“The Open”

Note: This story takes place some time during the “Johto Journeys” story arc of the Pokémon animé.

The exact time and place of these events has been left deliberately vague.

Use your imagination.

And yes, I realize I’ve taken some liberties with the effects of the various

attacks. If you don’t like my ideas, simply come up with your own.

Second Note:

As usual, I make no claims to owning these characters,

who belong to Game Freak, Nintendo, et al. This story itself was

written entirely by me and a close friend, and I don’t expect to

see it anywhere else.

If you want to host this story, please ASK first.

I can be reached at: lancelot@community.net

Oh, and don’t rewrite parts of this and claim that it’s your own.

Believe me, Only morons do that.

As Ash Ketchum reached the crest of a hill, he almost bowled over a girl standing at the top. Skidding to a halt, he stared dumbly at the sight before him. A tight-fitting leather jacket and pants accented her body’s natural curves. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her head bowed.

Suddenly, the girl looked up at Ash, staring intensely at him with startling blue eyes. Blond hair cascaded down her back as she spoke: “Are you the Pokémon trainer known as Ash Ketchum?”

Ash found himself unable to do anything but stand and stare at this strange girl, just as his companions, a familiar redhead and an equally familiar tall Japanese boy, ran up.

Even when exhausted from running, Brock of Pewter City always noticed a pretty girl first. “Ash!” he exclaimed, “who is this divine goddess of beauty?” Ash didn’t bother responding, since Brock was by this time completely zoned out anyway.

The girl completely ignored Brock, keeping her intense stare on Ash. “You are Ash Ketchum, aren’t you?” she said, “I have come out here for the express purpose of challenging you to a Pokémon battle. I’d heard you were coming, and, well, your reputation precedes you. I felt I just had to test your battle skills, to see if you live up to what people say of you.”

“Well, I don’t know who you are, but Pikachu and I are always ready for a battle!” Ash exclaimed, “Isn’t that right Pikachu?” Smiling broadly, he said, “and I bet I’ll blow away anything you’ve heard about me!

The girl bowed deeply, conceding the point. “I propose a one-on-one sudden-death match. It would be a pure test of skill.”

Ash’s smile broadened even more. “Let’s go Pikachu! I choose you!”

Pikachu, always eager for a good battle, jumped of Ash’s shoulder excitedly, letting out a loud “Pika-pika!”

The girl smirked, seeming amused by the entire situation. “Well, then,” she mused, this should certainly be interesting.” Suddenly, she swung her arms out to the sides, dramatically spun a full circle, and threw a Pokéball with a backhanded flick of her wrist, shouting, “Go, Cubone!”

The sight of the short, skull-wearing creature gave Ash pause. Cubone was a ground type Pokémon, immune to Pikachu’s electric attacks. But, Ash was willing to bet this girl, whoever she was, knew that too, and assuming that Ash Ketchum was impotent in the face of any opponent was always a bad thing.

The girl gave Ash no time to think. “Cubone, let’s make this quick! Hit it hard with your Bone Club attack!”

Ash reacted on pure instinct. “Pikachu! jump back and out of the range of it’s attack!” Holding it’s ground until the last possible instant, Pikachu jumped back, using it’s tail to propel itself. But this Cubone was an old hand, a wily battler who had seen such strategies used many times. Changing the momentum of its attack, it extended its body out into a full thrust, slamming Pikachu hard in the stomach. Stunned by the unexpected blow, Pikachu fell to the ground, landing hard.

The girl sighed. “This is hardly worth my time,” she remarked uninterestedly, “such amateurish technique is so easily defeated. I had expected better from the great Ketchum.”

* * *

Meanwhile, on a nearby ledge, a tall girl with long red hair, and a white uniform with a large red R emblazoned on the chest, watched the battle unfolding below with more than a passing interest. “James, quit lazing around and get up here!” she snapped, “something important’s going on!”

“What is it Jesse?” James asked lazily, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, “I was just trying to catch a nap..” Suddenly noticing the goings on below, he was up in a flash, staring down at the heated match. “Who is that girl?” James wondered, “I know I’ve seen that face before, but I have no idea where.”

“If you’se two morons ever read anyting, you’d know” Meowth said, clambering up to his companions’ perch. “Dat girl’s da best trainer in da county.” So saying, he brandished a copy of Pokémon Trainer’s Weekly¸ showing the girl’s picture, along with the headline “Local Stunner Sara Continues to Wow Pokéfans”

“Not so stunning,” Jesse sniffed, as down below, Pikachu thrashed Cubone with its own Bone Club.

“Still,” James pointed out, “You have to admit that if she’s that good, she must have some great rare Pokémon just waiting for us to steal them.”

“Exactly,” Meowth snapped, “Now, let’s lay low and see what we’s can loin.”

* * *

A bead of sweat ran down the girls forehead as she stared fixedly at Ash. “You… You really are good,” she said, and I can see where you got your reputation.” She reached into the breast pocket of her jacket, and pulled a card out. “Take this,” she said, handing the card to Ash, “I expect to see you again.” With that, she walked off, quickly disappearing into the distance.

As soon as the girl was out of sight, Misty’s face contorted with rage. “Just who does she think she is!” Misty ranted, “coming out here and acting all high and mighty like that, then leaving without even having the common decency to tell us her name!”

“Yeah, her name,” Brock agreed, nodding dumbly, “Or her phone number. That would’ve been good to.” He started walking in the direction the girl had gone, but was stopped by Misty yanking harshly on his ear.

“Slow down there Romeo,” Misty growled through gritted teeth, “I think we’ve all had enough of your love life recently.”

“But… pretty…” Brock sputtered, clawing at the air, struggling against Misty’s surprisingly strong pull.

Misty simply dragged Brock away by his ear, muttering under her breath. Ash, deciding to ignore the spectacle, concentrated instead on the card the girl had handed him:

“You are invited to the 6^th

Annual Wild Pokémon Open Tournanment

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Come test your skill!”

There was also an address listed.

Ash looked at the card from all angles, puzzled. “Hey, Brock,” he said, “what’s the Annual Wild Pokémon Open?”

Brock suddenly popped up at Ash’s side. “The Annual Wild Pokémon Open?!” He exclaimed, “It’s one of the most prestigious tournaments in all of Johto, near in status to the League Championships themselves!” Brock waved his arms animatedly as he went on, “It’s a three-day event. No pre-trained Pokémon are allowed. The first day is for catching wild Pokémon, the second for training, and on the third, all the trainers battle in a tournament to determine who is the best of them all! The winner gets a special league-approved badge denoting his status as a well-respected trainer in the Johto training community, recognized by all trainers as a sign of great prowess in the art of improvisational training and battle!”

“So… that’s a good thing?” Ash asked, staring at Brock as is he’d just offered him a great deal on a $500 Magikarp.

“Good?! It’s wonderful!” Brock shouted, his voice cracking with excitement, Anyone who wins the tournament not only gets special worldwide notice as a great trainer, but also a place in the Johto League Hall of Fame! In the past, there have been other prizes to, but that changes from year to year.”

“So,” Ash asked, “does that badge count towards the 8 Johto Gym badges I need to participate in the League championships?”

Brock grabbed Ash by the collar. “No!” he shouted, “but it really shouldn’t matter! The benefits of such a badge are incredible! Not only does it make you look cool, but girls really like a guy with such a badge!”

Ash’s facial expression made it clear to Misty what she had to do. She grabbed Brock by the ear again, and yanked, hard. Brock let go of Ash and collapsed on the ground, where he stayed, twitching and muttering incomprehensibly.

Ash thought a moment, then said, “All right! Count me in on this tournament! I know we can win!”

“Who’s we?” Misty asked.

“Me and my newly caught Pokémon! I know I can win!”

* * *

Of course, Team Rocket, laying low on that nearby ridge, heard everything. Meowth stood up suddenly, a self-satisfied grin across his face. “I knew it was a good idea ta watch these twoips! Now we knows the twoip’s in some kinda toinament!”

Jesse and James laughed. “A tournament!” James exclaimed, “that would be an absolutely wonderful place to snatch all kinds of rare Pokémon!” Giving Meowth a hearty slap across the back, James laughed maniacally.

“That’s a good idea,” Jesse replied, “I’m soooooo glad I thought of it!”

“I tawt of it foist, ya’ morons!” Meowth snarled, slashing Jesse and James across their faces, “Why don’cha give credit where it’s due?”

“Meowth,” James growled, “ You know Pokémon like you should give humans like us some respect!” Meowth simply snorted. “You’ve had your fun,” James continued, “Now it’s time to pay the Devil his due!” Suddenly, James tackled Meowth and held him down while Jesse attacked him.

* * *

That Friday, Ash arrived at the address listed on the card. There was an extra bounce in his step, and in Pikachu’s, and both had an eager, determined look in their eyes. “Remember Pikachu,”Ash said, “You can’t compete this time. You’ll have to be my cheering section.” Pikachu nodded enthusiastically, and Ash smiled, confident that Pikachu understood his every word.

Ash came to a large double door, with a banner over it proclaiming “Annual Wild Pokémon Open. Register Inside.” Swallowing a knot of anxiety at the imposing size of the place, Ash picked up the knocker and knocked firmly three times.

As the door opened, Ash’s jaw dropped in amazement. The entire building was a gigantic trainging gym for Pokémon, complete with arenas for practice matches, and a myriad of different kinds of training equipment. The place was packed with hundreds of trainers and their Pokémon. But, it was the gym or its occupants that held Ash’s amazed attention. It was the girl who answered the door, as a pair of intense blue eyes met his for the second time that week.

“Hello,” the girl said calmly, “I’m Sara, the Open champ for 4 years running. And of course, you’re Ash Ketchum. Who are your friends?”

Misty suddenly stepped between Sara and Ash. “I’m Misty, the youngest of the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City, and the greates! And let me tell you, I think it was awfully rude the way you just walked away like that earlier!”

Sara chuckled. “Yes, I do suppose that was a bit unsociable of me. Well met, Misty of Cerulean. The reputation of your sisters precedes you, and I am honored to meet the girl often described to me as Ash Ketchum’s right hand woman.” Her eyes glittered playfully as she spoke, suggesting something more to her words than what was said on the surface. Winking suggestively at Misty, whose face was turning a lovely shade of purple, she turned to Brock.

“Please excuse her,” Brock said, gesturing to Misty, “She’s rather sensitive about the way people talk a out her and Ash. Some even call it a “relationship.” And speaking of relationships,” Brock quickly added, raising his voice, “Let’s talk about ours!”

A bead of sweat ran down Sara’s forehead. “He just doesn’t give up does he?” she whispered to Ash, paying no attention to Brock, who was still babbling, even though it was apparent no one was interested.

“Never,” Ash replied resignedly. Suddenly, Misty reached over, grabbed Brock, by both ears this time, and swinging him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, carried him off. “How does she do that?” Ash wondered aloud.

Sara stifled a giggle. “Women like her have to have good hearing, and I’ll bet she has a lot of practice at it.

Ash had to agree with that. Misty did have plenty of practice, and she seemed to take a kind of sadistic joy in bursting Brock’s constantly over-inflated bubble. Ash told Sara as much, and this time she couldn’t restrain her laughter. Leaving Ash to sign himself up, Sara went to talk to some other trainers.

Sara’s mind was not on what she was saying. Thinking of her first meeting with Ash, Sara had to admire the boy trainer’s talent, and wondered to herself if she could beat him. She shook her head, drawing a curious stare from her friend, as she reminded herself that she was the Open champ, and that the next battle Ash would not be able to use his signature Pikachu. “Yes,” she thought to herself, smiling a little, “I can win.”

At 9:45 Am, after a brief explanation of the rules of this day’s portion of the tournament, the trainers were turned loose to begin the hunt for wild Pokémon. Ash set out, letting Noctowl’s keen eyesight and hearing guide him. All around him, he heard the sounds of trainers looking for Pokémon. Ash smiled in satisfaction as Noctowl hooted, proclaiming a find. He crept into a clearing to see a small group of Quagsire, apparently unaware that they were being watched. Smiling, Ash used the intercom he’d been issued to congratulate Noctowl on the find, and to tell it to start things off with a Wing Attack.

Noctowl did just that, swooping down in a graceful arc, it’s wings slapping into surprised Quagsire faces. On further instruction, it singled out one Quagsire on the next pass for a Pecking. Then, it flew up into a concealing tree and waited.

The confused Quagsire milled around, some letting off a Water Gun attack in their agitation, trying to find their attacker. Noctowl patiently waited for one of the Quagsire to look up in its direction. After a moment, the Quagsire it had Pecked before spotted it. That moment of eye contact was all Noctowl needed to use it’s devastatingly powerful Hypnosis to send the Quagsire reeling, as Ash’s Pokéball sailed in for his first capture of the day. With that, Ash set off behind Noctowl again, eager to continue.

It took them almost an hour to maker their next capture, by which time Ash had been scorched by a Slugma, soaked by a Totodile, and nearly used as a pillow by a sleepy Snorlax. Finally, Noctowl hooted a challenge into a cave, daring whatever was in there to come out. Perched on top of the cave’s entrance, it waited.

Out came the Pokémon, A small, black dog-like creature with patches of bone-white going up and down his body, particularly sharp-looking teeth, and a mean scowl etched across it’s face. Ash stared in blank amazement. “What’s that?” he muttered under his breath, cautiously drawing out his faithful Pokédex, Dexter to answer the question. Dexter confirmed that the creature was Houndour, a Pokémon of Fire and Dark type that was distantly related to the Growlithe.

Houndour never saw Noctowl coming. Without so much as an order, it swooped down gracefully, to land a vicious Peck right in the middle of Houndour’s back. Quickly, Ash ordered Noctowl to come back around with a Quick Attack while Houndour was still distracted. Knowing he could not rely on Noctowl alone, he called it back and threw out Totodile, who playfully teetered around Houndour in a taunting dance before hitting it full force with a Water Gun attack.

The surprised and suddenly soaked Houndour have no practical response, as the forceful jet of water lifted it from its feet and send it flying through the air. “Totodile!” Ash called, “Use Bite attack!” As Totodile rushed in, Houndour landed easily, set it’s feet, and received the charge, Biting Totodile right back, sinking it’s teeth painfully into Totodile’s side.

Ash winced. He had heard of how nasty Dark-type Pokémon could be, but by his estimation, that Bite had been uncalled for. He ordered Totodile to strike for Houndour’s weak point with another full-force Water Gun. Totodile complied, blasting Houndour in the face and driving it into the ground. Houndour didn’t get up, and Ash knew better than to pass up an opportunity. He swiftly caught the Houndour.

All told, by the end of the day, Ash had caught 8 Pokémon: Quagsire, Houndour, Girafarig, Wobuffet, Elekid, Mankey, Donphan, and an unfortunate Pidgey who had happened to be in Ash’s way when he was trying to catch a Sandslash. He thought that at some point he had seen a yellow, tiger-like Pokémon off in the distance, but when he had looked again, it was gone. What amazed Ash was looking at Sara’s catch; she had caught almost 20 different kinds of Pokémon. At least one person, Ash noticed with disgust, had not caught anything at all.

Suddenly, the attention of every trainer was drawn to the podium in the center at the end of the room, as a strict-looking woman, whose tiny glasses pinched the end of her tall nose, stepped up to speak. “This is the end of the first day of this year’s Wild Pokémon Open!” she announced to resounding cheers, “The Pokémon you have caught will go on to tomorrow’s portion of the competition!”

“But, unfortunately,” she continued, “Some of you will not. Among you there are some who have caught less than the minimum of three Pokémon. I regret to inform these people that they are hereby disqualified!” As she said this, several trainers turned around and left, muttering.

“The top three trainers for today will now be announced!” the woman proclaimed, looking at a sheet of paper in front of her. “In third place, Ash Ketchum of Pallet town, and his Noctowl! The total was 8 captures!” There was a smattering of applause. “In second place,” She continued, “A.J., the Wild Pokémon Trainer, and his Sandshrew. The total was 13 captures!” This time the applause spread throughout the audience, a couple cheers rang out. Ash looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of A.J., whom he had met before and had wanted to see again, but he couldn’t see through the crowd. “And finally,” the woman concluded, “In first place, the Open champ for four years running, ‘Stunning’ Sara and her Cubone! The total was 17 captures!”

Everybody burst into wild applause and cheering; the place seemed to explode with sound. Ash thought his ears had never been tortured so badly. He covered his ears, and tried to move away from the crowd, only to run face first into…

Gary. Ash Ketchum’s greatest rival stood there, looking down at Ash with all of his usual cockiness. “Well, Ash, I must admit I’m surprised to see you here, I didn’t think you could make it into this high a level of competition.” As was often the case, Gary’s annoying nasal accent made Ash want to cringe. “And, I see you’ve managed to get yourself in the top three! Rather impressive, one might say.”

Ash was about to reply, when Gary interrupted, “Might say, that is. What kind of Pokémon did you catch, anyway?” once again, before Ash could reply, Gary continued on, “Here, Ash, take a preview of my all-star team.” With a dramatic flourish, Gary whipped three Pokéballs out from somewhere behind him, and three them up into the air. All three Pokéballs exploded open in a flash of red light, revealing Gary’s team.

Ash’s jaw hit the floor. Out of Gary’s Pokéballs had come a Kadabra, a Nidoking, and a Growlithe. Not only were the three Pokémon all extremely powerful, but they also matched his normal battle lineup to a scary degree. Gary’s normal battling team included an Alakazam, a Nidoking, and an Arcanine, in addition to his Umbreon, who was absent, presumably for the same reason Pikachu was outside with Misty. No trained Pokémon were allowed in the building.

Gary smirked at Ash’s reaction. “Well, Ash, I think it’s only fair that you should show me what Pokémon you’re going to use.” Of course, it made perfect sense, and was only fair, but Ash hadn’t even thought about which three he might use. Not wanting to lose face in front of his rival, Ash randomly grabbed three Pokéballs from his belt and tossed them up. Out came Pidgey, Mankey, and Wobuffet. Now Gary’s smirk turned into a howl of laughter. “That’s what you’re going to use? I won’t even have to worry about fighting you! Your first opponent will leave you in the dust!”

Ash felt the blood rushing to his face. He didn’t think he’d ever been more embarassed. “I’ll show that Gary who’s gonna leave who in this dust!”

Ash got up bright and early the next morning, an unusual thing for him, but the excitement of the tournament wouldn’t let him stay asleep. He arrived at the training hall to find the place already bustling with trainers, though there were noticably fewer than the day before. The first thing Ash wanted to do this morning was find A.J. Wandering through the crowd of trainers, he found A.J. of in a corner, giving his Pokémon a pep talk. “Hey, A.J!

A.J. turned at the voice, and his eyes sparkled upon seeing Ash. “Hi, Ash, I can see you’ve been doing well for yourself. Third place, huh?”

“Yeah,” Ash replied, “and you didn’t do too bad yourself! 13 captures!”

A.J. laughed. “Well, I do try my best! Maybe this will be when we get to face each other again!”

Ash practically jumped. “You bet! And I’m not gonna be so easy on you this time!”

Suddenly, a voice came over the intercom. “All trainers report to the end of the hall to receive your instructions for today!” the voice called out, rendered dull and shapeless by the crackling intercom.

A.J. saluted Ash smartly. “Well,” he said, “time to get started! See you later!” with that, he walked off, a short train of Pokémon following close behind.

Ash pushed and shoved to get near the podium, where the woman from yesterday was just beginning her speech. “This second day of the competition is the day of training,” she proclaimed, “each trainer will now select three Pokémon to train exclusively. At the end of the day, each trainer’s progress in taming and training their Pokémon will be judged. Those judged not up to standard will be disqualified.” A chute was then revealed through which the trainers could drop there excess Pokémon where, it was explained, they would be returned to the wild.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, just outside the building, a low chuckle was quickly stifled by the swipe of a Meowth’s paw. “Quiet, you moron,” Meowth hissed, “Wit you laughin it up over dere, we’s might be hoid!”

Jesse quickly brought her gloved hand down on Meowth’s head. “Quiet Meowth! Here come the trainers!”

* * * *

Ash stared hard at the Pokéballs in front of him. “Three, three, three,” he chanted under his breath, staring as if to divine some sort of hint from the balls themselves. Finally, he picked three Pokémon and walked over to the chute.

* * * *

“Look! It’s the twoip!” Meowth whispered excitedly as Ash dropped his 5 extra Pokéballs into the chute.

James swiftly slapped Meowth aside to get a look. “I like the looks of those Pokéballs,” he muttered, “we could get a lot of money here!”

“And then, we’ll buy the biggest feast anyone’s ever seen!” Jesse added, They all shared a chuckle at the thought, visions of riceballs dancing in their heads.

* * * *

Ash stared hard at the chute. He could’ve sworn he’d heard Team Rocket’s voices filtering up from the bottom. He couldn’t stick around to find out, though, as Gary abruptly shoved him aside. “Out of the way, other trainers needed to use the chute to.” As he said this, Gary gave Ash an utterly belittling look. Ash muttered something rather rude below his breath, and wandered off.

Misty’s eyes followed Ash into the crowd, then centered on Gary. What on Earth was going on? For a while, it had seemed like Gary was giving Ash some small amount of respect, but then, when they’d met at this tournament, he was back to his old snotty self. Misty sincerely hoped that this tournament would come down to Ash and Gary, and that maybe Ash would finally beat Gary, and wipe that smug grin off his face, and, for some reason, it seemed important to her that Ash should win such a battle. Dismissing the thought, Misty walked off to find where Ash had went. If Ash Ketchum wanted any chance of winning this tournament, he’d need her help, and she didn’t plan on letting him forget it any time soon, either.

In truth, Ash didn’t need Misty’s help at all that morning. Ash Ketchum had always had a sort of immediate and natural rapport with Pokémon, and his progress as a Pokémon trainer had only heightened that ability. He progressed through the basic levels of taming quite quickly, and was soon teaching his chosen three battle strategy. Ash shined here as well. With two league competitions and over a dozen badges under his belt, Ash had learned a thing or two about Pokémon battles. This knowledge he imparted on his Pokémon quite well. He also seemed to imbue all his Pokémon with a part of his personality, that determination that kept him going long after so many others would have given up.

In fact, Misty thought, for better or worse, that will was what had gotten him where he was now. She also had to admit that that was exactly what she liked about him. As frustrating as it was to deal with Ash’s unbending determination in even the smallest debates, it gave him a certain energy that made his work with Pokémon a thing of beauty.

Ash’s main weakness, however, also lay in that determination. In his often one-track mind, a change of plan was a sign of giving up. Where he would really need Misty’s help was in the more intricate attack and defense routines of a good battle. While lesser opponents could simply be run over, a more skilled opponent often made a Pokémon battle like a fencing match, with all that cunning strategy that implied.

Sara noticed that weakness as well. She had stayed at the top of the tournament ladder for two reasons: understaning herself, and understanding her opponents. Indeed, Ketchum was good, but that little chink in his armor, that inability to quickly switch strategies in the face of failure, could very well be his downfall. Suddenly angry with herself for spying on Ash, and unsure exactly why she was angry, Sara returned to her training. There was much still to be done.

As the day wound down to an end, Ash sat on a bench, sipping at a bottle of water and waiting to hear the results of the judging. The judges, each a wise and seasoned trainer, had carefully tested each trainer and their Pokémon, looking for any weaknesses in trainer style. As the results were announced, Ash was ecstatic to hear that he was one of less than 100 trainers who were still in the competition. Ash went to bed early, with a goofy grin still plastered across his face. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

* * * *

Team Rocket, too, was happy that night. “All together, we’ve managed to snatch over 300 Pokémon!” James exclaimed, counting the last of the Pokéballs.

Jesse clapped James on the shoulder. “Why, that’s absolutely wonderful! Just think of all the money we’ll get!”

“And, all the food we’ll get!” Meowth exclaimed.

Taking their haul with them, the three wandered off, luaghing merrily. In fact, they were so busy laughing that they didn’t see the angry eyes staring out at them from the shadows, nor did they hear the outraged individual’s growl of “Pika……”

* * * *

The battles started bright and early the next morning with a round of eliminations, which Ash was almost disqualified from. He stumbled on the field five minutes late, still pulling on his jacket, and with his belt, which held his Pokéballs, clutched in his teeth. His opponent, a small, shy-looking girl with brown hair, waited patiently.

Brock practically jumped in surprise. “That’s Jasmine, the Olivine Gym Leader! Watch out Ash, this is going to be a tough battle.” Jasmine bowed deeply, accepting the compliment.

A judge soon appeared at ringside, and explained the rules. “This will be a one-on-one battle, with a 20-minute time limit. As with all battles in the Open, only Pokémon caught specifically for the tournament may be used.” The judge reached into his pocket and pulled out a flag. “Begin!” he shouted, with a dramatic flag-waving.

Jasmine didn’t hesitate. “Go, Skarmory!” she cried, throwing the Pokéball in a curious, underhanded fashion.

Ash spit his belt out into his hands, and quickly grabbed a Pokéball, which he kicked toward the center of the ring. “Houndour! I choose you!”

Both Pokémon appeared in a flash of light. Skarmory rustled its metallic wings as Houndour tossed its head defiantly, daring Skarmory to make the first move. “Okay Skarmory, use Steel Wing!” Jasmine’s voice had taken a very commanding air.

Ash didn’t even listen to Jasmine’s command. He knew a Steel Wing when he saw one. He reacted quickly shouting, “Houndour, block it with Flamethrower!”

As Skarmory knifed in towards its target, Houndour tracked it, and let loose a savage blast of fire. Skarmory weaved frantically, trying to dodge, but Houndour’s flames still clipped its wing, putting it into a tailspin. Skarmory crashed awkwardly into the ground, as Houndour mercilessly continuing the barrage of fire.

Skarmory stood back up, wincing through the flames. “All right, Skarmory, use Quick Attack!” Jasmine commanded.

This time, Skarmory’s movements were much quicker, and before Ash could react, it broadsided Houndour, momentarily staggering it. Houndour barely kept it’s footing and pushed back. It appeared to be a stalemate.

Ash knew exactly what to do. “Houndour, Skull Bash now!” With that command, Houndour backed up a bit, then rushed forward, slamming it’s head hard into Skarmory’s. “Now follow up with a Flamethrower!”

As Skarmory reeled from the Skull Bash, Houndour’s Flamethrower hit it full in the chest. It was lifted from it’s feet and slammed back down to the ground. Skarmory didn’t get back up.

“Skarmory is unable to battle!” the judge announced. “Houndour is the winner!”

Jasmine smiled meekly as she shook Ash’s hand. “I’m sorry this battle was so short. Maybe we’ll meet again.”

Ash grinned broadly. “You bet!”

Round 2 found Ash facing a burly mountain-man named Anthony. This time, the judge explained, the match would be two-on-two. Two-on-two matches would continue until the semi- finals, and then from that point on, the matches would be three-on-three.

“Well,” Anthony rumbled jovially, “Let’s get this show on the road. Let’s go, Donphan!”

“I’ll fight fire with fire! Go Donphan!” With a dramatic wave of his arms, Ash sent out his Donphan. The Donphan began to circle, cautiously measuring each other.

Ash’s blood raced. This was his greatest test so far. Since both Pokémon were the same type, this battle would be a pure test of training and battle skill.

Suddenly, without warning, Anthony’s Donphan sprung forward into a clinch with Ash’s Donphan. “Push back! Don’t let it outdo you!” Ash shouted.

“Now! Flip it!” Anthony’s Donphan did just that, using a flip of it’s tusks to send it’s opponent to the ground.

Ash knew he was vulnerable. “Use Rollout to get out of there!” Ash’s Donphan rolled it outself into a compact ball, and rolled away from it’s opponent. “Now go in for the strike!”

“All right, Donphan, You use Rollout to!” Anthony ordered.

As Ash and Anthony’s Donphan rolled toward each other, Ash pulled a surprise maneuver. “Tackle attack now!” Ash’s Donphan came out of the roll flying through the air in a perfect Tackle. Anthony’s Donphan went down hard.

“It’s too early for use to lose!” Anthony roared, “Use Earthquake!”Anthony’s Donphan stomped powerfully on the ground, rocking it and sending Ash’s Donphan down.

Ash knew he could end this now, if he was careful. “Use Rollout now!”

Once again, Ash’s Donphan curled into a ball and rolled toward its opponent. This time, it bounced off the ground at the last moment, connecting full speed with the other Donphan’s head. Anthony’s Donphan went down again, and this time, it didn’t get back up.

“Anthony’s Donphan is unable to battle! Ash’s Donphan is the winner!” the judge declared with a wave of his flag.

“You’re good!” Anthony said to Ash, “Let’s see just how good!” returning his Donphan, Anthony reached for his second Pokéball. “Machamp, go!”

The intimidating, four-armed giant exploded out of its Pokéball, flexing its huge muscles for all to see. “Begin this with a Rollout!” Ash cried, undaunted.

Donphan rolled toward Machamp, but then Anthony gave an order at the last possible moment. “Karate Chop now!”Machamp’s powerful hand swept down and across, smacking Donphan sideways. “Now follow up with Cross Chop!” Anthony shouted triumphantly.

“Donphan! Tackle it!” Ash screamed. Donphan planted its feet firmly, then charged, bull rushing under Machamp’s arms to drive straight into its belly. Unfazed, Machamp picked Donphan up by it’s front legs and gave it a Seismic Toss. Donphan landed twitching, but not getting back up.

“Donphan is unable to battle! Machamp is the winner!”

Ash let out a frustrated sigh. “Donphan, return!” He pulled another Pokéball from his belt and threw it out. “Quagsire, go! Water Gun!”

Quagsire exploded forth from its Pokéball, Water Gun blasting. Machamp, hit by the high-pressure stream of water, was lifted from it’s feet and slammed into a nearby tree. Getting up, it shook its head slowly, then moved forward to battle again. “Low Kick now!” Anthony ordered.

“Use Earthquake, Quagsire!” Quagsire jumped up, then crashed down, using it’s considerable mass to shake the ground, knocking Machamp down. “Now, finish it with Slam!” Quagsire rushed in and slammed into Machamp, tossing back up into the air, where it crashed back down unceremoniously.

“Machamp is unable to battle! Quagsire is the winner!”

Ash fought several more battles that day, carrying away a narrow victory in each. Gary, however, was eliminated in Round 4, much to Ash’s dissapointment. He lost to A.J.

* * * * *

For once, Team Rocket had had the smarts to strike while the iron was hot, pawning off some of the Pokémon they’d stolen to buy themselves lunch. Over Sushi platters, they planned their next strike.

“You know,” Jesse mused, “If these wild Pokémon bring in so much, imagine how much those trained ones actually participating in the tournament will get us.”

James looked up uneasily. “Are you planning what I think you’re planning?”

“And,” Jesse continued, ignoring him, “it will be a perfect opportunity to get that Pikachu.”

Meowth dismissed the idea with a wave of his paw. “Wit all dose talented trainas in dere? Youse gotta be kiddin’ me.”

James nodded. “It’s not like we have a good battle record. It’s practically worthless to try!”

“What kind of attitude is that?” Jesse snarled.

“An appropriate one.” James replied with a sigh.

“I guess you’re right.” Jesse sat in silence for a moment, then all of a sudden, she exclaimed, “Hey! I’ve got an idea! Why don’t we use some of these Pokémon we’ve captured to help us?”

“That’s a good idea, Jess!”

* * * * *

Meanwhile, two pair of eyes continued to watch Team Rocket’s every move. There wasn’t any way Pikachu and Cubone would let them carry this plot off.

* * * * *

It was Semi-Final time, with only four trainers left. Looking at the board, he realized he’d be facing A.J. this round. This was about to get interesting. Seeing that he had a while before the match began, Ash went for a walk.

Ash soon found himself near a stream where, much to his surprise, he saw Sara and Misty sitting by the bank together. “I wonder what they’re talking about?” he thought to himself. Quietly, he wandered over towards them.

Ash Ketchum had never been a master of subtlety, and that included stealth. About ten feet away from the the two, he stepped on a twig, which snapped loudly under his feet. Suddenly, Misty whipped around, a bright red blush on her face. Sara stood up calmly. “Well, I’d better get back,” she said, “You ought to get back too, Ash.” With a smile, she walked away, leaving Ash and Misty alone.

An awkward silence ensued. Finally, after what felt like hours, Ash coughed. “We’d better get back.”

A few minutes later, Ash stood at the ring, opposite A.J. “Well Ash, this should be a good fight.” A.J. said. “Are you ready?”

“Always!” Ash replied.

A crowd had gathered to watch this match. The rumor had spread that these two had met before, and that the results hadn’t been entirely conclusive. And anyway, these were the semi-final battles of the Wild Pokémon Open. People always came out to watch the Semi-Finals and the Finals. Sara was fighting her opponent on the other field, and from the sound of it, Ash could tell that that battle was already underway.

The judge stepped forward. “This battle is a three-on-three, no-holds-barred Pokémon match. No time limit. Begin!”

Ash stepped forward. “I’ll start this match off! Go Houndour!”

A.J. smiled. “This should be good! Go, Charmander!”

Ash realized right away what that meant. In a battle of two fire-type Pokémon, depending on Fire attacks, such as Flamethrower, would get him nowhere. He would have to delve into Houndour’s other skills. “Houndour, start with a Smog attack!”

Houndour opened its mouth, and belched forth a cloud of noxious smoke, surrounding and confusing Charmander. “Clear the smoke with Flamethrower!” A.J. shouted. Charmander did just that, charging forward as it did so for a Scratch attack.

Houndour would have none of that. Matching Charmander’s charge with one of it’s own, it lowered it’s head and Tackled the smaller Pokémon, sending it flying backward. A.J.’ smirked. “So, that’s how it’s gonna be, eh? All right then, Charmander, use Rage!”

Charmander’s tail flame seemed to grow as it rushed forward in a fury, slashing at Houndour with it’s claws. Ash watched helplessly, his mind racing for a response, as Houndour was forced back. Suddenly, it hit him. “Houndour, use Bite!”

Houndour got the idea. Finding a hole in Charmander’s offensive flurry, it buried it’s teeth in Charmander’s side and shook it viciously, tossing it aside. “Now, use your own Rage!”

Charmander and Houndour rushed at each other in a fury, each using Rage to score some vicious hits. Suddenly, Charmander seemed to waver for a moment, and Houndour rushed in, confident that victory was at hand.

But it was only a feint. Charmander swiped at Houndour’s eyes, then charged shoulder first into it, knocking it down.

Several tense moments passed. “Come on, Houndour, Come on.” Ash muttered. But Houndour was out.

“Houndour is unable to battle!” the judge announced, “Charmander is the winner!”

Ash returned Houndour, already knowing what Pokémon to use in its stead. “Go Quagsire! Use Slam!”

Quagsire tumbled out of its Pokéball, Slamming heavily into Charmander and knocking it to the ground. Exhausted from its flurry of Rage, Charmander could not continue.

“Charmander is unable to battle! Quagsire is the winner!”

A.J. pulled out his Charmander. “All right, then, I guess I’ll use…. Raticate! Go! Hyper Fang!”

Quagsire accepted the blow without comment, then, with a huge smile, countered with a Water Gun, which blasted Raticate back. “Quick Attack!” A.J. ordered.

Once again, Quagsire accepted the hit, and once again it blasted back with Water Gun. Now A.J. was getting frustrated. “Raticate! Use Super Fang!”

That one seemed to get to Quagsire. As Raticate’s sharp teeth plunged into it, Quagsire wobbled back, and fell on it’s backside. It was very slow to get up.

“Quagsire, return!” Ash knew better than to press Quagsire too far. He still had the Finals to think about. “Go, Donphan! Rollout!”

Donphan came rolling out of the Pokéball, blasting Raticate from its feet. Before Raticate could fully recover, Donphan came back around for another hit, which drove Raticate solidly to the ground. It landed on it’s back, and there it stayed. The audience “ooohed” their appreciation.

“Raticate is unable to battle! Donphan is the winner!”

A.J. clapped. “Good! Very good! Now, for my final Pokémon, Sandslash!”

Another “oooh” passed through the audience. The Sandslash that emerged was well-toned, muscular, and showed all the signs of A.J.’s powerful, and somewhat brutal, training style, which included intensive cardiovascular workouts and weight training. Ash knew that this would be his greatest challenge yet. A.J.’s Pokémon were famed for their power.

Ash held his breath for a brief moment, regaining his composure. Then, he said, “All right, Donphan, let’s finish this match. Use Tackle!”

Donphan charged forward, slamming into Sandslash. Sandslash didn’t even flinch, but batted Donphan aside with a swipe of its powerful paw. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Ash!” A.J. taunted.

“All right then, I will! Earthquake now, Donphan!”

Donphan slammed hard into the ground, but once again, Sandslash didn’t even flinch, though A.J. was knocked a bit off-balance by the power of the vibrations. Stumbling sideways, A.J. managed to fire off the command, “Slash now!”

Sandslash rushed forward, and Slashed with its claws at Donphan, but Donphan’s rock-solid skin easily deflected the attack. Taking a strategy from Anthony, Ash shouted, “Flip it now, Donphan!” Imitating Anthony’s Donphan, Ash’s Donphan deftly use its tusks to flip Sandslash over on its back. “Now use Stomp!” Ash cried, though the command was entirely unneccessary. Donphan already knew what to do; it Stomped down hard on Sandslash’s exposed belly, blasting its breath away. “Now Tackle!” Donphan complied, knocking Sandslash off its feet with this second Tackle.

A.J.’s face had tightened. “How’s that for trying harder?” Ash asked.

“Not bad,” A.J. admitted, “but I still have a trump card. Sandslash, use Fissure Strike!”

Sandslash smashed its fist into the ground, creating spidery cracks in the ground, and causing waves of Earthquake-like power. Donphan could not move quickly enough, and got its foot stuck fast in a crack. Donphan pulled relentlessly, but to no avail. Sandslash pushed it out easily enough though, by slamming its head into Donphan’s, knocking the elephant-like Pokémon back, and pulling its leg free.

Ash immediately took advantage of the freeing. “Rollout now!” Donphan immediately rolled up into a ball, and smashed into Sandslash’s face. Sandslash went flying backward, slamming into A.J. A.J. shook Sandslash, trying to get it back into battle, but it was out.

“Sandslash is unable to battle! Donphan is the winner!”

Ash stepped forward to shake A.J.’s hand. “Good match.”

A.J. nodded. “Good match.”

Ash smiled. “Next time should be interesting, huh?”

A.J. smiled back. “Next time, I’ll win.”

Ash bowed dramatically to A.J., who then left to find a spot to watch the final match that was coming.

* * * * *

James grinned. “Should we go now?”

Jesse shook her head. “No. Let’s wait until those two finalists are tired from their battle.”

Meowth nodded soberly. “Looks like onnea youse two finally said somethin’ right.

“What does that mean, Meowth?” Jesse hissed.

“Uh… Nothin’!”

* * * * *

Sara and Ash arrived at the big Finals arena a few moments later. Sara smiled, seeing Ash on the other side of the field. “I knew it would be you,” she said, straightening her jacket.

Ash smiled back. “And I knew it would be you,” he replied.

Sara’s smile turned to a broad grin. “Let’s begin, shall we?”

The judge this time was the severe lady who had been announcing things before. “This is the Final Match!” she announced in her loud, harsh voice. “This will be a three-on-three, no-holds-barred match, with no time limit! The match will begin on my mark!” She produced a flag from her pocket, and held it high. “Prepare yourself!” Then, with a downward swish of her flag, she shouted, “The match has begun!”

“All right,” Ash said, “I’ll start this match off with Donphan! I choose you!”

“Well, then,” Sara replied, “In that case, I’ll use Hitmontop! Go!:”

“Donphan! Rollout Attack now!”

“Hitmontop! Stay back!”

As Donphan rolled forward, Hitmontop spun on its head like a breakdancer and easily dodged out of the way. For several moments, no one gained an advantage as the two Pokémon circled around each other, looking for an opening.

“All right, Hitmontop! Surprise it with Agility!”

Suddenly, there seemed to be no fewer than six Hitmontops, spinning around in Donphan in dizzying patterns.

“Donphan! Break out of there with a Rollout!”

Before Donphan could execute the command, however, Hitmontop suddenly appeared before it, scoring with a vicious one-two kick combo. The first kick knocked Donphan off balance, the second launched it backwards through the air. A wild cheer ran through the crowd as Donphan landed flat on its face.

“Hit it again!” Sara shouted.

“Look out Donphan!” Ash cried, as Donphan staggered drunkenly to its feet.

Hitmontop spun again, launching itself straight at Donphan. With surprising speed, Donphan whirled around and snatched Hitmontop’s leg with its trunk. In a panic, Donphan tossed the leg away, which sent Hitmontop spinning into the ground.

“All right! Now that you’re under, use Dig to hit it hard!”

As Donphan cast about, searching for its opponent, Ash shouted, “Don’t look with your eyes! Use your feet to feel where its coming!” As soon as these words left his mouth, Hitmontop exploded out of the ground, launching Donphan into the air with a powerful thrust of its enormous head.

Donphan landed hard on its back. Instead of wasting time with a struggle to get back up, however, it simply rolled into another Rollout. Just as Hitmontop was getting up to spin speed, Donphan caught it off guard, practically running it over. As Hitmontop struggled to get back up, Ash shouted, “Now use Tackle!” Wasting no time, Donphan rammed into Hitmontop, using its powerful tusks for leverage. The terrific force of the collision knocked Hitmontop over, actually making it land on its feet. Already off balance, the awkwardly large weight of Hitmontop’s head caused it to fall.

“Hitmontop! Use High Jump Kick!”

Hitmontop barely caught itself, and launched off it’s back leg, rocketing toward Donphan. All Ash could do was shout “No!” as defeat seemed inevetable. Just in the nick of time, Donphan flattened itself against the ground, then lashed out with its hind legs, sending Hitmontop careening uncontrollably, headfirst, into a rock.

“Hitmontop! Get up!” Sara shouted.

Hitmontop struggled to get to its feet, but it was dizzy from the hit and fell back down.

“Hitmontop is unable to battle! Donphan is the winner!” The woman shouted.

“All right, Donphan!” Ash cried, “way to go!”

Sara returned Hitmontop, then, after considering briefly, grabbed another Pokéball from her belt and threw it out. “Go, Gligar! Use your Poison Sting attack!”

As Gligar swooped down, Donphan turned to escape, but it was too slow as Gligar landed easily, latching onto its back. “Quick! Shake it off!” Ash shouted. A murmur of laughter ran through the audience as Donphan ran wildly about the arena, trying desperately to shake Gligar off. Gligar, preoccupied with trying to keep its grip, didn’t have a chance to inject the poison.

However, Gligar could not be kept off forever. Finally finding an opening, Gligar stabbed Donphan with its poison stinger. “C’mon, Donphan! You gotta get it off before it does any more damage!”

Donphan came up with a creative solution a few moments later. It rolled into a Rollout, which caused the poor Gligar to be whipped around and ran over by the chunky elephant. However, the poison had already taken effect, and now it showed through, as Donphan fell to its knees, convulsing.

Gligar took advantage of the opening to use Swift, throwing a barrage of star shapes at Donphan, which all hit the struggling Pokémon in the face. Donphan dropped completely, not moving. The audience “oooohed” their appreciation.

“C’mon Donphan! You can’t give up now!” Hearing its trainer’s voice yelling encouragement, Donphan valiantly struggled to stand, but the effort was beyond it.

“Donphan is unable to battle! Gligar is the winner!”

“Donphan… you did your best! Return!” Ash said warmly. Then, his gaze steeled as he locked eyes with his opponent. “For my next Pokémon, I choose Quagsire! Go!”

Quagsire tumbled out of its Pokéball and landed on its behind, staring around with a dumb smile on its face. Gligar took the seeming advantage to swoop in for an attack, but Quagsire quickly turned and hit it with a full-force Water Gun, which sent Gligar to the ground.

“That’s good! Keep it away!” Ash shouted.

But of course, Gligar would not be stopped so easily. “Use Swift, Gligar!” Gligar complied, tossing out the stars with perfect accuracy.

Quagsire merely continued to smile as the attack hit it. Not flinching in the slightest, Quagsire got up from its sitting position. For a moment, the Pokémon looked around, confused, as if it had forgotten what was going on. Ash knew what it was really doing, though, it was using Amnesia to make its attacks more powerful. “All right, Quagsire! Use a full-blast Water Gun!”

Quagsire complied, sending a stream of water toward Gligar that looked like it could have come from a fire hose. The sheer force of the attack pushed Gligar upward uncontrollably, frantically flapping its wings to try to direct its movement. Just before it would have hit the ground, Gligar finally regained control and flew at Quagsire, using the momentum of the fall to increase its speed. “Hit it with your Poison Sting!” Sara commanded.

“I don’t think so! Quagsire hit it hard with Slam!” Quagsire jumped (a very strange looking movement for a Quagsire indeed!) and hit Gligar in the head, which sent Gligar into a crazy, uncontrolled spin. Gligar slammed head-first into the same rock that had defeated Hitmontop.

Sara knew if she was to have any chance at all of winning this now, she had to be quick. “Sand Attack, Gligar!” Gligar used its wings to stir up sand from the arena, blowing it in Quagsire’s face and leaving Quagsire blinded. “Now use Guillotine!”

Ash was terrified. “Quagsire! Quick! Dodge! Do something!”

But it was too late. Gligar swooped in with a terrible slash of its claws, knocking Quagsire out cleanly. Wild applause and cheering ran through the audience.

“Quagsire is unable to battle! Gligar is the winner!” The cheering rose to a fevered pitch.

Ash’s heart raced. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! He was already down to his last Pokémon. But Houndour was still tired from its last fight with A.J.’s Charmander, and he wasn’t sure how it would hold up in this battle. Having no other alternative, though, he recalled Quagsire and pulled Houndour’s Pokéball from his belt. Through gritted teeth, he whispered, “Go Houndour, do your best.”

Houndour emerged from its Pokéball with a howl that sent chills down the audience’s collective spines, and they responded with a rousing cheer for the Pokémon. “Go Ash! This is it!” Brock called from somewhere in the front of the crowd.

Ash took heart from that. “Houndour, this is your time to shine! Use Crunch!”

Houndour leapt at Gligar, locking on with its powerful jaws, and scratching madly with it’s back legs. Gligar wasn’t strong enough to keep both its weight and Houndour’s in the air, and both crashed to the arena floor, Houndour landing triumphantly on top of Gligar.

There was absolute silence for a moment, as everybody sorted out what had just happened. When the dust cleared, and Houndour stood there on top of the downed Gligar, a wild cheer ran through the audience. Looking back over toward the stands, he saw even Gary giving him some grudging applause.

“All right!” Ash shouted to Sara, “Let’s make a match of this! Come on!”

“If we’re making it a match now, what was it before?” Sara mused to herself. But, she didn’t have time for such trivial details. “All right, let’s! Here’s my last Pokémon! Go, Ariados! You’re my last hope! Use Psychic!”

Waves of energy swept forward from the spider-like Ariados, centering on Houndour, but Houndour shook the attack of with a wave of its head and a fierce snarl. “Flamethrower, now!” Ash shouted.

Houndour shot out a deadly blast of flame, but Ariados skittered out of the way, then used String Shot to bind Houndour’s mouth closed. “Great work, Ariados! Sara shouted, “Now use Agility!”

Houndour paced about nervously, clawing at the sticking webs with its front paws and trying to see where Ariados was coming from amid the barrage of images its eyes, to slow to track Ariados’ sudden speed, were showing it. “Fury Swipes now!” Sara shouted, and Ariados suddenly barrelled in from the side, swiping at Houndour. Houndour swiftly wheeled around, forcing Ariados to cut the webs around its muzzle. Houndour took a couple hits in consequence, but it didn’t care. “Smog attack, Houndour!” Houndour belched smog in Ariados’ face, obscuring vision.

“Ariados, use Nightshade!” Sara shouted. The entire area around Houndour suddenly seemed to darken, and ghostlike shapes flitted around Houndour, sweeping in to strike him before pulling back out. Frustrated, Houndour let off a wild Flamethrower, which ignited the smog, which was now just starting to dissipate. A terrific explosion knocked both Pokémon back away from each other.

Landing nimbly on its feet, Ariados tried another Psychic attack, with results similar to the first one. Houndour simply was not fazed by such an assault.

“Houndour! Rush back in there with Bite!”

As Houndour ran in for the Bite, however, Sara shouted, “Use Leech Life now, Ariados!” Ariados hopped onto Houndour’s back and latched onto it, leeching its energy away.

“Houndour! Stop, drop and roll!” Houndour instantly understood what Ash was saying. It swiftly rolled over on its back, and Ariados was forced to relinquish its grasp or be crushed. It chose to let go.

As soon as Houndour was back on its feet, it went for the Bite like before. “String Shot now!” Sara shouted, and for the second time, Ariados bound up Houndour’s muzzle with its webs. This time, however, Houndour tore through the webs, belching out a great gout of flame. “Great work, Houndour! Ash shouted, “now use that flame on Ariados!” Houndour swiftly focused its raging flames into a Flamethrower attack, and blasted Ariados back a good 20 feet, where it lay, unmoving.

Several tense moments passed, and it seemed as if everyone in attendance was holding his breath. Ariados weakly clambered to its feet, then fell again.

“Ariados is unable to battle! Houndour is the winner!”

Ash was just about to proclaim victory, when suddenly a net fell down around Ariados and Houndour. “What’s going on?”Sara demanded. Evil laughter echoed through the arena as a Meowth-shaped balloon floated over.

“Prepare for trouble!”

“Make it double!”

“Team Rocket!” Ash snarled. “Where’d you guys come from?”

Jesse and James ignored Ash, and continued with their motto.

“To protect the world from devastation!”

“To unite all people’s within our nation!”

“To denounce the evils of Truth and Love!”

“To extend our reach to the stars above!”

Jesse and James now dramatically leapt from the basket of the balloon, each carrying a massive cloth bag.

“Jesse!”

“James!’

“Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!”

“Surrender now, or prepare to fight!”

Meowth suddenly flipped out of the ballon, landingly deftly in front of Jesse and James. “Meowth, that’s right!”

Sara raised an eybrow casually. “And just what do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s really quite simply,” James said, “these bags contain massive numbers of Pokémon, caught by none other than the various trainers here in attendance. Unless you hand over your Pokémon, we’ll be forced to release our Pokémon and take them by force.” An angry murmur flowed through the crowd, which was largely made up of the other trainers who hadn’t made it into the finals.

Rage flared in Ash’s eyes. “You guys aren’t taking anything!”

“Oh? And who’s going to stop us?” asked Jesse.

“Pika!” came a call from the stands.

Ash turned. “Pikachu?”

“Cubone!” came another call from the other side.

Sara turned as well. “Cubone?”

Both Pokémon jumped to their respective masters sides, staring up at Team Rocket defiantly.

“Ha! We’re not afraid of you!” Jesse shouted. With that, she and James both started pulling Pokéballs out of their bags and throwing them. “Go, whatever you are!”

A barrage of normal type Pokémon, mostly from A.J.’s catch, emerged from the balls. “Get them!” Jesse ordered, pointing to Sara and Ash.

A.J. stood up from the audience. “Hey!” he shouted to his Pokémon, “are you gonna listen to those morons?” Seeming to agree with A.J., the Pokémon swiftly turned on Jesse and James.

“Always have a good plan B, I say,” Jesse said confidently. “Meowth, you know what to do.”

Meowth pulled a control box from somewhere behind him and pressed a button. “Meowth tank engaged!”Seemingly from out of nowhere, a gigantic tank with clawed arms and a Meowth head crashed into the arena. Jesse, James, and Meowth quickly leapt inside. “Engaging Fury Swipes!” Meowth proclaimed, pressing a button on the tank’s control panel. Suddenly, the robotic arms engaged, clawing wildly, and knocking A.J.’s Pokémon about like so many grains of sand. The audience roared angrily.

Cubone almost seemed to smile, if such a thing was possible, and pulled a spare bone from somewhere behind its back, handing it to Pikachu.

Ash grinned at Sara. “Shall we show them some of our teamwork?”

Sara nodded. “Let’s.”

Ash looked to Pikachu. “Pikachu, go! use Agility!”

Sara crossed her arms across her chest. “go on, Cubone, you use Agility to!”

Both Pokémon rushed madly toward the tank, dodging and weaving in confusing patterns.

“Bone Club!” Sara and Ash shouted at the same time. Pikachu and Cubone jumped at the tank from opposite directions, striking a perfect X across the tank’s front. The tank’s front view hole, which was made of glass, shattered.

“I told you we shouldn’t have put that in!” James quipped.

“Well, then how were we supposed to see out the front?” Jesse yelled back at James.

Ash’s grin broadened. “Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!”

“Pikaaaaaaa-chuuuuuuuuuuuu!” The powerful electricity arced inside the tank, jolting Team Rocket.

Meowth looked down at the instrument panel, which was suddenly sparking and had bolts of electricity arcing from one spot to another. “It’s not supposed to do that, is it?”

Jesse sighed. “I don’t mean to sound negative, but, I think we’re about to blast off again.”

Tears flowed down James’ face. “But I don’t want to!”
Suddenly, the tank exploded with all the force of a bomb, sending Team Rocket, minus their bags of ill-gotten Pokémon, flying off into the stratosphere. “Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again!”
Pikachu gave a V for victory sign. “Pika!”

Cheers resounded throughout the arena as the crowd came pouring out of the stands to congratulate their champions. A chant, starting with Brock, started rising through the crowd: “Ketchum! Ketchum! Ketchum!”

* * * * *

Ash and his friends stood in front of the severe woman proudly, whose expression was now surprisingly soft. Opening a box behind her, she carefully removed the Open badge, which looked like a large, golden “O” and handed it to Ash. “You are the new Open champion. Wear this badge with pride.”

“Thank you, I will.” Ash said, taking the badge and carefully attaching it to the inside of his jacket with the rest of his badges.

Sara, standing beside the woman, extended her hand to Ash. “It was a good match. I’m honored to have had the chance to battle you.”

Ash took her hand, shaking it firmly. “Thanks, it was great battling you to.”

Sara smiled. Turning to the severe woman, she said, “Should we tell him about the other prize now, mom?”

Ash stunned was stunned. “Mom?” he mouthed to Misty, who shrugged.

Sara’s mother smiled. “Yes, we should.” Turning to Ash, she said, “follow me, please.”

Ash, Misty, and Brock followed Sara and her mother, and soon found themselves in a room with three portraits in it. “Each Open champion has their portrait painted and added to the wall.” Sara’s mother explained.

“There’s me!” Sara exclaimed, pointing to a portrait of herself, with her mother looking on proudly. Then, she ran over to a chair that sat by an easel. “You sit here.” Then she ran off.

Ash sat down in the chair, and waited. Suddenly, Sara came back clutching an armload of paints. “You see, I paint all the championship portraits. Four years ago, on a whim, I entered the tournament, and when I won, it was great fun using the mirror to paint myself. But, I haven’t been able to paint anyone else since then. So I guess it’s sort of a good thing you came along.”

“Now, you stand right there, and you stand right there,” she said, pointing to Misty and Brock, “And Pikachu can sit right there.” Pikachu perched comfortably on Ash’s shoulder, and was soon curled up, snoozing.

It took Sara what felt like a long time to finish the portrait. Then, she turned it around to show Ash. “What do you think?”

Ash found himself looking at a perfect likeness of himself, complete with Pikachu curled up on his shoulder, and Misty and Brock standing at his sides. He smiled. “I like it!”

Sara pulled out another piece of paper, revealing that she had been making two portraits all along. “Here, I made two, so you can keep one if you like.”

Ash nodded. “I sure would like that.”

Sara took the portrait, and carefully rolled it, putting it in a cardboard tube, and handed it to Ash. “Here’s your memory of the tournament.”

Ash took the rolled portrait. “Thanks. Maybe we’ll meet again someday.”

“Maybe.” Sara smiled wistfully. “I plan on using my experience here to start my own journey, and beat all the Johto league trainers.”

“Well, then, I’ll see you at the championships,” Ash replied with a smile. Looking to Misty and Brock, he asked, “Are we ready to go?”

Misty and Brock both nodded. “Well then,” Ash said, “I guess we’ll be on our way! Goodbye!”

Sara kept waving until Ash, Misty, and Brock all faded from sight.