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“Seriously? Team Rocket again!?”

Dan grumbled as he went over the mission specs. Team Rocket was the team that just didn't want to stay down. Just how many times was this gang going to rear its ugly head, if it was in fact them this time? Then again, this was a great opportunity to get back into the Dragon’s Den and meet the Dragon Elder proper. Being an up and coming trainer in the rare and powerful pokemon, how could he pass this up? Not to mention, Clair would be there too! If he was lucky, he could learn a thing or two from her....maybe. He had heard rumors about her, none that were too pretty. Dan arrived in Blackthorn City with his Braviary’s help, the trainer promptly returning the bird for a nice long rest. The only other time he was here, his father had brought him since this was his hometown. The dragon affinity of this city had his father become a dragon tamer and thus himself. Dan shook his head, remembering he wasn’t here to reminisce or get lost in thought.

“I need to go see the Dragon Eld- I mean, take out Team Rocket!...I should get a move on…”

The silver haired teen made his way to the cave entrance with his Axew on his shoulder. It was impressive how quickly they had formed a bond, so he thought to keep having the tiny dragon out. There was a certain air or feel he was getting from the entrance that sent chills up and down his spine. Strange how he didn't feel this way the last time. Something in him was different ever since he last came here and got the sword that was fastened to his hip. Perhaps he could ask the Elder- granted, he remembered to do so.

“Welp, that's enough procrastinating. Let's go.”

The Snagem member entered the den, once again being enraptured by the sight of the beautiful cavern. A crystal clear blue lake filled the cave with a small and slightly damaged ornate building sitting in the middle of the water. Dan headed down the rock carved steps which brought him closer and closer to the water edge. And as he neared, the sounds of battle got louder and louder, causing his Axew to peek over his shoulder to see. To his surprise, a couple dressed in black were fighting a Dragonair with their Nidoking and Nidoqueen. The poor dragon looked exhausted, desperate to defend its home from these crooks as it wildly thrashed about.

"Alright, lets reel 'er in!"

One of the goons brandished a large black cannon with that infamous red 'R' printed on the side. With it, he fired a large weighted net at the serpent who was too weak to dodge. It continued to thrash trying to break free, but alas, had given in to its fatigue. The Rockets chuckled to themselves as the pulled the net in, bringing Dragonair to the shore of the lake.

"Alright! This may not be what we came for but this is a pretty good haul."

"Yeah, I'm sure the boss won't mind."

The two grunts began chuckling among themselves, until their Nidoqueen was suddenly blasted from the back by a Hydro Pump. The force of the attack nearly knocked the monster into the lake, having her teeter at the edge on one foot until a certain water otter knocked her in with Aqua Jet. She panicked at first, having been surprised by the sudden attack, splashing about frantically. But before she could calm down, her movement had attracted a Gyarados who came and snatched her up in its mouth and dragged her under. Huh. Well that happened. Dan approached the grunts now the expression on his face displaying shock much like them. How was he to know a Gyarados would just appear to enact revenge on the criminals who were ransacking its home? So maybe he was praying on it but he didn't expect it to get dragged into the lake. That just seemed awfully cruel to the Nidqueen who was unfortunate in the control of Team Rocket. Well...at least that was one less enemy Pokemon they had to worry about.

"W-Who the hell are you?!" "And what have you done?!"

"FEEL THE WRATH OF THE OCEAN GOD! ALL WATER IS MY DOMAIN!"

Rain shouted, laughing maniacally. Yup. Probably shouldn't have sent his crazed shadow Pokemon to attack the enemy. His shadow-fication surprisingly somehow inflated his ego even. But then again, he was getting results so returning him was very unlikely. The grunts shocked faces remained after seeing the talking Pokemon; even Nidoking and Axew were amazed. Come to think of it, he failed to introduce Axew to his other Pokemon, a task for later.

"Look at that. The brat's Pokemon is talking!"

"I say we cut our losses on the Nidoqueen and lift this...thing off his hands"

One Rocket grunt suggested to the other with a sickening grin. Both nodded in agreement, their muscle, the Nidoking, stepping up. The Dewott smirked, beckoning at the beast to bring it on with a hand waving motion and the shadow aura flaring around him. Dan was fairly certain he didn't teach him taunt, raising a brow at the action. The much larger pokemon acted first, charging quickly at Rain with a direct Horn Attack; it's footsteps shaking the ground slightly. The otter was instructed to use Razor Shell to uppercut the Nidoking and redirect his horn upward. With his chest exposed from this action, another well placed slash went to the chest, the poison type staggered back from the blow but not without retaliation. Slamming his foot down hard enough that it dug a little into the ground, Earth Power came from below and delivered an uppercut of his own to the water type.

"Huh. Cheap shot"

Rain growled, recovering from his fall. Under his trainer's command he was soon launching himself with Aqua Jet again, all the while staring down his target. Nidoking didn't intend to fall victim like his mate, opting to fire Poison Sting at the incoming otter. But what he didn't see coming was Rain using Ice Beam on himself to become an ice missile, successfully deflecting the sting and crashing into the behemoth. Said beast wasn't down yet, grabbing hold of the ice with both hands and looking at his attacker with a sinister grin. He had Rain right where he needed him, his protruding horn beginning to rotate at high speeds. The Horn Drill would sink into the ice, inching closer and closer to Dan's Pokemon. Suddenly out of the water, Nidoqueen would be making her return, courtesy of Gyarados. The queen was launched into the air and would land on her king, causing him to slip and miss his mark on the "ocean god". Rain would use this opportunity to escape his icy confinement and distance himself from the two with two large leaps. Summoning his shadow energy, he'd release it all at once in the form of Shadow Wave at the unsuspecting pair. (3/10) Both enemy pokemon were consumed by the darkness and sent flying into their grunts. Perhaps if they weren't in such a daze, they might not have been knocked into lake where Gyarados was still lurking and watching from afar. With a mighty Aqua Tail, Team Rocket was sent flying back to the shore over Dan's head, where they landed out of sight. The trainer chuckled to himself, giving the sea serpent a thumbs up before it disappeared out of sight. Rain was already with the Dragonair, having used his Razor Shell to cut the net off of it.

"Alright...now it's your tu-"

"Yeah, that's enough out of you..."

The trainer sighed regrettably, returning the infected Pokemon. Something had to be done with the little guy and his shadow affliction...maybe. That aside, he tried to get closer to the wounded dragon, slowly inching close and kneeling down. It was evident Dragonair was terrified of him but lacked the energy to retreat. Dan reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the Potions. It might not have been the best healing item, but it was all he had. The dragon was covered in so many wounds, it didn't seem to matter where he sprayed.

"This is going to sting, but you'll feel a little better."

The dragon simply whined but seemed at ease after the initial sting wore off. He tried to comfort the poor Pokemon, managing to pet it on the head with his shoulder partner's assistance. Seeing the serpent at least a little better off than before was enough to bring a smile to his face. Sadly, he couldn't wait around until it was back to 100%. Dan got up, bidding farewell and jogged off toward the shrine. He had to get back to evicting Team Rocket after all, to prevent this from happening to any other Pokemon. Even from a distance, he could see the warm embrace of battle awaiting him near the building. Except Team Rocket wasn't picking on a wild Pokemon this time. No, this time they were the ones being beaten by none other than Clair and her Charizard! It seemed she just got done defeating a group of them but then another came to take their place.

"Ngh! She's really tough..."

"Of course she's tough ya idgit! She's a gym leader!"

"Yeah but she can't take all of us! Eventually we'll wear her down!"

The Rocketeers cackled and conversed with themselves. Said gym leader did not look amused, becoming rather irritated by their banter and was clearly growing impatient. Dan chose now as his moment to act, sending out Electra for battle. A well placed Thunder Wave from behind served to immobilize the grunts and allow the trainer to approach the gym leader safely. The woman already looked like she was about to burst a blood vessel and his sudden appearance didn't seem to be helping matters. Her glare alone sent a chill down his spine, much like the one he got before entering the den.

"Wh-Whoa! Hey! Lower the knives, I'm here to help!"

"Ax-Axew!"

At least he had his little buddy to back him up. Clair didn't seem impressed in the slightest as she looked him up and down. However, her gaze came to rest on the bokken strapped to his waist. Dan kind of froze up, finding her silence to be a little intimidating and didn't notice what she was looking at at first. She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by her Charizard's roar. The flying lizard was trying to get their attention on the Rocket grunts who were getting mobility back. And so, in came the pokeballs which released three enemy Weezing. Clair let out a groan of annoyance as she finally addressed the trainer before her.

"Alright, look. Some of Team Rocket slipped passed me and are inside with the Elder. I'll leave these grunts to you."

"What? Hey!"

Dan couldn't even plead his case before she and her Charizard took off. And there they were with three gas balloons who were ready to ignite. Electra and Axew were already out and ready to battle, jumping in front to defend their trainer. For his third choice, Shelgon was called upon; it coming as no surprise that he was already sprawled out on the ground. Once he saw the situation, he got up ready to battle with a low growl that seemed like a yawn.

"Heheh. You made a big mistake messing with us kid. Weezing, Smokescreen!"

The Rockets had the poisonous Pokemon create a thick fog that was nigh impossible to see through. Dan could barely even see his hand in front of his face as he pulled his shirt up to his mouth. Something didn't feel right about all this. That was when he heard something approaching in the smoke and fast. He instinctively stepped back the silhouette of a Weezing emerged and let out a cry. Shortly after, the Snagem heard a grunt call out "Explosion!" Dan's eyes widened in surprise, turning tail and running as the balloon began glowing, quickly erupting in a massive detonation. The trainer barely escaped the blast radius, being knocked to the ground hard on his face. So that was their game; kamikaze attacks aimed at him. Well it was pretty effective, considering it nearly worked in killing him. Before he could even pick himself up, the sound of another Weezing approaching could be heard whizzing through the air. Dan slowly stood, trying not to draw attention to himself and taking notice of a wall beside him. No escape. He needed to bring out Talon to blow away the smokescreen but he was constantly under attack. The Poison Gas Pokemon had him cornered this time and when it found him, it let out a cry just as the last one had. At that moment, Shelgon came to his defense, lunging at the airborne enemy with Zen Headbutt, knocking it away just as it got the Explosion command. The teen took this opportunity to call upon his bird to use Defog and blow the hindrance away. He was spared in the end; however, as the clearing of the smoke revealed, his Shelgon took the full brunt of the blast and fainted. Dan silently thanked the cocooned dragon, returning him before facing down the last Weezing. "Axew! Electra! Dragon Pulse and Thunderbolt!" he commanded. The two small Pokemon nodded, summoning their respective attacks that merged into an electric dragon vortex. The powerful attack consumed the last Rocket Pokemon, knocking it out before any more incidents could occur.

"Damn. So much for the Bomb Squad."

"Looks like the Sonic Squad is up next."

"Yeah...Yeah, no."

Dan retorted as he returned Talon and Electra; Axew reclaiming his spot on his shoulder. Once again he'd bring out his crazed Dewott, who was more than itching to go. Three more Rocket grunts had stepped up to the plate to gang up on the lone trainer. He couldn't keep entertaining this onslaught nor did he want to. Clair was a gym leader, sure, but she could possibly need his help. So this was where taking the time to learn about shadow moves was about to come in hand. "Rain, use Shadow Hold on Team Rocket!" The otter grinned as that shadow aura of his flared up again. Holding his hands forward, he'd have his shadow stretch out to the men and women. They would feel the immediate effects of being immobilized, many of them panicking (6/10). With that, he'd recall the water type before he could go charging at them with his blood lust. Leaving the grunts behind, Dan would hurry inside to provide support where needed. Inside was quite the sight to behold of the gym leader locked in battle with the criminals. There was Clair who was physically fending off a pair of grunts who were trying to restrain her. Her Charizard was also trying to be captured by an Arbok that wrapped itself around the fire breather. The snake had just bitten the dragon on the neck, it struggling to pry the serpent off. Both Dan and his Axew were taken aback by the struggle but this was not the time to be caught in a daze. On the other side of the room was the Elder, who looked to be trussed up a smidgen on the tight side, along with a red haired woman dressed in a nice pristine white outfit. Clearly she was the boss behind this operation. First, he went to Clair's aid, drawing the bokken and striking one of the grunts in the back of the head hard enough to knock them out. The gym leader was then free to deal with the other her own way, before coming at her rescuer.

"Careful with that! That is a priceless artifact you're swinging around!"

"...You're welcome?"

"Tch! Charizard, use your tail and then Flamethrower!"

Clair shouted, redirecting her attention to her Pokemon. The lizard obliged, using it's tail to burn Arbok off and then delivering a blast of fire to the face. Needless to say, the snake was not going to be getting up after that and thus was returned by the redhead. Dan and the blunette approached the Rocket admin who pulled the Elder closer to her.

"Release the Elder and leave this place!"

"'Fraid I can't do that. Once we get what we need from your Elder, we'll be one step closer to achieving our goal. The world will learn to respect the name: Team Rocket!"

Ariana revealed in her other hand a small remote or rather, a detonator. Once she pressed the button, the wall behind her blew up, exposing the crystal lake beyond. While the Snagem and leader, shielded their faces from the explosion's debris, the Rocket Admin tossed out two pokeballs. One released a Honchkrow that immediately unleashed Haze to obscure their vision: the staple move of making a hasty retreat. Again, Dan would call on his Braviary to sweep the smoke out the hole that was created. When it cleared, the woman was already on the lake with her Lapras and the old man in tow. Clair wasn't about to let her get away so easily, but as she tried to get on her Charizard to pursue, she discovered the dragon had been poisoned from that bite on the neck. Returning her Pokemon for rest, she brought out another pokeball which unleashed her Kingdra.

"She won't be escaping by water. Let's go, Kingdra!"

Honchkrow would position itself in the way of the broken wall; however, Talon was quick to remind it of his presence with a Wing Attack. The bird was knocked away briefly, Clair using the opportunity to dive into the water with her dragon and speeding off after Ariana. That left Dan to deal with Honchkrow, who created another Haze. "Really? This again? Talon!" The Braviary already knew what to do, using Defog to blow it away again. And as he did, the dark bird took that opportunity to slip in a Night Slash on the larger avian. While Talon was recovering from the sharp blow to the chest, Honchkrow set the Haze back up to hide within. Such a dirty tactic, yet effective! The moment it was cleared, the Big Boss was going to attack again at the opening. So then the logical option seemed to wait for it to come to the Braviary and counter strike. Except that wouldn't work either, as a Dark Pulse broke through the smoke and hit the bird in the back. "Damn, that's a clever bird. Alright, use Defog and spin!" the trainer instructed. The Valiant Pokemon began flapping his wings, spinning in a 360 degree circle as told. This allowed him to clear the room and eliminate any openings. As a bonus, it also caught Honchkrow in the move when it tried to close in for another Night Slash. Now it was in range! "Use Crush Claw. Cripple it's wings!" The Braviary ceased his hard flapping, lunging forward with his sharp talons first and latching on to the black bird's wings. The strength of his feet gripping those wings was the strength he could use to carry a car. Ariana's crow cried out from the awful pain it must have felt, but it wasn't over yet. "Let's wrap this up with a Somersault Sky Drop" Dan fistpumped, earning a cry of approval from his Pokemon. Given the space of the room, it couldn't fly high enough to get the power needed for a proper Sky Drop. With the improvisation of mimicking a Seismic Toss, Talon could get the power he needed and judging by how hard the crow hit the ground, it was pretty effective. Honchkrow didn't appear to be getting up after that one, which worked for Dan since he wanted to hurry and catch up with Clair. And then came trouble.

"There he is! Get 'em!"

Dan turned around to see the Rocket Grunts that Rain held off now barging in through the door. Well it had to wear off eventually. Preferring not to be held up by these guys any longer, he signaled to his Braviary and jumped out the opening in the wall with his hands up. His bird was there for him to grab hold of as they took off across the lake. It was his luck that they would continue to pursue on their Tentacruel. You certainly couldn't say they weren't...dedicated? Persistent? Obsessive. Talon was forced to engage in aerial maneuvers to avoid the Poison Sting attacks aimed at him and his trainer. Sadly, due to the injuries he sustained from Honchkrow, his evasive skills were not what they should have been. He had no choice but to take the attacks himself if he wanted to protect his trainer. Dan was touched but more so concerned about his Pokemon's well being. Up ahead, Clair was in her own battle with Ariana; Kingdra vs Lapras with their respective trainers riding on them. Since they were so close to the shore, Dan had Talon take them over there to escape the range of the poison darts. Once they landed, he returned the poor bird and quickly took notice of where he was. This was the same area Rain fought that Nidoking...but what happened to the Dragonair? As for Kingdra and Lapras, they were locked in a cautious battle as they both tried to claim victory over the other while also keeping their trainer's safe. Both also looked pretty worn out which meant the battle was about to draw to a close, the tides in Lapras' favor. The Transporter reeled it's head back as it fired an Ice Beam at Kingdra, who answered with a Hydro Pump to counter the attack. Dan was prepared to intervene; however, he would be beaten to the punch. The dragon he saved earlier would appear, spinning around Lapras with Twister. This sudden attack made Ariana's Pokemon flinch in response, leaving it vulnerable to Kingdra's Dragon Pulse. Assailed from all sides, the water/ice type would use the last of its energy to get its owner to shore before promptly fainting. The woman could be heard sucking her teeth as she returned her Lapras, still holding on to the Dragon Elder. Clair too would come ashore, returning her dragon for a well earned rest and pinning the Rocket Admin between herself and Dan.

"Oho? Well I could hardly call this fair. Where is your sense of dignity?"

"Oh save it lady. Like you're one to talk about dignity"

Dan retorted. They had her cornered now and there was no escape. At least, until those Rocket goons caught up, appearing from the land path and the lake. Now it was him and the blunette who were cornered by the criminals. Just how many of these grunts were actually here? Ariana chuckled to herself as Axew let out a low growl over his shoulder. Despite his actions, he could feel the little guy shivering in fear. What was he suppose to do? What could be done? The weren't a lot of options that would end well for him or Clair. But when he looked at his ally, he saw not concern and instead composure. As if on cue, Dan heard the scampering of small feet approaching this gathering of humans. The leering eyes of Charmander and Charmeleon appeared from the shadows, coming from behind the Rockets on land. Those in the water would find themselves surrounded by the injured Dragonair, along with two others and a Gyarados. What the Snagem was witnessing was the dragons of this cavern coming to their aid. Or perhaps it was to the aid of the Elder? Clair had quite the smug look on her face, as if she knew this would happen and unleashed a Dragonite from her hold. The tables had turned once again, even Ariana could see that and appeared to be making subtle movements to retreat. But the woman stubbornly stood her ground, gritting her teeth in annoyance as her hold on the elder tightened. It looked like the gym leader was about to make a move; however, it was Dan who lunged forward first to try to grab hold of the old man. There was an opening, he had to take it! If he could just get to the elder, they could end this here and now. And as he neared, he would find a Vileplume in his path that suddenly struck him with a strong odor. He stopped dead in his tracks but by then it was too late! The giant plant blasted him with a thick yellow powder that engulfed both him and his pokemon. Left stunned, Ariana took this opportunity to flee while her pawns stood in Clair's way once more. She yelled at him, blaming him for letting her get away, at which he'd admit was his fault. He just really thought he had that one! But fortunately, his Axew had acted quickly out of desperation or perhaps fear and jumped onto his face before he inhaled too much of the toxin. Now he just needed to pry the dragon off his face to avoid suffocation, which was taking some time given his whole body had gone numb.

"Not my...proudest...moment...but..."

His voice was muffled underneath his partner's stomach, yet he managed to speak up anyway. As feeling returned, he pulled the dragon free, placing him back on his shoulder. Whether the little guy saved him intentionally or not, he was thankful for his help. Seeing as Clair had things under control here, Dan opted to give chase once more in an effort to save the Elder. His pursuit led him back to the cave entrance where the sounds of a chopper greeted him to the vehicle hovering just outside. Ariana was shoving the old man on to the helicopter, turning around swiftly when she heard someone approaching. The look on her face clearly showed that she was not expecting him. Her Vileplume was still out, stepping forward now at their appearance to fight back. The flower's various poisons proved to a problem, considering he had no pokemon to counter it with Talon down. Dan sucked his teeth, shooting the woman and her pokemon a glare.

"Well...I don't know how you avoided paralysis but this is the end of the line. Shame. I think you would have made an excellent Rocket Admin."

Her pokemon lowered its head now, exposing the opening on top that expelled its powder. Dan took a deep breath and did his best to shield with his arms as it fired Poison Powder. But to the shock and awe of all around, a silver veil had appeared around both him and Axew, the poison dissipating as it came in contact with it. What was this strange light? The cries of Dragonair behind him exhibiting the same glow had answered him. It was the wounded one again! This must have been Safeguard, protecting him from the poison; a great move for fighting Vileplume. The trainer brandished a pokeball; however, his savior would slide before him to fight Vileplume. He wasn't sure if this was such a fair fight in its condition, yet there was a larger problem he needed to tackle. Ariana was boarding the helicopter, fully intent on leaving her Pokemon behind. Really, this shouldn't have shocked him considering it was Team Rocket. As the copter lifted up into the air, Dan did the only logical thing to do in this situation. He ran and jumped, narrowly grabbing hold of the landing skids. Axew had regained some feeling, enough to be able to hold on to his trainer's shoulder in this event. The vehicle dipped slightly from him jumping onto it, yet it continued to ascend high into the air. Looking back briefly to see the battle between Vileplume and Dragonair begin, he really did hope the serpent would be alright. Back to the immediate task, the teen hoisted himself up, trying to reach the passenger seats. Standing there waiting for him when he pulled himself up was Ariana with an intimidating look on her face. In her hand was a long metal rod that sparked at her grip and caused both Dan and Axew to look on with wide eyes.

"You're persistence is becoming annoying...but that ends here. This cattle prod can put out as much electricity as a Thunderbolt. So this is where we finally part ways...indefinitely."

Axew looked up at the woman wielding her weapon at his trainer, hugging on to him tighter. Dan tensed up at the incoming jab at his shoulder, feeling the electricity course through his body. And as it happened, there was this odd sensation that had him feel like the electricity should hurt much more than it did. He recalled striking an electric chi converter with his sword once and that hurt like hell! Of course, that would hurt a lot more, though he wondered if perhaps he'd built up some sort of tolerance to electricity because of it. Alas, the cause was not something he could see nor realize at the moment. The Dragon Elder, on the other hand, saw it all. The bond between him and his Axew was protecting him from the vile woman's attack. Seeing as Dan's grip hadn't loosened and the lack of reaction that she'd gotten from others, Ariana was left completely dumbfounded. Instead, she had taken to stomping on his hands, angrily trying to get him to let go. This is when the old man decided to take a leap of fate, bum rushing over the other seated goons and diving out the other side. Dan immediately let go to dive after him, desperate to save him from himself. He wrapped an arm around the elder, pulling him into a hug while he tried to get Talon out. Sure the bird was exhausted but this was an emergency! Certainly, there was no other way to save them from having a run in with the ground. And then, out of the blue, Clair's Dragonite came swooping in to snatch them both out of the sky. The Snagem trainer felt his heart racing, as well as the little one on his shoulder. Ariana stood watching from the hover aircraft, the look on her face showing how dissatisfied she was with these turn of events. Her Honchkrow would come flying into view now, holding her just as injured Vileplume in its talons. She would return them both, following with a wave of her hand to the pilot. The helicopter took off into the horizon, abandoning their target...for now. Clair's dragon brought everyone back to the entrance of the Dragon's Den, Dan rather glad to be back on the ground in one piece. Clair would step out of the cave now, a sigh of relief and a smile on her face when she saw the Elder being untied.

"Thank goodness. I'm glad to see you safe."

"I'm all good too, by the way" Dan chimed in, only to be ignored.

"When Dragonite went rushing off without me, I got a little worried."

"You mean...you didn't send your dragon to save us?" he asked, confused.

At this, the old man would laugh, patting his rescuer hard on the back. Was that to mean...this guy? He couldn't have called for Dragonite, could he have? And what about when they were in the cave and the wild pokemon came to their aid? Well he was called the "Dragon Elder" for a reason, so maybe... Clair and her senior proceeded to have a private conversation, Dan wandering off a bit to give them space. The rest of Team Rocket seems to have scurried off back to whatever hole they crawled out of. It was strange and eerily quiet, as if they were never here to begin with. He looked around, wondering where that Dragonair wandered off to seeing as this was the last place he left it. Having to leave it to battle Vileplume in its condition, the trainer felt a pang of guilt in his chest. It wasn't until he got closer to the water, did the serpent appear, sticking its head out of the water.

"Hey, you're okay!" he grinned, petting it on the head.

"I have to thank you as well, young man" the Elder spoke, making his way over to him. "You have a way with dragons; that is to say, they take a liking to you, which is rare. I placed my trust in that and it certainly didn't let either of us down. Kufufufu!"

"Uhh, yeah..." Dan replied, suddenly getting a playful nudge from Dragonair.

"Ahh, see what I mean? This Dragonair seems to have taken a liking to you. Perhaps you should take it with you" he suggested.

"Wha? Me?! Is that...is that legal? Err, I mean, you're the Dragon Elder, so of course it is... Well, how about it? Wanna come with?" he asked the sea dweller, getting another nudge.

Dan reached into his pocket, pulling out an empty Great Ball that he had on hand. Tapping it on the head, he watched as the dragon transformed into light and was sucked inside. It shook in his hand a few times before locking with a click, earning another chuckle from the Elder.

"Yes, a young trainer who's in tune with the dragons. You have latent abilities that you don't seem to be aware of. I would recommend getting them refined with a proper master. Err, you can keep the sword as well, I feel it suits you."

It wasn't until then that Dan remembered taking this sword from the shrine, looking down at the blade at its mention. Well if he wasn't asking for it back, that was alright with him. As he bid the old man and Clair farewell, he began to ponder his words. Latent abilities? He had heard the same from that Vaporeon-hybrid guy too. Were they referring to the strange sensations that have been happening lately? Was this what Dragon Channeling was? This train of thought continued even as he reached the Pokemon Center to heal his team. As much as he didn't want to, it seemed like he'd have to ask GRAY if he wanted to find a master.

This was a pretty simple, low stress, nothing to it mission. For Connor, who prefered the “hands on” type of missions, this was a poor deal. “Well, if nothing else, I’ll get to beat up the thief” he mused aloud, heading on foot down Mt. Silver. Being that this mission was happening in Johto, the young trainer felt there was no need to Teleport if he didn’t have to. Being torn apart, piece by piece and reassembled; however painless, was really not something he was fond of. It may have taken him a while, but Connor would eventually arrive in Cherrygrove Town as the sun was beginning to set. Here, he was going to set up his operation in the local Pokemon Center. The door slid open automatically, granting him entrance to the brightly lit interior with a very uplifting atmosphere. “Good evening! Welcome to the Pokemon Center. Would you like to rest your Pokemon?” the good nurse behind the counter greeted him, not even two steps through the door. All the nurses were usually kind at these places, almost annoyingly so. Yet, it kind of reminded him of… Connor would shake his head at the thought, getting straight to business. “Yes, actually. It’s my Combusken” he would tell her, bringing the fowl in question out. Immediately, the large chicken would begin groveling and cawing out in pain, rolling around on the floor. A bit more melodramatic than rehearsed but the Nurse seemed to take the bait. “Oh my! Let’s get your Combusken checked in right away!” Horus was lucky, but he was definitely getting chewed out later for this. The pinkette’s two Chansey came out with a stretcher, chanting a little song in Pokespeech. It only took one of the giant pink blobs to hoist the fire bird up and then carried around back. As for Connor, he would follow the woman to the back at her suggestion. It wasn’t until now that realized that he never went into the hospital portion of a Pokemon Center. He barely even saw the inside of the buildings, considering the Teleports landed you on the outside. Everything looked so advanced and sophisticated with plenty of polish on every surface. Hell, he could see his reflection the floor was so clean! “You don’t have to worry. Everything will be A-Ok!” she told him, patting him on the shoulder. Connor simply nodded while feigning a frown for the doctor. That, he could fake easy enough with no practice. “Now you wait here. I’ll be back shortly.” She pointed to a small waiting bench for him to sit on and wait patiently. Once she took her leave, the Snagem took a seat and pulled out his SNAG to watch the WWP match tonight- Emboar vs Machoke. The rest was on Horus and his performance...he just hoped he didn’t over do it.


About an hour later, the nurse would return to give Connor an update. He stood up to greet her, quickly noticing her smile was gone. “I’m...sorry. I can’t seem to figure out what’s wrong with your Combusken. By all checks, he’s perfectly healthy, yet he keeps crying in pain. I’d like to keep him overnight to monitor him” she sighed. Well that was just perfect; now he didn’t need to get the bird a check-up anytime soon. It also meant the fowl was in position, ready to be taken as bait for their real target. In her outheld hand, he’d place the Pokeball for his chicken. “Okay... I understand… Are there any more rooms available? It’s getting late and I don’t have a place for the night” the trainer pleaded. “O-Oh! Of course! Follow me!” The woman would take him to a spare room, help him get settled in before leaving him for the night. If the intel GRAY had provided him regarding this case, this hospital was next in line on the thief’s list. Now it was all about the wait, yet again… This really wasn’t the mission for him, not enough action, but all the same, he’d get it done. Connor laid in the bed with the lights off but didn’t actually go to sleep, waiting and listening to what was going on outside his room. Not much of note was going on though, it was pretty quiet and peaceful...so very...peaceful… Three hours passed before the teen bolted awake, realizing he drifted off at some point. He hopped out of bed and left his room, making a beeline for the infirmary. And to his horror, several Pokemon had gone missing- Horus included. “Dammit! Dammit!” he swore aloud in a hushed voice. How could he have let this happen? “Hello? Is anyone there?” he heard the Nurse call out, a flashlight shining down the halls. He had to get out of here before he ended up taking the fall for this. Connor fled down the hall, cautiously without making too much noise and located a window to escape through. Odd. The alarm didn’t go off despite the Pokemon Center already being locked up for the night. Maybe he was just imagining things and there was really a silent alarm. Now outside, his eyes already adjusted to the darkness, the trainer took notice of a dark figure skulking about at this ungodly hour. Something told him he should pursue them from a distance as the were heading out of the town. Mere moments of reaching the town, a blaring alarm sounded from the Pokemon Center. How peculiar…


Connor continued to follow this suspicious individual who moved with the night, barely going noticed by even the Pokemon on route. That was more than could be said for him as a large rock got in his way on Route 46. He nearly tripped over it, not being able to see it in beneath the tall grass. But when he kicked it, the slumbering stone had awoken and started to attack. No! He was going to lose the suspect if he wasted any time here! The Geodude started its assault with Rock Throw, the Snagem tossing his Breloom out to intercept with Mach Punch; the speedy punch breaking through the airborne projectile. They needed to wrap thing up quickly so the trainer instructed the kangaroo to use Mind Reader and predict the Geodude’s next movements. Surprise, it decided to throw another rock, one that Shala took without much resistance. Following up with a Dynamic Punch, Connor assumed it would be down with the explosive hit or so he would have liked. The rock was still standing! (so to speak) It’s round and bumpy body began to glisten from Rock Polish, but enough was enough. The Breloom used Spore as she was told, putting the enemy Pokemon to sleep before it could cause anymore problems. He had to admit the thing was pretty tough and he wasn’t sure why, but he decided to throw an Ultra Ball at it and catch it. Just as the capture click went off, he heard someone rushing up behind him. Connor turned on his heel, just in time to catch a kick with his forearm, an attack from the culprit. It was a lady Rocket Grunt who looked more than a little pissed off. It was also worth noting she was around his age as well, unusual of a Rocketeer. “So it was you! You’ve been following me!” the girl scoffed. The Snagem sucked his teeth, less than pleased about being found out thanks to that Geodude. “Yeah, well I believe you have something of mine. About yey big? Spits fire? Whines a lot?” he would describe his Combusken. The Rocketeer would say nothing but smirk, drawing a Pokeball and releasing a Rattata. The rodent would lunge at him with a Hyper Fang; however, Shala would object with another Mach Punch, flooring it. With no instruction needed, the rat was back up and lunged again. This time as it was about to be hit, it dodged and bit the roo’s arm hard with Hyper Fang. She grunted in pain, but as her trainer told her, she healed herself of some of the damage with Mega Drain, knocking the tiny purple Pokemon out. Despite its toughness, it was fairly weak it seemed, leading Connor to think she was a novice trainer. “Tch! How cheap! This Pokemon sucks!” she complained, returning the Rattata and throwing out a Zubat. Upon its release, it let out a Supersonic attack that hit trainer and Pokemon both.


The Rocketeer took this opportunity to run, heading off toward Blackthorn City. It took Connor a moment to recuperate, recalling his Breloom to allow her to rest herself. It was like a throbbing headache that caused him to teeter when he walked, yet walk he did down the route. The path toward Blackthorn was steep, thus was easier to travel the opposite direction. This meant the Rocket Girl would be moving awfully slow in her escape, unlike himself. With Indra, his Poliwhirl, the duo would clear the steep faces with well timed Water Gun jumps. Once she re-entered his crosshairs, the attack was back on! “Hydro Pump!” he commanded, pointing forward. The pinkette barely had time to turn and see the attack that threatened to send her flying. She hit the ground quickly; the attack pretty much serving its purpose in stopping her. Zubat would return the favor with another Supersonic, Connor successfully avoiding it this time. The tadpole would face off with bat while the teen ran up to the grunt who was scrambling to her feet. With a jump kick, he was aiming to hit her in the head, but she moved out the way just in time, not without dropping a Pokeball from her possesion. “Really? You’d kick a girl in the face?” “I don’t really give a damn about your gender. Just give back what you stol- Huh?!” As he faced the enemy, the young martial artist had failed to notice the violet serpent that had begun to wrap around his legs. When did she release an Ekans? When she fell perhaps? Not that it mattered or helped much; the snake was fast in its restriction, binding his arms before he could call on another Pokemon. “Heh. Guess that’ll teach you” the grunt laughed as the snake tightened its grip on him. Now he’d have to take it back about this being an easy mission not worth his time. If nothing was done, the Constrict would soon take his life after crushing every bone in his body. “Busken!” a voice would cry out from behind the girl; the fowl pointing its very sharp claws at her back.


Horus was released when his Pokeball was dropped a moment ago by mere chance. Had that not happened, Connor wouldn’t have a chance right about now. “Took you...long enough. Now...how about you call off...your overgrown worm.” She scoffed but understood the predicament she was in, especially as her Zubat was suddenly set flying to her feet. Indra would be posing in triumph over his victory in a similar fashion of the wrestlers on tv. Ekans would release him, slithering back to its owner who raised her hands in defeat. Retrieving the Pokemon she stole, he would proceed to tie her up...if he had any rope on hand. “I’m curious. How were you able to bypass the Pokemon Center’s security without setting off the alarm?” he asked. “Oh that? Hmm, I wonder.” Clearly she had no intention of telling him. They would both walk back to Cherrygrove with both Horus and Indra out to keep the grunt in check. The sun was beginning to break across the sky as they neared the Pokemon Center. “...Joyce” she muttered under her breath. Connor raised an eyebrow, unsure what she said and started to ask for clarification. That’s when another Pokeball dropped at her feet, a Koffing popping out! Indra tried to attack before the smokescreen came rolling in, but it was too late. His vision obscured, the Snagem took a blow to the stomach, hard enough to send him to the ground. “My name is Joyce. Remember that, you jerk!” He could hear her, yet could not discern the direction of her voice. And just like that, she was gone. With that name, he had wonder if maybe those rumors… In the end, Connor returned the missing Pokemon anonymously by leaving them on the doorstep of the PokeMart with a note. With police swarming the Center, there was no way he could drop them off and leave. Returning his Poliwrath, he’d look to his Combusken who was awfully cheerful. “And what the hell was that back there? I said sell it and that was overselling it! That would never pass in the ring” he scolded the bird who laughed nervously. “When we get back, we’re going to practice taking a dive. Might need to work on your subtly too.” Looks like they were going to be training again; so much for sleep...