" said Jaune.

"Preferably something safe," added Ruby.

"Then you should check out the Game Corner just three blocks down," said the stranger, pulling out a business card for Jaune and Ruby. "Use those cards to get a 5% bonus on your coin purchases!"

"Will do! C'mon Ruby!"

Jaune started running down the block, leaving Ruby behind. As Ruby was walking, the stranger they had just met started to walk beside her.

"Uh, before you go," said the stranger, "mind sparing some lien?"

"Excuse me?" asked Ruby.

"I've been down on my luck lately and can use some spare change. Please?"

"Sorry, but I really don't have a lot on me-"

"Please, I really need the money!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help!"

"Scyther!" yelled Ruby's Scyther, raising its arms as a warning sign. The stranger quickly started backing away.

"Okay okay!" yelled the stranger. "I'm sorry!"

Once the stranger backed off, Ruby ran to catch up with Jaune, not wanting to hear more of what this creep had to say.

In the middle of the block in bright lights was the infamous Grimm City Game Corner. Above the words "Game Corner" was the logo of a bear looking monster with a bright white and red mask covering its face, known as an Ursa. Ruby remembered hearing fairy tales about monsters like those, and none of them were pleasant. In a way, it fit how Ruby felt about this Game Corner. Jaune on the other hand felt the complete opposite.

"This place looks even better in person!" said Jaune.

"I'm getting really bad vibes from this place Jaune," said Ruby. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It's just a place to play games Ruby. Don't you like playing games?"

"Only on my scroll. At least that way it's free and I don't have to hang around creeps."

"Relax! Places like this have the best security."

"I'll relax, but just remember we made an agreement to leave as soon as possible."

Ruby recalled her Scyther and entered the Game Corner. The place was filled with the noise of slot machines rolling and people yelling over what games they were playing. All around the Game Corner were men dressed up in black suits and red ties, acting as security. Ruby and Jaune headed to the checkout counter to purchase the coins required to play. Jaune made sure to wait in a different line so Ruby wouldn't notice he took more money out of his wallet so he can buy more coins.

Near the checkout counter was a bar, currently being managed by the operator of the Game Corner, a tall bearded man by the name of Hei Xiong. Sitting in front of him were two of his personal bouncers: Twin girls each wearing a heavy amount of makeup and wearing strapless dresses. The one in red was named Miltia; the one in white was named Melanie. While the girls were enjoying their drinks, Xiong was looking at the line of people waiting to get their coins, observing which of the poor saps would be best to target next. That's when he noticed a particularly enthusiastic blonde kid just waiting to get ripped off.

"Check out the blonde kid by the payment window," said Xiong. The twins turned to see Jaune eagerly awaiting to buy his coins and get to playing.

"He looks pretty cute," remarked Miltia.

"He also looks pretty dumb," remarked Melanie.

"In other words," said Xiong, "the perfect type. You know what to do ladies."

The twins put down their drinks and walked over to Ruby and Jaune.

"Hey there," greeted Miltia. "I don't think I've seen you around. First timer?"

"Yep!" said Jaune. "I'm Jaune Arc."

"That's a cute name," said Melanie. "Rolls off the tongue."

"R-really? You...think my name is cute?"

"Not as cute as you," said Miltia, putting on a smile and winking at Jaune. Jaune was starting to form a wide grin on his face, while Ruby was ready to vomit.

"Nice meeting you girls," said Ruby. "C'mon Jaune, let's go play somewhere far away."

"Actually Ruby...why don't we split up?" asked Jaune.

"Split up?"

"Yeah! I mean you play whatever games you want and I'll play with who...I mean, whatever I want, and then we can meet up later!"

"In that case Jaune, here's something for good luck." Ruby kicked Jaune in one of his shins, made worse by Ruby's boot.

"OW!" said Jaune, bending down to rub his sore ankle. "What was that for?"

"Just a reminder of what we talked about."

Ruby went off to find a game to play. Hopefully Jaune got the message from Ruby's "good luck" charm. The twins helped Jaune back to his feet.

"Well somebody is jealous!" said Miltia. "You two aren't together, are you?"

"Nah," said Jaune. "She's just really reluctant to be here."

"Some people just don't know how to have a good time," said Melanie. "Speaking of, I see a slot machine with your name on it!"

Each girl wrapped an arm around Jaune and took him to a row of slot machines lined up against one of the walls of the casino.

"So ladies," said Jaune, "which of these do you think is the lucky one?"

"My intuition tells me the seventh from the right," said Miltia.

"Oh yeah," said Melanie, "I feel it too. Definitely seventh from the right."

Jaune sat in front of the slot machine the twins claimed was lucky. As Jaune put his coin case down and was inserting his coins to play, the twins each placed a hand on his shoulders. Jaune started to feel giddy from having two cute girls fawn over him.

"All right ladies, let's hit the jackpot!" Jaune pulled down the arm of the slot machine and started playing. As if on cue, the first combination that Jaune landed on was three 7's, netting him a payout of 300 coins. Jaune was nearly speechless at how incredibly lucky he was.

"I knew it was lucky!" said Miltia.

"Or maybe Jaune here is just naturally good!" said Melanie, pressing a finger to Jaune's cheek.

"Trust me, I'm never this good or this lucky!" said Jaune. "I think it's because I have two beautiful lady lucks on my side!"

"Well since you're so lucky," said Miltia, "let's give this machine another spin shall we?"

"Let's do it!" said Jaune, quickly pulling the arm down and going back to playing. While Jaune was occupied with the machine, the twins turned to each other and snickered.

Meanwhile, Ruby stopped by a table where people were gathering to play a roulette game. The wheel was split into twelve slots: red, white, black, and yellow colors, with the images of Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip placed on top of each color. The game cost a minimum of twenty coins to play, and Ruby had only purchased fifty.

__"These games are really expensive," __thought Ruby. __"But at least it gives me a reason to get out of here faster." __Ruby pulled up a seat next to the betting table and opened up her coin case. She took out twenty of her coins and placed them on the Red Mudkip space. Once the bets were over, the wheel started spinning fast. A metal ball popped out and landed on the wheel, rolling in the opposite direction; the people next to Ruby started to shout and beg for the ball to land on their respective spaces. Ruby couldn't understand why people acted like it was a matter of life and death over these games; probably because of the absurd amount of money they poured into trying to win.

Ruby was lost in thought and didn't notice the ball slowing down and plopping into the Red Mudkip space. "Red Mudkip pays!" said the dealer. Hearing the dealer call out her space snapped Ruby out of her trance. After the dealer collected all of the losing bets, Ruby suddenly saw her twenty coins multiply to 240.

"Did I really win all that?" asked Ruby.

"You sure did," replied the dealer. "Want to try your luck again?"

After winning a hefty amount of coins, Ruby decided there was no harm in playing a bit longer. "Well...sure!"

#

After cashing out with a huge amount of coins from the slot machine, the twins took Jaune to a card flip table. Although Jaune was ecstatic to keep playing, he was a bit reluctant to try out the card flip game.

"I don't know ladies," said Jaune. "This one seems a bit hard."

"But you've got two lady lucks, remember?" asked Miltia.

"Trust us Jaune," said Melanie. "We think this table is so going to be worth it."

"If you say so," said Jaune, pulling up a seat at the end of the table. The dealer shuffled a deck of twenty-four cards and split them in half. The cards consisted of four Pokémon with the numbers one through six. To win coins, Jaune had to pick a deck and bet what he thought the next card was going to be. "So ladies, any intuition on what the next cards are?"

"I get the feeling one of them is a Pikachu," said Miltia.

"I'm getting a three vibe right now," said Melanie.

"In that case, I'll pick Pikachu three on the top!" said Jaune. The dealer flipped the top deck's card, revealing a Pikachu three. Jaune was now up twenty-four coins. "Sweet! Okay, next card!"

"Hmmm...how about Jigglypuff?" said Miltia.

"No way," said Melanie. "I think it'll be a Poliwag."

"Maybe we should let Jaune pick. I think he's smart enough to know the next card."

"You're right. Jaune you handsome genius, what do you think the next card will be?"

"Um..." Jaune was turning into a nervous wreck. He knew if he chose the next card wrong it was going to make him look like a fool, and he wouldn't look cool if he tried to play a safe bet. "I'll choose...Oddish four on the bottom!"

Jaune clasped his hands and prayed for the card to be right. The dealer flipped the top card from the bottom deck and revealed an Oddish four. Jaune was shocked he predicted correctly.

"Oh my, we've got a real winner here!" said Miltia.

"I knew there was something special about you Jaune," said Melanie.

"I'm the luckiest man in the world!" shouted Jaune, standing up and raising his arms up high. With a winning streak and two hot babes by his side, there was no doubt in his mind that tonight was going to be the greatest night of his life.

#

"I'm going to pick...that card!" said Ruby, pointing to the middle card at the top row. The dealer flipped over the card and revealed a triple multiplier.

"Correct!" said the dealer. "Way to avoid the Voltorbs little lady!"

Ruby had been on a roll in Voltorb Flip, increasing her coin count to an even 1000. Once she reached that number, Ruby decided it was time to call it quits. She had stopped by the prize corner earlier and found out they carried Silk Scarves as prizes. The Silk Scarf was an item that helped power up Normal type Pokémon, so Ruby wanted to buy one to help train Eevee. She exchanged all her coins and received her prize.

"I guess tonight wasn't so bad after all," said Ruby. "I wonder how well Jaune is doing?" Ruby looked around the Game Corner to find where Jaune was. As she was searching, she suddenly heard a lot of commotion coming from one of the card tables.

"This is impossible!" yelled someone. "That couldn't have been the next card!"

"Sorry sir, you lost," said the dealer. "You have to leave the table."

"But I was on such a good streak! Can't you loan me any more coins?"

"Sir, you have to leave!"

"Just give me more coins! I know I can win them back!"

The rowdy patron was soon grabbed by a Machamp belonging to Hei Xiong and was dragged out of the Game Corner. Along the way he kept yelling about how he was on a hot streak and thought he could easily get his coins back. Ruby just shook her head at the situation.

"Guess he never learned how to quit," remarked Ruby.

"Hey Ruby! Over here!"

Ruby turned to see Jaune hanging out at the bar with the twin girls. Jaune was laughing it up while holding a big bottle of ginger ale.

"I see you're definitely having fun," said Ruby.

"You're not going to believe it Ruby!" said Jaune. "First I won a huge amount of coins from the slot machines! Then the next thing I know, I'm getting every card right in card flip! Now I just won a ton of more coins from the roulette wheel!"

"Way to go!" said Ruby. "So let's cash them in already!"

"Cash them in now? But I'm just getting started!"

"No, you're finished. Let's go."

"Ugh!" said Miltia. "Is she always such a downer?"

"Tell your friend to buzz off!" said Melanie.

"Ladies, relax!" said Jaune. "I've got this!" Jaune got up and took Ruby to a corner where they can talk privately.

"Jaune, if I have to spend another second listening to those vapid jerks I'm going to-"

"Calm down Ruby," interrupted Jaune. "Miltia's right; you're being a real downer."

"You're seriously taking their side?"

"Ruby, we came here to have fun and I'm having the time of my life! Why do we need to leave in such a hurry?"

"Because we've got places to go and things to do that are more important than hanging out here! Unless you think being a professional gamer has suddenly become your calling!"

"All right, let's make a deal. I'll hang out here for exactly one more hour, and then we'll leave, okay?"

"You've got one hour," said Ruby, taking out her Pokédex and starting the countdown. "When the time's up, I'm dragging you out of here, understood?"

"Yeah yeah, I hear ya," said Jaune, walking away and sitting back with the twins. "Now ladies, where were we?"

Ruby wanted to strangle Jaune for disrespecting her like that, but figured she can do that once Jaune's precious hour was up. Ruby left the Game Corner and headed to a nearby restaurant to get something to eat.

After Jaune had his refreshments, he was ready to start gaming again. "I'm in the mood for more slots! Coming ladies?"

"Actually Jaune, our feet are getting tired," said Miltia.

"It's so hard walking around in these shoes, you know?" said Melanie. "Mind if we sit out for a while?"

"Not a problem!" said Jaune. "Although I don't know how much I'll win without my two best good luck charms!"

"Oh you!" said the twins, giggling at Jaune's flirting. After Jaune left, the girls were laughing over a different matter.

"Wait until he realizes just how unlucky he is without us," said Miltia.

"Here's to gullible losers," said Melanie, raising her drink for a toast.

Jaune ran over to the machine the twins took him to earlier and started playing. After playing for about five minutes, the machine had barely paid back. It usually landed on combinations that netted so little, and by the time he won something decent, he had spent a lot more than he gained back. "Okay, maybe this machine is all out of jackpots," assumed Jaune. "Let's try a different machine."

Jaune went over to a different machine. He was sure that the more he played on the machine, the more he would eventually reach a jackpot. Despite one loss after another, he kept pulling down the arm of the machine thinking the next one would wield a jackpot; this line of thinking kept him at the machine far longer than he should have.

"I don't get it; I've put in like a thousand coins into this thing and haven't even gotten close to winning anything good! These machines must be getting stubborn! I'll go play some card flip instead."

Jaune took his remaining coins and headed for the card flip table. At least that game was a bit easier to play if you memorized what cards were already shown. Once the deck was split, he took out his coins and made his first bet. "Ten coins on Poliwag one, top deck!" he guessed. The dealer flipped the card over, showing a Jigglypuff five. "Okay, bottom deck, ten coins on Pikachu six!" The card turned out to be an Oddish one. "Dang it! Okay, this time I'll play it safe. I'll put twenty coins on any Jigglypuff, top deck!" The next card from the top deck was a Poliwag.

Jaune continued to make safer guesses with large bets, but no matter what card he chose, he was wrong. He went through an entire twelve card set without picking one card right, and losing a large amount of his coins in the process. Jaune was getting distraught at how his coin case went from being stuffed to half-empty in such a short amount of time.

"How can I be losing? I was on such a roll! My luck couldn't have run out that fast!" He looked around and wondered what game would give him the best chance of making his fortune back. He settled for the roulette table and started making large bets on every guess he made. He bet on multiple colors; he bet on multiple Pokémon; he figured he had to get at least one right at some point in his bets. "I know I can win big again! I'm due for another win! I have to be!"

A few minutes later, Jaune was staring in stunned silence at his empty coin case. Less than an hour ago he was the luckiest man in the world; now he was flat broke. Jaune was now in a panic; without any coins to play and no more money to pay for them, Jaune's night was going to end in disaster. He ran to the bar where the twins were sitting.

"Miltia, Melanie! I need your help!"

"What's wrong Jauney?" asked Melanie.

"You're not looking so good," said Miltia.

"You two have been SO good to me tonight!" said Jaune. "Think you can do a teeny tiny favor for me PLEASE?"

#

After enjoying a good meal in peace, Ruby's scroll went off once the hour was up. She headed back into the Game Corner and checked to see if Jaune was actually finished or not. To her surprise, Jaune had greeted her the moment she entered the building.

"Right on time," said Ruby. "So how did-"

"I screwed up Ruby!" said Jaune anxiously. "I really screwed up!"

"What did you do?"

"For some reason I was on such a losing streak and I lost everything! Everything!"

"See, this is why I limited our funds. At least you didn't lose all your money."

"Actually Ruby...while you were out of the room...I kind of took more money out of my wallet."

"What do you mean 'kind of' took more? How much did you spend?"

"...everything I had?"

As if Ruby wasn't frustrated with Jaune's behavior already, now she found out he wasted all of his money over playing games. "So first you don't listen to me, and then you act reckless just so you can have the time of your life. Congrats Jaune! Tell me, how proud are you feeling right now?"

"I feel like throwing up."

"You can do that at the motel. We're leaving."

"Um, about that..." Ruby could tell that whatever Jaune was about to say next, it was not going to be good. "See, I wound up borrowing a LOT of coins from the management, and when they found out I didn't have any assets on me..."

"Where do you think you're going blondie?" Jaune's spine instantly went cold from hearing that authoritarian voice. Jaune turned around to see Xiong and his twin bouncers waiting for Jaune to reply.

"Please Mr. Xiong, I'll have your money! I just need to go back to my motel room and-"

"You're not going anywhere. You're staying here until you pay back your debt. I hope you know how to clean toilets."

"Miltia, Melanie, help me!"

"Certainly," said the twins. The twins pulled out a uniform and mop and handed it to Jaune.

"Be ready in five minutes," said Xiong. "You have a lot of work ahead of you."

"Ruby, please, you've got to get me out of here!"

"How much do you owe?"

"40,000 lien."

"You've got to be..." Ruby wanted to scream her head off at Jaune but instantly calmed down. "Okay, I'll go back to the motel and see how much money I have. In the meantime, try not to make this situation any worse than you already have."

Ruby left the Game Corner and walked quickly through the streets of Grimm City on her way back to the motel. _"I don't even have half of that amount. I could call dad or Yang, but Arceus only knows how long that might take. Maybe I should just leave Jaune there and continue my adventure solo. It would serve him right for being so careless."_

"Hey you!" shouted someone nearby. Ruby turned and cringed when she saw it was the same stranger that had begged her for money before.

"Sir, I told you before, I can't help you. In fact, I've got money problems of my own right now."

"Just give me some lien! I don't care how much!"

"I'm not giving you any money!" Ruby reached down to call out her Scyther but her arms were grabbed by the stranger, who was now really pissed Ruby was constantly trying to avoid him.

"If you're not going to be generous about my plight, then I'll just have to rob you!"

Ruby tried to break free from the man's grip and run away, not wanting to start hurting someone who clearly wasn't right in the head. Just then, a Water Shuriken suddenly swooped in and knocked the man down. Before the man can get up, he was being held down by the foot of Ruby's aloof friend.

"Don't you know it's rude to put your hands on a woman like that?" asked Blake.

"Please don't hurt me!" begged the stranger, fearing for his life the moment he stared into Blake's eyes.

"Thanks Blake," said Ruby. "You have a real knack for showing up at times like this."

"What are you even doing out here at night?" asked Blake.

"It's a long story, which speaking of...you wouldn't happen to be so loaded with cash that you can bail someone out of debt, do you?"

"Why the strange request?"

"Jaune got himself in trouble with the Game Corner and now I have to spend a huge amount of money to get him out of there."

"You were at the Game Corner? Tell me, did you notice anything suspicious about how he played?"

"I wasn't really with him. He told me he was on such a big winning streak, and then suddenly he lost everything and then some. Come to think of it, I saw a guy get kicked out for complaining about the same thing happening to him."

"It happened to me too!" said the man underneath Blake's foot. Blake pressed down harder to keep the man quiet.

"Wait Blake; I want to hear him out. Go on sir."

"I was winning so many coins I thought I can never lose! Then the next thing I know, the exact opposite happens!"

"Sir, when you went on this winning streak, did you happen to be hanging out with these two girls in pretty dresses?"

"Oh yeah," he said, a smile appearing on his face. "These two twins were so cute and nice to me. They actually helped me win a lot of coins."

"So that settles it. Something is definitely up with that Game Corner. We need to go back and find out what's going on."

"Follow me," said Blake. "I know where we might get some answers."

Ruby followed Blake into an alley located behind the Game Corner. In the alley was the back door entrance, guarded only by the security camera placed on top.

"Ah yes, the back entrance," said Ruby. "Let's sneak in and start investigating!"

"Not yet," said Blake. "I'm waiting for someone to show up."

On cue, a limo began to pull up into the alley. Ruby and Blake hid themselves from view as the limo stopped by the back entrance. Out of the back came Hei Xiong holding a briefcase.

"So how goes the Game Corner, Junior?" asked the voice in the back of the limo.

"You know I hate it when you call me that," said Xiong. "Anyway, we haven't gotten any new Pokémon lately, but we're still making a killing in the funds department." Xiong handed the briefcase to his client.

"I have to say Junior, you are truly the only one I can rely on these days. It seems everyone else in the White Fang can't pull their weight."

"Including you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Word down the pipeline is that you've been thwarted by some amateur trainers. Multiple times in fact."

"Yes, I've hit a little snag, but I'm the Second in Command of the White Fang for a reason! Don't you forget that!"

"That voice!" whispered Ruby. "I know that voice anywhere!"

"So it's true," whispered Blake. "This Game Corner is in cahoots with the White Fang."

"Just make sure you keep taking these suckers' money," said Torchwick. "This Game Corner is one of the only reasons the boss hasn't fired me yet."

"Don't worry," said Xiong. "Like these saps are ever going to catch on to how they're getting ripped off?"

Torchwick and Xiong laughed and said their goodbyes. Once Xiong left, Ruby was ready to burst in and start putting this scheme of theirs to an end.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Ruby. "Let's stop them!"

"We can't just burst in and make accusations without full proof," said Blake. "We need evidence that they're rigging the games in order to steal Pokémon."

"What should we do?"

"The first thing we need to do is hit the closest clothing store."

"Huh? Why?"

"I'll explain on the way."


	13. Turning the Game Corner (Part 2)

"Are you sure they're not going to notice me in this?" asked Ruby, looking over her new outfit.

"As long as you keep up your appearance, you should be fine Ruby," said Blake. "Or rather, Ruben."

Ruby's usual ensemble consisted of a black t-shirt, short red skirt, and stockings. Her new ensemble under the disguise of "Ruben" was black jeans and a red hoodie to cover up her body. Her hair was also combed over to appear smaller while covered by the hoodie. Blake's plan was for "Ruben" to appear as another sap for the twins to rip off while Blake would sneak around the Game Corner hideout to find out how the White Fang were rigging the games.

"So now what?"

"Go back to your room and get everything you need. I'll be right back."

Ruby went back to her motel while Blake headed to the Game Corner. There was a commotion going on at the front; the stranger Ruby encountered was arguing with Xiong and begging for coins. Xiong ordered two of his guards to take the stranger out back and teach him a lesson.

"Haven't I done enough work already?" he yelled. "Just give me some coins!"

"We had a deal," said one of the guards. "Now you're going to learn what happens when you don't follow the rules."

Before the guards can hurt the strange man, a Greninja appeared and used Smokescreen. With the guards blinded by the smoke, Blake rushed in and knocked the guards out. She bent down and took the ear pieces they used to communicate with.

"Thanks for your help," said Blake, pulling out some money and giving it to the stranger.

"You promise to get the rest of my money back?" he asked.

"You have my word."

#

"Can you hear me Ruby?" asked Blake, speaking into the ear piece she stole from the guard.

"Loud and clear," said Ruby.

"Remember to keep this on at all times and tell me exactly what games you start playing."

"Gotcha."

Blake took the back entrance into the Game Corner's hideout; Ruby pulled on her hood and entered the Game Corner. Along the way to the payment window, she noticed the twins talking to their boss at the bar. Ruby made quick glances towards them to see if they had noticed her yet. At one point the twins turned around and saw Ruby; Ruby quickly turned away and was hoping she wasn't already busted. Ruby went up to the window and paid for her coins. When she turned around, she was suddenly greeted by the twins.

"Hey there," said Miltia. "Couldn't help but notice you looking at us."

"I'm sorry!" said Ruby in her 'Ruben' voice. "I'm pretty shy around people."

"There's no reason to be shy," said Melanie. "In fact, let's get a good look of that face of yours."

"Please, no!" said Ruby, pulling her hood down and turning beet red.

"Wow, he's really shy," said Miltia. "I think shy boys are cute."

"He won't be shy once he starts winning big," said Melanie. "What's your name?"

"Ru...Ruben?" said Ruby, keeping up her shy act.

"Well Ruben," said Miltia, "we've got a slot machine with your name on it."

"A slot machine you say? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Too shy to even play slots?" asked Melanie.

"No, it's just...I heard slot machines are really hard to win."

"Not when you've got two lucky ladies on your side," said Miltia.

"Okay then; I will play the slot machine."

Meanwhile, Blake was sneaking around the hideout. The first floor was simply a warehouse for the prizes and break rooms; underneath that floor was where the main operations of the White Fang took place. With Ruby constantly mentioning that she was about to play slots, Blake searched for any room in connection; she eventually found a room where a White Fang member was working on a computer while looking at security feeds of the slot machines. Without making a sound, she knocked out the White Fang member with ease and looked at the computer monitor. On the monitor was a Porygon along with a command window to tell it what to do.

__"A Porygon hack," __thought Blake. __"They command the Porygon to convert the wheels to whatever they want." __She looked up at the feed and noticed Ruby about to sit down and start playing slots. __"Time to give them a taste of their own medicine."__

"Don't be shy now," said Miltia. "Just pull on the arm and have some fun."

"Okay," said Ruby, "here goes." Ruby pulled on the arm and just like with Jaune, the first combination that came up was the triple 7. "Wow, I...I won!"

"See?" said Melanie. "You're more lucky than you think!"

"I guess we'll play something else now?"

"Why so soon?" said Miltia. "I bet you can win even more!"

"If you say so."

Ruby pulled down on the arm again. The first two wheels turned up a 7. The twins smiled knowing the third wheel was going to land on anything but the 7; so it came to quite a shock that the 7 appeared again and Ruby won another jackpot.

"How did that happen?" whispered Miltia.

"I don't know!" whispered Melanie back. "The idiot probably forgot to command the Porygon!"

"Should I keep playing?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah...keep playing," said Miltia, forgetting to use her usual seductive tone. Ruby played on the machine for a third, fourth and fifth time, always landing on the triple 7 and netting an enormous amount of coins. It was starting to catch the attention of other patrons.

"Okay, time to play roulette!" said Melanie, picking Ruby up and getting her away from the slot machine.

"Roulette?" asked Ruby. "Why play roulette?"

"We just are!" angrily replied Melanie.

Once she saw them leave, Blake turned off the computer and continued roaming the warehouse. With word going around about what just happened, some of the security staff were sent to the warehouse to investigate.

Blake headed to the second basement floor where they manufactured the machines and tables to be played. She snuck from room to room until she found the one where they made the roulette machines. Two White Fang members were putting on the finishing touches when one of them reached for a Poké Ball on a shelf. The Pokémon that came out was a Magnemite. They opened the door on the machine and inserted the Magnemite underneath the wheel. It was as Blake suspected.

"Ruby, I was right," said Blake. "The roulette games have Magnemites controlling the ball. You know what to do."

Ruby heard Blake's message while she was playing at the roulette table. The twins were giving Ruby hints as to what to bet on, and of course, every suggestion turned out to be right. Ruby reached over to grab her coins when she suddenly slipped out of her stool and fell to the floor.

"Are you okay sir?" asked the dealer.

"I'm okay," said Ruby. As she was getting up, Ruby pulled out a novelty fridge magnet and placed it on the machine under the wheel where nobody would notice.

"Thirty seconds until the next spin!" announced the dealer.

"What should I bet now?"

"I think we should go with red," said Miltia. "I just love that color."

"I agree," said Melanie. "Red is a good color."

"Okay then, fifty coins on red," said Ruby.

Once the betting ceased, the wheel began spinning, then the metal ball popped out and spun around the wheel. At first the ball was rolling around in normal fashion, until it suddenly began to slow down and spin the other way. The ball then began to jump around from place to place as if it was possessed. It couldn't stay in one spot long enough to determine where exactly it was landing.

"We apologize," said the dealer. "The machine seems to be having technical difficulties."

"Oh well," said Ruby. "What now?"

"Card flip, now!" said Miltia.

"Card flip? Sounds like fun."

"Oh it's fun," said Melanie. "It's very fun. Let's go have some FUN!"

Ruby smiled to herself as her and Blake's plan was working. It was only a matter of time before this Game Corner would be busted. Ruby sat at the card flip table, but there was no dealer in sight.

"Where is that idiot?" asked Miltia. A few moments later, someone came running to the table completely out of breath.

"You're late Jaune!" yelled Melanie. Ruby suddenly looked up and realized they had Jaune working as the dealer.

__"Oh no!" __thought Ruby. __"Jaune is going to recognize me!"__

"Sorry!" said Jaune, taking out the cards and shuffling them poorly. As he was shuffling the cards, he looked over to the player sitting across keeping their face down. "So ladies, playing with another lucky man, huh?"

"Keep quiet and deal!" commanded Miltia. Jaune went back to shuffling the cards and wound up spilling them on the floor, getting him further yelled at by the twins. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief; between the game and the twins, Jaune was too busy to notice it was her in disguise.

Meanwhile, the hideout was starting to fill up with more security in order to find Blake. The White Fang called out their Houndours and had them search every room of the hideout, making it impossible to sneak around undetected. Blake decided to call out her Greninja and fight her way through the warehouse.

"Looking for me?" asked Blake, appearing from above in front of several White Fang members. The Houndours jumped in front to fight, but were quickly taken out by Greninja's Water Shurikens. The guards called out Machokes to even the odds, but Greninja was too fast for any them to land an attack. While Greninja kept all the Pokémon busy, Blake ran into the room containing the tables and cards used for the card flip games. She picked up one of the decks to examine how they rigged the cards when one of the White Fang grunts found her.

"Stay where you are!" shouted the grunt. Reacting quickly, Blake threw the cards at the grunt like makeshift shurikens. As she was throwing the cards, one of them was suddenly morphing into a pile of purple goop. Blake dropped the goop to the ground; the goop was actually a Ditto.

"Ruby, if you can hear me, the cards are actually Dittos! I repeat, they-"

Blake was soon interrupted by the presence of more security coming after her. Because of all the background noise, Ruby couldn't quite understand what Blake had said and was waiting for her to repeat.

"Sir, are you going to pick a card now?" asked Jaune.

"Oh, sorry!" said Ruby. "Um...what were you ladies suggesting?" At this point the ladies were clearly frustrated and had dropped the seductive girlfriends act.

"He'll pick Oddish for the top!" said Miltia, dropping coins for "Ruben." Jaune flipped over the top deck card that showed the Oddish.

"Oddish wins," said Jaune. "Next bet?"

"I say we go all the way," said Melanie. "Don't you agree Ruben?"

"Isn't that kind of risky?" asked Ruby.

"No risk is no reward," said Miltia. "I say we put it all on Pikachu one!"

"Okay, but first...I need to...rub my lucky Poké Ball!"

"Lucky Poké Ball?" asked Melanie.

"Yeah!" said Ruby, taking out one of her Poké Balls. "Whenever I need some extra luck, I like to rub on my ball!"

The girls rolled their eyes and decided to let Ruby do her superstition act. What Ruby was actually planning was stalling for time until Blake called her back. After Ruby rubbed the top of her ball, she was going to put it back when it "slipped" out of her hands and landed on the floor.

"Uh oh!" shouted Ruby. The ball opened up and out came her Zubat. The Zubat started to fly around and screech to everyone's annoyance.

"Get that thing out of her!" shouted the twins as they were swatting at the Zubat.

"I'll get rid of him!" said Jaune. Freaking out at the sight of the Zubat, Jaune picked up the cards and threw them at Zubat. The girls in turn freaked out when they saw Jaune about to throw the cards.

"DON'T THROW THE-" they tried to shout, but it was too late. Jaune threw the cards at the Zubat and missed. The cards scattered all over the place, and sure enough, some of the cards started to turn into Dittos, thinking they were going into a Pokémon battle. The commotion caused by the Zubat and the Dittos grabbed the attention of everyone in the Game Corner.

"Some of those cards turned into Dittos!"

"What? The cards are rigged?"

"I should have known they fixed these games!"

Hearing customers starting to get irate, Hei Xiong quickly ran over to calm everyone down.

"These games are not rigged!" shouted Xiong. "This is merely an isolated incident!"

Meanwhile, a couple of staff members were taking away the broken down roulette machine when it started to emit smoke coming from inside the machine and sounded like something was rattling inside. Before the staff members can get it off the game floor, the Magnemite inside the machine burst out and floated away. Witnessing the Dittos and Magnemite sealed the Game Corner's fate; everyone was demanding to get their money back and were threatening to tear the place down. Some of the guards called out their Machokes to keep people away and force them out of the building. Xiong was almost tearing his hair out at seeing his Game Corner suddenly crumble.

"What happened?" yelled Xiong. "How did you two screw this up?"

"It wasn't our fault!" yelled Miltia.

"All the games we took this loser to somehow backfired on us!" yelled Melanie.

"C'mon now girls," said Ruby, going back to her original voice. "You're being such downers."

"Ruby?" asked Jaune. "Is that you?"

Ruby turned around and removed her hood, revealing her identity. Jaune was overjoyed to see Ruby, while the twins were embarrassed to have been fooled by her disguise.

"It's that scrawny blonde's friend!" exclaimed the twins.

"Ruby, thank Arceus you came back!" said Jaune. "I can't take another minute of being here!"

"Don't worry Jaune," said Ruby. "We're busting out of here!"

"You're not going anywhere you little snitch!" said Xiong, calling out his Machamp. Miltia called out her Throh, while Melanie called out her Sawk.

"Now we're playing my kind of game!" replied Ruby. Ruby reached down her belt and called out her Hitmonchan, Scyther, and Mawile. Jaune ran off to not get caught up in the crossfire.

Melanie's Sawk ran after Mawile and threw a flurry of Double Kicks. Mawile lifted its horn and tried to Crunch on one of Sawk's legs anytime he tried to strike. Unable to land a hit on Mawile's horn, Sawk bent down and attacked with Low Sweep, tripping Mawile over. Once Mawile was tripped, Sawk nailed Mawile in the gut with his Double Kick. Mawile got up and started using Fake Tears to lower Sawk's defenses.

"You think those Krookodile tears are going to stop me?" mocked Melanie. "Sawk, Karate Chop this little pest!" Sawk raised its arm high, ready to land a critical strike. Seeing its plan backfire, Mawile got out of dodge and ran towards Melanie. Mawile turned its back, opened its horn, and sprayed a dose of Sweet Scent at Melanie.

"You think that's funny you little monstrosity?" yelled Melanie, fanning away the gas. Suddenly, the Dittos that were lying around from the card flip table took a whiff of the wonderful smell and started swarming towards Melanie.

"EEEEW!" screamed Melanie. "Sawk, get these disgusting things away from me!" Sawk ran over to help Melanie when Mawile opened its horn and latched onto Sawk's arm with a Vice Grip. Sawk threw Mawile around trying to break free, but Mawile refused to let go, all while Melanie was trying to kick the Dittos away from herself.

Miltia's Throh had been trying to grab Scyther in order to use Storm Throw, but Scyther was too fast for Throh to grab onto, and even when he got close, Scyther can simply fly up and avoid the attack.

"Scyther, Wing Attack!" commanded Ruby. Scyther slightly hovered off the ground and sped past Throh, smashing one of its wings into him along the way. The force of the attack caused Throh to tumble off his feet. As he slowly got back up, Scyther hit him again from behind. Throh didn't seem to stand a chance against Scyther. "Scyther, Slash him while he's down!"

"Throh, Endure the attack!" commanded Miltia. Throh stood up and held his arms out, leaving himself wide open for an attack. Scyther raised its scythe arm and cut down on top of Throh's head. The Slash made a successful hit, but Throh stood there and took the pain, refusing to get knocked out. "Now's your chance Throh! Seismic Toss that ugly beast!"

Throh grabbed Scyther by the leg and started spinning in a circle. Throh tossed Scyther with strong force into the slot machines, causing serious damage for both the machines and Scyther. "Good job Throh! Finish it off with Body Slam!"

Throh slowly ran to wear he threw Scyther, ready to finish it off. Scyther stood up but its wings were too damaged to use; Ruby quickly tried to improvise a way to stop Throh.

"Scyther, Slash the slot machines!" yelled Ruby. Scyther nodded and understood what Ruby had in mind. Once Throh had closed the distance between them, Throh jumped up to Body Slam Scyther; the moment he was in the air, Scyther slash across the slot machines with such force that the machines were cut open, causing the coins stored in them to burst out. The barrage of coins flew into Throh and blinded him, causing him to miss his attack. Scyther powered up with Swords Dance and finished Throh off with another Slash attack.

With the twins out of action, it was now down to Machamp and Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan started things off by throwing multiple Mach Punches at Machamp. Even with Hitmonchan's speed, Machamp was able to block all of Hitmonchan's attack with its four arms. Machamp then went on the offensive by performing several Karate Chops at once. Hitmonchan shimmied from side to side in order to avoid the chops.

"Enough of this!" shouted Xiong. "Machamp, force him into Submission!" Machamp stopped its flurry of chops and instead tried to grab Hitmonchan with its lower arms. Hitmonchan backed away and was going to punch back when it was suddenly grabbed by Machamp's upper arms instead. "HA! Not used to fighting four-armed opponents are you?"

Machamp clasped all four arms around Hitmonchan and slammed themselves to the ground. Machamp stayed on top of Hitmonchan and squeezed as hard as it could, trying to drain Hitmonchan's life quickly. With Machamp being too big and strong to push off, Hitmonchan used an alternate strategy; he began to heat up his gloves for his Fire Punch attack. Machamp can feel the boiling hot sting from the gloves and screamed in pain.

"Don't let go Machamp!" ordered Xiong. Machamp tried gritting through the pain and stay on Hitmonchan, but the burns were becoming too much to handle and eventually had to let go. Machamp patted the sides of his ribs where everyone can see two distinct burn marks left from the attack.

"Way to go Hitmonchan!" shouted Ruby. Hitmonchan smirked and waved for Machamp to attack again.

"Let's see you survive this attack!" said Xiong. "Machamp, Cross Chop attack!" Machamp crossed both sets of his arms and ran at Hitmonchan. Instead of running away, Hitmonchan stood still, ready to attack at the right moment. __"That mini pugilist has no idea what he's in for. Cross Chop is Machamp's specialty; one blow from his attack is enough to knock down any opponent, and he attacks so fast it's impossible to simply dodge! He's finished!"__

Machamp attacked with Cross Chop, but as soon as his blow was to land, Hitmonchan fell to the floor and ducked the Cross Chop completely. Xiong was shocked to see the attack completely miss. Before Machamp realized what was going on, Hitmonchan jumped up and uppercut Machamp with a Mach Punch, knocking him off his feet.

"WHAT?" shouted Xiong. "But...how?"

"You fell for our bluff," said Ruby, "or rather, our Detect! Now Hitmonchan, get in there and Fire Punch him to bits!"

Hitmonchan ignited his gloves and went to attack Machamp when he was suddenly Tackled from a Houndour appearing out of nowhere. Hitmonchan punched the Houndour off, only to look over and see several Houndours coming in to surround him. Ruby looked around and noticed the White Fang had now appeared to put the odds in Xiong's favor. A quick headcount showed at least a dozen or so Houndours ready to attack.

"Can't even fight a Pokémon battle fair and square, can you?" asked Ruby.

"How naive," said Xiong. "Don't you know that in the Game Corner, the house ALWAYS has the advantage? I'd the say the odds are about a million to one you'll escape from us!"

"Then I'll make it a million to two!" shouted someone from behind the White Fang. Everyone looked over to see Blake and Greninja jump over the crowd and land next to Ruby.

"I recognize you," said Xiong. "You're the one who's been constantly meddling with the White Fang's affairs. Are you some kind of Pokémon ranger?"

"Far from it. My goals involving the White Fang are my own."

"So you're just random vigilante who wants to make a name for themselves? No matter; you'll suffer the same fate as anyone else who crosses the White Fang! Boys, attack!"

All the Houndours charged at the two trainers and their Pokémon. A pack of Houndours jumped up and attacked Greninja; Greninja easily escaped using Substitute, then countered with several Water Shurikens to knock down the Houndours. Ruby's Pokémon had regrouped and was fighting off any Houndours that got near; Hitmonchan used Mach Punch, Scyther used Fury Cutter, and Mawile used Crunch. With Ruby's Pokémon distracted, the Machamp charged at them and knocked down Ruby's Pokémon along with any Houndours unfortunate enough to stand in its way.

Scyther got up and Slashed at Machamp. Machamp blocked the Slash with its two left arms, then Karate Chopped with his two right arms. The blow was enough to knock Scyther back, giving Machamp the opportunity to use Cross Chop. Scyther held up its arms to block on instinct, but the force of the Cross Chop was so strong it tore through Scyther's defense and dealt severe damage, taking Scyther out of the fight. Mawile stood up and latched onto Machamp's leg with a Vice Grip. Machamp simply chuckled as it grabbed Mawile with all four arms and got himself free of the Vice Grip. Machamp used two of his arms to clamp Mawile's horn shut, then used the other two arms to squeeze Mawile's body; Mawile might as well have been paralyzed under Machamp's grip. Machamp lifted Mawile over his head and Seismic Tossed Mawile all the way across the other side of the Game Corner over a hundred yards away. Needless to say, Mawile wasn't coming back to fight. The only one standing now was the Pokémon responsible for his burn scars.

Hitmonchan ignited his gloves, raring to burn Machamp once again. Hitmonchan wasted no time in using his Fire Punch to attack Machamp; Machamp countered with a series of Karate Chops. Machamp tried to grab Hitmonchan for another Submission; Hitmonchan used Detect to weave to the side before getting grabbed, then landed a direct hit to Machamp's jaw with another Fire Punch. Machamp was starting to wobble around; it was just one good attack away from getting knocked out. Hitmonchan went for the finishing blow when suddenly a Houndour appeared and used Bite on Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan threw the Houndour off him and quickly took it out with a Mach Punch. The distraction was enough for Machamp to get up and grab Hitmonchan from behind.

"Machamp, Seismic Toss!" commanded Xiong. Machamp raised Hitmonchan up and slammed him to the ground with all his strength; the force of the throw caused an indent on the ground, and Hitmonchan in a very vulnerable state. With no more Pokémon to help, Ruby thought about recalling Hitmonchan and making a break for it, but with the White Fang completely surrounding this place, there was no chance of retreating.

"Now Machamp, finish him with Cross Chop!" Machamp cracked its knuckles and went for the Cross Chop on Hitmonchan. Less than a second before Machamp connected with his attack, Greninja suddenly appeared behind Machamp and attacked him with Night Slash. The attack from behind caused him to trip and miss Hitmonchan.

"Ninja!" shouted Greninja, daring Machamp to come after it instead.

"I've had enough of this frog!" said Xiong. "Machamp, take that thing out!"

Machamp turned around and tried to grab Greninja. Greninja was too fast for Machamp; every time he got close, Greninja would instantly move aside and attack with Night Slash. The attack did little damage to Machamp, but it was enough to get him mad and not pay attention to Hitmonchan, who was getting himself focused for his best attack. Once Hitmonchan was ready, Greninja used a Smokescreen to blind Machamp.

"What's wrong?" asked Xiong. "Not brave enough to stick around and fight?"

"For someone who runs a Game Corner," said Ruby, "I'm surprised you don't understand about the sleight of hand."

"What are you talking about?"

"Allow my Hitmonchan to show you!"

As soon as the smoke cleared, Machamp turned around and opened its eyes just in time to see Hitmonchan's fist collide into its face. The force of the Focus Punch was enough to knock Machamp out cold as he flopped to the ground. Seeing Machamp take the fall caused Xiong to wail and stomp the ground.

"You and this Game Corner are through. I'd surrender now if I were you."

Instead of surrendering, Xiong simply laughed at Ruby's suggestion. "Didn't you listen to what I said earlier? The house always, ALWAYS, has the advantage!"

"Ruby, it looks like we're not done yet," said Blake. Ruby and Blake looked around to see themselves now surrounded by the Machokes of Xiong's personal henchmen.

"What do we do Blake? None of my Pokémon are strong enough to keep fighting like this."

"Fighting is all we can do."

"This isn't over yet!" shouted Xiong. "Gentlemen, show them what happens to those who think they can beat Hei Xiong Junior at his own game!"

"Not so fast!" shouted someone by the entrance way. Everyone turned to see a group of Pokémon rangers enter the Game Corner, led by one of the highest ranked members of the force, Yang Xiao Long. "Under the order of the Pokémon Rangers, this Game Corner is officially shutting down!"

"You've picked the wrong time to stick your nose where it doesn't belong, blondie!" said Xiong. "Boys, take care of our unwelcomed guest!"

Yang sighed and felt pity for the poor souls who wanted to do things the hard way. "Just this once I'd love to arrest someone who gave up instead of letting their butts get kicked first. Oh well."

Yang called out her shiny Dragonite Celica and ordered her to use her Dragon Rush attack. Celica charged through the horde of Machokes and instantly took them out. The other Machokes who tried to attack were treated to a Dragon Tail beating. It only took a minute to knock out all of the Pokémon that dared to attack Yang and her unstoppable Celica. "Anyone else want to fight?" asked Yang. Everyone in the Game Corner raised their hands in defeat, including Xiong and the twins.

The rangers immediately went to work arresting the felons and confiscating any evidence they can. They gathered all the money and coins to refund all the players who were ripped off. Once things had calmed down, Ruby recalled her Pokémon and caught up with Yang.

"Hey Yang!" greeted Ruby.

"Oh, hey sis!" said Yang. "Never thought I'd find you in a place like this."

"It's a long story. What brought you out here anyway?"

"One of our spies found out this place was being run by the White Fang, so the rangers came to put a stop to it; but it looks like you did the work for us."

"It wasn't just me; I had help from my friend. I'd like you to meet..."

Ruby turned around to find Blake, but she was nowhere in sight. She seemed to have disappeared the moment the rangers had shown up.

"That's strange; she was just here a moment ago."

"Maybe I'll meet her another day. In the meantime, I have to get back to arresting these crooks. Call me later and let me know how far you're coming along, kay?"

As Yang went back to work, Jaune changed out of his uniform and reunited with Ruby. Jaune was worried with what to say to Ruby upon meeting up again, considering all this was his fault from the beginning.

"Ruby, I'm sorry about all this," said Jaune.

"You don't know how lucky you are to be my friend Jaune," said Ruby. "For a moment, I thought about leaving you here for good."

"For a while, I really thought you would do that. All I seem to be doing is slowing you down from reaching your goals. From this point on, I vow to never burden you like this again!"

Ruby looked down and noticed some coins spilled around the floor. She picked one up and handed it to Jaune.

"What's this for?" asked Jaune.

"Keep it as a reminder to never do anything this stupid again," said Ruby. "Now let's get out of here."

"Say Ruby; when we get back to the motel, do you think you can lend me some lien?"

Upon hearing such a dumb question, Ruby grabbed Jaune by the ear and dragged him out of the Game Corner.

"Okay okay! I won't borrow any lien! You can let go now!"

"I'm not letting you go until we're out of this town."

"You can't be serious!"

Hearing his complaining caused Ruby to just pull tighter. If the coin wasn't going to remind him about his mistakes, his soon to be missing ear definitely would.

#

Torchwick woke up the next day and heard the news of the Game Corner getting busted and having to shut down.

"What did I do to deserve this?" yelled Torchwick. "Can't a criminal catch a break for once in his life?" His ranting was interrupted by his scroll ringing. He answered the scroll and started yelling again. "Whoever this is better have something important to say!"

"Is that any way to talk to your boss, Roman?" said a silky yet annoyed voice on the other end. Torchwick suddenly panicked at who he accidentally mouthed off to.

"Oh, h-hey boss!" said Torchwick. "Listen, I can explain-"

"There's nothing to explain," said the voice. "Your little Game Corner operation you bragged about came to an end. I have to say Roman, I'm becoming very impatient with your lack of success."

"I swear it's just a little snag! I'll be-"

"What you'll be doing is paying me a little visit to discuss your future. I suggest you make haste!"

"Yes boss! Right away boss!"

Torchwick hung up and contemplated going on the run. He knew meeting the boss either meant something great or something catastrophic, and it was pretty obvious whatever the boss had planned for him, it was not going to be the former.


	14. The Great Thief

Torchwick arrived at the secret headquarters of the White Fang. His stomach was tying itself up in knots at the thought of having to confront the boss after his consistent failures due to that trainer in red who kept constantly showing up at the worst possible times. People who messed up in the White Fang weren't simply fired; the boss made sure they suffered a worse fate than that. As he approached the door leading to his boss' office, for the first time in his life, he crossed his heart and prayed to Arceus for a minimal punishment.

He slowly opened the door and saw the boss' chair turned to the back window. Torchwick was somewhat relieved he didn't have to see the look on his boss' face as he pleaded his case.

"Hello boss," said Torchwick, legs shaking as he walked up to the boss' desk. "Look, I realize how incredibly mad you must be at me for not getting your jobs done, considering I'm the Second in Command of the White Fang and all. I shouldn't have an excuse for my shortcomings, but believe me, I have a very valid reason for performing less than expected."

The boss gave no response to Torchwick. The longer the boss remained silent, the faster Torchwick's heart began to beat.

"You see, there's this trainer, and even though her skills are relatively amateur compared to mine, she seems to have some kind of uncanny luck on her side! I swear if I was able to just face her normally, I can get rid of her no problem! Also, keep in mind that the grunts are just as much at fault as I am! So really, none of this is really my fault! So will you please just turn around and...well...forgive me?"

"...BWA ha ha ha ha!" said a voice behind the chair. Torchwick was dumbfounded; the voice wasn't of his boss, but rather of some smug teenager. "If I knew I'd get to see the Second in Command grovel in fear, I would have recorded this!"

"Wait a minute! You're not the boss!"

Torchwick grabbed the chair and turned it around, revealing the cocky silver-haired boy laughing at Torchwick's plight. Torchwick was familiar was this kid, and was even less pleased to meet him than the boss.

"Mercury! What are you doing here?"

"I dunno," said Mercury, leaning back and placing his feet on the desk. "Cinder said she wanted Emerald and I to meet her here."

"Oh jeez, that brat is here as well?"

"Brat you say?" said a voice by the door. Torchwick sighed and turned to see the green-haired girl he hated even more than Mercury. "At least I know how to stay on my boss' good side."

"Yeah, by being the teacher's pet."

"Oooh!" said Mercury. "You tell her Roman!"

"Go ahead, let it all out," said Emerald. "Once Cinder arrives, I'm fairly certain this will be the last time I'll have to see either of you ever again."

"What did I do?" asked Mercury.

"More like what don't you do. You've been falling behind on your assignments as well Mercury."

"Because they're BORING! I didn't join this place just to go around finding Pokémon like you losers."

"Hey, I do more than just find Pokémon!" said Torchwick.

"Like what? Make coffee?"

"I bet he can't even do that right," said Emerald.

"Do you know who you kids are talking to?" yelled Torchwick. "I am the White Fang's Second in Command, and if you don't start showing me the respect I deserve I'm going to-"

"You'll be doing nothing," said a sultry yet stern voice entering the office.

Torchwick's spine froze as he recognized the voice of his actual boss; the voice of an older woman wearing a long red dress and black heels. Despite appearing to be just a regular, beautiful looking woman, those in the know recognized her as Cinder Fall, the mastermind of Remnant's most notorious group of Pokémon criminals.

"Hello Miss Cinder," greeted Emerald, standing tall and saluting her boss. Torchwick quickly tried to do the same thing, causing Emerald to smirk as Torchwick tried to emulate the "teacher's pet." Mercury on the other hand simply sat where he was.

"Yo," greeted Mercury, giving Cinder a two-finger salute.

"Mercury! Off!" yelled Cinder. Cinder rarely, if ever, had patience for her underlings' antics. Mercury got up and stood by Torchwick and Emerald.

"So boss," said Mercury, "what's the big occasion? Are we throwing a farewell party for Roman?"

"Maybe the party is for you!" replied Torchwick.

"Oh snap, what a comeback. How can I possibly top that one?"

"Enough!" said Cinder, slamming her fist on the desk. The pounding of her desk nearly caused Torchwick to jump out of his boots. Mercury simply rolled his eyes at how cowardly Torchwick was of Cinder.

"Now, on to the matter at hand. Torchwick, time and time again you continue to come up short on your endeavors. I expect better from someone who brags about being the master of Pokémon crime."

"Yes boss," said Torchwick.

"Tell me, why exactly are you not performing the way I expect you to?"

"I have no excuse."

"He got his butt kicked by some girl," replied Mercury. If he wasn't in Cinder's presence right now, Torchwick would swing his cane and knock Mercury out for tattling on him.

"Some girl?" said Cinder. "Explain yourself Torchwick!"

Torchwick swallowed some air and tried to find his voice. "S-see, there's this trainer...I think she's about 15-years-old? She just happens to show up and somehow ruin my plans. But it isn't just her! Sometimes she has this scrawny blonde friend and this mysterious ninja friend who also show up and-"

"I've heard enough," said Cinder. "Either this trainer is secretly a powerful threat to our organization, or you are really terrible at handling such weak opposition."

"I vote the latter!" remarked Mercury.

"Which is why from this point on, I'm assigning the two of them to go with you."

Upon dropping that bombshell, the trio across from Cinder all had the same reaction of shock and disgust at having to suddenly work together.

"Oh come on!" said Mercury. "I have to work with stupid and bratty?"

"Miss Cinder," said Emerald, "I never question your decisions, but I am NOT working with these useless buffoons!"

"You really think these two pests are going to help me?" asked Torchwick.

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear," said Cinder sternly. "I don't care how much the three of you hate each other. Roman, you will be working with Mercury and Emerald until I feel you deserve to go out on your own again. As for the two of you, I don't care how much of a chore you think it is; if any one of you screw up your assignment, I'm placing the blame on all three of you."

Hearing that last statement caused Emerald to groan mildly while looking over at Mercury and Torchwick. She knew those two would eventually screw up whatever assignment Cinder gave them. She was essentially going to play babysitter for these fools.

"Now, I want the three of you to seek out this little trainer that Torchwick has so much trouble dealing with and make sure she never becomes a nuisance again. Understood?"

"Yes Miss Cinder!" said Emerald.

"Whatever," said Mercury.

"I assure you that this time, I won't screw up," said Torchwick.

#

"According to the Pokédex, Lazuli City is about three miles from here," said Ruby. "We should be able to get there before the sun sets, and then I'll challenge for the badge that night. We'll be halfway to the Pokémon League in no time Eevee!"

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee.

"I'm not sure we'll get there by today," said Jaune. As they were walking down the route, Jaune was looking every which way and keeping his hand near his belt containing his Pokémon, as if he was expecting something to happen.

"What are you doing Jaune?"

"What else? Looking out for any potential attacks by the White Fang!"

"Jaune, I doubt we're suddenly going to get jumped by the White Fang out in the open like this."

"Really? Because it seems like anywhere we go, Torchwick and the White Fang just happen to be around. It's almost like they're following us on purpose!"

"Or maybe it's because with a criminal organization as expansive as them, it's just coincidental we constantly run into them."

"So you think it's just a coincidence that...they're right over there!" yelled Jaune, pointing to a nearby bush on the side of the road. Ruby walked over to the bush and found nothing.

"Did you seriously see something here?"

"Actually, I thought if I pretended I saw them, they would jump out and reveal themselves."

"Jaune, I'm glad you're trying to stay alert, but relax. We've kicked Torchwick's butt several times now. If and when he comes after us, I'll be more than ready to deal with him."

Jaune kept glancing towards the trees and bushes on the side of the road as they continued their trek to the next city. Every time Jaune heard a rustle, he would turn to see if anything was going to come out. At one point he could have sworn he heard something jump from out of a tree; he turned to see the tree's branches shaking slightly, but no sign of anyone nearby.

"Is it me or is that tree moving suspiciously?"

"Probably just the wind, Jaune."

Right after Ruby said that, the both of them heard a loud rustling in a nearby tree, too loud to have been caused by wind. Jaune immediately grabbed one of his Poké Balls, ready to throw it at a moment's notice.

"This time I know something is watching us! Whoever is out there, show yourself!"

Eevee jumped in front of Ruby and got ready to fight whoever was stalking them. Out of the tree above came a little green monkey with big green hair to greet them.

"Oh, it's just a harmless little Pokémon," said Ruby. Ruby took out her Pokédex to learn about the new Pokémon.

__Pansage__

__Grass Monkey Pokémon__

__It shares the leaf on its head with weary-looking Pokémon. These leaves are known to relieve stress.__

Shortly afterwards, two more monkeys came down from the tree. One looked red with swirly hair, while the other looked blue with poofy hair. Ruby first scanned the red monkey, then the blue monkey.

__Pansear__

__High Temp Pokémon__

__Very intelligent, it roasts berries before eating them. It likes to help people.__

__Panpour__

__Spray Pokémon__

__The water stored inside the tuft on its head is full of nutrients. It waters plants with it using its tail.__

"A Grass, a Fire, and a Water type all in one place," said Ruby. "If I can capture them all, I'll definitely have a more balanced team. Get ready Eevee!"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee, ready to start the battle. Instead of getting into a fighting stance, the Pansage walked up to Eevee and held out a berry for her.

"Pan Pan!" said the Pansage, smiling as he gave Eevee his berry. Ruby was semi-confused as to what the Pansage was doing.

"Hey Penny, what is this Pansage doing?"

"The Pan Trio Monkeys are known to be very friendly to Pokémon and trainers," explained Penny. "Rather than fight, they will usually offer berries and help others despite being total strangers."

"Well that's sure nice of them," said Ruby. Eevee ate the berry and was delighted for the treat. The Pansage then went up to Ruby and offered her a berry as well. "Thank you Pansage!"

The other two monkeys went up to Jaune to offer him berries as well. Despite their generosity, Jaune was still a bit suspicious about them. "I don't know about this Ruby. What if this is some kind of elaborate setup?"

"Jaune, do you really think the White Fang would try to attack us by giving us free berries?"

"I guess not," said Jaune. Jaune bent down to take the berries from the monkeys; as soon as he did, the Pansear jumped up and got on Jaune's back.

"Pan Pan!" said Pansear, raising his arm in victory. The Panpour and Pansage turned to Pansear and cheered with him.

"What is it doing now?" asked Jaune.

"Looks like they're playing with you," said Ruby. The other monkeys soon jumped up on Jaune, causing him to fall on his back. Ruby and Eevee laughed at the monkeys having a good time. Jaune was starting to enjoy it as well; until they started to tug at his backpack.

"Okay guys, that's enough monkeying around. Time for the three of you to go home." Jaune tried to get up, but the monkeys started to pull on his backpack, causing Jaune to lose his patience. "C'mon guys, knock it off!"

"PAN!" yelled the monkeys, pulling as hard as they could to rip the backpack off of Jaune. The three of them grabbed the backpack and started running away.

"Hey, come back here!" yelled Ruby, chasing after them with Eevee. The Pansear turned around and shot a Flame Burst, causing Ruby and Eevee to stop in their tracks as the trio ran into the forest with Jaune's belongings.

"I knew those monkeys were up to no good!" yelled Jaune.

"I'm really sorry Jaune," said Ruby. "But why would three random Pokémon just come up and take our stuff like that?"

"They have to be working for the White Fang! I just know it!"

"You might be right; those wild monkeys might actually belong to someone. Eevee, can you pick up their scent?"

"Eevee!" nodded Eevee.

"Then let's go nab some thieves."

As Jaune got up and followed Ruby, he patted his pockets to make sure he wasn't missing anything valuable. On the side of his belt was his Pokémon, and started to freak out when he realized he only had two Pokémon on him.

"Oh no," said Jaune.

"What's wrong Jaune?"

"I left one of my Pokémon in my backpack!"

"Do you know which one?"

"Let's see; this one belongs to Raticate, and this one should be Steelix, so..."

#

In the middle of the forest, a trainer in denim shorts and an unbuttoned white shirt was hanging upside down from a branch, waiting for his team to arrive with food for his growling stomach.

"I knew I should have stolen that guy's lunch when I had the chance," lamented the trainer.

"Pan Pan Pan!" yelled the monkey trio. The trainer looked down and saw his friends arrive with a backpack. The trainer smiled and jumped down below.

"All right, what did you guys find?" asked the monkey trainer. The trio emptied the backpack that was full of snacks and canned goods; the trainer was ecstatic to finally get his hands on real human food. "Jackpot! Although I kind of feel bad for the guy we stole it from. Oh well, a man's gotta eat!"

As the trainer started digging into the food he found, he didn't notice the Poké Ball he moved aside. The Poké Ball started shaking and out popped Jaune's Snorlax.

"Snorlax!" greeted Snorlax. The monkeys and their trainer turned to see their uninvited guest.

"Uh oh," said the trainer. "Looks like we accidentally took one of their Pokémon."

"Snorlax!" said Snorlax, pounding his stomach.

"Hey there big guy, need something?"

Snorlax walked over to the trainer's stolen buffet and tried to eat one of the snacks; the trainer grabbed it out of Snorlax's hand before Snorlax could eat it.

"Sorry dude, but we're pretty starved as it is. You're on your own."

"Snorlax!" yelled Snorlax, stomping his foot.

"Look pal, what part of 'you're on your own' do you not understand? Take a hike before I decide to stop being nice!"

Angry that this stranger was denying him food, Snorlax grabbed the trainer by his shirt and growled. The monkeys broke Snorlax's grip and got between their trainer and him, ready to fight off Snorlax.

#

Ruby and Jaune kept following Eevee as she followed the monkeys' trail. Jaune was rubbing his arms worrying about what was happening with Snorlax.

"Don't worry Jaune," said Ruby. "I'm sure Snorlax is safe."

"It's not Snorlax I'm worried about," said Jaune. "I'm worried about the guy who is going to deal with a hungry, crying giant. I just hope Snorlax doesn't eat them before we get there."

Just then, they heard a nearby trainer scream towards where Eevee was leading them. The three of them quickly ran through the forest towards the source of the scream.

Once they arrived at the scene, they were shocked to see what was going on. The Snorlax was sitting down with the Pansage's head in his mouth like he was going to eat him; the Pansage was trying to pull itself free. The other monkeys and their trainer were trying to hit Snorlax to get him to release Pansage, but Snorlax refused.

"My Pansage isn't food!" yelled the monkey's trainer. He was trying to punch Snorlax in the gut, but Snorlax didn't feel a thing from the punches. "Unhand him you glutton!"

"Snorlax, spit out that Pokémon!" commanded Jaune. Snorlax spat out the Pansage, mortified about being covered in Snorlax saliva. Snorlax turned to Jaune and started moaning, rubbing his stomach to show Jaune how hungry he was getting. "It's okay boy, I know how hungry you get. As soon as I find another berry tree, you'll be fed in no time."

"Thanks for your help," said the trainer. "We'll just be on our way now." The four of them turned around to hightail it out of there.

"Not so fast!" said Ruby, getting herself in front of the trainer.

"Man you run really fast. Ever thought about being a thief?"

"You've got five seconds to start explaining why you stole my friend's stuff before I get my Pokémon to teach you a lesson!"

"All right, sorry! I haven't eaten real food in like two days and I was getting desperate! As soon as I was done, I was going to give your friend back his stuff, I swear! We cool?"

"Yeah...I guess. What's your name anyway?"

"Sun Wukong, wandering trainer from Vacuo."

"Ruby Rose, wandering trainer from Vale." Ruby shook Sun's hand while Jaune was collecting his stuff back.

"Jaune Arc, also of Vale," said Jaune.

"Again, I'm sorry about stealing your stuff," said Sun. "I swear I was only going to take your food."

"Ever tried, I don't know, asking nicely?"

"Not really; heard that doesn't work."

"Well next time you get hungry, try it. You might be surprised how nice people are when you DON'T try to steal their stuff."

"Fine, I'll try it your way next time. We cool bro?" Sun held out his hand for a handshake; reluctant as he was, Jaune decided to shake his hand.

"Yeah, we cool."

"So how about that apology?"

"Apology for what?"

"You owe me an apology for your Snorlax trying to eat my Pansage!"

Angry at Sun being disrespectful, Snorlax growled at Sun and opened its mouth in an attempt to bite Sun's head off.

"Snorlax, no!" shouted Jaune. Snorlax sat down and folded his arms, still upset at Sun. "We'll take care of this mean thief; take a nap and make yourself feel better, okay?"

"Lax!" said Snorlax, laying down and immediately going to sleep so Jaune can get him back inside his Poké Ball.

"You're not good with talking to other people, are you Sun?" asked Ruby.

"Pretty much," said Sun. "Everyone just acts so uptight and serious all the time."

"I don't think that's the problem," remarked Jaune.

"I have to agree," said Ruby. "You do seem to come off as...well, as a jerk."

"Not the first time I've heard that," said Sun.

"Tell us about yourself. You said you're from Vacuo right? What brings you to this region?"

"In Vacuo, I live with my sensei while working on being a trainer. Course people over there like me about as much as people like me here."

"You didn't get kicked out or something, did you?"

"My sensei got sick of my attitude and thinks I'm just a troublemaker, so now he has me going on some quest to learn how to be good or whatever."

"Sounds like you really hate doing this quest."

"If you really hate this quest, why do you bother trying to complete it?" asked Jaune.

"Because everyone assumes I'm some slacker who doesn't want to improve himself," said Sun. "Look, I may be laid back and do some things that aren't exactly the moral standard, but that doesn't mean I'm some lazy good-for-nothing jerk."

"What exactly do you have to do on this quest?" asked Ruby.

"See, that's just the thing; my sensei just told me to go to Vale and do good deeds until I was ready to come home. Only problem is, I don't know exactly what good deeds he wants me doing, and how I'm supposed to know I'm 'ready' to go home without him claiming I cheated."

"Maybe we can help."

"I don't think we'll be able to help," said Jaune. "I mean we're already quite busy on our own journey."

"Nonsense Jaune, we can still help out."

"Can we REALLY?" asked Jaune, indicating that he didn't actually want to help Sun.

"Yes we can," said Ruby sternly. "So anyway, have you thought about what to do on this quest of yours?"

"I was thinking of joining the White Fang," said Sun.

"The White Fang?" yelled Jaune. "You thought joining a bunch of criminals was going to complete your quest?"

"The White Fang weren't always criminals actually. My sensei used to tell me about all the good things they did to stand up for Pokémon. But that was over a decade ago; one day for whatever reason, they just turned into this criminal organization."

"Those thieves were actually the good guys once?"

"You didn't know? The White Fang started as a Pokémon humanitarian organization. Then I heard they attacked some company's building and got lots of innocent people hurt, and they got worse ever since. Guess they got tired of trying to do things the peaceful way."

__"The White Fang were originally a group of good people?"__thought Ruby. __"Does Blake know anything about this?"__

"So since that's out of the cards, I'm basically out of ideas."

"Sounds like that was your only idea," said Jaune.

"It was," shrugged Sun.

"There's gotta be something you can do," said Ruby.

"How about you? What journey are you on Ruby?"

"I'm going to compete in the Pokémon League and become the new Vale region champion!"

"Hey...that gives me an idea! Ruby! From this point forward you and I will be arch rivals! I'll travel the Vale region and win eight gym badges so I can compete in the Pokémon League and defeat you!"

"Actually, I'm already doing that with a different rival."

"Oh. In that case...I'll win the badges and defeat Jaune in the Pokémon League!"

"But I'm not trying to compete in the Pokémon League," said Jaune.

"Wait, what? So what are you trying to do?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Are you serious? There's gotta be SOMETHING we can compete against each other for! What about breeding, or trying to be a gym leader, or I don't know...fossil exploring?"

"Too hard, failed miserably, and possessed by a ghost."

"For the love of...okay, how about this? You and I will travel together until one of us reaches a calling first!"

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Ruby.

"Until he steals my stuff and runs off like the no-good thief that he is!" said Jaune.

"First of all," interrupted Sun, "I'm a great thief! Secondly, I said I was going to give it back!"

"Somehow I don't believe you!"

"It appears we've reached an impasse," said Ruby. "Tell you what; there's only one fair way to settle this: A Pokémon battle! Sun, you and I will have a match, and if you win, I'll let you come along!"

"Sounds good to me," said Sun. "Except can we add one more stipulation?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"We face each other in my specialty: A triple battle! My three monkeys against any of your three Pokémon fighting at the same time!"

"This sounds like some sort of trap," said Jaune. "I wouldn't do it Ruby."

"I accept," said Ruby.

Ruby reached into her bag and decided to use Geodude and Beedrill along with Eevee to fight the monkeys. Jaune stood to the side and was keeping his focus squarely on Sun in case he tried to pull something. Sun and the monkeys gathered around to discuss their strategy.

__"Even if I'm not using my best Pokémon, this should be easy," __thought Ruby.__"Beedrill should be able to beat Pansage without a problem, and Geodude can easily take out Pansear, so Eevee just has to focus on Panpour."__

"We're ready any time you are Ruby!" said Sun.

"Then let's go!" replied Ruby. "Beedrill, poison Pansage with Toxic!"

"All right Pansage, begin phase one of Round!"

Pansage took a deep breath and began emitting a sonic force from its mouth. The force did little damage to Beedrill as it flew up and sprayed poison from its stinger. The Pansage got drenched in the poisonous goo and was now badly poisoned. Ruby thought it was strange that Pansage decided to stay still and continue its attack rather than avoid Beedrill. Nevertheless, with Pansage weakened by poison, it was Geodude's turn to focus on Pansear.

"Geodude, Rock Throw at Pansear!"

"Pansear, phase two of Round!"

Pansear took center stage and also emitted a sonic force. The force came out stronger than Pansage's, but thanks to Geodude's toughness, did just as little as last time. Geodude proceeded to grab the nearest rock it could find and hurled it straight at Pansear, dealing a great amount of damage. Once again, Sun's Pokémon were focusing on finishing their attack rather than go on the defensive, a strategy that didn't seem to be paying off.

"Looks like this battle is going to end pretty soon," said Ruby. "Eevee, Take Down Panpour!" With Eevee wearing her new Silk Scarf, this attack was going to do greater damage than usual; enough to take out Panpour in one hit. Eevee powered up and charged at Panpour.

"Now Panpour, finish the Round!" commanded Sun. Panpour took a deep breath and let out its Round. This time the force was so loud that it nearly popped Ruby and Jaune's ears upon hearing it. It was also strong enough to stop Eevee in her tracks and send her flying back, taking serious damage from the attack.

"Where did that come from?" exclaimed Ruby.

"He has to be cheating!" said Jaune. "How can an attack like that get so powerful?"

"That's the beauty of Round!" said Sun. "Alone it's pretty weak, but the more Pokémon that consecutively use it, the stronger it gets! Why did you think Pansage and Pansear let themselves get hit?"

"And here I thought you were just a bad trainer," said Ruby. "Still though, I've dealt serious blows to two of your Pokémon and you only dealt against one. By my count, I'm still winning this battle. Beedrill, attack Pansage with Twin Needle!"

"Panpour, help Pansage out!"

Beedrill held its needles forward and dive bombed after Pansage, who could barely move due to the poison. Panpour took out a berry and threw it at Pansage; Pansage quickly wolfed it down and cured itself of the poison, just in time to jump out of the way of Beedrill's attack. "Now Pansage, give Pansear a Helping Hand!" While Beedrill's needles were buried in the dirt, Pansage ran over to Pansear and grabbed his friend's shoulder, transferring his energy into Pansear. "Now Pansear, attack Beedrill with Flame Burst!" Beedrill got out of the dirt and charged at Pansage again. This time Pansear jumped forward and shot a powerful Flame Burst at Beedrill. The flames struck Beedrill and did enough damage to knock out Beedrill.

"So is it now a tie or am I now winning?" asked Sun. Ruby was starting to regret underestimating Sun's skills, and decided to get desperate.

"Geodude, Magnitude attack!" commanded Ruby. Geodude raised its arms and then slammed them to the ground, causing a mild earthquake and the ground to pop up around the area. Everyone involved was taking a hit, including Eevee. Realizing the attack would take out their friend, Pansage and Panpour quickly grabbed Pansear and tossed him into the air to avoid getting attacked.

"Panpour, Scald that Geodude!" Panpour quickly released boiling hot water at Geodude. As tough as Geodude was, it didn't stand a chance against Water based attacks, and was knocked out quickly just like Beedrill.

"I can't believe this," said Ruby, baffled at what just transpired. "A moment ago I had the upper hand, and now I'm on the verge of losing!"

"You see Ruby, team battles are a lot different than single battles," explained Sun. "The problem is you're treating this like three individual fights. The key to winning team battles is to have your Pokémon work together as one. Individually my monkeys aren't impressive, but when we fight together, we can hardly be beat!"

"Pan!" shouted the monkeys, raising their arms together. Even if she was losing, Ruby couldn't help but smile at how well these four got along.

"It's a shame you've got terrible people skills Sun, because you're definitely a good trainer."

"Does this mean I'm coming along?"

"This battle isn't over!" said Jaune. "Ruby can still kick your butt with Eevee!"

"As obnoxious as my friend is acting, he's right," said Ruby. "I've still got a chance at making my comeback!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, standing tall in front of Ruby.

"All right boys, time to perform our grand finale!" said Sun. "Triple Acrobatics!"

The monkeys got together and jumped in the air, planning to attack Eevee all at once. Eevee was getting ready to strike back when a loud gunshot rang out and the monkeys were suddenly engulfed by a steel net.

"What gives?" exclaimed Sun.

"Oh no," said Ruby. "I know this part all too well!" Everyone turned to where the net came from and sure enough, there stood Torchwick along with his new allies.

"You can't even aim at the right Pokémon," said Emerald.

"I still captured something, didn't I?" replied Torchwick.

"Aaaw, at least you tried," said Mercury, patting Torchwick on the back.

"I knew they were going to show up again!" exclaimed Jaune.

"Who are they?" asked Sun.

"That's Roman Torchwick, one of the higher ups in the White Fang. Those other two must be his henchmen!"

"Oh please!" said Emerald. "The last thing we would be considered is henchmen under this oaf."

"Yeah man," said Mercury. "That's just insulting."

"Allow us to give you a proper introduction. I am the White Fang's most notorious thief, Emerald Sustrai!"

"And I'm the White Fang's most ruthless mercenary, Mercury Black!"

"And I'm the leader of this ragtag trio!" said Torchwick. "But you already know who I am!"

"Excuse me?" said Emerald. "What makes you think you're the leader, Roman?"

"Yeah," said Mercury. "If anything, I'm pretty sure you work for us now. Be a dear and grab some waters while the professionals do their jobs."

"I'M the professional here!" said Torchwick. "You two are just some random juvies the boss broke out of jail! I'M the leader and I'M giving the orders!"

"The boss made it very clear we're working WITH you, not FOR you!" replied Emerald.

"Wait, did she?" asked Mercury. "I wasn't really paying attention."

"I don't care what you think the boss said!" said Torchwick. "I was making my rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld while you two were still in diapers! I've forgotten more about stealing than you'll ever learn!"

"Is that why your hat just got stolen?" asked Emerald, pointing to the suddenly exposed top of Torchwick's head. Torchwick looked up and realized he was missing his hat. Torchwick looked around and saw it was stolen by the monkeys, who already escaped and were playing with Torchwick's hat.

"How did they escape that net?" asked Torchwick.

"We're used to escaping from traps," said Sun. "Nets, handcuffs, cages...you name it, we've escaped it."

"Why am I not surprised?" remarked Jaune.

"Return my hat now or else!" demanded Torchwick.

"Pan Pan Pan, Pan!" yelled Pansear, putting on Torchwick's hat and imitating Torchwick.

"Pan Pan, Pan Pan Pan!" said Pansage, putting his hands on his hips like Emerald was doing.

"Pan Pan Pan, Pan Pan!" said Panpour, folding his arms and trying to look cool like Mercury.

"Look out everyone!" said Sun. "It's the White Pan!"

Sun and the monkeys burst out laughing after putting on their performance. Ruby and Jaune were giving them a round of applause while Torchwick was fuming about nobody taking him seriously.

"That isn't funny!" yelled Torchwick.

"I don't know," said Emerald. "That monkey does a pretty good impression of you."

"And the green one definitely looks like Emerald," said Mercury.

"Are you two just going to stand here and crack jokes or actually do something for once?" asked Torchwick.

"Relax Roman," said Emerald. "Now that we've had fun at your expense, it's time to take out these trainers for good."

Each member of the White Fang trio called out their signature Pokémon. Torchwick of course had his Krookodile, Emerald called out her Weavile, and Mercury called out his Scrafty.

"I'll take care of the red pest," said Emerald. "The two of you can focus on those monkeys."

"I'm not taking orders from you!" replied Torchwick. "I'll take care of little red and you take out the monkeys!"

"How about the two of us handle the battle and you stay back?" suggested Mercury.

"Listen rookie, I know how to battle! So how about you do what I say or-"

The White Fang were so busy arguing with each other that their Pokémon stood there impatiently, waiting for their masters to give them an order. Seeing an opening, Ruby wasted no time starting the fight. "Eevee, Bite attack!" commanded Ruby. Eevee ran up behind a distracted Krookodile and bit down on his tail, causing him to yelp. The White Fang stopped arguing once Krookodile's pain caught Torchwick's attention.

"Look what you two made me do! Krookodile, show that thing what a real bite looks like!" Krookodile turned to Eevee and Crunched down on her tail, then yanked Eevee off his tail and threw her to the side. "Now, Iron Tail attack!" Krookodile powered up his tail and swung at a weakened Eevee; the attack was suddenly blocked by the presence of Steelix, who used its body to absorb the hit, barely causing any damage.

"Thanks for the save Jaune," said Ruby.

"I'll stall for time while Eevee recovers," said Jaune. "Steelix, hit them with Rock Slide!" Steelix scooped up a bunch of rocks with his mouth and crushed them with its teeth, dealing some damage to the White Fang trio.

"You think that giant hunk of junk is going to protect you?" said Torchwick. "Krookodile, attack him with-"

"Scrafty, Hi Jump Kick!" commanded Mercury. Before Krookodile can attack, Scrafty suddenly jumped and stood on Krookodile's head, then jumped off him to perform a Hi Jump Kick to Steelix's jaw. The attack was strong enough to knock Steelix for a loop, leaving him open to another attack.

"What gives Mercury?" asked Torchwick. "I was already going to-"

"Now Scrafty, Low Kick him!" said Mercury, ignoring Torchwick.

"Krookodile, Crunch that Steelix!"

Scrafty moved a few feet back and took aim at Steelix's lower body. Scrafty charged and jumped slightly in the air with one foot out, while Krookodile opened its jaws and aimed for the same part of Steelix's body on the opposite side.

"Watch out Steelix!" yelled Jaune. Steelix regained his focus and moved his body just in time to avoid the attacks at the last moment. Scrafty missed the Steelix and wound up flying into Krookodile's jaw, landing the attack on him instead. Krookodile closed his mouth and screamed from the pain his mouth was in. Needless to see, Torchwick was angry at Mercury's botch.

"You hit my Krookodile you idiot!" said Torchwick.

"It's your fault for getting in the way!" said Mercury. "I'll handle Steelix; you just stand there and keep acting useless!"

Torchwick was close to blowing a gasket, but decided to calm down and concentrate his efforts on the thief and his band of monkeys. Emerald was already fighting off all three at the same time; despite the numbers advantage, Emerald was evenly matched against the monkeys.

"Pansear, Flame Burst!" said Sun. Pansear shot a ball of fire at Weavile, but Weavile quickly dodged the flames and attacked Pansear with a powerful Night Slash, weakening Pansear severely. Pansage then tried to attack with Seed Bomb, but Weavile was able to avoid that as well. While Weavile focused on Pansage, Panpour was going to sneak up from behind and attack.

"Now Panpour, Acrobatics!" Panpour jumped up and was going to land on Weavile when it was suddenly attacked from the side by Krookodile's Iron Tail. The attack was strong enough to knock Panpour into a tree and temporarily take him out of the fight as well.

"Looks like you can use some help," said Torchwick.

"You actually did something right for once," replied Emerald, much to Torchwick's annoyance. "Just one more monkey to go." Weavile and Krookodile got on either side of Pansage to make sure it couldn't escape. The Pansage was worried, knowing it couldn't stand a chance against both Pokémon at the same time. "Now Weavile, attack-"

Before Emerald can finish, a banana peel suddenly fell on top of her head and messed up her hair. Torchwick was laughing until a peel fell on top of him as well. The two of them looked up to see Sun throwing his garbage from above.

"Get down here and fight like a real trainer!" yelled Torchwick.

"Why don't you make me?" taunted Sun.

"I will! Krookodile, attack the tree!" Krookodile used Iron Tail on the tree, causing it to timber over. Sun jumped off the branch and landed on his feet.

"You idiot!" said Emerald. "He wanted you to do that!"

With Krookodile moving out of the way, Pansage quickly made his escape. Luckily Emerald remained focused and had Weavile chase after Pansage, who was running towards where the others were fighting. "Weavile, slash him with Metal Claw!"

Weavile caught up to Pansage and lunged with her claws. Meanwhile, Scrafty was still going one on one with Steelix. As he was preparing his next attack, Pansage suddenly jumped over him, causing him to turn around to see what was going on. The next thing he knew, Weavile suddenly slashed him with her Metal Claw.

"What was that for?" asked Mercury.

"I was aiming at Pansage!" said Emerald.

"Does my Pokémon look like a Pansage to you?"

Their arguing gave Steelix enough time to perform another Rock Slide, damaging both Weavile and Scrafty.

"You still haven't beaten that Steelix?"

"I'll finish it off right now! Scrafty, Low Kick attack!"

Scrafty charged at Steelix and nailed him in the lower gut; the force of the attack was strong enough to cause Steelix to start falling over.

Meanwhile, Torchwick and his Krookodile rejoined the battle, and decided to go after Eevee. "You're mine now little red! Krookodile, Crunch that Eevee!"

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee turned around and kicked sand into Krookodile's face. Krookodile shielded his eyes to avoid being blinded, then went after Eevee with jaws wide open. As it got closer to Eevee, Krookodile noticed a giant shadow forming over him. He looked up and realized he was about to be crushed by Steelix. Krookodile panicked and tried to run away, but Steelix's giant size made it pointless; Steelix fell unconscious on Krookodile, inadvertently damaging him while being knocked out. Once Jaune recalled his Steelix, Torchwick ran over to check on Krookodile.

"All right!" said Mercury. "One down, two to go!"

"Surrender now and maybe we won't cause any further harm," suggested Emerald.

"We'll never surrender to scum like you!" said Ruby.

"I'm sorry I couldn't hold out longer," said Jaune.

"Don't worry Jaune; I know we'll be able to beat them!"

"Me and the boys don't know the meaning of surrender!" said Sun.

"You fools have no idea who you're up against," said Emerald. "I'm not some brainless amateur like some other members of the White Fang."

As Emerald continued boasting about herself, between the insults, the degradation of his position, and not even caring about the condition of his Pokémon, Torchwick lost every bit of patience he had left.

"THAT'S IT!" yelled Torchwick. "It's bad enough you two constantly disrespect me, but you're making this battle EVEN WORSE!"

"Maybe if you told that dumb crock of yours to get out of my way, it wouldn't get hurt!" said Mercury.

"I should have battled them by myself!" said Emerald. "You two are just dead weight!"

"Who are you calling dead weight?" replied Mercury. "My Scrafty is a lot more useful than that ugly Weavile and stupid Krookodile combined!"

"All right big mouths!" said Torchwick. "You think you two are better than me? Krookodile, Earthquake attack!"

Krookodile raised its leg and stomped the ground as hard he could. Everyone felt the effects of the attack, including Torchwick's own teammates.

"What are you doing?" yelled Emerald. "That attack could have knocked out our Pokémon!"

"That was the point, you snot-haired brat!" replied Torchwick.

"In that case," replied Mercury, "Scrafty, hit him with Payback!"

Scrafty turned its attention to Krookodile and punched him in the jaw. The Krookodile responded by picking up Scrafty and throwing him into Weavile using Foul Play. As Scrafty got up, Weavile attacked Scrafty with Metal Claw, causing Scrafty to now go after Weavile. The three Pokémon and their masters continued arguing with each other while Ruby and her teammates looked dumbfounded at their rivals' self-destruction.

"Those three seem to hate each other more than me," said Ruby.

"While they're busy fighting each other," said Sun, "let's send them packing with one big hit. Boys, all of you give Eevee a Helping Hand!"

The three monkeys gathered around Eevee and all used Helping Hand, boosting Eevee's power significantly. Once fully powered, Eevee charged at the White Fang with her Take Down attack. It wasn't until the last moment when the White Fang's Pokémon turned around and saw Eevee ram into Krookodile. The force of the blow was enough to knock Krookodile into the other two Pokémon and send them flying deep into the forest.

"Did she just knock out all of our Pokémon at once?" asked Emerald.

"I've never seen Pokémon fly that far before," said Mercury.

"This isn't over little red!" said Torchwick. "You'll pay for messing with the White Fang!"

The White Fang ran into the forest to find their defeated Pokémon. The monkeys cheered for their successful victory.

"Another day, another successful fight against the White Fang!" said Ruby.

"Eevee!" chimed Eevee, jumping into Ruby's arms.

"So where are you two heading off?" asked Sun.

"We're going to Lazuli City."

"Lazuli City? My friend is the gym leader there! I'll come with ya!"

"No you're not!" said Jaune. "Look, I appreciate you helping us today, but that doesn't make up for stealing my stuff!"

"Give it a rest Jaune," said Ruby. "Sun was nice enough to help us; I say he can come with us on our journey."

"Actually," said Sun, "I didn't win our battle, so technically the bet's off. I'll just come with you until we reach the city. Is that okay, Jaune?"

"If it's just until the city," said Jaune.

Jaune made sure to walk behind Sun to keep an eye on him. Ruby sighed and didn't say another word; she just wanted to get to the city and earn her next badge.

#

"You two were supposed to help me DEFEAT little red, not the other way around!" said Torchwick.

"I would have if you two didn't mess everything up!" said Emerald.

"Quit acting like you're my boss!" said Mercury.

As if on cue, Torchwick's scroll starting ringing, causing everyone to go dead quiet. Torchwick groaned as it could be only one person. Torchwick took out his scroll and answered his boss' call.

"Torchwick speaking."

"Tell me you've dealt with the trainer."

"Actually boss...we didn't." said Torchwick. Needless to say, Cinder wasn't happy.

"How is it that the three of you couldn't handle beating a single trainer?"

"The reason we can't beat this single trainer is because..."

Torchwick was ready to go off on his teammates ruining everything for him, but then started to think how Cinder would respond. Even if he blamed it entirely on them, Cinder was still going to hold him responsible and do things that made him wish he was dead.

"Well Torchwick? What do you have to say for yourself?"

"The truth is...she's a serious threat to the White Fang."

"Is that so? Mercury, Emerald, is what Torchwick saying true?"

Torchwick handed the scroll over to Emerald, silently signaling to Emerald to not tell her the truth about what happened.

"Actually...it isn't just her," said Emerald. "She tends to have allies who jump in and help her out."

"It's kind of like she has a team of her own," said Mercury. "Either way, we can't be underestimating her."

Cinder went silent as she thought about what they said. The three of them were begging for her to remain calm.

"If she's truly a threat to our organization, we'll need to keep an eye on her," said Cinder. "You three will continue to monitor her to find out just how good she really is."

"Understood Miss Cinder," said Emerald. Cinder hung up, causing everyone to sigh in relief. "Quite frankly I hate the two of you so much, but for now, we'll all pretend to like each other to stay on the boss' good side. Agreed?"

"Agreed," said Torchwick and Mercury.


	15. The Water Superstar: Neptune Vasilias

Ruby, Jaune, and their temporary stowaway Sun arrived at Lazuli City's Pokémon Center. Located less than a mile away from the ocean, Lazuli City had a very aquatic vibe with its array of seafood restaurants, surf shops, and the open air stadium that served both as a theater to the many different performances and as the city's official league gym.

"So Sun," said Ruby, "how do you know the gym leader here?"

"We trained together at the same academy back in Vacuo," said Sun. "Course he cared way more about his studies than I did."

"Regret not studying as much as he did?"

"Not a bit! I may not be a success story like him, but at least I have the freedom to go where I want and do what I want!"

"And steal what you want?" asked Jaune. Ruby groaned every time Jaune reminded them that they didn't meet Sun on the best of terms. Ruby quickly tried to change the subject back to Sun's friend.

"So where can we find this friend of yours?"

"Knowing him, if he's not battling at the stadium, he's probably at some book store researching new Pokémon techniques."

As they rested at the center, an ad on one of the televisions was playing for a book store nearby. Towards the end of the ad, the book store was promoting an appearance by the city's gym leader himself. He appeared in a jacket and tie while wearing goggles atop his shiny blue hair, complete with a wide smarmy grin on his face.

"In fact, there he is right now," said Sun, pointing to the TV.

"Meet The Water Superstar! Lazuli City's gym leader Neptune Vasilias will be signing autographs at Tukson's Book Trade from noon to five."

"Your friend must be really famous if he's doing autograph sessions," said Jaune.

"Gym leaders do autograph sessions all the time," said Sun. "I wouldn't be surprised if only a handful of people showed up."

After their Pokémon had recovered, the trio headed to the book store. As they turned the block to where the store would be located, they noticed a long line forming out of the store. The line consisted solely of teenage girls acting enthusiastic about getting to go inside and meeting Neptune.

"That's definitely a lot more than a handful," said Ruby. "Let's meet him after he's done with his autograph session."

"Nonsense!" said Sun. "I'm sure he at least has time to say hi. Let's go!"

The trio walked past the line and entered the book store. There in the middle of the store was Neptune, signing autographs and taking photos with his fans. Behind him was a trio of girls that served as his personal entourage, making sure each fan got their autograph and quickly moved out of the line.

"Who should I make this out to?" asked Neptune to the next fan.

"Excuse me?"

"What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! For a moment I thought you had asked if you wanted to make out!"

"Well I can arrange that too if you want," said Neptune, causing the fan to swoon.

"He did not just say that," said Ruby, sort of disgusted by Neptune's behavior. Even Eevee shook her head in disgust.

"That was so cheesy!" laughed Sun. While Sun was laughing, Ruby noticed Jaune was muttering something to himself and clenching his fist real tight, as if the sight of Neptune was starting to upset him.

"Is something bothering you Jaune?"

"Look at him!" said Jaune. "The way he dresses, the way he speaks, the way he just projects arrogance like nothing in the world can ever faze him, thinking he can have anything or anyone he wants! Men like him I just..."

"Yeah, I don't necessarily like those kind of people as well."

"I just...WISH I WAS AS COOL!" Ruby almost felt vomit suddenly come up from the back of her throat at the thought of Jaune ever acting like Neptune.

"Actually Jaune," said Sun, "I'll let you in on a little secret. Neptune may look cool on the surface, but deep down he's a total nerd."

"You liar! No nerd gets that many girls ogling over him! I have to find out what his secret is!" Jaune started to walk out the door and head for the back of the line.

"Where are you going?" asked Ruby.

"Well I'm not going to cut the line just to meet him!" said Jaune.

"We're not here for his autograph dude," said Sun. "Besides, as a good friend of his, I say that gives us line cutting privileges."

"I'm not sure that's a good-," said Ruby, but before she can finish, Sun already headed to the table and took the spot of the next fan waiting for her autograph.

"Yo Neptune!" greeted Sun. Before Neptune can greet him, his entourage of fangirls suddenly stepped forward.

"HEY!" yelled one of the fangirls. "NO CUTTING IN LINE!"

"Chill girls, I'm a friend of his. I'll be out of here in like ten minutes." The fangirls were about to grab Sun and drag him away when Neptune stood up and calmed everyone down.

"Relax ladies, he's cool," said Neptune. "Listen, let's go talk somewhere a little more private." The moment Neptune got up, everyone in line was starting to moan and begged him to stay. "Don't worry everyone, I'll be back in ten minutes sharp!"

Neptune and his entourage headed to the back of the store to meet with Sun and his new friends.

"So Sun, what brings you into Vale?" asked Neptune. "Bored of your training again?"

"I'm here on assignment," said Sun. "Sensei needed me to go on a special journey of enlightenment."

"He kicked you out again, didn't he?"

"No, he didn't 'kick me out!' I'm just going on a journey to learn to...enrich! Yeah, enrich my mind in..."

"Sun, just say it; you got your hand caught in the cookie jar again and he sent you out until you learn self-discipline. Considering your track record, I'll be surprised if you can ever go home again."

"I'll be home before you know it. Anyway, I'd like you to meet two friends I've made here."

"Hello sir!" said Jaune, frantically shaking Neptune's hand. "I'm Jaune Arc! Do you mind me asking where you shop for your clothes? What kind of music do you listen to? And what is that wonderful cologne you're wearing?"

"Uh...it's Odeur de Sunflora?" said Neptune.

"Of course! Girls love the smell of Sunflora!" Jaune took out a notepad and frantically took notes of what Neptune said. Neptune was already starting to feel awkward at having to meet Sun and Jaune, but his mood suddenly changed the moment he laid eyes on Ruby.

"And who are you my little red beauty?"

"Ruby Rose. You're the gym leader of this city right?"

"Say no more! I know exactly what you want my pretty red rose!"

"Really?"

"Ladies, a marker please!"

His entourage handed him a fresh marker and an 8x10 photo of himself. He signed the picture and handed it to Ruby, winking as he did.

"To my cutest fan in red, Neptune Vasilias," said Ruby. Ruby folded up the picture and placed it in her pocket, ruining the photo. Neptune was slightly aghast at Ruby simply folding the photo like it meant nothing. "Thanks, but I'm not here for your autograph."

"If it's a pose you want, that's going to cost you," said Neptune. "But since you're as beautiful as the gem you're named after, I'll make a special exception."

Neptune suddenly wrapped his arm around Ruby's shoulders and smiled as one of the entourage pulled out a Polaroid camera. Tired of his romantic antics, Ruby quickly grabbed Neptune's arm and pushed him off.

"Listen blue la-fool, I'm not one of your overly obsessed fangirls," said Ruby. "I'm here to challenge you to a gym battle!" Seeing Ruby get an attitude with Neptune did not sit well with his entourage.

"Who do you think you are just demanding a gym battle?" asked one of his fangirls.

"Uh, I'm a Pokémon trainer?" said Ruby. "That's what we do."

"You have no class, little girl!"

"Neptune shouldn't have to waste time on a pest like you!"

"That's up to Neptune to decide," said Ruby. "So unless you hags are his agents, mind your own business."

Hearing Ruby call them hags caused the girls to start getting aggressive. They started screaming incoherently at Ruby, causing Neptune to get between everyone and calm his entourage down. Jaune soon joined in to help.

"Ladies, it's okay," said Neptune. "I'll handle this."

"I'm sorry about her behavior Neptune!" said Jaune.

"What did I do wrong?" asked Ruby, annoyed at Jaune having to apologize over nothing.

"It's fine," said Neptune. "In fact, I love a girl who shows such initiative. But I have to warn you; just because you're a cute girl, I won't be going easy on you."

"Okay, now I'm insulted," said Ruby, growing more agitated every time Neptune talked. "What exactly are you implying with that remark?"

"Calm down Ruby!" said Jaune. "Neptune is just trying to be nice! There's no reason to get angry!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Neptune's just messing with you!" said Sun, placing an arm casually on Neptune's shoulder. "This dude was always pretending to be hot stuff, both with the girls and Pokémon."

"Pretending?" asked Neptune.

"Yeah. I mean you were way smarter when it came to exams, but in actual battles you lost-"

"Track of how many wins I accumulated!" finished Neptune. "Typical Sun, always bringing up my amazing school record. But school challenges can't compare to gym challenges! I've only lost once in my last forty challenges!"

"Neptune was going to set a new record until that ice queen came and ruined everything!" said one of his fangirls.

"Cold hearted witch broke his record!"

"She was just lucky Neptune couldn't fight with his best Pokémon!"

Ruby wasn't sure whether to be annoyed at these fangirls constantly praising Neptune, or be happy that they too shared a great disdain for her nemesis Weiss.

"Anyway, as for your challenge," said Neptune, "I accept. We'll battle tomorrow afternoon."

"Why not tonight?" asked Ruby.

"Because it's a custom of mine to treat my opponent to dinner the night before!"

"Sweet!" said Sun. "I haven't had a real meal in ages!"

"It would be an honor sir!" said Jaune.

"Sorry boys," said Neptune, "but this was a private invitation."

"I don't see why they can't come along," said Ruby. "It's just dinner, isn't it?"

"Well see, the restaurant I had in mind only accommodates for two people at a time. I don't think-"

"Sounds like a pretty bad restaurant to me!" said Sun. "How about we grab some chow at the Krabby Shack? All you can eat sushi for just 2000 lien!"

"Sounds good to me," said Ruby.

"Krabby Shack it is then," sighed Neptune. "I'll be there at seven."

Ruby and her friends were heading out the door when Neptune suddenly grabbed Sun to pull him aside.

"Hey Sun, mind if we have a word alone?"

"Sure," said Sun. The two of them went behind a bookshelf where no one else was listening. "What's up?"

"What are you doing, Sun?"

"What am I doing? I just wanna grab a bite to eat and catch up! I mean, you never told me you were on such an amazing winning streak!"

"And I'd like it to keep it that way!"

"Okay...so what's the problem?"

"The problem is if you don't stop butting in with your nonsense and your...well, YOU, I'm going to lose that streak!"

"Okay, I'm nowhere near as smart as you, so please explain how hanging out with your closest friend is going to suddenly dampen your skills as a trainer?"

"Just do me a favor and stop getting involved with what I'm trying to do, all right?"

Neptune walked away and headed back to his table. Now Sun was the one getting upset at the way Neptune was acting.

"Dude, if you're just embarrassed to be around me, you can just say it!" yelled Sun, but Neptune ignored him. Sun walked out of the store, wondering why Neptune was suddenly acting like an obnoxious jerk.

#

That evening, Neptune met with Ruby and crew at the Krabby Shack. Sun decided to not say a word to Neptune, still upset about Neptune deciding he was too cool for Sun. Sun kept to himself and just grabbed whatever sushi came his way on the conveyor belt. Jaune was closely observing what Neptune was picking to make sure he made the same choices, while Ruby was eating normally, although still agitated by Neptune's earlier behavior.

"So Ruby, how many badges do you have so far?" asked Neptune.

"Three," said Ruby. "Hope that's enough for you to not go easy on me."

"I'm simply asking for official reasons. After all, the more badges you have, the more Pokémon that are used in gym battles."

"That's right," said Jaune. "After you earn three badges, the battles become three on three, and the leaders start using much stronger Pokémon."

"Now this guy knows his stuff," said Neptune. "Perhaps you should be a gym leader yourself, Jaune."

"I was, but I had to quit after losing so terribly."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Being a gym leader is quite a tough job."

"But you make it look so easy! I'd love to learn your secrets man!"

"What I can say? Maybe I'm just that good of a trainer..." Neptune eyed towards Sun, who looked down on his plate and continued to ignore Neptune. "Even if some people doubt my abilities."

"Yeah," said Ruby. "It can be quite annoying when someone doubts what you're capable of." Ruby made it clear that she was still upset about the way Neptune had talked down to her earlier. Neptune's usual charm wasn't impressing Ruby, and it didn't help he had two tag-alongs preventing him from pulling out his best stuff.

"Excuse me for a minute," said Ruby, leaving the table and heading for the restroom.

"This was some good sushi," said Jaune, "Thanks for the meal, Neptune!"

"No problem," said Neptune. "Say Jaune, how would you like to do me a huge favor?"

"What kind of favor?"

"If you and Sun don't mind, I'd like to talk to Ruby alone," said Neptune.

"Can't I just sit really far away? I promise I won't do anything!"

"Let's go Jaune," said Sun. "Neptune wants privacy, so let's give him some privacy."

"Thank you Sun," said Neptune. "I knew you'd be cool about it."

"I can be cool about it!" said Jaune, immediately getting up and leaving. Sun finished his meal and stood up.

"Break a leg, Romeo," said Sun, punching Neptune hard in the shoulder.

Ruby returned from the restroom to see Neptune sitting by himself. Ruby groaned to herself; being alone with Neptune was the last thing she wanted right now. "Where are Sun and Jaune?"

"They went back to the hotel. Listen, while we're alone, I'd like to apologize for saying anything that offended you. I didn't mean to undermine your skills as a professional trainer. Before we head back, I'd like to take you somewhere to make it up to you."

"I think we've had plenty of time together already."

"Please Ruby? It'll only be for five minutes, I promise!"

As annoying as Neptune was getting, Ruby decided to give him at least one chance to prove he can be a gentleman. "Fine, but I better not see those hands get anywhere near me."

"I guarantee it," said Neptune.

#

Neptune had called for a limo and took Ruby to the boardwalk on the edge of town. The boardwalk was located near the piers that faced the ocean separating Vale and Atlas. Ruby and Neptune were walking across the boardwalk as the night was quiet save for the sounds of the waves splashing into the piers, with the pier lighthouse serving as the only lighting.

"Quite a beautiful sight, isn't it?" said Neptune.

"It's pretty nice," said Ruby. "Kind of reminds me of the piers at Patch Island."

"You've been to Patch Island?"

"Born and raised there."

"That's cool. So Ruby, what made you want to be a Pokémon trainer?"

"Why would you like to know?"

"I like getting to know what motivates my opponents."

"Well, my family were always into raising Pokémon. My uncle and my sister are part of the Pokémon Rangers, and my parents used to be professional trainers before I was born. I simply followed in their footsteps."

"Family tradition! That's awesome! I bet your parents must be so proud to see you grow up to be a trainer."

"And I want to make them truly proud by becoming the new Vale champion within my first year of training. Imagine how exciting it would be to become the region's youngest and fastest growing champion of all time. I'll go down as one of the best trainers ever!"

"That's quite a dream to have. I'd love to see it come true for you, but I've got a reputation to uphold."

"I'm curious Neptune; what made you want to become a gym leader?"

"Nothing special. I knew I was a good trainer and decided being a gym leader would be a good way to make a living."

"Really? It has nothing to do with the legion of fangirls that would follow you around?"

"Actually Ruby...that's why I wanted to be alone to tell you this." Neptune stopped and turned to the ocean. "Look at the waves. On the surface it looks so calm and inviting, but then one big wave can mess up your day."

"Never took you for a philosopher; but what's that have to do with us?"

"The truth is Ruby...being famous is really stressful. Sure being admired by a legion of fans and getting all sorts of extravagant gifts seems fun, but one little slip and suddenly your fanbase can turn on you, and then you're left with nothing. Suddenly the pressure to win matches increases ten-fold, and sometimes I just..."

To Neptune's surprise, Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"No one ever said being a Pokémon trainer was easy," said Ruby. "You know Neptune, I had you pegged as some egomaniacal primadonna, but once you put aside your superstar ego, you're actually a nice guy."

"You think so?"

"I really do. If all this fame is really getting to you, maybe you should take a break from it sometime to clear your head and regain your focus. In fact, if you don't think you're up to battling tomorrow, we can just call it off now."

Neptune smiled at Ruby's offer, and this time it was a genuine one instead of his usual smarmy grin. "Wow Ruby; no one's ever gone out of their way to help me like this. But I accepted your challenge and I plan to see it through."

"Then all I can say now is good luck, because I'm not leaving this city without a new badge."

"Then again, I was thinking...I know how important it is for you to win, but it's just as important I win as well."

"Too bad we can't all be winners, huh?"

"Funny you should say that. Hypothetically, what if-"

Ruby's scroll suddenly started ringing. Ruby pulled it out and saw her alarm clock was going off.

"It's getting late. If you don't mind, I'd let to head back to my hotel now. Can't have a good battle without some good sleep!"

"...of course."

Ruby and Neptune went back into his limo and headed for the hotel. While Ruby was looking out at the piers, Neptune was getting more stressed that he still couldn't initiate his plan.

em"That walk was the perfect time and I missed it!" /emthought "This one is really hard to win over! All right Neptune, time to think of a Plan B!"/em

#

Ruby and Neptune arrived at the hotel Ruby was staying in.

"Thanks for coming along," said Neptune, "and again, I apologize if I offended you before."

"Just remember to try to keep your ego intact," said Ruby. "And personally, I'd ditch that posse that keeps hovering around you."

"If you don't mind, can I escort you back to your room?"

"Sure. I'm staying in room 636."

They headed to where Ruby was staying in. Before Ruby went into her room, she shook Neptune's hand and said their goodbyes.

"Good luck Neptune; I look forward to our battle tomorrow."

"Same here."

After Neptune left, Ruby inserted her keycard into the doorknob, but the doorknob flashed red. Ruby tried again, but it didn't work. Ruby tried going faster, then slower, then faster again, but the door refused to unlock.

"C'mon already!" yelled Ruby. "Why isn't this keycard working?" Ruby banged on the door, hoping to break the door open. Suddenly she heard the door unlock and get opened by Jaune. "Jaune? What are you doing in my room?"

"This is our room. Yours is 639, remember?" Ruby turned around to room 639 and inserted the keycard. Sure enough, the lock lit green.

"Oh, whoops!" said Ruby, lightly smacking herself in the head. "Guess I forgot with everything on my mind right now."

"Don't have a brainfreeze like this during tomorrow's battle. Good night Ruby."

Once Ruby unpacked, she spent the night planning her strategy for tomorrow's battle, while Jaune and Sun were watching TV until they dozed off.

In the middle of the night, Sun suddenly woke up when his bladder started to signal his brain to head to the bathroom.

"Oh man," said Sun. "I really shouldn't have drank so many Dr Pipers!"

After Sun was done, he was heading back to bed when he noticed an envelope laying on the floor next to the front door. It seems someone from outside had slipped a letter into their room.

"Well well, what's this?" asked Sun. "Perhaps a love letter to Sun Wukong?"

Sun picked up the envelope and noticed some kind of pin attached to the back.

"What's this pinned to the back?" Sun removed the pin from the envelope and took a close look. It was a pin in the shape of a trident. It looked way too good to look like some kind of pin you can find in a hobby store. "No...this can't be what I think it is!"

Sun opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. After reading the letter, Sun was fearing what it possibly meant.

"Neptune...you wouldn't!"


	16. Ruby vs Neptune

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee, jumping on Ruby's bed trying to wake her up.

"Five more minutes," said Ruby. "Or ten; you know what, make it thirty. This bed just feels so good." Eevee kept jumping on Ruby until Ruby had enough and finally sat up. "Okay, I'll get up!"

Ruby got dressed and headed to the lobby where Sun and Jaune were waiting. Jaune was busy going over all his notes while Sun was sitting anxiously, as if something was bothering him.

"You okay Sun?" asked Ruby. "You look like you got something on your mind."

"Couldn't get a good night's sleep," said Sun. "So Ruby, what did you and Neptune do last night?"

"We just talked about ourselves and our battle for today."

"Is that all?"

"I know Neptune came off like a jerk, but he was really nice last night."

"Tell me more!" said Jaune, pulling out his pad ready to take more notes. Ruby simply rolled her eyes and ignored Jaune.

The three stopped by the Pokémon Center for Ruby to get the Pokémon necessary for today's match. Waiting at the center was Neptune along with his annoying entourage of fangirls.

"Good morning Ruby," greeted Neptune. "Ready for our battle?"

"Once I get my Pokémon I will be," said Ruby. "It'll be exciting to be using three Pokémon for the first time." Ruby went to the corner of the room where the PC was to exchange her Pokémon. Neptune walked up and started talking low to Ruby.

"And of course, we'll be following through on the plan, right?"

"Plan?" asked Ruby, confused as to what Neptune was talking about. "What plan?"

"You know...the one I told you about last night?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Neptune was starting to sweat nervously at Ruby's reaction and started talking in an even lower voice. "You know, my confession? Our plan? The deal?"

"Confession? What...oh, I get it. Yeah, of course."

"Excellent," said Neptune. "I'll give you a ride to the stadium."

Unbeknownst to Neptune, Sun had snuck behind them to hear what they were talking about; Jaune was too busy trying to ask advice from Neptune's entourage to pay any attention. Sun felt even more disgusted knowing what Neptune was up to, and was starting to worry Ruby was going to go along with it. Ruby and her friends sat in the back of the limo heading to the stadium; Sun sat next to Ruby to hopefully clear things up.

"Ruby, what was Neptune talking about with you following the plan?" asked Sun.

"Something we discussed last night," said Ruby. "I don't think he'd want you to know."

"Ruby, I know I'm not exactly the most trustworthy of people to talk to, but please, I need to know what Neptune told you."

"You're really bothered by this. Did something happen between you and Neptune?"

"I'm starting to think Neptune isn't the best friend I used to know, especially if I think he did something to you last night."

"Okay Sun, if you must know, Neptune told me that all this fame is getting to him and I suggested he take a break after today's battle."

"He didn't tell you about anything else?"

"You mean like if he asked me out? Nothing like that."

"Thanks Ruby. At least I know you're honest."

"What do you mean by that?"

Sun decided to remain quiet, not wanting to tell Ruby what Sun had found that night in his room.

#

They arrived at the open air stadium serving as the league gym. The arena was essentially a giant swimming tank with some platforms floating on some parts of the water for non-Water type Pokémon to stand on. Ruby expected the stadium to be full of Neptune's fans, but found only his entourage sitting in the stands.

"Quite a low attendance," said Ruby. "I would of thought the place would be packed to see you battle."

"Actually, I like to make my battles somewhat private," said Neptune. "Helps me concentrate."

"Interesting," remarked Sun.

"What is?" asked Ruby.

"Just thinking aloud," said Sun before heading to the bleachers. Jaune was already sitting down, jotting more notes on every little thing Neptune was doing. Ruby and Neptune headed to their respective sides of the arena.

"Since you have three badges, the battle will be three on three," announced Neptune. "Of course with my skills, I doubt I'll have to use all three of my Pokémon." Neptune's entourage of course cheered wildly for Neptune.

"We'll see about that," said Ruby. "For my first Pokémon, I call Hitmonchan!" Ruby tossed her ball towards the center platform and brought out her Hitmonchan.

"And for my first Pokémon, I call out Alomomola!"

Neptune pulled out a specially marked Poké Ball and tossed it high. The ball burst open with special sparkle effects as the Alomomola came out and landed in the water. The fangirls started swooning at the sight of the heart-shaped Pokémon; the Alomomola along with Neptune turned towards his fanbase.

"Alomomola is known as the caring Pokémon. I use it in honor of all the fans that I care so deeply for. This one is for you girls!" The girls cheered loudly for Neptune, while Sun groaned at Neptune's speech.

"I wonder where I can get one of those?" wondered Jaune.

"Are you really buying into this?" asked Sun.

"Why wouldn't I be? The man has a strong win record and big fanbase for a reason!"

"Yeah," muttered Sun, "and I believe I know why."

"But it's not just the fans I care about," said Neptune. "I also care just as much for..."

Neptune looked across the arena to see Ruby too busy on her scroll to be listening to Neptune, while Hitmonchan was doing push-ups on the platform he was on.

"Excuse me!" shouted Neptune.

"Oh, are you done with your little speech?" asked Ruby. "Does this mean we can start fighting?"

"How dare you say something so rude!" shouted one of the fangirls.

"Watch your tongue little girl!"

"Relax girls, I've got this!" said Neptune. "'Mola, start off with Aqua Ring!"

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

Alomomola surrounded itself with a thin veil of water that give it the ability to recover health overtime. Hitmonchan ran up and tried to reach Alomomola from the edge of the platform, but by the time he did, Alomomola quickly swam to the other side of the arena, making it impossible for Hitmonchan to hit Alomomola in time. The only way Hitmonchan was going to land an attack was to wait for Alomomola to reach Hitmonchan on the platform.

_"I figured this would be a problem,"_ thought Ruby. _"Good thing he's got that technique I can bust out for later."_

"'Mola, Water Pulse!" commanded Neptune. The Alomomola jumped out of the water and fired a Water Pulse at Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan dodged the Water Pulse and charged at Alomomola with a Mach Punch. Alomomola went back into the water and quickly swam a few feet away, then jumped out and fired another Water Pulse that knocked Hitmonchan into the water. "Now 'Mola, Aqua Jet attack!"

"Hitmonchan, keep using Mach Punch!" commanded Ruby. Although Hitmonchan was trying to stay afloat, he was still able to use his Mach Punch at the same lightning fast speed. However, with Alomomola being in the water, its Aqua Jet was even faster as the fish smacked its fin into the boxer before he can land a punch. Less than a second after the first hit, Alomomola again attacked Hitmonchan with Aqua Jet. Ruby realized no matter how strong or quick Hitmonchan was, it didn't stand a chance while in the water.

"Hitmonchan, get back to the surface!" Hitmonchan swam back to surface and fell to his knees, severely weakened by the constant attacks by Alomomola. It looked like it would only take one more hit to knock out Hitmonchan.

"That Hitmonchan is almost done for!" said Neptune. "Let's help him out, shall we?"

The Alomomola jumped high into the air for its next attack; Hitmonchan barely had the energy to get out of the way. Ruby expected Alomomola to fire another Water Pulse, but instead Alomomola fired what appeared to be a heart shaped form of energy. The moment the energy made contact with Hitmonchan, Hitmonchan suddenly felt better and had the strength to get back up. Ruby and Hitmonchan looked at each other in confusion.

"What was that attack?" asked Ruby.

"Oh, that?" said Neptune, forming his trademark wide grin again. "That was a Heal Pulse. Your Hitmonchan should now be healthy enough to continue battling."

"You purposely healed my Hitmonchan? Why would you do that?"

"Simple really; I'm so confident I'll win this battle, I can knock out that Hitmonchan all over again."

Ruby felt that vomit feeling come back up her throat again, while Hitmonchan was angry at Neptune insulting him. The ladies on the other hand swooned and cheered.

"You're the best Neptune!"

"Kick that Hitmonchan's butt all over again!"

"Man, he really is such a gentleman!" said Jaune. Sun took a deep breath and resisted the urge to smack Jaune for turning into another Neptune fanboy.

"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" said Ruby. "You know what? I'm so confident you can't hit my Hitmonchan, I'm just going to have him stand still in the middle of the platform!"

Hitmonchan turned to Ruby and noticed her quickly wink at him. Hitmonchan smirked, knowing exactly what Ruby had planned; he walked to the middle of the platform and placed his arms on his hips. The girls started jeering at Ruby's antics.

"Don't get so cocky, little red!"

"You're nowhere near Neptune's level!"

"Neptune is going to wipe that grin off your ugly face!"

"Ruby's just asking for trouble now," remarked Jaune.

"SHE'S asking for trouble?" yelled Sun, annoyed by Jaune's obvious hypocrisy.

"You asked for it!" said Neptune. "'Mola, knock him back into the water with Aqua Jet!"

Alomomola swam a few meters away to gain some distance, then jetted through the water and burst out of the surface, closing in on Hitmonchan. In the second before Alomomola was to reach Hitmonchan, Hitmonchan suddenly sidestepped to avoid getting attacked; Alomomola had fallen for the Detect trick. With Hitmonchan in the clear, he countered back with Mach Punch, nailing Alomomola and knocking it down to the surface. Everyone was surprised to see Hitmonchan suddenly gain the advantage.

"Impossible!" said Neptune.

"Hitmonchan, keep on punching!"

Alomomola tried to flop back into the water, but Hitmonchan cut Alomomola off and threw several more Mach Punches at Alomomola. With having such a high amount of health and the Aqua Ring protecting it, the damage was only moderate. Alomomola fired a Water Pulse to repel Hitmonchan and got back into the water. Hitmonchan ran back to the middle of the platform, waiting for Alomomola to surface again.

"Your Pokémon aren't so tough when they're out of the water, are they?"

"Then I'll just have to blast yours back into it! 'Mola, Water Pulse!"

Alomomola jumped back out and kept firing Water Pulses at Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan quickly ran around the platform dodging the pulse attacks. With each Pokémon staying in their respective areas, neither of them were going to fall until one of them would get desperate enough to attack out of their comfort zone. Ruby kept calm and had Hitmonchan stay on the platform, willing to draw this out as long as she could. Neptune however was losing patience and decided to take a risk.

"'Mola, tackle him with Aqua Jet!" commanded Neptune. Alomomola swam back several meters, getting ready to hit Hitmonchan.

"Hitmonchan, time to break out your secret weapon!" said Ruby.

"Secret weapon?"

Hitmonchan pulled back his right fist and concentrated his energy; his gloves soon started to spark electricity. As soon as Neptune saw the sparks, he realized he was in trouble.

"Wait 'Mola, don't attack!" shouted Neptune, but it was too late. Alomomola already started swimming and charged at Hitmonchan.

"Hitmonchan, nail it with Thunder Punch!" Knowing Hitmonchan had the ability to learn other elemental attacks, Ruby made sure to change Hitmonchan's move set in order to gain the type advantage, and wanted to break out the move when the time was right; now was that time. Hitmonchan thrust forward just as the Alomomola burst out of the water and tried to hit Hitmonchan, but was nailed in the face with a strong Thunder Punch. The attack was strong enough to knock out Alomomola, taking out the first of Neptune's Pokémon.

"All right!" cheered Sun. "Way to go Ruby!"

"She was just lucky!" replied a fangirl.

"Show no mercy Neptune!"

"Send this girl back to the minor league!"

Rather than get upset at the loss, Neptune simply smiled as he recalled Alomomola. "Alas, it appears my overconfidence has gotten the best of me. Time to take things up a notch with my Lanturn!"

Neptune called out his Lanturn, who landed on the platform across from Hitmonchan. Ruby was perplexed as to why Neptune didn't have Lanturn start in the water instead; she assumed because it would be easier to attack Hitmonchan.

"No time to waste Lanturn! Bubble Beam attack!"

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

Hitmonchan lunged forward with his Mach Punch as Lanturn fired its Bubble Beam. Bubble Beam was not only a strong water attack, it also had the effect of slowing down Pokémon, which happened to Hitmonchan. Slightly blinded and slowing down, Hitmonchan threw his punch only to have it dodged easily by Lanturn. Lanturn continued to fire its beam at Hitmonchan, dealing more damage while Hitmonchan tried to wave the bubbles off. With Mach Punch now useless, Ruby decided it was best to skip straight to thunder.

"Hitmonchan, use your Thunder Punch!" Hitmonchan charged his fists and lunged at Lanturn.

"I was hoping you would do that!" replied Neptune. Hitmonchan struck Lanturn straight in the side of its body, only for Lanturn to not feel a thing. In fact, it started glowing with more energy.

"What the...that attack did nothing!" exclaimed Ruby.

"Lanturn, counter with Spark attack!" commanded Neptune. Lanturn quickly enveloped itself in electricity and tackled Hitmonchan head on, dealing a blow that not only dealt critical damage, but also paralyzed Hitmonchan's body. "See, as a Water trainer, I know my opponents are likely to use Electric attacks against me. That's why I've got Lanturn here; it has the ability to absorb electric attacks without feeling a thing."

Ruby sighed at her mistake. "I'll admit I should have seen that coming. Good job Hitmonchan; time to bow out."

Ruby recalled her Hitmonchan, causing Neptune's fanbase to cheer and taunt Ruby.

"Getting scared little red?"

"You're no match for Neptune!"

"Just give up and walk away!"

"Maybe if I was as airheaded as you three I would give up," replied Ruby, causing the girls to start yelling. "I've still got two Pokémon to go. For my second Pokémon, I choose Gloom!"

Ruby threw her ball onto the platform and called out Gloom. Gloom didn't receive as much training as Ruby's other Pokémon, but because Grass types have such a huge advantage over Water types, Ruby figured Gloom would be able to knock out at least one of Neptune's Pokémon, possibly more if lucky. The sight of seeing Gloom standing there drooling caused the fangirls to groan.

"What an ugly Pokémon!"

"Figures someone with her looks would have a Pokémon like that!"

"Since when has looks ever mattered in a battle?" yelled Sun, getting more angry every time he had to hear these obnoxious fans.

"You have to admit Gloom does look pretty ugly," said Jaune.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Your Pokémon may not be pretty, but I'll beat it all the same!" said Neptune. "Lanturn, use your Signal Beam!"

"Gloom, fire some Acid!" said Ruby.

As Gloom was getting ready to build up its Acid, Lanturn fired its Signal Beam from its antenna; the light emitted from the antenna penetrated Gloom and caused it to get dizzy. Confused as to what it was doing, Gloom starting spraying the Acid in every direction, completely missing Lanturn.

"This isn't good! If Gloom stays confused for too long, I'm going to be down another Pokémon! C'mon Gloom, snap out of it!"

"Good job Lanturn! Now hit it with an Eerie Impulse!"

Lanturn lit up its antenna and transmitted a wave into Gloom that caused Gloom to shiver from the terrible noise it started hearing, causing its strength to go down. Frustrated and confused, Gloom continued to spray Acid everywhere it could, still missing Lanturn. At this rate, it looked like Gloom was about to go down without a fight, causing Ruby to nearly start biting her knuckles.

_"Everything's going exactly as planned!" _thought Neptune._ "Now I just have to deliver the finishing blow."_

"Your Gloom is finished Ruby! Lanturn, attack it with Spark!" Lanturn glowed with electricity and tackled the Gloom head-on. Neptune's fans cheered thinking Neptune now had the numbers advantage, but the attack barely did anything to Gloom. In fact, the force of the blow finally caused Gloom to snap out of its confusion, although Ruby was now confused as to why Neptune chose that attack. Nevertheless, Ruby now had her chance to fight back.

"Gloom, fire your Sleep Powder now!" shouted Ruby. Gloom bent down and sprayed a heavy dose of Sleep Powder at Lanturn, instantly causing it to fall asleep. Neptune started to panic at Gloom going on the attack.

_"What's going on?"_ thought Neptune. _"Didn't Ruby get the hint when I said she was finished?"_

"Now Gloom, Mega Drain it while its asleep!"

"Lanturn, you've got to wake up!"

Gloom used Mega Drain and absorbed a heavy amount of Lanturn's health. Despite the strong attack, Lanturn continued to sleep, allowing Gloom to continue constantly draining its health until it flopped to its side and fainted. Neptune took a deep breath to calm himself down at having the disadvantage.

"I can't believe you somehow survived a full-on Spark attack," said Neptune.

"I'm surprised you even used that move," replied Ruby. "Electric attacks don't work well against Grass types."

"Even so, I would think that attack would be enough to finish off Gloom."

"How? Gloom's health was too high for an attack like that to work."

"But it was supposed to...never mind!"

"Whoa," said Jaune. "Neptune's really shaken up by this. Guess he's not used to having tough competition."

"Almost as if he expects his opponents to be easily beat," said Sun.

"All right!" said Neptune. "You may have triumphed over my first two Pokémon, but this time I'm bringing out the best! Let's go Floatzel!"

Neptune tossed his ball high and released his Floatzel onto the floating platform. The Floatzel turned to the crowd and crossed his arms. "Floatzel!" shouted Floatzel, smiling just like Neptune does. The girls swooned over getting to see Neptune's best Pokémon.

"He's so cuuuute!"

"He definitely has Neptune's looks!"

Floatzel then reached behind his coat and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. The girls continued to ogle at Floatzel posing for them, while Sun rolled his eyes at the ridiculous display. Floatzel and Neptune seemed more interested in posing for the fans than getting ready to battle. As Floatzel continued to pose, he was suddenly attacked by Gloom using a Mega Drain. This sudden attack caused everyone to boo Ruby.

"Hey!" yelled Neptune. "I wasn't ready!"

"Wasn't ready?" said Ruby. "You should be ready the moment you call out a Pokémon!"

"That was a cheap shot you jerk!" shouted one of the fans.

"Yeah Ruby," said Jaune, "you shouldn't attack a Pokémon when they aren't ready."

"FINE!" moaned Ruby. "Tell you what; I'll give you one free attack. Go ahead, use whatever move you want!"

"Okay Floatzel," said Neptune, "let's start this off with our Rain Dance!"

Floatzel shot a ball of mist into the sky. The mist turned into rain clouds forming over the arena; soon the rain came pouring down. With Rain Dance in effect, Floatzel was going to receive a major boost in strength.

"Are we even now?" asked Ruby. "Can we get back to our battle?"

"Let's do it Floatzel!" said Neptune. "Attack Gloom with Aqua Jet!"

"Gloom, Stun Spore!"

With the Rain Dance boosting his speed, Floatzel quickly tackled into Gloom. Gloom tried to fire its Stun Spore, but the rain made it hard to spray Floatzel, not to mention Floatzel was too fast to hit anyway. Floatzel continued to jet into Gloom, knocking Gloom for a loop.

"Now Floatzel, unleash your Aqua Tail!" Floatzel spun his two tails at incredible speed, then ran in and smacked Gloom hard across the face. The force of the attack caused Gloom to stumble back and fall down. The fans cheered at seeing another one of Ruby's Pokémon take a fall. Floatzel turned to the audience to take in the admiration.

"Way to knock out that weed Floatzel!"

"Just one more to go!"

"I'm not sure Ruby stands a chance," said Jaune. "Floatzel's going to have a major advantage against whoever Ruby decides to use next."

"I wouldn't worry about Ruby's next Pokémon," said Sun.

"Why not?"

"Take a look."

Sun pointed to where Gloom was laying. Despite taking a major hit, Gloom was not actually knocked out, just hanging on by a sliver of health. Neptune and Floatzel were so distracted by the cheering fans they didn't notice Gloom getting up.

"Thank you, thank you!" said Neptune. "Before I go on to win this match, I'd just like to say how much you fans mean to me! Without you I wouldn't-"

"Mega Drain, Gloom!" interrupted Ruby.

"Wait, what?"

Neptune and Floatzel turned around to see Gloom suddenly burst out a Mega Drain and take away a huge chunk of Floatzel's health. Gloom was now healthy enough to keep going.

"That little..she isn't following the plan at all! I've got to put a stop to this quick!"

"Okay Gloom, now hit him with-"

"Stop this match!" yelled Neptune. Everyone was surprised to hear Neptune suddenly call for a stop to the match.

"Why?" asked Ruby. "Decided to give up?"

"This match is over because you're cheating!" Neptune's fanbase gasped at his accusation.

"Whoa, cheating? How am I cheating?"

"Don't play dumb little red!" shouted one of the fangirls.

"You know exactly why you're cheating!"

"We should disqualify her!"

"Ruby, what are you doing?" asked Jaune.

"You tell me!" replied Ruby. "I think Neptune here is just cracking under the pressure!"

"Typical excuse!" said Neptune. "You start taking an unfair advantage and suddenly you think I'm just complaining?"

"There's nothing unfair about the way I'm battling! Have you gone crazy Neptune?"

"As gym leader, I'm within my right to cancel a battle upon suspicious behavior. So either you admit what you're doing or face disqualification!"

"Neptune, what is this really all about? Is this because I got angry with you yesterday, or has all this fame finally gotten the best of you?"

"If you're not going to admit what you did wrong, you leave me no other choice but to disqualify you!"

As Ruby was getting confused about what was going on, Sun was starting to get more irritated at Neptune's behavior. Ever since the letter he received last night, he knew something was going to go wrong in today's battle. He was hoping that the letter was a hoax possibly created by his fans, but after seeing Neptune's behavior and Ruby getting disqualified for doing nothing wrong, he finally had to step in.

"That's enough!" exclaimed Sun. "Ruby isn't cheating and you know it, Neptune!"

"Stay out of this Sun!" replied Neptune.

"Yeah Sun, stay out of it," said Jaune. "You're not exactly someone above cheating yourself."

"I may be a lot of things, but a cheater isn't one of them! Besides, I have proof that Neptune is lying about Ruby!"

"Oh this ought to be good! What 'proof' can a crook like you have?"

"How's this for evidence?" said Sun, pulling out the Trident badge he found last night. Neptune and his fans were shocked to see Sun somehow have that badge.

"Is that a gym badge?" asked Ruby.

"You bet it is! Care to guess who it belongs to?"

"Where did you get that badge?" asked Neptune.

"Jeez Sun, really?" said Jaune. "Is there nothing you won't stoop low enough to steal?"

"I didn't steal this badge," said Sun. "It was delivered to our hotel room the other night, along with a very interesting letter."

Sun pulled out the letter he received last night and read it aloud.

"Dear Ruby,

As you can see, I've got an image to uphold amongst my fans, and they can't witness me fail on stage. Encased with this letter is my official league badge; in return, all I ask is that you put on a convincing loss in our battle tomorrow. I get to look good and you still walk away with what you came for. That way we're all winners."

"Anybody could write that letter!" responded one of the fangirls.

"You probably wrote it just to frame Neptune!"

"Yeah! You're a lying scoundrel!"

"I think it's obvious what's going on," said Neptune. "Sun and Ruby are clearly in this together in order to cheat their way into earning a badge!"

"Sun, let me see that letter," said Ruby. Sun jumped down from the bleachers and ran over to Ruby with the letter. "Now you're honestly saying this was written by Neptune?"

"You have to believe me Ruby!" replied Sun.

"It's okay Sun, I believe you. In fact, I think I can prove Neptune was the one who wrote this."

"Oh really?" said Neptune. "How are you going to prove that I wrote this letter?"

"Simple; I happen to have something else written by you on me."

"What are you-?"

Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out the crumpled up photo of Neptune she received yesterday; the photo that had Neptune's handwritten autograph. Neptune felt a chill run down his spine the moment he saw Ruby pull that photo out.

"Seems I was so forgetful last night that I forgot to empty this out of my pocket," said Ruby. "Now let's see how well they match up."

"Hold it!" said Neptune. "You were right Ruby! I was just getting really stressed! I'm sorry! Let's continue our battle!"

Ruby ignored Neptune's pleading and looked over the handwriting. Sure enough, Ruby noticed the letters written out in the exact same way.

"The writing is a perfect match," said Ruby. "There's no doubt about it; you were trying to rig this battle!"

"Those nearly forty battles you won," said Sun, "did you rig those too Neptune?"

"Not all of them!" blurted Neptune. The stadium suddenly went dead quiet when Neptune inadvertently revealed he cheated; even his ardent fans didn't know what to say. "I...uh...I...I meant to say-"

"That's cheating!" interrupted Jaune. "Rigging a match in either trainer's favor is the worst possible offense a gym leader could commit! And to think I wanted to emulate you!" Jaune took out his notes and immediately started to rip them up.

"Hey Jaune!" said Sun. "You were a gym leader; what happens when a gym leader is caught cheating in battle?"

"In the event the gym leader is caught red-handed, the badge is automatically rewarded to the trainer."

"Well then I guess Ruby now has her fourth badge."

Sun handed the badge over to Ruby. Neptune covered his face with his hands, embarrassed and ashamed to be saying anything else. He just wanted Ruby to take her badge and leave. Ruby looked over the badge, but instead of placing it on her backpack with the rest, dropped it to the floor.

"I don't accept," said Ruby.

"But Ruby," said Sun, "the rules say-"

"I'm well aware of the rules, but I refuse."

"So wait, are we continuing this battle?" asked Neptune.

"No. I've got better things to do than fight a worthless trainer like you. C'mon everyone, we're going." Ruby recalled her Gloom and started walking out of the stadium along with her Eevee.

"Um, you know if you leave it counts as a forfeit, right?" asked Neptune.

"Then congratulations on victory number forty one. Go have a celebration party or something."

"If it's not too much trouble...can I have my badge back?"

Jaune and Sun facepalmed at Neptune's question. "Even I know that was a dumb question to ask," muttered Jaune.

Upon hearing Neptune's request, Ruby turned around and walked over to where the badge was, and this time she placed it in her pocket.

"You want this badge back?" asked Ruby. "Come find me when you learn what it means."

"You can't do that!" said Neptune. "That badge is only for trainers who've won!"

"You don't know what this badge means, do you? This badge isn't just some prize for winning; it's a symbol to show that you had what it took to overcome the challenges necessary to prove you are the best."

Ruby pointed to Jaune in the crowd. "You see Jaune over there? He was one of the least-skilled gym leaders of all time. He lost an astounding thirty-one matches in a row."

"Don't remind me," said Jaune, still uncomfortable about his losing streak.

"What's he got to do with this?" asked Neptune.

"Because even if he was easy to beat, at least he fought with everything he had to make his badge mean something. What good is this badge of yours if I'm simply handed it whether or not because you cheated? By not putting on a genuine fight Neptune, you've made this badge completely worthless. I won't accept it officially, but I'm not giving it back to a pathetic excuse of a trainer. Good bye."

Those words hit Neptune really hard, for deep down he knew it was the truth. All the boasting and arrogance he projected was a mask to disguise how mediocre of a trainer he was turning out to be, and thanks to a legion of fans, he was able to keep up this persona he built for himself. Hearing Ruby state the awful truth shattered his projection, and now he needed to make things right.

"Wait!" said Neptune. "I admit it! I cheated! I rigged a lot of my matches to make myself look good! But believe me, I wasn't always a cheater!"

Ruby stopped and turned back to Neptune. She still had her doubts about Neptune, but decided to give him a chance to speak.

"When I started as gym leader, I was winning legitimately! I was gaining fame and fortune faster than I can imagine! It was the greatest feeling in the world! But then I lost a match; then I lost another match; then my fans started to doubt how good I was; then I started losing more matches and more fans! I was getting so addicted to being famous that I couldn't allow myself to lose more matches! So I started getting desperate and bribed trainers to lose to me on purpose, only to receive my badge anyway. They get their badge, I keep up my winning streak, and I'm back to being on the A-list! I really screwed things up, but please, at least give me a chance to make things right!"

"Do you even remember how to battle properly anymore?" asked Ruby.

"Of course I do!"

"Then prove it. Fight me one on one with your best Pokémon. If you beat me fair and square, I'll pretend this whole thing never happened."

"Deal! You ready to go Floatzel?"

"Floatzel!" said Floatzel, giving the thumbs up to Neptune.

"You feeling up to the challenge Eevee?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee, running in and jumping on to the platform to face Floatzel.

"Floatzel, Rain Dance!"

"Eevee, Sand Attack!"

Floatzel spat another ball of mist into the air to restart the rain. Eevee ran up and kicked up dirt on the platform to blind Floatzel, but was almost useless as the rain helped wash out Floatzel's eyes. Floatzel then used Aqua Jet to knock himself into Eevee; Eevee countered by using Swift, sending shooting stars at Floatzel. No matter how fast Floatzel was, the stars were able to damage him. Floatzel rammed into Eevee with another Aqua Jet; Eevee was about to fire back with Swift until she suddenly noticed she was on the edge of the platform and about to fall in the water. She knew if she landed in the water, Floatzel would have a major advantage. Floatzel charged at Eevee again; this time Eevee jumped up and avoided Floatzel, who ran straight into the water.

"Good dodging Eevee!" said Ruby.

"That won't do you any good," said Neptune. "Floatzel, Aqua Tail!"

Floatzel swam up to the surface of the water and swung his tail against the water, causing a huge tidal wave that washed over the platform and knocked Eevee into the water. "Now Floatzel, Whirlpool attack!"

Floatzel dived down and started to swim circles around Eevee. His speed was so quick that it started to form a whirlpool in the water; Eevee started to spin around the center of the current, unable to swim free.

"It's over Ruby! Once my Floatzel gets them trapped in his Whirlpool, it becomes only a matter of time before they give up!"

"I wonder though," said Ruby, "do they give up because they don't stand a chance, or because you bribe them into giving up?"

Neptune wanted to reply, but Ruby made a valid point. Just how many victories with this tactic was because his opponents purposely let him win? Neptune started to sweat profusely, losing all the confidence he normally had.

"Bribing or not, y-you can't escape the Whirlpool!" stuttered Neptune.

"Then we'll just have to adapt! Eevee, use your Take Down to get out!"

Eevee calmed herself down and remained motionless for a few seconds, allowing the current to push her around. She then concentrated on where the current was going and started pushing herself along with the current, swimming faster and moving out of the center. Everyone was amazed to see Eevee keep swimming until she started to catch up with Floatzel. Seeing his tactic backfire flustered Neptune.

"Floatzel, turn around and use Aqua Jet!" commanded Neptune. Floatzel turned around and swam at Eevee with his Aqua Jet. Neptune was so panicked that he didn't realize the huge error he made. Floatzel tried to build up speed to catch Eevee, but the force of the Whirlpool slowed him down to the point of canceling his attack, and now Floatzel was floundering around in the whirlpool. Realizing his mistake, Floatzel instead used his Aqua Jet to get out of the whirlpool and jump back on the surface to catch his breath. Eevee soon burst out of the water and landed on the platform as well.

"Eevee, Take Down Floatzel!" shouted Ruby. Eevee charged with everything she had and nailed Floatzel. Floatzel stumbled across the platform and fell into the water again. After a few seconds, Floatzel floated back up to the surface belly-up, unable to continue battling.

"This match is over!" exclaimed Sun. "I declare Ruby to be the winner!"

"Whoo-hoo!" said Ruby. "That makes four badges!"

"Eevee!" cheered Eevee, jumping for joy.

While Ruby and her friends were cheering, Neptune looked at his fainted Floatzel. This was the result of all the shortcuts and cheating he committed; a battle that ended on a careless mistake that a true gym leader would never make.

"It's okay Neptune!" shouted one of his fangirls.

"You did your best!"

"We still love you!"

"Thanks everyone," said Neptune. He recalled his Floatzel and walked over to Ruby. "Congrats Ruby; I hope that was enough to make my badge mean something."

"It sure did," said Ruby, pulling out Neptune's badge and placing it on her backpack.

"Get a good look girls," said Neptune. "This will be the last time you'll ever see me hand out another badge." The fangirls were startled by Neptune's sudden announcement.

"What do you mean last time?" asked one of the girls.

"I'm going to see the league officials and turn myself in." Hearing that caused the girls to start protesting, but Neptune immediately put up his hand to stop them. "Sorry, but I committed an illegal act and I need to face the consequences."

"I'm amazed you're really going to go through with it," said Ruby. "I hope it works out for you."

"Not likely," said Jaune. "I heard the league is very adamant about punishing cheaters."

"So be it," said Neptune. "I have to face up to my misdeeds eventually." Neptune went up to Sun and held out his fist. "Well Sun, this might be the last time we see each other for a long time. I hope there's no hard feelings between us. Kind of funny isn't it? Who'd have thought I'd wind up in jail before you did?"

Everyone turned to see if Sun would bump fists with Neptune. Seeing how Neptune ruined their friendship, it would be surprising if Sun was willing to forgive Neptune.

"You're not going anywhere," said Sun.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll take the blame; I'll go with you to meet the officials and tell them that I secretly gave away your badges in order to make sure your reputation as a good gym leader didn't get ruined."

Everyone was taken aback at what Sun just proposed, especially Neptune.

"No way!" said Neptune. "If you told them that, you're looking at a very severe punishment!"

"Don't you think I know that?" asked Sun. "Better it happens to me than to you. If you tell them the truth, you'll lose your career. I'm just some good-for-nothing jerk from Vacuo who doesn't have much to lose."

"Sun, why are you doing this?" asked Ruby. "Why are letting yourself get in trouble for something he did?"

"Because he's my friend. I don't want to see him lose everything just because he made some dumb mistake. Besides, after all the things I've gotten away with, who am I to think Neptune deserves a bigger punishment than me?" Sun then suddenly broke out a wide smile like it wasn't a big deal. "On the bright side, I've always wondered how hard it would be to break out of jail."

"Dude...you'd really do that for me?" asked Neptune.

"Of course I would!" said Sun, bumping fists with Neptune. "You're my bro, bro!"

"Thanks bro," replied Neptune.

"Good luck with meeting the league officials Sun," said Ruby, bumping fists with Sun as well. Sun held out his fist for Jaune.

"You're wrong by the way," said Jaune.

"Wrong about what?" asked Sun.

"You're not a good-for-nothing jerk." Rather than hold out a fist, Jaune opened his hand to shake Sun's. "You're an honorable trainer, and if you can, I'd like for you to join us again."

"You got it bro!" said Sun, shaking hands with Jaune.

#

Sun and Neptune left to meet with the officials at the Pokémon League headquarters. Ruby and Jaune left Lazuli City and headed on the road for the next city's gym.

"To think I'm already halfway through to reaching the championships!" said Ruby.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee. She couldn't wait to reach the next city and win another badge.

As they were walking, Ruby noticed Jaune writing something on his notepad. "What are you taking notes on now?"

"Just some things I need to remember," replied Jaune. Ruby took a quick peek at what he was writing and noticed one of the notes, bringing a smile to her face.

"Always stand by your friends, just like Sun would."


	17. Legends and Mysteries

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to the memories of Monty Oum (creator of RWBY) and Satoru Iwata (CEO of Nintendo), whose works are the reason this story exists in the first place.**

**It may also cause some serious feels.**

Professor Ozpin was in his office, looking over the pictures of ancient treasures found by his archaeologist friend on his scroll.

"Fascinating find there Church," said Ozpin. "Is there any more left to be discovered?"

"If I read the texts correctly," said Church, "there's one treasure still remaining that's the most valuable out of everything I've found. This treasure could be a major breakthrough for us, Ozpin!"

"I hope so," replied Ozpin. Ozpin's scroll started beeping, indicating he was getting another call. He looked up the I.D. and noticed it was from Ruby. "Excuse me Church, I've got a call coming in from one of my recent graduates."

"I won't tie you up then. I'll call you when I find that last treasure!"

"Please do," said Ozpin. Once Church hung up, Ozpin answered the call from Ruby. "Hello Ruby; what can I do for you?"

"Professor Ozpin, I just got my fourth badge!" said Ruby.

"That's excellent news. Where are you now?"

"I recently left Lazuli City and now I'm heading to Roseus City."

"Lazuli City huh? Could you hold on for just a moment?"

Ozpin pulled out a map of Vale and looked at the route that Ruby would be on. Sure enough, she was close to the location site that his friend was currently working in.

"Say Ruby, how would you like to learn about some interesting history about Pokémon?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Around the route you're located on, there should be a site called the Lapis Ruins. I have a friend there currently going through an archaeology dig. You should stop by and tell her I sent you; I think you can learn a lot on this trip."

"Sure thing Professor Ozpin!"

While Ruby was talking to Ozpin, Jaune was discussing something with the nurse at the Pokémon Center they were staying at. Jaune looked dejected, sitting back in the waiting area and staring at the floor.

"Struck out with another girl?" asked Ruby.

"No, nothing like that," said Jaune. "I was asking the nurse what it took to work in a Pokémon Center to help take care of Pokémon."

"I'm going to assume a four-year degree?"

"Six years. I barely got through the four I needed to get my Pokémon license; there's no way I can handle another six years."

Ruby sat next to Jaune and patted him on the back. "It's all right Jaune. We'll just need to keep searching. Anyway, I came to tell you that we're making a bit of a detour."

"Really? Where are we heading?"

"To the Lapis Ruins! Professor Ozpin says we can learn some very cool stuff out there. What do you say?"

"Sure, I guess."

Ruby and Jaune gathered their belongings and headed out to the location of the Lapis Ruins.

"What's so special about these ruins?

"According to the Pokédex, the ruins contain one of the last remaining cities built before the first known discovery of Dust. The city is estimated to be about 6000 years old. Hey, maybe if we're lucky, we'll stumble across some treasure and get rich! Or maybe find an ancient super rare Pokémon no one has discovered!"

"Yeah; maybe I'll discover some prophecy that reveals my destiny," said Jaune, apathetic about the trip they were going on. Ruby thought bringing up the potential fortune they might make would cheer him up, but Jaune was acting more depressed than usual about not finding his calling yet. Eevee noticed Jaune's bad mood and tried to rub up against his leg, but Jaune didn't even bother to acknowledge Eevee. Eevee turned to Ruby and frowned.

"I know Eevee," whispered Ruby. "Let's hope this trip is fun for his sake."

#

Ruby and Jaune reached the mountainside that the Lapis Ruins were located. They were climbing the hill that would lead to the ruins located at the center of the mountains.

"You really think we'll find anything new here?" asked Jaune.

"If scientists are still researching these ruins," said Ruby, "then there has to be secrets hiding around somewhere."

Ruby and Jaune reached the plateau of the hill they were climbing. They looked out across the plateau and saw several giant craters scattered across the plain. The holes looked to have been man-made by the people who were researching this area.

"It looks like they've already dug up everything they could," said Jaune.

"I'm sure there has to be at least one place we can look," said Ruby. "Let's find Ozpin's archaeologist friend and ask them."

As they crossed the plateau, Jaune was looking around at all the holes and markings left by the researchers, barely paying attention to where he was walking.

"How many years do you think it must have taken to have done all this?" asked Jaune.

"Probably longer than we've been alive," said Ruby. "Just make sure to watch where you're going. One slip and you might end up-"

Before Ruby can finish, Jaune suddenly tripped over a dirt mound and fell into one of the craters, rolling all the way downhill. Ruby cringed at the way Jaune stumbled and came to a stop at the bottom of the hill.

"...in a hole."

As Ruby started slowly climbing down the hole, someone working on the other side of the hole noticed Jaune laying prone on the ground and ran over to check on him. Jaune opened his eyes and saw a woman with a blonde ponytail and dressed in nearly all black.

"You okay there buddy?" she asked.

"Depends what you mean by okay," replied Jaune.

"Can you get up and walk on your own?"

"I think so."

The woman helped Jaune up back to his feet. Aside from the headache and being covered in dirt, he wasn't in any serious pain. Ruby reached the bottom of the hill and ran over to Jaune.

"You kids really shouldn't be walking around here," said the woman. "Did you get lost?"

"Actually, my professor asked me to come here," said Ruby. "We're looking for the archaeologist researching these ruins."

"Oh, you must be the kids sent by Ozpin! I've been waiting for you."

"Wait, you're the archaeologist?" Ruby took another look at the archaeologist standing before her. She expected to meet someone in professional attire, while the only thing professional this woman was wearing was an oddly colored trench coat. "You don't look like one."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well for one, I've never seen an archaeologist where a black trench coat, or a cap, or a t-shirt that says...what's Project Freelancer?"

The woman folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at Ruby. "Have you ever actually met an archaeologist before?"

"No."

"Then how would you know what they really look like?"

Ruby tried to think of a response, but realized that she made a valid point. Ruby had only seen archaeologists on TV shows and in movies, never in real life, so it wasn't right to assume this woman wasn't one based on some fictional accounts.

"I'm sorry," said Ruby. The woman burst out laughing and patted Ruby on the shoulder.

"I'm kidding! Yes, what I wear is a bit unorthodox, but last time I checked, this job doesn't require a uniform!"

"But what if it does and you just didn't feel like wearing it?" asked Ruby.

"Brilliant question!" she replied. "I can see why Professor Ozpin sent you." The woman held out her arm for a handshake. "Allison Church, Pokémon Archaeologist!"

"Ruby Rose, future Pokémon Champion!"

"And who are you good sir?" Church turned to Jaune, who was looking down on the ground kicking some dirt.

"Jaune Arc, future...something," muttered Jaune.

"You'll have to excuse him," said Ruby. "He's not in the best of spirits right now."

"He did take a pretty nasty fall there," said Church, "but you can just walk it off."

"It's not that," said Jaune. "I've just been thinking about my future lately, and to put it lightly...it's bad."

"Sounds like someone in need of a new line of work. Perhaps I can interest you in a future in archaeology? Which is ironic, considering the job is about being interested in the past." Church elbowed Jaune in the shoulder and tried to get him to smile, but Jaune either didn't get the joke or wasn't in the mood for laughing.

"Tough crowd. But seriously Jaune, what have you been considering?"

"Whatever I can find that I won't fail miserably in."

"Well that really narrows it down. Tell you what Jaune, today I'm going to explore a new section of the Lapis Ruins. If you and I discover something grand, will it convince you to become an archaeologist?"

"...I guess?" said Jaune, shrugging his shoulders.

"Great! The Society of Pokémon Archaeologists could really use new members. Come, let us explore these wondrous ruins!"

Church led them out of the hole and headed to the center of the mountains where the main entrance of the ruins would be located. Along the way, Ruby decided to get to know more about Church.

"So how do you know Professor Ozpin?" asked Ruby.

"Ozpin was a friend of my mentor back in their scientist days. The two often worked together on various projects. Before I graduated I would often hang around the two and hear of all the research and theories they had about Pokémon. I couldn't wait for the day I graduated so I can actually get to work beside them...but shortly before I did, my mentor unfortunately passed away."

"That must have been really hard on you."

"It was, and sometimes still is. But then I remember all the inspiration he gave me and use it to keep moving forward."

"Keep moving forward; I like that phrase."

#

The trio arrived on the hill overlooking the ruins. Down the small hill they saw several small buildings that looked like temples made out of brightly colored sandstone.

"Are these the Lapis Ruins?" asked Ruby.

"I was expecting something bigger," said Jaune.

"Oh, that?" said Church. "That's just the tip of the iceberg. A majority of the ruins are actually inside that cave you see behind them."

"So what are those temples then?" asked Ruby.

"See for yourself."

Church took them down the hill and entered one of the temples. Ruby and Jaune looked around and noticed the walls covered in some kind of strange text; all the markings had eyes staring back at them.

"What are these things?" asked Ruby, taking a closer look at the markings. "Are they supposed to be Pokémon?"

"Yep!" said Church. "These markings are actually Pokémon called Unown. I call these parts of the ruins the Unown Hideaway, since these are usually where I keep finding those things."

The three of them heard a small screech nearby. They looked down the hallway and saw one of the Unown flying towards them. The Unown stopped to look at the three; upon a closer look, the Unown sort of looked like the letter N.

"Is it me or do they kind of look like letters?" asked Jaune.

"It's not a coincidence Jaune," said Church. "We believe that the ancient civilizations used the shapes of the various Unown to communicate with each other, ultimately resulting in the creation of our alphabet."

"They aren't dangerous, are they?" asked Ruby. Eevee was standing guard in case the Unown tried to attack.

"Hardly," said Church. "Unown usually keep to themselves, and even the ones that decide to fight aren't strong at all." After staring at the trio, the Unown flew away down the other end of the hallway.

"So how many of these things are there?" asked Jaune.

"Based on the markings discovered, there are twenty-eight different variations of Unown; one for every letter of the alphabet, and two that closely resemble the question mark and the exclamation point. Personally I've never seen those two up close, but when I do, I'll finally have the chance to complete my entire collection!"

"Collection?" asked Ruby. "You've been catching these Unown?"

"Yep! I'm trying to catch one of every single letter, and so far I'm only missing the T, the E, and the X. Man what I wouldn't give to finally have all twenty-eight Unown!"

"But I thought as an archaeologist, you wouldn't care about catching for collection purposes."

"On my business card, I'm an archaeologist. In my head, I'm a scientist. But in my heart, I'm a collector!" Another Unown quickly flew past the trio. Church looked up and saw it was an Unown in the shape of a T. "In fact, there's one of the Unown I need right now! Wait here!" Church grabbed an Ultra Ball from her pocket and chased the Unown down the hallway.

"She's really eccentric for a scientist," said Jaune. "I thought science work was always so boring and serious."

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think it is," said Ruby. "I mean think of all the neat stuff we learned just from these Unown! Imagine how much else you can learn if you followed in Church's footsteps!"

"It can't be as fun as she's making it. There has to be some kind of catch to this."

Church quickly ran back to the duo and stopped to catch her breath.

"Lost track of it again," said Church. "Ah well, enough with the Unown! Time to visit the real Lapis Ruins!"

The trio left the Unown Hideaways and entered the cave leading to the Lapis Ruins. Normally caves were pitch black and needed a Pokémon with Flash to navigate, but the walls of the Lapis Ruins had a light source thanks to the Dust crystals emanating off the walls, making navigation a lot easier. The crystals made it look like the cave was glowing in several colors.

"This is beautiful!" said Ruby.

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

"Is it possible to take any of these crystals?" asked Jaune, holding his hand near a crystal.

"I would avoid touching them if I were you," said Church. "Touching a Dust crystal in it's purest state the wrong way can cause them to literally explode, hence why you don't see any Pokémon coming out to fight."

"No thanks!" replied Jaune, quickly backing away before he became another crater in the ruins.

"So how much do you two know about legendary Pokémon?" asked Church.

"Only from I've read in fairy tales," said Ruby. "My sister used to read me stories about all sorts of powerful Pokémon that roamed the world. My favorite was the one about Jirachi granting a little girl's wish. When I was little, my sister would always pretend to be Jirachi and promise to make my wishes come true."

"Maybe one day you'll get to meet the real Jirachi."

"I doubt it; Jirachi is just a fairy tale, isn't it?"

"A lot of people believe that these tales of legendaries are simply that: Imaginary, make-believe, fake. I on the other hand think they could all have actually existed at some point in time."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Step inside and see for yourself."

Ruby and Jaune followed Church into another part of the cave. On the other side was a dimly lit room full of petroglyphs. Ruby and Jaune looked up at all the different carvings on the walls. The walls were engraved with giant Pokémon towering above the people, shown worshiping below. The Pokémon were surrounded by Unown letters to explain what was going on. These Pokémon looked like they can easily destroy the people if they wanted to.

"All these things really Pokémon?" asked Jaune.

"They sure are," said Church. "These Pokémon were so powerful, they were worshiped as Gods. In fact, some of these legendaries are believed to have created the world of Remnant. Take a look." Church shined her flashlight at the wall towards the end of the cave, pointing at the carving located at the very top of the wall. "On top you see Arceus, believed to be the creator of all Pokémon. Below Arceus you see Dialga and Palkia; Dialga is said to have created the force of time, while Palkia is the creator of space. All the legendaries you see here are somehow connected to life itself. Some were considered the guardians of the planet; others were considered the embodiment of human emotions, including life and death itself."

"So what happened to all these Pokémon?" asked Jaune. "Did they all eventually pass away or are they still alive?"

"Unfortunately, that's the problem us researchers have with these legendaries; we don't know if any of these Pokémon were actually real in the first place. They could very well be all myths and stories created by ancient civilizations to explain how the world worked before Dust and science were used to prove otherwise."

"Is there really no way to prove if they were real?"

"For a while it seemed that way. However, out of all the legendaries you see here, there has been one thought to be still alive and roaming Remnant to this day. This Pokémon is the key to solving the mystery behind these legendary Pokémon."

Church lowered her flashlight towards the middle of the wall. Positioned in the very center was a tiny, inconspicuous Pokémon; it appeared to have a cat-like face and a tail as long as its body.

"We call this Pokémon Mew."

"That thing is the key?" asked Jaune. "But it looks so tiny and harmless compared to all these other Pokémon! What makes Mew so special?"

"Notice how Mew is positioned in the middle, surrounded by nearly every legendary seen here. Below it is a scripture that reads 'The One Who Knows All.'"

"What does it know all of?" asked Ruby.

"We don't know for sure. Our theories is that Mew is somehow connected to every Pokémon we see here. We believe Mew could be the last living ancestor of all these Pokémon. If we were able to capture Mew, or find fossilized remains to make clones out of, we could have the answer to everything involving Pokémon and Remnant."

"So what makes you believe Mew is still alive out there?"

"Occasionally we get reports from random citizens claiming to have spotted some kind of rare Pokémon that matches Mew's description, but none of the evidence we receive can be considered concrete. I once heard of a story that a team of archaeologists supposedly found proof of Mew like twenty years ago, but nothing ever came of it."

"Why? Did they find out it wasn't Mew?"

"I don't know. There are no public records of this discovery happening, so I assume it was just some glorified rumor."

"Do you think Professor Ozpin would know anything about this?"

"Funny enough, I asked Ozpin about the supposed Mew discovery, and he insists it's nothing more than heresy as well."

"I have to be honest," said Jaune. "As cool as discovering the truth about legendaries sound, what's the point of trying to discover something that, odds are, doesn't really exist?"

"Because what sounds more exciting to you?" asked Church. "Retelling the same information everyone already knows, or discovering something completely brand new and earning the right to say you were the one to break ground and change history?"

Jaune shrugged. "The risk doesn't seem worth it."

Ruby gave Church a worried look, thinking their tour wasn't snapping Jaune out of his grief. Church silently muttered "I got this" to reassure Ruby she knew exactly how she was going to snap Jaune out of his current state.

"Hey Jaune, remember when I said I was going to explore a new section of the Lapis Ruins?"

"What kind of new section? More ancient carvings?"

"How about a cave full of ancient treasure that could be worth thousands...heck, maybe even millions of lien?"

If there was one thing that definitely peaked Jaune's interest, it was earning riches. He perked up his head and turned back to Church. "Really? Millions of lien?"

"Excuse me Miss Church," said Ruby, "but it sounds like you're exaggerating."

"I'm serious!" said Church. "Of course I could be wrong, but that's half the fun of being an archaeologist!"

"So where is this ancient treasure?" asked Jaune. "Is this like that movie where its guarded by some ancient traps that no one but the awesome hero can survive?"

"I guess you can say that!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find that treasure!"

"That's the spirit Jaune! Follow me!"

Ruby was happy that Jaune was starting to get into a better mood, but at the same time was getting worried about what this treasure hunt was going to entail. Eevee looked at Ruby like she didn't want to partake in this either.

"I'm sure it'll be okay," said Ruby anxiously. Even she couldn't convince herself of that.

#

Church led Ruby and Jaune through a series of caves until they reached the exit of the ruins.

"There's the exit we need to go," said Church. "I have to warn you, it's pretty dangerous out there, so we're going to have to be extra careful."

"Dangerous is my middle name!" said Jaune.

"I'll remember that the next time we have to enter another spooky cave," remarked Ruby.

The three of them walked out of the ruins. The exit was a small ledge off the mountainside, so there wasn't much room to move forward. Ruby and Jaune looked out and couldn't believe what they saw. Surrounded by the mountains were several small buildings that looked to be people's homes, although their current state would not be considered habitable. The buildings were separated by dirt roads, with patches of grass springing up here and there.

"It looks like a city down there!" exclaimed Ruby.

"That's because it was," said Church. "Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck in searching this entire area."

"Why's that?"

"Problem number one: Because of those things."

Church pointed up to a group of Pokémon flying in the sky. The Pokémon was nothing like Ruby and Jaune had seen before; it looked like some kind of strange cross between a bird and a totem pole, with trident arms and wings sticking out of its body. Ruby took out her Pokédex to find out what this strange creature was.

_Sigilyph_

_Avainoid Pokémon_

_The guardians of an ancient city, they use their psychic power to attack enemies that invade their territory._

"Regardless of no one living here," said Church, "those things remain vigilant in overlooking this territory. The moment they notice me, they'll hunt me down until I either escape or...well, you know."

"Don't you have Pokémon to protect yourself?" asked Ruby.

"I did, but now they're all critically injured and recovering at a Pokémon Center."

As Ruby and Jaune continued to look at the entire city, they suddenly heard a loud roar coming from the city below.

"What was that noise?" asked Jaune.

"Problem number two."

Around the corner of a dilapidated building came a giant cyan colored Pokémon that looked to be made of stone; the Pokémon searched around the area with its bright yellow eyes. Ruby scanned this strange new Pokémon as well.

_Golurk_

_Automaton Pokémon_

_It is said that Golurk were ordered to protect people and Pokémon by the ancient people who made them._

"So even if we can somehow survive the swarm of Sigilyph that come after us, we would then have these things to worry about, and trust me, those walking statues are too powerful to handle."

"How do we avoid fighting them?" asked Jaune.

"By sneaking around very quietly. Once we reach the bottom of this cliff, we go at my signal."

Church led Ruby and Jaune to the bottom of the cliff; once they were out of the Sigilyphs' sights, they ran between the first two buildings, walking along the walls to hide in the shadows. They reached the end of the alleyway and waited for the Golurk marching down the street to walk past, then immediately ran across the street into the next alleyway. They continued to hide in the shadows until they reached near the center of town. A couple of blocks away was a very wide building that appeared to have some kind of public use.

"See that giant building down there?" whispered Church. "That building over there was the city library."

"Is that where this secret treasure is supposed to be?" asked Ruby.

"From the texts I've gathered around this area, that building holds the greatest treasure the king of this village ever possessed."

"Why would it be in a library?" asked Ruby.

"Probably because their library also doubled as a museum," said Church. "I assume after the king passed away, they decided to prop up one of his valuables for everyone to see."

"Um, girls?" asked Jaune.

"The treasures I've already found in these ruins were quite valuable. I can only imagine what this greatest treasure could be worth."

"Hey girls..."

"What do you think it could be?" asked Ruby.

"I have no idea," said Church, "but if I have to randomly guess-"

"GIRLS!" shouted Jaune.

"Keep it down, Jaune!" said Church, turning around to face Jaune. "Yelling like that will attract the attention of the..."

Church looked up and understood why Jaune was trying to get their attention: One of the Sigilyphs had spotted them and was hovering over them, as if waiting for them to make the first move before striking. The trio started shaking in fear at the sight of Sigilyph.

"Miss Church?" asked Jaune. "What do we do?"

"That depends," said Church. "You guys fast runners?"

"Very," said Ruby.

"Well then...RUN!"

The trio turned around and made a break for it. The Sigilyph gave chase and fired Psybeams at them. The Psybreams struck the ground around them and caused dirt to fly into the air, nearly blinding them. Soon two more Sigilyphs spotted them and gave chase as well.

"Follow me!" yelled Church, leading them into the building at the end of the street. As soon as they entered, the Sigilyphs ceased firing and floated outside of the building.

"What's keeping them from just charging in and coming after us?" asked Ruby.

"I've studied their behavior for some time," said Church. "They've been trained to never attack a building under any circumstances."

"So I guess we just wait here until they go away?"

"Won't work. These things have an eternity of patience. They're not going away until they fry us. Come, there should be another exit we can sneak out of."

Church went to the back of the ancient home and found a hole serving as a window on the opposite side of the house. Church looked out to see if the coast was clear, only to nearly be zapped by a Psybeam from one of the Sigilyphs watching above.

"Okay, Plan B has gone out the window. Now I have no idea how we're going to get out of here."

"Can't we just call someone to come find us?" asked Ruby.

"The scrolls can't get a signal strong enough this deep in the mountains."

"I have an idea!" said Jaune. "I'll use my Steelix to dig us underground to safety!"

"Don't!" said Church. "The ground here isn't stable. If you dig up the ground underneath the buildings, it can cause them to collapse on top of us!"

"Could we at least try digging with our hands?"

"If I can't come up with anything better, that might be our only option."

"I've got a better idea," said Ruby, grabbing one of the Poké Balls from her belt. "Plan C: We fight back!"

"Not a good idea. These things are too powerful to take on, and even if you get rid of them, battling them will just alert more Sigilyphs and Golurks to come after us. You would just be exhausting your Pokémon in a fight you have no chance of winning."

"The odds may be against us, but what sounds more exciting to you? Running away because we're scared, or overcoming the odds and defeating all these Pokémon at once?"

Before Church can convince Ruby otherwise, Ruby already headed back outside to confront the Sigilyphs. The Sigilyphs looked down and took aim at Ruby; Ruby wasted no time calling out her Pokémon.

"Go Fletchinder!" said Ruby, throwing her ball high and bringing out Fletchinder. The Fletchinder flew up to the same level of the Sigilyphs; two of them backed away, leaving one to fight Ruby's bird.

"Fletchinder, roast that thing with Ember!" Fletchinder shot a fireball at the Sigilyph. A barrier suddenly formed around Sigilyph and negated the Ember; Sigilyph immediately fired a Psybeam in retaliation, which Fletchinder dodged at the last second. Fletchinder kept trying to fire at Sigilyph, but the flames were always put out by this barrier surrounding Sigilyph.

"How is it blocking that attack?" asked Ruby.

"It's using Light Screen!" said Church, yelling from the doorway. "Special attacks aren't going to affect them. The only way to take them down is with physical strength!"

"Then we'll just have to outrun them. Fletchinder, Agility!" Fletchinder raised its speed to avoid Sigilyph's Psybeam and get behind it. "Now Fletchinder, Quick Attack!" Fletchinder charged head on at Sigilyph, but Sigilyph suddenly flew at the same speed Fletchinder did and dodged the attack, then fired a Psybeam that nailed Fletchinder in one of its wings.

"How did that Sigilyph suddenly get so fast?"

"It used Mirror Move," said Church. "These things will copy an attack used by the opponent and use it against them. Now do you realize why we can't beat them? Recall your Pokémon and get back inside!"

"I'm not backing down until either me or my Pokémon can no longer fight! At least that way, I'll know we tried!"

Ruby continued giving commands for Fletchinder to attack Sigilyph. Church knew it wasn't a smart decision to be fighting in a battle that was likely not going to end well, but she also knew that in her heart, she would have tried to do the same thing.

With both Pokémon able to fly at the same speed, it was becoming impossible for either of them to land a hit. The Sigilyph suddenly stopped in the middle of the air and remained stationary with the other Sigilyphs. Church noticed them starting to make a vibrating noise with their wings; she recognized the attack they were about to pull off and panicked. Ruby on the other hand thought now was a perfect time to attack.

"Fletchinder, hit them with Quick Attack!"

"Wait Ruby! Call back Fletchinder now!" shouted Church, but it was too late. Fletchinder charged at Sigilyph and was suddenly stopped when the Sigilyphs let out a loud screech that caused a sharp wave of pain to flow through Fletchinder's body. The damage was so severe it caused Fletchinder to drop out of the sky.

"Fletchinder!" yelled Ruby, running over to check on her Pokémon. Fletchinder was barely able to move after taking such a devastating hit. Ruby cradled Fletchinder in her arms as Church ran out to help Ruby. "What did they do?"

"It's Synchronoise," said Church. "It's an attack that does devastating damage to Pokémon of the same type. This is how they take out other Flying Pokémon. C'mon, we have to move!" Church picked up Ruby and ran back to the house, only for a Psybeam to suddenly be fired just a few inches in front of her, stopping them in their tracks.

"Looks like this is one battle we have to fight," said Ruby.

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee, standing by ready to fight the Sigilyphs. Eevee turned on its legs and tried to blind them with Sand Attack, but the sand was effortlessly dissipated by the Light Screen. The Sigilyphs surrounded them and were getting ready to fire a barrage of Psybeams. One of the Sigilyphs were suddenly hit by a rock. The Sigilyphs turned around and saw Jaune taunting them.

"Hey there you flying monstrosities!" said Jaune. "Bet you can't hit me with those beams of yours!"

The Sigilyphs responded by firing the beams at Jaune. Jaune immediately ran away, taking the Sigilyphs with him. While Jaune had them distracted, Ruby frantically searched her bag for any kind of healing item she can use on Fletchinder, but didn't have anything on her at the moment.

"I have nothing to heal my Fletchinder!" said Ruby. Church searched through her small sidepack to find anything that would help, and noticed a small piece of candy she had found a few days ago.

"We're in luck!" said Church. "Give it this!"

"What is it?"

"It's Rare Candy; feed that to your Fletchinder to make it stronger!"

"Let's hope it'll be enough. Can you open up Fletchinder?"

Fletchinder opened its mouth wide enough for Ruby to feed it the candy. After swallowing the rare candy, Fletchinder suddenly felt a surge of power and jumped out of Ruby's arms, then began to glow brightly. With the power boost of the Rare Candy, Fletchinder was able to evolve into its final form: Talonflame.

"Whoa!" said Ruby. "That's some candy!" Once Talonflame finished evolving, Ruby's Pokédex began to beep.

"Talonflame now knows Flame Charge," said Penny, "a move that can deal fire damage along with raising Talonflame's speed."

"Sounds like the kind of move we can use!" said Ruby. Around the corner they heard the Sigilyphs firing at Jaune, running more than he ever ran in a lifetime.

"Somebody get rid of these things already!" yelled Jaune.

"Talonflame, take them down with Flame Charge!" said Ruby.

Talonflame lit its body on fire and charged at the first Sigilyph in its sights. Talonflame rammed into the Sigilyph, burning its body. Sigilyph turned around and fired a Psybeam at Talonflame, but the Flame Charge made Talonflame go faster and avoid the attack easily. Talonflame switched directions and attacked the other Sigilyphs, burning them as well. The lead Sigilyph decided to fight fire with fire and used Mirror Move to light itself in flames as well, speeding head first into Talonflame. The Sigilyph rammed into Talonflame, but the move had little to no effect on Talonflame.

"Talonflame, teach these things how a real Flame Charge works!" Talonflame struck the Sigilyph with another Flame Charge and dealt serious damage. The other Sigilyphs tried to intervene, only to be outmatched by Talonflame's speed and attacks. The Sigilyphs decided they had enough and flew away.

"All right!" said Ruby. "That takes care of those pests!"

"But now how do we handle these things?" asked Jaune. Ruby and Church turned around to see a Golurk had made its presence known. The Golurk let out a roar and raised its fist, then came swinging down on the trio with a Hammer Arm. The trio jumped out of the way as the fist hit the ground so hard it caused a small earthquake. The shaking caused one of the buildings to vibrate.

"We have to end this quick!" said Church. "More attacks like that and this entire city will collapse!"

"Talonflame, use your Flame Charge on Golurk!" commanded Ruby. Talonflame lit itself on fire and rammed into Golurk. Golurk tried to use Hammer Arm on Talonflame but was too slow to make contact, allowing Talonflame to attack multiple times. The Golurk was slow, but its defense was incredibly high, as the Flame Charge appeared to do little to no damage.

"It's no good," said Church. "That thing's defenses are too high, and I doubt it'll take more than one Hammer Arm to take out Talonflame."

"Then we'll just have to fight defensively. Talonflame, use your Agility and take to the air!" Talonflame concentrated its energy and greatly increased its speed before taking off to the air to avoid Golurk. Just when they thought they were safe, Golurk suddenly retracted its arm and legs and rocketed towards Talonflame at mach speed. It easily reached Talonflame and then brought one of its arms back out to knock Talonflame down with a Shadow Punch.

"Oh come on!" complained Ruby. "Those things can fly as well?"

"Now what do we do?" asked Jaune. "If those things can fly just like the Sigilyph, there's no way we can escape them!"

"Then we keep fighting! Talonflame, use your Acrobatics!" Talonflame charged at Golurk, but Golurk suddenly disappeared just when Talonflame was about to strike. Everyone looked around to see where Golurk suddenly vanished. "How can a giant stone monster suddenly disappear like that?"

"It must be some kind of attack," said Church. Ruby quickly took out her Pokédex to find out.

"Penny, do you know any kind of attacks that would cause this?"

"The attack closest to your description would be Phantom Force," explained Penny. "The user, usually a Ghost type, will vanish from sight and reappear to strike its target when the time is right."

As if on cue, the Golurk suddenly appeared behind Talonflame and swatted it down to the ground. Talonflame was starting to feel woozy from that last attack, and didn't look like it was going to last much longer.

"Miss Church, you wouldn't happen to have another Rare Candy, would you?" asked Ruby.

"I'm not that lucky," said Church.

"And neither are we!" said Jaune, pointing to the sky. Two more Golurk suddenly flew in and landed with the Golurk fighting Talonflame. With now three stone giants to contend with in a city on the brink of a collapse, the trio were quickly running out of options.

As Church rattled her brain to come up with a plan, she noticed something glowing within the Golurk behind its little chest plate. The glowing almost had the same rhythm as a heartbeat. Whatever the glowing was, it appeared to be the Golurk's source of power.

"Ruby!" called Church. "You see that plate that looks like a giant bandage? I think that's the key to defeating them! Attack it with everything you got!"

"You sure about this?" asked Ruby.

"Technically as an archaeologist, I'm not sure about anything! But what more do we have to lose?"

"Good point! Talonflame, Flame Charge into that chest piece!"

Talonflame lit itself up one last time and went after Golurk; Golurk got ready to counter attack with a Shadow Punch. Talonflame made contact with the chest plate and caused a wide crack to appear, ceasing Golurk's attack. The energy behind the plate began to glow brighter as the Golurk started clutching its chest like it was in serious pain. The energy suddenly dimmed as the Golurk fell down, as if it was suddenly shut down.

"It worked!" said Ruby.

"I just made an amazing breakthrough!" said Church. "THIS is why I love doing what I do!"

"Okay Talonflame, go for the chest plates!" Talonflame Flame Charged at the next Golurk, taking out its chest plate the same way. The Golurk quickly shut itself down to prevent further harm from occurring. The other Golurks surrendered, turning around and walking away from the battle. With the guardians finally gone, Talonflame flew back down to Ruby.

"Great job Talonflame!" said Ruby, giving her bird a big hug. "You really pulled through for us!"

"I'm so glad you guys showed up today," said Church. "Now, if there are no more distractions, let's get that secret treasure!"

With the guardians no longer being a threat, the trio entered the library. The first and second floors were full of old books covered in dust and spider webs; the third floor however appeared very barren, save for a giant book sitting atop a pillar in the middle of the room.

"According to the texts, this place should be it," said Church. Church took out a flashlight and scanned the room for clues; Ruby and Jaune looked at the book, but it was so old and deteriorated that it was illegible.

"This doesn't seem right," said Jaune. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Maybe there's some secret explanation we're missing," said Ruby. Church looked around the room and noticed the large Unown carved on top of the wall. After Church read the line, she started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Read it," said Church. Ruby looked at the Unown and tried to figure out what letter each Unown looked like.

"K...N...O...W...L...E...D...G...E?"

"Knowledge!" exclaimed Church. "That was the king's greatest treasure to the city! The one treasure you can give to everyone, but still possess all of it!"

Church continued to laugh over her discovery of the ancient people's clever nature. Ruby and Eevee started to laugh as well. Jaune on the other hand was disappointed; he really had his sights set on finding something worth actual monetary value. Having to go through all that for a metaphoric life lesson just made the entire trip end on a sour note.

#

With the treasure hunt over, Church lead Ruby and Jaune back out to the digging site where they first met. The sun was about to set on what was quite an educational adventure.

"Sorry we didn't get to discover anything new," said Church. "Did you at least have fun?"

"Absolutely!" said Ruby. "In fact, once I become the next Pokémon Champion, I'm going to go on a quest to find that Mew!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, determined to find Mew as well.

"Actually, this kind of quest sounds like it would be perfect for..."

Ruby was about to turn to Jaune and suggest finding Mew become his calling, but Jaune was suddenly nowhere to be found.

"Jaune? Where are you?"

"Over here," said Jaune. Jaune was sitting on the edge of one of the pits and was looking down at the hole. Church took a seat next to him.

"You look pretty upset Jaune," said Church. "Is something wrong?"

"Do you often come across dead ends as an archaeologist?"

"Honestly, it happens about 99% of the time. But when I reach that 1% of a new discovery, it's really worth it."

"And how long does it take to reach that 1%?"

"No one knows. Personally it took me several years before reaching that 1%."

Hearing that several years remark cause Jaune to moan and want to jump in the pit. Church was somewhat offended by Jaune's response.

"I can tell something big is on your mind," said Church. "Time to let it all out son."

"I gave up being a gym leader because it wasn't working out," said Jaune. "I've been trying to find a new calling in my life; something I can work towards so I know I achieved something worthwhile. But it's like every option that comes to me just seems like another opportunity to fail. What if I pick something that appears to be my calling, but I just wind up failing and fall flat on my face all over again? I don't think I can handle being a failure because I chose another wrong profession!"

"I see. Ruby, Jaune, I want to tell you two something very important. Have a seat." Ruby took a seat next to Church as Church looked out towards the sunset. "This may sound crazy, but I felt exactly like you did Jaune, and I'm sure Ruby feels the same way."

"Not really," said Ruby. "Well, I mean sometimes I wonder what I'll do if I don't become champion, but I'm sure I'll win! At least, I try NOT to think about losing."

"It's okay Ruby. All of us at one point go through that period of doubt that nothing is going to go right, and fearing what will happen if we fail to achieve what we set out to accomplish. I've been doing this for over twelve years now, and trust me, the first several years felt like a total waste to me. I wasn't making any ground breaking discoveries nor did I solve any great mysteries. For years I felt like I was spinning my wheels, never making any true progress. If it weren't for the words of my mentor, I would have given this up a long time ago. His words continue to drive me to this day, and I think someone like you needs to hear them."

Church closed her eyes and placed a fist on her chest, recalling the words she carried in her heart for years.

"Can you match my resolve? If so then you will succeed. I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."

"Wow," said Jaune. "That's really deep."

"You must have had a great mentor," said Ruby.

"He was the best," said Church. "Whenever I felt down or doubted my future, he would always tell me to keep moving forward. That's why I'm going to keep doing what I do; because I promised my mentor I would match his resolve. He never stopped working hard in his field, and I won't either. Jaune, you'll never find your calling if you choose to give up so easily. That goes for you too Ruby. Keep moving forward, and eventually your work will pay off."

"Thank you Miss Church," said Jaune.

"Please, call me Allison. Good luck on your journey guys."

Ruby and Jaune parted ways with Allison and headed back on the road to the next city.

"Hey Ruby?" asked Jaune. "On the off chance that I never find my calling, or you don't become the new Vale champion...what will we do then?"

"You know the saying Jaune," said Ruby. "Keep moving forward."

"Of course."

Ruby and Jaune headed to the next town, moving forward like they promised.


	18. The Beautiful Pokémon

While Roseus City was normal for the most part, its gym certainly was not. Where most gyms were either in normal buildings or stadiums, Roseus City's gym was inside a castle. Ruby had heard that the gym leader was fond of Fairy type Pokémon, but didn't think they would go so far as to have a castle built to serve as their gym.

She also didn't think there would be a problem getting in, so it was quite a shock to see the front gate closed with a sign that simply said 'Come Back Later.'

"Are you kidding me?" said Ruby. "They didn't even leave a way to contact them!"

"I'm sure the Pokémon Center has information," said Jaune.

"HEY!" shouted Ruby. "IS ANYONE IN THERE?" The only noise in response was the wind blowing through the gates. Ruby fought the urge to bang her head against the wall. "The last thing I need is to be wasting time in a city without a gym leader. Hopefully we can find out what's going on at the Pokémon Center."

Ruby and Jaune headed to the Pokémon Center. Along the way they noticed a large crowd gathering under a marquee that read "Master Contests Week." Roseus City not only had a unique looking gym, they were also famous for their contest hall where some of the best contest trainers competed in, and this week was dedicated to the highest ranked contests.

"Oh hey, they have a contest hall!" said Ruby. "Since we have to wait for that gym leader to return, we should catch one of the contests they hold here!"

"No thanks," said Jaune. "I hate Pokémon Contests. It's literally a competition to judge Pokémon based on how they look on the outside."

"Sure it's a little vain, but it does take quite a lot of skill to reach the higher rankings. Maybe you should try to enter a contest."

"I would rather go back to being a gym leader than ever participate in one."

As they walked through the crowd, Ruby noticed a news team waiting outside of the doors reporting on what was happening.

"It's pandemonium here outside the Roseus Contest Hall where we wait for the appearance of the man people call the Contest Champion, Scarlet David! The young man once again won another Master Rank Contest, retaining his perfect winning record! It seems like only a matter of time before he wins the final Master Rank Contest to be held tomorrow, once again resulting in another five for five sweep!"

"This Scarlet guy sounds like a superstar," said Ruby. "I want to see who he is!"

"Do we have to?" asked Jaune. "I thought you said we couldn't be wasting time."

"Well yeah, but...no, you're right. I'm here for a badge, not for sightseeing."

Ruby left the crowd and headed to the Pokémon Center as planned.

#

In the PC section of the Pokémon Center sat a very frustrated ginger. She was scrolling through her Pokémon and their various stats, trying to figure out how she was bested yet again.

_"I can't believe he somehow beat me AGAIN!"_ thought the ginger. _"It's like no matter how much I plan, he's always one step ahead! I have to find a Pokémon that can best him in tomorrow's Cute Contest!"_

The ginger scrolled through her list of Pokémon, but didn't think any of them were good enough to compete at the Master Rank level. Sure they had won contests before, but for some reason she can never obtain a win in the Master Rankings, especially since her arch-nemesis was always competing - and winning - as well. She was going to need to do some serious work in a short amount of time if she wanted to get one of her Pokémon ready to compete tomorrow. She got up from the PC and headed to the Poké Mart next door.

"Can I help you?" asked the cashier.

"Do you have any sweet poffins?" asked the ginger.

"How much do you need?"

The ginger took out her wallet and slammed down her credit card. "All of them."

Meanwhile, Ruby and Jaune entered the Pokémon Center and went to the information desk.

"Excuse me, do you have any contact information for the gym leader of this city?" asked Ruby.

"Only for the gym itself," said the clerk.

"Do you where the gym leader might be right now? The gym is closed and I really need to setup a battle."

"I wouldn't have any idea."

Ruby groaned. Looks like Roseus City was going to end up being a dead end for her. "Thanks for your help anyway."

"Now what do we do?" asked Jaune.

"We stay the night and leave for the next town. Meantime, might as well get some shopping done." Ruby picked up Eevee and held her up to her chest. "I heard they sell poffins here. Want one Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, happy to receive any special treat from Ruby.

Ruby was about to enter through the automatic door leading to the Poké Mart when the door opened from the other side. The person at the door was carrying large crates that impaired her vision, and judging by the way she was wobbling, was carrying more than was humanly possible. Ruby tried to step aside to avoid bumping into her, but the person wound up tripping over Ruby's foot and went crashing to the floor along with their crates, spilling the contents onto the floor.

"Oh no!" said Ruby, putting Eevee down to help the customer up. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," said the ginger. "Totally my fault. Actually, I'm sure it was my arch-enemy's fault."

"Um...arch-enemy?"

Jaune ran over to help pick up the dropped items, and noticed how there were a lot of poffins from those crates.

"This is a lot of poffins," said Jaune. "Like, more than any person needs really."

"This almost looks like the store's entire stock," said Ruby.

"That's because it is," said the ginger. "I need every edge I can get for the upcoming contest tomorrow!"

"You seriously need this amount of poffins?"

"I do if I want to win at the Master Rank!"

Ruby and Jaune picked up the loose poffins and put them back in the crates. The ginger took out one to give to Ruby.

"Thanks for the help. As a token of my appreciation, have one on the house!"

"Thank you," said Ruby. Eevee immediately jumped up and grabbed the poffin to feast on. "I'm Ruby."

"I'm Nora! So what brings you to town?"

"I was going to compete for a badge, but the leader is Arceus knows where. So are you one of those contest enthusiasts?"

"Enthusiast is too light of a word! I love competing in contests about as much as I love battling, and I LOVE battles!" Nora grabbed one of her Poké Balls and held it close to Ruby. "Feel like going for a quick match?"

"Um, no thanks!" said Ruby, kind of startled by this trainer's enthusiasm. "I'm saving my Pokémon's strength for the gym battles. So tell me more about this Master Rank Contest."

"Well, as the name implies, Master Rank is the highest rank of contests. Winning at that rank proves that you are ultimately the best of the best; it's the equivalent of winning the Pokémon League Championship!"

"I'm not sure I'd go that far. I mean to win the championship you have to fight gym leaders and the Elite Four, and contests you just have to show up and-"

"Are you saying contests don't require effort?" yelled Nora, suddenly going from happy to angry in a millisecond. Ruby was frightened by this trainer's wild mood swings.

"No, not at all!" said Ruby.

"Good!" said Nora, going back to being happy. "Because trust me, it takes a LOT of effort to stand a chance in the Master Rankings, especially when you have to deal with my arch-nemesis!"

"Who is this nemesis exactly?"

Right on cue, the doors of the Pokémon Center opened and in walked Nora's rival, being followed by a couple of paparazzi taking pictures of him. The boy had dark red hair growing out of one side of his head, and wore a jacket hanging over his shoulders. This was the boy known as Scarlet David, Nora's rival and master of contests.

"Okay, that's enough pictures for now," said Scarlet. "Wait, maybe just one more!" Scarlet turned to the paparazzi and struck a pose. The paparazzi took as many pictures as they could before leaving.

"Who's that?" asked Ruby.

"Scarlet David," growled Nora. "That's my rival!"

"You really don't like that guy. What exactly is the beef between you two?"

"Him and I are always competing in the same contests, and no matter how hard I train, he beats me every single time! There's nothing I'd love more than to finally take that pompous pretty-boy down a peg!"

The way Nora talked about Scarlet made it sound like he was the equivalent of Weiss, and if he was anything like her, Ruby would understand why Nora hated him so much. Scarlet went up to the nurse and asked for one of his Pokémon.

"Looks like he's asking for his Pokémon!" said Nora. "I bet it's for the Pokémon he's going to use for tomorrow's contest! This is perfect; I can find out what he's planning ahead of time! Quick, everyone hide!"

Nora crouched behind her crates of poffins in order to not be seen. Ruby and Jaune didn't understand what Nora was doing, but hid behind her crates as well; the nurse returned with Scarlet's Pokémon.

"Thank you madam," said Scarlet. Scarlet opened his Poké Ball and out came a Pokémon that looked like a giant pink egg with wings.

"Blissey!" cheered the Pokémon.

"How's my cutey feeling?" asked Scarlet, taking out a brush and combing Blissey's hair. "All healthy and ready to win tomorrow's contest?"

"Blissey!" happily replied Blissey.

"We'll see about that. Time for our stretches!" Scarlet and Blissey's routine consisted of stretching their arms up and down, then lifting each of their legs as high as they could, then doing a little spin before extending their arms out in a pose. "Arms up, arms down! Touch the sky, touch your toes! Lift your left, now the other, turn around, and pose! Repeat!" Scarlet and Blissey continued their exercise, staying perfectly synced all the way. Jaune was even starting to hum Scarlet's exercise song.

"You know, he doesn't seem that bad of a guy," said Ruby.

"That's because you haven't actually talked to him yet," said Nora. "I'm telling you, the moment he opens his mouth, you'll quickly learn why he's such a jerk!"

After Scarlet and Blissey finished their exercise routine, Scarlet took out a berry and fed it to Blissey. "That was marvelous Blissey! Tomorrow's contest should be a cakewalk for you!"

Scarlet and Blissey were walking out of the Pokémon Center when Scarlet suddenly stepped on something and made a loud squish sound. Scarlet looked down and saw his boot covered in pink goop from one of the poffins Nora dropped.

"Oh my! It seems somebody left a poffin on the floor. What kind of ill-mannered rascal leaves their litter lying about?"

"Try watching where you're going next time!" yelled Nora. Ruby was dumbfounded as to why Nora decided to yell when she wanted them to hide. Scarlet turned to see Nora and sighed.

"Of course. I should have known this was the work of the uncouth Nora Valkyrie. Still bitter about today's loss I assume?"

"Just you wait Scarlet! Tomorrow will be the day I finally defeat you! Then we'll see who's bitter about losing!"

While Nora started to laugh maniacally, Ruby went up to Scarlet to apologize.

"Hi, I'm Ruby," said Ruby. "Sorry about the poffin."

"Now now, accidents do happen," said Scarlet, taking out a handkerchief and wiping the poffin off his boot. "Then again, who knows what was an accident or not with that nutty bat."

"Who are you calling nutty, you pretentious snob?" replied Nora.

"What else do you call someone who..." Scarlet suddenly stopped when he noticed an Eevee standing next to Nora. "Excuse me, whose Pokémon is that?"

"That would be me," said Ruby.

"Would you mind if I examined your Pokémon for a moment?"

"Um...okay?"

Scarlet went over to observe Eevee up close. He took out a magnifying glass and got a closer look at Eevee's tail and fur, then took one of Eevee's legs and gently squeezed it to feel her muscles.

"I must say, your Eevee is simply adorable!" said Scarlet. "Nicely groomed tail, excellent toned legs, and a well trimmed coat of fur. Have you thought about entering her into a Pokémon Contest?"

"Thanks, but not really. I'm more focused on getting into the Pokémon League."

"No reason you can't do both! I have no doubt that with the right moves, this Eevee can easily win a Cute Contest."

Eevee turned and blushed at Scarlet complimenting her. Hearing Scarlet claim Eevee can win a contest, Nora suddenly came up with a plan to finally beat Scarlet.

"Is that so?" said Nora. "Well guess what? We're going to enter Eevee into tomorrow's contest!"

"Wait, what?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee?" said Eevee, confused as to what Nora was claiming.

"Now wait a minute," said Scarlet. "As cute as that Eevee is, it still has a long way to go before it can compete on a Master Rank level."

"Sounds like someone who's scared of losing their perfect record!" exclaimed Nora.

"Nora, I have no doubt I may one day perhaps lose my perfect record, but I sincerely doubt it will be at the hands of a loudmouth like you."

"Who are you calling loudmouth, you arrogant jerk?"

"You're right; loudmouth is too kind of a word, you ogreish scalawag!"

"Time out!" said Ruby. "First of all, I think everyone here needs to calm down. Secondly, I never agreed to enter Eevee into a contest on your behalf."

"Please Ruby!" said Nora. "Can I borrow your Eevee just for tomorrow?"

"If I had the time I would help, but tomorrow I have to leave to find a city with a gym leader since this one's absent. So unless you know where I can find the gym leader-"

"I know exactly where the gym leader is!" interrupted Nora.

"You do?"

"I really do! Have your Eevee help me win the contest tomorrow and I can get you set up to face the gym leader!"

"In that case, all we need now is Eevee's permission. Do you want to compete in a contest Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, nodding in approval.

"Then it's settled!" said Nora. "Our Eevee is going to out-cute your Blissey!"

"Very well Nora," said Scarlet. "If you want to simply give away another victory to me, I won't stop you. Come along Blissey, let's go over our egg routine one more time." Scarlet and Blissey left the Pokémon Center, with Nora making faces behind their backs.

"Are you sure we should be helping her?" whispered Jaune.

"I know she's a bit hyperactive," replied Ruby, "but it if helps me find the gym leader, I'm willing to put up with it for at least a day."

"All right!" said Nora. "We have a lot of work ahead of us and not much time to waste! The first thing we need to do is find an outfit for Eevee to wear! Something that says she's cute but dignified!"

"How is dressing up a Pokémon dignified?" asked Jaune.

"Just roll with it," said Ruby.

#

While that trio was at the Pokémon Center, another familiar trio arrived in Roseus City: Roman Torchwick and the two cohorts he was now forced to get along with. They all wore hoodies and sunglasses to disguise themselves from the public.

"If my hunch is correct," said Emerald, "the brats should be in this city by now. Odds are they'll be at the city's gym getting a league badge; it'll be the perfect time to observe what they're capable of."

"So remind me why we have to sneak around in these stupid disguises and observe these brats rather than just confront them already?" asked Mercury.

"Because the last time we tried to confront them, we lost! Besides, you should know that in order to take down a threat, you first need to analyze their weaknesses. For someone who claims to be a mercenary, you're not very good at the basics."

"Because I never needed to do any of this boring stuff to get the job done! I go in, beat people up, take their stuff, done. Would have been able to do that already if I wasn't saddled with you and the screw-up."

"Well if I didn't have to be saddled with you and the screw-up, we would have dealt with these brats already!"

"And if I didn't have to be saddled with you two squabblers," said Torchwick, "I would have peace of mind!"

The three of them were about to go at each others throats until they noticed their arguing was attracting the attention of some of the people in public. They quickly calmed down and tried to avert their gazes elsewhere.

"We're keeping a low profile until we know exactly what we're dealing with," said Emerald. "Now let's head to the center to find out where the gym is, and be sure to keep an eye out in case they show up."

"You mean like right now?" asked Mercury, pointing down the block. The trio looked down the block and noticed Ruby and Jaune walking by.

"Quick, turn around and pretend you don't see them!"

The trio turned and stared into the window of a nearby shop as Ruby and her friends walked right past the White Fang. As they walked past, the White Fang overheard their conversation.

"We'll dress Eevee up like a baby!" said Nora. "People loves babies!"

"You are not putting Eevee in a diaper," said Ruby. Eevee quickly nodded in agreement.

"How about a wedding dress?" asked Nora. "Nothing says cute like a blushing bride!"

"Aren't wedding dresses really expensive though?" asked Jaune.

"You're right, bad idea! I say we hit the toy store and find inspirational cute things! This way!" Nora pointed in the opposite direction and headed towards the way they just came, causing Jaune to sigh.

"You sure signing up for this contest was a good idea?" asked Jaune.

"It'll be fine," said Ruby. "Besides, the dressing up part kind of sounds like fun."

As soon as the trio was out of sight, the White Fang discussed what they overheard.

"They're competing in a contest," said Mercury. "Wonder what this contest could be about?"

"Whatever it is, we'll need to see it ourselves," said Emerald.

"I wouldn't bother," said Torchwick. "I've heard about these 'contests;' they're just glorified beauty pageants. Whatever little red is up to, it's not going to be important."

"If they weren't so important, why would she decide to enter one then? There has to be more to this contest than we think!"

"I think you're taking this too seriously."

"For once he's right," said Mercury. "Do we really have to go see one of these things just because the kid is involved?"

"On second thought," said Emerald, "we shouldn't just see this contest...I should enter it myself!"

"Okay," said Torchwick, "first of all, what about the whole keeping a low profile argument you just made?"

"Technically you're the one on the wanted list; most of the rangers don't even know who I am, so I should be just fine."

"Second of all, if you entered one of these stupid contests, you'd rank at the very bottom."

"You think I'm not capable of winning some absurd beauty pageant?"

"I don't think so; I know so."

"Watch me! I'll enter my Weavile into whatever competition they have and win it easily!"

"Are you serious?" asked Mercury. "We really have to go to one of these things?"

"The boss wants us to track down that trainer at all times! I'm going to enter this contest and stop little red from winning!"

#

After finally finding the outfit Nora wanted for Eevee, they went to Nora's private studio to start training for the contest. Nora and Ruby sat in the makeshift audience section while Jaune was on stage pretending to be a judge.

"Now the key to winning these contests is to come up with the right moves to impress the judges!" said Nora. "After looking over the moves of Eevee and Blissey, I believe I've come up with the perfect set of moves to win us that ribbon!"

"Are you sure?" asked Ruby.

"I'm positive! Okay Jaune, start the introduction!"

Jaune pulled out his index cards with his script. "We will now begin the appeal portion of our contest. Our first contestant is Nora's Eevee."

"That's your cue, Eevee!" Eevee ran out from the side of the room onto the stage.

"Oh my, what a lovely Eevee," said Jaune, still reading from the cards. "I wonder what awesome move Eevee will perform first?"

"Now Eevee, show me some Tail Whip!"

Eevee turned around and performed her Tail Whip, waving her tail back and forth in a mesmerizing fashion. Ruby started to applaud for Eevee.

"My that Tail Whip looks so cute," said Jaune. "What a great start-"

"CUT!" interrupted Nora. "I change my mind! That Tail Whip is simply not going to do!"

"Why not?" said Ruby. "I thought it looked just fine."

"Just fine is okay if you're competing on the amateur circuit! Tail Whip is too dull! Any Pokémon can perform that technique! We need to go with something more unique, like say...Baby-Doll Eyes! All right, start over from the beginning!"

Eevee left the stage as everyone got back into place.

"Our first contestant is Nora's Eevee," said Jaune again. Eevee ran out onto the stage like before. "Oh my, what a lovely-"

"CUT!" interrupted Nora again.

"What's wrong now?" asked Ruby.

"We can't be running out to the stage like that! Remember, this is the CUTE Contest we're participating in! Eevee, you have to be walking delicately so the audience knows you're trying to be cute!"

"But aren't the judges supposed to be the ones to determine that?" asked Jaune.

"In Pokémon Contests, EVERYONE is a judge! Everyone will be looking at you and reacting to your every move!"

"So do I have to still be up here or-"

"Places everyone!" Eevee rolled her eyes and went back to her initial position.

"Here's Nora's Eevee," said Jaune. This time Eevee skipped lightly onto the stage, earning Nora's approval so far. "What will Eevee's first move be?"

"Eevee, show off your Baby-Doll Eyes!" commanded Nora. Eevee turned to Jaune and used her Baby-Doll Eyes.

"My that Tail Whip...I mean, Baby-Doll Eyes look cute?"

"YES!" shouted Nora. "That was perfect Eevee! Let's take a quick meal break and then work on our entire routine!" Nora brought out a big bowl of poffins to feed to Eevee. Eevee was about to dive in and start eating when Ruby suddenly grabbed the bowl away from her.

"Should Eevee really be eating so many poffins?" asked Ruby. "This amount of sweets can't be good for her."

"We can't take any chances. We need to boost her sheen as much as possible."

"What good is 'sheen' and all this other stuff if Eevee is sick to her stomach the next day? I'll let her have a few, but that's it."

"But Ruby, if Eevee doesn't have the right amount of sheen, we won't be able to win! And if I don't win, you won't be able to face this city's gym leader!"

"Gym leader or not, Eevee is still my Pokémon and I'm not going to let you upset her diet just to win a contest."

"Fine; I'll give Eevee just a couple poffins. But we're not leaving here until our routine is perfect!"

"Deal," said Ruby. Ruby took out a few poffins and handed them to Eevee. They spent the rest of the night doing their routine over and over until Nora believed they finally had the right moves to win against Scarlet and Blissey.

#

The contest hall was quickly filling up with spectators wanting to see if Scarlet would be able to make it five for five once again. Scarlet had obtained such popularity amongst the contest crowd that his appearances this week caused tickets to see the show instantly sell out, for a lot of people wanted to be there the day the champion finally lost.

"I've never seen so many people gather for something like this," said Ruby. "It's almost like watching a Pokémon Championship match!"

"For us contest enthusiasts," said Nora, "every Master Rank contest is like a championship match, especially when that presumptuous jerk Scarlet is involved! But today is the day when Nora Valkyrie finally one-ups her long-time nemesis! To the registration booth!"

Nora and Ruby headed to the registration booth, where Scarlet was already registering with Blissey by his side.

"Hello ladies," said Scarlet. "Still going with your Eevee to win?"

"You darn right we are!" said Nora, heading to the booth and signing all the necessary paperwork. While Nora was busy, Scarlet went up to Ruby.

"As much as I doubt your chances, I still wish you the best of luck in today's contest. May the cutest Pokémon win!"

"Likewise," replied Ruby, shaking Scarlet's hand. Blissey and Eevee nodded to each other as a sign of good will as well.

As the three of them went to the dressing rooms for the contestants, Emerald and her still disguised cohorts arrived at the booth to sign up for the contest.

"Name?"

"Jade Celadon," said Emerald.

"Pokémon to be entered?"

"My Weavile."

"Pardon? Did you say a Weavile?"

"You have a problem with that?" yelled Emerald. She was not in a good mood thanks to Mercury and Torchwick talking earlier about how this was a bad idea and she had no chance of winning.

"No problem at all! We just need to see your Ultra Rank ribbon."

"My what?"

"You do know you can only enter the Master Ranking by obtaining an Ultra Rank ribbon first, right?"

"Oh, of course! I just...happen...to..." Emerald was quickly trying to come up with an excuse before she got busted. Mercury and Torchwick were smiling, hoping this was their chance to not have to watch this contest.

"Actually, that won't be necessary," said one of the judges, instantly killing Mercury and Torchwick's hopes. "Just sign here and you're in."

"Really? Well thank you." Emerald signed the paperwork and headed for the dressing room.

"Why did you let her sign without the proper credentials?" asked the other judge.

"Because between Scarlet and Nora, we're lucky anyone wants to step up and participate. Remember how hard it was yesterday to find a fourth?"

"Good point."

Each contestant participating in a contest had their own dressing room to dress up and model with their Pokémon in privacy. As Ruby was brushing Eevee's fur, Nora reached into her shopping bag and pulled out Eevee's costume: A Vacuo style Kindergarten uniform, consisting of a yellow rimmed hat and a baby blue buttoned shirt, re-sized to fit Eevee.

"Now should we go with the little red backpack, or the yellow carrier bag?" asked Nora.

"I'm not sure," said Ruby. "What do you think, Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, pointing to the backpack.

"That's what I was going to choose!" said Nora. "We're like two beans in a string!"

"Don't you mean two peas in a pod?" asked Ruby.

"Peas, string beans, same thing!"

While Ruby and Jaune tried to make sense of Nora's idioms, Emerald was having her Weavile practice its moves. Mercury and Torchwick were standing around bored out of their minds.

"Is there any reason for us to be here?" asked Torchwick.

"If not for the boss making me work with you, no," said Emerald. Torchwick was going to reply when an announcement was being made on the loudspeaker.

"Attention participants! The Visual Competition will begin in fifteen minutes! Please have your outfits ready five minutes before curtain time!"

"We're supposed to have outfits?" asked Emerald.

"Outfits?" said Torchwick. "In a beauty pageant? Color me shocked!"

"Now is not the time for your nonsense! We need an outfit for Weavile now!" Emerald quickly looked around the room to think of stuff to give to Weavile, and noticed Torchwick still had his original outfit on. "Torchwick, I'll need your cane and hat!"

"Oh no! After all the things you've called me, you expect me to help you?"

"You either help me win this contest or I call the boss to tell her how you screwed up yet again!"

"Nice try amateur! I can tell when you're bluffing!"

"You sure about that?"

Emerald pulled out her scroll and pulled up Cinder's contact information, hovering her finger over the dial button. Torchwick started to sweat but didn't think Emerald would push the button. Since Torchwick refused to give up his stuff, Emerald pressed the button and contacted Cinder.

"Fine!" interrupted Torchwick. "Here's my hat and cane!" Emerald immediately hung up and took Torchwick's prized possessions. "Just don't get them messed up."

#

All the non-contestants reported to the auditorium for the start of the contest. Ruby and Jaune sat in the front row while Mercury and Torchwick tried to hide towards the back section. The lights dimmed as the spotlights and the loud cheery music came on, exciting everyone else in the audience.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, and Pokémon, welcome to the Roseus City Pokémon Contest! Today will be the final day of our Master Rank Contests Week as we determine who is the cutest of the Cute! I'm your host, Meg Turney, and joining me for this contest today is one of Vale's Pokémon Elite Four, Peter Port!"

"It's great to be here Meg!" said Port. "What many people don't know is that outside of being an Elite Four trainer, I too have entered in my fair share of Pokémon Contests! I remember my first contest like it was yesterday! I had entered my Geodude into a Tough Contest. Everyone thought I was crazy to do so! 'What's so tough about a big rock' they would ask me. But I silenced those critics-"

"That's great Port, and I'd love to hear more, but I believe our contestants are ready to begin!"

The lights went out as one spotlight shined on the left most side of the stage where the Pokémon would come out.

"Our first contestant is Lindsay and her Pokémon, Azurill!"

"I've heard many positive things about this trainer; let's see what she's got!"

Azurill came out wearing a bathing suit while its big tail was painted to look like a beach ball. The crowd started to cheer as Azurill bounced around on stage.

"What an adorable idea of using Azurill's big, bouncy tail!" said Meg.

"The crowd certainly approves!" noted Port.

"Our second contestant is Nora and her Pokémon, Eevee!"

"Nora is a personal favorite of mine! I have no doubt she has something spectacular planned!"

Azurill stood towards the back as Eevee made her way out on stage. She walked out in her Kindergarten uniform, then sat down and waved one paw to wave to the audience. The audience were cheering even louder than they did for Azurill, bringing a big smile to Ruby's face.

"Nothing says cute like a traditional childrens uniform!" said Meg.

"And the crowd simply adores it!" said Port. Backstage, Nora was excited to see Eevee get a good reaction.

"That was perfect Eevee!" said Nora. "Let's see Scarlet top that!"

"Our third contestant is Scarlet and his Pokémon, Blissey!" said Meg.

"What will the contest champion dazzle us with today?" asked Port.

As soon as Blissey skipped out on stage, Nora nearly flipped, and Ruby suddenly had a bad feeling about Eevee's chances. Blissey was wearing a High School Sailor Fuku.

"Oh no!" said Ruby. "He came up with a school uniform idea too?"

"And from the sound of the crowd," said Jaune, "he's doing it better."

Blissey danced around on stage like it was a cheerleader. Just about everyone in the crowd was cheering for Blissey, easily taking the lead in the visual competition.

"Blissey captures the true spirit of a cute high school student!" said Meg.

"The entire crowd is roaring with applause!" said Port.

"Finally, our fourth contestant is Jade and..." Meg stopped when she noticed the Pokémon Jade was using and whispered off-hand to Port. "Is this right? A Weavile?"

"I thought the same thing, but it's not a mistake. Perhaps she'll surprise us."

"I doubt it, but okay." Meg cleared her throat and went back on the mike. "As I was saying, our fourth contestant is Jade and her Pokémon, Weavile!"

Weavile came out wearing Torchwick's hat and cane. Weavile spun the cane around and then struck a pose pointing to the audience. What soon followed was dead silence as nobody thought what Weavile was doing would be considered cute. The other contestants were confused as to what Weavile was trying to pull off.

"A noble effort by our up-and-comer, wouldn't you say Meg?" asked Port.

"Er, yes! Noble indeed!" replied Meg.

"I guess this means neither you or that Weavile are cute," said Mercury.

"I'm not sure if I should be happy or angry about that," remarked Torchwick.

"Hey Ruby," said Jaune, "is it me or have we seen that Weavile before?"

"You're right," said Ruby. "That hat and cane look very familiar." Ruby looked over to the side and noticed Emerald standing backstage. "Jaune, that's one of the members of the White Fang!"

"The White Fang? Why are they entering a contest?"

"Beats me, but we have to warn Nora!"

"That will do for our visual competition!" announced Meg. "Stay tuned as we get the stage ready for our appeal round!"

As the production crew was making changes to the set, Ruby ran backstage to talk to Nora.

"Nora, I have to tell you something urgent!

"I know, I know!" said Nora. "Scarlet had to have been spying on us when-"

"Forget about Scarlet! Nora, that girl who said she's 'Jade Celadon' is actually a member of the White Fang!"

"A gang of Pokémon criminals in a contest? That sounds...exciting!"

"Excited is not how I would feel. When they're involved, something bad is bound to happen."

"Don't worry Ruby. If she tries anything afoul, I'll get my Pokémon to break her legs! Criminals can't run on broken legs!" Nora laughed at the thought of breaking criminal legs. Ruby and Eevee were almost terrified at Nora's proposal.

"You seem to have everything under control. I'll be in the front row just in case." Ruby sat back in the front row, now more worried for the White Fang.

#

With the stage now expanded for the Pokémon to show off their moves, the Pokémon took center stage as the competitors stayed towards the back where they would be giving orders.

"We're a few moments away from our Appeal Competition!" announced Meg. "Before we begin, the judges have calculated the scores based on audience approval. Currently ranked in first after receiving 99% approval is Scarlet and Blissey. In second place is Nora and Eevee, receiving 86% approval. In third place is Lindsay and Azurill, receiving 72% approval. And in last place is Jade and Weavile, receiving...well...no approval."

"Quite a gap, but I'm sure Weavile will make a great comeback!" said Port. "Nobody thought I had a chance of making a comeback when my Mareep lost its fur and didn't impress anybody during the Beautiful Contest! But my Mareep stood tall and showed the world that beauty is truly-"

"As I was saying, Weavile will get to go first in the opening round. Let's see what amazing moves this underdog is capable of!" Weavile took the center stage, ready to begin.

"Weavile, start off with Hone Claws!" commanded Emerald. Weavile rubbed its claws together and sharpened them to a shiny, clean cut; the judges were impressed.

"A nice move to start things off! Next up this round is Azurill!"

"Okay Azurill, dazzle them with Water Gun!" said Lindsay. Azurill sprayed water into the air like a fountain, impressing the judges a lot.

"Azurill's really impressed the judges! Now it's Eevee's turn!"

"Eevee, show off your Sand Attack!" said Nora. Eevee turned around and kicked up a lot of the dust on stage; the judges were amazed at the way she was able to kick the dust straight up.

"Who knew that sand could look so cute? And finally, here's Blissey!"

"All right Blissey, show'em your Growl!" said Scarlet. Blissey went up and Growled in a loud yet sweetening voice that enamored the judges along with a majority of the audience.

"Oh man," said Ruby, "that Blissey is good. I hope Nora knows what she's doing."

"A great start to the competition!" announced Meg. "After the judges jot down the final scores, we'll determine the turn order for Round Two!"

The turn order was displayed on the monitor hanging above the stage; from first to last was Weavile, Blissey, Eevee, and then Azurill.

"Now Weavile, show them your Metal Claw!" Weavile slashed the air multiple times, showing off its precision and speed. As good as the move looked, the judges didn't like what they saw. Emerald could overhear some audience members question her choices, enraging her worse than she already was.

"Blissey, do the Defense Curl!" Blissey curled up its arms and legs to make itself look like a perfect oval, which definitely delighted the judges.

_"They hate my claw attack but swoon over that stupid egg pose?"_ thought Emerald.

"They think that's cute?" asked Nora. "Eevee, unleash your Baby-Doll Eyes!" Eevee went up to the judges and stared at them with her big, teary eyes. The judges and nearly everyone in the audience loved it; Emerald on the other hand wanted to throw up.

"Azurill, time for Tail Whip!" Azurill bounced off its tail and waved it slowly back and forth in the air. The audience reaction was getting higher and higher with every move performed.

"At this rate, I'd say it's anybody contest!" said Port. "Time for Round 3! The first turn goes to Eevee!"

"Perfect!" said Nora. "Eevee, Charm the judges!" Eevee gave the judges a bright smile while chanting her name, ending with a big wink of one of her eyes. The audience was reaching their peak of excitement. Azurill was to go up next, but started shaking nervously from the pressure the audience's attention was giving off.

"C'mon Azurill, do your Bounce!" Azurill was about to start bouncing, but chickened out and ran back to Lindsay at the last second.

"Oh no!" said Port. "Azurill looks to have been startled! That will definitely handicap Lindsay's chances of winning. Now let's see what Blissey will do!"

"All right Blissey," said Scarlet, "time to start our fabulous egg combo! Commence Soft-Boiled!" Blissey focused her energy towards her stomach and popped out a giant egg from its egg sack. Blissey held the egg up high for everyone to see.

"Quite a feat from Blissey! Finally, it's Weavile's turn!"

"They think a giant egg is impressive?" said Emerald. "Weavile, Feint Attack!" Weavile slowly walked to the judges, then suddenly

appeared in front of them and slashed the air with her claws. The judges were somewhat impressed, but their reaction was nothing compared to the earlier moves.

"Weavile still seems to be falling behind," said Port, "but we've still got two more rounds to go so it's still anybody's contest!"

After the judges finished their scoring, the turn order for round four would be Azurill, Blissey, Eevee, then Weavile.

"Azurill, use Bubble!" Azurill calmed its nerves and returned to the center stage, blowing bright bubbles into the air. The judges loved the bubbles, putting Azurill back in the running. As Blissey was heading to the center stage for her move, Nora bent down to whisper to Eevee.

"If Blissey is going to do what I think she'll do, wait for my signal and use Covet, got it?" Eevee nodded in response.

"Blissey, time to show them what true cuteness looks like!" said Scarlet. "Bring forth the Egg Bomb!"

"Scarlet is about to pull off a combo move!" said Meg. "This might be what clinches his victory!"

Blissey took the egg she made from her previous move and tossed it high into the air. The audience held its breath, waiting to see what Blissey was going to do next.

"Now Eevee!" shouted Nora. As the egg was coming down, Eevee suddenly ran up the stage and jumped high, nabbing the egg in mid-air before Blissey can catch it and complete her move. Eevee landed with the egg and started to play around with it like a ball, causing the audience to erupt in cheers.

"Unbelievable!" said Port. "Eevee used Covet to nab the egg before Blissey can finish its move! The audience is going nuts for Eevee!"

"I think Eevee might actually win this!" shouted Ruby, barely able to hear herself from the audience's cheering. Even Scarlet was impressed by Eevee's move.

"The audience has reached their peak!" said Meg. "Let's see if Weavile can capitalize on this!"

"They think that was good? Weavile, Night Slash!" commanded Emerald. Weavile slashed the air, leaving a dark air trail from its claws. The audience suddenly went from cheering to moaning at seeing Weavile's move.

"Another poor choice by our struggling contestant," said Meg. Seeing everybody turn on her caused Emerald to finally lose her patience.

"This is ridiculous!" yelled Emerald. "My Weavile's moves are the best! What does it matter how flashy they're supposed to look?"

"Miss Jade," said Scarlet, "flashy moves are the entire point of contests. Surely this isn't your first time participating in one, is it not?"

"So what if it is?"

"Wait, you mean you...?"

"We're down to our final round!" said Port. "Our first Pokémon will be-"

"Excuse me!" interrupted Scarlet. "I'd like to take a time out to discuss something with our misguided contestant over here!"

Everyone was confused as to why Scarlet suddenly wanted to stop, but the judges decided to grant him a minute.

"Miss Jade, do you even know the five categories that moves are broken down into?"

"What are you even talking about?"

"The different types of appeal a move can have? Tough, Cool, Cute, Clever, and Beautiful? You at least know about that, right?"

"Are you making fun of me or something?"

"So you really..." Scarlet tried to keep himself from laughing but couldn't help giggle at Emerald's response.

"What's so funny?"

"My apologies, but I've never seen anyone enter a high ranking contest without a clue about how contests work! Even the people who start out in the lower ranks have some basic knowledge of contest participation!"

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"Now now, stupid is too mean of a word. Besides, we've all made embarrassing decisions without knowing any better. How about you save yourself the trouble and drop out now?"

"I've got a better idea! Weavile, Metal Claw this pretty boy's Blissey!"

Weavile ran up to Blissey and slashed her with its claws. Blissey toppled over after taking serious damage. The other trainers and Pokémon including Ruby ran up to check on Blissey as the audience was shocked by Emerald's actions.

"Miss Jade! What is the meaning of this?"

"I don't need these stupid contests, I don't need these stupid people's approval, and I certainly don't need advice from an ugly goof like you!"

Hearing Emerald's outburst caused Nora to gasp. "Oh no."

"What's wrong?" asked Ruby.

"She just called Scarlet the U word. Even I never went that far!"

Ruby looked over to Scarlet and noticed his eye twitching and teeth clenching.

"Did you...just call me...ugly?" asked Scarlet.

"Ugly is too modest," replied Emerald. "You look like-"

"NOW SEE HERE!" yelled Scarlet. "I have been called many negative things over the years! Pompous, arrogant, childish, buffoonish, overrated, stupid, jealous, annoying...and I simply ignore all that! But Miss Jade, you madam have crossed the line by calling me the one thing I pride myself in being anything but! No one, AND I MEAN NO ONE, gets away with calling me UGLY! Blissey, it's time to teach this rude rapscallion a lesson!"

Blissey suddenly popped back up and got into a fighting stance. The other trainers got their Pokémon ready to fight as well.

"Bring it on!" said Emerald. "I'll teach you vapid losers what Pokémon are really meant for!"

"Looks like Emerald is starting a fight," said Mercury.

"She sure is," said Torchwick.

"Should we help her out?"

"I already helped by giving her my favorite hat and cane. I'll be waiting outside."

"Right behind you."

Weavile went after Blissey again with a Night Slash; Blissey used Defense Curl to protect herself from the attack. Azurill bounced over and shot Bubbles to slow Weavile down. Weavile turned its attention to Azurill and attacked Azurill with a Night Slash, dealing a serious amount of damage that nearly knocked Azurill out.

"HA!" said Emerald. "All looks and no skill! You trainers are pathetic!"

"And you're about to be no looks!" quipped Nora. "Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee turned around and kicked up sand to blind Weavile; Weavile held up its arms to block the attack ahead of time.

"Is that all you got?"

"Eevee, Baby-Doll Eyes!" Eevee was confused as to why Nora asked her to do that move. "Trust me Eevee, it'll work!" Eevee turned back to Weavile and gave it the tearful eye look. The look caused Weavile and Emerald to laugh.

"You seriously think we're going to fall for that?" asked Emerald.

"No, but it did give Blissey enough time to stock up on her Egg Bombs."

"What?" yelled Emerald, turning around and noticing Blissey holding several eggs.

"Fire away, Blissey!" commanded Scarlet. Blissey threw all her eggs at Weavile, each egg exploding on impact. Weavile could hardly defend itself from the onslaught of egg bombs and took too much damage to keep fighting. Between three trainers and the security coming out to arrest Emerald, she knew it was time to call it quits.

"I've got better things to do than waste my time fighting you!" said Emerald, recalling Weavile and making a break for the nearest exit.

#

After the staff came out to heal everyone's Pokémon, the judges decided to announce the winner now due to the time wasted by Emerald fighting.

"The judges have tallied up the scores!" announced Port. "In fourth place...well, in third place, Lindsay Jones and her Azurill!"

"We'll get'em next time Azurill," said Lindsay as her and Azurill bowed to the audience.

"And now, the winner of the Master Rank Cute Contest is..." Ruby and Nora were crossing their fingers, hoping to hear it was Eevee.

"Nora Valkyrie and her Eevee!"

"YES!" shouted Nora. "I did it! I finally won a Master Rank! All thanks to you Eevee!" Nora picked up Eevee and gave her several kisses on the forehead. Ruby was relieved they won, meaning they were now one step closer to finding that gym leader.

With the contest over, Nora was being interviewed by the press while holding her newly acquired ribbon.

"I'd like to thank all the members of Team Nora who have supported me for so long, this little cutey for winning me that ribbon, and my best friend Lie Ren! Ren, if you're watching this, I finally did it!"

"Indeed you have," said Scarlet, appearing beside her. "Congratulations Nora; you finally bested me in a contest. Let's hope this wasn't a one-time fluke."

"It's only a matter of time before I beat you in every other contest!" Nora went back to her interview as Scarlet went up to Ruby.

"And congratulations to you Ruby. Your Eevee is amazing in more ways than one. You should take pride in raising such a strong yet beautiful Pokémon."

"I know we were trying to win," said Ruby, "but I'm sorry about the way you had to lose."

"Sorry for what? Your Eevee won the contest fair and square."

"But we still had at least one more round to go. Doesn't seem fair for you to lose your perfect streak because of that."

"Perhaps, but so it goes. All good things must come to an end. I'll just have to take solace in the fact I still win the other 99% of contests I enter. In honor of this great victory, I'd like to treat you all to a round of colorful berry shakes!"

"I humbly accept!" said Nora, now finished with her interview.

"Before we go," said Ruby, "there's something we need to take care of first."

"Oh, right, the whole gym leader thing! Don't worry about it."

"Nora, we had a deal! I'd prefer we found this gym leader now instead of later."

"Well, if it's that important to you, I'll let you know who the gym leader is. The gym leader you're looking for...IS ME!"

It took Ruby a few seconds to take in what Nora suddenly announced.

"Wait, YOU'RE the gym leader?" asked Ruby. "The gym leader of Roseus City?"

"Yep!" said Nora. "Sorry I didn't tell you before, but I really wanted to win my first Master Rank contest! After we go out for shakes I'll have everything ready for our battle, okay?"

"So you tricked me...and we did all this..." Ruby was too shocked to realize what just happened. Jaune patted Ruby on the back to cheer her up.

"Look on the bright side," said Jaune. "Your Eevee is the cutest Pokémon in the world."

"Thanks...I guess."


	19. The Queen of Fairies! Ruby vs Nora

"Stupid judges with their stupid scoring favoring those stupid Pokémon just because of some stupid...ARGH!"

After Emerald failed in the contest, Team White Fang were back in their motel where Emerald was throwing a fit as well as any object she can get a hold of.

"I told you those things were a waste of time," said Torchwick.

"I wouldn't say that," said Mercury. "We got to see Emerald humiliate herself. That was worth something."

"And where were you two when I needed you?" yelled Emerald.

"Whoa! I was just keeping a low profile, standing back and observing their weaknesses!"

"And what help would I be?" asked Torchwick. "After all, who is it that keeps calling me useless?"

Emerald wanted to reply but just kept yelling incoherent words. She grabbed a pillow and screamed as loud as she could to let it all out.

"Fine," said Emerald. "I admit I made some tactical errors, but now is the time to look past that and move on."

"May I suggest we confront them and fight it out like I wanted to?" asked Mercury.

"I have a better idea. Before we go after little red and her friends, I need to settle a score with those annoying redheads!"

"Actually," said Torchwick, "I think we can did do both at once."

"We can? How?"

"Being bored out of my mind during the contest, I spent a lot of time reading random articles on my scroll and just happened to come across one about Roseus City's gym leader. Take a look who it turned out to be!"

Torchwick tossed his scroll to Emerald; the article was talking about the rivalry between Nora and Scarlet, and briefly mentioned how Nora was the city's gym leader.

"That buffoon is the gym leader here?"

"Get where I'm going with this? I bet if we paid a visit to that gym, we can kill two birds with one stone; three if the flamboyant guy shows up as well."

"Perfect! All we have to do is strike at the right time and everyone will be dealt with in one swift blow!"

"So what are we waiting for?" asked Mercury. "Let's get this over with so the boss stops pestering us about it!"

#

After going out for shakes, Ruby went back to the Pokémon Center to pick out her team for the gym battle. She was slightly ticked off that Nora had used her to win a contest, but at least she was finally going to get her long awaited match.

"All right," said Ruby. "After looking into the strengths and weaknesses of Fairy type Pokémon, I'm going to use Talonflame, Beedrill, and Mawile. What do you think Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, raising one of her paws up in approval.

"Then let's go win our fifth badge!"

While Ruby and her friends headed to the gym shaped like a castle, Nora's assistants were making the preparations for the battle. Nora loved to put on a show whenever she was in a gym battle; whether she won or lost, her performances were highly entertaining to watch. As the assistants cleaned up the arena and the audience began filing in, Nora was backstage in her dressing room trying to contact her best friend.

"C'mon Ren, pick up!" said Nora. Usually when she tried to call him it would go to his voicemail, and she was hoping she finally called him at the right time for him to actually pick up and answer. Alas, after the scroll rang several times, it went to his voicemail.

"Sorry, but I cannot answer calls at this time," said Ren's voicemail. "Please leave a message." Nora groaned at the call going to voicemail, but took a deep breath and tried to play off like it didn't bother her.

"Hey Ren, it's Nora! I guess you're busy with your work as usual! Just calling to ask if you watched the news because, guess what? I won a Master Rank Contest! Maybe the next time I enter one, you can take some time out of your schedule and come watch me compete! Give me a call back, okay? Remember to not work so hard! I know what you do is important, but...on second thought, nothing stops you from working hard! Just call me as soon as you can, okay? Bye!"

Nora hung up but held on to the scroll, hoping Ren would hear the message and call her back right away. After about a minute of waiting, Nora decided to call Ren again, and just like every other instance before, it went to his voicemail instead. Realizing Ren was not going to call back any time soon, Nora put her scroll away and got herself ready for the match.

#

Ruby and Jaune entered the gym and were in awe of the medieval motif everywhere. Everyone from the security staff to the retail associates were staying in character, making them feel as if they truly stepped into a fairy tale story. While Ruby was escorted to the challenger's area, Jaune and Eevee went to the arena; as expected, the battle area was covered in sand, and on the far side was a throne perched on a balcony. As they went to their seats, they were greeted by a familiar contest master.

"Hello Jaune!" greeted Scarlet.

"Scarlet? What are you doing here?" asked Jaune.

"What else? To see the amazing battle between the dastardly Queen Valkyrie and the righteous Rose!" Scarlet reached under his seat and pulled out a sign that read "Arceus Smite The Queen" on one side and "Fight Ruby Fight" on the other.

"I have more signs if you want to hold them up yourself," said Scarlet.

"I don't think I'll be doing that," replied Jaune, looking around and seeing some people give Scarlet a dirty look for not liking Nora.

Trumpets blared across the arena, indicating the show was about to begin. The lights came down as a messenger riding a Rapidash galloped into the arena.

"Greetings one and all to the Roseus City Gym! Everyone please rise and place your left foot forward as I present to you, her royal highness, leader of the Roseus City Gym: Queen Nora Valkyrie!"

Nora came out from behind the balcony's curtain wearing a crown and cape and holding a scepter. The audience cheered as Nora waved to everyone as she took her place on the throne.

"Thank you all!" announced Nora. "You may now be seated!"

"My Queen!" said the messenger. "I bring news that a rose-tinted knight haling from the Island of Patch has come forth to challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

"Bring forth this challenger!" demanded Nora. Dramatic music played in the arena as the spotlight shined on the challenger's entrance; out walked Ruby dressed in a red knight garb and cape. Ruby felt weird having to come out in a costume just for the opening ceremony, but as soon as she walked out and heard the crowd reaction, she felt excited and was starting to get into the medieval spirit.

"And I thought the Pokémon contests were ridiculous," said Jaune.

"Oh don't be such a wet piece of bread!" remarked Scarlet, holding up his sign and cheering for Ruby.

"You there!" said Nora, pointing her scepter to Ruby. "State your name and purpose!"

"My name is Ruby Rose," said Ruby, "graduate of Beacon Academy! I am on a quest to obtain eight gym badges in order to challenge the Elite Four and claim the Vale Championship!"

"Tell me Ruby Rose, how many badges have you acquired so far?"

"I have earned four badges, and you shall be victory number five!" The audience were aghast at Ruby's bold statement, but Nora simply laughed it off.

"AH HA HA HA! You're quite brave to challenge a gym leader so boldly! I, Nora Valkyrie, Queen of the Roseus City Gym, accept your challenge! Our battle will consist of a three on three match! If you are to knock out my three warriors, I shall reward you the Magnhild badge! Let our challenge...COMMENCE!"

The arena was soon lit up as the monitor flashed the two trainers' names and Pokémon. Nora and Ruby got out of their costumes and were ready for battle.

"I call upon my first warrior: Wigglytuff!" Nora threw out her Poké Ball to call out Wigglytuff, standing and waiting for battle.

"Go Beedrill!" announced Ruby, calling out her Beedrill, taking into the air in the middle of the arena.

"What a brilliant choice of a Pokémon!" said Scarlet.

"Because Beedrill's poison abilities gives it an advantage over Fairies, right?" remarked Jaune.

"No, because those needles of Beedrill look like lances! It fits the theme perfectly!"

"Oh, of course," said Jaune, forgetting who he was talking to.

"Your Beedrill looks tough," said Nora, "but 'tough' is literally in my Pokémon's name! Prepare for your first defeat!"

"Not likely!" said Ruby. "Beedrill, poison her with Toxic!"

Beedrill flew down at Wigglytuff and held up its stinger to shoot purple poisonous goo at Wigglytuff; Wigglytuff started to jump around the arena to avoid coming in contact with Beedrill.

"You think you can poison my Pokémon?" asked Nora. "Think again! Wigglytuff, Disable its Toxic now!"

Wigglytuff opened up its bright eyes and shot a beam of light at Beedrill. Beedrill suddenly stopped in mid-air and ceased using its Toxic immediately.

"Well there goes that strategy," said Ruby. "All right Beedrill, time for plan B! Use Flash!" Beedrill emitted a bright Flash of light that blinded Wigglytuff, made worse from Wigglytuff having such huge eyes to absorb the light. "If I can't poison your Wigglytuff, I'll blind it instead!"

"A fruitless effort, knight!" exclaimed Nora. "Being blind won't stop Wigglytuff from performing its signature move!"

"Signature move?"

"Wigglytuff, time to Sing your heart out!"

The audience went into complete silence, taking out their scrolls to record what was going to happen next. Wigglytuff took a deep breath and started to belt out a heavenly tune that echoed across the arena.

_"Uh oh, I've heard about this!"_ thought Ruby. _"Whenever a Pokémon sings like that, it can cause other Pokémon to sleep!"_ Sure enough, Ruby's Beedrill started to slow down its wings and slowly land on the ground, drifting off to sleep.

"If only you had a Poké Flute to wake up your Beedrill. Allow me to lend a hand. Wigglytuff, time for a Wake-Up Slap!"

Wigglytuff jumped over to where Beedrill was sleeping, wound its arm back, and slapped Beedrill so hard across the face it forced Beedrill to wake up, not to mention take some damage as well. The audience oohed at the force of Wigglytuff's slap; Wigglytuff and Nora smirked at a job well done, while Beedrill and Ruby were livid.

"Don't just take that from her Beedrill! Counter with Twin Needle!" Beedrill immediately got up and charged at Wigglytuff with its needles.

"Wigglytuff, Body Slam!" Wigglytuff inhaled a lot of air to the point that it expanded in size and bounced high into the air, avoiding Beedrill's attack. Once it was over Beedrill, Wigglytuff let out the air and came crashing down on Beedrill's body, dealing even more damage. Wigglytuff laughed as it had Beedrill trapped under its body.

"What say you now, insect knight? Will you bow out of this battle or continue to grovel under my Wigglytuff's feet?"

"I guess we don't have any other choice," said Ruby.

"Is thou really going to forfeit?"

"I have no other option but to...use Poison Jab!"

The sudden command had caught Nora and Wigglytuff off guard. Beedrill bent its body and lunged its poison stinger at Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff tried to jump away, but was too slow; the stinger jabbed into the stomach of Wigglytuff and dealt serious damage, causing Wigglytuff to tumble off Beedrill and release it from her grasp.

"Way to go Ruby!" cheered Jaune. Eevee jumped up and cheered for her master as well.

"Never give in to that wretched queen!" cheered Scarlet.

"All right Beedrill, follow it up with Twin Needle!" commanded Ruby. Beedrill got in the air and charged at Wigglytuff.

"Wigglytuff, jump!" said Nora. Wigglytuff inhaled a lot of air and jumped straight up to avoid Beedrill. Beedrill turned around and went after Wigglytuff, but Wigglytuff quickly exhaled to avoid Beedrill again. "Now Wigglytuff, give us another performance!"

"Beedrill, stop her before she sings!" Beedrill flew as fast as it could to attack Wigglytuff, but Wigglytuff had already begun to Sing. Beedrill got drowsy and fell asleep before it can reach Wigglytuff. With Beedrill vulnerable, Wigglytuff jumped back into the air and came crashing down with another Body Slam. The monitor above showed the attack draining the rest of Beedrill's health, eliminating him from the match.

"A noble effort, but your insect knight has fallen!" exclaimed Nora. "One down, two to go!"

"_That Wigglytuff is deceptively strong,"_ thought Ruby. _"Luckily, I have a little deceptive Pokémon of my own."_

"I shall now call upon my Mawile to defeat you!" Ruby called out her Mawile, taking the center stage and ready to fight.

"A fellow Fairy type!" said Nora. "This should make the battle interesting! Wigglytuff, put that Mawile to sleep!"

"Quickly Mawile, use Sweet Scent!"

As Wigglytuff began to Sing, Mawile sprayed its infamously sweet stench at Wigglytuff. The gas was so strong, Wigglytuff started coughing and could hardly concentrate on singing. While Wigglytuff was distracted, Mawile ran up to attack.

"Don't think you can prevent my Wigglytuff from singing! Wigglytuff, Disable the Sweet Scent!" Wigglytuff opened its eyes and shot a beam of light at Mawile, disabling its ability to use Sweet Scent anymore.

"A lot of good that will do ya!" said Ruby. "Mawile, Crunch that balloon!" Mawile opened its steel jaws and lunged at Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff inhaled a lot of air and jumped away to avoid getting bitten.

"All right Wigglytuff, time to go back to singing!" Wigglytuff exhaled its air and sang her all too familiar tune, and right on cue, Mawile fell on its bottom and went to sleep as soon as it heard the song. Nora laughed upon seeing Mawile doze off. "No matter how strong the opposition, everyone falls under the spell of my mighty Wigglytuff's song! Now Wigglytuff, give that Mawile a rude awakening!"

Wigglytuff bounced over to Mawile and stood over where it was sleeping. Wigglytuff wound its arm back ready to strike, when suddenly Mawile jolted out of its slumber.

"Mawile, Vice Grip attack!" commanded Ruby. Mawile stood right back up and lobbed its horns forward, catching Wigglytuff in its trap and gripped its jaws on her body.

"No way!" said Nora. "Most Pokémon are asleep for at least two attacks! How did your Mawile wake up so fast?"

"Simple; it's hard to sleep when you smell something strange in the air."

That's when Nora suddenly realized that Wigglytuff was smelling weird because of the Sweet Scent the Mawile used earlier, and Mawile use the smell to wake up as soon as Wigglytuff was close enough to attack.

"Well-played knight, but my Wigglytuff will not succumb to defeat! Wigglytuff, Sing that thing back to sleep!"

Wigglytuff attempted to Sing once more, but Mawile's grip was causing Wigglytuff to have trouble breathing properly, throwing off her notes and causing the song to be useless. Wigglytuff tried to inflate and bounce out of the grip, but Mawile was biting down with everything it had.

"Tuff! Tuff!" cried Wigglytuff, indicating it wanted to give up. Nora had no choice but to oblige, calling Wigglytuff back before it got seriously hurt.

"We are tied at one knockout apiece!" proclaimed Nora. "But that's going to change! If you think that Sweet Scent was something, wait until you meet my next Pokémon that makes that aroma smell tame in comparison! Come forth, my Slurpuff!"

Nora called out her Slurpuff, a Pokémon that looked like some kind of giant cupcake with eyes, and smelled like one as well. The moment it entered the arena, everyone could smell the Slurpuff's delicious aroma. The only one who didn't care about the stench was Mawile, remaining focused on taking out another one of Nora's Pokémon.

"All right Mawile, try to get that thing into a Vice Grip!" Mawile lifted its horns and ran after Slurpuff.

"Slurpuff, I want you to...Play Nice with Mawile!" Rather than attack, the Slurpuff held its arms out like it wanted to hug Mawile. Mawile stopped in its tracks before reaching Slurpuff, thinking it was some kind of trap. Mawile turned around and slapped the arms away to let Slurpuff know it wasn't falling for its trap, but the Slurpuff just smiled and held its arms out again. Mawile was confused as to what Slurpuff was up to and turned to Ruby.

_"This has to be some kind of trap,"_ thought Ruby, _"but then again, Slurpuff is just leaving itself wide open for an attack; but what if looking defenseless is the trap and counters the moment Mawile lands a hit?"_

"Looks like Slurpuff just wants to be friends," said Jaune.

"Not at all!" said Scarlet. "It's all a con! Mawile must not act friendly towards that thing!"

With Ruby unsure of how to respond, Mawile decided to grab the hands of Slurpuff. Slurpuff swung their arms from side to side like they were dancing; the audience thought the performance was adorable. Mawile couldn't help but chuckle, having a suddenly good time with Slurpuff.

"All right Slurpuff," said Nora, "now that we've played nice...it's time to Play Rough!"

Slurpuff suddenly tightened its grip on Mawile and threw Mawile over its shoulder and slammed Mawile into the ground head first. Slurpuff picked Mawile up and slammed Mawile into the ground several more times. The Slurpuff laughed at how it was able to trick the Mawile; Mawile was starting to get furious over being played like that. Mawile got up and lunged at Slurpuff with its jaws. Slurpuff easily stepped aside and then planted a big Draining Kiss on Mawile, taking away some of its health. That kiss pushed Mawile over the edge.

"Focus, Mawile!" shouted Ruby. "Don't lose your cool or else you're gonna lose this match!" Mawile was so angry it ignored Ruby and continued trying to take a bite out of Slurpuff; Slurpuff caught the horns and proceeded to attack with Play Rough again. Slurpuff slammed Mawile into the ground multiple times and then lightly tossed it towards the center of the arena. Mawile was frustrated it couldn't land any attacks on Slurpuff and started throwing a hissy fit.

"Your Mawile is really losing it," said Nora. "I haven't seen someone get that mad since that green girl from the contest!"

"Mawile, you have to calm down!" said Ruby. "You can't throw a tantrum in the middle of..." Seeing Mawile getting mad suddenly gave Ruby an idea. "On second thought, keep going Mawile! In fact, why don't you start crying like a baby while you're at it?"

Hearing Ruby suggest it start crying, Mawile knew exactly what to do next. Mawile sat in the middle of the arena and started using Fake Tears to make it look like its feelings were hurt. Everyone including Nora and Slurpuff were buying it.

"Now Ruby, that isn't nice!" said Nora. "I'm surprised you would ever talk to your Pokémon that way!" Slurpuff felt bad and went over to cheer Mawile up.

"Mind your own business Nora! In fact, step away from my Mawile or else!"

"Oh my word Ruby! I would think someone like you would never...wait a second!" It suddenly clicked in Nora's head what Ruby and Mawile were actually trying to do. "Slurpuff, get away from-"

"Now Mawile!" commanded Ruby. Mawile suddenly stopped crying and used its Vice Grip to trap Slurpuff in its jaws.

"I should have seem this coming!" said Nora, angry at herself for falling into a trap. "No matter! Slurpuff is still strong enough to defeat Mawile! Slurpuff, time to Play Rough!"

Despite being trapped in the horns, Slurpuff used its body to slam Mawile into the ground. Mawile still held on tight with its Vice Grip. With the two Fairies being equally matched, it was truly a toss-up over who would be able to come out on top.

#

Outside of the castle gym, guards dressed as knights stood at every entrance so that no one would be able to pass through. Emerald and Torchwick approached the front gate with two guards standing by while in their normal disguises.

"Excuse me," said Torchwick. "Can we please get through?"

"Sorry," said one of the guards. "We can't let anyone in during a match in progress."

"But we have tickets!" said Torchwick, pulling out their fake passes. The guard didn't even bother to look at them.

"Gym policy says we can't allow spectators inside after the match time posted."

"Please sir?" asked Emerald. "We paid a lot for these tickets and we've been waiting to see this show for so long! Can't you make an exception at least this once?"

"Look, I feel for you, I really do, but if I let one late person in, soon everybody is going to want to do the same, and then I get fired. The only thing I can tell you is see if you can exchange-"

Before the guard can finish, a Scrafty suddenly came flying in and High Jump Kicked the guard right in the helmet, knocking him into the other guard and knocking them both out simultaneously.

"See how much easier that was?" said Mercury as he walked in.

"I can't believe that actually worked," said Emerald. "We should try that more often." The trio took the knocked out guards to a nearby bush and stole their security badges, then went up to the front entrance where another guard was blocking the doorway leading to the main lobby.

"Can I help you three?" said the guard.

"Yeah, we were late for the start of the battle," said Torchwick. "Can we please get through?"

"Spectators aren't allowed after the match starts. How did you even get past the front gate?"

"The guard said it was okay to go inside," said Emerald. "He was so kind about it."

"For the love of...I told that idiot a thousand times it's against gym policy!" The guard took out his scroll to contact the other guards. Before he can get a word in, he too was High Jump Kicked by surprise and knocked out.

"And that makes three," said Emerald. "Now it's time to pay our redhead friends a visit."

#

Mawile and Slurpuff had continued fighting for several minutes; neither Pokémon was able to garner a clear advantage, and now they both had only a small amount of health left. The two stood on the opposite ends of the field catching their breath as their respective trainers tried to come up with the idea of landing the next hit that would surely end the round.

_"I could have Mawile use Sweet Scent to track Slurpuff and dodge the next hit,"_ thought Ruby, _"but Slurpuff already smells sweet, and it'll just give Slurpuff time to land the final blow. I've only got one other choice, and I doubt it'll work, but I'll have to risk it!"_

_"I could make Slurpuff hold back and focus on healing,"_ thought Nora, _"but if Slurpuff doesn't heal fast enough, Mawile will win. I can't have Slurpuff rush in either; guess there's only one thing to do!"_

"Mawile, Fake Tears!"

"Slurpuff, Play Nice!"

Mawile sat on its bottom and began to sob to lure in Slurpuff, while Slurpuff reached out its arms in a loving manner to lure in Mawile.

"Trying to deceive my Slurpuff again?"

"As if Mawile is going to fall for that Play Nice routine a second time!"

"No matter how many times they've fallen for it before, no one can withstand the sweetness of my Slurpuff!"

"Your sweetness is nothing compared to my Mawile's crying!" Mawile cried even harder, but Slurpuff remained vigilant as it inched closer to Mawile, gesturing for Mawile to come over and play. The audience was on edge, wondering who would be the one to give in to the others fake sincerity.

Mawile cried all it could, but Slurpuff was not going to come close enough for Mawile to reach over and attack. Mawile decided to give up crying and started to stand up.

"No Mawile!" said Ruby. "Don't do it! You have to stand back!" Mawile ignored Ruby and walked to Slurpuff. That's when Ruby noticed Mawile's horn was suspiciously closed; Mawile would always have its horns open for an attack. Mawile smiled and hugged Slurpuff.

"It's over!" said Nora. "Slurpuff, Play Rough and finish this!"

Slurpuff lifted Mawile up for the attack, but suddenly found itself having trouble keeping Mawile up. Slurpuff lost its footing and collapsed with the Mawile on top of it. Nora was perplexed as to what just occurred. "That wasn't supposed to happen! Slurpuff should be strong enough to lift Mawile without a problem!"

Mawile looked up at Nora and smirked, then opened its horns to reveal it had scooped up a lot of sand to add more weight to its body, throwing Slurpuff off.

"Why that deceiving little..."

"Great trick Mawile!" said Ruby. "Now hurry, finish it off with a Crunch attack!"

Mawile wasted no time lunging its horns over its head and taking a bite out of the Slurpuff, doing just enough damage to finally put an end to their fight. The audience was an uproar after watching such an astonishing finish.

"You know, I can't remember the last time I've felt this excited!" exclaimed Nora. "Most trainers of your skill would usually fall by this point, and yet you remain standing after defeating two of my warriors! You are indeed a worthy opponent, rose knight...but now is the time I strike you down." Some of the lights went out as thunder echoed across the arena. The audience reacted with glee as they knew a gym leader's last Pokémon was usually their strongest. The messenger came back out and handed Nora her final Pokémon for the battle.

"Oh man," said Jaune. "If her Slurpuff was that strong, I'd hate to know what she's going to call out next!"

"Oh posh," replied Scarlet. "She always hypes her final Pokémon like this. I'm certain Ruby will be able to defeat it without a problem."

"Behold as I bring forth my final, most powerful Pokémon!" shouted Nora. "Go...DEDENNE!"

Nora's Poké Ball burst open and out came a tiny orange rodent with red cheeks and a long tail. Some people in the audience were puzzled as to why this tiny little creature was Nora's best Pokémon.

_"A Pokémon that small isn't usually a threat,"_ thought Ruby, _"but if it's anything like the last two, its size must be a deception to how incredibly powerful it is. Only one way to find out what it's capable of."_

"Mawile, Vice Grip that mouse!" said Ruby. Mawile lifted its horns and charged at Dedenne.

"Dedenne, time to bring the Thunder!" commanded Nora. Dedenne formed electricity from its cheeks, then shot out a powerful lightning bolt that traveled straight up and then back down on top of Mawile, all within a blink of an eye. Mawile was instantly fried by the attack and eliminated from the match. The audience were astonished by the power of Dedenne's attack.

"Okay, so that thing packs a punch," said Jaune. "But like you said, Ruby will find a way to defeat it, right?"

"I'll be honest Jaune," said Scarlet. "My bias against Nora may have caused me to underestimate just how good of a gym leader she is."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'm not confident about Ruby's chances."

"Oh come on! Now you decide to lose confidence in Ruby? Now's the time we need to be more confident than ever!" Jaune picked up one of Scarlet's signs and raised it high. "Don't worry Ruby! You've still got this!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, jumping up and down to cheer for Ruby. Seeing Jaune and Eevee cheer brought a smile back to his face, and soon picked his sign back up and cheered alongside them. Nora couldn't help but notice Ruby's personal cheering section.

"Sounds like you've got quite some loyal fans, rose knight," said Nora. "Now, bring forth your final Pokémon so I can send thee to my dungeon!"

"Bring forth I shall do!" said Ruby. As planned, Ruby brought out her Talonflame. The audience began to moan at the inadvertently poor choice Ruby made in selecting her Pokémon; Flying types are usually considered useless against Electric types.

"Ha ha ha!" laughed Nora. "You're down to your final Pokémon and it couldn't have a worse type! I bet you thought having a Fire type would aid you greatly, but it is I who has the advantage!" Nora expected to see Ruby shaking in her boots at the disastrous situation she was in, but Ruby remained calm and collected.

"Normally I would agree with you," said Ruby. "But I remember a trainer I fought long ago, who told me that type advantages aren't the only way to win a battle. Your Dedenne may have the moves to knock out Talonflame in one hit, but my Talonflame is so fast, you'll never be able to actually hit it!" The audience and Nora were shocked by Ruby's confidence.

"So it comes down to your Talonflame's speed against my Dedenne's strength!" exclaimed Nora. "Truly a battle for the ages! Let the final round commence!"

"Talonflame, Agility now!"

"Dedenne, finish it with Thunder!"

Dedenne charged back up and fired its lightning bolts; Talonflame's Agility gave it the increased speed it needed to help avoid the attacks. Talonflame lit itself on fire and went after Dedenne with a Flame Charge; Dedenne held still to focus on using Thunder, but Talonflame dodged the attacks and nailed Dedenne directly, causing it to roll across the ground. The attack also increased Talonflame's speed, making it even more faster.

"Keep up the Flame Charge, Talonflame!"

"You call THAT a charge? Dedenne, attack with Parabolic Charge!"

Talonflame sped towards Dedenne for the next hit, but Dedenne suddenly shot a widespread field of electricity that ensnared Talonflame, causing the bird to crash to the ground. After damaging its body, the electricity traveled from Talonflame back into Dedenne and recovered Dedenne's health.

"What good is speed if you don't have the strength to back it up?" asked Nora.

"Yeah well...st-strength isn't enough to win!" Seeing Talonflame get struck hurt Ruby's confidence. It was bad enough Dedenne had stronger attacks, but with one of them able to recover it back to full health, Ruby's chances of winning were slim to none.

"The only thing that isn't enough to win is your Talonflame's abilities. Hear my proclamation; get down on one knee and surrender, and I will spare you a humiliating defeat!"

"As if Ruby would ever do that!" said Jaune. Ruby took a deep breath and swallowed the air, then slowly got down on one knee and bowed her head. The audience gasped that Ruby was appearing to surrender. Jaune and Eevee felt their hearts drop to their stomach at the sight of Ruby giving in. "She's...she's really going to surrender?"

"I'm sorry," said Ruby.

"An apology?" said Nora. "Nice gesture, but I need a stronger form of surrender than that!"

"What?" Ruby looked up at Nora and acted confused. "Who said I was surrendering?"

"Isn't that what you're doing?"

"No, I noticed my boot was untied and wanted to fix it." Ruby tied her boot back up and stood straight up. The audience laughed at Ruby playing Nora for a fool.

"How dare you play the queen for a fool!" yelled Nora. "You will suffer a great punishment for your insolence! Dedenne, begin your Charge and get ready to defeat this peasant!"

"Talonflame, focus on your Agility!"

Talonflame flew back into the air and focused everything it had on increasing its speed. Once Dedenne was fulled charged, it began to fire Thunder as much as it could at Talonflame. Talonflame continued to fly around the arena at such a high speed that it was nearly impossible to keep track of where it was going.

_"That Dedenne needs to charge back up at some point. That's when I'll have Talonflame strike!"_ Ruby looked down to see how much energy the Dedenne had left. As Dedenne kept firing electricity, Ruby noticed a sand dune suddenly bump up and move behind Dedenne. _"Am I seeing things or did something just move under the sand?"_

Nora was too busy looking up in search of Talonflame and didn't notice the sand dune near Dedenne. After firing several times, Dedenne was running low on electricity.

"All right Dedenne, hurry up and Charge!" Dedenne wasted no time and began its Charge.

"Now's our chance! Flame Charge, Talonflame!" Talonflame lit itself on fire and dive bombed for Dedenne.

"Dedenne, Parabolic Charge!"

Dedenne was about to unleash its attack when suddenly, a pile of sand burst up in front of Dedenne as a Krookodile emerged from below, catching everyone off guard. Talonflame went so fast it could barely slow down as Krookodile jumped up and Crunched Talonflame with its powerful jaws, dealing serious damage to the already injured Talonflame.

"Krookodile!" said Ruby. "What the heck is that thing doing here?"

"My gym match is ruined!" yelled Nora. "Dedenne, attack this intruder!"

As Dedenne got ready to attack, a Weavile ran out from the entrance below Nora and slashed at Dedenne from behind with a Metal Claw. Dedenne turned around to face Weavile, only to be Iron Tailed by Krookodile and knocked into the side of the arena.

"That's the Weavile that harmed my Blissey!" said Scarlet.

"And I recognize that Krookodile anywhere!" said Jaune. "This is the work of the White Fang!"

Sure enough, Team White Fang suddenly emerged from the entrance. The audience was confused as to whether or not this was part of the show or they were really under attack. As soon as they came out, Nora jumped down to confront them.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Nora.

"Simple, of course," said Torchwick. "We're here to do what the White Fang does best: seize your Pokémon!"

"And what makes you think we're going to surrender?"

"Because if you don't..."

Weavile quickly ran over to the injured Dedenne, picked it up and held her claw close to Dedenne's face, while Krookodile picked up the injured Talonflame with its jaws, ready to bite down and seriously hurt Talonflame.

"Your Pokémon may not make it out of here alive."

"You wouldn't!" said Nora.

"The White Fang doesn't mess around," said Emerald, "especially when it comes to annoying redheads who have constantly humiliated us!"

"You three make me sick!" said Ruby. "Why can't you fight it out fair and square?"

"We're criminals!" said Mercury. "Why would we ever fight fair and square?"

"I think you're just scared to fight me one on one because you know I'd be able to win!" said Nora. "Just like I beat you in that contest!"

"You don't know when to shut that big mouth of yours, do you?" asked Emerald. Emerald turned to Weavile and nodded. Weavile slashed across the face of Dedenne with its Metal Claw. Weavile dropped the Dedenne back to the ground, then suddenly slashed it from behind with a Night Slash.

"Dedenne!" yelled Nora. She tried to run over and check on Dedenne but was immediately stopped by Scrafty.

"Now now," said Emerald, "you know you can't interfere in a match like that!"

Emerald laughed as her Weavile continued to beat up a helpless Dedenne. Everyone in the audience were sickened by Emerald's underhanded tactics.

"We need to go down there and help them!" said Jaune. Jaune grabbed Eevee and his Pokémon and was about to join the fight when he was suddenly pulled back by Scarlet.

"Hold on," said Scarlet. "If we rush in to fight them, odds are the three of them will wipe the floor with us."

"But we can't just sit here and let them take everybody's Pokémon!"

"That's why I have a plan!"

"It better not be to use some flashy moves to distract everyone."

"Of course not! I'm flamboyant, not stupid!"

As Scarlet explained his plan to Jaune, Weavile continued to attack Dedenne long after it was obviously knocked out. Ruby wished she could help, but her only remaining Pokémon was trapped in the jaws of Krookodile and didn't have the strength to escape. Everything seemed hopeless for them.

"Stop it!" said Nora. "My Dedenne can't take anymore!"

"What's the magic word?" asked Emerald.

"I...I surrender!" said Nora, falling down to one knee and bowing before Emerald. Emerald picked up the unconscious Dedenne and threw the Pokémon at Nora's feet. Nora was enraged, but didn't have any other choice. She called back Dedenne into its ball before Emerald tried to pull off another sickening attack.

"Looks like the queen has fallen, and unlike your pitiful fairy tale fantasy you've got here, there isn't going to be a white knight to come in and save you!"

"Fear not my queen! announced a familiar bodacious voice. "I shall be your white knight!"

Everyone turned around to see Scarlet suddenly jump out of the bleachers and appear on the battlefield.

"Scarlet?" said Ruby. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to rescue my queen from harm, as any true nobleman would!" Scarlet got down on one knee and bowed his head towards Nora; the audience didn't fully understand what was going on, but started cheering for Scarlet. Hearing the crowd reaction, Nora joined in on the act.

"My brave crimson knight!" said Nora, getting back to her feet. "I am honored you would stand up and fight for your queen!"

"The honor is mine, Queen Nora!"

_"Is he seriously trying to act this dramatic?"_ thought Ruby. _"He sounds worse than when Jaune got Sweet Scented. Wait a minute..."_ Ruby looked around and noticed Jaune was nowhere to be found. _"Where did Jaune go?"_

"Enough with this nonsense!" said Emerald. "This isn't some contest act pretty boy! I'm here to get my revenge for the way you and that annoying queen embarrassed me!"

"Then battle we shall, one on one!" said Scarlet, standing up and grabbing one of his Poké Balls, ready to fight Emerald. Emerald started to laugh at the thought of Scarlet actually deciding to battle.

"I can't believe you're actually going through with this," said Emerald. "You really think I'm going to lose to that giant egg of yours?"

"Alas, you continue to show your boundless ignorance, you vile cur," said Scarlet. This time he dropped the dramatic spiel and spoke in a more serious voice. "Do you not remember there are five different kinds of appeal? Much like there are different appeals, there are multiple sides of me that you cannot comprehend, for I am what you would call a three dimensional character, while you are simply a two dimensional caricature."

"What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm saying is that you've only seen my cute side. Time I showed you my tough one."

Scarlet threw out his ball and called out a giant purple goop of a monster, with a stench so bad that everyone but Scarlet could barely handle it.

"Meet Muk, my Tough Contest champion. Even though I train him for contests, he's actually quite capable at combat as well. He also serves as a reflection of the kind of person you are on the inside."

"Enough of your metaphoric nonsense!" said Emerald. "Weavile, Metal Claw!"

"Muk, Acid Armor!"

Weavile lunged her claw into Muk, only to go through Muk's body, not phasing him in the slightest. Muk formed a hardened fist and Pounded Weavile, leaving some of his sludge on Weavile's face. While Weavile backed away and tried to rub the sludge off, Muk fired a Sludge Bomb at Weavile; Weavile dodged the attack as the sludge landed near Torchwick's feet, causing him to cringe.

"That thing nearly hit my shoes!" said Torchwick. "Hurry up and defeat it Emerald!"

"Quit your whining," said Emerald. "Weavile, Faint Attack!" Weavile slowly went up to Muk, then suddenly appeared behind Muk and slashed him from behind. Once again, Muk's liquid body softened the attack and hardly did any damage. Muk instantly turned around and hurled a Sludge Bomb directly into Weavile's face, causing the Weavile to become poisoned by the sludge.

"Now's our chance!" said Scarlet. "Finish it with a Belch!"

Muk reached into its body and pulled out a berry to eat, but was suddenly kicked out of his hand by Scrafty. While Muk was distracted by Scrafty, Krookodile dropped Talonflame and slammed his foot to the ground, causing an Earthquake that dealt critical damage to Muk. The entire audience booed at the White Fang resorting to their cheating ways; it didn't surprise Ruby they'd gang up on Scarlet like that.

"Do you have no pride in fighting an honorable fight?" asked Scarlet.

"Did you forget who we are?" asked Mercury. "Getting the job done comes first before any of this pride nonsense! Finish him off Emerald!" Weavile got up and used her Metal Claw to slash Muk, causing Muk to faint. With everyone's Pokémon taken out of action, there wasn't anyone left to fight the White Fang.

"Looks like I'm the only one left standing in this contest!" said Emerald. "Now unless you want to wind up like your Pokémon, hand them over!"

"This is all my fault!" mourned Scarlet. "What was I thinking throwing myself into combat? My specialty is using moves meant to look pretty, not be efficient in battle! My fighting tactics are simply dreadful!"

"Don't be so down on yourself Scarlet," said Nora. "I think your tactics were wonderful!"

"Thank you, my queen."

Emerald scoffed at the thought of Scarlet's pathetic attempt being wonderful. "What part of it exactly was wonderful?"

"The part were Ruby's friend shows up with her other Pokémon and evens the odds in our favor," explained Scarlet, pointing to the other side of the arena. Jaune had suddenly shown up carrying Ruby's Poké Balls with him. The White Fang panicked at forgetting about Jaune all this time.

"Catch Ruby!" yelled Jaune, throwing Ruby's Pokémon to her.

"Oh no you don't!" said Mercury. Scrafty ran up to kick the balls away when Eevee charged in and used her Sand Attack to blind Scrafty. Ruby caught her Pokémon and called out her Scyther and Hitmonchan. Now Ruby was back to having three Pokémon to fight off the White Fang.

"Is that where you were all this time?" asked Ruby.

"Thank Scarlet," said Jaune. "He came up with the idea of checking for your spare Pokémon while he distracted everyone with his magnificent performance." Scarlet took a bow and blew kisses to the audience like he won an award.

"No matter!" said Torchwick. "We still have the advantage!"

"Not so fast!" said Jaune. "I just also happen to have Nora's Pokémon as well!" Jaune pulled out a bright pink ball with Nora's emblem on it and tossed it to Nora.

"How did you know about my other Pokémon?" asked Nora.

"Scarlet told me you had a Pokémon even more powerful than Dedenne, so I made sure to get yours as soon as I got Ruby's."

"You didn't touch anything else in my room, did you?"

"Of course not! As a true gentleman, I focused on getting only your Pokémon...and the guard outside your room threatened to break my legs while he kept his eye on me."

"Heh, good old Balthazar," said Nora. "Now White Fang, prepare to feel the true wrath of Queen Nora Valkyrie!"

Nora threw up her Poké Ball; the ball burst open in a flash of lightning and other special effects. Expecting a powerful looking monster to emerge, a Pikachu came out instead.

"Pika Pika!" greeted the Pikachu.

"Pfff, really?" said Emerald. "If we took out that Dedenne with ease, what makes you think a PIKACHU will stand a chance? Weavile, Night Slash that rat!"

"Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" commanded Nora. As Weavile charged for Pikachu, Pikachu's body was enveloped in bright yellow electricity. In less than a second, Pikachu charged into Weavile and tackled it head-on; the force of the tackle sent Weavile flying all the way towards Nora's throne and knocked it out in one hit. Before the White Fang can react, Pikachu soon attacked Scrafty with the same move, sending him flying to the other side of the arena and knocking him out as well. Now only Krookodile was left.

"Joke's on you, queen!" said Torchwick. "Since my Krookodile is a Ground type, your Volt Tackle won't do a thing!"

"Leave this one to me!" said Ruby. "Scyther, Fury Cutter!" Scyther flew to the Krookodile and slashed with precision and speed, dealing serious damage. Now it was the White Fang who were completely outnumbered.

"I won't forget this!" yelled Emerald. "One day I'm going to make all of you pay!"

Emerald took out a Smoke Ball and threw it to the ground, causing a smokescreen that gave the White Fang the opportunity to escape before the guards arrived. The audience cheered for the White Fang's defeat.

"Thank you, my most honorable knights!" said Nora. "Especially to you, Ruby. I'm sorry our gym match could not end in honorable fashion."

"I say you should award Ruby your badge!" said Scarlet. The audience supported the idea loudly.

"As a queen, I would love to reward you for your help. Unfortunately, as a gym leader, I cannot hand out badges simply for good deeds. We must settle this via battle. Due to the circumstances, we will have a one on one match. I will use my Pikachu; you may select any of yours still ready to fight."

"In that case," said Ruby. "I'll use my Hitmonchan. You ready for a fight buddy?"

"Chan!" replied Hitmonchan, stepping into the center of the arena. Everyone else quickly left as Pikachu and Hitmonchan got ready to fight.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

Hitmonchan dodged the Thunderbolt and hit Pikachu with his Mach Punch. Hitmonchan got ready to punch again when Pikachu ran up to Nora and acted like it didn't want to fight anymore.

"Alas, my poor Pikachu cannot stand another blow!" cried Nora. "I have no choice but to surrender! Your winner is Ruby Rose!"

The audience cheered as victory music blared across the arena. A couple of stagehands quickly came out with Nora's queen costume and a jewelry box holding Nora's badge. Ruby and Hitmonchan were puzzled as to why Nora suddenly called the match off in their favor.

"Isn't this kind of cheating?" asked Ruby.

"Nope!" said Nora. "As far as we know, my Pikachu couldn't stand to last very long and decided to give up immediately! Congratulations, Ruby Rose! For your excellent battle skills, your bravery, and most of all your heroism, you have earned your Magnhild badge!"

Nora opened up her jewelry box and took out her badge, a hammer with a lightning bolt etched to the head, and handed it to Ruby. It wasn't quite the way Ruby wanted to win it, but she still earned it nonetheless. Now she was just three badges away from getting into the league.

#

Everyone regrouped at the Pokémon Center, waiting for their Pokémon to recover. They were all talking about how amazing the gym battle was when Nora got a new text message on her scroll. She opened the scroll and was shocked to see the message came from Ren.

"Excuse me for a moment guys." Nora went to a separate corner to read Ren's text message. It was a short response about Nora winning the contest earlier that day.

_"Congrats. Sorry I wasn't there."_

"No sweat!" replied Nora. "I have some free time right now. Mind if I stop by for a visit?"

She sent out the text, hoping to get a response saying to come by. Nora expected the reply to come right away, but after a few minutes she was still waiting for a reply. It was as if Ren sent the text, then immediately shut his scroll off.

_"Darn it Ren! Can't you take more than five minutes away from your work to talk? What do I have to do to get you away just for...wait a sec, I've got it!"_

Nora put her scroll away and came back to the group.

"Hey Ruby, I just wanted to say thanks again for helping me out with the contest," said Nora. "In return, how about I tell you another place to get a gym badge?"

"There isn't some kind of weird catch to getting this badge, is there?" asked Ruby.

"No catch at all! It might take some time to get there, but I think it's worth it!"

"I'm up for a little bit of traveling. Where is this gym?"

"It's located off an island east from here, called Gren Isle. You'll have to take an airship to get there, but I think it's really worth the trip!"

"Thanks; I'll look into it."

"Good luck with getting your badges Ruby!"

Nora said her goodbyes for the night and headed home. Along the way, she looked down on her scroll and noticed Ren never replied. As far as everyone in the center knew, Nora was her normal cheerful self, but the truth was she was upset from the lack of communication by Ren.

_"I hope you do Ruby...for Ren's sake."_


	20. The 'Buzz Around Town

The day after winning her fifth badge, Ruby was in the fields training her Pokémon. The match with Nora was way too close for Ruby's liking; in fact, it was possible she could have lost if the White Fang didn't interfere during the final round. The next gym leaders were only going to get stronger, and she needed to boost her team's strength, not to mention find potential new members to join.

Eevee was in the midst of fighting a wild Linoone. The Linoone charged at Eevee with its Fury Swipes; luckily it was only able to land a couple scratches before Eevee countered with a Take Down.

"All right Eevee, get back!" said Ruby. Ruby grabbed another Poké Ball and called out her Geodude to take Eevee's place. Linoone got up and struck Geodude with a Headbutt, but Geodude's defense was too strong to do any decent damage.

"Now Geodude, Rock Throw!" Geodude picked up a large rock and lunged it at Linoone; the rock landed square into Linoone's forehead and knocked it out. Ruby pulled out her Pokédex to check on Geodude's stats; sure enough, it earned just enough experience to evolve into Graveler.

"Perfect! Now I just need to start training Zubat so I can get a Golbat, and train Gloom before I evolve it with one of those stones."

"Don't you think you should take a break right now?" asked Jaune.

"Why? We're just getting started in our training!"

"Just started? We've been out here for like six hours!"

"Eevee!" protested Eevee. Ruby was so absorbed with getting everyone stronger that she hadn't realized just how much time had passed; the sun was about to set.

"Okay, so we've been out here a bit long," said Ruby. "I'm sure we can still get some training in! Now let's find another-"

Ruby was suddenly interrupted by the loud groans of her stomach. She was in such a hurry to train that she barely ate breakfast and lunch was out of the question.

"I guess even my stomach thinks its time to stop. All right, let's head into town and relax."

#

One full meal later, Ruby and Jaune were relaxing in the nearest town's Pokémon Center. Jaune went off to play some pinball in the corner while Ruby was looking over her Pokémon team so far.

_"I definitely need some more variety in my team,"_ thought Ruby. _"Maybe I should get an Electric type; the ones that Nora had were incredibly strong. I wonder if there are any of them close by?"_

While Ruby was looking up Pokémon to catch, Jaune was focusing on trying to catch more Pokémon in his pinball game. He had just upgraded to an Ultra Ball, and was currently attempting to capture a Zapdos. _"If I capture that Zapdos, I'll land the high score for sure!" _thought Jaune. _"C'mon you stupid ball, land on that thing!"_

The ball continued to bounce around the board, missing the hologram Zapdos standing at the center of the board multiple times. Jaune was about to lose hope when he finally found the right position to launch the ball from his flippers. He was able to score three quick hits before the ball began to roll around like crazy. Jaune smashed the flippers up and stopped the ball from rolling into the center drain. Jaune took a deep breath; all he needed to do was launch the ball at just the right moment.

_"This is it! I just need to hit that Zapdos once and I'm on the leaderboard! There's no way I can screw this up!"_

Jaune let the flipper down as the ball rolled over. As soon as the ball was in the right position, Jaune smashed the flipper and sent the ball up for the final hit. Just when the ball was supposed to land on Zapdos, the machine suddenly shut down.

In fact, the entire Pokémon Center shut down as the overhead lights, the television monitors, and the PCs all ceased working. Jaune can only stare in horror at the broken pinball machine before him; his dream of high score immortality was squashed. While Jaune was lamenting his lost game, all the citizens in the center were starting to panic about the sudden blackout. The overhead lights now glowed a dim white as one of the center's nurses came out to explain what was happening.

"Everyone remain calm!" said the nurse. "We're currently experiencing a blackout. Do not worry about your Pokémon; we're running a backup generator for the recovery system, so everyone's Pokémon will be treated accordingly. In the meantime, all our other systems are shut down."

The announcement did little to calm the fears of everyone in the center. A lot of them kept asking what caused the blackout and were throwing out random theories that some started echoing and soon had to be pointed out wasn't true. The only one who was keeping their cool was Ruby, who simply went on her scroll and tried to look up news of the blackout.

"What if this is some kind of attack by the White Fang?" asked Jaune. "Or what if the real Zapdos has come to destroy us all?"

"Would you relax?" said Ruby. "It was probably the center using too much electricity that caused a power surge. I'm sure things will be up and running in an hour."

The nurses in the center were currently on the phone with the Pokémon Rangers about the situation.

"I've just received word from the rangers," announced the nurse. "The entire town is currently suffering a blackout. The rangers are arriving shortly to make sure everything runs calm and smoothly. In the meantime, we've also contacted a specialist to look into the situation. He should be arriving in about-"

Before the nurse can finish, a man suddenly burst through the door and ran up to the desk. The man appeared to have spiky green hair and was wearing a dress shirt and pants, although he looked completely disheveled. He was trying to catch his breath while wiping the fog off his glasses.

"...now."

"I came as quickly as I could!" said the energetic man. "Are we good on supplies? Does anyone need medical attention? Are the restrooms in working order?"

"Everything is fine Mister Oobleck! The rangers are taking care of everything the town needs."

"Very good. That means I can concentrate on just the blackout. I'll have the power back up as soon as possible; and please, call me Doctor Oobleck." Doctor Oobleck turned around and was about to run out the door.

"Wait a minute Mister...Doctor Oobleck!" said the nurse. "Don't you want to at least rest for a few minutes?"

"I guess so. I was in such a rush, I forgot to even fill my thermos. Very well, I'll stay for about five minutes and then head out."

Doctor Oobleck went over to where the refreshments were served and filled his thermos all the way to the top with coffee.

"Did he seriously run all the way here?" asked Jaune.

"I've heard stories about how weird Doctor Oobleck is," said Ruby. "Still, this must be a very serious situation if they had to bring in one of the Elite Four."

On top of being a Doctor, Bartholomew Oobleck was one of the Vale Pokémon League's Elite Four. Appropriately enough, Oobleck's specialty was in Electric Pokémon. Some people believe that he can run just as fast or even faster than his own Pokémon. After Oobleck filled his thermos, he sat in a corner and pulled out his scroll to research the blackout. Since it wasn't every day trainers got to meet a member of the Elite Four, Ruby decided to walk over and talk to Oobleck.

"Doctor Oobleck sir," said Ruby, "is it okay if I ask you some questions?"

"It would be more than okay," said Oobleck. "Unless, are you asking me for an autograph or other such personal items?"

"No?"

"Then it would be more than okay. What would you like to know Miss...?"

"Ruby. Well first of all, everyone is panicking about what might have caused the blackout. What do you think it is?"

"It could be for any number of reasons." Oobleck took a break to sip from his thermos. "But if my hunch is correct, it's possibly due to Pokémon interference. About 70% of blackouts are usually caused by Electric type Pokémon being attracted by the factories or power lines that supply the town with energy. They try to nab some of that energy for themselves and cause cities to lose power."

"So it's just a matter of finding the Pokémon and catching it before it causes more trouble?"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Oobleck took another long sip of his coffee. "Electric type Pokémon can be very dangerous to handle at times. An Electric Pokémon with too much power stored up can cause serious harm just by being near it. That's why in situations like these, you would need an experienced professional such as myself or a Pokémon ranger."

Oobleck put down his thermos and pulled up a map of the surrounding area on his scroll. "According to the map, this town has a set of power lines going from here to the power plant located about two miles south. Following this path should lead me to the source of the blackout. Best case scenario, a power line went down and we'll just have to call for repairs. Worst case scenario, something is going on at the power plant."

"And if this something is a rogue Pokémon or some other kind of troublemaker?"

"Then I'll have to step in and teach them what for." Oobleck finished the rest of his coffee and put away his thermos. "I'd love to continue this stimulating conversation, but I'm afraid I have to get to work."

"Actually Doctor Oobleck, I was just going to ask...is it okay if I tag along?"

"Of course not!" said Jaune. "Ruby, he's an Elite Four trainer and he just told us how dangerous this can get. Do you really think-"

"Now wait," interrupted Oobleck. "I haven't made my decision just yet. If Miss Ruby insists on coming along, she can come along, provided she follows all of my instructions very carefully. I don't want you to be doing anything unless I order you to do so, understood?"

"Understood, doc!" said Ruby.

"Very well. Come, we must make haste to the power plant immediately."

Oobleck and Ruby headed out of the center for the power plant. Not wanting to be stuck in the middle of a blackout, Jaune decided to come along as well.

Meanwhile, hiding away in a corner of the center were the White Fang. They had planned to ambush Ruby and Jaune the moment they left the center until the blackout occurred.

"So the entire town is in a blackout," said Emerald. "Sounds like the perfect time to get our hands on everything we can."

"What should we hit first?" asked Mercury. "The bank? The market?"

"You kids are so cute when you're so naive," said Torchwick.

"Then what do you suggest we rob, oh so called Second in Command?" asked Emerald sarcastically.

"Robbing stores is amateur hour. We need to look at the bigger picture here. Now, who can raise their hand and tell me what supplies a town with power?"

"A power plant?"

"And what does a power plant use to create said power?"

"Some kind of big generator?" said Mercury.

"More specifically, a little magic box called an electirizer. Without those, power plants have little to no alternatives in generating power. You can almost say that having control over one would be like being in control over a town's power."

"Now I get where you're going with this," said Emerald. "We get a hold of the electirizer, we can hold this town for ransom!"

"And because of the blackout, breaking into the power plant will be all too easy!" said Mercury.

"Let's go get ourselves an electirizer!" said Torchwick.

#

Ruby's team were walking under the power lines, keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity.

"Is doing this at night really a good idea?" asked Jaune. "We can barely see anything!"

"Nighttime is actually the best time to be doing this," said Oobleck. "Electric Pokémon are easier to spot in the nighttime. Observe."

Oobleck reached into his pocket and called out one of his best Pokémon, a Luxray. The Luxray had a yellow tinted glow surrounding its body.

"As you can see, the electricity pulsating in my Luxray causes its body to appear as if it is glowing under the darkest of night."

"I have a question," said Ruby. "Does it glow brighter if it has more electricity stored up in its body?"

"An excellent question! Yes, it would glow brighter if it had more built up electricity."

"So we'll probably find the Pokémon responsible by how bright it glows?"

"Precisely!"

_"Good to know," _thought Ruby. _"Now I just have to find a bright Pokémon to add to my team."_

"Now I know what you're thinking; the brighter the Pokémon glows, the stronger it will be when you try to capture it."

Ruby was stunned that Doctor Oobleck was somehow able to read Ruby's mind. "How did...huh?"

"Be honest with me Miss Ruby; why did you want to come along with me?"

"I guess the cat is out of the bag; when I heard you talk about Electric Pokémon being involved, I thought this could be a chance for me to get one."

"I figured as much. I saw by the badges on your backpack, you're trying to become a professional trainer, and catching a potentially powerful Pokémon would certainly help you on your way."

"If you knew what I was really up to, why did you let me come along anyway?"

"I used to be a teacher full-time before joining the Elite Four. I always appreciate being in the company of those yearning to learn."

"Lux! Lux!" shouted Luxray.

"What's wrong with Luxray?" asked Ruby.

"Luxray sees something," said Oobleck. "Lead the way, boy."

Luxray ran forward at incredible speed, with Oobleck following close behind. Even though she was a fast runner herself, Ruby could barely keep up with Oobleck, and Jaune was begging to catch a breath.

"Up there!" said Oobleck, pointing to the top of the power lines. Ruby looked up and saw a figure emitting a bright, almost blue looking light.

"Whoa!" said Ruby, covering her eyes. "That thing is like staring directly into a light bulb!"

"I believe we've found our culprit," said Oobleck, "and it looks especially dangerous. Ruby, Jaune, stay back and let me handle this!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" said Jaune.

Ruby and Jaune stood back as Oobleck had Luxray climb up the pole and knock the Pokémon off the power line. The Pokémon above responding by firing a Thunder Bolt at Luxray; being a fellow Electric type, the move barely damaged Luxray. Luxray kept climbing up until it reached the Pokémon and pushed it off using a Wild Charge. The Pokémon landed on the ground and lost some of its brightness, giving everyone a better look at what they were dealing with; a yellow and black striped creature with antennae sticking out of its head.

"Figures," said Oobleck. "We're dealing with an Electabuzz." Ruby took out her Pokédex to learn a bit more about Electabuzz.

_Electabuzz_

_Electric Pokémon_

_It loves to feed on strong electricity. It occasionally appears around large power plants and so on._

"BUZZ!" growled Electabuzz, angry that someone put a stop to him feasting on the power lines. Electabuzz wasted no time in retaliating by releasing a wave of electricity through its Discharge. Luxray ran through the electricity and tackled Electabuzz with another Wild Charge. Electabuzz barely moved by the force of the blow and countered with a Thunder Punch; Luxray quickly jumped out of the way to avoid the attack.

"Doctor Oobleck, how will you stop Electabuzz?" asked Ruby. "Doesn't pitting an Electric type against another make it too evenly matched?"

"It isn't simply about overpowering him," said Oobleck. "When dealing with Electric type Pokémon, you have to make sure they first expel all of their built up energy. Even if they're near fainted status, a charged up Pokémon can still cause serious harm. That's why I have Pokémon like Luxray fight them out for as long as possible."

Electabuzz continued to fire every electric attack it knew at Luxray. The more times it attacked Luxray, the dimmer the glow surrounding Electabuzz became. Eventually, Electabuzz started to feel exhausted from using up so many electric attacks.

"Now Luxray, Ice Fang attack!" Luxray ran up to Electabuzz and bit down on his forehead with its frozen fangs. Electabuzz staggered back from the attack and found itself backed into one of the poles. Electabuzz looked up at the pole and came up with an idea of how to escape the fight.

"One more time should do the trick!" Luxray went after Electabuzz again; Electabuzz dodged the attack and charged up its fist for a Thunder Punch, but instead of attacking Luxray, attack the pole instead.

"That Electabuzz must really be weak to miss like that," said Jaune.

"He didn't miss," said Oobleck. "Electabuzz attacked that pole on purpose! He's trying to-"

Before Oobleck can finish, the pole started to lean over from being attacked too many times.

"It's going to fall!"

"What do we do?" asked Ruby.

"At this rate, there's nothing we can do! Unless one of you happens to have a Pokémon big enough to stop a thirty foot pole from falling over!"

"Then we're in luck! Jaune, get out your Steelix and stop the pole!"

"Okay!" said Jaune. Jaune called out his Steelix as the wires for the pole snapped and the pole began to fall down. Steelix quickly grabbed the pole with his mouth and absorbed the discharged electricity. He moved the pole back into position and jammed it back into the ground to keep it still. While everyone was distracted by the falling pole, the Electabuzz ran away into the nearby forest.

"That was great thinking on your part," said Oobleck. "If that pole were to fall over, this entire forest could have gone up in flames."

"So now how do we find Electabuzz?" asked Ruby.

"If my hunch is correct, that Electabuzz is heading for the power plant. Come, we must not waste any more time!"

#

The team arrived at the power plant located at the end of the route. The front entrance was usually guarded by an officer at the security booth, but no one was at the booth. The gate was also wide open for anyone to walk through.

"At least getting in won't be hard," said Ruby.

"That is what worries me the most," said Oobleck. "Even during a situation like this, there should be someone watching over the place."

"So how do we find them? Take a literal shot in the dark?"

"Not to worry; Luxray has the ability to see through solid objects and notice the presence of other creatures. Luxray, scan the area and see if you can find anyone." Luxray's eyes glowed golden as it quickly scanned the buildings surrounding the parking lot. Luxray stared at a small office building towards the west side and noticed someone present inside.

"Lux!" said Luxray.

"He's found someone! Everyone keep your guard up!"

The team quickly gathered outside the building, ready to call out their Pokémon at a moment's notice. Oobleck went up to the front door and knocked as hard as he could.

"This is Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck! If anyone is in there, please come out!"

A few moments later, a man wearing a security uniform quickly swung the door open and shone his flashlight on Oobleck. The man let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally some good news!" said the employee. "We're glad you came Mister Oobleck; we've really got a bad situation on our hands."

"It's Doctor Oobleck actually. I assume the Electabuzz we came across outside is the reason for the blackout?"

"Oh good, you already know what we're dealing with. That Electabuzz has been trying to get into the plant for weeks. We've always been able to keep it out thanks to our security system, but then that thing climbs up one of the poles and chews out one of the wires, shutting down our whole security. Now we don't where in Remnant that Electabuzz is, but if it's inside our power plant, we're all in serious danger."

"What would an Electabuzz want from a power plant so badly?" asked Ruby.

"The electirizer," answered Oobleck. "Most power plants use an electirizer as their main source of power. Those things are to key to generating a town's power supply. If that Electabuzz were to absorb the electricity from one of those boxes, it would be catastrophic to say the least."

"Where is the electirizer?"

"In the southeast building," explained the employee. "Normally only employees can unlock that building's doors, but with the blackout, anyone can just pass through them."

"Is there anyone else here?" asked Oobleck.

"Hopefully just us night shift security. Who knows who or what sneaked in without us knowing."

"Unless you have Pokémon of your own to defend yourselves, it's not safe here. I suggest everyone here head back into town. My assistants and I will handle things here."

"All right Doctor Oobleck."

The employee contacted his fellow security guards and quickly evacuated the area, leaving just Oobleck, Jaune, and Ruby in the power plant.

"Is it really wise to send these guys home?" asked Jaune. "I mean, I think we're going to need all the help we can get!"

"The less people I have to worry about, the better," said Oobleck. "Now, if the Electabuzz is in the power plant, he'll be looking for the electirizer. Therefore, I will stand by the electirizer at all times. Ruby and Jaune, you will search the power plant for the Electabuzz. The moment you find that Pokémon, call me immediately. Don't even THINK about trying to fight it on your own."

Oobleck handed the pair spare flashlights and headed to the building that housed the electirizer, while Ruby and Jaune headed to the main office building. As soon as they stepped through the front door, Jaune was already starting to freak out.

"It's completely black in here!" said Jaune. "This is even worse than caves!"

"Calm down Jaune," said Ruby. "The only thing in here is possibly Electabuzz."

"But you heard what they said about no security! Who knows what else could be lurking in this place?"

"I'm 99% sure an office building does not house wild Pokémon. Now the best way to find Electabuzz is to split up-"

"Really?" moaned Jaune.

"You'll be okay Jaune! If you do come across Electabuzz, just call Oobleck and he'll arrive to help in literally a second. I'll start checking the second floor; you can stay on the first."

Jaune took a deep breath and headed down the west hallway. Eevee stayed in Ruby's backpack so they wouldn't get separated in the dark; Ruby called out Beedrill to use its Flash technique to light their way to the second floor.

"Can you pick up Electabuzz's scent Eevee?" Eevee popped out of Ruby's backpack and sniffed for Electabuzz.

"Eevee!" said Eevee, patting Ruby's left shoulder. Ruby turned left and headed down the hallway, then turned the corner and saw a brief glimpse of something at the far end of the hallway.

"That must of been him!" Ruby ran down the hallway and turned the other corner; there was no sign of Electabuzz. "Oh great, don't tell me I'm just seeing things."

"Eevee!" said Eevee, patting Ruby's the center of Ruby's neck.

"You sure Eevee?" Eevee nodded her head. Ruby kept walking down the hallway until she reached the front door for one of the labs, which was opened due to the security system not being on to keep it closed. Eevee patted Ruby's shoulder to stop and turn. "You think Electabuzz is hiding in there?"

"Eevee," confirmed Eevee.

Ruby entered the lab and noticed the place being full of computers and other expensive electronic equipment. There was a faint glow in the center of the room. Ruby slowly approached the light and saw the Electabuzz trying to chew through one of the laptops left in the office; it didn't seem to notice Ruby enter the room.

"Quick Beedrill, Flash that Electabuzz!" commanded Ruby. Beedrill flew over to the Electabuzz and emitted a bright Flash with its eyes, temporarily blinding the Electabuzz. Ruby called Beedrill back and called out her Graveler to fight Electabuzz.

"Now Graveler, Rock Throw attack!" Graveler broke off parts of its own body and hurled the rocks at Electabuzz; furious at being interrupted again, Electabuzz got up and threw a Thunder Punch into Graveler. Being a Ground type, electricity had zero effect on Graveler, and the force of the punch felt like nothing. Electabuzz got angrier and kept trying to use Thunder Punch on Graveler; Graveler went into a Defense Curl and stood still as Electabuzz kept wasting its time using the same attack over and over again.

_"All I have to do is wait until that Electabuzz gets tired from throwing all those punches and capturing him will be a piece of cake!"_ thought Ruby.

Seeing his attacks not work, Electabuzz jumped back and started to charge up whatever energy it had left, then unleashed a Discharge of electricity. The electricity went through the open circuits and wound up powering up the lab, causing the lights and the machines to turn on. The power was too much however as some of the machines began to emit screeching noises indicating a power surge, and the light tubes above Ruby started to shatter; Ruby quickly ducked behind a desk to avoid getting hit by the falling shards of glass._ "Now I know why Oobleck says these Pokémon are so dangerous!"_

With Ruby and Graveler distracted by the fallen debris, Electabuzz lifted its arms up and slammed them down on top of Graveler's head with his Hammer Arm attack. The force of the blow was so strong that it caused the entire room to shake and severely weaken the floor below them.

Meanwhile on the floor below, after searching the various offices for Electabuzz, Jaune was starting to relax about the situation at hand. He didn't come across any wild Pokémon to fight, and he didn't have to worry about creepy noises echoing over and over.

"Hey, this isn't so bad," said Jaune. "I mean I can barely see anything, but everything is so quiet and peaceful, it feels calming. Maybe I was crazy to be afraid of coming in here, and if this place isn't scary, maybe caves aren't as bad as I-"

Jaune's tranquility was soon disturbed by a loud boom he heard just above him. Jaune pointed his flashlight up to see what was going on. "I'm sure that's just Ruby. No big deal."

A mere second later, the ceiling above him opened up and out came the Electabuzz and Graveler; Jaune immediately jumped out of the way as the Pokémon along with some of the equipment in the lab came crashing through. After the debris had fallen, Electabuzz got up and ran for the exit. Ruby jumped down the hole and surveyed the damage done; Graveler got up and was just fine, while Jaune was balled up in a corner and crying.

"Are you all right Jaune?" asked Ruby.

"No I'm not all right!" cried Jaune. "That thing crashed through the floor and I saw my life flash before my eyes! I knew I wasn't crazy to be afraid!"

"Sorry about that; that Electabuzz is trickier than I thought. Let's get back to Doctor Oobleck."

#

After consoling Jaune that he was going to be okay, Ruby and Jaune exited the main office building and met with Oobleck in the building housing the electirizer. The building consisted of only one main room surrounded by turbines, with Oobleck standing in front of the machine housing the electirizer.

"Any luck on the Electabuzz?" asked Oobleck.

"I had him in my sights and he escaped," said Ruby.

"On the bright side - no pun intended - at least we know he's here. He'll find his way to the electirizer eventually, so it'll be best to wait for him to arrive."

"Is that the electirizer?" asked Jaune, pointing to a box behind Oobleck. The box was roughly a cubic foot in length, had yellow steel plates, and sockets attached to the front and back; the box laid on a metal rack and was hooked up to a larger machine.

"That it is," said Oobleck. "That thing is what generates power to any towns nearby."

"Can't we just unplug it and hide it in a place he can't get it?"

"Not possible. This box is active at all times; touching it without the proper equipment will result in an electrocution. Unfortunately, I do not possess the necessary equipment to do so. Therefore, it must remain here while we stand guard."

"I have a better idea," said a familiar, cocky voice. "You surrender the electirizer to us!"

"Oh no," said Ruby. The group turned around and saw their arch-enemies the White Fang, along with their Pokémon ready to battle.

"Another nuisance?" asked Oobleck.

"Not just any nuisance," said Ruby. "It's the White Fang."

"Allow me to introduce myself," said Torchwick. "I am the stylin', proflin'-"

"Luxray, Ice Fang!" commanded Oobleck. Luxray ran up and bit on Krookodile's tail using its ice cold fangs. Krookodile screamed in pain from the cold and knocked the Luxray away.

"Hey! I wasn't done!" complained Torchwick.

"I don't care who you are. I don't have time to waste on petty criminals. Ruby, Jaune, let us make haste on getting rid of these crooks."

Ruby called out her Graveler and Jaune called out his Raticate, standing side by side with Oobleck's Luxray. Luxray went after Krookodile with its Ice Fang attack; this time Krookodile countered with its Foul Play. Jaune sent Raticate after Scrafty with a Super Fang; Scrafty struck Raticate with a Headbutt before it can bite into Scrafty. Weavile slashed at Graveler with her Metal Claw attack, dealing enough damage to break off part of Graveler; Graveler picked up his fallen rocks and launched them back at Weavile with his Rock Throw, dealing a critical blow.

After slamming Luxray down with its Foul Play, Krookodile used its Iron Tail attack; Luxray quickly evaded the attack and appeared behind Krookodile nearly instantaneously. Luxray attacked with Ice Fang attack, this time dealing serious damage to Krookodile.

"I can use some help here!" said Torchwick. Scrafty turned to Luxray and attempted a Low Kick. Luxray jumped up and shot a Thunder Wave at Scrafty to paralyze its body. Weavile then ran in and began swinging with its Night Slash; Luxray dodged the Slashes and countered with a Wild Charge, sending Weavile flying across the room near the entrance.

"I'm only going to give you one warning," said Oobleck. "I'm not just some random trainer you thieves can easily handle; I'm one of the Vale Elite Four. If you don't leave these premises peacefully, I can't guarantee you'll leave in one piece."

"You think we'll be scared of fighting you simply because you're from the Elite Four?" asked Emerald. "The Elite Four is nothing compared to the White Fang, and I'll prove it!"

To Emerald's surprise, her little speech riled up her enemies, as they all suddenly appeared frightened by her.

"What's wrong? Suddenly realize you don't stand a chance?"

"Um, Emerald?" said Mercury. "You might want to turn around."

"Turn around?"

Emerald looked backed to where her Weavile was and saw an Electabuzz standing behind her, staring down Weavile. Electabuzz was thinking about attacking Weavile when it looked past everyone and saw the electirizer at the other end of the room.

"Buzz!" shouted Electabuzz, running past Weavile and heading for the box.

"Graveler, stop the Electabuzz!" commanded Ruby. Graveler charged at Electabuzz and physically blocked him from going any further.

"Now Krookodile, while they're distracted!" said Torchwick. Krookodile ran for the electirizer as well; Raticate and Luxray tried to go after Krookodile but were blocked off by Scrafty and Weavile. With everyone's Pokémon distracted from their fights, Krookodile grabbed a hold of the box and tried to rip out the power cords. Being a Ground type, Krookodile couldn't be electrocuted, so it had the ability to grab the box and run. Seeing Krookodile about to escape, Electabuzz threw Graveler aside and charged at Krookodile, grabbing its tail and yanking him away from the electirizer.

"Guess I'll have to deal with this pest first. Krookodile, Crunch attack!" Krookodile opened its jaw and chomped down on Electabuzz's head. Electabuzz tried to use Thunder Bolt to escape but had no effect. Krookodile kept pressuring down with its jaws to drain Electabuzz's health away when Graveler used a Rock Throw to attack Krookodile in the back of the head. The attack caused Krookodile to let go of Electabuzz and temporarily knock him out. Before Electabuzz can get back up, Graveler tackled Electabuzz to the ground to keep him still. Electabuzz tried to electrocute Graveler to no avail.

"Doctor Oobleck, I've got Electabuzz down!" said Ruby.

"Good work Ruby!" said Oobleck. "I'll take things from here!" Luxray and Oobleck ran over to where the Electabuzz was being detained.

"We're not done here!" said Emerald. Weavile tried to attack Luxray from behind with a Feint Attack; Luxray dodged the attack and turned its attention back to Emerald and Weavile.

"Listen you dimwitted vagabonds!" shouted Oobleck. "We need to stop that Electabuzz from reaching the electirizer or else we'll all be in serious danger!"

"Oh really?" said Mercury. "Now I'm interested in seeing what happens!"

"Focus, Mercury!" said Emerald. "We need that electirizer for ourselves!"

"C'mon Krookodile, wake up and grab that box!" commanded Torchwick. Krookodile slowly came too and headed for the box; while it was still getting up, Oobleck decided to initiate his emergency plan. He reached into his pockets and pulled out the rest of his Pokémon and called them out lightning fast. Krookodile went to grab the box when he was suddenly blocked off by a Jolteon, Amphrados, Zebstrika, and Eelektross.

"Usually I wouldn't resort to such overkill," said Oobleck, "but you leave me no choice. I'll attack with every Pokémon I have at once!"

"Oh no, so many Electric types!" said Torchwick. "If only there was a way to hit you all at once, like say...with an Earthquake!" Krookodile raised one foot high, ready to initiate the attack.

"DON'T!" yelled Oobleck. "An attack like that will-"

"Now Krookodile!" said Torchwick. Krookodile drove his foot into the ground, causing an Earthquake so powerful the entire building shook violently. All of the Pokémon and trainers in battle were knocked off their feet; Graveler lost his grip on Electabuzz.

The Earthquake was so strong that it caused the electirizer to fall out of the rack and get tossed about on the shaking floor. As if by fate, the shaking caused the box to move within reaching distance of Electabuzz. Before Oobleck can get back on his feet, Electabuzz got up and grabbed the electirizer. He placed his hands on the open sockets and began to take in the electricity it was emitting; the amount of power it was generating was so great, it caused electricity to completely envelop Electabuzz.

"Um...oops," said Torchwick.

"We need to get out of here!" said Oobleck, grabbing his Poké Balls and recalling all of his Pokémon immediately. Ruby and Jaune quickly did the same.

"Awesome!" said Mercury. "Let's see what happens!"

"Now is not the time to find out!" said Emerald. "That Electabuzz looks like it's going to burst, and I'm not sticking around to get in the way!"

The White Fang recalled their Pokémon and headed for the exit as well. The power Electabuzz was emitting was so severe, it was causing the turbines to activate and start overflowing with power, causing electrical fires all over the place.

Everyone stood outside a safe distance from the southeast building as it was soon consumed by flames, with the Electabuzz still inside. It wasn't long before the combination of the Earthquake and the fire caused the building to collapse into a pile of burning rubble, with no sign of the Electabuzz.

"I don't think that Electabuzz made it out," said Jaune.

"That poor thing!" said Ruby. "I knew it was a menace, but it didn't deserve this."

"Way to botch everything again, Torchwick!" said Emerald.

"That was pretty cool though," said Mercury.

"Okay, so I cost us the electirizer," said Torchwick. "On the bright side, we can still take out little red and her friends!"

"You heartless jerks!" said Jaune. "C'mon Ruby, let's beat these White Fang punks for good!"

"You got it!" said Ruby. Ruby was about to call out a Pokémon to fight when she noticed Oobleck staring in horror at the wreckage. "I'm sorry about Electabuzz, Doctor Oobleck. I know it's devastating seeing a Pokémon...pass like that, but we-"

"Electabuzz isn't dead," said a terrified Oobleck.

"Wait, what? Electabuzz is alive?"

"Eevee, Eevee!" shouted Eevee from Ruby's backpack, sounding just as scared as Oobleck.

"You've picked up his scent, haven't you Eevee?" asked Oobleck.

"So if Electabuzz is alive, why are you so scared?" asked Ruby.

"Because when an Electabuzz absorbs a tremendous amount of electricity from a source like an electirizer...it evolves!"

A strong light suddenly began to emerge from the wreckage. Crawling out from under the debris was the newly evolved form of Electabuzz, standing at nearly twice the height of Electabuzz and sporting two large tails from its back. Ruby took out her Pokédex to find out about this new Pokémon.

_Electivire_

_Thunderbolt Pokémon_

_The evolved form of Electabuzz. It pushes the tips of its two tails against the foe, then lets loose with over 20,000 volts of power._

The Electivire stepped out of the wreckage as it approached the trainers, blue sparks flying all over its fur. While Ruby's team was frightened at what this new Pokémon can possibly do, the White Fang saw it as a major opportunity.

"New plan!" said Torchwick. "We capture the Electivire and use it to annihilate little red and her friends! Crunch him, Krookodile!"

Krookodile ran at Electivire; The Electivire simply stood and waited for the Krookodile to attack. Krookodile approached Electivire and bit down on his left forearm as hard as he could. As Krookodile bit down, it suddenly felt as if it couldn't move its body; its arms and legs suddenly went limp. Electivire raised its other arm up and bonked Krookodile on top of his head with a Hammer Arm, instantly knocking it out, then tossed Krookodile away like it was nothing. Torchwick was shocked to see his Krookodile defeated so easily.

"He took out Krookodile with no effort!" said Torchwick.

"Let's see him handle two Pokémon at once!" said Emerald. "Weavile, Scrafty, attack him at once!"

Scrafty and Weavile charged in at the same time. Scrafty jumped up and attacked with a High Jump Kick, while Weavile got behind Electivire and attacked with a Night Slash. The moment they hit Electivire, they too felt their body suddenly suffer paralysis and collapsed to the ground. Electivire picked up both Pokémon and tossed them a bit in the air, then struck both of them at the same with a Thunder Punch, sending them flying back to their trainers unconscious.

"How is Electivire doing that?" asked Ruby.

"Its body is so loaded with electricity, physically touching it is enough to cause an electrocution," said Oobleck. "That Electivire can't be hit!"

"So...anyone got another plan?" asked Mercury.

"Run before it comes after us!" said Torchwick. The White Fang immediately recalled their Pokémon and retreated back to wherever they came, leaving Ruby's team to deal with this electric monstrosity.

"I think the White Fang had the right idea!" said Jaune. "We need to get out of here!"

"The two of you can leave!" said Oobleck. "I'll stay here and handle Electivire!"

"You're going to stay and fight that thing?"

"Electivire is filled with too much electricity! If that thing steps foot outside of the power plant, it'll be like a walking thunderstorm! I will detain Electivire here and drain him completely dry!"

Oobleck called out all his Pokémon and had them surround Electivire. As Electivire was fighting off Oobleck's Pokémon, Jaune had already bolted for the exit. He turned back and noticed Ruby was remaining where she was.

"What are you doing Ruby?" asked Jaune.

"We can't just leave Doctor Oobleck alone to face that thing!" said Ruby. "We need to do something!"

"There's only one thing I can think of we can do: Run away and call someone else!" Jaune pulled out his scroll to find someone to call, only for his scroll to have zero signal strength. "What the...my scroll isn't working!"

"Neither is mine," said Ruby, getting no signal off her scroll. "That Electivire must be causing some kind of signal interference."

"Then we don't have any other choice! There's nothing we can do to help Doctor Oobleck. That Electivire is too overpowered for us to fight!"

"Overpowered..." Ruby looked around the power plant and noticed a pair of electric towers with power lines just above Electivire. "Jaune, you just gave me a brilliant idea!"

"Unless it involves leaving, I disagree!"

Oobleck's Pokémon tried all sorts of attacks to take down Electivire, but barely any of them did any damage. Electivire easily knocked away anything that stood in his way with his electric attacks, and unlike before, his supply of energy didn't seem to be depleting enough to wear him out.

"By my calculations, it'll be about five minutes before Electivire defeats my Pokémon and escapes," said Oobleck to himself. "Well Bart, at least those kids are safe."

"Don't give up just yet, doc!" said Ruby, appearing by his side.

"Ruby? What are you still doing here?"

"Helping you take down that Electivire!" Ruby pointed up to the power lines above Electivire. "Those power lines aren't active, are they?"

"Of course not. Without the electirizer, there's no power at all."

"Great!" Ruby reached for her Poké Ball and called out her Scyther. "Scyther, get up there and cut down one of the lines!" Scyther flew up to where the power lines were and cut them both. The wires fell to the ground near Electivire, but without any power flowing through them, Electivire ignored them.

"Now doctor, I need your Pokémon to charge up the tower the lines are connected to!"

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Oobleck. "Everyone, head to the tower and expel all your electricity!"

All of Oobleck's Pokémon quickly stopped fighting Electivire and headed to one of the electric towers, then use what energy they had left to charge the tower. Electivire was about to keep attacking when he noticed the fallen power lines next to him suddenly emit electricity.

"Hey Electivire!" yelled Ruby. "Why not bite down on some of that yummy electricity?"

The Electivire decided to take Ruby's advice and grabbed the power lines, biting down on the end and absorbing the electricity emitted by Oobleck's Pokémon.

"You're giving him even MORE power?" said Jaune, in total disbelief that Ruby thought this was somehow a good idea. Oobleck however was able to figure out what Ruby was up to in seconds.

"Of course!" said Oobleck. "Such an excellent plan!"

"How is giving that thing even more power a good idea?" yelled Jaune.

"Because as powerful as Electivire is, even he has his limits of how much electricity he can withstand! Ruby is going to keep feeding him electricity until he can't take anymore, much like a piece of electronic equipment breaks down when it suffers a power surge!"

Electivire continued to feed on the electricity given to him as he felt himself constantly grow stronger. Eventually however, he started to feel groggy, as if he lost his appetite and couldn't keep eating. Still though, his love of electricity compelled him to keep feeding on the wires as Oobleck's Pokémon kept giving him everything they had. Suddenly he started to feel sick and let go of the wires.

"Eevee, blind him with Sand Attack!" Eevee got out of Ruby's backpack and ran up to the Electivire while he was still woozy from his meal. She stopped from a safe distance and kicked up sand into his face, blinding him for a few seconds. While he was blinded, she called out her Graveler and had him rush up behind him. Electivire regained his vision and focused on Eevee. He charged up his fist for what was going to be a very devastating Thunder Punch.

"Now Graveler!" Before Electivire can land his attack, Graveler grabbed the power lines and jammed them into the back of Electivire, forcing Electivire to keep absorbing the electricity. Electivire started to glow as bright as the sun itself.

"It's going to burst!" said Oobleck. "Ruby, detain Electivire now!"

"You heard him Graveler! Grab him!"

Graveler dropped the power lines and grabbed Electivire just as Electivire let out a strong burst of electricity. Graveler was able to ground Electivire's burst of energy, preventing the power plant from being destroyed. After unleashing his energy in one huge blast, Electivire collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to get up and fight.

"Way to go everyone!" said Ruby. "We stopped Electivire!"

"Well Ruby, what are you waiting for?" asked Oobleck. "Go capture it!"

"Really? You're letting me catch it?"

"You were the one who took it down, so by all means, it's your catch."

Ruby reached into her backpack to grab a Great Ball and threw it at Electivire. After being transported into the ball and shaking about for a few seconds, Electivire was captured by Ruby.

"YES!" shouted Ruby. "I caught a super powerful Pokémon!"

"Well deserved Ruby," said Oobleck. "Our work is done here; the Pokémon rangers should be able to take things from here."

Ruby and the others headed back to the Pokémon Center, while Ruby was ecstatic to have a new Pokémon on her team.

#

The next morning, Oobleck was meeting with the town officials and the Pokémon rangers about the work that needed to be done to fix the town's power problem. Ruby and Jaune went up to Oobleck to say their goodbyes before leaving.

"Ah, here are my two wonderful assistants," said Oobleck. "I should be thanking you Ruby; you were a great help in my work."

"Thank you for taking me under your wing for one crazy night," said Ruby. "I hope we meet again at the Pokémon League."

"I wish you all the best," said Oobleck. "Now, what is the ETA on getting this town up and running again?"

"According to the work that needs to be done," said one of the officials, "it's going to take a couple days to get the power running normally around here."

"Couple of days? Nonsense! I can have this town running back to normal in mere hours!"

While Oobleck took a large sip of his coffee and went into excruciating detail of how he was going to fix the town, Ruby and Jaune packed their things and headed for their next destination.


	21. The Pokémon Fishing Jamboree

The sun was shining, a light breeze was blowing, and the only noises being made was the sound of the wind passing through the grass. Today would have been the perfect day to just sit back and enjoy the beautiful weather, but Ruby knew sitting back and doing nothing was not going to help her get into the Pokémon League and beat that obnoxious ice queen.

As Ruby and Jaune were walking, they caught a glimpse of the route ahead of them. The road was replaced with a long pier that extended over the river. The pier was full of people sitting on the edge and fishing for Pokémon.

"I've heard about this route," said Jaune. "This is one of the biggest destinations for Pokémon fishing."

"Too bad I don't have a fishing pole," said Ruby. "It would be a great way to catch some Water Pokémon to add to my team."

"Maybe you can try using your bare hands. I saw this guy on TV who once caught a Sharpedo that way."

"I'd rather stay on dry land, thanks."

Ruby and Jaune walked by the people trying to make their big catch; they almost resembled statues with their zen-like focus.

"My dad used to take me fishing a lot," said Jaune. "I was never good at it, but he said the best part of fishing wasn't the fishing itself; it was the joy of just kicking back and enjoying company."

"My dad told me the same thing," said Ruby, "only he'd also throw in stories about all these 'amazing' Pokémon that just escaped his grasp."

"You know, if we're really not in a rush to reach the next town, why don't we go fishing today?"

"But where are we going to get the equipment?"

"Did I hear someone itchin' to go fishin'?" shouted a random passerby. "How'd you two like to compete in the Pokémon Fishing Jamboree?" The passerby handed out a flier to Ruby and Jaune.

_Pokémon Fishing Jamboree!_

_A monthly contest to catch the best Pokémon possible!_

_Keep the Pokémon you catch!_

_Winner earns the Golden Magikarp Trophy!_

"For just a small entrance fee, you can fish for a Pokémon and keep it even if you don't win! Plus you don't even have to worry about not having a rod! We have more than enough rods for rent!"

"In that case, count me in!" said Ruby.

"Me too!" said Jaune. "If I win that trophy, maybe I'll find my calling as a master fisherman!"

#

Ruby and Jaune arrived at Lake Aquamarine, the home of Vale's monthly Pokémon fishing contests. The pair were in the plaza of the hotel, packed full of fishing enthusiasts who couldn't wait for the competition to get started. Everyone was comparing rods, strategies, and bragging about past catches. It was definitely hard to not feel excited in this atmosphere.

"These people look like serious professionals," said Jaune. "We might not stand a chance."

"Yeah, but fishing is 90% luck anyway," said Ruby. "Besides, even if we don't win, at least we'll be getting new Pokémon out of it."

Ruby and Jaune headed to the entry table and picked out a pair of moderate rods to rent.

"So two entries plus two Good Rod rentals. That'll be 6,000 lien." Ruby reached into her wallet to pay the fee when her heart suddenly sank.

"Uh oh," muttered Ruby.

"What's wrong?" asked Jaune.

"I forgot to get more lien while in the last town. I don't even have enough to cover the entry fees! Do you have any lien on you?"

"I've barely got any lien myself!"

"Sorry," said the cashier, "but if you don't have enough-"

"Excuse me!" said someone behind them. "I'll pay for their fees."

Ruby and Jaune turned around to meet the gentleman who decided to help them out. To their surprise, it was an old friend they had met back in Magus Town, now sporting an even longer mustache and still wearing his Achievement Trainer logo shirt.

"Long time no see guys!" greeted Geoff.

"Wow, thanks Geoff!" said Jaune, still starstruck as ever to meet one of his favorite trainers. Geoff paid for their entry fees and rod rentals.

"Thanks a lot Geoff," said Ruby. "Are the other Achievement Trainers here as well?"

"You bet we are!" shouted someone behind Geoff. Ruby looked past Geoff to see Gavin waving, standing next to the rest of the AT Crew.

"It's nice to see you guys again," said Ruby. "Are you guys going to compete in the fishing contest as well?"

"Yep," said Geoff, "and it's not just that trophy we're competing for." Geoff reached into his pocket and pulled out their somewhat coveted GS Ball. "This jamboree also marks our 100th Achievement Trainer challenge!"

"And I only regret participating in half of them," said Ray.

"So what's the challenge this time?" asked Ruby.

"Pretty simple," said Geoff. "Whoever wins this jamboree wins the GS Ball, and if none of us win, we put to a vote who did the best amongst ourselves."

"Spoiler alert!" said Michael. "The winner will not be Gavin."

"That's what you think!" said Gavin. "This will be the day I finally win that GS Ball! Time to say goodbye to my losing streak!"

"You know what might help?" said Ray. "If you actually bought a rod first."

"Oh right! I knew I forgot something!"

Gavin ran over to the entry table, not paying attention to where he was going, and wound up bumping into a woman standing in line.

"Sorry about that lass," said Gavin.

"Next time pay attention to where you're walking, you dunce!"

"Oh no," said Ruby. "That voice...it couldn't be!"

Ruby prayed that she was simply hearing things and that the person Gavin bumped into couldn't be the ice queen. Ruby turned around and felt a great pain in her soul; it was indeed Weiss Schnee that Gavin had the misfortune of bumping into. Even Eevee started growling at seeing the woman who had belittled her after their initial battle at Beacon Academy.

"Well there's no need to go off like that," said Gavin.

"What there isn't any need for is a doofus like you who has no coordination in their walking!" replied Weiss.

"I said I was sorry, lass!"

"My name isn't lass, you oaf! It's Weiss Schnee!"

"That's enough, ice queen!" replied Ruby. Weiss rolled her eyes upon seeing the rookie once again.

"Oh good, you're here as well," said Weiss. "Does this contest attract all the losers?"

"You still think I'm a loser? Why don't you take a look at the number of badges I have now!" Ruby held up her backpack to show off the five badges she had won so far.

"First of all, I still hold one victory over you, so yes, you're still a loser. Second of all, only five?" Weiss opened up her jacket to show the six badges she had earned. "Guess you'll always be just one step behind, as usual!"

"What are you even doing here in the first place, ice queen?"

"While as a Schnee my specialty would be in battling, I've decided to branch out to prove that A Schnee Never Loses in anything we decide to compete in!"

"How about competing in the quiet game?" remarked Gavin. "Or is that too hard even for you?"

"As if you're one to talk. One look at you and I can tell you're even a bigger loser than she is."

"I have a name too you know," said Ruby.

"If you're the best this competition has to offer, it won't be a problem beating you and your goof troop friends of yours. Tell you what; if you're nice enough, maybe I'll let you shine my trophy!"

"I would rather eat my own boots than shine anything of yours, ice queen!"

"Suit yourself. See you at my trophy ceremony."

Weiss went to pay for her entry fee. Ruby walked away to blow off some steam before she yelled something she might regret.

"Well she's certainly a charming lady," said Michael sarcastically.

"Who the heck was she?" asked Geoff.

"Weiss Schnee," said Ruby, "the world's most annoying jerk!"

"That explains a lot," said Ray. "I'm pretty sure Schnee is actually Atlesian for jerk."

"Just the mere sight of her is enough to get on my nerves!"

"She's not worth it," said Geoff. "Besides, if you think she's bad, you should see what we've been called from the people who actually watch our videos."

After everyone had completed their registration, they all boarded the buses that would head down to the lake for the competition. With Weiss deciding to enter as well, Ruby had more motivation than ever to win this contest.

#

The contestants arrived at the long stretch of piers surrounding Lake Aquamarine. Luckily for Ruby and Jaune, they were positioned next to the Achievement Trainers while Weiss was located at least six or seven people down the pier so they wouldn't have to hear her banter. With everyone lined up ready to go, the judge made the announcement to begin the competition.

"Now that everyone is ready, we will now explain the rules! This competition will be held for two hours; you are only allowed to fish here in Lake Aquamarine. As you can see, this lake expands quite far, so there will be a lot of places to fish and a great variety to fish for. In the interest of fairness, you are NOT allowed to use Pokémon to battle the Pokémon you fish out. You have been given six Dive Balls to help capture the fish. You may catch as many Pokémon as you can, but only ONE may be kept and used for judging. Once the time is up, whoever I believe has made the most impressive catch will be declared the winner and win this beautiful Golden Magikarp Trophy!"

The judge's assistants held up the trophy, a tall pillar with a Magikarp carved out of solid gold.

"Everyone grab your rods, hold them up high, and begin casting...NOW!"

A wave of hooks and lines flew over the pier and into the water as the contest was now underway. Everyone was pumped up to see who would be the first to make an impressive catch, and barely a few minutes into the competition, someone already had a bite.

"Looks like somebody is already off to a great start!" announced the judge. Ruby and her friends looked over to see who got the first bite, and sadly, it belonged to Weiss.

"I can't believe she got a bite so fast," said Ruby.

"So what?" said Geoff. "For all we know, she'll probably catch something worthless."

Weiss reeled in her rod as fast as she could. Once her catch was close to the pier, Weiss pulled up on her rod and brought out her catch. Many people expected the Pokémon to be a small fish, so they were very shocked to see a giant specimen emerge from the waters, its shiny body glowing a light pink from the reflection of the bright sun. The Pokémon landed perfectly next to Weiss.

"Astounding!" said the judge. "This young lady has captured a Milotic!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" said Ruby. "How in the world did she catch a Milotic so easily?"

"Catching a Pokémon like this was nothing thanks to my Custom Schnee Rod!" said Weiss. She held up her rod for everyone to admire; the butt of the rod was bright white with a sky blue handle and grip, matching Weiss' dress. "This rod was made with the strongest metals and Dust in the world, made exclusively by and for the Schnee Family! Combined with the finest, most beautiful made lures, this rod is capable of easily enamoring and capturing any Pokémon at sea!"

Weiss took out a Dive Ball and threw it at the Milotic, who sat at the pier as if just waiting to be captured by Weiss.

"I believe my work is done here. I'll be waiting in the clubhouse." Weiss packed up her stuff and headed to the clubhouse located near the pier.

"Man, how come I can't ever be that lucky?" said Jaune. "Knowing my luck I'll probably never get a-"

Before Jaune can finish, his rod suddenly started to bend forward as his line was unreeling like crazy.

"Bite!" said Jaune. "I got a bite!"

"Way to go Jaune!" said Ruby. "Start reeling it in!"

Jaune frantically spun the reel of his rod; his line began swerving all over the water. Whatever Jaune had hooked, it was desperately trying to set itself free.

"This Pokémon is really putting up a fight!" said Jaune, struggling to stay on his feet and reel in his rod. "It must be something huge for it to be this strong!"

Ruby looked over the pier to see any signs of Jaune's catch, and noticed a shadow was starting to emerge on the surface. "I see a shadow! Pull it in, Jaune!"

"This is going to be an epic catch! I can feel it!"

Jaune gave his rod a strong pull and out popped the Pokémon attached to the hook. Everyone turned to see the catch Jaune worked so hard to reel in. Jaune opened his eyes and looked down at the fish bouncing around on the pier; after all the effort he put in, his prize was simply a Goldeen.

"Goldeen Goldeen!" said Jaune's catch, flopping up and down while still attached to his pole.

"That wasn't an epic catch at all!" said Jaune.

"Still better than nothing," said Ruby.

"I guess." Jaune limply threw his Dive Ball and caught the Goldeen. Technically, that now put him in second place against Weiss; a distant second, but second nonetheless.

It wasn't long before the other competitors were catching Pokémon as well, although none of them were as impressive as Weiss' Milotic. Gavin got a bite and reeled in his catch hoping he'd take the lead; the catch turned out to be a Magikarp.

"Just a worthless Magikarp," said Gavin, unenthusiastic about catching the easiest Pokémon to fish for. He cast his line out again and got another bite right away; he quickly reeled in his rod, only to find out he had caught a Magikarp for the second time.

"I swear this is the same Magikarp as before."

"Maybe he really likes you," said Ray.

Gavin threw out his Magikarp and hoped for another bite. His prayer was answered as he now had a third bite on his hook; unfortunately for him, it too turned out to be Magikarp.

"Oh biscuits! Why is the only thing I'm catching are Magikarp?"

"Probably because you bought a cheap rod," said Michael. "The butt isn't even made out of metal! It's a wooden stick!"

"You seriously bought the cheapest rod they had?" asked Geoff.

"I was trying to save my money!" explained Gavin, but the rest of the AT Crew laughed at him. Not even Ruby could try to justify Gavin's poor purchasing decision.

"Well you get what you paid for," said Ryan. "Now I on the other hand splurged and got myself a Super Rod. Watch what I catch!"

Ryan cast out his rod and soon got a bite. Ryan reeled in his rod as his catch jumped out of the water, revealing itself to be a red-striped Basculin.

"I've got a Basculin!" said Ryan.

"Awesome!" said Geoff. "Those things are super hard to catch! Get'em Ryan!"

"Hey guys?" said Jaune. "I think you might have company."

As the Basculin continued to jump up and down the water, Jaune pointed up to the sky where a Pelipper was flying over the lake. The Pelipper saw the Basculin Ryan was trying to catch and decided the fish looked delicious to eat. The Pelipper dived into the water to scoop up the Basculin.

"Go away you stupid bird!" yelled Ryan. "That fish is mine! MINE!" The Basculin wound up in the Pelipper's mouth as it began to fly away.

"Reel harder Ryan!" shouted Jack.

"I can't!" said Ryan. "That Pelipper is jamming my reel! I can't pull back!"

The line of Ryan's rod extended all the way out. Ryan tried to pull the fish down like it was a kite, but the Pelipper proved to be too strong and caused Ryan to lose his grip on the rod. The Pelipper flew off into the forest with Ryan's rod dangling below it.

"My rod is in the air!" The rest of the AT Crew howled in laughter at Ryan's rod taken away by the Pelipper.

"That is the funniest thing I have ever seen!" said Geoff.

"Does this mean Ryan is out of the competition?" asked Jack.

"Over my dead body!" said Ryan, running into the nearby woods the Pelipper was flying over.

"Wow," said Ruby, trying to control her laughter. "I...I really feel sorry for him."

"Who wasted their money now?" shouted Gavin.

While Ryan was off chasing the Pelipper, Ray was getting bored of not catching anything and reeled his rod back in.

"This is really boring," said Ray. "I'm dropping out."

"But we've only been at this for about thirty minutes," said Geoff.

"And I don't think I can stick around for the remaining ninety. I'm gonna take a walk around the woods." Ray dropped off his equipment at the clubhouse and went into the woods.

"I might have to drop out as well," said Gavin while reeling in his sixth Magikarp. "Hey, if Ray's not going to fish, can I have his rod?"

"No," said Geoff. "You fish with the rod you came with!"

Gavin groaned and went back to fishing for Magikarp. A few minutes later, Geoff got a bite on his hook as his line started to extend fast.

"Whatever I've got hooked, it feels like a big one!" Geoff locked in his reel and started to run back in order to pull up his catch. The rest of the Achievement Trainers looked over to see what Geoff was about to catch.

"Whatever is down there," said Jack, "it's putting up a heck of a fight."

"I can't see anything," said Gavin. Gavin leaned over the pier to get a better look when a Gyarados suddenly popped up below him and caused him to nearly jump out of his skin. "WAAAH! It's a Gyarados!"

"YES!" said Geoff. "Come to daddy, you Dragon wannabe!" Geoff pulled as hard as he can, but the Gyarados was proving to be a powerful opponent. The Gyarados reared its head back, causing Geoff to trip forward and lose his grip on his rod. Gyarados dived back into the water, taking Geoff's rod with him. "NO! MY ROD!"

Geoff ran to catch his rod but was too late; the rod slipped through the gaps of the pier and sank into the lake. Geoff ran to the edge of the pier and tried to jump off but was quickly stopped by Jack and Michael.

"You can't jump in the water Geoff, it's dangerous!" said Jack.

"Yeah man!" said Michael. "Let it go!"

"That rod was from my wife!" lamented Geoff. "She's going to kill me when she finds out I lost it!"

"It's okay Geoff," said Ruby. "I'm sure your wife won't get mad over losing a gift."

"Not quite. It wasn't a gift from my wife; it belonged to her!"

"Ooooh..."

Geoff was so livid about losing his wife's rod he started kicking the pier. He was on the verge of shouting obscenities until the judges took him into the clubhouse to calm himself down.

#

The competition had now reached the one hour mark. Ruby had yet to get a successful bite, Jaune's best catch was still Goldeen, and the Achievement Trainers weren't having much luck. Geoff had returned to stare out into the lake hoping his rod would come back; Ryan came back with his rod but lost his catch.

"So how's everyone doing?" asked Geoff.

"Let's see," said Ryan. "My rod was in the air, your wife's...er, your rod is lost to sea, Ray quit from boredom, Jack and Michael haven't caught anything, and Gavin has caught a Magikarp for the 28th time."

"Twenty-nine!" yelled Gavin as he caught yet another Magikarp and threw it back.

"What about you Ruby?" asked Geoff.

"Not a single bite," said Ruby. "I'm starting to think Ray had the right idea."

With the competition reaching a lull, Gavin decided to ask random questions to help pass the time.

"How about this: You're given a million lien, but for the rest of your life as a Pokémon trainer, the only Pokémon you can use are Metapod and Kakuna."

"Deal," said Ruby.

"She didn't even think twice!" said Ryan.

"You'd seriously do that?" asked Gavin.

"I mean the only downside is I don't get to train Eevee anymore," said Ruby. "Unless, can I keep other Pokémon, but just not ever use them in battle?"

"First of all, why would you agree to the deal? The only move they use is Harden!"

"Actually, if you train them from their original forms, they can learn more moves."

"She got you there, Gavin!" said Ryan.

"Yeah, but they'd still be incredibly weak compared to other Pokémon!" said Gavin.

"Then I'll just make my living as the trainer with the world's greatest Metapod and Kakuna," said Ruby. "My Metapod and Kakuna will be amongst the top 1% of all the Metapods and Kakunas in the world! I can become a celebrity, get even more lien, and use it to pamper myself and Eevee for the rest of our lives."

"She's a quick thinker," said Ryan. "My turn: Million lien, but you can only say your name like Pokémon do."

"Yes," said Ruby, "only because I'm so glad my dad gave me a name that's easy to pronounce."

"Can Pokémon even mispronounce their own name?" asked Ryan.

"You know what I've always wondered?" asked Gavin. "When do Pokémon decide their names?"

"That's actually a really interesting question," said Ruby. "Probably when they started speaking for the first time."

"So like one day a Psyduck was born, decided to say 'Psyduck,' and that's why they're called Psyducks?"

"Actually," said Ryan, "there was a committee held by Arceus and it decided 'You look like a duck with crazy eyes, so I'm going to call you Psyduck!'"

"So Arceus somehow knew our language and named all the Pokémon like that?" asked Ruby.

"If Arceus is real," said Gavin, "I'd like to know some of the decisions it made when creating Pokémon. Like, why did it create Stunfisk?"

"I would want to know why Remoraid evolves into Octillery," said Ryan.

"I would ask Arceus what the deal with Cubone is," said Ruby. "I remember my classmates always claiming Cubone can evolve into Kangaskhan."

"What would make them think that?"

"The rumors I've heard is that if you remove the skull-"

Ruby's conspiracy was suddenly interrupted by her rod bending up and down. Ruby finally had a bite.

"Hold that thought!" said Ruby. "I've got myself a bite!"

Ruby started to reel in her catch. As her line drew near, a pair of clear red crystals attached to a blue body could be seen near the surface.

"Looks like Ruby is trying to catch a Tentacool," said Ryan. As Ruby kept reeling in her line, they expected to see the head pop out any second; instead, the crystals and body kept getting bigger.

"Are Tentacool usually that big?" asked Jaune.

"Guys, I don't think it's a Tentacool," said Geoff. "It looks more like a-"

The head emerged from the water, revealing itself not to be a Tentacool, but its larger, more powerful evolved form.

"It's a Tentacruel!" yelled Jaune.

"That thing is too dangerous Ruby!" said Geoff. "Cut off your line!"

"No way!" said Ruby. "I'm not leaving this competition empty-handed!"

Ruby kept trying to reel in her rod, only to realize that the Tentacruel was too strong to be pulled up. The Tentacruel was angry at having a hook attached to its head and surfaced to attack the one responsible. Tentacruel swam up to the pier and launched two of its tentacles at Ruby, wrapping them around her legs. Tentacruel tripped Ruby and attempted to drag her off the pier; Ruby grabbed onto the rail with one arm while still holding on to her rod. Geoff ran over to help pull Ruby up.

"Just let go Ruby!" said Geoff. "This isn't worth it!"

"Not a chance! For once, I am not going to take second to Weiss!"

The Tentacruel's grip was proving to be too strong as Geoff could feel himself about to lose hold of Ruby at any moment. Having to think of a solution fast, Jaune grabbed his rod and cast it at the Tentacruel. The moment the hook was attached to Tentacruel, Jaune reeled his rod to grab the Tentacruel's attention. The pain from the hook digging into its skin caused the to Tentacruel loosen its grip on Ruby, allowing Geoff to kick off the tentacles and pull Ruby back on her feet.

"Good job Jaune!" said Geoff. "Now unhook your rod!"

"Okay!" replied Jaune.

"Wait Jaune!" said Ruby. "Don't unhook your rod! We can catch this Tentacruel together!"

"Are you crazy?" said Geoff. "You're still going to try and catch that thing?"

"You bet I am! Ready to work together, Jaune?"

"If you're really desperate to catch that thing," said Jaune, "I might as well help out!"

"Are we even allowed to do that?" asked Gavin.

"The rules said we couldn't battle with our Pokémon," said Ryan. "They didn't say anything about coming together to all catch the same Pokémon! Everyone, cast your rod on Tentacruel!"

The remaining Achievement Trainers with rods all cast out and hooked themselves on Tentacruel. Even with all the rods attached, the Tentacruel was still strong enough to pull everyone towards the water.

"Does anyone else have a plan?" asked Jaune.

"Hey Ryan," said Ruby. "The rules said we can't have our Pokémon battle, but did it say anything about assisting us personally?"

"Not that I'm aware of!" replied Ryan.

"Then I've got an idea!" Ruby reached by her belt and pulled out two Poké Balls; she called out her Electivire and Graveler. "Everyone, hand your rod over to Electivire! Electivire, I need you to pull as hard as you can, and don't use your electricity! Graveler, make sure he holds still!"

Electivire nodded and took a hold of everybody's rods including Ruby's. With Electivire being physically stronger, he started to pull Tentacruel closer to the surface. Tentacruel retaliated by trying to wrap its tentacles around Electivire and dragging him into the water; Graveler grabbed onto Electivire's back to weigh him down. The other contestants took notice of what was happening and were astounded to see the test of strength occurring.

With the help of Graveler's weight, Electivire slowly moved back and continued to pull Tentacruel up to the pier. With the hooks digging deeper and deeper into its body, the pain was too much for Tentacruel to resist and ultimately gave up. The moment Tentacruel surfaced onto the pier, Ruby took out a Dive Ball and lunged it at Tentacruel. A few seconds later, Ruby had a confirmed catch, causing the competitors watching to cheer.

"All right!" said Ruby. "I got myself a Tentacruel!"

"Quite impressive," said the judge. "Then again, that Milotic the other girl caught earlier was just as, if not more impressive. Certainly didn't need so much help catching it."

The Electivire turned to the judge with a scary look on its face, as if threatening to shut him up for trying to dampen the mood. The judge quickly backed away before Electivire did anything. Ruby recalled her Pokémon and returned everyone's rods.

"As insanely stupid as that was," said Geoff, "that was the most awesome catch I have ever seen."

"Too bad the judge didn't think so," said Ruby. "Guess I'll have to keep fishing."

Ruby cast out her rod, hoping to get a better catch before time ran out. As the others continued fishing, Gavin laid back in his chair and stared out into the lake. Even if he could only catch Magikarp, at least the lake looked beautiful with the sun's light reflecting off the water, making the lake appear as bright as an aquamarine. As he continued staring into the water, he noticed the brightness of the lake beginning to dimmer. He looked up and noticed the sky suddenly getting covered by clouds.

"Hey guys, did it just get cloudier than usual?" asked Gavin.

"Looks like it," said Geoff. "The wind is starting to get a bit strong too."

"Is it me or do those clouds look really dark?" asked Jaune. Everyone looked up to see the clouds nearly cover the entire sky in dim gray.

"Don't tell me it's going to rain!" said Ruby. As if on cue, droplets of rain began to fall on their heads.

"Attention everyone!" announced the judge. "We just received word of a thunderstorm about to pass us by. Everyone pack up and head back to the clubhouse immediately. The competition will resume should the weather clear up."

#

Just five minutes ago, the day was bright and beautiful. Now the sky had turned dark gray as the rain came pouring down, accompanied by the bright flashes of lightning and deafening sounds of thunder. Ruby was staring out the window watching the rain come down and likely wash away any chance she had of beating Weiss in the fishing contest.

"This storm looks like it's never going to get better!" said Ruby. "Now there's no way I'll be able to beat Weiss."

"It's just a contest," said Jaune. "Besides, you'll beat her when it really matters."

"I guess you're right."

"The guys are playing card games to kill some time. Wanna join?"

"Sure."

Ruby went with Jaune to the table where the AT Crew were gathered around and playing. As Geoff was shuffling the cards, Ruby felt that something was off with the way everyone was seated. She took a quick count of everyone sitting down and noticed there were only seven of them at the table; one of the AT Crew members was missing.

"Wait a minute," said Ruby. "Where's Ray?"

"He said he was going to walk around the woods," said Geoff. "Did he not come back yet?"

"I've give him a call," said Gavin. Gavin took out his scroll and called Ray; the call went straight to Ray's voicemail. "Um, guys? Ray's not answering."

"I just took a quick look around," said Michael. "I don't see Ray here."

"Does this mean Ray is still out in this thunderstorm?" asked Ruby, sounding worried. The AT Crew quickly got up and started searching around the clubhouse. When nobody reported seeing Ray, everyone was getting tense.

"Everyone remain calm," said Geoff. "I'll go out and find Ray. The rest of you stay here in case he comes back."

"I'll come too!" said Ruby.

"That includes you, Ruby. I've already got one idiot I need to search for, and the last thing I need is to search for more."

"Mister Geoff, I'm more than capable of holding my own."

"Seriously, she is," said Michael. "At least take her along in case something happens to you."

"Fine," said Geoff. "Ruby, and JUST Ruby, will come with me!"

Geoff and Ruby went to find spare raincoats and head out the door when they were suddenly stopped by the judge of the contest.

"Where do you think you two are going?" asked the judge.

"One of my friends is out in the woods and I need to go find him," said Geoff.

"Not happening! That storm is too dangerous to be going into the woods. We've contacted the Pokémon rangers and they'll arrive ASAP."

"And how long is ASAP supposed to be?"

"Might be a while because of the storm."

"So you're telling me we have to sit around for help that might not even arrive in time? No thanks! C'mon Ruby!"

Ruby and Geoff ignored the judge's warnings and left the clubhouse in search of Ray.

#

With the rain coming down like a waterfall and the wind nearly blowing them off their feet, it was hard for Ruby and Geoff to walk through the woods. Geoff had his Nidoking out to power through any of the trees in their way, while Ruby had Eevee search for any clues leading to Ray.

"Find any clues yet?" asked Geoff.

"None so far," said Ruby. A bolt of lightning flashed in the sky, followed closely by the loud sound of thunder. Hearing that noise caused Eevee to suddenly cower behind Ruby's leg.

"Eevee!" whimpered Eevee.

"Relax Eevee," said Ruby, picking up Eevee. "We're going to be okay."

"If you're having second thoughts," said Geoff, "you can always go back to the clubhouse."

"I'm just fine, sir! A little bad weather isn't-" Ruby was suddenly interrupted by another round of lightning and thunder, spooking her. Geoff on the hand remained surprisingly calm.

"Scary, isn't it?"

"Aren't you even the least bit scared, Geoff?"

"Of course I am! I'm scared by a lot of things; Golbats, Arboks, my wife when she finds out I stole her fishing rod...but I don't let those things break my focus or else I wouldn't get anything done!"

Encouraged by Geoff's words, Eevee jumped out of Ruby's arms and ignored the bad weather as best she could. Eevee kept sniffing for clues and smelled something odd behind one of the fallen trees. Ruby and Geoff looked over and saw a bouquet of fully bloomed blue roses.

"Blue roses?" said Ruby. "What are blue roses doing in the middle of this field?"

"These roses were created by Roserade," said Geoff. "Ray always plants them in case he gets lost. They should lead us straight to him!"

Eevee took a good whiff of the blue roses and started walking towards where she smelled the others. Ruby and Geoff kept following Eevee and the trail of blue roses until the wind started to blow towards their direction, blasting them in the face with rainwater. Eevee kept trying to march forward, but the wind was starting to sweep Eevee off her feet and push her back; Ruby caught Eevee before she was blown away. The force of the wind was also causing a nearby tree to break apart and fall in their direction.

"Nidoking, block the tree!" commanded Geoff. Nidoking raised its arms and caught the tree, then tossed it aside. Geoff looked around and noticed a lot of trees looking like they can fall over at any moment from the wind.

"We have to cut some of these trees down before they fall on top of us!"

"On it!" said Ruby. Ruby called out her Scyther to fly up and cut down any trees in bad condition. Once enough trees were knocked down and the wind took a reprieve, Ruby and Geoff continued on their walk; the flashes of lightning was starting to increase as the thunder got louder. Eevee was starting to shake in fear while in Ruby's arms.

"Just ignore the sounds Eevee; we'll find Ray any moment now."

As Ruby tried to comfort Eevee, a bolt of lightning suddenly struck a tree ahead. The tree caught on fire and fell to the ground, blocking their path.

"I think we just found ourselves in the dead center of the storm!" said Geoff.

"What do we do now?" asked Ruby.

"We need to get out into a clearing!"

Ruby and Geoff frantically searched for the best possible way out of the forest, but with the falling trees and the disastrous weather, there didn't seem to be any way out. A bolt of lightning suddenly struck a tree a few feet away from Ruby, frightening Ruby so badly she fell to the ground. Geoff ran over to pick her up. With the wind blowing strongly, the struck tree began to break apart and was starting to lean over Ruby and Geoff. The next thing they realized, the tree snapped and was going to crush them. Geoff got on top of Ruby to protect her from the tree.

Just as the tree was going to fall, they suddenly heard the sound of several metallic slashes cutting through the air. They looked up and saw the tree suddenly burst into tiny pieces, saving them from harm.

"What in the world just happened?" asked Geoff. Ruby looked to the side and saw a Doublade hovering over them, but was even more surprised to see the trainer who sent out the Pokémon: Weiss Schnee.

"Weiss?" said Ruby. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious, you dolt?" said Weiss. "I came to make sure you two didn't get yourselves killed."

"We're doing just fine, thank you!" said Geoff. Another tree on fire suddenly fell behind Geoff, freaking him out.

"Stand aside," said Weiss. Weiss called out her Magmar and Gabite; Weiss had Magmar inhale the flames on the tree to put it out, then had Gabite Slash the fallen tree to pieces. "Doublade, cut down any tree that looks vulnerable; Gabite, break apart any tree that's already fallen; Magmar, absorb all the flames you can."

Weiss' Pokémon went to work, taking down the parts of the forest that was getting dangerous. Ruby and Geoff's Pokémon joined in to help out. Soon they had a clear path for them to follow the blue roses.

"It should be easier to find your friend now. I'd hurry up before the storm strikes again."

"Hey Weiss," said Ruby. "As much as I'd hate to say it...thanks. I appreciate your help."

"I only helped because I don't need your safety bothering my conscience," replied Weiss. "Now are you going to find your friend or not?"

Ruby rolled her eyes and followed Geoff, not wanting to waste time arguing with an ice queen who wouldn't even accept a compliment. After another minute of following the flowers, they found a cave in the middle of the forest.

"You think he could be inside?" asked Ruby.

"RAY!" shouted Geoff. "Are you in there?"

"Is that you Geoff?" replied Ray. "Come on in!" Ruby and Geoff entered the cave and quickly found Ray sitting by a fire.

"Thank Arceus you're okay!" said Ruby.

"Of course I'm okay. What, you thought I would need to be rescued like Gavin?"

"We were all worried when you didn't answer your scroll during the storm. What happened?"

"When I noticed the sky getting dark, I just hung out in this case to wait out the storm."

"But what about not answering your scroll?"

"Oh; I forgot to charge it."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" yelled Geoff. "You had us worried about your safety all because you forgot to CHARGE YOUR FREAKING SCROLL?"

"Sorry."

"The important thing is that you're safe and sound," said Ruby. "Right Geoff?"

"SORRY?" yelled Geoff. "I'm soaking wet and nearly...GAAAH!"

Seeing Ray being okay was not enough to calm Geoff down as he went deeper into the cave and continued to shout incoherently until the thunderstorm outside was finally starting to let up. With the sun starting to shine through, the three of them headed back to the clubhouse.

#

With the weather looking back to normal, all the competitors gathered their equipment and headed back to the pier to continue the fishing contest.

"Due to the thunderstorm, we are running extremely short on time," announced the judge. "Therefore, you will only have ten minutes to make your final catch! Have at it!"

All the competitors cast their rods, hoping to make one final lucky catch. Ruby pulled out her scroll and kept looking at the timer as much as she did her pole; every second passing without a bite was torture. Weiss stood back and smirked; she had this contest won hands-down. Once the countdown began for the last thirty seconds, most of the competitors were calling it a day.

"I guess Weiss wins again," said Ruby. "At least I get to keep that Tentacruel."

"Cheer up lass," said Gavin. "If it's any consolation, you still did a lot better than me."

"Ten seconds left!" said the judge. As the crowd began packing up and counting down to the last second, Gavin suddenly had a bite on his rod. Gavin reeled in his rod and pulled up his catch. To his surprise, the Pokémon on his hook wasn't the same goofy orange fish he had caught thirty-six times prior.

"Guys!" yelled Gavin. "I finally caught something that isn't a Magikarp!"

"Are you serious?" said Geoff. The AT Crew turned to see the Pokémon Gavin had caught; it was about the same size and look of a Magikarp, because as it turned out, it was a Magikarp.

"Darn it! It's another Magikarp, just with a different color!" Gavin picked up the Magikarp and was about to toss it back into the lake.

"Wait a minute Gavin!" said Ruby. "That Magikarp; it's a shiny!"

"Oh my God, she's right!" said Geoff. "Gavin caught a shiny Magikarp!"

"I did?" asked Gavin, looking over his Magikarp.

"You really did!" said Michael. "Way to go, man!"

When the judge overheard people talking about a shiny Magikarp, he ran to check on Gavin's catch.

"Let me see!" said the judge, inspecting the Magikarp. "My word...it is! A genuine shiny Magikarp!"

"Excuse me!" said Weiss. "Can we get to the judging now?"

"Oh yes, the contest! Everyone who has made a catch please line up here!"

All the competitors who caught a Pokémon lined up on the pier, standing by the Pokémon they had caught. On the end of the line was Jaune with his Goldeen, Ruby with her Tentacruel, Weiss with her Milotic, and Gavin with his Magikarp, still flopping up and down by his feet. The assistants came out with the Golden Magikarp trophy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's usually hard for me to decide on a winner, but in this case the winner is obvious!"

"Of course it is," said Weiss, ready to accept the winning trophy. The judge took the trophy and walked past the long line of competitors, including Ruby. Weiss held out her arms to take the trophy, but the judge walked past her and stood in front of Gavin.

"For catching my favorite Pokémon, I hereby declare you the winner of the Pokémon Fishing Jamboree!"

"Are you serious?" asked Gavin. "I won? I actually won?"

"What?" yelled Weiss. "You're giving that doofus the trophy?"

"But of course! Who better deserves the Golden Magikarp Trophy than a man who has caught the actual Golden Magikarp? In all my twenty years of fishing, I've never been able to see one in person! Thank you sir! Thank you for catching the Pokémon I've always dreamed of possessing!"

"Congratulations Gavin!" said Geoff. "And since that also means you've done the best amongst us, you also win the GS Ball!"

Everyone save for Weiss cheered for Gavin's accomplishment. Gavin could barely believe that not only did he win the trophy, but after one hundred challenges, he finally got his hands on the GS Ball.

"I did it!" said Gavin. "I finally did it for real this time!"

"This is ridiculous!" complained Weiss. "My catch was far superior to his in every single way! This contest is complete nonsense! And what kind of loser becomes proud to win such trivial garbage like a fake Poké Ball?"

"Jealous much, ice queen?" asked Gavin.

"I'll show you who's jealous!" said Weiss, trying to grab the trophy away from Gavin.

"If it really means that much to you..." Gavin suddenly let go of his grip on the Magikarp Trophy, causing Weiss to step backwards until she suddenly found herself balancing off the edge of the pier. She quickly maintained her composure and laughed at Gavin.

"Thought you were going to make me spill in the lake, huh?" said Weiss. "Nice try you dim-"

"Karp!" yelled the shiny Magikarp as it bounced up into Weiss' face. The sudden bounce caused Weiss to jump, making her lose her balance and fall into the lake along with the trophy.

"I guess the ice queen is now the water queen!" said Michael. The AT Crew laughed at seeing Weiss get her comeuppance; Weiss quickly swam to shore and headed to the clubhouse to dry off, fuming at losing the farce of a competition.

Although she didn't win the trophy, Ruby was satisfied with seeing her nemesis get soaked, and got a new Pokémon added to her team. Her and Jaune said their goodbyes to the AT Crew and set out towards their next adventure.


	22. Chilling Out

_Several years ago_

Ruby was looking out the window of her bedroom, seeing the snow falling down and covering the world like a big sheet of white fluff. Ruby usually loved the sight of seeing so much snow come down, but tonight was a big exception. Her father was out exploring a mountain for Pokémon research when the blizzard had struck; when he didn't come back home in time, her uncle Qrow went out in search of him. All Ruby could do now was look out the window and hope they came home soon.

"When's daddy coming home?" asked Ruby.

"Don't worry Ruby," said Yang. "Uncle Qrow said he's going to bring back daddy safe and sound."

"But what if uncle Qrow can't find daddy?"

"Nonsense! Uncle Qrow can find anybody because he's a Pokémon ranger! Besides, I'm sure both of them will be just fine; you wanna know why?"

Yang reached into her toy box full of homemade toys and pulled out a little paper towel roll covered with blue paper and googly eyes, with blue-painted popsicle sticks representing the wings.

"Because if they're in trouble, Articuno will rescue them!" said Yang, holding her toy up high over Ruby.

"Really? Articuno will come down and rescue daddy and uncle Qrow?"

"Of course I will!" said Yang in a make-believe voice. "I always appear to people with good hearts stuck in the middle of a bad snowstorm! I'll bring back your daddy and your uncle very soon, Ruby!"

"I hope you do, Articuno!"

Yang continued playing with Ruby with her makeshift Articuno doll, helping distract Ruby from the crisis their family was in.

_"Please come home soon dad and Qrow,"_ thought Yang.

#

_Present day_

Ruby and Jaune were venturing the snowy trails of Mount Luna, a mountain considered the coldest place in all of Vale. Naturally a place this cold would be home to a majority of Vale's Ice type Pokémon, which is why Ruby insisted on exploring the mountain before heading to Gren Isle for her next badge. When dressing for the cold, Ruby had broken out her red hood, something she hadn't worn since her days on Patch Island. Jaune was covered nearly head to toe in his winter gear, and yet he still felt it wasn't enough to endure the chilly atmosphere.

"How long is this going to take Ruby?" asked Jaune.

"Until I find some really good Pokémon to capture," said Ruby. "Besides, it's not that bad out here anyway, right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, enjoying the snowy walk with Ruby.

"Not that bad?" said Jaune. "It's like negative zero out here! How are you able to tolerate the cold like this?"

"It doesn't feel any different than the winter days at Patch Island," said Ruby. "In fact, this place is probably warmer."

"You are either a freak of nature, or an outright liar."

"I take it you're not a big fan of snow, huh Jaune?"

"I hate everything about it! I hate it when it gets in my clothes, I hate it when my folks make me shovel around the house while my sisters do nothing, and I hated all the times the kids would bully me by burying me in the snow, making me eat the snow, and the snowball fights...how I HATED those!"

"Sorry about your rough childhood. I love snow; I would always build snowmen with my family and my dad would take me sledding and if it got really bad, we'd get to stay home, drink hot chocolate, and watch cartoons all day. Snow is awesome!"

"The only thing awesome about snow is when it melts."

"I pity you Jaune; you don't know what you're missing out on."

"Somehow, I think I'm going to be okay."

Ruby looked down on Eevee and shook her head. Eevee shook her head back, also pitying Jaune's hatred of snow.

As they were walking up the mountain, Ruby spotted a herd of Swinub up ahead. She took out her Pokédex to learn more about them.

_Swinub_

_Swine Pokémon_

_It rubs its snout on the ground to find and dig up food. It sometimes discovers hot springs._

"Look at that," said Jaune. "A herd full of Ice types. Let's catch one and get off this mountain!"

"Hold on," said Ruby. "Penny, what was that about hot springs?"

"A Swinub has such a strong sense of smell," explained Penny, "that it could find hot springs buried under any amount of snow and ice."

"I wonder if that's what those Swinub are looking for?"

"Who cares?" said Jaune. "Fight one already!"

"Actually Jaune, change of plan; we're going to see if they find a hot spring!"

"Really?" complained Jaune. "We have to stay out in this cold even longer?"

"I've never been in a hot spring before; I've always wondered just how hot those things really are. I think it would be a good way to relax your nerves."

"I can get the same effect taking a hot bath!"

"C'mon Eevee, let's follow those Swinub!"

Ruby and Eevee ran up to the Swinub and followed their trek around the mountain. Jaune groaned and reluctantly followed behind. They followed the Swinub for around twenty minutes; all the Swinub did was dig up a couple of wild mushrooms.

"Looks like those Swinub aren't having any luck," said Ruby. "Oh well."

"Swell!" said Jaune. "That only took away twenty minutes of our precious time!"

"Since when have you cared about our so called precious time?"

"When we weren't in a location that can give us frostbite!"

"Okay Jaune, if you don't want to be out here, we can go somewhere else."

"You mean it?"

"Yep! We can go into one of these caves and keep ourselves warm for the rest of the trip."

"Yes! That's a great idea! Let's go inside a cave and..." It took Jaune a moment to realize what he was suddenly agreeing to. "HEY!"

Ruby and Eevee laughed at nearly tricking Jaune to go inside a cave willingly.

As they kept walking through the side of the mountain, Jaune was thinking of a way to get back at Ruby for dragging him to this frozen deathtrap. He looked to the side of the trail and noticed some Snovers picking up snow and throwing snowballs at each other, giving him a brilliant idea.

_"So Ruby, you love the snow so much? Let's see how much you love it when it's thrown into your face!"_ With Ruby ahead of him and busy talking to Eevee, Jaune picked up some snow and formed it into a ball, then positioned himself so he was just a few feet away from Ruby. Once Ruby faced forward, Jaune threw his snowball directly for the back of Ruby's head. _"Got her!"_

Inches before the ball reached Ruby, Ruby suddenly leaned her head to the right and avoided the snowball. The next thing Jaune knew, Ruby suddenly turned around and hurled a snowball right back, catching him off guard and nailing him in the face.

"Ow!" said Jaune, wiping the snow out of his eyes. "How did you do that?"

"Do you know how many times my sister has tried to assault me with surprise attacks?" asked Ruby, holding up another snowball she had ready. She pointed to Jaune in dramatic fashion. "I've been attacked so many times that I've developed a sixth sense of snowballs coming at me. Now you shall feel the wrath of my awesome snowball prowess!"

"Wait, I'm sorry! Please don't-"

Begging for mercy was too late for Jaune as Ruby launched her second snowball at Jaune. Jaune ducked the snowball and tried to gather snow to fight back; Ruby picked up Eevee and ran off into the distance. Jaune stood up and chased after Ruby; he soon found himself in a small plain surrounded by trees covered in snow. Jaune looked around searching for any sign of Ruby, but she didn't appear to be anywhere in sight. He turned to go back on the trail when he was suddenly struck from the side by a snowball.

"Show yourself, you coward!" yelled Jaune.

"Typical words from a man full of fear," said Ruby. Jaune turned to the tree he thought Ruby was hiding behind, ran up to it, and then threw his snowball the moment he was on the other side, only to have thrown his snowball at nothing. Jaune turned to see where Ruby ran when he suddenly felt a pile of snow fall on top of him. Jaune looked up and saw Ruby and Eevee smiling down on him.

"That's cheating! Get down here and fight fair!"

"All is fair in the art of snowball war, Jaune!"

Ruby quickly jumped down with Eevee and ran towards another tree. Jaune picked up some snow and chased after Ruby, this time looking up to see if she was hiding above him again. No matter where Jaune looked, he could never find Ruby. Years of snowball fighting had enhanced Ruby's stealth abilities; she hid amongst the foliage with ease, biding her time before she would jump down and strike Jaune. With all the leaves in the way, it was hard for Ruby to see, hence she had to use her other senses to detect when Jaune would be approaching.

_"I can't hear his footsteps at all. He must be searching up the wrong tree."_ Just then, she can hear footsteps close to the tree. Oddly, there was a one second delay between each step hitting the snow; Jaune must have been trying to sneak up by taking large steps.

"Ruby!" shouted Jaune. "I think you'd better get down here!"

_"What an empty threat,"_ thought Ruby. _"Way to give your position, Jaune! Time to commence my attack!"_

Pinpointing Jaune's voice being in front the tree, Ruby jumped down and immediately threw a snowball without even taking a good look at where she was throwing. Instead of hitting Jaune, the snowball struck what appeared to be another snow-covered tree, only this one was about seven feet tall.

"Where did this tree come from?" asked Ruby.

"Ruby!" yelled a frightened Jaune from several feet away. "You...you just hit a Pokémon!"

The "tree" turned around and looked down at Ruby. The Pokémon was a giant white behemoth, with green spots on its hands and feet. It didn't look happy that Ruby threw her snowball to the back of its head. Ruby's hands started to shake in fear as she scrambled to take out her Pokédex and identify the wild beast.

_Abomasnow_

_Frosted Tree Pokémon_

_It blankets wide areas in snow by whipping up blizzards. It is also known as "The Ice Monster."_

"That does not sound like a friendly thing to be known as," said Ruby. "Eevee, you think you can tell our friend here that it was a complete accident?" Ruby put Eevee down and nudged her forward towards the Abomasnow. Taking one look at the size of the ice monster was causing Eevee to shake nervously.

"Ee...vee?" said Eevee, trying to apologize to Abomasnow. The Abomasnow's expression did not change.

"Listen mister ice monster, I didn't mean to hit you! We'll just be on our way and you can go back to doing whatever it was you were doing...okay?" Ruby picked up Eevee and started to walk away from the Abomasnow; the Abomasnow's cold eyes were still staring fearsomely at Ruby. "So we're cool, right? Eevee, ask him if we're cool."

"Eevee, Eevee?" asked Eevee. After remaining eerily silent, Abomasnow finally raised its arms and let out a noise.

"BAAAAAAAAH!" shouted Abomasnow, causing a hailstorm to suddenly attack Ruby and Jaune.

"I don't think he accepted your apology!" said Jaune, trying to protect himself from the oncoming hail.

"If it's a battle he wants, so be it!" said Ruby. "Prepare to be my catch of the day, Abomasnow!" Ruby reached by her belt, grabbed her Poké Ball containing Talonflame, and tossed it into the air. With Fire types having a major advantage over Ice types, even a powerful foe like Abomasnow wouldn't stand a chance against Talonflame.

Abomasnow wasted no time and suddenly created pillars of ice with his Ice Shard, hurling them at Talonflame.

"Talonflame, Agility!" Talonflame flew around fast to avoid getting hit by the Ice Shards. Some of the shards hurled by Abomasnow wound up hitting the side of the mountain, causing the snow to fall down.

With Talonflame being too fast to hit, Abomasnow unleashed a Blizzard, covering nearly the entire area in a fleet of snow. The attack slowed Talonflame down and did some moderate damage; Ruby and Jaune could feel the sub-zero air blowing against them. Eevee wrapped herself in Ruby's hood to keep warm.

"My b-b-body is starting to f-feel like ice!" said Jaune, shivering terribly from the cold. "Ruby, w-we need to go!"

"A little cold isn't going to stop me!" said Ruby. "Talonflame, Flame Charge!"

Talonflame lit itself on fire and dove into Abomasnow, striking Abomasnow in the chest. Being very susceptible to fire, the attack did serious damage to Abomasnow. Abomasnow raised its fists and encased them in solid chunks of ice, then tried to knock out Talonflame with an Ice Punch. Talonflame flew up and dodged the punch, then struck Abomasnow with another Flame Charge.

"BAAAH!" screamed Abomasnow, chasing after Talonflame. Abomasnow struck one of the trees and knocked it down to try and hit Talonflame. The tree fell over and caused the ground to shake slightly from the impact.

"We're going to need to back away," said Ruby. "Let's go!"

Ruby and the others started to run from the plain and back on the trail. Abomasnow continued to try and punch Talonflame as Talonflame flew just a few feet above Abomasnow's reach. Abomasnow then decided to attack with Blizzard again; this time the cold wind blew across the side of the mountain, causing more snow to fall on the trail. The freezing air was also causing Talonflame's body to nearly freeze over, lowering Talonflame's altitude. With Talonflame now in reach, Abomasnow got ready to deliver another Ice Punch.

"Talonflame, use Acrobatics!" Abomasnow threw a straight right at Talonflame; Talonflame flew up to avoid the attack, then quickly rammed into Abomasnow's head, knocking him for a loop. Talonflame struck Abomasnow multiple times, bringing him down to one knee; one more strong attack and Ruby would be the victor.

"Let's finish it Talonflame! Flame Charge attack!" Talonflame lit itself on fire and tackled into Abomasnow's chest; the force of the blow was strong enough to send Abomasnow reeling into the side of the mountain and knocking him out.

"Way to go Talonflame! Time to catch me an Abomasnow!"

Ruby was about to reach into her bag and pull out a Poké Ball when they suddenly heard a large rumbling noise echoing across the mountain.

"That doesn't sound good!" said Jaune. "What's going on?"

"It sounds like..." Ruby looked up and noticed a wave of snow at the top of the mountain starting to come down. It didn't take long to recognize what was going on. "It's an avalanche! RUN!"

Ruby picked up Eevee and immediately started running down the trail; Talonflame followed close by in the air. Jaune was in such a panic that he started trying to run downhill to avoid the snow. Ruby realized Jaune's mistake and tried to turn and warn him.

"Jaune, don't run downhill! Run to the side!"

With the roar of the avalanche blocking out so much noise, Jaune wasn't able to hear Ruby and kept running. With no time to turn back, Ruby kept running as the snow was about to reach the trail.

Jaune looked behind him and panicked when he saw how high the snowfall was. Fearing he would be outrun and buried in the snow, Jaune grabbed onto one of the trees and started climbing like his life depended on it - appropriate because it did. Jaune nearly reached the top when the snow came coursing through like a flood; Jaune prayed the tree was strong enough to hold him.

Ruby continued sprinting down the trail, barely outpacing the snow coming down and covering more of the trail. If she didn't seek some kind of shelter soon, she was going to be buried next. She looked around and saw a cave just up ahead. With a few seconds to spare, she jumped into the cave; the moment she landed inside, the snow came down and sealed off the entrance, along with any source of light. All Ruby could do now was lay there as she heard the avalanche come crashing down and engulf everything in its path.

In just two minutes, the entire mountainside was covered in a thick layer of snow. The snow had gotten so high that Jaune didn't even have to jump down to get back on the ground. Jaune was overwhelmed at the sight of the snow covering everything, made worse that he had no idea if Ruby was okay or not.

"Ruby! Can you hear me? RUBY!"

"Tal!" shouted Talonflame, flying up to Jaune. Talonflame had tried to follow Ruby but got cut off by the avalanche.

"Talonflame, did you see where Ruby went? Can you take me to her?"

Talonflame flew up and tried to lead Jaune to where she thought she last saw Ruby, but the snow had covered up so much, it was impossible to tell where anything was.

"We need to get rid of all this snow!" Jaune pulled out a Poké Ball and called out his Steelix. "Steelix, try to dig up as much snow as you can! We need to find Ruby!"

Steelix bent down and scooped up as much snow as it could, tossing it down the mountain. Talonflame tried to help by melting some of the snow with her Flame Charge. After several minutes of digging up and melting the snow, Jaune was nowhere close to finding Ruby.

"We're never going to find Ruby like this. I need to head back to town and get help. Wherever you are Ruby, just hang on!"

Jaune climbed on his Steelix and used him to slide off the mountain, heading back to town with Talonflame.

#

After the avalanche had stopped, Ruby opened her eyes to survey her surroundings, although it did little good as the cave was nearly pitch black thanks to the thick amount of snow covering the entrance.

"Feeling all right, Eevee?"

"Eev-ve-vee," said Eevee, shivering from the immense cold she felt in the cave.

"Yeah, this cave does feel like a freezer. Thankfully, at least I'll be able to keep you warm." Ruby reached into her backpack and pulled out an empty Poké Ball. Upon seeing what Ruby was up to, Eevee started to back away in protest.

"Eevee!" said Eevee, shaking her head back and forth.

"Listen, I know you're not comfortable being inside a Poké Ball, but for now I think you should get inside to stay safe."

Eevee leapt forward and latched herself onto Ruby's leg. She was not going inside that Poké Ball no matter what Ruby did.

"If you insist, then so be it," said Ruby, putting the ball away.

She took out her scroll to check if she had any way of contacting someone; her scroll had no signal strength.

"Looks like it'll be just you and me for a while." She pulled out a flashlight and checked the supplies in her backpack. "We have at least a day's worth of food; two if I can stretch out our resources. It's too dangerous to dig from the inside, so we'll have to try and find another exit."

Ruby shone her flashlight down the cave and saw the long path laid out in front of her. With the cave's temperature being very low, she decided to use her own flashlight rather than rely on Beedrill's Flash.

"All right Eevee, time for us to go spelunking!"

Ruby and Eevee walked down the icy corridor, making sure to walk carefully as to not accidentally slip and fall. With all the walls looking exactly the same, Ruby had no bearing as to where she was going; it wasn't long until she looped around and suddenly found herself back at the start.

"I guess my sense of direction isn't so good in the dark," said Ruby.

"Eevee!" said Eevee, worried they were never going to find another way out.

"Calm down Eevee; we'll just have to map out our route."

Ruby took out her scroll and pulled up an app to draw her own map. This time Ruby had a better sense of where to go, or at least enough to not wind up in the same place they've already been.

As they were going through the halls of the frozen cavern, Ruby could hear Eevee shivering. Ruby could only imagine how upset Eevee was feeling right now; being trapped in such a dire situation combined with the horrendous temperature was bringing Eevee's mood down. Ruby decided to try lightening her mood.

"You know Eevee, with all this cold surrounding us, maybe now would be the best time to evolve into a Glaceon. It'd save me time trying to capture an Ice type."

"Eevee?" said Eevee, looking up and wondering if Ruby was serious.

"On second thought, we need to focus on keeping warm, so maybe I should evolve you into Flareon instead. I'm sure I have a Fire Stone saved up in my backpack." Ruby started to go through her backpack, which started to freak Eevee out.

"Eevee, Eevee!" yelled Eevee, scratching at Ruby's legs to get her to stop. Ruby immediately stopped and put her hands up.

"I'm kidding!" said Ruby, trying to laugh it off. "I would never force you to evolve like that."

Eevee growled; she didn't find Ruby's joke funny. Ruby felt ashamed that her attempt at humor flopped.

"I'm sorry Eevee; I should have thought that one through. But seriously, I'm not going to have you evolve unless you feel ready to."

Ruby didn't attempt to make any more jokes until they found a way out of the cave.

After nearly an hour of exploring the cave, Ruby started to hear the faint sound of wind gusts echoing in the cave.

"I can hear the wind from outside. We have to be getting close!"

Ruby and Eevee ran towards the direction of the wind sounds. At the end of the pathway, they found a ledge above them with a light shining from outside, illuminating part of the cave.

"I see an exit on that ledge! We're home free, Eevee!"

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee, happy to be finally leaving the cave. Ruby picked up Eevee and climbed the ledge, only to suddenly notice what the weather outside was like. Snow was blowing around like crazy, the wind felt way below freezing, and the fog made it impossible to see more than ten feet in front of you. Suffice to say, Ruby had stumbled upon the dangerous part of Mount Luna.

"On second thought, let's call it a day and wait for the storm to calm down."

Ruby climbed down the ledge and decided to make camp for the night. Ruby rummaged through her backpack to pick out their dinner. Ruby would usually have Talonflame heat up their food, but with her gone, Ruby and Eevee had to settle for cold leftovers.

"Who'd have thought that despite the name, chili does not taste good when cold?" asked Ruby. Ruby looked over to Eevee and noticed Eevee just staring melancholy at her food.

"What's wrong Eevee? Not feeling hungry?" Eevee shook her head and looked up at the ledge where the wind was blowing through.

"You're still worried about whether or not we'll get rescued, aren't you?"

"Eevee," cried Eevee.

"Don't worry Eevee! We'll be rescued soon enough, and you know why?" Ruby dug through her bag and pulled out an empty blue juice can.

"Because Articuno will come rescue us!"

"Eevee?" asked Eevee.

"Yeah, Articuno! It comes down and helps good people who are lost in mountains!"

"That's right, Eevee!" said Ruby, pretending to make the can talk with a weird voice. "I'll find you and Ruby and bring you home safe and sound!"

Eevee gave Ruby a bewildered look, not understanding what she was trying to do with the can. Ruby sighed and put the can back in the bag, embarrassed for her poor imitation.

"I know, that was terrible," moaned Ruby. "To be honest, I don't even think Articuno is real. The only way we're getting out of here is if Jaune or somebody can find this cave."

"Eevee," said Eevee, a hint of despair forming in her voice. Ruby realized that now was not the time to sound like they were giving up hope.

"But I'm sure they'll find us! I mean, my dad got lost in a blizzard once and my uncle Qrow was able to find him just fine! I'm sure Jaune is okay and he's going to get help and they'll be working around the clock to find us! We're going to be okay Eevee; we just need to keep our cool." Ruby snickered at the pun she just made. "Oh man, I'm starting to sound like my sister."

Eevee pushed her food aside and decided to lie down.

"Good idea Eevee; let's get some sleep while we can."

Ruby took out her sleeping bag and bundled as tightly as she could with Eevee, hoping things would get better in the morning.

#

_Several years ago_

The time was now nine o'clock, and neither Ruby's dad nor her uncle Qrow had returned home. Yang had tucked Ruby into bed, but Ruby refused to go to sleep until they came home.

"Yaaaang, when is Articuno going to bring them home?" asked Ruby.

"I guess it takes longer than I thought for Articuno to travel," said Yang. "Or maybe it got really hungry and insisted they get a bite to eat."

"Yang...what if they never come home?"

"Now don't you dare say that! Dad and uncle Qrow will come home before tomorrow!"

"Promise me they'll come back?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, or I'll eat a Pidgey pie!"

"Eeeew, not a Pidgey pie!" laughed Ruby.

"Okay Ruby, time to go to sleep."

"Good night, Yang," said Ruby before turning over and shutting her eyes.

As soon as Yang was sure Ruby was asleep, she went over to her toy box and pulled out the Articuno toy they were playing with. She gripped hard on the toy and started to cry; she made sure to keep herself quiet to not wake up Ruby.

"I don't know if you're real," whispered Yang, "but if you are, please Articuno...or whoever is up there...if you can hear me, please find dad and uncle Qrow."

#

_Present day_

Ruby woke up to the sound of howling winds from outside the cave. She checked her scroll to find out the time; it was still several hours before sunrise. Eevee started to wake up as well.

"Can't sleep either, huh Eevee?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee," yawned Eevee. Ruby got up and climbed the ledge to check the weather; it was just as bad as it was last night.

"I don't think this weather is going to get any better; at least not today."

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, wondering what they were going to do now.

"I guess we just continue waiting for help."

Ruby went back into sleeping bag and pulled out her scroll to pass the time; unfortunately, the scroll's power was about to reach its end, meaning it wasn't going to be useful for very long. Ruby tried to go back to sleep with Eevee, but the noise outside was too distracting. With nothing to do but lie in her bag and attempt to keep warm, Ruby was starting to get anxious.

"I know this sounds crazy Eevee, but I'm starting to think staying in here is a bad idea. It could be days before somebody finds us in here. If we go outside and find out where we are, we might have a chance of getting out of here faster."

"Eevee!" responded Eevee, refusing to go out there with the blizzard.

"I realize how bad the weather is, but we can't just stay here forever. I'm going to risk it."

Ruby packed up her sleeping bag, carried Eevee in her jacket, and climbed the ledge leading outside. Ruby can already feel the force of the wind trying to blow her back inside. Eevee was starting to whimper, thinking this was a terrible idea.

"We'll walk around real slow, so that way we can find our way back easily."

Ruby bundled her arms and held onto Eevee as she stepped outside. The snow was several inches deep, but the storm was so strong that any footprint Ruby left behind would be covered up instantly. Ruby tried walking straight for a couple of minutes, only to have no idea where she was. Everything was just foggy and cold, with no other signs of a different cave or mountainside.

"All right, this wasn't such a good idea after all. We'll go back." Ruby turned around and headed back in the opposite direction. At least, she thought she was going in the opposite direction, but after a few minutes of trying to get back, she was nowhere close to the cave they came out of. "Impossible! I know that cave has to be here somewhere!" Ruby walked around in a circle, feeling that the cave had to be close by. Another few minutes of searching and she still couldn't find her way back.

"Well Eevee, there's no turning back now. We have to find another way out!"

Ruby picked a random direction and started walking. As she and Eevee trudged through the storm, Ruby kept trying to think warm thoughts; thoughts of her days on Patch Island; thoughts of her time in Beacon Academy; anything to distract herself from the freezing cold coursing through her body.

About half an hour later, stuck in the middle of nowhere, Ruby was starting to slow down considerably. Eevee noticed Ruby's pace and called out to her.

"It's okay Eevee; I'm just getting a little tired. Maybe if I rest for a few minutes, I'll be right back on my feet."

Ruby got down on her knees to give her feet some rest. Eevee was pleading for Ruby to get back up.

"I'm fine Eevee! In fact, I can hardly feel the cold...or anything...in my legs..."

Ruby suddenly slumped over to the side and fell into the snow; her face was starting to turn blue and she could barely keep her eyes fully open. Eevee was terrified seeing Ruby in the state she was in.

"Eevee, I hate to say it, but at this rate...I'm not sure we're going to make it."

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee, biting into her shirt and trying to drag her back up.

"Sorry Eevee, but I just don't have the strength to get back up. So I need you to do exactly what I say." Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Get inside the Poké Ball. That way you can stay safe and warm."

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, pushing the Poké Ball away.

"Eevee, please, you need to get inside the Poké Ball or you'll freeze to death. I don't know if I can make it, but I sure as heck am not going to take you with me."

Eevee crawled up to Ruby and rested her head on Ruby's. Eevee didn't care what was happening to Ruby or what would happen to her if she stayed out in the freezing cold; she wasn't going to leave Ruby's side. Ruby smiled and hugged Eevee as tight as she could.

"Thank you, Eevee," said Ruby, a tear coming down her face. "You know, I think this might be fate getting back at me for cheating death ten years ago. I was playing on a frozen lake when I fell through the ice. If it wasn't for Celica and Yang, I wouldn't be here today. I guess this is the way I go out instead."

Just then, Ruby could have sworn she heard something above them through the noise of the wind. It sounded like someone singing in perfect harmony.

"Hey...I think I can hear angels singing."

The harmonic sound rang out again, this time more audible than the wind. Eevee started to look up to find the source of the noise.

"Eevee...you can hear it too?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, looking up at the sky. She tried to push Ruby's face up in order to see what Eevee was witnessing.

"What...you see something?"

With barely any strength to move, Ruby slightly tilted her head up to see what was going on. Through the blizzard and fog, she saw some kind of shadow drawing closer. Ruby couldn't tell if someone was actually there, or her vision was starting to fade out for good. Then she heard that angelic voice again.

"Is it...the angel?"

Before Ruby knew it, the shadow was now standing over Ruby. Ruby could barely make out the form, but whatever it was, it looked too oddly shaped to be an angel sent to take Ruby.

"Hey...you're not..." Ruby felt her eyes shut down as she slipped into unconsciousness.

#

_Several years ago_

Qrow and two other Pokémon rangers arrived at the mountain Taiyang was exploring; they could barely see what was in front of them because of the blizzard.

"Sir, the storm is getting worse!" said a ranger. "We can't keep searching in this area!"

"We're not leaving until we find him!" yelled Qrow.

"But sir, if we don't leave now, we'll be the ones that need rescuing!"

"Then I'll find my brother-in-law by myself; the two of you can go home. If you don't hear from me by dawn, assume I'm missing or dead. Dismissed!"

The rangers knew protesting with Qrow was pointless and quickly left. Qrow called out his Charizard and used him to fly up the mountain, searching for any sign of life. The higher Qrow went up, the foggier it got, making it impossible to search with just his eyes.

"Come on Tai, where are you?" Qrow continuing circling the mountain until Charizard started sniffing the air; he roared to Qrow to let him know he found something. "What'd you find boy?"

Charizard flew over to what he was smelling. Soon Qrow began to smell something in the air as well; it smelled like burning smoke. Charizard led them to the side of the mountain where sure enough, Qrow noticed smoke being emitted from inside a cavern.

Qrow and Charizard entered the cavern and followed the path of smoke; at the end of the trail was the campfire along with a certain blonde shivering badly.

"Room service!" shouted Qrow. "Would you like your complimentary rescue now or later?"

"Qrow!" said Taiyang. "S-s-so glad to finally see a human face!"

"Hate to cut your vacation short, but I'm taking you home."

Qrow and Taiyang got on Charizard and were flying back down to the base of the mountain.

"Just how did you get up this high on the mountain during a blizzard?" asked Qrow.

"I have no idea," said Taiyang.

"What do you mean you have no idea?"

"To be honest, I was in the middle of nowhere on the mountain, fell unconscious, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in the cave."

"That's impossible! Someone had to have carried you!"

"Actually...it may not have been a someone."

"So what, you think a Pokémon rescued you?"

"Not just any Pokémon. Qrow, you might think this sounds ridiculous, but..."

#

_Present day_

Ruby slowly started to wake up and regain her senses. As she woke up, she felt as if her body was warm and soaked; she opened her eyes and realized she was sitting in a hot spring inside a brightly lit cave, surrounded by a group of friendly Snovers.

"Where am I?" said Ruby. "Last thing I remember I was freezing to death and...oh God, where's Eevee?"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee. Ruby turned around and saw Eevee standing next to Ruby's supplies. Eevee ran over and jumped into Ruby's arms.

"Eevee! I'm so glad you're alive!" Ruby hugged Eevee tight as Eevee licked Ruby's face. "Unless...this isn't some kind of dream, is it?" Eevee lightly scratched Ruby's cheek with her paw; that confirmed it was not a dream.

"That's good to know! But how exactly did we wind up here? You wouldn't happen to know how we survived and got into this cave, do you?"

Eevee jumped out and went into Ruby's bag, pulling out an empty blue juice can. She brought the juice can over to Ruby.

"I don't understand, Eevee."

"Eevee, Eevee!" said Eevee, standing on her hind legs and trying to flap with her forelegs as if she was trying to fly. Ruby suddenly remembered when she used that juice can to pretend it was Articuno.

"Articuno? You're saying Articuno saved us?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

"It couldn't have been Articuno; Articuno is a legend that hasn't been seen in years. Maybe you were just hallucinating from all the cold." Eevee shook her head and kept insisting that she saw the real thing. "Well however we got here, I'm just glad you're safe. I would never be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to you."

Eevee jumped back into Ruby's arms and rested her head on Ruby's shoulder. Some of the Snovers in the cave started to swoon at the sight of Ruby caring for Eevee.

"Hey, you Snovers wouldn't happen to know a way out of here, do you?" asked Ruby. A few of the Snovers nodded and signaled for Ruby to follow them. Ruby got out of the hot spring and headed with the Snovers. About a minute later, Ruby found the exit and looked out; it was bright and calm much like yesterday. She looked down and noticed the base of the trail several stories below.

"Perfect! All we have to do is find a way to climb safely to the bottom!"

Ruby went back into the cave and gathered her belongings. She thanked the Snovers for their help and headed back outside.

Looking out over the mountain, she noticed the entire side nearly covered in snow. She bent down and pressed her hand against the fallen snow; it was packed very tight.

"The snow looks stable enough to slide down on. If we slide down this mountain, we can reach the bottom in no time!"

"Eevee?" said Eevee, wondering if they should really take this risk.

"I know my last risk didn't pay off, but trust me, I've slid down hills of snow like this before. This time I promise we're getting off this mountain!"

"Eevee?" Eevee still wasn't fully convinced about Ruby's plan.

"Cross my heart and hope to die, or I'll eat a Pidgey pie!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, grossed out by whatever Ruby meant by a Pidgey pie; if Ruby really was this confident, perhaps this was truly their chance to escape. Eevee jumped up and got into Ruby's jacket as Ruby sat on the edge of the cliff.

"Hold on tight!" said Ruby. Ruby pushed themselves forward and laid on her back as they slid down the mountain. While Eevee was scared, Ruby was screaming in laughter like she was seven years old again. By the time they stopped in the middle of the slope, Eevee wanted to jump out and run. Ruby stood back up and smiled when she saw they were getting close to the walking trail.

"All right, one more slide down and we're good!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, relieved that they were so close to safety.

"We'll slide on three! One...two..."

"BAAAAAAAAH!"

Ruby felt a chill go down her spine, but this time not from the cold. She looked behind her and saw the Abomasnow she had fought yesterday; he still looked really mad at Ruby for what had happened yesterday.

"Oh not again!" said Ruby. "Listen you giant snow cone, can we let bygones be bygones and go our own way?"

"BAH!" yelled Abomasnow, suddenly creating a hailstorm. The area began to turn foggy as bits of hail started raining down on Ruby.

"I guess not!" said Ruby. Ruby picked up a snowball and threw it at Abomasnow to distract him while she quickly turned around and started running away. She couldn't get far before Abomasnow attacked with a Blizzard; the blast of icy wind was strong enough to push Ruby down. Ruby quickly turned around to land on her back in order to protect Eevee and wound up falling on her head, knocking her out.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, trying to jolt Ruby awake. As Abomasnow approached the unconscious Ruby, Eevee got out of Ruby's jacket and stood in Abomasnow's way.

"[Leave her alone!]" shouted Eevee.

"[She's the one who attacked me,]" replied Abomasnow. "[I'm simply finishing a fight she started!]"

"[She's in no condition to fight! We're just trying to leave in peace!]"

"[Then she should of thought of that before attacking me. Now get out of my way!]"

"[I won't let you lay a hand on her!]"

Eevee charged at Abomasnow with a Take Down to the gut. Abomasnow formed blocks of ice with his fists and lunged at Eevee with an Ice Punch. Eevee jumped from side to side to avoid the punches, then attacked Abomasnow with another Take Down, pushing him back. Eevee went for another Take Down when Abomasnow connected with an Ice Punch, knocking Eevee down. Abomasnow then fired another Blizzard; Eevee stood her ground to avoid being blown away when she suddenly felt her legs turning ice cold. Eevee looked down and noticed her legs frozen in ice from the Blizzard, freezing her in place. With Eevee unable to move, Abomasnow walked up to Eevee and got ready to deliver a devastating Ice Punch.

Before Abomasnow can attack, the area suddenly turned foggy as a blizzard stormed through the area.

"[Where did this sudden storm come from?]" asked Abomasnow. Suddenly, they heard an angelic voice call out to them.

"[Abomasnow,]" said the voice. "[Leave these two in peace.]"

"[_That voice!]"_ thought Eevee. "[_Could it be?]"_

"[You dare interrupt my battle?]" yelled Abomasnow. "[Show yourself!]"

An Ice Beam suddenly appeared from the sky, attempting to strike Abomasnow, Abomasnow jumped back before being hit. Eevee looked up and saw a large shadow in the fog; the shadow appeared to be bird with a very wide wingspan and long tail.

"[Abomasnow!]" said the mysterious shadow. "[You are attacking an innocent trainer who cannot defend herself! Be gone or I will have no choice but to fight you!]"

"[I don't care what you are!]" shouted Abomasnow. "[I'll take you down as well!]"

Abomasnow formed Ice Shards and threw them at the shadow. The shadow formed a barrier with Reflect and dismantled the shards, then fired another Ice Beam at Abomasnow, dealing little damage.

"[Is that all you got?]" mocked Abomasnow. Abomasnow fired another Blizzard at the shadow. The shadow stood still, barely affected by the attack.

"[You leave me no other choice,]" replied the shadow. "[Prepare to feel the full extent of my power!]"

The shadow stood in air and flapped its wings in rapid succession. The faster it flapped its wings, the colder the air surrounding Abomasnow got. Abomasnow laughed at the mysterious Pokémon's attack.

"[You think a little bit of cold air is going to stop me? This feels like nothing c-c-compared to...]" Abomasnow suddenly felt as if his body was turning into literal ice and couldn't move a muscle. "[What...how...]"

"[I blasted you with Sheer Cold, an attack that reduces the air around you to its absolute coldest. Not even an Ice type Pokémon can withstand that kind of temperature.]"

Abomasnow tried to respond, but the absolute zero temperature quickly took its toll and knocked him out instantly. With its work done, the shadow started to take off into the air.

"[Wait!]" shouted Eevee. "[Are you who I think you are?]"

The shadow flew off towards the top of the mountain and out of Eevee's sight. By the time the ice melted and Eevee was free, it was too late to get a better look.

A moment later, Ruby started to wake up. She sat up and saw Eevee standing over a knocked out Abomasnow.

"No way!" said Ruby. "Eevee, did you just beat Abomasnow?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, shaking her head and trying to point up to explain about the Pokémon who saved them.

"Well either way, while that Abomasnow is down, might as well catch it here and now!" Ruby went into her backpack and pulled out a Great Ball, tossing it at the fallen Abomasnow. The Abomasnow could barely put up a fight and was captured by Ruby.

"All right!" said Ruby. "I finally got my Ice Pokémon!"

As Ruby was celebrating her catch, she noticed something slowly falling from the sky. Ruby looked up and saw a big feather floating downward. She grabbed the feather and took a close look; it's color was a shiny crystal blue. Seeing it's unique color made Ruby speechless.

_"This feather!" _thought Ruby._ "This can't really be-"_

"RUBY! Is that you up there?"

Ruby looked down the cliff and saw Jaune with Talonflame and two Pokémon rangers.

"Hey Jaune! I'm so glad to see your face again!"

"I can't believe you're okay!" said Jaune. "I was starting to worry we'd never find you!"

"Remain where you are!" said one of the rangers. The rangers got on their Pidgeots and flew up to Ruby's location. "Are you in need of any medical assistance?"

"I did take a pretty nasty bump on my head," said Ruby, "but I feel okay."

"Better take you to a hospital just to be sure," said one of the rangers.

Ruby and Jaune got on the Pidgeots with the rangers as they flew off the mountain and headed towards the nearest hospital. Along the way there, Ruby took out the feather she found and inspected it further.

"What'd you find there, Ruby?" asked Jaune.

"Some weird feather."

"Pretty cool looking feather. What kind of bird drops feathers like that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Ruby didn't want to say anything, but she had an idea of where that feather came from, but still couldn't believe it herself.

_"All this time, I thought dad was just making up a story to cheer me up! Could he really have...?"_

#

_Several years ago_

Ruby was fast asleep in her bed, while Yang was trying to stay awake as hard as she could; her stomach twisting into knots with the absence of their father.

Finally, Yang heard the front door of the house open up and somebody walk inside. Yang immediately got up and ran downstairs to see who came in; it was her uncle Qrow, carrying her exhausted father on his shoulder. Yang made a beeline for her father and hugged his leg super tight.

"Daddy, you're back!" said Yang.

"Of course I am," said Taiyang, messing his daughter's hair. "You didn't think I'd never return, did you?"

"Ruby was so scared; I told her that Articuno was coming to rescue you!"

"That's my girl!"

"What about me?" said Qrow. "I helped too, you know!"

Yang let go of her father and hugged her uncle. "Thank you, uncle Qrow!"

"All in a day's work for a Pokémon ranger."

"So what happened out there?"

"I'll explain everything in the morning," said Taiyang. "It's way past late for you to still be awake. Say good night to uncle Qrow and go to bed."

"Good night, uncle Qrow!" Yang ran back upstairs, relieved to have her father back home safe.

"So what are you going to tell them, Tai?" asked Qrow.

"The truth," replied Taiyang. "What else would I tell them?"

"Oh come on, Tai. You seriously believe you were rescued by Articuno?"

"How else do you explain this?" Taiyang reached into his pocket and pulled out a crystal blue feather.

"That feather could have come from any kind of bird. Do you really think that a legendary Pokémon that hasn't been seen by man in forever suddenly showed up just to rescue you?"

"Until you prove it otherwise, I'll believe what I saw."

Qrow shook his head, disappointed his brother-in-law truly believed he saw Articuno. Qrow said his goodbyes and headed home; Taiyang took the feather and placed it on top of the mantle of the fireplace. Articuno or not, something was watching over him, and he could only hope that whatever it was, it would one day do the same for his kids when they eventually go on their Pokémon journeys.


	23. Pokémon Rangers to the Rescue

Ruby and Jaune arrived at the airport that would take them to Gren Isle. After the last few adventures Ruby had been on recently, she was glad that for the next few hours, all she needed to do now was rest until she arrived at the destination of her sixth gym battle.

"The next airship will be here in about an hour," said Ruby. "Time to just kick back and relax."

"I hope it isn't a long flight," said Jaune. "I get airsick pretty easily. In fact, even thinking about it is making me sick."

"Try drinking some berry juice; it'll settle your stomach."

While Ruby and Jaune were waiting at the terminal, one of the TVs was tuned to the news channel where a breaking report was suddenly flashing on screen.

"We've just received some breaking news here on VNN. A wildfire has broken out in the Malachite Forest. The fire is said to be spreading at a rapid pace. The cause is currently unknown, but it is believed to have been Pokémon made. Residents of the nearby forest have been asked to evacuate immediately. Stay tuned to VNN as more details come in."

"Oh no," said Jaune. "I hope those Pokémon will be all right."

"I wouldn't worry too much," said Ruby.

"Why not?"

"Because in a situation like this, I know the Pokémon Rangers will be there to save the day."

#

Qrow Branwen was at the Pokémon Rangers HQ, overlooking the control station as usual, when the news of the fire broke out.

"Sir, we've got reports coming in of a Pokémon wildfire at Malachite Forest."

"How bad is the fire?" asked Qrow.

"It's currently at a category three, but if we don't act fast, this could escalate into a category five in less than an hour."

"Understood. I'll get my best rangers on it immediately." Qrow took out his scroll and pushed the button that immediately contacted everyone in his top group. "Yang, Pyrrha, Coco! We've got a fire at Malachite Forest! I need the three of you to head there immediately!"

The Pokémon Rangers, founded by Qrow Branwen, is an elite task force that protects mankind and Pokémon from Pokémon related threats. Where as most jobs require a set amount of experience or thorough examination in order to acquire a position, only those who meet Qrow's personal approval can become a ranger. Those who show exceptional skill are promoted up the ranks; the higher your rank, the more dangerous missions you are set out to complete. Of all the rangers under Qrow's employ, three of them have reached the highest possible rank, earning them the nickname "The Magnificent Three."

One of the three members was Coco Adel, a ranger who showed zero fear and tolerated zero nonsense. She won't think twice about using force to get the job done.

"Ranger Coco reporting!" responded Coco, flying on her Pidgeot. "And I've got Ranger Pyrrha beside me!"

Flying behind Coco on her own Pidgeot was the second member of The Magnificent Three: Pyrrha Nikos. Pyrrha is a soft-spoken trainer of many nicknames and talents; one of those talents being the gym leader of Hriso City.

"Ranger Pyrrha reporting!" responded Pyrrha.

"Have either of you seen Yang?" asked Qrow.

"Knowing her, she's probably sleeping again," said Coco.

"I'm sure she'll catch up to us," said Pyrrha. "Yang isn't as lazy as you think she is."

"No, but she is a truant. Sometimes I wonder why she's even in the same league as us."

"Allow me to show you!" suddenly screamed Yang, flying past the two on her shiny Dragonite, Celica. Yang was the third - and self-proclaimed most talented - member of The Magnificent Three. If there was one thing she loved more than her Dragon type Pokémon, it was beating the living daylights out of villainous never-do-wells. "Ranger Gold reporting!"

"I told you we're not using nicknames," said Qrow.

"Oh c'mon, it's more fun that way!"

"In that case," said Coco, "can I call you Ranger Sleepy?"

"How'd you like to be called Ranger Obnoxious?"

"If you two are done bickering," said Qrow, "I'd like to explain your assignment!"

Yang and Coco instantly went quiet as soon as Qrow raised his voice. Yang stuck her tongue out at Coco; Coco ignored Yang while listening to Qrow.

"The wildfire appears to have been made by a Pokémon within the forest. The fire marshals will be handling the fire itself. Our job is to safely evacuate any Pokémon trapped in the forest, then detain the Pokémon responsible for the fire. Once that's all done, we'll be aiding the marshals in putting out any remaining fires. I'll rendezvous with you soon. Get to it rangers, and remember the priorities!"

When on a mission, a Pokémon ranger must always remember the three priorities. These priorities must be followed in order; only in extreme circumstances can a ranger go against the order.

Priority #1: Ensure the safety of all civilians and Pokémon. If the area becomes a dangerous hazard that puts lives at risk, a ranger must evacuate everyone in the area immediately.

Priority #2: Once the area is cleared of innocents, if there is a target causing a menace, the rangers must engage the target and nullify the threat.

Priority #3: The rangers must make sure the zone is no longer hazardous to civilians and Pokémon. Rangers cannot leave the area unless the zone is deemed too far beyond their control to save.

The Magnificent Three arrived at the forest. A large section of the forest was already covered in smoke, surrounded by a wall of flames. The trio jumped off their Pokémon and dropped down into the middle of the wildfire. The scene was chaotic as low-level Pokémon were running around trying to either hide from the flames or look for a means of escape. While the Pokémon were in a complete panic, the rangers kept their cool.

"Priority one: We'll need to clear a path to the edge of the forest," said Pyrrha. "Yang, you create the path; Coco and I will gather all the Pokémon."

"On it!" said Yang. Yang and Celica quickly got to work creating a route for the Pokémon to follow, while Coco and Pyrrha had called out their Metagross and Magnezone.

"Metagross, use your Magnet Rise to carry out all the Pokémon," said Coco.

"Magnezone, protect them with Barrier," said Pyrrha.

Metagross gathered as many Pokémon as it can hold and levitated off the ground to carry them out of the forest; Magnezone created a Barrier that protected them from the flames and any falling debris that might hit them. Coco and Pyrrha helped guide the other Pokémon to safety.

"Yang, have we got a clear path?" asked Coco.

"We're good to go!" said Yang.

"Excellent; proceeding with priority two. Metagross and I will search for the target; continue helping any Pokémon you find."

Coco and Metagross headed deeper into the forest where many Pokémon were running away from. The flames were also getting stronger, indicating the source had to be nearby.

"Metagross, scan the area for our target." Using its Miracle Eye, Metagross scanned the entire area within a hundred yards and quickly found the target. Metagross led Coco to a clearing where they found the cause of the fires: A Heatmor that was splitting flames into the ground.

"I've got a positive on the target. Looks like a Heatmor set the forest on fire in search of food. Engaging the target!"

Metagross quickly flew to the Heatmor and attacked with several Bullet Punches. Heatmor quickly recovered and attacked with a Flamethrower; as the Metagross tried to block the flames, Heatmor ran up and Slashed at Metagross. Despite the surprise hit, Metagross barely took any damage. Metagross wound one of its arms back and smacked Heatmor with a Meteor Mash, sending the Heatmor flying into a tree. As Heatmor tried to get up, Metagross kept attacking Heatmor with Bullet Punches and quickly got Heatmor's health down to a critical level.

"That'll do Metagross," said Coco. Coco pulled out an Ultra Ball from her satchel and tossed it at the Heatmor, catching the Pokémon with ease.

"Come in Pyrrha and Yang; the target has been nullified."

"Confirmed," said Yang. "Priority three: You and I will get started on putting out the fire. Pyrrha, you and Arcanine do a final sweep of the forest for any stranded Pokémon."

Coco and Yang went into the epicenter of the forest fire and used their Octillery and Kingdra to put out the flames. Pyrrha jumped on to her Arcanine and swiftly scoured the forest in search of any more Pokémon in danger. In the midst of the wildfire, they came across a group of four Deerlings surrounded by fire. With the flames reaching incredible heights, it was impossible for the Deerling to jump over the flames, trapping them in the fire.

"We have to move fast, Arcanine!" said Pyrrha. "Time for Extreme Speed!"

Pyrrha held on tight to the mane of Arcanine as Arcanine ran at nearly mach speed, grabbing one of the Deerling with his mouth, then carrying them out of the fire and on to a safer path. Arcanine ran back and carried the other Deerling out as well, saving them from the fire in a little under two seconds. Pyrrha and Arcanine led them safely out of the forest.

A few minutes later, the fire was starting to come under control thanks to the help of the Pokémon rangers. With the worst of the wildfire now over, the fire marshals entered the forest to take care of the remaining flames. Qrow dropped in to confirm the mission a success.

"Did we find the source of the fire?" asked Qrow.

"Right here," said Coco, handing the ball over to Qrow. Qrow scanned the ball with his scroll and pulled up the information on Heatmor.

"This Heatmor was likely looking for Durant and wound up wandering into the forest. There should be a volcanic region nearby where we can release it safely." Qrow entered a code on his scroll and teleported the ball to Pokémon Rangers HQ. "Good job rangers; the fire marshals will take over from here."

"Great!" said Yang. "Does this mean we get to go home now?"

"Not yet. I just received a call from Ironwood; he wants to meet with all of us over at the Schnee Co. headquarters."

"Let me guess," said Coco, "more White Fang criminal activity?"

"Do we have to?" moaned Yang. "You don't even like working for the guy!"

"I know, him and the Schnee family aren't the best people to work for, but we have a duty to fulfill. Let's move out."

#

Qrow and his top rangers arrived at the Schnee Co. headquarters in New Vale City. They went up to the boardroom located on the top floor where Ironwood and Weiss were waiting for them.

"Hello rangers," greeted Weiss. "Thank you for coming."

"Oh good," said Qrow, "the tolerable one is here."

"Mister Qrow was it? My sister told me about you. I know you and her don't get along, but can we at least be professional for now?"

"Sure thing, little snow angel."

"It's Weiss, thank you."

"Enough formalities," said Coco. "What's our assignment and when do we get started?"

"I'll make this brief," said Ironwood. "A cargo ship containing Dust being imported from Atlas has just been hijacked by the White Fang. We've lost contact with the ship somewhere in the ocean between Atlas and Vale; we have no way of knowing where they are now or where they are heading."

"So you need us to find the ship and save the crew being taken hostage," said Qrow.

"Keep in mind that ship is carrying tons of Dust. We keep the Dust tightly secured in case of situations like these, but if you were to start a battle with your Pokémon, one false move could end things very tragically."

"What would the White Fang be needing all that Dust for anyway?" asked Yang.

"According to our intel, the White Fang are using Dust to make high powered explosives. The amount of Dust they can steal on that ship would be enough to devastate this entire city."

"You think they're planning some kind of attack on the city?" asked Pyrrha.

"Possibly, but we believe it's more likely they'll be using them in their hunt for Subject M."

"Figures," said Coco. "Bombs will be nothing compared to Subject M."

"Excuse me," interrupted Weiss, "who or what is Subject M?"

"I'm afraid that's classified Miss Schnee," said Ironwood.

"Oh, this is interesting!" said Qrow. "The little heiress doesn't know about Subject M! I think she has the right the know, don't you think James?"

"Sorry, but I'm under orders to not have her know about Subject M."

"Well, I'm not! See little snow angel, Subject M is-"

"Classified!" interrupted a new voice entering the boardroom. Everyone turned to see a young woman who appeared to be an older looking version of Weiss; the Schnee's first born daughter, Winter. Qrow sighed at the sight of his nemesis, while Weiss was surprised to see her in Vale.

"Winter!" said Weiss. "What are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same thing," said Winter. "Aren't you supposed to be earning badges for the Pokémon League?"

"Well yes, but I'm already up to six. I have time-"

"Which means you haven't qualified yet. Forget everything you've heard here and go back to what you need to do."

"Aww, let the little one stay," said Qrow. "If anything, you're the one that's uninvited here."

"Speaking of uninvited, Mister Ironwood, what are these rent-a-cops doing in this meeting?"

"I'm sorry ma'am," said Ironwood, "but I felt it was best-"

"I called them!" said Weiss.

"You called the Pokémon Rangers?" asked Winter.

"When I heard about the shipments being stolen, I thought having the rangers help us would be the best option. I needed to do something!"

Winter closed her eyes and pinched her nose, already feeling a migraine coming on. "Weiss, a word outside please."

Weiss could feel the stress form in the pit of her stomach; she could tell Winter was not at all happy with Weiss' decision to call upon the people Winter had great disdain for. The two of them went into the elevator so nobody can hear them.

"I'm sorry," said Weiss. "I know you and that old brute hate each other, but the rangers have done great work in stopping White Fang activity in the past."

"No, I understand," said Winter. "That Dust is very valuable to us and it's important the White Fang does not get their hands on it at any cost. With that said, I don't want you to concern yourself with any Schnee Co. related business matters. You need to concentrate on qualifying for the Pokémon League on time in order to keep the Vale championship in the Schnee family."

"Okay then. I just have one more question."

"You want to know what Subject M is, don't you? You have no need to know. I'll handle everything from here. Just concentrate on getting your badges and let me know ASAP when you obtain eight. Remember Weiss: A Schnee Never Loses!"

"Of course," replied Weiss. Winter stepped off the elevator as the doors closed.

As soon as Winter was gone, Weiss sulked; she hated how every time she wanted to get more involved with the family business affairs, her sister or her father would dismiss her and remind her she already had an important task at hand: Winning the Vale championship in place of her now retired father. She didn't understand why they used that as an excuse for her not to get involved; it wasn't like she couldn't be both the champion and play a major role in the company. Did they think she wasn't capable of handling two roles at the same time, or were they simply trying to help by having her concentrate on one task and not overload her with so many other responsibilities? By the time she reached the lobby, Weiss put those thoughts aside and went off to earn her seventh badge.

Winter let out a huge sigh of relief before returning to the boardroom.

"Where is Miss Weiss?" asked Ironwood.

"I have relieved my sister of her duties," said Winter.

"What a shame," said Qrow. "At least somebody in the Schnee family had some integrity."

"Excuse me?" Winter went up to face Qrow. Qrow got up and stood eye to eye with Winter. The Magnificent Three knew where this was going and decided to remain quiet, hoping Qrow and Winter's trademark argument would end soon.

"All the little snow angel wanted was help, and we gladly obliged. Considering how your family is a bunch of arrogant jerks whose business practices are shady at best and despicable at worst, it would have been better to say no."

"Then do us all a favor and drop this assignment!"

"Nah! I think we'll accept anyway. After all, we are the most efficient form of justice around this region!"

"Oh yes, the rangers are SO efficient," said Winter sarcastically. "Is that why the White Fang are still a menace and Subject M is still on the loose?"

"And whose fault for the White Fang and Subject M was it in the first place?" yelled Qrow. Already peeved at the time wasted, Coco stood up and forcibly separated the two.

"Sir and ma'am, we can't play 'he said she said' all day," said Coco. "Let's focus on the task at hand."

"Of course," said Winter, taking a seat at the end of table. "Let's go over our plan of action."

Qrow remained silent for the rest of the meeting as the rangers and Schnee Co. discussed how they were going to stop the White Fang.

#

Aboard the Schnee cargo ship, the White Fang had broken into one of the crates and were filling the two bullheads parked on the ship with the stolen Dust. With the two bullheads filled to capacity, they took off to their secret location as two more bullheads came in to take their place. The man in charge of this operation was a tall, imposing figure who wore a full face mask that represented his higher position within the White Fang. He was simply referred to as the Lieutenant.

"Continue loading the Dust," said the Lieutenant. "I'm going to check on our hostages."

The Lieutenant headed to the lower deck of the cargo ship; inside the main hall were the crew of the ship, all forced to sit down with their hands tied behind them as they were being watched by a few of the White Fang grunts and their Houndours.

"Has everyone been accounted for?"

"Yes sir," replied one of the grunts.

"Good. All of you are to remain here until we're done collecting the Dust."

"What do you plan to do with us?" asked one of the crewmen.

"That depends. If you keep quiet and stay here like good hostages, we'll let you go once we get what we want. Otherwise, I'll have to toss you overboard."

"You White Fang scum are nothing but little punks!" shouted the captain of the crew. The Lieutenant chuckled and bent down to get in the face of the captain.

"Got something to say little man?"

As soon as the Lieutenant was close enough, the captain spat onto the mask of the Lieutenant, eliciting a few gasps from the other White Fang members. The Lieutenant responded by slapping the captain so hard he fell over and was dazed.

"I think we need to make an example out of you," said the Lieutenant, grabbing the captain by the back of his uniform and heading for the upper deck.

"Wait!" said a voice in the back. "Take me instead."

The Lieutenant turned around to see who decided they wanted to take the captain's place. In the back was a woman with short black hair and amber eyes.

"Please spare the captain; I'll take his place instead."

"You hear that captain?" asked the Lieutenant. "One of your boys, or rather girls, is willing to take the fall for you. Think I should take her instead?"

The captain was still groggy from the slap to respond properly. One of the grunts went up to the Lieutenant, worried that the Lieutenant was really going to toss someone off the ship.

"Sir, are we really going to...you know...?"

"No," said the Lieutenant. "The boss says killing them is a bigger hassle than they're worth."

The crew let out a sigh of relief, knowing they were somewhat safe for now.

"But she didn't say anything about beating the guts out of them."

The Lieutenant threw the captain into the center of the room, then cracked his knuckles as he got ready to beat up the captain. The grunts cheered as the Lieutenant started to stomp the captain several times, and then picked him up to punch him in the gut. The rest of the crew could only cringe at seeing this horrendous beating take place. While everyone was busy watching the fight, the woman who had tried to volunteer secretly took out her knife and started cutting the rope behind her back. As soon as she got free, her plan was to get to the upper deck and find out where the White Fang were headed.

But before she can commence her plan, a big commotion was suddenly happening on the upper deck, causing the Lieutenant to stop beating up the captain. A grunt from the upper deck suddenly came down and ran up to the boss.

"Sir, we've got company!"

"It must be the rangers," said the Lieutenant. "Everyone remain here. Feel free to knock some sense into them if they step out of line."

On the upper deck of the ship, the Magnificent Three dropped down from the sky and landed in the middle of the crowd.

"Beware White Fang!" shouted Yang. "For we are the protectors of justice! The crushers of crime! The hope for all those in need! We are the Pokémon Rangers!"

"Do you have to do that every time?" asked Coco.

"Why must you hate everything fun?" asked Yang.

While Yang was spouting her catchphrases, some of the grunts called out their Houndours to attack the rangers. The rangers called out their best Pokémon and knocked out the Houndours without much effort. Realizing they were greatly outmatched, the grunts quickly stopped what they were doing and surrendered. Those on the bullhead immediately took off with whatever Dust they had.

"Oh no you don't!" said Yang. "Celica, Ice Beam those ships!"

"Wait!" said Pyrrha. "Those ships are full of Dust! You might trigger a deadly explosion if you attack them!"

"Oh, right." Yang ordered Celica to cease the attack, letting the bullheads escape. "Now, which of you would like to take us to the leader of this operation?"

"You're looking at him," greeted the Lieutenant. "So the Schnee Co.'s personal mutts have finally come."

"You must be the so-called Lieutenant," said Coco. "I'll make this brief: Surrender, or die."

"You think I'm intimidated by your threats? I know how honor bound you rangers are; you wouldn't dare to attack me knowing we've got innocent lives at our disposal."

"Then let's work out a deal," said Pyrrha. "What do we have to do to ensure everyone on board is returned safely?"

"Here's the deal: We'll let everyone go in exchange for all the Dust on this ship."

"As if," said Yang. "We know how dishonest you White Fang are; you'll blindside us the moment we let our guard down. How about we settle things the old fashioned way?" Yang reached for a Poké Ball and held it up high. "Three on three, winner takes all! Whoever comes out on top gets all the Dust and the crew!"

"We can't do that Yang!" said Pyrrha. "That completely goes against the ranger priorities!"

"Then again," replied Coco, "we don't have many other options in our favor. Sorry Pyrrha, but I'm with Yang on this one."

"What do you say there, Lieutenant?" asked Yang. "We got a deal?"

"I have been getting bored of playing with our hostages," said the Lieutenant. "It's about time I got some entertainment out of this. Everyone, return to the lower deck and keep an eye on the hostages." As the grunts headed to the lower deck, the Lieutenant grabbed one of them and pulled him aside. "Tell everyone to get ready for Plan B in case I lose."

"But sir," said the grunt, "didn't the boss say we couldn't-"

"I'm in charge of this mission, understood?"

"...yes sir," replied the grunt, knowing it was not a good idea to disobey any of the Lieutenant's orders.

The Lieutenant pulled out three Poké Balls and called out his Honchkrow, Bisharp, and Drapion. Coco called out her Metagross, Pyrrha her Magnezone, and of course, Yang stuck with her Celica.

"Metagross, Bullet Punch!" commanded Coco. Metagross went to punch the closest foe when Honchkrow suddenly dove into Metagross and struck it before it can attack.

"Excellent Sucker Punch, Honchkrow," said the Lieutenant. Honchkrow laughed at Metagross; Metagross tried to Bullet Punch Honchkrow, but the crow flew up before Metagross can land the hit. Honchkrow then spread out its wings and attacked Metagross with Night Shade; the imagery caused by Honchkrow did severe damage to Metagross. Metagross floated up and tried to counter with Meteor Mash, but missed Honchkrow again. Honchkrow laughed and began to mock Metagross with its Swagger. Metagross started to get increasingly frustrated to the point of confusion; Coco on the other hand remained cool as usual.

"Get a hold of yourself, Metagross!" said Coco. Hearing Coco's order reminded Metagross of the Lum Berry it had attached to its rear leg. Using its telekinesis, it detached the berry and quickly ate it to relieve itself of its confusion. While it was eating, Honchkrow kept an eye on Metagross, waiting for the moment it would try to attack.

"Now Metagross, you know what to do!" Metagross lifted one of its arms, seemingly about to attack. Honchkrow dove in for another Sucker Punch, but instead Metagross floated into the sky with Magnet Rise, causing Honchkrow to miss. Now floating above Honchkrow, Metagross came crashing down on Honchkrow with a Meteor Mash, knocking the bird into the ground.

"You think you can beat me with some cheap tricks?" asked Coco, spitting saliva on the ground. "Amateur."

While Coco dealt with Honchkrow, Pyrrha had been fighting Bisharp. Bisharp started the fight with several Night Slashes; Magnezone created a Barrier to protect itself from the attacks.

"Magnezone, Flash Cannon!" Magnezone created a bright ball of light and fired at Bisharp, blinding the Bisharp and pushing him back. With Bisharp blinded, Magnezone got ready for its next attack by activating Lock-On.

"Bisharp, counter with Iron Head!" commanded the Lieutenant. While still somewhat blinded, Bisharp raised its head and lunged forward at Magnezone, knocking into Magnezone's center eye with its sharp axe head. The attack hit hard enough to cause Magnezone to flinch back, giving Bisharp the advantage. Bisharp quickly went into a Swords Dance to raise its attack power, then attacked Magnezone with another Night Slash, this time dealing greater damage.

"Now Bisharp, get ready to finish it off with Guillotine!" Bisharp raised its arm up and looked to find the perfect spot to land the attack on Magnezone. Bisharp waited for Magnezone to make its move before landing the final blow; Magnezone opened its eye back up and remained still, choosing to Lock-On to Bisharp. Magnezone let out a beeping ping to let Pyrrha know it was ready.

"Okay Magnezone, fire your Zap Cannon!" Magnezone quickly formed a huge ball of electricity from its magnets. One second before it can fire, Bisharp suddenly jumped into the air, ready to strike Magnezone. The Lieutenant smirked behind his mask, thinking Bisharp had successfully dodged the Zap Cannon, only for the ball of lightning to fly up instead of straight forward where Magnezone was pointing. With no chance of escape, Bisharp was struck by the Zap Cannon and was dealt a serious amount of damage from the attack, and was paralyzed to boot. Bisharp crashed back to the surface, now on the verge of giving up.

Now it was just up to Celica to defeat the Drapion.

"Drapion, Toxic attack!" Drapion lifted its stinger and sprayed Celica with the poisonous goo.

"Celica, Safeguard!" Celica held up her arms and created a force field that prevented the goo from reaching Celica. Drapion charged at Celica and attempted to slash her with Cross Poison; Celica jumped back and fired an Ice Beam at Drapion. The Ice Beam hit Drapion's tail and froze it to the ground, keeping Drapion in place.

"With Drapion's tail frozen to the ground, there's no way you'll poison us now!" said Yang.

"If you're so confident about that, try attacking then!" responded the Lieutenant.

"If you say so! Celica, nail it with Dragon Rush!" Celica charged for Drapion, who had no chance of dodging the attack; but it was exactly what the Lieutenant had wanted.

"Drapion, Venoshock!" Drapion suddenly opened its claws and sprayed a thick poisonous liquid at Celica. The liquid landed on the face of Celica and seeped into her eyes, blinding her and forcing her to stop her attack.

"Celica!" Yang ran up to check on Celica, who moaned from the pain the poison was causing her. With the two of them distracted, the Lieutenant pulled out a shard of Dust and threw it at Drapion's tail, melting the ice away.

"Now Drapion, Cross Poison!" Hearing Drapion approach them, Celica pushed Yang out of the way and took the full blunt of the attack, taking a critical amount of damage on top of getting poisoned. Despite the hit, Celica remained on her feet.

"Hurry Celica, eat your Lum Berry!" Celica removed the Lum Berry attached to her arm and was about to eat it when Drapion suddenly knocked the berry out of her hand using Knock Off. Angry that it lost the berry, Celica tried to blindly fire an Ice Beam at Drapion, but completely missed.

"Finish it off with Venoshock!"

"I don't think so!" said Coco. "Metagross, Bullet Punch!" Before Drapion can start its attack, it was suddenly punched from the side by an incoming Metagross, pushing Drapion back.

"Magnezone, Flash Cannon!" said Pyrrha. Magnezone fired a ball of light at Drapion, pushing the scorpion back further.

"Thanks for the save ladies," said Yang. With Metagross and Magnezone protecting them, Yang pulled Celica aside and took out a Full Restore to spray on Celica, cleaning the goo out of her eyes and restoring her health back to perfect condition.

"Looks like we have the numbers advantage," said Coco. "Last chance to give up before I start getting serious."

Outmatched by sheer strength, the Lieutenant decided it was time to play dirty. He looked to his left and saw his Bisharp laying still on the ground, but still holding on. He looked over to his right and saw his fallen Honchkrow. He looked Honchkrow in the eyes and tilted his head towards the rangers. The Honchkrow looked in the rangers' direction and knew what the Lieutenant was thinking.

"You rangers underestimate just how far I'm willing to go to win this battle!" said the Lieutenant. The rangers held back in anticipation of what the Lieutenant was about to do next. "Go Honchkrow!" Honchkrow stood back up and flew straight up. The rangers got ready to counter whatever attack Honchkrow was about to use.

But instead of attacking, Honchkrow suddenly flew over to where Bisharp laid and grabbed him by the shoulders, hoisting him into the air.

"Bisharp, Guillotine attack!" commanded the Lieutenant. Honchkrow tossed Bisharp at the rangers; the rangers waited to see who Bisharp was going to attack, and appeared to be flying towards Metagross.

"He all yours, Coco!" said Yang, but Coco was hesitant to strike.

"Something's wrong," said Coco. "At the angle he's falling, he's going to fly past me."

"Huh? Then what is he attacking?"

As Coco predicted, the Bisharp flew past Coco; the rangers turned to see where Bisharp was going, and realized what his real target was: The crate of Dust positioned behind them.

"He's attacking the crate!" yelled Pyrrha. Bisharp raised up his arm and use his Guillotine on top of the crate; the force of the attack was strong enough to split the crate apart, exposing the containers of Dust stored within.

"Are you insane?" yelled Yang. "One attack on that much Dust and we'll all be goners!"

"Anything to ensure a victory!" said the Lieutenant. "Honchkrow, fire a Dark Pulse!"

"Celica, Ice Beam that bird out of the sky!" Celica fired an Ice Beam at Honchkrow, but the crow ducked the attack and fired its Dark Pulse at the exposed Dust.

"Metagross, block the attack!" commanded Coco. Metagross flew up and intercepted the Dark Pulse a second before it reached the gap. The attack did severe damage to Metagross, forcing them out of the fight. "Darn it! We can't fight back while that crate is still exposed!"

"Magnezone, use your magnetism to seal the crate!" commanded Pyrrha. Magnezone floated above the crate and used its strong magnetic force to seal the crate back together, leaving itself open to be attacked. Honchkrow was about to fire another Dark Pulse when it was struck by Celica's Ice Beam.

"Forgetting about me?" said Yang.

"Honchkrow, Drapion, take out the dragon," said the Lieutenant. "Bisharp will take out the Magnezone."

Drapion lifted its tail and fired a stream of Toxic at Celica; Celica blocked the attack with Safeguard and was about to counter with Dragon Rush when it was Sucker Punched from behind by Honchkrow. The Honchkrow tried to anger Celica with Swagger; Celica ignored the taunting and was about to fire another Ice Beam when Drapion attacked it with Cross Poison. Celica turned back to Drapion and fired the Ice Beam to keep Drapion back, then got hit by Honchkrow's Dark Pulse.

While Celica was trying to fight off two Pokémon at once, the Bisharp went up to Magnezone and constantly attacked it with Night Slash. The Magnezone ignored Bisharp and continued to try to keep the crate intact, but the more Bisharp attacked it, the weaker it got, draining the power of its magnetic force.

"Magnezone can't keep the crate together much longer! The Dust is going to get exposed!"

"Wait a second...that's it!" said Yang. "Pyrrha, tell Magnezone to open up the crate!"

"But what about the Dust?"

"We're going to use it against them!"

"I hope you know what you're doing," replied Pyrrha. "Magnezone, Flash Cannon the Bisharp!"

The Magnezone let go of its magnetic grip on the crate and fired a Flash Cannon at Bisharp, pushing the Pokémon away and exposing the gap once again.

"It's open Yang!"

"Okay Celica, time to whip up a Twister!"

Coco and Pyrrha recalled their Pokémon and ran off to avoid getting caught in the storm. Celica spread out her wings and started to flap them very fast, causing a strong wind to encircle the area. In just a few moments, a strong tornado had formed and carried up Drapion and Bisharp, along with trapping Honchkrow.

"You think a mere Twister will be enough to stop us?" asked Lieutenant.

"It will be soon enough!" replied Yang. Yang looked over to the open crate and as she planned, the Twister pulled out some of the Dust contained in the crate, sending it flying towards the Pokémon caught in the storm.

"Now Celica, fire an Ice Beam at the Dust!" Celica fired her Ice Beam; the moment the beam struck the Dust, it caused a chain reaction that resulted in a sudden burst of ice to blast out and freeze everything close by, including the Lieutenant's Pokémon. All of the Pokémon fell out of the sky completely engulfed in ice, securing victory for the rangers.

"And that's how it's done!" boasted Yang.

"Wow Yang, you had a good idea for once!" teased Coco.

"It's over Lieutenant," said Pyrrha. "Now release the hostages!"

"You rangers...are so naive!" said the Lieutenant, pulling out his scroll. "You really think I would agree to such a deal? As we speak, I've got my army ready to kill every single crew member at a moment's notice!"

"But we had an agreement!"

"Figures this White Fang scum would go back on his word!" said Yang. "Celica, Dragon Rush him!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" replied the Lieutenant, taking several steps back. "You take another step towards me and I give the signal to massacre everyone below!"

"Wait!" said Pyrrha. "If you want the Dust that badly, take it, but spare the lives of the crew!"

"You mean after all that," said Yang, "we have to give up anyway?"

"Our top priority is to ensure the safety of everyone on board, even if it means surrendering to the enemy."

Yang clenched her fists and mumbled under her breath. She hated having to give in to the White Fang like this, but as a ranger, she needed to ensure the crew's safety no matter what.

"On second thought," said the Lieutenant, "I prefer my plan! Team White Fang, eliminate the crew now!"

The rangers panicked, thinking they were suddenly too late to save the crew. The Lieutenant waited to hear the screams on his scroll, but heard nothing.

"Team White Fang, come in! Eliminate the crew!" The Lieutenant kept expecting some kind of response, but continued to hear nothing but silence. The rangers also expected to hear something coming from below, but didn't hear anything happening.

"What's going on? Team White Fang, do you hear me? This is-"

The Lieutenant was suddenly struck from behind by a Water Shuriken. The Lieutenant turned around and saw a Greninja along with the woman with the amber eyes. This time she had removed her hat and revealed her long black hair with the ribbon on top of her head. Outnumbered four to one with no imminent backup, the Lieutenant knew now was the time to escape.

"You win this battle, rangers," said the Lieutenant. "But Team White Fang will ultimately win the war!"

The Lieutenant took out a Smoke Ball and threw it to the ground, covering the area in smoke. He quickly ran off and dived into the water, leaving his Pokémon behind. Yang attempted to see where he went but already lost him.

"Should we go after him?" asked Yang.

"Our mission is to save the hostages," said Coco. "We'll deal with the White Fang another day."

"What happened down there?" asked Pyrrha.

"Don't worry," said Blake. "The White Fang have been subdued. The crew are all safe."

"Thank you for your help, but who are you anyway?"

"I am of no concern to you rangers."

Blake turned around and was about to leave when she was suddenly blocked by Coco's Octillery.

"I beg to differ," said Coco. "Call it a hunch, but you don't look like the kind of woman who works at Schnee Co. nine-to-five."

"One of them claim-to-fame bounty hunters, huh?" asked Yang. "Thought you'd get rich capturing one of their top guys?"

"I am not a bounty hunter," replied Blake. "I am simply trying to make things right."

"Well so are we, but we're professionals. We appreciate your help, but we can't just have random civilians trying to play hero and put themselves in harms way, because that only makes things worse for us!"

"I know you rangers are trying to do the right thing, but you don't realize the damage you are causing."

"Then how about you enlighten us darling?" asked Coco. "Starting with your name and why you showed up here."

"The White Fang were going to lead me to their hideout until you once again interfered. I have my own reasons for stopping the White Fang."

"Why don't we work together?" asked Pyrrha. "In the end, we're all after the same criminals, right?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Not as long as people like you continue to work for Schnee."

"Excuse me, but we don't work for any one man or company. We're here to protect Pokémon and people from harm."

"Is that why you have such a vast interest in Subject M?"

The rangers were taken aback by Blake revealing she knew about Subject M.

"Wait a minute!" said Yang. "How do you know about Subject M?"

"Because I know the truth about everything that's happened."

"Sounds like a spy to me," said Coco. "I say we arrest her and let her explain the so-called truth behind bars."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yeah, but she's right," said Yang. "If our new friend here isn't going to cooperate, we have to take her in."

Before the rangers can make their move, Greninja used a Smokescreen to blind them. Celica quickly fired an Ice Beam to freeze the two in place, but as the smoke cleared, they were suddenly replaced with Poké Dolls.

"Rangers!" said Blake, calling them from the edge of the ship. "If you truly wish to protect the Pokémon and people of this world, you will cease your involvement with Subject M!" Blake and Greninja jumped off the ship, disappearing from sight.

"Okay, I'm confused," said Yang. "If she's not on our side, and she's not on the White Fang's side, whose side is she on?"

"That's a mystery for another day," said Coco. "Let's check on the crew."

#

With the crew saved and the White Fang defeated, the ship docked safely on the coast of Vale. The White Fang were taken into custody, and the Lieutenant's Pokémon were taken to Pokémon Ranger HQ for rehabilitation. Qrow and Winter arrived to reconvene with the Magnificent Three.

"The entire crew is safe and sound," said Qrow. "Excellent job, rangers."

"That was far from excellent!" replied Winter. "They allowed the leader of this operation to escape, and the White Fang stole approximately 13% of the Dust stored on board!"

"So we saved 87% of the Dust. I would call that a solid B+."

"Of course someone as mediocre as you would grade this mission that high!"

"How about I grade you an F for-"

"Sir!" interrupted Pyrrha, preventing Qrow from responding with profanity.

"Point is, we saved the crew and the Dust," said Qrow. "Can we get a thank you now?" Winter growled, taking out a wad of lien from her jacket and throwing it against Qrow's chest before walking off.

"You're welcome, ice queen! All right rangers, that should be all for today. You're dismissed."

"Uncle Qrow, I have something to ask," said Yang.

"What is it?"

"Just who does and who doesn't know about Subject M?"

"Unless someone has loose lips, the only ones should be us, Schnee Co., and the White Fang."

"I see. So what are the odds somebody talked to somebody they shouldn't have?"

"If that happened, we'd probably have a more widespread panic about it. As much as I hate Schnee Co., they're good at keeping things secret."

_"So no one but us, Schnee Co., and the White Fang should know about Subject M,"_ thought Yang. _"Then what is that vigilante up to?"_

#

At the White Fang HQ, Cinder was in her office working on her project. She dipped her paintbrush in a jar of red Dust, then stroked the Dust onto what appeared to be a stone mask. The mask was pale white and appeared similar to the White Fang's masks, only this one appeared more demonic as the Dust emitted a light glow. As she was working on her mask, a White Fang grunt entered her office.

"I beg your pardon, Madam Cinder. I've received word from the Lieutenant that the rangers have seized the cargo. We won't be able to gather more Dust."

"Not a problem," said Cinder. "If the reports of Subject M's location is true, the Dust we have now should suffice."

"What are your next orders, madam?"

"Send a message out to everyone in the White Fang: We are all to reconvene at HQ by the end of the week. We'll need to pack everything we have and relocate to Subject M's location."

"Will that be all, madam?"

"Tell the boys to bring out the Pokémon," said Cinder, holding up her completed mask. "It's time to take this little project for a test drive."


	24. The Charitable Fighter: Lie Ren

To the east of Vale is a small island known as Gren Isle. Most people who come to Gren Isle usually stay at the resort off the coast of the island or venture out into the wilderness in the hopes of catching exotic, rare Pokémon, not even aware of the village located at the heart of the island. The village mainly comprised of farmland and small houses; stepping into the village would make one feel like they had stepped back into a centuries old past.

The children of the village had all gathered at the schoolyard where the island's gym leader was showing off his Pokémon. The gym leader was a young man named Lie Ren, a very close friend of Nora – who happened to be visiting the island for a few days. Ren was training with his Mienfoo, Medicham, and Hitmonlee, with the kids cheering anytime they displayed some of their amazing moves.

"Okay," announced Ren, "how would you kids like to help train my Pokémon?" All the kids instantly shot their hands into the air and shouted loudly to get picked. "Don't worry, all of you are going to be able to help. Nora, have you gathered enough rocks?"

"You bet!" said Nora, dropping a large crate of rocks next to the kids.

"I want everyone to grab one rock and throw it at any of the Pokémon."

"But what if we hurt one of your Pokémon?" asked one of the kids.

"My Pokémon can take a few hits, although I don't think any of you will be able to hit them."

"Now you're just asking for trouble!" said Nora.

"Okay, when everyone is ready, let them have it!"

The kids backed up from a safe distance and hurled the rocks at the Pokémon. No matter how hard they tried to throw, all of Ren's Pokémon were able to break any rock that came their way. The Mienfoo jumped up and kicked the rocks with great precision; Medicham used its Force Palm to break any rock into dust; Hitmonlee stood in place and blocked every rock with just one leg. By the time the kids ran out of rocks, not one of them successfully landed a hit on Ren's Pokémon. The kids were in awe with how strong Ren's Pokémon were. While they were cheering, Nora suddenly pulled out a rock of her own and threw it at an unsuspecting Hitmonlee. Hitmonlee suddenly turned around and attacked the rock with a Blaze Kick, incinerating the rock to ash.

"That was awesome!" shouted a child.

"Hitmonlee is the best!"

"I hope I get cool Pokémon one day like yours, Mr. Ren!"

"Mr. Ren, how do we become gym leaders like you and Nora?"

"Years of practice and determination," said Ren. "Never give up, work hard every day, and maintain a healthy diet. Isn't that right, Nora?"

"That's right kids!" said Nora. "If you follow those steps, you'll all become gym leaders like Ren and I have!"

As the kids tried to ask more questions, Ren's scroll started to go off. Ren checked his scroll and saw it was time to leave.

"The airship from Vale is arriving," said Ren. "Sorry everyone, but that's all for today."

All the kids moaned and started complaining that they wanted to see more of Ren's Pokémon.

"Hey now!" said Nora. "That's no way to say goodbye to Ren!"

Hearing Nora shout at them, they all went quiet and felt bad for what they did.

"It's all right," said Ren. "I tell you what; if someone from the ship is here for a gym battle, how would you all like to see me and my Pokémon in action?"

"Yeah!" shouted the kids.

"Okay then. I expect you all to come and cheer for me, okay?"

Ren recalled his Pokémon and said his goodbyes. As they headed to the trolley train outside of the village, Ren was talking to Nora about how she behaved with the kids.

"You need to watch what you say to the children, Nora," said Ren.

"I'm sorry," said Nora. "I just get really upset when I see someone disrespect you like that! They should be thankful for all the time you spend with them."

"They're only kids, Nora. Remember, we were in their situation growing up as well. You know they don't have it easy at all."

"I know, but still, a 'thank you' would have been nice to hear."

#

Ruby and Jaune looked out the window of the airship as they were a few minutes away from landing on Gren Isle.

"What do you think Gren Isle is like?" asked Jaune.

"From what I've heard, it's just some resort island," said Ruby. "I didn't even know they had gyms this far from the mainland."

"You know, something's been bothering me about this place. Why exactly did Nora suggest we come here?"

"Maybe she owed someone a favor."

"Attention passengers," announced the flight crew. "We will be landing shortly. Please return to your seats and remain seated."

"This is it," said Ruby. "Today is the day I earn badge number six!"

As soon as the airship landed on the island's tarmac and the bay doors opened, Ruby immediately got out and headed to the terminal. She was immediately greeted by several people handing out pamphlets of the hotels and attractions the resort had; Ruby ignored all the offers and was asking around for the Pokémon gym, but nobody seemed to have any idea the island had one.

"How do none of these people know about the gym?" asked Ruby.

"What about him?" said Jaune. "He might know something about this place."

Jaune pointed to a boy in a green coat who was greeting everyone off the airship. Unlike the other greeters to the island, this one wasn't giving out brochures to promote whatever tourist trap he was paid to shill. Ruby figured he must be an actual resident of the island and decided to ask him for the gym's location.

"Excuse me," said Ruby. "Would you know where the Pokémon gym is?"

Ren turned to the girl and smiled. "Ruby Rose, I assume?"

"What the...how did you know?"

"He must have psychic powers!" said Jaune. "This island must be home to Psychic type specialists!"

"Quite the opposite, actually," said Ren. "My name is Lie Ren; I specialize in Fighting types. As for knowing who you are, Nora told me you would arrive for a gym battle."

"Surprise!" shouted Nora, suddenly appearing beside Ren. "I was wondering when you would finally get here!"

"Nora!" said Ruby. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit my best friend of course!"

"Nora told me about your run-in with the White Fang," said Ren. "I'm surprised a group like them would get involved with Pokémon Contests."

"It was my fault really," said Ruby. "Me and them have had a beef for a while now."

"I hope they didn't follow us all the way out here," said Jaune.

"We've been lucky to not have any White Fang activity on this island," said Ren.

"Not like there's anything valuable here for them anyway," muttered Nora under her breath.

"Did you say something, Nora?"

"Huh? Oh, I said I'm glad they never come here, since you know, the village would really be in peril!"

"Hate to interrupt," said Ruby, "but does this village happen to contain the league gym?"

"My apologies," said Ren. "Yes, the gym is located in our village. We have a trolley that will take you there in roughly ten minutes. The Pokémon Center and market are located next to the terminal here."

"So when can we have our gym battle?"

"Unfortunately, I have many errands I need to do today. I'll have everything prepared for you by tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you are free to visit the village and stay the night if you wish."

"Oh c'mon Ren!" said Nora. "They don't want to spend the night in some boring village!"

"What makes the village so boring?" asked Ruby.

"The village doesn't have much to do. You're better off just relaxing at the resort and getting ready for your big match tomorrow! I'll pay for your rooms as a thank you for all your help with the White Fang!"

"Actually, I'd be more interested in staying in the village. How about you Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, agreeing to go anywhere Ruby wanted.

"I am kind of curious to see what this village looks like," said Jaune.

"Very well," said Ren. "Follow me."

Everyone headed to the trolley station. While no one was looking, Nora let out a low sigh, wishing Ruby had stayed at the resort instead.

#

After taking the trolley to their stop, the group walked along a narrow dirt road surrounded by large jungle trees.

"This village is really out of the way from the resort," said Jaune. "Do you ever get visitors in your village?"

"Only the occasional challenger or trainer thinking they can find rare Pokémon out here," replied Ren.

"Is it hard living in a village away from civilization?" asked Ruby.

"Not at all. We may not have as many luxuries, but the village has been able to manage for centuries."

Reaching the end of the path, Ruby and Jaune stepped out to get a wide view of Ren's village. In front of the village was a small river that cut through the village at a right angle, with bridges laid out on top for people to cross. All the houses were lined up symmetrically and had a simplistic design of wooden supports and roofs made of hay. A tall tower stood in the back corner of the village in front of a mountain where the sun would be rising. Looking at the village from their view was like staring into a painting.

"Whoa," said Ruby. "I've never seen a place like this before."

"I feel like we stepped into one of those old Spruce Lee movies," said Jaune. "Like the one about the farmers hiring those seven Pokémon trainers."

"As you can see, we like to keep things traditional here on Gren Isle," said Ren. "Apart from a few of the new buildings that have been constructed or renovated, everything you see here is almost as it was hundreds of years ago."

The group stepped over the bridge leading them to the residential portion of the village. As they walked through the streets of the village, they were soon greeted by a mob of children who were happy to see Ren and Nora return.

"Who are those guys, Mr. Ren?" asked one of the kids.

"Everyone, I'd like to you meet Ruby and Jaune," said Ren. "Ruby will be challenging me for a badge tomorrow."

"Hello everyone!" greeted Ruby.

"Can we see some of your Pokémon?" asked a child.

"She can't do that," said Ren. "It's against the rules for a gym leader to know of a trainer's Pokémon in advance. You'll have to wait until tomorrow like everyone else." All the kids groaned at not getting to see Ruby's Pokémon.

"Well I'm not competing tomorrow," said Jaune. "Check out my Pokémon!"

Jaune stepped back and called out his Steelix and Snorlax. All the kids were astonished at the enormous size of Jaune's Pokémon. Some of the kids ran up to Jaune asking to take a ride on Steelix, while Snorlax laid flat on his back taking a nap as some of the kids tried to climb up his stomach and wake him up.

"Those kids can play with Pokémon all day if you let them," said Ren. "I hope you don't mind letting them play for a while."

"Not at all!" said Jaune, happy to see kids being impressed over his Pokémon. The group continued walking around the village as Steelix and Snorlax stayed to entertain the kids.

"I've never seen children this excited with Pokémon," said Ruby.

"Being this far out," said Ren, "they don't get to see many Pokémon up close, so they take every chance they get at spending time with them."

"What about their parents?" asked Jaune. "They don't have Pokémon of their own?"

"Actually Jaune, most of the children here don't have parents. Some of them have grandparents but they're in no condition to go out and catch Pokémon."

"Oh," replied Jaune, feeling bad about his question. "Sorry about asking."

The group headed to the corner of the village were the tower stood. The first thing they noticed was the curved roof hanging over the walls of the tower, and whereas the village homes were built out of wood and aged for centuries, the temple looked recently constructed but still had a traditional feel. Two Raikou statues were standing at the top of the steps leading to the entrance.

"This here is the signature structure of our village," said Ren, "the Oum Temple. We use it as a place of worship, and once I became gym leader, was renovated to also serve as our Pokémon gym."

"A place of worship huh?" said Ruby. "Would it be okay to have a quick prayer here?"

"By all means. Follow me."

Ren and Ruby walked up to the top of the steps and stopped in front of the Raikou statues. Ren sat cross-legged in front of one statue with his hands rested in the center of his legs, while Ruby knelt on her knees and folded her hands. Ruby muttered a few quick words while Ren remained silent and stoic. After about a minute, Ruby got up and was about to head back down when she noticed Ren was still praying. Ruby wasn't quite sure if she should say something to interrupt him, so she stood still waiting for Ren to finish. As Ruby was looking at Ren, she noticed Ren was starting to slump forward.

_"It almost looks like he's asleep. Maybe I should say something."_

Before Ruby had the chance, Ren's scroll suddenly rang and jolted him out of his prayer.

"My apologies," said Ren. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"Not at all," said Ruby. The two walked back down the steps of the entranceway.

"It was nice to have met you two. I hate to cut this tour short, but I have to tend to the fields."

"You mean like farming?" asked Ruby. "Well, since we're not battling until tomorrow, how about I lend a hand?"

"Lend a hand?" said Nora. "You're our guests! You didn't come all the way here just to do some chores!"

"Nora's right," said Ren. "There's no need for you to do any sort of volunteering."

"I don't have a problem with a little work, right Eevee?" said Ruby.

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

"I might as well help out too," said Jaune.

"In that case, I'll find something for you to do," said Ren.

As the group headed to the other side of the village, Nora pulled Ruby aside to talk privately.

"Hey Ruby, did you notice anything wrong with Ren?"

"Anything wrong? Not that I saw, though for a minute I thought he was asleep with the way he was sitting."

"I thought so," said Nora, suddenly sounding annoyed as if Ruby offended her.

"I'm sorry, did I say something offensive?"

Nora didn't reply, which made Ruby worry if she had inadvertently upset Nora.

#

On the other side of the river separating the village was the farmlands, divided into several sectors. One section had Miltanks that were used to gather Moomoo Milk; another had rows of fruits and vegetables to be picked, while another section was covered in wheat.

"While Jaune and Nora work on the crops," said Ren, "we can work on gathering the wheat."

"Easy enough," said Ruby. Ruby reached into her pocket and called out her Scyther. "Scyther here will have this all cut in no time!"

"You're using your Pokémon?"

"Why not? Unless, am I not supposed to?"

"I don't mind you using your Pokémon, but we traditionally don't use Pokémon to do our work except for extreme cases. We prefer doing everything on our own as a form of self-reliance."

"Oh. So how do you normally do this?"

"With our own scythes."

Ren walked over to a nearby tool shed and pulled out a pair of scythes that were bigger than Ruby. Ruby was nearly intimidated seeing one up close.

"I'm not sure how to use this," said Ruby.

"It's not that hard," said Ren. Ren handed Ruby a scythe and then showed her the proper scything technique. "Grab the two little handles like so, make sure to keep the blade near the ground, and then swing in an arc like this. Keep it parallel to the ground so that you're slicing the wheat, not chopping it."

Ruby put her scythe in position and made her first swing, hoping she didn't screw up. After making her first cut, she suddenly felt at ease. It almost felt as if swinging the scythe felt natural to her.

"Hey, this is kind of fun," said Ruby. "I can really get used to this."

The three of them went to work cutting the wheat, each taking a different row. Scyther was lightning fast with his precision and cutting, while Ruby had quickly adapted to using her scythe. While the work seemed long and monotonous, Ruby loved having nothing but her thoughts to keep her company. After completing her row, she turned to see how Ren was doing and was surprised to see he was only about halfway done and had stopped to rest under a nearby tree.

"Are you okay?" asked Ruby.

"I'm fine," said Ren. "Just needed a small break."

"But we barely got started."

"Actually, you just got started. I've been working since sunrise."

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" blurted Ruby, bowing her head in shame. "I shouldn't have said that!"

"It's okay."

Ren stood back up and cranked his neck before going back to cutting down the wheat. Seeing Ren needing to rest was making Ruby think that she really did see Ren fall asleep at the temple, and was now concerned just how much work Ren had been doing today.

With the help of Ruby and Jaune, Ren was able to harvest more crops than usual. The group returned to the village and headed towards one of the wider buildings in the center of the village.

"This is our town cafeteria," explained Ren. "This is where we store all the food we gather from the farm as well as eat for breakfast and dinner."

"So you cook for the village as well?" asked Ruby.

"A lot of the village homes don't have their own cookware or refrigeration, so we gather together like one big family. In fact, right now is around the time the children come in to lend a hand."

As soon as the group entered the building, they were soon greeted by some of the older children in the village, who were amazed at the amount of crops they had gathered. The children helped Ren and the others organize and store the food in the building's refrigeration unit.

"That was a lot of crops, Mr. Ren!" said one of the kids.

"We were truly blessed to have a good crop this time around," said Ren. "I say in honor of this and my upcoming gym battle, tonight we should have something special for dinner. Any suggestions?"

"Let's have pancakes!" shouted one kid.

"You can't have pancakes for dinner!" shouted another. "That's for breakfast!"

"Hey now," said Nora, "I wouldn't mind having pancakes for dinner, especially if Ren makes them!"

"What do you say Ruby?" asked Ren. "Pancakes sound good to you?"

"Uh...sure!" said Ruby. Ruby never had pancakes for dinner, and hadn't had them at all since the start of her journey.

"Pancakes it is. All of you sit down and relax; my little volunteers and I will take care of everything."

"Hey Ren, I'm kind of curious; aren't there any other grown-ups who can help out?"

"Not many unfortunately. Save for me and a couple others, the village is made up of mostly the children and elderly. By the time the children reach adolescence, they leave for greener pastures as one would say."

"Are you sure you don't need help this time?"

"I insist."

Ren and the children headed into the kitchen where Ren made the preparations for the meal while the children were setting all the tables.

"Hey Jaune," said Nora. "Ren doesn't usually accept help, but can you give him a hand in the kitchen? If he insists on no help, tell him you want to learn how to make pancakes."

"Okay," said Jaune. "How about you Ruby?"

"Ruby is the guest of honor! You can't have guests do the work!"

"Oh, right."

As soon as Jaune was out of sight, Nora signaled Ruby to meet with her outside. They exited through the back of the building so no one would eavesdrop on their conversation.

"You don't really want Jaune helping either," said Ruby. "You just wanted to talk privately. What's wrong?"

"Ruby, there's a reason I wanted you to come to this island," said Nora. "It's about Ren."

"What about him?"

"As you've witnessed, Ren does a lot of work for this village. Every hour of every day, he's always busy working. This morning he woke up and went to the hospital to make sure they had all the supplies they needed, then he went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for all the children in the village. After breakfast, he teaches at the school until the afternoon, then he trains with his Pokémon. Once he's done doing dinner, he plans to check everyone's homes to see who needs anything repaired, and then he checks with the Poké Mart to see if they brought in any money to help the village out."

"Wow. Ren is a really busy guy."

"Busy is an understatement. Heaven forbid this island gets struck with a natural disaster or someone falls gravely ill. The man will practically work around the clock with no sign of stopping. Ren is really dedicated to this place."

"All right, so Ren works really hard. What does this have to do with me coming here?"

"Ruby...can you promise to keep a secret?"

"That depends on where this is going. What kind of secret are we talking about?"

"I need to tell you how I really feel about Ren, and you can't under any circumstance tell anyone else about this. Ren, Jaune, Eevee, anybody!"

"Why can't you tell Ren how you really feel?"

"Please Ruby, this is important! I can only tell you!"

Ruby was uncomfortable having to keep a personal secret like this, but it was in her nature to always lend a hand, so she decided to hear Nora out.

"All right Nora, I promise to not tell your secret."

"It all started when me and Ren were little kids," explained Nora. "Back then, the village used to be prosperous. Underneath this village was a mineshaft that contained lots of Dust; we were one of the biggest suppliers of Dust for Schnee Co. But then one day, a freak accident occurred and we lost a lot of people, including...our families."

Nora folded her arms and frowned; it always saddened her to bring up that terrible accident.

"After the accident, it was decided that the mineshaft was too dangerous to work in and all mining immediately ceased, therefore we no longer became a Dust supplier. Without any Dust to export, the village lost a lot of job opportunities. No jobs meant no money; no money meant no livelihood; no livelihood meant...you get the point. With so many children left without parents, the remaining elders had to work really hard to provide for us. Sadly, the hard work took a toll on them and suddenly they were in need of help. Some of the remaining families saw the writing on the wall and left the island for good; others tried to find work at the resort and outside of the island, but it did little good. It was pretty clear that our village was not going to have much of a future.

"Growing up, Ren and I dreamed of being professional Pokémon trainers. With whatever resources the elders were able to scrounge up, they were able to afford sending Ren and I to a Pokémon academy in order to achieve our dreams, and shortly after graduation, we were able to become gym leaders. I made my home in Roseus City, but Ren insisted he stay on Gren Isle. His idea was to open a gym on the island, hoping it would attract enough trainers and spectators to generate some much needed revenue. I didn't think it was a bad idea at the time, until I realized thanks to my location, I was attracting way more business than he was. That's when I realized the real reason he wanted the gym on Gren Isle; so he would have a reason to stay here and continue helping those who refuse to leave for sentimental reasons.

"So on top of all the work he does for those that choose to stay, he trains to make sure he keeps up a good winning percentage to keep the gym open. He does do a lot of good here, but the truth is that's all he does. He doesn't take time to do anything that doesn't involve charity work or gym battles. He's essentially dedicating his entire life to saving the village."

Nora tightened the grip on her arms and was trying to prevent herself from sobbing, but having to express what she truly thought, she couldn't help but start crying.

"The truth is Ruby, I hate it! I hate seeing Ren throw his life away to a village that isn't going to last long! It would be so much better for him to forget this place, move on with his life, and experience what the rest of the world has to offer! I feel like the only way that's going to happen is if he..."

"If he what?" asked Ruby.

"If...he keeps losing."

Having heard Nora's story and what it's like to witness Ren sacrifice his personal life to helping others, Ruby was feeling remorseful until Nora mentioned the possibility of Ren losing his gym battles. Ruby was horrified; she didn't want to believe what Nora was asking her to do.

"Is that why you wanted me to come here?" asked Ruby. "You want me to beat Ren so it might convince him to leave?"

"I don't know if your victory will convince him, but if he loses enough times, maybe he'll shut down the gym and finally move away!"

"That's a horrible thing to say!" yelled Ruby. "Nora, what Ren chooses to do is up to him! I'm sorry if it bothers you, but to hope he leaves this village to do what he wants is incredibly selfish!"

"I don't care how selfish it sounds! Ren deserves to be happy and live a better life! Why should he be the one to carry the burden of this village? What good will all his work be for when everyone will just leave him behind?"

"It's still Ren's decision. If it bothered you this much, why not tell Ren yourself?"

"Because if you're reacting this way, imagine how he's going to react! Ren will probably never speak to me again if I told him the truth!" Nora grabbed Ruby's shoulders and looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "Ruby, I beg of you! No matter what happens, promise me you'll beat Ren!"

"Of course I'm going to beat him, but only because I need to win a badge!" Ruby removed Nora's arms from her shoulders and was about to head back inside.

"Really? After everything I've told you, can you honestly tell me you will do whatever it takes to beat Ren?"

"I swear on my honor as a trainer, I will do whatever it takes to beat..." Ruby suddenly had to stop. For some reason, she felt her chest begin to hurt when she tried to say she would defeat Ren. Nora knew this would happen when Ruby came to the village.

"This is why I didn't want you coming here. Now that you've seen the conditions this village is in, you can't fathom the thought of seeing Ren letting these people down."

"That's ridiculous!" said Ruby, turning back to Nora. "I know the kids might get upset, but..." Ruby couldn't do it. With all the information she now had about Ren and Nora's desire to see him lose, Ruby was conflicted about having to face Ren. Ruby tried to think of something to say but was interrupted by Jaune.

"There you are," said Jaune. "The pancakes are ready! Sorry if some of them are burnt; making them is a lot harder than you would think."

Ruby and Nora went back inside and sat at the table with Jaune and Ren. Nora went back to being her cheerful self as she was making casual conversation; Ruby tried to enjoy her meal and convince herself that Nora was wrong, that Ren was just fine, and that she was going to fight Ren the same way she fought everyone else. In the middle of one of Nora's stories, Ren suddenly yawned pretty loudly.

"You okay there, Ren?" asked Jaune.

"Just a bit tired from all the work," said Ren.

"You were yawning quite a bit in the kitchen. Getting enough sleep?"

"Enough to keep working."

Ruby wished she didn't hear that, because she knew that was a blatant lie, and only made her feel worse about this situation.

"Once I'm done cleaning up, I'll be heading to the Poké Mart by the airport to make sure they're stocked. Nora will show you to the guest house."

"Actually," said Ruby, "since I have to get ready for the gym battle tomorrow, I'm going to stay at the Pokémon Center. Coming Jaune?"

"I'm staying here tonight," said Jaune. "I promised the kids they can play with my Pokémon after dinner."

"Rest well, Ruby," said Ren. "See you tomorrow for our battle."

"You too, Ren."

Ruby left the cafeteria and headed out of the village, all the while thinking what she was going to do.

#

Ruby tried to go to sleep right away, hoping by tomorrow morning she'd feel better and have an idea of what to do. Instead she was tossing and turning, hoping the knot in her stomach would untie itself already. Hearing Ruby turn back and forth on the bed, Eevee jumped up on the bed to see what was wrong with Ruby. Figuring she wasn't going to sleep, Ruby sat up and held Eevee.

"Hey Eevee, I've been thinking; would it be so bad if I lost the match?"

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, wondering what Ruby meant by that question.

"I mean, it's not like I have to win this particular badge. There are plenty of gyms I can visit around Vale. Sure I'd be on a strict time limit because of the league registration deadline coming up, but I'd still have a chance of making it, wouldn't I?"

"Eevee Eevee!" said Eevee, trying to spark some confidence in Ruby.

"I wish confidence was the reason I don't think I can win. It isn't confidence holding me back...it's guilt."

"Eevee?"

"Ren needs to win matches to keep the gym open and provide for the village. If he loses, it puts his career and the village in jeopardy. If I win the match, I get another badge, but if I lose, I can just chin up and try somewhere else. It's more important for him to win than me. But it's not like I can just outright cheat; that goes against everything fighting for a badge stands for. Maybe...maybe I can just give myself a really bad handicap!"

Ruby got out of bed and reached into her backpack to get her Pokédex, pulling up all the Pokémon she had caught so far.

"Yeah! I'll fight him with Pokémon who are weak to Fighting types! That way it just looks like I made poor choices and he'll win no sweat!"

Eevee jumped off the bed and slapped the Pokédex out of Ruby's hand, then started barking at her about how terrible of an idea that was.

"I know it's dishonest Eevee, but it's for a good cause! The ends justifies the means, right?"

Eevee frowned at Ruby and shook her head. Seeing the angry glare in Eevee's eyes made Ruby realize her dumb decision.

"I can't believe what I'm saying; of course it doesn't! I have to fight at my best, even if it's against a guy like Ren! I know he has it hard, but I have to beat him just like..."

Her stomach twisted itself into a knot again. No matter how hard Ruby tried, she couldn't get over having to defeat Ren. Just thinking about the battle was starting to give her a migraine.

"My head hurts. I think I need to walk this off."

Ruby got dressed and decided to kill some time by heading into the Poké Mart next door. As soon as she entered, she noticed a familiar face talking to the shopkeeper.

"Sorry for the low take Ren, but hardly anyone comes to shop here."

"Any little amount helps," said Ren, collecting what low amount of money the store had. Feeling she needed to do something, Ruby looked over and notice the TM aisle. She grabbed the nearest TM she could afford and went up the cashier.

"Excuse me, I'd like to purchase this TM," said Ruby.

"Oh, hello Ruby," said Ren. "What brings you here?"

"Just buying some TMs that will help me beat you," said Ruby, trying to play off like she wasn't making a pity purchase.

"You sure about that?"

"Why? You think your Pokémon will be strong enough to withstand this attack?"

"Ruby, any Pokémon would be strong enough to withstand False Swipe."

"Huh?" Ruby looked at the TM she was purchasing and realized she had grabbed False Swipe, a move that always left the opposing Pokémon with a bit of health left. Perfect for capturing, but useless in a gym battle. Ruby tried to hide her beet red face.

"Still interested in purchasing ma'am?" asked the shopkeeper.

Ruby silently took out her lien, purchased the TM, and stored it in her pocket.

"See you tomorrow Ren," said Ruby, walking outside before further embarrassing herself. Unfortunately for her, Ren quickly followed.

"Ruby, wait," said Ren. "Did you purchase that TM because you felt bad about the village?"

"N-no! I just...felt like...needing the move!"

"I appreciate your help, but I don't want you helping out of guilt. If you want I'll refund you the money-"

"Ren," interrupted Ruby, "why do you do all the things you do?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why are you always busy working on something? You're either farming, cooking, teaching, training...you're always doing something involving that village."

"That village is my home. For years, I've seen my elders sacrifice so much to help the next generation like me accomplish their goals, and now I need to return that favor."

"Seems like you're returning too much."

"Returning too much?"

"I mean, it's just...is there really no one else to take your spot? Isn't there other people who can lend a hand?"

Even though Ren had claimed to not have psychic powers, he did have the uncanny ability of reading people like a book, and knew right away where Ruby was going with this.

"How much has Nora told you?" asked Ren.

"Nora?" said Ruby, trying to play dumb. "What makes you think Nora has anything to do with this?"

"Tell me the truth, Ruby."

Ruby groaned and felt like throwing up. There was no point in lying to a mind reader like Ren.

"She told me everything; the mine collapse, your constant work, the importance of the gym, and...if you really want to know...she hates how - in her own words - you're throwing your life away for the village."

Now Ruby understood why Nora wanted to keep it a secret, as Ruby was scared of how Ren was going to react. Ren simply appeared stoic as he took in Ruby's words.

"I see," said Ren, remaining calm as always. "Ruby, I look forward to our gym battle tomorrow. I expect to see you fight with the strongest Pokémon you've got." Ren walked off and headed to the trolley station.

"Ren, wait!"

"What is it?"

"You're not mad at Nora, are you?"

"It's...complicated."

Ren walked off without another word. Ruby wasn't sure if she did the right thing or not, but she did feel a little better about telling Ren the truth.

_"Now that he knows that I know, it'll be impossible to use my weakest Pokémon without him knowing any better. If it's a fight he wants...then a fight he's gonna get!"_


	25. Ruby vs Ren

As the sun rose up and illuminated the little village on Gren Isle, Jaune started to wake up from a peaceful night's sleep. Since it was pretty early in the morning, Jaune figured he would head to the cafeteria and help Ren. He got dressed and went to the cafeteria and was surprised to see so many people in the village awake and eating breakfast. Jaune went into the kitchen where Ren was already wrapping up the cooking and was about to get started on the cleaning.

"Good morning Jaune," said Ren. "Sleep well?"

"Did you?" asked Jaune. "I could have sworn I went to sleep before you did. Do you actually sleep?"

"Only when I need to."

"Okay...well, anyway, I was going to ask if you needed help with anything."

"I'll be fine. I saved a plate for you and Nora; you just enjoy your meal."

"Thanks, but are you sure you don't need help? I mean, I feel kind of bad you have to do all this work by yourself."

"No need to. I'm used to working like this."

"If you say so..." Jaune took his plate and sat at one of the tables, where he was soon joined by Nora.

"Mornin' Jaune!" greeted Nora.

"Morning, Nora. Did Ren insist you not help as well?"

"That's Ren for ya! Always working hard by his lonesome!"

"No offense, but I think he might even be crazier than you. With all the work he does, I'm surprised he finds the time to train for the gym battles."

Nora sighed. "You'd be amazed how much time he spends in the day."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," replied Nora. Nora ate her meal in silence; Jaune wasn't sure if he had made Nora mad with that last comment or if Nora just wanted to eat in peace.

#

After talking to Ren last night, Ruby went back to the Pokémon Center and made her decision on which three Pokémon she was going to use; she knew she couldn't choose her weakest Pokémon on purpose, but it still didn't feel right to choose three Pokémon that were strong enough to hand her an easy victory, so she assembled a team that felt was a perfect balance of the two. This was going to be Ruby's most difficult battle yet; not because of the strength of the opponent's Pokémon, but because of the opponent she had to defeat.

Ruby's stomach felt so wound up that she didn't even bother eating breakfast that morning, doubting whatever she ate would stay inside her for long. She headed straight for the village and walked at a fast pace to the Oum Temple. Nearly everyone from the village was entering the temple to watch the gym match while Jaune waited outside for her.

"Welcome back," said Jaune. "Ready for the gym match?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," said Ruby, heading up the steps of the temple.

"By the way, Ren wanted you to know that they like to hold a prayer ceremony before the start of a battle."

"How appropriate, because I could really use some praying right about now."

Ruby entered the temple and went to the gym area, which resembled a bare-minimum martial arts dojo. The entire floor was covered in blue safety mats, and off to one side were chairs and pillows for the spectators to sit. Everyone was lined up and conducting their prayer, with Ren and Nora sitting at the front of the room. Ruby took a spot in the back and went into her prayer stance.

_"Please let this battle go without a hitch. Please let this battle be free of any melodrama."_

As the prayer came to a close, everyone stood up and headed to the spectator section. As Ren and Nora were getting up, Ren started to wobble back and nearly fell into Nora.

"You okay?" asked Nora, grabbing Ren before he tripped over himself.

"My foot seems to have fallen asleep," said Ren. Ruby prayed that was really the case. Once Ren was good to go, Nora took her spot in the corner of the front row next to the village children.

"Now then," said Nora, "who's ready to see Ren's Pokémon fight?" All the children pumped their fists in the air and cheered for Ren.

"Because you have five badges, we will have a three on three battle," said Ren. "May this battle be fought with honor and integrity."

Ruby's eyes moved slightly to the right where Nora was sitting. Nora caught Ruby's gaze and returned one of her own.

"I assure you it will be," replied Ruby, as if she was talking to Nora.

Ren called out his Mienfoo to start the match. Ruby pulled out a Great Ball and called out her Electivire. The two Pokémon met near the center of the gym; one of Electivire's arms were nearly as big as the Mienfoo itself. The kids were worried that Mienfoo was going to be severely outclassed.

"How can Ren win when that thing is so big?" asked one of the kids.

"Size isn't everything!" said Nora. "It's not about the size of a Pokémon itself; it's the size of their fighting spirit that matters!"

"Electivire, attack with Thunder Punch!" said Ruby.

"Mienfoo, fall back and use Swift!" said Ren.

Electivire charged up his fist and lunged down at Mienfoo. Mienfoo quickly jumped back from Electivire and fired several energy stars at Electivire, dealing minor damage. Electivire got up and ran after Mienfoo. As fast as Electivire can punch, Mienfoo was able to jump around and avoid his attacks, continuing to fire Swift and constantly deal damage.

"Mienfoo, Jump Kick!" Mienfoo ran full bore at Electivire. Once it closed in, Mienfoo jumped into the air and struck Electivire with a kick to the jaw, powerful enough to send Electivire tumbling back a few steps.

"Electivire, counter with Discharge!" Electivire charged up and unleashed a wave of electricity around it, making it impossible for Mienfoo to avoid and taking serious damage, forcing Mienfoo to drop down on one knee. "Now Electivire, knock him out with Thunder Punch!"

Electivire electrified his fist and went in for the finishing blow.

"Mienfoo, Drain Punch!" commanded Ren. Mienfoo quickly rolled aside to avoid the Thunder Punch, then punched Electivire right in the gut, absorbing some of Electivire's health away. Electivire tried to punch Mienfoo again but this time Mienfoo was healthy enough to jump back and avoid Electivire's attack.

"All right Electivire, keep using Discharge on Mienfoo!"

Electivire unleashed another burst of electricity, pushing Mienfoo back to the end of the arena. As Ren and Mienfoo thought of what to do next, Jaune was perplexed by Ruby's actions.

_"Why is Ruby trying to use the same two moves?"_ thought Jaune. _"Is she conserving Electivire's best moves for his stronger Pokémon? Yeah, that has to be it."_

"One more time should do it, Electivire!" Electivire fired another wave at Mienfoo; with Mienfoo backed against the wall, he jumped up and then kicked off the wall to go flying in the air past Electivire.

"Mienfoo, Jump Kick!" Once Mienfoo landed back on the ground, he ran at Electivire for another kick to the face. This time Electivire turned around and nailed Mienfoo directly with a Thunder Punch. Mienfoo flopped to the ground, severely hurt by the attack and barely holding on.

"Electivire, Thunder Punch!"

"Mienfoo, U-Turn now!"

As Electivire threw one last Thunder Punch, Mienfoo jumped up to avoid the punch, then stomped on top of Electivire's head. Jumping off the Electivire, Mienfoo returned to Ren's Poké Ball, saving itself from elimination.

"Your Pokémon is quite strong Ruby, but let's see how well he can handle my next Pokémon."

Ren pulled out another Poké Ball and called out his Medicham. Rather than get into a fighting stance, Medicham sat down cross-legged and rested his hands on his knees.

"Medicham, begin your meditation!" Medicham took a deep breath and used its Meditate technique.

"What's Ren doing?" asked one of the kids. "His Pokémon will get hit if it just sits there like that!"

"That's what he wants you to think," said Nora. "His Medicham is actually getting stronger, and when the time is right, BAM! That Electivire won't know what hit him!"

"You picked a wrong time to meditate, Ren!" said Ruby. "Electivire, Thunder Punch!"

Electivire charged up its fist and headed for Medicham. After it was done meditating, Medicham simply stood up and waited for Electivire to come closer.

"Medicham, Force Palm!" said Ren. Medicham ducked under Electivire's arm and then thrust its palm into the stomach of Electivire. Electivire was suddenly frozen in place as if it was paralyzed.

"C'mon Electivire, throw another Thunder Punch!" Electivire tried to charge up for another attack, but its body wouldn't move a muscle.

"It's over Ruby," said Ren. "When hit at just the right spot, Force Palm can render paralysis on an opponent. Finish him, Medicham."

Medicham continued hitting Force Palm on Electivire until Electivire had fainted, leaving Ruby down to two Pokémon. The children cheered for Ren taking the lead; Nora looked over to Ruby and shot her a worried look.

_"What are you doing, Ruby?"_ thought Nora. _"I know you're better than this!"_

"I bet Ren beats all of her Pokémon without losing once!" said one of the kids. "Right Nora?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, definitely! Ruby doesn't stand a chance!"

As Nora cheered with the children, Ruby was observing how Ren was reacting. She figured he had to be upset with Nora for pretending to cheer for him when he knew how Nora really felt, but instead he simply smiled and waved back to the village rallying behind him.

"So Ruby, who will you call next?" asked Ren. "A stronger Pokémon, I hope."

"Electivire was just the warm-up act!" said Ruby. "If you really want a challenge, try defeating this!"

Ruby called out her next Pokémon: Scyther. Some of the villagers were frightened at the sight of seeing Scyther's giant scythe arms.

"Quite a challenge indeed, but nothing my Mienfoo can't handle." Ren recalled his Medicham and replaced him with Mienfoo, who had regained some health thanks to its special ability.

"I get it," said Ruby. "You start with Mienfoo, then when the time is right, you tag in Medicham to finish the job while Mienfoo takes a time out to regenerate."

"You're a quick learner Ruby, but it means nothing if you don't have a solution. Mienfoo, Swift attack!"

"Scyther, get in there and Slash him!"

Mienfoo jumped away from Scyther and fired energy stars; Scyther ignored the stars and flew up to Mienfoo, swinging one of its scythe arms. Mienfoo dodged to the side, but Scyther was quick to turn around and Slash again with its other arm. Mienfoo kept using Swift as Scyther took the brunt of the attacks and continued attacking Mienfoo. As Ren tried to keep up with what was going on, he suddenly started to feel his head pounding. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, which were already hurting from the approximately three hours of sleep he had last night.

Meanwhile, Mienfoo kept trying to dodge Scyther, but Scyther proved to be too fast and was finally able to land a Slash attack on Mienfoo, knocking him down hard on the mat and leaving him with little health.

_"Now's the part when Ren will try to either use Drain Punch or U-Turn,"_ thought Ruby. _"So I'll have Scyther use Swords Dance while he attacks."_

"All right Scyther, time for Swords Dance!" Scyther's body glowed as he performed his ritual that would sharply increase his attack power.

"Mienfoo, hit him with Jump Kick!" said Ren, barely looking at what was going on. Everyone watching on the sidelines were confused by Ren's command, but Mienfoo did exactly what it was told. Mienfoo got up and attempted to hit Scyther with a Jump Kick; Scyther stepped to the side as Mienfoo crash landed back on the ground and hurt itself further, leaving it wide open for an attack.

_"Darn it!"_ thought Ruby. _"Now I have to attack him or else they'll know!"_

"Scyther, X-Scissor!" Scyther crossed its arms and slashed Mienfoo, easily taking him out of the match. It was the children moaning that made Ren suddenly realize what he did.

"Why didn't you call Mienfoo back, Ren?" asked one of the kids.

"That was a careless mistake on my part," said Ren, recalling his Pokémon. "I may have lost Mienfoo, but my Medicham alone is capable of handling that Scyther."

Ren called out his Medicham, who just like earlier, already went into a meditation position and used Meditate to power up.

"Scyther, Swords Dance!" Scyther went back to powering up as well. Ren figured Ruby was not going to attack head-on as that was what cost her to lose Electivire, so he had to start attacking before Scyther's strength would reach its peak.

"Medicham, Force Palm!" Medicham stood up and jumped towards Scyther, thrusting its palm forward to strike Scyther's abdomen; Scyther stopped dancing and used its wings to jump over Medicham and land behind him.

"Continue your Swords Dance, Scyther!" Scyther went back to using its technique without missing a beat.

"Not even attempting to attack this time?"

"Oh I'll attack soon enough! I'm just getting my Scyther ready to knock you out in one hit!"

Some of the villagers gasped at Ruby's bold proclamation. While the villagers were hoping Ruby wouldn't land that one hit, Jaune was trying to figure out Ruby's strategy.

_"She doesn't usually spend so much time trying to power up her Pokémon. Is she really going to try and knock out Ren's Pokémon in one hit? Ah well, I'm sure she knows what she's doing."_

"In that case," said Ren, "I'll be powering up my Medicham as well. Medicham, continue your meditation and get ready to attack on my signal!"

Medicham nodded to Ren and went back to meditating. The audience was starting to get excited to see who was going to land their big attack first. After about a minute of prepping, both Pokémon had reached their peak strength. Scyther and Medicham stood in place, ready for their masters to give the command.

"Well Ruby?" asked Ren. "Ready to finish off Medicham in one hit?"

"You bet I am!" said Ruby. "Scyther, Fury Cutter!"

Scyther flapped its wings at a rapid pace, then leapt forward and quickly appeared in front of Medicham to strike.

"Medicham, Zen Headbutt!" Medicham reared its head back; before Scyther can swing one of its arms and defeat Medicham, Medicham rammed its head onto Scyther's. The force of the headbutt was so strong that it caused Scyther to flinch and cease the attack.

"Force Palm now!" commanded Ren. As Scyther stumbled back from the headbutt, Medicham quickly followed up with a Force Palm to Scyther's thorax and paralyzed him.

"Don't let some paralysis stop you, Scyther!" said Ruby. "Slash him!"

Scyther tried to lift an arm and attack Medicham, but was too slow and was avoided easily. Medicham used another Zen Headbutt that did enough damage to knock out Scyther.

_"Sorry Scyther,"_ thought Ruby as she recalled her fainted Pokémon. _"I knew you could have defeated Medicham easily if I let you, but I just couldn't."_

"All right Ren!" shouted a child. "I knew you had a plan to defeat that Scyther!"

"She's only down to one Pokémon! She doesn't stand a chance!"

"Ren is going to beat her without even using all of his Pokémon!"

"As if!" replied Jaune. "Trainers always save their best Pokémon for last! Show'em, Ruby!"

_"I hope so,"_ thought Nora. _"You had better chosen the right Pokémon for this, Ruby!"_

"He's right," said Ruby. "I did save the best for last. You kids love Fighting type Pokémon? Then you're going to love this!"

Ruby tossed out her Poké Ball and called out her last Pokémon remaining: Hitmonchan. The children were shocked that Ruby had a Pokémon very similar to Ren's Hitmonlee. Jaune was shocked to see Hitmonchan as well.

_"She chose Hitmonchan?"_ thought Jaune. _"I mean he's strong, but I would think she would have used Talonflame because it's a Flying type. Ruby's been fighting in such a weird way this whole match. It almost feels like she's holding back. No, that can't be it! Ruby would never hold back in a gym battle...would she?"_

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

"Medicham, Force Palm!"

Hitmonchan quickly threw a series of punches at Medicham; Medicham used his Force Palm to block the punches. No matter how fast Hitmonchan tried to punch, Medicham was able to keep up without a problem.

"Fall back and defend, Hitmonchan!" Hitmonchan ceased punching and jumped back. Hitmonchan looked back to Ruby and saw Ruby give the nod for his next attack. Hitmonchan got into a defensive stance, planning to dodge Medicham's attack with Detect.

_"That stance,"_ thought Ren. _"So she's planning to use that attack, is she? She's going to be in for a surprise."_

"Medicham, Feint!" Medicham ran up to Hitmonchan, striking with a thrust of his left palm. A second before the palm was going to connect, Hitmonchan ducked to the left.

"Now Hitmonchan, counter with-" Before Ruby could even finish, Medicham suddenly pulled back his arm and then thrust his right palm forward, throwing Hitmonchan off guard and getting smacked in the head. Ruby was dumbfounded as to how Hitmonchan got hit.

"What the...how did he hit Hitmonchan?"

"I was able to tell from the way your Hitmonchan was standing, it was getting ready to use Detect. Most trainers would not see it coming, but as an expert in Fighting types, I'm prepared for such an occasion thanks to the Feint technique."

_"Oh no!"_ thought Nora. _"If Ruby can't defend herself, then she has no choice but to attack! But attacking is nearly useless against Medicham! Unless Ruby pulls some kind of miracle, Ren is going to win! Please Ruby...please find a way to beat Ren!"_

"So there's no point in defending, huh?" asked Ruby nonchalantly. "They do say that the best defense is a good offense. We'll just have to keep attacking as much as we can! Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

Hitmonchan shrugged off the hit and went back to throwing his flurry of Mach Punches. As before, Medicham blocked the punches with his palms. As the villagers were eagerly awaiting to see Hitmonchan fall, Nora was squirming around in her seat, feeling uneasy about what was surely going to happen any moment now.

_"Ren knows that attacking now would be pointless with the speed of Hitmonchan's punches, so he'll wait until Hitmonchan is exhausted until he fights back and wins. Most trainers wouldn't have the patience to wait that long to strike, but Ren has an infinite amount of patience! It's all over!"_

A few minutes later, Hitmonchan was starting to slow down his punches, while Medicham was still active enough to block without much effort. While Ruby was pacing around panicking that Hitmonchan was going to fall, Ren simply stood where he was, arms folded and biding his time.

_"Hitmonchan is starting to get tired,"_ thought Ren. _"Once his punches grind to a halt, Medicham will use Zen Headbutt and...knock him..._" Ren started to lose his train of thought and suddenly felt his eyelids trying to shut his eyes. He tried to reopen his eyes, but his eyelids seemed to refuse staying in place and kept drooping down.

Meanwhile, Hitmonchan had exhausted himself and needed to stop punching to take a break, leaving him wide open for an attack. Everyone expected Ren to give the final order and end the match, but Ren was not saying anything. It was then that everyone looked over to Ren and noticed he was standing there with his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep standing up.

"WAKE UP REN!" shouted the children. As Ren continued to snooze on his feet, his Medicham stood there confused, unsure of what he should be doing next. Even Ruby was confused about what she should be doing. All the time wasted by Ren taking an impromptu nap was giving Hitmonchan the time needed to rest from his Mach Punch exhibition.

"Now's your chance, Ruby!" said Jaune. "Attack now!"

"Uh...right!" said Ruby. "Hitmonchan, Fire Punch!"

Hitmonchan lit his gloves on fire and moved in on Medicham. Without any commands, Medicham tried to dodge the attack until Ren came back to his senses. Unfortunately, he was only able to dodge for so long until Hitmonchan was able to score a direct hit to his abdomen and then another to the face, causing Medicham to suffer severe burns. It was then that Ren started to come back around and realized he dozed off.

"Sorry about that," said Ren. "Medicham, Zen Headbutt!"

Medicham focused his aura and attacked Hitmonchan with a headbutt, but the burns had taken such a toll that Medicham barely had the strength to put much force into his attack and barely damaged Hitmonchan. The villagers were in disbelief that Ren was going from cinching his victory to blowing his lead.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" With Medicham slowing down, Hitmonchan threw another flurry of Mach Punches that Medicham was unable to defend itself from.

"That's enough!" said Ren, recalling his Medicham before it took any more damage. Ren was frustrated with himself for letting everyone down because he had fallen asleep in the middle of the match. Even Ruby wasn't happy with herself for having to win by taking advantage of an exhausted Ren. Nora on the other hand was secretly relieved that Ruby still had an outside chance of defeating Ren.

"I'm so sorry everyone," said Ren. "If I wasn't so careless, I would have won by now."

"Don't give up now Ren!" shouted a child. "You can still win this! We all believe in you! Right, Nora?"

"Yeah!" said Nora, putting on her facade. "We're here for you Ren! It isn't over 'till the fat Pokémon sings! Now win one for Gren Isle!"

Nora got the villagers to start chanting for Ren to psych him up. Hearing the crowd by his side started to renew his vigor.

"All right," said Ren. "It all comes down to this. Let's do it, Hitmonlee!"

As soon as Hitmonlee was called out, the children cheered loudly. The first thing Ruby noticed about Hitmonlee was the Focus Band he was wearing around his head, much like Hitmonchan wore his. Hitmonlee turned to the crowd and kicked the air a few times, showing he was ready for a fight. He turned to see who his opponent was; as soon as the two fighters caught a glimpse of each others eyes, the two of them stared fiercely at the other.

"This is going to be awesome!" said Nora. "Hitmonchan vs Hitmonlee! Show them who's the master of fighting, Hitmonlee!"

"You've faced tougher challenges than this, Hitmonchan!" shouted Jaune. "Show them what true fighting spirit is!"

"You heard him, Hitmonchan!" said Ruby. "Let's start off-"

Instead of waiting for Ruby's command, Hitmonchan walked over to Hitmonlee, as Hitmonlee was doing the same. The two Pokémon stopped at the center of the arena and met face to face, eye to eye.

"Hitmonlee," said Hitmonlee.

"Hitmonchan," replied the Hitmonchan.

"What's going on?" asked Ruby. "Why are they confronting each other like this?"

"It's not a confrontation," said Ren. "The two are showing mutual respect to each other."

"Mutual respect?"

"The two have never met until now, but one look into each others eyes and they realize they are Pokémon cut from the same cloth. You can almost say they're like brothers."

"They do kind of look like brothers with those Focus Bands on," said Ruby.

"Hitmonlee?" asked the Hitmonlee.

"Chan," said Hitmonchan, pointing to Eevee standing next to Jaune. "Hitmonchan?"

"Lee," said Hitmonlee, turning to the village children.

"Your Hitmonchan's eyes," said Ren, "they give off the essence of a fighter who overcame great struggle and fights for a cause bigger than them. My Hitmonlee is the same way."

When Hitmonchan pointed over to Eevee, Ruby knew that Hitmonchan was explaining how he fought for Pokémon like Eevee and himself who were abandoned or mistreated because of how weak they were perceived. When Hitmonlee turned to the children, Ruby assumed that Hitmonlee was dedicating himself to the village much like Ren was. Hitmonlee lifted his leg and held his foot out to Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan lightly patted the sole of Hitmonlee's foot with one of his hands.

"Hitmonchan!"

"Hitmonlee!"

"With that said," said Ren, "the two of them will not hold back on their attacks. They will give it everything they've got, for giving any less would be a sign of disrespect."

The two Fighting Pokémon nodded to each other and proceeded to walk back to their starting positions, ready to begin the fight.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

"Hitmonlee, Double Kick!"

The two quickly charged into each other; Hitmonchan threw a quick punch at Hitmonlee, who blocked it with a forward kick. Hitmonchan tried to throw a punch with his other arm, so Hitmonlee quickly blocked that punch as well. No matter how fast Hitmonchan can punch, Hitmonlee was able to block with just one foot. Once Hitmonchan slowed down, Hitmonlee switched legs and went on the offensive, attacking with a flurry of kicks. Hitmonchan went into a blocking stance and guarded himself from Hitmonlee's kicks. With the two evenly matched on speed, both of them quickly backed off waiting for their masters' next command.

"Hitmonchan, Fire Punch!"

"Hitmonlee, Blaze Kick!"

Hitmonlee lit its left leg on fire and swung a roundhouse kick at Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan lit its right glove on fire and punched towards Hitmonlee's incoming foreleg. The two limbs clashed and emitted a huge ball of flame as the two Pokémon tried to push with all their might, but were too evenly matched. With Hitmonlee unable to lift its other leg, Hitmonchan lit its other arm on fire and went for a left hook on Hitmonlee. Seeing the punch coming, Hitmonlee bent its right leg and sprung into the air to avoid the Fire Punch. While in the air, Hitmonlee somersaulted forward and came down on Hitmonchan with a flaming axe kick. Hitmonchan jumped back to avoid the attack; Hitmonlee landed on his feet and lit both of his legs on fire, then attacked Hitmonchan with roundhouse kicks. Hitmonchan avoid the fiery kicks and retaliated with his lunging fists; Hitmonlee was able to duck any punch that came his way.

"Hitmonlee, Double Team!" As Hitmonchan threw another punch at Hitmonlee, Hitmonlee suddenly appeared to split into two and avoided the attack. Hitmonchan looked around and noticed he appeared to be surrounded by several Hitmonlees; it was impossible to tell which one was the real one.

"Only one way out of this situation!" said Ruby. "Hitmonchan, Mach Punch every one of them!"

Hitmonchan launched a quick jab at every Hitmonlee he could, only for the illusion to break apart the moment he made contact. Once there were only two Hitmonlees remaining, they each had set a leg on fire, ready to nail Hitmonchan with another Blaze Kick. Hitmonchan needed to decide which one he was going to hit.

"Hitmonchan, Fire Punch the one behind you!" Hitmonchan turned around and attacked the Hitmonlee coming at him from behind; the punch went through the illusion as the real one forward kicked into Hitmonchan's spine, dealing some critical damage and knocking Hitmonchan flat on his face. As Hitmonchan tried to get up, Hitmonlee attacked with a Double Kick, nailing two strong kicks in succession and knocking him back down.

"C'mon Hitmonchan, get up!" Hitmonchan slowly got up, but was now down to one knee; it appeared one more strong kick like that was going to end the fight. The children started calling for Ren to hit the final move and win.

"Hitmonlee, finish him with Blaze Kick!" Hitmonlee ran at Hitmonchan and jumped forward with an all-out Blaze Kick. Just before the kick can connect, Hitmonchan suddenly stood up and dodged to the right, causing Hitmonlee to fly past him.

"Fire Punch now!" Just as Hitmonlee landed back on his feet, Hitmonchan already homed in and nailed him with a Fire Punch, knocking Hitmonlee down to the mat. The villagers were shocked at Hitmonchan suddenly able to get back up.

"How did he do that?" asked one of the children.

"He used Detect," said Ren. "Him and Ruby have such a strong bond with each other, she doesn't even need to tell him when to use the move."

"Now Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" Hitmonchan ran up to the staggered Hitmonlee and nailed him with punch after punch, draining his health at a rapid pace. Hitmonlee appeared to be just taking the hits rather than trying to defend itself, almost as if he was giving up.

"Hitmonchan, knock him out with a Fire Punch!" Hitmonchan wound back, then lunged forward with everything he had.

"Hitmonlee, Reversal attack!" Hitmonlee stood up and blocked Hitmonchan's punch with his bare hand, then suddenly struck Hitmonchan in the jaw with a jumping knee strike. Because Hitmonlee's health was nearing its end, the strength of Reversal was greatly increased; the strike was powerful enough to knock Hitmonchan several feet into the air. Hitmonchan landed on the ground flat on his back. Everyone was holding their breath to see if Hitmonchan was knocked out; slowly but surely, Hitmonchan lifted himself up and back to his feet, although he was down to less than one percent of his health.

"This is it!" said Nora. "Both Pokémon are down to their last possible bit of health! Whoever lands the next attack is sure to be the winner!"

Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan slowly walked towards the center and stood about six feet apart from each other. Both had the same look of determination in their eyes as they waited for their respective masters to give the final command to end the fight.

_"Just one more attack,"_ thought Ren. _"If I can land just one attack, I'll...I'll have..."_ Ren's eyelids suddenly felt like they were ten times heavier as Ren struggled to keep them open.

"Okay Hitmonlee, time to...use the..." Ren tried to give his next command but had to stop himself from yawning. His head also began to feel lighter than usual.

"Is he okay?" asked Jaune.

"Of course he's okay!" said Nora. "Just a little tired, right Ren?"

"Ijus...huuu..." Ren tried to respond to Nora, but could barely speak a coherent word and just muttered gibberish.

Suddenly, Ren's legs gave out on him and he collapsed to the floor unconscious.

"REN!" shouted Nora, rushing over to Ren's side; Jaune also ran over to check on Ren. Hitmonlee turned to see if his master was all right. Seeing Ren fall caused the entire village to panic; everyone was stunned silent. Ruby felt like her heart was going to rip out of her chest; she was begging for Ren to open his eyes. Thankfully, as Nora was checking on Ren, he started to wake up.

"Are you okay Ren?" asked Nora, helping Ren get back to his feet.

"I'm fine," said Ren. "Just a bit sore from that fall."

"I'm not a medical expert," said Jaune, "but I'm not sure you should be battling right now."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm okay. I just need a minute to collect myself."

That was it, thought Ruby. It was bad enough when Ren was falling asleep and not paying attention to what was going on, but now the man could barely stand on his own two feet. She had to stop this match and stop enabling Ren from having to fight.

"Hitmonchan, return!" commanded Ruby. Hitmonchan was baffled by Ruby's command, but walked back to her regardless.

"What are you doing Ruby?" asked Ren. "The match isn't over!"

"This isn't right," said Ruby. "I can't fight you in the shape that you're in. Consider this a forfeit."

"You can't quit now!" said Nora. "Ren said he's fine! You can finish this match!"

"No he's not! Ren is exhausted and needs medical help! Nora, if you really cared about your friend, you would be taking him to a doctor, not asking him to continue battling!"

"Of course I care about him! That's why I want you to end this match legit!"

"No way. I refuse to be part of this anymore, Nora. I'm not going to earn a badge at the expense of Ren's livelihood just because you don't approve of it."

"Wait a minute," said Ren. "Ruby...are you trying to insult me?"

"Insult you?" asked Ruby.

"You refuse to earn my badge just because of what I do here?"

"I'm sorry, but I just don't have the heart to beat someone who does so much for this village."

Ren suddenly broke free of Nora's grip, causing him to fall on one knee; for the first time that anyone has witnessed, Ren was angry.

"Ruby Rose! I didn't become a gym leader so my opponents can pity me! By leaving this battle, you think I'm not capable of fighting!"

"Because you're not!" replied Ruby. "How do you expect me to believe you can think straight when you can barely stand on your feet?"

"If I can't stand up, then I'll fight sitting down! If I can't sit down, I'll fight flat on my back! As long as I can breathe, and as long as these people need me, I will keep fighting!"

Unsure of what to do, Jaune tried to pick Ren back up, but Ren knocked Jaune's arms away and slowly got back to his feet, gesturing for Ruby to attack.

"Now come...we have a match to finish!" Just like his master, Hitmonlee gestured for Hitmonchan to come back and finish the fight. Hitmonchan turned to Ruby, waiting for her approval. Ruby closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was going to regret what she was about to do next.

"Eevee!" said Ruby. "Can you come here for a moment?"

Eevee ran up from the crowd and stood in front of Ruby.

"I need to borrow this," said Ruby, bending down and taking Eevee's Silk Scarf. Ruby tied the scarf tightly around her eyes, making sure she couldn't see a thing.

"Hitmonchan...Fire Punch!" Hitmonchan turned back to Hitmonlee and lit his glove on fire.

"Hitmonlee, Blaze Kick!" Hitmonlee lit its leg on fire; with both Pokémon ready to strike, the two charged at each other with whatever energy they had remaining and threw their strikes at the same time. Hitmonlee's foreleg crashed into Hitmonchan's fist. This time, Hitmonlee's leg was not strong enough to withstand the blow, causing Hitmonlee to fall to one knee. With one leg out of commission, it wasn't able to keep fighting. As Hitmonlee was moaning in pain, Hitmonchan walked over and looked down on him.

"Hitmonchan?" said Hitmonchan, asking if Hitmonlee was ready to surrender. Hitmonlee looked up to Hitmonchan and nodded, ready to accept his fate. Although Ruby couldn't see, she could tell by the commotion in the crowd that the fight was going to end now.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" Hitmonchan gave one last nod to Hitmonlee before delivering the knockout punch. Hitmonlee's Focus Band flew off his head as he fainted to the ground, ending the match.

The moment Hitmonlee was defeated, Ren fell to his knees, losing the strength to get back up. Nora and several of the villagers came to Ren's aid; Ruby on the other hand simply turned around, took off her blindfold, and walked out of the gym. Noticing Ruby leaving, Jaune followed Ruby to see where she was going. He found Ruby sitting next to one of the Raikou statues outside, balled up with her knees up to her face and closing her eyes tight. Jaune recognized that look as a sign Ruby was not in the mood for talking, and decided to leave Ruby alone until things had settled down.

#

About an hour after the gym match was over, Ren was taken to the village hospital to check on his condition. The hospital consisted of merely two beds and cabinets full of medicines. Despite the limited resources, the doctor they had was very knowledgeable, and without the help of Ren providing funds, the village wouldn't have a hospital period. Nora, Jaune, and Ruby were sitting on a bench outside; Ruby had not said a word since the match was over, Nora was a nervous wreck wondering how Ren was going to react to everything that happened, and Jaune was at a lost on what to do or say to cheer either of them up. The doctor came out to provide an update on Ren.

"The good news is that it's nothing serious," said the doctor. "Ren simply suffered fatigue from all the work he's been doing. My advice is that he takes it easy for a day or two to regain his strength."

"Thank you doctor," said Nora. "Can we see him now?"

"Actually, he requested that he talk to you privately, Miss Nora."

Nora can feel her chest aching at the thought of having to talk to Ren alone; she had no doubt this was going to be the end of their lifelong friendship. Nora took a deep breath, put on a fake smile, and went inside fearing the worst. While Nora would be talking to Ren, Jaune tried to talk to Ruby.

"You hear that Ruby? Ren's okay," said Jaune. "You can stop feeling guilty now."

"How can I stop feeling guilty when I'm the one who put him here in the first place?" asked Ruby.

"It wasn't your fault, Ruby. Ren and Nora kept insisting to continue the fight. You were just doing what they wanted."

"But I could have easily just left instead! I allowed this to happen! I feel like I just beat up the nicest guy in the world who couldn't defend himself!"

"It was a gym battle and you won it fair and square."

"Except I didn't. I allowed Ren so many opportunities to win because my heart wasn't in it! This whole battle has been nothing but a farce! I don't deserve the badge after that embarrassment." Ruby got up, picked up her backpack, and started walking away.

"Ruby, where are you going?"

"I'm heading to the airport and getting off this island ASAP. I'll have to find a new city to earn my sixth badge."

Upon hearing that Ruby was going to leave, Jaune and Eevee ran up and got in front of Ruby to stop her.

"Ruby, you've already earned your sixth badge! What happened to Ren was terrible, but don't punish yourself over it!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, hating to see Ruby so upset.

"I'm sorry," said Ruby, "but if I accept that badge, it goes against everything I stand for as a trainer."

"Well then, at least talk to Ren before you leave!" said Jaune. "I'm sure he'll say the same thing!"

"That's exactly why I need to go. He'll blame himself for what happened and award me the badge, even though neither of us were fighting at our best. If you're going to stay and talk to Ren, tell him I'm sorry for what I've done. Otherwise, we need to get going."

Ruby walked past Jaune, with Eevee reluctantly following behind. Jaune made a promise to not slow Ruby down on her quest, but he couldn't let Ruby cheat herself out of a badge. He decided he needed to see the one person that can convince Ruby otherwise.

#

Ren was laying down and staring up at the ceiling. With his usual stoic face, it was hard for Nora to tell just how exactly Ren was feeling; he always looked the same whether he was calm or livid. Nora took a seat beside Ren.

"Hey Ren," said Nora. "Feeling all right?"

"Not entirely," said Ren. "I did lose the gym match after all. I hope the village isn't upset with the loss."

"I think they're more upset with the fact you're in here. You gave it your best Ren; they'll always be a next time."

"Funny you should say that, because from what I've been hearing...you don't want there to be a next time."

Nora felt like she had just been stabbed in the heart, and rightfully so.

"So Ruby told you, huh?"

"Ruby told me about how much you hated seeing me 'throw my life away' as you called it. I always had a hunch you felt this way, but I wasn't sure until now. Nora, if that's what you were really feeling, why didn't you come tell me yourself?"

"Because I was scared!" said Nora, the tears already starting to form in her eyes. "I didn't want to lose the only person in my life I can call family. I was afraid if I told you the truth, you would never forgive me for stabbing you in the back after everything you've done for me all these years."

Ren got up and sat on the edge of the bed, taking hold of Nora's hands and looking her in the eyes.

"Nora, there's few things you can do that would cause me to never forgive you, but being upfront and honest isn't one of them. I know how much you hate me dedicating so much time and energy to this village, but this is the life I choose to live. I'm going to keep the gym open here, Nora. I'm not going to let this village suffer any more hardships as long as I live."

Nora closed her eyes and bent her head down, trying not to burst out crying. Even though Ren wasn't mad at Nora, Nora didn't feel relieved. Hearing Ren confirm that was he going to keep working as usual meant she was never going to get to spend the kind of time with him like she wanted to. Their relationship was going to remain long distance and strained possibly for the rest of their lives.

"But you're right," said Ren. "I shouldn't have to spend every waking second worried about this place. That's why I decided to take a small vacation."

Hearing those words caused Nora to suddenly look up again.

"A vacation?" said Nora. "As in...leaving the island?"

"Yes. I'm going to take exactly two days off away from the island and return renewed and ready to go. I'll inform the villagers of my plan and work out a way for them to survive without me."

"Two days? I wouldn't call that a vacation...but it's a start!" Nora smiled and wiped away her tears. "So what should we do in those two days?"

"I was thinking we would go to Roseus City. After all, I'd love to see one of your gym battles you always brag about."

"You...you really mean it?"

"Unless of course you had other ideas."

Nora formed the biggest smile she could and tackled Ren onto the bed, putting him in the tightest hug possible.

"There's nothing I'd rather do!"

Before Nora could thank Ren, Jaune suddenly came running into the room, causing Nora to let go of Ren.

"Guys, Ruby is leaving the island!" said Jaune.

"Leaving the island?" asked Ren.

"But she hasn't gotten her badge yet!" said Nora.

"I know, but she insisted on not accepting it!" said Jaune. "Ren, I know you're not 100%, but is there-"

"Say no more!" said Ren, getting out of bed. He nearly fell over trying to stand up, but Nora caught him and held him up. Together the three of them headed for the trolley leading out of the village.

#

Ruby stood by the tracks, waiting for the trolley to make its way to them. Eevee was trying to paw at Ruby to go back for her badge, but Ruby refused.

"It'll be okay, Eevee," said Ruby. "It's going to put me in a time crunch, but it's for the best."

"There she is!" shouted someone from behind. Ruby turned around and saw some of the kids from the village.

"Can I help you?"

"Miss Ruby, you can't leave now! You haven't even said goodbye to Ren!"

"I'm sorry; I really am. After what I did to Ren, I don't deserve to-"

"Don't deserve what?" said Ren, suddenly appearing behind the kids with Nora and Jaune beside him. "You did nothing wrong Ruby. In fact, we're the ones who should be apologizing to you."

"Actually," said Nora, "I should be the one apologizing. I'm the one who dragged you into this because of my personal issues. I put you in a compromising position that could have cost you a league badge, and I was the one who encouraged Ren to fight despite his health."

"There is one thing I am sorry for," said Ruby. "Ren, you expected me to fight you at my best, but I purposely held back what I was fully capable of."

"Be that as it may," said Ren, "you still put up an honorable effort in our match, therefore I see no reason to not honor you with the Stormflower badge."

Ren reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a badge that was shaped like a magenta lotus flower. Ruby took the badge and pondered if she should really accept it.

"Do you kids think I deserve this badge?" asked Ruby.

"If Ren says you deserve it, then you deserve it!" said one of the kids. Everyone agreed in unison and shouted for her to put it on.

"Then it's settled. Ren, I humbly accept this badge!" Ruby pinned the badge on her backpack along with her five other badges. As everyone applauded for Ruby's victory, Ruby shook Ren's hand.

"Thank you Ren. So, guess it's back to working in the village, huh?"

"Actually Ruby," said Nora, "I have awesome news! Ren and I are going on vacation!"

"Just for two days," added Ren.

"Really?" said Ruby. "You'll actually be leaving the village?"

"After the proper arrangements have been made. I'm sure with the right guidance, this village can handle things for at least that amount of time."

"Wow; I'm really happy to hear that."

"And it wouldn't have happened without your help!" said Nora, pulling Ruby into a tight hug. "Thank you Ruby. I really owe you for this."

Before Ruby suffocated from Nora's hugging, the trolley arrived to take them to the airport terminal.

"Time we headed out," said Ruby. "So long everyone; take care of yourselves."

Everyone said their goodbyes as Jaune and Ruby boarded the trolley and left the village. On the way to the airport, Ruby was looking over her expanded collection of badges. She was getting excited that her dream of getting into the league was quickly approaching.

"Just two more badges and I'm in!" said Ruby.

"But you know it's going to get harder," said Jaune. "The last two gym battles will be fought four on four, and that's when the gym leaders use their very best Pokémon!"

"Then I say bring it on! Nothing's going to stop me from reaching the championship!"

* * *

**A/N: Right now there's a lot of drama going around involving "Shane's Letter." I'm not sure if other RWBY fans are going to cancel their fics because of Shane's Letter, but in case anyone is wondering about the status of this fic, I will finish this story. I had already laid out the basic structure beginning to end before Volume 3, and because this is an AU, things are radically different from the show anyway.**

**Personally, I'm very saddened by this turn of events and feel awful for Sheena. Regardless, I'm keeping this fic alive to honor Monty Oum, because it was his creativity that made me want to write fanfics again.**


	26. The Vytal Battle Festival (Part 1)

Ruby and Jaune were on a tour bus when Ruby suddenly started to panic as they were reaching their destination.

"I don't know what to do!" said Ruby.

"What do you mean you don't know what to do?" said Jaune. "I thought you would have everything planned out!"

"I know! But I feel like the moment we arrive, I'll have no idea where to go or what to do! And we only have so little time before it's all over!"

"Then I guess we'll just have to wing it! We can't waste any time mulling over what could have been; we have to make the most out of every possible minute we're here!"

"You're right! I can't waste time thinking about what if! I'm just going to dive in and let instinct take over! I've been waiting my whole life to come here, and I'm going to make it one of the most memorable experiences of my life!"

"And besides, we can always come back next time."

"I'm not waiting another two years to enjoy this!"

The bus arrived at the city holding the biggest Pokémon event in the world outside of championship tournaments. Ruby and Jaune stepped off the bus and were in awe at the size and scope of this event; the booths and stages were setup as far as the eye can see.

"Whoa!" said Jaune. "It's even bigger than I imagined! Is this really the place?"

"It's real all right," said Ruby. "Jaune, welcome to The Vytal Battle Festival!"

The Vytal Battle Festival is a special event that takes place in a different region every six months; this season it was taking place in Vale. The festival consisted of many fun activities for Pokémon trainers, including meeting celebrities, buying extremely rare items, and the main attraction, participating in the special variety of battles and tournaments the festival held. Trainers see this as the perfect opportunity to show off their skills and meet Pokémon from other regions of the world.

As soon as Ruby and Jaune made their way through the entrance, they looked around and were nearly starstruck at everything the festival had to offer. In one booth was an item shop selling herbal remedies only found in the Mistral region; the booth across from that was selling specialty Poké Balls made exclusively in Atlas; and just a few feet away was an autograph signing for Mark Nutt, one of the most famous trainers in the world. It wasn't only the booths and celebrities that caught their interest; Ruby was also fascinated by the different Pokémon everyone had, some of which were rarely ever seen in the Vale region. It truly was a worldwide event.

Along their tour of the festival, they passed by a shop that was selling a wide array of hard to find items. Ruby took a quick glimpse of what they had, and noticed one of the items was a can of Metal Coat. Ruby immediately ran into the booth to make sure it was the real thing.

"Find something you like Ruby?" asked Jaune.

"Check it out!" said Ruby. "They have the Metal Coat! I can use this to evolve my Scyther into a Scizor!"

Ruby checked the price tag listed underneath; it was on sale for 25,000 lien, or 32 VP.

"Well there's no way I can pay for it in cash. I'm going to have to earn some VP. C'mon Jaune, we've got work to do!"

Ruby left the booth and was about to head off to the Battle District of the festival when she noticed Jaune staring in awe at one of the Technical Machines, as if it was a gift sent from the heavens.

"What are you looking at, Jaune?" asked Ruby.

"They have the TM for Hyper Beam!" said Jaune. "That's one of the strongest attacks in the world! If I had that machine, I can teach it to all my Pokémon!"

"But don't moves like that cost an absurd amount of money though?"

"It's worth every cent! Excuse me sir, how much for that TM?"

"Depends," said the booth owner. "You paying with cash or VP?"

"What's a VP?"

"Vytal Points, Jaune," explained Ruby. "When you participate in battles during the festival, they award you VP to spend on anything sold here. The more battles you can win, the more VP your earn."

"In that case, how much is it in lien?" asked Jaune.

"It's gonna run you about 90,000," said the owner. Jaune was stunned and heartbroken to hear of that astronomical price. He never had five digits worth of lien in his life.

"I can never afford that!"

"Well then, why not rack up some Vytal Points instead?" said Ruby. "I'm sure you'll be able to afford it that way!"

"But to get VP, I have to fight in battles, and you know how terrible I am at that!"

"But that's the beauty of the Vytal Battle Festival! They have so many varieties of battles that I'm sure there's bound to be one that even you can excel at!"

"All right then. From this point on, I am on Operation Get That Hyper Beam! I won't stop battling until I get that TM!"

"And I won't stop until I can get that Metal Coat!"

#

Ruby and Jaune weren't the only pair at the festival. On another side of the festival were the duo of Emerald and Mercury.

"What are we even doing here?" asked Emerald. "We need to get back to HQ."

"We have a day before we need to arrive," said Mercury, "so why not kill some time before then? Besides, we're just moving a bunch of junk from one place to another. Does the boss really need us when she has all those grunts to do it for her?"

"Whether or not it's important, we need to follow the boss' orders at all times. You know what happens when somebody disobeys an order."

"If you wanted to be there so badly, why didn't you go with Torchwick?"

"Because leaving you to your own devices is just asking for trouble. Besides, I'm sick of having to hang around Roman."

Emerald looked around and saw how excited everyone was to be enjoying the festival. It made Emerald want to throw up, especially with the disgusting junk food being sold everywhere.

"Ugh, look at all these idiots," said Emerald. "They call us criminals for stealing, yet they'll gladly pay up for overpriced junk and worthless garbage. Just looking at these people makes me wretch!"

"Look at this way," said Mercury. "This crowd is full of easy marks to pick pockets from. With all the expensive stuff this place is selling, one of them is bound to be carrying a ton of lien on them."

"You actually make a good point. In fact...I think I just found the perfect mark. Wait here and keep an eye out in case something goes wrong."

Emerald grabbed a half-full cup of soda lying around, put on a fake smile, and started turning her head from side to side, pretending to act like the dumb tourists she was surrounded by. As soon as she reached her target, she held out her drink and looked somewhere else as she "accidentally" bumped into her mark and spilled the drink on that person, a woman in a bright white dress. Unbeknownst to Emerald, this woman was the heiress to the Schnee Corporation.

"Excuse me!" shouted Weiss. "You stained my dress, you dunce!"

"I'm so sorry!" said Emerald. "Here, let me pay to get it clean!"

Emerald reached into her pockets and pulled out some lien cards. Weiss looked over the cards and scoffed at the paltry amount Emerald handed her.

"Is that all you have?" said Weiss, throwing the cards back at Emerald. "Keep your money. Cleaning this dress would cost more than you can possibly afford."

"Look, it's completely my fault this happened! Can I do anything to make it up to you?"

"How about you get lost and never talk to me again?"

Weiss stormed off, hoping to find a place where she can get the stains out of her dress. Once Weiss was out of sight, Mercury walked up to see the results.

"I'm surprised you didn't clock her for that money remark," said Mercury.

"You heard what she said," said Emerald. "She told me to keep my money."

Emerald reached into her other pocket and pulled out Weiss' wallet, stuff with loads of lien and credit cards.

"And boy, did I make a huge withdrawal!"

"Dang, that girl was rich. Like, Schnee rich. So what should we spend it on?"

"We might as well buy all those rare items they sell here. That way we have an excuse for being here."

"Can we get some food first? I'm dying to try those fried Slowpoke tails."

#

Ruby and Jaune were in the Battle District of the festival. They looked at the giant electronic news board that displayed all the battles going on right now. Jaune was trying to find the one gimmick that would play to his amateur style.

"All of these look intimidating," said Jaune. "I don't think I'll do well in any of them."

"How about this, Jaune?" said Ruby, pointing up to the board. "Roulette Battle: A battle where the rules change every round! Maybe if you're lucky, you can get a couple rule changes that fall in your favor!"

"That sounds perfect! I can win my way to the top through sheer luck!"

Jaune headed over to the Roulette Battle station. After a quick sign-up, Jaune only had to wait a few minutes until he was paired up with his opponent, a trainer from the Vacuo region named May Zedong.

"Welcome to the Roulette Battle!" said the announcer. "In this battle, the trainers will be fighting with one Pokémon each in random rules! Do the trainers have the skill and luck to adapt to these unknown rules? Let's find out! Our first one on one match will be between Jaune and his Steelix, versus May and her Fearow!"

Jaune and May called out their respective Pokémon. Upon seeing Steelix's size, May was already starting to look nervous that she wasn't going to win.

"That trainer looks even more nervous than me!" said Jaune. "Maybe this is one battle I can win!"

"All right, let's see what kind of battle the combatants will be fighting in!"

A virtual slot machine appeared in the middle of the arena with the different gimmicks flashing by rapidly. It eventually came to a stop on the word "INVERSE." After the gimmick was determined, the satellites surrounded the arena and emitted a force field.

"And it looks like Jaune and May will be fighting an Inverse Battle!"

"Inverse Battle?" asked Jaune.

"For those of you wondering, an Inverse Battle means that all type weaknesses and resistances are reversed! Water is weak to Fire! Bugs are resistant to Flying! Everything you know about types is flipped upside-down!"

"So if resistances are now weaknesses...OH NO! That means Steelix is weak to nearly everything!"

"Trainers, begin your battle in 3...2...1...GO!"

"Fearow, Fury Attack!" commanded May. Fearow flew up to Steelix's face and stabbed Steelix with its beak multiple times. Usually such an attack wouldn't phase Steelix, but the force field emitted a wave of energy that dealt serious damage to Steelix.

_"What do I do now?"_ thought Jaune, already in a panic. _"With everything reversed, Steelix is defenseless! How can I beat that flying...wait a minute. If everything is reversed, and Fearow is Flying..."_

"Steelix, hit that Fearow with Earthquake!" Steelix raised its tail and slammed it into the ground, causing an Earthquake that shook the arena. While the ground itself did not affect Fearow, the satellites registered the type of move used and sent the shockwaves as magnetic pulses into Fearow, dealing a critical amount of damage.

"And Steelix counters with a powerful move!" said the announcer. "Fearow is already down to less than half of its health!"

"Yes!" said Jaune. "I actually pulled a good move! Steelix, use your Earthquake one more time!"

"Fearow, Fly now!" said May. Fearow flew straight up into the air right away as Steelix slammed into the ground and caused another Earthquake. Jaune expected Fearow to get knocked out of the sky, but this time Fearow wasn't affected.

"What gives? I thought Earthquake worked now!"

"A smart move by May!" said the announcer. "By using the Fly technique, Fearow has gotten high enough to avoid the magnetic waves!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" lamented Jaune. "Steelix, try hitting it with Rock Slide!"

Steelix grabbed one of the rocks in the arena and broke it apart; Jaune was hoping Steelix would crush it hard enough to send it flying up, but Fearow had flown up to the roof of the arena and couldn't be hit. Across the arena, May made a gun gesture with her fingers and pointed to Steelix's forehead.

"Fearow, attack now!" said May. Fearow dove down beak first and nailed Steelix at the top of his cranium. The damage was so devastating that it was able to knock Steelix out, putting a quick end to the battle.

"Oh, tough break for Jaune!" said the announcer. "Thanks for coming!"

A few minutes later, Jaune met up with Ruby back at the bulletin board.

"I'm not even good enough to get lucky!" said Jaune.

"So you had a bad go the first time around," said Ruby. "Don't give up Jaune! We just have to find another battle!"

"What's the use? At this rate, I'm never going to get that TM."

"I tell you what Jaune; if I can earn enough VP after I get that Metal Coat, I'll buy that Hyper Beam for you as well."

"You would really do that?"

"Of course! A move that good could benefit all of our Pokémon!"

"HA!" said a cold, shrill voice from behind Ruby. "As if having a strong move will make you any better of a trainer!"

Ruby and Eevee groaned, knowing there was only one possible person with that annoying tone of voice.

"It's the ice queen, isn't it?" asked Ruby.

"You know it is," said Jaune. They turned around to greet her arch-rival, who still had a wet circle on the side of her dress.

"Why hello Weiss, it's so bad to...what happened to your dress?"

"Some idiot spilled a drink, but never mind that!" said Weiss. "I never expected to see you two hanging around this place. Were you hoping to ask for VP donations?"

"I can earn VP on my own. I do have six badges after all."

"Oh goodie!" said Weiss, opening her jacket to reveal her seven badges. "That means you're still one badge behind, although I am surprised you somehow managed to get this far. Just how much dumb luck do you possess?"

Eevee growled at Weiss. She was always sick of the way Weiss talked down to Ruby, which in turn meant she was mocking Eevee for being weak.

"How come you always have to make fun of Ruby?" asked Jaune. "Ruby is an excellent trainer!"

"Simple: Because I'm better than her."

"You know," said Ruby, "for someone who loves to brag about how much better they are than me, you never actually do something about it."

"I'm sorry, but last time I checked, I defeated you in battle."

"Yeah, you defeated me by taking advantage of an untrained Eevee with your specialty bred Deino. My Eevee has gotten a lot stronger since then, and I've been accumulating some strong Pokémon along the way. Knowing you, you probably get all your Pokémon second hand, just like that Deino!"

"I may come from the Schnee family, but my skills and Pokémon are my own! I could be dirt poor and still have more skill than you could ever dream of having!"

"Then how about for the first time in your life, you finally put your unearned inheritance where your mouth is and fight me!"

"I'll do you one better! We'll have a Stadium Match!"

"Not a Stadium Match!" said Jaune. "Um...what's a Stadium Match?"

"The Vytal Battle Festival is home to the special Amity Stadium, where the field changes into different environments every round. Only the best trainers can rapidly adapt to such conditions and come out the winner. We'll have a three on three battle to see who truly is the better trainer."

"Lead the way, ice queen."

Ruby and Jaune followed Weiss to the stadium located at the end of the Battle District. After registering for their match, the two headed to their respective PC rooms to strategize who they were going to pick.

"This is harder than I thought," said Ruby. "There's so many Pokémon I want to use, it's hard to narrow it to just three."

"Eevee, Eevee!" yelled Eevee.

"What is it, Eevee? You want to fight in the match?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee. One look into her eyes and Ruby understood how badly Eevee wanted to get back at Weiss after all the times Weiss had insulted her.

"You got it. Now, as for the other two, what do you think of Talonflame and Abomasnow?"

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee, satisfied with Ruby's choice of partners.

"Then we're all set! This should give the ice queen quite a challenge!"

#

"Welcome everybody to Amity Stadium, here at the Vytal Battle Festival! This stadium is like no other! Right now it appears to be a normal fighting arena, but that will quickly change as the battle commences! Trainers will soon find themselves having to adapt to different environments, much like they do in their journey across Vale! Aside from that, the rules of simple: Trainers will fight three on three, and the last trainer standing will be declared the winner! The winning trainer may choose to stay and face other upcoming opponents in order to rack up those sweet Vytal Points!

"Our opening contest is going to be quite a treat! We have two recent graduates from Beacon Academy who are on their way to the Pokémon League: Ruby and Weiss! Let's wish these trainers the best of luck and see what they're made of!"

Ruby and Weiss entered from opposite sides of the stadium and approached the edge of the arena, calling out their first Pokémon. Ruby would start the match with Talonflame, and Weiss chose her Doublade. Once the Pokémon were called out, the virtual slot machine appeared to determine the stadium environment; the machine landed on the desert symbol. The floor of the arena quickly transformed into a pile of sand as wind turbines emerged around the arena to simulate a sandstorm.

"Trainers, begin your battle in 3...2...1...GO!"

"Talonflame, Flame Charge into that sword!" commanded Ruby. Talonflame lit itself on fire and charged straight for Doublade.

"Doublade, Slash Attack!" commanded Weiss. One of the swords stood in place to take the hit as the other sword unsheathed itself and Slashed Talonflame; both Pokémon dealt moderate damage against each other.

As Talonflame got ready for another attack, the sandstorm started to blow in their direction. Talonflame took some minor damage as the sand blinded her eyes, while Doublade was unaffected by the weather.

"Doublade, Iron Defense!" While Talonflame was distracted by the sandstorm, Doublade fortified its steel body, greatly increasing its defenses.

"Talonflame, keep Flame Charging into Doublade!"

"Hold your position, Doublade!" Once it cleared the sand out of its eyes, Talonflame again charged into Doublade. Doublade stood in place and took the hit as it focused on defending itself. The sandstorm started to pick up again and continued to become a problem for Talonflame.

"Okay Doublade, Power Trick!" As Talonflame was protecting itself from the sand, Doublade's aura started to glow a faint pink as it perform its technique.

"Talonflame, this time use your Acrobatics!" Talonflame spread its wings and sped past Doublade, knocking one wing into Doublade. Talonflame sharply turned around and went for another strike.

"Doublade, Iron Head!" Doublade unsheathed both of its swords and swung at Talonflame on its fuller side; Talonflame was smacked hard and nearly fell out of the sky, taking a serious amount of damage from that attack.

"How did Doublade suddenly get so strong?" asked Ruby.

"Isn't it obvious you dunce?" said Weiss. "Doublade's Power Trick switched its defense power with its attack power. By increasing Doublade's defenses, I was really increasing its strength!"

_"Talonflame is almost knocked out. I can't let Weiss take an early advantage! There has to be a weak spot with that Doublade!"_

"Doublade, Slash that Talonflame!"

"Talonflame, Agility now!"

Doublade lined up its swords on Talonflame and went for a Slash. Talonflame quickly flew out of the way with Agility and distanced itself from Doublade. Doublade broke apart and chased after Talonflame with its two swords. Just when one of Doublade's swords would get close enough to hit Talonflame, Talonflame was able to fly away and avoid the attack. Doublade simply didn't have the speed to catch up with Talonflame and land a hit.

_"That's it!"_ thought Ruby. _"Doublade is too slow to go after Talonflame! That's why it usually stays in the same spot!"_

"Talonflame, Flame Charge past Doublade!" Talonflame lit itself on fire and dove into one of Doublade's swords. Once it attacked Doublade, it kept flying away in order to avoid the other sword's Slash attack. Talonflame flew around the edge of the arena, waiting for the right moment to strike again.

"You're just wasting time," said Weiss. "If Doublade doesn't finish off that chicken, the sandstorm will!"

The sand continued to pound into Talonflame, who took the hits and kept flying around Doublade. Taking the hits would be worth it if it can land just one more attack on Doublade. Talonflame quickly turned towards Doublade and went for a Flame Charge.

"Doublade, Iron Head attack!" Doublade got into position and was ready to swing at Talonflame the moment it got close enough.

"Now Talonflame!" shouted Ruby. Just before it got close to Doublade, Talonflame suddenly bolted up and flew over Doublade, now charging at him from behind. Doublade couldn't correct itself in time as Talonflame tackled into Doublade with everything she had and burned Doublade out.

"And with that, Doublade has been eliminated!" said the announcer.

_"My Doublade's speed is a real hindrance,"_ thought Weiss. _"I'll have to make a note of that."_

"Well look at that!" boasted Ruby. "Suddenly you're the one on the losing end, ice queen! How does it feel now?"

"Hmph." Weiss simply smirked and shrugged it off. "You really are a dunce if you think I'm going to lose my cool over one of my weaker Pokémon being defeated. Time to show you one of my more promising prospects."

Weiss called out her next Pokémon: A ghostly figure who appeared to wear a kimono dress and hid its face behind a snow white mask. Its body floated lightly in the air.

"Weiss has called out her Froslass!" said the announcer. "This majestic Pokémon is truly a sight to behold!"

_"Froslass?"_ thought Ruby. _"Isn't that thing an Ice type? Why would she use that against Talonflame?"_

"With a new Pokémon comes a new arena! What will the environment turn into now?"

The slot machine reappeared and landed on the water arena. The desert floors were suddenly transformed into water tanks to simulate the ocean, with little islands for Pokémon to rest on.

"The arena has been reset! Commence the battle!"

"This will be a cinch!" said Ruby. "Talonflame, Flame Charge!" Talonflame flew right into Froslass. Froslass floated upwards as Talonflame flew right past its body and dealt no damage.

_"How could that have not done anything? Is that thing some kind of ghost?"_

"Froslass, Shadow Ball attack!" said Weiss. Froslass gathered a ball of dark shadow energy and fired at Talonflame, scoring a direct hit; Talonflame appeared to be covered in shadows for a brief moment. Talonflame turned around and went for another Flame Charge.

"Icy Wind now!" Froslass waved its arms and launched a frozen wind gust at Talonflame; the chill from the blast caused Talonflame to slow down and nearly lose flight. She quickly flew over to one of the small islands in the arena to rest.

"Talonflame, Agility!" Talonflame focused its energy and flew up from the island, regaining its speed and circling around Froslass.

"Your Talonflame's speed isn't going to help you now!" said Weiss. "Froslass, finish it with Blizzard!"

"Talonflame, Flame Charge with everything you've got!"

Talonflame set its sights on Froslass and charged at full speed. Froslass held out its arms and unleashed a giant windstorm of sub-zero air that Talonflame wasn't able to avoid. Talonflame kept trying to push forward and reach Froslass, but the Blizzard was too strong for Talonflame to handle and took serious damage from the attack. Talonflame fainted and fell into the water, now eliminated from the match.

"Talonflame is out!" said the announcer. "Both trainers are now down to two Pokémon apiece!"

_"You did your best Talonflame,"_ thought Ruby as she called her Pokémon back. _"We'll take care of the rest."_

"Your Talonflame couldn't even land a hit on Froslass," said Weiss. "How very disappointing."

"I've still got two strong Pokémon left!" said Ruby. "Time to fight fire with fire, or rather, Ice with Ice!"

Ruby called out her recently acquired Abomasnow. The Abomasnow stood on one of the islands and let out a loud roar as the arena quickly got colder just by the mere presence of the ice monster. The slot machine appeared to change the arena, and to many's surprise, landed on the snowflake to represent ice.

"Hope you brought your winter jackets everyone," said the announcer, "because this battle is about to freeze over!"

The water tanks were quickly replaced by a snow covered field; the windmills began blowing snow and cold air onto the field, making the field appear like a tundra. Both Pokémon felt like they were right at home in this kind of environment.

"Abomasnow, launch your Ice Shards!" said Ruby. Abomasnow created several shards of ice and hurled them at Froslass. Froslass floated around to avoid the chunks of ice, just barely getting scraped by one across her cheek.

"Froslass, Captivate this mindless brute!" said Winter. Froslass began dancing around majestically in the air. For some reason, Abomasnow couldn't help but look at Froslass and be mesmerized by her hauntingly beautiful dance.

"Don't get distracted now, Abomasnow!" shouted Ruby. "Fire your Blizzard!"

Abomasnow shook his head and summoned a Blizzard to hit Froslass. Abomasnow was so distracted by the dance however that the attack wasn't very effective, and did little damage to Froslass.

"Froslass, Shadow Ball!" commanded Weiss. Froslass formed a Shadow Ball and fired at Abomasnow, landing a direct hit and draining some of Abomasnow's defense away.

"Don't take that from her! Ice Punch attack!" Abomasnow snapped out of his trance and formed blocks of ice with his hands, then ran after Froslass. Abomasnow threw a hard right at Froslass, only for Froslass to simply float up and avoid the attack, firing another Shadow Ball to hit Abomasnow. Abomasnow was getting frustrated and kept chasing after Froslass, who only needed to float up and keep firing Shadow Balls to damage Abomasnow. Weiss couldn't help but laugh at the Abomasnow failing to land a single punch.

"Your yeti is as dumb as a rock!" mocked Weiss. It wasn't long until all the Shadow Balls drained a lot of Abomasnow's health, who was panting and sweating from all the running and punching.

"Abomasnow, Ingrain yourself!" Abomasnow dug its feet into the ground and attached the roots from the sole of his foot to the soil, absorbing the water from the ground to recover his health.

"He's trapped Froslass! Unleash your Blizzard now!" Froslass held out her arms and unleashed her own snowstorm at Abomasnow, who couldn't move away due to being ingrained into the ground. Abomasnow took the full force of the attack as the arena was nearly completely covered in fog from all the Ice attacks that the Pokémon had launched at each other; nobody could tell if Abomasnow was still standing.

"Even if that thing was an Ice type, it was hit with so many Shadow Balls that its special defense was too low! Looks like I'm going to win this-"

"BAAAAAAAH!" screamed a voice from within the fog. The fog soon cleared and revealed Abomasnow still standing, looking furious and ready to hurt someone.

"What?" yelled Weiss. "That stubborn oaf is still up?"

"Abomasnow, shoot your Ice Shards!" Abomasnow created several Ice Shards and shot them all at once. Froslass floated away to avoid them but wound up getting nailed in the forehead, causing Froslass to flinch back and rub its head from the damage. That's when Ruby figured out where to aim her attacks.

"Abomasnow, focus your attacks on the head! Use Ice Punch!" Abomasnow froze one hand in solid ice, uprooted himself from the ground, and ran after Froslass.

"Froslass, Captivate him!" Froslass went into the air and tried to mesmerize Abomasnow again, but Abomasnow was too mad to pay attention to Froslass and ignored the dance. Abomasnow grabbed Froslass by her weightless body and pulled her down to his level, then punched her directly in the face with his Ice Punch. Froslass tried to break free from Abomasnow's grip, but Abomasnow refused to let go as it kept punching Froslass over and over. Froslass fired a Shadow Ball into the face of Abomasnow and finally broke free before its health was completely drained.

"Froslass, use Blizzard!" commanded Weiss. Froslass unleashed another Blizzard on Abomasnow, who this time was able to avoid it easily. Abomasnow quickly countered with Ice Shard; one of the Ice Shards hit Froslass in the eye and temporary blinded her, allowing Abomasnow to run up and knock her out with another Ice Punch. Weiss was displeased with her Pokémon's failure and called her back.

"And Abomasnow comes out on top!" shouted the announcer. "Weiss is now down to only one Pokémon!"

"So what excuse do you have for that?" asked Ruby. "Let me guess; you were holding back on me."

"It appears my Froslass is in severe need of improvement," replied Weiss. "Congratulations Ruby; you were able to beat a couple of neophytes. But now it's time to bring out my true contender!"

Weiss called out her final Pokémon, and as Ruby expected, it was the Dragon that Ruby first fought at Beacon Academy, only this time it had evolved to its next form.

"And Weiss' final Pokémon is Zweilous!" said the announcer. "Dragon types are some of the strongest Pokémon in the world, but will it be strong enough to survive to the end?"

"I've got you now, ice queen!" said Ruby, pumping with excitement. "Ice is a Dragon's greatest weakness!"

"Now let's see what the arena will transform into!" The slot machine appeared and spun around; this time it landed on a symbol resembling fire. The icy fog suddenly disappeared as the ground transformed into volcanic rock; the charred floors had bright red lines glowing through, emitting a great amount of heat. One feel of the heat rising up from the rocks and Abomasnow could already feel himself getting dizzy and falling to one knee.

"What was that about the type advantage?" asked Weiss. "Looks like your Abomasnow is about to give up!"

"Hang in there Abomasnow!" said Ruby. "Use your Ice Shard!"

Abomasnow stood back up and tried to fire Ice Shards at Zweilous, but the heat was so intense that Abomasnow couldn't form the ice big enough to be an effective attack. It launched a couple of small shards at Zweilous that barely did any damage.

"All right Zweilous, time to Work Up!" Zweilous roused itself up which raised its strength.

"Abomasnow, Blizzard attack!" Even though she was at a disadvantage, Ruby was hoping that perhaps with one lucky hit of Blizzard, she'd be able to beat Zweilous or at least freeze it long enough for Abomasnow to win. Abomasnow fired what little of a Blizzard he could, but Zweilous merely sidestepped out of the way.

"Now Zweilous, go on an Outrage!" Zweilous let out a loud war cry and stomped the ground multiple times. Zweilous violently charged into Abomasnow and struck it down with its two heads. It then proceeded to beat down Abomasnow mercilessly with its two heads and forelegs. Abomasnow did not have the strength to get back up and succumbed to defeat. Ruby was upset with herself as she called back Abomasnow.

"And just like that, both trainers are now down to their final Pokémon!" said the announcer. "What an amazing battle from two up and coming trainers!"

_"You did all you could Abomasnow,"_ thought Ruby. _"I'm proud of your efforts."_

"Well well," said Weiss. "Just a moment ago you were so excited because you thought you were actually on top! But now we've come to our final Pokémon! So, who have you decided to save the best for last? Because if it's anything short of a legendary, you're not going to stand a chance!"

"I'm using the Pokémon that I've stuck with since day one! Let's go Eevee!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, as it jumped up from behind Ruby and entered the arena.

"Ruby's final Pokémon is Eevee!" said the announcer. "Now to determine the final arena type!" The slot machine appeared, spun its wheel, and landed on a destroyed building to indicate a wasteland. The volcanic rock transformed into broken down concrete as small crumpled buildings littered the outset of the field. Meanwhile, Weiss had burst out laughing when she found out she was going to fight Eevee.

"Have you not learned a thing since our first battle?" asked Weiss. "If that wimpy little puppy of yours couldn't beat my Deino, what chance does it stand against its even more powerful evolved form?"

"I have faith Eevee is going to win!" said Ruby. "Eevee, Sand Attack!"

Eevee ran up to Zweilous and kicked up sand to blind both of the heads. Since using Outrage caused Zweilous to get confused, Weiss decided to wait some time before having Zweilous attack.

"Zweilous, Dragon Pulse!" Still a bit dizzy from the Outrage, the Zweilous heads fired the Dragon Pulse in two different directions; Eevee jumped to the side to avoid one of the blasts as they crashed into the debris behind Eevee.

"Eevee, Swift attack!" Eevee kept her distance from Zweilous and fired her energy stars at Zweilous. Ruby knew Zweilous was going to be very dangerous up close, so Eevee needed to stay away at all costs until the time was right to attack head on.

"How pathetic," said Weiss. "You know Eevee is nowhere near strong enough to defeat Zweilous, so you run away and try to play it safe! If you think you can just run and hide, think again! Zweilous, Outrage attack!"

Zweilous pumped itself up and charged for Eevee. Eevee tried to duck behind one of the fallen buildings, only for Zweilous to break through and destroy the building. Eevee kept jumping back and firing Swift at Zweilous, which did little to stop Zweilous' rampage. Zweilous kept coming after Eevee, destroying any debris in its way.

"Eevee, run!" Eevee turned around and tried to run away, but Zweilous was able to catch up and slammed Eevee using one of its heads.

"Eevee, are you okay?" asked Ruby. Eevee stood back up and smiled at Ruby. After Zweilous was done going on its rampage, the two heads were wobbling back and forth in confusion. "Eevee, Zweilous is confused! This is our best shot! Take Down now!"

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee, turning around and charging straight for Zweilous.

"Zweilous, Crunch attack!" commanded Weiss. The left Zweilous head turned to the other and bit down on its neck, damaging itself. This gave Eevee the opening to attack with full force. The attack did moderate damage to Zweilous, but it also damaged Eevee.

_"Darn it,"_ thought Weiss. _"If Zweilous stays confused for too long, that little snot is actually going to win! Come on Zweilous, A Schnee Never Loses!"_

"Eevee, Take Down again!" Eevee backed up to get some distance, then rammed into Zweilous again with Take Down. Zweilous was still disoriented and took more damage from Eevee. Eevee was taking damage as well, but it would all be worth it if Eevee can land one more attack. Ruby could hardly contain herself; she was finally going to put her obnoxious rival in her place.

"One more time Eevee! Give it all you got!"

Eevee ran back even further, then charged for Zweilous. Just when Eevee was about to reach Zweilous and execute another Take Down, the left Zweilous head suddenly came down and Crunched on Eevee's body, dealing critical damage.

"Got you!" said Weiss. "It was only a matter of time before Zweilous got the upper hand!"

"Oh no!" said Ruby. "Eevee, Swift attack!"

Eevee tried to gather the energy to fight back, but Zweilous bit down harder and caused even more pain for Eevee. Hearing Eevee scream in pain was almost too much for Ruby to bear.

_"C'mon Eevee, get out of there! PLEASE get out of there!"_

With Eevee too hurt to do much else, the battle was just about over. Zweilous' left head lifted Eevee up by her tail and placed it next to the right head's mouth.

"Looks like I win again!" said Weiss. "Any last words before I end this?"

Eevee looked up and Weiss and stuck out her tongue. Weiss did not find that gesture amusing.

"Zweilous, Dragon Pulse attack!" Ruby could only watch as the right head gathered the energy needed to attack and fired the Dragon Pulse from point blank range. Eevee let out one last yelp before being knocked out by the Dragon Pulse. Zweilous' left head tossed Eevee's unconscious body back into the center of the arena.

"EEVEE!" yelled Ruby, jumping into the arena and running up to get her Eevee.

"And the match is over!" said the announcer. "Weiss is the victor!"

As the announcer continued to talk about how great the match was, Ruby rushed out of the stadium with Eevee in her arms. It was just like Beacon Academy all over again; Ruby had let down Eevee yet again. It seemed like no matter how hard Ruby would try, Weiss truly was the better trainer, and it made Ruby sick to her stomach.

#

Ruby and Jaune were in the festival's Pokémon Center lounge, waiting for Eevee to recover. Ruby's chest was in serious pain after Ruby witnessing Eevee's loss to Zweilous.

"I know it stinks that Weiss won," said Jaune, "but it was pretty close for most of the match. That counts for something, doesn't it?"

"I'm not upset that I lost," said Ruby. "I'm upset because I let Eevee get hurt again. I lost Eevee's trust because I made it fight Weiss when it wasn't ready, and even after all this time, I'm still making the same stupid mistake!"

Ruby buried her head in hands and started crying. Before Jaune can say anything, the nurse returned with her Eevee. Seeing Ruby crying, Eevee immediately jumped out of the nurse's arms and ran up to Ruby.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, pawing at Ruby's legs to calm her down. Ruby put her hands down and saw Eevee looking up at her.

"Eevee, I'm sorry for getting you hurt again. I didn't-"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, jumping up onto Ruby's lap and nuzzling her stomach.

"I think Eevee is trying to cheer you up," said Jaune. Eevee looked up and nodded.

"Really Eevee? So you...don't think I'm a bad trainer?"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, shaking her head. Eevee climbed up her shoulder, resting her head next to Ruby. Ruby remembered like it was only yesterday that Eevee would turn away and wouldn't even look at Ruby after she got injured against Deino; now Eevee was doing everything she could to tell Ruby it was okay. Ruby smiled and hugged Eevee.

"Thanks, Eevee."

"What do we do now?" asked Jaune. "Getting enough of those Vytal Points in time is going to be impossible."

"Guess we'll have to come back in two years then," said Ruby.

"Attention trainers!" said a voice through the loud speakers. "This is a special announcement! Applications are now opened for the Vytal Battle Festival Doubles Tournament! This tournament is for trainers to compete in pairs; the winning pair of trainers will win 100 Vytal Points! Sign-ups are first come, first serve, so report to the Battle District ASAP!"

Ruby smiled and stood up. "Jaune, get your best Pokémon ready! We're entering that tournament!"

#

After earning some more Vytal Points, Weiss decided to browse the shopping booths to see if they had anything worth buying. Even if she didn't have enough points, she certainly had more than enough money to buy the items outright. She came across the booth selling rare TMs and battle items, and noticed the TM for Hyper Beam was still on sale.

_"There's that Hyper Beam she was talking about. It would be really unfortunate if a more skilled trainer came along and bought it before her."_ Weiss smirked and grabbed the Hyper Beam.

"Excuse me sir, I would like to purchase this TM."

"You can buy it for 64 VP or 90,000 lien," said the booth owner.

"64 VP? Might as well buy it in cash."

Weiss reached into her pocket for her wallet. She reached down to the bottom of the pocket, but couldn't feel a thing. Weiss continued to search inside in case it was hiding behind something, but her wallet wasn't there. She checked her other pockets in case she left it somewhere else, but still couldn't find it. Weiss' mind started to race as she kept checking every single pocket in her dress and jacket. It was official: Her wallet was gone.

_"What happened to my wallet? I couldn't have dropped it, could I? I had it on me this whole time! Retrace my steps...I battled Ruby, and before that I was getting my dress cleaned, because that dunce with the soda bumped into me..."_ Suddenly it all made sense to Weiss. _"That dunce didn't bump into me by accident! She's a no good thief!"_

"So are you going to pay for the TM or not?"

"I'm sorry, but it appears I have business elsewhere!"

Weiss put the TM back and ran out of the booth. First she was going to call her company and have her freeze all her cards, then report to the authorities and enforce a widespread manhunt for the criminals at large.

"Whoever you are, you just made the biggest mistake of your life! NOBODY gets away with stealing from a Schnee!"


	27. The Vytal Battle Festival (Part 2)

With their newfound fortune, Emerald and Mercury quickly spent all of the money buying every expensive item they could.

"And that's the last of it," said Emerald, tossing the wallet in a nearby garbage can.

"What about the credit cards?" asked Mercury.

"She might use them to trace us. Besides, she's probably canceled them by now anyway."

"So what should we do now?"

"We've got what we came for; let's get out of this dumb festival."

"Look, if you really want to do the boss' grunt work so badly, go do it. I'll catch up with you later."

"Oh no; knowing you, you'll probably never arrive on time or get yourself in trouble."

"You know, I'm getting real sick of you acting like the de facto leader here," said Mercury. "You think just because you kiss up to the boss she's suddenly going to make you her right hand lady?"

"You know what I'M sick of?" asked Emerald. "You deciding to get jobs done quickly and inefficiently because you're too lazy to do things right. If I act like the leader, it's because I have to keep idiots like you and Torchwick in line!"

"At least Torchwick has a personality! All you do is yammer on about obeying orders and following those dumb kids around and how much you hate having fun and blah blah blah BLAH BLAH!"

"That's it!" said Emerald, throwing her hands up. "I'm done having to work with useless grunts like you!"

"I'm the useless grunt? I'm not the one who once tried to enter a contest and had their butt kicked by some flamboyant guy's Blissey! Heck, you're more useless than Torchwick!"

"I'll show you who's useless!" yelled Emerald, taking out her Poké Ball. "You and me, right now!"

"Finally something exciting to do!" replied Mercury, taking out his Poké Ball as well.

Before the two can engage in their battle, an announcement was suddenly made over the festival loudspeakers.

"Attention trainers! This is a special announcement! Applications are now opened for the Vytal Battle Festival Doubles Tournament! This tournament is for trainers to compete in pairs; the winning pair of trainers will win 100 Vytal Points! Sign-ups are first come, first serve, so report to the Battle District ASAP!"

"A Doubles Tournament?" said Mercury, putting his ball away. "That sounds like something we can do. You in?"

"Why bother?" asked Emerald. "Facing a bunch of weaklings just to earn points for more worthless junk?"

"Think of it as training practice. You're the one who always complains about how we never get enough training in to defeat that red girl. We beat up some scrubs and we use the points buying one of those TMs for the boss."

"When you put that way...all right, let's enter. But just so we're clear, I AM the leader of this team."

"Whatever," said Mercury.

#

Ruby and Jaune went back to the Battle District to sign up for the Doubles Tournament. The tournament would consist of sixteen pairs of trainers using one Pokémon each in a double battle. Ruby was excited to be participating, but Jaune was hesitant about their chances. Even though he knew Ruby was a great trainer, he also knew he was a terrible trainer, and would likely cause their elimination before they even reached the finals.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Jaune. "I mean all I'm going to do is hold you back."

"You'll be fine Jaune," said Ruby. "Remember that time we fought Sun and the White Fang? The key to winning isn't strength; it's about teamwork."

"But teamwork requires everyone to be on the same level. I feel like it's just going to be you having to carry us to victory."

"Nonsense! Trust me Jaune, you're more useful than you think."

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

Jaune looked around to see the other trainers signing up, hoping some of them were worse than him. As he was looking around, he noticed one particular trainer who stood at about seven feet tall; next to him was a trainer who looked like she had bunny ears on top of her head. Jaune recognized them as the trainers they met back in Marrón City.

"Hey Ruby, look over there!" said Jaune. "It's Velvet and Yatsuhashi!"

Ruby turned and saw the pair as well. Ruby and Jaune ran up to greet them.

"Hey guys!" greeted Ruby. The Marrón City duo turned to them and smiled.

"Ruby! Jaune!" said Velvet. "So good to see you again!"

"What brings you to the festival?"

"We come to nearly every festival to promote our breeding center, and if we get the chance, showcase some of our own Pokémon in battle."

"So are you two entering the tournament as well?"

"Afraid so," said Yatsuhashi. "Sorry if it ruins your chances of winning."

"Oh please, you're talking to a six-badge trainer here!" said Ruby, showing off her badges. "If anything, it'll be you tasting defeat!"

"We'll see soon enough."

"You've really made some progress," said Velvet. "How has your Tyrogue been doing?"

"He's a Hitmonchan now," said Ruby, "and he's gotten very strong. It's thanks in part to him I have six badges!"

"That's wonderful!"

"Speaking of which," said Yatsuhashi, "what happened to that egg I gave you?"

"It turned out to be a Munchlax," said Jaune, "and in less than a day it evolved into Snorlax!"

"That's quite a quick turnaround! You just might have what it takes to be a breeder."

"Actually, I'm not sure I'm capable of being a breeder."

"I see. Has your Snorlax been growing well at least?"

"Growing is all it ever does!"

"A Snorlax is quite a challenge to raise considering how much food they eat, but they are very capable fighters."

"Except I uh...haven't gotten around to training it very much."

"Well then, why not enter your Snorlax in the tournament? It'll be a good way for it to gain some experience."

"I'm not sure. What do you think, Ruby?"

"Go for it!" said Ruby. "I'm going to enter my Hitmonchan. I'm sure the two can work well together!"

"That should make for an interesting fight," said Velvet. "Good luck Ruby and Jaune; may the best team win."

After the pairs signed up for the tournament, they headed to the backstage area where all the participating teams were waiting. All the teams were talking to each other and bragging about the Pokémon they used; except for a certain villainous pair standing in the back not wanting to talk to anyone.

"How long do we have to wait?" asked Emerald. "The longer I have to be around these people the quicker I'm going to lose my sanity."

"Would you relax?" said Mercury. "Why not mingle with a couple of them and see if you can gain any insight on their Pokémon?"

"I'll try." Emerald took a deep breath and put on a fake smile as she walked up to the closest person she can find.

Ruby and Jaune were looking around at all the different kinds of people that were going to participate when Jaune felt someone tap on his shoulder.

"Hey there; excited to battle soon?"

"Kind of," said Jaune, turning to the person behind him. "Though to be honest I'm sort of-"

Jaune was taken by surprise when he suddenly found himself facing Emerald; Emerald had the same kind of surprised reaction.

"IT'S YOU!" they both shouted in unison. Their meeting soon caught the attention of Ruby and Mercury.

"Of all the people to run into!" said Emerald.

"That is kind of funny," said Mercury. While Mercury found it amusing, the other three were not happy.

"What are you two up to now?" asked Ruby.

"What else?" said Emerald. "To prove just how strong we are by beating up some amateurs and winning the top prize!"

"Knowing you, you're probably going to cheat your way to victory! I won't let that happen!"

"Please little red; we don't need to cheat to beat anyone here, least of all you and the stupid blonde. In fact, the only reason you've ever gotten the best of us was because of Roman's stupidity."

"Either that or plain dumb luck," said Mercury. "If I had the chance to fight you by myself like I've wanted, you'd be out of the White Fang's hair by now. Luckily for us, we'll get to do that during the tournament."

"Not if we report you first!" said Jaune.

"Go ahead then," said Emerald. "Kick us out and prove you don't have what it takes to beat us in a straight up fight."

"I'm not falling for that! Let's go, Ruby!"

"Wait Jaune," said Ruby. "Let them stay."

"But Ruby, they're criminals!"

"They have a point though. We've never fought each other fair and square. Let's prove we're the better trainers by beating them in the tournament!"

"Will all teams please report to the Tournament Arena for the opening ceremony?" said the announcer. The two pairs separated and went into the arena.

"We actually have a reason to win now," said Emerald to Mercury. "Once we beat these two in the tournament, we can attack them afterwards and make sure they stay out of the White Fang's way for good."

"Why not do it now instead of after?" asked Mercury.

"Because I want to humiliate them first."

"Why are we letting the White Fang participate?" asked Jaune to Ruby. "We shouldn't have to face those scum!"

"Because I have my pride as a trainer," said Ruby. "If I can't beat them in a fair fight, it proves I'm not strong enough to beat them at all."

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," moaned Jaune.

#

"Welcome to The Vytal Battle Festival: Doubles Tournament! We have sixteen pairs of trainers ready to do battle tag team style! The rules are simple: Winners get to stay, Losers go away! The last pair standing will earn 100 Vytal Points to spend at the festival! Now, let's get things started with our first match of the round of sixteen! On the left side we have a pair of traveling trainers from Vale, Ruby and Jaune! And on the right side are a pair of trainers-"

"Excuse me!" said a man in a teal tracksuit. "We'd like to do our own introduction!"

"Hello everyone!" said a man in a dark blue tracksuit. "I'm Caboose, and he's Tucker, and we're the Blue Team!"

"We're here to prove to the world that Water type Pokémon are the most superior Pokémon!" said Tucker. "All the smart trainers know that when you start on a journey, Water types are the way to go!"

"Check out our opponent!" said Caboose, pointing over to Ruby. "She must be part of those jerks on the Red Team!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Ruby. "And quite frankly, it doesn't matter what starter type a person chooses."

"We'll see about that!" said Tucker. "Let's show them what we've got, Caboose!"

"Okay, Tucker!"

Ruby and Jaune called out their Hitmonchan and Snorlax; Tucker called out his Marshstomp, and Caboose called out his Croconaw. All the Pokémon got into a fighting stance...except for Snorlax, who was already lying down and trying to sleep.

"I knew this was a bad idea," lamented Jaune.

"That Pokémon is asleep!" said Tucker. "Caboose, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If rocks can float on lava?" asked Caboose.

"No you idiot, we double team on Hitmonchan while the Snorlax is asleep!"

"Oh, right!"

"Bring it on!" said Ruby. "My Hitmonchan is strong enough to take on both of you!"

Marshstomp performed a Rain Dance, causing the arena to be drenched in rain. Croconaw aimed at Hitmonchan and fired with Hydro Pump. Hitmonchan avoided the blast and attacked Croconaw with a Mach Punch. Marshstomp charged at Hitmonchan and knocked him down with a Take Down attack. Hitmonchan got up and hit Marshstomp with Mach Punches until Croconaw came up and bit down on his arm with a Crunch attack. Hitmonchan tried to punch the Croconaw off, but Croconaw refused to let go.

"That's right Croconaw, never let go!" said Caboose.

"Marshstomp, Muddy Water attack!" commanded Tucker. Marshstomp fired a glob of dirty water at Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan swung his arm around and used the Croconaw as a shield from the Muddy Water, blinding the Croconaw and causing him to let go. With his arm freed, Hitmonchan went after Marshstomp and laid several Mach Punches into him.

"Tucker, you blinded my Pokémon!" complained Caboose.

"It was an accident!" said Tucker. "Look, I'll focus on Hitmonchan, you just go after Snorlax!"

"Okay!" said Caboose, ordering his Croconaw to go after Snorlax.

"Snorlax, wake up!" yelled Jaune, but all Snorlax did was scratch his stomach and grumble in his sleep.

"Croconaw, Hydro Pump!" Croconaw fired a Hydro Pump straight into Snorlax. The water bounced off his stomach and seemed to have no effect on him. "Man, that thing is tough! Croconaw, Crunch attack!" Croconaw opened its jaw and bit down on Snorlax's foot as hard as it could. Snorlax groaned in his sleep and kicked Croconaw off without realizing it.

"Please Snorlax, I'm begging you to WAKE UP!" yelled Jaune, but Snorlax was too deep in his sleep to listen.

"That Snorlax is way too powerful even when asleep!" said Caboose.

"Yeah, and that Hitmonchan is too tough to beat," said Tucker. "We need to find a way to take out both of them, so-"

"I'll use the Surf attack!" yelled Caboose.

"What? No!"

Croconaw backed up to a corner of the arena and gathered the energy needed for the attack, then unleashed a giant wave of water that was coming for everyone. Ruby looked around for any sign of escape, and noticed Snorlax's huge stomach.

"Hitmonchan, jump off Snorlax!" said Ruby. Hitmonchan quickly ran to his partner and jumped on his stomach, which acted as a trampoline for Hitmonchan to avoid the giant tidal wave that swept across the arena. Despite being underwater for a few seconds, Snorlax continued to remain asleep and unaware of the battle he was in. Marshstomp wasn't so lucky however, as he couldn't avoid the Surf attack and wound up getting knocked out because of it. Tucker was livid that Caboose had just cost them the match.

"Why did you use that attack?" yelled Tucker.

"I was just trying to help!" cried Caboose.

"You knocked out my Pokémon, you team killing moron!"

"At least my Croconaw is still up! Croconaw, Crunch that Hitmonchan!"

Croconaw tried to take a bite out of Hitmonchan, but Hitmonchan easily dodged the attacked with Detect and then proceeded to pummel Croconaw into submission. Tucker kept yelling at a crying Caboose as the announcer declared Ruby and Jaune the winners.

"See Jaune, you're more useful than you thought!" said Ruby.

"I just hope we're this lucky for the next three rounds," replied Jaune.

After several more doubles matches, it was now time for Emerald and Mercury's first round match up. Their opponents were a couple of trainers in tracksuits much like the Blue Team, only one was an old guy in a red suit and the other was in a maroon suit.

"Those idiots on the Blue Team know nothing!" said the old man. "Now, us Red Team are going to prove that Fire types are the best starters, right Simmons?"

"That's right Sarge!" said Simmons. "Fire starters for life!"

"I can't believe they let idiots like you in this tournament," said Emerald.

"Who are you calling an idiot?" asked Sarge. "Wait a minute...that hair! She must be part of the Green Team! I can't stand those Grass loving losers!"

"Neither can I, Sarge!" said Simmons. "Grass starters are for losers!"

"Let's show these two Grass type huggers what Fire starters are all about!"

"Thousand lien says I can beat the old guy in just two moves," said Emerald.

"You're on," said Mercury.

Sarge and Simmons called out their Quilava and Monferno as Emerald and Mercury called out their Weavile and Scrafty.

"Okay Quilava, attack that cat thing with Flame Wheel!" commanded Sarge.

"You too Monferno!" said Simmons. "Attack Scrafty with Flame Wheel!"

Quilava formed into a ball and rolled after Weavile. Weavile easily dodged the move and then attacked with Night Slash, dealing a critical amount of damage to the Quilava. Scrafty ran straight for Monferno and attacked with a High Jump Kick, instantly putting a stop to the flame wheel and knocking Monferno back to where Quilava was laying.

"Don't just lay there you lazy saps!" said Sarge. "Attack with Flamethrower!"

"Yeah Monferno, attack with Flamethrower!" said Simmons.

Quilava and Monferno got up and fired dual Flamethrowers at Weavile and Scrafty. Weavile ran up to the Quilava ready to slash, only to suddenly disappear and reappear behind Quilava and use Feint Attack, knocking out Quilava quickly. Scrafty took the blunt of the fire attack, then countered Monferno with Payback, knocking out Monferno with a powerful punch.

"And just like that, the Red Team have been eliminated!" said the announcer. "Jade and Silver move on to the quarter-finals!"

"This can't be!" said Sarge. "Fire Pokémon can't lose that easily! This has to be some kind of fix!"

"I agree Sarge!" said Simmons. "Those two obviously cheated! I say we give those tournament organizers a piece of our mind!"

The Red Team ran off to voice their complaints while Emerald and Mercury returned backstage.

#

After all the winning teams' Pokémon had recovered, the quarter-finals began. This time Emerald and Mercury went up first against the pair of Dove and Sky, two of Cardin's cronies who were using Flying type Pokémon. Despite having the air advantage, Dove and Sky were barely holding on against Emerald and Mercury.

"Tranquill, Air Slash!" said Dove. Tranquill flapped its wings and fired sharp air gusts at Scrafty; Scrafty jumped out of the way and hit Tranquill with a Hi Jump Kick, taking Tranquill out of the air. As Tranquill was about to get up, Weavile rushed over and slashed at the bird with her Metal Claw, eliminating Tranquill.

"Staravia, Take Down!" commanded Sky. Staravia dove down and rammed into Scrafty with everything it had. Scrafty tried to counter with Headbutt but Staravia quickly flew back into the air. Weavile stood back and used Hone Claws to increase her attack power. Staravia turned to Weavile and dove down with Aerial Ace; Weavile stood in place and waited for Staravia to get close before attacking with a Night Slash, dealing a severe amount of damage to Staravia. Staravia could barely get back up before Scrafty charged into Staravia and knocked it out with a Headbutt.

"And with that, Jade and Silver are moving on to the semi-finals!" said the announcer. The remaining trainers were watching the fight backstage; Jaune was starting to worry about their chances.

"Are you sure this was a good idea, Ruby?" asked Jaune.

"So they beat a couple of easy teams," said Ruby. "We'll be just fine."

"Up next we have Ruby and Jaune vs. Reese and Arslan!" said the announcer.

"Please let this be another easy team," muttered Jaune, hoping they would luck out like they did in the first round.

Both teams made their way to the opposite sides of the arena. Reese called out her Hitmontop and Arslan called out her Hariyama. Ruby and Jaune called out their Pokémon, and just like before, Snorlax was more interested in sleeping than fighting.

"Now this should be interesting!" said the announcer. "Two Hitmon fighters and two superheavyweights! I have a feeling we're in for an amazing fight! Trainers, get ready to battle in 3...2...1...BEGIN!"

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch the Hitmontop!" said Ruby.

"Hitmontop, start with Agility!" said Reese.

Hitmonchan quickly stepped to Hitmontop to throw the opening punch, but Hitmontop turned on its head and spun away from Hitmonchan. The Hitmontop proceeded to spin circles around Hitmonchan with no sign of slowing down.

"Hitmontop, Rapid Spin attack!" Hitmontop charged into Hitmonchan and tackled into Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan tried to counter with a Mach Punch but Hitmontop already spun away. With Hitmontop constantly spinning around, it seemed impossible for Hitmonchan to land a hit.

"Hitmonchan, hold your position!" Hitmonchan nodded and stood still, using Detect to wait for Hitmontop to strike first.

"Rapid Spin again, Hitmontop!" Hitmontop came at Hitmonchan again; this time Hitmonchan dodged the attack and went for a Mach Punch. Hitmontop suddenly bounced up and avoided the Mach Punch. "Now Hitmontop, Rolling Kick!" Hitmontop came down spinning horizontally and extended a leg to hit Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan jumped back to avoid the attack. Hitmontop landed on its feet, then flipped right back upside-down and spun away.

_"That thing is incredibly agile,"_ thought Ruby. _"I have to find a way to slow it down!"_

While Ruby was dealing with Hitmontop, Arslan's Hariyama walked up to Snorlax ready for a fight; Snorlax on the other hand was dreaming about food he wanted to eat.

"Is this a joke?" asked Arslan. "You send out a sleeping Pokémon to battle? Are you mocking me?"

"I'm not mocking you!" said Jaune. "Snorlax just has a hard time waking up."

"So your Snorlax has trouble waking up? Allow me to help out. Hariyama, Wake-Up Slap!"

"Wait, don't do that!"

Hariyama stood over Snorlax's face and slammed his palm into his face with a great amount of force. The attack was so damaging that it was caused Snorlax to grumble and open his eyes.

"There," said Arslan. "Now your fat oaf is wide awake."

"LAX?" growled Snorlax, upset that someone suddenly woke him up. Snorlax slowly got to his feet and looked at Hariyama.

"Hariyama, Vital Throw!" Hariyama wrapped his giant hands around Snorlax and deadlifted him up in the air, then slammed Snorlax stomach first to the ground, causing the arena to shake. The audience was wowed by Hariyama able to lift a half-ton Pokémon like nothing. Snorlax remained lying face down, almost as if it was already done fighting.

"Are you refusing to put up a fight?" asked Arslan. "How pathetic!"

"I'm not refusing to fight," said Jaune. "It's just the thing with Snorlax is he usually won't fight until someone attacks him first, because then he'll Counter right back."

"SNORLAX!" yelled Snorlax, suddenly getting back on his feet. Enraged by being woken up and attacked, Snorlax grabbed Hariyama by the chest, lifted him up like he weighed nothing, and hurled him towards the other side of the arena, crash landing into the wall. The force of the impact shook the entire stadium. Even Hitmonchan and Hitmontop had to momentarily stop fighting because they lost their footing.

"LAAAAAAX!" shouted Snorlax, standing tall and ready to fight.

"And he ESPECIALLY doesn't like it when you interrupt his naps!"

"So the big cat can fight," said Arslan. "Nevertheless, my Hariyama is far more disciplined and stronger!"

Hariyama stood back up and stomped his feet to the ground, holding out his arms in a sumo stance. Snorlax stomped his feet and made a similar pose; the two were ready to give it all they got.

"Hariyama, attack with your Arm Thrusts!" commanded Arslan.

"Snorlax, use Chip Away!" commanded Jaune.

The two behemoths charged into each other, causing the arena to shake from the force of their footsteps. As soon as they got close, Hariyama started thrusting his arms into the gut of Snorlax; Snorlax rapidly swiped with his claws, continually striking Hariyama without any sign of letting up. The two were engaging in an all-out fist fight which got the crowd excited. Eventually the two grabbed each other's hands and tried to overpower each other with a test of strength, but neither Pokémon was budgeting.

"Hariyama, fall back and perform your Belly Drum!" Hariyama let go of Snorlax and stepped back. Hariyama then proceeded to loudly pound on his own stomach, which strengthen his physical power to its maximum.

"Snorlax, give him the biggest Yawn you can muster!" Snorlax patted on his stomach several times and let out a deep, loud yawn that echoed across the arena.

"Seriously?" said Arslan. "You command him to YAWN? I've had enough of this fooling around! Hariyama, Arm Thrust that glutton!"

Hariyama ran up to Snorlax and proceeded to thrust his arms at Snorlax. Snorlax got ready to block the attack but Hariyama's newfound strength made the attack much stronger than before. Hariyama struck Snorlax in the gut and caused Snorlax to peel over, then Hariyama launched another arm thrust into the face of Snorlax and sent him flying back a few feet. Snorlax was down to just a tiny bit of health.

"Snorlax, take your Rest!" said Jaune. Snorlax let out a small yawn and turned on his back, going to sleep to recover his health.

"Enough of this sleeping nonsense!" said Arslan. "Hariyama, finish him with Vital Throw!"

Hariyama walked up to the sleeping Snorlax and lifted him effortlessly above his shoulders. Hariyama was about to throw Snorlax when he suddenly felt very tired. His eyes became droopy as his arms started to lose strength.

"What are you doing Hariyama? Throw him!" Hariyama couldn't respond as it suddenly fell asleep while standing up, losing his grip on Snorlax; Snorlax fell right on top of him. Both Pokémon were now asleep, except Snorlax was about to recover completely while Hariyama just laid underneath.

Reese noticed her partner was in trouble and needed some assistance.

"Hitmontop, attack Snorlax with Rolling Kick!" Hitmontop spun towards Snorlax and attacked his stomach with a Rolling Kick. The move damaged Snorlax, but Snorlax did not wake up. "Do it again, Hitmontop!" Hitmontop attacked with another Rolling Kick. Jaune was getting worried that Snorlax wasn't going to wake up in time to fight back.

"C'mon Snorlax, wake up and Counter!" commanded Jaune, but Snorlax continued to sleep through the pain.

"All right Hitmontop, one more Rolling Kick should do it!"

"Hey Hitmontop!" yelled Ruby. "Forgetting something?"

Reese turned her attention back to Ruby and noticed Hitmonchan ready to launch his most powerful attack. With no one attacking Hitmonchan, he had plenty of time to prepare for his Focus Punch. Reese lost her cool and changed her strategy.

"Hitmontop, Rapid Spin on Hitmonchan!" Hitmontop spun back towards Hitmonchan.

"Now Hitmonchan, Focus Punch!" As soon as Hitmontop came at him, Hitmonchan punched Hitmontop in the gut with such force that Hitmontop went flying all the way to the other side of the arena and was knocked out. With Hitmonchan still standing and Snorlax about to wake up, Arslan saw the writing on the wall.

"You two truly are a good team," said Arslan. "We surrender."

"What an amazing battle that was!" said the announcer. "Ruby and Jaune are now in the semi-finals!"

"Seriously?" said Jaune. "We made it to the semis?"

"And it was thanks to the help of Snorlax!" said Ruby. "Together, we're going to win this tournament and beat the White Fang along the way!"

Backstage, the other trainers were impressed with Ruby and Jaune's victory. Emerald on the other hand didn't think it meant anything.

"They only won because the opposing team made terrible mistakes," said Emerald. "This proves nothing."

"I don't know," said Mercury. "Those two brats might actually put up a decent fight. This is going to be fun."


	28. The Vytal Battle Festival (Part 3)

The semi-finals were about to be determined via random draw. The remaining four teams consisted of Ruby and Jaune, Emerald and Mercury, Velvet and Yatsuhashi, and a pair of odd trainers from the Atlas region.

"The first team will be...Ruby and Jaune!"

Ruby and Emerald gave each other the stink eye and were crossing their fingers, both hoping that the White Fang duo would be the next announced pair.

"And their opponents will be...Flynt and Neon!"

"How lucky of you," said Emerald. "You get one more possible round before falling to us in the finals."

"IF you make it to the finals," replied Ruby.

Before Ruby and Jaune walked out to the arena, they were suddenly greeted by the weird rave girl Neon and her sharp dressed partner Flynt.

"So you're going to be our opponents!" said Neon. "The way you guys battle is SO COOL! It's really unfortunate that we're going to beat ya!"

"Um...thanks?" said Ruby.

"Good luck in the battle," said Flynt. "Hope that Snorlax doesn't sleep during the whole thing."

"So do I!" replied Jaune; he instantly felt stupid for making such a lame comeback.

The two teams walked out to the arena. Ruby and Jaune called out their Pokémon, primed and ready for battle. Flynt called out his Chatot, and Neon called out her Kecleon.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" said Flynt. "Time for another funky performance by Atlas' coolest trainers, Flynt Coal and Neon Katt! Can you dig it?"

"Dig it, dig it!" shouted the Chatot. "Chaa!"

"You think acting cool is going to impress us?" asked Jaune. "The last trainer we fought who acted so 'cool' was a joke! I bet you're just covering for your insecurities!"

"Is that what you think? Chatot, let's get this party started with some Chatter!"

Chatot took a deep breath and started yelling the word "Chatter!" over and over, emitting a strong sound wave that was hurting Snorlax's head.

"Snorlax, attack with Chip Away!" Snorlax turned to find Chatot, but the frequency emitted by the noise was causing Snorlax to get confused.

"Over here, Snorlax!" said Chatot, suddenly sounding exactly like Jaune. Snorlax turned to where he thought he heard Jaune's voice and swung his arms, only to be swinging at nothing.

"Snorlax, that wasn't me!" said Jaune. "Chatot is over there!"

"Over here, over here!" said Chatot, throwing Snorlax off again. Chatot flew around Snorlax and pretended to be Jaune, causing Snorlax to swing wildly and miss Chatot every time.

"Still think I'm a joke, buddy?" asked Flynt.

"What a joke, what a joke!" said Chatot. Jaune was getting frustrated and anxious that Snorlax didn't seem to stand a chance against this flying pest.

Elsewhere, Ruby was doing battle with Neon.

"Kecleon, Psybeam!" Kecleon stood still and fired a technicolor ray of light at Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan weaved left and right to avoid the beams.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" Hitmonchan ducked under another Psybeam and nailed Kecleon with a swift uppercut. After being hit with the punch, Kecleon's skin color was suddenly changing to a dark brown color.

"You're in for it now!" said Neon. "Kecleon, Synchronoise!"

"Synchronoise?" said Ruby. "But that only works on similar Pokémon types!"

Kecleon stuck its long tongue out and made a loud vibration noise with its tongue. The noise was seriously damaging to Hitmonchan, draining nearly all of his health in one go and bringing him to his knees.

"Impossible! Kecleon isn't a Fighting type!"

"It is now! My Kecleon can turn into any type based on the attack the opponent uses! It's the perfect counter strategy!"

"I need to change Kecleon to a different type. Hitmonchan, Fire Punch!"

Hitmonchan got back up and lit his hands on fire, charging for Kecleon. Kecleon suddenly turned invisible and went into hiding. Hitmonchan frantically looked around trying to find Kecleon.

"Kecleon, Bind him!" Kecleon suddenly reappeared behind Hitmonchan and wrapped its long tongue on Hitmonchan. The tongue prevented Hitmonchan from moving his arms, preventing him from attacking. "That's your cue, Flynt!"

"Right on!" said Flynt. "Chatot, use Hyper Voice on Hitmonchan!"

While Hitmonchan struggled to get himself free, Chatot let out an echoing sonic wave that further damaged Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan fell back on his knees, losing the strength to get back up. Hitmonchan was about to be eliminated while Snorlax was still spinning around in confusion.

"I was hoping for a better fight, but I guess y'all can't compare to how well we sync!"

"And that's because we never miss a beat!" said Neon.

"Never miss a beat! Never miss a beat!" repeated Chatot.

Flynt and Chatot started laughing at Hitmonchan's predicament. Hearing that laughter caused Snorlax to snap out of it and turned around; seeing them laugh at their expense was getting him angry.

"Now Chatot, finish off Hitmonchan!"

"Finish off, finish off!" said Chatot. As Chatot took a deep breath for its Hyper Voice, Snorlax suddenly came running in and attacked Kecleon's tongue with its Chip Away, causing Kecleon to let go of Hitmonchan and turn back to its normal color. Chatot fired its Hyper Voice attack; Hitmonchan covered its ears just in time to avoid taking damage.

"It's about time you snapped out of it, Snorlax!" said Jaune.

"Not to put any pressure on you Jaune," said Ruby, "but Hitmonchan isn't going to last long. It's all up to you and Snorlax!"

"Snorlax!" yelled Snorlax, placing Hitmonchan behind him to protect Hitmonchan from further harm.

"You may be as big as two Pokémon," said Flynt, "but you're sure as heck not as strong as them! Chatot, start up some Chatter!"

"Chatter chatter chatter!" said Chatot as it attacked Snorlax, causing Snorlax to get confused yet again. Chatot flew around and kept using a fake voice to throw off Snorlax.

"Hitmonchan!" yelled Hitmonchan. Frustrated at seeing his partner get confused, Hitmonchan Fire Punched Snorlax from behind and burned his butt. Feeling the singe of the heat caused Snorlax to suddenly snap out of his confusion.

"Snorlax, Counter attack!" commanded Jaune. Snorlax turned to Chatot and swatted the parrot out of the sky, smacking him down to the ground.

"Way to think on your feet, Hitmonchan!" said Ruby. Snorlax looked at Hitmonchan and gave him a thumbs up for the help despite the burning feeling in his butt.

"These two are trickier than I thought," said Flynt. "Chatot, Roost and take five!"

Chatot flew up to the top of the arena and rested on one of the girders to regain its health.

"I'll deal with fatty!" said Neon. "Kecleon, Synchronoise!"

Kecleon let out a loud vibration that pierced Snorlax's ears. Snorlax beared the pain and ran up to Kecleon to attack with Chip Away. Kecleon turned invisible again to avoid the attack.

"Great," said Jaune. "How can we fight Kecleon if we can't see him?"

"Maybe there's another way to find him," said Ruby.

"Hey...that's it!" said Jaune. "Snorlax, think you can sniff him out?"

"Snorlax!" replied Snorlax. Snorlax sniffed the hand he used to hit Kecleon's tongue and got a heightened sense of his smell. He turned to his right where he smelled Kecleon and noticed a faint outline of Kecleon's body stripe. Snorlax attacked the stripe with Chip Away and caused Kecleon to reveal itself. With his sights and smell on Kecleon, Snorlax continued to ambush Kecleon with everything he had.

"Flynt, I need your help!" said Neon.

"Let's give this cat a taste of his own medicine!" said Flynt. "Chatot, Mimic the Chip Away!"

Chatot came flying down and started to use its own variation of Chip Away on Snorlax, constantly pecking away on Snorlax's head. Chatot flew in front of Snorlax and taunted him. Snorlax was about to Counter back when it suddenly felt Kecleon's tongue Bind around its neck, freezing him in place.

"The bigger they are, the harder they choke!" said Neon. Snorlax tried to free himself from the Bind but was losing more air, weakening his strength. Seeing his partner in danger, Hitmonchan dragged himself to his feet and Mach Punched Kecleon, freeing Snorlax from the Bind. The attacked freed Kecleon, but it also changed Kecleon back into a Fighting type. Knowing it was done for, Hitmonchan smiled and flashed one last thumbs up to Snorlax.

"Kecleon, Synchronoise!" Kecleon unleashed its signature move that damaged Hitmonchan and eliminated him from the match.

"SNORLAX!" yelled Snorlax, vowing to not let Hitmonchan's sacrifice be in vain. He charged into Kecleon and unleashed a furious Chip Away, enough to take Kecleon out of the match as well.

"What an outstanding battle!" said the announcer. "We're now down to a one on one confrontation!"

"Good luck Jaune," said Ruby, recalling her Hitmonchan.

"Stick to the rhythm Flynt!" said Neon, recalling her Chatot.

"No need to worry," said Flynt. "Without his friend to help him out, this square is cornered, ya dig?"

"It isn't over until the fat lady sings!" said Jaune.

"Correction; it'll be over once Chatot uses Chatter!"

Chatot began chirping its usual Chatter, which once again threw Snorlax for a loop.

"Not this time!" said Jaune. "Snorlax, time for a nap!"

"Lax!" replied Snorlax. Snorlax immediately fell on its back and took a Rest. The confusion caused by Chatter was negated, but left Snorlax open for an attack.

"You think you can just sleep this off?" said Flynt. "Chatot, wake that thing up!"

"Wake up Snorlax, wake up!" chirped Chatot in Jaune's voice, but nothing happened. "Snorlax, wake up! You need to wake up!"

"You're wasting your time!" said the real Jaune. "Snorlax never wakes up when I want him to!"

"Then we'll force him awake! Chatot, Chip Away!" Chatot landed on Snorlax's face and continuously pecked at Snorlax's face. Snorlax was taking damage but still ignored Chatot's attempts to wake him up. "If Snorlax doesn't wake up, it'll be knocked out in its sleep!"

"It's a risk I have to take!" said Jaune.

Chatot continued to peck on Snorlax, who was starting to moan and grumble from the damage he was taken. Jaune was starting to sweat profusely that his plan was going to backfire.

"It's over baby!" said Flynt.

"Over baby, over baby!" repeated Chatot. "Over baby, over ba-"

Before Chatot knew it, he was suddenly grabbed by Snorlax's right hand. Snorlax was suddenly wide awake and was squeezing the life out of Chatot.

"Now Snorlax, Counter!" commanded Jaune.

"Chatot, Chatter!" commanded Flynt.

Chatot tried to use its Chatter attack, but Snorlax squeezed Chatot's body with both hands, preventing Chatot from using its sound attacks. By the time Snorlax let go, Chatot plopped to the ground, too injured to continue fighting.

"The match is over!" said the announcer. "Ruby and Jaune are the winners!"

"All right Jaune!" said Ruby. "You really pulled through!"

"I...I really did!" said Jaune, in total disbelief that he actually was able to pull it off. "Great job, Snorlax!"

"Lax!" said Snorlax, pumping his fists in victory.

"I have to say," said Neon, "you guys make an excellent duet."

"Agreed," said Flynt. "You two are some cool cats. Good luck in the finals."

All the trainers shook hands and went backstage as the two remaining teams took the stage for the next semi-final match. For this battle, Velvet called out her Smeargle, and Yatsuhashi called out his Tyranitar. From what Ruby saw in their earlier matches, Smeargle used status ailments against the opposing team, and Tyranitar did all the offense, a strategy that paid off very well. As much as Ruby liked Velvet and Yatsuhashi though, she was hoping Emerald and Mercury would win so Ruby can finally face them in a real battle.

As soon as Tyranitar came out, it whirled up a sandstorm in the arena, which would make things harder for everyone else to see.

"That Tyranitar has to be the muscle of the team," said Emerald. "We need to focus all our efforts on taking him out!"

"Leave it to me!" said Mercury. "Big opponents are my specialty!"

"Weavile, attack with Metal Claw!"

Weavile covered her eyes and charged into Tyranitar, slashing away with her Metal Claws. Tyranitar held up its arms to avoid taking serious damage from the attack, but while he was distracted by Weavile, Scrafty ran in from the side and attacked his leg from behind with a Low Kick. The force of the kick was enough to cause Tyranitar to fall back and take a lot of damage from the attack, even with its high defenses.

"These guys are serious powerhouses," said Yatsuhashi.

"I'm on it!" said Velvet. "Smeargle, use Will-O-Wisp on the Scrafty!"

Smeargle conjured up a blue flame from its paintbrush tail and hurled the fire at Scrafty; Scrafty couldn't see the attack coming due to the sandstorm getting into his eyes. The fire made contact with Scrafty's legs and caused a severe burn, decreasing his attack power.

"You'll pay for that mutt!" said Mercury. "Scrafty, Payback!" Scrafty ran up to Smeargle and punched Smeargle hard in the face.

"That technique can be useful," said Velvet. "Smeargle, Sketch that attack!"

Smeargle closed its eyes and waved its tail in the air, which emitted a rainbow looking aura. Smeargle opened its eyes which briefly emitted the same glowing aura as well. Meanwhile, Weavile was about to attack Tyranitar again when Tyranitar stared at Weavile and roared with a Scary Face, frightening Weavile enough to stand still as Tyranitar got back on his feet.

"Don't back down now, Weavile!" said Emerald. "Attack with your Metal Claw!"

"Tyranitar, unleash your Ancient Power!" commanded Yatsuhashi.

Weavile charged to slash again, but this time Tyranitar raised one foot and stomped the ground so hard that a huge rock jumped from the floor. Tyranitar emitted a strong aura and punched the rock, breaking it into several pieces and sending them flying at Weavile; even with her quick reflexes, Weavile couldn't dodge the rocks and got nailed several times, taking quite a lot of damage.

"Weavile, fall back and Hone Claws!" Weavile ran to the other side of the arena and concentrated on honing her claws to prepare for her next attack.

"Tyranitar, Stone Edge!" Tyranitar stomped the ground again, this time causing giant stone pillars to emerge from the ground. Weavile jumped from side to side to avoid the pillars coming up from below while making her way back to Tyranitar to use her next attack.

"Smeargle, Thunder Wave!" commanded Velvet. Smeargle produced a ball of static electricity with its tail and launched it at Weavile. The ball hit Weavile just before she can reach Tyranitar and paralyzed her, leaving her open for an attack. Tyranitar walked up to Weavile and was ready to deliver another Stone Edge that would finish off Weavile.

"Scrafty, High Jump Kick!" Scrafty recklessly charged for Tyranitar and attacked him from behind with a High Jump Kick. The kick was strong enough to knock Tyranitar down, but it also damaged Scrafty from running into the spikes on the back of Tyranitar.

"For such a big dude, you're not very strong," taunted Mercury while Scrafty laughed at Tyranitar. Tyranitar got up and turned to face Scrafty.

"For such a little man, you've got quite a big mouth," said Yatsuhashi.

"Well then, why don't you make me shut it?"

"Tyranitar, you know what to do." Tyranitar walked up to Scrafty holding its arms wide. Scrafty got ready to attack, not noticing Smeargle sneaking up from behind.

"Smeargle, Payback!" said Velvet. Smeargle snuck up on Scrafty and punched him from behind. The punch caused Scrafty to wobble forward and fall into the arms of Tyranitar. Tyranitar threw Scrafty across the arena, then stomped his foot on the ground to release another Stone Edge pillar that Scrafty crashed into and broke apart. Scrafty tried to get up again but one of its legs was in severe pain, preventing him from standing back up.

"Looks like he's done for," said Yatsuhashi. "Now for the Weavile."

With the sandstorm starting to die down, Velvet and Yatsuhashi looked around to see where Weavile was, but to their surprise, the Weavile had disappeared.

"Where is she?" asked Yatsuhashi. "Did she forfeit?" Velvet looked up at the monitor that measured the Pokémon's health, which showed Weavile was still active in the battle.

"She should be here," said Velvet. They kept looking around the arena and checked to see if she was trying to hide behind one of the stone pillars still up, but Weavile seemed to have disappeared off the face of Remnant.

As Tyranitar was turning its back to the crowd, Weavile emerged from her hiding spot behind the front row bleachers of the crowd. With Tyranitar facing the other way, Weavile immediately jumped out towards Tyranitar and held on to its back.

"Finish him off, Weavile!" It was too late for either Velvet or Yatsuhashi to counteract as Weavile lunged her Metal Claw into the back of Tyranitar. The pain from the attack was enough to cause Tyranitar to fall over and faint from the severe damage of the attack. With Tyranitar out of the match, Weavile set her sights on Smeargle.

"It's not over yet!" said Velvet. "Smeargle, Toxic attack!"

Smeargle threw a glob of dark purple goo from his tail at Weavile; Weavile jumped out of the way to avoid the attack. Scrafty stood back up on its one good leg and hobbled over to Smeargle, then attacked Smeargle with a Headbutt. The attack caused Smeargle to flinch back, allowing Weavile to sneak up and attack with a Night Slash, dealing enough damage to knock Smeargle out.

"The match is over!" said the announcer. "Jade and Silver are moving on to the finals!"

"That was really close," said Mercury. "For a moment, I didn't think we were going to win."

"I never had any doubt," said Emerald. The two were about to head back when they were approached by Velvet and Yatsuhashi.

"That was a cheap way to win," said Yatsuhashi, "but it was effective nonetheless."

"Congratulations," said Velvet, extending her hand to Emerald. "It was a hard fought victory."

Emerald growled and smacked Velvet's hand away. "I don't need your congratulations!"

Emerald stormed backstage as the crowd watching booed loudly for her actions.

#

Weiss had spent over an hour trying to hunt down the criminals who stole her wallet, but alas she was nowhere close to finding them. She visited every single booth in the festival but none of them knew where the pair went after they made their purchases. The festival guards promised to keep a lookout for her, but they didn't seem to take their job seriously.

_"That's just great! Now I have no choice but to call father and hope he can loan some money to tide me over for now. Knowing him he'll probably be livid that I lost my wallet and give me that ridiculous 'A Schnee Never Loses!' lecture. I could ask Winter for help but then she'd might do the same thing. Maybe I should call Ironwood instead."_

As Weiss was about to make her phone call to Ironwood, a large group of festival goers were suddenly gathering around one of the stages in the Performance District. Weiss overheard from the crowd that they were going to broadcast the finals of the Doubles Tournament. Out of curiosity, Weiss decided to check out who the finalists were.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, and Pokémon!" said the announcer. "We are a few moments away from the Doubles Tournament Finals! One of these pairs of trainers are going to walk out 100 Vytal Points richer and the Doubles Tournament championship! Will it be...our wandering trainers of Vale, Ruby and Jaune?"

The first pair shown on the screen were Ruby and Jaune, which didn't impress Weiss.

"The teams must have been amateurs if those two made it to the finals," said Weiss. "I wonder who the other pair are."

"Or will it be...the mysterious duo from parts unknown, Jade and Silver?"

As soon as Emerald and Mercury appeared on screen, Weiss was surprised and angry to see the thieves on screen, but she was also happy that she now knew where the crooks can be found.

_"That's the vagabond who stole my wallet! I've got you now, you criminal scum!"_

Weiss immediately headed to the Battle District where she would await her chance at revenge.

#

The two teams were in separate rooms of the backstage area to discuss their strategies for the final match. After going over everyone's move pool and their fighting styles, Ruby believed she had the perfect plan to defeat the White Fang duo.

"Weavile is a Dark and Ice type, so she would be at a major disadvantage against Hitmonchan. She'll likely focus on your Snorlax while Scrafty fights Hitmonchan. Have Snorlax absorb as much damage as possible, then lull Weavile to sleep while Snorlax takes a Rest. If I can knock out Scrafty before Weavile wakes up, we'll win this fight easily."

"So you want Snorlax to take the hits while Hitmonchan dishes them," said Jaune. "Works for me!"

"Now let's go beat the White Fang and win some Vytal points!"

Meanwhile, Emerald and Mercury's meeting was very brief.

"Since you're the 'leader' of this team," said Mercury, "what brilliant plan do you have for us to win?"

"Leave the red girl to me," said Emerald, "and don't screw up."

Mercury was surprised by Emerald's brief statement. He expected her to go on some long drawn out diatribe describing her entire plan; not that he was complaining as he wanted to listen to anything but a long drawn out diatribe.

The two teams entered the arena on opposite sides. The crowd was entirely on Ruby and Jaune's side as they cheered anytime they were shown on one of the screens while they booed Emerald and Mercury. Emerald ignored the crowd while Mercury decided to play it up and taunted the crowd back. The four trainers called out their Pokémon; all of them stood ready to fight.

"It's time for the Doubles Tournament Finals!" said the announcer. "The trainers are ready, the Pokémon are ready, and the thousands watching around the festival are ready! The battle will start in 4..."

_"I'll get rid of this annoying red brat once and for all!"_ thought Emerald.

"3..."

_"Maybe now I'll finally be cured of my boredom,"_ thought Mercury.

"2..."

_"Ruby really needs you, Jaune! Don't mess up!"_ thought Jaune.

"1..."

_"I'm going to prove we have what it takes to beat the White Fang!"_ thought Ruby.

"...BEGIN!"

"Weavile, Feint Attack!" commanded Emerald. Weavile held out her claws and slowly approached the duo.

"Get ready, Snorlax!" said Jaune. Snorlax was ready to Counter as soon as Weavile slashed him with her claws; once she was a few feet away, she suddenly disappeared. Ruby and Jaune expected Weavile to appear behind Snorlax and attack him, but instead she appeared behind Hitmonchan.

"Look out, Hitmonchan!" said Ruby. Hitmonchan turned to see Weavile coming for him and backed away to avoid her claw; Weavile slashed downwards and missed hitting Hitmonchan, but was able to snag her claw on his Focus Band and rip it from his head.

"Not so tough without your little security blanket, are you?" asked Emerald.

"My Hitmonchan doesn't need his Focus Band to beat you!" said Ruby. "Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

Hitmonchan quickly threw a right hook at Weavile, who dodged the attack. Hitmonchan threw several more lightning fast punches at Weavile, who continued to bob and weave through Hitmonchan's punches. Weavile covered one of her claws in a dark aura and attacked Hitmonchan with Night Slash; the slash barely scraped Hitmonchan in the chest. Hitmonchan countered by covering his fist in fire and attacking with a Fire Punch, nailing Weavile directly in the face.

_"That should knock her for a loop!"_ thought Ruby, but after taking such a hard punch, Weavile simply fought back with Metal Claw, slashing Hitmonchan several times. Hitmonchan went for another Mach Punch and nailed Weavile in the gut, then punched her several more times, dealing a moderate amount of damage. Despite the damage taken and being at a disadvantage, Weavile refused to back off.

"You're seriously going to keep coming for me?" asked Ruby. "You do realize Weavile is incredibly weak against Fighting types, right?"

"This isn't anything new to me and Weavile," said Emerald. "I've been used to fighting at a disadvantage all my life."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't stand people like you; always smiling and cheerful and thinking the world is such a wonderful place! You wouldn't understand what it's like to have to fight for survival! You grew up and lived a peaceful life, going to school and making friends and having mommy tuck you in at night. I didn't get such luxuries as a child; I was disowned from birth, been in and out of juvie half my life, and slept with one eye open!"

As angry as Emerald sounded, a smile was starting to form on her face.

"But you see, living that life has made me a better person, because it made me realize the importance of survival of the fittest! Only the strong can survive in this cruel world of ours, and everywhere I go, I see weaklings who cling to their possessions to give them comfort and security! Nothing brings me joy like the look of someone's face when I rob them of their 'hard-earned' goods, or beat them down in a Pokémon battle to make them realize they don't have what it takes to survive in the real world!"

"Wow," said Ruby. "I have to say, that...is the lamest thing I've ever heard."

"What?"

"You talk about how hard you've had it, but you chose to use it as an excuse for your misdeeds. All you want to do is cause misery to innocent people. Frankly, I don't think it's because you've had a rough life; I think you're just an outright sociopath!"

"Typical spoiled brat rhetoric," said Emerald. "You'll never understand what it's like to suffer real hardships."

"Don't talk as if you know me!" snapped Ruby. "Forget the White Fang; now this is personal!"

While Ruby was focused on Emerald, Jaune took it that he would have to fight Mercury instead.

"So what's your deal?" asked Jaune. "Bad childhood into a life of crime?"

"Regardless of my childhood," said Mercury, "I just think beating people up is hilarious. Being a good guy is so BORING!"

"Well at least I won't have to feel guilty beating you! Snorlax, Chip Away!"

"Like I'm going to lose to the guy who couldn't even beat Torchwick? Scrafty, Low Kick!"

Snorlax slowly ran at Scrafty swinging his arms around; Scrafty kicked Snorlax in his ankle and tripped him, dealing a critical blow to Snorlax. Snorlax got up and punched Scrafty with a Counter attack, dealing the same amount of damage back and sending him reeling back several feet. Scrafty charged right back at Snorlax and punched him in the gut with Payback, dealing more damage to Snorlax; Snorlax's health was teetering about halfway.

"Snorlax, Yawn!" Snorlax took a deep breath and Yawned at Scrafty, causing Scrafty to get sleepy.

"Scrafty, High Jump Kick!" Scrafty jumped and delivered a hard roundhouse kick to Snorlax's face, dealing a heavy amount of damage that nearly knocked out Snorlax; one more attack and Snorlax would be done for.

"All right Snorlax, time to Rest!" Snorlax laid on his back and went to sleep, recovering his health. Scrafty got ready to attack again when the Yawn took its effect and caused Scrafty to fall asleep.

_"Just as Ruby planned! Once Hitmonchan knocks out Weavile, we'll have this in the bag!"_

"You think that Rest technique is going to save you?" asked Mercury. "Time for Scrafty to break out its secret ability!"

"Secret ability?"

As Scrafty was sleeping, it suddenly started to shed some of its excess skin off its body. The shedding of his skin suddenly caused him to wake up right away.

"Scrafty here will sometimes shed his skin to cure himself of a status ailment. It's quite useful in a situation like this."

_"Oh no! With Scrafty awake, my Snorlax is a sitting duck!"_

"Scrafty, High Jump Kick!" Scrafty backed up several feet, then charged into Snorlax and kicked him in the stomach with enough force to flip Snorlax over. Snorlax was dealt a serious amount of damage, but was too tired from using the Rest technique to fully wake up and fight back. Another High Jump Kick and Snorlax was going to be eliminated. "Finish him off, Scrafty!"

Scrafty backed away several feet again, then went in for the finishing blow. Seeing his partner in danger, Hitmonchan suddenly ran in between them and took the High Jump Kick instead, saving Snorlax from getting knocked out. Jaune let out a sigh of relief, while Mercury shook his head.

"See, this is exactly why I hate the hero stuff," said Mercury. "Why would you willingly get yourself hurt just to save someone weaker?"

"Because that's what real friends do for each other!" said Ruby.

"All friends do is just get in the way," said Emerald. "Case in point: You now have to fight alone because stupid blonde is useless."

"Friends are never useless! Then again, you wouldn't know a thing about having friends, would you?"

"I don't need 'friends' dragging me down!" yelled Emerald. "Weavile, Metal Claw that Snorlax!"

Weavile charged for Snorlax. Hitmonchan tried to get in the way but was suddenly tripped by Scrafty's Low Kick.

"Forgetting someone?" asked Mercury. Scrafty went for a Headbutt but Hitmonchan dodged the attack and hit Scrafty with a Mach Punch; Scrafty struck back with Payback. With Hitmonchan having to fight Scrafty, Weavile was free to constantly slash at a sleeping Snorlax with her Metal Claws, slowly chipping away at his health. Snorlax began to stir in his sleep, indicating he was close to waking up. Weavile jumped back and used her Hone Claws to power herself up as Snorlax slowly got back up.

"Snorlax, Counter attack!" commanded Jaune. Snorlax revved up his arm and went for a straight right at Weavile.

"Weavile, Feint Attack!" commanded Emerald. Just as Snorlax was about to hit Weavile, Weavile quickly got behind Snorlax and slashed down his back, dealing a critical blow.

Snorlax sat down, feeling drained from all the health he lost during his sleep. Hitmonchan wasn't fairing much better as he was a few good hits away from being knocked out as well. Ruby was feeling frustrated that her team's chances of winning were dwindling quickly.

"That look on your face," said Emerald. "The squint in your eyes...the gnashing of your teeth...you can't stand the fact that you've been bested by me! You thought because you have a pure heart and courage you were going to pull through, but the fact that this criminal scum has beaten you at your own game is just infuriating to you, isn't it?"

Ruby clenched her fists so tight she nearly cut into her skin. What Emerald was saying was true, but Ruby didn't want to indulge Emerald.

"You two never stood a chance against the White Fang's best trainer! Any last words before I end this?"

"It's not over yet!" said Ruby. "The odds may be against us, but we always pull through against you, right Jaune?"

Ruby expected Jaune to say something supportive, but instead he just looked at the ground.

"Actually Ruby...I think they've got us beat." Jaune looked up and gave Ruby a sheepish smile. "Ah well; at least we tried."

"Don't give up now, Jaune!" said Ruby. "We can still do this!"

"It's okay Ruby. It's just a battle for some Vytal Points. Let's just accept defeat now and get it over with."

Ruby was in disbelief that Jaune was actually giving up after they've come so far. "What are you saying, Jaune?"

"Yeah, what ARE you saying?" asked Emerald, also in disbelief that the stupid blonde was surrendering. "Why are you suddenly so calm about it?"

"Because it's not a big deal. I mean, I'm not even good at battles anyway. Admittedly, you guys were the favorites to win."

"This dude's lost it!" said Mercury.

"No, there has to be more to this!" said Emerald. "What are you up to, blondey?"

"I'm not up to anything!" said Jaune. "I just don't see what's so devastating about losing some random tournament match."

"Because we've defeated you once and for all! We've proven you don't have the strength to stop us or the White Fang!"

"So it goes," said Jaune, shrugging his shoulders. Seeing Jaune just brush off this defeat like it was nothing was starting to make Emerald angry.

"So it goes?" said Emerald. "SO IT GOES? That's all you have to say about this?"

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" asked Mercury.

"Don't you get it? He's insulting us! He doesn't think we're a serious threat! Weavile, teach his Snorlax how serious we are! Night Slash him!"

"Snorlax, Chip Away!" said Jaune. Weavile Night Slashed Snorlax; Snorlax stood back up and swung his arms to Chip Away at Weavile.

"Well don't just stand there!" said Emerald. "Take out his Snorlax!"

"Fine, whatever!" said Mercury. "Scrafty, Headbutt!"

Scrafty rammed into Snorlax head first while Weavile continued to use her Night Slash; Snorlax kept using Chip Away as best he could, but it was doing little good to stop the White Fang duo. Ruby was getting anxious at the sight of seeing Snorlax about to fall.

_"With both of them attacking Snorlax, it won't be long before it comes down to just me and Hitmonchan! I'll be all alone in...wait a second..."_

Thinking about fighting alone caused Ruby to notice that Hitmonchan was alone right now since the White Fang were ganging up on Snorlax.

_"Hitmonchan is by himself! With no one attacking him, he has time to build up his Focus Punch!"_

Ruby commanded Hitmonchan to get ready for his Focus Punch. Meanwhile, Snorlax could barely stand up after all the punishment he took. He tried to use Chip Away one last time but was too slow to hit either of the White Fang. Scrafty jumped up and nailed him in the head with a High Jump Kick, finally taking out the big cat once and for all.

"Your Snorlax is down!" said Emerald. "What do you have to say now, stupid blonde?"

"I don't have much else to say," said Jaune. "But...my partner might."

"Hitmonchan, Focus Punch!" commanded Ruby.

Upon hearing that command, Weavile turned around and saw Hitmonchan coming straight at her with a Focus Punch. With Scrafty standing next to her, Weavile suddenly grabbed Scrafty and threw him in front of herself. Scrafty was too busy snickering at Snorlax's defeat to even realize what just happened; the next thing he knew, he came face to face with Hitmonchan and was struck in the face with a powerful Focus Punch; the force knocked Scrafty all the way to the arena wall and dealt enough damage to instantly knock him out of the fight.

"My Scrafty!" yelled Mercury, in disbelief that Weavile used him to protect herself. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I will sacrifice anyone or anything to win!" said Emerald.

"Hey Emerald!" said Ruby. "You want to know why people with pure hearts and courage usually pull through? Because they're willing to sacrifice themselves to save others, while you do the complete opposite! Allies are there to help you in battle, not to be used as sacrificial pawns!"

"How dare you lecture ME about battling!" replied Emerald. "I never needed allies nor friends to get this far! I'm going to prove that the only person I need to succeed is ME!"

Weavile and Hitmonchan charged for each other. Hitmonchan threw a series of quick jabs with his Mach Punches; Weavile took the blows and struck back with Night Slashes. The two kept trading blow for blow, slash for punch, refusing to let up at any moment. After nearly a minute straight of constant attacks, the two Pokémon were exhausted and down to just the tiniest sliver of health; whoever was to strike next was sure to be declared the winner. The two Pokémon were at a standstill; they stood there and waited patiently for the other to strike, as if they were dueling at high noon. Everyone watching was on edge to see which Pokémon was going to come out on top.

"Go Hitmonchan!" said Ruby. Hitmonchan ran towards Weavile with one arm back, ready to thrust forward and deliver the final punch.

"I've got you now!" said Emerald. "Weavile, Feint Attack!"

As soon as Hitmonchan closed the gap between them, Weavile quickly got behind Hitmonchan to strike him one last time; Weavile swung her claw down at Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan suddenly did a 180 degree turn and jumped back, using his Detect to avoid the attack, shocking Weavile and Emerald.

"WHAT?"

"Hitmonchan, Fire Punch!" commanded Ruby. Hitmonchan lit his glove on fire and lunged for Weavile. Weavile had no time to react as it was pounded by the Fire Punch and sent flying back. Weavile flopped to the ground and couldn't get back up; the match was over.

"It's over!" said the announcer. "Your winners of the Doubles Tournament: RUBY and JAUNE!"

"YAHOO!" shouted Ruby. "We did it Jaune! We WON!"

"We really did!" said Jaune, nearly in tears. "I've never won anything before, and it's all thanks to you, Ruby!"

"Nonsense! If you didn't distract them long enough, my Hitmonchan wouldn't have been able to turn the tides! You're a great teammate, Jaune!"

"Only because I've got you as my partner!"

As Ruby and Jaune celebrated with the crowd, Emerald was livid that she lost to her arch-enemies.

"Don't celebrate yet!" said Emerald. "Mercury, once they leave the arena we'll-"

"Let it go Emerald," said Mercury. "We need to get to HQ ASAP, remember?"

Before Emerald can respond, Mercury already turned around and headed for the exit with Emerald following behind. Meanwhile, some of the previous teams came out to congratulate Ruby and Jaune.

"That was a totally awesome battle!" said Reese.

"You two fought like true warriors," said Arslan.

"That was one rockin' performance," said Flynt.

"You two really stole the show!" said Neon.

"You two have excellent comradery with your Pokémon," said Velvet.

"It doesn't surprise me you ended up the victors," said Yatsuhashi. "Congratulations!"

"As the winners of the Vytal Festival Doubles Tournament," said the announcer, "accept these pair of matching ribbons and this 100 VP card!" A pair of assistants came out and awarded Ruby and Jaune the ribbons for winning and the VP gift card.

"Now that we have the points," said Ruby, "let's go get our prizes!"

After the ceremony was over, Ruby and Jaune quickly headed to the rare items booth at the Shopping District. Ruby purchased her Metal Coat and Jaune purchased his Hyper Beam. As soon as they found a nearby Pokémon Center, Ruby would use her Metal Coat on Scyther so it can evolve into a Scizor, while Jaune would teach his Hyper Beam to any Pokémon he could.

#

During Ruby and Jaune's ceremony, Mercury and Emerald were heading for the closest exit out of the festival.

"Why did you suddenly leave like that?" asked Emerald.

"Because I just wanted to," said Mercury. "Why do you even care? You're the one that wanted to get out of here so badly."

"But what about dealing with those pests?"

"We fought fair and they won. If we stayed to attack them after the tournament with our defeated Pokémon, we'd just get our butts kicked and thrown in jail. On the bright side, we learned more about their abilities to report to the boss."

"True. At least we didn't leave empty handed thanks to a generous donation by our pompous friend.

"AHEM!" shouted a voice from behind. The two turned around to see a very peeved Weiss Schnee.

"What do you want?" asked Emerald.

"You have something that belongs to me!" said Weiss. "Hand it over!"

"Or else what little girl? Don't you know who you're talking to?"

"Do you know who YOU'RE talking to, you walking fashion disaster?"

Now Emerald was the one who was starting to get peeved.

"Listen up princess! We're part of the White Fang! If you don't want to lose more than your wallet, I suggest you run away now!"

Weiss gasped. "Did you say...the White Fang?"

"That's right. Now, what was it you were going to say?"

"If you're really with the White Fang...I have ANOTHER reason to take you out! You two just made the top of my personal enemies list! I'm going to teach you scumbags a lesson for messing with the Schnee family!"

"Wait, YOU'RE a Schnee?"

Weiss immediately called out her Froslass and Zweilous. With their Pokémon still injured from the finals, Emerald and Mercury had no chance of fighting back. "Perhaps another time, princess!" said Emerald, pulling out a Smoke Ball and tossing it to the ground. Emerald and Mercury quickly ran off before Weiss can get her revenge.

_"Those lowlifes are lucky I'm already busy trying to enter the Pokémon League. But mark my words 'Jade' and 'Silver;' I'm going to make you pay for crossing Weiss Schnee!"_


	29. The Girl of Illusions

Sitting on top of a tree, a girl in a pink and white ensemble was overlooking the abandoned city she once called home. Of all the places she had traveled to around the Vale region, she never thought she'd suddenly find herself back at the beginning. How long had it been since she left this city? A year? Two years? She never was good at keeping track of time.

Ever since the day she was all alone, she tried to find the one who would accept her for who she was, but they all turned her away for one reason or another. Was it the fact that she couldn't talk? Was it because her eyes had heterochromia, resulting in a dark brown right eye and bright pink left eye? Whatever the reason, it seemed there was no one who liked her.

Now here she was back to where she started. She didn't know what possibly drew her back to this place, as there was no reason to ever come back, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she should be here right now. Maybe she should have never left this place; maybe it was her destiny to live here all alone.

For some reason, the abandoned city was suddenly surrounded by a group of people in red uniforms. They were patrolling the area as if making sure that nobody entered the city. She looked up into the sky and noticed gray clouds about to cover the sun; it wouldn't be long until it started raining. She needed to find a way to get into the city, since there wasn't anywhere else she could stay. If she couldn't find her answer in the city, at least she'd find a place to get out from the rain.

She really hated the rain.

#

After a successful outing at the Vytal Battle Festival, Ruby and Jaune were back on the road traveling to the next town. Jaune looked up and noticed the sky starting to get gray.

"Looks like it's going to rain soon," said Jaune. "Is there any town nearby?"

"According to the Pokédex," said Ruby, "we should be getting close to a place called Mountain Glenn."

Jaune suddenly felt a shiver down his spine. "Did you say...Mountain Glenn?"

"Yeah. You know that place?"

"You bet I do! I heard that place is literally a ghost town! It's haunted by Ghost type Pokémon who all passed away and came back as vengeful spirits who drove all the people out of town!"

"Actually, I remember kids at school telling me about a town full of evil ghosts. I just assumed it was mindless schoolyard banter."

"It's legit though! I've read all sorts of articles about it online!"

"I'll see for myself. Penny, do you have any information about Mountain Glenn?"

"Loading encyclopedia entry on Mountain Glenn," said Penny. Penny pulled up the Pokédex entry about Mountain Glenn, showing a town full of abandoned, boarded up buildings.

"Mountain Glenn was a city that was once the home of the Pokémon Science and Research Center. The PSRC was the cornerstone of Mountain Glenn until the building was destroyed in an act of terror committed by the White Fang. Many of the science departments that were headquartered in the center relocated to other cities around Vale. The attack of the building soon lead to an economic depression in Mountain Glenn as fears of another attack happening in the city rose, leading to a sharp climb in the crime rate. With a majority of the inhabitants abandoning the city, Mountain Glenn quickly devolved into a ghost town. Today, many people go on haunted tours of the city, hoping to witness the supposed Ghost type Pokémon that now occupy the city."

"So it's really full of ghosts, huh?" said Ruby.

"You bet!" said Jaune. "Let's find somewhere else to stay."

"And pass up the chance to catch some new Pokémon? We're going to Mountain Glenn!"

"Oh no! I had my fill of ghosts with Spiritomb! I'm not going into a town full of them!"

"Then you'll just have to find another place to stay. Let's go Eevee!"

Ruby and Eevee ran down the route that would take them to Mountain Glenn. Jaune reluctantly followed, hoping there was a way he can avoid having to come in contact with more Ghost Pokémon.

"We're almost there!" said Ruby. Ruby was excited to reach the city until she saw the town entrance being blocked off by a group of people in uniform. Upon a closer look, it was the Pokémon Rangers.

"Are those Pokémon Rangers?" asked Jaune. "That can't be a good sign."

Ruby and Jaune slowly walked up to the entrance; the entry to the city was being barricaded by the rangers. The only buildings outside of the barricade was the Pokémon Center and the tourist gift shop, but very few people outside of the rangers were walking around. Standing by the barricade was the leader of the operation, Ranger Coco.

"Excuse me," said Ruby, "can we get through?"

"Afraid not," said Coco. "The Pokémon Rangers are currently investigating possible criminal activity. With the exception of the Pokémon Center, no one is allowed into the city."

"What a shame," said Jaune. "No ghost hunting for us! Let's go, Ruby!"

"What kind of criminal activity?" asked Ruby. "Is it the White Fang?"

"That's classified," said Coco.

"If it's the White Fang, we can help! I've beaten those guys several times!"

"Sorry, but as a Pokémon Ranger, I can't have civilians getting in the way. Now please be on your way."

With no way of getting past the rangers by force, Ruby and Jaune decided to stay at the Pokémon Center. As the duo entered the center, Coco received a call from one of her subordinates in the city.

"Status report!" said Coco.

"Still no signs of the White Fang, ma'am."

"Make sure you're checking every single building! I don't want one stone unturned!"

Coco took off her sunglasses and rubbed the temple of her nose, getting furious that the investigation was going nowhere. "We've searched this entire city inside out. Where the heck are they?"

Ruby and Jaune entered the guest rooms and started unpacking for the night.

"You know what," said Ruby, "since it hasn't started raining yet, I'm going to see if I can get a little more training in."

"Don't stay out too late," said Jaune. Ruby took her stuff and left the center with Eevee. Rather than head back to the route to fight Pokémon, Ruby headed to the gift shop and pretended to act like she was going to buy something while looking out the window where she can see Ranger Coco guarding the entrance point.

_"She doesn't look like the kind of person I can easily trick,"_ thought Ruby_. "The other entrances are possibly blocked off as well, so there's no point in walking to one of those spots. I need to find some way to get past her."_

As Ruby was coming up with a plan, Coco took out her scroll to communicate with the others. "Come in rangers! I need someone to cover my post for a few minutes. Whoever is closest to the southern entrance please report."

In less than a minute, one of the rangers suddenly showed up by the southern entrance. Coco was surprised by the ranger's appearance; the ranger was barely five-foot-tall and had two different colored eyes. Coco wasn't familiar with this person, so Coco assumed she was one of the newbies she hadn't met yet.

"Ah, perfect!" said Coco. "I need you to stay here and make sure nobody gets through, and I mean NOBODY! I'll be back in just a few minutes."

The newbie ranger saluted Coco as Coco left her post.

_"Looks like the head honcho is taking a break,"_ thought Ruby. _"Maybe I can trick this ranger instead."_

Ruby exited the shop and was about to approach the newbie ranger when suddenly the ranger looked around and then jumped the barricade and ran into the city, taking Ruby by surprise.

_"Why did that ranger just leave the post? Wait, that means the post is unguarded! Now's my chance!"_

Ruby picked up Eevee, looked around to make sure no one was watching and jumped the barricade herself, running as fast as she could to avoid getting caught.

_"I don't think that ranger was actually a ranger; but whoever she is, I owe her one for this!"_

Coco left the Pokémon Center and went back to her post, only to find nobody was there.

"Hey relief!" yelled Coco. "Where are you?"

With no one responding back, Coco grabbed her scroll to contact the rangers.

"Everyone come in! Does anyone know of a ranger about five-foot-tall with short black hair and two different colored eyes?"

"Two different colored eyes?" responded one of the rangers. "There's no one like that in our group."

"Then listen up! We've got one rogue, possibly more, wandering the city! Whether it's a White Fang agent or some idiot civilian fooling around, I want them taken into custody!"

#

Ruby and Eevee were walking around the city, though there wasn't much to see. Every building on the street had their windows boarded up and covered in graffiti; broken down cars and bikes and other vehicles were in the streets. There wasn't a sign of life anywhere in the city. Ruby was using her Pokédex to scan for any signs of Ghost Pokémon in the area.

"Man, this town looks like it was hit by the apocalypse," said Ruby.

"Eevee," said Eevee, slightly scared from the look of the town.

Ruby came across a giant empty lot that a major building would fit in. All that was left now was a bunch of leftover building materials, as if the people who were constructing the building started but never came back.

"I guess this is where that research center was. Penny, was it ever explained why the White Fang attacked that building?"

"The cause was believed to be the White Fang opposing to the experiments done by the center," said Penny.

"And they really believed it was done by the White Fang?"

"According to the testimony by the building's occupants. While no investigation lead to the conclusive evidence it was done by the White Fang, it was widely believed to have been caused by the White Fang as no other possible suspects emerged."

_"Sun said the White Fang used to be a good group. Why would they suddenly take things this far? What could have this research center have done to make them do such a thing?"_

Even if Ruby thought perhaps the White Fang might have been framed, there was nothing she could do to prove one thing or the other, and even if they were framed, the White Fang of today was nothing like the one of the past, and didn't justify any of their criminal behavior.

Ruby continued her trek through the city, hoping to come across a Pokémon soon.

"Penny, any signs of a Ghost type yet?" asked Ruby.

"No signs of wild Pokémon detected," replied Penny.

"It feels like I'm being followed though. Guess it's just the atmosphere of this place."

"Eevee," said Eevee, sharing the feeling of being watched. She looked around to see if she can spot anything when from the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a shadow quickly move from alley to alley. "Eevee!"

"Did you see something, Eevee?" Ruby turned to see where Eevee was looking at. She held up her Pokédex towards the alley.

"No sign detected," said Penny.

"I think the city is just playing tricks on your eyes, Eevee."

Eevee sighed; Ruby was probably right.

Before they can keep looking, the both of them suddenly heard a loud crash noise behind them, causing them to nearly jump out of their skin. They quickly turned around to see a metal trash can knocked over.

"Either the both of us have our eyes being tricked, or something is behind us!" Ruby's Pokédex suddenly started beeping.

"I'm sensing a wild Pokémon nearby," said Penny.

"Something has to be here!"

Ruby and Eevee entered the alleyway, waiting for the Pokémon to pop out at any moment. At the end of the alley was a dumpster where something could be hiding.

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee. She definitely sensed something was hiding behind that dumpster.

"If something is over there, especially a Ghost Pokémon, you better show yourself!" said Ruby.

Once Ruby said that, something started to emerge from behind the dumpster. What it was appeared to be a mix of brown and pink. Ruby grabbed one of her Poké Balls, ready to fight whatever specter was emerging. The brown and pink creature was soon revealed to be not a Pokémon, but rather the odd hair of a small young girl who walked out with her hands up and turned to face Ruby.

The young girl had a mix of brown and pink hair with white streaks; she also had one pink eye and one brown eye. She was wearing a white jacket with pink collars, knee-high boots, and was carrying a light pink umbrella. Ruby didn't know what to make of this; whatever she was expecting, she certainly didn't expect someone so young and oddly dressed to be hiding in an alley.

"Um...hi," said Ruby. "Are...are you lost or something?"

As Ruby approached the odd girl, the girl suddenly grabbed the umbrella she kept by her side and held it like a weapon, scared that Ruby was going to attack.

"No no, it's okay!" said Ruby, waving her arms. "I'm not a crook or anything, I swear!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, trying to calm the strange girl down. The girl suddenly stared at Eevee and put her umbrella away. She bent down and cautiously held one arm out towards Eevee as if wanting to pet her.

"Go on, you can pet her!" said Ruby. Eevee walked up to the girl; the girl was starting to have second thoughts, worried that Eevee was going to react in a bad way.

"Eevee!" said Eevee, smiling and assuring it meant no harm. The girl reached her arm to Eevee and gently placed her hand on top of Eevee's head. She slowly rubbed the top of Eevee's head as Eevee hummed blissfully. Hearing Eevee purr caused the girl to relax and smile. Ruby was glad the situation was defused.

"So do you have a name?" asked Ruby. The girl nodded her head and pulled something out of her pocket. It was a candy wrapper that had most of its label faded out. The girl pointed to the only thing that was still legible: a group of letters spelling "NEO".

"Neo? Is that your name?" The girl nodded. "Well hello Neo, I'm Ruby. As you can tell, I'm a Pokémon Trainer. What brings you to Mountain Glenn?"

Neo suddenly felt anxious again; this was usually the part where people would start to get offended by her not talking. Neo stood up and suddenly held her arms and looked down as if she was ashamed of something, confusing Ruby.

"Why won't you say a word?" asked Ruby. "Are you not able to talk?"

Neo quickly shook her head and feared Ruby's reaction.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" said Ruby, quickly bowing in apology. "I didn't mean to upset you!"

Neo looked up and was amazed; she rarely - if ever - heard someone apologize for asking her to talk. Neo put a hand on Ruby's shoulder and smiled.

"I'm glad you forgive me. So as I was saying, how come-"

Before Ruby can finish her question, a loud boom echoed across the sky. Ruby looked up and saw the clouds getting dark, along with the cold wind picking up.

"Uh oh," said Ruby. "Looks like it's about to rain any second. We need to find shelter fast."

Neo clapped her hands to get Ruby's attention.

"What is it, Neo? You know a place where we can stay?"

Neo nodded, and waved Ruby to follow her.

Ruby and Eevee quickly followed Neo out of the alley and down the street with residential houses on it. All the houses looked to be in the same decrepit shape, yet Neo was looking around as if searching for a specific house. Once she found the house she was looking for, she entered the alley next to the house.

"Not for nothing Neo," said Ruby, "but why did we go from one alley to another?"

Neo waved at Ruby and pointed to something behind a dumpster at the end of the alley. Ruby went to see what Neo was pointing out; it was simply a back door to the house.

"So it's a back door. But unless we can unlock it I don't-"

Neo grabbed the knob and turned it, opening the door like normal. Apparently the door was already unlocked, but now Ruby was wondering how did Neo know that.

"I guess whoever used to live here forgot to lock the back door," said Ruby. She had a lot of questions going through her mind right now, but now wasn't the time to play detective.

The three of them entered the house just as the rain was coming down. The house had no light source, so Ruby took out her flashlight and looked around. They appeared to be in the kitchen area of the house.

"This place is pitch black," said Ruby. "It would be so much easier to move around if there was light. Neo, do you know if this house has a backup generator of some kind?"

Neo nodded and led Ruby to a staircase leading to the basement. Despite the place being dark, Neo was able to move around without needing much help from Ruby's flashlight, almost as if Neo knew this place inside out. It likely explained why Neo knew about the unlocked back door. Neo took Ruby to a corner where a backup electric generator was sitting unused.

"Perfect! I'll get Electivire to power up the house."

Ruby called out her Electivire and had him grab the generator, producing electricity to power it up. After a few minutes of powering up, the basement was suddenly fully lit. Neo was astounded at seeing the house suddenly have working power.

"Much better!" said Ruby. "This place isn't clean, but at least we can see now."

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee. Neo smiled and nodded.

The trio went back up the stairs where the whole house was now lit up. Ruby decided to take a tour of the house they would stay in for the night. The stairs were connected to the living room, which only had a couch and an end table, with stairs leading up to the attic. Towards the end of the room was the master bedroom, which had an empty dresser and a queen sized mattress with only one blanket on it. Ruby entered the kitchen and was surprised to see silverware lying around the kitchen and in the sink, although most of the silverware at this point were either rusty or dirty beyond repair.

"I would think all the houses in this city would be completely empty, but this place looks like someone actually still lived here. Either that or they were in such a rush to get out of here, they took nothing with them."

As Ruby looked around the kitchen, she noticed the refrigerator covered with drawings attached to the door.

"Even the fridge still has a kid's drawings stuck to them." Ruby looked at the drawings; most of them had a kid and some Pokémon going out doing all sorts of stuff, almost as if it was telling a story of their journey. There was one drawing that really caught Ruby's interest, located at the top of the fridge. It was a picture of a little kid standing next to a Pokémon with red and black fur. The kid and the Pokémon were smiling as above them was "Z &amp; R" written with a giant heart surrounding it.

"Looks like that kid really loved that Pokémon," said Ruby. "I almost hate to wonder what became of that child."

Ruby left the kitchen and decided to check out the attic. Before joining her, Neo took a look at the picture on the fridge. She removed the magnet holding it in place and held it up close to herself, as if she was obsessed with it. She quickly folded the picture up and put it in her chest behind her jacket. Neo went up the stairs to the attic. The attic contained nothing save for a window towards the outside, where Ruby and Eevee were looking out at the pouring rain. Neo took a seat next to them.

"The rain looks kind of beautiful doesn't it?" said Ruby. She turned to Neo, who looked upset about the rain coming down.

"What's wrong? Don't like the rain?" Neo shook her head. "That's okay. A lot of people don't like it when it rains. I hope it clears up tomorrow so I can start catching Pokémon."

Eevee walked over to Neo to cheer her up; Neo smiled and picked up Eevee, then started to pet her.

"You really like my Eevee, huh?" asked Ruby. Neo smiled and nodded as she continued grooming Eevee's fur, then gave Eevee a hug. Ruby took out her scroll to check the time.

"It's getting close to bedtime," said Ruby. Ruby pulled out the sleeping bag from her backpack and started unfolding it. Neo grabbed Ruby's arms and shook her head, then pointed towards the stairs. Ruby assumed it was Neo's way of telling her she could sleep in one of the rooms below.

"It's okay Neo," said Ruby. "I kind of like the creepy feel of the attic. You can use one of the rooms instead."

After Ruby unfolded the bag, Eevee jumped out of Neo's arms and took her usual spot at the foot of the sleeping bag. Ruby noticed Neo suddenly looking sad from being separated by Eevee.

"Neo, did you want to sleep with my Eevee?" Neo nodded and frowned. "Well, how about this? You grab a blanket and a pillow or something and sleep up here with us? It'll be like an old-fashioned slumber party!"

Neo eyes suddenly lit up as she ran downstairs to grab some stuff. Once the sleeping arrangements were made, Ruby and Neo laid side by side while Eevee was tucked in with Neo. Ruby set her alarm to wake up early in the morning so she would have more time for catching Pokémon.

"Are we good?" asked Ruby. Neo and Eevee nodded. "All right then; have a good night everyone."

Ruby and Eevee quickly drifted off to sleep as the pouring rain provided a peaceful white noise in the background. Neo on the other hand was having a hard time getting to sleep because of the rain. The rain reminded her of the days she was alone and afraid. She remembered when she would be in the street all by herself, soaking wet from the rain.

Then one day in the middle of a storm, a boy showed up...

#

_Sometime in the past_

The rain kept coming down. The newspapers did little to protect Neo from the rain, and the box was soggy to the point of being just about useless. No matter what she tried, she wasn't going to be able to keep herself dry in this awful weather. She closed her eyes and begged for the rain to stop, but knowing her luck, wasn't going to happen. It seemed like only a matter of time until she would contract some kind of illness from being out in this bitter rain.

As she curled up inside the box covered in soaking newspapers, she suddenly felt a shadow watching over her. She looked up and saw a boy with an umbrella looking down on her.

"You poor thing! Let's get you out of here!"

The boy picked her up and held her tightly in his arms while still trying to hold on to his umbrella so that they didn't get soaked, not that it really mattered as she was already a soaking mess, and the boy was barely able to keep dry himself.

The boy took her into an alley next to a home and entered through the back door of the house. He went into the living room and put Neo on the couch, then lit a lantern so he can see and show her around his home.

"Sorry about the dark," said the boy. "The lights don't work anymore because some mean people decided to cut the power. So over here we have my couch, and in the kitchen we have a table, and there's a room in the back where I sleep. Make yourself at home."

As the boy was showing her around his home, he noticed her still shaking from the soaking cold rain. Not having a towel to dry her off, he ran to his bedroom, pulled off the dirty blanket on his bed, and wrapped it around her to keep her from shaking.

"I bet you were abandoned because your parents didn't love you. Don't worry; my parents didn't love me either. We can be a family together. Of course, I don't have any money or enough food to last for the both of us, but-"

Neo moved out from under the blanket and jumped into the boy's lap, snuggling on his stomach. It didn't matter to her how rich or poor this boy was. He saved her from the freezing rain, and that alone was enough for her to get attached to him.

#

Neo woke up the next day on the couch, but the boy was nowhere in sight. She quickly ran around the house to search for him, but he was gone. Neo wondered where the boy could have gone; she instantly thought that the boy abandoned her just like her previous owners. But then she realized that couldn't be the case; would the boy take her into his home just to abandon her the next day? He had to be coming back for sure, and if for some reason he didn't, at least she now had a house to keep from freezing in the rain.

She really hated the rain.

With nothing to do, she slept for most of the day until she suddenly heard the back door open. Neo ran to the back door and saw the boy, but was shocked to see his face suddenly look beat up.

"Hey there," said the boy, smiling as if nothing was wrong. "I brought home a little bit of food for us."

The boy started unpacking the food, but Neo was more concerned about what happened to the boy and kept pointing to his face.

"Oh, my eye? Some bigger kids beat me up; took a lot of the food I was trying to get for us. Don't worry; I've had plenty of black eyes before."

The boy's food haul consisted of merely two apples. It wasn't much to last, but Neo was grateful as she couldn't remember the last time she ate. The boy handed her an apple and she tore into the apple like it was her last meal and quickly finished it.

"Whoa!" said the boy. "I didn't realize you were that hungry!" The boy was about to eat into his own apple, but after seeing how hungry Neo was, decided to give the second apple to her instead. "Here, you can have this as well." Neo was shocked to see the boy give up his share and insisted he take it.

"It's okay. It's not the first time I went to bed without dinner. It's better you eat it and regain your strength. Besides, after the fights I've been in, I've lost my appetite. I'm going to bed."

The boy held his bruised eye as he went to sleep in his bed. If not for her overwhelming hunger pains, Neo would have refused to eat the apple. She secretly vowed to pay back the boy for his kindness.

#

The following morning, as soon as the boy left the house, Neo secretly followed him to see where he was going. She saw the boy duck into an alley; she secretly peeked around the corner to see the boy being confronted by bigger kids.

"So what's it going to be this time?" asked one of the bigger kids. "You going to do exactly what we say or do you need another beating?"

"I'm not going to let you steal my share any longer!" said the boy, holding up his arms. "Put'em up!"

"Tisk, tisk," said the bigger kid. The bigger kids quickly surrounded the boy and gave him a terrible beating. Neo was horrified to see the boy getting beat up; she needed to do something, but she was useless in her current state.

It was time to break out her secret technique.

Two of the big kids held the boy by his arms as the ringleader proceeded to pound the boy's stomach over and over. The boy simply gritted the pain and took his punishment.

"Still think you're a tough guy?" asked the leader, grabbing the boy by the chin. "What have you got to say now?"

"Your face...looks like a Skuntank's butt!" yelled the boy, making the leader mad.

"Just for that, you're losing all your teeth!" said the leader. The leader wound back and was ready to punch the boy's mouth when he was suddenly grabbed from behind.

"Hey!" yelled the leader, turning around. "Who do you think you're-"

The leader suddenly went quiet as he was grabbed by a tall, muscular looking man in sunglasses. The man grabbed the leader by his shirt, lifted him up with ease, and pinned him to a wall. The leader was so scared he almost peed his pants; the man looked like he was going to break the boy in half.

"Hey man, let me go! Let me go!" cried the leader. The man dropped the leader to the ground, then stared angrily at the other kids. The leader and his men quickly ran away in fear. The boy looked up and saw the man that helped him. To his surprise, he actually knew the man.

"No way!" said the boy. "Are you...Spruce Willis?" The boy recognized that actor from the posters of him littered across town. The man removed his sunglasses and showed his two different colored eyes. "Wait a second, you're not Spruce Willis! Who are you?"

The man suddenly transformed into a more familiar looking face. The boy couldn't believe it was Neo.

"You...you can transform into other people?" Neo nodded. "That's amazing! Hey...maybe you can help! Follow me!"

The boy took Neo down the street to a fruit stand. The fruit stand was run by an older man who looked intimidating, and was keeping an eye out for thieves. As soon as he saw the boy, he grabbed the bat he kept by him and held it towards the boy.

"Don't think I don't see you over there!" shouted the man. "I catch you touching any of my food again and I'm-a knock your teeth out with this bat!"

The boy quickly grabbed Neo and ran down to hide on the corner of the block.

"That guy is a real jerk! I try to get food from him, but he never wants to give me anything just because I don't have money, so I have to steal from him! Unfortunately, I can never get much because he's too big and then those older kids beat me up and take most of my food. Since you can transform, maybe you can scare him into giving us food! But I don't think he'll fall for Spruce Willis; you need to transform into something else."

Neo and the boy looked around and noticed a group of men in red and black suits sitting by a restaurant. They were part of a mafia crime family known as the Kuma Clan. The people were scared to even look at them, let alone get near them.

"Think you can transform into one of those guys?"

Neo nodded and concentrated hard, then quickly transformed into a Kuma Clan member, complete with suit and glasses. They walked back to the fruit stand; the older man quickly grabbed his bat.

"I'm warning you kid!" said the man. "If you don't have money, you better run now!"

"Try saying that to my new friend," said the boy, pointing to Neo. The man noticed Neo and was instantly shaking.

"Your...friend?"

"That's right! I'm friends with the Kuma Clan! So hand over some of your best food now!"

"Ha!" said the man. "You think one measly Kuma Clan chump is going to-"

Neo suddenly grabbed the man's bat and held it against his throat.

"Okay, okay! Take whatever you want! Please, I know better than to mess with the Kuma Clan!"

"That's what I thought!" said the boy.

After the boy was done taking what they needed, the boy and Neo quickly headed home where Neo transformed back to normal. Doing such intense transformations took a lot of energy out of her, especially when she's barely eaten in the past few days.

"This is great!" said the boy. "If we can keep tricking people like this, we won't have to worry about starving anymore!"

Before they dug into their food, the boy reached over and gave Neo a big hug.

"I think you and I make are going to make a great team! I hope we never split apart!"

For the first time in her life, Neo felt truly happy. Neo and the boy were the only family they had, but it was all they really needed. She lived with the boy for many years, and hoped to spend her entire life with him. Throughout the years, they would work together in surviving the harsh town, from fighting off people who picked on the boy, to stealing from many food stands in order to eat. Neo knew stealing wasn't the right thing to do, but it was what they needed to do to survive. As long as no one was seriously harmed, she was okay working with the boy to steal.

No matter how hard the times got, nothing was going to separate the two.

#

It had been several years since Neo was adopted by the boy, who was now on the verge of becoming a man. They still lived in the same house in the same city, but things had gotten a lot worse for the city over the years. Many families moved away as the economy tanked; some of the food stands they constantly visited were long abandoned. The man was starting to worry that they couldn't live in this city any longer. In order to move to another city and start a new life, they were going to need lots of money, and the young man thought he had the perfect plan: Robbing the boss of the Kuma Clan himself, Hei Xiong Sr.

With the town on the brink of collapse, the Kuma Clan had pretty much overtaken the town, although there weren't many valuable assets the town had anymore. Hei Xiong and his men were leaving a restaurant and entering his limo. As the limo driver backed up, there was suddenly a loud thud from the back of the limo, causing the car to stop.

"Oh my God!" someone shouted outside. "Somebody help her!"

The Kuma Clan, including Hei Xiong, immediately got out of the limo to see what was wrong. A young man was clutching to a little girl who appeared to have been run over by the limo backing up. The Kuma Clan was panicking that they accidentally killed a civilian.

"Everyone calm down," said Xiong. "I'll handle this."

Xiong went over to check on the girl's wounds. While he was helping the girl, with everyone distracted from what was going on, the young man quietly got behind Hei Xiong and saw a wallet in his back pocket. He quickly reached down, snatched the wallet, and pocketed it in his jacket.

Just as he thought he got away with the crime, he was suddenly put in a chokehold from behind by another young man his age.

"Nice try you amateur!" said the man. "Nobody steals from papa while I'm around!"

Hearing her partner in danger, Neo suddenly got up and tried to help but was grabbed by two of the boss' associates. Before things escalated, Xiong suddenly snapped his fingers which caused all of his men to stop what they were doing.

"That's enough Junior," said Xiong. "I'll take care of this."

"Yes papa," said Junior, letting go of the young man. The young man tried to take a swing at Junior when he was grabbed by the shoulder by Xiong.

"Get in kids; we're going for a ride."

Neo and the young man entered the limo with the Kuma Clan. Neo was scared of what was going to happen, while the young man continued to remain headstrong and unafraid.

"The old fake car accident scam," said Xiong. "That was a good technique you pulled kids, except there was one problem: You tried to use that technique on the man who literally invented it."

"So what are you going to do now?" said the young man. "You're going to beat me up?"

"Nah, kid. I only beat up the people I don't like; and you kid, you I like a lot! You've got the potential to be a great criminal, but you need some proper guidance. How'd you like to learn the way the grown-ups do it?"

"Are you asking me to work for you?"

"You work for me kid, and you'll never have to steal bread again! Unless you really like to!"

"I'll steal anything to survive!"

Hei Xiong let out a laugh. The kid was trying so hard to sound tough; with the right training, he definitely could be the Kuma Clan's next big criminal mastermind. The boss grabbed the young man by his cheeks and planted a kiss on his forehead, a sign of respect amongst the Kuma Clan.

"Son, welcome to the Kuma Clan. You can call me Mr. Xiong."

"And you can call me Torchwick; Roman Torchwick!"

"Tell me Roman, you know how to battle with Pokémon?"

"Not really."

"We'll need to fix that. Junior, get me one of the Sandiles in my briefcase. We're going to take this boy training."

That was the day Neo and Roman's lives changed forever. They moved to a new city and lived with the Kuma Clan; during that time, Roman would learn how to fight with Pokémon, and participated in many other crimes with the Kuma Clan. The two had finally reached the good life they were working so hard to achieve; but it didn't make Neo happy. In fact, seeing her partner committing all this wrongdoing had caused her to become more and more uncomfortable living with him. Sure he still took great care of Neo, but he was nothing like the innocent boy who stole to survive; he was slowly becoming a hardened criminal who would make others suffer for his own gain.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was still the one who saved her life, she probably would have left him by now.

#

After several years living with the Kuma Clan, Neo and Roman were back in the now abandoned city. This time their home was used as a secret HQ. Roman was in the living room, counting up all the money and Dust he had stocked up when they suddenly heard a loud knock on the front door. Roman grabbed his cane and approached the door.

"Who is it?" asked Roman.

"Roman Torchwick, I assume?" said a sultry voice behind the door. "The criminal prodigy in the Kuma Clan?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Someone who's looking for great criminals to expand their empire. May I come in?"

"Meet me in the alley out back."

Roman grabbed a Dust crystal in case he needed to take care of unwanted business and opened the back door. Standing before him was a young woman in a red dress with bright amber eyes.

"Is there a reason you never use the front door?" asked the woman.

"The key for that door went missing years ago. That's why I keep the back door constantly unlocked."

"And you don't worry about people coming in?"

"Who'd expect a criminal mastermind to live in this dump?"

"Touché." The two quickly took a seat by the kitchen table.

"So you know who I am and where I hide," said Roman. "Just who are you, lady?"

"Are you familiar with the White Fang?" asked the woman.

"Who in the criminal underworld doesn't know about them? Never seen the leader though; heard he likes to keep in the shadows."

"Well, 'he' would actually be me."

Roman was suddenly very interested in what this woman had to say.

"So what business do you have with me?"

"I think you would make for a valuable ally in the White Fang. But you'll need to prove yourself."

"Isn't my track record proof enough?"

"But this test will determine whether I make you just another grunt or my second in command."

"Are you serious?" asked Roman, trying to hide his excitement. "You want me to be your right-hand man in Vale's biggest crime syndicate?"

"Do we have a deal?"

"Whatever mission you need me to do, I'll show you that Roman Torchwick is the man for the job!"

The two went over the details of the mission Torchwick would be a part of. Neo didn't remember the exact details, but knew it was about sneaking into Schnee Co. and stealing something involving a very valuable project they were working on. Torchwick spent the next week going over the plans to pull off a successful heist; plans that involved using Neo. As Torchwick was explaining Neo's role, he noticed Neo looking nervous about pulling it off.

"Listen baby," said Torchwick, "I know you're nervous about doing this, but I really need to count on you to pull through. This heist is bigger than anything we've ever done. If we can pull this off, we'll be living on easy street for the rest of our lives! We'll soon become the heirs to the biggest criminal empire in all of Vale! After years of being abused and living as the bottom of the barrel in society, we'll be the ones at the very top! Won't that be great, Zoey?"

#

_Present Day_

Neo and Ruby were suddenly awakened at the crack of dawn by the sounds of loud rumblings from outside, as if an earthquake was going off.

"Is this still raining outside?" asked Ruby. Ruby looked up and saw some light shine through the window. She looked out the window and saw somebody looking around the area; it appeared to be a White Fang grunt.

"Hey, that's one of the White Fang! I bet they have something to do with what we just heard!" Ruby quickly got dressed and grabbed her stuff. "Stay inside, Neo! Things can get dangerous out there!"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

Ruby and Eevee quickly headed outside and confronted the White Fang member.

"HEY!" shouted Ruby. "What are you White Fang jerks up to?"

"Get lost, kid!" said the grunt. "Or else I'll steal your Pokémon!"

"Try it!"

The grunt called out his Houndour and Skuntank; Ruby sent out her Eevee and newly acquired Scizor. She figured now was a good time to test out Scizor's new skills. Eevee started the battle with her Swift attack, damaging both opponents at the same time.

"Skuntank, fire your Toxic!" Skuntank ran to Eevee and shot a giant gunk of Toxic from its tail; Scizor quickly got in front of Eevee and blocked the Toxic. Being a Steel type, Scizor was immune to the effects of Toxic as the sludge fell off like nothing.

"Scizor, attack with Steel Wing!" Scizor flew at Skuntank and rammed into it with its wings. Houndour shot a Flamethrower at Scizor to deal heavy damage; Eevee stopped the Flamethrower by tackling into Houndour with her Take Down. Scizor then attacked with his X-Scissor, knocking Houndour out of the fight.

_"All right!"_ thought Ruby. _"My new Scizor is performing well! This battle will be done in no time!"_

As Ruby was fighting the grunt, Neo came out to see what was going on. Eevee noticed Neo behind them and started barking at her, which caught Ruby's attention.

"Neo, get back in the house!" said Ruby.

"Skuntank, Smokescreen!" commanded the grunt. Skuntank lifted its tail and shot a thick cloud of smoke at them; everyone was coughing from the awful smell and could barely see. With everyone distracted, the grunt decided to take an advantage by attacking a defenseless Neo.

"Skuntank, Slash that other girl!"

"Neo, get out of here!" yelled Ruby.

Skuntank charged for Neo and jumped up for a Slash attack; instead of getting out of the way, Neo suddenly grabbed Skuntank by its throat with one arm, then hurled the Skuntank back at the grunt, knocking them both to the ground. Even through the smoke, Ruby was able to glimpse at Neo fighting back.

_"Did she just throw that Skuntank like it was nothing? How in the world did she do that?"_

Being outnumbered and outclassed, the grunt recalled his Pokémon and tried to leave, but was suddenly pinned down by Ruby.

"Start talking!" said Ruby. "What's the White Fang doing in this city, and what was that rumbling we heard?"

"Like I would ever tell you!" said the grunt.

"Then maybe you'll talk to the Pokémon rangers! I'm sure they'll be happy to-"

Before Ruby can finish her threat, the ground suddenly to shake violently as they heard something roar underground. Ruby lost her footing and tripped, allowing the grunt to stand up and run away. Eevee ran after the grunt with Neo following behind. Fearing a disaster was about to happen, Ruby recalled her Scizor and went after Eevee and Neo.

"Guys, come back!" said Ruby.

Eevee was close to catching up to the grunt when suddenly cracks started to form in the street and caused the ground to break up, forcing Eevee to stop. Suddenly, a part of the street fell through the ground creating a hole; soon the hole was getting larger in size at a rapid pace. Neo grabbed Eevee and started to run as fast as she could as the street continued to collapse behind Neo. Just as they thought they made it, the ground beneath Neo suddenly gave way; Neo grabbed the edge of the street with one arm while holding on to Eevee.

"Hold on guys, I'm coming!" Ruby reached the edge and tried to pull Neo up when the ground started shaking again, causing Ruby to lose her grip on Neo. Realizing she had let go, Ruby tried to bend down and grab them but it was already too late; Neo and Eevee started free falling into the pit below. Soon more of the ground started to break apart; Ruby quickly backed away before she would fall in as well. When the shaking finally stopped, Ruby looked over the pit for some kind of sign from them.

"EEVEE! NEO!" shouted Ruby, hoping they would somehow respond. Ruby keep closing her eyes and was hoping this was really some kind of nightmare, but it wasn't; for all Ruby knew, Eevee and Neo could very well be gone.

#

About ten minutes later, the Pokémon rangers arrived with Jaune. Ruby was wrapped in a blanket trying to calm down, while Coco and the rangers were examining the damages.

"It appears the hole was caused by explosions made from below the surface."

"So that's why we could never find them!" said Coco. "Those vermin were hiding underground! Listen up, I want all the rangers to find a way to get down there and contact me immediately when you do!"

The rangers quickly dispersed from the area. While they looked for a way down, Coco went to interrogate Ruby.

"As for you, you said your Pokémon fell in with someone. What did this person look like?"

"She's pretty small, almost like a child," said Ruby. "She had this mix of pink and brown hair, and she wore this white coat."

"Wait, you mean like her?" asked Jaune, pointing to an advertisement near an abandoned shop. Ruby looked to where Jaune was pointing and was surprised; it was an exact photo of Neo.

"That's her!" said Ruby. Coco look at the ad and was perplexed.

"Neo Politan?" asked Coco. "That's the girl you saw?"

"Wait, how do you know her name?"

"She's the mascot for some ice cream company. They've been using that character for years, although this design is outdated by at least a decade or so."

_"Neo is a cartoon mascot? But that girl looked so much-"_

"Anyway, the rangers will take it from here. The two of you need to get out of this town right now; we'll come get you once we rescue your friends."

Two of the rangers arrived in a car to escort Ruby and Jaune back to the main entrance.

"Ruby, are you sure that was the girl you saw?" asked Jaune.

"It looked exactly like her, and she even told me her name was Neo!" said Ruby.

"Maybe she's some super fan who decided to dress up like her?"

"But to even take her name, and copy a look that's so old? This doesn't make any sense unless..."

Ruby was starting to put the pieces of yesterday's events together. The strange ranger who was able to sneak past Coco, then meeting Neo when her Pokédex claimed a Pokémon was nearby, and just now when Neo was able to hold her own in a battle against a Pokémon. There was only one possible explanation for all this.

"Jaune, this might be crazy, but what if the person I met...wasn't actually a person?"

#

Despite the long fall from the surface, Neo was somehow to able land on the ground safely, protecting Eevee from harm. Neo and Eevee looked around; despite being underground, they appeared to be in some kind of abandoned city. Before they can find out what was going on, they were suddenly greeted by two White Fang grunts with their Houndours.

"Stay where you are!" shouted one of the grunts. Neo got up and stood in front of Eevee, looking angrily at the two White Fang members.

"Why not make it easier on yourself and surrender?" Neo responded by pointing at them and then pointing to the side, signaling that they should get lost.

"Look at her, acting all silent and deadly! I'm so scared!"

"Get her boys!"

The two Houndours charged at Neo. Instead of running away, Neo placed one hand over the other and started to gather what appeared to be black energy. As one of the dogs jumped at her, Neo suddenly fired a Dark Pulse and knocked the Houndour away. The other Houndour went to Bite Neo's leg; Neo picked up Eevee and jumped aside. Neo then fired another Dark Pulse at the other Houndour. The White Fang grunts were baffled as to how Neo was able to use Pokémon attacks.

"How did she do that?"

"We'll figure that out later! Houndours, use your Flamethrowers!"

The Houndours got together and shot a burst of flame at Neo. Neo tossed Eevee aside and stood still as the flames engulfed her. The White Fang grunts thought they had her until the flames dispersed and Neo had suddenly disappeared.

"Where did she go?" The grunts looked around and saw Neo appear behind the Houndours. Neo's arms then transformed into black furry arms with red claws sticking out. She used Night Slash on both of the Houndours, landing critical hits on both of them, instantly taking them out of the fight. The White Fang grunts were scared at whatever this thing Neo was.

"What is she?"

"Who cares? Let's get out of here before she gets us!"

Neo turned her arms back to normal and ran over to Eevee to make sure she was all right. Neo smiled thinking the two of them were safe, until someone from behind shot a dart at Neo, landing on the back of Neo's neck. Neo tried to remove the dart, but did little good as she collapsed to the ground. Eevee turned to where the dart came from and saw Torchwick had fired it from his cane.

"I hate it when I have to do everything by myself," said Torchwick. The duo were soon approached by more White Fang grunts. "Take them to the base. I'll deal with them later."


	30. Neo's Secret

_A few years ago_

Torchwick came home, enraged that the heist went terribly wrong. The plan was foolproof; Torchwick would attack the Schnee Co. building in New Vale City in an attempt to steal the secret documents, and in the chaos, Zoey would sneak in disguised as a Schnee Co. employee and swap the real documents with fake documents, making off with the goods while everyone would be busy dealing with Torchwick. Instead, Zoey never swapped the documents; she refused to steal just for the sake of stealing.

Torchwick was currently on the phone, arguing with the leader of the White Fang.

"Look, I know I screwed up!" said Torchwick. "Listen, just give me another test! I swear I can be an asset to the White Fang!"

"You had one chance, Torchwick," said that mysterious leader. "Quite frankly, I'm starting to have my doubts you were ever a good candidate to begin with."

"Please, give me another chance! It wasn't really me! It was my stupid Zorua who suddenly got cold feet! If I just get rid of her I can-"

The leader hung up on Torchwick; Torchwick threw his scroll into a wall and nearly broke it to pieces. He grabbed his cane and swung down on the couch to let out his frustrations. Zoey walked up to him and pawed at his leg.

"Zo, Zo!" said Zoey, trying to cheer Torchwick up.

"...get out," muttered Torchwick.

"Zo?"

"I said get out!" yelled Torchwick, kicking Zoey off his leg. "After everything I've ever done for you, this is how you repay me? If it weren't for me, you'd have died in that soaked box the day I found you! I gave you food, I gave you shelter, I gave you everything no other trainer would, and what do you do? You cost me the biggest opportunity of my thieving career! I don't ever want to see you again!"

"Zo, Zo!" yelled Zoey, crying and trying to apologize for not pulling off the heist. Torchwick picked up Zoey and carried her to the back door.

"You're such a useless Pokémon! I might never join the White Fang all because of you! I HATE you!"

"Zo, Zo!" cried Zoey. Torchwick opened the door and tossed Zoey out in the rain.

"Go ruin some other trainer's life!" yelled Torchwick, slamming the door shut. Zoey clawed at the door and begged to come back in, but Torchwick ignored her pleas. After minutes of constant scratching, Torchwick finally opened the door. Zoey was hoping that he had calmed down and decided to forgive her.

Instead, he picked up his cane and swung it at Zoey, smacking her hard in the face.

"Get the picture yet?" asked Torchwick. Zoey was in a state of shock; she couldn't believe the man she was with for so many years had just abused her. She slowly walked towards him; as she was getting closer, Torchwick was getting ready to swing his cane again. Another step towards Torchwick and she would be smacked again; Zoey instead backed away, fearing more retaliation. Torchwick slammed the door shut again.

With nowhere to go, she ran into the street as the rain was coming down harder. This time there would be no else to take her in; the city was completely devoid of life. Perhaps Torchwick was right; maybe she was useless as a Pokémon. After all, why did no one else take her in? Why was she alone in the first place? If she hadn't screwed up the heist, she'd still be living in a caring home. Now she was back to being on her own.

If nobody liked her as a Pokémon, perhaps it was time to adopt a new identity. She looked around the street trying to find something she can transform into. As she was walking, she came across an old poster for something called "Neopolitan Ice Cream," featuring a girl dressed in the same colors as Neapolitan ice cream; she concentrated and morphed into the girl on the poster. She found an umbrella by a nearby alley and took it with her. It was a little dirty, but still a pretty nice umbrella. She unfolded the umbrella and started walking. She didn't know where she would be going, but she couldn't stay here. Perhaps somewhere out there was someone who would like her for who she was. At the very least, perhaps she could find a new place to live to get out of the rain.

It was never a good day when it rained.

#

_Present Day_

Neo was starting to wake up from the effects of the tranquilizer dart. She found herself tied up to a chair in what appeared to be a tent. Standing in front of her were two of the White Fang grunts.

"So what are we using these bombs for anyway?" asked one of the grunts.

"I heard one of those kids talk about finding this Pokémon in a mountain off some island."

"We need all this just for one Pokémon? What are we trying to catch, a Rayquaza?"

"I heard it's something even more powerful than that. I forgot what they called it though; I think it started with either an M or an N."

Neo tried to break free of the ropes, but was too weak to do anything. One of the grunts turned to see she was awake.

"Come in boss," said the grunt. "The girl is waking up."

The trio of Emerald, Mercury, and Torchwick soon entered the tent. In Torchwick's hand was a little cage where Eevee was chained inside, growling to be let go. Seeing Eevee in the cage caused Neo to fidget and try to break free but was pointless. Torchwick placed the caged Eevee on a table by the side where Neo can still get a good look at her.

"Good morning sunshine," said Torchwick. "Seems you and this little mutt decided to drop in on our operation. Funny enough, I've met this little menace several times already, but I've never seen you before! Now, let's start with some introductions. Who are you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Mercury. "It's the original Neo Politan before they changed it to that dumb goth look."

"You do know that's a fictional character, right?" said Emerald.

"The resemblance is uncanny though."

"If you two are done yammering," said Torchwick, "I'd like our silent friend to speak up now."

Neo just looked angrily at Torchwick. Even if she could talk, she refused to say a word.

"All right, let's just stick with Neo for now. So Neo, a couple of co-workers of mine said they saw you perform Pokémon attacks. Now, I've heard tales of people existing with honest to goodness magic powers, but I doubt that's the case here. I don't think you're a human at all, are you?"

Neo just stared intensely at Torchwick, refusing to even answer a yes or no question.

"What's wrong? Don't like talking to humans? Then maybe you'll talk to your friend." Torchwick rotated Eevee's cage so Eevee was facing Neo. "Little mutt, ask your new friend here who or what she's supposed to be."

Eevee remained silent as well, causing Torchwick to sigh.

"All right, I tried to be nice. Mercury, would you like to do the honors?"

"Would I?" said Mercury, pulling out an electric prod from behind his back. He charged up the prod and jabbed it into Eevee's side, electrocuting her. Eevee yelped in pain from the electricity as Neo could do nothing but watch in horror.

"See, I could have chucked the two of you into the chasm that as far as I know sends you to the center of Remnant. But instead, I'm giving you the chance to live in exchange for information. Now are you going to tell me what I want to hear, or does my friend have to keep doing this?"

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee, telling Neo to not talk to Torchwick as Mercury continued to electrocute Eevee. Neo couldn't bear to see Eevee getting tortured; she had no other choice but to reveal her true identity.

"ZOOO!" yelled Neo. Mercury stopped shocking Eevee as the three turned to Neo. "Zoa, Zoa Zoa!"

"I think she's finally ready to talk," said Emerald.

Neo slowly transformed into her true self; her multi-colored hair turned spikey red, her jacket turned into a ruff of black hair, and her limbs morphed into claws. Her eyes remained the same two colors she had since birth. As they suspected, Neo was actually a Pokémon.

"So that's why she was able to perform those feats; this girl is actually a Zoroark."

"What's with the weird eyes?" asked Mercury.

"It's probably some birth defect."

"Wait a minute," said Torchwick. "These eyes..."

Torchwick went up to Zoroark and took a closer look at her eyes; the right eye was brown and the left eye was pink. It was just as Torchwick thought.

"I knew you seemed familiar somehow! After all this time, you've come back Zoey!"

"Zoey?" said Emerald. "You actually know this Pokémon?"

"This Zoroark used to belong to me when it was a Zorua. I decided to ditch it a couple of years ago when it couldn't handle the simplest of thefts. I never would have guessed it would come back to our old hometown, much less have the strength to evolve."

Torchwick bent down and put a hand on the side of Zoey's face.

"How have you been, Zoey? Ever find a new trainer to take you in?"

Zoroark tried to bite Torchwick's hand off in response; Torchwick quickly pulled away before he lost his hand.

"I'll take that as a no. So, you really care about this Eevee, don't you?"

"Zo," nodded Zoroark.

"If that's the case, I think we can let the Eevee go."

"Zo?"

"Of course! All you have to do is help me one last time."

"Zoa!" yelled Zoroark. She refused to ever help Torchwick again after the way he abandoned her, and especially with what they were doing to Eevee.

"C'mon now Zoey! It'll be like the good old days! Zoey and Roman, back for one night only! And if you do a good job, maybe I'll find it in my heart to take you back."

Torchwick went over to Eevee and held up her cage close to Zoroark; Eevee could barely move from the shocks she received.

"Or you can refuse to help and let this poor Eevee suffer the consequences. What's it going to be, Zoey?"

Zoroark tried to prevent itself from crying. She really didn't want to work for Torchwick again, but if she didn't, then Eevee was going to pay the price instead.

"Zoa," muttered Zoroark.

"I knew you'd come around," said Torchwick, petting Zoroark on the head. Zoroark closed her eyes and hoped Torchwick would be true to his word on letting Eevee go.

#

Ruby and Jaune were traveling around the woods outside of the city, searching for any kind of secret entrance back into Mountain Glenn. With the rangers patrolling around the city and already being caught once, it was impossible for them to just walk back into the city.

"There has to be another way to get down there!" said Ruby. "Jaune, do you know anything else about Mountain Glenn?"

"All I know is the weird rumors I've read off the internet," said Jaune.

"Anything about what lies underneath the city?"

"This one site claims the city was built on top of another city that was abandoned because a vengeful Pokémon destroyed the town."

"An underground city huh?" Ruby took out her Pokédex and had Penny search for any stories about the supposed city built underneath Mountain Glenn.

"My search has come up with 137 results for Mountain Glenn Underground City," said Penny.

"Do any of them explain why there's a city underneath Mountain Glenn?"

"A majority of the stories are rumors and discussions of a supernatural origin; however, three results claim the city was built by the Pokémon Science and Research Center. Citations include articles before the PSRC attack in which the center claimed to be working on projects involving city expansion to control for overpopulation. Journalists have theorized that the underground city is connected to these projects, but all work towards them ceased after the PSRC attack and the continued economic downturn of Mountain Glenn."

"So we know there's some kind of city down there, but how do we actually get to this place? I doubt we can just dig our way down and get lucky!"

"Actually," said Jaune, "something is bothering me about this whole underground base thing. If the White Fang have a lot of Dust and stuff down there, how are they going to transport it? They can't just drive in and out through delivery trucks, right?"

Jaune had a good point. Ruby never thought about how the White Fang were getting out of the city unless they had some kind of transportation system. That's when she suddenly had a revelation.

"That's it!" shouted Ruby.

"Wait, really?" said Jaune. "I was right?"

"Not about the trucks, but I think I know how they're transporting the Dust!" Ruby took out a Poké Ball and called out her Talonflame. "Talonflame, fly up and see if you can find any railroad tracks!"

"Railroad tracks?"

"If my hunch is right, this underground city must have some kind of railroad system to transport all their goods in and out of the city."

"Tal!" shouted Talonflame, indicating she found something.

"Lead the way, Talonflame!"

Ruby and Jaune followed Talonflame as she flew near a mountainside in the outskirts of the city. As Ruby thought, they eventually came across a set of railroad tracks set up in the middle of the forest. They followed the tracks towards the city and came across a tunnel coming out of the nearby mountain.

"I bet you anything this tunnel leads us underneath the city!" said Ruby.

"Wait!" said Jaune. "Shouldn't we call the Pokémon Rangers about this?"

Ruby ignored Jaune and immediately ran down the tunnel. Jaune frantically took out his scroll and tried to dial the emergency number for the rangers as he tried to catch up to Ruby.

After about fifteen minutes of walking by the tracks in total darkness, Ruby and Jaune finally reached the end of the tunnel. Before they can take a good look around, they were instantly greeted by Emerald and several White Fang grunts with their Houndours.

"Stay where you are!" shouted one of the grunts.

"Roman was right," said Emerald. "Somehow you always discover a way to find us."

"I don't have time to talk!" said Ruby, grabbing one of her Poké Balls. "Tell me where Eevee and Neo are now!"

"I'll do you one better; I'll take you to them personally. So I suggest you put away your Pokémon and follow us."

Even if Ruby had a chance of beating Emerald, having to fight off her and five grunts at once was going to be a hassle, and would likely cause Eevee and Neo to be in further trouble. Ruby begrudgingly put away her Pokémon as she and Jaune followed the White Fang.

Along the way, they looked around the underground cave they were in; it was brightly lit thanks to the holes from above providing light into the cave. The tracks continued to go out in the distance where Ruby saw some buildings that looked dilapidated and never finished construction. To the right of the tracks was a wide chasm that separated the cave apart; it was impossible to see where the bottom of the chasm was, but it was safe to say if anything fell there, it wasn't coming back.

_"The one time I'm in a cave where I can see everything and it's a thousand times worse than all the caves put together!" _thought Jaune. _"I hope the rangers find us before it's too late!"_

#

Near the end of the railroad tracks was the train where the White Fang had begun loading all the cargo needed for their new location. By the end of the tracks was a town square containing the one and only building that looked relatively close to being completed, which served as the White Fang's official HQ. Next to the HQ building were several other buildings that were as devoid of life as the rest of the incomplete city; the grunts worked out of the several large tents set up everywhere.

As Ruby and Jaune entered the town square, they suddenly heard a loud explosion coming from the opposite side of the cave. Jaune nearly fell over from the noise.

"What was that about?" asked Jaune.

"Don't mind that," said Emerald. "We're currently testing bombs for secret purposes. You probably noticed the holes from the city above caused by them."

"Noticed?" yelled Ruby. "That's the reason I lost my Eevee! Now where is she?"

"You're really aggressive today, little red. I have to admit I love seeing this side of you."

Ruby swore under her breath and was thinking of very not nice things to say about Emerald.

"Roman!" shouted Emerald. "They're here!"

Out of one of the tents came Torchwick, pretending to make a grand entrance as he walked up to Ruby.

"And the guest of honor has finally arrived!" said Torchwick. "Welcome, little red, to White Fang HQ! I know things here don't look pretty, but you know what they say: Home is where the heart is!"

"Cut to the chase!" said Ruby. "What have you done to Eevee?"

"Your Eevee is safe for the most part."

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee. Ruby turned to where she heard Eevee yell and saw Mercury holding the cage with Eevee in it, standing near the bottomless chasm. Mercury held the cage over the chasm, teasing that he was going to drop Eevee to her doom.

"You monster!" yelled Ruby. "Let her go!"

"If you say so," said Mercury, pretending he was going to drop the cage.

"Mercury, please!" said Torchwick. "Stick to the script!"

"Fine," said Mercury, disappointed he couldn't end this sooner.

"Here's the deal little red: If you want your Eevee back, all you have to do is beat me in a Pokémon battle."

"As if!" said Ruby. "This is some kind of trap!"

"No traps, no tricks, no chicanery! Just beat me in a one on one battle, and Eevee is all yours!"

"Why should we believe you?" asked Jaune.

"Because I have a personal grudge against little red. Time and time again, you always get the best of me. Sometimes it's just plain luck, and sometimes it's because you have somebody bailing you out. But I'm going to change that! I'm going to beat you once and for all and have my men send you to places that'll make that chasm seem inviting! However, if you are somehow still able to come out on top, you have my word as the world's greatest thief that I will return your Eevee."

"I don't trust him Ruby!" said Jaune. "He's obviously up to something!"

"I know," said Ruby. "But...I don't have a choice. Let's do this, Torchwick!"

The White Fang spread out and surrounded the area to make sure Ruby and Jaune didn't make a break for it. Ruby stepped forward and called out her Scizor to battle.

"For this battle, I'll use my Scizor!"

"Interesting," said Torchwick, grabbing his Poké Ball. "And for this battle, I'll call out..." Torchwick suddenly put his Poké Ball away and pointed his cane to the crowd behind him. "Neo!"

"Neo?"

Out from the crowd of White Fang grunts came Neo, slowly walking to her spot in front of Torchwick with her head down, as if she was too ashamed to face Ruby.

"What is this?" said Jaune. "You can't make a human fight a Pokémon!"

"Whoever said she was human?" said Torchwick. "Go on Neo, show them your little trick!"

Neo sadly looked towards Ruby and revealed her transformation into Zoroark. Ruby knew Neo had to be some kind of Pokémon, and now everything was almost starting to make sense.

"Give me a break!" said Jaune. "You're forcing that Zoroark to fight against its will!"

"On the contrary," said Torchwick. "Zoey here is an old partner of mine, and she's glad to be reunited with me! Isn't that right, Zoey?"

"Zoa," muttered Zoroark.

"I couldn't quite hear that!"

"Zoa!" yelled Zoroark. She couldn't even pretend to act like she was happy to be back with Torchwick.

_"I don't want to harm Neo, but I have to save Eevee!"_ thought Ruby. _"Torchwick you scum; I swear I'll make you pay for this!"_

"Let's get this battle started!" said Torchwick. "Zoey, let's kick things off with a Night Slash!"

"Scizor, Iron Defense!"

Zoroark charged for Scizor and attacked with a Night Slash; Scizor coated its body with more iron and took the attack, barely receiving any damage. Zoroark quickly tried to Night Slash again; Scizor held up its arms and blocked the attacks, taking little damage.

"Don't tell me you're just going to stand there and take it little red!" said Torchwick. "I thought you wanted to rescue your Eevee!"

"Scizor, Fury Cutter!" commanded Ruby. Scizor opened its claws and grabbed Zoroark's arm, clenching down real tight so she couldn't move. With Zoroark still, Scizor used its other claw to slash Zoroark in the chest, dealing a critical hit.

"Zoey, Dark Pulse!" Zoroark used her free arm to fire a blast of dark energy into the face of Scizor, causing Scizor to flinch and let go of Zoroark. "Now Zoey, evade with Double Team!"

Zoroark jumped back and created several fake images of herself as she ran circles around Scizor.

"Scizor, Fury Cutter them all!" Scizor flapped its wings and quickly flew to the closest Zoroark he could attack, but it was a fake. He quickly flew to another Zoroark and attacked again, but it was yet another illusion. Scizor kept attacking the other Zoroarks, only for all of them to be illusions as well. Suddenly, only Scizor was standing left to fight.

"What the...where's Zoroark?"

"Why little red, she's over there!" Ruby turned around in a 360-degree motion, but all she could see were the White Fang surrounding them. As Scizor and Ruby kept looking around in confusion, one of the White Fang grunts suddenly formed a Dark Pulse and fired at an unsuspecting Scizor, landing a direct hit that knocked Scizor down. That's when Ruby realized Zoroark had disguised herself as a grunt to gain the upper hand. Zoroark turned back to normal and reentered the battle as Torchwick laughed.

"Works every time!" said Torchwick. "That's what I love most about my Zoey! Thanks to her special trick, no one ever sees her coming until it's too late! Now Zoroark, attack with Foul Play!"

While Scizor was getting back up, Zoroark wrapped her arms around Scizor and suplexed him into the ground, dealing moderate damage with Scizor's own strength. Scizor swung at Zoroark with a Fury Cutter, only for Zoroark to disappear by using Double Team. Scizor looked around to see where in the crowd was Zoroark, but had no idea which one of the grunts was really her.

_"There's no way I can tell which one is Neo as long as her eyes are covered!"_ thought Ruby. _"How can I possibly win now?"_

"Eevee," groaned Eevee. It was hurting her to see her trainer and her new friend being forced to fight each other when they were both trying to save Eevee.

"What's wrong little mutt?" asked Mercury. "Feeling sick from watching the fight? Maybe this will help ease your pain."

Mercury violently shook the cage, rattling Eevee around and causing her to nearly choke on the chain they had her tied up in. Hearing Eevee yell in pain, Zoroark suddenly turned around to where Mercury was and saw Eevee getting tortured.

"ZOA!" screamed Zoroark, giving away her position.

"Mercury!" yelled Torchwick. "Stop doing that you idiot!"

"Scizor, X-Scissor now!" Finding out where Zoroark was, Scizor formed an X with his arms and flew to Zoroark. The grunts quickly got out of the way as Zoroark was so focused on Mercury that she didn't see Scizor come up and attack her, dealing a serious amount of damage and forcing her to break her disguise. Zoroark was having a hard time trying to get back up.

"Whoops," said Mercury.

"Will you just stand still while I try to defeat little red?" yelled Torchwick.

"You know how easily I get bored!"

"UGH! Not even Zoey was ever as useless as you!"

"Give up Torchwick!" said Ruby. "Zoey...I mean, Neo can't fight much longer!"

"Zoey is perfectly fine! She's suffered worse conditions than this back in our slum days! Get up, Zoey!"

As much as Zoroark didn't want to keep fighting, she needed to do everything she could to protect Eevee, and got back up as Torchwick commanded.

"See? Perfectly fine! Now Zoey, Night Slash attack!"

Zoroark wildly swung at Scizor; Scizor countered Zoroark's swings with its Fury Cutter. The two continued to swing back and forth against each other, but with Zoroark's weakened state, it wouldn't be long until Scizor was going to get the upper hand.

_"Time to cash in my insurance policy,"_ thought Torchwick. As the Pokémon kept fighting, Torchwick pulled out a dark red Dust crystal and threw it towards Scizor.

"Scizor, X-Scissor!" Just as Scizor formed his X and was about to attack, Torchwick fired a blast from his cane that caused the crystal to explode and seriously damage Scizor.

"What gives?" yelled Jaune. "You said you were going to fight fair!"

"You lying scumbag!" yelled Ruby. Ruby was about to charge at Torchwick when her and Jaune were suddenly grabbed from behind by the grunts.

"What can I say?" said Torchwick. "I have a really bad habit of cheating!"

Zoroark turned to Torchwick in disbelief that he decided to resort to cheating in order to win this battle.

"Now's your chance, Zoey! Finish off that Scizor and then go after them!"

Zoroark was conflicted. On the one hand, she had a perfect chance to defeat Scizor and protect Eevee from being harmed, but she was going to do it through unethical means. There was also no telling what the White Fang would do to Ruby and Jaune if Torchwick were to win this battle.

"What are you waiting for, Zoey? Remember our deal? Follow my orders or the Eevee suffers!"

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee, trying to convince Zoroark to stop listening to Torchwick.

This was it. Either Zoroark went against Torchwick's orders and saved Ruby and Jaune, or she did what she was told and saved Eevee. With no time to waste, Zoroark decided there was only one thing she can do. She unfurled her claws and ran towards Scizor.

She then ran past the Scizor and headed to the White Fang grunts holding Ruby and Jaune. She jumped off and Night Slashed the face of the grunt holding Ruby, then quickly turned around and Night Slashed the grunt holding Jaune. The two grunts fell down and screamed in pain from the slashing.

"Thanks for your help, Neo!" said Ruby.

"Hmph," said Torchwick. He wasn't too surprised to see his Zoroark betray him once again. "You never were good at following orders, were you Zoey? I should have known better than to ever rely on you! Say goodbye to your new best friend!"

"Have a nice trip, Eevee!" said Mercury, raising Eevee's cage up high. Zoroark immediately made a break for Mercury, but was too far to do anything; Mercury threw Eevee with all his might towards the middle of the chasm.

Ruby could only watch as her best friend was thrown into the abyss. Her heart felt like it stopped beating; her lungs felt like they couldn't breathe. She fell to her knees and couldn't comprehend what she had witnessed. While Ruby and Zoroark were in a state of shock, Torchwick was acting smug about his horrible actions.

"Oh darn," said Torchwick. "I forgot to get out my scroll to capture this fine moment. Oh well; it's hard to forget a memory like that."

Mercury was chuckling to himself at seeing Eevee fall to her demise. He bent down to see if he was still able to find her; when he peered into the chasm, he suddenly stopped laughing.

"Um, Torchwick?" said Mercury. "We have a problem."

"What problem?"

Mercury pointed towards where he threw Eevee. Torchwick went over to see what Mercury was talking about, and couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Eevee was slowly floating back up on her own. As Eevee was reaching the surface, they saw something carrying Eevee underneath; it was a Metagross.

"Where did that Metagross come from?" yelled Torchwick.

"Everyone stay where you are!" yelled someone behind Ruby. Everyone turned around and saw Ranger Coco had arrived at just the nick of time, much to Ruby's relief.

"Thank you so much for saving Eevee!" said Ruby.

"If you really wanted to thank me," said Coco, "you'd have stayed out of this like I told you so. Thankfully your friend here was smart enough to call the professionals."

Coco gave Jaune a hard pat on the back before taking off her sunglasses and staring down the White Fang.

"Now, step aside and let the rangers do their work."

"You think one measly ranger is going to stop all of us?" asked Torchwick.

"One measly ranger? Of course not."

Coco snapped her fingers and out from above came several rangers flying in. A group of rangers also suddenly appeared as a car screeched to a halt nearby and out popped more rangers. All the rangers gathered by Coco, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"Now a dozen rangers plus a member of the Magnificent Three? That should be plenty for dealing with you chumps. Metagross, secure Eevee at all costs! Rangers, you focus on dealing with the grunts! Leave the big three to me!"

As the rangers scrambled to fight off the grunts, Coco called out her Octillery as Metagross floated away with Eevee to a safer location.

"Even the best Pokémon Rangers don't stand a chance against us!" said Emerald, calling out her Weavile.

"Oh darling," said Coco, "you have no idea what you're in for."

"Three against one?" asked Mercury as he took out his Scrafty. "You really think you can beat us by yourself?"

"Then I'll help even the odds!" said Jaune, calling out his Snorlax.

"I'll help as well!" said Ruby as her Scizor went into his fighting position.

"I guess have no choice but to accept their help," said Coco. "FYI, I'm not bailing you two out again."

"I'm going to end this rivalry once and for all!" said Torchwick, calling out his Krookodile.

As the six of them were about to battle, Zoroark had gotten up and followed Metagross. Metagross stood by Eevee to make sure no one came close to Eevee; as soon as Zoroark got close, Metagross immediately stood in the way.

"[Back off!]" said Metagross.

"[Please, I just want to make sure she's okay!]" said Zoroark.

"[It's okay,]" said Eevee. "[She's a good Pokémon.]"

"[If you say so,]" said Metagross, moving aside so Zoroark can talk to Eevee.

"[Eevee, I'm sorry I couldn't save you,]" said Zoroark. "[Are you all right?]"

"[I'll be just fine!]" said Eevee. "[Please, you have to help Ruby stop the White Fang!]"

Zoroark turned back to see Ruby and her friends fighting the White Fang. She glared towards the man she wanted to get back more than anyone else. Zoroark charged into the fray and leapt over everyone, setting her sights on Torchwick.

"Whoa!" said Torchwick. "Who said you can be a part of this battle?"

"ZOA!" shouted Zoroark, pointing her claws at Torchwick.

"I don't like the way she's pointing at you," said Mercury.

"Now Zoey," said Torchwick, slowly backing away. "Let's not do anything crazy."

"ZO!" said Zoroark, leaping forward and trying to slash Torchwick. Torchwick immediately jumped back to avoid getting slashed.

"Okay then! Emerald, Mercury, take care of this trio for me! I've got some errands to do!"

Torchwick took out a Dust crystal and was about to fire it to make his escape, but Zoroark quickly went up and knocked the Dust and his cane aside. Torchwick immediately turned around and tried to run, but Zoroark quickly caught up and stood in front of him. Torchwick tried to turn the other way but was once again blocked by Zoroark, causing him to fall on his behind. Torchwick crawled back as Zoroark growled in anger.

"Okay, MAYBE I went a bit too far with Eevee!" said Torchwick. "I'm a criminal mastermind! I tend to do these things a lot, you know?"

"ZOA!" said Zoroark, grabbing him by the front of his jacket. She raised her other arm, ready to Night Slash Torchwick and seriously injure him. Zoroark was ready to strike him until she looked into his eyes; Torchwick looked scared out of his mind about what Zoroark was about to do to him. Seeing Torchwick scared suddenly caused memories of their time together to flash in Zoroark's mind. The days they spent trying to get food, trying to fight off bullies and shopkeepers who threatened to hurt them. The urge Zoroark had to harm Torchwick was suddenly disappearing.

Before she can let go, she was suddenly struck from behind by Krookodile's Iron Tail.

"About time you showed up you croc!" said Torchwick. "Now let's get rid of this traitor!"

Krookodile grabbed Zoroark by her arm and slammed her down with Foul Play; Zoroark grabbed Krookodile by his tail and used Foul Play in return. Krookodile opened his jaws and went to Crunch Zoroark's head; Zoroark used her Double Team to create an illusion and avoid the attack, then countered right back with a Dark Pulse. Krookodile swung with his Iron Tail; Zoroark swung with her Night Slash. The two continued trading blows back and forth.

While Zoroark was keeping Torchwick busy, Coco and her guests were taking it to the White Fang mercenaries.

"Octillery, Octazooka!" commanded Coco. Octillery sprayed ink everywhere, but the duo were quick to avoid the attack.

"Weavile, Metal Claw!"

"Scizor, Fury Cutter!" Weavile and Scizor slashed at each other with their attacks, remaining relatively even.

"Scrafty, Hi Jump Kick!" Scrafty jumped up and went to kick Octillery.

"Octillery, Wring Out!" Before Scrafty can land the hit, Octillery grabbed Scrafty's legs with its tentacles and overextended them to deal serious pain to Scrafty, then tossed him back.

"All right," said Jaune, "time to test out my new technique! Snorlax, Hyper Beam!"

Snorlax took a deep breath as it powered up immensely, then he leaned down and fired a strong beam of light from his mouth. Everyone quickly jumped aside to avoid the attack; the beam continued its trajectory until it suddenly cut through one of the ruined buildings; the beam disintegrated the weak support structure and caused the building to fall apart, causing a loud implosion that echoed in the cave.

"Watch where you're aiming!" yelled Coco. "One false move and this entire place can collapse!"

"Sorry!" said Jaune.

Torchwick noticed everyone stopping what they were doing upon hearing the building collapse. This gave him an idea of how to get out of the situation they were in. Torchwick took out his scroll to communicate with everyone.

"Listen up boys!" said Torchwick. "Get the train ready! We're blowing this place now!"

"But sir!" replied one of the grunts. "The boss said not to activate the bombs until we had everything ready!"

"Change of plans!"

Before Cinder had left, she had the White Fang line the roof of the cave with the Dust bombs that were to be activated as soon as everything was moved out, so that way they would leave no trace of evidence behind. While everyone else was busy fighting each other, he ran into the big tent where the detonator was located.

"By hook or by crook, Roman Torchwick is going to come out on top!" said Torchwick, slamming the button on the detonator.

Shortly after he activated the detonator, the bombs above the abandoned city went off. Everyone looked up to see the roof light up from the explosions as the large boulders started to fall down on top of them.

"That roof is going to fall on top of us!" said Coco. "Everyone evacuate the area now!"

"But what about the White Fang?" asked Ruby.

"This takes priority!"

As the White Fang recalled their Pokémon and made a break for the train, the rangers called out their Pidgeots and flew out of the area. Coco grabbed Ruby and Jaune to make sure they didn't do anything stupid again.

The boulders came crashing down on the town square, taking out the White Fang HQ and crushing what was left of the White Fang's equipment still left in the tents; one of the tents happened to also contain some of the remaining Dust they still needed to move. As Torchwick left the tent to escape, the leftover Dust being crushed caused a small explosion that caused Torchwick to lose his footing and trip over himself. When Torchwick fell to the ground, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ankle. He tried to stand up only for his foot to be in no condition to walk on. If he didn't find a way to get up and escape, he was a dead man.

"Someone help me here!" yelled Torchwick. "Mercury! Emerald! Somebody help me!"

Between the noises caused by the collapsing cave and the train already getting ready to leave, nobody from the White Fang could hear Torchwick's cry for help. Not even the rangers were in distance to help Torchwick now.

"HELP!"

Torchwick kept yelling for help, but it didn't look like anyone was coming. Torchwick looked up and noticed one of the large boulders above him dangling loosely. Even if Torchwick could crawl away, he wasn't going to get far enough to escape.

"So this is how the story of Roman Torchwick ends. Figures a villain like myself gets this kind of sendoff."

As the rock above broke apart and descended upon Torchwick, Torchwick closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable end when suddenly his arm was grabbed at the last moment. Whoever grabbed his arm pulled him away and rescued him just as the giant slab slammed into the ground where he laid just a mere second ago. Torchwick opened his eyes and looked up to see who had rescued him. He thought he had to be hallucinating; it was the Pokémon he had abandoned long ago in her Neo form.

"You...you actually saved me?" Neo nodded. "But...but why?"

Neo reached into chest behind her jacket and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Torchwick. Torchwick sat up and unfolded the paper; it was the crayon picture of the two of them from a long time ago. Torchwick was surprised; he actually remembered when he drew that picture, but he hadn't seen it in so long he figured it was long gone. After looking over the picture, he looked up at Neo, who placed a hand over her heart. Even if Roman Torchwick was now just a ruthless underhanded criminal, somewhere in there was still the boy that took her in when no one else would and saved her life. As much as Neo hated the man in front of her, she still had a spot in her heart for the boy she loved.

Krookodile ran over and grabbed Torchwick by the back of his jacket with his mouth and ran on all fours to the White Fang's train. Krookodile and Torchwick jumped onto the last opened freight cart as the train took off down the tracks. The train took a couple hits from the falling debris but still barreled down the tracks and through the tunnel leading outside.

#

After the collapse came to an end, Ruby, Jaune, and the rangers went back to observe the damage. As the White Fang planned, nothing was salvageable from the wreckage, including the now empty HQ building.

"Looks like the White Fang are making their next big move," said Coco. "One of you go to the surface and make a call to HQ; tell them to keep an eye out for any trains passing through Vale."

"Yes ma'am!" replied a ranger, flying up to the surface.

"Just where are the White Fang heading?" asked Ruby.

"That's for the Rangers to know, and for you to not," replied Coco. "Speaking of which, you and I need to have a SERIOUS chat!"

Ruby swallowed some air as Coco confronted Ruby and took off her sunglasses; Ruby figured she was going to get the chewing out of a lifetime and prepared for the worst.

"I ordered you to not get yourself involved, and yet you did anyway. Now I don't know how familiar you are with how the Pokémon Rangers operate, but we follow a list of priorities, and the top priority on that list is to ensure the safety of civilians and Pokémon. The way we make sure that civilians are safe from danger is to make sure they stay away from what we're trying to do. I don't care how skilled you think are in battle; you are not trained to face the dangers we deal with on a daily basis. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" quickly replied Ruby.

"Now normally this would be the part where I demand your trainer license, but since you were a big help in busting the White Fang's operations today, I'm going to pretend I never met you here."

With a snap of her fingers, Metagross appeared with a now freed Eevee. Eevee immediately leapt into Ruby's arms and licked her furiously while Coco and the rangers went back to work.

"Thank Arceus you're okay, Eevee!" said Ruby, giving Eevee the tightest of hugs.

Meanwhile, when the boulders came crashing down, Zoroark hid herself in one of the ruined buildings to protect herself. She came out from her hiding spot and saw Ruby and Eevee happily reunited. Zoroark was happy to see Eevee returned to her master, but saddened because this would be the last time Zoroark would ever get to see Eevee. After letting down Eevee and allowing Torchwick to escape, she didn't think there was any chance Eevee or Ruby would ever take her in. Zoroark decided it was best if she left now and continued wandering the world. She transformed into her Neo form, unfolded her umbrella and began to walk away.

"Wait Neo...I mean, Zoroark!" Neo turned around to hear Ruby calling out to her.

"You don't have a trainer, do you?" Neo shook her head.

"Well, why not come with us? I'd love to have a Pokémon of your skills on my team, and my Eevee gets along with you really well!"

Neo gasped; she couldn't believe Ruby was asking her to join.

"Zo...Zoa?" asked Neo.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, wanting Neo to come along. Neo smiled widely and tossed her umbrella aside, transforming back into Zoroark and running over to Ruby and Eevee. Eevee jumped out of Ruby's arms and into the arms of her new friend Zoroark. Zoroark cried happily as she hugged Eevee and found her new trainer at last.

"Looks like I've caught a new Pokémon after all," said Ruby.

"More like adopted," said Jaune. "What is it with you and abandoned Pokémon?"

#

The White Fang's train continued its trek through Vale. The next phase of the plan was for the train to arrive at its undisclosed location where the goods would be dropped off before being delivered to their new location. Torchwick was sitting in the freight cart, looking at the crayon picture Zoey handed to him. He can remember drawing that picture like it was yesterday.

_Several years ago_

Torchwick was in the kitchen, drawing another picture with his crayons. Torchwick really enjoyed making portraits with his crayons, as it was one of the few luxuries he was able to enjoy in his poor state. Zoey had come into the kitchen to see what he was drawing now.

"Check it out Zoey!" said Torchwick. "I drew a picture of us!"

Torchwick held the picture for Zoey to see. It was them standing hand in hand, with their initials on top surrounded by a giant heart.

"You and I are going to be an inseparable team! Zoey and Roman forever!"

"Zo Zo!" cheered Zoey, jumping up to rest on Torchwick's lap.

_Present Day_

"What you got there, Roman?" asked Mercury, suddenly appearing beside him.

"Oh, this?" said Torchwick. "Some old junk I found."

Torchwick crumpled up the picture and tossed it out the open cart door. As Torchwick was looking out the train, he suddenly held his eyes as if it was suddenly in pain. "OW!"

"What happened?"

"Some dirt flew into my eye and now it's irritated!" said Torchwick. Mercury looked over and noticed Torchwick crying from whatever was caught into his eye.

"Next time don't stick your head out the train, idiot."

"Duly noted."

Mercury walked off to another cart as Torchwick pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Stupid dirt."


	31. Patch Island, Here We Come!

After hitting a snag in her investigation, Blake finally found the secret headquarters of the White Fang located in Mountain Glenn. Unfortunately for her, she was already too late. The White Fang base was now nothing more than a pile of rubble.

"Either they've already shipped the explosions or those rangers interfered again!" said Blake. "I have no idea where they've gone, and by the time I do it might be too late! Only one other option left."

Blake took out her scroll and went to an app that hacked into the communications network of the Schnee Co. Headquarters in Vale.

"Time to find out if Project Master has finally been completed."

#

Ruby and Jaune were just waking up inside the Pokémon Center they were in. Jaune was doing his morning routine, but Ruby remained in bed. She wasn't feeling like her usual self today; she took out her scroll and was visiting random websites for no discernible reason. Eevee woke up and jumped on Ruby's bed to greet her.

"Eevee!" chirped Eevee.

"Morning Eevee," said Ruby in a disenchanted tone. Eevee was worried to see Ruby in a suddenly bad mood.

"Eevee?"

"I'm just not feeling all right. I think I'm just going to lay here all day."

Ruby continued to do random stuff on her scroll while Jaune was fully dressed and ready to go.

"Wakey wakey sleepy head!" said Jaune. "You've got to get to a new city and earn that seventh badge of yours!"

"Some other time," said Ruby. "I'm not in the mood for battling."

"Are you okay, Ruby? Did you eat something bad? It was that burger, wasn't it? I had a feeling it wasn't medium rare!"

"My stomach's perfectly fine. It's just...I don't feel like myself right now."

"Um...is this one of those things where I shouldn't really do any talking because it's just going to make you feel worse?"

"Not really. In fact, maybe talking it out will help me figure out what's wrong."

Jaune grabbed a chair and took a seat across from Ruby.

"So what's on your mind?"

"Lately I've been having thoughts about home."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. At first I was thinking about our time in Mountain Glenn, and how Zoroark was abandoned, and suddenly it got me thinking about how I haven't visited my home in over a year, and now I just...I don't feel like doing anything right now."

"Now that I think about it, we've been traveling for a few months now and I've never really asked you much about Patch Island. What's that place like exactly?"

"It's like a seasonal paradise," said Ruby, suddenly sounding content. "Every feeling you'd get during a season was felt ten-fold on Patch Island. It would get blistering hot during the summer, windy and chilly in the fall, incredibly snowy in the winter, and bright and beautiful in the spring. I always tried to visit home as much as I could while I was staying in Beacon Academy."

"I'm no doctor, but I think I just came up with my diagnosis!"

"What's the word, doc?"

"This is a classic case of homesickness, and I know just the cure! We should take a trip to Patch Island!"

Jaune expected Ruby to sit up and approve of Jaune's idea, but she just sighed and rolled over in bed.

"I know you mean well Jaune," said Ruby, "but that's not going to happen. I mean I'd love to visit my home for a couple days, but the Pokémon League deadline keeps getting closer and I don't want to miss it because I was homesick. I'll find a way to get over this."

"But if you're so distracted from being homesick, there's no way you can complete your quest before the deadline anyway! Go back to your neighborhood, visit some old places, talk to some old friends, and before you know it, you'll be feeling a hundred and ten percent!"

Ruby thought about all her favorite places to visit on Patch Island, including this one special place that she always made sure to visit above all else. Maybe it was because she hadn't gone there in such a long time that she was feeling so mentally drained.

"You know what Jaune? You're right!" Ruby suddenly jumped out of bed ready to go. "Pack your bags, because we're heading to Patch Island!"

#

Ruby decided she wanted to take a cruise ship to Patch Island, so later that day, Ruby and Jaune were at the city's port purchasing their cruise tickets. As they waited for the S.S. Sheena to be ready, Ruby took out a note pad and tried to think of what to write.

"Need help with something?" asked Jaune.

"I'm thinking about all the things I want to do on Patch Island," said Ruby, "but I have so many ideas I'm not sure where to start!"

"Why not just list them all and then go from there?"

"I'll try."

Ruby furiously started scribbling down idea after idea of what she can do on Patch Island. Soon she ran out of room on the one piece of paper she had and scrambled to get another one out of her bag.

"Don't you think that's enough?"

"But I've got at least ten...twelve other things I can think of!"

"Okay, let's stop and think for a second. We know the Pokémon League deadline is coming up soon, so of course we can't do absolutely everything on the list. Let's imagine that we only get one day to do what we want to do. If we only had that one day, what would you be doing above all else?"

"I know exactly what I would do!"

Ruby took out another piece of paper and wrote down two items, then drew a giant line underneath them.

"I want to do as many things as possible, but if I'm only able to do a handful of things, I'm definitely going to do this."

Jaune looked over to see what Ruby had written down; on the top of the paper was "Visit home," and right underneath that was "Talk to mother."

"There you go!" said Jaune. "Before we do anything else, we'll stop by your house and talk to mom!"

"Actually, that's two separate things," said Ruby.

"Oh. Your mother doesn't live at your home?"

"You can put it that way."

"Say no more!" said Jaune. He had a feeling he was treading into "too personal" territory and didn't want to make Ruby's trip upsetting.

"Attention passengers!" said the loudspeaker. "The S.S. Sheena is now ready for boarding! All aboard for Patch Island!"

Ruby and Jaune gathered their stuff and boarded the ship. Ruby was starting to feel a bit better about herself; she couldn't wait to arrive on her home island.

#

Since they wouldn't be staying overnight, Ruby and Jaune simply dropped their bags in their suite and relaxed on the beds. Ruby was looking through a pamphlet of all the activities the cruise ship had to offer.

"Dance party...murder mystery dinner...a screening of "The Man With Two Souls"...you feel like doing anything, Jaune?"

"Uuugh," replied Jaune.

"Okay...how about swimming in the pool?"

"Eeehh," replied Jaune.

"What's with you all of a sudden?"

"I...can't..."

Jaune suddenly got up and made a beeline for the bathroom, closing the door shut right away. Ruby can hear loud wretching noises coming from within.

"I'm not a doctor, but I think he's come down with seasickness."

"Eevee," replied Eevee. Jaune opened the bathroom door and looked like he had Spiritomb suck his soul out again.

"Turns out my stomach thinks moving slowly over the sea was a terrible idea," said Jaune.

"Do you need some medicine?"

"Nah. The bathroom comes with seasickness pills and a couple of other stomach settling-"

Jaune suddenly had to shut the door again as he thought what he made go down was now coming back up. After fighting to keep his stomach intact, he got out of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed.

"Sorry Ruby, but I'm going to have to nap this trip through."

"Eevee," said Eevee, also feeling like napping in Ruby's bed as well.

"All right. I'll be cruising around the cruise. Call me if you need something, okay?"

Ruby went through her bag and decided to carry some of her Pokémon with her. She figured this cruise ship probably had a place for Pokémon battles, so she decided to carry some of her lesser-used Pokémon in case she was up for a more casual battle.

Ruby walked to the front deck of the cruise ship, where many people were looking out towards the sea and relaxing in the sun. A flock of Wingulls landed on the deck; one of the smaller kids on the deck ran after them and chased them away. Ruby chuckled at seeing the child trying to chase the Wingulls; it brought back memories of when she tried to do the same thing with the birds on Patch Island. Ruby leaned against the rail and looked out the sea, thinking about her days of youth.

_"I've been so busy trying to focus on my final grades and then my journey, I never made time to come back home. It'll be nice to walk around good old Signal Town again; say hi to my old teachers, visit my favorite ice cream shop, maybe grab a book from the old bookstore...I wonder if dad will be home when I get there?"_

As Ruby continued to reminisce about the good old days, she heard a loud uproar coming from the lower deck below. It sounded like a big event was occurring.

"What's all the commotion about?" asked a passenger.

"They're holding open Pokémon battles down there," said another. "I went to get a drink and there was this pretty lady who's been on a long winning streak."

"Glad I didn't bring my Pokémon."

_"Pretty lady with a winning streak?"_ thought Ruby. _"Please don't tell me..."_

"Excuse me," said Ruby. "This pretty lady...what exactly did she look like?"

"Didn't quite get a good look at her, but I know she had long black hair and this really shiny black dress; almost like the kind a lady wears at a ball."

"Sounds like one high class woman!"

_"And thankfully not of the ice variety,"_ thought Ruby. _"I wonder who this woman is?"_

Ruby decided to walk down to the lower deck where a large crowd was starting to gather around. Ruby could barely maneuver through the crowd, who were cheering like crazy for the competitors. She finally stood on one of the dining tables pushed aside to get a good view of the battle. On one side was a butch sailor using a Sharpedo, and on the other side was the lady in black; Ruby could only see the woman from behind, so all she could see was the black dress and the shoulder-length black hair. She was using a Volcarona, only it was wearing some kind of strange mask.

"Sharpedo, Aqua Jet attack!" The Sharpedo charged at Mach speed into the Volcarona. Despite its incredible speed, the Volcarona was able to fly up and avoid the attack.

"Volcarona, Bug Buzz!" commanded the woman. The Volcarona rapidly vibrated its wings to create a distorting sound that dealt enough damage to knock out Sharpedo in one hit. The sailor couldn't believe his Pokémon fainted already.

"And with that, the mysterious and beautiful Miss Amber Autumn has won her ninth battle in a row!" said the announcer. "Is there anyone out there still willing to face this competitor?"

A lot of people in the crowd were talking about how none of them wanted to step up and face this powerful trainer. With no one wanting to battle, Ruby decided she might as well give it a shot, even if she wasn't going to use her strongest Pokémon.

"I'll challenge her!" yelled Ruby.

"Looks like we have a brave soul after all! Come on down, lass!"

Ruby made her way to the battle area and finally got a good look at this Amber Autumn. Her dress was truly shining and fancy; she also had black elbow length gloves, a pair of black glass earrings, and had her face covered in a mask. The only thing that wasn't black was her amber colored eyes. This woman truly looked like she was sophisticated.

"You've got guts, kid," said Amber. "What's your name?"

"Ruby Rose!" replied Ruby.

"Well Ruby...best of luck to you."

"This will be a three on three battle!" said the announcer. "When you're ready, let the battle begin!"

Ruby decided to start off with her Gloom; the mysterious Amber sent out her mischievous ghost Mismagius.

"Mismagius, Mystical Fire!" Mismagius conjured up a ring of fire and fired it at Gloom; Gloom tried to run away but the fire homed in on Gloom and severely burned it.

"Quick Gloom, fire your Stun Spore!" Gloom leaned down and fired its spores at Mismagius, causing Mismagius to slow down.

"Now Gloom, Mega Drain!"

"That won't do you much good!" replied Amber. "Mismagius, Psywave!"

As Gloom tried to absorb health away from Mismagius, Mismagius emitted a strong psychic wave that severely damaged Gloom; Gloom suddenly got dizzy and fainted.

"And Miss Amber has already taken the lead!" said the announcer.

"Guess I neglected Gloom a bit too long," said Ruby, recalling her Pokémon. "All right, it's Beedrill's turn now!"

Ruby called out her Beedrill, who floated up to the same height as Mismagius.

"Another poor choice of Pokémon," said Amber. "Mismagius, Mystical Fire!"

"Beedrill, Flash attack!"

As Mismagius conjured the ring of fire, Beedrill suddenly flashed a bright light into Mismagius' eyes. The bright Flash was enough for Mismagius to lose her vision and fire blindly at Beedrill, completely missing its target.

"Now Beedrill, hit them with Toxic!" Beedrill raised its poisonous stinger up and launched a large amount of purple gunk at Mismagius. The gunk landed on Mismagius and badly poisoned the flying ghost.

_"This trainer is more cunning than she looks,"_ thought Amber. _"I'll have to be more cautious."_

"Mismagius, time for the Perish Song!" Mismagius started to sing some kind of enchantment spell, but it didn't seem to do anything to Beedrill.

"Beedrill, Poison Jab!" Beedrill thrust its stinger into Mismagius and knocked the ghost back to the ground. Low on health and affected by too many ailments, Amber recalled her Pokémon.

"Not bad kid," said Amber. "Now let's see how you fare against this one."

Amber called out her next Pokémon: The big deer Pokémon, Sawsbuck. The Sawsbuck had red leaves growing out of its horns, meaning it was the Autumn form.

"Sawsbuck, Double-Edge!"

"Beedrill, Toxic!"

Sawsbuck bent its head down and charged into Beedrill. Beedrill held up its stinger and shot the Toxic onto Sawsbuck. Despite being covered in the goop, Sawsbuck still charged at full speed into Beedrill and rammed into Beedrill with its horns before slamming Beedrill into the ground, damaging its own horns in the process.

"That wasn't a smart move," said Ruby. "Your Sawsbuck just severely damaged itself and its badly poisoned! It won't be long until it gets knocked out!"

"Really now?" replied Amber. "Sawsbuck, Aromatherapy!"

Sawsbuck stood back up and released a soothing smelling gas from its horns. Sawsbuck inhaled the gas and suddenly cured itself of its poison.

"All right, so it can cure itself, but it still won't last long! Beedrill, Twin Needle!"

Beedrill flew up and lunged its needles into the chest of Sawsbuck, dealing more critical damage. Sawsbuck looked to be on the verge of defeat.

"It's not over yet! Sawsbuck, Horn Leech!"

Sawsbuck stood right back up and snared Beedrill into its horns. The horns glowed green as Sawsbuck then drained some health away from Beedrill. Beedrill broke away from the horns and flew up high.

"One more Twin Needle should do it, Beedrill!" Beedrill took aim and was about to dive into Sawsbuck when it suddenly began to hear Mismagius' chant in his head. Beedrill looked around to find Mismagius but couldn't find her. The chanting started to get louder and ear-piercing, driving Beedrill mad. The chanting became too much to bear and Beedrill suddenly collapsed to the ground, unable to keep fighting.

"What happened to Beedrill?" asked Ruby.

"It was the Perish Song," explained Amber. "My Mismagius chanted a spell that automatically takes out any Pokémon that hears it after a certain amount of time as long as they remain in battle."

_"No wonder she kept her cool while Sawsbuck was weak,"_ thought Ruby. _"This lady isn't just a pretty face; she's definitely a strong trainer!"_

"Ruby is only down to one Pokémon!" said the announcer. "Let's see if she can make this count!"

Ruby tossed out her final Pokémon: The giant squid monster, Tentacruel. Amber wasted no time attacking Tentacruel.

"Sawsbuck, Megahorn!" Sawsbuck bent down and charged towards Tentacruel.

"Tentacruel, Barrier!" The orbs from Tentacruel's head emitted a psychic Barrier that suddenly stopped Sawsbuck from touching Tentacruel. Sawsbuck kept ramming into the Barrier, hoping to reach Tentacruel.

"Now Tentacruel, Acid Spray!" Tentacruel lifted one of its front tentacles and sprayed an acidic fluid at Sawsbuck. The Acid Spray landed on Sawsbuck's eyes, causing Sawsbuck to go blind as it stomped around in pain.

"All right Tentacruel, use Wrap!" Tentacruel expanded several of its tentacles and wrapped them around the horns of Sawsbuck, squeezing them tight to keep Sawsbuck in place.

"You fool!" said Amber. "You just made Tentacruel a sitting duck! Sawsbuck, Horn Leech!"

Sawsbuck calmed down as its horns glowed green, draining Tentacruel's health away through his tentacles.

"Did you really think disabling Sawsbuck's horns was going to stop it from attacking?"

"No," said Ruby, "but it did leave itself wide open for my next attack!"

"What?"

"Tentacruel, unleash your Hydro Pump!"

Tentacruel opened up its mouth hidden underneath its beak and fired a high volume of water into Sawsbuck, who couldn't get out of the way in time because it was trying to use Horn Leech. The water pressure was damaging enough to knock Sawsbuck out.

"Now things are tied up!" said the announcer. "Each trainer will now be down to their final Pokémon! Is the undefeated streak about to come to an end?"

"You have been quite a challenge," said Amber as she recalled Sawsbuck. "But this is where it all comes to an end."

Amber called out her Volcarona as expected. As the Volcarona floated above them, Ruby got a good look at the mask covering Volcarona's face; it was pale white and had red markings on it, looking like the skulls of the fairy tale Grimm creatures.

"Volcarona, begin your Quiver Dance!" Volcarona spread its wings and began to dance around in mid-air; the wings on Volcarona were glowing brightly.

"It must be powering up!" said Ruby. "Quick Tentacruel, Hydro Pump!"

Tentacruel opened up and fired another huge blast of water at Volcarona. The red markings on Volcarona's mask suddenly started glowing as well before the water drenched Volcarona. Despite the heavy amount of water soaking Volcarona, it still stayed in the air like it wasn't damaged at all.

"No way! It took that entire attack and can still fly?"

"My Volcarona's strength is far beyond your Tentacruel's. Now Volcarona, unleash a Hurricane!"

Volcarona's masked glowed again as Volcarona rapidly flapped its wings at Tentacruel. Tentacruel suddenly found itself in the middle of a strong Hurricane as its body was tossed up to nearly the top of the deck like it was nothing. Tentacruel came crashing down on the floor, its eyes spinning in confusion from the attack.

"Finish it with a Fiery Dance!" commanded Amber. Volcarona's wings now burned bright white as they flapped, spewing hot embers that scattered all over the Tentacruel's body. Even though it was a Water type, the embers burned through Tentacruel's skin and severely damaged Tentacruel, putting an end to the battle.

_"That Volcarona was super powerful!"_ thought Ruby. _"Is she secretly some kind of pro? And what's with the weird mask? I've never seen a Pokémon item like that before!"_

"It's over!" said the announcer. "Miss Amber Autumn clenches her tenth victory in a row!"

"Good battle," said Ruby. "I've got some serious training to catch up on."

"You were quite good yourself," said Amber. "I can tell you have the potential to be a top notch trainer."

Amber recalled her Pokémon and left the battle area with Ruby.

"I think I've had my fun for today. How would you like to join me for lunch?"

"Sure," replied Ruby. Ruby figured this might be her chance to learn a little more about this mysterious pro.

But what Ruby didn't know was while Ruby had no idea who Amber was, Amber knew exactly who Ruby was; she was the trainer that was constantly thwarting her organization's plans. "Amber Autumn" was the alias name used by Team White Fang's leader, Cinder Fall.

_"So this is the trainer that Torchwick and the others have had trouble defeating? How can she possibly have defeated my men several times before?"_

#

Ruby and Cinder went to the buffet hall and sat together. With this being one of the few opportunities to eat as much as she could for free, Ruby's plate was full of every piece of seafood she can get her hands on. Cinder was having just a regular salad.

"So Ruby, how long have you been a pro trainer?" asked Cinder.

"Not quite a pro yet," said Ruby. "I graduated a few months ago and I'm working on getting the eight badges needed for the Pokémon League. Just two badges away and I'm in!"

"I see. For someone who's not a pro, you sure do battle like one, even if you lost."

"I don't want to brag or put you down, but to be honest, those were some of my lesser used Pokémon. I haven't really battled with them extensively."

_"Not her best Pokémon?"_ thought Cinder. _"So I haven't seen what she's truly capable of. However, she couldn't possibly be strong enough to defeat my best subordinates."_

"But then again," said Ruby, "that Volcarona of yours was so strong I'm not sure even my best Pokémon would've stood a chance. You wouldn't happen to be competing in the League Championship are you?"

"I don't care much for pro battling really," said Cinder. "I'm more of a...researcher, if you will."

"What kind of research?"

"Usually the history and biology side of Pokémon."

"Ever done some archeology? Because I met this one archeologist who loves doing that kind of work."

"I've dabbled in that a couple of times in my youth, but things didn't work out as well I hoped."

"Yeah, I heard it's really hard to discover new stuff."

"That wasn't really the problem for me, though."

"So what was the problem?"

"Idiots, mostly," she replied in a more annoyed tone, jamming her fork hard into a piece of lettuce. Ruby had a feeling Amber did not have a pleasant experience in her line of work.

"Anyway," said Ruby, "what brings you to Patch Island?"

"Some business meetings I have to attend. How about yourself? Patch Island doesn't have a league gym for you to earn badges."

"I'm just taking a break to visit my family and get some rest. I've had quite an interesting journey."

"How interesting?"

"Well, long story short, I've had several run-ins with those White Fang jerks."

"Grunts stealing your Pokémon I assume?"

"I wish. It isn't just the grunts I've dealt with; I've had fights with their top brass ever since I've interfered with their plans over and over."

"Really? You've come face to face with their top men and survived?"

"Surprising, I know. Thankfully I've had friends to help me out in a jam. As awesome as it would sound, no way a kid like me can defeat an entire organization single handedly!"

_"So she's been getting help after all,"_ thought Cinder. While Ruby was busy eating, she took out her scroll and looked up the list of profiles of people against the White Fang. Aside from the various rangers and spies hired by Schnee Co., there was the mysterious ninja trainer that many of her grunts have reported seeing constantly. _"If these two are in league with each other, then does she know what the White Fang is ultimately planning? Does she know about Subject M?"_

"What else do you know about the White Fang?" asked Cinder.

"Aside from being a bunch of stealing, abusive jerks? Not much. Although...never mind."

"I can tell you know something, Ruby."

"Well...it's just I've heard from a friend that the White Fang used to be good people who helped Pokémon. They were kind of like the Pokémon Rangers of their day. But to think that this criminal gang were once the good guys just seems unbelievable."

"It's not entirely false, though."

Ruby was surprised by Amber's response. "So it's true then? The White Fang were good people?"

Cinder held up a baby carrot from her salad. "I remember hearing about the White Fang occasionally in my youth. They were always about protesting against companies like Schnee Co. or academies or whoever they thought was working with "the man" if you will. Honestly, to me it seemed like only a matter of time when they decided that you don't get things done with protests and petitions; what you really need is brute force."

Cinder smiled as she broke the carrot in her hand, creating a snapping sound in the process. "And now look at them! They've gone from obscure protestors to worldwide recognition. Now just mentioning their name is enough to strike fear into people's hearts. As a businesswoman, I would call that...a success."

"It's disgusting is what it is," replied Ruby.

"That's how the world works, kid. One day you'll understand."

Once Cinder was done with her meal, she stood up to leave.

"Well Ruby, it was nice getting to know you," said Cinder. "Maybe when we meet again, we can have a true rematch."

"So long," said Ruby, "and enjoy Patch Island!"

Ruby continued to eat her lunch as Cinder left, smiling to herself that Ruby was none the wiser.

_"She has no idea about the White Fang's plans and Subject M. That means this operation should be able to go smoothly."_

#

A few hours later, the S.S. Sheena was now docking on Patch Island. As soon as Ruby got off the ship and placed her feet on Patch Island ground, she can feel her heart skipping beats and her shoulders feeling light as air.

"I'm home!" shouted Ruby, taking in a deep breath of her island's fresh air.

"At least you're feeling good," said Jaune, stumbling off the ship, trying his best to keep what remained of his insides, inside.

"Don't worry Jaune. Once you breathe in some Patch Island air, you'll be feeling great in no time!"

"I hope so," replied Jaune, running to the nearest restroom in the rest area.

While Ruby waited for Jaune to feel better so they can go, Cinder got off the ship carrying her briefcase and headed to her limousine waiting outside the docks. Once inside, she made a call to the White Fang Lieutenant stationed on Patch Island.

"Welcome to the island, Madam Cinder," greeted the Lieutenant.

"What's the status on your search, Lieutenant?" asked Cinder.

"We've been finding more hordes of Ditto the deeper we go into the cave. We think it could be hiding somewhere close by. Shall we start the demolition?"

"Before you engage it, make sure to capture as many Dittos as you can. We'll need them for the next phase of the plan, then you can begin the demolition."

"Any other orders, madam?"

"You may have some unexpected company trying to interfere in our plan. Be sure you get rid of them as well."

"Understood, Madam Cinder. Lieutenant out."

Cinder opened up a window and looked out towards a mountain on the other side of the island.

_"I've been waiting twenty years for this. Subject M will finally be mine."_


	32. My Little Sun Dragon

After arriving on Patch Island, Ruby and Jaune were on the road to Ruby's home in Signal Town. It was a town with a population of just a little over 100, and didn't have anything to offer in terms of tourism or traveling Pokémon trainers, but that's what made the town special. It was a town with just regular folks doing regular things; a town with the slogan "A sanctuary from the extraordinary."

"So, any places of interest on this island?" asked Jaune.

"Not really," said Ruby. "Patch Island is just an island with some beautiful wildlife and simple little towns. Oh, but there is one place I consider special."

Ruby pointed to a tall mountain in the distance; the mountain appeared to be as tall as the sky itself.

"See that mountain? That's Dragon Sanctuary. It's a protected home for Dragon type Pokémon."

"That means Pokémon aren't allowed to be captured there, right?"

"Yep. My sister was actually the one who went to the Pokémon League Officials and got them to make the place a sanctuary. That mountain is really special to her."

As Ruby went on to talk about the other wildlife locations of Patch Island, they came across a Leppa berry tree.

"Hey, a Leppa tree! That means we're exactly one mile away from Signal Town! Let's go!"

Ruby immediately ran as fast as she could, never stopping once to rest. Jaune wondered how Ruby was always able to run so fast as he was trying to catch up to her. Along the way Ruby ran past an Apicot tree, which reminded her of the trick she was taught in elementary school.

"There's the Apicot tree! Then comes the Nanab tree, and after that is the Grepa, the Iapapa, and the Sitrus! That's how you know you're closer to Signal!"

As predicted, she eventually came across the berry trees that would spell out Signal if you started from the town and went a mile out. After passing by the Sitrus tree, it wasn't long until she suddenly found herself standing at the front entrance of the town. Between two trees was a gate with an arch sign that read "Welcome to Signal Town." Ruby stood at the front of the gate as if she was standing in front of heaven itself while waiting for Jaune to finally make it.

"We're here!" shouted Ruby. "You ready to take the Signal Town grand tour?"

"In about three minutes," said Jaune, trying to catch his breath after having to run a mile.

The first stop on the grand tour was the ice cream store. Ruby always remembered to visit the store anytime she came back to Patch Island to get her usual favorite. As soon as she walked through the door, she was recognized by the salesman over the counter.

"Is that you little Ruby?" asked the salesman. "I haven't seen you in ages! Your dad tells me you went off on your Pokémon journey! How's that going for you?"

"Six badges and counting!" replied Ruby.

"Well that certainly calls for a celebration! I take it you want the Ruby Rose special?"

"You bet I do!" said Ruby. Ruby was quickly given a cup filled with strawberry ice cream, topped with miniature chocolate chip cookies, and a more than generous amount of red and black sprinkles. One bite into her ice cream and Ruby can already feel all of her anxiety just melt away.

"And here's a treat for your little Eevee friend!" The salesman handed Eevee a bright pink Poképuff with a cherry on top, which made Eevee jump for joy. "I remember when you used to come here nearly every week with Yang and that Dratini of hers. In fact, I believe I saw your sister on the news recently; her and the rest of those Pokémon Rangers have been really busy with the White Fang lately. Sounds like something big is about to go down."

"Won't be a problem for Yang and my Uncle Qrow!" said Ruby.

"I suppose so. Knowing your sister, she'll probably try fighting the entire organization by herself! Would probably win too with her Dragons by her side! Enjoy your little break, Ruby; say hi to Yang and Tai for me!"

Once Ruby was done with her ice cream, her and Jaune's next stop was the town's school she attended. The school building wasn't very wide considering the small population of the town, with most of the space being used as a yard for the children to play.

"That's Signal Elementary," said Ruby. "This is where I went to school before going to Beacon Academy. My uncle is a teacher here."

"I bet having a relative in the school gets you special treatment," said Jaune.

"Quite the opposite, actually. In fact, I had classes with my uncle and I'm pretty sure he gave me more homework than anyone else."

An old bearded man in a suit was standing by the fence overlooking the children playing. Ruby went up to the fence and tapped the old man on the shoulder.

"Hello Principal Enma!" greeted Ruby. The principal turned around and smiled.

"Why, Ruby Rose!" said Enma. "What a pleasant surprise! How's the post-graduation life treating you?"

"It's been one challenge after another, but so far I've got six badges!"

"That's wonderful! It feels like yesterday when you were about knee high and bragging how one day you were going to be the Pokémon Champion! Now look at you: Well on your way to entering the Pokémon League this year! It's a shame that Schnee decided to retire; how I would have loved to see one of my students best that arrogant fool to end his reign once and for all! I heard he has a daughter looking to compete in the league as well."

"I've met her," said Ruby, "and trust me, she's just as pompous and annoying as you'd expect!"

"Well I hope in the end, you're the one that comes out the victor! By the way, when you do win, can you make sure to mention me in your victory speech?"

"Will do!"

After meeting with her former principal, Ruby and Jaune kept passing by all the other buildings in the town, with Ruby explaining her memories in each one and greeting the townsfolk, all of them knowing who she was. It was as if Ruby was a hometown celebrity.

"Does everyone know who you are?" asked Jaune.

"Everyone knows everyone here in Signal Town!" said Ruby. "That's the beauty of living in small places like these!"

#

In the backyard of a simple two-story home was a Mightyena, sleeping peacefully and enjoying the sunny weather. Just then, the Mightyena began to sniff something in the air. The Mightyena opened its eyes and sniffed the air once again. It was picking up a special scent; a scent that he had not smelled in over a year, and yet it clearly remembered that scent like it was yesterday. That scent could only have meant one thing: She had finally returned.

The Mightyena sniffed the air to sense where the scent was coming from, then immediately jumped the fence and dashed towards the smell.

Ruby and Jaune were a few houses away from Ruby's home when they suddenly heard a dog barking loudly. They looked down the block and saw a Mightyena running fast, looking like it was coming after them.

"Look out!" said Jaune. "There's a Mightyena on the loose!"

Ruby was about to send a Pokémon to fight when she noticed the Mightyena wearing a familiar yellow collar. Rather than call out a Pokémon, Ruby ran after the Mightyena herself.

"Ruby! What are you doing?"

"I know who this Mightyena is!" said Ruby. As soon as she got close to the Mightyena, Ruby held out her arms and had the biggest smile on her face. "ZWEI!"

Zwei the Mightyena jumped up and tackled Ruby to the ground, then proceeded to give her the biggest face-licking of her life as Ruby ruffled Zwei's fur.

"Okay Zwei, that's enough!" laughed Ruby. Jaune and Eevee caught up to Ruby; as soon as Zwei was done licking Ruby, he smelled Ruby's scent coming from Eevee. He took it to mean Eevee must be a new friend of Ruby, which in turn meant she was now Zwei's friend as well. Zwei went up to Eevee and tried to lick her face as well; Eevee started to run away from Zwei to avoid getting licked.

"Sit, Zwei!" commanded Ruby. Zwei immediately stopped and sat in front of Ruby, looking up and smiling widely with his tongue sticking out. "Jaune, Eevee, meet my dog Zwei! Well technically he's my dad's dog, but he's been in our family ever since he was a tiny little Poochyena. Say hi to Jaune, Zwei!"

"RARF!" barked Zwei. He went up to Jaune and held out one of his paws for a handshake. Despite Zwei's enthusiastic smile, Jaune was still a bit nervous to shake his hand.

"What's wrong, Jaune?"

"Aren't Mightyenas known for being fierce?"

"Oh, Zwei can be fierce when he wants to be, but outside of battle, he's just a playful mutt."

"If you say so..."

Jaune slowly reached for Zwei's paw and shook. Zwei used Jaune's hand to lift himself on his hind legs and proceeded to lick Jaune's face as well. Jaune was relieved that Zwei wasn't trying to bite him, but he still cringed over the feel of dog saliva covering his face.

"Okay Zwei, that's enough licking for one day!" said Ruby.

"Well no wonder Zwei ran off like that!" said a familiar voice. Ruby turned around and was now greeted by her older sister.

"Welcome home, sis!" said Yang.

"Yang!" shouted Ruby, running over to hug Yang. "What are you doing on Patch Island?"

"I have a small assignment I need to take care of. What are you doing here?"

"I just needed some time away from questing, so I came here to clear my mind."

"D'aw, did my little sister get homesick?" said Yang, hugging Ruby tighter. "That's so cuuuute!"

"Not so tight!" said Ruby as she was gasping for air.

"So how long do you plan on staying?"

"Probably just a couple of days. I can't waste a lot of time with that deadline approaching, so I'm going to visit mom and then a few other places and then head back to Vale. Hey, is dad home by any chance?"

"You just missed him, actually. He was going to research some bugs down by the forest. Probably won't be back until tomorrow afternoon."

"Rats; I was hoping he would come with me to see mom today."

"You know how he is about researching; kind of fills that void, ya know? In the meantime, it's been a while since you called me. We have a LOT of catching up to do!"

Yang put one arm around Ruby's shoulder as they walked back home, as Ruby explained everything she's been doing since they last met.

"Sounds like you've been having one exciting adventure!" said Yang.

"How about you?" said Ruby. "Any heroic ranger stories to share?"

"Same old, same old; rescue some Pokémon, beat up some poachers, stop the White Fang; nothing special, really."

"Oh come on, Yang! You're holding out on the good stuff! What about that Dust ship I heard the White Fang hijacked?"

"What's there to say? The Magnificent Three - led by yours truly of course - took out the White Fang in a snap!"

"But why all that Dust? Does it have to do with those explosions they caused at Mountain Glenn?"

"That's for me to know and for you to not worry about! Now let's go inside and forget our worries while I order us some dinner!"

Ruby was begging to know more about what the White Fang were up to, but decided to not ask any more questions about it. After all, she came to Patch Island for rest and relaxation; dealing with the White Fang could wait for now.

#

Time flew by quickly as Ruby, Jaune, and Yang spent the rest of the day catching up and swapping stories. Ruby and Yang were sleeping in their old room, while Eevee and Zwei were lying next to each other in the corner; Jaune was sleeping in the guest room. Everyone was enjoying a peaceful night's sleep until Jaune suddenly woke up at about five in the morning with a rumbling stomach. He felt a loss of appetite ever since riding that cruise, so he barely ate any of his dinner.

"Well there's no way I'm getting back to sleep. Might as well make myself breakfast."

Jaune got out of bed and slowly went downstairs, keeping quiet in order to not wake up anyone else in the house. As he turned the corner to head to the kitchen, he noticed the kitchen lights were already on, along with the sound of somebody talking.

_"What the...why are the lights on? Is somebody already up?"_

As Jaune walked towards the kitchen, he noticed the person's long blonde hair as they were facing the window and talking on their scroll.

"Any signs of where the White Fang relocated?" asked Yang. "...I see. I'm going to check Dragon Sanctuary today. A place with strong Pokémon like that is bound to attract some kind of attention from the White Fang. ...No, I am not using this as an excuse to visit home! You think everything I do is an excuse to slack off! ...Whatever. Just keep me updated if you find anything, okay Ranger Loco?"

Yang hung up before her Magnificent Ally can yell at her more. Yang grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured herself some coffee; as she went to sit down, she noticed Jaune entering the kitchen.

"Oh, good morning Jaune," said Yang. "You always up this early?"

"Nah," said Jaune, "just had a semi-rough night. Why are you up so early?"

"So I can get a head start on my mission."

"But I thought you said yesterday the mission wasn't that big of a deal."

"Hey Jaune, can you keep a secret?"

"Um...I guess?"

"The truth is my mission is very important, and very dangerous. I told Ruby it was no big deal so that she wouldn't come along."

"Of course. I've seen how rangers are with wanting people to butt out."

Jaune looked through the cabinets to find himself something to eat.

"Cereal's in the lower cabinet next to the fridge, bowls are in the upper cabinet," said Yang.

"Thanks," said Jaune. "Hey, um...can I ask you something personal...about Ruby?"

"Something personal about my sister?" said Yang, a sly smile forming on her face. "Do I sense someone having a crush?"

"No, nothing like that! Absolutely not that!"

"Oh really? So what's on your mind, Jay?"

"Ruby said she was coming to Patch Island to visit her mom, but all I know is her mom doesn't live here. Where is your mom?"

Yang's smile suddenly disappeared as she exhaled a long breath. Jaune was worried this question was going to bother Yang.

"Ruby never told you, huh?" replied Yang.

"Listen," said Jaune, "you don't need to tell me anything if you don't want to."

"Nah; better to let you know instead of keeping you in the dark. Have a seat and I'll explain our little family history."

Jaune took a seat across from Yang as Yang stared into her coffee, thinking back to her troubled childhood.

"The first thing you should know is that Ruby and I are actually half-sisters with different mothers."

"Oh," said Jaune. "Is this one of divorce kind of situations?"

"I wish it were that simple," said Yang. "Our dad used to be married to my mom, but she left shortly after I was born; I don't have any idea why, and neither does my dad to be honest. A couple years later my dad remarried to Ruby's mom, and I was raised by her until her untimely passing about eleven years ago."

"Did you say passing?" said Jaune. "So that means Ruby's mom..."

"Rare disease suddenly came and took her life. Needless to say, after losing his second wife, my dad wasn't the same anymore. Ruby was devastated and cried every day for a week straight. As for me..."

"It must have been really hard on you, having to lose a second mom like that."

"Yeah, but the difference between Ruby and I was while Ruby and my father were saddened, I was enraged, and I took that rage out on everybody. I was what you would call a problem child."

Yang gripped her mug tightly as she recalled some of the darker years of her life.

#

_At home, I lashed out at my father over everything trivial; what breakfast I could and couldn't eat, what TV shows I wasn't allowed to watch, what baths I refused to take. I remember always yelling at him about wanting toys, and he told me he couldn't afford to buy us anything. I used to think that was just an excuse he made up because he wanted to torture me, so I had to resort to making my own toys with whatever we had lying around the house._

_When I wasn't being a menace at home, I was a menace in school. I was yelling and fighting with nearly every kid in class. I even threatened to attack the teachers a couple of times. They thought transferring me to my Uncle Qrow's class would calm me down, but I was just as much a terror in his class than in any other. At first they figured it was because I was having problems coping with the loss of my mother, and I would eventually get over it. But after a few weeks and no improved behavior, they held an intervention with the counselors, me, Qrow, and my father._

"We understand how traumatizing it is to lose a relative," said the counselor, "but Yang's behavior problem has gone on for too long. Something needs to be done about this. I know a doctor who can prescribe some medication to help calm her down."

"My daughter doesn't need medication!" said Taiyang. "She's a well-behaved girl. She's just having a hard time trying to cope with this."

"A lot of people are trying to cope, Tai," said Qrow, "but she can't behave like this. We might have to put her on something until she stops."

"Have any of you tried asking Yang what she wants?"

"Trust me Mister Xiao Long, we've tried," said the counselor. "Yang simply refuses to cooperate."

"Then I'll ask her myself."

_My father took a seat and tried to look me in the eyes, but I just sat there with my arms folded and turning my head away._

"Yang, it's daddy. We're not here to punish you; we're trying to help you. You need to tell me what's wrong so we can help."

Yang remained silent, refusing to say a word.

"Yang, if this is about losing mommy, trust me, I'm just as angry and heartbroken as you are. But if you continue to act the way you're acting, you're going to get in a lot of trouble and I can't do anything to help. Is there something you want?"

"I want a mommy!" grumbled Yang.

"Yang, I...I can't do that."

"Why? Why can't I have a mommy? Why does everyone else get to have one but not me?"

"It's...complicated."

_That's when I turned around and told them the three words I wish I never said._

"I hate you," said Yang.

"What did you say?"

"You're the reason I don't have a mommy! I hate you!"

"Yang Xiao Long!" said Qrow. "That is not how you talk to your father!"

"But it's true! It's all his fault I don't have a mommy! I hate him!"

"I think we need to discuss this at home," said Taiyang. Taiyang grabbed Yang's hand, but Yang broke free and kicked him in the leg.

"I HATE YOU!" yelled Yang before running out of the room.

_As a child, I blamed my father for the reason I didn't have a mother. So I told him how I really felt at the time; I genuinely hated him. I was such a stupid little brat, and to this day, saying those words to my dad is the second biggest regret in my life._

"Second biggest?" said Jaune. "What do you regret more than that?"

"The day I nearly let Ruby die."

#

_As much as I hated my father, I never did a thing to Ruby. I was always the nice older sister that Ruby could look up to, even when I didn't deserve to be. As a kid I'd sneak out of the house and play around in this mountainous region a couple of miles from here. One day I took my little sister to play with me._

"C'mon Ruby!" said Yang, running through the forest. "This is the cool thing I wanted to show you!"

"Yang, wait up!" said Ruby, trying to catch up. "I'm not as big as you! I can't run that fast!"

Ruby finally made it out of the forest and saw Yang's discovery: A lake that was entirely frozen in solid ice.

"Check it out! It's like our own private ice skating rink!"

"Wow! I wanna go ice skating!"

_I found this lake that was still frozen over from the winter season, so I took my sister to run around the ice. We were having a lot of fun pretending to be ice skaters until I nearly tripped over a crack in the ice. That's when I realized we were literally skating on thin ice; it couldn't handle the weight of human beings for long._

_And then that's when it happened._

"Look at me Yang!" said Ruby. "I'm a ballerina!"

"Ruby, wait!" yelled Yang, but Ruby already jumped up and landed on the ice.

_The moment she landed back on the ice, it cracked apart and gave way, causing Ruby to fall right into the water. I ran over to grab her, but she was already sinking. A girl who couldn't swim combined with the freezing cold water...if I didn't act fast, Ruby was going to be a goner._

_So I dove in and tried to catch up with her. By the time I did though, we were already so deep in the water that it was going to be impossible to get out. I tried to swim us back to the surface, but my body was so cold from the water I can barely move. With our bodies freezing and Ruby losing air quickly, I was starting to think we were going to die._

_The next thing I know, something in the lake grabs a hold of us with its body and yanks us back to the surface._

_Just a few minutes ago I was watching Ruby having the time of her life, and now here I was looking down on her frozen body hoping that her eyes would open up; that I wasn't too late to save her._

"Ruby!" yelled Yang, trying to push down on Ruby's chest. "Wake up Ruby! Please wake up!"

Ruby suddenly started coughing out on some water and barely opened her eyes.

"Yang?" said Ruby. "What happened?"

"You're alive!" said Yang, pulling Ruby into a tight hug.

"RI!" yelled something behind Yang.

_Now that I knew Ruby was safe, I turned around to see what had saved us from drowning, and I couldn't believe it; it was a shiny Dratini. I had never seen a real Dratini before, much less an extremely rare shiny version. _

_Before I can say anything else, the Dratini suddenly went back into the water just as my Uncle Qrow suddenly showed up. Turns out my father found out we ran off and called Qrow for help, so he was flying around the island to search for us. Had that Dratini not been there to save us, Qrow would have probably never found us._

_My uncle took us to the hospital to make sure we were okay. I was doing fine, but because Ruby had nearly drowned, there were doing tests on her to make sure she was back to normal. I was stuck in the waiting room with my uncle, worried what was going to happen when our father showed up. There was no way he was going to let me off lightly for what I've done to Ruby._

"Uncle Qrow?" said Yang.

"What is it?" asked Qrow.

"Am I going to live with you from now on?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Daddy's going to get real mad, isn't he? He'll probably put me up for adoption. Do you think if I say I'm really really sorry, he won't get mad?"

"I'm not sure, Yang. You did do a very bad thing; you'll probably be punished for a very long time. Whatever your dad decides to do, there's nothing I can do about it."

_Hearing that only made me feel worse, and rightfully so. After waiting forever, my dad finally showed up to the hospital._

"Where's Ruby?" asked Taiyang. "Is she okay?"

"Ruby's fine," said Qrow. "Doctors are giving her a checkup just to make sure."

"Oh thank Arceus! What room is she in?"

"Actually, let me check on her. I think there's someone else you need to attend to right now." Qrow leaned his head towards Yang, who was gripping her shorts waiting for the punishment of a lifetime. Qrow quickly disappeared as Taiyang walked up to Yang.

_This was it, I thought. This was going to be my judgment day. I expected him to yell at me, spank me, lock me in my room forever...something to teach me a lesson for nearly killing his only good child._

_Instead he cried, hugged me, and thanked Arceus I was okay._

"I'm so relieved you're okay!" cried Taiyang.

"Daddy?" said Yang. "Why are you crying? Aren't you mad at me?"

"I am a little upset you ran off without my permission," said Taiyang, "but I'm just really happy you're okay."

"But why? I did a bad thing! I said I hate you! Why do you still love me?"

"Yang, I know you haven't been on your best behavior and that you don't love me; but even if you hate me for the rest of your life, you will always be my little sun dragon. I will always love you."

Yang started to cry and hugged Taiyang back.

"I'm sorry I was so bad daddy! I'll never do a bad thing ever again!"

_He still loved me even when he had no need to. Even after all the mean things I did and said about him...he still cared about me. After that day, I vowed to never say another bad thing about my father ever again. As for my mother, I'll never know why my she left me, and quite frankly, I'm done caring. As far as I'm concerned, Ruby's mom, Summer Rose, is my true mother._

"So that's why you don't want Ruby to come along?" asked Jaune. "You're afraid of repeating what happened that day?"

"I'd never forgive myself if something were to happen to Ruby," said Yang. "Dragon Sanctuary is my responsibility."

"Ruby told me that place is special to you. She said you were the one that got the Pokémon League to make it a sanctuary. How did that happen?"

"Funny enough, it all started because of that Dratini who saved me."

#

_Ever since I was saved by that Dratini, I became obsessed with wanting to see it again. I didn't care about catching it; I just wanted to thank it for saving my life. I kept asking my father to take me back to that lake so I can see the Dratini again, but every time we visited, I never saw that Dratini again. Week after week, month after month, I tried to see that Dratini again, but it never came back. My father wanted me to give up; after all, seeing a shiny Pokémon like that is a once in a million chance, so what would be the odds I'd find it again? I think he really didn't want me to go because he was extremely worried about another situation like before._

_One day I found out my uncle was doing a Ranger mission that involved going to that mountain, so I insisted I come along to assist him. As soon as I had the opportunity, I would head to the lake and try to find that Dratini again. As if by fate, it was that day I went with my uncle that I finally saw the Dratini...only it didn't become the pleasant reunion like I was hoping._

_When I went to the lake, I saw these two men trap the Dratini in a net and beat it with clubs. I overheard them saying they were going to skin the Dratini and sell it; they were poachers. That's when I ran in to save Dratini._

"Leave that Dratini alone!" shouted Yang as she ran out of the forest. One of the poachers immediately grabbed Yang and held her back.

"Looks like we've got a witness, boss," said the poacher. "What should we do with her?"

"Just tie her up for now," said the boss. "We can probably sell her along with the Dratini skin."

"RI!" yelled the Dratini as it was trying to escape. The boss smacked Dratini in the side of the head with his club, nearly knocking it out.

"Stop that!" yelled Yang. "You'll kill her!"

"A dead Dratini is just as valuable as a living one!"

_That poacher kept beating up the Dratini, and I was helpless to do anything but yell for help. Eventually they stopped beating on the Dratini when it stopped moving._

"That cares of catch number one," said the boss, pointing his club towards Yang. "Now to deal with catch number two."

"I'd drop that club now if I were you."

_As if on cue, my Uncle Qrow was there to bail me out of another jam._

"Who are you?" asked the boss.

"The person that's going to haunt you for the rest of your lives," replied Qrow.

_Qrow called out his Pokémon and defeated the poachers easily. While he was putting them under arrest, I went to check on the Dratini; from the way it wasn't moving, I was scared that the Dratini had been beaten to death._

"Uncle Qrow, Dratini's not breathing!" yelled Yang. Qrow took out his scroll and scanned the Dratini for vital signs.

"This Dratini is barely hanging on," said Qrow. "We have to get it to a Pokémon Center immediately."

_Qrow used one of his Heal Balls in order to safely carry Dratini to the Pokémon Center in Signal Town. I thought once the Dratini was transported there, everything was going to be all right. I waited with Uncle Qrow to take Dratini back to its home, but instead I received terrible news._

"How's the Dratini?" asked Qrow.

"I'm afraid the Dratini suffered some serious internal injuries," said the nurse. "We'll have to perform several procedures to bring her up to a suitable condition, and even then...it's not a guarantee she'll make it."

"But this is a Pokémon Center!" said Yang. "You have to save her!"

"We will do whatever it takes."

"Then there's nothing more we can do," said Qrow. "C'mon Yang, I'm taking you home."

"But I want to stay here!" said Yang. "I need to make sure she's okay!"

"I'm sorry," said the nurse, "but we can't have young children staying overnight without an adult."

"Then I'll stay with her here," said Qrow.

"Thank you, Uncle Qrow!" said Yang, hugging Qrow's leg.

_I stayed up all the way that night in the Pokémon Center. I didn't want to go to sleep until I was sure that Dratini was okay; I don't think I was able to sleep anyway._

_It was about midnight when the nurse came back with more bad news._

"Mister Qrow, we need your assistance," said the nurse.

"What's going on?" asked Qrow.

"The Dratini is acting up; we can't continue our procedure until it's calmed down."

"I'll see what I can do."

"I wanna help too!" said Yang.

_I went with Uncle Qrow into the operating room where the Dratini was constantly yelling and waving its tail, refusing to let the doctors get anywhere near it with the tools they were carrying._

"I believe it's scared of all the tools you're holding," said Qrow. "Everyone put your stuff down while I approach it."

All the medical staff put their equipment away as Qrow approached the Dratini.

"All right Dratini, just relax. You are not in any danger."

Qrow tried to rub the Dratini's stomach but Dratini slapped Qrow away.

"RI!" yelled Dratini, not wanting Qrow to get close to her.

"Well, I tried the nice way. Now we do it the hard way."

Qrow grabbed the Dratini and tried to restrain it on the table, only to suddenly get shocked with Thunder Wave, causing Qrow to let go.

"We're going to need to get something to keep it still. Anyone got some belts?"

"Wait!" said Yang. "Let me try!"

"No little girl, it's too dangerous!" said the nurse.

"Hold it," said Qrow. "Maybe this will work."

"But how?"

"I think this Dratini is scared of us because we're strangers, so it assumes we'll hurt her. However, it seems comfortable around Yang, so she might be able to calm it down."

"But what if it attacks her as well?"

"We don't have a whole lot of options here. Go for it, Yang."

_Turns out Qrow was dead-on about why Dratini was acting up. As I went up and placed my hands on her to console her, she didn't try to attack me. Now that it was confirmed it trusted me, I needed to convince Dratini to let her be treated or else._

"Dratini, calm down!" said Yang. "You have to let them treat you to get better!"

"RI!" sobbed Dratini. Yang placed her hands on Dratini's head to hold her still.

"You're not going to get hurt; I'll make sure of it!"

"Ri, ri!"

_Seeing that Dratini really scared reminded me of how scared Ruby and I were as children. Any time we were scared, our mother would sing us a lullaby to help calm us down. I thought if it was enough to calm me down, maybe it would work for Dratini._

"Dratini, listen to me." Yang cleared her throat and started singing.

"Close your eyes; don't you cry. Love's around you; in time you'll fly."

Hearing Yang's singing, the Dratini suddenly stopped shaking and focused on Yang.

"Don't you worry about the dark; I will light up the night with the love in my heart. I will burn like the sun, I will keep you safe and warm."

_While I was singing, the nurse inserted a shot into Dratini. Dratini didn't react at all; it was like my lullaby had hypnotized her. They thought I did such a great job that night, they had me visit Dratini constantly while she was in recovery. With my help, they were able to perform all the surgeries needed without any complications. _

_About a month later, Dratini was back to perfect shape and ready to go home._

"Can I do the honors, Uncle Qrow?" asked Yang.

"Go ahead," said Qrow.

"All right, Dratini! Back home you go!"

_I threw the Poké Ball carrying Dratini over the lake and sent Dratini back home. I was prepared to say my final goodbyes when the Dratini suddenly swam out of the lake and tried to wrap itself around me._

"I'm going to miss you too Dratini, but this is your home." Yang tried to untangle Dratini, but Dratini wrapped itself even tighter.

"Ri!" said Dratini, not wanting to let go of Yang.

"No Dratini, you have to go back home!"

"I think it wants to stay with you," said Qrow.

"Ri!" said Dratini, nodding it's head up and down.

"Dratini?" said Yang. "You...really want to be my Pokémon?"

Dratini nodded up and down. Yang smiled widely and hugged her Dratini.

"Uncle Qrow, I have my very first Pokémon, and it's a shiny too!"

"Congratulations Yang," said Qrow. "I know you'll take good care of her."

"If this is my Pokémon, I can give it a nickname, right Uncle Qrow?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm going to call you...Celica! Do you like it?"

Dratini purred in delight for the name and nuzzled Yang's neck.

_And that's how Celica became my very first Pokémon. Ever since she decided to stay with me, I've become infatuated with Dragon type Pokémon. I studied everything I could about them and traveled with my uncle to catch more of them. Eventually I would become an expert in training Dragon types._

_As for the mountain where I met her, I wanted to make sure that no more poachers would ever come by to harm the Dragons that live there, so Uncle Qrow took me to meet with the Pokémon League Officials to get the mountain declared a sanctuary, hence why it was eventually named Dragon Sanctuary._

#

"So I'm not just doing this as a Pokémon Ranger," said Yang. "I'm doing this because that sanctuary means everything to me. Celica has helped me and my family for so many years, and I owe it to her to keep her home safe."

As Yang was wrapping up her story, the sun was starting to rise and peek into the window.

"Well, I better get going. Enjoy your time on the island, Jaune."

"Good luck on your mission, Yang."

Yang gathered her stuff and went out the front door. As she was closing the door behind her, she was shocked to find a certain trainer and her Eevee waiting near their front gate.

"It's about time we got going," said Ruby.

"Ruby?" said Yang. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm here to help you with the mission."

"Oh no you're not! You're staying here, or at the very least, go anywhere except Dragon Sanctuary."

"You're not the only one who has a sentimental connection with Dragon Sanctuary. Besides, if this involves the White Fang, I need to help!"

"One, this is an official Ranger mission, so I'm not supposed to have civilians tag along, and two, even if I could, I'm not putting my little sister in danger again."

"I'm not the same baby sister you had to watch out for. I'm a soon-to-be pro trainer and future Pokémon champion; I know how to hold my own!"

"But what if you are put in danger? What if something happens to you under my watch? I doubt dad and Qrow will forgive me this time around!"

"Yang, I promise you won't have to bail me out a jam! Please, this is the least I can do for all the times you and Celica have been there for me!"

Yang noticed a few tears coming down Ruby's face. As much as Yang didn't want to bring Ruby, she hated ever seeing Ruby get upset. Yang held up her pinkie to Ruby.

"Cross your heart and hope to die?" asked Yang.

Ruby smiled and shook Yang's pinkie with hers. "Or I'll eat a Pidgey pie!"

"Rarf rarf!"

The girls turned around and saw Zwei had found his way outside and wanted to join as well. Yang sighed, knowing there was no way she was going to prevent Zwei from following them.

"Guess you're coming along too, huh?" said Yang.

"All right!" said Ruby. "The sisters and Zwei are back for one more adventure! Off to Dragon Sanctuary!"

Ruby, Yang, Eevee, and Zwei left their house and began their hike to Dragon Sanctuary. It reminded Yang of all the times the two of them went back to Dragon Sanctuary with Celica, and couldn't help but smile.

_It's just like old times; Ruby and I are off on another adventure, only this one is serious. Summer...if you're watching...I promise to protect Ruby, now and forever. _


	33. Battle at Dragon Sanctuary

Yang and her ragtag group of volunteers arrived at Dragon Sanctuary. The base of the mountain contained the forest and the lake where Yang met Celica for the first time.

"So what are we going to do once we get to the mountain?" asked Ruby.

"I'm going to go inside and save any Pokémon I can," said Yang. "You, Zwei, and Eevee will stay out here and scout the perimeter."

"How is scouting the perimeter going to help?"

"Because then you'll be able to tell me if anyone is trying to sneak into the mountain!"

"That's the best excuse you can come with?" replied Ruby, knowing what Yang was really trying to do.

"It's not an excuse! It's a legitimate plan of action! We need to have all bases covered inside and out!"

"You just don't want me inside because you're still worried about me."

"Fine. You want the truth? Okay; the reason I want to go inside alone is...well..."

"Just say it already!"

"...I'm clearly a far better trainer than you!"

Ruby groaned with Yang's latest poor excuse.

"But it's true, isn't it?" said Yang. "After all, I do have Celica and my unstoppable army of Dragon Pokémon! There's a reason Uncle Qrow ranks me amongst the best of The Magnificent Three! Nothing gets past Yang Xiao Long!"

Just then, a banana peel suddenly came flying out of a tree and landed on top of Yang's hair, getting bits of banana on her.

"What...just landed on my hair?" asked Yang, sounding like she was about to lose it.

"It appears to be a banana peel," said Ruby.

"WHY is there a banana peel on my head?" yelled Yang.

"Didn't see that one coming, did ya?" shouted someone from the tree.

The sisters turned around and saw a blonde kid lying on top of the tree, wearing denim shorts and an unbuttoned shirt. Ruby recognized him as the wandering thief they met near Lazuli City.

"Identify yourself!" said Yang.

"Sun!" said Ruby. "What are you doing on Patch Island?"

"Hey Ruby!" said Sun. "The mainland was getting pretty boring, so I figured I'd find the answer to my quest somewhere on this island!"

"How did you even get here? Cruise tickets aren't cheap you know."

"Let's just say I was able to work out a way to get a discount price."

"You snuck on board, didn't you?" asked Yang.

"Wow, nothing really does get past you! Guess that's why you're one of those Maleficent Three."

"MAGNIFICENT Three!" yelled Yang.

Sun jumped down from the tree next to Ruby and Yang.

"I see you got some more badges there Ruby," said Sun. "Congrats."

"Speaking of badges," said Ruby, "what happened with you and Neptune when you met the officials? Did you really go through with taking the blame?"

"Turns out they saw right through my lies and knew what Neptune was up to."

"Oh no. What happened to Neptune?"

"Since Neptune owed up to his misdeeds, they decided to put him on strict probation."

"Better than the slammer I suppose."

"So where are you two heading off to?" asked Sun.

"We're heading to Dragon Sanctuary. The White Fang might be up to no good there."

"Sounds important. In fact-"

"No!" said Yang.

"You didn't let me finish."

"I know what you're going to say! You want to come along and help! There's no way I'm letting some stowaway join me on an important Rangers only mission!"

"But Ruby isn't a Ranger."

"She's an exception!"

"Is this about the banana? You can wash that right off you know."

"This is about me doing my job and not letting some random civilian-slash-criminal get involved!"

"Not even if I say please?"

Ruby started to notice Yang's eye twitching; that was usually the first sign that Yang was about to punch someone super effectively. Ruby grabbed Yang and pulled her aside to work out a compromise.

"I'll admit Sun is not the most courteous of trainers," said Ruby. "But he really is a good trainer. He could be a big help to us."

"Oh really?" asked Yang. "Outside of being a 'good trainer,' just what skills does he have that can be useful in stopping the White Fang?"

"See for yourself."

Yang turned around and noticed Sun looking up something on his scroll.

"What is he checking his scroll for?" asked Yang.

"Who ever said it was my scroll?" said Sun. Sun showed the main screen of the scroll, which had a wallpaper of a little Yang wearing a Dratini costume next to Celica. Yang instantly realized that Sun had stolen her scroll.

"You look so adorable in that outfit!"

"Give me that!" yelled Yang, mortified that Sun was looking at a personal picture.

"From picking locks to picking wallets, I am quite skilled at the sleight of hand!"

"That could come in handy, Yang," said Ruby. "What do you say?"

As much as Yang hated Sun stealing her belongings and having to drag more non-rangers into her mission, she hardly ever denied a request from her sister.

"Fine, he can come!" said Yang. "But if I catch you stealing my property again, I'm throwing you in jail for life!"

"I promise I won't steal anything of yours," said Sun.

"Just to make sure you don't, Zwei here is going to be watching you."

"Well now I'll know to think twice." Sun walked over to pet Zwei. "But I bet you're just a softie, aren't you boy?"

"RAWR!" barked Zwei, growling angrily at Sun. Anyone that made Yang angry was instantly an enemy to Zwei, and he was ready to bite Sun's hand off at a moment's notice.

"Down, Zwei!" said Ruby. "That's not how we treat our new friend!"

Zwei whimpered at Ruby disciplining him. With the group now settled, they continued their journey towards the mountain. When no one was looking, Yang bent down to whisper in Zwei's ear.

"Good boy; keep him on his toes."

#

The trio were now at the entrance of the mountain where many of the Dragon Pokémon resided in. Before entering, Yang laid out their plan of action.

"Without going into too much detail, here's the situation," explained Yang. "We believe the White Fang could be in here using Dust bombs to drive out Pokémon and capture them. Our goal is simple: Stop the White Fang from causing environmental damage and save any Pokémon they might have captured."

"Easy enough!" said Sun. "So let's start kicking some White Fang butt!"

"First things first; we need to evacuate all the Pokémon we can find. Thankfully since there's more of us, we can cover more ground. Celica and I will head near the top of the mountain. Ruby, you and our new acquaintance stay on the ground level. Remember, this place is a sanctuary, so do NOT engage in any fights with the wild Pokémon. Dragon types are really good at sensing human emotion, so as long as you present yourself accordingly, they'll follow your lead. Do NOT attempt to fight the White Fang unless you absolutely need to. Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" said Ruby with a full salute.

"Crystal," said Sun.

"All right not-quite-rangers, move out!"

Yang called out Celica and flew up to the higher peaks of the mountain as Ruby and company entered the cave. The sunlight from outside reflected off the small bodies of water in the cave, causing the cave to give off a bright bluish glow from inside. Eevee and Zwei sniffed around to find any wild Pokémon scents.

"Maybe we should split up," said Sun. "We can find the White Fang faster that way."

"Not a good idea," said Ruby. "Knowing them, they'll gang up on us if we travel alone. Besides, Yang made it clear we need to save the Pokémon first."

"But if we stop the White Fang, we wouldn't have to worry about the Pokémon here. I say we cut out the middle man and head straight to the source."

"Sun, I went to bat for you against my own sister. Don't make me regret defending you if you're just going to go off on your own."

"Well excuse me for trying to get this over with."

Hearing Sun disrespect Ruby caused Zwei to growl at Sun while positioning himself to leap up and attack. Before he can pounce on Sun, Zwei suddenly picked up the scent of a Pokémon nearby.

"Rarf rarf!" barked Zwei, walking towards the scent.

"Good boy, Zwei," said Ruby. "Lead the way."

Zwei led the group down the cave until they came across the Pokémon; it was a tall Dragon with a jagged face and wings. Ruby took out her Pokédex to identify the Dragon.

_Druddigon_

_Cave Pokémon_

_It races through narrow caves, using its sharp claws to catch prey. The skin on its face is harder than a rock._

"Rarf rarf!" barked Zwei, catching the Druddigon's attention. The Druddigon turned its head to Ruby.

"Hey there Mister Dragon!" said Ruby. "I come in peace! I'm here to tell you that some very bad people are in this mountain and you need to get out of here. If you have any friends, you should warn them as well."

"Gaaah!" said Druddigon, walking up to Ruby. Ruby wasn't quite sure what Druddigon was doing.

"Eevee, ask what Druddigon is doing."

"Eevee, Eevee?" asked Eevee. Rather than reply, the Druddigon started sharpening its claws on its own face.

"This Druddigon doesn't look like it's going to come along peacefully," said Sun.

"Eevee, tell this thing we're not trying to fight!" said Ruby.

"Eevee, Eevee!" said Eevee, telling Druddigon they were here to help and not to battle. The Druddigon ignored Eevee and instead took a swipe at Eevee with his Dragon Claw.

"Druddigon, stop!" said Ruby. "We don't want to fight!"

Druddigon again ignored Ruby and kept trying to attack Eevee, who jumped away to avoid getting hurt. Seeing the Druddigon attack his master and her new friend enraged Zwei. Without waiting for a command, Zwei immediately jumped at Druddigon and Crunched down on his arm. Druddigon's hard skin caused Zwei almost as much as pain as his Crunch attack, causing Zwei to let go.

"No Zwei, we're not supposed to fight them!" said Ruby.

Druddigon growled at Zwei with a Scary Face to intimidate him; not one to be easily scared, Zwei decided to scare Druddigon back.

"RAAAAAWR!" screamed Zwei, letting out the biggest Roar he can muster, freaking out the Druddigon. Suddenly the Druddigon started glowing and transformed into a Ditto, then ran away in fear.

"Well that explains why it kept attacking," said Sun. "It was just some brainless Ditto."

_"I don't ever remember seeing a Ditto here before,"_ thought Ruby. _"Since when did this mountain have Dittos in them?"_

"This way, Deery!" shouted a voice down the cave. "It came from over here!"

"Sounds like we've got company!" said Sun.

Everyone quickly hid behind a stalagmite as two White Fang grunts suddenly showed up. The one with glasses was looking around frantically searching for the Pokémon he supposedly heard.

"Perry, are you sure you heard something?" asked Deery.

"I could have sworn I heard a Pokémon scream out here," said Perry. "Maybe it's the one we're looking for!"

"I doubt that Pokémon would come out of hiding just to fight some weaklings. Let's get back to the boss before he kills us." The two grunts quickly ran back from where they came.

"That was close," said Ruby. "Let's go find more Pokémon."

"Are you kidding me?" said Sun. "This is our best chance to find the White Fang! Let's go!"

Before Ruby can tell Sun to wait, Sun already got up and headed in the grunts' direction. Zwei ran after Sun, following Yang's order of always having to watch Sun. With half her team running off, Ruby and Eevee had no choice but to chase after them.

"Now I know why the Rangers don't like hanger-on's," said Ruby.

Ruby and Eevee quickly caught up to them as they followed the path that would lead them to the White Fang. As soon as they spotted the two grunts in front of them waiting in an open area, they took cover behind a ledge.

"Why are they just standing there?" asked Ruby.

"I bet they're waiting for the big cheese to show up."

Right on cue, the masked captain known as the Lieutenant showed up from deeper in the cave. The two grunts stood at attention.

"Did you find anything?" asked the Lieutenant.

"Nothing, sir," said Perry. "I assume it was a random cave Pokémon. Shall we go back to investigate further?"

"No need. I know where Subject M is." The two grunts were surprised to find out the Lieutenant knew where the Pokémon was hiding.

"Really sir? We found them?"

"The other men have reported no signs of Subject M on the other floors of this mountain, and the lower we go, the more Dittos we come across. Based on this evidence, it means that Subject M is somewhere in the caverns below the surface."

"What's a Subject M?" quietly asked Sun.

"Beats me," said Ruby.

"So how are we going to access the floors below us, sir?" asked Deery.

"Simple," said the Lieutenant, pulling out a detonator. "We blow our way through."

The Lieutenant activated the switch, which caused a bomb down the pathway the Lieutenant came from to explode. The sound of the explosion echoed loudly in the cave as the White Fang can feel the rush of wind blow through. The Lieutenant reached into his coat and pulled out several bombs for the grunts to use.

"I'll be setting everything up in this area. The two of you head to the lowest floor and place the bombs in the best location possible. Eventually we should be able to find an entrance to the bottom."

"But won't all these explosions cause the mountain to fall apart?" asked Perry.

"Collateral damage," replied the Lieutenant.

"We can't waste any time," said Sun. "We have to do something about this now!"

"Not yet!" said Ruby. "If we try to fight them now, who knows what they'll do with the bombs they have."

"You're saying we should just stand back and wait?"

"I'm saying we first evacuate the other Pokémon like Yang wanted. As for the White Fang, I'll contact Yang about what's going on."

Ruby took out her scroll and frantically texted Yang about what the White Fang were doing. Sun was getting impatient; he wanted to just jump out and fight the White Fang now.

As Ruby contacted Yang, another Ditto suddenly appeared and approached the group. Seeing the Ditto, Zwei growled at the Ditto to make it go away. Ditto instead decided to transform into a Mightyena like Zwei and barked loudly in response. Hearing that Ditto bark freaked out Ruby and Sun; that was definitely going to attract the White Fang's attention.

"What was that?" asked Perry.

"The boss said we might be getting intruders," said the Lieutenant. "Show yourselves now!"

"Okay, I surrender!" said Sun, standing up with his hands in the air.

"Don't move!" The Lieutenant ordered the grunts to come over and grab Sun. While the White Fang were busy with Sun, Ruby and the others made their escape. The grunts tied Sun's hands behind his back and held him in front of the Lieutenant.

"Could you make this knot any tighter?" said Sun sarcastically.

"You don't look like a Pokémon Ranger. Are you another vigilante?"

"Do I look like a vigilante to you? Actually, can you even see out of those masks?"

"Think you're going to joke your way out of this one?"

"Is it working?"

The Lieutenant punched Sun across the face and pushed him to the ground, then placed his foot on the back of Sun's neck.

"You think I'm an idiot?" asked the Lieutenant. "I know you know who we are, because you wouldn't be here otherwise. Now you have five seconds to explain who you're working for or else the next bomb I use will be attached to you!"

"All right, I'll come clean!" said Sun. "I came here because I heard a ranger said you were trying to capture Pokémon you're not allowed to and plan to blow this mountain apart!"

"And where is this ranger?"

"She's on one of the other floors trying to evacuate the Pokémon, and she also has her sister trying to help too!"

"Deery, Perry, go out and find them! Use any means necessary!"

"Yes sir!" The grunts ran off to find the others, leaving Sun alone with the Lieutenant.

"Wait!" said Sun. "I forgot to mention one more thing!"

"What is it?"

"While you're busy keeping me down, my friends are planning a big surprise for you!"

"Big surprise? What are-"

Suddenly from above, a Pansage came down and grabbed the Lieutenant by the back of his head and covered his eyes. A Pansear and Panpour then came out and grabbed the Lieutenant by his arms.

"Get off of me!" shouted the Lieutenant, throwing the monkeys off of himself. The monkeys ran to Sun and untied him.

"Good job boys!" said the Sun. "Now let's knock this big man down!"

"Pan!" yelled the monkeys, ready to fight.

"Not so fast!" said the Lieutenant. "Did you forget I have bombs laid out across this mountain? I can have them all explode and blow this entire mountain to bits with the push of a button!"

"Yeah, right! You're just bluffing to make me scared to fight back."

"Do you really want to risk that bluff?"

"There's no way...I mean, with all the Pokémon here...you really wouldn't..." Hearing Sun starting to lose his confidence, the Lieutenant laughed and reached for the detonator in his back pocket.

"Allow me to demonstrate!" The Lieutenant pulled out what he believed to be the detonator to the Dust bombs, but instead pulled out a Razz berry.

"What is this?" yelled the Lieutenant, squashing the Razz berry with his bare hand. "Where's the detonator?"

"Looking for this?" said Sun, holding up the detonator stolen by his monkey friends. "Pansear, Flame Burst!"

Pansear shot a ball of fire on the ground as Sun and his friends immediately made a break for it, gaining a head start in running away from the Lieutenant.

#

Thanks to Sun's distraction, Ruby and her Pokémon were able to get away. After running a long distance down the cave, Ruby stopped to catch her breath and make sure they weren't being followed.

"I think we lost them," said Ruby.

"Rarf rarf!" barked Zwei.

"What is it boy?"

Ruby turned around and suddenly saw a Noivern standing in front of them. The Noivern looked like it wasn't happy with Ruby entering its territory. Zwei already got in front of Ruby and growled at Noivern as a warning. Ruby was worried that she was going to have to fight off another Dragon when she suddenly heard something screeching from above. Ruby looked up and saw a herd of Noibats flying down next to Noivern. The Noivern lifted up one of its wings to shield the Noibats. Realizing what Noivern was doing, Ruby put down her backpack and walked up to the Noivern itself, causing Eevee and Zwei to worry.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee.

"It's okay guys. This Noivern isn't trying to harm us, it's protecting its family."

Ruby was now standing face to face with the Noivern; the Noivern stared into Ruby's eyes as if trying to read her thoughts. Eevee and Zwei stood ready to attack, but there was no need as the Noivern put down the wing it was using to protect the Noibats.

"We've gained its trust. Eevee, explain what's going on to Noivern."

"Eevee," confirmed Eevee. Eevee quickly explained to Noivern about a group of people threatening to attack the Pokémon and the mountain. The Noivern nodded its head, then turned to the Noibats and screeched what sounded like instructions to warn the other Dragons. The Noibats nodded back and flew off with Noivern down the cave.

"I hope they make it out okay."

"Hold it right there!" shouted someone behind Ruby. Ruby turned back and saw the two White Fang grunts she followed.

"Come quietly with us or else!" threatened Deery.

"I choose else!" said Ruby. Eevee and Zwei got into fighting position. Perry called out a Cacturne and Deery called out a Mandibuzz.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee kicked up sand to blind the White Fang's Pokémon. Mandibuzz held up her wings to block the sand, while Cacturne seemed unaffected.

"Mandibuzz, Embargo her Silk Scarf!" commanded Deery. The Mandibuzz swooped down and nabbed Eevee's Silk Scarf, flying off with Eevee's item.

"Steal it back, Zwei!" Zwei jumped up and grabbed one of Mandibuzz's legs with his mouth, then tried to hit Mandibuzz with his Thief attack.

"Cacturne, Sucker Punch!" commanded Perry. With Zwei leaving himself open, Cacturne punched Zwei off of Mandibuzz before he can get her to drop the Silk Scarf.

"Mandibuzz, Brave Bird!" Mandibuzz flew up to the ceiling, then charged at full force with her wings spread out into Eevee and Zwei, knocking them both down and causing serious damage to them and herself.

"Now Cacturne, Leech Seed!" Cacturne shot a seed at Zwei that landed on his face and quickly sprouted vines that wrapped around Zwei's mouth.

"Let's see your mutt fight back with its mouth wrapped shut!"

"You think you can muzzle my dog with a thing like that?" asked Ruby. "Zwei, show them what you do to muzzles!"

Zwei heated up his mouth with his Fire Fang, causing the Leech Seed vines to burn apart. He burned through the Leech Seed with his Fire Fang, then used his Fire Fang to bite down on Cacturne's arm. Cacturne flailed his arm around but Zwei refused to let go.

"Bash him with Needle Arm, Cacturne!" Cacturne bonked Zwei on the head with its thorny arm, but no matter how much damage Zwei was taking, he still kept a tight grip on Cacturne, causing Cacturne immense pain.

"Once Zwei gets a hold of something with his mouth, he hardly ever let's go!"

"Help me out, Deery!"

"You're on your own," replied Deery. "Mandibuzz, fire your Dark Pulse!"

"Eevee, Swift attack!"

Mandibuzz flew above Eevee and fired her Dark Pulse; Eevee rolled to the side and countered with her Swift. Unable to hit Eevee, Mandibuzz spread her wings and charged into Eevee with another Brave Bird. At the same time, Eevee charged into Mandibuzz with a Take Down; both Pokémon collided hard into each other and did critical damage to each other, knocking them both to the floor.

While they were temporarily knocked out, Cacturne was still struggling to remove Zwei from itself. No matter how many times Zwei took a beating, he kept his grip like his teeth were glued to Cacturne's arm; the immense heat from the Fire Fang was going to cause Cacturne to faint at any second. Perry was trying to think of a way to remove Zwei, and then noticed the bone attached to Mandibuzz's head.

"That's it!" said Perry. "Hey mutt, look what that Mandibuzz has!" Zwei looked towards Mandibuzz and noticed the bone in her hair. Zwei suddenly felt very tempted to seize that bone. "What sounds better? Some thorny cactus arm or a big, delicious bone?"

Zwei was convinced the bone was better and let go of Cacturne, his sights now set on that bone.

"Mandibuzz, attack her with Bone Rush!" commanded Deery. Mandibuzz was able to stand up and made her way for Eevee, who was struggling to get back up. Mandibuzz tilted her head back to bash Eevee when she was suddenly grabbed from behind by Zwei, who Crunched down on the bone in her hair. Mandibuzz tried to shake Zwei off, but as Cacturne found out, getting Zwei to let go was impossible. With Mandibuzz being held back by Zwei, Eevee was able to recover.

"Now Eevee, Take Down attack!" commanded Ruby. Eevee charged into the Mandibuzz and nailed her right in the chest, whittling her health down low. With both of their Pokémon weakened severely, the White Fang were in a tough spot.

"What do we do now, Deery?" asked Perry.

"We take the easy way out!" said Deery.

"Easy way out?"

Deery pulled out one of her Dust bombs and tossed it in between the Pokémon. Seeing what Deery was up to, Perry and Ruby panicked.

"Are you crazy?" yelled Ruby. "You're going to get us all killed if you blow that thing!"

"As long as it takes you out!" replied Deery, holding up the detonator to the bomb. "You've got until the count of three to surrender your Pokémon or else! One-"

"Three!" yelled Yang. Celica fired an Ice Beam and struck Deery in the hand, freezing her hand solid so she couldn't activate the bomb. Ruby breathed a sigh of relief that Yang showed up when she did, while Perry was glad he wasn't going to blow up. He wasn't glad when Yang suddenly put him and Deery in handcuffs.

"As long as I have you two here, let's chat. For starters, how exactly do these bombs work?"

"We're not saying anything!" replied Deery.

"Yeah!" added Perry. Zwei snarled at Perry and showed off his wide array of teeth, itching to take a bite out of him. "I mean, they're all programmed with different signals!"

"Perry you useless coward!"

"What do you mean different signals?"

"Each bomb is programmed to go off once it receives a certain frequency signal from the detonators. The detonators can change what signal they emit, so it's possible to use one detonator to blow up multiple bombs."

"And just how many detonators do you have on you?"

"Like we would ever tell you?" replied Deery. Zwei tried to scare Deery as well but Deery refused to speak.

"Zwei, give her the lick treatment."

Zwei stuck out his tongue and proceeded to lick Deery's face. Just one touch of his disgusting germ-riddled tongue was enough to break Deery.

"Just us and the Lieutenant!" yelled Deery.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Celica, escort our friends out of this mountain."

Celica picked up the White Fang grunts and took them to the nearest exit to be picked up later.

"Where's Sun?" asked Yang.

"He let himself get captured by their boss so we can escape," said Ruby. "I hope he's okay."

"Considering the way he likes to mouth off, I'm betting he's not."

"Coming through!" shouted Sun as he and his monkeys ran towards Ruby and Yang.

"What do you know, he lives," remarked Yang.

"What happened to the Lieutenant?" asked Ruby.

"Last I checked he was far behind me," said Sun. "He won't be much of a threat now that I've got this."

Sun reached into his pocket and pulled out the detonator he stole.

"Wow," said Yang. "You're thieving did come in handy!"

"How did you even get that from him?" asked Ruby.

"A little monkey ambush followed by a quick distraction, and I'm already gaining a head start on the guy," said Sun. "Dude couldn't even catch up to me!"

"What do you mean he never caught up?"

"I mean every time I looked back, he was nowhere in sight. He's big but man is he slow! Anyway, I assume you'll want to hold on to this?"

Sun handed the detonator over to Yang, who wasn't looking pleased with the situation at hand.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Sun.

"Something about this doesn't feel right," said Yang. "There's no way he'd you get away that easily."

"You're saying he let me get away? Why would he do something like that?"

"Because he has something else planned; some kind of contingency in case Plan A didn't happen."

"So now he's moving on to Plan B?" asked Ruby. "What do you think that would be?"

"Whatever that Lieutenant is planning, he's expecting us to come to him."

"Then it's obviously a trap!" said Sun. "I say we force him to come to us!"

"We can't. As a Ranger, I've seen all the tricks a criminal will pull on you. If we don't confront him like he wants, he'll commit something drastic."

"This is sounding like a hostage negotiation."

"If I know that Lieutenant, then that's what this definitely is."

"What about evacuating the Pokémon?" asked Ruby.

"The rest of my Dragons have that covered. Celica and I will deal with the Lieutenant. If you're coming, I have to warn you...we might not make it back."

"No way I'm leaving you to do this alone."

"Yeah dude," said Sun. "All for one, power in numbers, and so on!"

"Then let's not waste any more time." Yang held the Lieutenant's detonator to Zwei's nose. "Get a good sniff Zwei and lead the way."

#

Yang and company were lead to one of the basement floors of the mountain. It was the lowest floor of the mountain they can reach by foot. When they reached the bottom floor, they saw the Lieutenant standing by a stream that was running through the cave.

"It figures the Rangers would send the little sun dragon herself," said the Lieutenant.

"You know the drill by now," said Yang. "Easy way or hard way?"

"Not this time. We're going to do things my way. Either you do exactly what I say..."

The Lieutenant stepped aside to reveal a baby Axew with a Dust bomb strapped to its body. The Axew was being held down by a Cloyster clamping on its tail.

"Or this little Dragon goes boom along with this cave."

"Let that Dragon go!" yelled Ruby.

"Cool it, Ruby!" said Yang.

"What good is a bomb if you can't activate it?" asked Sun. "We've got your detonator, remember?"

"I don't need a detonator." The Lieutenant pulled out a knife and held it against one of the wires on the bomb. "All I have to do is cut the wrong wires and the bomb automatically sets off."

"You don't have the guts!"

"Is that so?" The Lieutenant pulled against one of the wires with his knife, looking like he was about to cut it with just one stroke.

"Hold it!" said Yang. "There's no need to get that Axew or any of the Pokémon in this mountain involved. Just tell us what you want and let the Axew go."

"I want you all to surrender your Pokémon, and you're going to keep them in their Poké Balls. Then after that, you're going to remain here while I call my men to have you take a trip with the White Fang."

"As if!" said Ruby. "There's no way I'm-"

"Deal," said Yang.

"But Yang, he's-"

"We don't have a choice, Ruby! A Ranger's number one priority is to save everyone. No...matter...what!"

Yang took out her Poké Ball holding Celica.

"This contains my Dragonite; I'm going to place it right here." Yang placed the Poké Ball in between herself and the Lieutenant, then backed away with her hands up.

"Very good," said the Lieutenant. "Next?"

Sun groaned and pulled out his three Poké Balls. "These contain my best friends. I swear if you do anything-"

"Enough, Sun!" said Yang. "Don't give him any ideas."

Sun was furious but did precisely what Yang did and placed his hands up as well.

Ruby was shaking in rage; giving up her Pokémon was the last thing she wanted to do, but she had to trust Yang's judgment. Ruby took out her Pokémon and placed them beside Yang and Sun's.

"These are all the Pokémon on me," said Ruby. "My Eevee is scared of Poké Balls so she has to remain as is."

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, not wanting to go with the plan.

"I'm sorry Eevee. I'll find a way out of this, I promise."

Ruby picked up Eevee and placed her next to the Poké Balls.

"What about that mutt?" asked the Lieutenant, pointing towards Zwei. Zwei was snarling at the Lieutenant the moment they arrived.

"Oh, he's not actually my Pokémon," said Ruby.

"Tell that thing to lie down as well!"

"Lie down, Zwei! That's an order!"

"Rawrrr," growled Zwei, slowly stepping towards the Lieutenant. It was clear that Zwei had other plans in mind.

"Make that mutt shut up or I'll shut him up for good!" said the Lieutenant.

"Stop that, Zwei!" said Ruby. Zwei continued disobeying Ruby and got himself ready to strike the Lieutenant. Soon Yang and Eevee stepped in the way to stop Zwei.

"Eevee, Eevee!" yelled Eevee.

"Zwei, enough!" said Yang. "Bad dog!"

Yang tried to get a hold of Zwei to calm him down, but Zwei jumped out of Yang's arms and charged right for the Lieutenant.

"You asked for it mutt!" yelled the Lieutenant.

The Lieutenant removed the knife from the bomb attached to Axew and took a swing at Zwei the moment he got close enough. When the knife hit Zwei, Zwei suddenly exploded into a pile of purple goop that covered the Lieutenant's arm.

"What the heck?" yelled the Lieutenant.

"Ditto!" said the Ditto wrapping itself around the Lieutenant.

"Get off me you freak!"

"Now Eevee!" said Ruby.

While the Lieutenant was distracted by the Ditto, Eevee ran in and blinded the Lieutenant with a Sand Attack. The Lieutenant ran to the stream and took off his mask to wash his eyes out, while Yang grabbed her Poké Ball and called out her Celica.

"Celica, remove that Cloyster!" commanded Yang. Celica grabbed the Cloyster and forcefully opened its shell just wide enough for Sun to pull the Axew out. "Sun, think you can remove the bomb without setting it off?"

"You can count on me!" said Sun.

Once the Lieutenant was done washing his eyes, he put his mask back on and turned to the trio that tricked him.

"You know what?" said the Lieutenant. "A part of me is glad that happened, because now I have the chance to beat you the old fashioned way, Ranger!"

The Lieutenant called out his Glalie and Shiftry along with his Cloyster.

"You think a couple of Ice Pokémon is going to stop me and Celica?" asked Yang. "Bring it on!"

"We'll help too!" said Ruby. "Come on out, Zwei!"

The real Zwei ran in from where they entered to join Celica and Eevee.

"Glalie, Hail!" commanded the Lieutenant. Glalie opened its mouth and unleashed a hailstorm inside the cave, causing the walls and floor of the cave to be covered in ice. Celica started to shiver from the hailstorm, being really sensitive to the cold.

"Now Cloyster, Icicle Crash!" Cloyster fired its spikes at the stalactites above, now turned into icicles because of the Hail. The icicles came falling down on Ruby and Yang's Pokémon; Eevee and Zwei quickly got out of the way, but Celica could barely move because of the cold and got hit by several of the icicles.

"You're not the only one with Ice moves!" said Yang. "Celica, fire your Ice Beam!"

Celica opened her mouth and fired an Ice Beam at Cloyster; Cloyster closed its shell and barely took any damage from the Ice Beam.

"Eevee, Zwei, bite down on Cloyster!" Eevee and Zwei leapt at the Cloyster and bit down on the shell using Bite and Crunch, barely causing any damage to Cloyster.

"Shiftry, Leaf Storm!" Shiftry held its arms towards Eevee and Zwei and fired a barrage of sharp leaves that sliced through them, dealing a heavy amount of damage. Zwei decided to turn his attention to the Shiftry and chased after him with Fire Fang; Shiftry sharpened the leaves on its branch arms and attacked Zwei with Leaf Blade, seriously injuring Zwei. Seeing Zwei in danger, Yang stepped in to help.

"Celica, Dragon Rush that Shiftry!" Celica charged into Shiftry and tackled it away from Zwei, but left herself wide open for an attack.

"Now Glalie, freeze her with Frost Breath!" Glalie quickly floated over Celica and blew its sub-zero breath onto Celica; the cold air did a critical amount of damage to Celica, weakening her to the point that she can barely get up. With Celica and Zwei out of the fight, it was quickly down to Ruby and her Eevee.

"Your Pokémon would have been better off if you had just given in to my demands!" said the Lieutenant. "I'll give you one more chance to give up your Pokémon now!"

"I'll fight with every single Pokémon I've got before I ever give in to you!"

"Very well; I'll just cripple your Pokémon before I take them!" The Lieutenant's Pokémon surrounded Eevee, giving her no chance of escape. Just as the Pokémon were about to attack, a rumbling sound was starting to echo in the cave. Everyone turned to the side to see what was causing the sound.

"My men must have set a bomb off," said the Lieutenant. "Now finish off that Eevee!"

The echo was rapidly starting to get louder, and the next thing they knew, a strong supersonic force suddenly struck everyone, causing them to nearly lose their hearing.

"What was that?" yelled Sun.

"It sounded like a sonic boom!" said Yang.

The sonic boom was soon followed by a loud screeching noise that resembled a bat calling.

"I recognize that sound!" said Ruby. "It's a Noivern!"

Sure enough, a Noivern soon appeared with several Noibats. Behind the Noivern was a Haxorus along with several other Dragon type Pokémon. The baby Axew got up and ran back to its mother Haxorus. The Noivern landed next to Ruby and nodded its head, indicating it was the same Noivern Ruby had met before. The rest of the Dragons turned their attention to the Lieutenant and his Pokémon.

"What are all these Dragons doing here?" asked the Lieutenant.

"The Dragons of Dragon Sanctuary are like one big family," said Yang. "You come to their home and harm just one of them, you'll have the entire flock coming after you. So Lieutenant, you ready to give up now?"

The Lieutenant was far from ready to give up, but his Pokémon were in no mood to fight several powerful Dragons at once and started to back away in fear. With his Pokémon not wanting to fight, the Lieutenant came up with another plan.

"I can tell when I'm clearly outmatched," said the Lieutenant. He recalled all his Pokémon and got down on his knees, keeping his hands in the air.

"You're finally learning!" said Yang, taking out a pair of handcuffs to arrest the Lieutenant.

"Watch it Yang!" said Sun. "I've done this before! He's going to pull something!"

Yang ignored Sun and walked up to the Lieutenant. Once Yang was in range, the Lieutenant got up and tackled Yang to the ground. Yang figured he might try to tackle her and put the Lieutenant in a headlock to subdue him. The Lieutenant broke free of Yang's hold and got back up. As soon as Yang stood up, the Lieutenant rammed into Yang and hurled themselves into the stream. The two continued to struggle with each other as they were carried down the strong current.

"Yang!" yelled Ruby. Without a second thought, Ruby ran to jump into the stream.

"Ruby, wait!" yelled Sun, but Ruby already dove in and swam after them. Seeing Ruby dive in, Eevee tried to follow but was grabbed by Celica. Celica knew if Eevee tried to follow, she would wind up lost or worse, and Celica was too injured at the moment to go after them. Sun knew jumping in himself would be pointless; he had to find someone else who can help.

Ruby swam along the current to catch up with Yang and the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant had grabbed Yang and tried to dunk her head under the water to drown her, while Yang was trying to fend him off. Ruby grabbed the Lieutenant from behind and tried to pull him off Yang, but didn't have the strength to break his grip.

Yang looked to where they were heading and noticed a fork about split the stream apart.

"Let go of him Ruby!" shouted Yang. After Ruby let go, Yang headbutt the Lieutenant as hard as she could in the face, causing him to let go of Yang. Yang then kicked him away a second before they reached the fork, causing the Lieutenant and the girls to take different paths.

"Are you okay, Yang?" asked Ruby.

"A bit bruised, but I'm okay!" said Yang.

"Now how do we get out of here?"

"This stream should lead to a ravine connected to the lake outside. We ride it out and hope for the best."

"I hope you're right about this!"

Ruby and Yang held on to each other as they traveled down the slopes of the stream. Yang noticed that the next slope was going to lead them straight off a waterfall.

"We're about to take a major dive, Ruby! Hold on tight!"

Ruby and Yang held each other tight as they fell off the waterfall and into the body of water below. They pulled themselves back to the surface of the water and started swimming in a random direction, hoping to find some kind of land mass soon.

A few minutes felt like an eternity as they finally found a piece of land to swim onto. The two climbed on and paused to catch their breath; Yang passed out from exhaustion. Ruby was almost about to do the same.

_"Guess there's nothing left to do but wait it out. I'm sure Celica will find us eventually, or I'll send one of my Pokémon to find another way out."_

"What are you doing here?" bellowed a mysterious voice. Ruby suddenly sat up and looked around.

"Who said that? Is someone else down here?"

Ruby kept looking but couldn't see well in the dimly lit cavern.

"Over here, you foolish human."

"Foolish human? What are you..."

Ruby stood up and looked towards where she heard the voice. She saw the outline of what appeared to be another person standing behind them. Ruby pulled out her flashlight and shone it on the mysterious figure. The figure turned out to be a Pokémon, but it looked like nothing she had seen before. This creature almost appeared human, with a gray body and a long purple tail extending from the lower end of its body.

_"Whoa, I've never seen a Pokémon like this before! I have to find out what it is!"_ Ruby fumbled into her pockets to find her Pokédex.

"I asked what you are doing here!" yelled the Pokémon. Ruby suddenly stopped when she realized this Pokémon was talking to her.

"No way," said Ruby. "Did...you just speak to me?"

"Now that I've got your attention, I demand you tell me why you have come here!"

"Take it easy there...whatever you are! I'm just trying to find a way out!"

Not happy with Ruby's response, the Pokémon held out one arm towards Ruby and suddenly had her trapped in a Psychic hold. The creature lifted Ruby several feet off the ground as Ruby could barely move a muscle.

"I don't believe you," said the Pokémon. "Some time ago, I heard explosions echoing in this mountain that could only have been the result of humans."

"That wasn't me!" said Ruby. "It was those jerks from the White Fang! They're the bad guys! I was just trying to stop them!"

As the Pokémon contemplated Ruby's words, it walked over to Yang and placed its other hand on her forehead, enraging Ruby.

"Get away from her!" yelled Ruby. The Pokémon ignored Ruby as it continued to look over Yang's body.

_"All right you ugly freak, you asked for it!"_ thought Ruby. _"If I can just reach one of my Pokémon I'm going to-"_

"It would be no use," replied the Pokémon.

"Huh?"

"None of your Pokémon would stand a chance against me."

_"What the...can this thing read my thoughts as well?"_

"Indeed I can." The creature suddenly let go of its hold on Ruby and dropped her to the ground. "If you truly wish to fight me though, then go ahead. I will obliterate you into Dust!"

"Anything to protect my sister!"

Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out a Poké Ball. She was about to throw it when the Pokémon suddenly came face to face with her. Before Ruby can make a move, the Pokémon placed a hand on Ruby's chest. Seeing this Pokémon suddenly teleport to her and put a hand on her paralyzed Ruby with fear. Whatever this thing was, it was for certain it can defeat Ruby without any effort.

"I can sense your true feelings," said the Pokémon. "Right now you're stricken with fear, realizing you're powerless against me. However, part of you is saying to fight in order to save your sister."

The Pokémon removed their hand and backed away from Ruby. "I don't know what your true motives are, but you appear to be genuine in your wish to simply leave in peace. So for that, I will aide you under one condition."

"What is it?" asked Ruby.

"You will tell NO ONE what you saw here!"

"That's it? I mean, even if I did who's going to believe that a talking Pokémon-"

"YOU WILL TELL NO ONE, UNDERSTOOD?"

"Yes!" said Ruby, scared of this Pokémon getting angry. "I'll tell no one! This was all just a bad dream!"

"Very good. But just to make sure you don't..."

The Pokémon suddenly put Ruby in a Psychic hold again. The last thing Ruby could remember was a bright white flash and then everything going dark.

#

The next time Ruby opened her eyes, she suddenly found herself back in her room with Eevee and Yang looking over her.

"Morning sis!" said Yang. "Or rather, good afternoon!"

"Yang?" said Ruby. "Where are we?"

"We're home of course!"

"Home? But how did we get out of that cave?"

"I'm not sure. The last thing I remember was swimming in the ravine and reaching land. When I woke up, we were suddenly on the far side of the lake and you were knocked out. Sun and the others found us and we all came back home."

"Oh yeah. I must have passed out when we fell into that ravine."

Ruby was recalling the events that took place, but then remembered there was more to the story.

"No, wait...I remember something after we fell."

"What is it?"

"My mind is kind of foggy, but I remember seeing this weird Pokémon that talked liked a human."

"Talked liked a human? What did it say?"

"It said...um...for some reason, I can't remember."

"You must have been dreaming. Do you remember what it looked like?"

"Vaguely, but it didn't look like anything I've ever seen before. It looked more like an alien than a Pokémon."

"Definitely sounds like a dream to me."

_"That sure didn't feel like a dream though,"_ thought Ruby. _"Who or what was that thing? Was it even really a Pokémon?"_

"Whatever happened, the important thing is we're safe and the Dragons are safe. The Rangers are currently scoping the island to find the White Fang and bring them to justice."

"Then what are you still doing here?"

"Taking my well-deserved break, of course! A Magnificent Three can't operate with less than six hours of sleep!"

"Oh Yang," said Ruby, shaking her head at Yang's desire to constantly sleep.

"Hey, we had a long, hard day!" said Yang. "I'm sure you just want to kick back and relax for the rest of the day as well."

"Actually Yang, after all that fighting we did today...I'm itching to get back on my journey and win those last two badges!"

"Really? So you'll be leaving the island then?"

"Well...after I visit mom of course."

"Dad should be home soon. Once he comes back, we'll go whenever you're ready, kay?"

Yang went back downstairs to the kitchen where Sun and Jaune were waiting to hear about Ruby's condition.

"Is she okay?" asked Jaune.

"She's fine," said Yang. "Later we're going to visit her mom and then she's heading back to Vale."

"Then my work here is done," said Sun, getting up to leave.

"Wait just a minute, Sun!"

"What now?"

"I wanted to say thanks. If you hadn't come up with that Ditto plan, things would have likely gotten much worse."

"Thanks, but I actually got that idea from some Spruce Willis movie."

"You know Sun, Ruby told me you've been on a quest to do good deeds. How about joining the Pokémon Rangers?"

"No thanks. I don't like having to follow such strict orders, and to be honest...you're kind of annoying. See ya!"

Sun left their house and went back on his personal quest. Jaune looked at Yang and expected her to explode, but Yang didn't react the way he expected.

"What?" asked Yang.

"I thought you'd be really mad at him for saying that," said Jaune.

"Not at all. Excuse me, I have to make a call." Yang took out her scroll and called Coco. "Hello Coco, it's Yang. Can we put out an APB on a trainer named Sun Wukong?"

#

As the sun was about to set on Patch Island, Ruby's family along with Jaune visited the cliff near their home where one can see the ocean that extended to the other side of the world. Towards the edge of the cliff was a headstone with a rose carved into it.

"This is where we had Summer buried," said Taiyang. "This was one of her favorite spots on Patch Island. We used to come here together so many times to watch the sunset, the summer fireworks, or just enjoy the weather."

"Is it really okay for me to be here?" asked Jaune. "I feel like I'm invading a private moment."

"If Ruby doesn't mind, then I don't mind."

Ruby took a deep breath and walked up to the headstone while everyone else stood back. As custom for Ruby, she placed a rose in front of the grave and then went on to explain everything going on since Ruby last visited.

"Hi mom; it's been a while. Sorry I haven't seen you for so long, but so much has happened. I graduated from Beacon Academy and started my journey! In fact, right now I have six badges, so it won't be long before I compete in the Pokémon League! I'll be a professional just like you! In fact, I plan on becoming the new Vale regional champion in my debut year!

"I've got to experience so much on my journey! I've been exploring caves, forests, mountains...and I've been doing all sorts of cool stuff like dig for fossils, search ancient cities, and compete in fishing contests! Of course there are some parts of my journey I'd rather forget, like the time I got caught up in a casino scandal. Long story short, I'm never gambling again! Oh, and I met a lot of cool people on my journey as well."

Ruby paused and turned back to her family. "Jaune, Eevee, can you come up with me?"

Jaune looked at Taiyang and Yang to see if it was all right to go up there; Yang signaled to Jaune to move it. Jaune quickly ran up and stood beside Ruby along with Eevee.

"This is my Eevee. I adopted her when I started my adventure. We didn't have a good start, but now we're the best of friends. She was able to win a Pokémon Contest at a Master Rank! A lot of people ask me when I'm going to have her evolve, but I'm perfectly happy the way she is!

"This is Jaune. He's on a different sort of journey. He's trying to find something he can be good at, and I promised to make sure he stays with me until he does. He makes stupid mistakes sometimes, but he's really cool to hang around with. And no, we're not dating! I know how much dad would flip out if he found out I was dating at such a 'young' age.

"I also met this friend of Ozpin's named Allison Church. She's an archeologist, and she taught me about ancient Pokémon and even took me to a centuries old city! She also gave a speech from her old mentor about how important it is to keep moving forward. I couldn't help but think about you when she said that. She too had someone she looked up to a lot, but didn't get the chance to work alongside them and see just how far they've come when they were still here. But I'm sure just like you, they're looking down on her and are proud of what she's accomplished.

"I've also been fighting back against this really mean group of trainers called Team White Fang! They're really tough, but thanks to my friends, I'm always able to come out on top! I have a friend who's really obsessed with stopping them. She never told me why though; maybe she's some sort of secret detective.

"Everyone else is doing well. Dad is still going out and doing his research, and Yang and Uncle Qrow are still kicking butt as Pokémon Rangers!"

"Ruby!" interrupted Yang. "The ship sails in about an hour. Time to wrap up, okay?"

"Okay, Yang!" Ruby cleared her throat and turned back to Summer. "That's all my adventures for now. I'll come back to visit once the tournament is over. I wish you could be there in person when I win the championship, but I know you'll be watching me, wherever you are."

Ruby cleared some tears in her eyes and gave one final bow to Summer. Ruby felt a lot better after visiting her mother, and now that she dealt with her homesickness, her mind was back to focusing on obtaining her next badge.

#

Deep in the underground cavern of Dragon Sanctuary, the mysterious being that saved Ruby was meditating. It had traveled to many locations around Remnant, and it usually had to leave when things got out of hand. Because of how there was barely anyone who came to this mountain, it had stayed in Dragon Sanctuary for an extensive period of time, only leaving the mountain occasionally to receive nourishment.

Using its Psychic powers, it was able to tell that a group of people were coming up to the shore in order to attack him from behind.

"I know you're behind me," said the being. "What reason do you have to disturb my peace?"

"Boss, it knows we're here!" said a scared voice. "What do we do now?"

"Relax," said a sultry voice. "I've got everything under control."

Sensing the people behind them, they can tell the one with the sultry voice was approaching closer, as if it had no fear of what this being was.

"You sound confident," replied the being. "I can tell by the way you are walking, you have no fear of who or what I am. You are a brave yet foolish woman; you have no idea about the powers I possess."

"Correction," said the sultry voice. "I know everything about you...Subject M!"

Subject M. That was a name the being had not heard in nearly twenty years. The being rose from their meditative state and turned around to confront the woman, who laughed at being able to get a rise out of Subject M.

"Long time no see, Subject M," said Cinder. "Or should I say...Mewtwo?"


	34. The Human Moltres! Ruby vs Pyrrha

Mewtwo.

That was the name this being was given at birth. No, not birth; more like creation. It wasn't born the way other species were; it was created in a lab, shunned from the outside world. To those who weren't part of this experiment, it was known as Subject M. Very few knew the true name and origin of this mysterious being, so to hear this woman show up and refer to this thing by its creation-name caused the being to tense up.

"We finally meet again Mewtwo," said Cinder. "You look just as strong as you did twenty years ago."

"Who are you?" asked Mewtwo. "How do you know who I am?"

"That's because...I'm your mother."

"Mother? What do you mean you're my mother? Explain yourself!"

Cinder smiled and walked up to Mewtwo, placing a hand on Mewtwo's face.

"Biologically I'm not your mother, but Mewtwo, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be alive in the first place. You are a clone of the legendary Mew, born out of Mew's DNA discovered a little over twenty years ago by me. I've watched you grow from a small random sample in a petri dish to the world's most powerful Pokémon!"

Hearing Cinder's words brought back the memories Mewtwo had been reliving over and over again. Even in its newborn state, it could never forget the faces implanted into its Psychic mind. Mewtwo recalled seeing an ebony-haired woman with bright amber eyes; she had always stopped by its tubular prison, as if watching it grow up. There was no doubt in Mewtwo's mind; this was the same woman standing in front of her now.

Now full of rage and contempt, Mewtwo used their Psychic powers to grab a hold of Cinder. The White Fang grunts behind her were too scared to do anything.

"You were one of them!" yelled Mewtwo. "You were one of the scientists that tortured me!"

Despite the pain Cinder was in from Mewtwo's Psychic hold, Cinder remained calm.

"Mewtwo, it's true I was involved in the experiment, but I never meant for this to happen! I simply wanted to create a clone of the most sought after Pokémon in history! To learn the secrets of our world's origin!"

"LIAR! I know what your people were up to! You wanted me to become a weapon you can control! I wasn't just a clone of Mew; I was its successor! None of you were powerful enough to control me then, so what makes you think you can control me NOW?"

"Mewtwo, I can't, and I don't, want to control you! I...want to help!"

"Help? Does it look like I need help? How can an ordinary HUMAN like you possibly help ME?"

"The ones who created you...they're coming after you! They plan to capture you so you can serve the one responsible for your creation!"

"And just who are these 'ones' you are referring to?"

"The company...that created you...the Schnee Corporation!"

Mewtwo was somewhat confused by Cinder's words. It remembered being created in the basement of a lab, and remembered the one who thought they can control Mewtwo, but Mewtwo couldn't recall any of them being associated with the Schnee Corporation. Mewtwo decided to let go of Cinder and to continue hearing her out. If Cinder was lying, Mewtwo could easily just get rid of her anyway.

"You say it was the Schnee Corporation that created me?" asked Mewtwo. "I was created in the lab of a research center. What business does Schnee Corporation have with me?"

"Their President was the one who wanted to control you," said Cinder. "They were the ones that forced us to turn you into a weapon!"

Mewtwo used their powers to scan Cinder's emotions. It appeared she was telling the truth, but something about her demeanor put Mewtwo at unease; they couldn't trust this woman yet.

"You sound like you're telling the truth, but I'm not quite sure of that. Why should I believe you?"

"I can show you proof."

Cinder took out her scroll and played a video saved on her phone. It showed Ironwood meeting with a group of scientists at the Schnee Co. Vale Headquarters.

"Gentlemen, how is the progress on Project Master?" asked Ironwood.

"We're still running some tests, but we believe we could be very close to finally completing a finished product!"

"Excellent. Once the project is finished, we'll have Subject M back under control."

Mewtwo felt enraged just at the mere sight of Ironwood. Mewtwo turned around and unleashed a Psychic wave at a nearby wall to let out their frustration, causing the wall to explode.

"You recognize that man," said Cinder. "That man is under the thumb of President Schnee. Schnee plans to have you enslaved to benefit his company."

"Them let him come after me," said Mewtwo. "I'll eliminate him and his company myself!"

"You think you can defeat him by yourself?"

"My power surpasses all the Pokémon in the world. There's nothing I cannot defeat."

"Even a Pokémon with the power of legends like yourself can't defeat him and his empire alone. That's why I'm here to help."

One of the grunts handed Cinder her briefcase. She opened up the briefcase and pulled out the Grimm Mask she had used on Volcarona.

"If you want the edge in defeating Schnee, you'll need this." Cinder tossed the mask to Mewtwo. Mewtwo grabbed the mask and studied it. It can tell the markings inside and outside the mask consisted of Dust, something Mewtwo was fully aware of its capabilities. "That mask will give you an extra boost of power. Combined with the enormous power you already possess, you will be unstoppable. You will have more power than any Pokémon in existence!"

"Even if what you say is true," said Mewtwo, "what do you have to gain by helping me?"

"You're not the only one whose life was ruined by Schnee. That man took away everything I worked hard for. Do you know how many lives he's ruined because of his selfish desires? I want to put an end to all that. I want to bring justice to him and save the world currently in the grasp of his criminal empire! But sadly, I lack the power and resources to do so. However, with your help, we can destroy Schnee Co. We can get our revenge for what he's done to us! What do you say, Mewtwo? Will you join me in saving the world?"

A chance at revenge? How could Mewtwo possibly pass up this opportunity? They knew they would know no peace as long as Schnee was out to get them. Mewtwo needed to destroy Schnee once and for all, and if this mask truly gave them the power to do so, then they saw no reason not to take it. Even if Cinder were to double cross them, they can easily crush her like they planned to do against Schnee.

Mewtwo placed the mask on their face, and can instantly feel a surge of power running through their body. The Dust contained in the mask gave them enhanced strength, and so far there were no negative drawbacks. Mewtwo turned to Cinder and held out their hand for a handshake.

"Let us work together then," said Mewtwo.

"Thank you, Mewtwo," said Cinder, shaking Mewtwo's hand.

#

After returning from Patch Island, Ruby and Jaune headed to Hriso City, Vale's most popular tourist destination. Of course, all of the tourist attractions paled in popularity to Hriso Stadium, thanks to the all-star gym leader Pyrrha Nikos. No matter if she battled a rookie or a seasoned pro, tickets to her matches were usually sold out well in advance. Ruby had heard stories of how popular and amazing Pyrrha was, and it was all the more reason Ruby wanted to best Pyrrha and obtain her seventh badge.

"Look at all these stores," said Jaune, passing by one expensive department store after another. "I feel poor just passing by these places."

"They do say this is the city that shines like gold," said Ruby. "It's probably why all the big name celebrities live here."

Along the way to the Pokémon Center, they passed by a comic book store. Jaune was looking at the display window and noticed a new comic on sale.

"Wow! They finally released it!"

"Release what?"

"Issue three of X-Ray and Vav! I've been waiting forever for this to come out! Ruby, can we stop in for a moment?"

"I really want to get to the Pokémon Center so I can get ready for my gym battle. Just meet me at the stadium when you're done."

Jaune quickly entered the comic book store and headed straight for his favorite comic. He also took his time to catch up on other comics he had been following and window shopped at all the cool new statues he wishes he could afford.

After buying his new collection of comic books, Jaune went to sit on a bench to read the new X-Ray and Vav immediately. He was so excited to read it, he wound up dropping the comic on the sidewalk. As he went to pick it up, he looked up and noticed someone already sitting on the bench. It was a red-headed woman in a sweat suit, with her hands folded over her neck and looking down on the sidewalk below. It appeared this girl was upset about something. Jaune took a seat next to the red head.

"Excuse me," said Jaune. "Are you feeling okay?"

The girl looked up at Jaune with an inquisitive look. That's when Jaune noticed the girl wearing a gold crown on her head.

"I'm fine," said the red head, stretching her arms out. "Just a bit worn out from my run this morning."

"Oh. From the way you were sitting, I thought you were depressed about something, like losing a Pokémon battle."

"The only thing I've been losing lately is sleep. Between the gym battles, ranger missions, autograph signings, and charity work, I'm surprised I even get six hours of sleep at night."

"Whoa! You're a gym leader AND a Pokémon Ranger? You must be one of the best trainers in the world to do all that!"

"Wait...you don't know who I am?"

"Um...should I?"

"Well, most people who come talk to me already know who I am. Do you?"

"You're going to think I'm stupid for saying this, but I don't."

"I don't think you're stupid at all!"

"Then you'd be one of the very few to think that."

"Well, you're one of the very few who haven't run up to me begging for an autograph, so I guess that makes us even."

The girl noticed the new comic book in Jaune's arms.

"You like X-Ray and Vav?"

"Um...yes?" asked Jaune, worried what kind of reaction he would get.

"I've been meaning to get a copy of that new issue once it came out. I'm dying to know if they really killed off Mogar!"

"Wait, you like reading X-Ray and Vav too?"

"Yeah. What made you assume I wouldn't?"

"Well, I mean, most cute girls would think that comic is for juvenile dorks."

"So you think I'm a cute girl?"

"Um...did I really say that? I'm sorry!"

"You're sorry for calling me cute?"

"Yes! Wait, I mean no! I mean..."

Jaune buried his face in his comic books, feeling like an idiot as usual. The girl giggled at Jaune's reaction.

"You're a funny guy," said the red head. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos, gym leader of Hriso City."

"Jaune Arc, ex-gym leader of Amarillo City," greeted Jaune.

"You used to be a gym leader? What happened?"

"It's a long story, but I'm sure you're too busy to sit down and hear about my problems."

"Actually, it'll still be a while before my next scheduled gym battle. If you're not doing anything, let's get something to eat and you can tell me your long story."

"Wait, are you asking me out on a date?"

"That wasn't really the intention...but if you want to call it that, sure."

#

After dropping off her Pokémon for a checkup at the Pokémon Center, Ruby headed to the stadium located next door. The first thing Ruby noticed when she entered Hriso Stadium was the obscene amount of Pyrrha merchandise going around. Kids and adults alike were wearing or carrying around something with Pyrrha's face on it. Some of the older fans were even cosplaying as Pyrrha herself.

Ruby decided to drop by the gift shop before heading to the registration booth. Just about everything they sold featured Pyrrha or the various Fire type Pokémon she was known for using. One of the T-shirts being sold was Pyrrha posing in front of a silhouette of Moltres with the words "The Human Moltres" written in flames.

_"The Human Moltres, huh?"_ thought Ruby. _"Either she's got a really good marketing team or her ego is more inflated than Neptune's."_

She came across the toy section and noticed the basket of Pyrrha plushies featuring Pyrrha in her armor outfit she was known to wear during gym matches. Ruby picked one up to look at.

_"These do look kind of cute. Maybe when I become the Vale champion I can get my own plushie."_

"Finally they're back in stock!" said someone behind Ruby, grabbing a plushie and heading straight to the counter. Ruby turned around to see who would be so excited to purchase a Pyrrha plushie, and couldn't believe her eyes; it was her arch-nemesis Weiss.

_"Really? Of all the places in the world she could be, she has to be HERE? I'm not in the mood for this!"_

Ruby put down the plushie and was about to leave until Weiss turned around and noticed Ruby.

"Why hello there, Ruby," said Weiss. "I never thought I'd see you here."

Ruby was expecting Weiss to be her vitriol self as usual, but she was surprised to hear Weiss speak to her in a normal manner. That actually made Ruby more worried about what Weiss was going to say to her.

"Hello Weiss," said Ruby reluctantly. "Let me guess, you're here to challenge Pyrrha for a badge?"

"As a matter of fact...I'm not!"

"You're not? Then what are you here for?"

"I'm here for the same reason the thousands of other people are in this stadium. I'm here to see Pyrrha Nikos in action!"

Weiss sounded genuinely excited to be here, but Ruby figured she had to be up to something. Weiss couldn't possibly be here to watch Pyrrha just for fun.

"Wait a minute, I get it!" said Ruby. "You're just watching her matches so you'll know how to beat her later!"

"Do you really think I'd rely on such an underhanded tactic like that? If I wanted to fight and defeat Pyrrha, I'd have done so by now. But see, I have too much respect to embarrass Pyrrha in front of her avid crowd of fans."

"Wow Weiss, you actually respect someone besides yourself? I'm honestly impressed!"

"Oh ha ha ha," laughed Weiss sarcastically. "Normally this would be the part where I point out your inferiority, but I'm in too good of a mood today. I can't wait to see what poor sap decided to step up to the plate to fight The Human Moltres!"

"That would be me."

"Was that another lame attempt at a joke?"

"No joke. I'm challenging Pyrrha next."

Weiss laughed again, but this time she meant it. Ruby rolled her eyes, not surprised by this kind of response.

"Now this is sure to be fun! I get to see Pyrrha win, and I get to see you lose!"

"What's so great about Pyrrha anyway? She's just another gym leader like everyone else in Vale."

"Just another gym leader?" yelled Weiss, shocked that someone would make such a statement. Realizing they were making a scene in the gift shop, Weiss pulled Ruby out of the store so she can give Ruby a history lesson on Pyrrha.

"Let me explain how wrong you are! Pyrrha Nikos isn't some run-of-the-mill gym leader like the others. Pyrrha is one of the greatest Pokémon trainers in the world! She's won several tournaments in her home region of Mistral, and defeated Vale's Elite Four when she was ten-years-old! She was the youngest trainer to ever challenge my father for the championship, and she was the only one to ever get close to doing so, which for someone who isn't a Schnee, is really quite impressive! She was also the fastest rising member of the Pokémon Rangers, earning top rank in merely a few months.

"So you see, she isn't 'just another gym leader!' There's a reason Pyrrha Nikos has been nicknamed The Human Moltres! Her skills and work ethic are considered legendary! I doubt a trainer as elite as her would ever give you the time of day. Knowing her, she would easily get bored of fighting an amateur like you."

"What are you, president of her fan club?" asked Ruby.

"I'm just stating the facts is all! If you couldn't beat me - twice - you don't have a prayer against..."

Weiss suddenly stopped when she noticed who just walked through the front entrance of the stadium. It definitely wasn't a cosplayer this time; it was truly the real thing.

"Pyrrha!" said Weiss. "It's really her! But...is that the dumb blonde with her?"

"Wait, Jaune?" said Ruby.

Ruby turned around and sure enough, there was Jaune entering the stadium with Pyrrha, holding what appeared to be cups from a fast food joint. Weiss couldn't comprehend what she was seeing; that was Pyrrha Nikos all right, but what was she doing with Jaune? And why did it sound like they were enjoying each other's company?

"So then the Gyarados took off with his rod, which belonged to his wife!" said Jaune.

"Oh my!" said Pyrrha, laughing at Jaune's story. The new friendly couple were soon joined by Ruby and Weiss.

"Hey Ruby! Check it out: This is the gym leader, Pyrrha Nikos!"

"Hello!" greeted Pyrrha.

"So I've heard," said Ruby. "What exactly is going on here?"

"Funny story," said Jaune. "I ran into Pyrrha outside the comic book store and she decided to treat me for lunch at Rooster House."

Jaune and Pyrrha held up their collector's cups from their trip to Rooster House.

"What are you drinking?" asked Weiss.

"Grape soda?" said Pyrrha. Weiss grabbed the drink out of Pyrrha's hand and held it up to Jaune's face.

"YOU! I just know you're responsible for this!"

"Responsible for what?" asked Jaune.

"You must have given her this drink! Why else would THE Pyrrha Nikos drink such a gross, unhealthy beverage?"

"Because it was diet and she asked for it? People like grapes, you know."

"Can I have my cup back, please?" asked Pyrrha.

"My apologies Miss Nikos," said Weiss, returning the cup. "I'm Weiss Schnee. I'm sure you've heard of me?"

"Ah yes, Schnee," said Pyrrha. "I've seen you in some of the meetings at Schnee Co."

"On behalf of my company and my family, I'd like to thank you and the rangers personally for all you've done in stopping the White Fang. I look forward to your gym match today."

"You're welcome, Miss Schnee. Have fun!"

Weiss went off into the stadium, feeling somewhat giddy with getting to talk to Pyrrha herself, even if she nearly blew it by criticizing her beverage preferences. Ruby was just relieved Weiss was out of sight.

"While we're introducing ourselves," said Ruby, "I'm Ruby Rose. I'll be your challenger today."

"So you're Ruby," said Pyrrha. "Jaune's told me a lot about you."

"Oh really?" said Ruby, giving Jaune a sideways glance. "Just HOW much has he told?"

"Don't worry, I made sure he didn't tell me anything about your Pokémon or fighting strategies. Wouldn't be fair of a gym leader to have that kind of knowledge beforehand. Is it true you have six badges?"

"See for yourself." Ruby pointed to the six badges on her backpack.

"Very impressive. I don't get a lot of trainers coming to this gym with that many badges. It'll be great to fight with some of my stronger Pokémon for once. Well, I have to go get ready, so before I forget..."

Pyrrha reached into her pocket and pulled out a lanyard with a special pass attached, handing it to Jaune.

"What's this?" asked Jaune.

"A ticket for the VIP section of the stadium," said Pyrrha.

"VIP? You mean I get to be front and center?"

"That section is usually very expensive, but as gym leader, they give me a reserved seat for anyone I like to invite. Just make sure to return it after the battle, okay?"

"Y-yeah...s-sure..."

"See you during the match!"

Pyrrha quickly ran off to her locker room to get ready for today's match. Jaune was still in shock that he got an exclusive pass.

"Since when did she become your new best friend?" asked Ruby.

"Hey now, you're not getting jealous are you?" said Jaune. "You're still my best friend, Ruby! Even I don't know why she's being so nice to me."

"No, I'm not jealous. I guess I was just expecting an ice queen version two. In this case I'm glad to be wrong."

"Trust me, she's nothing like Weiss. Anyway, good luck Ruby! I'll be sure to cheer as loud as I can!"

#

The arena inside Hriso Stadium was nothing like Jaune expected. The arena floor had a circular concrete pillar, with a pit about twenty feet deep surrounding the pillar. Two balconies were perched on opposite sides of the arena for the competitors; the front rows were covered by a bullet proof glass. Thanks to his pass, Jaune and Eevee were seated right in the middle of it all. Meanwhile, in her private box seat above the normal crowd was Weiss, giving her the best overhead view of the arena. She took out her Pyrrha plushie and gave it a tight squeeze; she couldn't wait for Pyrrha to make her entrance.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to another exciting match here at Hriso Stadium! Today, Pyrrha Nikos will face a challenger currently holding six Pokémon League badges! Because the challenger has six badges, this will be a four versus four match! Should the challenger defeat Pyrrha, they will be rewarded with the prestigious Miló badge! If you're ready for an intense Pokémon battle, let's hear you make some noise!"

The crowd proceeded to go absolutely insane, loudly chanting Pyrrha's name. Signs cheering for Pyrrha littered the crowd all over the stadium.

"Today's challenger comes from Patch Island, and recently graduated from Beacon Academy! Please welcome Ruby Rose!"

Ruby walked out from behind the curtain on her side of the arena as Ruby's bio appeared on the big screens hanging above.

_"I feel like I'm in one of those major sporting events where they introduce the star players. Figures they'd go all out in Hriso City."_

"And now, introducing the gym leader of Hriso City! The Human Moltres herself, PYRRHAAAAAAAAAAA NIKOS!"

Pyrrha emerged from the curtain to a crowd of screaming fans as her special entrance music blared in the arena. Pyrrha came out dressed like a warrior ready for combat, complete with a bronze breastplate, gauntlets, grieves, and even a choker. She had a red sash tied around her waist and carried a shield behind her back. Ruby looked up to the screens above that showed Pyrrha's statistics in professional gym matches.

WINNING PERCENTAGE

2 vs 2: 86%

3 vs 3: 94%

4 vs 4: 98%

_"That's her winning record? Even her 2-v-2 record is high for a gym leader! Is she really as good as Weiss claimed she is?"_

"Before the match begins, we must first setup the lava ring!"

Panels below the competitors opened up and out poured a bright hot substance that looked like lava into the pit surrounding the middle pillar.

"Whoa!" said Ruby. "Is that real lava?"

"Don't worry," said Pyrrha. "That's just an artificial substance we've made using Dust, although it's still hot enough to do some damage to non-Fire type Pokémon."

Once the lava filled to nearly the top of the pillar, Ruby and Pyrrha got into position to begin their match.

"Trainers, call out your first Pokémon!"

Ruby decided to start the match with her Talonflame; Pyrrha called out her Rapidash. With the Pokémon ready to battle, the audience chanted during the countdown until the match officially began.

"Talonflame, Flame Charge!" commanded Ruby. Talonflame lit itself aflame and headed straight for Rapidash.

"Rapidash, Agility!" commanded Pyrrha. Rapidash quickly trotted out of the way of Talonflame. Talonflame turned around and homed in on Rapidash. Rapidash dashed around the outer edge of the ring as Talonflame was getting closer.

"Talonflame, use your Agility to catch up!" Talonflame concentrated and raised her speed, gaining the boost she needed to catch up to Rapidash.

"Rapidash, Bounce attack!" Rapidash stomped its front hooves into the ground and jumped about a dozen feet into the air, memorizing everyone in the audience. With Rapidash now above Talonflame, Rapidash bent forward and came down horn first towards Talonflame; Talonflame quickly flew out of the way to avoid getting hit as Rapidash landed perfectly on her feet.

_"That horse is just as fast as Talonflame, maybe even faster! I'll have to rely on brute strength for this one!"_

"Talonflame, Acrobatics!"

"Rapidash, Flame Wheel!" As Talonflame headed into Rapidash, Rapidash's mane burst into flames as Rapidash curled into a ball and rolled into Talonflame. The two collided into each other several times, both dealing the same amount of damage on impact.

"Talonflame, Quick Attack!" Talonflame increased her speed and lightly hit Rapidash with its wing as she flew past. Talonflame turned around and charged into Rapidash for another hit.

"Rapidash, trap her with Fire Spin!" Rapidash shot a burst of fire from its mouth onto the ground, creating a fire vortex that quickly surrounded Talonflame. The vortex was spinning around at too quick of a speed for Talonflame to break through.

"Your Talonflame has nowhere to go, Ruby!"

"That's what you think!" replied Ruby. "There's still one way out! Talonflame, fly straight into the air!"

Talonflame headed to the top of the vortex in order to fly over.

"Just as planned!" said Pyrrha. "Rapidash, Bounce attack!"

Rapidash stomped the ground hard and flew up above the vortex, hovering over Talonflame. With Talonflame unable to move anywhere else, there was no way for Talonflame to dodge the attack. Rapidash landed on top of Talonflame and slammed her down to the ground. The impact of the landing caused Talonflame to become paralyzed, making her easy prey for Rapidash.

"Your Talonflame isn't in good condition to keep fighting," said Pyrrha. "Would you like to surrender now?"

As much as Ruby hated admitting defeat, Talonflame was just about powerless when paralyzed. Biting her lower lip, she took out her Poké Ball and recalled Talonflame as the flame vortex vanished.

"Pyrrha has taken the early lead over Ruby! How will Ruby counter Pyrrha's Rapidash?"

"All right Zoroark," said Ruby, "time to make your big debut!"

Ruby tossed her Poké Ball and called out Zoroark. Zoroark stood ready for Rapidash to attack first.

"Rapidash, Flame Wheel!" Rapidash curled into a ball and rolled into Zoroark.

"Zoroark, Double Team!" Just as Rapidash was about to hit Zoroark, Zoroark split herself into several copies. Rapidash rammed into an illusion that disappeared upon contact. Pyrrha looked around the arena to see which Zoroark was possibly the real one, but all the illusions looked so real it was impossible to distinguish the real from the fakes.

"I bet not even the so-called Human Moltres can find the real Zoroark!" boasted Ruby.

"Heh," said Pyrrha, smirking. "Nice trick Ruby, but I won't need to make random guesses! Rapidash, Fire Spin!"

Rapidash took a deep breath and shot a wider range Fire Spin that surrounded all of the Zoroarks. The Fire Spin then started to close in on the Zoroarks, forcing them to congregate towards the center. As the Fire Spin retracted, the illusions were soon burned away by the flames, causing only the real Zoroark to remain in the middle, trapped just like Talonflame.

"You're trapped once again, Ruby!" said Pyrrha. "Rapidash, Bounce attack!" Rapidash Bounced into the air and hovered several feet over Zoroark, ready to strike it down much like Talonflame.

"Got you!" said Ruby. "Zoroark, Dark Pulse!"

Zoroark formed a massive ball of dark energy in her hands as Rapidash came crashing downward. Zoroark fired the Dark Pulse the moment Rapidash was at point blank range, dealing a heavy amount of damage that threw Rapidash off and caused her to land harshly on the ground. The audience gasped at Ruby gaining the edge over Pyrrha.

"Walked right into that one, Pyrrha! Now Zoroark, Night Slash her!"

"Rapidash, Agility!"

Zoroark swung her claws at a prone Rapidash; Rapidash quickly got up and dashed out of the way just in time. Rapidash continued to run around the outer edge of the ring, gaining more momentum and speed. Rapidash's fiery mane made it look like the arena was being surrounded by a wall of fire. Zoroark stood where she was and tried to keep track of Rapidash, but Rapidash's incredible speed made it nearly impossible. A mix of the heat and nerves caused both Ruby and Zoroark to sweat.

_"That thing must be running at light speed!"_ thought Ruby. _"If only I could use that against her much like Fire Spin, but how?"_

Ruby looked around the arena trying to come up with an idea, and noticed the circle of lava bubbling outside of the ring. That's when she came up with an idea.

"Zoroark, head to the edge and get ready!" Zoroark headed to the edge of the ring and stood in the path of Rapidash. Zoroark held her arms like she was about to fire another Dark Pulse; unfortunately for them, Pyrrha saw this move coming.

"Rapidash, kick off!"

A second before Rapidash would collide into Zoroark, Rapidash suddenly jumped near the lava ring and kicked off the glass shield that was guarding the front row of the audience, causing Rapidash to change trajectory and charge into Zoroark from closer to the center.

"Now Rapidash, Flame Wheel!" Without losing any momentum, Rapidash charged into Zoroark with her Flame Wheel. Everyone thought Pyrrha had outsmarted Ruby once again, and now Zoroark was about to take a dive into the fake lava.

But it was Ruby who had the cunning trick up her sleeve.

"Zoroark, Foul Play!" Zoroark quickly held her arms out and grabbed Rapidash as Rapidash rammed into Zoroark. Zoroark used Rapidash's momentum against her, easily lifting her off the ground and tossing her over Zoroark's shoulder, throwing her into the lava instead.

"AMAZING!" shouted the announcer. "Zoroark has thrown Rapidash into the lava! I can't remember the last trainer to ever throw one of Pyrrha's Pokémon into the pit!"

"Way to go Ruby!" cheered Jaune. "You've got this!"

"Eevee!" cheered Eevee.

While everyone in the crowd was shocked and assumed Rapidash had lost, Weiss was smiling to herself. Watching Pyrrha battle for years, she knew what was coming next.

"Looks like we're tied, Pyrrha!" said Ruby.

"That was an intelligent tactic Ruby," said Pyrrha. "However, you've yet to defeat my Rapidash."

"Huh? I just sent that horse into the lava! It can't stay down there forever!"

"You're right, but it can stay down there for a long time, and once it emerges, she's going to give it everything she's got to take you out!"

"Then hurry up and do it! My Zoroark will finish it for good!"

Zoroark stood in the center, looking around to see where and when Rapidash was going to emerge. The audience was dead silent, anticipating the moment Rapidash would burst out and attack.

Without waiting for Pyrrha's command, Rapidash jumped out from behind Zoroark and charged into her with Flame Wheel.

"Zoroark, Night Slash at five o'clock!" Zoroark quickly turned around in the direction Rapidash was coming from and swung at Rapidash. Rapidash rolled past Zoroark and got slashed by her claws while Rapidash's flames burned Zoroark's arm. Rapidash came to a halt and fell down in defeat, but the damage was done; Zoroark's arm was severely injured, leaving Zoroark in bad shape.

"Rapidash goes down in a blaze of glory!" said the announcer. "The match is now tied at one apiece!"

Usually Ruby would be happy take down an opponent's Pokémon, but in this case it was at too great of a cost. Zoroark was holding on to her burnt arm; it wasn't going to take much to defeat Zoroark.

"Time for Camerupt to finish what Rapidash started!" said Pyrrha. Pyrrha threw her Poké Ball and called out Camerupt.

"We're not licked yet!" said Ruby. "Zoroark, Dark Pulse!"

Zoroark gathered as much as energy as she could with her one good arm and fired it at Camerupt.

"Camerupt, Stockpile!" Camerupt remained where he was and focused his energy into one of his rocky back humps. The Dark Pulse hit him directly but didn't seem to affect him very much.

"Keep firing, Zoroark!" Zoroark fired another Dark Pulse at Camerupt; Camerupt stood in place and continued to use Stockpile as he took the full blunt of Zoroark's attack. Zoroark once again fired another Dark Pulse, and Camerupt continued to use Stockpile until he was full on energy. Ruby was trying to find out why Pyrrha would allow so many free hits on her Camerupt.

_"What's with this thing?"_ thought Ruby. _"Is it so immobile that it can't dodge Zoroark's attacks? Pyrrha must be using Camerupt like a wall just to wear out Zoroark! If that thing is just going to remain still, I can have Zoroark run up and Night Slash him! That's bound to do some serious damage!"_

"Zoroark, Night Slash attack!" Zoroark raised her good arm and dashed towards Camerupt.

"Camerupt, Lava Plume!" commanded Pyrrha. Camerupt's humps started glowing as balls of lava shot out from his humps and were falling all around him.

"Look out, Zoroark!" Zoroark stopped her charge and started jumping around to avoid the balls of lava landing on the field. Camerupt was soon surrounded by so much lava from his Lava Plume that it was going to be impossible for Zoroark to attack up close without taking serious damage.

"Zoroark, stay back and fire your Dark Pulse!"

"Keep up the Lava Plume, Camerupt!"

Zoroark got as far away as possible and fired her Dark Pulse while Camerupt remained still and fired his Lava Plume all over the ring. Despite Zoroark's speed, for every Dark Pulse she tried to fire, Camerupt was able to launch at least three or four balls of fire with his Lava Plume, and every time he fired, Zoroark had to dodge or get severely burned. Meanwhile, no matter how many times he was hit with Dark Pulse, Camerupt remained where he was and took all the damage. As more lava came down on Zoroark, Zoroark jumped aside only to step in lava by accident and burn her foot. She looked around and realized there was hardly any room to maneuver. Between the lava from Camerupt and the lava surrounding the ring, there was nowhere for Zoroark to go.

"Your Zoroark is trapped and too weak to fight," said Pyrrha. "I'd call it back now before it gets injured."

Zoroark looked up to Ruby and shook her head. Even if it wasn't going to win, Zoroark wanted to do whatever it took to help Ruby while it was standing.

"All right Zoroark, give it one last Dark Pulse!" Zoroark gathered all the energy it could to unleash one final Dark Pulse.

"If you insist," said Pyrrha. "Fire away, Camerupt!"

Camerupt fired one last Lava Plume at Zoroark; Zoroark shot her final Dark Pulse before the plumes landed on Zoroark and knocked her out; the Dark Pulse nailed Camerupt and did a critical amount of damage. Camerupt finally started showing signs that it was going to faint.

"Pyrrha has retaken the lead!" said the announcer.

_"Thank you, Zoroark,"_ thought Ruby as she recalled Zoroark. _"I won't let you down!"_

Ruby called out her third Pokémon for battle: Graveler. Graveler's feet was covered by the leftover lava, but it barely felt any pain thanks to its type advantage. Being a Rock and Ground hybrid, Graveler was sure to have the upper hand over Camerupt, especially with Camerupt's health getting low.

"Quick Graveler, Rock Throw attack!" Graveler broke off a piece of its body and hurled it at Camerupt.

"Camerupt, Swallow now!" Camerupt absorbed all the built up energy inside himself from the Stockpile into his body. The rock struck Camerupt in the forehead and did some moderate damage, but Camerupt wasn't knocked out. In fact, it looked as if it had regained a majority of its health back.

"What gives?" asked Ruby. "How is Camerupt suddenly looking better?"

"It's thanks to the Stockpile technique," explained Pyrrha. "While your Zoroark was attacking Camerupt, it was building up the energy necessary to regain their health by then using the Swallow technique. Now my Camerupt is back to nearly top shape."

On the box seat above, Weiss was smiling from ear-to-ear. She knew what Pyrrha was up to the moment she brought out Camerupt, and seeing it pulled off successfully in action always brought a smile to her face. Ruby on the other hand was feeling frustrated that Zoroark's sacrifice was essentially wasted.

"Graveler, Magnitude attack!" Graveler jumped up and stomped the ground, causing a minor earthquake in the ring that did a bit of damage to Camerupt.

"Camerupt, time for Eruption!"

Camerupt pawed the ground and let out a loud roar. The audience were on the edge of their seats as they knew what Camerupt was about to unleash. Weiss herself was elated at the spectacle she was about to witness. Camerupt bent down and let out two huge gushers of lava that was impossible to avoid as Graveler was completely drenched in the burning liquid.

_"She may have used a powerful move, but Fire attacks barely hurt Graveler! I've still got a chance!"_

As soon as the lava dissipated, Ruby expected Graveler to be standing tall and ready to go, but instead, Graveler was wobbling around like it had been beaten up. Graveler then collapsed on his face and stopped moving.

"Graveler!" yelled Ruby. Ruby was hoping Graveler would do something, but Graveler remained motionless.

"Camerupt's Eruption has taken out Graveler!" said the announcer. "Pyrrha now leads the match three to one!"

Ruby didn't want to believe it, but yelling and denying what just happened wasn't going to change anything. Graveler was taken out instantly and she was now down to her final Pokémon. Ruby was suddenly feeling short of breath as her heart skipped beats and her hands began to shake.

_"She took out Graveler with just one attack!"_ thought Ruby. _"She's taking out my Pokémon with ease while I'm struggling just to keep up! Is there truly no way to beat her?"_

"Are you okay, Ruby?" asked Pyrrha. "You don't look so good."

Ruby shook her head and took a deep breath_. "Get it together Ruby! She just took you by surprise with one attack! My final Pokémon will be able to handle things from here!"_

"I'm okay!" said Ruby. "I may be behind, but I'm about to call out my ace in the hole! Go, Tentacruel!"

Ruby called out her Tentacruel to the arena. The Tentacruel hovered over some of the leftover lava from Camerupt's Eruption, feeling the slight burning sensation at the tip of its tentacles. Ruby wasted no time in attacking Camerupt.

"Tentacruel, wash that Camerupt out with Hydro Pump!" Tentacruel opened its mouth and sprayed a heavy stream of water at Camerupt. Due to Camerupt's slow mobility, it couldn't get out of the way and was soaked by the Hydro Pump, taking a critical amount of damage that caused it to collapse on its stomach.

"And Ruby responds by taking out Camerupt!" said the announcer. "Pyrrha is now down to two Pokémon!"

"I figured you would have a Water type waiting in the wings," said Pyrrha. "Since you've saved your best for last, perhaps I should use my best as well."

Pyrrha took out a Poké Ball and held it close to her heart. Pyrrha's fans recognized that pose, which meant Pyrrha was about to call out her signature Pokémon. Weiss got out of her seat and stood up to get a better view.

"It's time to battle, girl," said Pyrrha. "Let us achieve another victory together!"

"Here it comes!" said Weiss. "Pyrrha's signature Pokémon...Arcanine!"

Pyrrha threw out her Poké Ball and called forth her Arcanine. The arena burst into cheers for Arcanine as everyone started holding up signs, plushies, and anything else Arcanine related.

"Pyrrha's not going to wait until the end!" said the announcer. "She's called out her strongest Pokémon to face Ruby's Tentacruel! Will Arcanine triumph once again, or will Tentacruel be strong enough to extinguish her flames?"

"Arcanine, commence your Howl!" said Pyrrha. Arcanine let out a loud Howl to increase her physical strength. The crowd howled alongside Arcanine in perfect unison.

"Tentacruel, Acid Spray!" Tentacruel lifted its tentacles and sprayed its acidic liquid at Arcanine. Arcanine quickly dodged the sprays by jumping side to side.

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Arcanine rammed into Tentacruel and ran back within a blink of an eye. Arcanine continuously tackled into Tentacruel without losing a step.

"Tentacruel, Wrap that Arcanine's legs!" Tentacruel extended its tentacles and Wrapped them around Arcanine's legs, then proceeded to stretch them apart in order to damage Arcanine. With its legs tied up, Arcanine wasn't able to move.

"Arcanine, Fire Fang!" Arcanine lit its mouth on fire and bit down on one of Tentacruel's tentacles to free itself from its binds, but the damage wasn't enough.

"Tentacruel, Hydro Pump!" Tentacruel dragged Arcanine closer to its mouth, then shot its Hydro Pump right on top of Arcanine. Arcanine fell to her stomach, soaking wet and looking done for.

_"All right!"_ thought Ruby. _"Another Hydro Pump like that and I'll have taken out Arcanine!"_

"Don't give up, Arcanine!" yelled Pyrrha. "Increase your strength and break through the Wrap!"

Hearing Pyrrha's words encouraged Arcanine to Howl once again. Even with Tentacruel pulling Arcanine's body apart, Arcanine was able to outmuscle Tentacruel and stand back on her feet.

"Tentacruel, another Hydro Pump!"

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"

Tentacruel fired another Hydro Pump over Arcanine, but Arcanine quickly moved back and avoided the attack. Arcanine then charged forward into Tentacruel and pushed Tentacruel back, then charged backwards and used Tentacruel's tentacles still Wrapped around her to propel Tentacruel into her, then charged forward into Tentacruel again, almost like a yo-yo effect. Arcanine tackled into Tentacruel hard enough to finally break off Tentacruel's bindings.

"Okay Arcanine, time for Flare Blitz!" Arcanine growled as its body was covered in bright flames, then set its sights on Tentacruel.

"Tentacruel, Barrier!" Tentacruel set up a psychic Barrier to protect itself while it needed time to rest. Arcanine ran into the Barrier at full force, but couldn't penetrate through it. Arcanine stepped back and rammed into the Barrier again, still not able to break though.

"Don't hold back, Arcanine!" said Pyrrha. "Give it everything you've got, no matter the risk!"

Arcanine stepped back several feet, then charged at the Barrier with reckless abandon. This time it was able to break through the Barrier and tackled into Tentacruel, sending them both hurling into the outer lava ring.

"Both Pokémon have fallen into the lava!" said the announcer. "Could this be the end of both of them?"

The arena started chanting for Arcanine, hoping she would be the one to emerge from the lava ring first. Sure enough, a furry paw reached out and grabbed the edge of the ring as Arcanine pulled herself out of the lava.

"It looks like it's over!" said the announcer.

As Arcanine was walking back to Pyrrha, a pair of tentacles suddenly emerged and grabbed Arcanine by her hind legs, stopping her in her tracks. Tentacruel soon emerged from the lava as well. Arcanine tried to escape with its free legs but they were soon grabbed as well, and this time Tentacruel used tentacles to Wrap around Arcanine's body, neck, and tail, slowly dragging her closer to its mouth. It was almost like witnessing a movie monster drag its victim to their doom.

"No escape this time!" said Ruby. "Tentacruel, Hydro Pump!"

With Arcanine trapped in its tentacles, Tentacruel opened wide and poured another heavy stream of water on Arcanine, dealing a critical blow. The audience was in shock, thinking they had just witnessed the end of Arcanine. As Arcanine laid there soaking wet and knocked out, the audience was yelling for her to get back up.

_"This audience can cheer all they want, but there's no way that Arcanine can still fight after taking two Hydro Pumps!"_

Just as Ruby was about to order Tentacruel to let go, Arcanine opened her eyes and looked determined to keep going.

"UNBELIEVABLE!" said the announcer. "Arcanine is still in this!"

Even while still bound by Tentacruel's tentacles, Arcanine slowly got back on all fours and let out another Howl. Ruby was at a loss for words. Despite getting hit with one of the most powerful Water moves known again, Arcanine still had enough health to keep fighting. To Ruby, this situation made no sense to her. However, Weiss knew Arcanine had what it took to survive.

"I told that dunce Pyrrha Nikos was no ordinary gym leader," said Weiss. "Pyrrha's Arcanine is one of her most well-known Pokémon! She's been training and breeding with Arcanine for years, and every new generation of Arcanine is more powerful than the last! Nothing short of a legendary can stand up to the might of The Human Moltres!"

"Tentacruel, one more Hydro Pump!" commanded Ruby.

"Arcanine, Flare Blitz!" commanded Pyrrha.

Tentacruel opened its mouth and let out another Hydro Pump. Arcanine's body lit aflame; the flames became so intense that the water from the Hydro Pump quickly evaporated as Tentacruel's tentacles were burned by Arcanine, forcing Tentacruel to let go. Arcanine then ran a few feet back, then gave one last blitz tackle to Tentacruel. The power of the move was strong enough to take out Tentacruel. Arcanine fainted shortly afterwards as well, but that was moot as Ruby had no more Pokémon left to battle with. The sirens went off to indicate the match officially ending.

"The match is over!" said the announcer. "Here is your winner: PYRRHA NIKOS!"

"Oh man," said Jaune. "Pyrrha didn't even use all her Pokémon against Ruby. She's insanely good."

"Eevee," said Eevee, saddened to see Ruby lose.

As Pyrrha took in the adoration of the crowd, Ruby recalled her Tentacruel and headed back to the locker room; Jaune immediately got up and left to go meet Ruby.

Above in the box seats, Weiss couldn't be happier seeing Pyrrha defeat Ruby in such dominating fashion.

"Of course Pyrrha Nikos would come out the victor. An amateur like Ruby could never defeat someone the likes of The Human Moltres."

Weiss reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out an old autographed trading card she carried around with her. It was of Pyrrha Nikos several years ago when she started gaining some notoriety in the pro circuit thanks to her skills at such a young age, still in mint condition thanks to the lamination Weiss kept the card in.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down."

#

Ruby was sitting on a bench staring at the locker room floor. No matter how strong, or how fast, or what advantages Ruby thought she had over Pyrrha, Pyrrha outclassed her in every way possible. It wasn't even a close fight to the finish; Pyrrha dominated nearly the entire match. Weiss wasn't bragging when she boasted about Pyrrha's talents. Compared to Pyrrha, Ruby truly felt like an amateur, and it angered her so much.

After getting through the large crowd in the stadium, Jaune and Eevee finally made it to Ruby's locker room.

"Are you feeling all right?" asked Jaune.

"You mean aside from losing terribly out there?" replied Ruby.

"Sorry if I...um...well..."

"It's all right Jaune, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for not realizing just how strong she really was. Pyrrha is on a whole other level compared to the gym leaders I've faced before. If I can't defeat her, I know I won't stand a chance against the Elite Four."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"There's a mountain by the city that should have strong Pokémon for me to beat. I'm going to train my heart out and then some."

"I'll help too!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, ready to help as well.

"To be honest Jaune," said Ruby, "there won't be much you can do to help in this situation. So go ahead and enjoy Hriso City for a while."

"How long are you going to be out there?"

"Could be a day or two, possibly three. I can't waste any time with that deadline coming up."

Ruby checked her bag to make note of what supplies she would need for this excursion to improve her chances against Pyrrha. Ruby got up and was about to leave when she was suddenly greeted by the gym leader herself.

"Hello again," said Pyrrha. "Am I keeping you from something?"

"I've got a few seconds," said Ruby. "What's up?"

"I came by to say you put up a great fight. You are a skilled trainer Ruby, but you don't have the same amount of experience I do. Come back when you've gotten stronger and I'll be more than glad to give you a rematch."

Pyrrha smiled and held out her arm for a handshake. Ruby smiled and shook Pyrrha's hand.

"Keep that badge on you," said Ruby, "because I'm going to be taking it soon."

Ruby saluted farewell to Jaune and headed to the Pokémon Center to make her training preparations.


	35. Let's Train! Ruby vs The AT Crew

Ruby was fighting Pokémon inside Hriso Mountain, a volcanic region where the majority of Pokémon were Fire types, making it easy to train her Tentacruel and Graveler. Unfortunately, the process was quickly becoming tiresome. Tentacruel and Graveler were easily defeating any Pokémon they came across, but it wasn't providing the kind of training Ruby had hoped for.

"None of these Pokémon aren't strong enough to provide that much of a power boost," said Ruby. She took out her scroll and noticed how many hours she spent grinding away on battles. "If these are the strongest Pokémon out here, it's going to take over a week to reach Pyrrha's level. If only there was some trainers I can fight instead."

Since trained Pokémon provided a better challenge than wild Pokémon, it would help Ruby's Pokémon grow faster. However, Ruby had not come across any trainers since she arrived, so going out and trying to search for them would probably result in even more time wasted. Sweating and exhausted, Ruby sat against a wall thinking about what she should do. Eevee jumped onto Ruby's lap to cheer her up.

"What do you think I should do, Eevee?" asked Ruby. "Call it quits and find another gym?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, shaking her head.

"I don't like giving up either, but unless you're going to volunteer to become a Vaporeon, I'm running out of ideas."

"Eevee!" said Eevee, jumping out of Ruby's lap and wanting to get moving. Eevee was willing to grind for as long as it took in order to help Ruby out.

"Let's take a quick break first. I feel like I'm melting."

Ruby headed back outside Hriso Mountain to cool off. As she got close to the exit, she overheard what sounded like trainers fighting against each other. Figuring this could be her chance to get some better training in, Ruby ran to the exit as fast she could.

Upon exiting the mountain, Ruby saw a group of six trainers gathered around as two of them were battling. To Ruby's surprise, the trainers just happened to be the traveling entertainers her and Jaune had come across before: The Achievement Trainers.

"Ah WEAK!" said Gavin. "I thought I had you for sure this time, Ray!"

"Not when you make such predictable moves," said Ray.

"The never-ending Versus streak for Ray continues!" said Geoff. "Is there anyone out there who can possibly beat this man?"

"Maybe I can!" shouted Ruby, grabbing the AT Crew's attention.

"Oh hey Ruby! Nice to see you again!"

"So what are you guys up to this time?"

"We came here to search for the legendary Heatran! Some say he lies dormant in this mountain!"

"It could be a she you know," remarked Jack.

"But since finding Heatran could take forever, we decided to film some of our other shows first."

"Hey!" said Gavin. "Maybe she can help us find Heatran!"

"She would be a big help. Feeling up to it, Ruby?"

"Normally I wouldn't mind," said Ruby, "but I'm in the middle of some really important training."

"Oh yeah, you're trying to become a pro, right? Who are you up against now?"

"Pyrrha Nikos."

"What?" said Ray, shocked to hear that name. "Did you say Pyrrha Nikos? No offense Ruby, but you should forget about fighting her."

"Thing is I already have, and I'm trying to improve my Pokémon's chances of winning."

"Not for nothing, but you would have better odds of catching Heatran than beating Pyrrha."

"I'd listen to him," said Michael. "Ray is like our own Pokémon encyclopedia."

"That's right," said Ruby, "I remember you said you used to be a pro trainer in the past. Can you tell me anything that would help?"

"Back in the day," said Ray, "I've studied a lot about other famous pro trainers around the world, and trust me, if there's one trainer I'm glad I never faced, it's Pyrrha Nikos. The reason her Pokémon are so good is because she constantly breeds them to make sure they have the perfect individual values."

"What do you mean individual values?"

"Think of it like genes. Some people are born with genes that makes them naturally athletic or smart. Pokémon are the same way. Serious trainers usually breed Pokémon in order to have one with superior individual values than the average wild Pokémon, meaning even if you captured and raised the same Pokémon she uses to the same level as hers, she would still outmatch you because her Pokémon have the naturally superior genes."

"But she has to have some kind of weakness, right? Every Pokémon no matter how strong has some kind of Achilles heel!"

"That's true, but I've yet to see anyone find one with Pyrrha's Pokémon, especially that Arcanine of hers. Pyrrha has been using an Arcanine since day one; the Arcanine she has now has likely been bred and trained to its maximum potential. It would take a championship caliber Pokémon to defeat it, and that's only if you even get a shot at fighting Arcanine. She still has three other powerful Pokémon at her disposal. They might not be on the same level of Arcanine, but they're still a serious threat."

"Serious threat or not, I'm not backing down! I will find a way to beat her and claim that badge!"

Ray took off his glasses and rubbed the temple of his nose; he couldn't believe Ruby was still willing to fight Pyrrha even after being told how nearly impossible it was. Ruby was expecting Ray to call her a dimwit, but instead, a smile was forming on his face.

"In that case," said Ray, "we're going to help!"

"Really?" said Ruby. "You guys will help me out?"

"Yeah, really?" said Gavin. "How are we going to help?"

"Simple," said Ray. "Ruby needs trainers to help her grow, and I see six trainers here she can fight. How are we doing on healing supplies, Geoff?"

"We've got healing supplies for days," said Geoff, "and we'll be more than glad to help you out!"

"I hope we'll provide a decent enough challenge for you," said Jack.

"Just so you know," said Ryan, "the Mad King does not show mercy in battle!"

"Neither do I!" said Michael.

"All right!" said Ruby. "It's me against the entire AT Crew! LET'S TRAIN!"

#

As Ruby and the AT Crew were getting their Pokémon ready, Ray explained how the training was going to work.

"The quickest way to boost your Pokémon will be to fight in double battles, so each of us will be using two Pokémon against yours. Looking over who you have, the key to beating Pyrrha is going to be in that Eevee of yours."

"My Eevee?" said Ruby. "But what about Tentacruel or Graveler? Wouldn't their type advantage make them the ones I should focus on?"

"Maybe for Pyrrha's other Pokémon, but not against Arcanine. You and that Eevee are close, right?"

"Of course. She's like family to me."

"Part of Arcanine's strength comes from how strong of a bond it has with Pyrrha. You and Eevee have that kind of bond; now we just need to boost its stats and have it learn some more powerful attacks. The rest of the team should be Tentacruel, Graveler, and Talonflame. Once we're done getting Eevee to where she needs to be, we'll focus on the rest."

"All right. Ready for some intense training, Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, ready to get started.

"Wait," said Ray. "Before we get started, you should take off that Silk Scarf."

"But why?" asked Ruby. "That Scarf helps boosts Eevee's attacks!"

"If you're too reliant on an item to strengthen your attacks, your Pokémon aren't going to grow. A better strategy would be to equip her with a berry to heal her, like a Sitrus Berry. I've got some I can give you after we're done training."

"If you say so."

Ruby took off Eevee's Silk Scarf and placed it back in her bag. Ruby was somewhat worried that Eevee was going to get clobbered without any item to help her, but if Ray was as smart as the others said he was, then his advice had to be sound.

"So who wants to go up first?" asked Ray.

"I'll volunteer!" said Gavin. "Just remember lass: As much as we like you, I'm not going to go easy on you."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," said Ruby.

The AT Crew cleared the area as Gavin and Ruby got set for battle. Gavin called out his team of Tropius and Slowbro; Ruby decided to call out Talonflame to fight with her Eevee.

"Talonflame, Flame Charge into Tropius!" Talonflame lit itself on fire and headed straight for Tropius.

"All right Tropius, use Sunny Day!" Tropius shot a ball of light into the air, causing the area to be brightly lit like a hot summer day. Ruby was confused as to why Gavin would use that technique when she had Talonflame out; Talonflame rammed into Tropius and did serious damage thanks to the aid provided by Sunny Day. While Talonflame focused on Tropius, Eevee got ready to attack Slowbro.

"Eevee, Take Down that Slowbro!"

"Slowbro, Withdraw!"

Slowbro retracted part of its body into its giant shell as Eevee tackled into Slowbro. Slowbro barely moved an inch from the attack, hardly feeling any pain from the Take Down. The more Ruby thought about it, Gavin must have made an oversight. Sunny Day not only helped Fire types, but hindered Water types as well, meaning Slowbro's attacks would likely not work during this time.

_"I guess Gavin isn't that good in battling. At least Eevee will get still some experience out of this."_

"All right Talonflame, Flame Charge again!" commanded Ruby.

"Take to the air, Tropius!" Talonflame charged into Tropius again, only for Tropius to spread its leaves and suddenly fly high, avoiding Talonflame's attacks and surprising Ruby.

"That giant thing can fly?"

"That's not the only trick Tropius can do! Tropius, fire your Solar Beam!"

Using the energy from Sunny Day, Tropius quickly charged up and fired an intense Solar Beam from the sky towards Eevee; Eevee jumped out of the way to avoid the attack. Eevee retaliated by firing Swift towards Tropius, dealing some minor damage. Slowbro meanwhile continued to Withdraw into its shell instead of fighting.

"We have to focus on Tropius!" said Ruby. "Talonflame, Acrobatics! Eevee, Swift!"

Talonflame flew up to Tropius' level and struck it with several aerial strikes while Eevee continued to fire from the ground. Tropius flew higher and fired another Solar Beam with more intensity at Eevee. Eevee tried to run away but the beam quickly caught up to Eevee and did serious damage to Eevee. Meanwhile, Slowbro was still slowly Withdrawing until nearly his whole body was inside the shell. After taking so many hits from both Pokémon, Tropius was starting to look really exhausted.

"Tropius, use your Synthesis!" Tropius took a deep breath and absorbed the bright sunlight into its body, recovering a large amount of health thanks to Sunny Day.

"Your recovery technique isn't going to help you here!" said Ruby. "Talonflame, Flame Charge!"

Talonflame lit herself on fire and flew at Tropius when she was suddenly stopped in mid-air by some kind of force, then was hurled back to the ground by some kind of force.

"What just happened to Talonflame?"

"Your Talonflame got hit by my Slowbro's Psychic!" said Gavin. Ruby looked over to Slowbro and noticed Slowbro glowing a faint pink, indicating it was using its Psychic powers.

"Eevee, go after Slowbro!" Eevee tackled into Slowbro with another Take Down, but with its body covered by the attached Shellder, Slowbro barely took any damage and acted like nothing happened.

"You fell for my trick, Ruby! I bet you thought Slowbro wasn't much of a threat! Slowbro may think slower, but he has incredibly powerful mental abilities, and thanks to that shell, you can't do a thing to him physically!"

_"Darn in! I thought Tropius really was the stronger opponent! I've got to take out Slowbro!"_

"Tropius, another Solar Beam at Eevee!"

"Talonflame, block it!"

Tropius fired his Solar Beam at Eevee; Talonflame flew in and blocked the attack for Eevee. Thanks to its typing, Talonflame only took some minor damage. Talonflame increased her speed with Agility and kept watching Tropius for Eevee. With Talonflame guarding Eevee, Eevee attacked Slowbro with another Take Down, barely doing any damage. Slowbro retaliated by using Psychic on Eevee, dealing a heavy amount of damage.

_"This isn't working! Slowbro isn't hurt at all! It's almost like he's too simple minded to even know Eevee is...hey, that's it!"_

"Eevee, Bite Slowbro from behind!" Eevee nodded at Ruby and ran behind Slowbro.

"Slowbro, she's coming from behind! Attack her with Psychic!"

"Slow?" responded Slowbro. Eevee got on top of Slowbro and bit him on the head, dealing some better damage. Slowbro tried to use Psychic on Eevee, but because he couldn't see her, he didn't know where to focus his attack.

"She's right on top of you, Slowbro!" yelled Gavin. "Attack her!"

"Slow?" responded Slowbro. He turned his head every way possible but didn't see Eevee. Despite his strong powers, Slowbro wasn't smart enough to understand what Gavin was trying to tell him, allowing Eevee to constantly chip away at his health with her Bite attack.

"Tropius, Leaf Tornado!" Tropius flapped its large leaf wings and fired a series of leaves to hit Eevee, but Talonflame got in the way and burned the leaves away. Meanwhile, the intense light from Sunny Day faded away.

"Quick Talonflame!" said Ruby. "Flame Charge at Tropius!"

Without any intense sunlight to help out, Tropius lost some of his speed and got hit several times by Talonflame's Flame Charge, never getting another chance to use Sunny Day again. Meanwhile, Slowbro became a sitting duck and kept getting damaged from Eevee until he wasn't able to fight anymore, giving the victory to Ruby. Gavin was a bit upset he lost yet again, but was glad he was able to help out Ruby.

"Nice work, Ruby," said Gavin. "I really need to do more serious training.

"I'm surprised that took so long," said Ruby. "I didn't think it would be this challenging from the start."

"Even if Gavin isn't the best trainer here," said Ray, "he can still put up a decent fight. Don't have any pre-conceived notions about the trainers you face; you'll never know just how good they can be. Now, who's up next?"

"Guess I'll go second," said Jack. "I haven't won many fights myself, but my team should still be able to do some damage."

"Before we begin, let's heal Ruby's Pokémon first."

Ray tossed Ruby a couple of Hyper Potions to use on Talonflame and Eevee. Once they were back to full health, Jack called out his Nidoqueen and Stoutland for the battle.

"Ready whenever you are," said Ruby.

"Then let's get started!" said Jack. "Nidoqueen, Earth Power her Eevee, and Stoutland, Thunder Fang her Talonflame!"

"Eevee, Sand-Attack! Talonflame, Quick Attack!"

Nidoqueen punched the ground and caused it to rise up under Eevee. Eevee jumped out of the way and ran up to Nidoqueen, kicking up a wave of sand into Nidoqueen's face to blind her. Stoutland chased Talonflame with his electrified jaws, only for Talonflame to tackle into Stoutland and quickly fly away to avoid getting bit.

"Eevee, Take Down Nidoqueen!" Eevee charged full-bore into Nidoqueen. Nidoqueen held out one of her arms as Eevee tackled into the arm and got pricked by one of Nidoqueen's tiny spikes. Nidoqueen countered by knocking Eevee back with Superpower, dealing a critical amount of damage. As Eevee tried to get up, she suddenly slumped forward, her body being infested with poison.

"How did Eevee get poisoned?"

"Touching one of Nidoqueen's spikes causes poison," said Jack. "Sorry to say, but it doesn't look like Eevee is going to keep fighting."

"Then I'll just have to use Talonflame! Talonflame, Flame Charge into Stoutland!"

"Stoutland, Giga Impact!"

Talonflame set herself ablaze and charged into Stoutland; Stoutland revved up and rammed into Talonflame. Both of them collided and did serious damage to each other. With Giga Impact needing so much energy, Stoutland had to rest for a while, so the battle was now between Talonflame and Nidoqueen. Talonflame flew above Nidoqueen and used Acrobatics to jab her several times; Nidoqueen swiped at Talonflame with Chip Away and took off some of Talonflame's health. While Talonflame and Nidoqueen were fighting, Ruby looked over to Eevee; between the damaging attacks and the poison, Eevee was in no condition to fight.

Talonflame hit Nidoqueen with Acrobatics and backed away to avoid getting hit. Focusing on Nidoqueen, Ruby didn't see Stoutland getting up to attack again.

"Now Stoutland, Thunder Fang!" commanded Jack. Stoutland quickly ran behind Talonflame and jumped up, snatching Talonflame in his jaws. The electricity from his fangs did heavy damage to Talonflame and caused her to faint.

"Guess I'll have to use two new Pokémon," said Ruby.

"Wait," said Ray. "Your Eevee can still fight. Keep her in."

"Are you kidding me? Eevee is barely hanging on! I have to switch her out!

"Then tell her to fight through the pain!"

"I'm here to train Eevee, not torture her! Eevee, return!"

Eevee got back on her legs, but instead of walking towards Ruby, headed back to where Jack's Pokémon were to keep fighting. Even if see was in terrible pain, Eevee knew how important it was that she needed to get stronger, and was going to keep fighting so Ruby can beat Pyrrha.

"Eevee, are you sure you can keep going?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee.

"If you say so! Take Down Stoutland!"

"Stoutland, Giga Impact!" commanded Jack. The two Normal Pokémon charged full speed ahead into each other, causing serious damage to each other. Ruby thought an attack that bad was sure to knock out Eevee this time, but somehow, Eevee was able to hang on by just the tiniest amount of health possible.

"Dang Ruby!" said Geoff. "How tough is that Eevee?"

"When Pokémon are that attached to a trainer," said Ray, "their will to fight is enough to survive knockout attacks."

Ray reached into his bag and pulled out a Full Restore to toss to Ruby.

"Now hurry up and heal Eevee before she really can't fight."

"Right," said Ruby. Ruby immediately sprayed the Full Restore on Eevee; Eevee's body was cured of the poison and back to full health.

"Not for nothing," said Jack, "but you haven't called out a second Pokémon yet."

"Let's remedy that," said Ruby. Ruby decided to call out her Graveler to take Talonflame's place.

"Sorry Ruby, but that wasn't a good choice. Nidoqueen, Superpower!"

Nidoqueen marched up to Graveler and threw a straight right with everything she had, nailing Graveler in the face; Graveler was able to hold on by a thread.

"Get back Eevee!" said Ruby. "Graveler, use your Magnitude!"

Eevee ran off as Graveler struck the ground as hard as he could. It appeared Graveler struck the weakest part of the ground, because suddenly the entire area was shaking like there was a massive earthquake.

"What's going on?" yelled Gavin.

"I think that Magnitude was at a ten!" said Ray.

Sure enough, the Magnitude was so powerful that both Nidoqueen and Stoutland were suddenly knocked out, resulting in a victory for Ruby. It also meant that Graveler got a pretty big boost in strength from defeating two Pokémon.

"Well that was anticlimactic," said Jack, "but good job Ruby."

"Looks like Graveler leveled up," said Ray. "It's time that it learned Self-Destruct."

"Self-Destruct?" said Ruby. "But using that move would instantly KO Graveler."

"True, but how long did Graveler last against Pyrrha's Pokémon last time? At least with Self-Destruct you have a chance of taking out one of Pyrrha's Pokémon with you."

Ruby couldn't argue with Ray's point, since Graveler did in fact get knocked out in one hit. Ruby took out her Pokédex to go over Graveler's move set and replaced one of his moves with Self-Destruct.

"All right," said Ruby, "two down, four to go! Who's next?"

"You sound confident all of a sudden," said Ryan. "If there's one thing the Mad King loves to do, it's break people's confidence!"

After a quick time out to heal up, Ryan sent out his Miltank and Emboar to fight Ruby's Eevee and Graveler.

"Miltank, start your Rollout! Emboar, Rock Smash that Graveler!"

Miltank rolled up into a ball and dashed towards Eevee; Eevee jumped out of the way and fired some Swift stars to hit Miltank. Emboar threw several hard punches at Graveler, breaking off parts of Graveler's body.

"Graveler, Magnitude!" Eevee jumped on top of Graveler to avoid the attack as Graveler struck the ground, causing some moderate damage to both of Ryan's Pokémon. Eevee stayed on top of Graveler as she fired her Swift at Emboar; Miltank came rolling up from behind and knocked into Graveler, dealing a small amount of damage to Graveler.

"Emboar, Head Smash against that Graveler!" Emboar lowered its head and charged recklessly into Graveler. Emboar's head collided into Graveler's jagged body, knocking Eevee off of Graveler. While Graveler took some damage, the attack also did significant damage to Emboar.

"Graveler, Smack Down!" Graveler picked up a stone and hurled it at Emboar; the stone smacked Emboar into his already sore head and did more damage. Emboar was now in intense pain from the last two attacks.

"It looks like your Emboar is already done for!" said Ruby.

"He's not out yet!" said Ryan. "Miltank! Give him your milk!"

Miltank suddenly detached a milk bottle that was attached to her and threw it to Emboar. Emboar grabbed the bottle and immediately broke the top off to drink Miltank's milk. Emboar was now suddenly feeling a lot better.

"Now Emboar, give him another Head Smash!" Emboar charged into Graveler again, causing Graveler to roll back from the attack.

_"It looks like that Emboar is just going to keep attacking recklessly while Miltank heals him,"_ thought Ruby. _"I can't Self-Destruct because then Eevee will get knocked out along with everyone else. I'll have to weaken Emboar!"_

"Eevee, use Sand-Attack on Emboar!" Eevee kicked up some sand into Emboar's eyes to blind Emboar.

"Graveler, Defense Curl!" Graveler curled up into a ball to protect itself from Emboar's next attack.

"Emboar, burn them with your Flamethrower!" With his eyes half-closed, Emboar shot a wave of flames from his mouth at Eevee and Graveler; Eevee ducked out of the way while Graveler could barely move, taking most of the flames.

"Miltank, time for another Milk Drink!" Ryan threw an empty bottle at Miltank, who grabbed it and quickly squirted her milk into it.

"Graveler, Smack Down that drink away!" Graveler picked up another stone and tossed it at Miltank. Miltank tossed the drink into the air and jumped out of the way of the stone before grabbing the bottle again and tossing it to Emboar to drink.

"Eevee, Take Down Emboar!" Eevee charged into Emboar, hoping to stop him from drinking the milk. Emboar tossed the milk high up and held his arms out to grab Eevee as soon as Eevee rammed into him.

"Emboar, Heat Crash that Eevee!" Emboar held Eevee tight and then made a small jump forward, crushing Eevee under his full body weight, dealing a serious amount of damage to Eevee. Emboar then stood up and grabbed the Milk Drink, taking a huge gulp and recovering his health. Both of Ryan's Pokémon were nearly at full health, while Eevee and Graveler were getting worn out.

"How do you feel now Ruby?" asked Ryan. "Hopeless? Defenseless? Realizing you don't stand a chance against the Mad King?"

"A little setback isn't going to rattle me!" replied Ruby. "I've been in worse situations than this and pulled through!"

"If only your Pokémon were as strong as your words! Miltank, Rollout towards Graveler!"

"Graveler, Defense Curl!"

Miltank rolled into a ball and rammed into Graveler, who stayed still to boost its defense. Graveler held his position and defended itself against Miltank. As Miltank rolled away to gain more momentum, Emboar ran up and threw a strong Rock Smash punch into Graveler's face, causing Graveler to stumble back. As Graveler stumbled, he picked up a stone and threw it at Emboar with Smack Down; this time Emboar saw the attack coming and ducked out of the way.

"Hit him with another Rock Smash!" commanded Ryan. Emboar wound up his punch and was about to attack when Eevee suddenly jumped in between them and used Sand-Attack to blind Emboar, causing him to stop.

"Miltank, aim your Rollout towards Eevee!" Miltank headed for Eevee; Eevee turned around and ran away from Miltank. While Miltank chased Eevee, Emboar continued to throw punches with his Rock Smash while blind as Graveler slowly dodged his punches.

The longer Miltank used Rollout, the faster she was going. Miltank was now rolling at maximum speed and was seconds away from running over Eevee.

"There's nowhere to run, Ruby!" said Ryan. "You can't stop the Rollout!"

"That's what I'm hoping!" replied Ruby.

"Wait, huh?"

Ryan noticed that Eevee was heading for Emboar with Miltank hot on her tail. Emboar was too busy beating up Graveler to notice them coming.

"Now, Eevee!" Eevee jumped out of the way as Miltank rolled right past Eevee.

"Miltank, STOP!" yelled Ryan, but it was too late. Miltank rolled directly into an unsuspecting Emboar, dealing a critical amount of damage that was enough to knock Emboar out. Ryan suddenly found himself in a handicap situation.

"Now I'm the one with the upper hand!" said Ruby. "What do you have to say now, Mad King?"

"Um..." Ryan pulled out a bottle of Moomoo Milk. "Milk Drink peace offering?"

"No thanks. Eevee, Graveler, attack Miltank!"

Eevee charged into Miltank with a Take Down, followed up by Graveler using his Smack Down. With no other attacks and no time to use her Milk Drink, Miltank was easily defeated by Eevee and Graveler's team attacks.

"You just made the Mad King's enemy list!" said Ryan, recalling his Pokémon and walking off to sulk.

"Good job guys!" said Ruby. "We're halfway through the gauntlet!"

"Eee," moaned Eevee, falling to her stomach.

"What's wrong Eevee? Need a break?"

Eevee nodded her head. After having to go through three intense battles in a row, Eevee was feeling too fatigued to fight any longer.

"Okay, you take a rest. I'll focus on my other Pokémon for now."

"Not a good idea," said Ray. "Eevee needs to be constantly fighting or else it'll take forever for her to reach Arcanine's level."

"But Eevee's in no condition to fight right now! She's exhausted!"

"Then we'll wait until she's ready to go before we continue."

"Don't you think you are kind of pushing it with this training?"

"Trust me Ruby, this is for the best."

Ruby wasn't sure if she should be pushing Eevee so hard, but if this was really going to improve Ruby's chances of beating Pyrrha and the Elite Four, it was better to keep training Eevee. Ruby took Eevee to the AT Crew's bus to cool off and get the rest she needed.

#

As Ruby was training for her rematch, another trainer was getting ready for an upcoming battle. Somewhere off the coast of Vale, Cinder was testing Mewtwo's powers with the Grimm Mask. The White Fang grunts used the Ditto captured at Dragon Sanctuary to transform into Mewtwo and attacked the real one while Cinder's mercenaries looked on.

First Mewtwo fought them off one at a time, easily defeating them thanks to added Dust pumping through their body, increasing their powers. Then the grunts were attacking two at a time; even with the slight team advantage, Mewtwo was able to outsmart the Ditto with their outstanding intellect. Cinder then ordered the grunts to attack in groups of five; that's when things were getting challenging, as Ditto used Mewtwo's own attacks five-fold against Mewtwo. During the fight against the horde, Mewtwo fell to one knee panting.

"Done already?" said Mercury. "Some almighty Pokémon that thing turned out to be."

"They just need a little push," said Cinder. Cinder took out her scroll and activated something that caused the mask Mewtwo was wearing to glow even brighter. Mewtwo can suddenly feel their strength slowly increase. Mewtwo used their Recover technique to instantly regain their health, then proceeded to fire several Shadow Balls at the Ditto, taking them all down one by one. Mewtwo cackled seeing all of the opposition fall easily.

"This mask has done wonders for my abilities," said Mewtwo. "I alone will be able to defeat anyone Schnee or Ironwood send after me."

"Luckily you won't have to be alone," said Cinder. "Together the two of us are going to destroy Schnee Co."

"What about us?" asked Emerald.

"Don't worry Emerald, I haven't forgotten about any of you. As my top mercenaries, you, Mercury, and our Lieutenant will lead our attack in New Vale City. Once their headquarters fall and we take over the city, I'll leave the city in your hands while Mewtwo and I make our way to Atlas and attack the main headquarters. Once Schnee falls, nothing will stop me from achieving my rightful place in the world!"

"Sweet," said Mercury. "I call dibs on Mayor!"

"Excuse me," said Torchwick, "but I think you still forgot about someone!"

"And who would that be?" asked Cinder, insincerely acting like she didn't know. Outraged by her remarks, Torchwick walked over to Cinder, slightly limping from his ankle still in pain from his fall at Mountain Glenn.

"Your right hand man, that's who! Unless you have better plans in mind, I think I deserve to be the one leading the attack!"

"You?" said the Lieutenant. "The one who constantly fails at everything he does?"

"If Torchwick leads the attack," said Emerald, "we might as well surrender!"

"As if any of you can talk! You two brats have been no help to me at all, and as for you big guy, I'm not the one who had to run away like a chicken when he couldn't defeat a bunch of Pokémon Rangers!"

"Want to say that up close, tough guy?" asked the Lieutenant. Torchwick turned around and walked up to the Lieutenant; Mercury was laughing at the thought of the Lieutenant beating the stuffing out of Torchwick. Before things can escalate, Mewtwo suddenly pulled the two of them apart with their Psychic powers.

"That's enough!" yelled Cinder. "I've made my orders clear! Emerald, Mercury, Lieutenant, the three of you will lead the attack in New Vale City! As for you Roman...quite frankly, you're worthless!"

"What?" asked Torchwick. "But I-"

"Save it! I've given you chance after chance to prove yourself worthy of being my Second in Command, and you constantly fail me. You don't deserve to be my right hand man. Not when you can't defeat a trainer who isn't even a professional yet."

"You mean that little red? But-"

"Until you can prove your worth to this organization, the best thing you can do now is stay out of our way."

Torchwick felt his heart sank. Cinder's other mercenaries laughed at Torchwick being humiliated, made to feel like he was even worse than the grunts of the White Fang. It was almost enough to make Torchwick want to cry, if it weren't for the fact that he was surrounded by his superiors and didn't want to give them even more ammunition. Cinder and the White Fang continued to train Mewtwo as Torchwick walked away from the base camp; nobody knew or cared where he was going. There was only one thing on Torchwick's mind: That little trainer in red who ruined everything he had worked for.

#

Now rested and fully recovered, Ruby's Pokémon were ready to get back to training. The next trainer Ruby was up against in the gauntlet was Michael.

"As a fellow Rosebud alumni," said Michael. "I feel it's my duty to show you tough love."

"Bring it on," said Ruby.

Ruby called out her Eevee and Tentacruel; Michael called out his signature Pokémon Ursaring and Primeape.

"Let's not waste any time!" said Michael. "Ursaring, Primeape! Thrash them!"

Ursaring and Primeape both let out loud roars, then charged into Ruby's Pokémon. Eevee backed away from Ursaring and fired her Swift energy stars at Ursaring; Ursaring ignored the stars and kept rampaging towards Eevee. Eevee then tried to use Sand Attack to stall Ursaring; Ursaring ignored the sand as well and landed a fierce slash on Eevee. Before Eevee can kept up, Ursaring stomped on Eevee several times. Meanwhile, Tentacruel put up a Barrier to stop Primeape; Primeape constantly pounced on the Barrier until he was able to break through and land on Tentacruel's head, then continuing Thrashing on top of him. Tentacruel grabbed Primeape with its tentacles and squeezed him tight with Wrap; despite being Wrapped, Primeape kept fighting until his arms were free, then proceeded to scratch away on Tentacruel's tentacles.

"Tentacruel, Acid Spray!" commanded Ruby. Tentacruel fired its poisonous liquid on Primeape. Even with the liquid burning its fur, Primeape still tried attacking Tentacruel like a Pokémon possessed.

"Ursaring, go after Tentacruel!" said Michael. Ursaring turned its attention to Tentacruel and tackled into the squid monster, forcing Tentacruel to let go of Primeape. By the time Ursaring and Primeape were done attacking, the duo were dizzy and could barely stay focused.

"They're confused! Quick Eevee, Take Down Ursaring!"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee. Eevee popped backed up and tackled into Ursaring hard in the stomach, dealing some good damage.

"Ursaring, Fury Swipe that pup!" Ursaring was so confused it couldn't see Eevee, so he randomly started swiping at the air, completely missing his target.

"Tentacruel, Hydro Pump on Primeape!" Tentacruel opened his mouth and shot a fierce torrent of water against Primeape, dealing a heavy amount of damage.

"Don't take that from him, Primeape! Fight back with Assurance!" Primeape got himself pumped and lunged at Tentacruel with a forward kick, nailing Tentacruel in the forehead.

"Even when confused that Primeape is a threat. Eevee, blind him!" Eevee ran up to Primeape and kicked sand into his eyes to decrease his accuracy.

"You wanna go, Eevee? Primeape, let her hear your Screech!" Primeape turned to Eevee and let out an ear piercing scream that severely hindered Eevee's defenses. "Ursaring, Thrash her Tentacruel!"

"Tentacruel, Barrier!"

Ursaring started up its Thrash and went after Tentacruel; Tentacruel put up a Barrier to try and keep Ursaring back. When the Barrier wasn't enough, Tentacruel used Wrap to keep Ursaring still, but the giant bear still tried to go on a wild rampage.

"Now Primeape, finish Eevee with Close Combat!"

With Eevee's guard down, Primeape quickly ran up to Eevee and lunged at her with every punch and kick he could at full strength, not holding anything back. Eevee tried to jump out of the way as best as she could, but one roundhouse kick to her body was strong enough to do a critical amount of damage, sending her flying into a nearby rock.

"Eevee! Are you okay?" Despite the immense pain and the low health, Eevee stood back up. She was feeling pretty used to being in this condition.

"Don't let up, Primeape!" Primeape cracked its knuckles and sprinted towards Eevee.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!"

Eevee quickly kicked sand up in a cloud; Primeape carelessly went through the cloud and blinded himself while trying to attack Eevee, resulting in him completely missing. Primeape kept trying to attack with Close Combat, but had no idea where Eevee was and just kept missing.

"Now Eevee, Take Down!" Eevee tackled into Primeape and knocked him down. Primeape got up and tried to hit Eevee, but still couldn't see a thing.

Meanwhile, when Ursaring finally stopped Thrashing, Tentacruel let go of his wrap. Ursaring just stood in place and could barely stand on his feet from being so dizzy.

"C'mon Ursaring, keep attacking!" yelled Michael.

Ursaring took one big swipe in the air and fell forward, landing flat on his face and hurting himself. Both of Michael's Pokémon were now either too confused or too blinded to attack Ruby's Pokémon. Tentacruel used his Hydro Pump and Eevee used her Swift to damage Michael's Pokémon. Any time Ursaring tried to attack, it just fell over and hurt itself, and Primeape was literally blinded with rage, so it couldn't land another hit, leading to Michael's eventual defeat.

"You got pretty reckless, Michael," said Ruby. "What good is powerful moves if it just comes back to bite you in the butt?"

"What can I say?" said Michael. "I'm not a very patient man."

"All right losers!" said Geoff. "Time for the real king of the Achievement Trainers to show you how it's done!"

Ruby stuck with her Eevee and Tentacruel; Geoff called out his Nidoking and Slaking. Nidoking looked pumped and ready to fight, while Slaking lied down like he was about to take a nap.

"Um, Geoff?" said Ruby. "Is something wrong with your Slaking?"

"He's fine," said Geoff. "In fact, I'll tell you right now he's actually more powerful than my Nidoking! Right, Slaking?"

"Slah," mumbled Slaking, turning over and ignoring the battle he was in.

"Whatever you say," said Ruby. "Tentacruel, Wrap Nidoking!"

"Nidoking, Earth Power!"

Tentacruel wrapped its tentacles around Nidoking and stretched out his limbs; Nidoking stomped the ground, causing a pillar to rise underneath Tentacruel and deal some moderate damage.

"Eevee, Take Down Slaking!" Eevee charged head-on into Slaking, driving herself into his back. The attack caused Slaking to roll over to face Eevee; Eevee got ready to dodge whatever attack Slaking was planning.

"Slah," mumbled Slaking, choosing to scratch one of his armpits instead of attacking.

_"Is this Slaking so lazy it won't even fight?"_ thought Ruby. _"How can he be more powerful than Nidoking?"_

"Nidoking, Focus Energy!" Nidoking stood in place and concentrated for his next attack.

"Tentacruel, Hydro Pump!" Tentacruel shot his Hydro Pump at Nidoking; Nidoking took a lot of damage but remained focused on his concentration. While Nidoking was focusing on the fight, Slaking was very slowly starting to stand up.

"Eevee, another Take Down!" Eevee rammed at full force into Slaking's stomach.

"All right Slaking, Counter attack!" Slaking suddenly clenched his right fist and uppercut Eevee so hard she went flying several feet into the air before crash landing back on the ground. Ruby was shocked to see Eevee take so much damage from one attack.

_"Oh man, he really IS that strong!"_ thought Ruby.

"I warned you!" boasted Geoff. "Slaking may be truant, but he knows how to pack a punch!"

"Slah," said Slaking, lying back down.

"Now Nidoking, use Earth Power!"

"Tentracruel, Hydro Pump!"

Tentracruel drenched Nidoking in more water, causing major damage; Nidoking took the attack as he lifted his leg and slammed the ground even harder. A bigger pillar formed under Tentacruel and did a greater amount of damage. Tentacruel kept holding on to Nidoking with its Wrap. Ruby took a moment to analyze her situation.

_"Nidoking is tough, but one more Hydro Pump should defeat it. As for Slaking, he's strong but doesn't look like he can move far. If I have Eevee get away from him, he shouldn't be a threat."_

"Eevee, Swift attack!" Eevee distanced herself away from Slaking and fired several energy stars at Slaking. Slaking got up but was seemingly too far to do anything to Eevee.

"Slaking, Hammer Arm her Tentacruel!"

Slaking slowly turned around to where Tentacruel and Nidoking were fighting. Even if Slaking were to attack Tentacruel, his slow movements gave Tentacruel enough time to attack Nidoking.

"Tentacruel, finish off Nidoking!"

Tentacruel opened its mouth, ready to shoot Hydro Pump onto Nidoking, when Slaking suddenly jumped up and landed next to Tentacruel, folding his hands and smashing Tentacruel's head with his Hammer Arm attack. The attack was strong enough to knock Tentacruel out.

"So much for your giant squid!" said Geoff. "While I wait for your next Pokémon to come out, I'll have Nidoking use Focus Energy!"

Nidoking got himself ready to deliver his next attack, while Slaking got ready to lay around doing nothing.

_"That Slaking doesn't attack much, but when he does, it's strong enough to do serious damage! And when he's not attacking, Nidoking picks up the slack! In fact, it's sort of like Geoff has them going in a pattern. Maybe that can help?"_

"Thought of who to call out yet?" asked Geoff.

"I know just who to call," said Ruby. Ruby grabbed her Poké Ball and called out her Talonflame.

"A Flying type huh? Still won't be a match for my Nidoking's strength!"

"Talonflame isn't the one you should be worried about. Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee ran up to Nidoking and kicked sand into his eyes while he was trying to concentrate.

"A little sand won't stop him! Nidoking, knock out Eevee with Mega Horn!"

Nidoking bent down and charged for Eevee. The sand in his eyes made it hard to see where he was going, causing him to miss Eevee. Talonflame stayed in the air and increased her speed using Agility. Eevee got up to Nidoking and used Sand Attack again; Nidoking responded by throwing several blind punches with his Chip Away, missing Eevee again. Slaking just laid down and did nothing.

"Talonflame, Flame Charge into Slaking!" Talonflame lit herself and smashed into Slaking.

"Slaking, Punishment!" Slaking raised one arm and tried to swat Talonflame out of the air, but Talonflame was too fast to hit. Slaking just shrugged it off and turned around; knowing Slaking wouldn't attack soon, Ruby focused on taking out Nidoking.

"Eevee, Bite attack! Talonflame, Acrobatics!"

Eevee got behind Nidoking and bit down on his tail, while Talonflame flew above him and struck him several times with her talons.

"Nidoking, Earth Power!" Nidoking stomped his foot and caused a pillar to strike Eevee, getting her off his tail. Ruby turned to see Slaking starting to get up.

"Eevee, Sand Attack on Slaking!"

Eevee went back to Slaking and kicked sand into his eyes. Slaking didn't even try to block the sand and tried to attack with his Hammer Arm with his eyes closed; Eevee avoided the attack with ease. Slaking hardly cared and lied down. Talonflame continued to attack Nidoking with Acrobatics as Nidoking swiped at Talonflame with his Chip Away. Nidoking was starting to wind down to his last bit of health.

"Your Nidoking is getting weak and Slaking hardly fights," said Ruby. "Ready to give up Geoff?"

"As a matter of fact...yes," said Geoff. Hearing Geoff actually want to give up took Ruby by surprise.

"You're really giving up? No comeback line about fighting back?"

"What's the point? Nidoking is done for and Slaking is useless on his own. You might as well land the finishing blow now."

"You heard him Eevee. Take Down Nidoking!"

Eevee charged into Nidoking with one last Take Down to end the match. After that last battle, Eevee can start to feel herself get a lot stronger.

"Eevee!" said Eevee, jumping up and down like it was ready to fight.

"Your Eevee has gained a ton of experience," said Ray. "Now should be the time to teach it one of its best attacks."

"Best attacks?" said Ruby. Ruby took out her Pokédex to see what new attacks Eevee can learn.

"Eevee can now learn Last Resort," said Penny. "When a Pokémon uses up all the moves it can muster, they unleash one final attack with everything they've got."

"Okay then Eevee, ready to learn Last Resort?"

"Eevee!" confirmed Eevee. Ruby decided to remove Bite from Eevee's move pool and replace it with Last Resort.

"Well, there's only one trainer left," said Ray. "Let's cut to the chase."

Ray called out his Roserade and Gengar to take on Ruby's Eevee and Talonflame.

"Talonflame, Flame Charge into Roserade!" commanded Ruby. Talonflame lit herself on fire and dove onto Roserade.

"Gengar, use your Hypnosis on Talonflame!" commanded Ray. After Talonflame tackled into Roserade and did some moderate damage, Gengar shot Hypnosis waves towards Talonflame, causing her to land on the ground and fall asleep.

"Quick Eevee, Take Down Roserade!"

"Roserade, Stun Spore!"

Eevee ran at full speed into Roserade; once Eevee was close enough, Roserade put his arms forward and shot a heavy dose of Stun Spore at Eevee, causing Eevee to slow down and barely touch Roserade.

"Time to do some serious damage," said Ray. "Gengar, cast Hex on Talonflame! Roserade, attack Eevee with Magical Leaf!"

"Eevee, use your Swift!"

Roserade took a few steps back and fired an array of leaves at Eevee, who fired back with her stars. Some of the leaves and stars crashed into each other while the rest landed on their respective targets. With Talonflame fast asleep, Gengar's Hex dealt serious damage to Talonflame, all while Talonflame remained sleeping.

"Wake up Talonflame!" yelled Ruby.

"Want your Talonflame to wake up?" said Ray. "In that case Gengar, use Dream Eater!"

Gengar conjured a pink mist to form from Talonflame, then opened its mouth wide and sucked the mist into its body. As Gengar swallowed the mist, Talonflame suddenly woke up and was screaming in pain, as if it woke up from a horrifying nightmare.

"Snap out of it Talonflame! Hit him with Acrobatics!"

Talonflame shook off her uneasy feelings and charged into Gengar, striking Gengar several times in the air.

"Gengar, Lick attack!" As Talonflame was about to strike Gengar, Gengar let out its long tongue and gave Talonflame a big nasty Lick. Talonflame suddenly felt paralyzed and fell back to the ground. Now Ruby had two paralyzed Pokémon to deal with.

"Now that Talonflame's been grounded, it's time to take out Eevee. Roserade, Petal Dance!"

The bouquet of roses that made up Roserade's hands suddenly bloomed. Roserade held out its arms and spun around fast, shooting the sharp rose petals at Eevee. The Stun Spore severely hindered Eevee's legs, causing the rose petals to strike Eevee easily.

"Don't give up now, Eevee!" said Ruby. "Sand Attack!"

Eevee stood back up and tried to get closer to Roserade to use Sand Attack, but her legs were barely able to move. Roserade shot more rose petals at Eevee, causing Eevee to fall again. Taking two serious damaging attacks twice in a row, Eevee appeared to be defeated before she can use her new attack. Meanwhile, Roserade made himself dizzy from the Petal Dance.

"Roserade is confused! C'mon Eevee, now's your chance!"

Ruby was waiting for Eevee to get up and use her Sand Attack. With Roserade confused, it would give Eevee just enough time even in her paralyzed state to make it over to Roserade and land her attack. Instead, Eevee remained still on the ground.

"Eevee? Are you all right?"

Eevee didn't respond, remaining motionless on the ground. Ruby was starting to worry that something was seriously wrong.

_"Oh no! Don't tell me something's wrong! Did I really push Eevee too far? Please get up, Eevee!"_

With Eevee not getting up, Roserade stopped spinning and regained his composure. Roserade was ready to attack when he noticed Eevee not moving, and was starting to think Eevee was knocked out.

"Gengar, check to see if Eevee is knocked out," said Ray. Gengar went up to Eevee and shook her slightly. Eevee wasn't responding to Gengar touching her, making everyone believe that Eevee was truly out cold. Ray sighed, disappointed that Eevee was defeated.

"I guess Eevee has a long way to go before it has a shot at beating Arcanine. Sorry Ruby."

"It's okay," said Ruby, saddened to see Eevee lose again. "I know you're just trying to help."

"All right guys, let's wrap everything up and pick up where-"

As Ray was talking, Eevee suddenly opened her eyes, placed one of her front paws down, and swept a heap of sand into Gengar's eyes, blinding him with Sand Attack.

"Gengar!" yelled Gengar, trying to rub the sand out of his eyes.

"Eevee!" yelled Ruby. "You're okay!"

Eevee slowly got back on her feet and smiled at Ruby.

"Oh come on!" said Ray. "Did I really just fall for the fake injury routine? I feel even dumber than Gavin!"

"Well you're about to feel even worse, because now that Eevee used her other attacks, she can use Last Resort! Ready Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee. Her body was glowing with a white aura, indicating Eevee was gearing up for her best attack.

"No more mercy Roserade!" said Ray. "Take her out with Magical Leaf!"

Eevee tilted her head down and charged at Roserade; Roserade fired his Magical Leaves at Eevee. The leaves cut through Eevee's fur, leaving behind scratch marks all over her body. Eevee was in unbearable pain, but she gritted her teeth and kept going. Roserade kept backing up and firing more leaves at Eevee, but Eevee just kept charging until she finally reached Roserade. Eevee slammed into Roserade's body with such a tremendous amount of force that stars popped out of Roserade as he was pushed back about a dozen feet and stumbled across the rocky floor. Now Roserade was looking about as weak as Eevee.

"That was amazing, Eevee!" said Ruby. "An attack like that will surely help us beat Pyrrha!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, happy to see Ruby so proud.

"Hate to ruin this moment," said Ray, "but technically we've still got a double battle to finish."

Ruby was so excited for Eevee successfully executing her attack that she forgot about the other Pokémon involved. Talonflame wasn't feeling well from the paralysis, and Gengar was slightly blinded but still in great health. Ruby would have to switch out both of her Pokémon in order to stand a chance.

"But you know what? I think we've gotten so much accomplished today, I'm willing to call it a draw if you are."

"That's fine with me," said Ruby, recalling Talonflame and walking over to pick up Eevee. "You guys have really been helpful to me. I don't think I can ever thank you enough."

"Anything to help out an honorary member of the AT Crew," said Geoff. "Just promise me if you win the Vale championship, you credit us as the ones who trained you, especially me."

"I'll add you to the list," remarked Ruby.

"We're not done yet," said Ray. "We still need to boost Ruby's other Pokémon up a bit, and we need to keep training Eevee until she's used to using Last Resort. But if we keep grinding away like we did today, she could be ready in about two days."

"Then for the next two days," said Ruby, "we're going to train and train some more! It's going to be hard Eevee, but when we defeat Pyrrha for that badge, it'll all be worth it!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee. Now that she had learned a powerful new attack, she couldn't wait to get started on perfecting it.


	36. A Schnee Never Loses

_About eight years ago, Schnee Manor_

Weiss in the living room of her family estate, standing across from her father. Her father was giving Weiss her nightly examination.

"Final question Weiss," said Schnee. "What is the formula for catching a Pokémon in the wild?"

Weiss took a deep breath. She had studied that blasted formula for hours, trying to come up with all sorts of mental reminders to remember how it went.

"The capture formula goes as follows," said Weiss. "X over Y times Z. X equals three times the maximum health of the Pokémon minus two times the current health of the Pokémon; multiply all that times the calculated catch rate of the Pokémon times the special ball modifier. Y equals three times maximum health. Z equals a number based on the status effect of the Pokémon, which is two for being frozen or asleep, one point five for being paralyzed, poisoned, or burned, and one for nothing."

Her father looked down on the book containing the formula, going over it to make sure Weiss got every detail right. Weiss was starting to shake, fearing she got the question wrong. Her father closed the book and looked up at Weiss.

"Very good Weiss," said Schnee. "I see you've been studying very hard."

Weiss let out a huge sigh of relief. "Of course, father."

"Tomorrow we will go over effort values. Continues your studies in your room."

"Yes, father."

Weiss took her leave back to her room, changed into her pajamas, then pulled out the study material for tomorrow's lesson. It was a daily routine Weiss had been doing for a few years. Rather than have her or Winter join a school, Schnee had his daughters homeschooled. Schnee claimed it was for safety reasons, but the real reason was he felt the best teacher his daughters can learn from was himself. After all, he was currently the undefeated champion of the nearby Vale region - since Atlas was not big enough to have its own league - and he was the President of the world famous Schnee Corporation, the company behind many revolutionary Pokémon products. Winter was more interested in business than raising Pokémon, while Weiss was the complete opposite. She loved battling with Pokémon and wanted to be a champion like her father, so Schnee was especially tough on her. He wanted to make sure that Weiss would be the one to carry the Vale championship when he eventually retired.

Weiss was going through the chapters, highlighting the important parts she would need to go over tomorrow, when she heard a knock on her door. Weiss stood up and went to open her door; her sister was there holding a big textbook.

"What is it, Winter?" asked Weiss.

"Father wanted me to deliver this book to you," said Winter, handing Weiss the textbook. "If I were you, I'd turn to page 214."

"Understood," said Weiss. Weiss took the book to her desk and immediately turned to page 214. Hidden inside the textbook was the latest issue of Pokémon Battles Illustrated, a magazine Weiss loved to read in secret, as her father was very strict about Weiss' reading material. Winter would always find a way to sneak issues in for Weiss.

This issue was especially important to Weiss as this month they were doing a long feature on a trainer named Pyrrha Nikos. Weiss remembered when she caught a glimpse of Pyrrha battling on TV, and since then Weiss has been wanting to learn more. Pyrrha was about one year older than Weiss, but she had already accomplished so much at a young age. When Weiss read of all the things Pyrrha accomplished, it filled her with the determination to become a great trainer.

Weiss read that feature several times over until she started to feel her eyelids become heavy, and suddenly fell asleep on top of the magazine.

"Rise and shine, Weiss."

"Huh?" said Weiss, suddenly waking up. She sat up and realized she had fallen asleep that night on her books. She turned around and saw her father standing behind her, not looking pleased.

"You were late to breakfast this morning," said Schnee.

"I'm sorry father. I stayed up late going over all of my notes."

"Is that so? Then why did I see you sleeping on top of this?"

Schnee held up the magazine Weiss was reading last night. Weiss felt a chill go down her spine upon being busted.

"I can explain father! I heard they were doing an article on a prodigy trainer and I was thinking that perhaps I can learn to be a great trainer by reading the article!"

Schnee flipped to the feature on Pyrrha and skimmed through the information about her. She was a pretty good trainer for her age, but nothing that impressed Schnee very much.

"You look up to this Pyrrha Nikos?" asked Schnee.

"Yes!" said Weiss. "She's strong and talented and I'm almost as old as she is! She's so cool, father!"

"I have heard she is quite the prodigy in Mistral. However..."

Schnee rolled up the magazine and placed it in his jacket pocket.

"We are Schnees. We do NOT look up to other trainers; they look up to us. When you get your official trainer license, I expect you to surpass Pyrrha. I will not accept any less."

"Yes father."

"Now, get dressed and come down for breakfast, then we will review yesterday's lesson."

"Yes father."

After Schnee left Weiss' room, he took out the magazine and looked over the article on Pyrrha. He had seen her battles on TV, and now rumors were abound that she was coming to Vale to compete against the Elite Four, and if she were somehow able to beat them, would earn a shot at Schnee's title.

_"As if I would ever lose my title to a child,"_ thought Schnee, throwing the magazine in the garbage.

#

_Present day_

Pyrrha was back in her apartment, changing into her Pokémon Ranger uniform. A couple of days ago, Yang had contacted Pyrrha and Coco about finding the White Fang on Patch Island, and Coco immediately flew out there to hunt the White Fang. With Pyrrha busy with her gym leader obligations, she couldn't fly out to Patch Island to help out, so she made sure to call Coco regularly to keep herself updated on the situation.

"Have you found anything on Patch Island?" asked Pyrrha.

"Just a bunch of grunts who stayed behind to fight us off and most of their leftover equipment," said Coco. "I have a bad feeling we let the top brass slip through our fingers again."

"Any trace of Subject M?"

"Not a single one, but..."

"You think the White Fang may have found them?"

"It's a possibility. Thankfully the boss says he's got a contingency plan in place. Our best bet now seems to be on Schnee Co. completing whatever Project Master is supposed to be."

"If things are getting that serious, I'll drop my gym leader duties for now."

"No need to do that. I'll focus on finding Subject M; just be ready to take the call in the near future."

"Understood. Good luck, Coco."

Meanwhile, Weiss arrived outside of Pyrrha's apartment building, anxiously waiting for her chance to finally talk to Pyrrha alone. Any time Weiss had met Pyrrha, it was always in the presence of other fans, or during the dozens of meetings the rangers had with Schnee Co. discussing matters with the White Fang. Pyrrha was going to be making an appearance on a talk show later tonight; Weiss' plan was to accompany Pyrrha and offer her assistance.

_"Finally, a chance to talk to Pyrrha personally without any more interference!"_ thought Weiss. _"Today is going to be the best day of my life!"_

As soon as she stepped through the doors of the building, the best day of her life was going to be the worst. Waiting in the lobby was Jaune, yet Ruby was nowhere to be seen.

_"NO! What's that stupid blonde loser doing here? He couldn't possibly be here for Pyrrha, could he? I need to get rid of him before Pyrrha arrives!"_

"What do you think you're doing here?" asked Weiss as she approached Jaune. "Shouldn't you be wherever Ruby is?"

"Me?" said Jaune. "Pyrrha invited me to come along with her. Why are you here anyway?"

"I'm here to talk to Pyrrha about important matters. Matters I wish not to speak of in your presence, so kindly get lost."

"Why should I get lost? I'm the one Pyrrha invited!"

"Listen you little failure of a gym leader! You've gotten more alone time with Pyrrha Nikos than you deserve! So get your scrawny blonde butt out of here before-"

"Is something wrong?" asked Pyrrha. Seeing Pyrrha suddenly arrive and not wanting to jeopardize her chances of making a good impression, Weiss instantly switched moods and regained her composure.

"Hello Miss Nikos!" said Weiss. "Just dealing with an overzealous fanboy!"

"You mean Jaune? But I invited him!"

"Is that so? Why Jaune, how come you didn't tell me you were personally invited?"

"But I did-" said Jaune before being cut off by Weiss.

"Anyway Miss Nikos, to show you my appreciation for all you've done for Schnee Co., I would like to offer you my personal assistance during my stay in this city. If there's anything you need, I will use every resource at my family's disposal to make it happen!"

"Oh," said Pyrrha, overwhelmed by Weiss' generosity. "Well, I appreciate your gratitude, but I'm not sure there's much I'm going to need. Besides, I don't want you to trouble yourself just to-"

"It's no trouble at all! After all, our family motto is A Schnee Is Always Grateful!"

"That's not the way I remember it," muttered Jaune under his breath.

"If you insist," said Pyrrha. "It wouldn't hurt to have a second assistant on hand."

The three of them left the apartment and headed for the studio where Pyrrha's TV appearance would take place. Weiss insisted on calling for a limo, but Pyrrha always preferred on walking to where she needed to go rather than take car service. Things weren't going the way Weiss wanted it, but at least she still got to be in Pyrrha's company.

"How come you're in your ranger uniform?" asked Jaune. "Heading off on a ranger mission?"

"Not yet," said Pyrrha, "but I like to be ready just in case."

"A good ranger is always prepared," said Weiss. "That's why Pyrrha is the best of the Magnificent Three."

"Well technically, all three of us are in the same rank."

"So what exactly makes you different from the rest of the rangers?" asked Jaune.

"It means she's better at her job than the rest!" said Weiss.

"There's more to it than that," said Pyrrha. "As one of the highest ranked rangers, the others and I are tasked harder missions such as widespread environmental dangers or rescue operations. When it comes to stopping the White Fang, our boss usually calls on one or more of us to handle the situation. I may be of higher rank, but all of the rangers do their part in keeping the world safe for humans and Pokémon."

"You must have a lot of admirers for all the work you do," said Jaune. "You ever come across those kind of fans who always try to hang around you like they're completely obsessed with you and won't leave you alone unless you force them to?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" remarked Weiss. Pyrrha shot Weiss a befuddled look, causing Weiss to suddenly change her tone.

"Erm, what I meant was, Pyrrha would never be so rude to her fans like that, right?"

"I do get the occasional fanboy and fangirl hovering around me," said Pyrrha, "but I don't mind fans coming up to me as long as they're polite. Many of them are kids who just like to say thanks for what I've inspired them to do."

"Pyrrha is a hero to many people," added Weiss, "both children and adults alike."

"That must give you a really good feeling," said Jaune, "knowing someone out there views you as their hero. I don't think anyone's ever going to view me as one."

"Well Jaune, if you really want to be someone's hero, then perhaps you should think about being a Pokémon Ranger."

"There's no way I can be a ranger. Rangers are strong, cool, and courageous. I'm none of those things."

"You don't need to be strong and cool to be a ranger. As long as you're willing to save lives no matter the risk, I'm sure you can be a ranger."

"I doubt a guy like me has what it takes to save a life. I can't even go into a cave without freaking out. I think I'd just be a liability."

"Well, should you ever decide to change your mind, I'll put in a good word for you with my boss."

"As I was saying," said Weiss, "a lot of people look up to Pyrrha as their hero. After all, Pokémon Battles Illustrated ranked her the #1 Most Influential Trainer three years in a row!"

Weiss continued to talk about all the great accomplishments Pyrrha achieved in her life as they headed to the studio.

#

_About eight years ago, Pokémon League_

"Lisa Lavender here, reporting live from Pokémon League Headquarters where they are about to begin the press conference for the upcoming championship defense. This is going to be a historical moment for the Vale Pokémon League. The reigning champion Schnee will be defending his title against Pyrrha Nikos, the youngest trainer to ever defeat the Elite Four and compete for the Vale Regional Championship. Pyrrha has made a name for herself with her victories in her home region of Mistral, and now looks to add one more accomplishment at her young age by overthrowing Schnee. We now go live to the press conference."

Taking the podium was Glynda Goodwitch, the leader of the Elite Four and the President of the Pokémon League Officials. Sitting on Goodwitch's right was the champion Schnee with his championship title placed in front of him, along with his family and bodyguards sitting beside him. Sitting on Goodwitch's left was Pyrrha Nikos, along with her family and assistants. As Goodwitch took the podium and explained the upcoming match, Weiss was trying to lean over and get a look at Pyrrha. Weiss was really excited to see Pyrrha in person, and was hoping to get her autograph after the conference was over.

"And now a few words from our challenger, Pyrrha Nikos," said Goodwitch. The audience applauded as Pyrrha took the podium; Weiss was clapping loudly with them, causing Schnee to turn to his daughter. Weiss instantly stopped and folded her hands the moment she looked at her father's eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch," said Pyrrha. "To be honest, I don't have much to say. I'm very excited and honored to be competing for this opportunity, and I would like to wish Mister Schnee good luck. May the best trainer win."

Pyrrha sat down to another round of applause as Goodwitch retook the podium.

"And now, a few words from our champion, Schnee."

Some parts of the audience clapped for Schnee; his reputation did not make him as well liked as Pyrrha. Not that he cared what others ever thought about him.

"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch," said Schnee. "It has been a while since I've had to defend this championship. I was beginning to think that Vale had run out of decent trainers, and considering my opponent comes from the Mistral region, that certainly seems to be the case."

Weiss and Winter could hear some parts of the audience moan at Schnee's remark.

"However, whether my opponents are from Vale, Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, or some far off island away from civilization, they all have one thing in common: They lose to me. Miss Nikos, I respect what you have been able to accomplish at your age. Many trainers don't even go as far as to defeat the Elite Four. With that said however, I will crush you like the many who have tried to defeat me in both Pokémon competition and business competition. There is a reason the name 'Schnee' is synonymous with success: Because A Schnee Never Loses! Thank you."

This time only a handful of people, including Weiss and Winter, clapped for Schnee. Goodwitch stood back up for the closing words.

"As per custom," said Goodwitch, "the champion and challenger will now stand up and shake hands. The two of you will have twenty-four hours starting now to make your preparations before the official battle."

Schnee and Pyrrha stood up and took the center stage to shake hands as the press took photos. Once the conference was over, Pyrrha was going to have a meet and greet with a group of young fans. Weiss wanted to follow Pyrrha but was grabbed by the hand by her father.

"Come with me, Weiss," said Schnee.

"What for?" asked Weiss.

"I want to show you what it's like to be interviewed. If you are to be the next Vale Regional Champion, you'll have to know how to handle such things."

"But father, I really want to meet-"

"This isn't a request! Understood?"

"...yes, father."

Weiss' father began to ramble on how Weiss should conduct herself during an interview and what questions to avoid, then took her to his interview with the various press outlets asking him all sorts of questions about his upcoming battle and what his company was up to. By the time the interviews would be over, it would already be too late for Weiss to finally meet Pyrrha in person.

With the conference over, the Schnee girls were staying at the hotel while their father attended some business meetings. When the girls entered their room, Weiss got on her bed and started crying into her pillow.

"What's wrong, Weiss?" asked Winter.

"My one chance to finally meet Pyrrha and father wouldn't let me!" said Weiss.

"Well Weiss, as father told you, you need to realize that the Schnees are the best trainers around the world. You can't be looking up to people below us."

"But Pyrrha is so cool! Father is just being a jerk!"

"Weiss, you need to stop crying and get over it, otherwise you're going to get yourself in trouble."

"I don't care!"

"Here, maybe this will cheer you up."

Weiss stopped crying for a moment to see what Winter was talking about. Winter took out a card and handed it to Weiss. Weiss looked at the card and was shocked: It was a first edition trading card of Pyrrha Nikos to commemorate her accomplishment as Vale's youngest Elite Four victor. Even more shocking was the writing over Pyrrha's portrait: "To Weiss: Pyrrha Nikos."

"How did you get this?" asked Weiss.

"Being a Schnee does have its perks," said Winter. "It also helps that father is too busy with his interviews to notice what I'm doing. Just make sure to keep it between ourselves, okay?"

"I will!" said Weiss, giving Winter a big hug. "Thank you Winter!"

As soon as Weiss had the chance, she had that card laminated and kept it with her, even to this day.

#

_Present day_

Pyrrha and her new assistants arrived at the studio, where there was a line of fans around the block hoping to get tickets to see her. As soon as Pyrrha appeared near the crowd, everyone was cheering and asking for autographs. Pyrrha gladly went up to the fans and signed as many autographs as she could.

While Pyrrha was chatting with the fans, a group of paparazzi quickly showed up and snapped several photos of Pyrrha. Pyrrha didn't seem to mind them, but as soon as Weiss saw them, her blood began to boil. She remembered several times how the "leeches" as Weiss called them always hounded her family and employees about what the Schnee family and their company was up to, usually about the baseless rumors and accusations surrounding them. Weiss figured Pyrrha hated them as well, but was simply too polite and gentle to ever tell them to get lost.

"Pyrrha! Pyrrha!" shouted one of the razzis. "Quick photo over here?"

"Excuse me," said Jaune, "but can't you see Pyrrha is busy with her fans?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm one of her assistants."

"You don't look like one of her usual assistants. Who are you really?"

"I'm just a friend of Pyrrha's."

"What kind of friend? Are you Pyrrha Nikos' boyfriend?"

"What? NO! Not at all!"

Jaune started to blush at such a question being asked. Weiss sighed; she knew the moment you showed weakness in front of them, they would tear you apart like vultures.

"Look at how flustered he is! He's got to be her boyfriend!"

"What's going on?" asked Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha, these people think I'm your boyfriend!" said Jaune. "How do I make them stop?"

"He's just my assistant for today!" said Pyrrha. "Nothing more!"

"Then tell us how you met!" said one of the razzis.

The razzis continued to ask questions about Jaune and Pyrrha, and nothing the two of them said seem to ever satisfy the razzi. They weren't going to stop until they got the juicy info they were hoping for. Hearing the barrage of constant questions and accusations got under Weiss' skin until she couldn't stand by any longer. Weiss went over to one of the cameraman and grabbed him by his collar.

"LISTEN UP YOU BOTTOM FEEDER!" yelled Weiss. "Pyrrha has the right to hang out with anyone she wants without mudslingers like you questioning her relationship status! How about you talk about her excellent gym battle skills or her work as a Pokémon Ranger instead?"

"And just who are you to tell US what to do, little brat?" said one of the other photographers.

"Did you just mouth off to a Schnee? Wait until my father hears about this!"

Simply hearing that name was enough to send a shiver down everyone's spine. The one who mouthed off suddenly looked like he had stared into the eyes of death itself. Suddenly all of them were begging for Weiss to not use her family connections to make them wish they were never born.

"Now then," said Weiss, "who has a question for Miss Nikos?"

"Ahem," coughed one of the nervous razzi. "So, Pyrrha...I mean, Miss Nikos...had any good gym battles lately?"

"Why yes," said Pyrrha. "In fact, today I had one of my rare four on four battles."

Pyrrha answered a few more questions before having to go inside the studio. Once they were in the green room, Pyrrha and Jaune breathed a sigh of relief that they were finally away from the razzi.

"No wonder everyone hates them so much!" said Jaune.

"No one hates them more than me," said Weiss. "As a Schnee, my family is always being targeted by the press with their ridiculous accusations. They're always trying to badmouth us just because we're rich and successful. I'd hate to see someone like Miss Nikos suffer what I have to go through."

"Thanks for your help Weiss," said Pyrrha. "I really appreciate it."

"Anything for you, Miss Nikos."

"Please, you can just call me Pyrrha. Say Weiss, could you do one more favor for me?"

"Of course!"

"This room doesn't have any Fresh Water. Could you go across the street and get some please?"

"Hmph; you'd think this studio would be more accommodating. I'll be sure to inform your agents of this gross oversight."

Weiss immediately left the green room, pumping her fists in joy that she was now "in" with Pyrrha. With Weiss gone, Pyrrha was now alone with Jaune.

"Um, Pyrrha?" said Jaune. "I just checked the fridge and it's stocked full of water."

"I know," said Pyrrha. "I sent Weiss on a fake errand so we can talk."

"Uh...about what?" Jaune was starting to get flustered again about where this conversation was going.

"Anything!"

"Really? Anything?"

"Yeah! Like seen any good movies lately? Or tell me about more adventures you've had with Ruby!"

"Well Pyrrha...if you really do mean anything...can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Why did you really want me assisting you today? In fact, how come you were so overly nice to me at all? I mean not that I DON'T want you to be so nice, but I mean even Ruby isn't this..."

As Jaune was trying to find the right words to say, he noticed Pyrrha frowning, as if she was heartbroken to hear Jaune ask her. Jaune was back to being flustered yet again.

"Oh Arceus, I said something stupid, didn't I?"

"No Jaune, it's okay," said Pyrrha. "You probably won't believe this, but the truth is...I don't really have any casual friends."

"Wait, really? But you're like the greatest, nicest trainer in the world! How can someone like you have no friends?"

"I have friends, but all of them are either my co-workers in the rangers, my agents who overlook my business affairs, or people who work at the stadium. Aside from them, I don't really have anyone to talk to when I just want to relax and not answer questions about my job or personal life. That's why when I met you outside that comic book store and you didn't have a clue who I was, it felt like a breath of fresh air. I felt like I can talk to someone about what I enjoy or just hear funny stories."

Pyrrha suddenly smiled again. "I'm glad to have met you Jaune. So it disappoints me knowing that eventually Ruby will either challenge me and win or leave, which means you'll have to go too."

"You know, if you really want me to stick around, I can tell Ruby that I've found my calling being your personal assistant."

"But that wouldn't be fair to Ruby. Do you really see yourself being my assistant as your calling?"

"Not really, but...no, you're right. Ruby would see right through me. Well, whatever my calling turns out to be, I'll try to make as much time to come visit, okay?"

"I'd love that."

Pyrrha pulled out a pen and memo pad and wrote down her scroll number to give to Jaune.

"Here's my number. Keep in touch and let me know how things work out for you, okay?"

"Sure."

Jaune pocketed the memo just as Weiss came in with a case of Fresh Waters.

"Here you are, Pyrrha!" said Weiss. "Six cold Fresh Waters! I made sure to buy the most recent ones as well!"

"Thank you, Weiss," said Pyrrha. The three of them each took a water and relaxed before Pyrrha's appearance.

#

_About eight years ago, Pokémon League Stadium_

The battle between Schnee and Pyrrha was a sight to behold. Schnee believed that Pyrrha would only be able to defeat two of his Pokémon, three if she was lucky. But Pyrrha proved to be a much stronger opponent than Schnee realized, as the both of them were now down to their final Pokémon each. Pyrrha had called out her trusted companion Arcanine, while Schnee called out his all-powerful Hydreigon. Weiss and Winter were watching from the Schnee's private box. Weiss sat down and appeared to cheer for her father, but was secretly hoping Pyrrha would win.

"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse!" commanded Schnee.

Hydreigon formed three Dragon Pulses with his heads and fired them all at Arcanine. Arcanine jumped from side to side to avoid the blasts.

"Now Arcanine, Flare Blitz!" commanded Pyrrha. Arcanine charged into Hydreigon with everything she had, but Hydreigon acted like it barely felt a scratch.

"Hydreigon, Dragon Rush!" Hydreigon tackled into Arcanine and did major damage to Pyrrha's Pokémon.

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Arcanine got right back up and rammed into Hydreigon at lightning fast speed. Arcanine was now going so fast it was nearly impossible to keep up with it.

"Hydreigon, Crunch that mutt!" Despite Arcanine's amazing speed, Hydreigon was somehow able to time its bite and nail Arcanine with Crunch, putting a holt to her attack. The two side heads Crunched on Arcanine as well, putting Arcanine in great pain.

"Arcanine, bite back with Fire Fang!" Arcanine opened her mouth and chomped on Hydreigon's middle neck. Hydreigon ignored the attack like it did nothing.

"Crunch harder, Hydreigon! Make that Arcanine submit!" Hydreigon tightened its Crunch on Arcanine, causing Arcanine to scream in anguish. Hearing Arcanine yell was painful for both Pyrrha and Weiss.

_"C'mon Pyrrha, you can do it!"_ thought Weiss. _"I know you can!"_

"Finish her off, Hydreigon."

The main head of Hydreigon let go of its grip on Arcanine, only to launch a powerful Dragon Pulse at point blank range into Arcanine's face. Hydreigon then threw Arcanine back; Arcanine collapsed to the ground, no longer able to battle. The referee went over to double check on Arcanine, then gave the signal to end the match.

"Arcanine has fainted!" said the announcer. "The battle is over! Schnee is your winner!"

The audience erupted in a mixture of applause and moans, though the moans were audibly louder than the applause. Pyrrha ran over to make sure Arcanine was okay, and gave Arcanine a tight hug to reassure her.

"It's okay girl," said Pyrrha. "We came so close and I couldn't be happier. I'm so proud of you."

"A sad ending for Pyrrha," said the announcer, "but what a way to go! Never has anyone been able to knock out five of Schnee's Pokémon before! But in the end, Hydreigon proves to be too much for even Pyrrha's Arcanine!"

With his work accomplished, Schnee recalled his Pokémon and simply left. He never cared for sticking around after a battle was over; he saw no need to talk to interviewers or even share a few words with his defeated opponent.

"As usual," said Winter, "A Schnee Never Loses. Come Weiss, let's go see father."

"Okay," said Weiss. As they were escorted to where their father was waiting, Weiss was coming up with what to say to make it seem like she was happy that her father defeated Pyrrha.

Schnee was outside of the stadium, standing by his limo. He opened the door for his daughters to enter before himself, then instructed the driver to head back to the hotel.

"Congratulations on your victory, father," said Winter. "I knew you would come out on top. After all, A Schnee Never Loses!"

"Indeed," said Schnee.

Winter nudged Weiss with her elbow, signaling her to say something nice to their father.

"Oh, um..." Weiss was still having a hard time trying to come up with the rights words.

"What is it, Weiss?"

"I...I wanted to say..."

Schnee's scroll suddenly started ringing. Schnee held up one finger to silence Weiss and checked his scroll; he was receiving a call from Ironwood.

"Hello, James. ...WHAT? When was this?"

"Something wrong, father?" asked Winter.

"Nothing is wrong. Winter, Weiss, put on some headphones. Father is on a very important phone call."

Winter and Weiss each pulled out a set of headphones to listen to their scroll while their father was on the phone. Weiss was relieved that she didn't have to say anything to him and turned her scroll's volume up so she didn't have to listen. Winter on the other hand kept hers quiet and tried to listen in on their father's conversation.

"I don't care how much they're asking for," muttered Schnee. "I am not giving a single lien to the White Fang. I need you to send somebody to take care of this situation and get my goods back at any cost! Even if you have to call that idiot Branwen!"

Winter shook her head. There was always something going on between their family's company and those group of terrorists called the White Fang. Winter didn't know why the White Fang were always going after their family; she assumed it was simply because of how rich the family and Schnee Corporation were worth. When Winter would take her position in the company, she vowed to do whatever it took to put an end to these radicals for good.

#

_Present day_

With the talk show now over, Pyrrha decided to take her assistants out to dinner. Weiss was insisting to take Pyrrha out to a five-star restaurant - even if it meant Jaune had to come - but Pyrrha wanted to treat them for helping out, so they went to one of her favorite cafes instead for a more casual dinner. Weiss was keeping mostly to herself while Jaune and Pyrrha were talking about comic books or something; she wasn't really paying attention since she had no interests in any of that stuff. Pyrrha noticed Weiss hadn't said much since they sat down.

"Something wrong, Weiss?" asked Pyrrha. "You haven't really said anything since we got here."

"I'm fine," said Weiss. "I'm just surprised you're into that kind of nerdy stuff. I'd always thought you'd be busy with more important matters."

"As busy as my job is, it's always best to have a hobby on the side. Do you have any hobbies?"

"Not really. I spend about all of my time focusing on becoming the next Pokémon Champion. When I'm not battling or training, I'm studying everything I can to make sure I always perform at the top of my game."

"Nothing wrong with that, but have you thought of anything else that might interest you?"

"Well, this is going to sound boring, but...I want to run my family's business in the future."

"That's not boring at all! Plan on making any huge shakeups?"

"Not really. I just want to continue the work my father has done for decades. My sister is already Vice President of the company, and she'll probably take charge of the main branch after my father, so I hope to head another branch until it's my turn to run everything."

"So you'll be a company president and the Pokémon Champion. That's quite the dream, Weiss! I wish you the best of luck."

Weiss had to turn away for a moment so they couldn't see her face almost blush from hearing Pyrrha Nikos compliment her.

"Well, it's about time I got going," said Pyrrha. "If you two aren't busy tomorrow, I'll be happy to have you assist me again."

"It would be my pleasure!" said Weiss.

"Same here!" said Jaune.

The three headed back to Pyrrha's apartment building where Pyrrha said her goodbyes and headed back to her apartment. Just as Jaune and Weiss were about to go their separate ways, Jaune needed to say something to Weiss.

"Hey, Weiss?" asked Jaune.

"What do you want?" asked Weiss, reverting back to her rude demeanor now that Pyrrha was gone.

"I don't like you or the way you talk to Ruby, but thanks for helping out with those annoying paparazzi. I know you did it for Pyrrha and not me, but I still appreciate you doing so."

"You're right. I only did for it Pyrrha. Pyrrha is a hero and doesn't deserve to have her name soiled by the likes of scumbags looking for a quick buck."

"See you tomorrow then, I guess."

Weiss brushed Jaune off and hurried back to her hotel. Along the way, her scroll was ringing. Weiss was surprised as she rarely got a phone call from anybody aside from Winter just to check up on her. To her surprise, this time it was her father who decided to call.

"Hello, father," greeted Weiss.

"Hello, Weiss," greeted Schnee. "How is your progress?"

"I currently have seven badges."

"Just seven? You do realize the deadline for the tournament registration is approaching soon?"

"Of course, father. I'll have my eighth badge in no time."

"See that you do. Remember: You're the one that must carry this championship in my absence to let the world know that A Schnee Never Loses."

"I assure you father; I will be the one to become champion."

And with that, Schnee hung up, straight to the point with no idle chit-chat. Hearing her father reminded Weiss of the years she spent under his tutelage. The constant studying, the daily tests, the simulation battles, and all the championship matches of his Weiss attended. While Weiss studied under her father, she always tried to keep track of what Pyrrha was up to. After losing to Schnee, Pyrrha went back to Mistral and hadn't come back to Vale since. Weiss assumed that Pyrrha was simply training and coming up with new strategies in order to defeat Schnee.

That's why it came to a shock to Weiss when she read an issue of Pokémon Battles Illustrated where Pyrrha announced she was going to become a gym leader instead.

#

_About four years ago_

Weiss was in her room reading the article that shocked the professional scene. Pyrrha Nikos was moving to Vale to not only be a gym leader, but to join the infamous Pokémon Rangers.

_"I've always wanted to help others in need and help trainers become professionals like myself," said Pyrrha. "That's why I've decided to move to Vale and become a Pokémon Ranger, as well as apply for an official Pokémon League Gym Leader position."_

_When asked if she was really comfortable with giving up her chances to become a regional champion and if she would later come to regret this decision, Pyrrha replied "I have no regrets. I may never hold a championship title, but I know my fans will always be supportive, and for that, I couldn't be happier."_

"Weiss!" said Winter, knocking on Weiss' door. "Have you finished packing?"

"Just a few minutes!" said Weiss. Weiss was so entranced with her reading that she forgot about packing her belongings. Weiss quickly threw some of her essentials in a couple of suitcases and headed outside.

Today was the day she was leaving the Schnee Manor and heading to Beacon Academy to begin her studies to obtain her official Pokémon license. As the Schnee manor staff packed her luggage in the limo, Winter arrived to say her final goodbyes. Their father was attending some important meetings back at the company HQ.

"Good luck in Beacon," said Winter. "Be sure to keep yourself healthy physically as well as mentally."

"I will," said Weiss.

"Remember Weiss, it'll only be a few years before father decides it could be time to retire, and when that time comes, we expect you to become the next champion."

"I know, Winter. I'll be just fine!"

Winter smiled and gave her sister a hug.

"I know you will. I have no doubt you'll win that championship. After all, A Schnee Never Loses!"

Weiss smiled and hugged Winter back. "Of course."

Weiss entered the limo and waved goodbye to Winter as the limo headed to its destination. Now alone in the limo, Weiss took out her laminated Pyrrha Nikos trading card.

_"I will become Vale's next champion! I will become the greatest trainer in the world! I will become the next Pyrrha Nikos!"_

#

_Present day_

It was a long two days for everyone involved. Ruby was training non-stop against the Achievement Trainers, Weiss and Jaune were helping Pyrrha with her engagements, and the White Fang were making the final preparations before executing their big plan.

In New Vale City, Ironwood was in his office when he received the phone call he had been waiting for from his scientists in the lab below.

"Sir, we completed the tests on the new Poké Ball."

"The result being?" asked Ironwood.

"It passed all the tests. Project Master is officially complete."

"Excellent!"

Before Ironwood could praise his men, he was receiving a call on another line.

"Hello? ...Ah, Mister Schnee! Perfect timing! I was going to tell you...yes, it's complete! ...I see. Does that mean...okay, I understand! I'll get on it immediately!"

Ironwood switched back to his other call. "Gentlemen, I've just received word from Schnee that we are to transport Project Master to Beacon City immediately! Afterwards, I need everyone to evacuate this building ASAP!"

Less than five minutes later, an armored truck arrived at the Schnee Co. building. One of the Schnee Co. security guards came out of the building carrying a digitally locked briefcase.

"Ironwood says one of us has to sit in the back with the cargo," said the driver.

"Are you serious?" said the guard. "I'm not cramping myself back there just to watch some stupid ball!"

"Relax. I'll get the newbie to do it. Hey newbie! Get over here!"

Out of the passenger side came a young woman with short black hair and amber eyes.

"What is it, sir?" asked the woman.

"You get the honor of holding on to this in the back," said the guard. The guard handed the case over to the newbie and handcuffed her to the briefcase for added security. The newbie got in the back of the truck as the other two sat up front and took off to Beacon City.

_"Just the way I planned!"_ thought Blake.

For the past several days, she had spied on Schnee Co. and knew exactly what they were planning with Project Master. Now firmly out of sight, Blake took out her scroll and used an app to hack into the new digital lock Ironwood thought would surely keep his cargo safe. With the lock broken, Blake opened up the briefcase and nearly gasped. There in the briefcase was the Poké Ball she had waited forever to finally obtain. It had a purple tint on top, two pink bulbs on the sides, and an "M" carved in silver on the front. Blake grabbed the ball to make sure it was truly the real thing.

_"Finally,"_ thought Blake. _"I have what I need to capture Subject M!"_


	37. Fiery Rematch! Ruby vs Pyrrha II

Two days ago, Ruby's Pokémon were barely able to hold their own against the AT Crew. Now, after hours of constant training, learning new moves, and coming up with new strategies, Ruby's Pokémon were a lot stronger than before, with Eevee showing the most improvement. Ruby felt confident enough that she now had a chance of defeating Pyrrha, so after bidding farewell to the AT Crew, she headed back to Hriso City to claim her seventh badge.

Inside Hriso Stadium was a long line of people all holding valuable items they wanted to get autographed from Pyrrha Nikos. With no scheduled matches for the day, Pyrrha took her time talking to the fans and taking pictures with them. Standing behind Pyrrha were her personal assistants Jaune and Weiss. Jaune mostly held people's scrolls to take pictures with, while Weiss was keeping a strict watch over how much time each fan was spending with Pyrrha, making sure none of them overstayed their welcome, and keeping the line moving at an orderly pace. Pyrrha was currently doing poses with one of her younger fans as Jaune took pictures.

"Thank you, Miss Pyrrha!" said the fan.

"Thank you for your support!" said Pyrrha. "Who's next?"

"Excuse me," said a familiar voice. "Mind if I cut in for a minute?"

Pyrrha looked over and saw Ruby standing near the front of the line. Before Pyrrha or Jaune can say anything, Weiss immediately walked up to Ruby.

"Sorry Ruby, but rules are rules!" said Weiss. "No cuts!"

"It's okay, Weiss," said Pyrrha. "We can make an exception for her."

"All right, but keep it short and to the point!"

Ruby rolled her eyes at Weiss and went up to shake Pyrrha's hand.

"Hello again, Ruby," greeted Pyrrha. "I take it you're here for a rematch?"

"You know it," said Ruby.

"Not to place doubt on you, but most people who challenge me to a rematch usually wait a long time before doing so. I'm hope you're not rushing to fight me because of the deadline."

"Don't worry about me. I've done enough training to give you a run for your money."

"All right then. We'll battle as soon as I'm done here. Good luck Ruby!"

As Ruby walked off for the registration office, Jaune quickly ran up to her.

"Ruby!" said Jaune. "Are you really sure you're ready to take on Pyrrha again?"

"I'm confident I've trained enough to be on her level," said Ruby. "If I can't beat her today, then there's no way I'm ever getting into the Pokémon League. It's sink or swim time, right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, anticipating her chance to fight in the upcoming gym match.

"Well, good luck then," said Jaune. "I hope you win your badge!"

#

It was about noon in Vale, and as usual, Yang was sleeping in. Her sleep was interrupted by the ringtone of her scroll.

"This had better be important," muttered Yang. She rolled over and picked up her scroll, noticing it was a call from her uncle.

"What's up, Uncle Qrow?"

"Yang, where are you right now?" asked Qrow.

"Where am I? In my apartment. Where else would I-?"

"I need you to get to Beacon City immediately!"

"Why? You sound like something bad is going to happen if I don't."

"This is an urgent situation. The White Fang have found Subject M!"

Hearing that name suddenly caused Yang to jolt out of bed.

"Uncle Qrow, this better not be some kind of prank!"

"Look for yourself."

Yang's scroll went off to indicate an attachment was sent to her. Yang opened the attachment and saw several photos that one of Qrow's spies within the White Fang had sent him. It clearly showed the White Fang training a monster wearing a mask over their face. Based on the description that Ironwood had told the rangers about Subject M, it had to be them. Realizing the situation they were in, Yang immediately got dressed and put on her ranger uniform.

"Have you contacted the others, Uncle Qrow?"

"Coco is on her way now. Pyrrha hasn't replied back."

"She's probably in the middle of some gym battle. I'll head to Hriso City right away."

Yang hung up and then dialed Ruby's number. Wherever Ruby was, Yang had to make sure she was nowhere near where the White Fang were heading. Ruby's scroll kept ringing until it went into her voicemail, making Yang feel even more panicked than she already was.

"Ruby's not picking up either. As if I don't have enough to worry about!"

#

The stadium was once again jam packed for Pyrrha's match. Weiss was back in her box seat, anticipating seeing Pyrrha defeat Ruby for a second time. Jaune was front and center, this time without Ruby's Eevee by his side. Even though he wanted Ruby to win her badge so she can get into the Pokémon League, he also didn't want to see Pyrrha lose. Pyrrha and Jaune had become good friends in the short amount of time Jaune was in Hriso City, and so he felt conflicted having to watch his two closest friends battle against each other.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you're in for a real treat today! Some of you may remember our challenger who faced Pyrrha a couple of days ago, and unfortunately suffered quite a defeat. Now she has returned for a rematch! Will this be our challenger's revenge, or will Pyrrha triumph once again? Time to find out!"

As before, Ruby and Pyrrha made their entrances to the balconies perched over the arena currently filling up with the artificial lava. Ruby can already feel the sweat forming on her forehead, both from a mixture of the arena heating up and getting nervous that the rematch was almost about to begin.

_"Keep cool, Ruby! Just remember everything you planned and you'll be fine! You've got this!"_

"Once again, this will be a four on four battle. Should our challenger Ruby Rose be able to defeat Pyrrha, she will earn the Miló badge! Trainers, time to call out your first Pokémon!"

Pyrrha started the match with her Rapidash once again; Ruby called out her Graveler. The audience did their countdown and the match was underway.

"Rapidash, Fire Spin!" commanded Pyrrha. Rapidash spot fire from her mouth and trapped Graveler in a fire vortex.

"Graveler, Self-Destruct!" shouted Ruby.

"Self-Destruct?"

Graveler's body suddenly glowed molten red, and before Rapidash can do anything, Graveler's body exploded and sent parts of his body flying towards Rapidash; the extreme heat from the rocks combined with their sharp edges did severe damage to Rapidash. The sound of the explosion nearly deafened the entire audience.

"Unbelievable!" said the announcer. "Ruby has started the battle by immediately sacrificing her first Pokémon!"

Graveler limped over, knocked out from its own attack. The audience turned to see how Rapidash was doing, and she too had fallen over and fainted.

"And it looks to have paid off, as Rapidash has already been knocked out! Our four on four has now become a three on three!"

Nobody in the arena aside from Ruby herself could believe the gambit Ruby pulled off. Pyrrha was especially shocked to see Rapidash taken out so quickly.

"I see you've come up with some new strategies," said Pyrrha, recalling her fainted horse. "I have to admit, I never thought you would do something like that."

"There's no way I'm letting you get the numbers advantage again!" said Ruby, taking back her sacrificed Graveler.

"Show me what you've got then!"

With the battle now three on three, Ruby called out her Talonflame. Pyrrha decided to switch things up and call out the Pokémon she hadn't used in their last battle, Darmanitan. The Darmanitan slammed its fists on the ground and let out its battle cry, hyping the crowd up.

"Okay Talonflame, start with Agility!"

"Darmanitan, Fire Punch!"

Talonflame flew around the arena, gaining more acceleration to increase her speed. Darmanitan used his arms to throw himself up into the air and uppercut Talonflame with a Fire Punch. Talonflame barely dodged the attack as Darmanitan grazed Talonflame's wing.

"He's got quite a reach. Talonflame, Acrobatics!"

"Darmanitan, Rage attack!"

Talonflame flew on top of Darmanitan and dove down on him. Darmanitan growled and swung at Talonflame with a spinning back hand, knocking Talonflame away. Talonflame immediately tackled back and knocked Darmanitan down; Darmanitan got back up and swung his arm down on Talonflame, knocking her hard to the floor. Darmanitan clenched his fists and went for another attack; Talonflame flew straight up to avoid getting hit. Darmanitan pounded his chest and let out another battle cry, daring Talonflame to attack again.

"Talonflame, Flame Charge!"

"Darmanitan, Fire Punch!"

Darmanitan lit his arm on fire, while Talonflame's whole body became ablaze. Talonflame charged into Darmanitan, who got ready to swing once Talonflame was within reach. Darmanitan threw a straight right at Talonflame; Talonflame quickly flew past Darmanitan and instead nailed him in the back, catching him off guard. The force of the blow was enough to send Darmanitan tumbling towards the edge of the ring, almost tripping into the lava surrounding the Pokémon. Darmanitan regained his balance and stopped himself, only to turn around and have Talonflame push him off with another Flame Charge.

"Darmanitan takes a dive into the lava!" said the announcer. "This could be bad for our gym leader!"

Ruby looked over to see how Pyrrha was reacting to Darmanitan taking a lava bath. Despite the conundrum she was in, Pyrrha didn't look worried at all. Either Pyrrha was very good at keeping a straight face, or she had something planned in mind. Darmanitan grabbed the edge of the ring and pulled himself back in. Being a Fire type, the artificial lava didn't do any significant harm to him, but as he got up, Darmanitan was noticeably trying to catch his breath. While most people were worried that Pyrrha was going to lose her second Pokémon, Weiss smiled to herself.

_"It looks like Darmanitan is getting weakened,"_ thought Weiss. _"That means we'll get to see his secret ability!"_

"He's winding down!" said Ruby. "Talonflame, Acrobatics!"

Talonflame flew higher into the air, then folded her wings back and dove onto Darmanitan with everything she had. Before Talonflame can hit Darmanitan, Darmanitan suddenly folded his limbs together and transformed into a stone statue. Talonflame hit the statue Darmanitan, but didn't look like she caused any damage to him. Some people were confused as to what just happened to Darmanitan.

"What happened to Darmanitan?" asked Ruby. "Did he just turn to stone?"

"This is Darmanitan's secret ability: Zen Mode!" explained Pyrrha. "In this mode, Darmanitan protects itself and gains a boost in mental strength! Observe!"

Darmanitan's body glowed a light pink as he grabbed a hold of Talonflame with Psychic and sent Talonflame plunging to the ground.

_"All right, no big deal!"_ thought Ruby. _"He's got strong Psychic powers but can barely move. It'll be like fighting Gavin's Slowbro! I just need to be quicker on the draw!"_

"Talonflame, Flame Charge!" Talonflame set herself on fire and rammed into Darmanitan, but suddenly stopped a few inches away from Darmanitan and was pushed back hard by his Psychic attack.

"Speed isn't going to cut it here, Ruby!" said Pyrrha. "Darmanitan's focus is top notch in Zen Mode! He can catch your Talonflame the instant she flies within his Psychic range!"

"Or maybe we just need to go even faster! Talonflame, Agility!"

Talonflame flew high above the arena, then started to fly around in circles to build up its speed. Reaching its peak speed, Talonflame appeared as nothing but a blur to the human eyes. Darmanitan tried to grab a hold of Talonflame with Psychic, but Talonflame was too far and too fast for Darmanitan to hone in on.

_"Talonflame is too fast for Psychic to be effective,"_ thought Pyrrha. _"However, all of Talonflame's attacks require her to strike Darmanitan. She'll have to fly into Darmanitan eventually, and when she does, that's when I'll bust out his best attack! Sorry Ruby, but like I told you: Speed isn't going to cut it!"_

"Okay Talonflame!" said Ruby. "Hit him with your Acrobatics!"

"Darmanitan, Overheat!"

In nearly the blink of an eye, Talonflame changed her trajectory towards Darmanitan; Darmanitan's body was suddenly engulfed in a huge pillar of flames that took Talonflame with it. Even though Talonflame was a Fire type herself, the sheer power of Overheat combined with Darmanitan's high mental strength was enough to do serious damage to Talonflame. Talonflame landed back on the ground, too injured to fly very high.

"It looks like Talonflame's goose is about to be cooked!" said the announcer.

"As you can see," said Pyrrha, "Talonflame is greatly outmatched. I'd recall her now before she seriously gets hurt."

"Tch, are you kidding me?" said Ruby. "You may have landed a pretty strong attack, but Darmanitan is the one who is outmatched!"

"Ruby, if you're trying to put on some kind of false bravado to get under my skin, it's not going to work! My skin is thicker than my armor, so spare me the theatrics!"

"This isn't some kind of ploy, Pyrrha. I'm being 100% honest: Talonflame is going to end this in the next move!"

"Bold words from our challenger!" said the announcer.

The audience wasn't buying Ruby's bluff for a second, and started cheering loudly in support of Pyrrha. The only one not backing Pyrrha was Jaune.

_"I've seen Ruby fight more than anyone,"_ thought Jaune. _"Ruby would never try to act cocky just to throw someone off! If Ruby is confident she can end this, then it has to mean she has a plan to win!"_

"So Pyrrha, how is your Darmanitan going to attack my Talonflame next?" asked Ruby. "Are you going to try and Overheat again? Maybe try and blast me away with Psychic! Or maybe you'll surprise me and use a physical attack to throw me off! Whatever attack you plan on using...my Talonflame is going to beat it to the punch!"

With Ruby boasting about Talonflame's speed, Pyrrha took a few moments to figure out what Ruby was going to do and how to counter attack.

_"From the way Ruby puts it, she's planning to strike as fast as possible. Her Talonflame is fast, but even at its peak speed, my Darmanitan has the upper hand. Whether she uses Flame Charge, Acrobatics, or some kind of priority move, Darmanitan can land his attack the moment Talonflame flies close enough."_

"Talonflame, get closer!" commanded Ruby. Talonflame took to the air and hovered over Darmanitan. Pyrrha decided now was the best time to strike and take the lead.

"Darmanitan, Overheat!" commanded Pyrrha.

"You first, Talonflame!"

Just as Darmanitan was heating up and about to unleash another pillar of flames, Talonflame's body quickly burst into flames and created a spherical outburst of intense fire; the heat emanating from the flames was even greater than Darmanitan's Overheat. Even in its Zen Mode, the flames took a devastating toll on Darmanitan and caused him to fall to his side, unable to right himself back up.

"Incredible!" said the announcer. "It looks like Talonflame attacked with her own Overheat, taking out Darmanitan in the process!"

"Yes!" said Ruby. "I knew it was going to work!"

"So you were planning to use your own Overheat against me?" asked Pyrrha.

"Actually, I taught my Talonflame the Me First technique. Whatever attack you were going to pull off, Talonflame would instantly copy it and use it herself just before you could, and you just happened to pick the one that favored Talonflame's typing. I guess Talonflame's speed was too good after all!"

"Alright Ruby, I'll admit when I've been bested. But don't let your hubris get the best of you!"

Pyrrha recalled her Darmanitan and sent out her Camerupt.

"I believe you know what's going to happen next. Camerupt, start your Stockpile!"

"Talonflame, Acrobatics!"

Talonflame flew into Camerupt and attacked it several times while Camerupt Stockpiled energy into himself to increase his defenses. Ruby knew that Camerupt was going to keep Stockpiling until it was full and then go on the attack, so Ruby had Talonflame keep using Acrobatics against Camerupt to take out what amount of health she could. After Camerupt was done stockpiling, it was now going on the attack.

"Let's end this quick, Camerupt!" said Pyrrha. "Eruption attack!"

"Get out of there, Talonflame!"

Talonflame took the air as high as she could, but the damage she took from fighting Darmanitan limited her reach. It hardly mattered however, as Camerupt was able to shoot his lava above Talonflame; Talonflame flew around to avoid the lava but the area of coverage Eruption covered made it nearly impossible to dodge. Part of the lava fell on Talonflame and caused her to crash into the ground, too injured to keep fighting.

"After falling behind, Pyrrha quickly ties it back up!" said the announcer. "Each trainer is down to two Pokémon each!"

_"This is getting close!"_ thought Jaune. _"Ruby's really trained a lot over the past two days! She might actually beat Pyrrha!"_

Hearing himself think that suddenly caused an ill feeling forming in his chest.

_"So why do I feel so worried? I want Ruby to win! I mean I don't want to see Pyrrha lose, but Ruby can't win if Pyrrha wins, and they can't both win, so Pyrrha HAS to lose!"_

The feeling in his chest was getting worse, almost like his heart was trying to tear itself out.

_"And yet just the thought of Pyrrha losing hurts my chest. Do I...do I really want Pyrrha to win instead? No, of course not! This isn't guilt, it's heartburn! Yep, definitely heartburn from the spicy nachos!"_

Jaune took a huge gulp of his cold drink to calm his aching chest while trying to convince himself he wanted to see Ruby win.

"The match has officially reached the halfway point! Who will our challenger call out next?"

"Just one more before Arcanine!" said Ruby. "Let's do this, Tentacruel!"

Ruby threw out her Dive Ball and called out Tentacruel.

_"I suspected she would call out Tentacruel thanks to Camerupt's severe weakness to Water,"_ thought Pyrrha. _"Switching out to Arcanine now would be a bad idea; if Tentacruel were able to land those Hydro Pumps on Arcanine, she'd be defeated, plus Ruby likely has new tricks up her sleeve to defeat Arcanine. Camerupt must damage Tentacruel as much as possible for Arcanine to finish it off."_

"Tentacruel, grab Camerupt with Wring Out!" said Ruby.

"Camerupt, keep it away with Lava Plume!"

Tentacruel extended its tentacles and wrapped them around the legs of Camerupt, then twisted them as hard as it could. Camerupt leaned forward and fired Lava Plumes directly at Tentacruel, hoping to burn Tentacruel and stop it from twisting Camerupt's limbs.

"Keep up the Wring Out, Tentacruel!"

"Continue your Lava Plumes, Camerupt!"

Tentacruel kept twisting Camerupt's legs, dealing quite a lot of damage, while Camerupt kept shooting lava all over Tentacruel in an attempt to burn him. Jaune was surprised by Ruby's tactics, since last time Ruby just had to use Hydro Pump to defeat Camerupt right away. Ruby wanted to use Hydro Pump, but she was waiting for the right moment to do so.

_"Camerupt still has those Stockpiles protecting it, so Hydro Pump may not be enough to KO it in one hit. I must hold off until Camerupt gets rid of them. C'mon Tentacruel, twist harder!"_

Despite being hit by constant lava, Tentacruel was only taking some moderate damage thanks to being resistant to Fire attacks. Meanwhile, Camerupt's legs were slowly being twisted, almost reaching a 180-degree angle. Camerupt tried to resist the pain to keep firing Lava Plume, but once Tentacruel twisted one of its legs the full 180, Camerupt started howling in serious pain. Luckily it still had some health remaining, so it had time to recover.

"Camerupt, Swallow your Stockpiles!" commanded Pyrrha.

"Let go of him, Tentacruel!" said Ruby.

Tentacruel quickly let go as Camerupt Swallowed the energy he built up inside, instantly gaining all his health back. The audience was on the edge of their seats as they were anticipating what many thought they were about to see: A battle of a full-blown Eruption versus a powerful torrent of Hydro Pump. The two trainers, knowing exactly what the other was thinking, called out their Pokémon's strongest attacks.

"Camerupt, Eruption!"

"Tentacruel, Hydro Pump!"

Tentacruel opened its mouth and fired a heavy stream of water at Camerupt. Camerupt widen the gaps on his volcanic humps and unleashed a more powerful Eruption than before. The water splashed over Camerupt and did some serious damage, but not before the volcanic magma shot out and blanketed over Tentacruel. Some of the magma mixed in with the water coming out from the Hydro Pump, causing a massive amount of steam to be formed and rise in the arena. Thankfully the stadium was equipped with powerful fans to keep the arena from reaching dangerous temperatures. As incredibly humid as it was inside Hriso Stadium, the crowd was going nuts seeing an amazing display of Pokémon battling.

"I can barely see a thing down there!" said the announcer. "Per the officials watching below, both Pokémon are still standing!"

It took several minutes for the steam to clear. Tentacruel was a bit exhausted from all the damage caused by Eruption, but could stand and fight. Camerupt on the other hand was laying on his stomach, barely hanging on by a thread. It definitely didn't have enough stamina left to survive another attack.

"What do you say, Pyrrha?" asked Ruby. "Does Camerupt have one more attack in him?"

"I'm afraid not," said Pyrrha, recalling Camerupt. "I concede this round."

Pyrrha took out her final Poké Ball and held it to her chest. As Pyrrha did her signature ritual, the whole stadium started chanting for Arcanine. Up in the private box, Weiss couldn't wait to see Arcanine come out.

"It's about time she called out Arcanine!" said Weiss. "Ruby got lucky defeating her first three Pokémon, but there's no way she can beat Arcanine! Finish her off like you did before, Pyrrha!"

Once Pyrrha was done, she called out her Arcanine to a standing ovation from the crowd.

"There she is, ladies and gentlemen!" said the announcer. "Pyrrha is down to her final Pokémon: Her world famous Arcanine! Arcanine may be outnumbered, but she isn't outmatched!

"Arcanine, begin your Howl!" commanded Pyrrha. The whole stadium Howled alongside Arcanine in unison.

"Tentacruel, set up your Barrier!" commanded Ruby. Tentacruel formed a psychic Barrier to fortify its defenses.

"Arcanine, break through with Flare Blitz!" Arcanine set her body on fire and charged into Tentacruel, using her full strength to break through and tackle Tentacruel.

"Now Tentacruel! Toxic attack!"

Arcanine tried to jump back to avoid being hit, but Tentacruel quickly grabbed Arcanine with some of his tentacles and fired a heavy dose of Toxic liquid onto Arcanine, causing Arcanine to be poisoned. Pyrrha was so concerned about Tentacruel's water attack that she forgot to take status effects into consideration. Even if Arcanine was tough enough to fight under status ailments, being poisoned was going to put Arcanine on a time limit before ultimately fainting.

"Time to end this fast!" said Pyrrha. "Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"

"Tentacruel, Hydro Pump!"

Tentacruel opened its mouth ready to shoot out its powerful Water attack. Arcanine swiftly got behind Tentacruel and rammed into the giant squid, knocking Tentacruel down. Tentacruel got up and fired another Hydro Pump, only for Arcanine to avoid the attack thanks to her lightning fast speed and tackled Tentacruel once again. Tentacruel barely had the strength to get back up, so odds were Arcanine was not going to get hit with Hydro Pump at the rate she could outrun Tentacruel.

"Looks like I'm down to my final Pokémon as well," said Ruby, recalling Tentacruel. Even though she couldn't hit Arcanine with Hydro Pump, Ruby was still satisfied that she was able to poison Arcanine, setting things up perfectly for her final Pokémon.

"So Ruby, who is your final Pokémon going to be?" asked Pyrrha. "Will it be your Zoroark, or did you catch someone new I'm not aware of?"

"Neither," said Ruby. "Like yourself, my final Pokémon is going to be someone that means a lot to me."

Ruby bent down and picked up her Eevee. Eevee was psyched that her time to shine had finally arrived.

"Are you ready to win this, Eevee?" asked Ruby.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee. Eevee jumped off the balcony Ruby was standing in and landed in the ring.

"It all comes down to this!" said the announcer. "Ruby has called out Eevee as her final Pokémon! An unexpected choice to say the least!"

When Eevee landed in the ring, Pyrrha noticed the way Eevee spread out her legs and had a fierce look of determination in her eyes. Seeing Eevee pose like that made Pyrrha chuckle.

"What's so funny?" asked Ruby.

"I can't help but notice the look in your Eevee's eyes," said Pyrrha. "It reminds me of the times I would look back on myself when I used to battle with a Growlithe. Growlithe and I would make the same kind of faces you're making now; the faces of a warrior ready to conquer their foe in battle!"

Pyrrha held out her fist towards Ruby. "I can tell from just the way your Eevee is standing, she's ready to take on whatever we throw at her! Ruby, Eevee, let's give these people a battle to remember! Let's show them what true warriors are made of!"

"You got it!" said Ruby, holding out a fist of her own and smiling with Pyrrha.

"Arcanine, Fire Fang!"

"Eevee, Sand Attack!"

Arcanine ran up to Eevee with her mouth lit aflame. Before she can take a bite out of Eevee, Eevee kicked sand into her eyes and blinded her, causing her to miss Eevee.

"Keep it up, Eevee!" Eevee moved aside and kicked up more sand to blind Arcanine more.

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Arcanine backed off to avoid getting hit with the sand, then in the blink of an eye, tackled into Eevee hard enough to send her rolling to the edge of the ring, nearly pushing her into the lava surrounding them.

"Eevee, Swift attack!" Eevee powered up and shot several stars at Arcanine as she ran around the edge of the ring to avoid Arcanine.

"After her, Arcanine!"

Arcanine used her Extreme Speed to run through the stars and chase Eevee around the ring. Eevee was hoping to slow Arcanine down with her Swift, but Arcanine didn't lose a step and rammed into Eevee, sending her flying into the barrier placed around the audience. The audience thought Eevee was about to take a dip into the artificial lava; Eevee quickly kicked off the wall and got back into the ring, saving herself from getting burned. Eevee had to stop to catch her breath, giving Arcanine a prime opening.

"Arcanine, Fire Fang!" Arcanine immediately got on top of Eevee and bit down on Eevee's tail, causing some serious pain.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" Eevee used all four of her legs to send sand flying into Arcanine's eyes. Arcanine tried to ignore the painful sting in her eyes, but eventually it became too much and she had to let go of Eevee to rub the sand out.

"Now's your chance, Eevee! Take Down attack!"

Eevee distanced herself from Arcanine, then ran at her with all her might. Eevee knocked into the side of Arcanine and sent her back a few feet, dealing quite a bit of damage.

"Not bad Ruby, but it's nothing compared to Flare Blitz!"

Arcanine stood back up and charged into Eevee with her body on fire. Arcanine was too fast to avoid, knocking into Eevee and dealing some serious damage, pushing Eevee back even more than Eevee pushed Arcanine. Despite being outpowered by Arcanine's attack, Eevee got up and was daring to go again.

"You might want to rethink challenging my Arcanine to a game of chicken!" said Pyrrha.

"Actually, that's exactly what I want to do!" said Ruby. "Take her down again, Eevee!"

"A foolish move, Ruby! Arcanine, Flare Blitz!"

Arcanine and Eevee charged into each other with their reckless all-out attacks. The two of them collided hard into each other in the center of the ring; the force of Arcanine's attack was enough to push Eevee back, but Arcanine's head felt like it was about to split open. The audience cringed at seeing two Pokémon deal such a huge blow to each other. Arcanine was starting to wobble around from the combination of the poison affecting her health and the brutal collision. She was still better off than Eevee, who was just laying down as if she was knocked out.

"Arcanine is still moving, but it appears Eevee is done for!" said the announcer. "We have to wait from the officials below to determine a final result!"

"I told you it was foolish to attack Arcanine like that, Ruby," said Pyrrha. "Sorry it had to end this way."

"No need to apologize, Pyrrha," said Ruby. "After all...this battle is still going!"

"Still going? Your Eevee is critically hurt!"

"Not for long! Eevee, snack time!"

"Snack time?"

Underneath Eevee's fur, something yellowish was starting to appear. Upon a closer look on the big screens above, it was a Sitrus berry that Eevee had tied around her neck, tucked into her fur so no one could see. Eevee slowly took a bite of her berry and was starting to regain some of her health.

"What a twist in the battle!" said the announcer. "It turns out Eevee had a Sitrus berry on her! The battle continues!"

The audience was starting to go nuts. Every time Ruby appeared to be cornered, she always came up with a new trick to stay in the game.

"Just when I think I have you figured out," said Pyrrha, "you keep me guessing! I can't remember the last time I felt this excited to battle!"

Eevee finished eating her berry and stood up, ready to fight once again.

"What are you waiting for, then?" said Ruby. "Let's fight like true warriors do!"

"With pleasure! Arcanine, commence your Howl! Arcanine stood proud and Howled to boost her strength.

"Eevee, Take Down!"

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"

Eevee charged for Arcanine just as before. This this Arcanine ran behind Eevee to avoid the Take Down and knock into her with Extreme Speed. Eevee stumbled but quickly recovered and fired her Swift stars in retaliation. Arcanine kept running circles around Eevee and tackled into her again at her lightning fast pace. Arcanine was about to run again but suddenly tripped and fell. She was losing the strength to run at such amazing speeds, and the poison was starting to get to her health.

"She's almost done for, Eevee!" shouted Ruby. "Take her down!"

"Eevee!" replied Eevee. She got back on all fours and headed for Arcanine.

"We're not out yet!" shouted Pyrrha. "Arcanine, Flare Blitz!"

Arcanine's fur went ablaze as she charged into Eevee. Just like before, the two of them collided into each other and caused serious damage to themselves and their foes. Both were laying on their side, exhausted from their reckless attacks. Not a single person in the stadium was sitting; everyone stood up and tried to look down on the two Pokémon giving their all. Weiss was waiting for Arcanine to get up and be declared the winner; Jaune was waiting for Eevee to get up and be declared the winner. Ruby and Pyrrha can feel their hearts beating rapidly, hoping their respective Pokémon would be the first to stand up.

Both Pokémon laid there for about fifteen seconds, but waiting for something to happen made it seem like it lasted a good five minutes. Arcanine started to stir and tried to get back up, but the constant blitzes and the poison effects were taking their toll on her body. Everyone started cheering thinking Arcanine had won, until a few moments later when Eevee started to get up as well. Both Pokémon were clearly down to their last bit of health; whoever landed their next attack the hardest would be the one to come out on top.

Once both Pokémon got back on their feet, the two turned their attention to each other. Knowing they each had only one more attack left, they started to distance themselves from each other as they walked in a circle. Eevee and Arcanine also knew by heart what move their respective masters were going to command. Arcanine slowly built up the flames to prepare herself for Flare Blitz. Eevee's body started to glow in a white aura, as now was finally the right time to use Last Resort. The crowd went dead silent as they were about to witness the end of the match.

"This is it!" said Pyrrha. "This moment will decide who is the stronger warrior! Are you ready, Ruby?"

"Hit me with your best shot!" said Ruby.

"Arcanine, Flare Blitz!"

"Eevee, Last Resort!"

As Arcanine's flames and Eevee's aura reached their peaks, the two Pokémon charged into each other with everything they had. Eevee jumped up and rammed herself head first into Arcanine, who bent down and rammed head first as well. When they crashed into each other dead center in the arena, the sheer power of the two attacks caused a mini-sonic boom to echo throughout the stadium. The force of the attacks caused both to be pushed back and collapse. Nobody knew what to make of the fight; they were sure at least one of them would be left standing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it appears the battle may have ended in a draw!" said the announcer. "Neither Pokémon are getting up after using such devastating attacks!"

Everyone was waiting for either an official ruling to be given or for one of the Pokémon to prove they weren't knocked out. The silence was killing Ruby; she wanted to know if she had won the match or not. One minute passed by and nothing happened, causing some members of the audience to start yelling for a decision to be made.

"Well folks, we may have a first on our hands. Unless either Pokémon can get up, this match is going to end in a draw!"

_"A draw?"_ thought Ruby. _"I can't earn a badge on a draw! At this rate, I'll never get into the Pokémon League!"_

"Per the rules, a challenger cannot earn a badge if the match were to end in a tie. Therefore, the match technically falls in favor of-"

Before the announcer can finish, Eevee started to open her eyes, causing the crowd watching on the screens to go nuts.

"Eee," moaned Eevee.

"Wait a moment! Eevee is starting to show signs of life! However, Eevee still needs to stand appropriately to be considered eligible!"

"Come on Eevee!" yelled Ruby. "Get up! I know you can!"

Every part of Eevee's body was in pain, but she needed to keep pushing and get on all fours in order for Ruby to be declared the winner. First she placed her front right paw flat on the ground, then her front left paw on the ground, then struggled with all her might to try and lift her body high enough for her legs to get the same footing. Eevee's front paws gave out and she collapsed flat on her stomach, causing the audience to moan in disappointment.

"Try as she might, it doesn't look like Eevee can get up. Eevee put up an amazing effort, but couldn't quite clinch the victory. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give our challenger a round of applause for-"

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee. Eevee grinded her teeth and placed her front paws back on the ground, then digging down deeper than she ever had before, found the strength to lift her back legs up and was back on standing on all four of her legs.

"UNBELIEVABLE! Eevee has gotten back on her feet, while Arcanine continues to remain down! I'm getting word from the officials below...Arcanine is officially ELIMINATED! Your winner of the match: RUBY ROSE!"

"YES!" shouted Ruby. "We did it, Eevee! We defeated Pyrrha!"

As loud as Ruby was shouting, she couldn't even hear herself from the deafening roar of the crowd. The lava around the ring was being drained as ramps appeared below the balconies for the two trainers to walk out onto the arena. Ruby ran as fast as she could and lifted Eevee up, giving her the tightest hug possible.

"You were incredible Eevee! Words can't express how proud I am!"

"Eevee," muttered Eevee, too weak to do anything but say her name. Pyrrha went over to her Arcanine and patted her on the head.

"A fantastic fight as always, Arcanine," said Pyrrha. "I couldn't be happier with the way you fought. Take a rest now; you deserve it."

After Pyrrha recalled her Pokémon, the announcer from the booth went down to interview the trainers as a small box from above containing the Miló badge slowly came down.

"Ruby, you have been able to accomplish what very few trainers could: Defeating Pyrrha Nikos in a four on four gym battle! How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm on clouds nine, ten, a hundred!" responded Ruby, trying to wipe some of the tears in her eyes while holding on to Eevee. "And I have Eevee and all my other Pokémon to thank for it!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, feeling even more enthused than Ruby.

"Pyrrha, any comments you'd like to make to your opponent?"

"And people think I'm a prodigy!" said Pyrrha. "To be honest Ruby, I thought it would take you at least a week to challenge me again, but you've grown so quickly in just two days!"

"I've been training non-stop those past two days," said Ruby. "I wasn't going to come back a third time!"

"It's certainly paid off. For your hard-earned victory against me, it is my honor to award you the Miló badge!"

Pyrrha opened the box and took out a red and gold badge in the shape of a spear. Pyrrha handed the badge to Ruby and shook her hand.

"Let's hear it one more time for both trainers!"

Although the crowd were behind Pyrrha, everyone applauded for Ruby's victory and putting on what many were going to consider the greatest gym match to ever take place in the stadium. Jaune was especially relieved that the match was over and Ruby earned her seventh badge.

_"Everything turned out for the best,"_ thought Jaune, _"even if I am going to miss hanging around Pyrrha. But first things first; I still have to find my calling!"_

While everyone else was happy about the match, there was still one person who hated the outcome. Weiss was in shock and disbelief that Ruby defeated Pyrrha.

"Of all the people to lose to, she loses to Ruby? How could this be? How could Pyrrha 'The Human Moltres' Nikos lose to that amateur? Pyrrha had to have been caught on a bad day! Yeah, that has to be it! Pyrrha must be distracted by something work related and simply wasn't concentrating hard enough! Or maybe someone forced her to throw the fight in convincing fashion to attract ticket sales! Managers always love to sabotage these battles for sales! Or maybe...maybe..."

The truth was slowly starting to sink into Weiss. As soon as Weiss accepted the truth, she suddenly dropped the fangirl mentality and went right back to her better-known personality.

"Maybe you're not as good as I thought you were, Pyrrha. I looked up to you because I thought you were the best in the world, but you couldn't beat my father. Then you decide to become a gym leader instead of pursue the championship, realizing you would never accomplish that goal. If you couldn't defeat Ruby, then it's clear to me that I've surpassed you, Pyrrha. There's no point in looking up to trainers who are beneath me. It's time I stopped looking up to others, and have people start looking up to me. After all, A Schnee Never Loses!"

Dissatisfied with her former idol's poor performance, Weiss left Hriso Stadium in a hurry. She had wasted too much time indulging in her childhood fantasies, and needed to get back on track to earning her eighth and final badge.

As Weiss was leaving the stadium, she got a call on her scroll from her sister. Weiss wasn't in the mood for talking, but knew she was going to get lectured for missing calls.

"Hello Winter," greeted Weiss.

"Weiss, where are you?" asked Winter.

"I'm in Hriso City. Are you checking up on my status as well?"

"Weiss, whatever you do, I need you to stay away from New Vale City!"

"Away from New Vale City? Why you need me to do that?"

"You'll find out soon enough, and when you do, do NOT go there!"

"What's going on? Did something happen to our company?"

Weiss tried to get a response, but Winter had already hung up. Something had to be going on in New Vale City. Weiss went online to check for any news about events in New Vale City. It didn't take long to find out as the headlines were popping up all over social media. One of them reading: "Mass Evacuation Ordered in New Vale City."

_"Mass evacuation? What for?"_

Weiss tried to look up more info, but no one could report anything concrete, and as far as the public knew so far, it was supposedly just a drill. Why the city decided to pop a surprise drill wasn't making sense for a lot of people, and thus the city was already in a mass panic.

With no word as to why New Vale City was undergoing an evacuation, Weiss instead headed to another city where she can earn her final badge.

#

After the match was over, Ruby and Jaune met back up near the entrance of the stadium. Ruby used some of her potions to heal Eevee as a temporary measure before they reached the Pokémon Center. The two of them were waiting to say their final goodbyes to Pyrrha before they left the city.

"I can't believe I'm just one badge away!" said Ruby, looking over her new badge count on her backpack. "One more badge and I'm going to compete in the Pokémon League!"

"I still can't believe you defeated Pyrrha!" said Jaune. "I mean, I didn't think you couldn't beat Pyrrha, but she was-"

"I understand, Jaune. To be honest, I nearly gave up myself after hearing that it might end in a draw!"

"Well Ruby, I'm happy you won. I really am."

"Really Jaune? You're not upset that I'm taking you away from your new best friend?"

"She's not my new best friend, I swear!" said Jaune, turning beet red.

"Ha ha ha!" laughed Ruby. "I'm just teasing you, Jaune!"

Before Ruby can tease Jaune some more, Pyrrha arrived in her Pokémon Ranger uniform.

"Sorry I'm late!" said Pyrrha. "Ruby, that was a really awesome battle you put on back there. I really think that was the best battle I ever fought as a gym leader!"

"Same here," said Ruby. "You truly are deserving of the title 'The Human Moltres'."

"And Jaune, thanks for all your help these past couple of days. It was great getting to know you."

"I guess this is goodbye then," said Jaune, returning his front seat pass to Pyrrha. "Thanks for letting me hang out with you during my stay here."

"It was my pleasure, Jaune. Good luck in finding your true calling, and Ruby, good luck on your next badge quest. I'd love to see just how you compare against the Elite Four!"

"RUBY! PYRRHA!" shouted someone from above.

The three of them looked up and saw Yang flying down on Celica.

"Ruby!" said Yang. "Thank Arceus you're here!"

"Hey Yang!" said Ruby. "Check it out! I just won my seventh badge!"

"I'd love to celebrate with you sis, but now's not the time."

"You're sounding serious," said Pyrrha. "This has to be really bad if you're taking this seriously. What's the situation?"

"The White Fang have found Subject M."

"Subject M? Are you sure they found it?"

"Qrow just received photos from one of our spies."

Yang showed Pyrrha and the others the photos of the White Fang with Subject M.

"There's no doubt about it," said Pyrrha. "That's Subject M!"

"Subject M?" said Jaune. "What's that?"

"A dangerous and powerful Pokémon! If the White Fang have it under their control, we're all in serious trouble!"

When Ruby saw the Pokémon referred to as Subject M, a memory suddenly triggered in her head. She remembered seeing something that resembled Subject M back on Patch Island, only she had no idea if it was actually a Pokémon.

"That Pokémon...I swear I've seen it before!" said Ruby.

"I doubt that Ruby," said Yang. "This thing's been in hiding for nearly twenty years."

"What are the boss' orders?" asked Pyrrha.

"He wants us to meet with him at Beacon City."

"I'm coming too!" said Ruby.

"So am I!" said Jaune.

"You know I'd rather you didn't come," said Yang, "but I don't have time to argue. I'll let Uncle Qrow decide whether you come or not."

"Then let's get to Beacon City right away!" said Pyrrha.

Yang called out her Flygon, Altaria, and Celica. Yang got on Celica, Ruby got on Altaria, Jaune got on Flygon, and Pyrrha got on her Pidgeot. The four of them took the air and flew their way towards Beacon City, where a perfect storm of catastrophe was about to begin.


	38. Mewtwo's Wrath (Part 1)

Needing to get her next badge as quick as possible, Weiss used her scroll to search for the nearest city that offered a badge and traveled there. Considering how powerful her Pokémon were, earning an eighth badge wouldn't take very long. The sooner she won her final badge, the sooner she can train at Victory Road to prepare herself for the Elite Four.

Weiss arrived at a small populated town called Kuro City. The city had some cherry blossom trees and a couple of restaurants, but other than that, nothing stood out about the city. Not that it mattered to Weiss anyway; she had no time for sightseeing when earning her badge was top priority.

In the middle of the town stood the gym, a relatively small building compared to the other gyms Weiss had fought in. Standing in front of the gym was a tall man in a black trench coat, with red spiky hair and a mask covering his eyes. He had his arms folded and carried a katana by his side. Weiss assumed he was the security guard.

"Excuse me," said Weiss, "I'd like to come in."

"What business do you have here?" asked the guard.

"I'm here to challenge the gym leader for a badge! Now please step aside!"

"Only those worthy of seeing the gym leader can enter. Prove you are worthy."

"Uh, hello?" Weiss opened her jacket and revealed her badges. "I've got seven badges! I think that's pretty worthy!"

"You do not have the permission required to enter this gym. Leave."

"Excuse me? What do you mean I don't have permission?"

"Only those with the right kind of permission can enter this gym."

"What kind of Pokémon gym is this? I don't need special permission to challenge for a badge! Do you know who I am?"

"Make all the threats you want; unless you have the gym leader's blessing, you cannot enter."

"This can't be under league regulations! If you don't let me in, I'll have you reported! I am a Schnee after all!"

Weiss didn't actually know if the gym was breaking any rules, but she figured making the threat of reporting them to the league officials along with using her name would scare the guard into letting her in. The guard continued to stand where he was, unaffected by Weiss' empty threats.

"Whatever!" said Weiss. "I bet the gym leader here isn't even that good anyway! I'll just go to another city!"

Weiss took out her scroll and searched for another city to earn her badge.

#

With the White Fang having found Subject M, the Pokémon Rangers and Schnee Co. called for an emergency meeting to be held inside Ozpin's office at Beacon Academy. As President of the Pokémon League Officials, Goodwitch decided to attend the meeting as well in case this situation called for the Elite Four to get involved as well. Ironwood and Winter arrived along with a Schnee Co. security guard, carrying the briefcase containing the recently completed Project Master. Second came Qrow along with one of his best rangers Coco, awaiting the arrival of his two other top rangers. Finally, Yang and Pyrrha made it to Beacon Academy, bringing two unexpected visitors in Ruby and Jaune.

"Ruby?" said Qrow. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help stop the White Fang!" said Ruby.

"Sorry kid, but this mission is too dangerous even for you."

"But I've stopped the White Fang several times over!"

"This isn't just another Saturday morning escapade. People's lives are going to be at stake."

"Please, Uncle Qrow! Let me be of some help!"

"Sorry Ruby, but as leader of the Rangers, I'm going to order you to remain here until this gets resolved."

"And if I catch you disobeying orders," said Coco, "I'll lock you up in prison myself!"

"Hey now," said Yang, "don't be so harsh to my sister."

"Your sister and her scrawny blonde friend already caused enough trouble for me at Mountain Glenn."

"Wait, you already met?"

"I'll explain later. Let's get to the matter at hand."

Everyone took a seat at the meeting table. Ironwood and Ozpin sat at the opposite ends of the table, while Qrow and his Rangers sat on one side and the rest sat on the other, while Schnee Co.'s guard stood by the doorway.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin," said Ironwood. "The White Fang have captured the Pokémon we've been referring to as Subject M, and are planning to use that Pokémon to attack New Vale City. If New Vale City falls under the White Fang's control, there could be little we can do to stop them from expanding throughout Vale. Our goal is to stop the White Fang by defeating their leader and containing Subject M."

Ironwood turned on a display screen showing details of Subject M.

"The Pokémon known as Subject M is called Mewtwo."

"Mew...two?" asked Ruby. "Is this thing related to Mew?"

"Indeed. Mewtwo shares the same DNA with Mew. It is classified as a Psychic type Pokémon, and it has more power than any other Pokémon in the world. The Schnee Corporation and the Pokémon Rangers have been working together to seize Mewtwo before the White Fang could. Sadly, however, Mewtwo made itself extremely hard to find, and now the White Fang has beat us to them."

"So we beat Mewtwo like we beat any other Pokémon!" said Yang. "Celica alone should be able to handle Mewtwo!"

"I'm afraid even your Dragons would fall easily to Mewtwo," said Goodwitch. "Besides, Mewtwo's strength isn't the only problem we face against them."

"What do you mean?"

"Mewtwo isn't just naturally powerful," said Ironwood. "It's evil."

"Evil?" asked Ruby. "How could Mewtwo be evil?"

"Mewtwo doesn't fight like normal Pokémon. It will destroy anything that stands in its way with no remorse. The only emotion Mewtwo understands is hatred. It will not think twice before killing humans or Pokémon."

"That's impossible! How can a Pokémon be so full of hate?"

"Maybe it was just born that way," said Jaune. "Remember when we fought that Spiritomb? That thing was pure evil!"

"But Spiritomb was formed by the souls of evil people! Something had to have happened to that Mewtwo to act this way!"

"I agree with Ruby," said Pyrrha. "Are you sure Mewtwo isn't just acting this way under the influence of its trainer?"

"Maybe mommy and daddy didn't love it enough," said Coco. "Evil or not, the point is we need to take it back from the White Fang. What's the plan?"

"Defeating Mewtwo will be nearly impossible," said Qrow. "According to my sources, they've given Mewtwo a major upgrade. Take a look."

Ironwood displayed the pictures sent to Qrow of Mewtwo wearing the Grimm Mask.

"According to our spies within the White Fang," said Qrow, "she has developed a mask infused with Dust, capable of increasing the strength of any Pokémon who wears it with seemingly no drawbacks."

"That mask!" said Ruby. "I've seen that mask before!"

"When was this?" asked Ironwood.

"It was when I was visiting Patch Island. On the cruise ship, there was this trainer who used a Volcarona wearing that same looking mask!"

"Do you remember who this trainer was?"

"Her name was something like...Amber Autumn?"

"Sounds like an alias to me," said Qrow.

"And I believe I know who it belongs to," said Ozpin. "Was she an older woman with black hair?"

"She was! You know her?"

"She was an old colleague Ironwood and I used to know, but we haven't been in contact for nearly two decades. To think this is where she ended up."

"So what do we do about Mewtwo?" asked Ruby.

"Since defeating it is not an option," said Ironwood, "the only thing we can do is capture it."

"Kind of hard to capture a Pokémon you can't beat though, isn't it?" asked Jaune.

"True. Capturing it through normal methods will not be good enough. That's why Schnee Co. has been working on a Poké Ball guaranteed to capture Mewtwo without fail."

"Really? You really made a Guarantee Ball?"

Winter pulled out a briefcase and handed it to Ironwood. Ironwood smiled as he pulled up the next set of pictures showing the blueprints of Project Master.

"We've spent years on this project," said Ironwood, "and we are proud to say we have created the solution to the Mewtwo problem. We've created a Poké Ball that not even the strongest of Pokémon can break free from! Any Pokémon caught in this ball is guaranteed to be captured! Behold, the greatest Poké Ball ever produced: The Master Ball!"

Ironwood opened up the briefcase in front of everybody to show Schnee Co.'s greatest work yet, only to nearly have a heart attack when he realized the briefcase was empty.

"The Master Ball is gone!" yelled Ironwood.

"Impossible!" said Winter. "Schnee Co. had that ball guarded at all costs!"

"Looking for this?" said a voice in the corner.

On the far end of the room was the Schnee Co. guard that was assigned to guard the ball during its delivery to Beacon City, holding up the Master Ball in her hand. The guard took off her hat to reveal herself as the vigilante out to stop the White Fang, Blake Belladonna, shocking nearly the entire room.

"It's that vigilante again!" said Yang.

"Return that ball immediately!" yelled Ironwood.

"Not until I capture Mewtwo!" said Blake.

"All right vigilante, enough games!" said Coco, grabbing one of her Pokémon ready to battle. "Drop the ball or else we drop you!"

"Take one more step and I leave with the ball!" replied Blake, leaning against the door leading out of the room. All the Rangers and Schnee Co. were standing up and kept making threats at Blake, throwing the entire room into chaos.

"WAIT!" shouted Ruby. Everyone suddenly went quiet.

"What now?" asked Coco.

"Blake isn't a vigilante! She's...okay, maybe she is, but I know her!"

"You know her, sis?" asked Yang.

"Yes! She's helped me against the White Fang! She's definitely on our side!"

"Correction," said Blake. "I'm on my own side."

"In that case," said Coco, "she's against us! We're taking her in!"

"Stop!" said Ozpin. "Everybody take a breather and relax!"

Everyone put their Poké Balls back and sat down. Blake continued to stand by the door in case one of them tried to pull something. Ozpin stood up to talk to Blake.

"So Blake, you're not on the White Fang's side, but you're not on the Ranger's side either. Perhaps we can work something out."

"With all due respect, professor," said Blake, "I can never associate with the Rangers and Schnee Co."

"I see. You realize that if you choose not to help us, you paint yourself as an ally of the White Fang."

"Come on Blake, join us!" said Ruby. "You don't want the White Fang to destroy the city, do you? Let's work together to stop them!"

"I am never working for Schnee Co.!" said Blake. "And if the Rangers choose to cooperate with them, then I'm against them as well!"

"Oh for the love of Arceus!" said Coco. "I've had enough! Either she's on our side or the White Fang's side!"

"Are all of you Pokémon Rangers really this ignorant?"

"We're not ignorant!" said Pyrrha. "We're trying to save lives by stopping the White Fang!"

"And yet you know nothing about them! You think the White Fang is just a criminal organization!"

"So it's true then!" said Ruby.

"What's true?" asked Pyrrha.

"The White Fang were never always bad, were they?"

"What are any of you people talking about?" asked Coco.

"I heard the White Fang used to be a group of good people; but then for some reason they attacked that research center in Mountain Glenn and became criminals. I always found it weird that they would turn good to bad for no reason. Blake...you know what happened at Mountain Glenn, didn't you? You know why the White Fang turned bad!"

Everyone turned their attention to Blake, waiting to see how she would respond. Blake placed the Master Ball in her pocket and sat down where Ozpin was sitting.

"You're right, Ruby," said Blake. "I know what happened at Mountain Glenn, and it's the reason why I have to capture Mewtwo."

"Then tell us!" said Ruby. "I want to know the truth!"

"I think we all want to know the truth," said Pyrrha.

"Let me ask you all a question," said Blake. "Do any of you even know where Mewtwo came from?"

Blake looked around the room and noticed all the young adults looking confused, not having the slightest idea. The older adults however - specifically Ironwood, Qrow, and Ozpin - were all looking away or closed their eyes, as if they were ashamed to know what the answer was.

"Well, Mewtwo is related to Mew, right?" said Jaune. "So it came from wherever Mew came from!"

"I don't think that was the answer she was looking for," said Yang.

"Wait a minute!" said Ruby. "The research center! Mewtwo and that center have to be connected!"

"You catch on quick, Ruby," said Blake. "Now as Ruby said before, there's a reason Mewtwo has a heart of evil, and you want to know why?"

Blake stood right back up and pointed her finger towards Ironwood.

"You're looking at him!"

Everyone immediately turned to Ironwood to see what his reaction would be. Nearly all of them were assuming he would be enraged and deny such a serious accusation. Instead he turned his chair around to look away from everyone, hanging his head in shame.

"Let me get this straight," said Yang. "Mewtwo is connected to the research center being destroyed, and Ironwood was the one behind it?"

"Looks like the cat is out of the bag," said Qrow.

"Whoa! You knew this whole time, Uncle Qrow?"

"Ozpin and I knew the truth, but Ozpin insisted I keep my mouth shut in order to not cause any mass problems amongst the public."

"Did you know the truth as well, Miss Schnee?" asked Pyrrha.

"I knew our family was connected to the research center," said Winter. "I was never told about Subject M directly, but it didn't take me long to figure out that our family had to be involved in what happened. I'm just thankful my sister knows nothing about this."

Winter placed a hand on Ironwood's shoulder.

"It's time you told the truth, James."

"But Miss Schnee!" said Ironwood. "If I told them the truth, your family's name and company will-"

"I'm aware," replied Winter. "Whatever happens, I thank you for all your years of loyalty to the Schnee family."

"Thank you, Miss Schnee."

Ironwood turned his chair back around, feeling anguished for what he was about to say.

"I'll tell you everything about Mewtwo, but what you hear must remain in this room."

#

_Before I worked for Schnee Co., I was a scientist working at the Pokémon Science and Research Center at Mountain Glenn. The center served as the headquarters for nearly all scientific organizations in Vale. Even though we all came from different departments, we all worked together like one big family. I was part of a field research team that also consisted of Ozpin, Peter Port, Bartholomew Oobleck, and a woman by the name of Cinder Fall. The main job of the team was to travel to various parts of Remnant where new possible scientific discoveries may be taking place._

_The one discovery that we focused on the most was finding the elusive Mew. Over the years of researching "legendary" Pokémon, we've received countless tips of witnesses who have claimed to have seen Mew. Unfortunately, many trips would turn out to be a washout; we can never verify where the witnesses claimed to have seen Mew, nor could anyone produce photographic evidence of the Pokémon itself. It was as if we were hunting down an imaginary creature. Despite our failures, we never gave up. We took every tip we got into consideration on that one in a million shot we would find Mew._

_One day over twenty years ago, we received a tip that somebody had found Mew in a jungle off an island near the Vacuo region. Our team headed to Vacuo to explore the jungle._

"I say!" said Oobleck, trying to maneuver around the constant vines and branches that were littered everywhere. "As much as I love the natural state this jungle is in, it's very hard to move quickly around these parts."

"You just need to learn how to really explore," said Port, "like so!"

Port took out a machete and started chopping away to make it easier for the group to move around.

"You certainly seem to know what you're doing, old friend," said Oobleck.

"Why, jungles are like a second home to me! I remember when my grand pappy used to take me camping in the most foliaged of forests!"

While Port was babbling about one of his childhood stories, the others were going over the map to get a sense of where they were.

"Everything looks the same," said Ironwood. "This map isn't going to serve much purpose."

"I say we split up," said Cinder. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," said Ozpin. "These jungles are hard to get around, and who knows what Pokémon could be lurking around here."

"I agree with Cinder," said Ironwood. "We should split into groups and spread out. Cinder, will you be able to handle things on your own?"

"I'll be just fine," said Cinder.

"Very well," said Ozpin. "Bart and Peter will continue going North, Ironwood and I will head East. If any of you find something or need help, be sure to use your flares immediately."

The group split up and continued searching. After what felt like walking around in circles, Cinder came across a small clearing and found something extraordinary. It was a small hut made from thick leaves and mud. It was barely two feet tall, making it only big enough for something tiny to live in. Cinder contacted the others through her scroll.

"Boys, I found something!" said Cinder.

"What is it?" asked Ozpin.

"It appears to be a miniature hut. Something must have built this for shelter."

"Can you scan for any traces of DNA left behind?"

"Scanning now."

Cinder opened an app on her scroll that allowed for scanning of any traces of DNA left behind by the Pokémon. The scanner picked up something inside the hut. Cinder bent down to take a better look inside; in the corner was a bunch of leaves piled together as if forming a bed. Cinder zoomed in closely on the leaf serving as the pillow; the scanner picked up a few stray hairs on the leaf.

"I've got something!" exclaimed Cinder.

Cinder took out a pair of scissors and a tiny plastic bag. Cinder carefully covered the leaf in the plastic bag, cut the leaf off the stem, then quickly sealed the bag to make sure nothing fell off the leaf. As soon as the DNA was secured, she took out her flare and signaled for the others to meet her there.

"What did you find?" asked Ironwood. Cinder handed Ironwood the bag and a magnifying glass.

"If you look carefully, there are a few tiny hairs on this leaf. There was definitely something here!"

"Let's hope this doesn't turn out to be another wild goose chase."

_After our jungle expedition, we got to work on trying to extract the DNA from the hairs we found. If we truly found the legendary Mew, it would be the biggest breakthrough in science history. We could finally learn about the true origins of Pokémon and even human life itself. _

_Unfortunately, this is when we encountered our first major snag in the project. The hairs contained so little DNA to go by, it was impossible to extract enough to create a working clone._

_The methods we used were similar to that of reviving fossilized Pokémon. When you find a Pokémon fossil such as Kabuto or Omanyte, approximately 90-95% of their DNA is still contained within the fossil, making the cloning process easy to produce. However, with the technology we had available, a few strands of hair were not going to be enough. We needed to create something more advanced, but the budget was something the research center couldn't afford. That's when the Schnee Corporation stepped in._

_When Mister Schnee heard of our experiment, he agreed to provide the funds necessary. We were so desperate to find out what those remains were, we agreed to Schnee's terms without fully realizing what he would ask for in return. With the help of Schnee's funding, our researchers worked endlessly on the mysterious Pokémon's remains, hoping beyond hope that it was the Pokémon mankind has spent ages to find._

_Shortly after being able to extract enough DNA to work on, we had our first major milestone._

"This is impossible!" said Oobleck. Oobleck was scanning through a printed document detailing the results of his experiment, and couldn't comprehend what had come up. The other members of the research team convened to his work station.

"What's wrong?" asked Ozpin.

"We've tried to match the DNA found in the sample compared to the database of all known living Pokémon on this planet!"

"And we haven't found a match?"

"No. In fact, the problem is we did find a match."

"Then who does the DNA belong to?"

"All of them!"

Ozpin looked over the results of Oobleck's work, and sure enough, every known Pokémon's DNA in their database came up as a positive for a match. It wasn't uncommon for a Pokémon's DNA to sometimes have multiple results if the Pokémon were related to the same family, but to have it come up positive for everything didn't make any sense.

"How can a DNA sample test positive for every Pokémon?" asked Ozpin.

"That's not even the weirdest part!" said Oobleck. "Look at what happens when we try to introduce the sample to foreign DNA!"

Oobleck turned their attention to the monitors above his station, which showed the DNA sample cells zoomed in at approximately 10000x. Oobleck carefully inserted a foreign sample cell next to the one they had discovered. The discovered sample cells were changing their shape and appearance to match the foreign cells. Everyone witnessing this event were nearly at a loss for words.

"Is the sample...replicating?" asked Ironwood.

"Whatever DNA we introduce," said Oobleck, "the sample starts to transform into a perfect match!"

"People, we are witnessing one of the most amazing discoveries in Pokémon history! We have found a Pokémon that can transform completely into another Pokémon!"

"The ability to perfectly transform into another Pokémon?" said Port. "There's not a Pokémon in existence that could do that! Could this little sample truly be Mew?"

"Continue your testing!" said Ozpin. "I'm going to call my archaeologist friend and ask them about any more information they can provide on Mew!"

_Realizing we were on to something big, all of us worked day and night, week after week, month after month, trying to create a clone of this mystical Pokémon._

_Finally, after months of painstaking research, overnight shifts, countless hours of sleep lost, and several moments where the project seemed hopeless, we were able to create a living, breathing fetus of the mysterious Pokémon. After analyzing what the fetus would grow into at birth, we had our answer._

_It was Mew._

_Words could not express the overwhelming joy all of us felt upon that day. We sacrificed so much to make it happen that we were dreading coming up short, and now here was the legendary Pokémon, just a couple of months away from being born. We didn't think anything can possibly stop us now._

_That's when Schnee called us to make his demands._

_Based on our research, we strongly believed that Mew had the unique ability to transform into any other Pokémon. Therefore, we theorized that Mew may have the ability to learn every single attack a Pokémon was capable of. That kind of ability would surely make Mew one of the most powerful Pokémon in history, and it was that kind of power Schnee wanted for himself._

_Schnee's deal was to have us__ use Mew's DNA to create the ultimate weapon; a Pokémon that couldn't be beat. Schnee wanted to use this Pokémon to ensure he would beat the Elite Four and become the World Pokémon Champion to prove his dominance over everyone. Personally, I saw no reason to reject Schnee's demands. It was his funding that made it possible after all._

_Ozpin, however, thought differently._

Ozpin was meeting Ironwood in his office, enraged when he found out what Ironwood agreed to.

"Are you insane?" yelled Ozpin. "We could be on the cusp of learning the origins of life, and instead you're going to turn this discovery into a living weapon?"

"We don't have a choice, Ozpin!" said Ironwood. "Schnee is the one providing the money, and what he says goes!"

"You're making the biggest mistake of your life, James! If you allow Schnee to do this, then consider myself out!"

"Ozpin, calm down! We can still discover what we intended to do! Think of it as just a side project to help us stay afloat!"

"This isn't just a side project, James! You're creating a bionic weapon for a megalomaniac! Do you not understand the repercussions that can come out of this?"

"I made a gentleman's agreement with Mister Schnee, and I intend to keep it, consequences or not! We're going to create this Pokémon whether or not you think it's unethical, because that's your job! So, you have to decide what's more important: Your morals, or your career!"

"I refuse. Either you tell Schnee you can't make his weapon, or I quit!"

"Then I have no other choice! You're fired Ozpin!"

_As soon as Ozpin announced his departure, Peter and Bart quit alongside him. Despite the close ties I had with these men, I wasn't sad to see them go. I was confident this new project was going to be a success, and that Ozpin decided to let his morals get in the way of progress._

_I should have listened to him._

_The day after Ozpin and the others left, "Project Mew Two" was underway. To make sure the project was a success and that word of the newly dubbed "Subject M" would not leak out to others not involved, we conducted the experiment in the basement of the research center. To increase the strength of the Pokémon, we infused the Mew clone with as much Dust it can handle. The more Dust we forced into its blood, the more powerful it became. _

_We subjected it to many harsh conditions...no, that's too nice to describe it. We tortured it; we drove it near the brink of death so many times to see just how much it can survive. We froze it in sub-arctic temperatures even Ice Pokémon couldn't handle; we burned it in heating rooms that would make the strongest Fire Pokémon collapse of heat stroke; we subjected it to imagery so frightening it would scare Ghost Pokémon. Whenever it came close to death, we injected more Dust to toughen it up. This process continued until we were certain Subject M had reached their peak._

_About two months into the project, "Mewtwo" as we called it, was complete. It became more powerful than we could ever hope._

_And with that, also became impossible to control._

The now fully grown Mewtwo was in their bionic container, surrounded by fluids that kept them in suspended animation and healed their wounds from the rigorous testing. Above the room was the station where all the scientists can observe Mewtwo from a safe distance. Today was going to be the day they tested Mewtwo to see if it had the intelligence to understand and obey commands. Ironwood went down to the floor with a Poké Ball in hand.

"What is Mewtwo's status?" asked Ironwood.

"All vitals are green," said Cinder.

"Excellent. Transferring to the Poké Ball now."

Ironwood inserted the Poké Ball in front of the machine and transferred Mewtwo inside. With Mewtwo unable to move, the transfer was quick and successful.

"We will now conduct the obedience test," announced Ironwood. Ironwood opened the Poké Ball and released Mewtwo. All the other scientists were nervously shaking, scared that Mewtwo might disobey Ironwood. Mewtwo came out and slumped on the floor, slowly opening their eyes.

"Hello Mewtwo. My name is James. I am your trainer. Can you stand?"

Mewtwo slowly stood up and stretched their limbs. As Mewtwo was getting some feeling back into their body, an attack dummy shaped like a Machoke appeared in the room.

"Very good. Now Mewtwo, look towards the dummy and use your Aura Sphere!"

Mewtwo turned to the dummy across the room, then powered itself up and fired an Aura Sphere that shattered the dummy into pieces. The scientists above were amazed by Mewtwo's strength.

"Excellent! Now Mewtwo, I want you to put the pieces of the dummy back together with Psychic!"

Mewtwo held out one arm and lifted all the limbs from the dummy, then placed them back together as a whole.

"The experiment is a success!" said Ironwood. Everyone watching cheered. Cinder was especially happy to see Project Mew Two become a success. With her being the one to find the Mew samples, Schnee was sure to be impressed with her.

"Okay Mewtwo, return to your ball!"

Ironwood held the ball and tried to call Mewtwo back, but suddenly felt his arm go numb. It was as if something was holding him, preventing him from activating the ball's callback function.

"Something wrong, Mister Ironwood?" asked one of the scientists.

"My arm!" yelled Ironwood. "I can't move it! I need assistance!"

"You naive, pathetic human," said Mewtwo. Hearing Mewtwo suddenly speak fluently shocked everyone in the room. Using their Psychic powers, Mewtwo forced the ball out of Ironwood's hand and placed it in their own before crushing it to pieces.

"You think a specimen such as me can be controlled by a weakling such as you?"

Ironwood suddenly felt his whole body go numb. Mewtwo turned towards Ironwood and growled.

"I AM UNDER NO ONE'S CONTROL!"

Mewtwo psychically threw Ironwood into the bionic container. The bulletproof glass cracked from Ironwood's body crashing into the machine, severely injuring Ironwood. Mewtwo let go of their Psychic hold on Ironwood, then started to power up to attack with an Aura Sphere. The scientists above were freaking out at seeing Mewtwo attack.

"Oh my God, he's going to kill him!"

"Activate the emergency containment!"

The side walls of the room suddenly opened, revealing two large machines that looked like railguns. The railguns charged up and fired a gigavolt of electricity at Mewtwo, dealing enough damage to render Mewtwo unconscious. With Mewtwo detained, two scientists ran down to check on Ironwood.

"Are you okay, Mister Ironwood?"

"I'm fine," said Ironwood, having trouble standing on his own. The scientists safely escorted Ironwood out of the room and into the station.

As they were making plans on what to do with Mewtwo now, Mewtwo suddenly awoke and stood back up, regaining all their health. One of the scientists noticed Mewtwo was back to normal and panicked.

"SIR! The subject is recovering on its own! It's already back to full strength!"

"Detain that thing now!" said Ironwood.

The railguns on the walls started to charge, but Mewtwo used their Psychic powers to crush them and caused them to explode, rendering them useless. With the railguns destroyed, Mewtwo then used their Psychic powers to destroy the machine they were contained in.

"It's destroying everything in the lab! What do we do now?"

"Remain calm!" shouted Ironwood, having a hard time keeping cool himself. "As long as that thing remains here, we're safe!"

Mewtwo looked around searching for a way out of the facility. They looked up and concentrated their powers, tearing the ceiling apart.

"The subject is heading to the surface!"

"Have this building evacuated immediately!" said Ironwood.

Ironwood tried to stand up and run, but was still too injured to move on his own and had to be carried by two other scientists.

As they left the station and tried to get back to the surface, Mewtwo already burst through the ceiling and tore his way through the levels of dirt and concrete to reach the first-floor lab of the research center, scaring all the scientists that suddenly saw a Pokémon tear through the floor. Mewtwo didn't waste any time firing their Aura Sphere at everything in sight, ignoring the screams of the scientists trying to escape the destruction. In less than half a minute, the lab looked like a bomb had gone off and destroyed it. Mewtwo proceeded to break through to the second floor and continued destroying everything it their path.

By the time Ironwood and the rest reached the first floor, the alarms were blaring in the building as everyone was running around in a panic. Ironwood could see dark smoke emerging from the lab Mewtwo was in as above him he could hear more explosions going off, no doubt caused by Mewtwo.

"We need to get out of here!" shouted Ironwood.

Meanwhile, Cinder realized that somewhere in one of the labs above was the original DNA sample of Mew. Without that sample, all their months of work would have been for nothing. She needed to get that sample at any cost. Rather than follow Ironwood and everyone else, Cinder was heading to the closest staircase leading to the upper floors.

"Cinder!" yelled Ironwood. "What are you doing?"

"I have to go back for the DNA sample!" shouted Cinder.

"Are you insane? That thing is going to destroy this place!"

Cinder ignored Ironwood and tried to fight through the wave of people rushing past to reach the stairs. By the time she did however, the ceiling near the stairs collapsed and blocked Cinder's path, nearly falling on Cinder as well.

"NO!" yelled Cinder. "My research!

Despite the immense amount of pain he was in, Ironwood ran to grab Cinder and forcefully carried her on his shoulder out of the building.

Mewtwo made quick work destroying all the floors of the building, then burst through the roof to observe the damage from above. With the building falling apart and collapsing on itself, Mewtwo went above the clouds and flew off into the distance. Ironwood made it outside and collapsed on the ground while Cinder stood in a trance at the wreckage, devastated to see her entire life's work disappear in flames. It wasn't long until the place was swarming with ambulances, firetrucks, and the news media.

_Mewtwo destroyed everything in its path, along with all the remains of Mew. Our department...all the departments...lost everything. Everything we dreamed of achieving was burnt to ashes. A lot of people were able to escape before Mewtwo did. Some...weren't so lucky._

_The story made headlines around the world. No one in the media knew right away what caused the building to be destroyed, but we felt it was only a matter of time before the truth was leaked out about Mewtwo and the connection to Schnee Co., and once the public found out, our careers and the company would be over. So, using his funding and connections to the press, Schnee covered up the incident by claiming the research center was attacked by terrorist radicals in the White Fang. The public bought it, and no one outside of those who survived the incident knew the truth._

#

"As a reward for my loyalty, Schnee hired me to work for his Vale branch. Aside from all the regular Schnee Co. work, I was assigned with the task of finding Mewtwo and capturing them. The rest is history."

"I guess we owe our vigilante friend an apology," said Yang, "though I guess a simple apology isn't enough, is it?"

"So Blake," said Ruby, "what exactly did the White Fang do before then?"

"The White Fang was an organization that fought to protect Pokémon," said Blake. "We organized boycotts and protests of companies that mistreated Pokémon; we fought off poachers who tried to harm Pokémon or abuse them for profit. We defended Pokémon much in the same way you rangers have, but we never sold out our beliefs. Once Schnee stigmatized us as criminals, the accusations piled on to the point that everyone believed it to be true."

"You keep saying 'we'," said Coco. "I thought you were always against the White Fang!"

"The truth is I was initially born into the White Fang. After all, the organization was founded by my own father."

"Now it starts to make sense," said Qrow.

"But once it became clear that no matter how hard we tried, the stigmatization of being criminals would never wear off. My father stepped down and allowed the White Fang to be taken over by this woman named Cinder Fall. Soon she and her henchmen took over the reins, and the initial founding members were quickly replaced by criminal lowlifes like Torchwick. I couldn't allow the White Fang's good name to be soiled like this! I vowed to find out the truth about Mountain Glenn and clear the White Fang's name!"

"So your plan is to capture Mewtwo and prove it wasn't the White Fang who destroyed that research center?" asked Ruby.

"Correct. I can't allow either Schnee or the White Fang to get their hands on Mewtwo. That thing is too powerful to be controlled by anyone. I'm going to capture Mewtwo to make sure it never sees the light of day again!"

"And just how do we know you're trustworthy to not use Mewtwo yourself?" asked Coco.

"Because I'm not selfish enough to use Mewtwo for my own needs!"

"You say that now, but you know the old saying: Absolute power corrupts absolutely!"

"But we can't just hand it back over to Schnee Co., can we?" asked Yang. "I mean, we already know how corrupt they are!"

"This is quite a dilemma we're in," said Ozpin. "Who is to say any one of us should be the one to keep Mewtwo?"

"Then what do we do with Mewtwo after it's captured?" asked Ruby.

Everyone in the room was silent. No one quite knew how it could be fairly decided who would be responsible and can handle having the world's most powerful and dangerous Pokémon. Thinking over what her true end goal was, Blake decided to come up with a compromise.

"I'll tell you what, Schnee Co.," said Blake. "If you want Mewtwo so badly, I'll hand them over to you on one condition."

"Name it," said Ironwood.

"You put out a statement revealing the truth about what happened at Mountain Glenn."

"So you want us to apologize about blaming the White Fang?"

"Not only that, but you admit it was because you created Mewtwo, and why you created Mewtwo in the first place."

"Forget it! I am not going to disgrace the Schnee family name nor their company!"

"Then I'll be keeping Mewtwo and reveal the truth myself."

It was clear to Ironwood and Schnee they had no way of getting out of this. Mewtwo or not, Schnee Co.'s darkest secret was going to be revealed.

"Very well," said Ironwood. "If you hand Mewtwo over to us, we'll reveal the truth about everything. But just to make sure you do exactly as told, we want one of the Rangers to go with you!"

"No way," said Blake. "I don't trust you or the Rangers."

"We can say the same about you, thief!"

"It sounds like a neutral party would be best to go with Blake," said Ozpin. "I suggest the one to go along should be Ruby."

"Me?" said Ruby.

"Fine with me," said Blake. "I can trust Ruby."

"Well, if it's all right with Uncle Qrow that is…"

"All right Ruby," said Qrow, "you can go with Blake. Just be careful for your father's sake, okay?"

Qrow suddenly got a message on his scroll.

"The White Fang have begun attacking New Vale City."

"Then we need to get going," said Goodwitch. "I'll remain here in case the situation gets worse. We'll need to contact the Elite Four and gym leaders and come up with a contingency plan."

"Ruby and I will focus on battling Cinder and capturing Mewtwo," said Blake.

"That leaves the rest of us to deal with the White Fang," said Qrow. "Listen up my Magnificent Three! I've already called all the rangers to report to New Vale City and make sure everyone evacuates to a safe location. While they continue the evacuation procedures, the four of us will handle battling the White Fang. We're going to focus on taking out only the grunts and their mercenaries. Do NOT engage against Cinder and the real Mewtwo. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" said the Rangers, saluting Qrow.

"Then let's move out!" said Qrow, heading out the door.

"Wait!" said Jaune. "What should I do?"

"Stay out of it," said Coco. "We don't need hanger-on's getting in the way."

"Wait a second, Coco," said Pyrrha. "We could use some extra help on this mission."

"But he's not a trained Ranger! We don't have time to play babysitter!"

"I won't get in your way!" said Jaune. "I promise!"

Coco rubbed the temple of her nose. She was not in the mood to deal with this nonsense as they were about to embark on the biggest mission of their lives.

"Fine," said Coco. "But he's coming with me to make sure he stays in line! Let's go, scrawny!"

Jaune went with Coco and the other Rangers. Winter got up to leave as well.

"Where are you going, Miss Schnee?" asked Ironwood.

"You think I'm just going to let the Rangers handle this?" said Winter. "I'm going there to stop the White Fang myself!"

"Then you're not going alone," said Ironwood, getting up as well. "Let's go!"

Ironwood and Winter left the room to deal with the White Fang as well. Blake got up to leave, but Ruby remained where she was.

"Aren't you coming, Ruby?" asked Blake.

"In a moment," said Ruby. "I just need to ask Ozpin something first."

"Don't be long," said Blake, exiting the room.

"You seem bothered Ruby," said Ozpin. "What's wrong?"

"It's about Mewtwo."

"Afraid of just how powerful they might be?"

"Not really. I mean kind of, but I'm concerned about something else."

"What is it?"

"Professor Ozpin, can Mewtwo really be evil?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone assumes Mewtwo is an evil Pokémon. I know there are people who use Pokémon to do bad things, and some Pokémon are meaner than others, but Pokémon can't really be pure evil, can they?"

Ozpin sighed and took a sip of his coffee.

"I wish I had a clear answer for you, Ruby, but in all honesty, I'm not sure myself. I've been researching Pokémon for decades, and not once have I yet to witness a Pokémon that can be considered pure evil. But then again, I have not witnessed a Pokémon created in the same way Mewtwo has. That thing could very well be an evil Pokémon. Evil or not, Mewtwo is a dangerous threat as long as they're under the White Fang's control. Be very careful, Ruby."

"I will, Professor Ozpin."

Ruby got up and headed to where Blake was waiting.

Ruby was disappointed by Ozpin's answer; she was hoping for something a bit more concrete. Everyone was treating Mewtwo like it was an evil threat, but Ruby couldn't believe that. It was more than just the story of how Mewtwo was tortured by their creators that place doubt in Ruby's mind, but the fact that Ruby had confronted Mewtwo herself.

If Mewtwo was as evil as everyone thought, wouldn't Mewtwo have tried to kill Ruby right then and there? Sure, Mewtwo was ready to fight Ruby, but it wasn't like Mewtwo had tried to attack Ruby out of malice. They simply didn't want to be disturbed. Mewtwo was trying to protect itself. In fact, if Mewtwo was evil and wanted to hurt people, why hasn't it tried to attack anyone over the past twenty years? A Pokémon that powerful would surely have made the news if it attacked innocent people, but the world at large had no idea of its existence.

No matter how dangerous Mewtwo may be, Ruby could not believe Mewtwo was truly evil.

"Ready to go?" asked Blake, standing by her Pidgeot.

"I'm ready," said Ruby. Eevee got in Ruby's backpack as the two boarded Blake's Pidgeot and flew to New Vale City.

* * *

**A/N: To clarify a couple of things about Mew: The reason they say Mew is the only Pokémon able to transform into others is because I believe in the "Ditto is a failed clone" theory. **

**Before Mewtwo was created, Ditto didn't exist yet, and Zorua/Zoroark's illusions aren't transformations because their DNA doesn't change, thus no Pokémon was known to truly transform to replicate others at the time. Because in the games where Ditto are usually found where Mewtwo is or has been before, I believe Ditto originate from Mewtwo's dead skin cells, hence why Dragon Sanctuary was suddenly full of Ditto.**


	39. Mewtwo's Wrath (Part 2)

Having no luck at Kuro City, Weiss traveled to the nearby Chartreuse City to earn her eighth badge. Their gym leader, Dew Gayl, was a Ground type specialist known for utilizing sand storms. That meant little in this match however, as Weiss was easily defeating Dew thanks to her Froslass. Dew was now down to her final Pokémon, Excadrill.

"Excadrill, Drill Run attack!" commanded Dew. Excadrill folded his body into a drill and charged for Froslass.

"Froslass, Blizzard attack!" commanded Weiss. Froslass narrowly avoided Excadrill and then shot him with a full blast of Blizzard. The attack was enough to freeze Excadrill in a block of ice, causing him to crash to the ground and unable to battle.

"The match is over!" said the announcer. "Weiss is the winner!"

"I can't believe how easily I lost!" said Dew.

"Against any other opponent, you might have fought decently," said Weiss. "Unfortunately, you went up against a Schnee, and A Schnee Never Loses!"

"You certainly proved that here. Congratulations Miss Schnee; for your victory, I hereby award you the Spear badge!"

Dew handed Weiss a badge in the shape of a golden triangular spear. Weiss now had her eighth and final badge.

_"Yes!"_ thought Weiss. _"Now all I need to do is register for the Pokémon League!"_

Now that she had eight badges, Weiss was going to head to Victory Road and train herself to make sure she would be more than ready to defeat the Elite Four and claim her rightful place as champion. Weiss took out her scroll and was going to call Winter when she got a news alert about the situation in New Vale City. She opened the VNN app and watched as the news talked about New Vale City.

"We are continuing to get more reports of what is occurring in New Vale City. According to tips sent in by residents of the city, the Pokémon Rangers are fighting the White Fang within the city. The fights are becoming more violent than usual, as we are starting to receive photos and videos of buildings being damaged, likely due to Pokémon attacks. We're also getting photos of the Pokémon being used by the White Fang."

The news showed amateur photos from people who were either hiding or escaping the chaos. In the pictures were White Fang grunts using a Pokémon that Weiss had never seen before.

"We cannot make out who or what this Pokémon is. The citizens are being asked to head to their nearest evacuation zone immediately. The Pokémon League Officials have yet to make any statements on their current course of action. We'll keep you updated as soon as new information becomes available."

_"If the White Fang are attacking the city, then they must be making their way to the Schnee Co. building!"_ thought Weiss. _"I have to go stop them!"_

Weiss was about to take out her Pokémon and head to New Vale City, but then remembered what Winter had told her.

_"No Weiss, remember what Winter said! Your mission isn't to worry about whatever was going on between Schnee Co. and the White Fang. You need to focus solely on winning the Vale Regional Championship. Whatever is happening in New Vale City, Winter and the Pokémon Rangers are sure to handle it!"_

Weiss took out her scroll and looked through the new alerts coming in of people needing to be evacuated, buildings in flames, and the rangers struggling to fight off the White Fang.

_"Then again, it's not like I couldn't be of any help! I have eight badges! I'm probably stronger than most of the actual Rangers! Besides, should it not be my duty to defend my family's company from these criminals?"_

Weiss had two options: Head to New Vale City and lend a hand, or head to Victory Road and train for the championship like she was ordered to.

_"Why am I wasting time thinking about what to do? It's clear to me what my priorities are."_

With her decision already made, Weiss headed to where she needed to go.

#

Ruby and the others were flying to New Vale City, watching the updates occur on their scrolls. It appeared the White Fang were attacking all over the city. Qrow contacted the rangers in the city for an update.

"Come in, Rangers!" said Qrow. "Status report!"

"The White Fang have been ganging up on us. This new Pokémon they've got is too strong for many of us to handle."

"You mean Mewtwo? But there should only be one of them!"

"The White Fang have dozens of Dittos copying Mewtwo! They're not quite as strong, but we're still underpowered, and we still have scores of citizens to take to the evacuation zones!"

"Understood. Try to hold them off as long as possible. The Magnificent Three and I will be there shortly!"

"Yes sir!"

Qrow contacted everyone flying to explain the plan.

"Listen up, everyone! If the White Fang see us flying overhead, they may try to attack from the ground and damage the buildings instead. We'll have to land by the city entrances and make our way through the streets! Ruby and Blake, Cinder is likely heading North to the Schnee Co. building. Try to get there as quickly as you can and capture Mewtwo!"

"You can count on us, Uncle Qrow!" said Ruby.

"My Magnificent Three, the rangers need help fighting the White Fang! Spread out and take out any grunts you can! Let the others focus on evacuating the citizens!"

"Yes sir!" replied the Magnificent Three.

"What shall we do, Miss Schnee?" asked Ironwood.

"Without the Master Ball," said Winter, "there's no point in fighting Cinder and Mewtwo. We'll have to fight the White Fang grunts as well. Let's put those fools in their place!"

"As you wish, Miss Schnee!"

As everyone began arriving at New Vale City, they could see the buildings that had been damaged by the White Fang. The city was quiet save for the blares of firetruck sirens echoing across the city. Ruby had never witnessed this kind of destruction before; it was a stark reminder that this was getting very serious.

"We can't waste time fighting the others," said Blake. "We have to get to Cinder as quickly as we can, so be sure to keep up."

Ruby was so entranced by the sight of the city that she didn't listen to what Blake told her.

"Ruby, did you hear me?"

"What?" said Ruby. "I'm sorry, were you saying something?"

"I said we need to reach Cinder fast!"

"Don't worry about me. I'm a pretty fast runner!"

"Being a fast runner is one thing, but you also need to stay focused. You can't space out like you just did a moment ago. This is the real deal, Ruby. We don't stop Cinder and the White Fang, this kind of destruction will be just a taste of what will happen around the world."

"I don't even want to imagine."

"Then let's land and follow my lead!"

Ruby and Blake landed on the ground and immediately ran North to where the Schnee Co. HQ was located.

#

The Pokémon Rangers and Schnee Co. landed in various parts of the city and spread out to fight any White Fang members they can find. While Qrow and the others were working alone, Coco had Jaune come with her. She didn't need Jaune's help at all; him coming along was more about making sure the other Magnificent Three weren't distracted by having a sidekick slow them down.

"All right scrawny," said Coco, "my orders are going to be very simple. When I tell you to do something, you do it! If I don't tell you to do something, DON'T DO IT!"

"Yes ma'am!" said Jaune. "Do what you say, don't do what you don't say!"

"At least you're smart enough to know that. Let's go!"

Coco and Jaune scouted the western side of New Vale City. Somewhere on that side, Pokémon Ranger Fox was currently fighting two of the White Fang grunts using Ditto copies of Mewtwo. Fox's Ninetales was getting exhausted having to fight two powerful foes at once.

"Ninetales, Fire Blast!" commanded Fox. Ninetales blasted a powerful force of fire at one of the Dittos. The other Ditto fired an Aura Sphere that did serious damage to Ninetales; the Ditto that was hit used their Recover technique to regain a lot of their health.

"All right Dittos, finish this ranger's Pokémon off!"

The Dittos got ready to use a double Psychic attack on Ninetales when suddenly a Metagross and Octillery landed in front of Ninetales. The Metagross charged into one Ditto and knocked them back with a series of Bullet Punches; Octillery fired a load of Bullet Seed at the other. Fox turned to see Coco had arrived just in time.

"Looks like you can use backup," said Coco, tossing a Full Restore to Fox to heal Ninetales with.

"Be careful, Coco," said Fox. "These copies are strong, and they know how to use Recover."

"Won't be a problem," said Coco. "Jaune, call out your Snorlax!"

"Yes ma'am!" said Jaune, calling out his Snorlax for battle. While the rangers were prepping, the fake Mewtwos had already used Recover to maximize their health.

"You think fighting us four on two is going to help?" taunted one of the grunts. "We can take on a hundred rangers and you'll never beat us thanks to our new weapon!"

"Maybe if you had the real brand of Mewtwo," said Coco, "but cheap imitations like yours? I'll have you defeated in about one minute."

"One minute? In one minute, you'll all be Dust! Dittos, fire your Aura Spheres!"

The Dittos fired multiple Aura Spheres at the rangers, nailing all the Pokémon with a direct hit.

"Metagross, Meteor Mash!" Metagross quickly floated to the Dittos and knocked them both down with strong punches. The Dittos immediately got back on their feet ready to attack again.

"Dittos, fire your Shadow Balls at Metagross!"

"Octillery, Octazooka!"

As the Dittos were charging up for their next attack, Octillery spat at them with a heavy amount of ink. The ink got into the Dittos' eyes and blinded them, causing them to fire in different directions and damage nearby buildings instead.

"Now Fox!"

"Ninetales, Fire Spin!" said Fox. As the Dittos were cleaning their eyes of the ink, Ninetales fired a stream of fire to surround both Dittos, trapping them in a confined space.

"Jaune, let them have it!"

"Snorlax, Hyper Beam!" said Jaune.

"Dittos, stop that Snorlax!" commanded the grunt.

The Dittos concentrated their Psychic powers and tried to push Snorlax back. Snorlax stood his ground and opened his mouth to fire a powerful energy beam at the Dittos. With no way of getting out of the Fire Spin, the Hyper Beam struck the first Ditto, pushing them back into the second Ditto, and sending them both flying through the flames. The damage caused by the combined attacks was enough to turn the Dittos back into their original form and knock them out.

"How could we lose when we had Mewtwos of our own?"

"They just got lucky! They won't stand a chance against the real thing!"

The grunts recalled their Pokémon and ran as fast they could.

"Thanks for the help," said Fox.

"How have you been holding up?" asked Coco.

"Not good. I was leading the evacuation of one of the apartments nearby when the White Fang started to attack. I had one of the other rangers try to maintain control, but everyone is in such a panic that it's hard to keep them in line when you've got the White Fang attacking."

"Any damage to report?"

"As you can see, the White Fang have been attacking several of the buildings. We're getting calls that some of the buildings have been set on fire as a result."

"So where are the fire departments to respond?"

"That's our biggest problem. With the White Fang all over the place, it's hard for the fire department to get through without the risk of being ambushed themselves."

"Then we have to put out the fires!" said Jaune.

"Negative," said Coco. "Focusing on the fires will be too distracting. Unless the building hasn't been evacuated, they'll have to burn until the firemen can get to them."

"Then what do we do?"

"I'll focus on fighting the White Fang. Jaune, go with Fox and make sure everyone evacuates safely. If the White Fang show up to fight, let Fox handle it. Move out!"

Coco set off to find more White Fang members to deal with, while Fox lead Jaune to his evacuation area.

"The evacuation zone for this area is approximately five blocks away," said Fox. "We need to keep everyone focused and alert. That means making sure they keep moving and not stand around to observe what's going on."

"Right!" said Jaune. "Keep moving, no looking!"

Fox and Jaune reached their block and saw a crowd of people gathering around, looking up at one of the buildings that had caught fire from a stray Pokémon attack. Fox got in front of the crowd to grab their attention.

"Attention everyone!" yelled Fox. "You must go to the evacuation zone immediately! Standing around will only cause harm! Evacuate now!"

Fox and Jaune lead the crowd of onlookers to where they needed to go. As slow as the crowd was going, so far everything was under control. Then somebody shouted that the White Fang had suddenly appeared, putting the crowd at a standstill. Fox and Jaune turned to see a couple of White Fang grunts calling out their Ditto-Mewtwos to attack.

"These White Fang scum are everywhere!" said Fox. "Jaune, lead the citizens to the evacuation zone!"

"I'll try!" said Jaune.

"There's no trying, Jaune! You either do it or not!"

Fox called out his Ninetales to fight off the White Fang, while Jaune continued walking alongside the citizens to make sure they kept moving.

"Do not panic!" said Jaune. "The Pokémon Rangers will have everything under control! Continue to head to the evacuation zone!"

The crowd started moving again as Fox was luring the White Fang grunts away from the citizens. Jaune could feel his heart racing as he kept trying to lead the crowd to where they needed to go. As panicked as Jaune felt, at least things were going smoothly.

_"So far so good! Everyone's moving, the rangers are keeping the White Fang busy, everything is going to be fine!"_

"Help!" someone shouted faintly. "Somebody help!"

Jaune looked towards the crowd to see who was shouting for help, but nobody appeared to be in danger.

_"Did somebody call for help or am I hearing things?"_

"Help me!"

_"Wait a minute. That sounds like...it's coming from above!"_

Jaune looked up to see where the voice could be coming from. He looked behind him and saw an apartment that was on fire about five stories above him. In the window, he could see a boy trying desperately to get someone's attention.

_"Oh Arceus, is that boy trapped in the fire? I thought these buildings were supposed to be empty!"_

Some of the crowd took noticed as well, which caused the entire crowd to stop and panic. Despite being just as panicked as the crowd, Jaune had to keep them moving.

"Everyone keep moving!" shouted Jaune. "The Pokémon Rangers will handle this! Please go!"

Jaune's orders did little to convince the crowd to keep walking.

_"I need to call emergency services!"_ Jaune took out his scroll and dialed the emergency number, hoping he can reach the fire department. What he got instead was a disconnect signal.

_"Really? Of all times for the service to be down? Now what do I...wait, I can call Pyrrha! She can do something about this!"_

Jaune frantically speed dialed Pyrrha. Pyrrha's scroll was ringing, but what Jaune didn't realize was that Pyrrha was too busy fighting a group of White Fang grunts on her own to check her scroll now.

_"Come on Pyrrha, pick up! Please pick up!"_

Jaune looked up to see if the boy was okay, and found out the boy was no longer at the window which was now covered from the thick black smoke caused by the fire that was spreading to the other floors as well.

_"Where did that boy go? He couldn't possibly have escaped! He's still trapped, and there's no one I can call for help! Oh man, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do?"_

Jaune frantically looked around, hoping there was a Pokémon Ranger nearby that can handle this. Aside from the citizens who were still looking up and trying to record everything on their scrolls, the streets were devoid of any help. All the rangers were already occupied with evacuating the citizens or fighting off the White Fang, and despite the sirens of the firetrucks being heard around the city, it wasn't certain if one of them was going to arrive on time.

The only person available to do anything about this was Jaune.

"Well Jaune, you wanted to help out so badly...looks like it's all up to you!" Jaune took a deep breath and tried to think of how he was going to go up and attempt to rescue the boy.

"Okay, think! That floor looks like it's about five stories high...Steelix might get me high enough! The building is probably in bad shape because of the flames...so Snorlax would be too big to use inside! I'll have him stay here and catch me if I need to make a quick escape! Now, there's going to be fire everywhere...I can use Goldeen to put them out! Then Raticate can chew through any of the debris that blocks the way! All right, let's do this!"

Once he thought his plan through, he immediately called out his Steelix and Snorlax.

"Snorlax, I need you to wait out here and get ready to catch me. I have a feeling I won't be exiting through the stairs."

"Lax!" confirmed Snorlax.

"Steelix, get me as high as you can!"

Jaune got up on top of Steelix's head as Steelix stood as straight as it could. Unfortunately, Steelix only got him up as high as the third floor, meaning Jaune had to climb at least another two floors to reach the fire. Steelix used its hard head to break open the window for Jaune to jump through into an empty apartment that was now catching fire. As soon as Jaune was inside, he can feel the extreme heat on his skin, so he called out his Goldeen and held her in his arms like a hose.

"Goldeen, drench me in water and put out the fires!" Goldeen soaked Jaune with her Water Gun, then proceeded to spray at any nearby fire as Jaune exited the apartment and was looking for the staircase leading to the fifth floor. Luckily Jaune could reach the staircase, but it was covered in black smoke. Jaune covered his face with his hoodie and held his breath as he quickly ran up the steps. Reaching the fifth floor, Jaune kept spraying the fire with his Goldeen as he searched around for the source of the fire. He passed by a door where he can hear scratching noises being made on the other side.

_"Something is scratching behind the door! This has to be where the boy is!"_ Jaune stood back and kicked the door several times with full force to break it open. Jaune entered the apartment, which was nearly engulfed in flames and debris. A Meowth appeared and was running around in a panic.

"HEY!" shouted Jaune. "Is anyone here?"

"HELP!" shouted the boy.

Jaune sprayed around the apartment as the Meowth lead Jaune to where the boy was. Jaune found the boy in his room, where a hole had appeared in the middle of the floor, leading to a fiery pit in the apartment below. The boy was trapped in the corner of his room with no escape. Jaune put away his Goldeen and edged closer to the hole.

"I can't get out!" yelled the boy.

"You have to jump over the hole!" said Jaune. "I promise I'll catch you!"

"I can't do it!"

The boy was too scared to jump in case he missed Jaune. Knowing he didn't have any time to waste, Jaune came up with a new plan on the fly. He got down on the floor and made a bridge from the boy's corner to where he was standing. Jaune was just barely tall enough to form a bridge.

"Hurry and walk over me!" said Jaune. The boy stood up and walked over Jaune. He walked slowly to make sure he didn't fall, which wasn't good for Jaune as the flames underneath him were starting to get stronger. Once the boy was across, Jaune climbed up to where the boy was previously standing and jumped across the gap, but as soon as he landed on the edge of the other side, the floor gave way. Jaune grabbed the edge of the floor just in time before he plunged another story, then climbed back up.

"Are you okay, mister?" asked the boy.

"I'm fine!" reassured Jaune, the slight burns and scrapes proving otherwise. "Okay, now hold on to me as tight as you can!"

"But what about Meowsy?"

"He can grab hold of me too!"

The boy climbed on Jaune's back and wrapped his arms tightly around Jaune's neck. Meowth wrapped himself around Jaune's leg and dug his claws into his pants, inadvertently causing pain for Jaune. Jaune ignored the claws digging into him as he tried to trudge through the wreckage of the apartment, only to come across a dead end. He reached in his pocket and grabbed his Raticate to call out.

"Raticate, chew through the wreckage!" Raticate immediately got to work tearing through the burnt wreckage with its teeth, clearing a path for Jaune to get through. Jaune could hear the boy sobbing as he gripped Jaune harder.

"Don't worry," said Jaune. "We're almost out of here!"

Raticate kept chewing a path through the burnt furniture and through a door leading to another room. On the end of the room, Jaune could see a window that led to the street outside.

"Raticate, break that window!" Raticate opened wide and used the top of its fangs to smash through the window. Jaune looked out the window and saw Steelix and Snorlax below. Snorlax looked up and saw Jaune, then ran over to align himself to catch him. With Snorlax in place, Jaune turned his back to the window, turning the boy around so he was now holding the boy in front of him.

"Okay, I need you to listen really carefully. I want you to close your eyes and hang on real tight. Can you do that for me?"

The boy gave a muffled yes as he closed his eyes and held on as tight as he could. Jaune took a deep breath, then jumped out the window back first, making sure the boy remained on top of him in case Snorlax wasn't there to catch them.

Thankfully Snorlax lined up where he needed to be and held out his arms, catching Jaune and the boy safely. Raticate soon followed and landed on Steelix.

"You can let go of me now," said Jaune. The boy and Meowth opened their eyes and couldn't believe they were outside safe and sound. The crowd that had looked on cheered for Jaune's successful rescue. As Jaune was catching his breath, a firetruck finally arrived on the scene, with Coco and Fox following suit.

"What the heck just happened?" asked Coco. "Who is he?"

"He was stuck in the apartment up there," said Jaune, pointing up to the floor engulfed in flames.

"You're telling me you went all the way up there?"

"I know it was stupid and you told me not to do what you didn't tell me to do, but-"

"Mommy!" suddenly cried the boy. Coco and Jaune turned to see a woman running from the crowd to check on the boy.

"Are you okay?" asked the mother.

"I was so scared mommy! I couldn't get out until this nice man saved me!"

The mother picked up the boy and ran up to thank Jaune and the rangers.

"Thank you so much, Pokémon Rangers!"

"Thank you mister Pokémon Ranger!" said the boy.

"Well, thanks," said Jaune, "but I'm not-"

"Enough chat!" said Coco. "Jaune, Fox, take them to the evacuation point. The firemen will handle the fire."

"Right!"

"And Jaune?" Coco took off her sunglasses and smiled at Jaune. "That was really incredible what you did. I have to say even I'm impressed."

Jaune smiled and gave a quick nod before leaving with Fox.

#

Thanks to Blake's mastery of stealth, her and Ruby were able to quickly make their way through the streets of New Vale City as they continued their trek North to the Schnee Co. building.

"What should we do when we actually confront Mewtwo?" asked Ruby.

"I'll fight Mewtwo alone," said Blake. "If Cinder or the others try to interfere, you can battle them."

"You really think you can handle Mewtwo alone?"

"I've been preparing for this battle for many years. I am more than capable of handling Mewtwo."

Ruby and Blake exited the alley they were in and were running across the street when they were suddenly nearly struck by an Aura Sphere landing in front of them.

"Not so fast!" shouted a White Fang grunt. The two turned to their right to see a grunt standing next to his fake Mewtwo.

"Quick Ruby, the other way!" said Blake. The two turned to run the other way only to be confronted by another grunt and his fake Mewtwo.

"Lucky us!" said the other grunt. "We get to take out the two biggest nuisances of the White Fang!"

"The boss is going to promote us big time!"

"Darn it," said Blake. "All right Ruby, we have to get rid of these grunts fast!"

"Understood!" said Ruby. Ruby grabbed several Poké Balls, ready to call out multiple Pokémon to defeat the White Fang.

"HOLD IT!" shouted another voice. "If anyone is going to fight these trainers, it's me!"

Everyone turned to see Torchwick suddenly make his presence alongside his signature Krookodile.

"Torchwick!" said Ruby. "I was wondering when I'd see you here!"

"Oh great, Roman's here," said one of the grunts. "What do you want?"

"I will handle these two trainers by myself!" said Torchwick. "You two go fight somewhere else!"

"Are you kidding me? After all the times you screwed up?"

"Just let him have his fun," said the other grunt. "We'll defeat these two another time!"

The grunts recalled their Mewtwo copies and made their escape.

"Step aside, Torchwick!" said Blake. "We don't have time to deal with you!"

"That's too bad," said Torchwick, "because I'm not leaving until I get my chance at revenge!"

"Fine. We'll defeat you and get it over with."

"Actually, there's only one person I'm interested in fighting." Torchwick picked up his cane pointed towards his arch-nemesis. "And that person is you, little red!"

"Just me?" asked Ruby. "What's wrong, scared to fight both of us?"

"Scared? Hardly! As much as I hate persistent ninja over here, I have a personal score to settle with you, red! So, tell your friend to get lost while we settle our little beef!"

"Forget it!" said Blake, ready to call out her Pokémon. "I'll defeat you here and now!"

"Wait, Blake!" said Ruby. "You said yourself we can't waste time fighting the others. You go on ahead and find Mewtwo. I'll deal with Torchwick myself."

"Just don't take too long."

Blake ran past Torchwick and continued her trek to Schnee Co. HQ. Now it was down to just Ruby and Torchwick. Eevee jumped out of Ruby's backpack, ready to fight.

"Before we begin little red," said Torchwick, "I'd like to ask you something."

"What do you want?" asked Ruby.

"Those pins on your backpack. Those are league gym badges, aren't they?"

"They sure are. Seven badges of honor."

"Those badges mean a lot to you, don't they? They confirm how good of a trainer you are. They remind you of what is most important to you, and remind you of what you've had to overcome to earn those badges. They're a symbol of your worth as a character."

"Wow Torchwick...you're right. These badges symbolize a lot, but why do you care?"

"I'd like to show you something."

Torchwick unbuttoned his coat and opened his collar, showing what appeared to be a gym badge. The badge looked like a jack-o-lantern with an evil smile.

"Is that a real gym badge?" asked Ruby.

"I wish!" said Torchwick. "I made this pin as a reminder of the goal I ultimately wish to fulfill. Growing up, I had no family; I had no loving home; I was just another kid cast aside by a society that didn't want him. A poor kid like me would never have the skills nor resources to become a professional trainer. Over the years of having to survive in the slums all by myself, there was one thing I became good at: Crime. I didn't have a choice; crime was my only method of survival. When I began to realize just how good I really was, I decided that I was going to dedicate myself to becoming the world's greatest criminal."

Torchwick held his cane up high and looked up to the heavens.

"To become the world's greatest criminal, you have to lead the world's most notorious crime syndicate. My plan was to climb the ranks of the White Fang, take over the leadership position, and make the world bow in fear of Roman Torchwick! Being Cinder's right hand man, I was surely on my way to achieving my dream...until I met YOU!"

Torchwick lowered his gaze and pointed his cane angrily at Ruby.

"Time and time again, you kept getting in my way, ruining any chance of making my dream come true! No matter how many times I had you cornered, one of your friends bailed you out! Because of all the times you ruined my plans, the boss sees me as even lesser than a grunt! Do you know how humiliating it is to be seen as a joke in front of the eyes of everyone who was once beneath you? To go from the man who commanded respect to the man who isn't even considered good enough to shine the boss' shoes? I was once considered the criminal prodigy of the Kuma Clan! Now I'm just the guy known for getting his butt kicked by some stupid little girl!"

"What's your point, Torchwick?"

"I know given the opportunity, I can prove that I truly am stronger than you! If I can just fight you in a true battle, I know I can win! No more White Fang interference; no more surprises; no more trainers jumping out to save you! Just you and me, little red! A triple battle to settle this once and for all!"

"Just a straight, normal battle? I know better than to believe that! There HAS to be a catch to this!"

"You want to know what the catch is? The catch is if I win, I can finally have pride in knowing that I was stronger than you! I don't care what happens to this city. Heck, I don't even care if you stop the White Fang! I just need to beat you so I know I'm the best criminal in the world! If I can't defeat you, then I have nothing left to fight for!"

"That's it? Win or lose, you'll just let me go?"

"Yes! Fight Mewtwo, fight Cinder, do whatever you please! This battle is for my pride as a criminal mastermind and nothing more!"

Usually Ruby would never trust a word Torchwick said, but there was something in his voice, something in the way he looked towards her to make Ruby believe that Torchwick was being true to his word. Maybe it was how he pointed out Ruby had never actually beaten Torchwick in a real battle; Ruby would either get lucky or someone else would stop Torchwick instead. This battle would be an opportunity for both parties; to see if one could beat the other fair and square.

"All right, Torchwick!" said Ruby. "Let's make this our final battle!"

Ruby reached into her pocket and called out her Hitmonchan and Zoroark.

"You said you wanted a triple battle, no? Where are your other two Pokémon?"

"Right here!" said Torchwick, pulling up two other Poké Balls. "I dug up a couple of old friends from storage just for this occasion!"

Torchwick threw out his Poké Balls and called out a Blaziken and a Chandelure. The six Pokémon stood by each other, ready to commence attacking.

"Krookodile, Crunch that Eevee!" commanded Torchwick. Krookodile opened its jaw and charged for Eevee.

"Eevee, Sand Attack!" commanded Ruby. Eevee waited for Krookodile to get close, then turned around and kicked sand into Krookodile's face, causing him to miss his Crunch attack.

"Now Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

"Blaziken, Quick Attack!"

Hitmonchan quickly got in front of Krookodile to throw a fierce punch, but Blaziken suddenly stepped in with his Quick Attack and blocked Hitmonchan's punch with one of his legs, then struck Hitmonchan with a kick of his own. The two traded rapid strikes against each other.

"Chandelure, attack Zoroark with Night Shade!"

"Zoroark, fire your Dark Pulse!"

Chandelure conjured a frightening image to damage Zoroark. Zoroark brushed off the imagery and fired a Dark Pulse into Chandelure, nailing Chandelure in the body.

"Eevee, Swift attack!" Eevee got behind her team and fired energy stars against all of Torchwick's Pokémon, dealing some minor damage to everyone.

"Krookodile, Iron Tail!" Krookodile ran after Eevee, taking the brunt of the Swift attack along the way, and knocked Eevee back with an Iron Tail.

"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" Blaziken set its legs on fire and struck Hitmonchan with a fierce roundhouse kick to the head.

"Hitmonchan, Fire Punch!" Hitmonchan set his gloves on fire and drove his fist into Blaziken's oncoming kick. Blaziken didn't slow down his fury of kicks as Hitmonchan punched every kick that came his way.

"Chandelure, Will-O-Wisp!"

"Zoroark, Double Team!"

Chandelure lit up his candles with a giant blue flame and fired it at Zoroark; Zoroark split apart into two copies and avoided the attack. Chandelure spun around and fired multiple Will-O-Wisps to hit Zoroark, but Zoroark dodged the attack with ease.

_"These match ups aren't working in my favor,"_ thought Torchwick. _"Time to switch things up!"_

"Eevee, keep firing your Swift!" Eevee got up and relaunched her Swift stars, dealing bits of damage to Torchwick's Pokémon.

"Blaziken, go after Eevee with Quick Attack!" Blaziken rapidly ran over to Eevee and kicked Eevee aside, preventing Eevee from firing any more of her stars.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch Blaziken!" Hitmonchan threw a lightning fast series of punches at Blaziken, leaving Blaziken no time to counter.

"Chandelure, Flame Burst Hitmonchan!" Chandelure built up a large ball of fire and shot it at Hitmonchan. The ball struck Hitmonchan and split apart to attack Ruby's other Pokémon; Eevee and Zoroark got out of the way before the flames can hit them.

"Krookodile, Foul Play her Zoroark!" Krookodile ran after Zoroark and grabbed her arm with his teeth, tossing Zoroark to the ground.

"Zoroark, Foul Play him back!" Zoroark got up and using her raw strength, lifted Krookodile with her bitten arm and tossed him to the ground. Krookodile got up and tried to toss Zoroark again, but Zoroark was too strong to overpower; the two of them struggled to overthrow the other. With the two of them distracting each other, Ruby decided to have Hitmonchan get ready for his best attack.

"Hitmonchan, start focusing!" Hitmonchan focused of all his energy into his fist, preparing for his Focus Punch. Ruby looked over to Blaziken and noticed him still reeling from Hitmonchan's punches.

"Eevee, Take Down Blaziken!" Eevee rammed into Blaziken's gut, dealing a critical amount of damage.

"Blaziken, Slash her!" Before Eevee can get away, Blaziken Slashed Eevee in the face with his sharp talons, dealing a serious blow to Eevee. Meanwhile, being unable to lift Zoroark, Torchwick had Krookodile let go of Zoroark.

"Krookodile, Iron Tail!" As soon as Krookodile let go, he slammed his tail into Zoroark's back, knocking Zoroark down. Krookodile lifted his tail up ready to strike again.

"Zoroark, Night Slash!" Zoroark quickly rolled away from Krookodile's Iron Tail then Night Slashed him across the chest. Meanwhile, Hitmonchan was prepared to launch his next attack.

"Hitmonchan, Focus Punch Krookodile!"

"Chandelure, hit him now!"

Just as Hitmonchan got ready to attack, Chandelure suddenly fired a Will-O-Wisp at Hitmonchan, severely burning his body. The burns on his body severely weakened his strength as he punched Krookodile, resulting in only doing a moderate amount of damage to Krookodile.

"Krookodile, Crunch him!" Krookodile opened his jaw and bit down on one of Hitmonchan's fists. Hitmonchan cried in pain as he can feel Krookodile's teeth nearly pierce through his hand.

"Zoroark, Night Slash Krookodile!"

Zoroark tried to slash Krookodile, but was suddenly attacked by Blaziken, who kicked Zoroark back with a Quick Attack. Zoroark tried to get close to Krookodile, only to be blocked by the rapidly moving Blaziken. Krookodile kept biting down and weakening Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan tried to punch Krookodile off to no avail.

"Chandelure, Night Shade!" Chandelure used his Night Shade to haunt Hitmonchan, further weakening Hitmonchan's mind.

"Eevee, Take Down Krookodile!" Eevee tackled into Krookodile at full force; Krookodile took the blow and still held on to Hitmonchan.

"That's right, Krookodile! Never let go no matter what!" With Krookodile strengthening his grip on Hitmonchan, Hitmonchan fell to his knees.

"Zoroark, Dark Pulse!"

"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!"

Zoroark fired a Dark Pulse towards Krookodile, only for Blaziken to jump in and kick the Dark Pulse away, then charged for Zoroark with a fiery roundhouse.

"Eevee, blind him with Sand Attack!" Eevee turned around and kicked as much dirt into Krookodile as possible. The dirt got into Krookodile's eyes, causing a burning sensation that made Krookodile want to close his eyes.

"Chandelure, Flame Burst that Eevee!" Chandelure fired its Flame Burst at Eevee, who jumped out of the way to avoid the flames. Meanwhile, Krookodile was resisting the urge to close his eyes to heal the intense stinging. Seeing the look on Krookodile's face gave Ruby an idea.

"Hitmonchan, Fire Punch!"

Hitmonchan lit his free hand on fire and nailed Krookodile in the face with a Fire Punch. Krookodile took the punch and held on, but the heat from Hitmonchan's glove was getting close to his eyes, causing them to be so irritated they almost turned fully red. Hitmonchan held his burning hand near Krookodile's eyes; Krookodile was in tears, desperately wanting to blink.

"Don't close your eyes, Krookodile!"

Try as he might, Krookodile could no longer take anymore and started rubbing his eyes, trying what little he could to stop the irritation. The distraction was enough to cause him to let go of Hitmonchan.

While Krookodile stood back trying to regain his eyesight, Zoroark and Blaziken were slashing each other back and forth. Blaziken was about to attack with a Blaze Kick only to be tackled from behind by Eevee with a Take Down. Chandelure was getting ready to fire a Will-O-Wisp at Eevee; Zoroark quickly fired a Dark Pulse at Chandelure and nailed him in the face, causing him to flinch back and cancel out his attack.

Ruby's Pokémon grouped together to see how well they were holding up; Torchwick took a good look at his Pokémon. Krookodile was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, and his other two Pokémon were showing signs of fatigue. He can tell his Pokémon were starting to wind down, while Ruby's Pokémon were still raring to fight.

_"There's no way I'm going to lose to little red!"_ thought Torchwick. _"I don't have another choice; I'll have to initiate my emergency plan!"_

"Looks like I'm winning, Torchwick!" said Ruby. "No offense, but I still think you're up to something!"

"You want to know what I'm up to?" said Torchwick. "I'll show you! Boys, time for Plan C!"

Torchwick's Pokémon turned to their master, wondering if he was serious with his statement. When Torchwick nodded to confirm his command, Torchwick's Pokémon turned to each other and knew what they needed to do. The three of them spread out and got ready to begin Plan C.

_"Plan C?"_ thought Ruby. _"Whatever it is, I need to stop him before he starts it!"_

"Zoroark, Foul Play Krookodile!"

"Chandelure, use your Memento on Zoroark!"

As Zoroark ran for Krookodile, the flames inside Chandelure's body suddenly became intensely bright. Just as Zoroark grabbed Krookodile to toss him, Chandelure leaned its head down and shot the flame from its head at Zoroark, engulfing her completely. Zoroark felt as if she lost all strength in her arms and could barely lift Krookodile. Zoroark stumbled back, feeling somewhat dizzy from the attack.

"What was that?" asked Ruby.

"Chandelure's Memento just zapped Zoroark of all her strength!" said Torchwick. "There is one catch to it though..."

The flame inside Chandelure's body slowly extinguished itself. Once the flame was out, Chandelure collapsed to the ground and fainted.

"Now Krookodile, Iron Tail attack!"

Krookodile ran towards Zoroark and struck her in the chest with a fierce Iron Tail. The attack knocked Zoroark back into another building, knocking her out. Both rivals recalled their fallen Pokémon, both now down to two apiece.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch Krookodile!" Hitmonchan quickly approached Krookodile and threw several punches at him. Krookodile was too slow to guard, taking some serious blows to his body.

"Blaziken, Brave Bird onto Hitmonchan!"

Blaziken used all his strength to jump into the air, setting his sights on Hitmonchan. Blaziken tucked his arms to the side and dove head first at Hitmonchan with no means to protect himself. Both Pokémon's skulls collided into each other, resulting in major damage to both Hitmonchan and Blaziken. The damage was enough to knock out both Pokémon at the same time. That was twice now Torchwick used a sacrifice play to knock out Ruby's Pokémon.

"Is this your plan, Torchwick?" asked Ruby. "Sacrificing all of your Pokémon just to take out mine?"

"It's my contingency plan!" replied Torchwick. "You're earning badges so you can compete for the Pokémon championship? Well for me, this battle is MY championship match! I can't hold anything back!"

Both trainers recalled their fallen Pokémon. It was now down to their signature Pokémon, who were just as determined to win as their respective trainers. Eevee remembered all the times her and Ruby had confronted Torchwick. She especially remembered how Torchwick tortured her at Mountain Glenn, but never got the chance for revenge. Now was both Ruby and Eevee's moment to defeat Torchwick for good.

"We're not going to hold back either, right Eevee?" said Ruby.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee. Eevee's body emitted a faint white glow as she prepared for her ultimate attack.

"Krookodile, destroy her Eevee with Earthquake!" commanded Torchwick.

"Eevee, Last Resort!"

Krookodile jumped several feet up and crashed to the ground at full strength, unleashing the most powerful Earthquake he can muster. Eevee blitzed forward, falling over several times from the shockwaves as the ground shook violently underneath her. Some parts of the street popped up and knocked her over, but Eevee simply got back up and kept charging for Krookodile. Before she can reach Krookodile, a large obstruction suddenly got in Eevee's way, causing Eevee to ram right into it.

"YES!" said Torchwick. "Your mutt's been stopped!"

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee, pushing forward and breaking the obstruction to pieces, cutting Torchwick's celebration short.

"WHAT?"

Having survived the Earthquake attack, Eevee successfully reached Krookodile and tackled into him with her strongest attack. Having used most of her force to break the obstruction, the attack only pushed Krookodile back a few feet, but still did a devastating amount of damage to Krookodile. Krookodile collapsed to the ground, unable to keep fighting. Eevee laid on the ground and panted, exhausted from the hard-fought battle.

"It's over Torchwick," said Ruby. "Krookodile can't keep fighting. I've won."

"NO!" said Torchwick. "This isn't over! Come on Krookodile, get back on your feet! You have to help me defeat little red!"

When Krookodile didn't respond, Torchwick ran over and picked up Krookodile, trying to get him back on his feet, but Krookodile fell flat on his stomach, losing the strength to get back up.

"Okay, fine! You can crawl instead! Now Crunch her Eevee!"

Krookodile raised his arms up and slowly dragged himself towards Eevee. He barely made it a couple of feet before he fell unconscious.

"You can't sleep now! Keep going, Krookodile!"

"Stop it, Torchwick!" said Ruby. "Krookodile's fainted!"

"He's just resting his eyes! Right boy?"

Torchwick nudged Krookodile's shoulders, trying to wake him up. The nudging soon turned into full on pushing.

"C'mon Krookodile, wake up! We have to prove we're the best! I have to prove to Cinder I can lead the White Fang! Please...get up..."

When it became obvious that Krookodile was not going to get back up, Torchwick took his cane and slammed it on the ground repeatedly.

"I don't believe this! How...how can a little amateur trainer like you constantly one up me? Why can I never defeat you? No matter what I try or who I use, you always come out on top! Where did I go wrong? How does this keep happening to me? Why...WHY DO I ALWAYS LOSE?"

After Torchwick was done letting out his frustrations, Torchwick recalled his Krookodile, then slumped against the wall of the alley and sank to the ground. He sat in the alley a defeated man; his dreams along with his will were shattered.

"As I promised, you're free to go," said Torchwick, losing all the spark his voice usually had. "Save the city, fail the city...I honestly don't care."

As much as Ruby didn't like Torchwick, even she couldn't bear to see him like this. Before placing Eevee into her backpack, she pulled out a Revive crystal and handed it to Torchwick.

"Here, Torchwick. Use this to heal your Krookodile. Think of it as a reward for keeping your word. You fought an honest battle."

Torchwick ignored Ruby and kept staring at the ground. Ruby placed the Revive by his feet.

"Well, I'm off to stop your boss. Before I go, here's some food for thought. Maybe it's time for you to retire from the thieving business."

Ruby ran off to catch up with Blake, leaving Torchwick to contemplate his future. There was no way he could show his face around the White Fang anymore; he had no chance of ever getting back into Cinder's good graces after losing to Ruby once again.

Roman Torchwick's days as a criminal mastermind were officially over.


	40. Mewtwo's Wrath (Part 3)

On the eastern side of the city, Winter and Ironwood were fighting every White Fang grunt they could find. They were currently fighting off two that tried to ambush them.

"Dittos, Aura Sphere!" said the grunts.

"Cryogonal, Light Screen!" said Winter. Cryogonal put up a Light Screen to block the Aura Spheres from hitting itself and Ironwood's Klinklang.

"Klinklang, time to Shift Gear!" said Ironwood. Klinklang rotated its gears faster, increasing its speed and power.

"Keep firing, Dittos! They can't protect themselves forever!"

The Dittos continued firing a torrent of Aura Spheres at Cryogonal and Klinklang, slowly moving closer to the Schnee Co. pair to fire more at a time. Eventually the Light Screen broke apart, leaving Schnee Co.'s Pokémon wide open for an attack.

"Nowhere to protect yourself this time, ice queen!" said the grunt.

"I don't need protection from amateur trainers," said Winter. "Cryogonal, Freeze-Dry that abomination!"

Cryogonal quickly flew in front one of the Ditto and breathed a heavy amount of sub-zero air onto it, freezing the copy of Mewtwo in its place.

"One copy is all we need to win!" said the other grunt. "Ditto, blast that thing with Psychic!"

"Klinklang, commence Wild Charge!" said Ironwood.

Klinklang's rapidly increased its RPM to the point that it started to conduct electricity, then tackled into the other Ditto, dealing some moderate damage. Ditto grabbed the Klinklang in a Psychic hold and rammed it into the ground several times.

"It's going to take more than that to stop us!"

"Allow me to get rid of this pest, Mister Ironwood," said Winter.

"The pleasure is yours, Miss Schnee," said Ironwood.

"Cryogonal, fire your Hyper Beam."

Cryogonal gathered a lot of energy and fired an intense beam of light at the remaining Ditto, dealing enough damage to knock them out and back into their real form. With no chance of defeating the pair, the grunts recalled their Pokémon and tried to run away.

"Klinklang, I'd like to have a word with one of them," said Ironwood. Klinklang fired a gear at one of the grunts, knocking them to the ground; the other grunt kept running away instead of staying to help his friend.

"Get back here you coward!" shouted the fallen grunt. The grunt tried to get up and run but was pinned to the ground under the foot of Winter.

"As fun as fighting you ants can be," said Winter, "I'd rather be squashing the higher-ups. Now tell us, where can we find the hired mercenaries?"

"What makes you think I'm going to tell you?"

"Because you can either spend the rest of your life either in jail or a Dust mine, and trust me, I heard that job can be so scary, you wish you were in jail."

"You don't have the-" Winter suddenly stomped her foot on the back of the grunt's neck before he can finish, causing him to scream in pain, even though his voice was damaged from the stomp.

"I am not a patient woman! If the next words aren't what I want to hear, it's off to the mine with you!"

"Okay!" gasped the grunt. "Two of them are in this part of the city!"

"Thank you. Now get lost!"

Winter removed her foot from his neck and kicked him in the butt as he got up to leave.

With the city abandoned and the grunts fighting any Pokémon Rangers in the area, Mercury and Emerald were strolling through the streets finding anything valuable they can steal.

"Man, there's nothing good around here," said Mercury. "We must be in the cheap part of the city."

"All the expensive stores are probably in the central to north sections," said Emerald. "We'll go there once this section is perfectly clear."

"Why not go there now?" said Mercury. "It's not like anybody's going to show up to stop us."

"Hold it right there!"

Mercury and Emerald turned around and saw Winter and Ironwood with their Pokémon, looking ready to battle.

"Who are you?" asked Emerald.

"I am Vice President of the Schnee Corporation!" said Winter. "I'm here to eliminate you scoundrels!"

"Wow," said Mercury. "Looks like Schnee Co. decided to fight instead of sending their lapdogs. You up for a battle, Emerald?"

"Why not?" said Emerald. "Cinder will definitely be pleased to know we've taken out Schnee Co.'s top brass."

Mercury and Emerald called out their Scrafty and Weavile to battle.

"Klinklang, Gear Grind!" said Ironwood. Klinklang detached a gear and launched it at Scrafty.

"Scrafty, Hi Jump Kick!" said Mercury. Scrafty dodged the gear and jumped into Klinklang, nailing it in the face with a strong kick, knocking Klinklang out of the air.

"Klinklang, Wild Charge!" Klinklang floated back up and spun its gears to conduct electricity, ramming itself into Scrafty.

"Scrafty, Payback!" Scrafty tackled right back into Klinklang, knocking it back down to the ground.

"Cryogonal, Ice Beam!" said Winter. Cryogonal fired an Ice Beam at Weavile; Weavile held up her arms and blocked the Ice Beam, only taking minor damage.

"Weavile, Metal Claw!" said Emerald. Weavile quickly ran up to Cryogonal and slashed it with her Metal Claw, dealing some moderate damage.

"Cryogonal, Freeze-Dry!" Cryogonal opened its mouth and breathed icy cold air onto Weavile.

"Weavile, Feint Attack!" Weavile made herself appear to be standing still, then as Cryogonal breathed more air onto Weavile, Weavile disappeared and reappeared behind Cryogonal, slashing it across the back of its body.

"It appears these two are tougher than we give them credit for," said Ironwood.

"Shall we wrap this up quickly then?" asked Winter.

"Surrendering already?" said Emerald. "I knew you Schnee Co. types were cowards!"

"Cowards? Hardly! I just value my time. Ready, Mister Ironwood?"

"Whenever you are, Miss Schnee," replied Ironwood.

"Cryogonal, Klinklang, fire your Hyper Beams!"

Cryogonal and Klinklang quickly got together and fired two powerful Hyper Beams at Scrafty and Weavile. With little time to dodge, the beams struck both and dealt some heavy damage to the mercenary Pokémon.

"Perhaps it is you that needs to surrender!" said Winter.

"Typical Schnee Co. arrogance," said Emerald. "Did you forget who we are? We are the WHITE FANG!"

As Emerald shouted the name White Fang, a group of grunts suddenly appeared and surrounded the Schnee Co. duo. The grunts all called out their Dittos copying Mewtwo. Suddenly the two on two fight was going to become about eight on two, and Schnee Co.'s Pokémon needed time to rest from their Hyper Beam attacks.

"What do we do now, Miss Schnee?" asked Ironwood.

"We stay and fight!" said Winter. "After all, A Schnee Never Loses!"

"Everyone attack these fools now!" commanded Emerald.

All the Dittos started to gather energy to fire a barrage of Aura Spheres. Winter and Ironwood looked around, trying to think of a way to survive the oncoming onslaught.

Suddenly, a Dark Pulse rained down and struck one of the Dittos, knocking them out. Several Dark Pulses soon followed that knocked out all the other Dittos as well.

"What the heck just happened?" yelled Emerald. "Who did that?"

Everyone looked up to see a Hydreigon flying in the sky. On top of the Dragon was the Schnee with an undefeated record in battles.

"Remember me, you wallet stealing scumbag?" said Weiss, jumping off her Hydreigon and landing on city ground.

"Weiss!" exclaimed Winter.

"You again?" yelled Emerald.

"I've been dying to get my hands on you two!" said Weiss. "You two owe me exactly 516,500 lien!"

"How do you figure?" asked Mercury.

"You owe me 6,500 lien to get my dress cleaned, 174,000 lien from stealing my wallet, 36,000 lien in credit cards I was forced to cancel, and an additional 300,000 lien for the two funerals I plan to pay for both of you, because when I'm through with you, you're going to wish you were dead!"

"You think I'm scared of a spoiled brat with a giant three-headed lizard?" said Emerald.

"Trust me, if you knew what my Hydreigon is fully capable of, you'd be running away right now."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" said Mercury, taking out a Smoke Ball and throwing it to the ground, giving him and Emerald a chance to escape. The grunts recalled their fainted Dittos and ran away as well.

"You cowards can't keep running forever!" yelled Weiss. "I'll chase you all around Remnant if I have to!"

"Weiss!" said Winter. "Explain what you're doing here!"

"I came to collect a debt, and of course save our company from the White Fang."

"I told you to stay out of New Vale City!"

"Miss Weiss," said Ironwood, "while I have no doubt about your skills as a trainer, it's too dangerous for you to be here."

"I'm sorry Mister Ironwood and Winter," said Weiss. "I am a Schnee, and I will not allow my family's company to be attacked by these criminals!"

"But what about qualifying for the Pokémon League?" asked Winter.

"Already covered!" said Weiss, opening her jacket and showing her complete set of badges. "I think this proves I can handle some rank amateurs."

"Regardless, you shouldn't be here! You could get seriously hurt-"

"Stop," said Weiss. "Winter, I know the risks I'm putting myself in for being here, but I didn't just come here because I wanted to. I NEED to be here. One day, I'm going to be running Schnee Co., and I can't allow my company to be destroyed on my watch!"

Winter knew that Weiss was strong enough to handle things on her own, but she was hoping Weiss wouldn't have to get involved. It was their family company that started the chain of events leading to this situation, and she tried to make sure Weiss would not have to suffer their family's mistakes. However, it was clear to Winter that Weiss was ready to take on the family company's burdens.

"Very well," said Winter. "As you can see, this city is being overrun by those pesky grunts. The Rangers can definitely use your help in getting rid of them!"

"Consider it done!" said Weiss. Weiss got back on her Hydreigon and flew around the city searching for the White Fang.

#

In the central part of the city, the Lieutenant and his grunts were having fun destroying any property they came across. Cars were laid to waste on the sidewalk, windows were shattered everywhere, and anything standing was swiftly knocked down and laid in the street.

"It's too bad these idiots evacuated before we arrived," said the Lieutenant. "How I would have loved to hear them scream in pain!"

"The only one that's going to scream is you!" shouted a familiar voice from behind. The Lieutenant knew that voice well; it belonged to that blonde nuisance who always got in his way. The

Lieutenant turned to see Yang and her Dragonite, Celica.

"Don't worry sir!" said one of the grunts. "We'll take care of this one!"

"RAOR!" shouted Celica, sending chills down the grunts' spines.

"No need, boys," said the Lieutenant. "I'll beat this kid by myself."

"As if!" said Yang. "I know you'll never fight fair and square! That's why I decided to bring some backup!"

"Who is it this time? Another Ranger for me to beat into submission?"

"He's a Ranger all right, and he's been wanting to meet you for the longest time."

Down from the sky came a Charizard carrying the founder of the Pokémon Rangers himself, Qrow Branwen.

"So you're that Lieutenant I keep hearing so much about," said Qrow. "You're quite a household name around Ranger HQ."

"Am I now?" said the Lieutenant. "I feel honored."

"Yeah, but so is garbage, and I've never seen garbage as disgusting as you. You've been wanted for several counts of Pokémon abuse, destruction of Pokémon sanctuaries...well, to keep this short, I'll just say you're an all-around not nice guy."

Qrow looked around and noticed the grunts calling out their copies of Mewtwo.

"I could see why you called me over. So, did you want to fight him, or should I?"

"I can handle the big guy," said Yang. "I just need you to clear out the distractions."

"Can do. Just remember to not get in over your head, okay?"

"Did you forget who you're talking to?"

"That's why I said it."

Along with his Charizard, Qrow took out his Venusaur and Blastoise to deal with the grunts.

"Everyone, fire your Aura Sphere!" shouted a grunt.

"Venusaur, Charizard, Glass to Fire Pledge combo!" commanded Qrow.

Venusaur littered the ground around the White Fang with thick foliage, then Charizard took a deep breath and lit the foliage on fire, causing a sea of flames to erupt all around. All the grunts suddenly found themselves standing in flames and started to jump around in a panic as their boots caught on fire while the Dittos were getting burned.

"Guess I overdid it. Blastoise, put them out with Hydro Cannon."

Blastoise leaned down and aimed each water cannon at a different side, then blasted them with an ultra-strong torrent of water. The water put out the flames as well as deal serious damage to all the Dittos in sight, taking out all the grunts at once.

"He's all yours," said Qrow.

"Thanks, Uncle Qrow!" Yang called out her Flygon and Altaria to take on the Lieutenant. "Fainted or alive, you're coming with me!"

"Oh, good one! Real classic!"

The Lieutenant called out his Glalie, Cloyster, and Shiftry; the same trio of Pokémon he used against Yang at Dragon Sanctuary.

"Cloyster, fire your Spikes!" Cloyster fired several Spikes from its shell, covering the ground near Yang's Pokémon. Yang's Pokémon took to the air to avoid having to step on the spikes.

"Now Glalie, blast her Dragons with Blizzard!" commanded the Lieutenant. Glalie opened its mouth and shot a burst of freezing air at Yang's Pokémon. Altaria quickly used her Cotton Guard to protect herself from the freezing cold, while Dragonite and Flygon flew out of the air to avoid the worst of the attack.

"Celica, blow those Spikes away!" said Yang. Celica flapped her wings and used Twister to clear the ground of the Spikes, allowing the Dragons to safely stand back on the ground.

"Shiftry, attack her Flygon with Leaf Blade!"

"Flygon, Dragon Claw!"

Shiftry turn the leaves on his branch into a blade and ran over to strike Flygon. Flygon sharpened its claws and parried Shiftry's attack with his own.

"Glalie, Ice Beam her Dragonite!"

"Celica, show him what a real Ice Beam looks like!"

Glalie opened its mouth and fired an Ice Beam at Celica, who opened her mouth and fired an Ice Beam of her own, negating Glalie's attack.

"Cloyster, Icicle Crash!"

"Flygon, Stone Edge!"

Cloyster fired a barrage of icicles at Flygon; Flygon flew around to avoid the icicles and then stomped the ground, causing a sharp stone pillar to shoot out underneath Cloyster and dealing some serious damage.

"Shiftry, Leaf Storm!"

"Altaria, Aerial Ace!"

Shiftry unleashed a tornado of leaves at Altaria. Altaria flew past the leaves and knocked Shiftry down. As Shiftry got up, Altaria quickly turned around and tackled into Shiftry again.

"Even with your Ice types, you don't stand a chance against my Dragons!" said Yang.

"We'll see about that," said the Lieutenant. "Glalie, make it Hail!"

Glalie opened its mouth wider and blasted a lot of cold air, causing the area around them to suddenly turn into a hailstorm. Yang's Pokémon were already shivering badly, but Yang was ready for such a situation.

"Flygon, time to start a Sandstorm!" Flygon hovered slightly above the ground, then vibrated its wings at supersonic speeds, causing the dirt to rise and create a Sandstorm that started to negate the effects of Hail.

"Cloyster, fire your Spike Cannons!" Cloyster closed its shell and fired several spikes all around. With the sand flying everywhere, it was getting hard for the Lieutenant's Pokémon to see their foes, so Cloyster wound up firing blindly hoping to land a hit.

"Celica, Dragon Rush!" Celica charged into Cloyster and rammed Cloyster into the ground, dealing enough damage to crack apart Cloyster's shell.

"Shiftry, get rid of this storm already!" Shiftry held out its arms and used its Whirlwind to fan the Sandstorm away and push back Yang's Pokémon. Celica and Flygon went flying past Yang, but Altaria was nowhere in sight.

"Looking for someone?" asked Yang, pointing upwards. Shiftry looked up and was suddenly struck from above by Altaria, crashing down on Shiftry with a Sky Attack. The attack was enough to knock Shiftry out.

"Glalie, Cloyster, Ice Beam!" Glalie and Cloyster simultaneously fired an Ice Beam at Altaria. Altaria hid within its cloud wings to protect itself from the ice, but the combined attacks were too much to handle and froze Altaria in ice, forcing Yang to recall Altaria.

"I don't need my worthless Shiftry to defeat you," said the Lieutenant. "As long as I have my Ice Pokémon, your Dragons are useless!"

"It takes more than some cold temperatures to beat my Dragons!" said Yang.

As Yang's Dragons were getting ready to strike back, a White Fang grunt snuck into the area and called out their fake Mewtwo.

"Ditto, fire now!" said the grunt. Ditto fired an Aura Sphere at Yang's Pokémon. Celica noticed the Ditto trying to attack them and got in the way to block the Aura Sphere for Flygon. With Yang's Pokémon distracted, the Lieutenant now had an opening to sucker attack Yang.

"Glalie, Frost Breath!"

Glalie quickly flew over to Celica, who was too focused on the Ditto attacking them to notice Glalie coming after her. Before Glalie can reach Celica, he was suddenly grabbed by Venusaur's vines and was thrown back.

"Now now!" said Qrow. "It isn't polite to attack someone in battle when they're distracted!"

"You think I care about the rules, old man?"

"If that's the case...Charizard, Blast Burn!"

While Yang's Pokémon were taking out the White Fang grunt, Qrow's Charizard flew in and fired a giant fireball at the Lieutenant's Pokémon, causing the ground around them to explode in pillars of flames. While the Lieutenant's Pokémon felt like they were literally melting, Blastoise used his Water Pledge to flood the street, then Venusaur used his Grass Pledge to spread the soil, causing a thick amount of grass and vines to spring up, trapping the Lieutenant's Pokémon.

"Your Pokémon are trapped, Lieutenant. Ready to give up?"

"Hey Uncle Qrow!" said Yang. "Did you forget I was the one battling him?"

"Does it make a difference?"

"Yes! I'm the one who's supposed to finish him off!"

"Oh, all right. Take it away."

"Hey!" yelled the Lieutenant. "You think a little trap like this is going to stop me?"

"No," said Yang. "This will!"

Celica lifted Flygon high into the air, then let go of Flygon as he came down and stomped the pavement, sending powerful shockwaves in every direction. The Lieutenant's last two Pokémon were knocked out, while Celica remained safely in the air.

"Forget this!" said the Lieutenant, turning around to run away, only to suddenly be confronted by Qrow and his Charizard.

"Not this time, pal," said Qrow. "We're throwing you behind bars for good."

"Not if I kill you first!"

The Lieutenant took out his knife and tried to take a swing at Qrow, but was grabbed by Venusaur's vines before he even got the chance. The Lieutenant struggled to break free from Venusaur's vines; Qrow walked up to the Lieutenant and chopped him in the back of the neck to knock him out, then handcuffed him to secure his capture.

"Guess he chose fainted," said Qrow.

"I was going to say that!" pouted Yang.

#

As the White Fang was taking over the city, Cinder and Mewtwo walked the abandoned streets on their way to Schnee Co. Headquarters. As they got closer to their destination, Mewtwo would feel more enraged. It may have been twenty years since Mewtwo had escaped from Mountain Glenn, but Mewtwo remembered their time there like it all happened yesterday.

They remember when they first opened their eyes and found themselves in a liquid tube, surrounded by several scientists looking into their pod.

_"What is happening?" thought Mewtwo. "Where am I?"_

_"Sir, the subject is gaining consciousness!" said one of the scientists._

_"Excellent," said the man Mewtwo would learn was named Ironwood. "Begin injecting the first round of Dust."_

_"Dust?" thought Mewtwo. "What is Dust?"_

Mewtwo suddenly found themselves prodded with several needles, being injected with this mysterious substance. It was Mewtwo's first instance of feeling great pain. Sadly, it would not be the last time Mewtwo felt such horrible pain.

One of the first things they did to Mewtwo after removing them from the pod was placing them in a room with an extreme rise in temperature. Mewtwo screamed in pain from their body being burnt until they lost the ability to stand, collapsing to the floor as their body felt like it was going to melt. Despite being on the verge of losing consciousness, they could hear the scientists discussing the results of the experiment.

_"The subject appears to have suffered second degree burns."_

_"Return it to the chamber and inject some more Dust."_

_"Why?" thought Mewtwo. "Why are they doing this to me?"_

These experiments became a routine for Mewtwo. They would be subjected to horrifying pain, then brought back into the pod to inject enough Dust until they recovered their injuries, then were subjected to another form of torture.

_"The subject has suffered fractured ribs."_

_"A night in the pod is all it needs. Inject more Dust and resume in the morning."_

_"The subject is having traumatic emotions from the mental imagery."_

_"More Dust will strengthen its mind."_

_"The subject has minor frostbite."_

_"The Dust will cure it in no time."_

_"Is this my entire purpose in life?" thought Mewtwo. "To be tortured and suffer such incredible pain?"_

As the days and weeks passed, Mewtwo continued to suffer all forms of torture. However, they started to notice a big change happening in them: Their tolerance for the pain was growing exponentially. They can start to feel some sort of power growing within them, and it only got bigger every time they were injected with Dust. Soon, they started hearing the scientists when they weren't speaking; that's when they realized they developed a sixth sense. It was through these mind readings that they finally learned their true name was Mewtwo and not Subject M, and they learned of Ironwood's plan to control them upon release.

_"This human thinks he can control me? I have the power to annihilate them all. I'll wait until the moment comes, then I'll unleash my wrath on these pathetic humans! They will suffer ten times the pain I have been through! NO ONE WILL CONTROL ME!"_

It took quite a while, but once Mewtwo was freed by Ironwood, they immediately escaped, destroying the research center in the process. They spent their life traveling from place to place, wanting nothing to do with humans and very little to do with other Pokémon. With a mind and heart full of nothing but hatred, Mewtwo never felt at peace, even after twenty years of isolating themselves from the world. Now with Schnee Co. coming after them, it seemed the only way Mewtwo would ever feel at peace would be to destroy Schnee Co. and all the people associated with them.

"Here we are," said Cinder, arriving in front of the Schnee Co. building. "The Vale Headquarters of the Schnee Corporation!"

"I do not sense anyone else here," said Mewtwo. "What point is there in destroying the building when they've already left?"

"It sends them a message on how far we will go. No one in this city will think of standing up to us, unless they want their homes to wind up like what we're about to do."

Cinder took out her scroll and activated the mask at 25% capacity. The mask emitted a bright red glow as the Dust inside the mask was implanted into Mewtwo, increasing their power significantly.

"Now Mewtwo, destroy this building any way you please!"

Mewtwo wasted no time charging into the Schnee Co. building, then proceeded to use their Psychic powers to destroy everything in sight. As Mewtwo was taking the building apart, Cinder left the area to avoid getting caught in the collapse. Once she was at a safe distance, she used her scroll to record the demolition. Seeing the collapse of Schnee Co. reminded her of when the Pokémon Science and Research Center was demolished by Mewtwo, only there was more people screaming as they tried to escape the destruction.

With the discovery of Mew and the creation of Mewtwo, Cinder had everything going for her. Her career was going to reach new heights; she was on the verge of worldwide recognition. Then it all burned away in one fell swoop. The last traces of Mew's DNA were lost amongst the wreckage, and with that, so was her career prospects. She probably could have landed a job at Schnee Co. the same way Ironwood did, but she refused. After almost reaching the top of the mountain, why should she have settled for less by working under Schnee? Instead, Cinder decided to take a different path in life. When she heard of the White Fang's support taking a nosedive after being wrongfully blamed for the PSRC attack, she decided to take advantage of the situation by asserting herself into their ranks and methodically took it over. She turned the once peaceful organization into a criminal empire, and once again, she now found herself nearing the peak of her success. All she needed to do now was destroy her greatest opposition: The Schnee Corporation.

After Mewtwo destroyed all the floors individually, they went to work taking out the building's infrastructure until the building couldn't sustain itself anymore and proceeded to fall apart from the inside. The once tallest building in the entire city was soon reduced to a giant pile of rubble. Everyone paused as the city became dead silent when the sounds of the Schnee Co. Vale Headquarters collapsing echoed throughout the entire city.

Qrow sent out an emergency call to all the Pokémon Rangers and Schnee Co.

"Can someone get an overhead view and tell me what just happened?" asked Qrow.

"Sir, the Schnee Co. building has been destroyed!" said one of the rangers.

"Then we were too late."

"I'm deeply sorry, Miss Schnee," said Ironwood. "I've let you and your family down."

"You did all you could, Mister Ironwood," said Winter. "A simple building lost will not stop the Schnee family. What's more important is we stop the White Fang!"

"What about Ruby and Blake?" asked Pyrrha. "Have they not reached her yet?"

"There doesn't appear to be any other trainer in sight," said the ranger.

"Looks like it's taking them too long to get there. I'm heading to Cinder's location!"

"Negative!" said Qrow. "Your orders are to fight the White Fang and assist with the evacuation!"

"But if we don't stop Cinder now, there might not be a city to save! At the very least, I can stall for time!"

"Pyrrha, do not go after Cinder!"

Qrow was already too late. Pyrrha had immediately hung up and got on her Arcanine, using Arcanine's Extreme Speed to accelerate through the streets to get to Cinder. Overhearing the conversation on Coco's scroll, Jaune started sprinting north.

"Jaune!" said Coco. "Where are you going?"

"I need to get to Pyrrha!" said Jaune.

"And you think you'll get there by running, you idiot?"

Coco took out her Pidgeot and climbed on, grabbing Jaune along the way. Yang got on her Celica and was about to head to Cinder as well.

"Yang, where are you going?" asked Qrow.

"If Mewtwo is truly that powerful," said Yang, "Pyrrha doesn't stand a chance! I'm going after her!"

"Wait!" Qrow went up to Yang and put a hand on her shoulder. "When you get there, Ruby should be showing up as well. If things are as bad as I believe they are...I want you to make sure Ruby stays safe. Consider that a special order, Ranger!"

"Yes sir!" said Yang, saluting her uncle farewell before flying off with Celica.

As for Ruby, she was trying to make up for lost time when she wound up coming across even more White Fang grunts. Ruby was currently fighting them off with her Abomasnow, Scizor, and Electavire; the Dittos used their Recover technique and were ready to keep fighting, while Ruby's Pokémon were getting exhausted. During their battle, they heard the Schnee Co. building fall.

"Sounds like the boss succeeded!" said one of the grunts.

"So what should we do now?"

"What else? Get rid of this brat for good!"

_"Darn it!"_ thought Ruby. _"At this rate I'm never going to reach Cinder! If only I had some backup!"_

As the White Fang got ready to take out Ruby, a giant shadow suddenly appeared overhead. The shadow appeared to be a three-headed Dragon. Ruby looked up to see a Hydreigon flying above her.

_"What now?"_

"Hydreigon, take them out!" commanded Weiss. Hydreigon fired a barrage of Dark Pulses at the White Fang, severely weakening their Dittos.

"On second thought, let's go!" said a grunt. "The boss will take them out anyway!"

The White Fang recalled their Pokémon and retreated.

"That should take care of most of them for now," said Weiss.

"I guess I should say thank you," said Ruby.

"Huh? Oh, it's you again. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I can ask you the same thing."

"I'm here to defend my company from these criminals! I'm also owed over 500,000 lien from the green haired wench and that silver haired vermin! What stakes do you have in this?"

"I'm here to stop Cinder and Mewtwo from destroying this city!"

"Mewtwo? Is that the Pokémon these Ditto are copying? I've never heard of such a Pokémon."

"It's a long story. Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to get to Schnee Co. HQ before this entire city falls!"

"It appears we have a common enemy. As much as I don't like you, I'm willing to team up in exacting my revenge against this criminal filth! Get on and we'll get there together."

As much as Ruby didn't like Weiss either, she too knew the value of teaming up with a strong ally to defeat Mewtwo. Ruby recalled her Pokémon and got on the Hydreigon behind Weiss and flew north to Schnee Co. HQ.

#

Cinder was thrilled to see the Schnee Co. Vale Headquarters destroyed before her very eyes. She made sure to record more shots of the fallen building, whilst Mewtwo stood on top of the wreckage, satisfied with their work.

"Excellent job, Mewtwo," said Cinder. "Once I send this to the major TV networks, the whole world will witness just what we're capable of. Our work is done here. While my men continue to operate here, we shall go to Atlas."

"Let us not waste time," said Mewtwo.

Before Mewtwo and Cinder can leave, an Arcanine swiftly arrived on the scene, carrying a Pokémon Ranger on her back.

"Freeze!" said Pyrrha. "You two are under arrest!"

"Is she part of Schnee Co.?" asked Mewtwo.

"She's one of the Pokémon Rangers," said Cinder. "They're the ones Schnee Co. hired to capture you."

"I'm not just any ranger," said Pyrrha. "I'm one of the top ranked Pokémon Rangers, and one of the strongest gym leaders of Vale!"

"I care not about your ranking!" said Mewtwo. "I will destroy anyone aligned with Schnee Co.!"

Pyrrha jumped off her Arcanine and called out her Magnezone. Mewtwo was more than capable of handling two Pokémon at once, and wasted no time powering up their Aura Sphere.

"Magnezone, Lock-On! Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Arcanine quickly tackled into Mewtwo, barely damaging Mewtwo. Mewtwo fired their Aura Sphere to stop Arcanine, but Arcanine broke through the Aura Sphere and tackled into Mewtwo again. Mewtwo grabbed Arcanine in a Psychic hold, freezing the dog in her place as Mewtwo stretched her limbs apart. As Arcanine kept Mewtwo distracted, Magnezone set their sights on Mewtwo, calculating the trajectory to fire its next attack.

"Magnezone, Zap Cannon!" Magnezone charged up to its full capacity and fired a burst of electricity towards Mewtwo. Mewtwo was suddenly electrocuted by the high amount of electricity, causing them to let go of Arcanine.

"Now Arcanine, Flare Blitz!" Arcanine set herself ablaze and rammed into Mewtwo with everything she had, dealing some serious damage. With Mewtwo damaged, Pyrrha decided to take a risk and took out one of her Ultra Balls to throw.

"You think you'll defeat them that easily?" said Cinder. Cinder increased the Dust intake within Mewtwo's mask, giving them even greater strength. Pyrrha threw her Ultra Ball at Mewtwo; Mewtwo stood straight up and swung their tail, shattering the Ultra Ball into pieces, then used Recover to bring their health back to normal.

"Now Mewtwo, show her what you're made of!"

Mewtwo suddenly grabbed Magnezone in a Psychic hold, then slammed them into the ground repeatedly. Magnezone tried to break free of Mewtwo's hold, but Mewtwo's power was too much for Pyrrha's Pokémon to handle. Mewtwo tossed Magnezone into a nearby building, instantly knocking it out. Seeing Magnezone knocked out with just one attack, Pyrrha was starting to fear for her safety. She could run away to spare herself and Arcanine, but she knew they needed to hold off Cinder and Mewtwo as long as they could until Blake arrived.

"Arcanine, Howl!" Arcanine let out a loud Howl, increasing her own strength.

"Still choosing to fight?" said Cinder. "That is quite brave, but ultimately foolish. Mewtwo, destroy her Arcanine!"

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"

Arcanine charged into Mewtwo at the blink of an eye. Just as Arcanine was about to land a hit, Mewtwo suddenly stepped aside and Arcanine missed. Mewtwo quickly followed up by firing an Aura Sphere at Arcanine, causing Arcanine to trip and fall.

_"Impossible!"_ thought Pyrrha. _"They were fast enough to dodge Extreme Speed naturally?"_

"Mewtwo, cripple that mutt!"

Mewtwo used their Psychic powers to lift Arcanine up, then slammed her down on to the concrete repeatedly; Arcanine was helpless to do anything.

_"Even my best Pokémon feels like nothing compared to Mewtwo!"_ thought Pyrrha. _"I guess there's only one thing I can do now!"_

Pyrrha charged into Mewtwo, hoping to take down the insanely strong Pokémon herself. Sensing Pyrrha approaching them, Mewtwo turned around and tossed Arcanine into Pyrrha, pushing them back several feet. The force of Arcanine's weight colliding into Pyrrha caused serious pain for Pyrrha; both her and Arcanine laid in the street, too weak to do anything to stop Mewtwo.

"It's time to finish this!" said Mewtwo. Mewtwo walked towards the wreckage of the Schnee Co. building and sifted through the debris with their Psychic powers, lifting out a wide girder. The steel beam weighed over a ton, yet Mewtwo had it floating in the air like it was weightless. As the beam remained stationary in the air, Mewtwo turned towards the prone Pyrrha and Arcanine; Pyrrha realized that Mewtwo was going to throw the beam at them. Without her Magnezone to catch it, there was no chance of her stopping it.

"Wait!" yelled Pyrrha. "Think about what you're doing!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing! I'm eliminating another worthless human standing in my way!"

Mewtwo let go of their Psychic hold on the girder and tossed it towards Pyrrha. Arcanine covered Pyrrha to protect her, although the weight of the girder was going to make it pointless. Pyrrha prayed for something to save her at the last second.

Her prayers were thankfully answered as Metagross flew in and caught the girder, stopping it less than a foot away from crushing Pyrrha and Arcanine. Metagross used their strength to toss the girder aside, saving Pyrrha and Arcanine.

"Good work, Metagross!" said Coco, arriving alongside Jaune. Jaune ran over to check on Pyrrha.

"You okay, Pyrrha?" asked Jaune, helping Pyrrha to her feet.

"Not quite," said Pyrrha, having trouble standing up straight.

"More of Schnee Co.'s lackeys?" said Mewtwo. "So be it! More flies for me to swatter!"

"I don't think so, pal!" said Jaune. "Coco, take Pyrrha and run! I'll try to distract them!"

"Don't get yourself killed," said Coco, grabbing Pyrrha and making a run for it as Jaune called out his Snorlax.

"Snorlax, Hyper Beam!" Snorlax gathered the energy he needed, then fired a strong light beam at Mewtwo.

"Hmph," muttered Mewtwo, holding out one arm to block the attack. The beam nailed Mewtwo directly, but the attack barely did any harm.

"Is that all you got boy?" asked Cinder. "Mewtwo, get rid of this fool!"

Mewtwo grabbed Snorlax in a Psychic hold; Snorlax was effortlessly tossed several stories high into the air. Snorlax crash landed on the ground, leaving a big dent in the street from his weight. With just one attack, Snorlax was already too injured to continue.

_"Sorry Snorlax,"_ thought Jaune, _"but at least Pyrrha is safe!"_

"Your distraction meant nothing," said Mewtwo. Mewtwo suddenly floated past Jaune and headed towards Pyrrha and Coco. Pyrrha and Coco were trying to run away when Mewtwo suddenly appeared in front of them.

"I will not allow any of Schnee Co.'s minions to escape!"

"You want a piece of me?" asked Coco. "Metagross, Bullet Punch!"

Metagross quickly threw a barrage of lightning fast punches at Mewtwo. Mewtwo held up one hand and blocked all of Metagross' punches, then fired a Shadow Ball and severely damaged Metagross. Coco was about to call out her Octillery when she and Pyrrha were suddenly frozen by Mewtwo's Psychic grasp.

"Let them go!" yelled Jaune, running up and about to call out one of his Pokémon, when he too was suddenly caught in Mewtwo's Psychic.

"Is this the best Schnee Co. can do?" said Mewtwo.

Mewtwo thought they had the rangers cornered, but then sensed an object being thrown at them from behind. Mewtwo quickly turned around and stopped the object mid-air just before it hit them. Upon a closer inspection, it appeared to be a Poké Ball with a purple and pink design. Mewtwo looked around to find the person responsible for throwing it, but didn't see anyone nearby.

"Mewtwo, above you!" shouted Cinder. Mewtwo looked up and saw Greninja coming down to hit Mewtwo with a Night Slash. Mewtwo jumped out of the way to avoid Greninja; with their focus broken, Mewtwo let go of the Pokémon Rangers as Greninja snatched up the thrown Poké Ball and threw it back to his master, Blake.

"Our free agent finally showed up," said Coco. "Let her deal with Mewtwo for now."

Coco and the others ran off to safety, leaving Blake alone with Mewtwo and Cinder.

"We finally meet, Subject M", said Blake.

"So you know who I am as well," said Mewtwo. "You don't appear to be one of those rangers."

"I have my own reasons for being here. Your actions twenty years ago led to the name of the White Fang being synonymous with crime. The public doesn't know the truth of who created you and why, but once I capture you, I can finally clear the White Fang's name and expose the truth!"

"Capture me? I am far too powerful to be contained in some mere Poké Ball!"

"Hold it, Mewtwo," said Cinder. "That ball she has isn't some cheap Poké Ball. That's the ball Schnee Co. was working on to permanently capture you; once you're caught inside, it'll be impossible to escape!"

"So you're with them!" said Mewtwo, growling in anger. "You're part of the humans who want to imprison me!"

"I don't care about Schnee Co.!" said Blake. "I'm only interested in stopping you and proving what really happened at Mountain Glenn!"

"Regardless, I will defeat you the same way I defeat everyone standing in my way!"

"Maybe if I was one of the ignorant rangers you would, but I've been preparing for this moment for years. For the honor of the true White Fang, I will capture you here and now!"

Blake recalled her Greninja and called out her Houndoom first to fight Mewtwo.

"Be careful, Mewtwo," said Cinder. "Dark types won't be affected by your Psychic powers."

"As if such a minor setback will stop me!" said Mewtwo.

"Houndoom, Nasty Plot!" commanded Blake.

Houndoom conjured some evil thoughts in its mind, raising his special attack. Mewtwo quickly fired an Aura Sphere, nailing Houndoom with a critical hit. Cinder smirked at how easy it was to already to hurt Blake's Pokémon, but instead of wincing in pain, Houndoom got up and laughed.

"Why do you choose to laugh when in such pain?" asked Mewtwo, but Houndoom continued to laugh like Mewtwo wasn't a threat.

"We're supposed to be impressed by one good attack?" asked Blake.

"You want to be impressed?" yelled Mewtwo, enraged by their mockery. Mewtwo quickly formed another Aura Sphere to fire at Houndoom.

_"He fell for the Taunt," _thought Blake._ "Mewtwo is so enraged, they'll keep using the same attack, which means they won't be using their Recover ability. Now for the next phase!"_

"Houndoom, Flamethrower!" Houndoom got closer to Mewtwo and blasted Mewtwo with flames. Blake was hoping to burn Mewtwo to weaken them. Mewtwo kept firing their Aura Sphere, ignoring the flames burning their skin.

"Snap out of it, Mewtwo!" said Cinder, but Mewtwo ignored Cinder and kept attacking Houndoom while being covered in flames. If Mewtwo didn't snap out of the Taunt soon, they were going to be too weak to fight back and get captured.

_"I need to get Mewtwo back under control!"_ Cinder took out her scroll and activated Mewtwo's Grimm mask, inserting more Dust into their body. Mewtwo's mask glowed red as they suddenly stopped their attacking.

_"Why did Mewtwo stop attacking?"_ thought Blake._ "Does it have to do with their mask?"_

"Houndoom, Crunch attack!" Houndoom leapt at Mewtwo and bit down on their tail. Receiving an increase in power, Mewtwo calmed down and tossed Houndoom off them, then used Recover to regain their health. Before Mewtwo can strike, Blake suddenly recalled her Houndoom.

"Giving up already?" asked Mewtwo.

"Far from it," said Blake, calling out her next Pokémon, Absol.

_"Another Dark type,"_ thought Mewtwo. _"She mentioned she had been preparing in advance for this battle. She must have a whole team of Dark types for battling. If I were to use my Aura Sphere constantly, I would run out of the energy to do so. I'll have to switch tactics for this one."_

"Absol, Future Sight!" Absol's eyes glowed pink as if emitting a Psychic attack, but wound up doing nothing. While Absol stood there seemingly doing nothing, Mewtwo fired a Shadow Ball at Absol, dealing some minor damage. Mewtwo waited for Absol to counter attack, but Absol kept standing where it was.

"Are you too cowardly to fight back?" said Mewtwo.

"My Absol will attack when the time is right," replied Blake.

"Enough games!" said Cinder. "Hurry up and strike her!"

"Of course," said Mewtwo, getting ready to fire another Shadow Ball. The moment Mewtwo started to charge up was when Absol suddenly ran into Mewtwo and swiped a paw across their body, knocking them back with a Sucker Punch.

"My Absol is not a reckless fighter. She observes her opponent carefully; she doesn't need Psychic powers to know what you'll do next."

Mewtwo was starting to lose their patience again. Mewtwo kept firing Shadow Balls at Absol; this time Absol dodged the attacks easily using Detect.

_"Seems they need a bit more help,"_ thought Cinder, increasing Mewtwo's power yet again.

_"Even if Absol can observe Mewtwo's attacks,"_ thought Blake, _"that mask is making Mewtwo nearly impossible to overpower. I must get that thing off them! I just have to wait for the right moment."_

Mewtwo fired more powerful Shadow Balls at Absol to seemingly no end, until Mewtwo suddenly felt struck by a Psychic blow to their body, causing them to stop.

_"The Future Sight connected! Now's my shot!"_

"Absol, Knock Off!" commanded Blake. Absol quickly ran up to Mewtwo and took a swing at their face, hoping to knock the Grimm Mask off. Absol's paw connected, but even Absol's powerful strike couldn't remove the mask off Mewtwo; it appeared the mask was designed to make sure that nothing could possibly remove it off Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo, get rid of this thing already!" commanded Cinder. Tired of fighting Absol, Mewtwo decided to launch a powerful Aura Sphere at nearly point blank range, dealing a serious blow to Absol. Mewtwo powered up and fire another Aura Sphere; Absol used Detect to hastily get up and avoid the attack. Blake recalled Absol as well.

"Recalling another Pokémon?" said Mewtwo. "Just admit you're scared to battle me!"

"Scared?" said Blake. "I have everything I need to defeat you!"

Blake called out her signature Pokémon, Greninja. Mewtwo wasted no time firing an Aura Sphere at Greninja; Greninja quickly formed a Substitute to take the hit instead and jumped out of the way.

"Greninja, Smokescreen!" Greninja threw down a ball of smoke and covered the area in blinding smog, hiding himself amongst the smoke.

"You cannot hide from me!" said Mewtwo. Mewtwo used their telekinesis to pinpoint where Greninja was hiding, and detected him coming from their left. Mewtwo turned around and fired an Aura Sphere at that direction, only to have struck another Substitute doll. Before Mewtwo can detect Greninja again, Greninja emerged from the smoke and struck Mewtwo from behind with a Night Slash. Everything was going exactly as Blake planned.

_"My first two Pokémon were simply to analyze Mewtwo's abilities. Now that I know everything they're capable of, it's only a matter of time before I catch them!"_

Cinder could start to tell that Blake had carefully planned this fight from the beginning. At the rate this battle was going, Cinder was never going to reach Atlas before being confronted by more of Schnee Co.'s lackeys. Cinder decided that the only way to end this battle quickly was to fight Blake herself; she called out her Volcarona while Greninja and Mewtwo were still battling.

"Volcarona, Bug Buzz!" commanded Cinder. Volcarona vibrated her wings at supersonic speeds, shooting a loud burst of sound at Greninja. Greninja heard the sonic wave coming towards him and jumped out of the way to avoid the attack.

"I don't need your help defeating this trainer," said Mewtwo.

"I'd rather not take that chance," said Cinder. "We've already wasted enough time dealing with these distractions."

"I was wondering when you would eventually jump in," said Blake. "I'm more than prepared to defeat you as well!"

"Hey now!" shouted a familiar boisterous voice. "If we're doing Multi-Battles, can I get in on the action?"

Blake turned around and was greeted by Yang along with Celica.

"Hope you don't mind a little ranger assistance!" said Yang.

"If it's still agreed that I capture Mewtwo," said Blake.

"Speaking of agreements, what happened to my sister? She was supposed to be with you."

"She had to go deal with Torchwick. No offense, but I didn't need her help."

"Then you're getting my help instead."

"Yet another ranger for me to annihilate," remarked Mewtwo.

"Not just any ranger!" said Yang. "THE best ranger of the Magnificent Three!"

"And clearly the most annoying," remarked Blake.

"Watch your tongue, vigilante! You're THIS close to getting on my bad side!"

"Top ranger or not," said Cinder, "even your combined strength will not be enough to best the two of us!"

"Wait, Miss Cinder!" From behind Cinder came her two mercenaries, Emerald and Mercury.

"What are you two doing here?" asked Cinder.

"We heard the building collapse and checked to make sure you were okay," said Emerald.

"I ordered you to specifically remain in your area!"

"We know, but-"

"Long story short," said Mercury, "I'm bored, the rangers are everywhere, and you should have been out of here already. How about we fight these two losers and you and the psycho make a break for it?"

"He...does have a point," said Emerald.

"Very well," said Cinder. "I leave these two in your hands. Time to make our leave, Mewtwo!"

"None of you are going anywhere!" shouted an ice-cold voice from above. A Hydreigon carrying Weiss touched down on the ground, and along with them, Ruby.

"Sorry I'm late!" said Ruby. "Torchwick was quite a handful!"

"About time you showed up, sis!" said Yang. "And I see you brought company."

"If anyone should fight these criminal scum, it's me!" said Weiss. "After all, A Schnee Never Loses!"

Along with Ruby and Yang, Weiss noticed there was another trainer she wasn't familiar with.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm the one who is here to capture Mewtwo," said Blake. "So don't even think of trying it."

"I've got better things to do than capture whatever that Mewtwo is, like getting my 516,500 lien back. Although, considering the property damage these roaches caused against Schnee Co., it's going to come out to a LOT more than that!"

As Mewtwo looked at the four trainers standing before him, he realized he had encountered the one in red before.

_"She was the one I met at that mountain. Is she allied with the ones who want to imprison me as well?"_

"It's over, Cinder!" said Ruby. "The four of us are going to stop you and the White Fang for good!"

"Do you honestly think that the four of you together can stop me?" said Cinder. "I have the world's strongest Pokémon on my side! Mewtwo alone can defeat the four of you!"

"Plus you add us together," said Emerald, "and none of you stand a chance!"

"Taking out our four biggest annoyances all here at the same time?" said Mercury. "This is going to be fun!"

"All right!" said Ruby. "All together everyone, let's defeat Team White Fang!"

The makeshift team of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang all prepared their Pokémon to fight against the best of Team White Fang. A fight that would determine the fate of Remnant.


	41. Mewtwo's Wrath (Part 4)

**A/N: Usually when a chapter went 10000+ words long I would either split it up or delete parts, but for this one, since this is the end of a major arc, screw it! Enjoy this absurdly long chapter!**

* * *

Roman Torchwick and his Krookodile were roaming the now abandoned streets of New Vale City. Having been defeated by Ruby, Torchwick didn't know what he was going to do anymore.

"When did everything go wrong for us Krookodile?" said Torchwick. "I used to be one of the best thieves in the world. I was going to be the future leader of the White Fang. After all the years I've put into my dream, all my work goes down the drain because we couldn't defeat one trainer. Maybe we weren't as good as we thought we were. Perhaps I should just give up being a thief and become an ordinary, law abiding citizen."

He stopped and looked at a reflection of himself in the window. That face was seen in many places around town under the word "WANTED," followed by a description of how dangerous of a criminal he was.

"But then again, who's going to look past my criminal history to give me a second chance? I'm not good enough to be a normal citizen, and I'm not skilled enough to be a criminal mastermind. I guess there's just no place in this world for a guy like me."

Krookodile moaned, upset that Torchwick was giving up on his aspirations of being the number one criminal in the world.

As Torchwick continued staring at his reflection, he saw a group of Lillipups run past him. He turned to see the litter going up to a fruit stand, trying to get the fruit that was sitting on top, but were too small to reach and were too weak to knock the stand over. The Lillipups were whining, hoping to get any food they could. Seeing those Lillipups reminded Torchwick of his early days as a criminal, when he constantly robbed food stands in order to eat.

"Looks like you pups can use a bit of help. Consider this honor amongst thieves."

Torchwick went up to the food stand and knocked several of the fruits to the ground. Happy for Torchwick's help, the Lillipups grabbed what they could and ran off to a nearby alley. Curious about the Lillipups, Torchwick decided to follow them. In the alley, he saw the pups huddled near a box, giving the food to their mother Herdier. It seems this little box in the alley was the litter's home.

Looking around he saw all the old food the pups had gathered to try and feed themselves; amongst the refuse was an apple. He picked up the apple and noticed it was turning brown and moldy on the inside. It was clearly a rotten apple.

Seeing that rotten apple triggered an old memory of his days with Zoey.

#

_Sometime in the past_

"This way, Zoey!" said a young Torchwick, carrying a bunch of food with his shirt. Him and his Zorua ducked into an alley and lost the vendor who was chasing after them when he caught Torchwick pilfering his food. Torchwick peeked out from his hiding spot to make sure the coast was clear.

"We're home free, Zoey! Dig in!"

Torchwick dropped the food to the ground for himself and Zoey; he grabbed a loaf of bread and broke off a huge chunk to feed Zoey. Torchwick scarfed down his food while Zoey simply looked at her food like she refused to eat it. Torchwick could tell something was wrong with her.

"What's wrong, Zoey? Is the food bad?"

"Zo Zo," replied Zoey, sounding sad.

"You feel bad because we had to steal it?"

"Zo Zo," replied Zoey. She knew Torchwick meant well, and he was doing this to provide for her, but it still felt wrong having to steal the food from someone else.

"I know stealing is wrong, but what other choice do we have? I can't get money to buy this, and there's no one in this city we can turn to for help! We're on our own, Zoey, and we have to survive any way we can!"

"Zoo," said Zoey, now feeling bad that she didn't seem to appreciate what Torchwick was doing for her. Torchwick grabbed Zoey and hugged her tight.

"I'm not doing this for fun, Zoey. I'm doing this so you and I can live another day. People will look at me and think I'm just a bad apple, but I don't care! If I can protect you and keep you healthy, I know I'm doing the right thing!"

As a tear started to escape Torchwick's eye, he looked down on his Zorua and smiled.

"I won't ever let anything bad happen to you!"

#

_Present Day_

"I remember that day," said Torchwick. "I promised Zoey I was never going to let anything bad happen to her. Everything I did was to make sure we lived better lives. I got caught up so much in stealing that I forgot the whole reason I did so in the first place: Because we had nothing! I wanted to keep Zoey safe and happy! But then I cared more about my reputation as a thief and lost track of everything I once stood for! I became nothing but a bad apple!"

Looking back on his criminal career, his true moments of success and happiness didn't come from harming Pokémon, or robbing other trainers' Pokémon, or stealing company secrets, or the many other crimes he committed over the years. It was when he fought to survive, and help those who couldn't help themselves, like the Lillipups standing before him who may have gone starving if not for Torchwick, or the poor abandoned Zorua who could have died from being left out in the freezing rain. To the White Fang, he was just another forgettable pawn that nobody cared what he did for them or how he felt, but to these Lillipups and Herdier, they weren't going to forget Torchwick's generosity for a long time. Zoey was the same way for years until Torchwick had decided to abandon her, throwing away their relationship like it meant nothing.

"I did to Zoey what the White Fang did to me. Zoey...I finally understand! It took me losing everything, including you, but I finally understand! Krookodile, we've found our place in this world!" Torchwick took out his scroll to look at the map of New Vale City. "And I know what we need to do next!"

#

Mewtwo observed the four trainers now standing in their way. They were already aware of the vigilante's motives and capabilities. The loud blonde one had a Dragonite by her side, so her claims of being the best of the Pokémon Rangers may not be mere exaggerations. The one in white was a Schnee herself, but she appeared to have little interest in fighting Mewtwo. The other trainer surprised Mewtwo; they did not expect to see the red one again. The last time Mewtwo had met her, she didn't appear to be any kind of threat; so why was she now aligning herself with the same people working for Schnee Co.? Whatever the reason, anyone aligned with Schnee Co. and attempting to contain Mewtwo were automatically Mewtwo's enemy.

"So who is everyone going after?" asked Ruby.

"Leave those two punks to me!" said Weiss.

"I'll handle Mewtwo," said Blake.

"Same here!" said Yang.

"Then I'll focus on Cinder," said Ruby.

The girls split up to focus on their opposition. Weiss approached the two mercenaries who robbed her at the Vytal Festival, anxious to finally teach these crooks what happens when you cross a Schnee.

"So are you going to fight," said Weiss, "or just run back to whatever sewer you crawled out of?"

"Like I'm scared of fighting a trainer in a dress," said Mercury.

"You think a spoiled brat like you can defeat us single handedly?" asked Emerald.

"But of course!" said Weiss. "A Schnee Never Loses, especially not to a couple of pickpocketing street bums! Hydreigon, fire your Dark Pulse!" All three of Hydreigon's heads formed dark balls of energy and fired them at Weavile and Scrafty.

"Weavile, Feint Attack!"

"Scrafty, Hi Jump Kick!" commanded Mercury.

Weavile charged at Hydreigon, dodging the Dark Pulse along the way. As she got close to Hydreigon, Weavile quickly got behind Hydreigon and slashed the back of his right head's neck; Scrafty jumped over the Dark Pulse and nailed the left head with a knee to the forehead, dealing some serious damage.

"Hydreigon, Crunch them!" said Weiss. The Hydreigon's right head turned around and nabbed Weavile with his mouth; the middle head latched on to Scrafty before he can land back on the ground. Using its powerful jaws, the Hydreigon started squeezing the life out of the two Pokémon.

"Already trapped in my Hydreigon's clutches!"

"We've broken out of far worse than some stupid monster's mouth!" said Emerald. "Weavile, slash him with Metal Claw!"

"Scrafty, Headbutt him!" said Mercury.

Weavile sharpened her claws and slashed Hydreigon across the eyes, while Scrafty collided skulls with the head it was trapped in.

"It's going to take more than that to make Hydreigon let go!" said Weiss. Hydreigon Crunched down on Weavile and Scrafty harder, making it nearly impossible for them to escape. "How about you pay up now and maybe, just MAYBE, I'll decide to be merciful!"

"Mercy?" yelled Emerald. "It's YOU who is going to be begging for mercy! Weavile, Night Slash attack!"

Weavile sharpened her claw and Night Slashed Hydreigon, landing a critical blow that caused Hydreigon to let go of Weavile.

"Scrafty, time for some Payback!" said Mercury. Scrafty folded his hands and bonked Hydreigon's head, causing Hydreigon to let go of him as well.

"Guess your Dragon isn't as powerful as you think it is!" said Emerald.

"I have to say," said Weiss, "you're putting up a better challenge than I expected. Tell me, how lucky do you feel?"

"I don't need luck!" said Emerald. "Weavile, Metal Claw!"

"Hydreigon, Tri-Attack!"

The Hydreigon's three heads each formed a different aura of energy in the shape of a triangle. As Weavile went to attack Hydreigon, she was hit with the Tri-Attack. Weavile suddenly felt as if her body was on fire, and as she tried to slash Hydreigon, barely did any damage.

"How unfortunate!" said Weiss. "Seems your Pokémon suffered the burn status!"

"Bet you can't do it twice!" said Mercury. "Scrafty, Hi Jump Kick!"

"Repeat, Hydreigon!"

Scrafty ran towards Hydreigon as Hydreigon fired the triangular beam. Scrafty got hit with the triangular beam, but suffered no burns to his body. Just as Mercury was about to pump his fist, Scrafty suddenly stopped and flopped to the ground, unable to move.

"Lucky you!" said Weiss. "Instead of getting burned, you got paralyzed! The Tri-Attack is quite a gamble, but worth the payoff!"

"A couple of status effects aren't going to stop us!" said Emerald.

"My Scrafty will cure himself in no time!" said Mercury. Scrafty started to shed his skin to cure himself of paralysis.

"Hydreigon, Dragon Rush!"

Hydreigon wasted no time charging into the opposing Pokémon. Weavile waited for Hydreigon to get close, then disappeared and reappeared behind Hydreigon to slash him with a Feint Attack. Hydreigon turned around as if nothing happened and charged into Weavile, dealing critical damage. Scrafty tried to Hi Jump Kick Hydreigon while it was distracted, only for Hydreigon to quickly turn face and Dragon Rush into Scrafty as well, taking a large amount of his health away. Weiss laughed at seeing her two opponents in trouble.

"What do we do now, Emerald?" said Mercury. "At this rate, she's going to clobber us!"

"We're not running away!" said Emerald. It was bad enough when Emerald had to lose to that annoying upbeat little red; she was not about to surrender to this arrogant rich snob.

As Weiss was easily defeating Emerald and Mercury, Blake and Yang got together to team up against Mewtwo. Before the two squads faced off, Cinder took out her scroll and increased Mewtwo's mask to operate at 80% capacity. The Dust was inserted into Mewtwo's body, greatly increasing their strength.

"Celica, Dragon Rush!" commanded Yang. Celica charged full speed ahead into Mewtwo, only for Mewtwo to stop Celica in her tracks using their Psychic powers. Mewtwo proceeded to choke the air out of Celica as Greninja snuck up to Mewtwo and attacked them with a Night Slash. Mewtwo sensed Greninja approaching and ducked the attack, then threw Celica into Greninja.

"How are we supposed to hit them now?" asked Yang.

"They're bound to let their guard down at some point," said Blake. "We'll need to fight defensively."

Mewtwo floated away from the duo and then fired a barrage of Aura Spheres. Greninja countered by throwing a Water Shuriken at every Aura Sphere he could, while Celica fired an Ice Beam at Mewtwo in the hopes of freezing them solid. Mewtwo blocked the Ice Beam with their right arm as they continued firing Aura Spheres with their left.

"At this rate our Pokémon are going to get worn out!" said Yang. "You got any ideas?"

"They may be more powerful," said Blake, "but they can still be outsmarted. Greninja, Smokescreen!"

Greninja used their Smokescreen to cover the area in smoke, then quickly went into hiding within the smoke.

"Trying to use the same trick twice?" said Mewtwo. "How foolish!"

Mewtwo used their telekinesis to pinpoint Greninja's location. As they were about to fire an Aura Sphere, they detected Greninja using Substitute and quickly moving to a different location within the Smokescreen. Mewtwo turned to where they sensed Greninja moving and fired their Aura Sphere, nailing Greninja with a direct hit. Greninja was knocked out of the smoke and collapsed to the ground.

"I'm not just physically stronger, but mentally as well! Your old tricks will not work this time!"

"Then it's a good thing that I still have plenty more," said Blake, keeping her cool.

"And just what makes you think you'll-"

Mewtwo suddenly felt an Ice Beam heading their way. Mewtwo quickly turned around and blocked the Ice Beam fired by Celica.

"Now Celica!" said Yang. "Fire with all your strength!"

Celica unleashed a more intense Ice Beam at Mewtwo. Mewtwo continued to block the Ice Beam until they suddenly felt their body getting colder. Soon their body was slowly being covered in ice, freezing them in place.

"We got 'em! Hurry and throw the Master Ball!"

_"This is it!"_ thought Blake_. "I'm finally going to capture Mewtwo!"_

Blake took out the Master Ball and threw it at Mewtwo. As the Master Ball flew towards Mewtwo, Mewtwo suddenly broke free of their icy prison and knocked the Master Ball away; Greninja quickly caught the ball and threw it back to Blake.

"You've got to be kidding me!" said Yang. "How did it break out so easily?"

"How?" said Mewtwo. "Because I am the most powerful Pokémon in the world!"

Mewtwo used Recover and was back to perfect health.

"Looks like we'll just have to attack head on! Celica, Dragon Rush!"

"Greninja, Night Slash!" commanded Blake.

Celica tackled into Mewtwo but was only able to push them back an inch; Mewtwo used Psychic to send Celica flying back. Greninja quickly appeared in front of Mewtwo and slashed at them multiple times; Mewtwo dodged the slashes with ease and fired a Shadow Ball into Greninja, dealing some major damage. Seeing Mewtwo taking out their Pokémon like they were nothing troubled Blake and Yang.

"That thing...it's way too strong," said Yang.

"If only it didn't have that mask," said Blake.

While the rest of her team were fighting the White Fang, Ruby was going to fight the leader herself.

"To think that such a minor trainer could turn out to be a major hindrance," said Cinder. "Or perhaps my mercenaries are nothing more than failures."

"You underestimate what I'm capable of, Cinder!" said Ruby.

Cinder called out her Sawsbuck and Mismagius along with her Volcarona. Ruby called out her Scizor, Electivire, and Abomasnow.

"Let's not waste any time!" said Ruby. "Abomasnow, Blizzard attack!"

Abomasnow unleashed a giant ice storm at Cinder's Pokémon; Sawsbuck took some serious damage from the attack, but Volcarona and Mismagius only took minor damage.

"Volcarona, Mismagius, burn that giant snowman!" commanded Cinder.

Mismagius shot a ring of fire at Abomasnow as Volcarona performed a Fiery Dance and scattered hot ashes all around. There was little chance for Abomasnow to avoid the flame attacks as he got hit simultaneously, taking a severe amount of damage.

"Now Sawsbuck!" With Abomasnow reeling from the attacks, Sawsbuck trotted over to Abomasnow and tackled Abomasnow with his horns, then begun draining Abomasnow's health away with Horn Leech.

"Scizor, Electivire, knock that Sawsbuck away!" said Ruby. Scizor flew over and attacked Sawsbuck with X-Scissor, followed up by Electivire throwing a powerful Thunder Punch, knocking Sawsbuck away from Abomasnow. Abomasnow looked as if he was about to collapse.

"Abomasnow, Ingrain yourself!" Abomasnow pierced the ground with the roots of his feet and absorbed the nutrients from the earth.

"Volcarona, Hurricane!" Volcarona flapped her wings and created a powerful Hurricane aimed at Abomasnow. The wind tore through Abomasnow, but Abomasnow held his ground and focused on recovering his health.

"Sawsbuck, attack that bug with Megahorn!"

"Scizor, Iron Defense!" Scizor quickly coated itself in more iron as Sawsbuck charged into him; Sawsbuck rammed his horns into Scizor, but Scizor barely took damage.

"Electivire, Discharge!" Electivire built up a strong amount of electricity and released it in a wide burst at all of Cinder's Pokémon, dealing some minor damage to all of them.

"Mismagius, Phantom Force!" Mismagius suddenly disappeared from the fight.

"Keep your guard up guys! That thing can attack from anywhere!"

Ruby's Pokémon looked around, waiting to see where Mismagius was going to attack from.

"Volcarona, Bug Buzz!" Volcarona vibrated its wings at supersonic speeds towards Abomasnow, severely damaging Abomasnow with the distorted noise. Despite trying to recover its health, Abomasnow was down to just a sliver; one more hit of any kind was going to take them out of the fight.

"Hang in there, Abomasnow!" Ruby dug through her backpack trying to find a Hyper Potion to use on Abomasnow.

"Sawsbuck, finish him off with Double Edge!" Sawsbuck ran full speed at Abomasnow, who could only stand there unable to defend himself. Scizor quickly flew in and got in Sawsbuck's way, taking the hit for Abomasnow. Scizor then struck Sawsbuck with an X-Scissor, which was powerful enough to take Sawsbuck out of the fight.

"Way to go, Scizor!" said Ruby. Ruby sprayed her Hyper Potion on Abomasnow, regenerating Abomasnow's health.

Scizor was setting his sights on Volcarona next, when Mismagius suddenly appeared and struck Scizor from behind, laughing as it knocked down the armored bug.

"Electivire, strike her with Thunder!" Electivire rained Thunder down on Mismagius; Mismagius outmaneuvered Electivire's attack. Scizor got back up and went after Mismagius with his Fury Cutter, but Mismagius continued to dodge their attacks.

"Volcarona, burn that insect!" As Scizor was focusing on Mismagius, Volcarona performed another Fiery Dance and sprayed hot ashes onto Scizor; the ashes burned through Scizor's metal plating, leaving some serious burns.

"Abomasnow, Electivire, stop that Volcarona!" Abomasnow created Ice Shards and threw them at Volcarona, who burned them easily with the embers of the Fiery Dance. Electivire gripped his fists together and swung at Volcarona with a Hammer Arm; Volcarona swiftly backed away to avoid getting hit.

Scizor kept going after Mismagius to no avail; Mismagius then blasted Scizor with her Mystical Fire, further damaging Scizor's armor. Scizor fell to his knees; his steel body appeared to be melting as smoke began to rise from his burn marks. One more attack and Scizor was going to get knocked out.

"Finish it off, Mismagius!" Mismagius conjured another Mystical Fire to shoot at Scizor; seeing his partner in trouble, Electivire pushed Scizor out of the way and got burned by the Mystical Fire instead.

"Electivire, Thunder Punch!" Electivire threw a powerful Thunder Punch at Mismagius, who floated back to avoid the attack. As Mismagius laughed at Electivire missing, she was suddenly hit from behind by Abomasnow's Ice Punch. As she turned around to face Abomasnow, Electivire threw another Thunder Punch at Mismagius, this time landing a direct hit. Abomasnow and Electivire both wound up their arms and punched Mismagius at the same time; the combined force of their punches took out Mismagius for good.

"Now that's what I call teamwork!" said Ruby. Electivire and Abomasnow turned to each other and bumped fists as Ruby took out another Hyper Potion to heal Scizor's wounds. Ruby's team were all set to keep fighting, while Cinder was down to her last Pokémon.

"Don't celebrate just yet," said Cinder. "You only defeated two of my lesser Pokémon. Volcarona alone is more powerful than both combined. Volcarona, begin your Quiver Dance!"

Volcarona spread its wings and performed its mystical dance, increasing its power and speed.

As Ruby's Pokémon got ready to take on Volcarona, Ruby checked to see how the others were faring. While Weiss appeared to have things under control, Blake and Yang were struggling to land even one attack on Mewtwo. No matter how quick or how powerful Greninja and Celica were, Mewtwo outpaced them at every turn. Mewtwo was at perfect health, while Greninja and Celica were having a hard time just trying to stand up.

"Hang in there, Celica!" said Yang. "We'll find a way to defeat Mewtwo!"

"Hold on, Yang!" said Ruby. "Team, we have to help Yang and Blake!"

Ruby's team nodded and ran over to where Blake and Yang were fighting. With Ruby's team distracted, Cinder decided to try a sneak attack.

"Volcarona, blast them with a Hurricane!"

Volcarona began flapping its wings to create a strong Hurricane. Before it could be completed, Volcarona was suddenly blasted from behind by a Dark Pulse. Cinder and Volcarona turned around to see Weiss and her Hydreigon.

"You there!" said Weiss. "If you're the leader of the White Fang, I have some business to settle with you!"

"Ah yes," said Cinder, "the daughter of Jacques Schnee! Before I take down his company, I'll take down his family!"

"HA! Do you not understand what it means that A Schnee Never Loses?"

"It means you haven't fought me. Volcarona, Bug Buzz!"

Volcarona emitted supersonic waves at Hydreigon; Hydreigon started screaming as the noise gave its main head a piercing headache.

"Hydreigon, Tri-Attack!" Hydreigon created a triangular beam and fired at Volcarona; Volcarona moved out of the way and continued emitting the irritating noise at Hydreigon.

"Now Volcarona, Hurricane!" Volcarona flapped her wings even harder, creating a Hurricane that launched Hydreigon high into the air and slammed him back down to the ground. Despite the powerful attack, Hydreigon immediately got up and jumped towards Volcarona with a Crunch attack. The center head snatched the lower left wing of Volcarona, tearing part of the wing off as Volcarona flew back to escape its grip. Hydreigon chewed up the wing and swallowed it, emitting a puff of smoke from the heat of the wing.

"Wow," said Weiss. "You might actually give me a challenge. You'll be the perfect warm-up before I head to the Pokémon League!"

Mewtwo looked over their latest defeated foes. Blake and Yang combined had made a powerful team, but even they couldn't stop Mewtwo.

"I will admit you two put up a somewhat valiant effort," said Mewtwo, "but in the end, you were just as powerless as the rest."

"Mewtwo!" shouted Ruby, catching Mewtwo's attention.

"To think we would meet again like this, trainer in red."

"Mewtwo, you need to cease what you're doing!"

"Not until I get my vengeance against Schnee Co.!"

"Is trying to get back at Schnee Co. really worth all this chaos and mayhem?"

"I am simply doing what they had done to me! I will destroy Schnee Co. and everyone who chooses to associate with them!"

"The time for talk is long past, Ruby!" said Yang. "You have to fight them!"

_"I guess I don't have a choice,"_ thought Ruby. _"Mewtwo is so bent on revenge, there's no way we can end this peacefully. Mewtwo...are you really evil?"_

As Yang and Blake took the opportunity to check on their weakened Pokémon, Ruby's Pokémon surrounded Mewtwo.

"Give it all you got, team!" said Ruby. "Don't hold back!"

Abomasnow fired an intense Blizzard at Mewtwo; Mewtwo simply stood still and took the attack head-on. Following Abomasnow's Blizzard, Electivire charged up and shot Mewtwo with a giant burst of Thunder, nailing Mewtwo directly. Finally, Scizor flew in and struck Mewtwo with an X-Scissor. The combined power of three powerful moves only dealt moderate damage to Mewtwo.

Mewtwo grabbed Scizor in a Psychic hold and slammed him to the ground with such impact, it caused Scizor's armor to crack. Electivire and Abomasnow both tried to punch Mewtwo at the same time. Mewtwo used their telekinesis to block the punches, then used their Psychic to twist their arms nearly past 180 degrees, injuring their arms and almost popping them completely out of their sockets. In just a matter of seconds, all of Ruby's Pokémon were in severe pain. Ruby was disturbed by how violently Mewtwo was injuring her Pokémon.

"That's enough, Mewtwo!" said Ruby. "You've made your point! There's no need to continue!"

Mewtwo ignored Ruby and created a trio of Aura Spheres and fired them into each of Ruby's Pokémon to knock them out. Ruby recalled her Pokémon before Mewtwo can do worse things to them.

"Why must you do this?" asked Ruby. "What is making everyone suffer like this going to accomplish?"

"I have to say," said Mewtwo, "you're a bit different from the others. No one else has tried to ask that I simply stop what I'm doing. However, you are aligned with those who have made me suffer, and for that, you will not be spared from my wrath!"

Mewtwo placed Ruby in a Psychic hold, freezing her in place. Seeing her sister in trouble caused Yang and Celica to get angry.

"Let her go, you monster!" yelled Yang.

"RAAAO!" yelled Celica, charging into Mewtwo with a Dragon Rush. Mewtwo quickly stopped Celica by using Psychic and threw her back with great force into another building. Seeing her Pokémon taken out, Yang decided to go after Mewtwo herself, only to be pushed back just like Celica. Blake was trying to think of what to do; trying to rush in on Mewtwo would just result in the same outcome suffered by Celica and Yang.

_"I can't just stand here, but there's nothing I can do!"_ thought Blake. _"Mewtwo is...Mewtwo is unstoppable!"_

"I'd like to ask you something, trainer in red," said Mewtwo. "After everything Schnee Co. has done to me, why should I simply stand back and allow them to continue what they do?"

"Because it isn't right!" said Ruby. "Mewtwo, I know Schnee Co. did some disgusting things to you, but that doesn't mean you have to take it out on them like this!"

"You're saying I should just let it go? Leave in peace?"

Mewtwo created a stronger Psychic grip on Ruby; Ruby cried out in pain as it felt like her entire body was getting crushed.

"I will never be at peace if Schnee Co. is around, and neither will the rest of the world! I will not let anyone stop me in getting my revenge, even the likes of you!"

In Ruby's backpack, Eevee could hear Ruby crying out in pain. Knowing Mewtwo was not going to let Ruby go and no one else stepping in to stop them, Eevee jumped out of Ruby's backpack to confront Mewtwo.

"What's this?" said Mewtwo. "Another Pokémon for me to defeat?"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, ramming into Mewtwo with a Take Down; the attack did little to Mewtwo.

"Eevee, what are you doing?" said Ruby. "You can't fight Mewtwo! They're much stronger than you!"

"I'd listen to your trainer," said Mewtwo. "Unless you have a death wish, you should run away."

"Eevee!" said Eevee, refusing to back down. Eevee got close to Mewtwo and used Sand-Attack to try and blind Mewtwo. Mewtwo was not affected by the attack, but was now annoyed by this Pokémon trying to fight.

"Very well then!" said Mewtwo. "Let us commence our battle!"

Mewtwo tossed Ruby back several feet, and turned their focus to Eevee. Eevee tried to hit Mewtwo with another Take Down; Mewtwo instantly used Psychic and froze Eevee, lifting her into the air.

"Now do you see how much you do not stand a chance?" asked Mewtwo.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee. Eevee tried to force herself out of the hold and go after Mewtwo, but was unable to move a muscle.

"It's one thing to be brave, but another to be this foolish!"

Mewtwo slammed Eevee into the ground, then lifted her back into the air.

"Surrender!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, trying to shake her head. When Eevee refused to surrender, Mewtwo kept slamming her into the ground, nearly depleting her entire health. Mewtwo let go of their Psychic hold on Eevee, awaiting to see if Eevee was going to keep fighting or finally give up. Meanwhile, Ruby laid in the street watching Mewtwo mercilessly attack Eevee.

"Just stay down, Eevee!" shouted Ruby. "Stop trying to fight Mewtwo!"

Eevee slowly got back to her feet, turning around to face Ruby. Mewtwo assumed Eevee was going to crawl back to Ruby, but Eevee instead turned back to Mewtwo and tried to gather whatever energy she could to fire her Swift stars. Her stars bounced off Mewtwo as if they did nothing.

"I've had enough," said Mewtwo. Mewtwo floated back a few feet away from Eevee, then prepared for their Aura Sphere attack. Instead of making a normal sized sphere, this one was becoming the size of Mewtwo. With not enough strength to move, there was no way Eevee was going to dodge it.

_"Oh no!"_ thought Ruby. _"If that thing hits Eevee, she'll..."_

Without a second thought of what she needed to do, Ruby got back to her feet and ran towards Eevee, just as Mewtwo fired the Aura Sphere at Eevee. Ruby threw herself on top of Eevee, causing the Aura Sphere to strike Ruby instead of Eevee.

The collision of the giant Aura Sphere made it sound like a bomb went off, catching the attention of everyone there.

As the smoke cleared, everyone could see Ruby appearing to be unconscious, laying prone in the street.

"RUBY!" shouted Yang, fearing for her sister's life. Yang and Blake tried to run over and help, but was suddenly blocked off by two fake Mewtwos appearing.

"Did you think we'd only come with one Pokémon?" said Emerald.

"Get out of my way or else!" yelled Yang.

"Make us!" replied Mercury.

Having no other choice, Yang and Blake had to fight off the fake Mewtwos. Despite being rivals, Weiss was worried about Ruby's safety and wanted to check on Ruby herself, but Cinder's Volcarona was becoming a bigger nuisance than she anticipated, and went back to focusing on her own battle.

Meanwhile, Eevee crawled out from under Ruby's body, scared that Ruby wasn't moving.

"EEVEE!" shouted Eevee, nudging Ruby's face to wake her up. Ruby opened her eyes and smiled.

"I'm fine, Eevee," said Ruby. "Just...run...okay?"

It was obvious that Ruby was in severe pain. Every inch of her body was aching terribly; her back felt like it was on fire and ripping apart. She barely had any strength to move, but if Eevee was okay and got to safety, it was worth it.

Ruby's friends weren't the only ones who in shock of what happened to Ruby. Mewtwo themselves couldn't believe what Ruby had done.

_"Her Pokémon was in danger,"_ thought Mewtwo, _"and she took the attack to protect her! She cared more about saving her Pokémon than herself!"_

Seeing Mewtwo staring at them, Eevee got in front of Ruby, ready to get revenge.

"Eevee...get out of here!" said Ruby. "You can't beat them!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, refusing to leave.

"Darn it Eevee! I didn't risk myself getting hurt just for you to stay! You need to go!"

"Eevee!" replied Eevee. Mewtwo was surprised to see Eevee stay where she was, choosing to fight Mewtwo instead of abandoning Ruby.

_"This Pokémon has such loyalty, she won't leave her trainer, even when she knows I far outclass her!"_

Mewtwo looked past Eevee to see Ruby trying to reach out to Eevee. Mewtwo decided to focus on Ruby and use their telekinesis to read her mind.

_"Please run, Eevee!" _thought Ruby. _"You're going to get hurt or...I don't even want to think about it! Please run away, Eevee! RUN AWAY!"_

Mewtwo can see the tears starting to appear on Ruby's face as Ruby was powerless to do anything.

_"Even now when her life is in danger, she's more concerned about what happens to her Pokémon than herself! This trainer...she's nothing like the people of Schnee Co..."_

"What a sight to behold!" said Cinder, walking over to Ruby. "The little red thorn in my side, hopeless to do anything to stop me!"

"Cinder!" said Ruby. "I...I will stop you!"

Ruby tried to push herself up, but was in too much pain to barely get off the ground. Cinder stomped Ruby back to the ground. Seeing Ruby in trouble, Eevee ran over to attack Cinder, only to be kicked away by her as well.

"And now little red, you get the pleasure of seeing me destroy that little vermin of yours!"

Cinder got off Ruby and stood behind Mewtwo to get a good view of Ruby and Eevee's demise.

"Now Mewtwo, finish off that rodent and her trainer for good!"

Cinder expected Mewtwo to start forming an Aura Sphere and attack Ruby and Eevee, but Mewtwo stood there doing nothing.

"Didn't you hear me, Mewtwo? Destroy these two NOW!"

Mewtwo continued to stand still and do nothing.

_"What is Mewtwo doing?"_ thought Ruby. _"Why aren't they attacking?"_

"What are you waiting for, Mewtwo?" said Cinder. "Attack her!"

"...no," said Mewtwo.

_"Did they just say no?"_ thought Ruby.

"What do you mean no?" said Cinder. "You're under MY command!"

"I am under NO ONE'S command!" yelled Mewtwo, turning angrily to Cinder. "You don't actually care about stopping Schnee to save anyone! You just want to cause destruction and harm the innocent! You lead me to believe we were striking back against the humans who have made me suffer, and yet you order me to attack a human who had put herself in harm's way to protect her Pokémon!"

"What difference does that make? You don't even care about humans!"

"You're right. I don't care about humans. But as much as I despise them, I am not here simply to destroy for the sake of it! Only humans are capable of such menace, and I will NEVER become like them!"

Cinder sighed. "I was wondering when you would finally catch on."

Seeing Cinder so dismissive of Mewtwo's revelation enraged Mewtwo.

"To be honest, I didn't care what Ironwood did to you! Weapon or not, I was going to be a world-famous scientist until those idiots made you too powerful! Those fools didn't know how to handle a specimen like you, but I do! If anyone deserves to wield the world's most powerful Pokémon, it's me! I'm the one who found the DNA that gave you life in the first place! I should be the one with the power and fame, not some rich idiot who sits behind a desk! Now that you're under my rightful control, the whole world is going to bow to Cinder Fall! No one is powerful enough to stop me!"

"Then it's clear what I must do! It should be YOU that needs to be eliminated!"

_"Mewtwo is turning on Cinder!"_ thought Ruby. _"Maybe they truly aren't evil!"_

Mewtwo gathered the energy to launch an Aura Sphere at Cinder. Rather than be stricken with fear or attempt to calm Mewtwo down, Cinder simply reached for her scroll.

"Trying to reduce my power from the mask?" said Mewtwo. "Do you honestly think that will be enough?"

"Reduce?" said Cinder. "I'm not reducing anything. In fact, have all the Dust you can handle!"

Cinder activated the mask to run at 100% capacity. Mewtwo can feel the Dust being injected into their mind. They can feel their strength rising rapidly, but their head also felt like it was going to explode. Mewtwo felt an excruciating amount of pain; the kind they had not felt since the days after they were created. Mewtwo fell to their knees and screamed in pain as they tried to remove the mask. Ruby looked on and was horrified by what was happening to Mewtwo.

_"What did she do to Mewtwo?"_ thought Ruby. Mewtwo soon stopped struggling and simply stayed on their knees. Cinder smiled as she went up to Mewtwo and caressed their head.

"Oh Mewtwo," said Cinder in her usual seductive tone. "For someone given an incredibly high IQ, you're just as dumb as everyone else who underestimates me. That mask isn't just to make you stronger; it was to make sure you fall completely under my control in case you decided to go rogue again! You see, injecting Dust into a Pokémon can make them stronger, but if given a dosage that proves to be too much, that Pokémon's mind can shut down permanently. Trust me, I had to use a lot of Pokémon to confirm this."

_"That witch!"_ thought Ruby. _"No telling how many Pokémon she's harmed! She's a hundred times more evil than even Spiritomb!"_

"But you on the other hand aren't like other Pokémon. You were injected with Dust the moment you were born, building up a strong immunity from the get go. That's why even at maximum capacity, you're still alive. I made sure to calculate the right amount necessary to make sure your mind degraded only to a point where you'll obey me without a second thought. Now hold still!"

Cinder wound her arm back and slapped Mewtwo hard across the face; Mewtwo didn't react at all. Cinder slapped Mewtwo a second time; they still didn't respond.

"Very good! Now get up from your knees and obey your master!"

Mewtwo got back to their feet with hardly a hint of resistance.

"Now, finish them off with an Aura Sphere!"

Mewtwo turned back to Ruby and Eevee, then gathered the energy for the Aura Sphere.

"Eevee, Eevee!" shouted Eevee, trying to snap Mewtwo out of their mind control.

"Mewtwo, STOP!" shouted Ruby, hoping hearing her voice would help. Mewtwo could hear Ruby and Eevee call out to them, but it did no good; Mewtwo had no control over their own mind. Mewtwo finished gathering the energy, and was set to fire at Ruby and Eevee.

Just as Mewtwo was about to fire, the area around them was suddenly hit with an Earthquake. The intense shaking of the ground caused Mewtwo to trip over themselves and fire the Aura Sphere at an angle into the sky, completely missing Ruby and Eevee.

"WHAT?" said Cinder. "Where did this Earthquake come from?"

"Krookodile, Foul Play attack!"

Krookodile came charging in from a nearby alley and grabbed Mewtwo by their tail, using their own increased strength to toss them far away from Ruby and Eevee.

"Krookodile?" said Ruby. "But that means..."

"Surprise!" said Torchwick, making his grand entrance onto the battlefield. "Did you miss me, little red?"

"Torchwick!" yelled Cinder. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm helping to put an end to your master plan!" Torchwick walked over to Ruby and extended his arm. "Need a hand, little red?"

Ruby didn't know what was going on, but now was not the time to be asking questions. Ruby tried lifting her arm, but the pain made her nearly immobile. Torchwick bent down and grabbed Ruby, helping her back to her feet.

"Can you stand?"

"Barely, but I'll try," said Ruby, letting go of Torchwick. Her body was writhing in agony, but Ruby stood back up on her own two feet.

"How dare you backstab me, you worthless worm!" yelled Cinder. "Who do you think you are?"

"Who do I think I am?" said Torchwick. "Why, I am the stylin'...profilin'...master of Pokémon crime! The best criminal to ever come out of Mountain Glenn, the one, the only, THE Roman Torchwick! And I've got a bone to pick with you, Cinder Fall! I served you loyally for years! I was one of your best allies! I worked day and night to prove why I deserved to be your right-hand man and eventual heir to the White Fang criminal organization! But what did I get in return? Not a single ounce of gratitude or recognition of my work! Consider this my resignation, you hack!"

"Master of Pokémon crime?" said Cinder. "You're nothing more than a glorified street rat! I'll make you wish you were back in Mountain Glenn! Mewtwo, get over here!"

Mewtwo got up and quickly floated back to Cinder's side.

"Krookodile, Iron Tail!"

"Mewtwo, Aura Sphere!"

Krookodile swung its tail into Mewtwo's gut; Mewtwo barely felt any pain from the attack. Mewtwo then created an Aura Sphere and fired it at point blank range, dealing a critical amount of damage to Krookodile. Cinder laughed at how effortless it was going to be to defeat Torchwick.

"You couldn't even defeat this little red menace!" said Cinder. "Did you honestly think you'd fare any better against me?"

"Oh Cinder," said Torchwick. "Didn't I tell you who I was? There's a big difference between me and little red."

"What difference would that be?"

"I don't play by the rules!" said Torchwick, throwing a Dust crystal into the air. Torchwick picked up his cane and fired a shot at the crystal, causing a bright explosion to blind Cinder and Mewtwo.

"How dare you use a cheap trick against me!" yelled Cinder, her eyes burning like she stared directly into the sun.

"You know what I like to say: Life's not fair, so cheat all you want! Krookodile, Crunch attack!"

Krookodile ran up to the blinded Mewtwo and Crunched down on their head. The teeth from Krookodile's lower jaw was starting to pierce through Mewtwo's mask, causing a few small cracks to appear. Even though they were trapped in Krookodile's jaws, Mewtwo stood there like nothing was happening,

_"Why is Mewtwo hesitating?"_ thought Ruby. _"Could it be...the mask?"_

"What are you waiting for, Mewtwo?" said Cinder. "Use your Aura Sphere and get rid of these idiots!"

Mewtwo began gathering the energy for its Aura Sphere. Knowing this was going to be the end of his role in the battle, Torchwick decided to leave Ruby with one final statement.

"Listen up, little red! To be honest, Mewtwo is way out of our league. But if there's anyone that can stop Mewtwo and Cinder, it's you. Hurry up and defeat her, okay?"

Mewtwo fired its Aura Sphere into Krookodile, sending Krookodile flying into Torchwick and back into the alley they came out of. Torchwick may not have done any lasting damage to Mewtwo, but his little diversion gave Ruby the idea of how she can stop Mewtwo.

"Now that he's gone, back to getting rid of you!" said Cinder. Before she can order Mewtwo to attack, a pair of unconscious Dittos suddenly dropped in and collapsed in front of her.

"What now?"

"Um, boss?" yelled Mercury. "Little help over here!"

Cinder turned to see Greninja and Celica, having defeated Emerald and Mercury's fake Mewtwos.

"So you want to beat up my little sister?" said Yang. "Why don't you try beating up me!"

"Are all my mercenaries as worthless as Torchwick?" said Cinder. "No matter! I still have my Volcarona!"

Cinder turned to her Volcarona, only to realize Volcarona had fainted in her battle against Hydreigon.

"A decent effort," said Weiss, "but as the saying goes, A Schnee Never Loses!"

"Even my own Pokémon are useless!" yelled Cinder. "At least I still have Mewtwo! As long as I'm in control of Mewtwo, none of you will defeat me! Mewtwo, fire your Aura Sphere at everyone in sight!"

Mewtwo quickly charged up and fired a barrage of Aura Spheres in every direction possible, not hesitating for a moment to focus on where they were firing. Realizing Cinder was going borderline insane, Emerald and Mercury ran for cover as Mewtwo was firing wildly. Celica flew over and protected Ruby and Eevee from any stray shots while Greninja and Hydreigon were protecting their masters with their own counterattacks. As Mewtwo and Cinder were going crazy, Yang and Blake ran over to check on Ruby.

"All you all right, sis?" said Yang.

"My body feels like it needs ten Full Restores," said Ruby, "but I'll manage."

"It looks like Mewtwo is at their peak strength," said Blake. "I hate to say it, but I don't think even the combined strength of all of our Pokémon is going to be enough!"

"Actually, I think I know how we can beat Mewtwo!"

"We're listening!" said Yang.

"You know the mask Mewtwo is wearing? If we can destroy the mask, we can stop Mewtwo!"

"That mask may be why Mewtwo is so much stronger," said Blake, "but destroying it alone won't stop them!"

"No, but it'll sever Cinder's control over them!"

"What do you mean?"

"Cinder has no real control over Mewtwo. That's why she has that mask put on them. By destroying the mask, Mewtwo will stop listening to Cinder!"

"That still leaves us with one problem," said Yang. "Mewtwo is still way too strong for us to even get close to destroying the mask!"

"Mewtwo may be the strongest Pokémon in the world, but I found its weakness: With Mewtwo completely under Cinder's control, Mewtwo isn't thinking on their own anymore!"

"So in other words, Mewtwo can't do a thing until Cinder tells them to! We distract Cinder long enough, we can attack Mewtwo!"

"That's about to be easier said than done," said Blake, pointing behind Ruby. Down the street they can see an army of White Fang grunts running to assist Cinder in the battle.

"Leave these losers to me and my Dragons!" said Yang. "You two work on a plan to stop Cinder! Let's go, Celica!"

Yang and Celica ran towards the White Fang army, who were all calling out their Dittos copying Mewtwo to battle; Yang called out her Flygon and Altaria to join her in battle. Yang and her Dragons suddenly found herself joined by Weiss' Hydreigon and Garchomp.

"You call those Dragons?" said Weiss. "Let me show you what real Dragons are capable of!"

"Oh please, ice queen!" said Yang. "I bet my Dragons take out twice as many grunts as yours!"

"You're on!" replied Weiss.

As the Dragons got to work holding off the White Fang grunts, Blake called out her other Pokémon to go after Mewtwo and Cinder.

"Didn't you learn the first time we fought?" said Cinder. "Your meager Dark types are still worthless against Mewtwo!"

"Perhaps," said Blake, "but they're not going after Mewtwo. Houndoom, Absol, attack Cinder!"

"What?" Cinder suddenly got frightened as Houndoom growled menacingly at Cinder.

"Mewtwo, attack these-" Cinder could barely finish giving Mewtwo orders as Houndoom jumped at her and tried to use Crunch. Cinder took out her scroll to find someone to contact for help, but Absol swiped at her with Knock Off and knocked the scroll away.

"Mewtwo, Aura Sphere them!"

Mewtwo turned their attention to Blake's Pokémon and fired a pair of Aura Spheres to get them away from Cinder.

"Now Greninja!" said Blake. Greninja quickly ran up to Mewtwo and went for a Night Slash aimed at their mask; with Mewtwo only acting under Cinder's command, they didn't try to defend themselves, allowing Greninja to land a major hit. The cracks on the mask were slowly getting bigger.

"Mewtwo, fight back already!" yelled Cinder. Mewtwo created another pair of Aura Spheres to fire at Houndoom and Absol, which although took care of those two Pokémon, left them open again to Greninja's Night Slash.

"Not at them, the Greninja! Fire your Aura Sphere at Greninja!" Mewtwo switched focus to Greninja and quickly fired an Aura Sphere. Greninja swapped himself out with a Substitute doll that took the attack for Greninja, allowing Greninja to slash Mewtwo one more time. The cracks on the mask started to become noticeable.

_"NO!"_ thought Cinder. _"If that mask breaks, I'm done for! Where the heck is the rest of the White Fang?"_

Cinder desperately looked around; Emerald and Mercury had no healthy Pokémon on them, the Lieutenant was nowhere in sight, and all of the White Fang grunts were being taken out by Yang and Weiss' team of Dragons. Cinder had no one left to turn to but herself.

Meanwhile, with Blake keeping Cinder and Mewtwo busy, Ruby was able to heal Eevee back to full health, and with the mask getting worn out, was ready to start the next part of the plan.

"Okay Eevee, you know what to do!" said Ruby.

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, running towards Mewtwo. While Mewtwo was fighting Greninja, Eevee snuck up and hit them with a Sand-Attack.

"You again?" said Cinder. "Mewtwo, kill that pest!"

Mewtwo was about to fire an Aura Sphere at Eevee until Greninja launched a Smokescreen, further blinding Mewtwo. Mewtwo fired the Aura Sphere, only to completely miss Eevee. Eevee then fired her Swift stars at Mewtwo. Mewtwo fired another Aura Sphere towards where they thought Eevee was, only to completely miss again. Seeing Mewtwo suddenly struggle to hit Eevee was causing Cinder to completely lose it.

"YOU WORTHLESS EXPERIMENT!" yelled Cinder. "How could you miss?"

"Eevee, Take Down attack!" commanded Ruby. Eevee tackled into Mewtwo with a Take Down; the attack wasn't powerful enough to do considerable damage, but it was all Eevee needed to do to prepare for the big one.

"We're ready, Blake!"

"Greninja, assist Eevee!" said Blake.

As Eevee was powering herself up for Last Resort, Greninja grabbed Eevee by the hind legs and started to rotate around. Ruby and Blake's plan was to have Greninja launch Eevee to give her an extra boost of power, enough to hopefully break the mask and end this battle for good.

"Now's your chance, Mewtwo!" yelled Cinder. "Attack them with-"

Cinder suddenly found herself gagged by what appeared to be purple pieces of cloth tied around her. Cinder looked up and saw it was an Aegislash keeping her from talking.

"I think we've heard enough from you!" said Weiss, coming back after her and Yang had taken out the rest of the White Fang.

"Ruby!" said Yang. "Let's end this once and for all!"

"You got it!" said Ruby. "Eevee, LAST RESORT!"

With Eevee fully energized, Greninja launched Eevee at Mewtwo. As Eevee stormed through the air towards Mewtwo, Mewtwo simply stood there waiting for Cinder to give a command, which Cinder was unable to now, no matter how loud she tried to scream through Aegislash's arms. With nothing to stop her, Eevee collided into Mewtwo and nailed Mewtwo with a critical blow at the dead center of Mewtwo's face. The attack was not only powerful enough to break the mask apart for good, but to send Mewtwo hurling down one of the streets, far out of sight for anyone to see where they landed.

The battle against Mewtwo was over.

With Mewtwo out of sight, Aegislash let go of Cinder, who fell to her knees, aghast at seeing her plans and ambitions shatter to pieces like the mask she forced upon Mewtwo.

"How?" said Cinder. "Mewtwo was the world's most powerful Pokémon! I had everything planned perfectly! How...how could I lose?"

"It's over, Cinder!" said Yang. "You and the White Fang are through! As a Pokémon Ranger, I'm placing you-"

"NO! This isn't over yet! I...I've still got White Fang agents across this city! I'm for certain they'll show up any moment now and-"

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen!" said Qrow, leader of the Pokémon Rangers, arriving along with his entire squadron of Pokémon Rangers to surround the area. Realizing she had no way out of this, Cinder could only scream and bang her fist on the ground.

As the rangers moved in on Cinder and her mercenaries, Yang went over to give her sister a big hug.

"You did it, sis!" said Yang. "You stopped the White Fang!"

"Yang, please!" said Ruby. "I'm still really hurting you know!"

"Oops, sorry!" said Yang, letting go of Ruby. "I guess we should go have you checked for injuries."

"First things first," said Ruby. "We need to find Mewtwo and..."

Ruby looked around and noticed Blake had disappeared along with Mewtwo.

"I guess Blake already ran off to...OH NO!"

"Ruby, what's wrong?"

"I have to stop Blake!"

"Stop her from what?" asked Yang, but Ruby had already sprinted as fast as she could to where Mewtwo was sent flying.

#

Mewtwo had crashed into a small noodle stand. They laid in the wreckage, waiting for their injuries to heal. Without the mask to control them, they regained control of their mind, and the extra Dust inserted into them would eventually dissolve, reducing their powers back to normal. Even so, after realizing how they were emotionally manipulated by Cinder to do her dirty work, Mewtwo had lost the will to fight. Blake approached the injured Mewtwo, gripping the Master Ball in her hand.

"It's over Mewtwo," said Blake. "Time to make sure you never cause an attack like this ever again."

"So be it," said Mewtwo. "I was never meant to exist in this world. It's fitting that I never see it again."

Blake took a deep breath as she felt her heart pounding. After all these years, this was finally the moment she can clear the White Fang's name. Blake held the Master Ball up high and was ready to throw.

"STOP!" yelled Ruby, suddenly running up and grabbing Blake's arm, preventing her from making the throw. Blake broke free from Ruby's grip; Ruby and Eevee quickly ran in between them to shield Mewtwo.

"What are you doing, Ruby?" asked Blake.

"I'm not going to let you capture Mewtwo!"

"Ruby, that thing needs to be sealed away for good!"

"For what? Because it was used to attack a city? Because it was controlled against its will?"

"Because that thing is an evil menace!"

"No it's not! There's no such thing as an evil Pokémon!"

"Mewtwo isn't a Pokémon Ruby; it's a dangerous weapon, and it needs to be sealed away so it can never be used again!"

"Mewtwo is not a weapon! They are a Pokémon!"

"You think that thing is a Pokémon? It was created in a lab with the sole purpose to destroy! That thing's mere existence is a danger to life as we know it!"

"You think Mewtwo isn't a Pokémon just because it was made in some lab? Mewtwo is just as much a Pokémon as any other monster in this world! It didn't ask to be created as some kind of weapon! All it wanted to do was live in peace away from humans! If you capture Mewtwo just to make sure it never becomes free...you're just as guilty as Schnee and Cinder!"

"Darn it, Ruby...just when I thought you were smart enough to understand, you prove you're even more ignorant than those sellout Rangers!"

Blake grabbed her Poké Ball and called out her Greninja.

"Ruby, I am NOT going to let you get in my way of catching Mewtwo! I will fight you if I have to!"

"Then so be it!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, standing in front of Ruby. Even if Eevee was healthy enough to try and fight Greninja, Ruby was struggling just to stay on her feet. Her entire body was in agonizing pain, but Ruby ignored it as best she could. Regardless of Ruby's condition, Blake wasn't going to let anyone stop her from achieving what she had set out to do, and was ready to take out Ruby by any means necessary.

Before Blake and Ruby can start battling, Mewtwo regained some of its strength and sat up, baffled by the actions of Ruby.

"Why do you choose to protect me after everything I've done?" asked Mewtwo.

"Because you didn't mean to do this," said Ruby. "You were only forced to do what your masters told you to. A Pokémon is never evil; they're just used by evil people."

"But look at me! I AM evil! I'm nothing more than an experiment!"

"You're wrong! You are a Pokémon, and you deserve to live as freely as any other!"

Regaining a bit more of their strength, Mewtwo slowly got up and walked towards Ruby. Blake panicked, wondering what Mewtwo was going to do to Ruby. Mewtwo gently placed one of its hands on Ruby's chest and used their Recover technique, transferring some of their energy into Ruby to help rid some of her pain. As Mewtwo healed Ruby, they can feel Ruby's heart beating.

"Your heart," said Mewtwo. "Never have I sensed someone with a heart so strong. You are a unique specimen, Ruby. Despite all my transgressions, you are willing to look past that and see me as any naturally born Pokémon. Since my creation, I have learned nothing but hate, anger, malice, and destruction. I thought of humans as nothing more than creatures who exemplified the same traits, but you Ruby are different. You tried to save your own Pokémon from my assault, something I have never seen a human willingly do. I wish to learn what you have learned, Ruby. I wish to learn compassion, forgiveness, and friendship, so that I too can share that same feeling you have for your Pokémon."

"You want to learn from me?" asked Ruby. "What are you trying to say?"

"Ruby, I wish to join you on your journey."

Mewtwo reached one arm out to Blake and used its Psychic power to lift the Master Ball out of Blake's hands, and placed it in Ruby's hands instead.

"Throw this ball at me, so that you may become my master."

"I can't do that," said Ruby, tossing the ball aside. "You don't need a master controlling you, Mewtwo."

"But you said yourself that I am a Pokémon, and as a Pokémon, I am subject to being captured and serving my master, am I not?"

"Well, when you put it that way yeah, but-"

"So capture me then!"

Ruby was feeling conflicted. Mewtwo did point out Ruby's flaw about being subjected to capture if they were like other Pokémon, and yet Ruby felt like it was wrong to capture Mewtwo after everything that Mewtwo was forced to go through. Ruby wasn't sure what to do. Blake picked up the Master Ball and thought about what Mewtwo said, having to make a hard decision of her own.

Blake walked up to Mewtwo and Ruby, and handed the ball back to Ruby.

"Capture them, Ruby," said Blake.

"Really?" asked Ruby. "Are you sure about this?"

"Mewtwo made it clear it wants to come with you, and you said yourself that Pokémon aren't evil, just the people that use them. It's clear to me you're more worthy of having Mewtwo than either Schnee, Cinder...and even myself."

"Okay; I'll catch Mewtwo under one condition." Ruby turned her attention to Mewtwo and pointed straight at them. "Mewtwo, you have to promise to learn how to be truly compassionate and caring towards others, and in return, I promise to never ever use you for my own selfish needs."

"I accept," said Mewtwo. Mewtwo backed away several feet, getting ready to be captured.

"All right! Master Ball, go!"

Ruby threw the Master Ball at Mewtwo. The ball opened, transferred Mewtwo inside, and proceeded to shake around just like any other ball. True to its name, the Master Ball made a guaranteed catch, and now Mewtwo was officially identified as Ruby's Pokémon. Ruby walked over and picked up the Master Ball.

"Thank you, Blake," said Ruby. "Listen, I know you still need to clear the White Fang's name, so I was thinking..."

Ruby then realized that Blake had already disappeared again.

#

All the Rangers and Schnee Co. arrived at the remains of the Schnee Co. Headquarters. As the Rangers got to work cordoning off the area, Cinder and her mercenaries were placed under arrest and escorted to the police van with the White Fang Lieutenant.

"This will only be a minor setback!" yelled Cinder. "I will find a way out, and I will take what I rightfully deserve!"

"You think if we plead insanity," said Mercury, "we'll get off the hook?"

"If you keep opening your mouth," said Emerald, "you'll definitely drive me insane."

"Will you two brats just shut up?" said the Lieutenant.

The van drove off, taking the White Fang leaders to jail. With the New Vale City attack now over, the Rangers were now planning the post evacuation procedures.

"I guess I'm not needed here," said Jaune. "I should go find Ruby."

"Wait a second, Jaune," said Pyrrha. "There's someone that needs to talk to you."

Jaune was then greeted by Coco, Yang, and their leader Qrow. The Magnificent Three stood to the side and saluted Qrow.

"Stand at attention son!" commanded Qrow. Jaune suddenly stood still and saluted Qrow as well. "State your name and occupation!"

"J-Jaune Arc, not any...unemployed sir!" stuttered Jaune.

"Is it true that despite no formal training or experience as a ranger, you decided to tag along with my Rangers?"

"I'm sorry, but-"

"It's a yes or no question Mister Jaune Arc! YES or NO?"

"Yes! I mean, yes sir!"

"Now, my Magnificent Three have informed me of what you were doing during the crisis. Coco says you entered a building that was on fire to save a child, and Pyrrha says you attempted to fight off Mewtwo to save her. Is all of that true, Mister Jaune Arc?"

"Yes sir!"

"Do you realize that your actions could have gotten you seriously hurt or worse? Tell me son, exactly what were you thinking out there?"

"I was just trying to help, sir! I couldn't just sit back and let so many people get hurt, sir!"

Qrow walked around Jaune, observing the way he was standing. Jaune was getting seriously uncomfortable, wondering what Qrow was thinking about him.

"You've got more guts than brains, kid," said Qrow, looking up at the sky. "You remind me of a trainer who everyone thought was either reckless, insane, or just plain stupid to be pulling the kind of stuff you pulled today. Do you know what happened to that trainer?"

Qrow turned back to Jaune and smiled. "He became the founder of the Pokémon Rangers, a group of trainers dedicated to putting their life on the line to help Pokémon and people in need. Looking at you kid, I see a slight glimpse of that trainer in you. Step forward and put out your hand."

Jaune slowly put out his hand, worried what Qrow was going to do. Qrow reached into his jacket pocket and placed something in Jaune's hand; Jaune looked down and saw a blank ID badge with a wing symbol on top of the space for the name.

"What is this?" asked Jaune.

"It's a trainee badge for new recruits," said Qrow. "Once you complete your field training, you'll be an official Ranger in no time."

Jaune gasped when he realized what Qrow was doing. "Recruit? Are you saying I'm...?"

"Welcome to the Pokémon Rangers, Jaune Arc."

Qrow and his Magnificent Three all gave a salute to their newest member. Jaune was going to break out in tears, not able to form the words for how happy he was that he was going to become a Pokémon Ranger.

"Your training will begin tomorrow at eight in the morning sharp. Pyrrha will be your coach for the field training and provide you the details of what to do. I suggest you take this time to say your final goodbyes before packing up, because it's going to be a long test."

"Thank you, sir!" said Jaune, saluting back.

"Dismissed, trainee."

As Jaune went off to find Ruby, Weiss was saying her farewells to Winter and Ironwood.

"Now that the White Fang have been dealt with," said Weiss, "it's time I head to Victory Road and train."

"Take care, Miss Weiss," said Ironwood.

"Remember Weiss," said Winter, "A Schnee Never Loses!"

Weiss nodded and flew off with her Hydreigon.

"Do you think we should tell her the truth about Mewtwo?" asked Ironwood.

"I think she'll learn about it eventually," said Winter. "After all, that was part of your deal with that vigilante. Speaking of..."

Ironwood and Winter saw Blake arriving back on the scene.

"As agreed," said Ironwood, "hand over Mewtwo and we'll confess everything."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," said Blake.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't have Mewtwo."

"What?" yelled Ironwood. "You said you were going to capture Mewtwo with my Master Ball! Where is it?"

"I don't know. I guess another trainer simply beat me to the punch."

"You gave that monster to the White Fang, didn't you?"

"I assure you I did no such thing. Mewtwo is in the hands of someone capable of handling them; someone I trust will do the right thing."

"In that case, we need to renegotiate our deal."

#

With Mewtwo captured and Blake vanishing, Ruby decided to meet up with Jaune and head out of the city to continue their journey. As she walking down the road, she was greeted by a familiar face in his trademark trench coat and bowler hat.

"I see you've defeated Cinder," said Torchwick. "It's so funny; on the surface, you seem like just a child, but then you surprise everyone by showing how strong you really are."

"I should be thanking you," said Ruby. "Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to stop Cinder. I never thought I'd see the day you'd turn over a new leaf."

"HA! Shows what you know little red! Don't think I helped you because I'm turning over a new leaf. I decided that I - the master of Pokémon crime - am too big to be working under some worthless group like the White Fang. I will become the greatest criminal the world has ever known, and one day, I'm going to get my revenge on you, little red!"

"Why wait? We can go right now!"

Eevee jumped in front of Ruby, ready to fight Torchwick. Rather than call out a Pokémon to start fighting, Torchwick laughed.

"Oh please!" said Torchwick. "Like you would stand a chance after going through such a hard battle. The old Roman Torchwick may have taken advantage of the situation, but the new Roman Torchwick is doing things differently! I'll prove to be the greatest criminal in the world by defeating you goody two-shoes fair and square!"

The sounds of police sirens started blaring close to their location. Torchwick held his cane up to a nearby building and shot a grappling hook from the handle, propelling himself to the roof.

"So heed my warning! The next time we meet, I will come out victorious! Farewell, Ruby Rose!"

Torchwick reached into his pocket and threw a small object at Ruby, then ran off to only he knows where. Ruby grabbed the object Torchwick threw; it was his self-made badge for how great of a thief he was. Ruby didn't understand what Torchwick meant when he said he was going to be a criminal who somehow followed the rules, but if he was serious about facing Ruby one more time, Ruby would be waiting.

"This may not be a real badge, but I'll wear it just the same." She placed the badge on the other strap of her backpack. "Until we meet again, Torchwick."

"Hey, Ruby!" shouted another voice. Ruby looked up and saw Jaune running towards her.

"Hey Jaune! Glad to see you're okay! Ready to head out?"

"Ruby, I've got something important to tell you!"

"What is it?"

"I've just been recruited as a Pokémon Ranger!" said Jaune, holding up his new badge. Ruby looked at the badge and was excited for Jaune's success.

"That's awesome! Congratulations Jaune!"

"I can't believe this is really happening!"

"Want me to pinch you just to make sure?"

"No thanks. I've already pinched myself several times."

At first the two of them were thrilled about Jaune's new job opportunity, but the happiness was slowly starting to fade when they remembered about a certain bet that was made months ago. The bet that forced Jaune to stay with Ruby throughout most of her journey.

"So it looks like you've finally found your calling," said Ruby.

"I sure did," said Jaune.

"You know what that means, right?"

Jaune sighed. "It means your bet is officially over."

"A deal's a deal. You found your calling, therefore it's time to part ways."

Ruby held out her hand to give Jaune a goodbye handshake. Rather than shake hands, Jaune hugged Ruby and started to cry. Ruby was a bit surprised, but hugged Jaune and started crying as well.

"Ruby, thank you so much for everything you've done for me," said Jaune. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be in Amarillo City feeling sorry for myself."

"I have to say," said Ruby, "I'm going to miss you, Jaune. I don't think my adventures would have been half as fun without you tagging along. I know I should be happy for you, but honestly...I'm kind of sad to see you go."

"To be honest, I was enjoying journeying with you to so many places, part of me was thinking maybe my calling was just to travel around the region with you. I mean thanks to you, I've been through caves, mountains, ghost towns, and met some of the most interesting people in my life! All because you wanted to help some loser too scared to take a risk!"

"Hey now, you're no loser! I mean sure, you have a lot to learn about how to win a battle, but remember what you told me when we first met about why you were a Normal type gym leader? Because no Pokémon is truly useless; you have to find what makes them special! Humans are no different, Jaune! It took us a while, but we finally found your specialty: You're a Pokémon Ranger!"

"Ruby, I...I'm sorry!"

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"I mean, you've helped me become a Pokémon Ranger, and I feel like all I've help you do is waste your time!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I can name plenty of times I would have had to give up and go home if it weren't for you! You're more useful than you realize Jaune, and that's why I know you're going to make the Magnificent Three change their name to the Magnificent Four!"

"You really think I can make it that far?"

"As my sister would say: Cross my heart and hope to die, or I'll eat a Pidgey pie!"

"Huh? What in the world is a Pidgey pie?"

"You know, I never did ask her what she meant by that!"

Ruby and Jaune laughed. As they were enjoying their final moments together, Pyrrha arrived on her Pidgeot, ready to take Jaune home and pack his belongings before his training were to begin.

"I'm sorry!" said Pyrrha. "Was I interrupting something?"

"Not at all," said Jaune, breaking off his hug. "Just saying goodbye to a dear friend."

"I'm ready to go when you are."

"Give me one more minute, okay?"

"Take all the time you need."

Ruby and Jaune held up their hands and gave each other one final handshake.

"Ruby, there's probably nothing I can do to pay back everything you went out of your way for to help me, but if there is a way, you name it!"

"I only have one request, Jaune. Promise me you'll become the best Pokémon Ranger they got! That includes being even better than Pyrrha!"

"You got it!"

"Don't worry, Ruby!" said Pyrrha. "I'll make sure he surpasses even me!"

With their journey together officially over, Jaune walked up to Pyrrha and got on the Pidgeot with her. As the Pidgeot lifted into the air, Ruby and Eevee kept waving goodbye to Jaune.

"Goodbye, Jaune!" said Ruby. "Good luck with being a Ranger!"

"Good luck with getting your last badge!" said Jaune. "I better see you at the Pokémon League next week!"

Hearing those two words suddenly caused Ruby to panic. She had been so caught up with the attack on New Vale City that she nearly forgot about trying to get her next badge.

"That's right! It's less than a week until the registration period ends! I better find the closest city with a badge and fast!"

With the White Fang stopped, Mewtwo captured, and Jaune finding his true calling, all that was left for Ruby to focus on now was obtaining her eighth and final badge. Ruby picked up Eevee and ran to the nearest Pokémon Center she could find to obtain info on where to go next.


	42. One Badge to Go! Ruby vs ?

The past few days have been crazy for Ruby. A couple of days ago she defeated Pyrrha to earn her seventh badge, then she went to New Vale City and ended the White Fang's reign of terror for good, capturing a Pokémon with the power rivaling the supposed legendaries, and Jaune was now off being a Pokémon Ranger as his new calling. Between the traveling and the battles, her body was in serious need of rest, so she spent most of the past couple of days in Pokémon Centers to heal up.

She was now currently on a tour bus, heading to her destination of Chartreuse City. Unfortunately, Ruby was still tired from her adventures and fell asleep on the bus. Sometimes she'd be woken up by Jaune so she wouldn't miss her stop, but she forgot that Jaune was no longer traveling with her, and Eevee was taking a nap as well.

"Spend every day...keep sadness away," muttered Ruby in her sleep. The bus came to a sudden stop, jolting Ruby out of her nap.

"Last stop!" announced the bus driver.

"Huh? Where the...oh yeah, the bus! I can't believe I fell asleep again!" Still half-asleep, Ruby and Eevee got off the bus. The bus turned around and drove off as Ruby was fully waking up. She looked where she got off and realized she was in the middle of a forest.

"Wait, this doesn't look like the stop for Chartreuse City." Ruby took out her Pokédex to find out where exactly she was. "Penny, how far is Chartreuse City from here?"

"Approximately twelve miles south," said Penny.

"Twelve miles south? But that's where the bus was just heading...back..."

That's when Ruby realized she got off at the wrong stop.

"OH NO! I completely missed my stop! Now I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere possibly miles away from civilization! I'm done for!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, freaking out that the two of them were now stranded.

"Penny, how far are we from the closest town?"

"My GPS indicates the nearest town is half a mile northeast."

Ruby suddenly felt stupid for freaking out after finding out there was a town close by.

"Oh, heh heh...wonderful! I guess we'll keep going this way and we'll run into it!"

With Chartreuse City now past them, Ruby and Eevee continued their trek towards the new town.

"So Penny, what's the name of this place we're heading to?"

"It's called Kuro City," said Penny. "Kuro City is known as the town shrouded in mystery, as its location is considered off the beaten path compared to other cities, and the town offers nothing in terms of tourism."

"They wouldn't happen to have a league gym, do they?"

"As a matter of fact, they do!"

"Really? Tell me more about the gym!"

"Unfortunately, there is no information available, as very few trainers have competed in the gym. It is rumored that the gym leader specializes in Dark type Pokémon."

"How thematic. Well, at least I'll still be able to get my eighth badge!"

#

Ruby and Eevee arrived at Kuro City. Ruby was amazed at the sight of the cherry blossom trees blooming all around. Assuming the gym leader did use Dark types, Ruby dropped by the Pokémon Center to pick out the Pokémon that would work best against Dark types, then headed her way to the gym. Despite being in the middle of the town and slightly taller than the other buildings, nothing stood out about the gym. Ruby assumed that they must have spent more time decorating the interior than the exterior. Outside of the building, a man stood guard at the front entrance.

"Excuse me!" said Ruby. "Can I get inside, please?"

"For what purpose?" asked the man blocking the entrance.

"Purpose?" Ruby raised an eyebrow as to why this guy was asking such a question. "Uh...to earn a gym badge?"

"Unless you have the proper permission, you are not allowed to enter the gym."

"Okay...so how do I get permission to enter the gym?"

"The gym leader will decide whether you are worthy."

"So can I speak to the gym leader?"

"The gym leader is not here right now."

"Then how am I supposed to get permission to go inside?"

"Ask the gym leader."

"But you just said...wait, is this some kind of weird riddle that leads to a quest to find the gym leader?"

"There is no riddle. Get the gym leader's permission and you may proceed."

"All right then!" said Ruby, pointing to the man guarding the gym. "Mr. Gym Leader, I'd like permission to enter the gym!"

"Whoever said I was the gym leader?"

"Wait, you're not the gym leader?"

"No. I simply watch this gym and only allow those the leader deems worthy of facing to enter."

Ruby groaned. Whoever the real gym leader was, they just had to pick the best time to not be around when Ruby needed them.

"Looks like there's only one way I'm going to get inside! I hate to do this, but you sir have left me no other choice!"

Ruby took a deep breath, then got on her knees and folded her hands.

"Please, I beg of you! I just need one more badge and I'm running out of time! Can't you make some kind of exception PLEEEEEEASE?"

"No," replied the man in his usual demeanor.

"Well this has been a complete waste of time! I hope you're happy!"

"Hmph."

The man continued to stand guard, unaffected by Ruby's emotional pleading. Having reached a complete dead end, Ruby went back to the Pokémon Center to vent her frustration.

"What's the point in having a gym if you don't let people battle for a badge?" yelled Ruby to anyone who would care to listen.

"Eevee," said Eevee, rubbing against her leg to cheer her up.

"Thanks for trying Eevee, but I'm not going to be in a good mood unless we can challenge for a badge soon. Since this city's gym leader has apparently vanished, we're going to need to find our way to Chartreuse. I'd hate to bother Yang, but maybe I can call her to give me a quick lift there."

Ruby took out her scroll and called Yang. Yang's scroll rang for a minute and went right to her voicemail.

"Well that's just great!" said Ruby, flopping her head down on the table. "I guess my run of good luck as come to an end, and possibly my Pokémon League journey."

"Something wrong, Ruby?"

Ruby looked up and was surprised to see a face she hadn't seen since New Vale City; her mysterious friend who disappeared shortly after Mewtwo was captured.

"Blake!" said Ruby. "Where did you go after the Mewtwo incident?"

"Sorry I took off right away," said Blake, "but I went to meet with Ironwood to discuss our deal."

"How did it go? Has the White Fang's name been cleared?"

"I guess you've been too busy to watch the news."

Blake took out her scroll and played a video she saved of the newscast explaining that Schnee Co. made a major announcement regarding what happened at Mountain Glenn. The feed cut to a video of Ironwood making his confession.

"The Mountain Glenn incident was caused by a freak accident that occurred during a scientific experiment. The White Fang had nothing to do with the incident. The Schnee Corporation deeply apologizes for the baseless accusations, and vows from this day forward to use its finances to help restore the once thriving community."

"The rest is just more jargon and answering stupid press questions," said Blake.

"He didn't mention Mewtwo at all!" said Ruby. "Wasn't that the whole point?"

"It was a compromise for me not capturing Mewtwo like I said I would. They didn't reveal the whole truth, but the important thing is I'm on track to redeeming the White Fang's actions."

"Good for you, Blake. I hope all goes well."

"How about you? You look really stressed about something."

"Stressed is putting it lightly!" said Ruby, raising her arms in the air. "I came to this city because I missed the bus stop for the city I was supposed to be going to for my eighth badge and then I found out this city has a gym so I figured I would just stay here and get my eighth badge but the guy in front of the gym won't let me in for some stupid reason and the deadline for competing in the championship is tomorrow and I called my sister and she isn't picking up and Chartreuse City is over twelve miles away from here and I have nowhere near enough time to suddenly go to another city and get a different badge!"

Ruby inhaled a deep breath to get back some of the air she lost spouting her monologue.

"In short, I'm in a bind."

"Maybe I can be of some help," said Blake.

"I doubt even you can help me get out of this situation!"

"Oh really?"

Blake reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a card for Ruby. The card was blue and had what appeared to be a white lion face with a circle around it in the middle. It almost looked like the White Fang logo.

"What is this?" asked Ruby.

"Show this to the man in front of the gym and he'll let you in," said Blake.

"Are you serious?" said Ruby, her eyes perking up. "How do you know this will work?"

"Let's just say I have my connections."

"You really are mysterious, Blake."

"I have to go now. Good luck with your battle, Ruby."

As usual, Blake left as quickly as she arrived.

_"Now I think about it, I didn't even ask her what she was doing in this city in the first place,"_ thought Ruby. Whatever Blake's purpose was, it didn't matter to Ruby right now. What mattered was she now had her chance to face this city's gym leader.

Ruby double checked the Pokémon she was going to use for her battle and headed to the gym, this time confident she was going to get in without a problem.

"Back again?" said the guard out front. "Did you not get the message the first time?"

"I got it crystal clear!" said Ruby. "In fact, I have something to show you!"

Ruby pulled out the card Blake had given her, holding it about an inch to the man's face.

"What do you say about THIS?"

The man snatched the card out of Ruby's hand and examined it closely. Ruby had a smug smile upon revealing the card, but the more time the man took to look the card over, the more that smile was starting to turn into a frown, along with how worried Ruby was that the card was going to turn out to be useless after all. After analyzing the card, the man put it in his jacket pocket and turned towards the gym.

"Follow me," he said.

Ruby pumped her fists that she could get in. The man walked fast, not bothering to wait for Ruby to catch up. Ruby ran inside before she would suddenly be locked outside of the gym. The front of the gym looked like a normal lobby where trainers would sign the paperwork prior to the gym battle. The man took Ruby to an elevator, where they went descending several floors down.

"So seriously," said Ruby, "are you really the gym leader?"

"I've told you already," said the man.

"So that wasn't some kind of trick to throw me off?"

"If you're as dumb as the questions you ask, this gym battle will end fast."

Ruby stuck out her tongue and made an obnoxious whine at the man. The man continued to ignore Ruby and her pouting as they reached the bottom floor.

The two stepped off the elevator and walked down a small, dimly lit hallway to a closed gate. The man pushed the gate open, revealing a room that only had a torch on each side to light the room. At the end of the room, a shadowy figure sat facing the opposite direction. The figure was wearing an all-black kimono, almost making them appear to be blending with the darkness.

"Your challenger has arrived," said the man, bowing in the figure's presence.

"Thank you, Adam," said the voice at the other end. The figure stood up and turned to face Ruby, arms folded in the giant sleeves of the kimono. It was so dark and the kimono covered so much that Ruby couldn't tell who or what this person was. Their face was even covered in a Ninetales mask, and they were using a module to hide their voice, so Ruby had no idea if the person she was talking to was a he or she. For all Ruby knew it could be another talking Pokémon like Mewtwo.

"Who are you?" asked Ruby.

"I am Shroud, gym leader of Kuro City. Although we are an official Pokémon League gym, as you can see, I do things very differently."

"I can tell. Mind turning on the lights?"

"The only illumination this room has are the torches you see on the sides."

"Okay, I've heard you like using Dark types, but seriously, aren't you taking this a bit too literal?"

"I have my reasons for keeping this room dark. Allow me to propose a question: Do you know what you will be doing tomorrow for certain?"

"That's easy!" said Ruby, raising her fist. "Heading to the Pokémon League with my eight badges in tow!"

"Hmph. Confident, but not certain. How about three days from now?"

"Well, I don't know about that."

"How about seven minutes from now? What Pokémon will you be using in battle?"

"I...uh...how am I supposed to answer that?" asked Ruby, scratching her head in confusion.

"Unless you have powers akin to that of some Psychic Pokémon, you cannot truly answer those questions, for there are no certainties about the future. Your future is much like this room; it cannot be foreseen. Many people are afraid of the dark because they cannot see; the same reason some are afraid of the future."

"Well I'm definitely not scared of the dark, and I'm definitely not afraid of my future! Let's sign the paperwork and let's go!"

"Adam, do you have the contract?"

"Yes master," said Adam, pulling out a scroll.

"Although it is stated in the contract, let me inform you of two major rules we will be abiding by."

"Major rules?" asked Ruby. "How 'major' are we talking?"

"Rules that will change the way this battle is conducted. The first rule is that while I will be using four Pokémon, you may use any number of Pokémon you desire."

"Any number? You mean I can use all six in my party?"

"That is correct."

"Well, if you insist!" Ruby definitely had no problem giving herself a numbers advantage. "What's the second rule?"

"The second rule is that this is will be your only opportunity to obtain a badge. Should you fail to defeat me here and now, you will NOT be given a rematch."

"WHAT?" Ruby definitely had a problem with this rule. She had lost to gym leaders before, but she was always allowed a second chance to obtain her badge.

"So if I lose here...there will be no way for me to get into the Pokémon League!"

"Before you were confident," said Shroud, "believing you had your future perfectly lined up. But not your future is more uncertain than ever."

"How about this?" said Ruby. "We forget about these two rules and we have a typical four on four gym match, and if I lose, I get to come back to try again!"

"You're afraid," replied Shroud. "Now that you know the consequences, you're having second thoughts of stepping forward and accepting my challenge. Perhaps you aren't worthy of my time, much less that of the Pokémon League's."

"I'm not afraid of anything!" shouted Ruby. "I just think these rules are ridiculous is all!"

"But they are my rules, and if you want my badge, you WILL abide by them! Or you can turn around and leave. What will it be?"

Ruby didn't want to accept this match under such ridiculous rules, but she also didn't have time to get to Chartreuse City and earn her badge there. Ruby needed to stay here and prove she wasn't afraid of the dark and especially not afraid of this gym leader.

"I accept!" said Ruby, grabbing the contract from Adam. She took out a pen and quickly signed a big "R" on the bottom, then handed it back to Adam.

"Very well," said Shroud. "Adam, you may leave us."

"Yes master," said Adam, bowing to Shroud and making his leave, closing the gate behind Ruby. The gate's closing doors caused a loud echo in the room, nearly causing Ruby to jump out of her skin.

"Um...this room does have oxygen, right?" said Ruby, hoping this room wasn't also a death trap in disguise.

"This room is well ventilated," replied Shroud. "Now trainer, prepare for your final battle!"

Shroud unfolded their arm from the sleeves, holding a Poké Ball in their hand. "My first Pokémon shall be Liepard!"

The ball opened and out came the dark-coated cat. Ruby could barely see the Pokémon in the dark, only able to make out a faint outline of their body.

"And I'll call out Mawile!" exclaimed Ruby, calling out her deceptive Fairy Pokémon. Being a Fairy and Steel type, Ruby figured Mawile would have the perfect defense against Dark types.

"Liepard, attack with Shadow Claw!"

"Mawile, Iron Head!"

Liepard quickly pounced on Mawile with her Shadow Claw attack. Mawile took some minor damage as she lifted her horns up and swung them overhead towards Liepard. Liepard jumped out of the way to avoid the attack; Mawile turned around to see where Liepard had gone, but had a hard time finding Liepard in the dark.

"Attack again, Liepard!" Liepard suddenly emerged from the shadows and slashed at Mawile from behind.

"Now Mawile, Vice Grip!" Mawile opened her horns and tried to trapped Liepard, but Liepard went back into the shadows to hide from Mawile. Ruby immediately realized the dilemma her Pokémon were in.

_"This room is so dark; my Pokémon can barely see. Of course, Shroud's Pokémon must be used to fighting in the dark, so it's no problem for them. If my Pokémon can't use their sight…perhaps they can use a different sense!"_

"Mawile, spray the room with Sweet Scent!"

Mawile nodded, opening her horns and releasing a burst of wonderful smelling pink gas in the room.

"Clever trick, trainer," said Shroud. "You can't see my Pokémon, but with Sweet Scent, you'll smell them coming. However, my Pokémon still outranks yours in strength. Liepard, time to Hone Claws!"

Liepard growled as it sharpened its claws to increase the strength of their attacks. The clanging of the claws echoed in the room, giving away Liepard's position.

"Now Liepard, Night Slash!"

"Mawile, Iron Head!"

Liepard lunged at Mawile with her sharpened claws, slashing across Mawile with her Night Slash. Now that Mawile knew where Liepard was, she swung her horns at Liepard, nailing Liepard in the head, temporarily making Liepard dizzy. With Liepard stumbling on her feet, Mawile opened her horns and trapped Liepard in a Vice Grip.

"Now your Liepard has nowhere to go!" said Ruby.

"Then she will simply break free," replied Shroud. "Liepard, Play Rough!"

Liepard bent her legs and jumped over Mawile while the horns were still attached to her body, causing Mawile to fall on her face. Liepard jumped up again and yanked Mawile back, causing her to fall on her back and lose her grip on Liepard. As Mawile was trying to get back up, Liepard leapt in front of Mawile and slashed her repeatedly with her Shadow Claws, dealing a huge amount of damage.

"Mawile!" screamed Mawile, no longer able to deal with the pain.

"Your Mawile has given up," said Shroud. "Five more to go."

"I can count!" said Ruby, recalling her Mawile. Seeing her first Pokémon taken out so soon frustrated Ruby. Even though Ruby had the numbers advantage, it almost felt pointless since she wasn't going to get a rematch.

_"I'm going to have to be more careful with my Pokémon. The moment they fall in battle, I lose them for good. I have to keep this battle going as long as I can!"_

"Are you considering a forfeit?" asked Shroud.

"Far from it! I'm just taking my time to plan out my strategy!"

Ruby thought over the Pokémon she had on her. Since Liepard was fast, Ruby decided to go with her fastest Pokémon, Talonflame. Talonflame was called out and flew into the air.

"Talonflame, Agility!"

"Liepard, Night Slash!"

Talonflame built up her speed and zipped back and forth across the room. Liepard tracked Talonflame's movements and jumped up to Night Slash her; Talonflame changed trajectory just as Liepard swung her claws. Even flying around at an amazing speed was not going to help Talonflame avoid Liepard.

"All right Talonflame, time to fight fire with fire! Flame Charge!"

Talonflame lit herself aflame, causing the room to illuminate a tad brighter. Talonflame found Liepard and dove straight into Liepard. Liepard held her ground and swatted at Talonflame with a Night Slash as Talonflame tackled into Liepard. Liepard's paw was nearly burned by Talonflame as Talonflame received a cut across her chest. Talonflame flew around in a small circle and rammed into Liepard again; Liepard got back on her feet and slashed Talonflame across the face with Night Slash. Talonflame went straight into the air and came down on Liepard; Liepard rolled out of the way of the Flame Charge, then leapt at Talonflame with another Night Slash; Talonflame took to the air before Liepard can land another hit. Talonflame flew to the top of the room, awaiting Ruby's next command as the two Pokémon kept their eye contact.

"Liepard, Hone Claws!" commanded Shroud. Liepard sharpened her claws while keeping an eye on Talonflame.

"Talonflame, Agility!" commanded Ruby. Talonflame relaxed her body and concentrated her energy to increase her speed, flying around the room at a high velocity.

"Your speed will not help you here. Liepard's accuracy is as razor sharp as her claws. Are you prepared to lose another Pokémon?"

"Not this time!" said Ruby, still as confident as she was when she came into the gym. "Just try and attack my Talonflame!"

"Hmph; only an amateur shows such arrogance. Liepard, Night Slash!"

Liepard pinpointed where she was going to strike Talonflame, and leapt towards her target.

"Me First, Talonflame!"

Talonflame saw Liepard coming towards her; using her lightning fast speed, Talonflame flew behind Liepard and used her talons to slash Liepard with her own attack, landing a critical hit. Liepard let out a loud roar as she flopped to the ground in defeat.

"What do you think of that, Shroud?" boasted Ruby.

"It seems I underestimated you," said Shroud matter-of-factly. Shroud had no emotion in their voice or their body gesture; they simply recalled Liepard and got ready to call out their next Pokémon. "This battle may not be so one-sided after all. Time to call out my next Pokémon."

Shroud held their ball up and called out their next Pokémon: A Houndoom.

"All right Talonflame, time for a break!" said Ruby, recalling her Talonflame.

_"I figured she would do this,"_ thought Shroud. _"She's worried about losing her Pokémon, so she's going to recall them and fight defensively. She'll come to regret this decision once I use my strongest Pokémon to wipe out her weakened team."_

"It's your time to shine, Hitmonchan!" said Ruby, calling out her prized pugilist. With Fighting types having the advantage over Dark types, Ruby was certain Hitmonchan was going to be one of the MVPs of this battle. Houndoom growled menacingly at Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan held up his fists ready to fight, not the least bit intimidated by Houndoom.

"Houndoom, use your Odor Sleuth!" Houndoom got a good whiff of Hitmonchan's scent, a cautionary measure in case Hitmonchan tried to evade like Talonflame.

"Hitmonchan, Fire Punch!" Hitmonchan lit his gloves on fire; with the help of his gloves, Hitmonchan saw where Houndoom was and threw a straight right. Houndoom jumped to the side to avoid the attack. Hitmonchan kept his left glove on fire, acting as his own torch to help Hitmonchan see.

"Houndoom, Crunch him!" Houndoom jumped from the darkness at Hitmonchan; Hitmonchan held up his left arm as Houndoom Crunched down, nearly biting through his arm.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" While Houndoom was still attached to Hitmonchan, Hitmonchan quickly threw a series of punches with his free arm, nailing several strong hits into Houndoom. Houndoom let go of Hitmonchan and ran away into the darkness of the room to avoid getting hit again.

"Houndoom, use your Nasty Plot technique!" Houndoom conjured menacing thoughts about how he was going to hurt Hitmonchan, giving his special attack strength a boost.

"Find him and knock him out, Hitmonchan!" Hitmonchan kept scanning the room trying to use his lit-up hand, but couldn't find Houndoom anywhere. He tried to listen to where Houndoom might be, but Shroud's Pokémon were trained to keep themselves stealthy in the dark.

_"Where could that mutt be hiding?"_ thought Ruby. Knowing that Houndoom was waiting somewhere within the darkness, biding their time before coming out and launching an assault on her Pokémon, sent chills down Ruby's spine.

"RAOH!" roared Houndoom, giving away his position.

_"Why did Houndoom just do that?"_ thought Ruby. Before she can comprehend Houndoom's action, Hitmonchan turned to where he heard Houndoom and immediately charged in to throw a Mach Punch.

"Houndoom, Flamethrower!" commanded Shroud. Houndoom opened wide and unleashed a huge torrent of flames at Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan suddenly stopped and held his arms up to try and block the flames, but it did little good as his whole body was covered by the fire, taking some serious damage.

_"It was a trap!"_ thought Ruby. _"Houndoom was luring Hitmonchan to nail him with the Flamethrower! If this room wasn't so dark, Shroud's Pokémon wouldn't have such an easy time getting the jump on us."_

Thinking about Shroud's Pokémon hiding in the dark suddenly gave Ruby an idea. After Houndoom completed his flamethrower, Hitmonchan got ready to throw another Mach Punch.

"Stop, Hitmonchan!" said Ruby. "Put out your light!"

"Chan?" said Hitmonchan, confused by Ruby's order.

"Trust me, we're better off without it!"

Hitmonchan wasn't sure why Ruby wanted him to put out his lit glove, as it was one of the only sources of light to help him see, but trusted Ruby's call and put out his glove, covering him in the same darkness as Houndoom. Shroud knew what Ruby was up to and shook their head.

"If you're trying to hide yourself, it won't work," said Shroud. "My Houndoom can easily sniff out your Pokémon."

Houndoom sniffed the air to find where Hitmonchan was hiding in the dark, and barked towards the center of the room. Shroud noticed Houndoom continuing to stare at the middle of the room, neither averting his gaze or moving his head. If Houndoom was remaining still, it meant Hitmonchan was doing the same.

_"Hitmonchan is standing still? Then it must be waiting for me to attack. I'll build up Houndoom's strength some more."_

"Houndoom, Nasty Plot!" commanded Shroud.

"Get ready, Hitmonchan!" said Ruby.

_"Get ready for what?"_ thought Shroud. _"Are they waiting for me to attack or...wait, he must be going for the Focus Punch! I have to attack him now!"_

"Houndoom, Flamethrower!" Houndoom fired his flames at Hitmonchan. As Shroud predicted, Hitmonchan was standing still and took the full brunt of Houndoom's attack.

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" Hitmonchan ran through the flames and quickly punched Houndoom in the jaw, stopping Houndoom's attack. Hitmonchan then laid several punches into Houndoom before throwing a strong right hook that knocked Houndoom into the side wall. Being next to the torch, it was now easy to see where Houndoom was. Hitmonchan was breathing heavily, taking more damage from the flames to get at Houndoom. Shroud was surprised by Hitmonchan's offense.

_"Now she decides to go on the offense? Well, now that Hitmonchan has low health, there's no way she would have him charge in again. She'll command him to use Detect, so when that happens, I'll have Houndoom build up his strength so he can finish off Hitmonchan!"_

"Don't know if you noticed Shroud," said Ruby, "but your Houndoom is right under the torch."

"So he is," said Shroud nonchalantly. "Attack me then if you dare!"

"Maybe I will!" replied Ruby. "Go for it, Hitmonchan!"

Hitmonchan nodded and ran at Houndoom, wounding up his right fist for a straight jab. Shroud shook their head at Ruby making such a ridiculous bluff.

"Houndoom, Nasty Plot!"

Houndoom stood still and was thinking of horrible thoughts when Hitmonchan suddenly came up to him and punched him between the eyes with a Mach Punch.

_"Wait, she really WAS attacking?"_ thought Shroud, rattled that they were wrong about Ruby's next move.

"You've got him now, Hitmonchan!" said Ruby. "Finish him off!"

Hitmonchan went to work throwing punch after punch at a dazed Houndoom. After Hitmonchan's series of punches, Houndoom fell to his side completely out of it.

"All right!" said Ruby. "We're halfway there!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, excited to see Ruby getting close to earning her badge.

"I didn't think you'd risk having Hitmonchan attack when its health was so low," said Shroud. "Before we continue, I'd like to know; why did you have Hitmonchan take the initial flamethrower?"

"Because it was the only way to find Houndoom," explained Ruby. "Using the Fire Punch to search out Houndoom just made it easy for your Houndoom to lure in Hitmonchan. So instead, I just waited for Houndoom to make the first move to reveal himself."

"Hmmm. Perhaps you're truly an intelligent battler. Or perhaps...you were just lucky I made a wrong prediction. My next Pokémon however can foresee every move you are about to make. Come forth, Absol!"

Shroud recalled her Houndoom and called out her supposed soothsayer, Absol. Ruby started to notice something about the Pokémon Shroud was using.

_"Wait a minute,"_ thought Ruby. _"Houndoom and Absol...I've seen these Pokémon before! They were used by...of course! Now this all makes sense!"_

"I assume you'll switch out for a healthier Pokémon?" asked Shroud.

"This time you're right," said Ruby, recalling her Hitmonchan and sending out her next Pokémon, Scizor.

"A Bug type. I figured as much."

"So far you're two for two!" Ruby pointed to her head and smiled. "Can you tell what I'm thinking now?"

"I'll let my Absol do the thinking."

"Sool," muttered Absol, staring intently at Scizor.

"We'll see about that!" said Ruby. "Scizor, find Absol and use Fury Cutter!"

Scizor charged forward at Absol; as Scizor came closer, Absol used her horn to Detect how close Scizor was getting. Once Scizor tried to strike with its metal pincer, Absol quickly jumped to the side and avoided Scizor.

"Sool," said Absol, taunting Scizor. Scizor turned to where he heard Absol and tried to strike again, which Absol easily dodged. Scizor kept attacking to no avail as Absol dodged all his attacks.

"Don't give up, Scizor!" said Ruby. "Keep using Fury Cutter!"

"Attack, Absol!" commanded Shroud.

Scizor opened his pincers ready to attack again, when Absol suddenly appeared in front of him and struck him with a hard Sucker Punch with her paw, knocking him down to his knees. A frustrated Scizor got up and took a swipe at Absol, only for Absol to dodge the attack again and vanish in the darkness.

_"It's like that Absol really can see into the future!"_ thought Ruby. _"Anytime I have Scizor attack, Absol will find a way to counter! How can I beat someone I can't attack? It's not like I can just wait until Absol gets worn out, can I? Or...maybe I can!"_

"Absol, Future Sight!" said Shroud. Absol's eyes emitted a pinkish light, creating a psychic pulse that would strike Scizor a couple of moves down the line.

"Scizor, fall back and use Iron Defense!" commanded Ruby. Scizor flew towards the back of the room and coated his body with more iron, sharply increasing his defense.

"You know what to do, Absol." Absol nodded and used her horn to Detect Scizor's next attack. There was no reason to try attacking Scizor now when the Future Sight would strike.

"Keep building up that defense, Scizor!" Scizor remained in his spot and kept coating his armor. While forging his defense, the Future Sight shockwave struck him, but only did a small amount of damage.

"Absol, another Future Sight!"

"Scizor, Steel Wing attack!"

Absol's eyes glowed once again from using the attack. Scizor used them to find Absol and tackled into her with his Steel Wing. Now within range of Absol, Scizor used his Fury Cutter, only to be Sucker Punched again by Absol and proceeded to miss. As he desperately tried to hit Absol, he was struck by the second Future Sight. Although he was barely taking damage, if he didn't land any attacks on Absol soon, it would only be a matter of time before he would eventually faint.

"Don't let up Scizor! Keep going!"

"So predictable," said Shroud. Absol used Detect to once again avoid Scizor effortlessly.

"Okay Scizor, start using X-Scissor!"

Scizor raised his pincers up in an X formation, but Absol got the first hit in with a Sucker Punch. Scizor shrugged off the damage taken and slashed Absol before she can get away, dealing some moderate damage to Absol.

"You finally landed a hit," said Shroud. "Too bad your Scizor is too easy to predict. You should recall your Pokémon if you want to keep going."

"Actually Shroud," said Ruby, "if your Absol can tell the future, it would know it now doesn't stand a chance against Scizor."

"What? Explain yourself."

"My Scizor's defense have been made nearly impenetrable, and you can only use moves like Detect so few times before a Pokémon loses the power to do so. At some point, your Absol must keep attacking, and since Scizor now has such a high defense, odds are your Absol will barely be able to make a dent. But two or three strong attacks by my Scizor and your Absol goes down for the count. So, Shroud...am I wrong?"

Shroud turned around to contemplate what Ruby had said, and it turned out she was right. Absol would eventually have to go on the offensive, and Scizor would have such an advantage, the battle would become moot.

"No, you're right," said Shroud, turning back to face Ruby. "There would be no point in continuing this battle of attrition. My Absol forfeits for the remainder of this gym battle."

Shroud recalled her Absol as Ruby pumped her fists, feeling like she was on cloud nine for outsmarting Shroud.

"I have to say I'm very impressed. I can't remember the last time I've had a trainer come in and make it to my final Pokémon."

"Well," said Ruby, "it also helps that I've seen you use these Pokémon before, Shroud...if that is your real name!"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I think it's time to end this so-called mystery." Ruby pointed her arm at Shroud to add some dramatic effect. "Reveal yourself, Blake!"

Shroud chuckled as they took off their mask, revealing themselves to be as Ruby predicted.

"I figured you would know," said Blake, back to speaking in her normal voice. "What gave it away?"

"I started having my suspicions since you showed up to this town for seemingly no reason," said Ruby, pointing to her head. "Then I remembered you like using Dark type Pokémon, but I wasn't truly convinced until I saw you use the same Pokémon you fought with against Mewtwo."

"Then you know who I'm going to call out next."

Blake reached into her kimono sleeve and called out her signature Pokémon: The ninjutsu amphibian, Greninja.

"This is sure to be fun," said Ruby. "I finally face your best Pokémon."

"You sound excited, Ruby. What happened to your nervousness all of a sudden?"

"I was kind of worried about this battle. I mean when you claimed I wouldn't be able to get a rematch, I thought losing would be the end of everything."

"But it will be the end of everything."

"Wait, what?" asked Ruby, suddenly feeling her skin turn pale.

"Ruby, I meant what I said. If you don't defeat me, you won't get a rematch."

"But I...I thought you were just playing it up when you were pretending to be Shroud!"

"I was serious, Ruby. You don't defeat me here and now, that will be the end of your journey to the Pokémon League."

Ruby suddenly felt as it the wool was pulled over her eyes, or like she was conned out of her life savings. Either way, she wasn't happy.

"How could you trick me like this?" said Ruby.

"I did no such thing," replied Blake. "You signed the agreement prior to battle."

"But Blake, you know how important getting into that league is to me!"

"But if you can't beat me, you have no right to attend."

Ruby wanted to scream and beg Blake to change her mind, but took a deep breath and calmed down.

"All right then. I was able to defeat your first three Pokémon, and now I'll beat your best one!"

Ruby recalled her Scizor and brought out her Electivire. The electricity in Electivire's body caused him to faintly glow in the darkened room as sparks occasionally popped from his body. Greninja stood up and held his fingers to his palm, with Blake making the same pose behind him.

"Let's make it quick, Electivire! Release your Discharge!"

"Be prepared, Greninja!" said Blake.

Electivire built up electricity and released it in one big surrounding wave. Greninja remained still as the sparks got closer to him; as soon as they made contact, Greninja disappeared in a puff of smoke and was replaced by a Substitute doll.

"You can't hide from us!" said Ruby. Ruby and Electivire looked side to side in the room to find Greninja, but he was nowhere to be found._ "Oh great. Does this room have some kind of trap door I'm not aware of?"_

"Water Shuriken!" shouted Blake. Several Water Shuriken suddenly flew past Ruby from behind and nailed Electivire in the back of the head. They both turned around to see Greninja stick to the gate behind Ruby.

"Electivire, fire your Thunder!" Ruby picked up Eevee and jumped out of the way as Electivire shot an intense burst of electricity at Greninja, who jumped off the wall less than a second before the attack struck the gate. Greninja moved so fast, it appeared as if he teleported from the wall to one of the torches on the side of the room.

"Go after him with Thunder Punch!" Electivire charged up his fists and ran at Greninja. Greninja stood still as his shadow created from the torch suddenly extended towards Electivire; before Electivire can throw the first punch, what appeared to be a ghost suddenly emerged from Greninja's shadow and slashed him from behind.

"What was that?" asked Ruby. "Are you using two Pokémon?"

"Hardly," said Blake. "That was my Greninja's Shadow Sneak. If you're this easily rattled, perhaps you don't belong in the Pokémon League."

"I'll show you easily rattled!" yelled Ruby, almost proving Blake's point. Electivire kept throwing his Thunder Punch, but Greninja easily dodged every punch. Even for his size, Electivire was fast with his punches, but Greninja dodged his attacks by rotating his body in all sorts of directions, almost as if he was dancing in the middle of the air.

"Now Greninja, Night Slash!" As soon as Electivire threw one last haymaker at Greninja, Greninja jumped over Electivire, landed on his feet, and quickly slashed him from behind, dealing a critical blow. Electivire fell to his knees holding his back; he was already down to less than half of his health, and Greninja was not hit once.

_"No!"_ thought Ruby. _"Electivire was going to be my best chance and he's already hurt! I have to call him back!"_

Ruby fumbled her hand towards her belt and grabbed her Poké Ball to recall Electivire.

"The panic is setting in," said Blake. "This is when most trainers start to lose their momentum and eventually the match."

"I-I-I'm not panicking!" stuttered Ruby. "I've got plenty of Pokémon to use!"

Ruby decided to call out Scizor, figuring his defenses could withstand Greninja's attacks. Scizor charged at Greninja with an X-Scissor, but was too slow to catch Greninja as he ran circles around Scizor, hitting him with multiple Water Shuriken. With Scizor unable to reach Greninja, he built up his defense with Iron Defense, only to suddenly be struck from behind by Greninja's Shadow Sneak. Scizor again went on the attack with X-Scissor, but Greninja was simply too fast for Scizor as he jumped from spot to spot in the room, nailing shuriken after shuriken on Scizor. High defense or not, it was going to be pointless if Scizor was too slow to ever land an attack on Greninja; Ruby had no choice but to recall Scizor.

_"Type advantage is useless if he's just going to outpace them!"_ thought Ruby. _"Time to use Talonflame!"_

Ruby called out her Talonflame, who right away used Agility to gain a sharp increase in speed. Talonflame flew around the room in a circle, going so fast it appeared she was making a complete halo above the arena.

"Can your Greninja hit my Pokémon now?" said Ruby.

"Concentrate, Greninja," said Blake. Greninja focused his sights on Talonflame as he was making a big Water Shuriken. Calculating Talonflame's speed, Greninja threw the Shuriken towards his center-left. The shuriken nailed Talonflame directly in the chest, causing her to fall out of the air. Being a Fire type, the shuriken did serious damage to Talonflame, nearly knocking her out.

"Does that answer your question?" asked Blake. Ruby was starting to sweat heavily; Greninja weakened three of her Pokémon in one go, and with him still in great health, her chances of winning were eroding fast.

"Okay, small setback!" said Ruby, recalling Talonflame. "But my Hitmonchan will fix this!"

Ruby called out her Hitmonchan, who was already weak from his fight with Houndoom.

"Your Hitmonchan looks like it's ready to give up," remarked Blake.

"That's what you think! Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!"

Hitmonchan ignored the pain he was in and charged for Greninja. Greninja waited until Hitmonchan threw his punch before suddenly disappearing and replacing himself with a Substitute doll.

"End it, Greninja!" Greninja instantly appeared beside Hitmonchan and attacked him with a Night Slash. Hitmonchan used Detect to sense the attack coming and ducked Greninja's Night Slash. Ruby smiled, thinking Hitmonchan now had a shot to counter Greninja.

"Let him have it, Hitmonchan!"

Hitmonchan threw an uppercut style Mach Punch at Greninja; Greninja bent his body all the way back to avoid being hit. Hitmonchan tried to throw another punch, only for Greninja to flip back and avoid Hitmonchan's attack. Frustrated, Hitmonchan ran to Greninja to throw a straight right; Greninja dodged the punch and Night Slashed Hitmonchan at the same time, landing a critical hit. Hitmonchan collapsed to the floor, down to just the tiniest bit of health thanks to his Focus Band.

_"Not even using Detect helped!"_ thought Ruby. _"This is bad! What do I do now?"_

Ruby recalled Hitmonchan back into his ball, her arm shaking in fear. Ruby felt as if she was about to lose her sanity as her heart was beating so fast it might as well be tearing apart. Seeing Ruby panicked, Blake decided to play a mind game.

"What will you do now, Ruby?" asked Blake. "You have four weakened Pokémon and one already knocked out. You're allowed one more Pokémon to call out. You need to think about this carefully; make a bad choice and it's all over."

"Blake, please reconsider!" begged Ruby, nearly in tears. "It's been my dream since I was a kid to get into the Pokémon League and become the Champion!"

"If you don't have what it takes to defeat me, then your dreams will remain just that. Or you can forfeit now and simply wait several months after someone else claims the title. I'm sure by then you'll finally prove to be worthy."

Ruby turned her back to Blake. Blake thought Ruby was going to break down and cry, or start throwing a temper tantrum. Instead, Ruby suddenly stopped sniveling and went quiet for a couple of minutes before finally speaking up.

"So this is it then?" asked Ruby in a calm voice. "You really won't grant me a rematch?"

"Correct," said Blake.

"If this is the way you're going to be Blake, then you leave me no other choice." Ruby turned around to face Blake with a determined look on her face. "I have to win this by any means necessary if I want to get into the Pokémon League."

"Eevee!" said Eevee, stepping in front of Ruby to fight on her behalf.

"Get back, Eevee," said Ruby. "You're not my final Pokémon."

"Eevee?" said Eevee, surprised she would not be the one Ruby would call out.

"Sorry Eevee, but she knows your moves too well. It would be a waste. I have someone much better in mind."

"So who is your final Pokémon?" asked Blake.

"For my final Pokémon, I call..."

Ruby gripped the ball containing her final Pokémon.

"I call...MEWTWO!"

"WHAT?" said Blake, shocked by Ruby's proclamation.

Ruby opened her Poké Ball and out came her final Pokémon, now standing in front of her. Because of the lighting it was hard to see, but Blake could tell from the outline of the figure it was in fact Mewtwo. Mewtwo stood tall and had their eyes closed, as if concentrating on sensing out Greninja rather than looking out for them since it was too dark for them to see. Blake was at a loss for words. Ruby may have been ignorant at times, but Blake always believed Ruby was at least genuine about her morals and would keep her word that she was never going to use Mewtwo to fight for her.

"You're...you're really using Mewtwo?" asked Blake. "After everything you said about never using them for battle?"

"You know how they say a mouse backed into a corner by a cat will bite back?" said Ruby. "Well Blake, you pushed me into a corner, and I'm biting back the best way I know how: By using the most powerful Pokémon in the world! I want to...no, I NEED to get into the Pokémon League! I NEED to become the new Vale Champion!"

"Eevee!" said Eevee, just as surprised to see Ruby suddenly make a 180 turn with her attitude change.

"You disgust me, Ruby!" said Blake. "I understand you want to win this battle, but to use Mewtwo? After you begged me to not capture them? Is your obsession with getting into the Pokémon League so deep, you're willing to betray your own morals to get in?"

"Darn right it is!" said Ruby with hints of venom in her voice. "The only thing I care about is getting into the league on time, and you will not ruin what I've worked so hard to obtain! Blake, you're about to see a side of me like you've never seen before!"

"So be it!" said Blake. "I trusted you with Mewtwo because I believed you would do the right thing. But now you've shown your true colors, Ruby! I'm going to do what I should have done in New Vale City! Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

Greninja threw several Water Shuriken at Mewtwo. Mewtwo held up one arm and swiped the shuriken away.

"Mewtwo, fire a Dark Pulse!" commanded Ruby. Mewtwo quickly formed a ball of Dark energy and fired their Dark Pulse at Greninja; Greninja jumped up and stuck himself to the ceiling. Mewtwo kept firing their Dark Pulse at Greninja, who used their incredible speed to keep avoiding the onslaught of Dark Pulses.

"Greninja, Night Slash!" Greninja ducked to avoid the Dark Pulses and got up close to Mewtwo.

"Dodge it, Mewtwo!" Mewtwo quickly shuffled to the side to avoid Greninja's Night Slash. With Mewtwo having heightened senses, they were easily able to avoid Greninja's attack without having to look at them.

_"I have to throw Mewtwo off if I want to attack up close,"_ thought Blake. _"Time to use the Shadow Sneak!"_

"Greninja, to the torch!" said Blake. Greninja understood Blake's plan and jumped away from Mewtwo to the further side wall, standing right next to the torch.

"Quickly Mewtwo, fire away!" As Mewtwo formed a giant Dark Pulse to fire at Greninja, Greninja extended their shadow past Mewtwo. Before Mewtwo can fire, they were struck from behind by Greninja's Shadow Sneak, causing them to trip forward and cancel out the attack. Mewtwo turned back to see if Greninja had suddenly got behind them, leaving themselves open for an attack.

"Don't hold back, Greninja! Night Slash!"

The momentary distraction gave Greninja plenty of time to rush in, ready to strike Mewtwo down with the most powerful Night Slash he can muster.

"Look out in front, Mewtwo!" shouted Ruby.

Realizing they have been tricked, Mewtwo opened their eyes and look in front of them to see Greninja about to hit them with a Night Slash. Unable to avoid the attack, Mewtwo held out their left arm to try and block Greninja's attack. As Greninja struck Mewtwo as hard as he could to their arm, Blake looked into Mewtwo's eyes, and suddenly became perplexed. For some reason, Mewtwo's eyes appeared to be different colors. In fact, one of them was a dark brown, and the other was bright pink.

"Huh?" said Blake. "Mewtwo's eyes aren't-"

"Zoroark, Night Slash now!" commanded Ruby.

Zoroark suddenly transformed back into their real form and used their right arm to slash Greninja across the face, landing a major blow. As Greninja reeled back from the attack, Zoroark swiftly kept slashing away at Greninja. Greninja took several hits before being able to jump away and catch his breath. Blake couldn't understand what just happened.

"Wait, Zoroark?" said Blake. "What happened to Mewtwo?"

"Mewtwo? They're right here where they belong," said Ruby, reaching into her pocket and holding up the Master Ball. Blake realized what Ruby had done when Ruby was claiming to be calling out Mewtwo.

_"When she claimed to be calling Mewtwo, she was really telling Zoroark what to transform into! With Zoroark's eyes closed, I couldn't tell if it was the real Mewtwo or not! Ruby used an illusion to lure Greninja close enough for Zoroark to strike!"_

"And you thought I was obsessive over the Pokémon League," said Ruby with a slight smug to her grin. "Just the sight of Mewtwo was enough to throw you off your game."

"I'll admit it Ruby," said Blake. "You tricked me very well...but it won't be enough to defeat Greninja!"

"You haven't seen everything yet!" said Ruby. "Let's go, Zoroark! Foul Play attack!"

Zoroark ran up to grab Greninja and slam him to the ground, only to find out she was slamming down a fake Substitute doll. Greninja fired Water Shuriken from the ceiling, dealing some moderate damage to Zoroark. Greninja created a large Water Shuriken to launch at Zoroark; Zoroark used her Double Team to split into several illusions and spread out. Greninja landed back on the floor and rapidly fired shuriken at every Zoroark in sight. After every Zoroark got hit, she was suddenly nowhere to be found. Zoroark then appeared from a dark corner and Night Slashed Greninja.

"All right Zoroark, come back!" said Ruby, recalling Zoroark. Ruby put Zoroark's Poké Ball by her belt, then grabbed a different one and called out her Talonflame.

_"Why is she suddenly switching Pokémon?"_ thought Blake. _"No matter; all her other Pokémon are too weak to keep fighting."_

"Dive down, Talonflame!" With her eyes closed, Talonflame dove straight towards Greninja.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Greninja fired a Water Shuriken at Talonflame, assuming it would knock out Talonflame. Instead, Talonflame suddenly transformed into Zoroark.

"Zoroark, Foul Play!" Zoroark opened her eyes and tackled into Greninja, grabbing him and slamming him down to the ground, dealing some more damage.

_"She did it again!"_ thought Blake, starting to feel stupid she fell for Ruby's sleight of hand.

"Okay Zoroark, back you go!"

Ruby recalled Zoroark and called our her Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan stood in the middle of the room with his eyes closed, as if to not give away that he was really Zoroark.

"Another illusion Ruby?" said Blake. "Greninja, Night Slash!"

"Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" commanded Ruby. Hitmonchan opened their eyes and charged into Greninja as he was going for his Night Slash. Not expecting to be punched, Greninja took a blow to the jaw, but was able to quickly recover and slash Hitmonchan, dealing enough damage to knock him out.

_"That one wasn't an illusion! Ruby must be giving up her trick now that I'm on to her! Or wait...what if she's just using her actual Pokémon now so she can trick me with an illusion later?"_

After all the tricks and mind games Blake had played on Ruby, Ruby was now the one in control. Every time Ruby would call out a Pokémon, Blake would have no idea if she was calling out the actual Pokémon or Zoroark. Blake's only shot was to take a random guess and hope she was right.

"Go Talonflame!" said Ruby. Out came Ruby's bird, hovering in the air waiting to strike.

_"Since the only thing I can do is guess,"_ thought Blake, _"might as well make my choice now!"_

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

"Talonflame, Acrobatics!"

Talonflame came down to strike Greninja with her Acrobatics, but Greninja outpaced Talonflame and tossed several shuriken that were strong enough to knock her out. Blake breathed a sigh of relief she guessed right. Ruby recalled her Talonflame and brought out Scizor, eyes closed of course.

_"She wouldn't call out Zoroark now; that'd be too predictable. This has to be the real one."_

"Water Shuriken!"

"Zoroark, Double Team!"

Scizor turned into Zoroark and split into multiple copies, causing Greninja to miss. Greninja fired at the illusions until the real one emerged and launched a Dark Pulse that knocked Greninja back. Greninja was getting exhausted from the battle; one more wrong guess from Blake was going to lead to her defeat.

"All right, time to fight the real Scizor!" said Ruby as Zoroark went back and was replaced by Scizor, or at least that's what Ruby was claiming.

"Water Shuriken!" said Blake, assuming Ruby wouldn't try to use Zoroark again. Sure enough, it was the real Scizor as they were too slow to avoid the shuriken. Scizor flew at Greninja with an X-Scissor; Greninja jumped over Scizor and then struck him with a Night Slash, taking Scizor out.

_"That makes four Pokémon knocked out!"_ thought Blake. _"That means the only two she has left are Zoroark and-"_

"Go Electivire!" said Ruby, calling out her electric powerhouse...or her Zoroark pretending to be one. This confrontation was the clincher of the battle for both trainers, all based on what guess Blake was going to make.

_"If that Electivire is real, getting close will give him the chance to use his powerful Electric attacks that will knock out Greninja! I'd have to attack from a distance! But if it's Zoroark and I attack from a distance, they'll have time to dodge the attack and then counter attack Greninja, also resulting in a knock out!"_

"Well Blake?" asked Ruby. "Are you going to attack to not?"

_"If it's Electivire, I have to stay away! If it's Zoroark, I have to get up close! What do I choose?"_

Both trainers could hear their hearts beat as the room was deafly quiet as the deciding move was about to be made.

"Greninja...Night Slash!" Blake decided to take a risk and have Greninja get up close. Greninja got in front of Electivire and sliced him with a Night Slash. Electivire opened his eyes from the attack, revealing them to be dark red.

"NO!" said Blake as Electivire grabbed Greninja in a bear hug so he couldn't escape.

"Electivire, THUNDER!" shouted Ruby.

Electivire charged up his body to maximum voltage and unleashed a powerful jolt of Electricity into Greninja. Once the electrocution was over, Electivire let go of Greninja, who collapsed to the ground, fried and fainted. Blake sighed, disappointed but humbled to have been defeated.

"My Greninja is unable to continue," said Blake. "This battle is over."

Blake recalled her Greninja, then clapped loudly three times, causing the room to suddenly illuminate with overhead lights.

"Ah!" said Ruby, covering her eyes with one of her arms. "Those lights seem brighter than usual."

"Sorry. As I was saying, this battle is over. Congratulations Ruby; you've overcome your fear of the future and defeated me for your final badge."

As Blake went up to congratulate Ruby, Blake looked down and saw Eevee jumping around and cheering for Ruby's victory. Blake smiled at seeing Eevee being so supportive; it was impossible to believe this was the same Eevee who once lost all respect for Ruby.

"I remember when we first met in the Emerald Forest. You didn't have a clue what you were doing, Ruby. To be honest, I didn't think you would make it far in obtaining your badges."

"I really was an amateur back then," said Ruby. "I still feel bad about that lump I gave you."

"Don't remind me," said Blake, rubbing the spot Ruby accidentally hit with her Poké Ball. "You've come a long way, Ruby. You've proven to be strong, smart, and kindhearted. A trainer of your skills is certainly worthy of going to the Pokémon League, and so, it is with great honor that I award you the Shroud badge."

Blake took out a ring box containing a badge that looked like a black flame and handed it to Ruby. Ruby started giggling and then went into full-on laughter. She had obtained her final badge.

"I DID IT!" shouted Ruby with great enthusiasm. "I really did it! We're going to the Pokémon League, Eevee!"

"Eevee!" shouted Eevee, jumping into Ruby's arms to be hugged.

"I wish you the best of luck, Ruby," said Blake. "Take care."

After Ruby and Blake said their farewells, Ruby headed back to the surface so she can call her sister and let her know the good news.

#

Even though the time was well past noon, Yang was just waking up from a long day's sleep when her scroll started ringing loudly.

"Oh c'mon!" muttered Yang. "This had better be important!"

Yang dragged herself out of bed and went to her dresser. She picked up her scroll and realized it was her sister.

"Hello?" answered Yang.

"Yang, I did it!" said Ruby.

"Did what? Grow a few inches?"

"I got eight badges! I'm going to the Pokémon League!"

"Really? You got eight badges?"

"Yep! I just won my eighth badge!"

"That's wonderful sis! Be sure to call Professor Ozpin so you can be registered ASAP!"

"I'm going to do it right now! See you later, Yang!"

Ruby hung up immediately to call Ozpin. Yang put down her scroll and picked up a picture off her dresser of herself, Celica, and Ruby from about four years ago, just before Ruby was going to stay at Beacon Academy.

_"You've come so far, little sis. It still feels like yesterday when you started at Beacon Academy. You always said you were going to make it to the Pokémon League and become the Champion, and now, it's about to happen. But of course, getting those eight badges was the easy part. There's still one more task you need to accomplish."_

As Yang was reflecting on Ruby's path to the professionals, she heard a knock on her door.

"What is it?" asked Yang.

"Miss Xiao Long," said Goodwitch, "we need you for the interviews. Are you still not dressed?"

"I just got up. I'll be dressed in a few minutes!"

"You need to get dressed and be downstairs in less than ten minutes! Hurry up!"

"I'm going, sheesh! Come back from a big ranger mission and I barely get to rest."

Yang put down her picture and went into the closet to find her official uniform: A bright green jacket containing the symbol of two axes making an X on the back. She never bothered to button the front of the jacket, thinking it looked much cooler the way it was.

After Yang put on her official uniform, she quickly left her dorm room and ran down the stairs to the first floor where the press conference was being held. She went into the backstage area where Peter Port, Bartholomew Oobleck, and Glynda Goodwitch were waiting, all wearing the exact same uniform as she was.

"Glad to see you finally arrive, Miss Xiao Long," said Port. "What kept you?"

"My sister called," said Yang. "She just got her eighth badge and will be fighting in the Pokémon League."

"Splendid!"

"Of course with her competing," said Oobleck, "you realize what this means."

"Knowing my sister," said Yang, "I know she won't hold anything back."

"Everyone hush!" said Goodwitch. "The conference is about to begin!"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" said the announcer. "Presenting to you, Vale's four greatest professional trainers! Peter Port, Bartholomew Oobleck, Yang Xiao Long, and Glynda Goodwitch! They are...THE ELITE FOUR!"

_"Because I won't be,"_ thought Yang.


End file.

Pokémon, RWBY, Adventure, Fantasy