Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Pseudo Shigeru ❯ The Dark Dragon ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12: The Dark Dragon

"You know what the worst thing about that was?" Shigeru asked as his Natu moonwalked across Leon's back. "That Unown's Hidden Power is actually dark. Which means my little buddy here just kicked your Umbreon's butt on nothing but natural talent."

"You done yet?!" Gary snapped.

"Nope!" Shigeru replied cheerfully. "Looks like you almost are, though. You can still quit…and you might wanna, before I call out my next Pokémon."

That made Gary pause. He glanced over to where Copycat was placing Leon in the arms of her motherly Kangaskhan, even as her Clefairy & Miltank continued to heal his other Pokémon with Heal Bell. Something about the way Cleo was still unconscious made him feel even guiltier. These were Frieda's best Pokémon, and though she had given them to him with the knowledge that they might not come back, she did it expecting Gary to care for them as she would. He had failed her in that respect, and she would never even know it. Gary wondered briefly if it was better that way.

"I can see you're still stunned over that last loss," Shigeru chuckled as Chick Lee landed on his shoulder. "But your Pokémon put up such a good fight, and because I'm a sporting guy, I'll give you another chance. The slate's wiped clean. We'll make this next battle all or nothing. You win, you win it all."

The fact that Shigeru seemed so confident of his victory to make a bet like that was not at all reassuring. But Gary could not afford to refuse at this point. This was his last chance to go home. He could only hope Marie's confidence hadn't been shaken by her battle with Satoshi's Gengar.

"To give you a better idea of what you're up against, bro…I'll show you EXACTLY what you're up against." Shigeru cupped his hands to his mouth and made a sound remarkably similar to a Dratini's cry.

Gary wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. But one second Shigeru was standing on the arena floor, and the next, he was standing atop what seemed to be ten feet of solid dirt and stone. But as the debris fell away, a huge Tyranitar was revealed beneath Shigeru's feet.

"My pride and joy," Shigeru said, squatting to pat the monstrous Pokémon's heavily plated head. "The perfect Pokémon partner. Nothing can take him down. Anything that could break through his defenses doesn't last too long. And I really hope you're not thinking of challenging him with a…dragon."

The Tyranitar let out an earthshaking roar and snapped viciously at the air.

"He REALLY doesn't like them," Shigeru added with a smile. "But it's one heck of a character flaw, you gotta give him that much. He made pretty quick work of those two so-called dragon masters. I never did like them too much."

Satoshi started at that. "What did you do to Lance and Clair?!" he demanded.

Shigeru shrugged. "Same thing I do with every other trainer I see as a challenge. I haven't changed that much, old friend."

"They're in the infirmary," Misty said softly, glaring at Shigeru. "In critical condition. I saw them on my way here. They looked like they'd been in a war, not a Pokémon battle."

Shigeru shook his head. "Listen, Red. When you train an attack dog, you don't just train it to go after a human. You train it to go after the very scent of humans. It's not my fault Clair was dumb enough to cuddle with her pets. Must've had the stench all over her. My pal here couldn't even tell the difference. But then, I always did say she was dragon-faced."

"You're a bigger monster than your Pokémon," Misty spat.

"That's pretty big," Shigeru reasoned with a grin. "But you obviously don't know T-Wreckz well enough yet. Trust me, he's got me beat in the monster department." He turned to face Gary. "So how 'bout it, bro? You feeling up to one last challenge?

Gary bit his lip. The little information Professor Elm had supplied on Larvitar was sketchy at best, and if his hunch was right, Marie wouldn't stand a chance against a fully evolved Tyranitar. And knowing himself the way he did, it had to be at a tremendously high level. There was always Nidoking. Even though Tyranitar would easily dwarf him, he was the closest in size, and probably the most durable Pokémon Gary had at the moment.

He paused and glanced at Sally, but instantly erased that thought from his head. She had chosen to join him, but not to fight for him. He couldn't and wouldn't force her to…not while there were other options. All the same, he would only be delaying the inevitable. After Nidoking went down, he would lose everything.

Gary had tasted failure before, but never had the realization that he was going to lose meant so much. But then, he'd never battled for such high stakes. Closing his eyes, he unclipped Nidoking's pokéball, enlarged it, and held it out in front of him.

There was a sudden gust of wind, followed by a low growl in his ear.

Gary opened his eyes…and gasped. Less than an inch from his arm, Entei stood proudly by his side, glaring across the arena at Shigeru's Tyranitar.

Satoshi leaped to his feet, his eyes wide.

Misty looked over at him. "Ash? What is it?"

"I…I remember this," he whispered. "Another battle…another Legendary Pokémon…but I remember this. I KNOW I do…"

* * * * *

The thing that Shigeru hated most about exhibition matches was that everyone took them too seriously.

Every year, in the tradition of the former Pokémon League, the Rocket League hosted a huge festival at which trainers could see the best of the best in action.

It was no surprise that trainers began to demand matches featuring the Legendary Bird Trio. There had been rumors long enough, and they wanted to know if the Rocket League really did have possession of the birds, or if it was all just talk.

Giovanni saw it as an excellent chance to display the Rocket League's power…and to silence all the naysayers, as there were plenty. He personally drew up the plans to upgrade the arena to contain the power of the birds. Ironically, most of that involved making it a huge, open-air arena, simply because the mighty birds could not be contained in the heat of battle. They were born to be free and battled that way, even when under the direction of the Rocket League's top three Elite trainers.

Kasumi had been the first to officially gain any sort of control over her legendary bird, and once Satoshi succeeded as well, Giovanni booked the battle.

It left Shigeru in a very awkward position. He was expected to go out in front of millions and battle with a legendary bird that acknowledged him as a Pokémon Master…but not as its trainer. Fittingly, Moltres had been the most hotheaded and difficult of all the birds. Giovanni had assigned Moltres to Shigeru, not only because Electric & Water were Satoshi & Kasumi's specialties, but also because he thought Moltres needed a trainer that was just as volatile as it was.

And this was no ordinary battle. Giovanni wanted the three birds to clash in nothing short of all-out chaos…but in a sporting way. In other words, he wanted a good show, but he wanted survivors at the same time. None of the participants were exactly replaceable.

Satoshi hadn't liked it, of course. But he'd gone along with it. Kasumi didn't like the idea of Articuno fighting anything other than real trainer battles, but in the end, she agreed to participate.

Which left Shigeru with no other choice. But if Giovanni wanted a show, he would give the man a show. The moment he knew there was no escaping the match, Shigeru had planned to make it one to remember.

Satoshi & Kasumi flew in on their birds and waved to the crowd, but Shigeru had no intention of doing the same. Instead, he turned to Moltres and whispered, "This is your last chance. If you want to be free again, fight like it. Fight for your freedom!"

The words were barely out of his mouth when Moltres screeched and took off, only giving Shigeru time to grab desperately onto its neck.

The instant it was out in the open air, Moltres made a beeline for Articuno, crashing into the blue bird from above. As the biggest and heaviest of the birds, much of Moltres's battling style included physically overpowering his always smaller opponents.

Not one to be left out, Zapdos rose higher and let loose with a huge Thunderbolt that hit both birds.

Moltres screamed in outrage and tore into Zapdos with its infamous Sky Attack. The impact nearly knocked Satoshi off his bird, and Zapdos wasn't the only one angered by that. The temperature around Moltres dropped rapidly as it was caught in the middle of a ferocious Blizzard.

To counter the attack, Moltres raised its body temperature drastically, forgetting all about the trainer on its back. Had Shigeru stayed on any longer than he did, he would've had third-degree burns all over his body. As it was, he got off with first-degree ones on his hands and legs.

The crowd gasped in horror as Shigeru tumbled off his bird into a long drop that would more than likely end his life, no matter how he landed.

Suddenly, in a strong gust of wind, a huge, brown shape burst through the clouds and caught Shigeru on its back.

Shigeru stopped blowing on his hands long enough to realize he'd been rescued, somehow. He risked a glance over his shoulder and found himself staring into a narrowed, orange eye. Strangely, he was not afraid at all. Something about this creature made him feel…confident.

The brown creature landed carefully, allowing Shigeru to slip from its back. It nudged him almost affectionately with its head, and then leaped into the air again, too fast for any eye to track it.

Shigeru felt something wriggling in his hands. Raising them to his face, he found two oddly shaped black creatures in them. Each had a prominent, constantly moving eye. One was shaped like an H, the other like an I. It took him a few seconds to get the message, and then he chuckled softly, knowing that this was only the beginning.

* * * * *

"So that's how it is, Entei?" Shigeru asked, sounding very disappointed.

Entei growled quietly and did not move from its place beside Gary.

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to treat this as a chance to test T-Wreckz's true power."

"Don't you mean his Unown-boosted power?" Gary asked.

Shigeru laughed. "You wish. T-Wreckz doesn't NEED any Unown. But I'll let him prove that to you." He leaped to the ground and smirked. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Gary looked questioningly at Entei. "You…don't have to do this. I could-"

Entei looked at him, and something in the orange eyes told Gary to derail that train of thought.

"…cheer you on?" he finished lamely.

Entei turned back to the Tyranitar, his growl increasing in volume.

T-Wreckz bashed his huge fists together, a feral grin on his face.

Shigeru smiled. "Let's start off slow, big guy. Earth Claw!"

T-Wreckz stepped forward and plunged his right arm into the ground.

"Stay on your guard," Gary warned Entei.

Just then, the ground split open, and an enormous fist shot up, easily three times Entei's size. Though the legendary beast moved with amazing speed, the fist still clipped his side, sending him tumbling hard to the ground.

"Don't let up! Rollout!" Shigeru barked.

T-Wreckz ducked his head and rolled forward, becoming a green and black disc of destruction as he bore down on Entei.

Gary was almost ready to pull out his hair. He knew very little about Entei, and definitely none of his attacks. He couldn't possibly win this battle without some major help. He could only watch as the legendary beast struggled to rise and stand its ground.

Suddenly, there was a soft whisper in his ear. Without realizing he was doing so, Gary spoke the words the heard. "Mystic…Fireball?"

Entei's head snapped up as a swirling, violet ball of fire formed in front of his mouth and slammed into T-Wreckz. The Tyranitar veered off course and slammed into the wall, shaking the entire arena.

"Not bad," Shigeru murmured as T-Wreckz climbed to his feet. "But not good enough to stop us. Extreme Rollout!"

T-Wreckz roared and went into a Rollout again, only this time he was much, much faster, and there wouldn't be enough time for a Mystic Fireball.

Again, Gary reacted when there was a whisper in his ear. "Noble Flame!"

Entei leaped into the air and spat out a long trail of violet fire that landed directly in T-Wreckz's path.

The Tyranitar came to a screeching halt when it first hit the flames, but by then, it was already coated in violet fire. With a roar of rage, T-Wreckz leaped up and began beating out the flames on his body furiously.

Gary knew he had to press the advantage while he still had it. "Inferno!" he shouted.

Entei's entire body seemed to go up in flames as he dashed around T-Wreckz in tight circles, leaving a growing column of flame in his wake. A roar of incredible pain tore from the column, and a few seconds later, T-Wreckz burst into view, throwing his rocky body to the ground in an attempt to put out the fires scorching his armored flesh.

Shigeru frowned slightly. "Not a bad start, bro. But don't go getting any ideas about winning this battle. T-Wreckz! Legend Lance!"

The Tyranitar leaped to his feet and opened his mouth wide, revealing a huge ball of blazing blue energy. A wide beam tore from his mouth seconds later, knocking the armored Pokémon onto his back. The beam smashed into Entei, slamming him against the arena wall, where he collapsed and did not move.

"…Entei?" Gary whispered in a small voice. He could sense his one chance at victory fading fast.

Shigeru scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. "Hmm. Never actually got around to testing that one. Can't believe it actually worked…" He bent down to check on T-Wreckz, and was surprised to find that his partner had fainted. "Wow. Well, good job as usual, pal. You wrapped this one up, just like I knew you would. Sweet dreams and all that." He recalled T-Wreckz into a green and black striped pokéball.

Gary hesitantly approached Entei and placed a hand carefully on the fallen legendary's head. After a few moments had passed with no response, he sighed. "Thanks for trying, anyway. You were my last hope, and I'm honored to have earned your respect, Entei."

Sally wandered over and poked Entei's side gently with her vines. Apparently realizing that he wouldn't be getting up, she looked expectantly up at Gary.

"Sorry, Sally," Gary murmured. "I wish it hadn't ended like this, but…you have to go with Shigeru now."

"Says who?" Duplica demanded hotly from the sidelines. "Last time I checked, when both Pokémon faint, the match is a draw."

"She's got me there," Shigeru admitted with a smile. "And I'd hate to win on a technicality. So if you can come up with another Pokémon, you can either take on Houndoom, Ursaring, or Lugia for all the marbles."

Gary began to reach for Nidoking's pokéball, and then stopped. "No. This is it. I'm not bringing out any more of my Pokémon. I refuse to watch another one suffer needlessly."

"I'd say there's a pretty big need, if I was you," Shigeru noted. "But if you want to surrender, I totally understand. You haven't won a single match yet."

"You're just going to give up?" Misty asked Gary in shock.

He glared at her. "What do you expect me to do? These are some of the best Pokémon I ever trained, and he beat them half to death. So unless you're willing to contribute your own-"

Misty removed the pokéball she wore around her neck and handed it to him without a word.

"What? But you…" Gary trailed off as he felt the pokéball pulse with icy power. "Why are you doing this?"

"Well, I think it's a travesty that you don't have a single water or ice type in your lineup," Misty replied, winking at him. "Eve doesn't count, since whatever she does to get there isn't natural. I figure the least I can do is let you borrow Articuno for a bit."

Gary was still trying to get over the shock when he noticed that Suicune was standing next to him. "What, you, too?" he asked weakly.

Suicune answered with an odd, reverberating bark that sounded as if it came from underwater. At any rate, it seemed like a yes.

"Y'know, in some circles, using legendary Pokémon that don't belong to you would be considered cheating," Shigeru chuckled. "Me, I call it healthy competition. But if you're gonna use them, I see no reason why I can't." He drew out Lugia's pokéball with a wry grin. "Would it make you feel any better if I said he's not using any Unown, either?"

* * * * *

Brock leaned closer to Morty in the stands, thinking he'd heard wrong. "You did WHAT to Moltres?"

"Ate him," Morty replied simply. "It wasn't my intent, but Butch was mad, in every sense of the word."

"Part of me wants to say that was good, but there were three legendary birds for a reason. That trio was part of a natural balance, and you've torn it apart for good."

"It's unfortunate that Moltres fell into Butch's hands. I don't think he and Cassidy ever really deserved their titles, and if they did, she was the better trainer by far. In the right hands, it would've been possible to defeat Moltres without killing him. But there was no other way, and I could hardly let him win. It was a battle to the death."

"I suppose you're right," Brock relented at last. "Still a great loss, but a necessary one in the end. You have my thanks for protecting Sylvie."

"I did nothing, and I severely doubt she needed any guardian," Morty stated. "I doubt even Satoshi could've stopped her from coming here."

Brock gave him a grave look. "Let's be glad we didn't have a chance to test that theory."

Morty nodded and turned his attention back to the arena floor. "So, who exactly are we rooting for? If Shigeru leaves, that's one less Elite for us to worry about."

"Our goal is to restore the minds of the Elite, but I don't know if that's the case with Shigeru," Brock answered. "I can't tell if the Unown are controlling him, or if they're merely servants to his will. Either way, I think it would be hazardous to allow him access to another world."

"At least Misty seems to have come around," Morty observed, "and Satoshi may be waning. With any luck, Sabrina should be able to free his mind when she emerges."

"Then let's hope she hatches soon," Brock muttered. "Lugia is known for a lot of things, but long battles isn't one of them."

* * * * *

Though she prided herself on being an officer of the law, Jenny couldn't help smirking a bit as she stepped into Giovanni's office. It was the first time she'd ever been so close to the guiding force behind what had one been Team Rocket, but at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling that this would not end how she expected it to.

"Hands where I can see them, Giovanni," she snapped at the man behind the desk, aiming her gun at him.

Just over her shoulder, Jessie and James peeked into their old boss's office. Though they had little to fear from him now, being long since dishonorably discharged, it still gave them the willies to be in his presence. Of course, Giovanni had that effect on many of his grunts.

"You heard me!" Captain Jenny barked. "Hands in the air!"

The man behind the desk did not move. He merely stared straight ahead, a blank expression on his face.

Frowning, Jenny carefully advanced into the room, but she came to a sudden stop a few feet away from the desk. Sniffing the air carefully, something like triumph passed over her face, but it didn't last. She put away her gun and turned around. "It's safe, you three. He won't be harming anyone else, ever."

Persian poked his head into the room, purring happily at the fact that she'd included him.

"What do you mean?" Jessie asked, looking confused. "He looks a little out of it, but…"

"He's a lot out of it," Jenny replied. "If my hunch is right, he's barely been dead an hour. There's a hole in the base of his throat, too big for a normal bullet, but just the right size if it came from an elephant gun. Odd thing is, he's clean: no blood spilled at all."

"He's…dead?" James asked in surprise. "Just like that?"

"I think it must've been over quickly, so he probably didn't feel much. Though I guess that's not really a consolation for you guys. But I'm sure once we find Cassidy and Butch, all your stolen Pokémon will be returned. Now, let's go. The others could use our help." She herded them out of the room, casting a final glance at Giovanni before closing the door behind her.

Instantly, there was a relieved sigh, and a young man crawled out from under the desk, making sure to shove Giovanni's body out of the way as he did so. On his head, he wore a pale blue bandanna marked with a letter A made out of small bones. His black and white striped shirt was stained with grass and mud, and his pants, which used to match the bandanna, were soaked and clung to his legs. Shivering slightly, he climbed to his feet and surveyed the office one last time before nodding.

"No prints," he murmured, checking his black gloves, "no evidence. You clean, ICU?"

The air before him shimmered, and a steel-covered, spider like monstrosity appeared, its crimson eyes flashing as it raised a three-clawed foot for his inspection.

"Good. Maybe we overdid it with the hole, but Psychic alone wouldn't have left any cause of death. And we want them to know someone got the job done." He checked his watch and frowned. "We're still early, so let's hope that my 'partner' isn't late for once in her life."

* * * * *

Satoshi shifted slightly beneath his black cloak as Gary and Shigeru prepared for the next round of their battle. This was not because he was uncomfortable, but because the strangely colored egg that Shigeru had given him kept rocking from side to side at odd intervals. The Pokémon inside must've been growing at an incredible rate, since the egg had seemed more like a rock when he'd received it: dull and lifeless.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up, as if there was a significant amount of electricity nearby. The problem with this was that as the trainer of Zapdos, Satoshi's body rarely reacted to anything short of a Thunderbolt to the head. For him to react like this, something nearby was either very wrong or very strong…or both.

Pikachu, who had wandered over to check on Eve's condition, returned to his trainer at once, his tail standing straight up in the air. "Pikapi," he said, sounding worried.

At first, Satoshi figured Pikachu was only concerned about Eve. Then, however, he noticed Raikou was pawing at the ground anxiously. "You sense something wrong, as well?"

As if in reply, something long and black flew over Satoshi's head, soaring across the arena with frightening speed, and slammed into Gary's chest hard enough to knock him down. Even as he fell to the ground, blood was already flying from his chest in liberal amounts, making him resemble a morbid sprinkler.

Satoshi was on his feet in an instant. "Thunder Claw!"

Raikou darted past him, sparks leaping from the legendary beast's feet as he crossed the arena in a single bound, slashing at whatever had attacked Gary. There was a small explosion of sparks, followed by a pained hissing as the attacker hit the ground rolling, regained its footing, and suddenly changed direction, making a beeline for the injured Cleo.

Duplica snatched Leon from the pouch of Copycat's startled Kangaskhan and threw him at the rapid black blur. "Moonlight, then Flash!"

The rings on Leon's body lit up briefly, and then there was a blinding flash of light. When it faded, Leon was revealed lying next to Cleo. A few feet from them stood a tall, sleek cat with black fur darker than the night itself. Most noticeable about the cat, however, was that it stumbled blindly back on two legs, not four. Its fur was still smoking from where Raikou had connected, but this didn't seem to bother it in the least anymore.

"It…it almost looks like…Sentry?" Misty whispered uncertainly.

"That is NOT Sentry," Satoshi insisted, striding forward. "For one thing, it has a taste for blood and psychics. It's a dark Pokémon…at least, it shares the same traits as one."

The cat seemed to recover at Satoshi's approach, but instead of attacking him, it slunk back nervously. Then, it stopped and glanced around warily, searching the stands. Its gaze stopped on one particular section, and then it was off again, yowling angrily as it bounded over the wall and up the steps.

Satoshi whipped out a black pokéball and threw it in one smooth motion. "Electric Fireball, now!" he barked.

Gengar erupted from his pokéball, firing the attack even before he was fully materialized. The crackling ball of power soared through the air, connecting with the black cat's back. There was a brief flash of light, in which three figures became visible just beyond the point of impact, before the darkness of night fell again.

Satoshi had every intention of making sure the cat was down, but was distracted when he saw Shigeru moving towards the fallen Gary, who was already hidden from view by Duplica and Misty as they worried over him.

"Things never go the way you expect, huh, bro?" Shigeru murmured softly, almost to himself. "Despite all my big plans, I never wanted this for you. I should've gotten rid of that thing back when I knew Giovanni was trying to breed a dark Mewtwo. This is all my fault. I never thought he'd go so far as to kill you. Or me. Either of us, not that it matters now. The point is, no world deserves to exist without some form of us in it."

Misty looked up as she heard an odd whispering noise. Her eyes widened as the ring of Unown around Shigeru's waist began to pulse and spin rapidly. "What are you doing?!"

"Saving myself from an early retirement," Shigeru replied flatly, his eyes narrowing. "I suggest you ladies step back, unless the thought of hearing weird voices in your head twenty-four hours a day appeals to you."

Duplica and Misty traded looks before hesitantly backing away from Gary.

Shigeru leaned over his twin, seeing his shuddering body with many eyes, and hearing his labored breath with many ears. "Okay, bro. If you're half as tough as me, this should only hurt like hell for a second or two." With that, he placed a hand on Gary's blood-soaked chest and grimaced.

At once, Gary's body jerked as if it were being electrocuted, and his eyes flew open, spinning wildly for a few seconds before locking on Shigeru's face.

"Stop resisting, damn you!" Shigeru hissed as Gary began to grit his teeth. "I'm trying to save your life!"

"NO!" Gary shouted, suddenly finding his voice. "You can't make me owe you anything! I'd rather die than be trapped here with no memory of who I am!"

Satoshi's head snapped up at that, his brow furrowing as he watched the heated exchange.

"I'm not trying to trick you!" Shigeru snapped. "Once you're healed, we'll battle again!"

Gary sneered at him. "How can I trust you?! You're trying to steal everything that I am!"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I'm trying to give you everything that I lost?!"

Gary's face went blank at that, confusion dominant in his eyes. "…what?"

The momentary pause was enough. With a triumphant cry, Shigeru thrust his hand into Gary's chest, relief spreading across his face as Gary slumped to the ground, his breathing slow but audible.

"What did you do to him?!" Misty demanded.

"Keeping him alive, for now," Shigeru replied as he stood up.

"You connected him to the Unown, didn't you," Satoshi said accusingly.

"Considering all I'll eventually take from him, it's the least I could do. In a few days, he'll be as good as new. Then, we battle."

"You know he can't beat you."

Shigeru smiled faintly. "Yeah. But it was kinda fun to watch him try. Reminded me of what I used to be like, before all of this, before them." He gestured to the Unown. "In a way, I pity him. He has no idea of all the things he'll never learn."

"Seemed like he's more concerned with losing all the things he HAS learned," Duplica pointed out, and not without malice.

"Sacrifices must be made," Shigeru replied, "for the greater good."

"Good for you, you mean," Misty muttered.

He grinned and patted her head before she could pull away. "Got your old spunk back, huh, Red? Good for you. But in case you forgot, you're worrying over the wrong guy." With that, he walked off, twirling an O Unown around his finger as it trilled happily.

* * * * *

A few rapidly fading feathers were all that marked the passing of Moltres. Their former brilliance, once enough to rival the sun itself, was little more than a memory now. They lay on the rocky earth, fallen and forgotten.

The ground beneath them trembled suddenly, and a fissure split the earth wide open, swallowing the feathers in the space of a heartbeat.

Then new feathers burst from the fissure, followed by a taloned hand of brightest red. A bird like head emerged next, the eyes sharp and narrowed in concentration.

The fissure widened slowly, and a huge, hulking shape rose up behind the bird.

"Okay, you two, enough with the dramatic posing! Get me OUT of here!"

The bird got free first, then bent its lean, powerful body as it pulled its trainer free.

"Thanks, Blaze," she muttered absently, trying pointlessly to brush the dirt from her clothes. "Great. I bet this will NEVER wash out! And I really liked this work outfit, too…" She seemed oblivious to the fact that it made her look like an absurdly-dressed (and now very dirty) red and black cow.

As if in response, the enormous shape behind her lifted its head, and for a brief moment, bright yellow lines lit up across its back and limbs, highlighting the segments in its body.

An instant later, the first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the clouds, bathing them in surprising warmth, for that time of day.

But the young girl, who had seen it all many times before, shook her head and frowned. "You big show-off," she sighed, stomping ahead of them. "I bet Brendan doesn't have to put up with stunts like this…"

The two tall, reddish Pokémon shared a quick, mischievous glance before moving to follow their trainer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next Chapter: It's Another World

Sabrina's return summons old memories for Satoshi. Gary prepares himself for a one-on-one battle with Shigeru and Lugia. And just when things are about to get really serious, two very strange trainers appear and order everyone to "surrender now, or prepare to fight!"