InuYasha Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ *What* Insertion? ❯ Sure Isn't Rocket Science ( Chapter 14 )

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WHAT* INSERTION?
by Curtis Wildcat


Chapter Fourteen ---- Sure Isn't Rocket Science

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(Cue theme)

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Location: East of Cerulean City
Time: Saturday, March 16, 10:04a.m.

The sky was blue, although several clouds to the west promised some rain in a few hours. The wind was gusting, but not to any extreme degree. Early this morning, this area was one of the quietest spots around; anyone who cared for such things would take the time to enjoy the setting.

It was like that this morning, as stated. Didn't mean it was like it now.

A towering pillar of fire split the sky, reaching 40 meters before fizzling out and shrinking. Another flame pillar, this time with something being thrown skyward, flared up and burned itself out. As the something descended, a third blast slowed it down enough for it to land safely.

That 'something' turned out to be Flareon, who had been working on increasing the intensity of its attacks. Phibrizzo, who was wearing his sunglasses with his fireball T-shirt, took in the scene calmly from the grass. As had become his custom on Saturdays, Phibrizzo teleported in after breakfast to enhance his Flareon's abilities. He'd learned early on that its strengths were primarily offensive, leaving much to be desired defensively. It hadn't helped that its previous trainer had ignored the speed issue, leaving it no faster than an 'average' Flareon.

Phibrizzo didn't like 'average'. It simply wouldn't do...especially not against a foe like Domino. By the time he faced her, Flareon would have to prove that it could hold its own against even faster and tougher opponents.

And if it mastered the moves that the trio had in mind, all the better.

The flame fizzled out again, and Flareon landed safely; it seemed a bit winded, but otherwise willing to go on. After saying as much to Phibrizzo, though, the half-mazoku just shook his head. "Take five," he said, laying against the grass. "We'll practice some more in just a bit."

'Whatever you say,' Flareon told him, settling down. 'You're the boss.'

Phibrizzo sighed. Boss...it's been a long time since I've been called 'boss' or 'master'. I don't even remember what it feels like anymore.

"How long has it been?" Curtis, who was finally feeling somewhat better despite his illness, inquired curiously.

Just over a thousand years, Phibrizzo said bitterly. Ever since, I've resorted to calling others 'master' or 'boss' just to keep up my ruse. I've forced a smile on my face more times than I care to think about. I'd like to think I've wandered that continent nine times over while waiting for the right opportunity. I've masqueraded as a human boy for longer than I can remember, and what has it gotten me?

"The need to inflict your depression on others?" Inuyasha mumbled.

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. If you're going somewhere with this, I don't want to hear it.

"Can't go anyplace in here." Inuyasha eyed the button-layered wall for a few seconds, then returned his gaze to the viewport. "In fact, you're not going anyplace either. Not with a personality like that."

Curtis nodded, sipping some pink lemonade. "Open up a bit, kid. What do you think we've been telling you the last month and a half?"

'Give up every thought you've known yourself to have, forget being a mazoku, and join up with the rest of us humans', Phibrizzo told him sourly, imitating his voice.

Curtis and Inuyasha just stared, eyes half-closed. "Okay...one: we didn't say that," the human informed him. "Two: that voice doesn't sound anything like mine. Three: it's not as bad as it sounds."

I prefer my 'bad' the way it is. If you keep implying stuff like that, you can forget about offering me any advice; I'll just do things my own way.

"It's the same old argument," growled Inuyasha. "You're afraid your masochistic personality's going to be swept aside, so you're repeating idle threats." He placed a hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt. "Giving in to your inner character won't give you three seconds!"

So you've reminded me, Phibrizzo said, wincing at the memory of Inuyasha's Wind Scar. Could you do me a favor? Just be quiet and let me brood in peace.

Just then, he felt something nudge his arm. Phibrizzo glanced up to see Flareon staring at him, looking as worried as possible. 'What's with you? You're looking as if you're hurt.'

"Bad memories," Phibrizzo said, putting on a reassuring smile. "Nothing I can't handle."

'If you say so,' Flareon said reluctantly, nestling next to Phibrizzo and relaxing somewhat. 'If you want to talk, I'm listening...'

"Excuse me!" a voice called out. "Everything alright over here?"

Phibrizzo sat up, identifying his caller as a skinny teenage boy with short red hair and green wristbands. "I'm alright," he replied. "Just resting for a bit."

"Okay...just making sure," the boy said. "I saw all this fire over here, and when I went to see what was going on..."

"It's okay," Phibrizzo told him, putting his sunglasses away. I wonder... "Hey, you don't suppose you could battle me...um..."

"Greg Maron. Nice to meet you."

"Phibrizzo Kaden. The same."

"Weird name."

Phibrizzo frowned. "Nice. Are you able to battle, or not?"

Greg held his hands in front of him. "Okay, okay. You don't need to get mad at me!"

"Sorry...I know my name's strange, but I wish people would stop telling me about it!"

Flareon nudged him again. 'Boss, don't get off-topic.'

Rolling his eyes a little, Phibrizzo stood up. "Alright, then. You all set?"

Greg smiled. "Whenever you are!"

------

Thirty seconds later, the two trainers were standing a set distance apart. Flareon stared at the opposing trainer, ready and willing to battle officially for the first time in more than a month (the battle against Team Rocket didn't count as far as he was concerned). I'm actually a tad nervous, but if Phibrizzo isn't...

Behind him, Phibrizzo smiled and tensed himself. "First Battle, Take One. And...action!" he exclaimed.

"That's as good a starting signal as any," Greg remarked, tossing and activating a Poké Ball. "Go, Dugtrio!"

As the mole threesome materialized in the ground, Phibrizzo's mental eyes turned inward. Curtis, what information do you have?

"Basically, it's really fast," Curtis told him, racking his brain for helpful information. "And against Flareon, its stronger attacks are going to do a ton of damage. As soon as it goes underground, be careful!"

Underground? Alright. Gotcha. "Okay. Should I go, or shall you?"

“I’ll go. All set, Dugtrio?” Greg asked.

“Trio. Trio.”

“Terrific. Dugtrio, Tri-Attack!”

“Trio!” A triangle of rainbow light formed between the mole’s three heads, becoming a ray that targeted Flareon’s waiting form.

Phibrizzo’s fist clenched. “Alright, let’s try this! Flareon, Reflect!”

Gritting its teeth, Flareon tensed every muscle in its body. A brilliant flare of fire, emanating from the creature’s mouth and mane, seemed to harden and solidify into a reflective shield moments before the Tri-Attack made contact. As the smoke and dust settled, the fire-type seemed to be okay; none of the status conditions that the move was known to inflict was made apparent, either.

Greg frowned. "I didn't know Flareon could learn that move. How'd you find out about that?"

Phibrizzo smiled, looking innocent; only his fireball T-shirt suggested otherwise. "I had someone I know look up information on him," he explained as the Reflect defense dissolved. "It took some time, but we were finally able to work things out."

The frown was gone. "You only look like a beginner. In that case, excuse me for holding back with that last one! Dig down, Dugtrio!"

Without hesitation, the mole Pokémon vanished underground in a cloud of dust. Phibrizzo gritted his teeth, hearing Flareon's angry exclamation: 'It's gone!' "Stay calm, Flareon," he muttered, "and wait for my signal!"

-----

A short distance away, two men in gray uniforms were crouched behind some trees. One of them, a skinny man with short red hair, held a pair of binoculars in his hand. "That's the kid the boss wants?" he asked. "I don't get it."

"What's there to get?" the second man---portly, and having a mustache---said gruffly. "You heard what the boss said: 'This kid has special talents. I want him captured and brought to me, but be careful of the abilities he has.' What he wants, he gets."

"He doesn't look too special. If anything, he looks demented."

"Just watch the battle, would you, Stan?"

-----

Wait for it, Phibrizzo told himself, repeating the phrase mentally. Wait for it. Wait for it...

"Dugtrio, Earthquake!"

Wait for it...

The ground beneath Flareon began rumbling...

Wait for it...

A multitude of cracks formed beneath his feet...

Now! "Blaze Away!"

Without a second to spare, Flareon faced the ground and blasted it with his Flamethrower. Just like in practice, the attack's propulsion carried it upwards, out of reach of the Earthquake's cave-ins and high-intensity rumbling.

Greg didn't like where this was going. "Dugtrio, resurface and use Tri Attack!"

The Dugtrio ceased the 'quake as ordered, reappeared, and prepared to attack Flareon while its defense was down. Greg smiled to himself. This time, it won't be able to use Reflect to protect itself!

Phibrizzo suppressed a smirk; the tactic seemed to be working. "Blaze Brigade!"

Flareon shut off the Flamethrower, dropping straight down and avoiding the Tri Attack by a hairsbreadth. Immediately, he fired a brief burst straight down; the fireball's recoil and resulting explosion shot him back up. As he came back down he fired again, shifting his aim a little to carry himself towards the Dugtrio and dodging another Attack as he did so. He kept up the motion, using the repeated Flamethrowers as a pogo stick of sorts...and putting himself in position for a counterattack.

Greg saw the glint in Phibrizzo's eyes. Uh-oh! "Dugtrio, get down!"

"Not this time," the half-mazoku warned. "Flamethrower!"

Just as Greg's Pokémon dived under again, a trail of fire shot into its tunnel. After keeping it up for a few seconds, Flareon let the Flamethrower subside before landing back on solid ground, panting a little. A few seconds later, a charcoal-colored Dugtrio resurfaced, coughed, and sunk down near the ground.

Greg shook his head, then recalled the defeated Dugtrio. "Sorry about that," he said, as if talking to it. "Rest up, and we'll try again some other time. Okay, pal?"

Flareon turned to croon something at Phibrizzo. "Yeah, I'll say," he responded, all grins. "This is fun!" Laughing delightedly, he let himself fall over on the grass. His Pokémon trotted on over, making a similar noise; it felt good to be able to win, especially after the losing streak he was on.

Greg walked over to him and waited for him to stop laughing before grasping his hand. "Nice battle," he told Phibrizzo, who shook his hand from the ground. "Rather unusual, but I guess it works. I'll need to try something like that sometime."

"Thanks." Phibrizzo let himself relax. "I'm preparing for a tough match sometime in the future, and I want us to be as prepped as possible."

------

"Well, Stan?" the well-rounded man asked from the shelter of the trees.

"Okay," 'Stan' said, lowering his binoculars. "I'm definitely convinced. We'll wait until that other guy leaves, then capture the kid and tote him back to Headquarters. Good enough, Ollie?"

"Good enough. Did you bring the tranquilizers?"

Stan checked his bag. "I...think I left them back at the base."

"What about my Tyranitar?"

"He's still on vacation at Mount Silver, remember?"

Ollie sighed. "Did you at least bring the electrified net?"

"Yes...I think so."

"Guess we'll have to settle for that, then."

-----

"A tough match?" Greg asked, unaware of the nearby spies. "Against who---the Cerulean gym leader? Your Flareon would have to be real strong to beat the water-types there."

Phibrizzo shook his head. "Nope. Against a Team Rocket agent that really hates my guts. She's given me some time to prepare myself, thankfully."

Greg's eyes widened. "Against one of them? I've heard rumors about them. They're supposed to be pretty ruthless. Sounds like you have your work cut out for you."

"No question about that. Thanks for the match. That was my first real battle, and I think the experience will help a lot. Where are you off to, might I ask?"

"Well, I'll probably be going to Saffron City. There's a Contest Hall there that's under construction, and I thought I'd go there and possibly compete when it opens."

Phibrizzo resolved to ask Curtis about that later. "Contest Hall? Neat. Hope you win, then!"

"I'll do my best, for sure. See you later. Wish you the best!" Greg said, backing up a few steps and waving.

After acknowledging his departure, Phibrizzo stood up and brushed himself off. Alright, good. The training session's over, and we put some of Flareon's new skills to good use. Let's see...we could wander around Cerulean for a bit and see the sights. We could find a way to earn some of the local currency. We could go to the gym and bother Dolphin and Misty, get information on that Contest Hall the guy mentioned, or we could go home early and find something else to do. Suggestions, anyone?

"The currency is nice," Curtis said. "You'll never know when Flareon's going to get seriously hurt, and it would help to get some so you can purchase antidotes and the like."

Alright. The currency it is, then...

Whoosh!

A large net travelling at a high velocity smacked into Phibrizzo, knocking him to the ground and entangling him within. “Whaa---! Where did---”

The net started crackling, then blazed to life; Flareon reflexively jumped back, not wanting to get caught as well. As the voltage---equal to that of a Thundershock---streamed into him, Phibrizzo flinched, then shrugged and brushed at his arms as if trying to wipe off dirt. “Kind of tingles, but I don’t know...”

“Well, if you’re half-mazoku, then a lot of stuff isn’t really going to hurt you,” Inuyasha informed him. “But who threw that net?”

“Two guesses, and neither of them count,” Curtis said, pointing off to an angle.

I see them. Now they’re treating me like a Pokémon by catching me with a net. As the electricity started to wane, Phibrizzo’s skin temperature started to rise. No one treats me like that!

Phibrizzo’s arms and hands began glowing a deep purple, and whatever parts of the net that came into contact with them were burned clear through. He stood up and cleared what was left of the net off of him, the heat stifling itself as quickly as the electricity that powered it. “Okay, where are those guys?”

After about ten seconds, two men stepped out from behind the trees: the spies that were observing them earlier. The well-rounded one seemed perturbed about his net being ruined, and the redheaded guy looked as if he were about to cry. Both of them wore gray uniforms with a letter ‘R’ stitched on the front.

“Well, the boss wasn’t kidding about you,” the round one said. “Better get ready and come along. He wants to talk to you.”

"Let me guess," Phibrizzo deadpanned. "Team Rocket? I thought you guys liked to introduce yourself."

"Well, the last time we did that, our target scampered off before we could finish," the skinny guy explained. "So, we stopped doing that."

"That explains a lot. Who are you guys?"

"Call us Stan and Ollie," the skinny guy told Phibrizzo. "We were going to try to capture you, but you destroyed the only net I had. So, it looks like we're going to have to battle you, right?"

Phibrizzo shrugged. "Sure, if you can give me a few coins if I win."

"A few coins?" Ollie asked curiously.

Phibrizzo rubbed the back of his head. "Well, the money I do have isn't good around here, and I thought I could earn some if I beat you."

"Well," Stan said, "I don't see why not."

Ollie whirled towards him. "Stan, are you crazy? We don't do 'legitimate'! Why do you think we joined Team Rocket?"

"The kid's broke, and he wants to earn some by battling us," Stan argued. "It's only fair."

Ollie sighed. "Fine, but you're paying."

Phibrizzo sweatdropped as he turned to Flareon. "Well, are you up for another battle?"

'As long as it's quick,' was Flareon's answer. 'After this, can we call it a day?'

"Sure; I'll treat you to something for lunch if we win. Are you carnivorous, omnivorous, or what?"

'Omnivorous. Why?'

"Are you done yet?" Ollie asked, interrupting them.

"Just about. Let's go!"

------

Two minutes later, Stan was recalling his defeated (and scorched) Furret, once again appearing emotional. He and Ollie silently promised that they would find some way to bring the kid back to Headquarters.

Phibrizzo had left the field, counting what the agent had given him. He and Flareon went to a local restaurant and snacked on Razz Berry tarts with whipped cream; a few other patrons thought this scene was cute, although the two of them didn't really notice. Afterwards, Phibrizzo dropped Flareon back at the Pokémon Center and high-tailed it for home.

Similar things occured the next day. After a particularly intense session where Flareon started learning how to increase his speed, Stan and Ollie attempted using a bagfull of tranquilizers on Phibrizzo. Since he only appeared human, though, all they really did was irritate him with all the stinging. Following that, Ollie tried using his Raichu to battle...and wound up issuing his opponent with some money as well.

On Monday, Phibrizzo never showed up; the duo didn't know this, but he was back home in Beika attending school. On Wednesday, they went back to Headquarters and reported that their target hadn't been seen since Sunday; concluding that Phibrizzo only showed up on weekends, Giovanni told them to return to their assignment during that time. On Saturday morning, while waiting in disguise at the Cerulean City Pokémon Center, they intercepted an interesting message intended for their target...

------

Time: Saturday, March 23, 1996; 8:45a.m.

"Hello, Phibrizzo," Nurse Joy said in greeting. "You're here for your Flareon, aren't you?"

Phibrizzo waved good-naturedly. "Yeah. Gonna give it some more speed training this morning, maybe this afternoon if he's up to it."

"That's nice," Joy commented, accepting Flareon's Poké Ball from a nearby Chansey. "Here you go---"

"Ring-ring-ring! Ring-ring-ring! Phone call! Phone call! Ring-ring---"

The incessant noise stopped as Joy answered the videophone. "Hello?"

"Ah, Nurse Joy," a middle-aged man's voice greeted her. "I hope I called at the right time. Would a trainer named 'Phibrizzo Kaden' be available?"

"Of course. He's right behind me. Did you need him for something?"

"Yes. May I speak to him for a minute?"

Phibrizzo walked behind the counter and sat down in front of the videophone, taking Joy's spot as well as Flareon's Poké Ball. "Hello? Who is this?"

"This is Professor Oak," the man said. "Nice to meet you."

Phibrizzo's eyes widened a little. "Wow, no kidding," he murmured. He'd heard of Oak's reputation; maybe he could get some answers that Curtis couldn't provide. "What do you want me for?"

"I heard a little from Nurse Joy about you wanting to learn more about Pokémon in general," Oak explained. "How would you like to come by the lab sometime and get a few pointers? My assistant and I would be glad to help you out."

"Would I?" Phibrizzo exclaimed. "I'll do it! I'll be there as soon as I can!"

Oak chuckled. "Yes...I heard about those abilities of yours, too. I'd like to see them, too."

"Can do," Phibrizzo said excitedly. "Give me a few hours, and I'll be there!"

"That's good news. I'll talk to you later, then. Okay?"

"Okay. Bye-bye!"

------

Shortly after that, as Phibrizzo left the Center, a disguised Stan turned to Ollie. "You heard what the professor said, right? The kid's going to Oak's laboratory. Just think of the opportunity we have!"

"There have been a few attempts on the place already," Ollie whispered back. "You heard about what happened to Butch and Cassidy that one time. If we're going to clean the place out, we should come prepared."

Stan tapped his chin. "I have a mop..."

"Not that kind of cleaning, Stan. We're going to need every little bit of equipment we have if we're to succeed. The net didn't work, and neither did the tranquilizers. We'll need to go with Plan C."

"Plan C?"

"Yes. We'll need to access what we left back at Headquarters and go to Pallet Town immediately. With that stuff in hand and with my Tyranitar back from its vacation, we should be more than ready to defeat Phibizzo and leave him with the boss."

"Sounds good to me."

The two of them got up and started to leave when Stan suddenly thought of something, stopping cold. "Um, Ollie?"

"What is it, Stan?"

"Isn't it pronounced 'Phibrizzo'?"

"Just get to the 'cycles, Stan."

----

"So, Curtis," Phibrizzo asked from within the pillar, "are you remembering anything?"

Curtis, who'd made sure no one was watching before he took control, shook his head. "I don't remember too much about Oak's lab. When we teleported to Cerulean City the first time, I'd recently looked at a picture of the gym, so I had the details down. In this case, the only thing I remember about the lab is the windmill next to it."

"In that case, just give me the directions," Inuyasha said, stepping over to the 'Switch' button, pressing it, and taking his spot behind the wheel. "You do know the general location of the place, do you?"

"Right. Here..."

After listening to the directions, Inuyasha leapt from the trees onto the rooftops and took off from there. From Cerulean, they went straight west over Mount Moon and into Pewter City, where they memorized the location of the local Pokémon Center before heading south. After passing through both Viridians and startling more than their fair share of people and Pokémon, they came into sight of Pallet Town shortly before lunchtime.

It was shortly after Inuyasha landed on a tree limb, getting ready to jump again, when Phibrizzo finally spoke up. "Hey, Inuyasha? Let me back out. I'm set to go." Looking outside, Curtis could see why he asked to be released: the windmill---and Oak's laboratory by extension---was within sight. That was true, at least, until Inuyasha jumped down and turned things over back to the half-mazoku.

After Phibrizzo regained control, he started going over some mental math and began circling around an out-of-the-way tree, stopping when his back was towards Pallet Town. He checked over his shoulder a few times, estimating the distance. Hmm...a Rocket probably won't be enough. I'll have to go with something that'll guarantee more distance!

Getting an idea, he wound his arm and shot it around the tree, making sure it circled enough times before pulling it tight. He kept stepping back until he couldn't go any further, picked up his feet and let his arm uncoil, picking up speed as he was twirled around the tree.

"Gum...gum..."

At last, going as fast as he could, he let go of the tree and launched himself into the sky with the force of a bowling ball hurled from a trebuchet.

"Spriinngg!!!"

-------

Inside his lab's living area, Oak turned to the brown-haired trainer who was sipping a drink calmly. "I really appreciate you helping me with this, Richie. After that last attempt by those thieves, it'll be nice to have this security system up and running."

Richie took another sip and smiled. "It's the least I can do after you helped me out with my Eevee, Professor. I think I have a pretty good idea what I can have it evolve into at this point."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure you made the right decision." Oak looked out the window. "I don't know when Phibrizzo's going to get here. You don't mind sticking around until then, do you? It may take some time."

"No, I don't mind. Is that okay with you, Sparky?"

Sparky, who was given something to drink as well, responded with a cheerful "Pi-kaaa" before continuing.

"Good. Very good." Oak went over and sat on the couch opposite of Richie, folding his hands. "You've met Phibrizzo before. What's your opinion of him?"

Richie couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Funny you should---"

"Banzaiiiii!" *Crash! Ka-Boom!*

All of them jumped as something exploded outside the lab; a siren went off somewhere nearby. "What was that?" Oak asked, startled.

"Beats me. Let's check it out!"

When the three of them hurried outside, holding their noses to keep from breathing in the massive dust cloud, they found a small crater several meters away from the door. When they approached, they heard a muffled snicker...and as the cloud dissipated, a boy pulled his head out of the dirt. "Air mail," he said, laughing. "That was fun! I want to do that again!"

Richie sweatdropped, while Oak just blinked. "Um...is that you, Phibrizzo?"

Phibrizzo seemed to remember where he was, and his smile turned a little embarrassed. "Yeah, it's me. Sorry about the entrance." After shaking some loose dirt off his head he focused his eyes on Richie. "Wow, didn't expect to see you here. Small world after all, huh?"

"Hi, Phibrizzo," Richie said a tad reluctantly; the nearby siren was shut off, assumably by Tracey. "Didn't expect you to show up this way. Actually, I half-expected you to teleport."

Oak stared at the two in surprise; not noticing this, Phibrizzo shook his head. "I can't teleport to a place I haven't been, unless I know what the place looks like. Besides, the scenic route's much nicer. I hitched a ride with someone, then used that last trick to get me over here once I came to town."

Richie cracked a half-smile. "You're bizarre. Did you know that?"

"Yes. So I've been told." Phibrizzo turned to Oak. "Hi, Professor! Nice to meet you in person!"

-----

Once Oak got over his surprise, everyone---accompanied by Tracey, who had approached them while they were busy speaking---went inside and took a seat, wanting to hear more about what Phibrizzo was doing here.

Obliging them, Phibrizzo gave them a somewhat-shortened version of his story and answered minor questions along the way. He told them about his primary abilities, although he deliberately left out any details about his Dark Harsh attack (Richie was silently wondering about that, although he didn't say anything). He told them how he wound up in Cerulean City, was reunited with a sister he'd thought was long gone, battled against a tough Team Rocket agent (with Misty and Richie's help), gained a partner in Flareon, and had set to work honing the Pokémon's abilities in preparation for the eventual matchup with Domino. He briefly mentioned the two agents that he'd encountered, and explained that he wanted to learn more about the fire-types that inhabited the region---and, if possible, those that lived in Johto as well.

He made it clear, though, that he was not looking to take the 'Gym Leader Challenge', as some called it; his schedule would prevent such a thing from happening, and he didn't want people asking why someone so young was out on his own---the fact that he possessed extraordinary abilities notwithstanding.

After Phibrizzo concluded, there was a lengthy silence as everyone digested the story. Oak was the first to speak. "You know, Phibrizzo, if it wasn't for that entrance you made, I'd have a hard time believing you."

"You're not the first to say that," Phibrizzo said, "and you won't be the last, either. In the meantime..." He unhitched the Poké Ball from inside his shirt sleeve and maximized its size. "You can come out now, Flareon."

The ball rattled for a moment and opened of its own volition, releasing Flareon. The Pokémon looked around at its surroundings before jumping in Phibrizzo's lap and settling there.

"It seems really attached to you," Tracey remarked, wondering if he should sketch a picture of this. "Normally, you'd have to activate it to get the Pokémon out."

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I found out that if Flareon's not tired, he'll come out on his own if he hears my voice. I don't understand why, but I won't argue."

"Interesting," Oak mused for a moment before asking: "Excuse me for not asking sooner. Would you like anything to drink?"

"If you have any, I'd like some coffee," Phibrizzo suggested. "I don't handle sugar very well, so I'll just have it plain."

"That's okay," Tracey told him, getting up and heading towards the kitchen. "I'll get the coffee machine going."

"I wonder if I should make a list..." Richie murmured to himself as Sparky nodded in agreement. "'Rubber limbs', 'teleports', 'drinks coffee'..."

Phibrizzo tapped his chin, then spoke before Oak could say anything. "You know, Richie...I don't know much about you, but from what someone told me you're typically a lot nicer than this. I'm not weirding you out or anything, am I?"

"Well...a little," Richie admitted. "It's almost kind of frightening that you can do these things..."

"Could be because he doesn't keep his abilities a secret," Oak told him before questioning Phibrizzo: "Out of those that you're acquainted with, who doesn't know what you can do?"

Phibrizzo started counting off on his fingers. "Hmmm...my foster parents don't know...there's this fifth-grade kid and his older friend who don't know...my principal's suspected something, but I don't know if she's figured it out...most of my friends at school don't know...my aunt and uncle don't know...about nine or ten people, unless I've missed someone."

"And why haven't you told them, as opposed to those you have told?"

"My foster parents don't need to know," Phibrizzo said, frowning. "I think I may clue in my older friend at some point, I don't know...unless it's an emergency, I won't tell anyone else. I've needed to tell those that absolutely needed to know about it, and a few that are already used to strange things happening...but not my closer family and friends. They're not ready for it; I can't trust them with the secret. I just..." He sighed. "...I don't know how to put it."

"You're afraid that they'll think of you as some sort of monster and turn you away," Richie said, understanding. It wasn't a question.

Phibrizzo slowly nodded, barely noticing when Flareon starting rubbing against his hand. If only Richie really knew what he was... "Right. It sounds weird coming from me, but I don't want to alienate what few friends I have...I guess something told me I can trust you. You don't seem like the gossipy type to me." He smiled sadly. "Don't know why I'm talking like this..."

Tracey re-entered the room at this point, sitting down next to Oak. "The coffee should be ready soon..." He saw Phibrizzo's forlorn expression for the first time. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm okay," Phibrizzo answered. "Just doing some serious thinking about myself, that's all." After he stretched a little, his expression changed. "Enough drama. I need to start thinking positive...as much as I hate to do it..."

Flareon sat up and nudged his chin, getting his attention before whining a little. "You want to see how much you've improved by taking one of Richie's Pokémon on? I don't know if that's a hot idea," Phibrizzo warned. "We're talking a tournament-level team, here."

"He can understand Pokémon?" Tracey asked interestedly. "That's neat!"

"Just the fire-types," Phibrizzo said, half-listening to Flareon's dialogue. "Flareon, Richie's no amateur, and I'm no professional. Could you stop bugging me?"

A dejected Flareon's answer was a long, drawn-out "Flarreeeeeee..." Oak got the impression that it was acting like a child that had seen a candy bar and wouldn't let his parents have any peace.

Phibrizzo cringed. "Don't get all cute on me. Okay! Okay!" Sighing, he pushed Flareon off his lap, stood up and turned to the Professor. "Professor, is there anyplace around here safe enough for a battle?"

"You saw the grasslands just north of Pallet Town, didn't you?" Oak suggested. "How about there?"

"As good an idea as any. You up for it, Richie?"

Richie smiled. "Always!"

"Thanks. I'll be back in time for that coffee, okay?"

Tracey waved. "Alright. We'll see you then!"

-----

Location: Somewhere between Pallet Town and Viridian City

Two characters on motorcycles---decked-out motorcycles large enough to fill a parking space---slowly cruised down the road, then pulled behind some trees and stopped. One of them removed his sunglasses and helmet, revealing himself to be Ollie. "Should be a nice place for the ambush. What do you think?"

The other man did likewise, checking the surrounding area. Beyond these trees was the road itself, plus many acres of grasslands. Generally peaceful, very few---if any---Pokémon lived in the grasslands themselves, except the occasional Rattata or Oddish. Not that he cared, of course; he was of Team Rocket. "As good as any. Do you have everything this time? I don't want to go back there. When I mentioned our target's name, that woman's face scared me off."

"Fireproof nets: check. Auxiliary smoke and knockout bombs: check. Explosive adhesive: check. Tyranitar: check. That's everything. Why are you so worried about what she thinks?"

"You didn't see her face, Ollie," Stan said, trembling as he remembered her reaction. "She looked as evil as the boss. When I said we were going to bring in the kid using what we had, she just laughed...and not in a good way."

"You'd think after her team got wiped out at the Cerulean gym, she'd be a lot less happy," Ollie thought aloud.

"Maybe...do you think she's happy that the kid's beaten us twice?"

"All I know is that she's spending all her spare time in Headquarters' training facilities for some reason. The Black Tulip doesn't let anyone outwit her and get away with it. I know that much. Anyway, do you know the plan?"

Stan nodded. "It's a real doozy, for sure; the trick is simply to make him waste his energy. If electricity and tranquilizers can't subdue him, this will."

"Why didn't those tranquilizers work?" Ollie asked. "That was enough serum to neutralize a Dragonite."

"That's the fifth time you've asked me, and the fifth time I've had to say 'I don't know'." Stan took a peak through some binoculars. "I see him. He and another kid are coming towards the field. Quick---let's get ready!"

------------

"...and you're positive about this, right?" Phibrizzo was saying as he walked up the path, Flareon and Richie close by.

"Absolutely," Richie confirmed. "I heard about it on TV just the other day. The Contest Hall in Saffron City's supposed to be accepting applicants for contests in only two months or so, so that trainer you met's probably going to be there."

"Neat. Sounds like something Dolphin would like. I ought to pass that along. I've got one more question, if you don't mind..." Phibrizzo stated hesitantly.

Richie shrugged, careful not to dislodge Sparky. "Sure. What is it?"

"When you were out getting badges for the 'Indigo Plateau'---I think that's what the place was called---did you pass through Saffron, by any chance?"

Richie shook his head repeatedly. "Uh-uh. I'd heard rumors about what the gym leader was like, and I didn't want to chance anything. I just went on to a different town and got a badge there instead."

Phibrizzo smiled. "Well, I have it on good authority that Sabrina's gotten a lot nicer since then. You don't need to worry about that sort of stuff happening again."

"Really? Where'd you hear that?" Richie asked, interested.

"Well, I heard it from---"

"Flareee!" Flareon squealed.

"Don't interrupt me," Phibrizzo mumbled. "Now, as I was saying---"

"Flareee!"

"Whatever it is, it can wait," Phibrizzo growled. "Quit doing that! Anyway, I heard it---"

"Flareeee-onnnn!"

Phibrizzo smacked his forehead as Sparky giggled to himself. "Fine, you can tell me now! What is it you want?" he grumbled.

Flareon took a few seconds to croon his reply. After he finished, Phibrizzo groaned and shook his head. "Flareon, has it ever occurred to you that you may be biting off more than you can chew? I told you already: he's no rookie!"

Flareon barked something in return.

"For all the new stuff you're learning, I sure wish you could tell when not to pick a fight," Phibrizzo said, eyes narrowing. Grumbling to himself, he turned back to Richie and said: "He wants to know if you have any strong rock-types on your team at present."

Richie nodded. "Yeah; Cruise and Granite...my Pupitar and Rhydon, respectively."

Flareon shifted one paw back and forth, as if playing "eeny-meeny-miney-moe", then made his choice. Phibrizzo grimaced before saying: "He wants to battle Rhydon."

There was a few seconds' pause. "Phibrizzo," Richie suggested slowly, "have you ever thought that Flareon might be a tad headstrong?"

"I kind of see what he's getting at, sad to say," Phibrizzo admitted. "By overcoming his weaknesses, he stands a much better chance at beating Domino. I just which he'd take it a bit more slowly. Flareon, you sure you don't want to take on someone else---like say, Sparky?"

Flareon shook his head. "Eeeon." You didn't need to understand Pokémonese to know he was saying 'No way'.

Phibrizzo and Richie just rolled their eyes and shrugged before taking spots at opposite ends of the field they'd just arrived at.

--------

Curtis sighed as he turned away from the viewport, focusing instead on the video game he was playing. "Well, this should be over fast. The chances of Flareon beating a high-level Rhydon are about the same as me losing enough weight to squeeze into a crawlspace."

"Slim?" Inuyasha asked from his chamber.

"Exactly."

Phibrizzo grumbled something inarticulate as he prepared himself. Curtis, you need a hobby.

Curtis smiled, watching as an electronic basketball player missed a 3-point shot. "Whatever; it's your call. Let me know how it turns out."

Across from Phibrizzo, Richie called out his Rhydon. The rhino-like Pokémon snorted as it saw its opponent, almost as if it were beneath its notice.

Phibrizzo smirked. This'll be a toughie. That dense hide will keep any physical attacks from harming it, so I'll need to turn up the heat if I want to win this. Don't know if it's a good idea, but oh well! "We'll need to play it smart, Flareon. Let's not try anything drastic just yet!"

Richie smiled confidently. "It'll take more than smarts to win here! Granite, Take Down!"

The massive Rhydon roared and charged, the vibrations shaking the ground beneath Phibrizzo. I doubt Reflect will help much here. Speed, don't fail us now! "Agility!"

Concentrating, Flareon darted out of the way of Rhydon's Take Down. As he focused every fiber of his being into his newfound speed, he heard Phibrizzo give his next command: "Let's test that thick skin! Get behind it and blast it!"

Putting on the brakes a safe distance from Granite, Flareon immediately assailed it with Flamethrower. Considering the temperature extremes that Rhydon could endure, Phibrizzo wasn't expecting it to do much; but it would give him an idea of how much Flareon would need to exert itself.

"Stop that Flamethrower, Granite!" Richie called. "Mud Slap!"

Growling as it moved, the Rhydon reached down with a clawed hand and swiped the ground, sending dirt and mud towards Flareon. The fire Pokémon didn't react quick enough, and the debris that got into its eyes was enough to disrupt the Flamethrower.

Richie was quick to capitalize on the situation. "Now's your chance, Granite! Horn Drill!"

As Granite roared in confirmation, the horn on its nose began spinning at high speed. The Rhydon lowered its head and stomped his way forward as fast as it was able.

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. There's only one move I can use with it blinded like that. Wait for it...now! "Blaze Away, Flareon!"

Trusting Phibrizzo, Flareon stopped shaking its head and propelled itself upward with a column of flame. Rhydon's Horn Drill missed by scant centimeters. Extinquishing the flame, Flareon descended...and landed on the rocky rhinoceros's back.

Phibrizzo tensed himself. "Are you ready? Here goes nothing!...

"Furnace!"

Richie's eyes widened a fraction. Furnace...?

Flareon gritted its teeth and concentrated. As its mane of gold-yellow fur fluffed out, making it seem more and more like a miniature lion, its red fur began to glow as its internal fire sac began heating to its very limits. The specks of dirt in its eyes slid down his face to the ground. Its body became too hot to touch, and the air around it began rippling as a sign that the temperature was becoming unbearable. Granite muttered something and tried swatting Flareon off, but the little fire-type was in the one spot it couldn't reach.

Sparky moaned something and backed off; the heat that Flareon was emitting was starting to get to him. Richie wiped his forehead free of sweat and tried to focus. "Phibrizzo," he shouted, "what's going on?"

Phibrizzo, who seemed unaffected by the heat, grinned. "Like it? Way back in our first session, I got motivated after I saw Flareon reasborb some fire. I figured that if it could absorb fire to power itself up, why not use fire on the inside to increase its strength? It took a day or two to build up some endurance, but by keeping the flame retained inside him, he basically becomes a living fireball. Think of it as an internal Sunny Day."

That's not good! "Granite, get it off of you!"

After trying to shove Flareon off once more, Rhydon tumbled onto its back in an attempt to squash him beneath it. Recognizing the danger, Flareon was able to stumble off and onto the ground awkwardly. It couldn't dodge Rhydon's swinging tail, however; the fire-type was knocked aside and sent tumbling across the field. It rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

Richie didn't waste any time. "Let's try this again, Granite. Use Take Down, now!"

Upon getting back to its feet, Rhydon charged forward with the intent to finish the battle. Richie smiled confidently as sweat continued to build on his skin. There's no way Flareon's going to be able to dodge this in time!

Phibrizzo, however, saw the glint in Flareon's eyes. "Go for it, Flareon! Flame Wheel!"

As it pushed itself up and let out a determined cry, the air around Flareon became a raging inferno, nearly shielding it from sight. Pushing itself up, it catapulted forward and met Granite's charge head-on---literally.

Although it was able to take temperatures of volcanic proportions, this was too much for even Rhydon to handle; the giant rock-type found itself forcibly thrown back against the dirt, its entire front scorched black from Flareon's assault. The dislodged rocks were just beginning to settle when it struggled back to its feet, seething and preparing itself to attack again.

Richie and Sparky wasn't sure how much more heat they could take; where the temperature had started out in the upper sixties, it now felt like more than a hundred from where they were standing. Thinking quickly, Richie decided on how to end this battle. "Granite, Earthquake!"

Roaring, Rhydon started stomping the ground repeatedly and caused it to shake violently.

"Get to safety, Flareon!" Phibrizzo ordered. "Blaze Away!"

Once again, Flareon's dirt-directed Flamethrower propelled it out of the Earthquake's reach. This time, Richie was ready. "Hyper Beam!"

A mass of yellow light took form between Rhydon's teeth.

"It's now or never!" Phibrizzo cried. "Flamethrower!"

As both attacks were fired, the same thought was running through everyone's heads: This battle's going to end BIG!

-------

"So," Curtis asked as the computer opponent's team dunked the ball, "how's it going out there?"

"That fuzzball's heat is making things miserable outside, and you're asking how it's going out there," Inuyasha said, snide. "It's Flamethrower against Hyper Beam in mid-air."

Curtis paused the game. "And?"

"What do you want me to be---one of those 'sports commentators'?" Inuyasha asked grumpily. "Just turn around and watch!"

Sighing, Curtis set down the controller and turned to face what was becoming a heated conclusion.

------

In most cases, Hyper Beam would've easily overwhelmed Flamethrower. With Furnace supercharging it, though, Flareon's attack would not be denied. After a brief mid-air struggle, the Flamethrower overwhelmed Rhydon's Hyper Beam and blasted against the pseudo-rhino's thick hide.

Flareon kept up the attack for about seven more seconds before dropping to the ground, exhausted. Some trace amounts of heat escaped the fire-type's body, hissing as Flareon's flame sac began to cool; the golden mane around his neck began to settle a little, seeming to shine in the sunlight. Willing its muscles to obey, Flareon pushed itself to its feet and faced its opponent.

Rhydon's entire body looked scorched and blackened. For a few moments it looked as if it still had some fight left in it regardless, but the Pokémon coughed out a few clouds of smoke before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Phibrizzo nearly fell to his knees out of relief, but straightened before he could. Nearly delirious, he scampered over to Flareon before it could fall over. Absorbing some of the leftover heat in the air to speed the cooldown, Phibrizzo sat down and held the Pokémon in his arms. "Well, Sunburst," he admitted, looking gleeful, "I guess you knew what you were talking about this whole time."

Richie's mouth hung open.

"Your jaw's not that heavy," Phibrizzo said, looking up. "And that battle was not that unbelievable."

Richie's mouth finally shut, but only for a moment as he recalled Granite back to its Poké Ball and put it away. "You did the best you could, Granite. Take a rest." He returned Phibrizzo's look, tugging at a sleeve absently; the intense heat and perspiration had plastered his shirt against his body. "Okay, I'm definitely impressed."

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I'm more impressed with how far he's gotten in only a month. He wasn't able to stay heated up that long when he first did that. He's pretty worn out now."

"You mean there's a disadvantage to the move?"

As Phibrizzo explained the cons of the self-powerup, Sparky walked up to Flareon and poked it a few times just to make sure the extra heat was gone. "You betcha. Sure, Furnace makes him hot to the touch and gives his fire attacks a major boost---and makes his fur look glossy---but it also wears away at him. He steadily loses energy the longer he stays like that; problem is, he can only expel the excess heat by releasing it all at once. I want to see if I can make Furnace usable without any adverse effects, but so far it's not very promising."

"You did a good job training him, Phibrizzo," Richie said. "That's all there is to it. You know what you're working with now."

"True, at that. I'm not working with much, but at least I know where he still needs to improve." Phibrizzo stood up, holding Flareon protectively in his arms. "Anyway, let's get back to the lab so he can rest. Now, what were you asking me earlier?"

Richie thought back. "It was about Sabrina."

There were a few loud bangs from off in the distance; Phibrizzo ignored them for the moment. "Oh, right. I remember now---"

"Phibrizzo, watch out!" Inuyasha suddenly snapped.

Taking a quick look around, Phibrizzo spotted several large objects coming in. Confused, he asked: "Are those...bombs?"

Richie and Sparky saw them next and backpedalled several feet. "Come on, quick! Get moving!"

"I have a better idea," Phibrizzo warned, turning to face the incoming projectiles. "Grab hold, and don't ask questions!"

Waiting until he felt a hand and a paw latch on to him, Phibrizzo teleported to the opposite side of the field. The bombs hit the general area he'd been in, releasing a cloud of thick black smoke.

Smiling, Phibrizzo tried to discern where the bombs had come from. He couldn't tell exactly where, since there seemed to be nothing around them for at least a mile, but he had his ways of drawing out his enemies. "Guys? You okay?"

Sparky and a weakened Flareon answered affirmatively. Richie let go, a bit disoriented but able to refocus. "That was a major rush," he mumbled.

"Richie," Phibrizzo uttered, "do me a favor. Take Flareon and get back to Professor Oak's lab. I'm not about to risk him in a battle when his energy's so low."

Richie nodded, taking Flareon out of his arms and placing it in his own. "You'll be alright out here?"

"Sunburst's not the only one who needs to improve," Phibrizzo explained, turning his back to him; the English lettering on his shirt seemed to stand out in the sunlight. "If I don't win here, I can't do the same. I'll be back in time for that coffee. Go!"

Accepting that even someone like Phibrizzo knew the importance of protection, Richie and Sparky turned tail and hurried back to Pallet Town as quickly as he could. Waiting until the trainer was out of harm's way, the half-mazoku turned to face where the bombs had came from and yelled:

"Hey, losers! Where you aiming for me? That's weak! Whatever your eye doctor suggested, it ain't good enough!"

Sure enough, another set of bombs---accompanied by a sphere that expanded into a full-size net---responded to his taunt. Laughing as he spotted where the attack had come from, Phibrizzo broke into a full-speed run and shot ahead of the projectiles...

He almost didn't see the blue blob whistling through the air towards him. He sidestepped it and continued on, but the blob suddenly detonated in mid-air, sending what seemed to be slime in all the directions. Some of it caught on his foot, causing him to stumble and fall.

"What in the world is that stuff?" Inuyasha asked disbelievingly, not sure he wanted to know.

"Beats me," Curtis responded, looking as if breakfast didn't agree with him. "Kind of reminds me of bubble gum."

"If that looks like bubble gum," Inuyasha growled, shaking his head, "then remind me not to try any candy anytime soon."

"You and me both."

Grumbling, Phibrizzo pulled his face free of the dirt and looked down at his foot. Some of the bright blue slime had somehow adhered his right foot to the ground. "Great," he complained, "like I needed this on top of everything else."

"It'll get a lot worse before it's done," someone shouted. "Just turn yourself in to Team Rocket!"

Inuyasha frowned. "Those Team Rocket jerks sure don't know when to quit, do they?"

"You know," Curtis mused as several really wide motorcycles rolled out of hiding, "there's an expression I heard recently that applies to them: 'Winners never quit, and quitters never win...but those who never win and never quit are idiots.'"

Phibrizzo yanked his foot as hard as he could, finally pulling his shoe free of the slime after several tries. Not wanting to step in it, he moved a few paces away. Can't argue with that.

By this time, the 'cycles had gotten close enough to see who was driving them. All of them nearly slapped their foreheads in disgust when they realized that it was Stan and Ollie. "Took you long enough to bring out the bigger stuff," Phibrizzo shouted at them. "Just keep in mind that bigger isn't always better!"

"Or wider, as the case may be," Curtis murmured, remembering a car commercial he'd seen once.

Whatever. You're sure an authority on that, doughnut guts!

Wince. "That's new."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion on the subject," Stan was saying. "This is your last chance to come with us willingly and meet the boss!"

Phibrizzo pulled down an eyelid and made a face. Afterwards, he replied hotly: "If the boss wants me so bad, he can come get me himself instead of sending out his personal goon squads! Since you guys think you're so bad, I'd hate to see who you call the worst!"

Curtis laughed. "Nice!"

Inuyasha shrugged and smiled. "Whatever ticks them off..."

Phibrizzo just chortled. Stan and Ollie weren't as amused. "Saying that to one of Team Rocket's best teams is simply asking for trouble," Ollie answered, pressing a few buttons on his motorcycle's dashboard. Twin cannons pulled into place. "Get over here, now!" he shouted as three objects were sent airborne with a boom.

Phibrizzo sneered at this. "Don't you have any other tricks up your sleeve?" he shouted, dodging the first of the projectiles: a giant net. "Really, you tried that last week!"

The second projectile exploded in mid-air and released the smoke that they'd seen earlier. "Okay," Phibrizzo said, taking his tennis racquet out of subspace and waving away the smoke the best he could. "A trifle annoying, but still..."

There was a loud *pop*, one that the trio knew too well; a shower of blue slime materialized in the smoke and caught Phibrizzo's mid-section, ensnaring his body from the stomach on down in a thick, taffy-like mucilage. "Hey---!" he protested, attempting to move his feet but failing.

"You're not leaving us this time," Stan said, pushing a button on his 'cycle. "Special delivery!"

Another large net, this one flying straight and true, caught Phibrizzo in its mesh; the breeze in its wake blew most of the remaining smoke away. The half-mazoku's eyes narrowed as his arms began to heat up. "Just keep pushing me, you fools!"

There was a ten-second pause as Phibrizzo attempted to burn his way through the net; unlike the first net they'd faced, this one was made of sterner stuff, refusing to give way. Not succeeding on the 'burn' route, he simply teleported out of the net; this didn't solve the problem caused by the adhesive, though. "Ugghhh," he complained, still unable to move his legs. "Mom's going to have a conniption when she finds out about this! This stuff's not going to come out!"

Stan gazed at the scene thoughtfully. "Well," he suggested, "maybe you could toss them in the washing machine back at Headquarters. We use some of the best detergent in Kanto."

"Stan," Ollie grumbled, "we're not supposed to be helpful right now."

"Oh. Bad timing, then?"

Ollie nodded. "Bad timing."

Phibrizzo sweatdropped, pausing for a moment to put his racquet away. "You guys are weird. I'm struggling to break free from this stuff, and here you are giving me cleaning tips."

"Hey, I'm just saying," Stan said defensively. "Anyway...back to being mean. Let's see you get out of this!" He pounded his motorcycle's 'launch' button and fired a large gray orb from the 'cycle's cannon.

The orb detonated on contact with Phibrizzo, expelling a cloud of sky-blue gas. "Okay, I'll bite. What is it?" he asked, a trifle curious.

"That's our knockout gas," Ollie said, smirking. "One whiff of that will put you out for four hours. That's more than enough time to get you back to Headquarters."

Phibrizzo sighed. Those morons obviously didn't get it. "I hate to break it to you guys, but I don't have any real need to breathe."

"That's impossible!" Stan objected. "Everyone needs to breathe to live!"

"Well," Phibrizzo said, smiling, "I don't. I'm standing here talking to you, am I?"

"I don't get it," Ollie muttered. "I don't believe that he doesn't need to breathe. He must be immune to the gas somehow."

"Forget it," Stan murmured back as a sudden breeze blew the knockout gas away. "That adhesive's strong, but it doesn't last very long. It'll crumble if it's exposed to air long enough."

"It never took us this long to capture something after using it," Ollie said, concerned, "so I never gave it much thought. What's next?"

Phibrizzo was giving it thought, however; after a little struggling, he found that he could move around again despite the gummy material. "I've got to decommission those machines," he murmured. He stretched out his arms and grabbed the handlebars of Stan's 'cycle, then yanked himself forward and startled the man out of his seat. "Think that was sticky? You've haven't seen anything yet! Pull!" he shouted, using the Gum Gum Bazooka to blow the 'cycle away and firing off a quick Dark Harsh while the thing was still careening across the grass. The beam cut right through the massive motorcycle, detonating it and reducing it to a smouldering wreck.

Stan scrambled over to Ollie's 'cycle, trying to hide next to it and gibbering incoherently. Ollie shook his head and turned to Phibrizzo, whose knees were wobbling. "That fire attack wasn't very smart," the round man told him. "A child could tell me that you're running low on power."

"I don't see any children around here, do you?" Phibrizzo growled defiantly. He cupped his hands and started to gather his energy. "Step away from that machine! I still have enough in me to turn it to dust!"

Ollie shook his head, then reached inside his vest pocket and pulled out an Ultra Ball. "Phibby, Phibby, Phibby...you have no idea how much the boss really wants you. Why do you think he's letting us go to these lengths? You have too much potential to waste." He expanded the Ultra Ball to full-size and activated it.

A tremendous mass of red light erupted in front of Phibrizzo and took shape, gradually forming one of the strongest Pokémon available to trainers. A blaring roar shook the field as Tyranitar made its entrance; as the creature repeatedly slapped the ground with its tail, a fierce wind picked up and created a nasty sandstorm. Stan and Ollie took cover behind the remaining motorcycle.

"Figures," Phibrizzo groaned, re-absorbing the power he'd gathered. "Well, at least it isn't a dragon-type."

Inside his chamber, Inuyasha tapped the Tetsusaiga's handle. "Let me know when it's my turn, alright?"

"Just let Phibrizzo handle this," Curtis said over the speaker. "It's his fight, not ours. Besides, the creature isn't evil or mindless...just misguided."

Right now, that's the least of my worries. I'm taking this thing down, and that's that! Now, does this thing have any weaknesses I---

"Tyranitar, capture him!" Ollie ordered. "Screech Attack!"

"Screech this.” Phibrizzo stretched his arms and caught Tyranitar's mouth before it could open. "You aren't making any noise like that!" Anyways, does it have any weaknesses?

"Just use any attacks you have that don't require fire," Curtis said. "That's all we can do by now."

Phibrizzo strained, trying to keep the giant Pokémon's mouth closed. Here's hoping!

----------

"We have to get him to waste more power," Stan hissed to Ollie, barely heard over the sandstorm. "He'll be too hard to capture otherwise!"

"Good. If Tyranitar can get its mouth open..." Ollie muttered, getting an idea. He shouted: "Ice Beam Attack!"

Trying one more time and breaking Phibrizzo's grip, Tyranitar assaulted his target with a massive bluish-white streak of ice. Phibrizzo quickly side-stepped the attack and got in close to the rock lizard, his arms flying like rubber bands. "Gum Gum Gatling Gun!” he shouted, unleashing a volley of punches that even a high-level Hitmonchan would be hard-pressed to match.

Getting annoyed with Phibrizzo’s persistence, Tyranitar reached down to bring his Crunch attack to bear. Remembering the danger he was in, Phibrizzo stopped his attack and dodged to the side. The attack missed by a wide margin, although his view was temporarily hindered by the dirt that was dislodged. Taking advantage of this, Tyranitar spun around and smacked Phibrizzo with an Iron Tail, knocking him sprawling across the field.

Due to his unique constitution, Phibrizzo was only mildly harmed by the attack. He was, however, starting to lose his temper. “I’m really starting to hate you guys,” he snapped as he got up. “That’s it. I’m going to show you just how low you guys are compared to me. Hey, lizard!” he shouted at Tyranitar. “Free shot, right here. An attack of your choice. Can’t get much---huh?”

Abruptly, Phibrizzo’s anger seemed to vanish. For several moments, he just stared blankly at Tyranitar, lost in thought. Finally, before Ollie could get impatient and order another attack, the kid spoke: “So that’s how it is, huh? You’re trying to get to make a stupid mistake, aren’t you?”

Stan and Ollie didn’t say anything, instead just glaring at him.

“Oh, that is it,” Phibrizzo growled. “You ambush me, get that ugly blue stuff on my pants, insult my intelligence...then you have the nerve to call me ‘Phibby’---”

“We called you Phibby, ‘then’ we insulted your intelligence,” Stan said.

“Oh. My mistake. Well, it still isn’t right.”

“Of course it isn’t right,” Ollie remarked. “We’re from Team Rocket. And with your energy drained, there isn’t any way you’re getting out of this one.”

-------

I hate to admit it, but the man’s right, Phibrizzo groused mentally. I have enough in me to destroy the other cycle, but then Tyranitar would capture me easily. I can’t waste a Dark Harsh on him, because then they'd capture me easily...and I can’t get close enough to waste him without him using one of his myriad attacks on me. I’m sure not going to just teleport out, either. What’s left?

Curtis tapped his chin for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak...then closed it without saying anything. Phibrizzo could tell that he wanted to say something, but didn’t. Curtis...what are you thinking?

“Does it have anything to do with the ‘Plan Zero’ we went over on Thursday?” Inuyasha asked, entering Curtis’s chamber. "Because if it is, I feel sorry for them."

‘Plan Zero’? Phibrizzo asked, confused.

“Well...”

Just explain it, Curtis.

“...Oh, alright. Thursday afternoon when we went up to that vending machine...”

(Cue flashback)

Curtis, who had gotten permission from Phibrizzo to gain control for a little while, walked up to a vending machine. Depositing a few yen coins, he shut his eyes and made a random selection. Hearing a 'clang' as the beverage rolled into the tray, Curtis took the drink, checked around to see if anyone was paying attention and placed the can in subspace for a later time.

(End flashback)

"...and that was that," Curtis finished.

You actually bought a sugar drink? Phibrizzo asked disbelievingly. Don't you remember what happened when I first tried fruit punch? I almost went stir-crazy!

"That's Plan Zero," Curtis said. "'Go stir-crazy'. And in your case, what better way to do that than by inducing a sugar rush?"

Well...suppose something bad happens!

"Like what?" Inuyasha asked.

Beats me. Let's do this.

Phibrizzo checked subspace, nodded, then pulled out a can of lemonade and opened it. Preparing himself, he opened his mouth and gulped down the can's contents...

The walls and ceiling in Curtis's chamber began glowing a bright green. Quickly taking the time to check a nearby monitor, he saw that Phibrizzo's energy level---indicated by a rising blue line---was increasing. It started out at 'Moderate', went up to 'Highest Safe Level', past 'Maximum' and 'She Can't Take Much More, Captain', and shot all the way up to 'Whoa, Nellie!'.

Curtis grinned. "I gotta get some of that stuff," he whispered.

Inuyasha turned to him. "Huh?"

"Nothing important. Sorry."

---------

Stan and Ollie weren't sure what to think. After listing what they'd done to him, Phibrizzo fell silent and adopted a contemplative expression. It changed to disbelief, then resignation. Ollie thought at first that he was going to give up, but then the kid took out a can of lemonade out of his pocket and started drinking from it.

"I don't get it," Ollie said. "Why's he drinking something now, of all times?"

Stan shrugged. "He's thirsty?"

"People don't look resigned over a can of lemonade. It's just not normal."

Phibrizzo finished drinking...and suddenly straightened. Struggling mightily against an unseen force, he managed to place the empty can back in his pocket. His pupils shrunk until the irises remained. His hands seemed to twitch uncontrollably. A broad, unnatural grin split his face. "Sweetness..." he strained to say.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Ollie mumbled. "Tyranitar, Ice Beam!"

Tyranitar roared, firing an Ice Beam straight at Phibrizzo. The kid made no move to dodge, and was immediately flash-frozen; but no sooner had this happened than the ice began to melt, either evaporating against his skin or sliding into a small puddle on the ground.

Phibrizzo repeatedly tapped the ground with his feet, starting to lose it; he gave no sign that he even noticed Tyranitar's attack. "Sweet-sweet-sweet! So...glorious! Sweetness...in a can!"

"This," Stan deadpanned, "is not going to be pretty."

He had no idea how right he was.

(BGM --- Super Sonic BGM, from 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2')

Phibrizzo suddenly rocketed forward, a purple blaze of hyperactivity. There was a brief flash of light as he zipped by Tyranitar; the rock lizard jerked its head, as if stunned. Cackling, Phibrizzo spun around and repeated the motion; this time, Tyranitar rocked to the side a little. Angrily, he released an alarmingly-loud Screech into the air. All Phibrizzo did was shake his head to clear out the sound as he made another pass.

Just a little, Phibrizzo slowed down; this time, his opponent was able to see his actions clearly. Without hesitation, Tyranitar zeroed in on him and Aerial Aced him across the field. He then chased after him, hoping to pin him down.

He never got the chance. Still looking like something out of a horror novel, Phibrizzo got back to his feet and attacked with another flurry of elongated punches, unconsciously using his fire abilities for added effect. He kept this up for a good thirty seconds without letup. Tyranitar was starting to wonder what it took to keep him down; losing to a human simply would look ridiculous to anyone who found out. As it was, he could feel his own stamina starting to give way!

Phibrizzo finally stopped and took a few steps back, finally beginning to look as if he was running low on steam. Briefly, Stan and Ollie wondered if that was it.

It wasn't. Still grinning, Phibrizzo twisted his arms repeatedly, stretched out and snagged Tyranitar's arms. Without warning, the rock lizard found itself spun in mid-air as Phibrizzo's arms uncoiled, lifting it several meters and then smashing it back into the ground. Not stopping there, he stretched his arms back as far as he could, snapped them back and slammed his hands into Tyranitar; this was the same move he'd used on Stan's cycle. The Pokémon bounced back across the field, narrowing missing Ollie's cycle and fainting when it finally came to rest. The sandstorm that had flared up slowly stopped.

Phibrizzo started to take a few more steps forward, but then suddenly stopped and hurled a massive black fire beam into the atmosphere. The boy's features rapidly returned to normal, and the beam slowly dissolved into nothing. Dropping his hands back to his sides, he turned to face the cowering duo. "See what you guys made me do?" he asked, sounding a bit tired. "That was a last resort kind of thing. You really didn't leave me much of a choice."

Ollie shrunk back from Phibrizzo's tired, icy expression. Stan had something else on his mind. "You want double the usual amount this time?"

"I don't care about that right now," Phibrizzo grumbled. "Where's Team Rocket's main HQ?"

"We aren't at liberty to tell you," Ollie said indignantly. "For all we know, you'd try to destroy the place."

"You want to leave this place with your freedom?" Phibrizzo growled. "Either you tell me now and I let you go scot-free, or I thrash you and find the place myself."

"Why do you want to know where the HQ is?" Stan inquired cautiously. "You've already said that you're not interested in joining..."

Phibrizzo gave a tired smile. "Simple. I'm taking you up on your offer."

------

In the end, Stan and Ollie insisted on not telling him where HQ was; it had more to do with their reputation than anything else. Sure enough, Phibrizzo---worn out from the sugar rush---knocked them aside with a Gum Gum Whip. Listening to Curtis, he allowed him to take over and get a closer look at the giant motorcycle's onboard computer. After fiddling with stuff for a bit---and accidentally firing off the rest of the 'cycle's special ammunition---Curtis was able to bring up a map of Kanto's western half. A black circle with a red 'R' inscribed on it stood out, resting in an area of Kanto that trainers never explored.

Just a few minor things to take care of before they went over there.

------

"Hey. Welcome back, Phibrizzo," Tracey said, greeting him as he returned to Oak's laboratory. "You---wow, what happened?"

"Got a bunch of slime on my pants," Phibrizzo groused as he re-entered the building. "No thanks to Team Rocket. Where's Richie and Flareon?"

"Flareon's resting in the living room," Tracey told him. "It's a little worn out from the battle you had with Richie, but it'll be okay. Speaking of Richie, Professor Oak asked him to deliver something to one of the residents here. He should be back soon."

"That's good," Phibrizzo said, the words not quite matching his expression. "There's something I need to take care of, so I'll grab some coffee and get out of here. I'll try to be back in about an hour and a half or so, so I'll grab some lunch when I return. Keep an eye on Sunburst until then. Okay?"

"Alright, I can do that. I like the name you chose for him, by the way."

Phibrizzo's expression lightened a little. "Thanks. I think he likes it, too."

Tracey nodded, following him into the kitchen and watching as he poured himself a cup. "So, what is it you're going to be doing?"

Phibrizzo sipped some coffee and smiled mirthlessly. "I'm going to send Team Rocket's boss a little message."

-------

Time: Fifteen minutes later

After Phibrizzo left Oak's lab, Inuyasha took over the reins. Following Curtis's instructions based on the map he'd seen, he bolted back to Viridian City and headed for a spot some miles northeast. Due to the virtually impassable terrain, trainers---indeed, most people---never went out this way...however, there was some who did.

After bounding through a thick forest and steep hills, Inuyasha came across a tower built within a small valley. The red 'R' painted on one side of a truck gave the owners' identity away. Smiling, Inuyasha returned control to Phibrizzo.

Phibrizzo circled around until he spotted a back door; unlike the rest of the property, there didn't seem to be as many grunts circling around. Laying one hand on the door and focusing some heat through it, he melted the door and strolled on through.

Phibrizzo was a bit surprised at the lack of security; he had no way of knowing this, but the majority of the grunts and agents were at lunch. The only ones on patrol were controlling various packs of Houndour, and he was able to defeat them without much of a problem. Caught off-guard by Phibrizzo's skill, it took a few minutes for one of the grunts to set off the alarm. By that time, of course, the half-mazoku was gone.

After a few minutes of walking, he came across a map posted on a wall. Examining the map until he was positive where his destination was, he dashed down several hallways---taking down anyone he came across---until he reached where he wanted to go.

The four people assigned to the laundry room were surprised when Phibrizzo walked in, to say the least. They were even more surprised when he grabbed them and tossed them out the door as if they were nothing more than debris. They tried to get back in, but Phibrizzo merely hung a sign on the door that said: "Do not disturb if you know what's good for you". After unplugging a washer and dryer---not caring whether they were in use or not---and pushing them over to the door, he browsed the shelves until he found what he was looking for.

Now here's hoping that Team Rocket's laundry detergent really works that well, Phibrizzo thought as Curtis told him how to start up one of the washing machines.

---------

"Intruder on the first floor!" someone shouted in the cafeteria. "I repeat, intruder on the first floor!"

Domino, who had just gotten back from a recent assignment and was enjoying her lunch break, immediately jumped out of her seat and dashed over to the grunt who'd sounded the alarm. "Where's the intruder?"

"Down in the east hallway," the grunt said. "Be careful; whoever this person is, he's good! None of the Hondour teams could even faze him; he marched on through like they were nothing!"

Not good. "This won't take long. Take two grunts and follow me. I'll capture the intruder myself, but be ready if he gets by me!"

After the group got together, they quickly raced over to the east hallway...and stopped when they came across a group of grunts, including a few who wore janitor's uniforms, gathered around a locked door. "What's going on?" Domino asked.

"A kid threw us out and won't let us back in," one of the janitors complained. "We tried to get in, but he hung a sign on the door and barricaded us out."

"A kid!?” Domino exclaimed. It better not be who I think it is! How'd he find Team Rocket's main base!? “Stand aside!”

They did so. Domino marched over and pounded on the door. “Whoever it is in there, get out of there!”

No response other than the sound of running water.

Frowning, Domino read the sign that had been hung. “’Do not disturb’, my foot,” she said, grimacing. “Did any of you see the intruder?”

Another of the janitors nodded. “The kid was about a meter tall, had black hair that reflected the lights, wore a fireball T-shirt and a couple bracelets, and had some sort of blue slime on his pants. He didn’t look like he had any Pokémon with him.”

"It's one bracelet, for crying out loud! I broke the thing on accident!" Phibrizzo's voice snapped, sounding insulted.

So Stan and Ollie were unsuccessful? Figures that even that adhesive they developed wouldn’t keep him down. Domino pounded on the door again. “Phibrizzo Kaden, you get out of that room, or so help me I’ll make you spend the rest of your life in there!”

Several of the grunts recognized the name and started talking amongst themselves. After a moment’s pause, Phibrizzo responded: “Do you have problems reading English? Don’t bother me!”

Irritated, Domino brought out Machamp’s Poké Ball. “Do you want me to bust that door down? Let us in!”

“I’m trying to get this blue crud off my jeans, and your banshee voice isn’t helping any!” Phibrizzo yelled back, just as annoyed.

Domino ignored the insult for the moment. “What do you mean, ‘trying to get that blue crud off’? Did you have a rough time against Stan and Ollie, kiddo?”

“Obviously!” Phibrizzo griped loudly. “Stan told me that if I wanted to get the stuff out, I should use some of the laundry detergent you guys have here.”

Domino blinked. “Um...so...”

“I barricaded the door for a reason, okay? Think about it!”

After a few moment’s thought, Domino came to the right conclusion. Sighing in disbelief, she flung her hands in the air. “Alright, fine. We’ll leave you alone. But when you get done, get out of here and don’t come back! You're more of a hassle than you're worth!”

“Have your boss quit sending people after me so I can prepare for that rematch in peace,” Phibrizzo stated, emphasizing that last word, “and I’ll see what I can do.”

Domino angrily put Machamp’s Poké Ball away and trudged off. One of the grunts called after her. “009? What should we do?”

“Whatever you were doing before,” Domino stated, stopping. “The janitors will just have to start their cleaning assignments early today. There's nothing we can do here for now."

"But the kid---"

"Forget the kid," Domino said. "If I know him, he's just going to make our lives miserable if we try to get him out. Besides, I have a pretty good idea why he doesn't want anyone walking in on him. Just leave him be and he'll go away on his own. We'll straighten things out in there later."

"He's the one wanted by the boss, right?" another grunt asked.

"Why, I can't imagine," Domino muttered. "He's just a big pain in the neck."

"Who---me, or the boss?" Phibrizzo called out tauntingly.

"You want to be left alone or not?" Domino asked testily.

Phibrizzo almost managed to sound sheepish. "I'll be good."

Domino smiled and walked away. "That's better."

Despite the questioning looks everyone threw one another, they knew better than to argue with one of Giovanni's best agents. The group gradually dispersed.

----------

Time: Three and a half hours later

Two figures---barely recognizable in the blue slime and nets that pinned them to the ground---finally came to; the knockout gas that Curtis accidentally launched at them had finally worn off. Stan saw a Growlithe standing guard over them, and heard several people talking to each other. Turning his head a fraction, he recognized the blue and green uniforms they wore.

The Viridian City police.

As Stan sniveled and sobbed loudly, Ollie glared at him out the corners of his eyes. "Well, Stan," he said disgustedly, "here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!"

-------------

Chapter Fourteen completed. Chapter Fifteen soon to commence

Author's Notes

This was a lot more fun for me to write than the previous chapter, for obvious reasons. This is more along my style of writing.

In the original games, Flareon was capable of learning Reflect via TM; I don't know why that ability was removed in later games. Flame Wheel isn't on Flareon's move list; Sunburst, though, is capable of using it if he supercharges himself with the Furnace move first.

Speaking of Flareon, I was watching an episode of Pokémon: Advanced Challenge and found out that Flareon's mane was typically a golden color; the sprite in the newer games is the same, but at a brighter hue. Previously I'd assumed that it was white...oh, well.

You'll recognize the last names of Stan and Ollie: Laurel and Hardy. The chapter's closing statement was probably a giveaway. If you're curious, the T.R. duo got hold of the original comedy team's films, liked what they saw, and decided to emulate their behavior to some degree.

If you've been paying attention, you might've noticed that I've borrowed a few elements from the Megas XLR cartoon, such as the rant (which I've used a few times previously) and the 'power display' monitor. Heh, heh. I was kind of in a playful mood earlier, so sorry if it seems out of place.

As implied in previous chapters, anything that Phibrizzo drinks goes straight to his energy. Drinks with a high sugar content, such as lemonade or soda pop, have the greatest effect. It's the side effect that he has to be careful of, though.

This chapter's out of the way; hope this makes up for the lag between chapters twelve and thirteen. Let's move on.