InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Truth Hurts...in a good sorta way. ❯ Bath Time! ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

It was late at night and the sky was a dark shade of purple when Zeni and Yuki finally arrived at the hotel in which the group were staying. Despite the time, the citizens of Viridian City continued to fill the streets: young couples walked the alleyways and families dined outside restaurants. It was all a very soothing image - as if nothing bad could possibly happen.

Zeni opened the door to the hotel as quietly as possible, motioning towards Yuki to do the same as he began to creep inside the entrance hall, only to be greeted by the faces of Geol, Lance, Zak and Whitney, who were each seated around a table with half-finished plates of food before them.

"Good evening, Zeni!" Geol chuckled, taking another bite of the steak which lay before him. "We were beginning to worry about you two."

"Oh, uh..." Zeni mumbled. "You guys ate already?"

"Well, it's already gone ten." Whitney replied, placing her fork down on the plate and pushing it towards the centre, indicating that she was full. "We tried to wait for you as long as we could."

"What took you two so long, anyway?" Zak asked curiously.

"Oh, just some sightseeing." Yuki explained, bowing apologetically. "Sorry we're so late; it was my fault."

"It's no trouble," Geol answered. "we know you two can take care of yourselves."

'I wish I had his confidence...' Zeni thought to himself, his eyes trailing down towards the floor.

"Well," Geol yawned, stretching his arms out. "that was a great meal, but I think I'm going to have to call it a night."

"Indeed." Lance agreed. "I already spoke with the chief of Viridian police and they explained that they would be on full alert for anyone suspicious entering the city tomorrow."

"Even so," Geol began. "we should remain cautious and keep our eyes open for any sign of Team Rocket. Remember to report anyone or anything suspicious."

"I guess I'll get to bed now, too." Whitney decided out loud. "We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Within a matter of minutes the party had paid for their meal and went their separate ways. Geol, Lance, Whitney and Yuki proceeded to their separate rooms, whilst Zak and Zeni decided to head to the hot springs located at the back of the hotel. It was a beautiful night, and the thought of being able to soak away their worries was a tempting idea.

The water gave a pleasing sensation as it surrounded Zeni's skin, wrapping the boy in a blanket of warmth. Zeni peered over towards Zak, who was leaning back in the water, his eyes closed and his worries washing away with every passing second.

The young thief sighed loudly, prompting Zak to open one eye and peer back at his friend.

"Something wrong?" Zak asked.

Zeni simply stared up towards the night sky and allowed his body to slide down until everything below his head was submerged by the calming waters of the hot spring.

"Well," Zeni started, though wasn't entirely sure of how to continue. "uhm, it's nothing really."

"You're not going to ask me for advice on how to get Yuki to like you, are you?" Zak groaned.

"What!?" Zeni yelled, quickly rising to his feet and glaring down at the boy beside him. "That's got nothing to do with it!"

"Woah, woah!" Zak joked, waving his hand at Zeni's clearly flustered face. "Calm down, big guy - don't get all defensive!"

Zeni sighed, allowing his anger to subside as he slipped back down into the water.

"Someone attacked us in Viridan Forest..." he murmured.

"Attacked you?" Zak repeated, his eyebrow raising slightly. "Who? What did he look like? Was it one of Knite's goons?"

"Well, he didn't look like he was from Team Rocket..." Zeni recalled, thinking long and hard. "But I guess he must've been. Said his name was Rafal and he was trained in the ancient arts or something. He tried to steal my PokŽmon and when I confronted him he just... Well, he just disappeared."

"Huh," Zak replied, leaning back against the smooth surface of the rocks behind him. "well, that's weird. You sure he wasn't just some thief?"

"Hey!" Zeni protested, his voice beginning to show signs of anger once again. "I'm a thief, too, remember? You think I wouldn't know my own kind!?"

"Well," Zak began, getting to his feet and exiting the hot spring. "I'll be sure to tell my Dad, maybe he'll know something. Until we know more all we can do is stick to tomorrow's plan."

Zak paused before entering the hotel and turned back to Zeni, giving him a thumbs up sign.

"Goodnight, Zeni."

"G'night." Zeni answered, turning back and looking up towards the stars.

The night was so calm and peaceful. If he listened closely he could hear the muffled laughter and voices coming from the hotel walls, but most of his senses were dominated by the sound of the water gently lapping against his skin and the rustling of leaves in the wind. Slowly but surely the sounds of nature began to wash away Zeni's fatigue and his eyes began to close...

Time passed and Zeni's thoughts slipped back into an eery memory. He could feel a burning heat crashing down on his skin as he walked and walked, his legs quivering with every step. Sand and dust blasted against his face and he gritted his teeth, fighting his way through the storm. In his arms he held three PokŽballs, each one battered and dented with clearly visible marks and scratches etched into the plastic surface.

"Almost..." he breathed. "There..."

The sand continued to push and pull the young trainer in many directions, causing him to fall many times. He had gone for so long without water and his body had never felt weaker. When suddenly, like a glimmer of hope upon the horizon, he saw that most brilliant of sights - the ocean.

"Yes...!" he panted, his voice nothing more than a hushed whisper as he attempted to move faster and faster towards his goal. "Almost... There...!"

One step, two steps, three steps, and then... Zeni's weight shifted forward and he began to fall into the soft, yet unforgiving desert sand, his body quickly becoming covered in dirt and debris.

Zeni held one shaky arm out towards the coast, his eyes half shut through exhaustion, the PokŽballs he had been carrying scattered across the dune.

"No..." he wheezed. "It can't end... Like this..."

Suddenly Zeni was snapped back into reality by a strong night's breeze. He was back in the hot spring, alone save only for the stars which lit the sky above.

"Dammit..." he whispered to himself as he stared down at his reflection in the water below. "Why is all this bringing back so many memories...?"

Zeni paused for a few minutes, trying not to reflect too much on the past. Eventually he began to grow tired, rising out of the water and reaching for his towel, wrapping the cloth around his body and heading back into the hotel, his eyes following his feet as he continued to wonder about the hidden motives of Rafal, that mysterious assailant from Viridian forest...

Zeni was so absorbed in his thoughts that he never even considered paying attention to where he was going. His memories continuing to trouble him, he managed to blindly walk straight into the ladies' changing rooms, stopping only when he heard a sultry, unfamiliar voice speak up.

"Oh my..." the woman stammered as Zeni unwittingly entered the room.

The young trainer's eyes jerked up and he saw the image of a tall, slender woman in her mid-forties - her shapely figure was wrapped up tightly in a light, cotton towel and what skin she revealed was glistening with water from the hot springs. Her long, flame red hair cascaded down her shoulders and her bright, brown eyes showed an inner desire as she bit down on her lip playfully, looking the boy up and down slowly.

"Uh..." Zeni stuttered, his face immediately flushing an incredibly bright red. "I think I... Uh, I mean..."

The trainer swallowed hard and began to slowly back out of the room as the woman began to make her advance towards him.

"Don't be shy, baby..." the woman whispered with a voice steeped in lust. "It's been a long time since I've seen a stud like you..."

"OH CRAP!!" Zeni screamed, immediately turning and dashing down the hotel hallway, refusing to look back.

"Huh..." the woman mused as she watched the boy leave. "So many of them are turning gay these days. Such a shame..."

~*~*~

The morning came quickly for Zak and the others when Geol and Lance took the time to wake everyone up at first light. Geol explained to the team that the police and security forces of Viridian city had all been notified of Knite's arrival and checkpoints had been set up around the entire perimeter of the city.

Knite's most likely points of entry, Geol went on to explain, would probably be either the north or west entrances to the city, so Zeni and Whitney were assigned to the west entrance, whilst Zak and Yuki were assigned to the north. Lance would be guarding the south entrance and Geol would be watching over the east entrance, though everyone had the support of the police forces in nearby areas in case anything went wrong.

Zak and Yuki had been on guard duty for just over four hours now and the sun was steadily rising to its peak, midday position. It was a hot and humid day and both trainers had suffered from a lack of sleep, making the whole situation seem a lot more nerve-wracking.

Zak and Yuki both stood near the entrance to the city, where police forces had set up a road block and were rigorously identifying anyone who entered the city.

"You bored yet?" Zak asked the girl who was standing beside him, leaning on the handle of her weapon and yawning every so often.

"It doesn't take much to get me bored." Yuki admitted, smiling.

"So what did you and Zeni-? Aw, dammit..." Zak muttered under his breath, suddenly recalling what Zeni had told him last night.

"Hm?" Yuki wondered out loud. "What is it?"

"Zeni told me about that guy from yesterday who attacked you." Zak explained, sighing. "And I forgot to tell my Dad about it..."

"Oh." Yuki answered. "I probably wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I don't think he's going to be bothering us again."

"I dunno, Zeni seemed kinda worried about it..." Zak mumbled. "But anyway, yeah, you're probably right."

An awkward silence befell the two trainers before Zak spoke up again.

"So anyway..." he began, somewhat nervously. "Uhm... I know it's a touchy subject but would you mind... Um..."

Yuki looked at the boy curiously.

"I mean, uh..." Zak chuckled. "Well, I was kinda hoping you could tell me about... About what Mom was like."

Yuki's face flushed a light shade of pink and she tried to force away the pain of her memories at the ruins of Alph.

"I don't know..." she finally managed. "Well, she was all I ever knew. She was kind, caring, gentle..."

Zak looked at the girl, intrigued by her story. Yuki was clearly upset, though she did an admirable job of hiding her sorrow.

"Ambitious..." Yuki continued. "She taught me everything I know. She only ever wanted the best for me..."

Zak nodded. Though he never knew Velcia like Yuki did, he still felt as if a part of him had been missing his whole life, and this was a priceless glimpse at what had once filled that void.

Suddenly Yuki looked back up to Zak, determination replacing the sorrow that was once evident in her eyes.

"And that's why I have to get Raikou back!" she declared. "I have to do it for Mom."

"I..." Zak stammered, then smiled warmly. "I understand. And we will get Raikou back."

Yuki stepped closer to Zak, her body feeling weak as she began to let her emotions get the better of her. She'd been alone for so long - she just wanted someone to protect her...

"I promise." Zak said as he gently wrapped his arms around the girl and held her close.

"Now!" a voice yelled from one of the nearby alleyways as a figure rushed past, pulling Yuki out of Zak's grip.

"Wha!?" Zak exclaimed, following the course of the figure as it came to a halt in front of a small building opposite the trainer.

"So you're the prince..." the man, who was wearing a dark green mask and matching jacket with urban camouflage pants, chuckled. "I must admit I was expecting more from the destined 'king of Johto'."

"Just who are you?" Zak demanded, removing a PokŽball from his belt and enlarging it in his palm. "Let Yuki go!"

"My name is Rafal." the man revealed. "I was hoping to get this out of the way yesterday, but it seems I'll have to do this the hard way instead..."

"Let Yuki go!" Zak ordered. "I'm warning you!"

Yuki struggled desperately, but it was no use - the man was a lot stronger than he first appeared and had her at his mercy in a convincing choke hold.

"I don't have time for this, my prince." Rafal laughed.

Zak's eyes trailed down towards Rafal's hands. His left hand was wrapped tightly around Yuki's neck, whilst his right was holding what appeared to be a damp cloth. Slowly the masked stranger reached up with his right hand, gagging Yuki with the cloth. Yuki continued to struggle until eventually she fell unconscious.

"Yuki!" Zak cried. "What the Hell did you do to her, you son of a bitch!?"

Without a second thought Zak threw down the PokŽball in his hand, revealing the form of his Unown, Epsilon. Epsilon hovered in mid-air for a moment, glaring down at Rafal with its single, gigantic eye.

"Heh, just a small dose of temporary paralysis." Rafal explained, a smile forming underneath his mask. "She should be out for about three hours. That's more than enough time to take her back to the mistress."

"Epsilon, Hidden Power!" Zak commanded, pointing straight at Rafal.

"Uh-uh-uh!" Rafal laughed back. "You don't want to hurt the princess now, do you?"

Epsilon was in the middle of charging its attack when Zak raised his hand.

"Stop, Epsilon." he growled, gritting his teeth. "We can't risk hurting Yuki."

By this time the crowd of police officers had begun to surround Rafal, watching his every move. Rafal was aware of this, and so he slowly began to back into a nearby alleyway.

"Well, it's been fun," Rafal shouted over to Zak. "but I can't stay long. Adios, prince!"

With a flash of smog the man vanished into the darkness of the alleyway, leaving Zak and Epsilon standing amongst a crowd of confused officers and blaring sirens.

"DAMMIT!!" Zak screamed up into the sky. He paused to think for a second, then rushed over to officer Jenny who was attempting to investigate the alley in which Rafal had just made his escape.

"Officer Jenny!" he panted. "Get in contact with the eastern squad and tell my Dad what just happened - I need to follow Yuki!"

"But Zak..." the policewoman stammered. "How are you going to know where they went?"

"Zeni said something about Viridian forest." Zak explained. "There's no time to waste - Epsilon, let's go!"

The Unown bowed to show its understanding, then immediately followed Zak as he began to dart through the crowd of Viridian security and towards the forest to the north.

"But Zak!" officer Jenny called after the boy. "It's dangerous to go alone!"

Zak didn't even answer, instead just focusing on running as fast as he could. If he was right about where Rafal was headed, then he was at a distinct advantage. Yuki would be slowing the stranger down, and Zak was no slouch in the athletics department. He would catch up to them no matter what.

~*~*~

The sound of grating metal echoed inside the narrow sewer tunnels as Knite removed the manhole cover and peered out onto the surface. In his field of vision he could see a smooth, metallic room with an electronic door and keypad beside it.

"This is the place." he said back to Tamara, who was standing beneath him.

"Finally." the girl sighed. "The smell down here was really starting to get to me."

Knite climbed up into the small room and immediately got to work unlocking the large, metal door whilst Tamara pulled herself up behind him. With every key that was pressed came a confirmation beep until finally Knite finished entering his security password and positioned his eye directly in front of the retina identification panel.

"Identity confirmed." a computerised voice hissed from the keypad's speakers. "Proceed."

The door quickly slid open, allowing both Knite and Tamara easy access to the inside of the Viridian city Team Rocket complex. Knite entered their destination on the elevator keypad and the doors slid shut, the transport rising up towards the appropriate floor.

"We made pretty good time." Tamara commented, leaning against the elevator wall with her arms folded in front of her chest.

"Indeed." Knite replied, nodding. "That commotion at the north entrance couldn't have come at a better time."

After a few more seconds the elevator arrived at their destination - the top floor of the building.

Knite and Tamara exited the transport, listening as the metal doors slid shut behind them and the elevator was called to another destination. Knite began to approach the desk in front of them, where a female secretary was sitting, obviously not impressed by the thought of dealing with people.

Tamara took the time to admire the top floor of the building. It was a small room, about ten feet or so in both length and width and had several portraits, mostly of ancient, legendary PokŽmon, hanging on the otherwise sparse walls. In the centre of the room was the desk where Knite was talking with the secretary, and on the back wall was a plain, wooden door with an electronic keypad similar to the one by the elevator positioned at its side.

After a few minutes of negotiating the secretary allowed the two trainers to enter the back room, where the leader of Team Rocket himself was waiting for their report.

This room was much grander in both size and decoration. The room measured around twenty feet in length and thirty feet in width, and was adorned with numerous portraits and statues of obviously powerful PokŽmon. In the middle of the room, towards the back wall, was a gold-coloured desk which was covered in numerous papers and decorative PokŽballs. Behind this desk was a luxurious black leather chair, and there, sitting down and dressed in a crease-free yellow suit with a Persian on his lap, was Giovanni.

"So you're finally here." the man greeted the two trainers in a gruff, impatient voice. "You certainly took your time."

Knite said nothing and simply smiled, placing the customised PokŽball on the desk in front of the man.

"As promised, Giovanni," Knite began. "Raikou, the legendary beast of lightning."

Giovanni's eyes immediately lit up as he took the PokŽball and stared at it with a large grin on his face.

"Incredible..." Giovanni breathed, his voice no louder than a whisper. "Raikou..."

The man looked up at Knite and Tamara and smiled, getting to his feet.

"You've done a great job, Knite." he congratulated the boy. "Nobody in my team could have achieved this feat."

"I've made my down-payment." Knite said simply, his face cold and distant. "Now it's time for your end of the bargain."

Tamara's eyes watched Knite closely as he said those words.

"Of course, of course." Giovanni chuckled, reaching for the gold phone which lay waiting on his desk. He pushed down on the activation key and spoke his orders into the machine. "Isabel, have doctor Nanba report to the laboratory at once."

There was a slight pause before the phone's loudspeakers replied with the voice of the secretary outside.

"He will be ready in thirty minutes, Giovanni sir."

"Perfect..." Knite whispered to himself, licking his lips.

~*~*~

Zak had been running through Viridian forest for what seemed like hours and had yet to find anything relating to Yuki or the mysterious Rafal.

'I can't give up...' his thoughts echoed in his head. 'I can't let Yuki down...'

Suddenly he heard the ringing of his PokŽgear, the noise causing several Spearow to scatter from the trees and fly up into the sky. Zak quickly flipped up the cover of the device, the screen identifying the name of the caller as he answered.

"Zak?" came the voice of Geol through the PokŽgear's speakers. "Zak, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, Dad." Zak breathed back, exhausted from his non-stop running. "I hear you."

"Dammit, Zak, you've got to pull yourself together!" Geol insisted. "We had a plan and you've got to stick to it!"

"But this was never part of the plan!" Zak protested angrily. "Yuki's in serious trouble, who knows what that lunatic's doing to her!?"

"Zak!" Geol growled. "What would Yuki want!?"

Zak stopped and thought about this.

"Think, Zak." Geol continued. "Would Yuki want you to sacrifice Raikou and let Team Rocket get away with everything they've done? I don't think she would."

"I..." Zak stuttered.

"We can search for Yuki later, but right now Knite is our priority, understand?"

Zak remained silent for a moment. He could feel his heart beat as he tried to slow down his breathing and calm his thoughts. Yuki... Yuki was in trouble, yes, but... If he let Knite get away now, he may never get another lead and Raikou could be trapped in Team Rocket's clutches forever. Right now he had no clue where Rafal had taken Yuki, but he did know where Knite was headed: Viridian city.

"You're right, Dad." Zak admitted, sighing as he stared at the grass below his feet. "I'll head back to the city."

"Good." Geol answered. "I've had Zeni move to your position so you can take a break. Oh, and son... I know your heart's in the right place."

With those final words the PokŽgear gave a click and the call ended.

~*~*~

After a few minutes of walking back to the city Zak met up with Zeni, who seemed more than just a little bored with the whole situation. After speaking briefly with his friend, Zak decided to head further inside the city and take a lunch break to help clear his head.

As he walked along the busy streets and sidewalks, people freely coming and going before him, his PokŽgear began to ring again.

Zak looked down at the device, which displayed the name 'Whitney' in green and black digital lettering.

"Hello?" he greeted into the PokŽgear's microphone as he flipped the device open and answered the call.

"Hey Zak." Whitney greeted back. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Zak lied in response.

"Ha, you can't fool me, Zak." Whitney chuckled. "I can always tell when you're lying, remember?"

Zak groaned at this.

"Well, anyway," Whitney continued. "I just wanted to say that it wasn't your fault Yuki got caught."

"Huh?" Zak answered uncertainly.

"I just don't want you feeling guilty about it." the girl explained. "Like that time Tanner caught me - you couldn't do anything about it, so it's not your fault."

"Uh..." Zak stammered. "Thanks, I guess."

"I'll tell you what," Whitney suggested, her voice brightening up in an attempt to infect Zak and chase his gloominess away. "tonight you and I can battle. A PokŽmon battle always helps to take your mind off things."

"Huh..." Zak muttered as an idea entered his mind. "Thanks, Whitney - that sounds great."

"Sure!" Whitney giggled. "And don't think I'll be going easy on you!"

The PokŽgear gave an audible click as Whitney ended the call. Zak flipped the cover of the PokŽgear back down and looked over towards the opposite side of the street where a large building stood, the sign above the entrance proudly displaying the title 'Viridian City PokŽmon Gym'.

"Whitney's right..." he said to himself, smiling as he approached the entrance. "A battle's just what I need right now. So why not earn a badge while I'm at it?"

The interior of the Gym was dark and foreboding, reminding Zak of his battle with the Ecruteak city leader, Morty. Perhaps the owner of this Gym was also a Ghost-type trainer, or possibly even a Dark-type trainer. Zak savoured the idea of a battle against a new and exciting PokŽmon type, but first he would have to find the leader...

"Uh... Hello?" he called out into the darkness as he pushed further inside the building. "Anyone home?"

There was no answer, just the echo of his voice reverberating around the hollow main room.

Zak's eyes were slowly beginning to adjust to the darkness as he managed to make out the large stadium that was raised in the centre of the room. He wandered around the edge of it and towards the back wall, where he felt his way across, staring up at the Gym and hoping to find someone who could help him register for an official match.

"I'm here for a PokŽmon battle!" he tried again to raise some interest. "I'd really appreciate it if you could turn the lights on or something!"

Suddenly Zak felt a sharp, square-shaped object in his left hand. He looked down, seeing several blinking red and green lights which appeared to be flashing faster and faster.

"Uh-oh..." he mumbled, panicking as he quickly withdrew his hand from the device. "What'd I do now?"

Suddenly an automatic door slid open beside him, revealing the inside of what appeared to be an elevator, bathed in light.

"Aha!" Zak decided, walking inside the transport. "They must want me to register somewhere first."

Zak waited for a moment as the doors slid shut on him and he began to travel down towards the lower level, looking at his belt and pondering his choice of PokŽmon for the match.

"Let's see..." he mused to himself. "What PokŽmon do I have that would be strong against Dark-types?"

The young trainer didn't have much time to think as the elevator swiftly arrived at its destination. Zak stepped out of the transport and glanced at his new surroundings.

This room was flooded with a pale blue light and all around were what appeared to be precise, scientific instruments scattered across numerous desks. In terms of width the room was quite humble, though its huge length - enough to match that of a football field - more than made up for this fact. Zak continued to wander through the room admiring the different types of apparatus until he suddenly noticed a group of people all standing in a small clearing beside a large, glass cage and two tall glass tubes, around twelve feet in both height and width. And he knew one of the people...

'Knite!' he gasped in his mind, quickly crouching down behind one of the nearby desks and watching as the group continued their conversation.

"Haha!" a small, old man with a white beard and mustache gloated as he held what appeared to be a strange new PokŽball design in his hands. "So it actually worked! I mean... Of course it worked, haha! This is most exciting!"

"Is everything ready, doctor?" a tall man in a yellow business suit asked as he petted the Persian - a cat-like PokŽmon - that lay in his arms.

"Of course, Giovanni, sir." the old man replied, straightening his lab coat as he turned and began to adjust various dials on the large computer terminal which stood beside the glass cages. "Let us release Raikou and restrain it immediately. Butch! Cassidy!"

Immediately two Team Rocket grunts - a male and a female - came rushing over obediently. Zak instantly recognised them as the two Team Rocket agents who had attempted to capture Blackrock back in Union cave.

"Yes, doctor Nanba?" the two agents asked in unison.

"Bring me the bracelet." the doctor ordered impatiently. "Now!"

The two grunts bowed, then rushed back to where they first came. Doctor Nanba looked over towards Knite and Tamara before speaking up.

"You may want to call out your PokŽmon to help restrain this thing." he suggested. "I don't want my laboratory ruined."

"That's fine." Knite replied, removing a PokŽball and releasing a small, Ghost-type PokŽmon possessing long, flowing grey locks of gaseous hair and two deep, blood-red eyes.

"Huh..." Zak muttered, removing his PokŽdex from his pocket and examining the creature's details. "Misdreavus, huh?"

"Misdreavus," Knite began, his eyes locked on the ghost which hovered mere inches from his face. "when Raikou appears I want you to hold it down with a Destiny Bond attack. Whatever you do, do not allow Raikou to break free. Understand?"

Misdreavus nodded obediently.

"Here you go, doctor Nanba, sir!" Butch offered, handing the doctor a large, metal bracelet which bore a striking similarity to what Blackrock had been forced to wear in Union cave.

"Excellent." Nanba chuckled, taking the item and placing the PokŽball inside the large, central glass cage. He turned towards the others one last time before asking: "Ready?"

Everyone in the room save for Butch and Cassidy nodded in response, and so the doctor pushed up the giant lever on the side of the cage, pouring hundreds of volts of purple electricity into the PokŽball which lay inside. After a few moments the ball cracked, spitting out the mighty legendary PokŽmon which lay dormant inside.

Raikou roared, angry at its forced imprisonment and by being bombarded by such a huge amount of raw energy. The creature assumed a defensive posture and began to retaliate with its own brand of powerful electricity.

"Now, Knite!" Nanba yelled, throwing the bracelet in his hands over towards the young trainer, who immediately caught the item and dashed straight at Raikou, snapping the collar open in preparation. Within a second the collar had an iron grip around the legendary beast's neck and had already begun draining the creature of its power, forcing it into a state of drowsiness.

"So you see," Knite hissed, walking back towards Giovanni and recalling Misdreavus back into its PokŽball as he did so. "I kept my end of the bargain. Now it's your turn."

"Incredible..." Giovanni chuckled. "Very well. Nanba!"

The doctor turned to face the businessman, eager to hear his orders.

"We have our first test subject." Giovanni explained. "Do you know the PokŽmon you wish to use, Knite?"

"I do." Knite responded, removing another PokŽball and releasing the form of his mighty dragon, Charizard. "I do."

"Excellent." Giovanni commented. "Then you know what to do. Take your places inside the tubes."

Knite looked deep into Charizard's large, dark-brown eyes and saw his reflection staring back at him. Charizard was silent, sharing that same determined look that its trainer possessed.

"Knite..." Tamara whispered uncertainly.

"What is going on...?" Zak wondered to himself in a hushed voice as he continued to stare at the scene, hoping to make some kind of sense from it all.

Knite extended his hand to the Fire-type, who in return reached out a claw, which Knite shook firmly.

"Thank you, Charizard." he said simply. "I couldn't have had a better partner."

Charizard snorted its reply, and both human and PokŽmon took their respective places in the two glass tubes on either side of the large cage where Raikou lay, unconscious.

"Power readings okay." doctor Nanba declared, tapping away at several keys located on the main computer.

Giovanni watched Knite closely as the boy closed his eyes and relaxed.

"Beginning liquid flooding." Nanba continued.

Butch and Cassidy stared with confusion in their eyes as they saw the two glass tubes slowly fill with a thin, clear fluid which didn't even cause the flame on the end of Charizard's tail to flicker.

"Disengaging safety locks."

Zak squinted, still not entirely sure what was happening.

"Activating countdown timer."

Tamara's eyes wobbled ever-so-slightly, her vision locked on Knite's face, his hair flowing majestically in the clear, still fluid of the glass tube.

"And..." Nanba announced. "BEGIN!!"