Chapter 30

<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="mim27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 27"><U>Chapter 27</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 28"><U>Chapter 28</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 29"><U>Chapter 29</U></A>   |   <B>Chapter 30</B>   |   <A HREF="mim31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 31"><U>Chapter 31</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 32"><U>Chapter 32</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 33"><U>Chapter 33</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 34"><U>Chapter 34</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 35"><U>Chapter 35</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 36"><U>Chapter 36</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 37"><U>Chapter 37</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 38"><U>Chapter 38</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 39"><U>Chapter 39</U></A>   |   <A HREF="mim40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chapter 40"><U>Chapter 40</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 30</I></div> <div> <B>A Master in the Making: Chapter 30: What Dreams May Come</B></div> <bR> <div>     Upon entering the Jade City pokémon center, Zeth and Destiny almost jumped through the ceiling in surprise.  There, talking to the Jade City Nurse Joy, was none other than Gregory Austin, member of the Dragon Resistance in a dark parallel world that Destiny and her Mew friend Sani had discovered.  Zeth remembered him from the short time he had spent in that world, but the portal to the other world had since been sealed.  There should be no way that Greg could possibly have followed them back.</div> <bR> <div>     "He's from this world," Zeth realized, keeping his voice down so the man didn't hear him talking to Destiny.  "He must be the counterpart to the Greg we met before."</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny took a deep breath to stop her heart from pounding.  "Yeah, you're right.  For a moment there I thought that someone had reopened the Linkway.  That would be a real nightmare!"</div> <bR> <div>     By now, Joy had noticed the two of them come in, "Oh!  Hello and welcome to the Jade City Pokémon Center!  Do your pokémon need medical attention?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth shook his head, "No, nurse, our pokémon are fine.  We're sorry that we interrupted your conversation."</div> <bR> <div>     Greg turned to face them.  "I suppose you're both traveling pokémon trainers, come to Jade City to collect your next badge."</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny smiled, "Zeth's here for the badge, but I'm just here to cheer him on."</div> <bR> <div>     The man nodded, "And you are?"</div> <bR> <div>     "My name's Destiny."</div> <bR> <div>     "Ah, well it's nice to meet you, Destiny,"  Greg shook Destiny's hand, then turned to Zeth, "You too, Zeth."</div> <bR> <div>     "It's good to meet you too, Greg," Destiny said, realizing as the words came out of her mouth that she had just addressed him by name before he had even said who he was.  Beside her, Zeth winced at the blunder.</div> <bR> <div>     "Hey, how'd you know who I was?" Greg asked her, studying her face, most likely trying to figure out if they had met before.  "I'm fairly certain that I've never seen you before!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Long story," Zeth interrupted.  "It'd be too hard to explain, and I doubt that you'd believe us anyway.  Suffice it to say that we don't know you, we just know your name."</div> <bR> <div>     Greg looked understandably confused, "Uh, okay...  I suppose that means you also know I'm the gym leader of Jade City and that I'm the one you need to beat to get your next badge?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth blinked, "Well, no!  We didn't know that!  If you're the gym leader, then I guess I should challenge you to a battle!"</div> <bR> <div>     Greg smiled, "Sure, but it'll have to wait.  I just gave my pokémon to Nurse Joy, here.  They just had a hard battle, and they aren't up to another fight just yet."</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth shrugged and glanced at Destiny, "I guess that means we find something else to do in the meantime.</div> <bR> <div>     Joy spoke up, "Well, actually, if you're looking for something to do, I have a Raichu that belongs to a scientist that lives a couple blocks away.  Apparently, she slipped while carrying a piece of equipment and hurt her paw.  I'm already done taking care of her, so I was going to call him to have him come and get her.  If you wouldn't mind taking her back, though, it would save us both a trip.  He might even show you the invention he's been working on if you go!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Yeah, sure," Destiny agreed.  "A walk would be nice, anyway."  Zeth nodded knowingly.  The <I>Skylark</I> was a wonderful airship, but after riding in it for an hour or so, it felt good to get out and walk for a while.</div> <bR> <div>     "Well, here's the pokéball," Joy said, handing Destiny the sphere.  "To get to Mr. Elston's house, you just need to go down the road three blocks, then turn left onto Snake Road.  He lives in house number twelve, but, believe me, you'll know his house when you see it!  It'll be the one with the automated gate and the retina scanner on the door."</div> <bR> <div>     "He's crazy about security?" Zeth asked.</div> <bR> <div>     Greg chuckled, "No, he just likes gadgets, actually.  His house is as high-tech as he could make it.  I think everything he has is fully automated -- doors, windows, lights, you name it!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Neat!" Zeth exclaimed.  "Sounds like an interesting place to see!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Well, let's not wait around here, then, Zeth," Destiny suggested.  Let's go!"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     Nurse Joy was right.  There was no way that Zeth and Destiny could mistake Elston's house for that of any other person.  The gate opened for them, allowing them into the yard, where some sort of lawnmower was rolling back and forth by itself, cutting the grass.  Walking up to the front door, Destiny pressed the doorbell.  A moment later, a panel by the door swished open to reveal an intercom unit.</div> <bR> <div>     There was a click and a low buzz, then a male voice came from the intercom's speakers, "Yes?  Who's there?"</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny pressed the send button, "We're two trainers that Nurse Joy sent over to deliver your Raichu, sir."</div> <bR> <div>     "Oh!  Well then come in!"  The front door opened a moment later, and Zeth and Destiny stepped inside.  As they looked around at the technological wonders, a door to another room opened, and a short, balding man came out.  "Hello!  I'm Mr. Elston, the town's resident mad scientist!"</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny giggled, "It's nice to meet you.  I'm Destiny and this is Zeth.  You aren't really a mad scientist, though, are you?"</div> <bR> <div>     "Of course not, my dear.  I'm quite sane, although perhaps a little too giddy from the success of my latest project!  I've been working on a transportation device that can transfer a person from one place to another!"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth nodded, "You mean sort of like a teleportation tile, right?"</div> <bR> <div>     Elston looked embarrassed.  "Well, sort of, I suppose.  My device is different, though.  You see, the teleportation tiles are based off of the same principles as pokémon teleportation, and they have a very low range limit.  Well, theoretically, they could teleport you anywhere, but the energy required for such a device would be tremendously high!  My device works more like a pokéball transporter, converting a person into data and transferring him from one computer to another before he rematerializes on another transporter pad, perhaps in another city, or even on another continent.  It uses far less power and has unlimited range, as long as the origin computer can connect to the other platform's computer."</div> <bR> <div>     "Turning a person into data?  Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Destiny asked.</div> <bR> <div>     "Well, not really," Zeth answered.  "They've been doing that with pokémon for years, and I've never heard of a pokémon that's had any bad effects from it."</div> <bR> <div>     "Your friend is right," Elston agreed.  "It's quite safe, now that I've perfected the process.  I've already tried it on myself several times, and I've had nothing happen to me.  Would you like me to show you?"</div> <bR> <div>     "Sure," Zeth glanced over at Destiny, "I think we'd both like to see this."</div> <bR> <div>     "Yes," Destiny confirmed, "Oh, but first.  Here's your Raichu."  Destiny took the pokéball Joy had given her from her pocket and handed it to Elston.</div> <bR> <div>     "Ah, yes.  Thank you very much.  Now, come with me, and I'll show you how my transporter works!"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     The scientist led them down into his basement, where there were at least half a dozen unusual devices scattered around the room.  "You'll have to excuse the mess," Elston told them.  "I have quite a few projects in progress down here."</div> <bR> <div>     "What are you doing with all of them?" Zeth asked, staring at one odd-looking piece of equipment.</div> <bR> <div>     Elston pointed at the strange object, "Well, that one's supposed to allow interdimensional travel, but it's still far from being complete.  I haven't had much progress with it, actually."  The scientist indicated a different machine, "That one's going to allow me to convert matter into whatever form I want it to be, allowing me to turn rocks into gems, lead into gold, or a frozen dinner into something actually worth eating!"  Elston chuckled at his own joke, then waved a hand at the rest of the projects.  "Everything else here is mostly incomplete.  The transporter is the only thing down here that I've finished so far."</div> <bR> <div>     "One thing at a time, right?" Zeth said, turning away from the unfinished devices and following Elston and Destiny to the transporter pads.  There were two of them, set up on opposite sides of the room and connected by a cable.</div> <bR> <div>     "That's it," Elston told them.  "The transporter."  The scientist walked up to the transporter, stepped on the pad on the right and reached over to a control pad beside the platform.  "I'll show you just how well this works!"  Pressing a sequence of buttons on the pad, Elston activated the device.  White lightning crackled around him, and he started to glow.  A second later, the base of the transporter seemed to pull him into it, as a pokéball draws a pokémon inside.  There was a moment of silence, then the other pad started to glow.  Bright light shot up from it, forming into the shape of Elston.</div> <bR> <div>     "That's amazing!" Zeth exclaimed, as the scientist stepped off the pad.  "It really works!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Would you like to try it out?" Elston asked.</div> <bR> <div>     "I'd love to!" Zeth stepped onto the transporter pad.  "It's all right with you?</div> <bR> <div>     Elston grinned, "I offered, didn't I?  Get ready to experience the new way to travel!"  The scientist stepped up to the control panel and began to press buttons.  "I'll work the controls, since I know what they all do."</div> <bR> <div>     "Fine with me," Zeth agreed.  "I do want to come back in one piece!"  Elston nodded, only half paying attention to him, then hit the last button, activating the machine.  Zeth glowed as the white energy wrapped around him, then he faded from sight.</div> <bR> <div>      And suddenly the power went out, throwing Destiny and Elston into total darkness.  Destiny shouted in alarm, "The transporter's power is gone!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Hold on a minute," Elston called, moving somewhere in the dark room.  "Must be some kind of blackout or something.  Or it could be that something overloaded somewhere in the house."  A dim light brightened the room, as Elston turned on a small battery-powered lamp.  "Hold on a minute, I have a generator around here somewhere."  The scientist wandered around the room, then leaned down and picked up a large device.  "Here we go...  I was going to take this apart and convert it into parts for other projects.  Now I'm glad I never got around to it!"  Carrying the heavy machine over to the transporter pad, Elston started hooking it up.  "I'll have this up and running again in a couple minutes."</div> <bR> <div>     "But what about Zeth!?" Destiny realized she was yelling and forced herself to lower her voice.  "He's still in there!"</div> <bR> <div>     "He should be fine, I think.  The transporter has a built-in power supply for memory storage, but it's not enough to activate the machine.  It's not going to just delete your friend, if that's what you're worried about."  Elston turned on the generator and the transporter lit up.  "There, now we can finish the process!"  The scientist stepped back as the second transporter platform activated, releasing white light that quickly formed into Zeth.</div> <bR> <div>     As the light faded, Zeth fell to the ground.  Destiny ran over to him in alarm.  "He's unconscious!"</div> <bR> <div>     Frowning, Elston pressed a few buttons on the transporter's controls.  "There does seem to have been some kind of error.  I'm having the computer run a diagnostic to see if it knows what happened."  Turning from the pad, the scientist hurried over and helped Destiny pick Zeth up.  "Let's get him out of here."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     Zeth opened his eyes to find himself laying on a bed in the pokémon center.  Confused, he sat up, spotting Destiny over at the other end of the room. "Hey, what happened?" he called to her.  "How'd we get here?"</div> <bR> <div>     At the sound of his voice, Destiny spun around, "Zeth!  You're okay!"  She ran to his side, "We were so worried!  You've been unconscious for nearly an hour!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Whoa, hold on a minute," Zeth glanced around the room, finding the clock to check the time.  "Hey, it really has been an hour!  What happened, Dest?  The last thing I remember is stepping on that transporter pad!"</div> <bR> <div>     "There was a malfunction," Destiny explained.  "You were unconscious when you reappeared on the other pad.  Mr. Elston and I brought you here, but we couldn't wake you up!  I think Nurse Joy might have just gone to call the hospital...  I guess I should go stop her, now that you're up."</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth swung his feet off the side of the bed, "Yeah, good idea."</div> <bR> <div>     "You should probably take it easy, Zeth," Destiny said, holding her hand in front of him to keep him from standing.  "You might pass out again or something."</div> <bR> <div>     "I feel fine."  Gently pushing Destiny's arm away, Zeth rose to his feet.  "I don't feel tired or weak.  As a matter of fact, I feel kind of energetic."  Zeth nodded at the door, "Come on, let's tell Joy that I'm going to be fine."</div> <bR> <div>     They found Joy on the vidphone, talking to someone at the hospital.  Zeth walked up to the Nurse, who jerked back when she noticed him.  "You!  You're awake!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Yeah, Nurse Joy," Zeth said, starting to feel embarrassed that he had worried everyone so much.  "I'm just fine now.  Whatever happened to be seems to have been temporary."</div> <bR> <div>     "I hope so," Zeth turned to find Mr. Elston sitting in a nearby chair holding a laptop computer.  "I've been examining all the data from the transporter ever since we brought you here," the scientist continued.  "I still have no idea what caused the malfunction, so I can't predict any aftereffects you may experience in the future."  Standing up, Elston set the laptop on the chair he had just vacated.  "Are you absolutely sure you're all right, Zeth?  You don't feel nauseated or dizzy?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth shook his head, "No, not at all.  Whatever glitch we had seems to have been pretty minor.  I feel well enough to go win my next gym badge, but I suppose that'll have to wait for Greg's pokémon to get better."</div> <bR> <div>     "Well, they're actually rested up now and ready for their next match," Joy mentioned.  "But I don't think you should be exerting yourself so soon after what you've been through!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Nonsense, I feel fine," Zeth claimed.  "I'll challenge Greg to a gym battle as soon as he comes back to get his pokémon!"</div> <bR> <div>     "And I'll just have to accept that challenge!" Zeth turned to find Greg walking into the center.</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth grinned, "Hey, good timing!"</div> <bR> <div>     The gym leader smiled, "I aim to please."  Glancing to Nurse Joy, he added, "My pokémon, nurse?"</div> <bR> <div>     Joy handed over a set of pokéballs to Greg, "Here they are."</div> <bR> <div>     "Great!" Zeth exclaimed.  "Let's have that battle, then!"</div> <bR> <div>     "I wish you wouldn't," Joy told him.</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny nodded in agreement, looking worried, "Yeah, Zeth, Nurse Joy might be right.  Maybe you shouldn't--"</div> <bR> <div>     "Don't worry, Dest," Zeth interrupted.  "I'll be fine!  Nothing's going to happen to me."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     Fifteen minutes later, Zeth and Greg were in a large grassy field, where they had decided to have their battle rather than going all the way to the gym.  Destiny and a few of the local kids watched the two with interest, as they prepared to start the battle.  "Two on two, okay?" Greg called, as he walked a short distance away.</div> <bR> <div>     "Fine with me!" Zeth shouted back.  "Whenever you're ready!"</div> <bR> <div>     "I'll start out with Starmie!" Greg declared, releasing the starfish pokémon from its pokéball.</div> <bR> <div>     "Then I'll use Florio!" Zeth replied, tossing his Ivysaur's pokéball out onto the field.  "Start off with a Razor Leaf attack!"  Florio fired off a flurry of leaves, but the Starmie spun out of the way.  It bounced up in the air and then shot down at the grass pokémon, crashing into him violently.  Florio stumbled backwards, dazed by the strong attack.</div> <bR> <div>     "That's it, Starmie, keep it up!" Greg cheered his pokémon on, "Now use Ice Beam!"  The starfish fired off a freezing ray, that sliced through the air towards Florio.  Fortunately, the Ivysaur managed to dodge to the side before the beam hit him, firing off a counterattack of Razor Leaves.  The Starmie was pummeled by the attack, falling to the ground with its central gem blinking slowly.</div> <bR> <div>     "Starmie, Return!"  Greg looked surprised, "Very good.  Starmie usually isn't defeated so quickly.  Now for my next pokémon.  I choose Steelix!"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth returned Florio to his pokéball.  "I'll go with Blaze for this!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Steelix, use your Iron Tail attack!" Greg ordered, as Blaze appeared on the field.  "Smash that Growlithe!"</div> <bR> <div>     The metal snake pokémon whipped its tail around, Blaze just barely managing to dive out of the way before it hit.  The Steelix flicked its tail back, knocking the fire dog off his feet.  Blaze spat a stream of flames at the snake as he rolled over to avoid another blow from the Steelix's swinging tail.  The metal snake recoiled from the flames, giving Blaze enough time to get back to his feet.</div> <bR> <div>     The Growlithe darted closer to the Steelix, jumping on its back, just behind its head.  It was a risky move.  The Steelix couldn't use its Iron Tail attack, but it could easily roll over or bury underground.  Zeth didn't plan to give it the chance.  "Flamethrower, Blaze!"</div> <bR> <div>     Blaze spat out a stream of fire across the Steelix's head.  The snake writhed, knocking Blaze from his perch, but the Growlithe continued his attack from the ground.  Roaring in pain and anger, the Steelix threw itself at Blaze, trying to smash him with its tremendous weight.  Blaze jumped to the side, but not quickly enough.  The metal snake landed on his front left paw, pinning him to the ground.</div> <bR> <div>     The fire dog yelped in pain, then unleashed a Fire Blast attack, spewing flames onto the Steelix.  The snake couldn't withstand the attack, retreating from the Growlithe's flames.  Too badly injured to keep fighting, the Steelix slithered around behind Greg to show its surrender.</div> <bR> <div>     Blaze barked in triumph, limping as he ran back to Zeth.  "Great job, Blaze!" Zeth called to him, recalling him to his pokéball.  "You can take some time off now."</div> <bR> <div>     "You've done an excellent job raising your pokémon," Greg told Zeth, as he returned his Steelix to its own pokéball.  "I guess you've earned this."  Greg walked toward Zeth and handed him a round green badge with a five-pointed yellow star in the center.  "This is the Wishing Star Badge.  Perhaps it will make all your dreams come true."</div> <bR> <div>     "Sounds good to me," Zeth agreed, adding the pin to his badge box.  "That makes ten badges!  Now all we have left is the League in just a few more weeks!"</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny walked over from the sidelines, where the other kids were starting to leave, now that the battle was over.  "Are you done now?" she asked impatiently.  "Can we get back to the pokémon center now?"</div> <bR> <div>     "You're in quite a mood," Zeth said, puzzled.  "What's wrong?"</div> <bR> <div>     "I still don't think you should be out here after what happened to you, that's what!"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth held up his hands, "Whoa, hold on.  There's no reason to get upset.  I know I'm fine, but if it'll make you feel better, I'll take the whole afternoon off.  Maybe I'll just sit back and watch TV or something."</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny nodded, "Yeah, that'd be good enough for me."</div> <bR> <div>     "Good..."  Zeth and Destiny both started walking back toward the pokémon center.  "You know, you're starting to sound like my mother..."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     As he had promised, Zeth rested up during the afternoon, though he still refused to actually sleep.  Instead, he watched TV for a while, then decided to play a round of chess with Sting.</div> <bR> <div>     "Checkmate!" he declared, moving his rook forward.  "I don't believe it, Sting!  I actually managed to beat you!"</div> <bR> <div>     The Beedrill examined the board, {Yes, you have.  Interesting...  It was most likely just luck for you, though.}</div> <bR> <div>     "Yeah, probably," Zeth said, smiling.  "Ever since that incident this morning, I've had great luck!"</div> <bR> <div>     {What do you mean?} Sting asked.</div> <bR> <div>     "Well, there was the gym battle I had earlier," he explained.  "It was probably the fastest one I've ever had.  I mean, Blaze had a little bit of trouble, but nothing much.  And Florio only hit the Starmie with one Razor Leaf attack!  I know Starmies are weak to grass attacks, but I still can't believe that it was beat that easily!"</div> <bR> <div>     {Maybe it was still tired from its last battle,} the Beedrill suggested.  {After all, it only had a little more than an hour to rest up.}</div> <bR> <div>     "That's another thing, Sting.  When was the last time you recovered from a battle in an hour?"</div> <bR> <div>     {Well, never,} Sting conceded.</div> <bR> <div>     "Exactly!  Strange, isn't it?  It's like I've been given an amazing amount of luck!"</div> <bR> <div>     Sting started to put the chess pieces away, {Well, I don't know how true that is, but I suppose I should protect my reputation as a chessmaster and wait until you're feeling unlucky to take you on again!  Just in case...}</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth laughed, "What's the matter?  Can't stand loosing?"</div> <bR> <div>     {Not at all.  I just don't want to destroy your feelings of good luck when I utterly defeat you.}</div> <bR> <div>     "How thoughtful of you."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     Darkness.  Everything was a black, murky darkness.  Then Zeth heard a voice somewhere in the distance.  Red light poured into his vision as a ghostly, blurry image of Danielle Mason appeared before him.  The Dragon leader glared at him for a moment, then grinned evilly.  "I will have my revenge on you, Zeth Raltier!" she declared.  Then she disappeared from sight, and the darkness closed in yet again...</div> <bR> <div>     ...and Zeth sat up with a jerk, realizing a moment later that it had all been a dream.  Morning light was streaming in the windows of the pokémon center, lighting up the room.  Zeth climbed out of bed, then noticed that he was breathing hard.  He briefly wondered why the dream had scared him so much, but he decided that the memory of the evil Dragon was sufficiently disturbing.  Trying to banish the image of Danielle smiling victoriously at him to the back of his mind, Zeth wandered out of the room.</div> <bR> <div>     He found Destiny and their pokémon in the dining room, halfway through breakfast.  "So you finally decided to join us!" Destiny called, as he entered the room.</div> <bR> <div>     "Yeah, I have."  Zeth took a seat between Snow and Dash.  Someone had made biscuits, most likely Nurse Joy.  Taking two, Zeth took a bite of one, then glanced to his right at the Rattata sitting on the table next to him and turned on his pokédex translator.  "Hey, Dash, how are you this morning?"  He knew that most likely, the rodent would ignore him, or else snap out some nasty comment.</div> <bR> <div>     To his surprise, the Rattata answered him nicely.  {I'm feeling better, actually.  How about you?}</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth shot Destiny a confused glance, "Uh, well, I'm feeling pretty good too."  Glancing at Destiny, he mouthed, "What's with him?"</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny shrugged, "He's been like this all morning.  I don't know why he's so cheerful all of a sudden, but I definitely don't mind the change."</div> <bR> <div>     "You won't hear me complaining," Zeth agreed.</div> <bR> <div>     "By the way, there was a pokémon here to see you this morning," Destiny mentioned.  "He said he was an old friend of yours.  I told him that you were still asleep, and he said he'd come back this afternoon."</div> <bR> <div>     "A pokémon came to see me?" Zeth asked.  "But what pokémon around here would know me?"</div> <bR> <div>     "Well, I don't know.  He was a Meowth, and he said his name was Niko--"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth jumped out of his chair in shock.  On the other end of the table, Florio choked on his food.  "That's impossible!" Zeth exclaimed.</div> <bR> <div>     Florio coughed a few times, shaking his head, {It can't be!}</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny blinked, "Well, that's who he said he was.  Why?  What's so impossible about that?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth glanced at Florio, then back at Destiny, "Niko's been dead for four years!" he explained.  "He was a Meowth I captured when I first got Florio, six years ago.  I had him for two years, and then one day, there was a huge storm.  I was helping Professor Ivy get all the pokémon to shelter.  Anyway, me, Florio, and Niko were trying to get a Jumpluff out of a tree at the edge of this one cliff overhanging the ocean before the storm blew the poor thing away.  Niko climbed up the tree to carry the Jumpluff down to us.  He got it close enough for Florio to grab it, but then the branch under him snapped and he fell out of the tree.  I wasn't close enough to grab him, and Florio had his vines full holding onto the Jumpluff.  Niko fell over the edge of the cliff, down into the ocean," Zeth wiped away the tears starting to trickle down his cheeks.  "Excuse me...  It's a memory I really wish I could forget, watching one of my friends carried out to sea, while I was helpless to save him."</div> <bR> <div>     Florio nodded, looking as sad as Zeth, {Yeah, there was no way that the little guy could have survived that.  He didn't even know how to swim.  We looked all over Valencia Island to see if he washed up somewhere, but we never found him.}</div> <bR> <div>     "But if he's dead, how could I have seen him this morning?" Destiny asked.  "He must have survived somehow!"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth sighed, "Well, I hope so, but I can't see how it could possibly be.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  You sure he said he'd be back this afternoon?"</div> <bR> <div>     "Positive!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Well, then, let's just hope that it's true.  I'd hate to get my hopes up for nothing."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     As the day continued and Zeth impatiently waited, he began to doubt that the Meowth had truly been Niko.  It was nearly 4:00 in the afternoon, and there was still no sign of the pokémon.  "I don't know, Dest," Zeth finally said.  "I think I should have just gone out and trained instead of waiting around for a ghost from my past."</div> <bR> <div>     "Hold that thought," Destiny told him, pointing out the window.  "There he is!"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth stood so fast he knocked the chair over, "Where?!"</div> <bR> <div>     "Out there, walking towards the center."</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth stared at the Meowth, "It...  it can't be...  But it is!"  Zeth shot out the door of the center and ran for the cat pokémon.  Catching up to him, Zeth grabbed him and gave him a tight hug, "Niko!  It's you, it's really you!"</div> <bR> <div>     The Meowth squirmed in his arms, "Meowth meow!"  Realizing that he was squeezing the poor pokémon so much that he couldn't breathe, Zeth loosened his grip.</div> <bR> <div>     Switching on his pokédex, Zeth set the Meowth down and kneeled next to him.  "How'd you get here, Niko?  I thought you were dead!" Zeth once again noticed tears starting to form in his eyes, but this time they were tears of joy.</div> <bR> <div>     Niko wiped away the tears with one paw, {Nah, not yet.  I'm still around, Zeth.}  The Meowth jumped back into Zeth's arms.  {Come on, let's go back to the pokémon center.  I'll tell you all about it.}</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     {It all started when I fell into the ocean,} Niko explained to his audience -- Zeth, Destiny, and all their pokémon.  {I was swept away by the waves, and I couldn't swim at all.  I sunk down into the water, but just as I thought I was going to drown, I felt something lifting me up.  It was a Lapras.  That Lapras saved my life  out there.  Then, after that, he was nice enough to let me travel around with him for a while.  I wanted to go back to our home, but I had no idea where it was, so I just kept going, hoping I'd find it again someday.  I left the Lapras at some island, then got on a big blimp, hoping it would take me back to Valencia, since I knew that blimps went there.  Unfortunately, I ended up here in Obsidia.}</div> <bR> <div>     "But Jade City's miles from the ocean," Destiny pointed out.  "I thought the blimps only went to the coastal cities."</div> <bR> <div>     {Well, they do.  A trainer caught me, and we traveled around for a while, before he decided to quit training his pokémon and let all of us go.  He was nice, but he wasn't that good at battling, which is why he quit.  I haven't seen him since.}</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth smiled, "I still can barely believe you're here, Niko.  It's been so long..."</div> <bR> <div>     The Meowth nodded, {Yeah, I know, four years.  I'm just lucky that I managed to run into you!  I spotted that big flying thing you were in and was curious, so I followed you over to the center.  To be honest, I thought I was crazy at first, seeing you here.  But, after a while, I got up the courage to come see if it really was you.  I talked to your friend, and she told me you were Zeth.  Once I knew it was you, I had to go and make some preparations before I came back, which is why I waited until afternoon to come see you.}</div> <bR> <div>     "Preparations?" Destiny asked.</div> <bR> <div>     Niko nodded again, {Yeah...  I had to tell all my friends here that I was leaving.  I want to come back with you, Zeth.  That is, if you'll have me.}</div> <bR> <div>     {Are you kidding?!} Florio exclaimed.  {We'd love to have you back!}</div> <bR> <div>     "Absolutely!" Zeth agreed.  "It'll be just like the old days, but better!"</div> <bR> <div>     {Then I'm back!}  Niko glanced at the pokémon in the room, {I guess you already have six pokémon with you at the moment, though.}</div> <bR> <div>     "Don't worry about that," Destiny said.  "I'll hold on to a pokémon for Zeth, so no one has to go back."</div> <bR> <div>     {Sounds good,} Niko said.</div> <bR> <div>     "And, speaking of my other pokémon, I think we have quite a few introductions to make.," Zeth mentioned.  "Come on, everyone.  Time to say hello to your new teammate!"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     Zeth spent the rest of his evening catching up on old times with Niko, telling the Meowth of all his adventures since he started his pokémon journey.  Florio occasionally cut in with stories of his own escapades, most of them highly exaggerated.  Zeth was too amused by the semi-fictional tales to bother correcting the Ivysaur.  For the most part, Destiny just stayed nearby, listening to the stories that the three friends told each other.</div> <bR> <div>     "Come on over and tell Niko about your adventures," Zeth finally said to her.  "I'm sure he'd like to hear about everything you did with Sani."</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny looked uncertain, "Well, I didn't want to be in the way while you three were getting reacquainted.  I thought you might have wanted some time alone."</div> <bR> <div>     "Nah, right now we want you to come over and tell us how you got started on your quest.  It's your story to tell, but Florio and I can't tell the rest of our story without it."</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny glanced at the clock, "Well, I don't think there's really enough time tonight to explain everything that happened.  Maybe tomorrow?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth checked the time as well, "Yeah, I guess you're right.  Nurse Joy won't want us staying up too much later.  Maybe you can tell it on our way to Obsidian City."  Zeth took two pokéballs from his belt, "Okay, guys, return."  Florio and Niko entered the balls, then Zeth clipped them to his belt.  Earlier in the evening, he had given Blaze to Destiny, since the Growlithe's paw was injured during his match with Greg's Steelix.</div> <bR> <div>     "Obsidian City already..."  Destiny shook her head, "It's hard to believe that the games are only a month away."</div> <bR> <div>     "Yeah, I know," Zeth agreed.  "And I'm still surprised that I managed to get all ten Obsidian Badges before the League Games.  Before I got the <I>Skylark</I>, I didn't know if I could even get eight before the League.  Now I've got all of them, and we're going to get there early!"</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     A gym, lit at one end, but dark at the other...  Zeth, ready to battle...  Suddenly, two figures, the evil Rocket duo, Kat and Duke, stepped out of the shadows.  They laughed, as if they knew something that Zeth didn't.  Taking a pokéball from his belt, Zeth challenged them.  Kat pointed at him, and accepted his challenge.  Then, as she called out a command, something huge shot down from the ceiling towards him.  He saw glistening teeth and sharp claws, then he was falling...</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth hit the floor of the pokémon center, knocking himself out of his nightmare.  From the other end of the room, he heard Destiny laughing.  "Nice way to get up in the morning," she remarked, as he climbed to his feet, dazed from his sudden awakening.</div> <bR> <div>     "Yeah, it ranks up there with getting sat on and having someone yell in my ear in my list of ways I hate to wake up," Zeth grumbled.  "I don't know what was worse, the dream I was having about the Rockets, or falling out of bed."  Destiny chuckled at that, and Zeth sighed, "Well, I guess I'll go eat breakfast now, so we can start out for Obsidian City."</div> <bR> <div>     Destiny nodded, "Yeah, good idea.  I'll come with you."</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>     Zeth was just about to close the door to the <I>Skylark</I> and take off when he heard someone calling him.  "Zeth Raltier?  Is that you?"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth turned, spotting a man some distance away, jogging toward him.  "Hold on a minute, Dest," he said to his companion, getting out of the airship.  "Yeah, that's me," he called back.  "Can I help you?"</div> <bR> <div>     "I need to talk to you for a moment," the man replied.</div> <bR> <div>     Closing his door, Zeth walked toward the man.  "Yeah, what is it?"  As he neared the stranger, he wondered what the person could possibly want.  "Do I know you?"</div> <bR> <div>     "No, but I know you," the man told him.  "Team Rocket wants you very badly.  They've offered a considerable sum for your capture.  I'm here to collect!"</div> <bR> <div>     Zeth tore a pokéball from his belt.  "Not without a battle, you're not!"</div> <bR> <div>     "I didn't come unprepared," the man said, holding up a cylindrical device.  "Surrender, and no one has to get hurt."</div> <bR> <div>     "The only one who's going to be hurting is you!" Zeth shot back.  "Once Talon's done with you, you'll be begging for mercy!"</div> <bR> <div>     "I think not."  The mercenary pressed a button on the device he held.</div> <bR> <div>     For a moment, nothing seemed to happen.  Then the <I>Skylark</I> exploded in a tremendous fireball, with Destiny still inside.  "No!" Zeth screamed, "Destiny!"  He started to run for the burning airship, but the bounty hunter tackled him, knocking his pokéballs away before he could use them.</div> <bR> <div>     "You'll be coming with me now," he said, tying Zeth's hands with a piece of rope and then roughly pulling him to his feet.  "You might as well forget about your friend.  There's no way she could have survived that.  I'd be more worried about myself, if I were you.  What you're going to go through will probably be far worse!"</div> <bR> <div>     At that, the mercenary pulled Zeth away toward a waiting car, picking up Zeth's pokéballs on the way.  Bound as he was, Zeth could only stare back helplessly as the <I>Skylark</I> burned...</div> <bR> <div> <B>To be continued...</B> </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>