Chapter 13

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="14800640egdysm.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="mim1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 1"><U>Chapter 1</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 2"><U>Chapter 2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 3"><U>Chapter 3</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 4"><U>Chapter 4</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 5"><U>Chapter 5</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 6"><U>Chapter 6</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 7"><U>Chapter 7</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 8"><U>Chapter 8</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 9"><U>Chapter 9</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim10.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 10"><U>Chapter 10</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim11.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 11"><U>Chapter 11</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim12.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 12"><U>Chapter 12</U></A>   |   <B>Chapter 13</B>   |   <A HREF="mim14.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 14"><U>Chapter 14</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 15"><U>Chapter 15</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 16"><U>Chapter 16</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 17"><U>Chapter 17</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/oldnews.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>Old News</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/zrfic/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>My Fanfics</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/zrart/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>My Fanart</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/a-j/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>Authors A-J</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/k-z/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>Authors K-Z</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/art/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>Fanart List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/ffsubmit.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>Submit a Fanfic</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/fanart_submit.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>Submit Fanart</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://pub46.ezboard.com/beeveesmb" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://pub46.ezboard.com/beeveesmb"><U><B>Message Board</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethraltier/links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://members.fortunecity.com/zethralti"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=380 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Chapter 13</I></div> <div> <B>A Master in the Making: Chapter 13: Double or Nothing</B></div> <bR> <div>     Yesterday had been one eventful day.  Upon their arrival in Pearl City, Zeth and Mike had been given a hero's welcome. They soon found out that their phone call had worked.  The Dragons had delivered the Rockets to the Quartz Town police when they arrived at Crystal Island, although they had not mentioned that they were members of the Rocket's rival gang.  When Zeth told the local Officer Jenny that they were actually members of the Dragons, she was amazed.  They spent the next hour at the police station answering all kinds of questions about their adventure.</div> <bR> <div>     Next, they had been treated to a late dinner at a fancy restaurant.  Nearly asleep, Zeth waved goodbye to Mike, and caught a taxi to the city's pokémon center.  Thankfully, the center was still open, even though it was after 10 PM when he arrived.  Leaving his pokémon to the capable hands of Nurse Joy, Zeth jumped in one of the center's bunk beds and was asleep almost before he hit the pillow.</div> <bR> <div>     Now, at one in the afternoon the next day, Zeth stepped inside the Pearl City gym.  The gym was surprisingly plain.  It just looked like a basketball court without the hoops on either end.  There were no decorations anywhere in sight.  There were a few metal folding chairs scattered around the edges, but nowhere that an audience could sit to watch a match.  <I>Apparently they don't have many tournaments here,</I> Zeth thought to himself.  <I>There's no one here, anyway.  Maybe I have the wrong gym...</I> </div> <bR> <div>     Walking through the door on the far end of the building, Zeth found himself outside again.  Before him was a much larger building with a sign that said 'New Pearl City Gym' on the side facing the street.  Feeling silly for his mistake, Zeth ran over to the second building and flung open the doors.</div> <bR> <div>     This was <B>much</B> better.  This gym was more like he had expected, with lots of seating on the sides on the arena and quite a few people standing around talking, or having practice matches with their pokémon.  Pulling one man aside, Zeth asked where the gym leader was.  The man pointed him over to one corner of the arena, where a bunch of people were watching a Hitmontop spin-kicking the stuffing out of a punching bag.  "Excuse me, but is one of you the gym leader?" Zeth asked the people standing around.</div> <bR> <div>     One tough-looking man shook his head, "Nope."  Zeth started to ask where the gym leader was, but the man interrupted.  "<B>Two</B> of us are the gym leaders.  Did you want to have a gym battle?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth shook his head, "Yeah, I did."</div> <bR> <div>     "Great!  Let me get my sister and we can start."  The man called over to a group of ladies adoring a cute little Jigglypuff, "Hey, Jan, we have a challenger!"  </div> <bR> <div>     A young woman scooped up the Jigglypuff and ran over to them.  "Wonderful, Aaron!  Have you told him the rules of our gym yet?"</div> <bR> <div>     "No, not yet.  I haven't even introduced myself yet."  The man turned back to Zeth.  "I'm Aaron and this is my sister Janet.  We're the leaders of this gym.  You're that Zeth kid that just came into town, aren't you?"</div> <bR> <div>     "Yeah, but how did you know?"</div> <bR> <div>     "It was all over the news.  When I read the paper this morning, I noticed that it said you were a pokémon trainer.  I figured you would come here sooner or later."</div> <bR> <div>     "That makes sense."  Janet's Jigglypuff hopped out of Janet's arms and into Zeth's.  "Hello, to you too," Zeth said to it, before resuming his conversation.  "So, what were those rules you mentioned earlier?"</div> <bR> <div>     Janet answered him this time.  "Nothing too unusual.  It'll be a four on four match, using two pokémon at once instead of one.  I'll use two of my pokémon and Aaron will use two.  You'll use two at a time, and each of us will use one.  Whenever one pokémon is defeated, another may take its place.  Understand?"  Zeth nodded.  "Ok, then let's begin."</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth handed the softly singing Jigglypuff back to Janet, managing to stifle a yawn.  Janet quickly hushed the little fluffball, while Aaron got everyone to clear the arena floor.  Walking to his end of the arena, Zeth waited for the gym leaders to release their first pokémon.</div> <bR> <div>     "Tyrogue, Time for action!" Aaron called, throwing his pokéball.</div> <bR> <div>     "Let's go, Clefable!"  Yelled Janet, adding her pokémon to the match.</div> <bR> <div>     "Florio, Sting, I chose you!" Zeth threw down his pokéballs, calling out orders immediately.  "Florio, attack the Tyrogue with Razor Leaf.  Sting, use Twinneedle on that Clefable!"  The two pokémon launched a barrage of leaves and energy needles at their two opponents.</div> <bR> <div>     "Tyrogue, Protect!"  A glowing shield appeared around Tyrogue, easily deflecting Florio's leaves.  </div> <bR> <div>     "Clefable, Minimize!"  The needles shot right past the Clefable as it shrank to a smaller size.</div> <bR> <div>     "Good job, Tyrogue," shouted Aaron, "Now use Sunny Day!"  The fighting pokémon launched a shining ball into the air, filling the whole arena with a bright light.  Zeth was confused, wondering why Aaron would use an attack that would allow Florio to use his Solar Beam more effectively.</div> <bR> <div>     <I>No time to waste, use it while it's there!</I>  "Florio, Solarbeam!"  For a moment, Zeth thought his voice had echoed, but then he realized the truth.  Janet had ordered her Clefable to use the same move!  "Florio, Sting, watch out!"  Florio's Solarbeam nailed the Tyrogue, flinging it back.  Unfortunately, the Clefable's beam did the same to Sting, who wasn't expecting such a powerful attack so fast.  Without even managing to get in a good hit, the Beedrill was already out of the match.  "Sting, return.  Blaze, it's your turn!"  The Growlithe popped out of his pokéball and was immediately drenched by a water gun attack from the Clefable.</div> <bR> <div>     This time, luck was on Zeth's side.  The shining sphere of light hovering above the field not only enhanced fire attacks and solar beam, it also decreased the effects of water attacks.  Blaze may have been disgusted to get wet, but the attack did not actually harm him.</div> <bR> <div>     Now there was a new opponent in the battle.  When the Tyrogue fell, Aaron quickly replaced it with a Machoke.  The huge muscular pokémon quickly used Vital Throw on Florio, smashing the plant pokémon into the arena wall.  Meanwhile, Blaze launched a Flamethrower straight into the Clefable's face as payback for the soakdown.</div> <bR> <div>     "Clefable, Rollout!"  The fairy pokémon rolled into a ball and shot toward Blaze at top speed.  The fire puppy dodged, but he still took a glancing hit.  The Clefable came around for a second pass, and Blaze jumped over it.</div> <bR> <div>     Blaze was doing fairly well, but Florio was taking some nasty blows.  Noticing the sphere of light starting to fade, Zeth called to the battered pokémon, "Florio use Synthesis and Solar Beam!"  Ducking a Cross Chop that would have finished him, Florio restored some of his strength by absorbing light from the failing sun-sphere.  Pulling in even more, he shot a Solarbeam into the Machoke, even as the Machoke smashed him with a fire punch.  The sun-sphere winked out, and so did Florio, but the Machoke was still standing.</div> <bR> <div>     Blaze had somehow finished off his opponent by this time, and was now facing a Persian.  "Florio, return.  Eva, let's go!  Attack that Persian with Head Butt!  Blaze, you go for the Machoke!"  The two pokémon lunged into action.  Eva slammed into the Persian, knocking it over.  Blaze blew a stream of blue-white fire at the Machoke, which winced and stumbled back.  Not recognizing the attack, Zeth pulled out his pokédex and asked for information.  Only taking the time to read the name, Dragonbreath, Zeth set his attention back on the fight.</div> <bR> <div>     The Persian slashed at the Eevee, then bit her and tossed her on the ground.  Eva stood up unsteadily, and Zeth called for her to use Double Team and Take Down.  Immediately, the one Eevee was replaced by three, each of which ran at the Persian.  The cat slashed at one, but its claws met with air.  The real Eva rammed into it, then hit it with a Body Slam.</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth quickly turned his attention to the second match, when the Machoke threw Blaze straight into him.  Suddenly looking at the ceiling and the dazed face of his Growlithe, Zeth blinked for a few seconds, then regained his senses and whispered in Blaze's ear.  The puppy barked an affirmative, then leaped off of Zeth and blew another stream of Dragonbreath into the Machoke's face.  While the muscled brute shielded its eyes, Blaze hit it in the legs with Take Down.  It fell to the ground, and Blaze hit it with a Flame Wheel, finishing it off.</div> <bR> <div>     Between Eva and Blaze, the Persian was simple.  Blaze shot little fireballs at its face while Eva hit it with Head Butt and Skull Bash.  When the cat finally fell, Eva sat down and rubbed her head in relief.  "Great job, you two!  We did it!"</div> <bR> <div>     While Janet returned her Persian to its pokéball, Aaron handed Zeth a badge.  It was diamond-shaped, with a dividing line down the middle.  One half was copper-colored, and the other was silver.  Embedded in the center was a perfect pearl.  "Wow," murmured Zeth, examining the badge, "That's nice."</div> <bR> <div>     "I'll bet you were expecting a water pokémon challenge, though." Janet said.  "Lots of people do, since we're right at the edge of Silver Bay, and we're in Pearl City.  I've always liked to watch the expressions on their faces when they find out otherwise."</div> <bR> <div>     "Yeah, I was a little surprised that you didn't use any water-types, but I think the Jigglypuff and Hitmontop tipped me off before I found out the hard way."</div> <bR> <div>     "I guess so...  So where are you heading next?  Topaz City or Jade City?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth thought for a second, remembering what his map of the area had shown.  "Topaz City, there's more gyms that way, and I still need five more badges to compete in the Obsidian Tournaments.  Besides, Jade City is only a few day's walk from Obsidian, so I can go there when I go that way."</div> <bR> <div>     Aaron cut in, "Well, you could always compete in the Beginner's Tournament in Obsidian.  That only requires four badges.  You don't seem like the type to go for beginner stuff, though."</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth shook his head, "I'm not, so I'm sticking with Topaz."</div> <bR> <div>     Aaron smiled, "Good for you.  Well, we'll wish you luck, though with your skill, you shouldn't need too much of that."</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth thought of some of his near-disastrous adventures. "You never know..." he murmured.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     A dark figure watched from a tall building as Zeth left the Pearl Gym.  A hidden grin spread over his face as he spotted the young man far below.  He pressed a button...</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     Zeth squinted in the bright sunlight.  Deciding to walk back to the pokémon center to heal his pokémon, he took a step forward.  With a quick flash of light everything changed....</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth jumped back in surprise, and bumped against something solid.  Turning, he was astonished to find the Pearl Gym far below.  He was on a tall building, right beside the low protective barrier he had bumped into.  <I>Any farther, and I would have gone over the edge!</I>  Zeth took a step back from the edge, trying not to think about how he had almost become the newest spot on the pavement.</div> <bR> <div>     "A long way down, isn't it?"  Zeth spun around, and found himself face to face with a figure dressed totally in black.  The person wore a black mask that covered the lower half of his face, so Zeth could make out no details except for two icy-blue eyes that stared into him.  Zeth tried to speak, but he could only stare in shock.  "I bet you're wondering who I am.  Well, don't bother to ask, because I tell no one my identity.  You can call me what you wish.  Some call me 'the Phantom', others 'the Wraith'.  I tend to prefer 'ShadowWalker' myself."</div> <bR> <div>     "What do you want with me?" Zeth managed to say.</div> <bR> <div>     "It is not what I want, but what Team Rocket wants."</div> <bR> <div>     "You're a Team Rocket agent?!" Zeth started to step back, but bumped his heel on the protective barrier and quickly remembered what was behind him.</div> <bR> <div>     "Of course not.  I serve no one but myself.  But I do have connections, and Team Rocket is very anxious to see you again, for reasons you probably know.  I will make a great deal of money for bringing you in."</div> <bR> <div>     "Over my dead body," Zeth blurted out, then remembered this was a mercenary he had just said that to.  ShadowWalker was likely to take him up on that.</div> <bR> <div>     "I could usually arrange that.  Fortunately for you, the Rockets want you alive.  Of course, when they get through with you, you might wish I had killed you."  The dark figure pulled out a set of handcuffs.  "Now, let me suggest that you cooperate, because if you resist, I <B>will</B> use force.  You may have to remain alive, but that doesn't necessarily mean undamaged."</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth put his hand on Talon's pokéball, wondering if the Spearow could possibly fly him down off the roof.  He quickly dismissed the idea.  He knew enough about pokémon to know that while Spearows were fierce fighters, they tended to have less lifting power than other birds of the same size, such as Pidgeys.  Even a Pidgeotto would have trouble carrying a person that far.  <I>Sting could do it, but she's too weak from that battle.</I>  "How did you manage to get me up here, anyway?" Zeth asked, stalling for time.</div> <bR> <div>     ShadowWalker took the bait.  "Have you ever heard of transporter tiles?  They're quite common in Saffron City."  He held up a small control box.  "This allows me to turn it on and off.  It even lets me set it for one way transporting, which is why you didn't return to the streets when you stepped on it again."</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth glanced down at the tile.  Now that his opponent had mentioned it, he realized that he <B>had</B> heard of them.  The things cost a fortune, but ShadowWalker had probably stolen his.  There was also no way to operate the things without the control box, so he could not use it to transport back.  Zeth side stepped toward the door to the lower levels of the building, hoping to escape that way.  The mysterious mercenary made no move to stop him.  "The door is locked.  Do you really think I would forget a detail like that?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth tried it anyway.  Giving up, he spun around.  "Well, I'm not going out without a fight!"  He reached for four of his pokéballs.  "Blaze, Eva, Talon, and Aqua, I need your help!"  The four pokémon appeared, but the dark figure just laughed.</div> <bR> <div>     "Your pokémon are no match for me.  Go Houndour, Umbreon, and Ariados!  Finish off his pokémon. You'll have no trouble with them."  The mercenary was unfortunately right.  Blaze and Eva were too weak to fight a sustained battle against their fresh opponents.  Talon was quickly brought out of the sky by Ariados, which shot him with webbing until he was too tied up to fly.  He hit the top of the roof hard and was immediately knocked out.  Houndour and Umbreon were easily beating Blaze and Eva.  The two fell almost simultaneously.  Zeth returned the three downed pokémon, wondering if Aqua had any chance at all of beating three enemies at once.</div> <bR> <div>     The Shellder flipped itself into Zeth's arms as the Umbreon launched a shadowy Faint Attack at it.  The attack slammed into them knocking Zeth back into the door he had just tried to open.  Zeth heard a ringing in his ears, and wondered if he had just been concussed.  "Aqua, if you have any tricks left, now's the time to use them!"  The Umbreon shot another blast at them and everything went white....</div> <bR> <bR> <div>     .....then the world blinked back into existence.  Zeth found himself back on the ground, in front of the Pearl Gym.  Spotting the transporter tile a few feet away, he yelled frantically, "Aqua, destroy that tile!"  A quick Ice Beam and Clamp put the tile out of commission permanently.  "Come on, let's get out of here!"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     Zeth ran the whole way to the police station.  Throwing open the doors, he tripped on a Growlithe and fell on his face, yelling,  "Officer Jenny!  Officer Jenny!"  He jumped to his feet and ran past a couple astonished police officers, until he found her pouring a cup of coffee.  Fortunately for her, he managed to stop before he knocked her over.  "There you are!  You have to do something!  I'm being stalked!"</div> <bR> <div>     He quickly spilled out the details, and Officer Jenny sent out a squad of police to check out the building.  They soon returned, but without any luck.  ShadowWalker had vanished without a trace.</div> <bR> <div>     Returning to the pokémon center, Zeth gave all of his pokémon except Aqua to Nurse Joy.  He was still scared from his near-disaster, but was starting to feel a little better.  He plopped down in a comfortable-looking chair, then winced as his head throbbed from the motion.  Remembering those last few moments of the battle, he brought out his Shellder.  "Hey, Aqua.  How did we get back to the ground?  The last thing I remember was that second Faint Attack about to hit us."</div> <bR> <div>     {Oh, that was nothing.  I just used Teleport.  Most Shellders can learn to do that.  I just had to wait until all your pokémon were back.  It's a little hard to teleport five at once.}</div> <bR> <div>     "That's it!?  You could have gotten us out the whole time!?"</div> <bR> <div>     {Sure!}</div> <bR> <div>     "And we didn't have to get all beat up!?"</div> <bR> <div>     {Well, yeah.....}</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth shook his head, then stopped when his head started to throb again.  "I don't know whether I should laugh or scream...."</div> <bR> <div>     {Neither.  It would only make your head hurt worse.}</div> <bR> <div>     "Don't rub it in."</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>