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Destination Indigo
by Sailor Chronos

    So you want to be a master of Pokemon?
    Do you have the skill to be number one?
    I want to take the ultimate step, have the courage to be bold.
    To risk it all and not forget the lessons that I hold.
    I want to go where no one's been, far beyond the crowd.
    Learn the way to take command, use the power that's in my hand!
    We all live in a Pokemon world,
    I want to be the greatest master of them all! (The greatest master!)
    We all live in a Pokemon world,
    I'll put myself to the test, I'll be better than all the rest!
    So you want to be a master of Pokemon?
    Do you have the skill to be number one?
    We all live in a Pokemon world,
    I want to be the greatest master of them all!
    Got the power right in your hands!
    Pokemon!


Chapter One: Back to School

    Pokemon Technical School was still shrouded in the September morning
mist as Heather approached it.  Despite the reassurances given to her by
Nurse Joy and Professor Linden, she still felt some apprehension.  It
was hard for her to believe how much had happened during the summer.
The argument she had with her father and her subsequent running away
from home to help a Pidgey seemed far away now.
    After saying farewell to her new friend Professor Westwood, she and
her friends Christy and Craig had spent a leisurely ten days travelling
from Seafoam Island to Vermilion City, stopping in Fuschia City and the
Safari Zone on the way.  They had trained their Pokemon hard, and even
caught new ones.  Christy now had a Cubone as well as her Golduck,
Staryu and Wartortle.  Craig had caught a Nidorino and added it to his
already formidable arsenal of a Spearow, Vulpix and Charmelion.
    Heather herself had the good fortune of capturing a Doduo, another
bird-like Pokemon.  While it was good to have a backup, she really
wanted to see what would hatch out of the egg that she had rescued from
a secret laboratory in the Viridian Gym.  She took great care of it but
it showed no signs of life, although it had been thoroughly examined by
Nurse Joy and deemed to be doing well.
    The three friends had parted ways on the outskirts of Vermilion
City; Christy and Craig wanted to continue to collect badges while
Heather was in school.  However they all made a solemn promise to meet
at Indigo Stadium before the Pokemon League Games began at the beginning
of the following May.  Amazing, Heather had thought as she watched them
go, how much people could change in such a short period of time, given a
little help.  The two had once been members of the nefarious Team
Rocket, but they had reformed and were now on their way to becoming good
trainers.
    For the last four days she had been in Vermilion City with
Professor Linden, an aide of the great Professor Oak.  He helped her
learn what to expect at the school, and even put a word in the
Vermilion Gym Leader's ear so she could train with him when she had
time.  Nurse Joy had been quite pleased with the health of her Pokemon,
and showed her a massage technique that would help the Pokemon to relax
after battle.
    She glanced down at the Pikachu that stood next to her.  "Here we
are, Loki.  Let's do it."  Shouldering her backpack, she marched
resolutely on toward the main doors.

    "Heather Drake from Twilight Village," the principal said, examining
her six badges and the letters from Professor Linden and Lt. Surge that
she had handed to him.  "Hmph.  We don't normally give scholarships on
such short notice, but everything here checks out.  Your references are
excellent; you're lucky to work with Lt. Surge.  It takes a hardy soul
to hang around his crew."
    "Thank you, sir.  Once you get to know them, they're not bad."
    The man thawed a bit.  "Okay, Miss Drake.  I'll have the registrar
write up the paperwork to have you admitted to the intermediate class.
Your homeroom instructor is Mr. Makuso."  He cleared his throat and gave
her a form.  "You should go to the student affairs office and order a
uniform.  And I'm sorry, but you'll have to recall your Pikachu.  School
regulations prohibit students to let their Pokemon loose except in their
dormitory rooms, the arena, or for supervised battles."
    "I understand.  Loki, return."  Loki obediently returned to his
PokeBall.  "Is there a shuttle bus between here and the city?" she
inquired.  This was her main concern; since she was planning to stay at
Professor Linden's house instead of on campus she needed to know,
because it was a long distance to walk and she wouldn't want to fly on
Eagle when the colder weather came.
    "There is, the schedule is posted on the kiosk next to the main
entrance.  You'll find a complete list of the school regulations in the
student handbook."  He shook her hand.  "Welcome to Pokemon Tech, Miss
Drake.  I hope you learn what you need to know."

    Heather had heard about the difficulties that many students faced
here, but hadn't expected to be the subject of a number of derogatory
remarks as she walked down the main hall toward the student affairs
office.  She couldn't help but glance down at her clothes, which had
been new this spring.  Already out of style, she thought glumly, and a
little worse for wear after her many adventures.  Of course, these
high-brow types believed that one had to have the latest (and usually
most expensive) fashions or else they'd be branded as weird.
    "Don't pay attention to them," a kind voice beside her said.  She
turned to see a tall but slightly chubby young woman with curly brown
hair.  "All the new students get the dweeb treatment.  There's a lot of
competition around here, and not just in class.  My name's Robyn Colias,
I'm the student advisor for the intermediate-level classes."
    Heather shook her hand, a little relieved, and introduced herself.
    Robyn nodded and quickly looked at a clipboard that she carried.
"Ah, yes.  Your uniform and student information package is ready, just
collect it there," she pointed to a doorway, "and I'll meet you in the
main concourse at nine o'clock for the new students' tour.  Because this
is your first day, you won't have to attend regular classes, but I
suggest you take part in some of the orientation activities."
    Heather didn't get a chance to ask what orientation was like,
because their conversation was interrupted by a yell from across the
hall.  "Hey, newbie!" called a tall boy with tousled black hair.  "How
about a battle?  Right now, outside!"
    "Excuse me, we were just talking!" she retorted.  "Where did you
learn your manners?"
    Several students snickered.  The boy was a little taken aback, but
recovered quickly.  "A smart-aleck, huh?  Let's see what you've got, or
are you chicken?"
    Robyn put a hand on her shoulder.  "Don't bother, he's just trying
to impress his friends over there."
    "I noticed.  However, I've never turned down a challenge, and I'm
not going to start now."
    A teacher was hastily summoned to referee the match, and a few
minutes later, about twenty students gathered in the courtyard to watch.
Heather nodded to herself as her opponent released a Weepinbell.
"Eagle, I choose you!"  There were gasps from the crowd as her Pidgeot
emerged.
    The look of confidence on the boy's face faded.  "Weepinbell, Vine
Whip, now!"  His Pokemon launched its vines, but Eagle took to the air
and easily evaded them.
    "Eagle, Wing Attack!"  Two strokes of Eagle's powerful wings was
enough to knock the Weepinbell senseless, and the boy's jaw dropped as
he stared at her.  "Don't try to impress people by pretending to be
tough," she said as she recalled Eagle.
    The boy recalled his Weepinbell, walked over to her and held out his
hand.  "You sure showed me.  I'm Scott Vinca, I'm the second-year class
president."  He smiled nervously as they shook hands.  "You're really
strong.  I'm not used to being beaten so quickly."
    She smiled warmly.  "Heather Drake.  It's likely that my Pokemon
have much more experience than yours, because I've been on the road all
summer.  There's only so much you can learn in a classroom, but also
there's only so much you can learn from practical experience, which is
why I'm here.  Eventually I hope to get into the Indigo League."
    Scott nodded.  "Many of us are working toward that too, but the
classes here are so difficult that few actually make it.  I'm looking
forward to having you in some of my classes!"
    Just then a bell rang, and the students all scattered.  Heather
jogged back to the main hall, resuming her search for a uniform.
Perhaps she would fit in here after all.


Chapter Two: Trial by Fire

    The next week made her much more aware of the pressures involved at
attending such an elite school.  Having come from a small town where the
educational curriculum was focused more on teamwork than individual
excellence, Heather found herself becoming a target.  It didn't help
that some students believed that trainers who chose to do the Gym
circuit instead of studying Pokemon at school were wasting their time
and energy, and they would proclaim this loudly whenever she passed them
in the hallway, causing uproarious laughter and Heather's acute
embarrassment.
    Professor Linden gave her a pep talk and advised her to stick it
out.  "If you have a younger brother then you ought to know that
sometimes kids are cruel, whether they are aware of it or not.  It's as
if life is a game, and to get ahead you can't always play by the rules.
Keep your cool, and when they see that they can't get to you, they'll
stop bothering you."
    This worked for a while, but then one morning she was accosted by
the class bully, a hefty blond boy named Todd, and two of his pals,
Terry and Jeff.  They dragged her to a copse just outside the school
grounds, where they had hidden a treadmill, and she was forced to run on
it while they fired questions at her about Spearow and its abilities.
    Their smugness soon turned to embarrassment, then anger when she
answered everything correctly.  After all she had Firey, a Spearow
that had evolved into a Fearow, which they hadn't known.  "If you're so
smart," Todd said recklessly, "ask us something.  If we can't answer,
we'll let you go this time."
    The first thing that came to her mind was the techniques that a
Pikachu could or couldn't learn, but since Pikachu were relatively
common, it was likely that intermediate students would know that.  So
she asked something that very few people were likely to know.  "What is
Articuno's strongest attack and at what level does it gain it?"
    The three boys stood there gaping at her for a moment, so she hopped
off the treadmill and continued on her way toward the school without
looking back.  She wasn't about to tell them the answer, they could look
it up for themselves.

    It soon became clear that she had made enemies of Todd and his
friends, because they began to spread rumours that she was a know-it-all
with an attitude.  However, by now she had made her own friends: Scott
and Robyn, who studied with her in the library.
    "I'd keep an eye out for those three," Robyn said as she finished
writing out her class assignment.  "They've been causing trouble since
they got here.  Their treadmill trick is a public secret; almost
everyone has been subjected to it at some point.  While they claim to be
helping out their classmates, they're really using others to get the
answers they want."
    Heather was livid.  "Then why don't those creeps get punished?"
    "None of the victims have complained," Scott replied.  "They think
it'll brand them as tattletales.  The professors don't know about it, or
if they do know, they aren't doing anything for fear of a backlash from
the administration."
    "It still stinks," Heather proclaimed.
    Robyn shrugged.  "Live with it.  If someone does report Todd and the
others, it's likely they'll get expelled.  But then there will be
someone else who could be worse.  Better to have the devil you know than
the devil you don't, as they say."
    "Speaking of which," said Scott quietly, and gestured.  The girls
turned to see Todd, Terry, and Jeff enter the library, and the looks on
their faces showed that they were up to no good.  The moment they saw
Heather, they ambled over to the table where the three friends were
sitting.
    "Looky here, if it isn't Miss Brain," Todd jeered.
    Terry smiled a nasty smile.  "A brain?  Nah, more like a sponge."
    Scott stood up despite himself.  "Don't you guys have anything
better to do?"
    A loud "SH!" was heard from several other students, and the
librarian called out, "Keep it down, please!"
    Glaring at Todd, Heather pushed her books aside.  "If you have a
problem," she said softly and dangerously, "take it outside where you
won't disturb anyone!"
    Jeff feigned surprise.  "Is that a challenge?"
    "Sounds like it," Terry said with a smirk.  "What do you say, boss?"
    Todd snorted and pointed back over his shoulder with his thumb.
"You don't know who you're dealing with," he said in a low voice,
completely serious.  "Let's go to the arena."
    The school's arena was laid out like most of the other Gym arenas
that Heather had battled in.  On one end was a row of shelves that held
PokeBalls.  Todd took one of these and walked out to the chalk circle,
and Jeff picked up a microphone from a holder next to the door.  "This
will be a one-on-one Gym style battle, with no time limit."  He grinned
suddenly.  "Exam rules in effect!"
    Heather froze.  She had read the arena battle rulebook but hadn't
expected this!  Battling with one's personal Pokemon was allowed when
training or for the formal settlement of a disagreement, which she
thought this was.  However, for exams the students had to use the
school's pre-trained Pokemon in order to prove their ability with
Pokemon that they weren't familiar with.
    "Come on, pick a PokeBall and let's get started!" Todd said.
"What's the matter?  You can't battle with a Pokemon other than your
own?  See, you can't learn everything on the road!"
    "Don't, Heather, it's not worth it!" called Robyn.
    "I haven't gotten this far by backing out!" she replied as she
strode over to the shelves and picked up a PokeBall.  "I'm game!"
    "Begin!" said Jeff.
    Both of them launched their PokeBalls at once.  Heather's opened
first and revealed a furry Growlithe.  Todd's however, contained a large
Rhyhorn!
    Scott and Robyn gasped.  "No way!"
    Todd laughed as Heather stared in shock.  "You're going down hard,
Miss Brain!  Rhyhorn, Horn Attack!"  His Pokemon reared and charged.
    Frantically, Heather tried to remember Growlithe's moves.  Its
fire-based attacks would be next to useless against a rock type.
"Growlithe, Leer attack!"
    The Growlithe's eyes glowed, but the Rhyhorn was unaffected and
continued its charge.  The impact tossed the puppy Pokemon high into the
air, but it managed to land on its feet, just barely.  "Piece of cake!"
Todd gloated.  "Rhyhorn, let's make this quick.  Fury Attack!"
    Aha!  The Rhyhorn was at least Level 40 if it could use that attack,
so she had to assume that the Growlithe was that level too.  "Growlithe,
you can't let it hit you again!  Use your Agility!"  Her Pokemon led its
opponent in a merry chase all around the arena; the large and cumbersome
Rhyhorn couldn't keep up.
    "Enough of this!" yelled Todd.  "Rhyhorn, crush it with Stomp!"
    Here was her edge, she could use her opponent's size against it!
"Growlithe, Roar!"  As the Rhyhorn reared up on its hind legs to prepare
its Stomp attack, the Growlithe let loose a huge blast of sound, which
disoriented Todd's Pokemon and caused it to hesitate!
    "No, Rhyhorn, stomp that pesky pup flat!"
    "Now, Growlithe, Take Down!"  Growlithe charged, sending the already
stunned Rhyhorn to the floor with an almighty crash.
    Todd growled and stomped on the floor in frustration as his Rhyhorn
struggled to get back up.  "This can't be happening!  Get up, you big
blob!  Use Tail Whip!"  He yelped as the Rhyhorn eyed him menacingly.
    "You should know better than to treat a Pokemon with disrespect,"
Heather told him.  "Especially a big one!"  She paused as the Rhyhorn
finally stood; it looked exhausted.  "I'm finishing this battle now.
Growlithe, Ember attack!"  The fire attack was enough to put the Rhyhorn
out for the count.  She had won!
    "Yeah!"  "Way to go!"  Scott and Robyn cheered as she knelt down to
praise the Growlithe before returning it to its PokeBall.  Todd recalled
the Rhyhorn and departed sullenly without saying a word, along with
Terry.  However, Jeff put away the microphone, walked up to her and
grudgingly offered her his hand.  "Good match," he said as she shook
hands with him.  "You've proved yourself to me.  But I'd watch out for
Todd if I were you," he advised as he turned to leave.  "He'll be
plotting revenge.  Stay out of our way if you know what's good for you."

    Scott and Robyn wanted to have a victory celebration but she
modestly declined and took the shuttle bus back to Professor Linden's
house on the outskirts of Vermilion City.  He wasn't in when she
arrived, and the house was eerily quiet; not even the resident Squirtle
and Rattata came to greet her as they usually did.  There was no
response to her calls either, which made her think that there was
definitely something wrong.
    Suddenly a bright fiery orange light streamed from the doorway to
her room!  She raced up the stairs to the door, and almost fell over the
Pokemon that were lined up just inside the room.  Her gaze was
immediately riveted to the warming plate that her egg rested on while
she wasn't here.  The orange-swirled creamy egg was rocking, and light
was pouring from a split right down the centre!
    No wonder the Pokemon hadn't answered her; they had instinctively
known what was happening and gathered here to witness the hatching!
Heather herself didn't dare to breathe as the split widened, then the
two halves of the egg fell away.  As the light dimmed, she stepped
forward to greet the newly-born Pokemon.
    Slowly she reached out to touch it, still unable to see exactly what
it was, although the light emanating from it was now rapidly
diminishing.  It was Pidgey-sized, but that was hardly an indication of
how large it would be when it was fully grown.  She felt damp feathers
under her fingers and carefully smoothed them out, noting that the body
was very warm but not burning hot.  It had a crest that was flaming
orange, much like a Spearow's...
    Its crest WAS a flame, she abruptly realised, and gasped.
    She was holding a Moltres!


Chapter Three: High Flier

    As the weeks rolled by, Heather had less and less time to relax.
She enjoyed the challenge of her classes but the instructors tended to
assign a lot of homework.  Keeping up with her studies as well as
training daily with Lt. Surge and working with Nurse Joy on weekends 
gradually took its toll, as did the frequent nettling by Todd and his 
gang.  Eventually Professor Linden persuaded her to take Sundays off so 
she could spend quality time with her Pokemon.
    Skye was flying well by now and Heather concentrated on training her
more than her other Pokemon, who got their exercise in practise battles
with fellow students.  Only Nurse Joy and Professor Linden knew about
the Articuno, and Heather intended to keep it that way.  Although the
legendary birds were considered to be gender-neutral, that didn't alter
Heather's personal belief that Skye was female.  The young Moltres, whom
she had named Blaze, appeared to show male characteristics.
    The school regulations were relaxed for the annual Halloween party,
which gave many students the opportunity to dress up in costumes and
show off their Pokemon.  Heather was happy to have Loki, her Pikachu, on
her shoulders again, and she was introduced to Glitter, Robyn's female
Butterfree, and Nipper, Scott's Paras.  Todd made a large production of
showing his Nidorino, but was forcibly ejected from the dance hall by
the proctors after the Pokemon got startled and accidentally stunned
several students with its Leer attack.
    Then the rumours flew that Todd was going to be expelled.  One story
that Heather had been the one responsible for causing the incident was
quickly squashed, because there had been several witnesses who said that
Todd had tried to get the Nidorino to tackle Heather, only to have his
plan backfire when his Pokemon wouldn't obey him.
    Heather's attempts to avoid him and his gang became more difficult.
She was given the treadmill treatment again one cold November morning,
which made her late for a Pokemon Physiology class.  The professor made
her stay after school for a detention, and as a result she missed her
daily training session in the Vermilion Gym.
    "I'm ready to blow a gasket!" she ranted to Professor Linden that
evening.  "That sort of behaviour wouldn't be tolerated where I come
from!  Why can they get away with it so easily?  And why pick on me when
there are hundreds of other students?"
    "In order to feel important, bullies make others feel bad about
themselves.  They pick on you because they believe that you're
different, that you're better than they are."
    She sighed sadly.  "Then maybe I should stop practising, fail a few
tests or something, then they'll quit..."
    He gripped her shoulders gently.  "If you do that, they've succeeded
in intimidating you.  Why don't you just take a different route to and
from school so they can't catch you?"
    "I tried that.  I take a different route almost every day, but they
must watch from somewhere because they always seem to know where I am.
I can't fly in because it's too cold now."
    "You don't have to fly all the way there.  When you get off the bus,
have Eagle drop you off so you won't have to walk down the lane."
    "Pokemon aren't allowed to be loose on the school grounds except if
they're supervised," she said morosely, shaking her head.
    Linden winked slyly.  "Who said anything about being on the ground?"

    From then on, Heather took the high route into school: after
disembarking from the shuttle bus she would climb on Eagle's back, fly
to one of the second-floor balconies and jump down, then recall him.
Nobody could say that she was breaking regulations because as long as
Eagle remained in the air, they didn't apply.  It also gave Eagle
practise at manoeuvring close to buildings.
    Their antics sparked a barrage of requests for matches from her
classmates, and even some from advanced students.  Good-naturedly, she
tried to accommodate as many as she could but was firm in limiting the
battles to two a day so her Pokemon wouldn't get too tired out.  With
all this plus her training with Lt. Surge, her Pokemon gained enough
experience to learn their most advanced moves, except for Skye who still
had a long way to go, and Blaze who was too young to battle although he
was growing quickly.
    The end-of term exams came.  Heather, Scott and Robyn studied
together; late into the evening on one occasion, having lost track of
time while preparing for the Technical Moves test.  None of them had
seen Todd around for several weeks, although they heard that he was
still attending his classes.  Heather even dared to think that he had
finally given up, which buoyed her spirits throughout the exam week.
    However, the day before the Christmas party, he struck.

    The morning was bright, sunlight glinting off the freshly fallen
snow from the night before.  Heather was in a slightly apprehensive
mood; she had arranged to take a bus north to Pewter City, and planned
to hike from there back home to Twilight Village.  If the weather held,
she would arrive in time for the winter festival.
    It had been a difficult decision to return home.  As far as she
knew, her family might have given her up for lost by this time.  When
she had left, her father had firmly believed that the "monsters" in the
forest that surrounded the village were dangerous, and she had set out
to prove him otherwise.  Now she could truly show him how narrow-minded
he had been.
    Eagle deposited her on the balcony where she usually landed.  As she
held out a PokeBall to recall him, something slammed into him from
behind and knocked him out of the air!  "Eagle, no!"  She ran to the
railing and looked down.  Eagle was sprawled on the ground, flailing in
the snow, and standing over him was a large Graveler!
    "Let's see how high and mighty your little tweetie birds are now!"
Todd's gloat sounded from above.  Heather looked up and saw him standing
on a third-floor balcony.  "You might have beaten almost all the other
students in the class, but they're all weaklings.  I've been training
non-stop for weeks, and I'm going to show everyone what a show-off you
really are!"
    Robyn and Scott ran out onto the balcony to join her and immediately
saw what was going on.  Without a word, Scott turned and went back
inside, undoubtedly to tell a teacher that an unauthorised battle was
taking place.  Robyn hollered, "Have you gone nuts?  Do you want to get
yourself expelled with this stunt?"
    Todd guffawed.  "I've been in enough trouble already, and besides, I
never wanted to come here, my parents forced me.  Before I leave though,
I'm going to kick your friend's canaries so hard that their tail
feathers will all drop out!"  He grinned evilly.  "Graveler, get ready
to rumble!  Rock Throw!"
    "Eagle, watch out!"  Heather had already noticed that Graveler's
surprise attack had badly injured Eagle and he couldn't fly.  Todd had
chosen carefully; Rock types had a large advantage over Flying types.
She heartily wished that she had brought Skye with her, but she always
left her and Blaze at Professor Linden's house.  "Eagle, Reflect!"
    The shower of rocks that Graveler launched descended on Eagle, only
to be bounced away harmlessly.  This took Todd somewhat by surprise, but
he relentlessly continued to press his advantage.  "I hadn't expected
your birdie to have a Technique, but that's not going to help you.
Graveler, close in, now!  Tackle!"  The Graveler lumbered toward Eagle
with its arms stretched out, and knocked him into a nearby tree trunk.
    "You've got to get up, Eagle!"  Heather cried.  "Sand Attack!"  With
his good wing, the Pidgeot managed to whip up an effective storm of
sand.  This didn't do any damage to the Graveler of course, but did
serve to blind it for a short time, which gave Heather an opportunity to
think about her next move.
    Todd was unimpressed.  "If that's all you can do, then you're
finished.  Graveler, time to end this.  Explosion!"  The Graveler began
to glow.
    "He can't be serious!" Robyn cried.  "With Eagle as injured as he
is, an attack that strong at close range might kill him!"
    Heather gasped, paralyzed with shock.  She had lost as many battles
as she had won, but in none of them had she faced the possibility of
losing a Pokemon.  Eagle had been her first, and remained her favourite.
She knew there wasn't much of a chance that she could win this;  Eagle
was hurt and most of his attacks would be ineffective.  Using a Mirror
Move attack wouldn't help either, as he would still suffer the brunt of
the explosion.
    Wait, there was something that she could do!  "Eagle, use your
Agility!  Run and jump up away from it!"
    "Are you crazy?" Robyn shouted, but Eagle was already moving.
    The blast shook the ground in the courtyard and shattered most of
the windows on the first floor, causing panicked screams from the
students inside.  When the dirt and snow finally settled, the Graveler
was lying unconscious in the centre of a large crater.  There was no
sign of Eagle.
    Todd started to laugh, a hysterical, frightening sound.  "Not one
feather to be seen!  Looks like we have a tie technically, but at least
you're down one Pokemon.  How do you like that, Miss Brain?"  He
continued to rant even as two furious teachers came outside, grabbed him
and tried to drag him into the building.
    "Look!" yelled someone from a window, pointing.
    Spontaneous applause and cheering broke out.  Up above, gliding
unsteadily down on the breeze, was Eagle!  "Amazing!" Robyn murmured.
"He must have used the force of the explosion to get airborne!"
    Heather hardly heard her.  Eagle was obviously in great pain as well
as exhausted, but he was alive!  Wiping tears of relief from her eyes,
she released Firey, who carefully assisted Eagle's landing.


Chapter Four: New Year, Old Enemies

    The winter break gave Heather and her Pokemon a much-needed rest.
As soon as Nurse Joy gave Eagle a clean bill of health, she travelled
home to Twilight Village.  Her family welcomed her back with open arms,
although her father was still upset about her disappearance and
skeptical of her stories about her adventures.  When she introduced her
Pokemon, however, he was finally convinced.
    It didn't take long for her to become a celebrity, and she was
embarrassed by the attention.  During the Year End festival, many people
begged her to stay in town and teach them about Pokemon, but she
declined, saying that she had to return to school.  Still, the idea of
teaching intrigued her.  She had a discussion with the Mayor concerning
the construction of a Pokemon Gym, which she would run if she did well
enough in the Indigo League and was able to get a certification.  Her
younger brother Jack insisted that he would be her first student.
    She returned to Vermilion City feeling happier than she had been for
some time.  Professor Linden and his Pokemon all greeted her warmly, and
gave her some good news.
    "I heard that the Indigo League Committee is going to hold a Trainer
Exam here in the spring.  It's a special exam that will allow those who
pass to compete in the League tournament without having to go around to
the Gyms and get all the badges.  Since you are unable to get the last
two official badges that you need, I thought you'd be interested."
    Her eyes widened in surprise.  "Of course!  That's a golden
opportunity!  Is there a way to sign up in advance?"
    Linden nodded.  "There will be forms available in the Gym and at the
school, one month before the exam takes place."
    The term began on a high note.  Scott and Robyn informed her that
Todd had indeed been expelled from school and his academic records
annulled.  Should he go to the Gyms for badges, any Gym Leader could
look up his record and would have the right to refuse his challenge.
    "But I thought all Leaders had to answer challenges!" she said.
    "Normally yes," explained Scott, "but if someone is known to be
cruel to Pokemon, they won't be allowed to compete.  It's to protect the
Pokemon and their trainers."
    "It'll serve him right," Robyn said, with little sympathy.
    Todd's former cohorts, Terry and Jeff, were still around, but tended
to stay out of the way, which suited Heather and her friends just fine.
On the second week back, the class was introduced to two new students,
brother and sister Peter and Dawn Viking.  They were both slender and
had dark hair, giving the impression that they were twins. Most of the
students were awed by their charm and extensive knowledge of Pokemon,
but to Heather, it seemed that the siblings were just showing off.
    In the following weeks, the school's attention shifted toward them,
and her resentment of them grew.  They seemed to be everywhere; no
matter where she looked, they could be seen participating in various
clubs and activities.  Whenever did they find the time to study?
    "Come on, give it a rest," Robyn told her during lunch break one
day, having noticed that she was moping.  "Just because they've
temporarily eclipsed your popularity-"
    "It's not that," she interrupted.  "Actually I'm glad that I'm not
the centre of attention any more, I was getting tired of all the running
around.  There's something about them that bugs me, but I can't put my
finger on it."
    Scott nudged her arm playfully.  "You're just being too suspicious,
and after the hard time you had last term, I don't blame you.  Loosen up
a bit."  He grinned and did a little dance until Heather finally smiled.
"That's more like it!"
    Unfortunately she still couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness,
despite her friends' assurances, but had to put it aside in order to
focus on her classwork.  The Valentine's Day Dance approached, and many
of the girls were going starry-eyed and gossiping about who would be the
handsome Peter Viking's date.  Robyn was going with Ethan Chandler, a
red-haired boy from her Pokemon Care and Health class, and Heather
herself was very surprised when Scott shyly asked her to be his date, as
she hadn't been planning to attend at all.
    Robyn was taken off guard too.  "I thought you'd be pining after
Dawn like the other boys are," she told him, then added derisively,
"Bunch of lovesick rabbits with nothing else on their minds.  She's too
good for any of them."
    He rolled his eyes comically.  "You must be kidding.  Unlike them, I
already know I have no chance with her."
    "It's nice of you to ask," Heather said.  "I'll go with you."

    The Valentine bash ended up being a greater success than the
Halloween party had been; the school gymnasium was packed.  Robyn
commented sarcastically that the only reason that many people had chosen
to attend was because Peter and Dawn were there.  Their popularity was
still high and they were members of several clubs, but to Heather's
recall they hadn't participated in any Pokemon matches.
    "I wonder how they train for the practical classes," she wondered at
one point as she and Scott danced around the floor.  "Nobody has seen
them battle."
    "I'm curious about that too," Scott said, and sighed.  "Your
suspicions must be rubbing off onto me.  Where are they right now,
anyway?  I haven't seen them since I went to get some punch."
    Robyn and her date Ethan elbowed their way through the crowd toward
them.  "We just heard a disturbing rumour.  Last week the Bobbsey Twins
formed their own club where people can trade Pokemon," she said with a
worried look.  "Private trades are allowed under the school regulations,
but any new club needs to be approved by the administration."
    "I asked Mr. Makuso about it," continued Ethan.  "He's on the
Teacher's Council, but he didn't know anything about a new club."
    Heather looked around quickly.  There were enough people dancing
that their absence wouldn't be noticed for a while.  "Let's go check
this out.  Does the club have an office somewhere?"
    Ethan nodded.  "Second floor, near the lab."
    The four of them made their way out of the gym and up to the club.
Ordinarily this particular section of the school was closed off at night
for security, but for some reason the gate was open.  As they approached
the club's door, voices could be heard from within.
    "You'd think all these rich kids would have proper Pokemon," a
female voice complained.  "So far, all we've got are garden-variety
common ones."
    "Don't forget," a male voice said, "they have been extremely well
trained and might have Techniques.  Any strong Pokemon is good enough
for the boss.  With the number we have here, we'll surely be promoted a
rank or two."
    Scott was confused.  "What on Earth are they talking about?" he
asked softly.  "What kind of club promotes their members if they have
strong Pokemon?"
    "They're not talking about a club," Heather said grimly, suddenly
realising the truth.  "They're talking about Team Rocket.  It's a
criminal organisation that steals Pokemon.  I've had encounters with
them, they're bad news!"
    The woman inside the room was continuing, "...and infiltrating the
school was ridiculously easy!  Anyway, we'd better get back downstairs
before someone notices that we're gone.  We don't want to keep our fans
waiting, do we?"  She snickered.
    "I've heard enough!"  Heather was furious.  "There's no way we can
let those two get away with stealing the students' Pokemon!"  She
positioned herself on one side of the door with Scott; Robyn and Ethan
were on the other.  As soon as the door opened and the speakers emerged,
the four rushed forward to grab them!
    Dawn and Peter, for that's who they were, were unable to avoid the
sudden attack and were captured.  "So we've had some eavesdroppers,"
Peter said with a smirk, making no move to escape.  "They'll need to be
taught a lesson to not meddle in other people's business!"  He managed
to shake one arm, and abruptly the vicinity was filled with blue smoke.
    They all started to cough.  "Smoke bomb!" Ethan gasped.
    "Eagle, I choose you!"  Heather croaked.  "Gust attack!"
    The smoke quickly cleared, but by then Peter and Dawn were loose and
standing a short distance up the corridor.   They had discarded their
school uniforms and a pair of wigs, revealing Team Rocket colours and
faces that Heather knew too well.
    "Prepare for trouble, don't believe your eyes!"  "Dawn" began,
tossing her blonde braid.
    "Make that double, you ruined our disguise!"  "Peter" continued.
    Heather groaned.
    "To infect the world with devastation! / To divide the peoples of
every nation! / To denounce the goodness of truth and love! / To extend
our wrath to the stars above! / Will! / Bonnie! / Team Rocket, circling
the Earth all day and night! / Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose
the fight!"  A Sandshrew appeared in front of them.
    "AS IF!" the four friends chorused.
    It was over quickly.  Nipper took care of Will's Sandshrew, and his
Venonat fell to Ethan's Growlithe.  Bonnie and Robyn went head-to-head,
Butterfree against Butterfree; Eagle dispatched Bonnie's Zubat.  By the
time the battles were finished, several students and a security guard
were pelting up the hallway, attracted by all the noise.

    Heather ended up staying the night with Robyn in her dormitory room,
because it was extremely late by the time Officer Jenny had taken Will
and Bonnie away to jail and the stolen Pokemon had been identified.
Those whose trainers were not at the dance were returned to their
PokeBalls and stored in the Principal's office for safekeeping until the
following morning.


Chapter Five: The Trainer Test

    Heather, Ethan, Robyn and Scott were all hailed as heroes for
foiling Team Rocket's plans; the administration rewarded them by giving
them exemptions from end-of-year practical exams (Pokemon battles, in
other words) and the choice of another Pokemon.  Normally the rule was
that students could have only one personal Pokemon to train at any given
time, although Heather had been an exception because she was a
registered Pokemon League trainer.
    As wonderful as this was, Heather already had her mandatory six
Pokemon: Eagle, Firey, Fletch (a Farfetch'd), Skye, Blaze, and Loki,
plus the Doduo that Professor Linden was currently caring for.  Try as
she might, she couldn't think of any other Pokemon that would be worth
her while to train.  She ended up fidgeting nervously throughout the
awards ceremony, during which Scott chose an Ivysaur, Robyn received a
lovely Venomoth, and Ethan asked for a Charmeleon.
    When her turn finally came to go up on the stage, she knew what to
say.  "Your offer of another Pokemon is very generous, but I decline."
She paused to let the audience's stunned reaction subside. "I come from
a small town where Pokemon are feared; it's my goal to understand
Pokemon so I can return and help others overcome that fear.  In pursuit
of that goal, I travelled a long way and experienced many things,
however I learned that you can't learn everything on your own.
    "While I consider myself very fortunate to be allowed to study and
train here, there is no substitute for making the effort to catch and
train one's own Pokemon.  No matter how knowledgeable one might be, that
bond between a person and their Pokemon, above all else, is what makes a
trainer great.  Instead of another Pokemon, I ask permission to
participate in the upcoming Indigo League Trainer Exam without being
penalised.  If I'm accepted and I do well in the tournament," she
concluded, "that would certainly help the school's reputation."
    The Principal had no chance to reply as the assembly erupted into
applause.  Heather looked around at the audience and caught the eye of
Professor Linden, who gave her a thumbs-up.
    As if the school ceremony hadn't been enough, he and Nurse Joy threw
her a surprise thirteenth birthday party a few days later.

    To her immense relief, the remainder of the term was uneventful.
People still asked her for battles, but there wasn't as much of a frenzy
as there had been in first half of the year.   She continued her studies
diligently, and stepped up her training when Nurse Joy told her that
things were slow at the Pokemon Centre and her extra help wasn't needed.
    In between times she hung out with her friends, and spent time in
Professor Linden's spacious estate with her Pokemon.  All her birds were
in excellent health; Skye had become quite a powerhouse, her ice attacks
matched only by the fully-grown Blaze's Fire Spin.  Neither had as much
experience as Eagle had, but the strength of their attacks was such that
they easily outclassed any other Pokemon.
    Two weeks before the League exam, Linden started to fire surprise
technical questions at her every chance he got.
    "The reason for this," he explained, "is to help you think quickly.
The candidates will be judged on speed as well as accuracy and knowledge
in the various tests.  The true test, however, is the Pokemon battle
against a League official."
    Her eyes sparkled.  "Wow!  That ought to be a piece of cake!"
    Linden smiled and held up a warning finger.  "Not necessarily.  It's
usually a standard three-on-three match, but you aren't allowed to use
your own Pokemon.  You choose a set of three PokeBalls, and whatever
they happen to be, those are the ones you use.  I believe the exams at
the school are similar?"
    "Yes," she replied.  "My strategy is not to memorise every move that
every Pokemon makes, because that would be too time-consuming.  Rather,
since most Pokemon of one type use similar attacks, I can estimate which
moves are most likely to be available."
    "Very good," he commended, "but remember that there are always
exceptions.  You should also take into account that your opponent might
have a Technique or two.  The League officials are as good as, if not
better than, most Gym leaders.  It'll be a challenge."
    She grinned as Loki hopped onto her shoulders and nuzzled her
playfully.  "I'm counting on it!"

    Exam Day was bright and sunny, which boosted Heather's mood.  She
had lain awake for much of the previous night due to apprehension, even
though Professor Linden had done his best to reassure her that she
should have few problems.
    The theoretical segments were to be held in the Vermilion High
School's large lecture hall.  As the many candidates filed in to collect
their identification badges and take their seats, Heather noted that the
auditorium had been temporarily set up with computer terminals and a
slide projector.
    A male official walked up to the front and picked up a microphone.
"Welcome to the Indigo League Trainer Exam," he said, his voice booming
through the room so nobody could fail to hear.  "This series of tests is
designed for trainers who are believe they are sufficiently advanced..."
He paused as quite a few people snickered.  "...or are unable to collect
the official League badges at the Gyms."  Heather nodded to herself, for
both situations applied to her.  "A passing grade will earn you a unique
badge that will allow you to compete in the League tournament next
month.  Good luck to you all."
    The first section of the test was a lengthy true-false quiz that
included such questions as "Onix is the largest Pokemon?" and "Articuno
was first discovered on Ice Island?"  Despite her experience and much
studying at school, some of the questions left Heather scratching her
head in bewilderment.
    Next was shown a series of slides that depicted Pokemon body parts,
silhouettes, and unusual perspectives.  The test's purpose was to show
that a trainer needed to be familiar with all aspects of Pokemon, not
just factual information.  Heather was able to answer some quickly, but
for others she had to ponder a bit.  Because her focus had been on
bird-like Pokemon during her travels, she had frequently passed over
other interesting Pokemon that she encountered.  Now she was quite
thankful for Professor Linden's sanctuary and the hours of observations
she had been encouraged to make there.
    The allotted time was up all too soon; the candidates poured
outside, most chatting animatedly about the questions, but some looked
forlorn or even angry.  Several people argued about how the questions
were unfair, and there was one particularly obnoxious voice that
proclaimed he would get even during the official Pokemon battle.

    A large bulletin board in the auditorium lobby displayed the results
of the first two tests during the lunch break.  Out of the one hundred
and twenty applicants, Heather was quite happy to see that she was
number twenty-five, with a grade well above the average.  This made her
anticipate the final section even more, and because of her ranking she
didn't have to wait very long.
    Another League official, a dark-haired woman this time, led her
outside to one of the three hastily constructed battle rings in the
auditorium's large parking lot.  "Candidate number sixty-eight, Heather
Drake of Twilight Village?" the woman asked, and Heather nodded.  "I'll
be your opponent today, my name is Sarah.  Please put aside your
PokeBalls and choose one of these."  She gestured to a table that bore
three belts with three PokeBalls attached to each.
    Somewhat reluctantly, Heather unbuckled her own belt and handed it
over to a man who was waiting next to the ring before choosing one of
the belts on the table.  Sarah walked to the edge of the chalk circle
and waited for her to take her position.  "This is a three on three
standard Pokemon match with no time limit.  Ready?  Begin!"
    "PokeBall, go!"  They threw their PokeBalls simultaneously;
Heather's was a Ninetales and Sarah's was a Victreebell.  Heather won
the first round hands-down, since a grass Pokemon had no chance against
a fire type, and her morale soared.  
    In the second round, Heather loosed a Pidgeotto and Sarah had a
Geodude.  Instantly she became nervous, because this match-up was too
much like her battle with Todd back before Christmas.  She had the
Pidgeotto battle valiantly and it gave the Geodude some hard knocks, but
Sarah kept using the Geodude's Harden ability which rendered the
Pidgeotto's attacks ineffective.  In desperation Heather used a
Whirlwind in an attempt to blow the Geodude out of the ring, but her
opponent retaliated with a Rock Throw that brought the Pidgeotto down.
    Now she was beginning to lose her composure.  Professor Linden's
advice to "Stay focused!" rang in her head, and she mentally chastised
herself.  She wouldn't make it very far in the League tournament if she
cracked up.  Taking a deep breath, she released her final Pokemon, a
Scyther.  Sarah threw her own PokeBall (was that a smirk on her face?)
and it produced a Voltorb.
    "This is getting interesting," Sarah said.  "Are you ready?"
    "Bring it on!" Heather challenged with a steady voice, her mood
improving again.  She had battled a Scyther in a Gym match, and was
familiar with its moves.  Also, during the last term of school she had
made a point of studying the types that had advantages over her birds,
which included Voltorb.
    "Voltorb, Thundershock!"
    She had expected this as an opening move.  "Scyther, Double Team!"
The Scyther nimbly sidestepped the blast, then seemed to split itself
into several clones and whirled around its opponent.  The Voltorb became
confused, not knowing which apparition to hit.
    Sarah, however, looked unfazed.  "You'll have to do better than
that!  Voltorb, Sonic Boom!"  Waves of sound radiated out from the
Voltorb in all directions.  The Scyther duplicates vanished, and the
real one was dealt a large wallop.
    "Nice one, but I'm not through yet!" Heather retorted.  She knew
that her opponent didn't have many options because the Voltorb's Light
Screen ability only worked against special attacks, and its Self
Destruct was a last-resort move.  "Scyther, Swords Dance!"
    As the Scyther went into an intricate dance around the Voltorb,
Sarah scowled.  "Voltorb, don't let it prepare its attack!
Thunderbolt!"
    Apparently Sarah's Voltorb had the Thunderbolt Technique, but that
wasn't going to make much of a difference.  "Ground yourself, Scyther!"
Heather yelled.  Her Pokemon squatted down and stuck the points of its
twin scythes into the pavement; the electricity coursed through them and
into the ground harmlessly!  "Now, Slash attack!"  Scyther struck twice
and it was over.  The Voltorb shrieked and rolled out of the ring,
defeated.
    She stared as Sarah recalled her Voltorb and made some notes on a
clipboard.  "I did it," she whispered in awe.  "I actually did it!"
    "Yes, you did!" Sarah said merrily as she walked up and presented
Heather with a shiny badge that looked like a blue PokeBall with a
silver T in the centre.  "Congratulations!"  The spectators applauded.


Chapter Six: Tournament Time Bomb

    Fruit trees were in full bloom when Heather strolled along the road
leading to the Indigo Stadium a month later.  Professor Linden, Nurse
Joy, Lt. Surge and her friends from school had all wished her good luck
before she left Vermilion City; she thanked them profusely and promised
that she would return for the summer.
    She was looking forward to seeing Christy and Craig again.  Over the
last few months she had received letters from them, telling her about
their training, the people they met on the road, and their Gym battles.
They both had four badges and six Pokemon now, and were doing very well,
although they weren't ready to compete in the League Tournament yet.
    In the nearby forest she had encountered the usual Weedles,
Caterpies, and Pidgeys, but made a quick capture of a brightly-coloured
Butterfree that caught her interest.  It wasn't a bird but it was a
flying Pokemon nonetheless, and had moves that her other Pokemon didn't.
Something to think about for the future; for now, it was safely stored
in Professor Linden's lab.
    "There she is!" called a voice.  She looked up to see two figures
waving wildly at her from just outside the stadium entrance.
    "Hey!" she called happily and ran to them, to be high-fived and
hugged roughly.  Christy looked well, and her blonde hair which she used
to wear long was now neatly cropped at her shoulders.  Craig had grown
taller, and his red hair was crew-cut.  It took a few moments for
Heather to get used to the sight.  "You both look terrific!  What's with
the hair?"
    Christy made a moue.  "We spent a lot of time walking through
forests and crawling in caves, and long hair became an inconvenience."
    "But we caught a lot of Pokemon," Craig continued.  "We let most of
them go though, and kept the ones we wanted.  Let's introduce them!"  He
released six Pokemon, four of which Heather already knew: Hawke
(Spearow), Rusty (Vulpix), Raid (Charmeleon), and Hazard (Nidorino).
The two new ones were Spike, a Sandshrew, and Duke, a Growlithe.
     "Showoff," Christy ribbed good-naturedly, and brought out hers.
Goldy (Golduck), Gemma (Staryu), Maverick (Wartortle), and Buckeye
(Cuebone) had been joined by a female Pidgeotto called Chanti, and an
Eevee by the name of Myst.  Then she explained, "For a while, Craig and
I had a little competition going to see if we could catch the same
number of fire and water Pokemon.  When he got a chance to capture a
Ponyta, he didn't, so to be fair I decided to get some Pokemon other
than water types so I could be more flexible."  Myst yipped and hopped
up to her shoulders.  "And I can always evolve this one into a Vaporeon
in the future."
    Craig joked, "Wait until Duke evolves, then we'll see how much fire
you can handle!"
    They all laughed, then Christy asked, "So, Heather, your egg must
have finally hatched.  Can we see what it is?"
    She hesitated.  "I'd love to show you, but not here.  Blaze is my
secret weapon of sorts, and I don't want too many people knowing."
    Her friends both nodded.  "We understand," assured Christy, putting
an arm around her shoulders and guiding her toward the stadium. "Come
on, we don't want to miss the opening ceremonies!"  She recalled her
Pokemon.
    Craig grinned mischeviously.  "I'll bet it's a fire type, from the
name."  He paused, looking thoughtful as he gathered his own.  "I didn't
think there were any-"
    "Can it," Christy interrupted.  "We're going to be late!"

    The ceremony was impressive, with marching bands and fireworks.
Heather walked out onto the field with the rest of the competitors and
listened attentitively to the rousing speech given by James Goodshow, a
jolly bearded man who was the head of the Pokemon League.  His
statements about a trainer's love of Pokemon and dedication to fairness
were inspirational.
    Then a runner bearing a flaming torch ascended a long flight of
steps to the giant sconce that sat on the stadium wall.  It was said
that the torch had been lighted from the flame of a Moltres that lived
in the area.  How this had been accomplished was anyone's guess.
Heather couldn't help but smile to herself, for she knew full well how
powerful a Moltres was!
    The stadium torch was burning brightly and the League officials were
giving closing remarks when there was a disturbance.  A police car
screeched to a halt just inside the stadium and a grim-faced Officer
Jenny got out.  "What's the meaning of this interruption, Officer?"
asked the speaker.  "Is there trouble?"
    Jenny strode to the stage and took the microphone from him.
"Attention everyone!  We have had a report that a bomb has been planted
in the stadium.  We are evacuating everyone for your safety.  Please
stay calm and proceed toward the nearest exit!"
    A tumult of fearful noise erupted as the people began to make their
way out of the building.  Heather quickly looked around; the fastest way
off the field was the large corridor that served to let trucks bring
equipment in.  She followed a bunch of the other competitors toward it.
    "This way," directed a blue-haired policeman that was standing next
to a PokeBall transport machine.  "Please put your Pokemon in the
transporter so they can be safely evacuated.  They will be returned to
you when the crisis is over."
    Heather noticed that while most of the trainers who passed the
machine put their PokeBalls in, some did not.  Neither did she, because
she had never heard of Pokemon being evacuated like this, and it seemed
a little suspicious.  Loki, who had been on her shoulders the entire
time, sniffed the air as they passed the officer, and a few sparks
jumped from his cheeks.  "Pika pika!"
    The officer blanched.
    "Don't freak out the police, Loki," she said, petting him to calm
him down.  "We should find Christy and Craig to see if they're okay,
then see about finding a safe place in the Trainer Village.  I don't
think we'll be doing any battling today."  Loki reluctantly subsided.
    She made her way out of the stadium safely, and fortunately her
friends were already waiting outside.  After a few hugs and expressions
of relief, the first thing out of Christy's mouth was, "Did you give the
officer your Pokemon?"
    "No," she replied, then paused, her brow furrowing.  "The funny
thing was, he didn't seem to care if trainers handed over their
PokeBalls or not.  Shouldn't he have been more insistent if it was an
emergency?"
    Their coversation was abruptly interrupted by a motorcycle loudly
buzzing toward the stadium, bearing another Officer Jenny.  "What's
going on here?" she yelled.  "I heard there was an evacuation!"
    People scrambled out of the way as the motorbike skidded to a stop,
and Craig did a double-take.  "Hey, wasn't Officer Jenny already
inside?  How could she have gotten her bike?"
    "Maybe that was her second cousin or something," Heather guessed.
    A few more officers turned up, only to be mobbed by trainers who
were demanding the quick return of their Pokemon.  The police looked
flabbergasted, insisting that they didn't do Pokemon evacuations, but
that didn't mollify the people whose Pokemon were missing.  Something
definitely didn't add up here!
    "Pika pika!" Loki said, pulling at her hair and pointing back
toward the stadium entrance.  "Ka chu pika!"
    "I don't get it."  Christy was somewhat confused.
    "Loki tried to tell me something earlier but I wasn't listening.
Come on!"  She abruptly turned and started to run back through the
corridor.  Christy and Craig exchanged brief glances before following.
    Jenny shouted, "Come back here, it's dangerous!" but the three of
them ignored her and zigzagged through the the people that were still
exiting.
    The stadium was all but deserted by this time, and the PokeBall
transport machine and the two officers were nowhere to be seen.
However, there were tracks from some sort of cart clearly visible on the
ground where it had been pulled through the fresh chalk of the battle
ring.  The marks headed toward one of the service corridors.
    Without a word, they all followed the trail past several doors until
the passage dead-ended at another door.  Loki hopped to the ground and
sniffed carefully.  "Pika!"
    Craig tried the doorknob, but it was locked.  However, that didn't
stop him; as quick as a flash he had pulled a tool from his pocket and
picked the lock.  "I learned how to do that from Team Rocket," he
explained with a worried grimace.  "Didn't think I'd ever have to break
into a place again."
    "Don't worry," Heather reassured him.  "This time it's for the good
guys."
    They entered a small room that looked like a janitorial closet, with
cleaning equipment stacked neatly against the walls.  A cart and the
PokeBall machine sat abandoned at the far end of the room, next to a
small door that was open to the outside.  Voices punctuated by dull
thunking sounds could be heard.
    "Hurry up and finish loading those PokeBalls!" ordered a woman.  "We
don't have much time before they realise that something's strange and
come looking for us!"
    "I want them to come looking," a male voice drawled.  "I want
revenge for being sent to jail the last time."
    "Stupid, they might not even be here," the woman admonished.  "Count
your blessings that the boss bailed us out.  Come on!"  There was a
sound of an engine's gears grinding.  "Drat, it won't start!"
    "Good, because you're not going anywhere!" Heather hollered, her
voice amplified by the room's acoustics.  She charged outside, with the
others hot on her heels.
    A gray pickup truck was just outside, loaded with bulging sacks that
looked like they contained PokeBalls.  In the cab was the Officer Jenny
who had made the bomb announcement, and standing behind the truck was
the other officer who had operated the machine.
    "Give back those Pokemon, you impostors!" Christy said, and her
Eevee leaped forward to tackle the man.  He fell backwards onto the
sacks and flailed around in an attempt to stand up.
    "Don't count on it!" the fake Jenny retorted.  She cranked the
engine again, and this time it started.  With a roar and a shower of
dirt that left the three friends coughing, the truck sped away with the
man holding onto the tailgate for dear life.
    At that moment, the real Jenny and three officers crowded through
the door. "They're getting away!"
    Heather scowled.  "Not if I can help it.  Eagle, I choose you!"  No
sooner did the Pidgeot appear, she vaulted onto his back and urged him
skyward.  "I'll catch 'em!"  She barely heard her friends' protests as
she and Eagle lifted off.


Chapter Seven: Smash and Grab

    Following the speeding truck wasn't difficult at first, because its
tires threw up a cloud of dust behind it.  When the road disappeared
into a thick forest, Heather became concerned that she would lose the
trail.  Eagle couldn't see through trees.
    However, she had more than just Eagle's keen eyesight to rely on.
"Fletch, I choose you!"  Her Farfetch'd appeared to one side and spread
his wings, holding his leek with his webbed feet.  "Fly through the
forest and watch for a gray truck," she instructed.  "Let us know if you
see it."  Fletch quacked and plunged into the canopy, disturbing several
Pidgeys on the way down.
    "Come out, Firey!" she called, and her Fearow emerged.  "Find out
where the road comes out of the forest," she told him, and he flew off.
"Now we wait and keep an eye out.  They won't get ahead of us if we stay
sharp."  Eagle soared higher until the edge of the woods could be seen
in the distance; Firey was gliding majestically above it like a heron.
    Loud squawks from below heralded the return of Fletch.  He burst out
of the trees and set out in the direction that Firey was headed. "Follow
him!"  Eagle not only followed, but quickly overtook the Farfetch'd with
his great speed, and was soon approaching the place where Firey was
circling: a short stretch of road that led from the forest into a
hillside cave.
    Suddenly, the Fearow faltered and began to fall!  Heather was
stunned; what had happened?  Groping at her belt, she pulled out Firey's
PokeBall.  "Firey, return!"  The beam shot out and Firey disappeared
just before he hit the ground.
    Then Eagle began to lose height too!  The sight of her Pokemon's
drooping eyelids and a quick sniff of the air told her why.  "There's a
Stun Spore cloud here!  You've got to shake it off!"  Frightened, she
pulled her shirt over her mouth and nose with one hand and jabbed
Eagle's neck as the ground loomed closer.  With a heroic effort, the
Pidgeot mustered his strength and managed to land them both safely
before collapsing.
    She wasted no time in recalling him and stumbling away from the
immediate vicinity.  Coughing, she propped herself up against a tree.
"Fletch!" she cried hoarsely, "Don't come this way!"
    Fortunately the canny Farfetch'd had already seen the danger.  He
landed and whipped up a Sand Attack that quickly dispersed the cloud,
then waddled over to her, clucking with concern.
    "Thank you, Fletch," she sighed, stroking his head.  "Well, that'll
serve me right."  The situation had quickly turned against her because
of her decision to charge in, and now two of her Pokemon were out of
commission.  She wasn't about to give up though, not when so many other
Pokemon were at risk.
    Obviously the spore cloud had been a trap for her.  One of the fake
officers had mentioned that he wanted revenge for being sent to jail,
and now that she thought about it, the voice seemed familiar as well.
Could it have been Will from Team Rocket?  Loki had certainly suspected
something back at the stadium when he caught the man's scent.  And if it
was Will, his Venonat might be responsible for the Stun Spore.
    She put Fletch back into his PokeBall, stood up and splashed some
water from her bottle onto her face to help clear her head.  Now she
knew who she was up against, and she wasn't going to stop until they had
been defeated and the PokeBalls returned to their owners.

    The getaway truck had been abandoned just inside the cave, and there
were clear marks in the dirt where the sacks had been dragged away.
Heather switched on her flashlight and ventured further in, only to
discover that the roof of the cave was home to a colony of sleeping
Zubat.  How had Team Rocket passed them without disturbing them?
    Then she remembered: Bonnie had a Zubat, which she could have used
to help them get by.  Unfortunately Heather had no such option, so she
had to get them out of the way.  Loki could easily zap them but she
didn't want to hurt them.  Fishing a PokeBall out of her backpack, she
captured one.  Since she already had six Pokemon with her, the PokeBall
vanished as it was automatically transported to Professor Linden.
    The disturbance woke up the rest of the Zubat.  Immediately Heather
covered her ears and dropped to the floor as they all took wing,
squealing loudly.  Some flew out the cave mouth into the daylight while
others retreated deeper into the cave.  Soon the passage was clear.
    Slowly she made her way into the gloom, listening intently.  Her
experiences on Mount Moon made her wary; she could expect to encounter
more Zubat, Diglett, or even Geodude in a place like this.  What was
worse was that her remaining birds were already at a disadvantage from
not being able to fly freely.
    It struck her that this place had been deliberately chosen for that
reason.  What better place for Team Rocket to get its revenge on her,
than in a cave?  Electric and Flying attacks did little damage to Ground
type Pokemon, and no damage at all to Rock types.  What they didn't know
though, was that she had a secret weapon!
    The tunnel widened into a small chamber, and menacing laughter met
her when she entered.  "Welcome to my parlour, said the spider to the
fly!" a voice said.  "I knew you would come."
    "Where are you?" she shouted, her voice echoing from the cave walls.
"You give back those PokeBalls that you stole!"  She shone her light
around, but all she could see were several pairs of eyes peering at her
from the shadows.
    "All in good time," the voice drawled.  "You'll have to challenge my
Pokemon first."
    Heather was becoming impatient.  "This isn't a Gym!"
    "To me, it is."  A figure stepped into the light.  He was stocky and
muscular with blond hair, and wore jeans and a black Team Rocket T-shirt
under a leather jacket.  "And you are my first victim, Miss Brain!"
    She gasped.  Only one person had ever called her that.  "Todd!"
    He glared at her, then launched into the Team Rocket "Prepare for
Trouble" spiel.  His voice was joined by two others, whose owners
Heather couldn't see.  "Because of you, I'm an outcast," he said when
they finished.  "You got me expelled from school.  My parents were so
angry that they threw me out to travel the Gym circuit.  However I
couldn't challenge any recognised Gym leader without being questioned
because I was on the Trainer blacklist.  So I tried to start my own
unofficial Gym but I was shut down.  It's all YOUR fault!"
    "You're wrong!  You got yourself expelled by attacking me!"
    "Doesn't matter," he stubbornly insisted.  "My lucky break came when
I met these two in Saffron City."  Will and Bonnie appeared behind him,
shedding the police disguises.  "They told me all about the way you
disgraced them in the Viridian Gym, and we decided to team up and get
our revenge together.  We figured you'd be at the Indigo Tournament, and
made a plan to lure you out here.  And now," he announced, releasing a
Sandslash, "let's rumble!"
    As Bonnie lit some torches that were installed around the chamber,
Heather resolutely pulled a PokeBall from her belt.  She could see no
way out of this.  As powerful as Loki was, he would be ineffective here,
and she wanted to keep Skye and Blaze out of sight.  There would be
major trouble if Team Rocket found out that she had Legendary Birds!
"Fletch, I choose you!"
    Todd began predictably, using Sand Attacks and Slashes, but Fletch
was the more experienced Pokemon and matched each move.  A well-placed
Leer gave her a chance to use Fury Attack to bring the Sandslash down.
    Her next opponent was the well-muscled Machoke, and Heather became
worried.  Fletch had been through a lot already, and was looking tired.
Could he hold up?  "Fletch, fly!"  The second battle became a war of
attrition, with Fletch buzzing around the Machoke like a mosquito and
forcing it to tire itself out with repeated attacks.  Finally, when the
Machoke attempted to knock the Farfetch'd out of the air with a Karate
Chop, Fletch aimed a Slash attack at one of its legs that caused it to
lose its balance and fall to the floor.  Then a Swords Dance combined
with one last Slash was enough to finish it.
    "You're down two Pokemon," Heather called.  "I suggest you give up!"
    "This is taking too long!  Do something!" Will protested.
    "Shut up!" Todd ordered.  "We're doing this my way!"  He grinned
broadly and loosed a third Pokemon: a Graveler.
    "No fair!" yelled Will.  "Team members are only allowed two!"
    "I was saving this one for such an occasion," Todd gloated.  "All
right, Miss Brain, time for YOU to give up.  Most of the Pokemon you
have are flying types, which don't have a chance against this.  Not to
mention, at least two are unable to fight."  He ignored her angry stare
and Fletch's indignant quack.  "Hit me with your best shot!"
    It was obvious that Fletch wanted to continue but she knew that he
would get severely hurt in a match against a Graveler.  "Fletch,
return!"  There was no choice.  "Skye, I choose you!"  The entire room
lit up as the Articuno emerged!
    The Team Rocket trio gasped in awe.
    "Skye, Ice Beam!"  Before the Graveler could move, it was frozen
solid.  Within seconds, the icy coating began to crack as the Graveler
struggled to free itself, but Heather knew that it had taken a good deal
of damage.
    Todd's confident demenour was gone now.  "Come on, break out!  A
bird can't hurt a rock Pokemon!"  The ice shattered, and his Pokemon
roared defiantly.  "That's more like it!  Rock Throw attack!"  The
Graveler scooped up several large rocks from the floor and lobbed them
at the hovering Articuno, but they smashed into the cave wall as Skye
dodged them.
    "Are you crazy?" Bonnie shouted.  "You could bring the whole place
down on us!"  Indeed, there were fissures already forming where the wall
had been damaged.  "We signed up for revenge, not to get killed!"
    Will held up a sack.  "We've got the Pokemon, let's go!"
    "Cowards!" said Todd with little compassion.  "Fine, leave if you
want, but I'm finishing this!  Graveler, Harden!"  He chuckled as his
Pokemon glowed. "Any normal attacks will be useless now!"
    It seemed that Todd believed that his Graveler was invincible, and
he would order it to do anything in its power to beat Skye, even if it
put them all in danger.  She remained in a bad position unless the
battle moved outside, and there was no way that Todd would allow that.
As much as she wanted to end this battle properly, she had to think of
the safety of the Pokemon and herself first.
    A glimmer of an idea formed.  She eyed Will carefully: he still had
the sack of PokeBalls in his hand, and she could dimly see three more
behind him.  With Skye's Ice Beam and a little luck, she might be able
to get out of here without risking a cave-in.  Looking straight at Todd,
she smiled and said, "Skye, freeze their feet to the ground!"
    The trio exclaimed in surprise as four quick blasts immobilized them
and the Graveler.  As Todd shouted at his Pokemon to get itself loose,
Heather ran forward and grabbed the bag from Will.  He overbalanced in
an effort to snatch it back and fell down, with his feet still frozen in
place.
    "Skye, make a path to the outside!"  The Articuno spit its icy
breath at the floor and flew away down the tunnel, leaving behind a
shimmering pathway.  Then she released three PokeBalls.  "Loki!  Fletch!
Eagle!"  When each Pokemon appeared she heaved a sack onto the ice and
shoved it, sending it sliding toward the exit.  "Grab a bag and slide it
out of here!"  Loki and Fletch obeyed at once and quickly disappeared.
Eagle was still a bit woozy from the Stun Spore but managed to follow.
She picked up the last bag herself.
     However, by this time the Graveler was free, having knocked the ice
away with its fists.  Bonnie and Will were hammering at their encased
feet with stones.  Todd was looking cold but had made no move to free
himself.  "You'll pay for that, Miss Brain! Graveler, Tackle!"
     She threw herself down on the icy path and slid out of the way just
in time as the Graveler bore down on her.  It slipped on the ice and
crashed into a wall, dislodging stones and stalactites which fell and
shattered on the floor.  The cracks in the cave walls widened.  "It's
over!  Get out of here before the ceiling collapses!"
     "Never!" Todd hollered.  "I won't rest until I've defeated you!"
     Dust was beginning to permeate the area, and it appeared that a
disaster was imminent.  There was nothing to be done for Todd because he
refused to budge, but at least Will and Bonnie would get themselves out.
"Suit yourself!" she yelled over the ominous cracking of the rock
overhead.  "I'm out of here!"  She scrambled to her feet and ran for the
tunnel, pulling the bag behind her along the ice, not looking back.


Chapter Eight: Ice Storm

    When Heather emerged from the cave, she had Loki send a Thundershock
into the sky to alert the police to her location.  She was thanked
profusely by a relieved Officer Jenny and given a lift back to the
Trainer Village, but she ignored everyone's demands to know what had
happened and made a Beedrill-line to the Pokemon Centre.
    "I'm sorry, but your Fearow is in no condition to battle for at
least a day," Nurse Joy said kindly after returning from almost an hour
in the infirmary.  "The Pidgeot was luckier that he didn't get a full
dose of the Stun Spore.  He should be fine after a good rest."
    She sighed dejectedly.  "I still have to pick my match schedule.
What if I have to battle this evening?"
    "You have other Pokemon in reserve, don't you?" Christy asked.
    "Yes, but they're nowhere near as experienced."
    Craig gripped her shoulder.  "Then you'll have to improvise," he
said gently.  "There might be such a thing as beginners' luck!"

    There were four fields that trainers had to pass before they
actually battled in the stadium, and if even one battle was lost they
could not advance.  Everyone spun a wheel that was marked with the
symbols of the four fields: Grass, Water, Ice, and Rock.  This way the
matches were randomly chosen.
    On her first spin, the pointer landed on the Ice field.  The
attendant informed her that her match was scheduled early the following
morning, and if she won, she would return here to pick the next field.
"Here's your opponent," the woman said, holding up a printout that
showed a picture of a plump brown-haired girl with a somewhat haughty
expression.  "Good luck."
    The morning couldn't come fast enough as far as Heather was
concerned.  She, Christy, and Craig had a room to themselves in the
Trainer Village, but she hardly slept.  Her mind was racing, going over
strategies and attacks.  At dawn she was at the door of the Pokemon
Centre, waiting for Nurse Joy to let her visit Firey.  Unfortunately,
Firey was still out for the count, so she called Professor Linden and
asked him to transfer the Zubat back to her.  It might be inexperienced,
but it could give her an edge.  She named it Shadow, reminiscent of the
cave she had found it in.
    At last the bell sounded that signaled the beginning of the day's
competition, and she strode purposefully onto the Ice field.  It truly
was a field of ice, with crystal-like formations jutting out from the
ground.  "Welcome to today's first event on the Ice field," blared an
announcer's voice from the speakers.  "The Trainers are Marta Shaeffer
from the town of Bayside..."  The girl Heather had seen in the picture
walked out, her demenour one of smug superiority.  "...and Heather Drake
of Twilight Village."
    "Atta girl, Heather!" yelled Christy from somewhere in the crowd,
and she waved.  Knowing that her friends were here made her feel better.
    "Prepare to be defeated," Marta said in a sultry voice.
    "Don't say things like that when the match hasn't started yet,"
Heather replied.
    The referee walked to the edge of the field, with green and red
flags in his hands.  "This is a standard three-on-three Pokemon match
with no time limit.  Begin!"
    Marta smirked.  "I choose you, Persian!"  A large cat-like Pokemon
appeared.  "I read your profile, Miss Drake," she said.  "You use mainly
birds.  So what better Pokemon to use than a bird's natural enemy?"
    "I wouldn't count on that if I were you.  Eagle, I choose you!"
    Her opponent acted quickly.  "Persian, Screech attack!"  The cat
Pokemon yowled, a discordant blast of sound that had debilitating
effects similar to those of a Roar attack.
    Heather was ready for this.  "Eagle, Mirror Move!"  Her Pidgeot
glowed and sent an identical attack right back at the Persian, causing
it to lose its focus.  "Now hit it with your Wing Attack!"  Eagle
hovered in midair and clapped his wings together once, twice, three
times, battering the Persian into unconsciousness.
    "Persian is unable to continue.  Pidgeot wins the round!"
    Marta looked shocked at this announcement.  However she recalled her
Persian and clenched her fists.  "I see I underestimated you.  Very
well, let's find out how you fare against your own kind.  I choose you!"
She released a Pidgeot of her own.
    "Sorry, but I'm not going to give you that pleasure," Heather said,
and recalled Eagle.  "I choose you, Loki!"  A murmur of surprise rippled
through the audience; it seemed that many people hadn't expected this,
including Marta, who was now rather angry.  "Loki, Agility!"
    "Pidgeot, Mirror Move!"  The Pidgeot and the Pikachu began to whirl
around each other at dizzying speeds.  "It appears that we have a
stalemate," Marta commented.
    "Not for long!"  She had trained Loki and Eagle with this sort of
game many times.  "Swift attack!"  Loki came to a halt and blanketed the
Pidgeot's path with his attack, causing it to plow beak-forward into the
ground.
    "Pidgeot, get up!" Marta called, and her bird clambered to its feet
and shook itself.  "Sand Attack!"  The sandstorm that the Pidgeot
created blinded Loki and gave the bird the chance to take to the air.
    Heather wasn't about to let her opponent get the initiative, though,
because one Whirlwind could end this round.  "Loki, Thunderwave!"
Lightning crackled all around the ring, and despite the Pidgeot's best
attempts to avoid it, eventually it was brought down again.
    The referee intervened when it became clear that the Pidgeot had
been paralyzed by the electricity.  "Pidgeot is unable to continue.  The
Pikachu wins the round."
    As Marta put away her Pokemon, Heather watched her closely.  The
previous two rounds really hadn't been all that difficult, and she
suspected that Marta had only been testing her.  This next Pokemon would
surely be her opponent's best, so she had to be ready for anything.
    The smirk was back on Marta's face as she launched her third
PokeBall.  "I choose you, Shellder!"
    This was interesting.  Why would she choose a Pokemon that had a
weakness to electricity?  There had to be something more to this than
met the eye.  "Careful, Loki.  It might be small, but it's tricky!
Thundershock!"
    "Shellder, Aurora Beam!"  The two attacks collided, then exploded
with such force that both Pokemon were blown backward.  Even the
trainers and referee were temporarily blinded.  When the smoke cleared,
Loki was still on his feet but was frazzled.  The Shellder, on the other
hand, was ready for more.
    "We've got to take it out, Loki!  Thunder attack!"
    "Withdraw!"  The Shellder sealed itself in its shell, and although
the electric attack sizzled all around it, it was less effective than it
otherwise would have been.
    Heather knew that she was in trouble.  Loki was tired and Marta's
Pokemon had a number of other attacks at its disposal.  "Loki, can you
keep going?" she asked, to which he nodded confidently.  "All right
then.  Use your Agility!"  He raced toward the Shellder in a blur.  If
he could get close enough before it responded, his Mega Punch would be
enough to end the match.
    "Bad move," Marta said with a smile.  "Ice Beam, now!"  The Shellder
opened.
    "Loki, watch out!"  The Pikachu swerved aside as the Shellder spit a
beam of ice at him, but the edge of it caught his left hind leg and he
fell heavily to the ground.  Resolutely he got to his feet, but he was
shaking, and with his leg frozen he was definitely out of the battle.
    "Pikachu is unable to continue, the Shellder wins the round."
    This didn't look good.  She had walked right into the trap; Marta
obviously had not evolved her Shellder so it could learn its most
advanced attack, and counted on her opponents to take the Shellder's
size for granted.
    Well, that strategy wasn't going to win her THIS match!
    "No birds that you have could stand a chance against my Shellder,"
Marta gloated.  "Are you ready to give up?"
    "Not by a long shot!"  In a way, Marta was right.  No normal bird
could stand up to that Ice Beam attack.  A special bird, however...
"Skye, I choose you!"  Everyone was stunned into silence as the Articuno
appeared in a shower of ice crystals.  "All right, Marta.  If you call
that an Ice Beam," she leveled her finger at the Shellder and it
squeaked in horror, "then I'll show you an Ice Beam!"
    Skye's attack froze the Shellder solid.
    A few seconds passed before the referee managed to regain his
composure and clear his throat.  "Shellder is unable to battle.  This
match goes to Heather Drake of Twilight Village!"
    Her friends' whoops of delight were lost as the stands erupted into
cheers.  Marta recalled her Pokemon, then grudgingly walked up to her
and offered a hand.  "Congratulations."
    "Thank you."  Heather shook her hand warmly.  "I think we've both
learned today to not take an opponent lightly."
    Marta nodded.  "And I had a good lesson in humility.  Good luck in
your future matches, Miss Drake."  She smiled and winked slyly.  "If we
ever battle again, I'll be ready."
    Heather watched her leave the ring, then turned to meet the gaggle
of excited reporters that were waiting for her.


Chapter Nine: By the Rules

    The rest of the day was a whirlwind of activity.  Heather spend part
of the afternoon planning a strategy against her next opponent, whom she
would be facing on the Grass field.  Then she paid a visit to the police
station to give a statement to Officer Jenny concerning what she had
seen in the cave.
    According to the official reports, the Team Rocket getaway truck
that was parked in the entrance of the cavern had been stolen earlier
the same day.  The cave-in had caused extensive damage to the interior,
but Todd had miraculously survived thanks to his Graveler, which had
borne the brunt of it and was badly injured.  Even so, it was in the
process of digging itself and Todd out when the police team broke
through.  An officer had captured it and brought it to the Pokemon
Centre for treatment, while Todd had been taken to prison.
    She was extremely relieved, because she had been worried that if
Todd hadn't escaped, she might have been held responsible.  "I wish I'd
been able to stop the other two from getting away."
    "Don't beat yourself up over it," Jenny said gently, squeezing her
shoulder.  "What you did in the end could have saved their lives.  If
they feel that they owe you that, they might stop their vendetta."  She
turned and gave Heather a thumbs-up.  "The Pokemon that you rescued have
been returned to their trainers, by the way," she continued.  "You
should be congratulated for your quick thinking.  If you hadn't done
what you did, all of them might be trapped under the cave-in, or worse,
in the hands of Team Rocket.  As for that Graveler, Nurse Joy will try
to find someone willing to adopt and retrain it."
    "And what about Todd?"
    "We can legally hold him for a day without charges, but then we have
to release him."
    Heather blew up.  "You can't be serious!  He almost got me killed!"
    "I'm sorry, but I have to work by the rules.  We only have your word
that he was behind the theft of the truck and the Pokemon, and there is
no solid evidence.  If we'd caught the other two we would have had a
case, because their fingerprints were all over the truck and the
PokeBalls."  Jenny regarded her with a stern expression.  "I don't like
it any more than you do, but it's the law.  Tomorrow afternoon, that boy
walks.  We can hope that after this experience, he'll think twice about
using his Pokemon for crime."

    She was still fuming by the time she reached her room in the Trainer
Village.  Christy and Craig tried to cheer her up and suggested that the
three of them go out for a walk, to which she reluctantly agreed.  They
were just heading out the door when a messenger came with a letter.
    "To competitor Miss Heather Drake, you are requested to attend an
official meeting before your next match.  A League panel will determine
your status in the tournament," she read.
    The three friends stared at each other in confusion.  "What's this
all about?" Christy asked.
    "I guess the only way to find out is to go," Heather said.
    She went to the tournament administration office and was shown to a
large conference room.  Around a table sat a dozen people wearing League
name tags, including the director, James Goodshow.  Some of them looked
at her with interest, others with seriousness.
    "I am here as instructed, ladies and gentlemen," she said, bowing.
    "Hello, Heather," Mr. Goodshow began.  Despite a twinkle in his eye,
he didn't look at all like the jolly man he had been the previous day.
"You must be wondering why you are here.  After seeing your terrific
match this morning, my colleagues decided that we should speak to you."
    A severe-looking blonde woman looked sharply at Mr. Goodshow before
addressing Heather.  "Miss Drake.  It has come to our attention that you
are in the possession of two Legendary Pokemon, namely an Articuno named
Skye, and a Moltres named Blaze."
    Somewhat shocked, she replied, "That's correct."  Obviously they had
seen Skye during the match, but they couldn't have known about Blaze
unless Nurse Joy had told them.  "May I ask what the problem is?"
    The woman sighed.  "The League judges have ruled that due to the
extreme power difference, those Pokemon cannot be used in future matches
of this tournament.  We suggest that you abide by that decision."
    Her anger from earlier flared back.  "Both of them are still young
and haven't reached their full potential," she protested tightly.
"Besides, there is nothing in the regulations that forbids the use of
any Pokemon.  Would you say the same if someone had a Dragonite?"
    "She has a point, Ingrid," commented Mr. Goodshow.  Heather realised
with some relief that he was opposed to such a severe measure.
    "We have already discussed this, James," Ingrid said wearily.
"Although your devotion to fair play in this tournament is admirable,
there are some things which require restraint."  She turned back to
Heather.  "Legendary Pokemon are in a class beyond all others.  How you
even captured them is a mystery, and has cast some suspicion on you."
    It took a lot of self-control to not lose her temper.  "I raised
them from eggs," she explained, her voice betraying her annoyance.  "I
trained them fair and square.  I can't believe that you are choosing to
impose an arbitrary rule on me just because I possess Pokemon that few
others have.  Where's the fairness in that?"
    To that, none of the officials had an answer.

    The sun was sinking in the west and long shadows were cast over the
Grass field as Heather stood to face her opponent: a tall, wiry,
black-haired boy named Derin McMaster.  He was wearing an aikido uniform
and looked quite confident in himself; his record had showed that he
preferred Fighting types, which was confirmed when he released a Machop
as his first Pokemon.  "I'll pound you into submission!" he said
confidently.
    She was in no mood to trade jests with him.  The panel's decision to
disqualify Skye and Blaze had been infuriating, and she had sworn that
she would fight her way through the tournament without them in order to
prove them wrong.  "Don't count on it!  Fletch, I choose you!"  The duck
Pokemon had been able to outmaneuver Todd's Machoke relatively easily,
and she was confident that he could do the same here.
    "Begin!" called the referee.
    Derin quickly went on the offensive, but Heather had Fletch take out
his Machop by distracting it with a Sand Attack before moving in with a
fierce Slash.  In the second round, Fletch was able to deal with a
Primeape almost as easily, using a combination of Swords Dance and Peck
attacks.
    Her opponent was visibly sweating, but something about his grin
unnerved her.  For the third round, he chose an Alakazam, which
brandished a pair of spoons as it appeared on the field.
    Now it was Heather's turn to sweat, despite the cool breeze.  This
was quite unexpected.  She had never battled a psychic Pokemon.  During
her travels she had avoided Saffron City because Team Rocket was on the
lookout for her, but by doing so, she also hadn't faced Sabrina, who was
the Gym Leader who used psychic Pokemon.
    "You should see your face!"  Derin crowed.  "That's the same
reaction I get from all my opponents.  They don't expect a psychic type
to be hanging with a fighting crowd, so I have the element of surprise.
I'm going to kick your butt!"
     Despite being disoriented by a quickly-executed Confusion attack,
Fletch made a valiant attempt to stay in the match by dodging the wide
purple beam of a Psychic attack by a feather's width.  It wasn't looking
good; Heather knew that her Farfetch'd was outgunned, and the Alakazam
could avoid attacks by simply using its Teleport ability.  She had an
idea of how she could beat it, but unfortunately it involved sacrificing
two of her Pokemon.  "Fletch, Agility!" she called.
    The duck Pokemon whirled around the Alakazam at blinding speed, but
Derin merely snorted with disdain and ordered, "Disable!"  A blue beam
flashed out this time.  Fletch came to a halt with an astonished quack,
and this time had no chance to dodge the Alakazam's Psybeam attack,
which blew him out of the ring.
    Heather gasped and managed to catch him, but he passed out in her
arms.  Sighing, she stroked his head fondly.  "You did your best."
    "Farfetch'd is unable to continue.  Alakazam wins," said the ref.
    "Are you done coddling your Pokemon like a kid?" Derin asked
impatiently.  "I haven't got all night!"
    She glared at him as she returned Fletch to his PokeBall.  Psychic
types had a major weakness to other Psychic abilities.  The only Pokemon
she had that had any was her untrained Zubat, Shadow.  Well, like Craig
had said, there was always beginner's luck.  "Shadow, I choose you!"
     "Is that the best you can do?  Alakazam, use Psybeam to knock it
out of the air!"  The beam lanced forth, but Shadow was nimble enough to
dodge it.
    "Good going!  Shadow, use Supersonic!"  High-frequency sound waves
bombarded the Alakazam, confusing it slightly, but it wasn't enough to
completely take it out of the fight.  "Now Bite!"  Shadow swooped close
and latched onto its opponent's shoulder.
    With a screech, the Alakazam thrashed around in fear as it attempted
to dislodge the Zubat.  "Stop acting like a jumping jack and Teleport!"
Derin yelled.  His Pokemon did so, leaving Shadow holding on to air.
    Heather kept the pressure on; she couldn't allow the Alakazam to get
a chance to use its Recover ability, or she would be back to square one.
"Shadow, Confuse Ray!"
    "Teleport!"  Derin yelled, and the Zubat's attempt missed as the
Alakazam vanished and reappeared on the far side of the ring.  Now he
changed his tactics: every time Heather attempted to attack, he had the
Alakazam teleport away.  Eventually, he took out Shadow out with a
Confusion and Psychic attack combination, then told his Pokemon to
Recover as Heather summoned Loki.
    Frustrated, she considered the situation carefully.  Derin had not
used the Alakazam's Reflect ability yet.  Either he hadn't needed it, or
the Alakazam wasn't at a sufficiently high level to use it.  She could
not take the chance.  "Loki, Swift Attack!"  At least this move would
allow her to strike first.
    Her opponent was knocked backwards, but thanks to the Recover it had
just executed, it was none the worse for wear.  "Disable!" was Derin's
response, and Loki glared at the Alakazam angrily after realizing that
his Swift ability had been negated.  "You might as well concede now," he
said, laughing.  "I can just keep on disabling your Pikachu's abilities
one by one!  This match is mine!"
    "Don't be so sure," Heather retorted.  "Let's do it, Loki!"
    True to his word, every time she attempted to do something, he had
his Pokemon teleport out of harm's way, then used the Disable move.
Soon, Loki was down to only two available attacks.  The referee looked
like he was about to call the match, but her glare stopped him.  "Don't
you dare!  I'm not finished yet!"
    "You soon will be!" Derin threatened.  "Why not admit that I've
defeated you?  It'll save us both a lot of trouble!"
    This time, it was Heather's turn to laugh.  "You're the one who's in
trouble!  Loki, Thunderwave!"  The field lit up as lightning sizzled
across it, and many people in the first row of seats had to shield their
eyes from the brightness.
    "Teleport!"  The Alakazam vanished... but when it reappeared, it was
instantly engulfed by the electricity!  The disbelief on Derin's face
was mirrored by murmurs from the crowd.  "What?!" he hollered.
    "You walked right into my trap!" she said.  "Loki spread his attack
across the entire ring, so there was nowhere for your Alakazam to land
safely.  And a Thunderwave attack automatically paralyzes its target!"
    Derin snorted defiantly, even as his Alakazam attempted to walk
forward and failed.  "It doesn't have to move in order to attack!"
    "That's true," she said amiably, "but your Alakazam has battled
three of my Pokemon, and you wore it out by continually teleporting
around.  It has no more energy!"
    As Derin's mouth dropped open, Heather made her final move.  "Loki,
Thunder attack!"  In a spectacular display that rivaled any natural
thunderstorm, Loki's explosive charge knocked out the Alakazam, ending
the match.
    She turned to face the officials sitting in the stands and pumped
her fist in the air, shouting, "By the rules!"  Although her yell was
drouned out by the thunderous cheering of the crowd, she knew that they
could no longer doubt her.


Chapter Ten: The Mouse that Roared

    Heather had two matches the next day, both qualifying rounds that
took a relatively short time to pass.  The first was on the Water field,
where Loki took care of a Weepinbell, a Slowbro, and a Seadra all by
himself.  The second was on the Rock field and provided more of a
challenge.  Eagle bested a Weezing and Loki had little problem with a
Kangaskhan.  However she had to use both of them and Shadow in long,
harrowing battle against a Gengar which she barely managed to win.
    Her friends took her out to a celebratory dinner, but she didn't
enjoy herself as much as she would have otherwise.  Even though she had
proven herself by getting through the first four rounds, it still felt
unfair to not be able to battle with Skye and Blaze.
    During dessert, Christy rounded on her.  "Would you stop griping
about that!  If you use them you'll be disqualified, end of story.  Do
you want that after all you've been through to get here?"
    Professor Linden waved at Christy to quiet her down.  "What you can
do is train your less experienced Pokemon more, or find Techniques for
them.  You must have enough money to buy one."
    Heather sighed.  "Yes, but I was saving it up so I could apply for
the Certification exam and open a Gym in my home town.  I want to do it
on my own, since you were so kind as to sponsor me at Pokemon Tech."
    Craig spoke up.  "I have a suggestion.  Instead of splurging on a
Technique, why not teach your Pokemon to use their abilities in ways
that others won't expect?  For example, I once had Raid use his Mega
Kick to create a tremor in the field that unbalanced his opponent, which
gave me an advantage."
    "He's right," Linden said.  "Don't think just in terms of abilities
and techniques, or strengths and weaknesses.  Try to be inventive."
    This got Heather thinking.  As she looked at it from that standpoint
she realised that she had been relatively lucky so far.  She had played
by the rules and used her Pokemons' abilities as they were meant to be
used, but by doing so she hadn't taken full advantage of any other
possibilities.  In retrospect, that battle with the Gengar might have
been won more easily if she had taken more risks.  "You've got something
there," she admitted.  "I think it's time I looked at the forest instead
of just the trees."

    At last she was facing the biggest event of her career.  Heather
couldn't help but feel nervous, despite knowing that her friends were in
the stands, as she walked onto the stadium floor to meet her next
opponent.  As usual, Loki was with her, his yellow fur gleaming brightly
in the warm morning sunshine.
    This was going to be an official six-on-six battle, and she hoped
that she and her Pokemon would have the stamina to last.  It wasn't
unknown for such matches to take a long time.
    "Welcome one and all to the fourth day of the Indigo Tournament,"
the speakers blared.  "Our first battle of the day is between Heather
Drake of Twilight Village and Christina Souris of New Bark Town."
    This was a surprise!  Heather knew from her studies at Pokemon Tech
that New Bark Town was the closest town in the Johto Province.  Johto
had its own League tournament every year as well, and the region was
home to many types of Pokemon that were hardly ever seen here in Kanto.
What was this girl doing so far from home?
    Christina walked out to the ring.  She was a slim girl, almost frail
looking, with short blonde hair and a slight gap between her two front
teeth.  Her manner was anything but frail, though.  "Nice to meet you,"
she said.  "By the way, I prefer to be called Mouse."  She held out a
PokeBall and a Pikachu appeared.  "And here's why!  Let's battle!"
    Sparks jumped from Loki's cheeks, but Heather held him back.  "Not
this time, Loki.  I want you to be ready for later."  She threw one of
her own PokeBalls.  "Shadow, I choose you!"
    The crowed murmured.  "An interesting choice by Heather," the
announcer said.  "Will her Zubat be able to stand up to the shocking
attacks of a Pikachu?"
    "Begin!" called the referee.
    Mouse attacked first.  "Pikachu, Thundershock!"  Lightning coursed
through the air toward Shadow, but the Zubat dodged easily.
    "Shadow, spiral in!"  Her Pokemon dove down and began to fly circles
around the Pikachu, who looked just as confused as its trainer.
    "What kind of trick is this?" Mouse demanded.  "Obviously you're not
serious about this match.  Pikachu, hit it with Thunderbolt!"
    So, she had the Thunderbolt Technique.  "Shadow, Bite!"  Before the
Pikachu could launch its attack, Shadow latched onto the back of its
neck.  It cried out in surprise and fear, and struggled to get the
offending Pokemon off.
    Mouse was annoyed that her Pokemon was in trouble so soon.  "You've
got to get that thing off!  Blast it with Thunder!" she yelled.
    "Shadow, high five!"  As the Pikachu started to power up its Thunder
attack, Shadow let go and flew high above the arena.  The Pikachu
couldn't see where Shadow had gone and didn't project its attack very
far.  When the lightning dissipated, it looked around wildly for its
opponent, but Heather wasn't going to give it the chance to strike.
"Shadow, Confuse Ray!"
    Taken completely unawares, the Pikachu took the full blast.  It
started to stumble around, waving its arms as if to grab an imaginary
adversary.  "Pikachu!" Mouse hollered.  "Snap out of it!  You've gotten
through worse than this!"
    "And you said I wasn't being serious?" Heather said.  "Shadow, beat
around the bush!"  Her Zubat flew low and tripped up the still-confused
Pikachu, then circled around and knocked it down again when it tried to
get up.
    After the third hit though, the Pikachu finally came to its senses.
"Pikachu, Swift attack!" its trainer called.  Unfortunately Shadow was
too close to the ground to avoid it, and due to the nature of Swift,
she was unable to retaliate.  "That's more like it!" Mouse crowed.
    Although weakened, Shadow was still in the fight, and Heather was
now going to finish this round.  "Shadow, Leech Life!"  The Zubat
swooped down and latched onto the Pikachu once more, only this time she
drained away her opponent's remaining energy.
    "Pikachu is unable to continue!" called the referee when the Pokemon
collapsed.  "Zubat wins the round!"
    "With some very unorthodox moves, Heather has taken Mouse off
guard," the announcer said.  "Will she be able to continue this approach
successfully, or will Mouse find a way to counter it?"
    Heather battled hard, but Mouse did have a few tricks of her own,
and soon they were both down two more Pokemon.  Mouse released a
Sandshrew after her Pikachu was defeated, and Heather's inexperienced
Zubat was at a disadvantage when it came to Ground types.  She quickly
came back with Firey, but he in turn was defeated by a Zubat.
    Taking a huge risk, she brought out her Butterfree, which she had
never battled with.  The round was brutally short as the two flying
Pokemon went head to head, and eventually ended up knocking each other
out with simultaneous Confusion attacks.  The match was tied.
    "You're good," Mouse complimented her.  "Let's see who can last
through the second half of this match!"  She loosed a Rattata.
    Heather smiled; now she could go on the offensive.  "Guess who's
coming for dinner," she said.  "And your Rattata is the main course!
Eagle, I choose you!"  Mouse stared as the Pidgeot emerged.  The Rattata
soon fell to the larger and stronger Pidgeot, and Heather was becoming
confident that she had the match well in hand.  However, Mouse next
called up a blue mouse-like Pokemon with a jagged tail.
    "Huh?"  She flipped open her Pokedex.  "Marill, the aqua mouse
Pokemon.  No further information."  She exclaimed in dismay; the Pokedex
couldn't help!  In desperation she dug through half-forgotten lessons
about unusual Pokemon to remember which moves a Marill had.
    "Don't tell me you don't recognise a Marill when you see one," Mouse
said with considerable surprise.  "Granted," she continued smugly,
"they're only seen on the Seafoam islands very rarely.  Are you just
going to stand there or are we battling?"
    "I never back down from a match!" Heather retorted.  She and Eagle
soldiered on.  Eagle used his Reflect Technique to stop a Double Edge
attack and hit the Marill hard with a Wing Attack.  Unfortunately an
unexpected ability of Marill's proved his undoing.  Mouse did a
combination of Rain Dance and Water Gun to soak him down, rendering him
barely able to fly and therefore vulnerable to a Rollout maneuver.
    Gritting her teeth in frustration, she summoned Loki, who dealt with
the Marill in his usual lightning-fast manner.  Now Mouse was down to
one Pokemon.  Heather felt that with her best Pokemon up, she could deal
with anything.
    What came next stunned everyone.  Mouse grinned and threw her last
PokeBall.  A small blue Pokemon with red spots that looked vaguely like
a hedgehog emerged.  Thin flames shot out of its back.
    "Cyndaquil!" it squeaked.


Chapter Eleven: The Principle of the Thing

    Heather was struck speechless momentarily by the small Pokemon that
she now faced.  Evidently her opponent had saved this Cyndaquil for last
to take advantage of the shock produced by the appearance of an
unfamiliar Pokemon. However, she wasn't going to be intimidated, nor was
she going to let this move go unanswered.
    "Ready to continue?" Mouse asked gleefully.  "Or are you so scared
that you can't rise to the challenge?"
    "That Pokemon isn't listed in my Pokedex!" Heather exclaimed, after
checking.  "Where did you find it?"
    Mouse laughed.  "Don't you remember?  I'm from New Bark Town in the
Johto Province.  Cyndaquil was the Pokemon I chose when I started out."
She sobered somewhat.  "But I had a lot of trouble during my first Gym
battle, and I was told that I would never make it as a trainer.  So I
decided to show them all, and came to Kanto Province instead!  Now that
I've qualified for the Indigo Tournament, nobody can say that I'm not a
good trainer!"
    "I protest!" Heather shouted at the referee.  "Cyndaquil is a
Pokemon from the Johto Province.  The Indigo League only allows Pokemon
from Kanto.  This match is illegal!"
    The referee looked embarrassed.  "I'm sorry, Miss Drake, but you're
incorrect.  The rules were recently amended to include Johto Pokemon.
Also, as you should know, the official handbook says that no Pokemon are
excluded."
    "That's a loophole!" Heather bellowed in fury.  "You're holding a
double standard!  If SHE," she pointed at Mouse, "can use her Cyndaquil,
then I should be able to use my birds!"
    The referee sighed.  "I'll speak to the judges."  He walked off.
    "There seems to be a problem with the match," the announcer said.
"Heather is protesting Mouse's selection of a Cyndaquil.  Will the
judges make a ruling on this?"
    Mouse rolled her eyes in exasperation.  "What's going on here?  Are
you just trying to delay your defeat?"
    Heather glared.  "The Pokemon League officials told me that I
couldn't use two of my Pokemon because they were too powerful.  It's not
fair that you can use a foreign Pokemon when I can't use two of mine
that I raised from eggs."
    "So you're THAT trainer!" Mouse exclaimed in excitement.  "The one
who beat a Shellder with an Articuno the other day?"  At Heather's nod,
she continued, "Everyone has been talking about it.  While I can
understand why the League did what they did, it's still not fair for
them to change the rules in mid-match.  You've set a precedent, girl!"
    "Yes, but that doesn't stop me from being angry."
    "You've done a good job on taking it out on me," Mouse admitted.
"I'm down to my last Pokemon.  Who knows, if you beat me then you might
go all the way to the top!"
    Heather shook her head.  "Not with the Pokemon I have now.  Any
other trainer might just..."  She paused, then smiled confidently.
Perhaps there was a way to set things right! "Resign!"
    "Huh?" Mouse looked surprised.
    "I know what I'll do!  If I've already set a precedent, then I'll
set another.  Win or lose, I'll resign from the tournament after this
match, as a protest against the unfair rulings."
    "Then you'll have company," Mouse said, giving her a thumbs up.
"I'll hand in my badges too.  Besides, if you beat me then I'm
disqualified anyway."
    Before Heather could reply, the referee returned.  "The officials
say that they stand by their decision.  This match must proceed or you
both will forfeit your ranks."
    "Fine," Heather growled.  "Prepare to lose!"  Better to keep the
referee ignorant of the discussion that had taken place.  Now if Mouse
would realise that...
    She did.  "Ha!  Don't bet on that, my Cyndaquil can handle
anything!"  The little Pokemon stepped forward and the flames rose form
its back once again.  "Cyndaquil, Tackle attack!"
    "Dodge it, Loki!"  As her Pikachu danced out of the way of several
charges, Heather thought hard.  It was obvious that Cyndaquil was a Fire
type, so at the very least it would have learned the Leer, Ember, and
Flamethrower moves.  Anything else was an educated guess as far as she
was concerned, so she had to be very careful.  "Loki, Thundershock!"
     "I had a feeling you'd try that," Mouse gloated.  "Cyndaquil, Smoke
Screen!"  The Cyndaquil belched thick clouds of smoke, which obscured
the field completely.
     Loki's strike missed.  And blinded, he would an easy target.
Heather wasn't going to give the Cyndaquil a chance to attack.  "Loki,
cover the field with a Thunderwave!"  Lightning spread out in all
directions.  When the smoke lifted, the Cyndaquil was standing not far
from Loki, paralyzed.
    "What's this?!" her opponent yelled.
    "A Thunderwave attack automatically paralyzes whatever it hits,"
Heather explained.  "Your Cyndaquil is a sitting Psyduck now.  Loki,
Quick Attack!"  The Pikachu zipped across the ring.
    "Cyndaquil, move!" Mouse hollered, but her Pokemon couldn't.  Loki
knocked it flying; miraculously it managed to land inside the field
boundary.  "Can you keep going?" its trainer asked, and in response, it
squeaked and the flames on its back burned brightly.  "Let's get back in
this match.  Swift attack!"
    Swift couldn't be avoided but it could be countered.  "Loki, Swift!"
The star-like projectiles from both Pokemon collided and canceled each
other out.
    Now Mouse looked furious; she had clearly expected her attack to hit
home.  "Time to turn up the heat.  Cyndaquil, Flame Wheel!"  The Pokemon
somersaulted forward, whirling faster and faster until it resembled a
large fiery wheel that hurtled toward Loki.  The Pikachu was taken
completely by surprise and was hit hard.
    "Loki!" Heather cried.  Somehow, Loki landed on his feet, but looked
like he wouldn't last much longer.  This match had to be decided soon.
    "Had enough yet?" Mouse asked.  "If not, here comes the final blow!
Cyndaquil, Flame Wheel again!"
    As the Cyndaquil rolled around and came back for another pass,
Heather decided to use a strategy that she had developed to work against
a Hitmonlee's Rolling Kick attack, which was similar to this.  "Loki,
duck and throw!"  Loki sat down on the ground, and when the flaming
wheel was almost on him, he hit its leading edge with a Thunder attack
at close range.
    The force of the blast caused the wheel to shoot up into the air as
if it had hit a brick wall!  The flames disappeared as the Cyndaquil
flipped over and over helplessly.  "Now, Loki!  Thundershock!"  Unable
to dodge, the Cyndaquil took the full dose of electricity, and was
knocked out.
    "Cyndaquil is unable to battle.  The winner of this match is
Heather Drake!" the referee called.
    The stadium erupted in cheers as the girls shook hands.  "I knew
from the start that you would beat me," Mouse confided.  "I saw the
anger in your eyes and knew that you had something bigger to prove than
I did."
    "Thank you."  Heather smiled.  "Now let's show them that we won't be
pushed around!"

    The conference room didn't look quite so imposing as it has been the
previous time Heather had entered it.  The same officials were there,
including the merry Mr. Goodshow and the severe Ingrid Bola.  However,
this time it would be they who would get the unpleasant surprise!
    "Miss Drake, Miss Souris, good afternoon," Ms. Bola said as the two
girls bowed.  "While it is within your rights as trainers to request a
formal protest hearing, you should be aware that you are wasting all of
our time."  She eyed them with a look that almost dared them to
contradict her.  "You were informed during your match to abide by our
previous rulings or be disqualified."
    Heather responded, "We fully understood that, madam."  She stood
tall and looked the woman right in the eye.  "This tournament has
represented the highest standard for teamwork and fairness in Pokemon
training.  Recent events have led us to believe that might no longer be
the case."
    There was a surprised murmur around the table, and one of the
officials blurted, "You dare question us?  We have been involved in
Pokemon training since before you were born, young lady!"
    The girls ignored the interruption.  "Therefore, we feel that we
can't continue to participate," Mouse continued.  "To do so would go
against our principles."  She pulled a box from her pocket and opened it
to show the badges inside.  Then she took her Pokedex out and laid both
items on the table in front of Mr. Goodshow.  Heather did the same.  "We
resign from the tournament."
    There was complete silence as the officials looked at them in shock.
With nothing more to say, the two girls turned and left.


Chapter Twelve: Road of Dreams

    "No, there's nothing you can do that will change my mind," Heather
told her friends later that afternoon as she roughly shoved clothes and
gear into her backpack.  "What's done is done."
    "But... this is what you've been working for!" Christy stammered in
absolute surprise.  "You're not just going to throw it all away?"
    Craig added, "What about your certification?  Your Pokemon Gym?"
    "It won't be right if I get them by going against what I believe
in," she replied firmly, zipping up her pack.
    "I think you're being stupid," Christy declared.  "Swallow your
pride for once and look at the big picture here."
    Heather faced her.  "What do you think I've been moping about all
day?  I've figured out the big picture, and it doesn't involve the
League any more!"
    "At least wait until the final standings for this round have been
announced," Craig suggested.  "That should tell you for sure what the
officials have decided."
    She snorted derisively.  "I don't want to wait around here any
longer for an announcement that might or might not happen.  Mouse has
invited me to return with her to the Johto Province, and I intend to
take her up on it.  At least that League plays fair!"  Striding over to
the door, she yanked it open, and almost bowled over Scott Vinca who was
standing in the hallway.
    "Just where do you think you're going?" he demanded.
    Heather paused in shock.  She hadn't expected to see any of her
school friends here!  "I'll answer you if you tell me what you're doing
here," she said, her anger subsiding somewhat.  "I thought the summer
break wasn't for another month."
    He shook his wild mop of black hair.  "It isn't.  I got permission
to borrow the school's fastest Pidgeot and fly here right away when the
news came in that you had resigned in protest.  Thought you might need
some support."
    She sighed and backed up to lean against the wall.  "That's really
nice of you, Scott.  But I've already decided to leave and restart my
training in the Johto League."
    Scott put a hand on her shoulder as Christy and Craig ventured out
into the corridor to get a look at the new arrival.  "If that's what you
feel is right for you, who am I to stop you?"  His voice cracked
slightly and he cleared his throat.  Heather briefly noted that his
voice was beginning to change and he had grown an inch or two.
    "But she wanted to open a Pokemon Gym," said Christy, "which she
can't do unless she ranks high in the tournament and gets certified."
    "I know that," Scott told her, "but this might not be the right time
or place.  She really shook things up around here.  If other trainers
begin to follow her lead and contest the rules, the Indigo League will
have to seriously look at itself and make some changes if it's to remain
competitive.  That could take time."
    "So it would be better if she trained somewhere else for a while?"
Craig asked, understanding what Scott meant.
    Scott nodded.  "Heather isn't the kind of person to sit around
waiting for an opportunity to present itself."
    Sighing, Christy slumped against the wall.  "You're right.  But
Heather, I still think it's crazy that you're doing this."
    Heather stood upright and lifted her backpack onto her shoulders,
her face emotionless.  "Let's go and see the standings," she said
flatly.  "Then I'm leaving."

    Flower petals from the surrounding trees swirled around her feet as
she stood at the exit to the stadium.  The notice board had confirmed
her suspicion: she was ranked in the top eight trainers, but a large red
D next to her name indicated that she was disqualified.  So much for her
career in the Indigo League.
    Somehow she didn't feel too disappointed, only sad.  It was too bad
that most people were so set in their ways that they couldn't see beyond
the rulebook.  At least all her training wouldn't be a waste of time,
because she could now start over in a whole new place.  She kicked at a
pebble on the road and began to walk.
    She had only gone a few steps when she heard someone running behind
her.  "Wait, Miss Drake!  Message!"  It was one of the pages.  He
stopped and offered her an envelope.  "Been looking all over," he said,
breathing heavily.  "One of your friends said you were here."
    "I'm disqualified from the tournament and I have left the premises,"
she informed him as she regarded the envelope with some bitterness.  "I
should not be eligible to receive official messages."
    "I was told it was urgent, and had orders to make certain that you
got it," he insisted.  "I'm just doing my job."  He bowed and headed
back to the arena.
    Curiosity overcame her.  What could be so important that the sender
would go to such trouble?  She opened the envelope and gasped.  It was
an official gold-bordered invitation to the closing ceremony, signed by
James Goodshow himself!  Only the top-ranked trainers got these!
    "No way," she whispered.  Her hand shook so much she almost dropped
the card.  She didn't deserve this, by all rights they shouldn't have
bothered to print one.  Yet, here it was.  It had to mean something.
Did she dare to find out?  She turned on her heel and marched back into
the Indigo Stadium.

    The next day passed in something of a haze, as if everything was in
slow motion.  Her friends were just as surprised as she had been about
the invitation.  Since none of the tournament officials seemed to be
available to speak to, the only thing that could be done was wait to
find out what it meant.
    Orange light from the sunset was shining into the stadium as
spectators and trainers gathered for the closing festivities. Nervously,
Heather found a place in the crowd of people standing in front of the
speaker's podium.  The orchestra launched into a fanfare as the Pokemon
League officials entered and took their seats, and finally Mr. Goodshow
approached the microphone.
    "Ladies and gentlemen, trainers, parents, and friends," he began.
"As this year's Indigo League Tournament draws to a close, we should all
pause to reflect on what makes training Pokemon so rewarding.  Some
train only to compete.  Some train to better themselves and the world
around them.  Some work with their Pokemon as if they were their closest
friends.  No matter the method or the reason, all have this in common:
their love of Pokemon and the principles they use to raise them.
    "Life isn't always easy.  When you become too focused on the little
things, or too strict with yourself, you lose sight of the bigger
picture.  When that happens, something wonderful could happen right
under your nose and you wouldn't be able to see it for what it truly is.
Then you'd forever regret not noticing in time.
    "In this year's tournament, someone has reminded all of us to keep
our eyes open, and to stick to our beliefs despite all opposition.  She
has shown herself to be a true Pokemon trainer."  He reached behind the
podium and held up a small gold trophy decorated with flames and a
likeness of a Moltres on top.  An appreciative murmur rippled through
the audience.  "In recognition, we have created a special award for the
trainer who shows the most vision, creativity, and perseverance.  It is
my great pleasure to present the first edition of the Moltres Spirit
Award to Miss Heather Drake of Twilight Village!"
    Christy's delighted scream was drowned out by the cheers from
everyone present.  Heather was completely stunned, and had to be prodded
to make her way up to the podium.  This was thoroughly unexpected!  When
she reached Mr. Goodshow, she held out trembling hands to accept the
award and the accompanying envelope.  Then she abruptly had an attack of
shyness and would have hurried back down the steps but Mr. Goodshow
indicated that she should approach the microphone.
    She cleared her throat and spoke haltingly.  "It is a great honour
to receive this award.  I did not intend to ruffle any feathers..." Many
people chuckled at her attempted levity, and she continued with more
confidence, "but given all that I had been through, I wasn't going to
compromise my values and sense of fair play in favour of selfishness.
To me, being a trainer is about friendship, trust, and equality.  To
sacrifice those things would make my entire Pokemon journey worthless.
    "I left home to prove to my village and to myself that the outside
world is not to be feared.  If we learn to not fear the world, but
respect it and all its creatures, we will be better people.  Whatever
lies ahead, keep true to your dreams and respect those around you, and
you will find that your road will be made much easier."
    Heather bowed and descended from the stage, as the audience
applauded.  She had achieved a victory after all!

    It was much later, after the ceremony was over and she had been
treated to dinner by all her friends, when she took some time to stand
in the empty stadium for one last look before she departed.  This had
certainly been an adventure, but her journey was just beginning.
    Belatedly she noticed that she hadn't opened the envelope that had
come with her trophy; it was still in her pocket where she had stuffed
it.  She broke the seal and read the letter, and her jaw dropped.  It
was a document signed by James Goodshow and Nurse Joy that certified her
as a top-ranked trainer and gave her permission to lead a Gym!
    She whooped in exultation.  Now her course was clear: she would
return home and be a Gym Leader.  The first thing on her list was to
ask Christy and Craig to be her Juniors, as thanks for all their
support.  So much to do, so much to organize!  But now she had all the
time in the world.


                                THE END

     Audrey Seddon
     aka Blue Jean, Sailor Chronos
     January 2004


I would like to dedicate this story to the following people:

My partner John Mayo for his support.

My late cousin Christina Lloyd who encouraged me to enjoy life.

Charles Edgar, Webmaster of The Pokemon Plant www.pokemonplant.com for
inviting me to contribute to his site.

The creator of Pokemon, Satochi Tajiri, for providing such a rich world
to inspire the imagination.