Ace motioned his arms as Ash and crew waited in the canopy. Below several TRs began to discuss payment to Ace for the items he was selling. Ace smirked as he caughed harshly. The signal.
Victreebel rained razor leaves upon them, James and Meowth tossed rocks and anything that was painful. Pikachu shocked the Rockets. Ash leapt down. Ace began to slug the villians.
At Ace second signal James used Wobbuffet for scare tactics. Ash released Tork, who quickly charged and snapped at the fleeing group. Meowth slashed wildly with fury swipes. He was enjoying a good fight.
"Wooob! Buuuuf!" Wobbuffet hopped around waving his arms.
"Run!" Big Sue had enough cuts, bumps and chills! "Retreat!"
Ace threw his arms over his head as he whooped in victory. His friends soon joined him in his celebration. James realized what he meant by a few can make a big difference.
It had been two more days, Ash was silent though he was proud of what they just accomplished he was worried about Sabrina. Gary still hadn't received anything either.
Ace began to salvage what he could from the campsite. He was taking dropped money, food, weapons. He stopped, he turned something in his hand. In the darkness James couldn't see what it was.
"Well! Well!" He tossed the object before James. "We just took on my old friend Big Sue!"
"What does this icon mean?" James pointed to the league symbol which had three stars trailing it.
"It used to be for an Elite Four nomination but, now it means you're a Royal Trapper Chief." He found another thing of interest.
"A Pokémon!" Meowth hollered.
"What kind though?" Ace held the pokéball, the status light indicated a creature was indeed inside. "Since I found it I should keep it."
"Not so fast Ace! We all fought this battle we all should have an equal chance to keep it." Ash took it from him.
"What! Draw straws!" Ace reclaimed it. "Go pokémon!"
From the white flash appeared another Tork. Ash gave up his right to draw. James was excited! He had wanted a Tork since seeing the one Ash had in battle. Meowth protested at being left out of the draw.
"Since there is only two of us we are going to cut this deck of cards. Who ever draws the highest card two out of three times wins." Ace shuffled it and placed in between them.
"You should battle with your pokémon." Ash added.
"No, we'll tire them out for something useless." Ace answered.
"Plus I only have Victreebel and Meowth with me." James smiled.
"Woob! Wooob!" Wobbuffet tapped his shoulder.
"I forgot Wobbuffet." James returned it to the pokéball.
"Let's get this over with."
Ace took first cut, a king. James went, a jack. Ace snickered. James drew next a king. Ace pulled a three. James high fived Meowth. Ace drew his namesake. James sweated, how do you beat an ace.
"With another Ace!" James still had a chance.
"Beat a Joker!" Ace took the pokéball in his hand.
"A joker!" James held the card.
"What!" Ace growled.
"A ten." James held it.
"Ten of spades!" Ace shuffled again.
"Four!" James was sweating he was going to lose with a four.
Ace tore the card, he drew a two. James proudly held his newest pokémon. Ace began to search the rubbish for more pokéballs. Meowth claimed a sleeping bag, some chewing gum and candy bars.
Gary had been following Giovanni for two days. Gary was realizing he had something planned for the tournament. In his hotel room he decided to call Ash.
"Ash!" Gary's image appeared.
"What's up Gary?" He quickly walked further into the woods.
"Ash is James there?" He seemed to be thinking about something.
"James! Come here for a second!" Ash shouted over his shoulder.
James with extreme pride clipped his new pokémon to his belt. He used boastful strides as he went to speak with Ash. Ace was gazing off toward Emerald.
"The city of Green Beauty! I have to save it! My home." Ace remembered attending the best of Emerald's schools.
How he played in the gardens of the palace with Dutchies and young ladies, the princesses battling in the courtyard on the day of the Princess Festivals. He was happy then, so many years. Then he went training in America or Amber (however you wished to call it), and Johto. He was so young and full of dreams. Then the Rockets robbed him of his home. Even now he was searching for his parents.
Ace curled a fist. He would have to take the Rockets head on in Emerald soon. He knew if the invasion on Greenfield continued his second home in Amber would fall victim to the Queen's rule. He knew the Rockets must have made slaves of his family had they not been killed in the war. Tears fell, he was missing the love of his kin.
"James what was Giovanni doing in Emera...I mean Viridian before the Championship Tournament?" Gary knew Giovanni was up to something, first he left the Viridian Gym in his care then he appears before the championship event.
"To be honest I don't know. He disappeared after Ash defeated his invasion on Saffron. He was claiming something that belonged to him was hiding in Saffron and he intended to get it back. The executives have been running the show since." James tried to remember if the boss mentioned anything about Viridian a year ago before he vanished.
"That's what I thought would happen." Gary sighed. "You don't know anything."
"Hey Gary! Can I talk with Jessie?" James put his best grin on.
"Yeah! We miss her!" Meowth hopped onto James shoulder.
"Uh! She said she was going shopping!" Gary was twitching.
"That sounds like her! Whenever anything important is going on she's trying on shoes!" Meowth hissed.
"UltraMew!" The Queen barked.
"Yes, my liege!" It stepped from shadows. "What is your wish."
"How goes the training?" She fiddled with her sceptor.
"Very well my Queen. The men learn quickly. I have instructed them in several martial arts and they are mastering them beautifully." It knelt.
"Excellent my knight. Now what of your training?" She only could see the beast's eyes glowing blue in the dim lit throne room.
"I have surpassed all physical expectations my Lady." It began to float in the air.
"What of your psychic powers?" She was growing weary of UltraMew. It only seemed concerned in physical strength.
"I have trained." It drifted away.
"How much?" She narrowed her gaze.
"Enough, I need little training in those powers! I am the blood of Mew! I need not worry about psychic powers!"
In a blink the Queen held Ultra by the throat. She began to squeeze. Her snakish eyes blazing.
"If you developed your powers you would have seen that coming!" She released Ultra. "If you develope your powers I would not have to rely on that slave Misphisto! If you could predict like him I would gladly allow you to kill him!"
"You are correct as always my Queen." Ultra stood bowed before leaving.
"You know my Lady you should watch how you treat Ultra, least you wish to fall victim to it like Giovanni." The scientist entered.
"Ha! Unlike Giovanni's monstrosity Mewtwo, UltraMew has had loyalty bred into it." She removed her crown and placed it on the throne. "Now Foster what about "Cassandra's" children?"
"The eggs are developing normaly." He hated her, she killed Prof. Oak his teacher. Now Foster like many others was a slave to her rule. "That is to say they will be very much like Misphisto."
"What went wrong!" She snarled.
"Pokémon are still mysteries to researches! They're genetics are even harder to understand or control." He felt another headache waking.
"How did Giovanni create Mewtwo!" She smashed a vase.
"The only ones that know that died on New Island." He gave her a sharp look. "The only others who could comprehend the genetics you killed at Indigo."
"Cassandra?" Misphisto felt her nearing. "Why are you coming here?"
The cell opened, Cassandra was shoved inside. Misphisto used his powers to strike the guard. He could hear him moaning in pain as his psychic attack rendered him useless.
"This is it Cassandra! We go now!" Misphisto ran into the hall, the guard was reaching his hand toward him.
"No! Misphisto! We can't!" She pleaded with him.
"Why not?" He punched the Rocket.
"They took the eggs from me." She grew silent.
"What!" He felt powers surge through him. "How!"
"They used Ultra to detain me while they stole them!" She wept.
"We leave now and rescue them later! Cassandra we must go now!" He ran.
He destroyed a wall as he flew to the earth below. He heard alarms blowing. Soon the Rockets would be upon him. He used confusion on the few men running toward him. He leapt the fence with ease. He turned to find Cassandra hadn't followed.
"Cassandra!" He scanned.
"Get Ultra out there now!" The Queen felt the wood in the windowsill crack in her grip. "We can't lose Misphisto!"
"Flareon go!" Misphisto saw a burning streak crashing after him.
Misphisto saw this with his powers. He flipped in the air, as the Flareon flew under him. Misphisto landed directly on it. He used his fists to subdue it. He used hypnosis, roaring he lifted the animal over his head. As the trainer tried to flee Misphisto flung it at him. Both slammed into the muddy earth, Misphisto roared.
"Charmeleon! Crush it!" A female grunt rushed him.
Misphisto ducked under the megapunch charmeleon threw but, he was caught in the jaw by the trainer's blow. Taken a few steps back he shook his head. He was dizzy.
"Charmeleon ember!" She screamed.
Misphisto shined with his energy shooting from him. Sparks flying from Charmeleon fizzled into nothingness as the beams flowing from Misphisto hit them. Charging Charmeleon tackled Misphisto. Growling in pain Misphisto felt himself crash to the ground.
Snarling Charmeleon leapt at him with teeth bared. Misphisto whipped his tail at it. A loud cracking emitted as the tail flew at Charmeleon. An eerie snap issued. Charmeleon landed, it did not move anymore. Misphisto realized he put too much power into his attack. Charmeleon laid dead with a broken neck.
"Char!" She kicked the monster. "Worthless creature! Go Arbok!"
Misphisto was reeling from the fact he took a fellow pokémon's life. He was oblivious to Arbok until the snake had him wrapped. Struggling he bit into Arbok's flesh. Screeching it released him.
"Where is Ultra!" The Queen roared.
"Right here!" The armored brute leapt from the balcony.
"Misphisto!" The shielded mask it wore gleamed in the moonlight.
"Ultra!" Misphisto curled his lips.
Two red eyes ignited, slowly blazing behind the glass of the helmet. Steam billowed from the three vents on both sides of the mask. The hoses attached to the side of the mask bounced up and down as the mutant Mewtwo stalked toward Misphisto.
Misphisto raised his hands in a mediatation stance. His eyes blazing blue. Ultra raised a hand, from it's fingertips talons emerged. It sliced the iron bars of the fence into scrap metal. Misphisto kept building his psychic energy, he had one chance to strike UltraMew after that he would need to rely on what little physical strength he possessed.
"You have no idea how long I've waited for this Mewtwo!" Ultra declared.
"Oh! The same goes here!" A spotlight flashed upon them.
UltraMew and Mewtwo began a standoff. Circling the two made feint swipes at one another. The Queen began to question how Misphisto escaped. She then looked toward Ultra. It planned this! It wanted to prove it was truly stronger than Mewtwo. She began to thrash about, she was enraged the only one she trusted betrayed her to prove something to the world.
To be continued........
-JLB