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Akane returned from her long hot shower dressed in pokemon center bath robe, padding out a little nervously in the matching Pokemon center slippers. Her clothes were all soaked and currently drying.

The place was empty, except for Nurse Joy, who was eating a cup of noodles behind the counter. A second cup was waiting for Akane. "I thought you might be hungry" she said pointing to the other cup. "I'm Nurse Joy". She proffered a hand to Akane after placing her chopsticks across her cup. "Akane" the young girl replied, shaking the nurse's hand. "Is Twinkers okay?". Concern was evident on her face.

"Of course, Akane. She should be nice and warm now. I'll just go get her, you just sit there and worry about eating those noodles, okay?". Nurse Joy left Akane with her steaming cup of noodles and her thoughts. The storm outside was as turbulent as what was inside her head, but at least Twinkers was okay. Akane picked up her food and was just about to eat when there was a tremendous flash of lightning, a loud bang and everything went dark ....

Mike dashed through the familiar hallways of the now busted up Gym, giggling to himself. "I am SO cool!!" He could barely contain himself, the pure high of taking on Giovanni, and not doing to bad either. "Maybe soon I can take him on officially and get his badge!" He was almost out, the light at the end of the tunnel. He saw the ripped doorway, three figures stood some ways away. "Guys I made it!" He shouted, a mile wide smile on his face.

"WHAT?!" he roared, closing his eyes and lifting an arm to cover his face. He coughed heavily, the smoke flooding the arena of his Gym. He continued to cough, waving his hand uselessly to clear the smoke. It was a few moments before everything became visible again. His eyes narrowed, then widened at the shock that the boy was gone. Giovanni let out a roar of anger, and then look at the ground, smirking. He began to laugh. "I'm giving those kids less credit than they're worth. They're not stupid," he recalled all of his Pokemon and slipped their Pokeballs into his pocket. He turned to head up to his office.

"Rockets!" he demanded, having snapped his fingers and reaching the top of the staircase. It was a minute or two before they had all appeared before him. "We may have been defeated today, and by children no less. However, that does not hinder the progress of Team Rocket!" He stared them all down from the top step.

"And clean this mess up."

The Swalot slowly rose, leaving an unconscious Arbok on the ground in its wake. Keegan mumbled something to himself and held out Loki's Pokeball to recall him. The Cobra Pokemon disappeared in a flash of red light, leaving the boy with only two options now. Helios or Artemis? A sudden image of the tiny Taillow being crushed under the massive body weight of Swallot crossed his mind, and he shuddered, and sent out his trusty Vulpix, Helios, next. "Let's go Helios! Let's turn up the heat! Heat Wave!" he called. Helios took a second to study his opponent before he took a few steps back, and inhaled deeply. A second later he breathed out, an intense vapour of swirling heat and flame engulfed the battlefield.

The Swalot cried out in pain as its body seemed to be on fire from the fierce attack. "Shake it off, Swalot! Body Slam that little imp!"

Little imp? thought Keegan, mildy offended, as the large Pokemon converged on the much-smaller Vulpix. Helios rolled to the side, his left hind leg getting caught in the attack, and he cried out in pain. "Slow it down!" Keegan called, also irritated that after taking a direct hit from the Heat Wave, the Swalot was still standing and eager to fight. "Confuse Ray!"

Helios pulled his trapped limb free and darted away, greatly relieved to have speed on his side. The Vuplix whirled around, his six tails fanning out behind him impressively as he stared down the Swalot, his eyes glowing with an eerie violet light that was soon reflected in the poison Pokemon's eyes; it had been struck with confusion.

"Fight it off, Swalot! Pound it!" Randy yelled, sensing victory at hand. Swalot's eyes shone with clarity for a moment as it came forward, bringing down one its powerful limbs onto Helios. The Vulpix cried out in pain, jumping to the side as another Pound nearly found its mark.

Keegan grit his teeth, and called for Helios to use an Ember attack, praying for confusion to set in. Seemingly, his prayers were answered as Helios unleashed the small burst of flames into the face of his larger opponent, and Swalot found itself unable to comply with his trainer's command to use Body Slam once more, managing to hit itself. Both Pokemon were looking rather weak by this point, and Keegan knew that one more hit would knock Helios out for sure. "Ember!" he called again. Helios was hesitant for a moment, breathing heavily, but he jumped up, another direct hit with the small, yet scorching attack.

"Sludge Bomb!" Randy yelled back, and again, with perfect clarity, Swalot launched the attack, sending an explosive ball of toxic sludge flying at Helios, who was KO'd instantly.

The boy wore a frown which was slowly fading away. "I accept your apology, but it'll take me a while to forgive you." He took a step forward in the direction of the Pokemon Center, motioning for Nina to follow. "Some of you wanted to say what you did, I don't beleive that anyone can completely lose control, no matter what the circumstances. There must have been some truth to what you said."

Mike looked down, still hurting from the hateful tone Nina spoke to him in no less than twenty minutes ago. It just hurts, that's all.

His Pokemon needed healing badly, he quickened his pace to catch up with his friends.