Explosions billowed across the rooftop as dozens of Voltorb and Electrode ignited as one. Two sets of light footsteps danced through the chaos, making their way amongst the turmoil. A giant Skarmory burst upward through the flames, screeching loudly and carrying a trainer on its back.
“Holy smokes!” Jean shrieked, staggering backward and unsheathing a pokeball. With a flick of her wrist and a curl of her long, royal blue cloak the pokeball revealed her Swellow, which took to the skies after Skarmory.
“Don’t let anyone get away!” Jonathon declared, his body rising up through the flames and smoke as Flygon beat his wings furiously. Jean’s Swellow was already blasting Skarmory with a Hyper Beam and recharging for another, the trainer on Skarmory’s back looking wary and afraid.
“No prisoners!” Jonathon added for good measure. Jean rolled her eyes.
“No power trips,” She retorted. Jonathon gave her a look as he turned Flygon about to dislodge Skarmory’s trainer with a flamethrower. Two Fearow pierced the night’s sky, trying to escape the burning building. The bird pokemon streamed upward, their agility outmatching even Jonathon’s Flygon.
“Tyler got away,” Jean reported to her headset. Jonathon was busy cursing as he landed on the smoking roof. Below them they could still hear the crashes of explosions and fire, but the rooftop had become calm for the time being. Jean was handcuffing Skarmory’s trainer.
“Swellow, drop this scumbag off at headquarters and wait for us there,” Jean ordered her pokemon. She drew her blue cloak around her. Jonathon reached his hand out to help Jean up onto Flygon’s back. Jean held onto Jonathon tightly, his black cloak warm in her grip. Flygon gave a lurch and suddenly the trio was high above the clouds.
“If we’re even seconds late we’ll miss the meeting,” Jean reminded Jonathon.
“I know that,” Jonathon replied with a tone. Flygon pressed on a little faster until up ahead, floating high above the clouds appeared another trainer, riding on the back of another pokemon. It was Scorch the Charizard and his trainer Matt, Jonathon’s older brother.
“The warehouse is destroyed,” Jean told Matt, speaking from behind Jonathon’s shoulder. Jonathon’s black collar was folded up around his face and he’d put sunglasses on to conceal his eyes. He turned his head to look away from his brother, still barely able to stand the sight of him.
“Excellent, I’ve got to report in, I’ll send contact with the co-ordinates for the next warehouse,” Matt replied, “Happy Birthday for last week, Jonathon,” Matt added. Jonathon nodded stiffly. Scorch beat his mighty wings and the dragon was gone. Jonathon turned Flygon about and he and Jean shot away, bound for headquarters.
“Mission accomplished,” Jackson beamed as they landed on the rooftop. Sam came forward in her sleeveless white cloak and ran a potion over Flygon’s neck.
“Welcome home,” She smiled to Jonathon and Jean. Jonathon handed Sam Flygon’s pokeball and followed Jackson inside to debrief.

A lot had happened since Jonathon and Jean were inducted into the Order of the Sky. The very name of the organization was only to be spoken when absolutely necessary and meetings of the order were secret for not all the police force were in the order, it was kept a complete secret from everyone not in the order. The initial plan for Jonathon to find Nick and seduce him into revealing the whereabouts of Hillsound's leaders failed when Nick and all the other important members of Hillsound disappeared. On the other hand, Jonathon's older brother Matt had come around and was now working as a mole, providing inside information. He had provided a name for the sinister group using Hillsound, the fanatical charity organisation, as a front for their evil schemes. Behind Hillsound was Team Dimension. Nothing but the name had been learned so far, Matt was only privileged to know that much and that the work they did under the guise of Hillsound was in aid of Team Dimension’s larger goals, which would benefit all involved. Apparently Nick, Jonathon’s wonderfully charming yet dastardly evil ex-boyfriend had risen beyond Hillsound and was a rather influential member of Team Dimension. As Team Dimension became more and more elusive with each passing day, it was all Jonathon and Jean could do to use Matt’s tip offs to destroy their storage warehouses. Hope that they would find a lead to Nick’s whereabouts, or anyone of Team Dimension for that matter, was growing dim. The successful destruction of another warehouse was little to appease Jonathon, especially with the escape of his rival, Tyler, playing on his worried mind.
“Hey, at least this time we actually got to see him escape. We’re getting closer. Last time we didn’t even notice him leave,” Jean pointed out. This wasn’t received well by Jonathon.
“I want his bloodied head dripping red on my bedsheets,” He said through gritted teeth. Jackson chuckled, the creases on the edges of his eyes showing. He had grey flecks through his hair now and moved a lot slower. Sam walked into the room, tossing Jonathon Flygon’s pokeball. She also tossed Jean Swellow’s pokeball and then, after planting a kiss on Jackson’s cheek, she dropped into a chair next to Jonathon.
“We have a lead,” She said brightly. Jonathon sat up suddenly, his ear’s appearing to grow in size as he nodded to Sam.
“A large bird Pokemon crossed the border from Sathalia to Veronica a few minutes ago,” Sam reported, aiming a small remote at the viewscreen behind Jackson. The screen changed to a map. She jumped to her feet and took out a pen.
“The warehouse where Tyler escaped you is here, and an object the same size as Fearow and Tyler crossed the border here just now. Judging from the speed Tyler’s Fearow was travelling at when it left the warehouse, if he’d travelled in a straight line with minimal speed variations, it would fit perfectly in a timeline that it was indeed he who crossed the border earlier,” Sam explained.
“What the hell are you saying?” Jonathon spat, still coming to terms with Sam’s newfound intelligence.
“If my calculations are correct, and I’m pretty sure they are, Tyler just crossed into Veronica, right near Crustett City. He’ll have to stop there to heal his Fearow. I’ve got a surveillance team there now keeping a full scan of the city, as soon as he leaves we can track him,”
“I’m going to Crustett,” Jonathon said, standing to his feet.
“You’re going to bed, you haven’t slept in days,” Sam scolded.
“I’m fine,” Jonathon said, dropping a caffeine tablet into his mouth.
“I’ll make you induce vomiting to bring that back up if you dare swallow,” Sam warned, raising a cocked fist. Jonathon rolled his eyes and spat the pill into a wastepaper bin.
“Okay, what if I sleep on the helicopter to Crustett?” Jonathon compromised.
“Fine, but you’re on your own for this one, we need Jean to lead a team over to the warehouse you just torched and inspect the debris,” Jackson decided.
“Prep a helicopter for Crustett City,” Sam told her headset, “What pokemon are you taking?”
“Squirtle, Torkoal, and Flygon,” Jonathon told Sam.
“Send Squirtle and Torkoal’s pokeballs to conference room seven,” Sam added. Within seconds there was a rushing noise and Jackson was opening a small hatch by the door to the room, in which was a small cupboard-like area where two pokeballs now sat. He tossed them to Jonathon.
“You’ve still got Flygon with you haven’t you?” Jackson asked. Jonathon held up Flygon’s pokeball with a smile.
“You can take Ninjask and Lombre to the garden,” Jonathon told Sam, handing him their pokeballs. He had taken them both with Flygon to the warehouse earlier. Jean and Jonathon bid each other farewell and Sam and Jean left Jackson to lead Jonathon up to his waiting helicopter.
“Try to bring him in alive if you can, we’d like to question him,” Jackson said quietly.
“You know I’ll kill him if I get the chance,” Jonathon replied. Jackson sighed.
“Well, try and at least bring back a body, he might be carrying some documents or something,” Jackson compromised.
“No promises,” Jonathon finished stiffly.
“You’re a git, you know that?” Jackson chuckled.
“Fluently,” Jonathon drawled with a twitching grin. He ducked into the helicopter and nodded to Jackson as the older man bid farewell. The door slid shut and the helicopter lifted into the sky. Jonathon sat back and closed his eyes, falling into a quick sleep…

Jonathon scurried through the dark alleyways, Torkoal’s smokescreen keeping everything under a dark haze. He reached his hand back into the shadows and Torkoal was recalled into the pokeball he was clutching. He stepped out into the street. There wasn’t a soul to be seen in that darkest void of night. There was a loud crack, a flash of light, a grunt, a pokeball flying through the air, a yell, a scream, a thud, and everything was over. Jonathon looked around blindly, the sound of quick footsteps growing faint. All of Crustett City was asleep, the only souls awake were the two Pokemon Trainers who had come to that city from Sathalia that very night- Tyler and Jonathon. The trainer Jonathon and Squirtle had just battled for those few seconds was Tyler. Squirtle was breathing heavily, recovering from the psycho cut that’d slashed his face moments ago.
“You got him square in the face with your hydro pump,” Jonathon congratulated. Squirtle bowed his gratitude for the praise. Torkoal’s smokescreen was now proving a hindrance for Jonathon couldn’t tell which way Tyler had run. Luckily though, Tyler could only hide for the Pokemon centre was closed and his Fearow was too weak to carry him further across the country. And as long as it was the dead of night Tyler and Jonathon would be the only two on the streets of Crustett.
“You can hide, Tyler,” Jonathon said loudly, “But you can’t run away this time,”
“Squirtle Squirt!” Squirtle added for Tyler’s Kadabra. Jonathon released Flygon.
“Flygon, can you clear up this smoke, then we’re going to search for Tyler form the air,” Jonathon decided. With an almighty bellow of wind the smokescreen Jonathon had used earlier to sneak up on Tyler was now cleared away and Jonathon and Squirtle were in the air upon Flygon, slowly panning the city.
“Gotcha!” Jonathon yelled, leaping down from Flygon and running down an alleyway, just meters behind Tyler, clad in his usual white. Tyler cursed and threw his pokeball into the alley. Squirtle was already running toward Tyler with a snarl on his face. Kadabra conjured a barrier to protect his master just in time. Squirtle turned his attention to keeping Kadabra at bay. Jonathon took a swing at Tyler but the skinnier boy ducked and reached for another pokeball. Flygon sent a crackling bolt of electricity by Jonathon and it struck Tyler to the ground. Jonathon grabbed him by the neck and hoisted him up, slamming him against a wall.
“I’ve waited for this for months,” Jonathon scathed. Suddenly Tyler’s body crackled with a purple lightning. Jonathon jumped back, his hands burning. He spun to see Squirtle on the ground and Kadabra free to protect Tyler.
“Squirtle, use your hidden power!” Jonathon cried, pointing at Kadabra, Tyler had hurled another pokeball into the alleyway now.
“Hypno, barrier and teleport combination,” Tyler ordered, his voice shrill with panic.
“Flygon, ice beam, freeze Hypno solid!” Jonathon commanded. Flygon ran quickly, loud thuds echoing through the alley with each footstep. Flygon craned his neck and sent a streaming ice beam into Hypno just as pulsating green waves started to issue from his pendulum.
“Alakazam!” Tyler called out desperately, throwing his last pokeball.
“Torkoal,” Jonathon countered, tossing his last pokeball in the same direction as Tyler’s. The two pokemon appeared in moments and were instantly locked in battle. Squirtle’s dark purple orbs went spiralling around the alleyway, Flygon blasted Alakazam with a flamethrower from behind as Torkoal struggled to break through the barrier the psychic fiend had created. Jonathon turned back to Tyler just as the coward made to scamper away.
“No you don’t,” Jonathon grunted, grabbing him from behind. He spun the teenager around and slammed him against the wall. With a click Tyler was in handcuffs.
“It’s over, Tyler,” Jonathon smiled. He threw Tyler to the ground and walked over to where his pokeballs had landed, picking them up and recalling Tyler’s psychic pokemon. Flygon, Torkoal and Squirtle looked exhausted but satisfied with their work.
“Good job guys, I’m very proud,” Jonathon recited with a strict smile. Torkoal and Squirtle disappeared into their pokeballs. Jonathon dropped Tyler onto Flygon’s back and then climbed up himself.
“This is Jonathon, I’m bringing in Tyler,” Jonathon said into his headset.
“Is he alive?” Jackson asked.
“It’s your lucky day,” Jonathon replied with a grin.

While Jonathon was gallivanting across Crustett City, Jean was going through the rubble from the warehouse they’d destroyed earlier. She left the team she’d been assigned to troll through the upstairs as she crept down into the basement. The fires hadn’t reached the basement and most of the equipment stored down there looked as though it could be salvaged and put to use. Jean smiled as she found boxes of pokeballs and potion sprays.
“Excellent,” She said to herself. She jumped as a noise from behind startled her. The pokeball was in the air before she even turned around and Jean’s trusty Gardevoir rose a barrier instinctively. Jean peered across the basement, looking for the source of the sound. There wasn’t a soul to be found.
“Can you keep an eye out while I go through these boxes?” Jean asked Gardevoir. Gardevoir nodded graciously.
“All basements are just downright creepy,” Jean sighed, opening another box which contained pokeball belts. It seemed the warehouse they’d destroyed was for equipping Team Dimension trainers.
“Gard!” Gardevoir yelled. Jean turned around to see the creator of the earlier noise. A small Koffing was struggling to break free from a crackling blue bubble Gardevoir had conjured.
“Koffing, you scared the crud out of me, buddy,” Jean teased. She took a pokeball from her belt, picking Koffing’s low level. Gardevoir dropped the disable and Jean’s pokeball connected with Koffing. Within seconds she was fastening the pokeball back to her belt with Koffing safely sealed inside. Gardevoir continued to scan the room for danger as Jean radioed the rest of her team.
“There’s a lot of equipment down here we can take with us, I’m gonna go ahead back to HQ, you guys box everything up and I’ll send a helicopter to extract you in an hour,” Jean ordered. She and Gardevoir quickly ascended to the ground floor and hurried to the street. Swellow cooed as he was released from his pokeball.
“Back to headquarters,” She told Swellow, recalling Gardevoir. As she took to the skies something caught her eye. Running through the streets was a lone pokemon, black in colour and somewhat like a fox. Jean turned Swellow toward the ground and the pair swooped low through the alleys and streets, catching up to the little pokemon with ease. It was an Umbreon, rushing away with extreme speed. Swellow pulled up just in time. At the end of a narrow alleyway stood a Croconaw, poised to defend the teenager concealed in the shadows awaiting the return of his Umbreon, who had clearly been spying on Jean and her team as they explored the warehouse.
“Hyper beam,” Jean ordered as Swellow steadied himself after the sharp incline. With a caw the bird pokemon blasted the golden beam down the alleyway to knock Croconaw into the ground with a mighty explosion of smoke and broken road. He Umbreon leapt into the air and turned, firing a shadow ball that struck Swellow and caused Jean to fall from her perch and land in a heap on the ground. She leapt to her feet, swirling open her cloak and firing two pokeballs into the fray. Gradevoir and Grovyle ran toward the Umbreon as the shadowy teenager recalled his defeated Croconaw and unleashed a Starmie into the battle. Gardevoir blasted Starmie with a thunderbolt but Starmie retaliated with a dark pulse that dropped Gardevoir onto bended knee. Grovyle showered Umbreon with bullet seeds and then struck it hard with a leaf blade. Gardevoir fired off a psywave that struck Starmie and Umbreon hard, knocking Umbreon out. The trainer returned Umbreon to its pokeball.
“Why was your Umbreon spying on us?” Jean demanded as Starmie struck Gardevoir with a psybeam. Gardevoir chuckled and sent a stronger psybeam back at Starmie, who retorted with a recover. Starmie acted without the trainer giving a single order. Starmie smacked Gardevoir repeatedly over the head with a rapid spin attack and Gardevoir collapsed, defeated. Jean recalled her to the pokeball just as Grovyle blasted Starmie from behind with a solarbeam. There was no time to recharge, Starmie fell tot he ground and went limp. The trainer recalled Starmie from the air as he made his escape on the back of a Staraptor.
“Nick!” Jean screamed, finally recognising the face.
“Give my regards to Jonathon,” He cackled. Before Jean could summon Swellow the Staraptor was gone, no more than a tiny dot in the night sky.
“Jackson, this is Jean, I just had a confrontation with Nick. He sends his love,” Jean reported to her headset.
“I’m sure Jonathon will be pleased to hear, he’s on his way back now, he’s got Tyler,” Jackson replied.
“Is he alive?” Jean chuckled.
“It’s our lucky day,”

Tyler was in a deep sleep, strapped to a single bed surrounded by machines. There were three Drowzee in the room, all waving their arms at him. Every now and then one of them would turn to say something to either Porygon or Porygon2 and the virtual pokemon would nod. Finally, after hours of probing Tyler’s mind the Drowzee told Porygon and Porygon2 everything they’d learned. The information appeared in the main computer’s databanks and Jonathon was now sitting in a room with Sam, Jean and Jackson, pouring over everything they’d gotten out of Tyler.
“Team Dimension is made up of only five trainers. Nick and Anna,” Jackson read off.
“Bekka from Towa Bay’s Gym, I knew it!” Jean scathed. Jonathon smirked as he saw the hatred in Jean’s eyes.
“Tyler didn’t know the last two members,” Sam sighed.
“It seems these three members are both from the North,” Jackson noticed, “I think that’s the best place to go to find some leads,”
“Bekka was already a member of Dimension before she moved to Towa Bay, there’s no point looking for anything there,” Jean pointed out.
“Anna must have joined Dimension in Las Vista while she was running the Gym, we’ll find the answers there,” Jonathon speculated.
“Searching all of Las Vista will take months, especially given we don’t’ know what we’re looking for,” Jackson told him.
“Nick wasn’t a member of Dimension when you dumped him. Then he went back to Isamine and next thing you know he’s demented,” Jean said quickly.
“Demented?” Sam laughed.
“Yeah, I’m thinking that’s the nickname I’m gonna give to the Dimension team members,” Jean explained.
“I’m not going back to Isamine City,” Jonathon said firmly.
“You’re going to Isamine City to search for any leads on Nick. That’s an order,” Jackson retorted.
“No,” Jonathon shot back, standing up, “Send someone else,”
“Why not you? You know Isamine better than anyone,” Jackson argued.
“Send someone else,” Jonathon repeated, “Send Sam,”
“Sam isn’t quite the trainer you are,” Jackson said pointedly.
“This is the best lead we have Jonathon, and we need our best trainer,” Sam added. Jonathon could tell they were trying to trick him with false compliments, yet he knew they were right. If any trouble arose in Isamine he’d be the best person to handle the situation.
“Fine, but Sam’s coming with me,” Jonathon conceded.
“I’d love to,” Sam smiled, “I haven’t been home in almost a year,”
“Wonderful,” Jonathon said dryly, “I’ll prep a helicopter,”
“Oh don’t worry about the helicopter, I’ll get the ghosts to teleport you, it’ll be quicker,” Jackson grinned. Jonathon gave him a dark glare.
“Fine.”

Isamine was hot and dry, as Jonathon remembered it. He and Sam moved into their temporary apartment provided by the Force and set about to work. Sam was on the phone to everyone she knew in Isamine organising a party and Jonathon was on his way to the Gym to slog out his frustration in a Pokemon Battle.
“Jonathon!” Renée cried. She was sitting atop the massive stone chair of the Gym Leader.
“This is bloody ridiculous,” Jonathon moaned.
“When did you get back? Why are you back? Where’ve you been?” Renée rattled ff, making to jump down from her chair.
“We can catch up after the battle, six on six,” Jonathon ordered. He threw his first pokeball into the arena. Surprisingly, his younger sister didn’t argue.
“Gloom, Start things off with a petal dance!” Jonathon ordered. Gloom obliged, spraying petals in all directions and then having them shoot for Renée’s pokemon.
“Graveller, shield yourself with defence curl!” Renée ordered. Jonathon chuckled to himself, knowing that defence curl would do little to shield against petal dance.
“Razor leaf attack!” Jonathon continued.
“Bide your time Graveller, take it all in!” Renée countered. Jonathon seemed wary now. There was a strategy at play here.
“No way,” He thought to himself, “She doesn’t have a strategic bone in her body,”
“Knock it out with an explosion!” Renée screamed, her voice echoing around the arena. Jonathon didn’t have time to react, Graveller exploded suddenly and Gloom was enveloped in the flames and debris. As the dust settled both pokemon were on the floor.
“Flygon let’s go!” Jonathon commanded, throwing another pokeball as he withdrew Gloom.
“Onix, let’s keep this up,” Renée declared, hurling another pokeball. Onix roared as he drew himself up to his full height. Jonathon whistled in admiration.
“Nice catch, where’d you find him?” He asked.
“Me and some friends went out camping in the bush. Onix was sleeping by a creek out past the old water tower,” Renée replied.
“Flygon, ice beam,” Jonathon attempted.
“Onix, use your horn attack to knock it out of the sky,” Renée countered. Flygon started to attack but Onix slammed the poor dragon before the ice beam did any serious injury. The type match up wasn’t working in Jonathon’s favour.
“Whip up a hailstorm,” Jonathon tried. Flygon flew circles around Onix, spraying ice and snow in all directions.
“Onix, strike back with a sandstorm,” Renée cried. The sandstorm overpowered his hailstorm instantly and Flygon was forced to land.
“Earthquake!” Renée jumped.
“No, Flygon!” Jonathon tried. It was too late. Onix struck Flygon hard and his attempts to fly away only hardened the damage. As the sandstorm subsided Flygon collapsed into a heap. Jonathon returned him to his pokeball.
“Lombre, get out here and get some rain happening,” Jonathon ordered.
“Darn it, Onix, take it down with another earthquake as quick as you can!” Renée retaliated. Lombre conjured rain quickly and as Onix tried to strike with an earthquake Lombre darted up onto the rock serpent’s back.
“Now use mega drain!” Jonathon declared. Lombre obeyed and Onix reared back with pain, “Water gun while you’ve got him stunned!’ Jonathon continued. Lombre blasted Onix on the back of the head with a feisty water gun.
“Return Onix,” Renée sighed as Onix thundered to the ground.
“Water and Grass type, your rock pokemon don’t stand a chance,” Jonathon teased to his younger sister. She smirked at him.
“Oh really?” She pondered, throwing an orange pokeball. Jonathon snapped back to attention, quickly learning that his sister was not quite as foolhardy as he remembered.
“Camerupt, flamethrower!” She commanded.
“Lombre, water gun!” Jonathon tried. His attempts were in vain, Camerupt’s flamethrower scored a direct hit and Lombre was out cold. He smiled as he took Squirtle’s pokeball form his belt. This was fast becoming a good battle.
“Squirtle, hydro pump!” He told his starter pokemon.
“Hyper beam!” Renée countered.
“Crud!” Jonathon cursed, “Squirtle, try and dodge it!”
Squirtle ran clear form one side of the stadium to the other with Camerupt’s hyper beam streaming along after him. Finally Squirtle turned and jumped clear over the beam. With a great roar from Camerupt the beam ended with an explosion in the far corner of the arena. Squirtle was already just feet from Camerupt. He let loose with a full powered hydro pump that sent Camerupt skidding into the ground. Renée recalled her pokemon and threw out another pokeball. A tiny Aron ran toward Squirtle. Squirtle turned and blasted it too with a hydro pump. Aron leapt back to its tiny feet just moments after it landed and began to charge Squirtle once more. Squirtle glared at it for a moment and then his eyes clouded over with a dark light. Purple orbs shimmered into being and started to hurl for Aron. Aron dodged the orbs as they exploded around it. Finally Aron jumped into the air and fired a massive hyper beam that struck Squirtle square in the face. Jonathon quickly switched pokemon for Torkoal. Torkoal blasted Aron with a flamethrower and sent the little pokemon flying. It landed on its side and didn’t get up. Renée recalled it and sent out a Grumpig.
“It’s coming down to the wire now, isn’t it?” Jonathon panted with excitement.
“You’re not gonna win, not in my gym,” Renée heaved hungrily, “Grumpig, psychic!”
“Torkoal, overheat!” Jonathon jeered. Grumpig didn’t even get a chance to attack, Torkoal left off a gush of steam and then a giant beam of flame and heat screeched across the stadium for Grumpig. Grumpig was down for the count instantly.
“You’ve got one left and I’ve got two, there’s no recovering from this one,” Jonathon teased. Renée gave him a pointed look.
“This is my strongest pokemon,” She explained, throwing a shiny, steel pokeball onto the battlefield. It exploded and revealed a Metagross, shining like silver.
“That Metagross is a different colour,” Jonathon noted.
“That’s because it’s an extremely rare breed, I had the egg imported from overseas,” Renée explained.
“Torkoal, fire spin,” Jonathon hurried.
“Metagross, charge your power,” Renée smiled.
“Flamethrower!” Jonathon ordered.
“Keep charging!” Renée shrieked.
“Another flamethrower!” Jonathon panted.
“Blast it!”
“Fire Blast!” Jonathon gasped, “And again!”
Just in time, Torkoal launched a fire blast that shielded the pokemon from Metagross’ charged beam. Then as the dust was settling the second fire blast scored a direct hit.
“Now use Overheat!” Jonathon continued with a laugh. Renée leapt to her feet as she realised it was all over.
“No way,” She breathed, recalling her Metagross.
“I’m a police officer now. It’s my job to be good at this,” Jonathon explained.
“No way…” Renée breathed once more.

It had been good to catch up with his sister and besides the heat and boredom Jonathon was enjoying his new post back in his hometown. Sam was busily restoring her status as the most popular girl in town by throwing parties every weekend and being seen at all the important events. Jonathon was avoiding the public as much as possible.
“You know,” Sam started one sweltering afternoon as she was applying her thick makeup, “You could try digging around for some information on Nick,”
“Excuse me?” Jonathon replied indignantly, “You don’t seem to be doing much research,”
“Don’t I?” Sam shot back. She turned around and pointed a small remote at the wall. The lights dimmed and a projector dropped from the ceiling.
“Where the hell?’ Jonathon exclaimed.
“This is a police apartment, didn’t you figure it was decked out?” Sam scoffed. On the wall projected Nick’s headshot. Lines sprawled from him to pictures of other people, forming a big networked web.
“Nick was battling with Lorelle when he first got back, they were planning to leave for Las Vista when Nick suddenly disappeared the day before departure, Lorelle however still left as planned. She’s only been seen back in town once since then where she was with a tall, built man who spoke with a French accent. He was supposedly her new battle partner and had a Delcatty with similar markings to the Skitty Anita from Villa Town traded me back in high school,” Sam rattled off, images of the people and pokemon she was talking about flashing across the screen.
“Are the Skitty and Delcatty related?” Jonathon asked.
“According to Anita it was Skitty’s only brother, the other one in a two-egg litter,” Sam replied.
“So who was that guy with Lorelle?” Jonathon wondered.
“Anita said she received her Skitty as a gift for getting the scholarship to move her from France, all our guesses is that this guy got the other Skitty for the same reason,”
“We can track him through his Visa,” Jonathon smiled.
“Precisely, and when we find him we can find Lorelle, and then Lorelle should have some insight to Nick being demented,” Sam finished.
“I can’t believe you’re all sticking with this ‘demented’ name,” Jonathon giggled.
“I think it’s cute. Demented… I bet when they hear us calling them that they’ll get really PO’d,” Sam chuckled back. The lights came back on and the screen on the wall was no more.
“So all these parties and stuff, you’ve been collecting gossip and turning it into information?” Jonathon realised.
“Exactly,” Sam nodded, “And now that we have all the information we need, tonight we can just party for the hell of it,”
“And the difference between work partying and fun partying is?” Jonathon pondered. Sam pulled a large bottle of Vodka out from a shelf below the duchess she was applying her makeup over.
“Fun partying I can drink at,” She told him sternly.

“The only Isamine kid who made something of himself!” Sam hollered, toasting Jonathon. Jonathon blushed and spilt his drink. It was nothing to the mess that Sam created a moment later as she dropped not only her glass but the bottle she was clutching also.
“Whoops,” She giggled. The crowd of drunken teenagers laughed and ignored the mess. Jonathon and Sam carried on in their drunken ways until the early morning, finally parading down the street with Skitty and Squirtle darting around their feet.
“Oh my God… it’s just like the old days,” Sam gasped suddenly.
“With Skittle and Squirty,” Jonathon nodded seriously.
“And we’re in Isamine. But you said Skittle and Squirtle, not Squirty and Squirtle,” Sam slurred, pointing at Jonathon lopsidedly.
“I didn’t say anything,” Jonathon retorted. The pair stopped and stared at each other for a moment until Sam clumsily reached forward and pushed Jonathon hard on the shoulder. The two burst into fits of laughter as Jonathon fell forward rather than back and pulled Sam to the ground where they couldn’t get up. Squirtle and Skitty sat on the side of the road embarrassed as a car drove by slowly, the driver staring at the teenagers.
“Just like old times,” Sam hiccoughed.

After an almighty hangover, Sam and Jonathon were telling Jackson everything they had learned in Isamine City. As they told him about the exchange student he seemed thoughtful.
“This is good news, I'll send a helicopter to pick you guys up. Sorry we can't teleport you out with the ghosts but they're busy, anyway; by the time you land in Adelburgh our computer labs should have a location on the French exchange student,” Jackson smiled. “I'll see you in a couple hours,” Sam beamed.
“Bye Jackson,” Jonathon nodded. Sam blew him a kiss as his image faded from the wall.
“Isn't she sweet?” Jean noted, catching a glimpse of Sam's farewell kiss just before the computer screen flickered off. Koffing was floating near her shoulder with a cheery smile on his face. A sweet, rosy scent lingered in the air.
“Jean, why does your Koffing smell like roses?” Jackson asked curiously.
“It's a common misconception that all Koffing smell foul, it depends on the Pokemon's diet. I've been feeding Koffing sludge and waste and it turns the rancid odors into sweet scents,” Jean explained. Jackson nodded slowly.
“And why is Koffing wearing a bow?” Jackson continued.
“Because I think it looks cute,” Jean giggled.
“You three kids are insane, you know that?” Jackson sighed, rubbing his temples.
“But you love us,” Jean beamed with a toothy grin.
“Perhaps,” Jackson chuckled back.
“Jackson, we have a location on that French exchange student,” a voice crackled through Jean and Jackson's radio headsets.
“Go ahead,” Jackson ordered seriously, pressing his earpiece further into his ear. Jean listened intently, stroking Koffing's surface absentmindedly.
“Lucas Davidoff, seventeen years old, holds twelve badges and two ribbons, recently returned to Paris, France. Only yesterday appointed as the Eiffel Gym Leader,”
“Jean,” Jackson hurried, standing to his feet, “prep your team,”
“I'm going to France!” She cheered, jumping on the spot.

“Keep a Pokemon on hand at all times and take Shuppet with you in case you need an emergency extraction,” Jackson told Jean seriously. She nodded, Gardevoir poised for battle beside her and Shuppet circling overhead. Jackson took a step backward and Shuppet's body began to glow brighter.
“Find out everything you can about Lorelle and where she was last headed then report directly back here, no distractions,” Jackson reiterated. Jean nodded as a blinding flash of light erased the image from her eyes. With a loud bang she was standing in a courtyard surrounded by flowers and cheery people. Shuppet faded into thin air, becoming invisible and after a reassuring nod to her trainer, Gardevoir did the same. Jean strolled through the courtyard and into the city square. In the distance she could see Notre Dame glistening on the horizon and dozens of cackling Drifloon floated overhead. A group of Starly were hopping along the ground. A HootHoot peered at her from a tree's upper branches.
“Gardevoir, psywave,” Jean pointed. Gardevoir flickered into reality and aimed her arms at the tree. With a piercing echo of noise the tree branches cracked and fell away, HootHoot plummeting to the ground. Jean hurled a pokeball into the fallen branches and then ran over to scoop up her catch. The pokeball shimmered for a moment and the HootHoot inside was transported back to headquarters. Jean smiled at her newest catch- Jonathon had always wanted a Noctowl, and with a bit of luck Jean could evolve HootHoot before his next birthday. It'd be tricky to keep her possession of a HootHoot a secret though. Maybe she could give the little bird Pokemon to Hannah or Vance to evolve for her, then Jonathon would never know. Jean felt Gardevoir poke her in the back suddenly. She looked up and realized that she had reached her destination. It was the Eiffel Tower, Paris's most challenging Gym. Toward the very top was a large platform where Jean was sure Lukas Davidoff, the Gym Leader, would be waiting. Getting to the top wouldn't be easy, she could already see at least three trainers flying around the tower's lower on their Pokemon and there was no doubt in Jean's mind that the stairwell would be littered with dozens of trainers and Pokemon fighting their way to the leader, determined to knock out any other competition on their way.
“Come on out guys!” Jean cried, throwing her pokeballs onto the stone ground. Grovyle leaped up onto Hariyama's shoulders, Swellow ruffled his feathers and cooed softly. Gardevoir appeared next to Jean with Shuppet floating near her shoulder. Their eyes were all possessed with a steely determination, except Koffing who bounded over to Jean and leapt into her arms.
“Shuppet, get ready in case we need an emergency extraction, Gardevoir stay close to me and Koffing, Hariyama watch our backs, Swellow keep an eye out for aerial attacks, Grovyle run ahead,” Jean commanded. Within minutes she was climbing the giant staircase that curled up to the Gym Leader. Two Furret came bounding over but Grovyle was already firing bullet seeds after them and their trainer, Swellow screeched past Jean's head, knocking a Staravia aside with a steel wing. From behind came a mighty bellow as Hariyama threw his mighty body into a Rhydon.
“This is intense,” Jean breathed. She whistled and lifted her arm for Swellow. The bird Pokemon twirled around in the air and came swooping back to pick Jean up. Jean swung herself up onto Swellow's back, still holding Koffing against her chest. Shuppet was trailing behind her as Swellow carried them higher and higher, Grovyle and Hariyama thundering along the stairwell below them. Jean leapt from Swellow's back and landed in a sprint. She jumped, spinning in the air, and as she landed Grovyle and Hariyama were back inside their Pokeballs. She screamed suddenly as an Ivysaur reared up on its hind legs in front of her, two thick vines whipping out toward her. A shimmering blue barrier pulsated to protect her as Gardevoir reappeared.
“Swellow!” Jean called. Swellow was already diving down from overhead to collect Jean. As she was carried skyward again the Ivysaur's trainer recalled his Pokemon and jumped high into the air, two Misdreavus materializing out of the air. A Misdreavus hovered near each of his outstretched hands and he flew upward, chasing after Jean.
“Gardevoir, hypnosis!” Jean ordered.
“Protect!” The boy called. His Misdreavus protected him from the sleep spell and with a piercing cackle the two ghostly witch Pokemon sped forward, gaining on Jean and Swellow dangerously. Quite suddenly, Shuppet let out a scream and Jean looked around to where the little Pokemon sat, hovering barely a foot from her right shoulder. The little ghost Pokemon nodded to her and then dropped. With a snap Jean's arm shot out and scooped up the little Pokemon, sweeping it into her arms next to Koffing. Behind her, the two Misdreavus slowed down.
“Fly straight to the top,” Jean told Swellow. Swellow turned to fly directly upward, enemy Pokemon swirling around in wide circles. Attacks were cascading all around them. More and more Pokemon were trailing after them, be they ghosts or birds. A Dragonite roared and sent a searing dragon rage crashing past like thunder. Two Haunter were circling Swellow tightly, firing shadow balls in all directions, each one missing a little less than the last. A Pidgeot screeched and blasted a hyper beam that missed and connected with the Dragonite. Shuppet screamed again, the air growing thick and heavy with some thickly presence. Gardevoir appeared to block a psybeam from a Venomoth and then turned about in the sky to shower a trio of Honchkrow with a confusion attack. Jean recalled Gardevoir as a Tropius smashed the Pokemon in the side with a solarbeam. Shuppet screamed a third time, this time in such a pitch that Swellow and Koffing seemed to be in pain. The top platform was only a few yards away now, Swellow's wings were beating harder than ever. Below them, the dozens of trainers were fighting their way to catch her, each one determined to reach the top and defeat anyone they should meet along the way. Jean's nonstrategic break for the top had left the tower in uproar, Pokemon and trainers were battling in all directions now. Dragonite roared by Jean's foot again, Pidgeot fired another hyper beam that only missed by inches. The Haunter were still conjuring shadow balls and the Honchkrow were back in the sky now. Tropius roared back at the Dragonite and showered the entire scene with razor leaves. Suddenly, Shuppet let out the final scream, the highest, most piercing note Jean had heard. Even her own human ears stung with pain as Shuppet's perish song rang across the tower. Swellow stopped suddenly, jerking forward as he fell unconscious. Koffing bounced out of Jean's arms, writhing in pain. Jean turned about, Swellow's body slowing in the air. She made to recall Koffing but the tiny Pokemon exploded suddenly with a great thundering bang. The force of the explosion sent Jean, Swellow and Shuppet higher, their bodies going separate ways. Koffing disappeared into its pokeball, followed by Swellow. Jean reached out and grabbed Shuppet as her body started to drop. There was no point in grabbing the little Pokemon for in its unconscious state Shuppet couldn't even teleport itself from the dangerous fall to the ground, let alone Jean. She suddenly felt her body thud hard onto the metal floor of the topmost platform. The explosion had sent her body sailing through the air high enough to land beside Lukas Davidoff, the Gym Leader of Paris's Eiffel Gym.

A Delcatty hissed at Jean's scorched body. She climbed to her feet, brushing black grime from her long cloak as she did so. Shuppet's little body returned to her pokeball. She only had Grovyle and Hariyama to battle Lukas with, and she knew if she lost the battle then the boy would be much more reluctant to tell her what she needed to know.
“The Gym is closed,” Lukas said sternly.
“What?” Jean stammered. Standing on either side of Lukas were what appeared to be guards, each one clad in black uniform with light blue trim.
“The Gym is closed. That's why there's so many trainers battling downstairs,” Lukas explained. There was a slight note of despair in his voice. Jean couldn't help but get the feeling that something was amiss.
“By Order of the Sky,” Jean demanded, “You will battle me,”
“You'll battle us,” One of the guards said, stepping forward. He was already taking a Restrain Ball from his ball.
“Hillsound,” Jean smiled. Lukas took a few hesitant steps backward as the guards moved toward Jean. Jean threw Hariyama and Grovyle's pokeballs into the arena. The guards sent out two Pokemon each, outnumbering Jean. Two Jolteon and two Leafeon growled at Hariyama and Grovyle. Just as the four dog Pokemon came leaping forward, Lukas's Delcatty screeched louder than anything Jean had ever heard and the enemy Pokemon were struck down from the air and went skidding away across the floor.
“Lukas!” Jean cried. It was too late, the French boy jumped from the platform, his Delcatty leaping after him. Jean ran to where he had jumped and gasped as an enormous Pokemon came roaring upward. Gyarados gnashed its teeth, spraying water all over the platform. Its mighty tail was wrapped around one of the four legs of the Eiffel Tower. The giant beast roared and growled, each mighty breath sending sprays of water in all directions.
“Hold off those guards while we charge our hyper beam!” Lukas called to Jean. Jean turned about, her cloak billowing in the roaring wind. The Jolteon and Leafeon were climbing to their feet.
“Grovyle, bullet seed, Hariyama, seismic toss!” Jean ordered. Grovyle sent blasting streams of bullet seeds careening toward the two Jolteon. Hariyama went bouncing forward, the bulky monster grabbing the nearest Leafeon and hurling it toward one of the guards. The Leafeon and its trainer went soaring over the edge of the balcony. The other Leafeon latched at them with a vine whip and struggled to pull them back up. The Jolteon were cowering back as Grovyle pelted them with bullet seeds. From behind Lukas gave a great shout.
“Grovyle, Hariyama, down!” Jean yelled, running forward, she leapt, pokeball in hand, and joined her two Pokemon on the ground as Gyarados's hyper beam went blasting overhead. Hariyama returned to his pokeball. Jean looked around for Grovyle, but in the blinding white light from the hyper beam she couldn't find her starter Pokemon.
“Grovyle!” She yelled, leaping to her feet as the hyper beam cleared, a mighty explosion rocking from the other side of the platform.
“Sceptile!” Hissed her Pokemon.
“Oh my goodness!” Jean choked, stumbling backward., “Alright! Sceptile, leaf blade!” Jean whooped. She ran after Sceptile as he dove for te nearest guard and slashed his front with a shimmering green light.
“Order of the Sky-girl, time to go,” Lukas yelled from Gyarados's back.
“Sceptile, return,” Jean called as she jumped from the tower and onto Gyarados with Lukas. Sceptile disappeared into the pokeball just as Gyarados pushed away from the Eiffel Tower, its huge body floating higher into the air as it writhed and weaved, snaking upward, Jean caught up in its tail and Lukas perched safely on its back.
“GET THEM!” Nick screamed, “QUICKLY!”

Jean ran as fast as she could, explosions billowing all around her, She grabbed one of Gyarados's fins to steady herself as she ran along his back. The sea dragon snaked his way higher into the air, roaring with a great thunderous cry that threatened to tear the heaven's apart. Jean grabbed at one of the larger fins toward Gyarados's head just feet from Lukas's perch.
“Lukas!” She cried.
“Who are you!?” He yelled back.
“I'm Jean Marco, I'm a member of the Order of the Sky, I came to ask you a few questions!”
“I know, that's why they've been guarding me, they knew you were coming!” Lukas called back.
“STOP THEM!” Someone screamed, flying along below them on the back of a Pidgeotto. There were dozens of Hillsound trainers now, all led by Nick, the very boy that Jean's questions were supposed to lead to.
“EON!” A yelping cry sounded. Jean spun around and her heart stopped as the tiny black fox-like Pokemon was crawling along Gyarados's back. Its eyes were glowing yellow and everything else seemed to be growing darker. The shadows pressed in around Lukas and Jean, burning the light with darkness as Umbreon drew closer, its rancid breath rattling all around them. Jean was paralyzed by the glare, but Lukas jumped forward, throwing a shimmering red-and-brown luxury pokeball that summoned a Blissey.
“Hyper beam!” Lukas ordered. Umbreon blinked quickly and the attack subsided before the Pokemon went bounding away. Blissey's golden beam charging after it. Staraptor flew overhead and Umbreon was gone, but Nick was now running along Gyarados's back, clutching a black pokeball that didn't help Jean's nerves.
“Blissey, heal Jean's Pokemon,” Lukas ordered, grabbing onto Gyarados's fin as the Pokemon turned in the air, roaring in pain as two Pidgeotto and a Pidgeot landed on the Pokemon's side, drilling their beaks into the rock hard scales with deadly force. Lukas pushed himself forward, throwing a pokeball.
“Claydol, defensive spikes!” Lukas commanded. His Claydol swirled around Gyarados's body, launching spikes toward Nick. Nick screamed as he stepped on one and it exploded, sending him flying backward through the air, his blood staining the clouds. Staraptor screeched to the rescue.
“Koffing!” Jean called, throwing a pokeball, “Shuppet!” She added, throwing another.
“Blissey, return!” Lukas called.
“Recall Gyarados,” Jean yelled.
“We'll fall!' Lukas shot back, struggling to stand on Gyarados's back as the giant snake writhed through the air with less control now. A hyper beam smashed into Gyarados's side and the Pokemon roared. Lukas and Jean grabbed onto the same fin, their bodies feeling more and more weightless as Gyarados lost altitude quickly.
“We're going down!” Jean shrieked. There was a sweeping noise and Staraptor was suddenly clinging to Gyarados, digging its claws into the snake's scaly back. Gyarados roared in pain, turning further onto its side. Nick walked toward them with a deadly gleam in his eyes, Gyarados's body now plummeting toward the Earth.
“Explosion!” Jean cried, pointing at Nick. Koffing went sailing at Nick's face and with a great cry flames and smoke erupted all around them, the tiny Pokemon disappearing amidst the turmoil. Jean felt her feet leave Gyarados's body as they fell faster and faster toward the ground. She grabbed Lukas's arm in one hand and with the other recalled Koffing. Gyarados's mighty body exploded into a dazzling bright light and whirled away into the pokeball Lukas was holding.
“Shuppet!” screamed, her voice shrill with fear.
“GET THEM!” Nick hollered once more, his voice cracking. Staraptor was slicing forward through the air, its entire body glowing with a deadly white.
“SHUPPET!”

“Get us out of here!!” Jean screamed as her body landed with a thud on the rooftop.
“Jean!” Jonathon yelled.
“Oh my God, Jackson call the medics!” Sam cried, rushing after Jonathon. The duo had just arrived back from Isamine City and were clambering out of their helicopter as Shuppet teleported Jean and Lukas back to the rooftop.
“It's okay,” Jean panted, catching her breath.
“Thankyou so much,” Lukas said to her, eying her seriously.
“What happened?” Jackson asked, standing beside Jonathon and Sam as they helped Lukas and Jean to their feet.
“Hillsound have been anticipating your arrival in France, they were guarding me,” Lukas explained.
“Jonathon, it was Nick, he almost had us,” Jean said in a panic.
“It's okay, you're safe now,” Jonathon reassured her. Sam rushed forward and hugged Jean. Jackson shook his head.
“How did they know?” Jonathon asked him.
“I don't know. It's impossible,” Jackson shrugged.
“No,” Jonathon growled slowly, “It's not,”
“Where are you going!?” Jean cried, reaching after Jonathon as he made for the ledge. A pokeball flew into the sky and Jonathon was gone, swept into the sky on Flygon's back. Flygon sent a billowing dragon rage swirling high into the sunset and then they stopped, waiting in the sky to see if they'd gotten their message. After ten minutes Jonathon had Flygon send another dragon rage into the darkening sky just in case.
“It's okay, I saw the first one,” Matt drawled, slowly rising up on Scorch's back. Scorch the Charizard was looking fiercer than ever, his eyes consumed by a dark glowing red and his claws stained with blood.
“Someone's leaking information to Hillsound,” Jonathon said, careful not to look in his brother's direction. He still couldn't bear to look at him. He still hated him, whether he was working for the Order of the Sky or for Hillsound or Team Dimension. Matt hesitated.
“Who is it?” Jonathon demanded. His brother still remained quiet. Jonathon turned and looked at his brother, his eyes filled with rage.
“Jackson,” Matt said with finality.


“The Order of the Sky is an international organization. Most Gym Leaders are members of the Order, if they're not then chances are they're a member of Hillsound. Jackson is your country's head of the Order, but every country has their own Order members and leader,” Lukas explained to Jonathon.
“But it used to be Ashley,” Jonathon replied, before Jackson it was Ashley,”
“If the leader is killed then a new leader is appointed by the other country's leaders,” Lukas went on.
“What about Team Dimension, do they have members in other countries?” Jonathon went on.
“Hillsound do, and the Order all around the world knows they're a front for something more sinister, but the public just think they're a wayward charity organization and we keep it that way. It'd incite panic if the world knew we were losing a war,” Lukas responded gravely.
“We're losing?”
“Hillsound had offices in every country before we even suspected they were just a front for Team Dimension. We've only just found out Dimension exist, I don't even want to imagine what else is happening that we don't yet know about,” Lukas sighed.
“And Lorelle,” Jonathon pressed.
“Lorelle is hiding in the deserts near Isamine City. Dimension don't know where, but I can take you to her,” Lukas agreed. Jonathon nodded slowly. He knew he could trust Lukas, but even so he dreaded telling anyone what he was keeping secret.
“Jackson's been demented,” Jonathon said quietly, catching Lukas's eye for the first time and staring intently at him. Lukas nodded slowly.
“The others can't know, they'd freak out,” Jonathon added.
“If he's removed from office you'll take his place, you know that? You'll be in charge of the Order of the Sky in Australia, just like I am in France,” Lukas told Jonathon. Jonathon nodded slowly, his eyes glazed over with disinterest. He was thinking how Jean and Sam would react.
“I'll send word to the other members of the Order, by the time we get back with Lorelle we should have the approval we need to remove Jackson and you can take over,” Lukas said, standing to his feet.
“Dimension will probably follow us to her,” Jonathon said, checking his pokeballs as he and Lukas made their way toward the helicopter on the rooftop.
“It'll make for great training,” Lukas smiled, tossing a pokeball down the corridor. Bagon jumped up and down as the trainers caught up with her. She had a black silk scarf wrapped around her neck and looked to be a high level. Jonathon released Squirtle and he bounded along after them with Bagon, the two chattering away like old friends. In just minutes the helicopter whirred to life and Jonathon and Lukas watched the rooftop sink away with the other skyscrapers as they flew North to the Quistis region, and then west to the deserts of Isamine City, deep into the sandy voids where they finally jumped down from the open side door of the helicopter and ran through the hot dunes.
“We have to approach on foot or she'll hear the helicopter and make to run,” Lukas explained as they trudged through the sands. Squirtle and Bagon were running ahead, looking about in case of wild Pokemon.
“When we find her we'll fly to Isamine and meet the helicopter there,” Jonathon planned. Lukas nodded.
“Squirtle, Bagon, look out!” Lukas cried. The Earth was moving, rearing its huge rocky head and rolling through the sand.
“An Onix!” Jonathon gasped, leaping to the side as the entire dune collapsed. The Onix was enormous, easily the size of several houses.
“Hydro pump!” Jonathon ordered. Squirtle's attack smacked Onix hard and pushed it to turn away from them. The snake thundered away, rolling through the sands with ease.
“Over there!' Lukas pointed. Jonathon followed him toward a rocky outcrop that sat higher than any of the sand dunes around. Bagon and Squirtle got there first and looked out across the desert. As Lukas and Jonathon stepped up to the rocky platform they saw the Empoleon peering over at them from behind a boulder not twenty feet away.
“Empoleon, stand down,” A girl commanded. Lukas and Jonathon smiled as Lorelle came forward from the shadows below.
“Your Piplup evolved,” Jonathon noted.
“I knew you'd come,” Lorelle said sternly, “I just wasn't sure if Nick would come for me first,”
“Believe me, he's been trying,” Jonathon told her, “We've got to get to Isamine and meet the helicopter to take us to Adelburgh, you'll be safe there,”
“Keep your Pokemon out,” Lukas said, scanning the horizon, “They're bound to have followed us,”
“You let them follow you!?” Lorelle stammered, grabbing a pokeball from her belt.
“We didn't have time to be careful,” Jonathon hurried, “Have you got a flier?”
“Gliscor!” Lorelle commanded, throwing a pokeball. Gliscor circled them in the sky and then dropped down to pick up Lorelle. Squirtle jumped up onto Jonathon's shoulder as Flygon came out of his pokeball. Bagon and Lukas were climbing onto Claydol when the three trainers heard the roar in the distance. A mighty Tyranitar lifted its head from the sand.
“That thing's huge!” Lukas yelled, his Claydol spinning high into the air.
“The Pokemon in these parts grow bigger than usual, its the desert conditions,” Lorelle explained. Jonathon looked over his shoulder to check that Lorelle and Lukas were close by.
“Flygon, shield us with a sandstorm,” He ordered. Flygon's sandstorm blocked them from view of the Tyranitar and they quickly flew toward Isamine glittering on the horizon.
“Dimension!” Lorelle screamed, pointing ahead. Jonathon's head darted around and he gasped as he recognized Tropius with Anna riding on its back.
“Flamethrower!” Jonathon pointed. Flygon blasted Tropius hard, but the Pokemon retaliated with a thundering roar and a quick solarbeam.
“The sun out here is too strong, we don't stand a chance against a dully powered solarbeam!” Lorelle panicked.
“Torterra!” Lukas shrieked, pointing to the sands below where a huge Torterra was thundering along, firing razor leaves into the sky after them.
“Squirtle, hidden power!” Jonathon commanded. Squirtle's eyes clouded over and the shimmering purple orbs of Squirtle's dark side went flying in all directions.
“Bagon, you too!” Lukas ordered. Bagon sent a spiral of red orbs toward Tropius.
“Gliscor, quickly!” Lorelle urged. Gliscor flew ahead, its tail pointing straight behind to streamline its speed. Flygon surged ahead, Claydol bringing up the rear. They darted by Anna and Tropius as Bagon's hidden power knocked them about in the sky.
“Damn!” Anna cursed as the trio escaped. She landed in the desert and recalled Torterra. The three members of the Order of the Sky disappeared over the horizon.

“You did it!” Jackson beamed as Jonathon and Lukas walked into the briefing room with Lorelle. Squirtle, Bagon and Gliscor were still out of their pokeballs. Jean suddenly stood to her feet, seeing something in Jonathon's eyes.
“Jonathon, what's wrong?” She asked, taking Gardevoir's pokeball from her belt. Sam remained seated, eying the scene warily.
“Jackson, you've been dismissed from the Order,” Lukas said firmly. Jackson's eyes darted around the room quickly and then stopped, locking with Jonathon's burning green eyes.
“You've been leaking information to Dimension. That's how they knew Jean was coming for Lukas,” Jonathon recalled. Jackson bit his lip with a look of rage. His ghosts started to materialize. There were far more than six, but they'd expected it. Jackson's position gave him the luxury of breaking the law without question.
“Empoleon, Jynx, Pinsir, prepare to defend” Lorelle recited, throwing her pokeballs into the room.
“Blissey, Delcatty, come out,” Lukas added.
“Gardevoir, Sceptile,” Jean put in from behind Jackson.
“This time you're the one outnumbered, Jackson,” Jonathon said blankly. His face was set, emotionless, much like Sam's. Her eyes were fixed on a point across the room where she stared intently, determined not to meet anyone's gaze. Her boyfriend had become the enemy.
“Surrender,” Lukas told him. A smile crept across Jackson's face and then with a loud bang the room was cast into darkness. Jonathon was knocked off his feet, swirling lights and colors went streaming through the air. Squirtle leapt over Jonathon's head with a cry, Gliscor was circling the roof with a hiss, Gardevoir sang out a piercing shriek and almost as quickly as the ferocious battle had begun it was over. The room was flooded with light, causing the trainers, of all whom were on the floor, to squint until their eyes readjusted. Jackson and his ghosts were gone. All except one. A lone Shuppet hovered by Jean's shoulder, a defiant gleam in its eyes. Jean reached up and took it from the air, cradling it in her grasp.
“Shuppet, you stayed,” She droned in disbelief.
“You've got a new friend,” Lukas smiled.
“But we've all got a new enemy,” Jonathon sighed. Sam shook her head slowly.
“I think,” She started thoughtfully, “Somehow, deep down, I always knew. Call it woman's intuition, but I knew there was something about him. Something either incredibly good or incredibly evil,”
“I'm sorry you were wrong,” Jonathon told her with a sorrowed look. She looked away with a shrug.
“It's okay,” Sam replied, “I'm fine... Disappointed, but I'll be okay,”
“I can't go back to Paris until we're sure Dimension won't besiege the Gym again,” Lukas noted.
“You'll be safe here,” Jonathon promised, “Both of you,” He added with a glance to Lorelle.
“Welcome to the Order of the Sky,” Jean beamed to Lorelle.
“I'm very glad to be here,” She smiled, stroking her Pinsir's back.

“Anna's grass types are mostly hybrid duality,” Jonathon explained. His protestations were in vain though for Sam was already shaking her head.
“Which is even more reason you'll need a strategy that features a fire type,” Sam retorted.
“Not if we take advantage of the secondary element,” Jonathon tried.
“Squirtle is strong against Torterra's ground component, but a razor leaf or grass knot will take Squirtle down easily, you know that,” Sam reminded him.
“But Gardevoir's shock wave can take down Tropius because its also a flying type,”
“And Tropius's grass side will resist electric attacks, compensating for the flying weakness,” Sam argued.
“Torkoal,” Jonathon started, but Sam cut him off.
“Isn't anywhere near as strong as Anna's grass Pokemon,”
“Swellow?” Jean suggested from the back of the room they were sitting in.
“He'll be dominant over Torterra's grass and ground specialties,” Jonathon agreed.
“But Tropius's flying type will resist Swellow's attacks,” Sam defeated again.
“Scorch,” Jean said quietly.
“No,” Jonathon said sharply.
“Don't pretend we need him to keep working as a mole, you know as well as I do that Jackson would have blown his cover by now,” Sam scolded.
“We're not recruiting my brother, he used to be one of them!” Jonathon spat.
“We need all the help we can get,” Jean put in.
“We don't need his help,” Jonathon pleaded.
“Koffing,” Sam suddenly announced.
“I'll need to train her,” Jean replied.
“And while you're training Koffing I'll train Torkoal,” Jonathon nodded.
“And while this is going on we're wasting precious time we could save by sending Matt and Scorch after Anna,” Sam sighed, exasperated. If not for Jonathon's stubbornness then she was certain Anna would be history before the end of the day, but alas, hell hath no fury like a teenager with a grudge. Over the next few days Jonathon and Jean went into training with Koffing and Torkoal, and Lukas and Lorelle went north to the Quistis region to where Lorelle and Nick had last visited before he had been demented. It was a tiny town, or more a collection of houses in the middle of the desert, and even as the duo came sweeping over the horizon on Gliscor and Claydol the tiny pocket of life in the baron wasteland seemed to exude an aura of impending danger. The trainers dismounted from their Pokemon on the road that weaved through the small collection of houses. As their feet touched the hard, packed Earth that made up the town's one road the trainers gave each other wary looks, each one as uncomfortable as the other.
“All I wanted to do was collect enough badges to qualify for Pokemon Technical University, but no- some group of manically depressed teenagers had to go all emo on the world and try and kill everybody,” Lorelle cracked, looking genuinely pissed.
“We don't know that they want to kill everybody,” Lukas laughed, “But whatever it is they're trying to do, their methods are wrong,”
“Gliscor, return,” Lorelle murmured, looking about with a sudden scowl, “When Nick and I came through here it was so different,”
“How so?” Lukas asked, recalling Claydol.
“There were children playing in the street,” Lorelle pondered, shaking her head at the desolate town they had landed in, “And Pokemon running all over, this town was so cheerful,”
“It looks like a ghost town now,” Lukas speculated, holding a pokeball aloft with a wary expression.
“Ghost town?” Lorelle repeated quietly. The wind started to swirl and billow, sending dust and sand into the sky. The air around the pair prickled with sinister intent.
“Ghosts!” Lukas gasped. Dropping out of the sky all around the pair were ghosts, more and more with every passing moment. Gastly and Haunter were swirling all around, sneering and jeering, interspersed with shrieking Duskull and cackling Misdreavus. They spun, forming a tornado. High above them in the center of the vortex hung Dusclops encapsulated by a flickering red light. With a pulsing white flash the master of the ghosts appeared before Lukas and Lorelle.
“Jackson,” Lukas growled.
“Jynx!” Lorelle called, throwing a pokeball forth as the ghosts dived for them. Jynx appeared in an almighty bang and threw her arms skyward with a cry. There was a crackling blue light and then a solid dome of psychic energy materialized over the trainers and Jynx, holding the ghosts at bay.
“Claydol, you too,” Lukas said, dropping Claydol's pokeball behind him. Claydol appeared and strengthened Jynx's protective barrier.
“You're hopelessly outnumbered,” Jackson drawled, dressed in a long, flowing black cloak. It dragged along behind him, the collar crisp and stiff, standing upright. Dusclops sank down from the sky, focusing on the protective dome. Jynx and Claydol groaned under the pressure.
“We're done for,” Lukas gasped.
“Not yet,” Lorelle sneered, tossing a pokeball out. A small Pokemon appeared inside the dome.
“Froslass, get us out of here,” Lorelle ordered.
“Dusclops, disable!” Jackson countered quickly. Froslass stared at Lorelle blankly.
“Hold on tight,” Lukas reacted, thrusting an arm out for Lorelle. She grabbed at him with confusion and in another moment they were shooting upwards as Gyarados's pokeball opened and released the giant snake-like beast. Jynx and Claydol clung to the fin behind Gyarados's head while Lukas and Lorelle rode on the giant's skull. The ghosts swarmed upward, chasing them with a piercing shriek. Dusclops and Jackson were quickly closing the gap when Froslass suddenly shrieked and the battle was over. Gyarados landed with an almighty thud on the roof of the Order's headquarters in Adelburgh City.
“That was too close,” Lukas breathed, recalling Claydol and Gyarados.
“Jackson's Dusclops can disable our teleport,” Lorelle cursed as Froslass and Jynx returned to their pokeballs.
“We were right about that town though, Jackson's clearly protecting something,” Lukas recited as they trooped downstairs. Sam was sitting on a desk in one of the media rooms, watching surveillance footage on the projection screen at the front of the room.
“Jackson,” Lorelle explained in one word.
“Excellent,” Sam smiled.
“Excellent? That double-crossing git nearly killed us!” Lukas snorted.
“But we have a lead now,” Sam retorted, “He must be protecting something,”
“Maybe it's their headquarters,” Lorelle pondered.
“Or he just figured we'd go there next and was waiting for us,” Lukas argued.
“Jonathon and Jean are training Torkoal and Koffing to battle Anna,” Sam changed.
“Empoleon's ice beam could help,” Lorelle offered, taking a pokeball from her belt.

“Torkoal, flamethrower!” Jonathon yelled, pointing to Empoleon. Empoleon braced himself as the flames billowed across the training arena and slammed against the huge bird Pokemon.
“Koffing, smog attack!” Jean commanded, filling the arena with burning hot gas. Jonathon coughed and closed his eyes, blinking away tears from the fumes.
“Empoleon, clear it up with water pulse!” Lorelle ordered. Empoleon roared and sent a shimmering pulse of water across the field, piercing the smoke and sending swirls of cloud in all directions. Empoleon fired another orb of water through the clearing smoke, this time hitting Torkoal's face dead on. Torkoal reared backward and sent a searing blast of fire toward Empoleon in retaliation.
“Empoleon, fight back with hydro pump!” Lorelle cried. From within the roaring flames and smoke came a sudden gust of steam and then water, cascading in all directions, ricocheting off the fire blast and showering the arena with water.
“That's what I was counting on,” Lorelle smiled, “Now, Empoleon, surf!”
“Torkoal, iron defense!” Jonathon attempted, but Torkoal was already knee deep in water, and in another moment the Pokemon was swept away in the torrential water that filled the arena in one big wave.
“Koffing, thunderbolt!” Jean laughed.
“Damn!” Lorelle shrieked. The tiny Koffing, bobbing up and down in the water let loose with a crackling thunderbolt of electricity that knocked Empoleon down from his perch atop the wave and into the roaring water with Torkoal. The water sank and petered away, leaving a breathless Empoleon and a knocked-out Torkoal. Jonathon recalled the tortoise with a sigh.
“Koffing, look out!” Jean called as Empoleon lunged forward with a steel wing attack.
“Bubblebeam,” Lorelle continued.
“Poison gas,” Jean countered. The bubblebeam soared over the arena but was lost in the gas and smoke that billowed from Koffing as the little Pokemon swept this way and that over the arena.
“Way to go!” Jean cheered, “Now hit it with your acid!”
“Empoleon, counter attack with your water gun!” Lorelle tried. The acid attack, surprisingly, was too strong and scorched through the water gun easily. Empoleon staggered backward as the acid rained down over him.
“She's pretty strong,” Jonathon commented.
“Koffing, give it another thunderbolt,” Jean whooped. Koffing exploded with electricity once more and sent it careening toward Empoleon.
“Protect!” Lorelle attempted. A shimmering silver wall materialized for a moment in front of Empoleon, but the protect failed a moment later and Empoleon was blasted back next to Lorelle where the larger Pokemon collapsed to the ground.
“Awesome!” Jean cheered.
“Koffing's poison type should give you an edge against Anna's grass types,” Lorelle noted.
“If only we could catch more,” Jean pondered.
“Poison types are hard to find in Sathalia,” Lorelle pointed out, “The city's here are the cleanest in the country,”
“What if we search to the North?” Jonathon wondered.
“The Veronica Region is all mountain and rock, poison Pokemon need marsh and swampland,” Lorelle replied.
“There's a lot of forest area in the Quistis Region,” Jean suggested.
“That's it!” Jonathon yelled suddenly.
“Quistis?” Jean repeated. Jonathon nodded furiously.
“Maybe over toward Villa Town,” Lorelle speculated.
“No, Las Vista,” Jonathon continued, leading the girls toward the door.
“Las Vista? I doubt it, the habitat and the climate aren't right,” Lorelle pointed out.
“No, I know a place,” Jonathon smiled, stepping into an elevator.
“Be back before dawn if you can, Lukas has called a meeting of the Order,” Jean waved as the doors closed.

Jonathon's helicopter dropped him off on the rooftop helipad of the Las Vista Pokemon Center. He walked across the rooftop toward a set of stairs leading inside the building, admiring a Beautifly that fluttered past as he did so. In a flash Jonathon realized that Beautifly was a bug and flying type and could prove useful against Anna's grass types. He spun around to challenge the Beautifly but instead he was greeted by a fierce Charizard.
“Scorch,” Jonathon sighed, “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Hmph!” Scorch scoffed, sending embers from his nose.
“What brings you here, little bro?” Matt jeered as he stepped out from behind Scorch's wing.
“Unfinished business,” Jonathon glowered, turning away from Matt and heading once more for the stairs.
“Scorch, take a nap,” Matt called jauntily, returning the giant dragon to his pokeball. Jonathon had reached the stairs now and was descending into the Pokemon Center.
“And what kind of business are you intending to finish?” Matt carried along, keeping up with Jonathon's quick march through the corridors.
“Mind your own business,” Jonathon drawled, turning a corner suddenly and heading for the elevators as quickly as he could.
“I do mind my own business, so much so that all my business is finished, so if you like I can help you with yours?” Matt smiled. Jonathon stepped into the elevator and turned to give him a sharp and sudden “No.” Just as the doors were sliding closed Matt stuck out an arm and stopped the doors.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jonathon snapped.
“What's wrong with you?” Matt shot back, “I'm offering to help,”
“I don't want your help,” Jonathon scathed.
“Well you might need it. Dimension know you're in town. Hell, everyone knows you're here, it's a bit obvious when a Sathalia Police Helicopter comes flying into Las Vista that it's a member of the Order.” Matt barked, and with that the elevator's doors closed and Jonathon was alone as he dropped to the ground floor.
“Mud!” Came a shout as the doors slid open. Jonathon stepped out into the lobby and was greeted by a Mudkip that bounded over to him and started jumping at his feet.
“Mudkip!” Jonathon cooed. He knelt down and scooped the little Mudkip into his arms. Mudkip nosed into Jonathon's shirt and then leapt from his arms and bounced across the floor until he stopped at his trainer's feet.
“Danyl,” Jonathon smiled.
“How is Sathalia?” Danyl beamed, kissing Jonathon on the cheek.
“Hard,” Jonathon said with a roll of his eyes.
“How's Squirtle?”
“See for yourself,” Jonathon smiled, throwing Squirtle's pokeball over to Mudkip. Squirtle jumped over to Mudkip and the pair ran around in circles for a moment before Squirtle ran toward Danyl.
“I remember this,” Danyl said as he picked up Squirtle and ran his hand over the scar on Squirtle's shell.
“How's Golem?” Jonathon asked.
“Great, he's learned hyper beam now,” Danyl replied, “Squirtle's in top shape, the shell is REALLY firm. He'll evolve any day now,”
“I think he's too stubborn,” Jonathon laughed.
“Like his trainer,” Danyl added with a glance.

Danyl and Jonathon spent the day together, reminiscing about the months gone when Jonathon had gone after the Gym Badges of the Quistis Region. He'd collected all eight badges and then set off for the Veronica Region with Jean, his battle partner. Now Jonathon was the country's leader of the Order of the Sky, and Jean was his number two. Sam was in charge of intelligence, though Jonathon still chuckled at the irony. Lukas, the Order of the Sky leader from France, was staying with them as well, along with Lorelle, whom Jonathon and Sam had gone to school with in Isamine City. The former leader of the Order of the Sky, Jackson, had betrayed the Order and was now with Team Dimension, the sinister group of criminals hiding behind the faux charity group Hillsound. Jonathon's brother Matt, had once been part of Hillsound, but had come round as a spy and was working undercover for the Order until Jackson switched sides and his cover was blown.
“Wow,” Danyl breathed after Jonathon had explained the last few months to Danyl.
“But one day,” Jonathon declared, “One day I'll go back to the Veronica Region and I'll get the rest of those badges,”
“Squirt!” Squirtle added.
“Jonathon Psyches, don't move,” A crisp, sharp voice cracked.
“What the-” Jonathon began, but he was interrupted by a golden light and a loud, sudden humming noise that permeated its way not just into his ears but through his entire body, and he was suddenly paralyzed, unable to move.

Jonathon awoke with a start. His hands were bound together at the wrist by an odd, metallic rope and he was lying on the floor of a small cell with bars along one wall and a window opposite. He jumped to look out the window but saw nothing but water, as far as his green eyes could see. His belt was empty, stripped of its precious pokeballs and the invaluable cargo they possessed. Jonathon cursed under his breath. As he was wondering what had become of Danyl he heard footsteps.
“Well, well, well,” Bekka snarled, standing in front of the bars. Bekka had been the Gym Leader in Towa Bay. Jonathon and Jean had battled her and won and Bekka still hadn't forgotten. She was wearing baggy green cargo pants and a tight black shirt. Her short blonde hair was still sitting up in spikes and just like when they'd first battled all those months ago, Bekka's face was adorned with far too many piercings.
“My friends will come looking for me,” Jonathon threatened.
“Good, I'll enjoy the training,” Bekka laughed.
“Leave him,” Another voice snapped. More footsteps echoed down the hallway and in another moment Anna was pushing Bekka aside.
“Get upstairs,” Anna ordered. With a last lingering smile at Jonathon's predicament, Bekka trudged away. Anna, one of the former Gym Leaders of Las Vista was wearing black pants with knee high black boots and a long, black trench coat over it. Her hair now sat at her shoulders and was dark with just a hint of red thrown across it. Her smirk was still as sinister as ever.
“Where's Danyl?” Jonathon demanded. Anna shook her head and chuckled.
“Don't worry about your friend, his cell is just as roomy as your own,” Anna joked.
“You won't hold me for long,” Jonathon promised.
“We don't count on it. There are special plans for you,” Anna said mysteriously, and with that she was gone. Jonathon threw himself against the bars as he heard a door closing down the hallway and was certain he was alone. The bars were secure, along with the walls and the bars on the window. Though his side was bruised from testing his prison's defenses, his spirit was not, and Jonathon threw himself on the ground, frantically searching for something to help him. Not so much as a sharp rock was left for him to use to escape. There was nothing for it- he was their prisoner. His only hope from herein was a rescue.

Days went by, each one decorated by Bekka's snide commentary as she taunted him through the bars. Anna would return occasionally and glare at him through the bars, goading him to say something but each time Jonathon returned her fierce eyes with his own. The nights were warm and dry, and Jonathon was finding the cool concrete floor not as bad as he first thought. It was late one night that his rescue came from deep below the sea. A Dewgong charged through the water, her trainer clinging tight to her back. Dewgong reared back just before a cliff and shot upward, carrying her trainer high into the air where they grabbed onto a set of bars blocking a window that led into a cell. With expert movement Dewgong was recalled to her pokeball and another, much smaller Pokemon coiled around Matt's shoulders.
“Victreebel, acid,” He ordered. Without effort Victreebel dissolved the bars with a burning purple bile. Jonathon opened his eyes and sat bolt upright. Matt leapt through the window, Victreebel still on his shoulder.
“These ones too,” Matt whispered, pointing at the bars that held Jonathon in the cell. In mere seconds they were hurrying down the narrow stone hallway.
“Anna, he's escaping!” Bekka shrieked suddenly.
“Typhlosion!” Matt yelled, suddenly turning around and hurling a pokeball toward Bekka. Bekka jumped backward and threw her own pokeball forth. With two loud bangs the hallway's occupants were joined by Matt's Typhlosion and Bekka's Machamp.
“Grab it!” Bekka snarled as her Machamp ran forward at Typhlosion.
“Metal claw!” Matt countered. Both with flaming fists, the Pokémon collided to create an explosion that sent Bekka and Matt and Jonathon in opposite directions.
“Typhlosion, seal this corridor!” Matt urged as he stood up from the fall. Typhlosion blasted the roof with crackling fire and soon the boulders and stone came down to barricade Bekka from attacking again.
“My Pokemon,” Jonathon started as Matt pushed him further down the corridor.
“Are upstairs with Anna,” Matt finished, pointing to a set of stairs.
“Danyl,” Jonathon began again, but once more Matt cut him off.
“He's through there, take Victreebel, I'll get your Pokemon from Anna,” Matt said, throwing Victreebel's pokeball into the air.
“Victreebel, acid!” Jonathon ordered, setting Danyl free a moment later.
“Thanks,” Danyl breathed as Jonathon hurried him back to the stairway.
“Don't mention it,” Jonathon smiled back. As they climbed the stairway they could already hear the frightening roars of Scorch. Above the prison cells that Jonathon and Danyl had been captive in had once been a control room of some sort. As Jonathon and Danyl rushed up the staircase they gasped at the debris all around. The roof and much of the walls were destroyed, showing the dark, brooding ocean. The prison was built atop a mighty cliff that was now playing host to a fierce thunderstorm. The once-circular room had been lined along the walls with computers and huge windows adorned with a spectacular view. Now there were pieces of computer dispersed throughout the fragments of roof and wall. A glistening white layer of shattered glass sparkled amidst the flashes of thunder. High in the sky, with the dark clouds and savage lightning looming behind, was Anna with her Tropius beating its four mighty wings hard to keep aloft in the turn of weather. Scorch roared suddenly and with a great effort the giant dragon Pokemon lifted shakily into the night.
“Scorch, keep your head bent low,” Matt yelled as he ran over the rubble. He leapt into the air and landed on Scorch's back expertly. With another roar they ascended to meet Anna in the sky.
“Jonathon, our pokeballs,” Danyl said suddenly, throwing a computer screen aside to reveal a glass-fronted cabinet inside which were the trainer's belts, their pokeballs still attached.
“Victreebel, vine whip!” Jonathon ordered, throwing Matt's pokeball toward Danyl. With a crash their Pokemon were freed- both teenage boys quickly fastened their belts and in one synchronized movement both boy's right arms flew skyward. A glint of red and white and then seconds later Jonathon was soaring into the storm with Flygon.
“Power up with agility!” Jonathon screamed. Flygon began to glow and streaked ahead.
“Altaria, dragon dance!” Danyl screamed, his voice carrying through the rain as it erupted from the clouds and suddenly fell in sheets on the trainers.
“Fire blast!” Matt commanded.
“Flamethrower!” Jonathon added.
“Dragon breath!” Danyl finished, his Altaria adding a cascading swirl of green flames to the two searing red blasts of fire already raging toward Anna and Tropius.
“FLY!” Anna hollered in fear. Tropius rose slowly, the rain and wind weighing the mighty beast down. Scorch's attack hit first, sending Tropius to the side with a groan where Flygon's flamethrower connected with both Tropius and Anna. Finally Altaria's dragon breath exploded on impact and Anna and Tropius disappeared into the explosion.
“Again, fire blast!” Matt started, but Scorch's attack was cut short as a blast of thunder sent both Pokemon and trainer hurtling toward the ground. Waiting on the edge of the cliff on the cool, wet grass was Bekka and her enormous Ampharos.
“We're sitting ducks flying in this thunderstorm!” Danyl gasped.
“Land as quickly as you can!” Jonathon cried, struggling with the storm.
“Thunder!” Bekka snarled. The lightning cracked and banged and with a flash of thunder the sky lit up with another explosion.

“Altaria, catch them!” Danyl whimpered. They hurtled at full speed for the ocean where Jonathon and Flygon were heading. With a swoop Altaria had them, though the slightly smaller Altaria couldn't hold them long. Danyl leaned down from Altaria's back.
“Jonathon, wake up, please, wake up!” He called. Nothing happened for a long moment, Altaria and her damaged cargo began to sink toward the ravage sea below. Finally Jonathon's eyes opened. In a snap he was back in action. Flygon perked up instantly, in sync with his trainer, and the duo were back in the air, Altaria and Danyl beside them. They flew along the water, dodging blasts of thunder from Bekka on the cliff with Ampharos. They still didn't know what happened to Matt and Bekka was making it difficult to get close to the cliff to land. Just as Flygon and Altaria were growing tired there came a massive explosion from the cliff. Jonathon and Danyl surged ahead, taking the opportunity to land. As they did they recalled Flygon and Altaria, to replace them with Mudkip and Squirtle. From the smoke and dust of the explosion came Matt, still straddling Scorch as the mighty dragon lumbered forward slowly. As the smoke cleared further Danyl pointed and Jonathon followed his direction to see two glowing spheres amidst the smokescreen. With a roar the abnormally large Ampharos threw itself onto Scorch and Matt, slamming them into the grass with its huge body.
“Hydro pump!” Jonathon ordered. Squirtle jumped forward and as he landed he opened his mouth to let loose a frothing blast of water that knocked Ampharos clear of the now unconscious Matt and Scorch.
“Earthquake!” Danyl called as Ampharos stumbled backward. Mudkip jumped and pounded the ground as he landed, shaking the clifftop with an Earth shattering rumble. The ground split in all directions, swallowing Ampharos with rock and dust. Bekka screamed as she fell with Ampharos as the cliff fell away from under them, burying them in the savage waters below. Another explosion sent water everywhere as Ampharos grabbed at the cliff and began to climb. With a huge effort Ampharos pulled its body up onto the edge of the cliff and looked up as Mudkip and Squirtle both slammed it in the face with their water guns. Ampharos fell again, this time silently. Water rose into the air with a splash and Ampharos was done for.
“Let's go after Anna,” Jonathon began, grabbing at Flygon's pokeball.
“Pokemon Center,” Danyl panted, shaking his head. Jonathon had to agree, Flygon and Altaria were injured, along with Matt and Scorch.
“MAAA!” Machamp roared, landing on the grassy cliff with a roar. Down in the water, making her way to the cliff, was Bekka clinging to her Seaking.
“Hidden power!” Jonathon called. Squirtle ran at Machamp and let loose a shimmering purple orb that smacked Machamp in the face and sent him teetering to the cliff's edge.
“Earthquake again, send Machamp over the edge!” Danyl told Mudkip. Squirtle darted aside as Mudkip leaped forward, landing with a ground shaking earthquake. Machamp fell to the sea below.
“That's enough!” Danyl cheered, but the ground was still shaking and rumbling, more so as the cliff began to fall away below them.
“Run!” Jonathon yelled, grabbing Squirtle's hand in his own. Squirtle jumped, still holding onto Jonathon's hand, and swung around in the air. Jonathon pulled him close and held him against his chest.
“Hang tight little buddy,” Jonathon whispered as he ran. Squirtle whimpered as they ran, the ground falling away. The prison debris was swirling around them, falling away in all places, huge pieces of grass and rock were rising and falling quicker and quicker.
“Jonathon!” Danyl screamed, pointing back at the rubble and earth as it sank faster and faster behind them, dropping into the deathly waters with growing speed. Amidst the crumbling masses was Matt and Scorch, still down for the count. Jonathon jumped back into the chaos, throwing a pokeball as he did so. Ninjask shot ahead of Jonathon, firing pin missiles in all directions. Pieces of earth and rubble were knocked aside until Ninjask had a clear path. Flying with awesome speed, the bug Pokemon slashed and cut at anything in his way. Finally with a triumphant cry the Pokemon grabbed Matt, lifting him into the air with a struggle and holding him above the dangerous, sinking ground. With a bang the cliff gave way completely and Jonathon, Squirtle, Ninjask, Matt and Scorch were falling to the ground. Jonathon threw Gloom's pokeball next-
“Vine whip!” Jonathon ordered. With four loud cracks, Jonathon was secured to the cliff, and Matt was quickly coming closer, two vines pulling him into the air as the water came closer and closer. Jonathon reached out, shaking in the vines that held him aloft, hanging from the cliff like a rag doll. He grabbed a pokeball from Matt's belt and recalled Scorch just as the water came crashing over the spot he'd just moments ago been lying. Gloom pulled Jonathon and Matt up to the new cliff's edge where Danyl waited.
“Extraction!” Jonathon yelled. He then realized a moment later that Jackson's ghosts wouldn't be here to rescue them this time, Jackson couldn't come swooping in to save the day, the Order of the Sky's fearless leader was now with Team Dimension and the only rescue would be the one they plotted for themselves.
“Come on, we've got to get off this cliff, we'll head north along the coast until we reach Las Vista,” Danyl yelled over the pouring rain. Matt was still unconscious.
“Golem, carry Matt,” Danyl asked as he threw Golem's pokeball. Golem winced as he picked up Matt's soaked body in the pouring rain.
“I know it's raining, but we really need your help,” Danyl apologized. Golem nodded with understanding and walked on, following Squirtle and Mudkip as they led the trainers up the coast through the storm. Jonathon was distraught with guilt. Danyl and Matt were both in this mess because of him. And Matt had warned Jonathon that Team Dimension were after him. If only he'd listened. Flygon, Ninjask and Gloom were all exhausted, along with Scorch and Altaria, and it was all Jonathon's fault. He swore to himself that from here on in the only battles would be had by him. Though this promise was unfounded for within hours they were back in Las Vista, making their way to the nearest Pokemon Center. Scorch, Victreebel, Altaria, Golem, Flygon, Ninjask, Gloom, Mudkip and Squirtle were all taken away, followed by Matt, and then Danyl and Jonathon were forced to wait. It was almost dawn when Jonathon couldn't stand it any longer. He had Torkoal and Lotad still and Danyl had just moments ago gone to help the other nurses so Jonathon set off to fulfill his mission in Las Vista.

It was dark on the rooftop of the old building Jonathon had once lived in. There was rubbish everywhere and the mess stank to high heaven. Jonathon released Torkoal and bent down to pat the Pokemon's scaly head.
“Fire spin,” Jonathon whispered. Torkoal took a deep breath and then let rip a wall of fire. Torkoal arched his neck and turned, throwing flames all around the rooftop until a Muk came oozing forward from a pile of burning leaves and refuse.
“Flamethrower!” Jonathon ordered, but Muk shrank and ducked away from the attack, minimizing its body easily.
“Take down!” Jonathon countered, but Muk retaliated with a much more powerful body slam and the two collided mid-air before falling to the ground where Torkoal tripped. Muk spewed a volume of acid instantly that seared and burned Torkoal.
“Change of tactics,” Jonathon muttered, recalling Torkoal.
“Lotad!” Jonathon yelled, throwing the little Pokemon's pokeball onto the rooftop courtyard that was now alight with flame. Muk let off a potent smokescreen that darkened the scene.
“Lotad, razor leaf, then follow it up with a water gun!” Jonathon ordered. The leaves swirled through the cloudy smoke, slicing the air and clearing away the darkness and Lotad had a clear shot at Muk with his water gun.
“Now, go into bubblebeam!” Jonathon pushed. Lotad's face contorted with concentration. With an explosion of power the bubblebeam formed and slammed into Muk. Jonathon grabbed a pokeball from his belt and threw it, locking Muk inside. Jonathon knelt down and watched the ball twitch from side to side. Finally with a soft ding the ball stopped moving. Jonathon picked it up and smiled. With another ding the pokeball became weightless as Muk was transported to Adelburgh City where Jonathon's seventh Pokemon would await his return. Lotad jumped onto Jonathon's shoulder.
“Good work, buddy,” Jonathon told him, scratching the little Pokemon's chin. Suddenly the sky lit up as the first rays of light from the dawning sun stretched over the sky. The sun lifted over the horizon and with a new Pokemon came a new day for Jonathon.

Back at the Pokemon Center all had finally come well. Matt was back on his feet, he was in fact in the gardens out front with Scorch. Danyl was inside, watching through the front windows. Golem, Mudkip and Altaria were around him, all admiring Scorch the Charizard. Jonathon appeared on the road, hurrying back to the Pokemon Center. Danyl watched the two brothers talking in the gardens, Lotad on Jonathon's shoulder. The doors to the Pokemon Center were thrown open and Squirtle came bounding out, leaping into Jonathon's arms. Jonathon released Torkoal to join the others as Flygon, Ninjask and Gloom came running out of the center next.
“Your Ninjask is quite the Pokemon,” Matt complimented, “It has strength, with some training it could be quite a powerhouse,”
“What kind of training?” Jonathon asked.
“Hardcore training,” Matt replied, “In the mountains,”
“Scratch that, I've got to get back to Adelburgh and go after Anna,” Jonathon declined.
“I'll take him,” Matt offered. Jonathon looked at Ninjask for a long moment, the little bug looked back at him with steely determination. Ninjask was strong, even as a Nincada it had been strong, it was also one of the first Pokemon Jonathon had caught and he couldn't bear to think of saying goodbye.
“Take my Scyther while I train Ninjask,” Matt offered, throwing a bright green pokeball to Jonathon. Jonathon placed it on his belt and tossed a pokeball to Matt.
“Ninjask, you're going to go and train with Matt for awhile, okay? You'll be safe with him, make sure you do everything he tells you,” Jonathon told Ninjask. Ninjask nodded and fluttered over to Matt, then the little bug quickly turned around and flew back to Jonathon. The bug grabbed onto Jonathon's face, holding on tight.
“Ninjask!” Jonathon gasped, struggling to get free, “It's not forever, just a few weeks,”
“A month,” Matt reassured.

Back in Adelburgh City, Jonathon landed on the rooftop with Flygon and went downstairs to find Muk right away. Jonathon's headquarters in Adelburgh had an entire floor where the Pokemon were free to roam through a massive garden. Sam's giant Seaking floated in a massive aquarium along one wall. Loudred was watching curiously while Skitty slept. The HootHoot Jean had caught to evolve for Jonathon's birthday was sleeping in a tree next to Jean's Aipom, hanging by its tail from a low branch. The elevator opened and Jonathon walked into the garden, Squirtle at his side.
“Muk!” Jonathon called. Muk came gurgling forward from the fallen leaves of a nearby tree.
“Listen Muk,” Jonathon started, lowering to his knees so he was eye-to-eye with Muk, “I need your help to battle with some criminals. One of them uses grass-type Pokemon, do you think you can handle it?”
“MUK!” Muk yelled, slinking away.
“I promise I'll take you back to Las Vista after the battle,” Jonathon tried, but Muk yelled again and dove back into the leaves.
“You wanna stay here instead?” Jonathon wondered. Muk stuck her head out from the leaves and nodded.
“Okay,” Jonathon decided, “If you battle Anna with me then you can stay here as long as you like,”
“MUK!” Muk bellowed. She seemed to like this offer and nodded continuously until her head sank back into the leaves.
“Jonathon Psyches to the debriefing room,” An announcement requested. Jonathon sighed, rolled his eyes, and stood up to leave. His extended absence was going to take quite some explaining...

Koffing swept onto the stage, purple smoke flowing behind her in as trail that gave the illusion she wore wearing a dress. She twirled and poured more smoke, this time a faint lilac colour, and with a flick the smoke parted and revealed Koffing, her coat glistening in the lights.
“Moving onto the second round tonight for sure is Jean and her Koffing, what unexpected beauty! How rare a sight!” The announcer boomed. Jean waved to the crowds and walked offstage with Koffing.
“I knew you'd be a natural!” Jean cheered to Koffing, hugging her tightly. Koffing smiled and closed her eyes.
“Those are the pairings for the next round Koffing,” Jean pointed out, “We're up against another girl. I wonder what Pokemon she has...”
“Excuse me, are you Jean Marco?” A lady asked.
“Yes, why?” Jean replied, Koffing peeking over her shoulder.
“Your battle is about to start, you need to come this way,” The lady hurried, guiding Jean through a door and down a hallway. Jean stepped through a door and saw the tunnel leading out to the arena.
“Wow... So, Koffing, this is it,” Jean breathed. Koffing floated by Jean's shoulder and they stepped through, out into the arena to the hundreds of screaming and cheering fans.
“This is a little full-on,” Jean quivered. Koffing didn't seem to notice though, she seemed to glow with pride as she floated onto the stage where the battle was to be set. Music blasted and the announcer introduced the other coordinator. Mandy Heartlan was her name and she was battling with a Turtwig.
“Go!” Cried the umpire, and Koffing and Turtwig were off.
“Koffing, smokescreen, then poison gas!” Jean cried. A black smog filled the stage, and then a dark purple cloud pierced through.
“Turtwig, razor leaf!” Mandy countered. Leaves sliced through the air, clearing the smoke.
“Koffing, acid!” Jean shot back. Koffing hit Turtwig hard in the side of the head with a stream of acid, then added in a tackle that knocked Turtwig to the ground.
“Vine whip!” Mandy ordered. Turtwig grabbed Koffing and held her still with his vine whip.
“Thundershock!” Jean cheered as loud as she can. Koffing exploded with electricity and the crowd roared. The flashing lightning bolts streamed along the vines and blasted out in all directions as they collided with Turtwig. The little grass turtle was no match for the poison ball, Koffing had beaten Turtwig in a matter of minutes and the crowd roared their approval. Jean was going onto the finals with Koffing. As she jumped with joy something caught her eye. Koffing exploded with light.
“No, Koffing, don't self-destruct!” Jean cried, but she was blinded by the dazzling light. With a feminine moan the light faded and in Koffing's place sat a silky smooth and lavender scented Weezing.
“And Jean's Koffing evolves into a Weezing right in time for the finals of Adelburgh City's Crown Church Ribbon!”

Jean was worried. As she sat backstage with Weezing she quickly went over all her training for the contest, realizing that most of her tactics were suited for Koffing, but not so much Weezing. Weezing would be slower, and was easier to hit than the spritely Koffing. Weezing seemed to sense this and nudged at Jean's shoulder. She looked at Jean with a determined face.
“We can do this,” Jean agreed quietly. Weezing nodded. The crowd was cheering. The announcer introduced them. The doors opened, lights flooded their eyes- the stage awaited...

“Weezing, take to the stage!” Jean cheered. From a great explosion of purple smoke came Weezing, spiraling through the air with a glowing swift attack following behind.
“And Jean's challenger tonight- Andre Alexander!” The announcer boomed.
“Clefable!” He called, “Time to shine!” He threw a ball that seemed to glow. As it flew onto the stage it got brighter and brighter until Clefable formed from the light and landed on the stage with a chime. The crowd went wild.
“This is it ladies and gentlemen! Challengers! Go!” The announcer roared.
“Weezing thundershock!” Jean yelled.
“Clefable, you too!” Andre countered. The blasts of electricity collided in the air and fizzled out.
“Smokescreen, then poison gas!” Jean recited. Weezing went into action, enveloping the stage in smoke.
“Double slap it away!” Andre retaliated. Clefable waved her arms furiously and the smoke started to thin.
“Pound it!” Andre called as he caught sight of the Weezing in the parting smoke. Clefable belted Weezing over the head and Weezing yelped.
“Toxic!” Jean roared. Weezing spun and splattered the area around her with foul smelling sludge. Clefable was still close from the pound attack and she was caught in the stench. Her eyes watered and the fairy Pokemon stumbled backward.
“Acid!” Jean continued. Weezing lunged forward, spraying Clefable with burning acid. Clefable fell over backward.
“Hyper beam!” Andre fought.
“Sh!t,” Jean squealed. Weezing looked fearful for a second, but then grinned with determination. She was going to try it. In perfect unison the two Pokemon opened their mouths and roared. Jean gasped as Weezing fired off a glowing golden beam of light. The hyper beam surged toward Clefable. It was twice as big and sliced through Clefable's weaker Hyper Beam with ease, then exploded as it struck Clefable in the front, sending dust and smoke everywhere. The crowd roared, the announcer bellowed, Jean's knees began to shake- they had done it. The Crown Church Ribbon was theirs. The umpire handed Jean a ribbon, then pinned an identical one to Weezing. Weezing smiled, tears streaming down either side of her face. Jean left Weezing out of her pokeball all the way back to headquarters, both of them showing off their ribbons proudly. Weezing was letting off a soft lavender scent as they walked through the garden were their Pokemon stayed.
“Who's Muk is that?” Jean said aloud.
“MUK!” The Muk bellowed.
“Jonathon's back!” Jean cried, jumping into the air. She grabbed Weezing and ran back to the elevator. Running down a hallway she caught sight of him in the debriefing room.
“Where have you been?” Jean asked, smiling as she walked in the door.
“I was worried sick!” Sam panted, standing in the room already with Jonathon and not looking quite as happy as Jean.
“Lukas is in a meeting, but he's glad you're safe, he said he'll be back in an hour or so,” Lorelle said as she walked into the debriefing room past Jean.
“Congratulations,” Lorelle said to Jean with a smile.
“Thankyou,” Jean beamed back.
“Good work Weezing,” Jonathon nodded.
“Dimension had Jonathon and Danyl locked up in a prison on the Quistis Region Coastline,” Sam told the group.
“How did you get out?” Jean asked.
“Matt rescued us,” Jonathon said with a smile, “He's training my Ninjask in the mountains for a month. I have his Scyther too,”
“Oh Jonathon!” Sam whimpered, moving forward. She hugged Jonathon dramatically and whimpered away sentimentally.
“We have some leads you may want to see,” Lorelle told Jonathon. Jonathon nodded and awkwardly moved across the room, prying himself from Sam's grip. She followed after him sniffling.
“Jackson was guarding this- the entrance to a mine that connects to several others in the area. Deep down this particular passageway there's a larger cavern, when we visited the town, Nick went to train near the mines, I'm sure he would have gone exploring in the tunnels, this larger cavern could fit a building, what if there's something down there that made him demented?” Lorelle told the group, pointing at several maps of the small town where Jackson had attacked Lukas and Lorelle.
“Wait- Nick's a jerk, that's why he's Demented,” Jonathon argued, “He didn't find a building and sign up for the Demented club or anything, he's just demented,”
“Jonathon, after we left that town he was funny. It was like he was a different person,”
“Regardless,” Sam interrupted, “We should check this out because Jackson's guarding it so it's clearly important,”
“Fine,” Jonathon conceded, seeing reason.
“We'll brief the operation as soon as Lukas gets back,” Lorelle told the group.

“We can only take three Pokemon?” Jean repeated skeptically.
“It was an idea from the US. They've been using the Snag Balls since the beginning of the year. If any of their Pokemon are stolen then you can capture them with these. Each of you need to carry three Snag Balls with you, that leaves room for three of your own Pokemon. Snagged Pokemon can't be transported through the Pokemon Transport System so you need to have room in your party to carry them, otherwise the Snag Ball won't work,” Lukas explained. Jonathon took three Snag Balls and placed them on his belt. He had to take Squirtle, Flygon and Gloom's Pokeballs from his belt to fit them and soon felt his Pokemon's pokeballs lighten as the Pokemon inside were transported to the gardens. Lorelle was thinking carefully about which Pokemon to remove from her party whereas Sam and Jean had already pinned the Snag Balls to their belts. Lukas seemed to have done so before the meeting, and stood up to leave as soon as Lorelle placed her now-empty pokeballs on the table.
“So what was the contest like, tell me everything,” Jonathon said to Jean as they walked through the corridors.
“It was incredible, there was this girl, Mandy, she had a Turtwig and a guy called Andre with a Clefable, and I saw someone using a Lotad in the preliminaries- why don't you come along next time, Lotad could use some exercise,” Jean answered.
“Gloom would get so jealous,” Jonathon laughed.
“I was talking to Mandy after the contest actually, she's looking for a Lotad because her Turtwig prefers battles to contests so she's got him up for trade,” Jean told Jonathon.
“Do you think Lotad would be happier with Mandy?” Jonathon asked Jean with a stern look.
“No, but you can't use Lotad in contests or you'll upset Gloom,”
“So? Lotad doesn't want to do contests,”
“What if he does?” Jean argued.
“Trading is good, it strengthens the Pokemon's bond to its original trainer, so it grows stronger,” Lorelle piped up.
“Check out your brother's Scyther,” Lukas added, “You'll notice he performs quite spectacularly,”
“That's because my brother's a good trainer,” Jonathon retorted, even surprising himself. The group went quiet, all smiling to hear Jonathon defending his once-estranged brother.
“Here we go,” Lukas eventually said as they stepped out onto the roof and into the helicopter waiting for them.
“Jonathon, they're waiting for you to give the order,” Sam nudged after the group had been sitting for a short while.
“Oh,” Jonathon realized, “Lift off... er, go... go to the Ghost Town,”
“Smooth,” Jean scoffed. The helicopter lifted off amongst giggles from the entire group and they shot away, over Adelburgh City, north to the Ghost Town.

Jonathon and Lukas jumped from the helicopter first. They ran down the side of a grassy hill and ducked into the bushes. Lukas signaled back to the helicopter and Sam, Jean and Lorelle followed.
“Gliscor, scout overhead,” Lorelle ordered, throwing Gliscor's pokeball into the air.
“Skitty, dig though to the underground!” Sam ordered, throwing Skitty's pokeball.
“You too, Bagon,” Lukas chimed in. Gliscor returned a moment later with a smile.
“Looks like Jackson didn't notice us arriving,” Lorelle reported.
“We're through,” Sam announced, scooping Skitty up in her arms as Lukas put Bagon on his shoulder. Jonathon had released Squirtle and let him ride on his shoulder and Jean was walking alongside her Gardevoir. Lorelle and Gliscor crept into the tunnel last and they trekked down a long winding cavern until they finally came upon the mine tracks. Small railway lines along the tunnel floors had once helped to transport ore from the underground, now they looked like fossil. Jonathon led the group along the tracks until they reached a fork.
“Lorelle,” Jonathon cued, knowing Lorelle was the expert explorer.
“Left tunnel,” She replied electronically.
“Keep your Pokemon on guard,” Lukas warned defensively. Jonathon smiled. They walked for what felt like hours through the tunnel until the roof sank so low they had to bend over and crawl their way over a small ledge and out into the larger cavern. It was big enough to fit a tall building, huge walls of rock and stone that arched as they rose until they met in a domed roof. The rock itself looked ancient, pre-historic even, and the air was stale and rank.
“Uh, guys?” Sam stuttered, pointing across the cavern. On the furthest wall from them was a mountain of skeletons. Bones that seemed to have been collected for thousands of years, the bottommost ones looking to have fossilized.
“The freshest ones are at least a year old,” Lukas called out as he stepped closer to the towering pile.
“What on Earth is this place?” Jean wondered out loud, gazing up at the strange markings on the wall.
“This is a nest,” Jonathon spoke up, now standing in the center of the cavern. He turned around, looking up from all angles.
“The ground!” Sam gasped, pointing to the ground toward the wall.
“I can't believe we didn't notice,” Lorelle wondered out loud. The ground, though hard and earthy, curved up around the sides like a bird's nest.
“What lived here?” Lukas pondered.
“A giant bird,” Jean replied with a smirk.
“Well duh, but which one?” Lukas retorted.
“There was grass here... It must have covered the entire floor... Then rotted away,” Jonathon mumbled distractedly.
“Whatever bird lived here, we need to find it,” Lukas declared, “Jackson must be looking for it too,”
“Speaking of Jackson, we need to go before he figures out we're here,” Sam worried.
“Move out!” Jonathon ordered with a snap. The group squeezed their way into the tiny crevice they'd emerged from and began the long journey back through the mine. Jonathon couldn't stop wondering- What Pokemon had once nested in the cavern deep below the Earth?

“Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Lugia, or Ho-oh,” Lorelle told the group, the legendary bird all displayed on the screen behind her.
“It could have been any of them,” Jean sighed.
“If it was Articuno then it'd have migrated to the southern islands by now,” Lorelle reasoned. “And Zapdos would have followed the storm season south,”
“Moltres would be on its way to the mountains for winter,” Jonathon remembered from school.
“Team Dimension must have captured whichever Pokemon lived there,” Sam suddenly spoke up.
“How do we know which one they've caught?” Jean queried.
“Whichever one's no longer in the wild,” Lukas smiled.
“I call Articuno,” Jonathon snapped, spinning around to Lukas with a smile.
“Fine with me, I want Moltres,” Lukas replied.
“Zapdos owns,” Lorelle ******.
“Now hold on!” Sam cried, “Are you three actually gonna go hunting the legendary birds?”
“Jackson's waiting at one of their nests, what if he's waiting for the bird to come back so he can capture it?” Jonathon reasoned.
“And with his ghost army he stands a good chance of capturing it,” Lukas warned.
“We need to make sure they don't go back to that nest,” Lukas continued.
“And since we don't know which of the three birds hibernates in that underground nest we'll just have to go after all three,” Jonathon finished.
“Okay, okay,” Sam conceded, “Jean and I will go back to Adelburgh and keep Dimension off your backs while you make sure those birds are safe and make sure they don't go back to the underground nest,” Sam told Jonathon as he, Lukas and Lorelle hurried into the hallway.
“Awesome, see ya,” Jonathon shot back as he made a beeline for the nearest balcony.
“Flygon!” Jonathon said, holding a pokeball over the edge and letting it burst open.
“Claydol!” Lukas seconded, holding his pokeball out in the same fashion.
“Gliscor!” Lorelle finished. The three trainers leaned over the balcony's edge until they fell, the wind sweeping their hair back against their heads and sending their jackets flapping out wildly.
“Scor!” Gliscor grunted. Lorelle was gone, curving away to the side and over toward the stormy south-end of the Sathalia Region.
“Doll!” Claydol chimed, taking Lukas suddenly toward the mountains on the horizon.
“Fly!” Jonathon heard from nowhere. He felt his body lurch to the side, then the wind almost tore him from Flygon's back as the Pokemon flew with extreme speed all the way to the coastline. Flygon slowed to a stop as Jonathon pulled back on his neck gently.
“Articuno is gonna be a lot tougher than any opponent we've faced yet,” Jonathon told Flygon.
“Squirtle, are you ready?” Jonathon asked, letting Squirtle out to ride on Flygon's back. Squirtle gave Jonathon a thumbs-up.
“We're all in this together, right guys?” He cheered. Squirtle and Flygon cried out with determination, the other pokeball on Jonathon's belt rattled and shook. Scyther exploded out of its pokeball and flew alongside Flygon as the trio shot away for the Southern Islands. This was going to be their greatest adventure yet!

“So this is Mount Volpit,” Lukas breathed, recalling Claydol at the foot of the mountain. There was no use trying to fly to the mountain's summit, the forest that led up the side of the mount was filled with savage wild Pokemon, it would be too easy for one of them to shoot Claydol out of the sky with a hydro pump or fire blast.
“Okay Bagon, listen up,” Lukas began, switching out Claydol for Bagon, “The Pokemon on this Mountain are all high level and very savage,”
“Bay, Bay” Bagon nodded.
“We need to get to the summit as fast as we can,” Lukas explained. Bagon turned to face the dark, looming forest, the mountain reaching up overhead.
“Let's go!” Lukas yelled, punching the air. Bagon leapt up and the two sprinted into the forest. They ran past a group of Exeggcutor and jumped over a running stream filled with Poliwag and Poliwhirl.
“Flamethrower up ahead, Bagon!” Lukas ordered. Hanging over their path ahead were thick vines. With a growl, Bagon launched a glowing flamethrower that burned the vines away.
“Tangrowth!” Came a roar.
“Fire blast!” Lukas countered as the Tangrowth came down from the trees above, vines ;lashing in all directions.
“Take it down!” Lukas urged. Bagon released a mouth full of burning hot flames. The Tangrowth yelped and receded back to the foliage overhead.
“Dragon rush!” Lukas ordered. He grabbed onto Bagon and held tightly as Bagon charged up. With an explosion of light and sound Bagon started to run, piercing through the forest with ease. Bagon leapt, taking Lukas into the air with her. She landed, her silk scarf bouncing around her neck, and Lukas felt his feet touch down on the rocky hard surface of Mount Volpit.
“They should call it Mount Vulpix,” Lukas laughed as he saw two cute baby Vulpix dive behind a boulder.
“Don't worry, I'm not here to battle you, Vulpix,” He promised.
“NINE!” Their mother scathed, leaping over the boulder and roaring.
“BAY!” Bagon yelped, jumping backward.
“Earthquake!” Lukas quickly shot. Bagon struck both hands onto the ground and the mountain started to shake. Ninetales's eyes darted around and then she bounded away, her Vulpix following her. The mountain continued to shake and smoke started billowing out from the summit.
“Claydol, let's move!” Lukas bellowed, throwing Claydol's pokeball. Claydol started to spin its arms, preparing to take off. Bagon and Lukas jumped onto Claydol and held on as tight as they could.
“Let's go, Claydol!” Lukas commanded. With a trail of dust and smoke, Claydol shot up the mountain.
“LAIR!” Lukas heard to his side. A Lairon was running alongside them. A glowing hyper beam started to charge in Lairon's mouth.
“Bagon- dragonbreath!” Lukas pointed. Bagon jumped onto Claydol's head and shot a glowing green blast of fire that sent Lairon rolling away, the hyper beam shooting skyward.
“Skarmor!” A Skarmory clanged, diving from the clouds with glowing wings.
“Rock throw,” Lukas quickly battled. Bagon's eyes glowed white and loose rocks from the mountain lifted up and flew after Skarmory. The bird turned and changed its course, flying away from the rocks, and in turn- Lukas. A Rydon came thundering down the mountain toward them a second later.
“Psychic, Claydol!” Lukas urged. Claydol turned upright and blasted Rydon out of the way with a psychic attack.
“Now- use your psybeam!” Lukas continued. Claydol sent Rydon away, rolling down the mountain in a cloud of smoke and dust.
“There! A cave!” Lukas pointed out. Claydol shot forward, diving for the cave just as a Golem rolled down from overhead. Inside the cave, Lukas recalled Claydol and ducked with Bagon in the shadows as the Golem went rolling by the cave's opening.
“Bagon, deep inside this cave is the legendary bird Pokemon Moltres, we need to make sure it doesn't go back to the underground nest or Jackson will capture it. The best way to do this is to capture it ourselves, don't you think?” Lukas asked. Bagon looked up at him for a long time and then shook her head slowly.
“We'll set it free though as soon as we stop Jackson and Team Dimension,” Lukas promised. Bagon considered this for a long pause and then nodded quickly with a smile.
“So you're with me, Bagon?” Lukas cheered. Bagon jumped up with a cheer. The sudden outburst caused a Golbat to flutter down from the cave ceiling.
“Shadow claw!” Lukas ordered. Bagon leapt forward and swiped a glowing purple claw over Golbat's face. Golbat flew out the cave's entrance in a hurry. The cave lit up suddenly with a bright light.
“Bagon!” Lukas gasped, crawling forward to grab the little Pokemon. The silk scarf fell to the floor. Lukas picked it up and held it in his hands as Bagon evolved into Shelgon.
“Shel!” Shelgon coughed. Lukas smiled.
That's my girl,” He beamed. Shelgon ran ahead down the tunnel with Lukas hot on her feet. The tunnel was narrow and winding, their was no light at all and Lukas had to trust Shelgon's senses as they traveled through the pitch black cave. From far up ahead Lukas saw a small glowing light. He picked up his pace, hurrying further through the cave, Shelgon running now to keep up. The orange light grew brighter, long streaks of light were piercing the tunnel now, it was as bright as daylight until Lukas stepped out of the tunnel and onto a ledge overlooking the volcano deep inside the mountain. Far below them was the pool of bubbling, steaming magma. Across the pit they could see a bigger ledge with a family of Magmar and Magby on it. A giant Magmortar sat on a boulder and watched over them.
“CAW!” Moltres shrieked from above. Lukas jumped backward as a flamethrower scorched the ground he'd been standing on a moment ago. Moltres was sitting atop a pile of rocks and bones just a few ledges above them.
“Claydol, give us a hand,” Lukas called, throwing Claydol's pokeball. Claydol flew around the volcano once to draw Moltres's fire away from Lukas and then picked up Shelgon and Lukas and flew them up to a ledge where they were level with Moltres.
“Moltres!” Lukas yelled. Moltres ignored him and sent ravaging fires in all directions. As the hot wind swept over Lukas he braced himself before realizing the fire spin had circled around both Moltres and he and his Pokemon, hurting no-one. Flames engulfed Moltres for a moment and then they parted, Moltres now covered in a glowing, searing, enraged fire. The legendary Pokemon was powered up to the tooth, Lukas knew he had no chance of capturing it.
“Moltres, there are some bad trainers waiting at your other nest. They're going to capture you and use you for evil. If you come with me I can protect you!” Lukas shouted over the raging fire from all around.
“GAYOOOO!” Moltres screeched. The fires grew stronger, burning the rocks black. Flames engulfed Moltres once more, and as they parted they formed a burning face with two crooked eyes and a jagged mouth. With another explosion of flames the face flew at Lukas, changing into a long burning sword of raging fire.
“Shelgon, dragonbreath!” Lukas roared. The flames exploded in all directions, obscuring Lukas's vision. Lukas knelt down, coughing through the smoke. Fires swirled all around him, the smoke stung his eyes. Suddenly, Shelgon was at his side. Green fire joined with the red fire and they intertwined with one another, spiraling upward. Moltres fire was drawn away by the dragonbreath. As the two streams of fire exploded overhead Moltres took flight, shooting flamethrowers down from overhead.
“Shelgon, protect!” Lukas countered defensively. Shelgon raised a glowing blue shield and the fire bounced away from Lukas.
“Fire blast!” Lukas ordered. Bagon threw a burning beam of fire up to strike Moltres on the wing. Moltres dropped lower in the sky.
“Dragonbreath!” Lukas added. Moltres countered with a flamethrower and once again the two attacks exploded inside the volcano. The explosion billowed smoke all across the volcano until a great rumbling came from far below. Moltres shot upward, blasting the ceiling with a flamethrower. The Volcano's top exploded and the smoke gushed into the sky. The lava deep below bubbled and surged upward. Lukas leapt into the air and was carried skyward, pointing after Moltres as Salamence roared and screeched.
“Hyper beam!” Lukas screamed. Moltres looked back over its shoulder and let out a caw as the glowing golden beam smashed into it from behind. Moltres fell through the air but then with a single bat of its wings was back in the air, facing Lukas with a scowl. In another second the fire was everywhere again and Lukas clung to Salamence as she tried to fly through the spinning vortex of fire.
“Use your twister attack!” Lukas coughed through the smoke. Salamence reared back and then let loose a ravaging tornado that pierced the fire and slammed into Moltres, sending the bird Pokemon spinning away, falling toward the ground. Out of the smoke and embers came a glowing white shape that swooped at Salamence. Moltres's sky attack struck Salamence hard, sending the Pokemon backward through the air.
“GRAB IT!” Lukas roared. Salamence swung back into action, diving forward in the air and grabbing Moltres by each wing.
“Seismic toss!” Lukas yelled. Salamence spun in the air, swinging Moltres around in a wide circle.
“NOW!” Lukas bellowed. Salamence threw Moltres down to the Earth where it crashed with a huge explosion.
“Earthquake!” Lukas urged, wrapping the black silk scarf around Salamence's neck as they flew down to where Moltres struggled to stand. Salamence pinned Moltres to the ground and roared in its face. The ground tore apart, huge boulders and rocks reaching up through the grass. Moltres screeched in pain until its body suddenly burst into flames. The flames swirled up and through the air then with an explosion of more fire Moltres was suddenly high above them, sending a flamethrower raining down over Salamence. Salamence took off again, flying upward, as the flames showered down on Lukas's back Salamence turned, flying upside-down to protect Lukas.
“Dragon rage!” Lukas bellowed. Salamence turned around and blasted a blue flamethrower into Moltres's attack. Moltres darted away, but Salamence was close behind. Over the forest they flew, Moltres sending flamethrowers back into Lukas's face. Salamence ducked and weaved through the firefight in the sky.
“Gyarados, hydro pump!” Lukas ordered. He threw Gyarados's pokeball and the giant sea serpent appeared in the air, flying alongside Salamence. Gyarados sent water shooting through the sky, covering Moltres's body with water. Moltres dropped lower in the air, it tried to counter with a feeble flamethrower that petered out in the air before it struck Gyarados.
“AGAIN!” Lukas hollered. Gyarados darted ahead, this time blasting Moltres with a hydro pump from close range. Moltres fell down into the forest.
“After it!” Lukas pointed. Gyarados and Salamence flew down into the trees. Lukas jumped off of Salamence's back and stopped in a clearing. He looked around for Moltres but it was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly Moltres was overhead, flames rained down from the sky. In another moment Gyarados was wrestling Moltres into the clearing.
“Gyarados, hold it down,” Lukas cried, grabbing for another pokeball, “Delcatty, sing!”
“MOL!” Moltres screeched. Delcatty leapt up onto Gyarados's back as Gyarados pinned Moltres to the ground. Delcatty let out a piercing screech and a shimmering white ring shot out of her mouth and engulfed Moltres. With a loud ringing noise Moltres fell into a deep slumber.
“Go!” Lukas cheered, hardly able to contain himself as he threw an Ultra Ball at Moltres. Moltres disappeared and the ball fell to the ground.
“Moltres-you're mine!” Lukas cried, throwing the pokeball into the air and catching it. The ball split open in his hand, releasing Moltres with a flash of light. Moltres stood still for a moment, a look of rage on its face, and then with a roar not befitting such a bird Pokemon it blasted Lukas with a flamethrower.
“Hydro pump!” Lukas attempted, but Moltres was already in the air and Gyarados's hydro pump missed.
“Hyper beam, all of you!” Lukas commanded, leaping backward and out of the flames. Salamence flew above Moltres and blasted it with a hyper beam, Gyarados shot up and hit Moltres from the side, as Moltres fell to the ground Delcatty blasted it with a third hyper beam. Lukas threw another Ultra Ball and Moltres disappeared inside. The ball shook and shook, harder and harder until with a great splintering crack the ball split apart into a thousand tiny pieces and flames reached out in all directions. Moltres shot into the air. Lukas jumped onto Salamence's back and took off after it, recalling Delcatty and Gyarados as they followed Moltres in hot pursuit.
“This is a lot harder than I thought it's be,” Lukas cursed under his breath as they flew into the setting sun.

“Who'd have thought, Squirtle,” Jonathon said quietly as they flew through the blood-red sunset, “that one day we'd leave Isamine City, become head of the Order of the Sky and then chase after the legendary Articuno,”
“Squirtle, squirt!” Squirtle replied with a smile. He pulled a carrot out from inside his shell and started to crunch away loudly. In the distance were the Southern Islands, sitting on the horizon like little pebbles in a puddle. As the islands drew nearer Jonathon could only see ice and snow atop one of the island's giant mountains.
“There!” He cried, pointing Flygon in that direction.
“Fly!” Flygon grunted. They shot forward for the island, faster than before. Flygon fluttered down to the snow and Jonathon jumped down, Squirtle perched on his shoulder.
“Flygon, return,” Jonathon ordered, drawing Flygon back into his pokeball.
“Okay Squirtle, it's me and you now buddy,” Jonathon smiled. He pushed onward, through the snow. The sky was dark now and the wind was blowing snow in all directions. Jonathon looked closely at the map on his Poketch. He walked on through the snow and wind with Squirtle through what must have been a mile of snow until the pair of intrepid explorers reached a cave. Jonathon checked the Poketch map and smiled- this was the cave.
“Alright Squirtle, this is it!” Jonathon whispered into the snowy night. They stepped inside the dark cave and walked until the tunnel fell into pitch black.
“Torkoal, ember,” Jonathon said quietly, throwing Torkoal's pokeball. Torkoal lit the tunnel up with a scattering of embers on the ground. Jonathon reached all over until he managed to find a large, thick stick. He stabbed the stick into Torkoal's embers and carried the burning torch onward through the tunnel with Torkoal at his side and Squirtle on his shoulder. A rustling sound met Jonathon's ears.
“Squirtle, bubblebeam!” Jonathon cried as a Zubat came flying at him. Squirtle jumped from his shoulder and blasted the little bat out of the sky. Jonathon grabbed a pokeball from his belt and threw it at Zubat.
“Gotcha,” He grinned, placing the ball on his belt. The pokeball chimed and became weightless as Zubat was transported back to the Garden.
“Good work, Squirtle,” Jonathon beamed. Squirtle nodded proudly and climbed back up onto Jonathon's shoulder. The trio crept through the tunnel further until the snowstorm outside appeared again through a small opening in the mountain. They stepped out into the snow. Jonathon recalled Torkoal and hurried through the snow as fast as he could. A small cluster of trees stood next to another cave. Jonathon made for the cave but was stopped in his tracks by a small head that stuck out of the snow suddenly, blocking his way.
“Snover!” The little Pokemon barked.
“Squirtle, hydro pump!” Jonathon ordered, jumping backward as Squirtle leapt down from his shoulder.
“SNO!” Snover argued, throwing a cloud of razor leaves at Squirtle. Squirtle dove into the snow for protection and then leapt up to pelt Snover in the head with a hydro pump.
“Bubblebeam!” Jonathon continued. Squirtle changed attacks seamlessly and Snover went rolling through the snow.
“Torkoal, flamethrower!” Jonathon countered as Snover sat in the snow, dazed by Squirtle's onslaught. Torkoal's pokeball flew through the air before splitting open to release the fire tortoise. Torkoal billowed fire all over Snover. Snover jumped into the air, tiny fires all over its body.
“Skull bash, Squirtle,” Jonathon yelled. Squirtle ran forward and slammed Snover in the back with his head. Snover fell face first in the snow.
“Pokeball, go!” Jonathon cheered, throwing a pokeball at Snover. Snover gave him a feeble look before disappearing into the ball. With the pokeball back on his belt, Snover was transported to the Garden with Zubat.
“Torkoal, return,” Jonathon finished. Squirtle was already back on his shoulder as he stepped into the next cave. The cave carried downward until Jonathon was struggling not to fall over as he and Squirtle struggled through the cave. Finally the ground leveled out as the roof of the cave opened up and the sky became visible. The snowstorm overhead was calming down now and the moon high above sent glittering beams of light down to the snowy mountainside. A tiny Pokemon was singing further up the mountainside. Jonathon and Squirtle gave each other an excited smile and hurried to follow the sound. It was a tiny little Wooper, singing in a high pitched voice.
“Gloom, I choose you!” Jonathon called, throwing Gloom's pokeball. Gloom appeared with a dazzling flash and gave Jonathon a smile.
“Wooper! Let's battle!” Jonathon cried. Wooper turned around slowly, curiously eying up Gloom. Wooper spat a bubble in Gloom's direction and then bounded away.
“Vine whip!” Jonathon countered. Gloom shot a vine to grab Wooper's foot.
“Razor leaf!” Jonathon besieged. Wooper shrieked as it was struck twice by the cloud of leaves, then the little Pokemon struggled free from gloom's vine and sprayed Gloom hard in the face with a jet of water.
“Petal dance!” Jonathon argued, trying not to laugh as Gloom flailed around in the water, looking severely unimpressed. Gloom slammed Wooper again and again with stream after stream of petal dance attacks and then jumped back as Wooper fell to the ground. Jonathon threw a pokeball and Wooper was his. Gloom ran over and picked the pokeball up from the glistening snow. She handed it to Jonathon and he placed it on his belt where it too became weightless.
“Gloom, thanks,” Jonathon smiled, returning Gloom to her pokeball. He followed a trail that wound through the trees and further up the mountain. A waterfall was roaring in the distance. Squirtle jumped down from Jonathon's shoulder and ran ahead to the sound of the waterfall. He knelt down and looked at his own smiling reflection in the water. Squirtle's head plunged into the water and then out again. Squirtle shook the icy cold water off and jumped up onto Jonathon's shoulder.
“Feel better now?' Jonathon asked. Squirtle giggled and nodded. A jet of water came shooting up and smacked Squirtle in the face, knocking him down from Jonathon's shoulder. Jonathon darted to the side as a Cloyster came shooting for his head.
“Squirtle, hidden power!” Jonathon shot quickly, falling down into the snow and landing hard on his back. Squirtle blasted Cloyster with a set of shimmering purple orbs. Cloyster sent a crackling ice beam after Squirtle. Before Jonathon could react Squirtle conjured his own ice beam and sent it streaming into Cloyster's where the two ice beams exploded.
“Way to go, Squirtle,” Jonathon cried, “Now skull bash!”
“Squirtle!” Squirtle jeered, lunging at Cloyster. Cloyster went flying back toward the water.
“Surf it, Squirtle,”Jonathon cheered, jumping to his feet again. Squirtle ran for the water and dived in. The surface churned and bubbled, Cloyster's head stuck out from under the water, its eyes darting around with concern. The water rose suddenly and Squirtle lifted above to ride the wave. Cloyster rolled through the water, knocked this way and that, Squirtle dove from the wave as it subsided and tackled Cloyster underwater. A huge splash soaked Jonathon's shoes and huge icy pillars came shooting up from under the water. Squirtle lifted out of the water, standing atop Cloyster's body as it rested on a chunk of ice. Jonathon threw yet another pokeball.
“Doing good, Squirtle,” He smiled as he put Cloyster's pokeball on his belt.
“I hope Zubat, Snover, Wooper and Cloyster are having fun back at the Garden,” Jonathon told Squirtle. Squirtle smiled as if to reassure him that they were and then pointed to a cave behind the waterfall.
“Always behind the waterfall,” Jonathon cracked.

Lukas and Salamence were flying through the air, hot on Moltres's tail.
“Dragonbreath!” Lukas ordered. Salamence blasted Moltres, but only caught its wing. The giant bird turned in the air and sent a spiraling fire spin to trap Salamence and Lukas inside. Moltres made to escape but Salamence blasted through the fiery vortex with a flamethrower and the fire spin redirected and followed Salamence's flamethrower to connect with Moltres.
“Claydol, psychic!” Lukas commanded, throwing Claydol's pokeball into the night sky. Claydol flew around Salamence once and then shot forward, sending a shimmering purple wave of psychic energy after Moltres. Moltres dropped lower in the sky, struggling against the attack.
“Gyarados, hydro pump!” Lukas added, throwing another pokeball. Gyarados socked Moltres with a hydro pump and the bird flew down into the forest below, ducking into a clearing. Claydol landed first and blasted Moltres with an ancient-power that sent Moltres back through the trees, flames cascading around it. Gyarados lunged down to bite Moltres as Lukas and Salamence landed in the clearing.
“Delcatty, hyper beam!” Lukas called, jumping from Salamence's back and throwing Delcatty's pokeball. Delcatty darted through the trees, letting out a piercing shriek as it jumped high over Moltres and blasted the giant bird with a hyper beam. Claydol and Gyarados reared up and did the same, smashing a crater into the earth were Moltres struggled at the bottom. Salamence stepped forward, roaring triumphantly. She charged the attack, glowing gold orbs circling her head and combining to form a glowing orb that sent an explosive hyper beam that pelted trees and rocks everywhere. Lukas shielded himself behind her wing. As the dust and smoke cleared Moltres was still, quietly groaning at the bottom of the crater. Lukas threw his pokeball and waited. Salamence, Delcatty, Gyarados and Claydol peered into the crater, watching the ball twitch and shake. It sat still for what felt like an eternity, then twitched once more before finally lying still and chiming to signal Lukas's catch. It was done. Moltres was safe from Team Dimension.

Sam strolled through Adelburgh City, her Skitty at her feet. It had been the first chance she'd had to take Skitty for a walk in almost a week and Skitty was loving the rare chance to explore the city streets. A park up ahead seemed the perfect spot for Sam to sit while Skitty bounded through the flowerbeds and chased her tail. As Sam watched Skitty play two young boys were throwing a ball back and forth. They eyed Skitty jealously.
“You boys will get your own starter Pokemon from your parents soon,” Sam told them with a smile.
“No we won't,” One of the boys said sadly.
“Do you know how expensive starter Pokemon are?” The other boy asked Sam.
“Starter Pokemon are cheap, the government has a subsidy scheme that keeps prices low,” Sam replied curiously. The boys shook their heads slowly.
“Not in Sathalia,” The first one said, “There used to be a scholarship program that gave out starter Pokemon but the people who organized it aren't around anymore.”
Sam sat quietly and thought about this for a long time.
“Skitty, come on,” She called, standing up to leave. Skitty bounced over and followed Sam back to headquarters. Sam was in the Garden stroking Skitty's fur and throwing berries mindlessly to the other Pokemon when her Poketch rang.
“Sam, it's Jean,” Jean cracked through the speaker.
“I'm here, what's up?” Sam replied.
“Mind if I enter another contest?” Jean asked, “I'll have my Poketch switched off for about an hour,”
“No problem, call me when you're finished up at the contest,”Sam told her.
“Sure,” Jean answered before hanging up. Sam dawdled through the halls back to her office and sat down at her laptop. She logged onto the InterDex and looked up the Starter Pokemon Subsidy Scheme she'd spoken to the boys in the park about and sure enough discovered that the Sathalia Region didn't promote the scheme. As for the scholarship the boys had mentioned, Sam was pleased to see the program only needed someone to organize it. Sam held her Poketch up and smiled as she dialed the number to call the scholarship program.

Behind the waterfall the cavern went deeper and deeper into the mountain, so deep that Jonathon had to use Torkoal's ember attack to light another torch. Finally the tunnel opened up into a large cavern with a hole in the ceiling that let in enough light for Jonathon to see the two tunnels leading in opposite directions. He and Squirtle first took the one on the left but it led to an empty room. As they made to leave they were stopped by the sound of movement high above them. As they both looked upward a tiny Pokemon fell down and landed on Jonathon's head, scratching and biting as it did so. Squirtle batted the tiny thing away and Jonathon quickly recoiled, holding his face for fear of injury. He wasn't bleeding but his head throbbed with pain. Squirtle blasted the attacker with a water gun. Jonathon looked at the splashing water and realized what had attacked him.
“A Torchic...” He murmured, “In these parts?”
“Torchic, Torchic!” The little chick Pokemon squeaked. Jonathon threw a pokeball and Torchic was caught easily. Jonathon shrugged and he and Squirtle went back into the larger cavern and went through the second tunnel. The tunnel was long and cold, Jonathon started to shiver as they went further and further into the mountain. The roof of the tunnel arched upward, ice and snow clung to the ceiling and hung in colorful, magnificent shards. The ground became slick and shiny until the tunnel opened up in all directions to reveal a large cavern filled with ice and snow. Colors danced through the ice and snow. Three Zubat flew overhead and far across the chamber, sleeping peacefully in a giant nest was the mighty Articuno.
“Articuno,” Jonathon noted. Squirtle's face set into a determined stare. The two crept across the icy floor. As they were halfway to the sleeping legend's nest something grabbed onto the leg of Jonathon's jeans.
“Sno?” A little Snorunt asked.
“Shh!” Squirtle told it. The tiny Snorunt looked up at Squirtle oddly and then let go of Jonathon's leg and followed along on tip toe.
“Squirtle, use your hidden power to wake it up, then hit it with a hydro pump before it can fly away,” Jonathon breathed, his voice barely audible. Squirtle nodded and climbed down from Jonathon's shoulder carefully. As he quietly came closer to Articuno the little Snorunt ran ahead, light-footed and silent, and the little Snorunt jumped into the nest with Articuno. Articuno's eyes shot open. It looked at the Snorunt as it lifted its wing, colours reflecting off it beautifully. With one sweeping motion it batted the Snorunt across the ice chamber. Snorunt hit the wall with a loud, echoing thud. Jonathon spun to see that it was okay, but in this wasted moment Articuno was in the air. It let out a shrill, piercing note and the ice all around the chamber shattered and fell, crumbling away like dust. Powdered snow filled the air, Jonathon couldn't see, and then the moon was shining down from the sky.
“The roof was made of ice,” Jonathon gaped in awe, seeing Articuno flying directly upward through what was once the roof of the cavern but was now open sky.
“SNO!” Snorunt bellowed, shooting an icy wind after Articuno. Articuno lunged to the side but the attack still grazed over one wing, making it difficult to fly any higher.
“Squirtle, hidden power, now!” Jonathon ordered. Squirtle jumped into the air and hung there, levitating mysteriously. The Dark Hidden Power shot toward Articuno, purple lights dancing all through the sky.
“Gloom, acid attack!” Jonathon added, throwing Gloom's pokeball. Gloom pirouetted and then sprayed acid up at Articuno. Articuno didn't bother to dodge the attack, but grimaced when it struck, underestimating Gloom's strength. With a shriek the bird hit Gloom with an ice beam. Jonathon recalled Gloom as she moaned in the cold.
“Torkoal, you're up!” Jonathon called next. Torkoal let out a gush of steam as he appeared.
“Fire blast!” Jonathon ordered, pointing to Articuno. Articuno swooped down toward Torkoal, trying to attack with a Steel Wing before the fire blast came.
“NOW!” Jonathon bellowed. His voice echoed up to the stars as Torkoal sent Articuno into the ground with a fire blast. Articuno leapt up onto its scraggly feet and blasted Torkoal at close-range with an ice beam. Torkoal staggered backward and then retaliated with a flamethrower. It smashed Articuno in the face, sending it backward into the air. Articuno shook its wings and caught itself in the air before flying for Torkoal once more, this time connecting the steel wing attack and sending Torkoal into the ground.
“Overheat!” Jonathon ordered. Torkoal let off steam again and blasted Articuno in the chest with a glowing, searing hot overheat attack. Articuno shot an ice beam back just as the overheat subsided and Torkoal was down for the count.
“Damn it,” Jonathon cursed, returning Torkoal to his pokeball, “Scyther, let's see what you can do!”
“Scyther!” Matt's Scyther growled, leaping into the fight. Scyther jumped off of the rocks and into the sky, darting around Articuno with a double team technique.
“Slash attack!” Jonathon cried. Scyther darted in from all directions as it circled Articuno and slashed again and again.
“Turn it up with fury attack!” Jonathon recounted. Scyther hit faster and harder, surrounding Articuno with attacks. Suddenly though, Articuno shrouded itself in a cloud of mist and Scyther missed the next attack. As Scyther looked through the mist for Articuno the giant bird flew at him from behind and grabbed him in its talons. Articuno's beak flashed with light and it smacked Scyther hard in the chest with a drill peck. Scyther fell into the ice and snow below.
“Scyther return,” Jonathon ordered, but Scyther ignored him and flew back into the air, brandishing its scythes.
“Guillotine,” Jonathon commanded. Scyther drew its blades together and reefed them apart over Articuno's chest. Articuno fell back in the air but then lunged forward with a cry and smacked Scyther down again with a wing attack.
“SCIZOR!” Scizor screeched as Scyther disappeared in a blaze of white light.
“Metal claw!” Jonathon smiled. Scizor obeyed and sent Articuno falling into the snow.
“Flygon, flamethrower!” Jonathon cheered, throwing Flygon's pokeball. Flygon flew over Articuno's body and blasted it with a flamethrower. Scizor jumped onto Flygon's back and then jumped high into the air, as it fell toward Articuno it spun and as it landed it struck Articuno with another metal claw that drove Articuno deeper into the snowy earth.
“Fire blast, Flygon,” Jonathon continued. Flygon landed next to Articuno as the bird sprung back up and smacked it in the side of the head with a fire blast. Articuno went skidding across the ground. It jumped up and bent down low to send a searing ice beam over the battlefield that froze Scizor still. Jonathon recalled Scizor and threw his last Pokemon into the battle.
“Muk, poison gas!” He cried. Muk sent foul purple smoke in all directions. Articuno coughed, as did Squirtle and Flygon, but as the smoke cleared Articuno was panting heavily.
“Acid!” Jonathon continued. Muk showered Articuno with acid and the bird Pokemon collapsed, its body rising and falling with each heavy breath as it lay, defeated, in the snow.
“Articuno, you're mine,” Jonathon smiled, throwing a pokeball. It shook back and forth to the same rhythm as Articuno's labored breathing until finally Squirtle jumped down from Jonathon's shoulder, ran through the snow, and bent over to inspect the pokeball.
“We did it, Squirtle,” Jonathon sighed, “We actually did it,”
“SNO!” Snorunt jeered. Before Squirtle could pick up Articuno's pokeball the tiny Snorunt came skidding through the snow and scooped it up before trying to run away into the night. It's hopped along on its tiny feet, darting through the snow until Jonathon reached down and picked it up.
“That's mine, Snorunt,” Jonathon told it with a smile. Snorunt frowned as Jonathon took the pokeball from its hand.
“Here, you can play with this one,” Jonathon smiled, handing Snorunt an empty pokeball. He placed Snorunt back in the snow and put Articuno's ball on his belt. As it became weightless like the others he heard the unmistakeable sound of a Pokemon disappearing inside a pokeball. Squirtle handed Jonathon Snorunt's pokeball.
“Not a bad haul,” Jonathon told Squirtle. Squirtle nodded proudly.
“Flygon, let's get out of here!”

It was late morning and Jonathon was the first one to arrive back at headquarters. He walked through the sliding glass doors into the lobby triumphantly, holding a glistening light blue pokeball he'd bought from the PsyMart on his way back. Inside the blue pokeball was the legendary Articuno. Rather than rapturous applause the receptionist looked at Jonathon blankly. He put the pokeball back on his belt and stepped into the elevator.
“Not the response I was going for,” Jonathon mumbled as the doors opened onto the office level. He walked down the hallway, noticing Jean's empty office. Lukas and Lorelle's offices were empty too. Sam was on her Poketch talking to someone in her office. Jonathon waited until she hung up the phone with a cheery smile.
“You're back!” She beamed, jumping up from her desk to run over and hug him.
“Articuno's safe,” Jonathon told Sam, holding up the blue pokeball.
“So is Moltres,” Lukas reported, walking up behind them. He had Moltres in an orange pokeball.
“Any word from Lorelle?” Jonathon asked. Sam shook her head.
“She shouldn't be too much longer,” Lukas shrugged. Sam's Poketch started to ring.
“Jean,” She answered.
“Hey, Weezing and I won another ribbon!” Jean crackled through the Poketch.
“Awesome! Good work!” Sam complimented.
“I'm bringing someone back with me, we'll be there soon,” Jean replied. She'd bought Mandy with her, a young girl she'd battled in the last contest she'd won. After the introductions Jean turned her attention to Jonathon.
“Mandy's having problems with Turtwig,” Jean told him, “He's more of a battling Pokemon than a contest Pokemon,”
“Jean said you have a Lotad, I was wondering if you wanted to trade?” Mandy asked sheepishly.
“Lotad likes contests,” Jonathon reasoned.
“Why don't you take her to the Garden and talk to Lotad about it?” Jean suggested. Jonathon agreed and led Mandy to the Garden.
“Wow!” Mandy cried, looking around at all the Pokemon. Aipom was jumping from tree to tree, Jean's HootHoot was perched high up in the branches of the tallest tree. Cloyster was lying in the grass, eying the other Pokemon suspiciously. Snorunt ran up to Jonathon and hugged his leg. Snover waddled over too, smiling happily.
“Lotad!” Jonathon called. Far across the garden Lotad was playing with Torchic in a small cluster of bushes. Lotad came running over and jumped into Jonathon's arms.
“Lotad, this is Mandy, she wants to enter you in some contests,” Jonathon explained. Lotad jumped up and down in Jonathon's arms with excitement.
“That means you'll be coming with me instead of staying here with Jonathon,” Mandy told Lotad, bending down to look him in the eye. Lotad stopped jumping and thought for a moment.
“So do you wanna go with Mandy?” Jonathon asked. Lotad jumped over into Mandy's arms, smiling. He looked back at Jonathon sadly for a moment but then turned back to Mandy and smiled again.
“Turtwig, come on out!” Mandy called, holding a pokeball out and letting it open to release Turtwig.
“Turtwig, I know you like to battle so if you want you can go with Jonathon instead of competing in the contests with me,” Mandy said gently. Turtwig looked at her plainly then closed his eyes, grunted, and turned to face Jonathon.
“Good luck,” Mandy said to Jonathon, “And thanks for Lotad, I'll take good care of him,”
“No worries. He'll be great in the contests,” Jonathon smiled, “And don't worry about Turtwig, I'm sure I'll be able to handle him,”
“We have a problem,” Lukas said urgently, marching through the Garden with Delcatty. He threw his other pokeballs away into the grass and Salamence, Claydol, Gyarados and Blissey joined the other Pokemon in the Garden.
“Mandy, I'll see you later,” Jonathon rushed. He hurried over to Lukas and they disappeared into the elevator.
“My other Pokemon arrived from Paris this morning,” Lukas told Jonathon.
“Great, what's the problem though,” Jonathon asked.
“Lugia,” Lukas answered simply.
“I had a feeling this would happen,” Jonathon sighed.
“Belt up and meet me on the roof,” Lukas told Jonathon as he stepped off the elevator and headed for his office. In moments they were climbing into the helicopter, both in black combat suits with their pokeballs strapped across their chests. Jonathon's black gloves shone under the bright lights of the helicopter's searchlights. The night sky lit up and the helicopter darted away, flying for the coastline. Far out beyond the horizon, deep in the ocean's vastness was a great beast, writhing through the sky, hurling storms and ravaging tidal waves in all directions. Snow was swirling through the night as the helicopter flew over the ocean. Lightning crackled impossibly within the blizzard. The helicopter exploded and three Pokemon flew into the sky from the flames, carrying unscathed trainers. A Pidgeot fell away, taking the pilots to safety, but Flygon and Salamence roared and pushed on, braving the bitter winds. They shot skyward and pressed over the clouds into the calm sun. The light grew brighter as if sensing their presence and in moments they were burning, the sun lashing flames down on them. Fireballs circled dangerously., Flygon and Salamence darted this way and that to avoid as much as they could. Flygon darted back into the clouds with Salamence not far behind. Through the snow and thunder they fought, braving the ongoing assault of hail and dodging paralyzing bolts of thunder in their path. Finally the storm came to a calm and their in the center of the chaos was the still Lugia, eying them with malice. The bird's eye pulsated, each ridge on its back shaking violently.
“LUUUUU!!!” It screeched, summoning an aeroblast. With a piercing crack the beam of light was blazing before them, Flygon and Salamence flew to either side, each just missing the attack. The night sky exploded with light as the battle begun. Suddenly, from nowhere came another shriek, a different creature was furling through the night sky, its blue head lolling to the side lazily as it fired a blinding hyper beam that curved beyond Flygon and Salamence and struck Lugia in the side. Riding on Latios's back was a young girl with a kindly looking girl with deep green hair.
“It's about time someone else got here,” She called to the boys with a smile.
“Who are you?” Lukas coughed, rolling through the air with Salamence to dodge another aeroblast from Lugia.
“Good work, keep enticing it to use aeroblast and it should tire out pretty quickly,” She replied, and then- “Oh, I'm Cheryl, I thought you'd know that already,”
“How would we know who you are?” Jonathon asked, weaving behind Salamence as Lukas ordered a protective barrier that shielded them from Lugia's hydro cannon. Latios and Cheryl flew in a large loop around Lugia, all the while pelting its hide with a bubblebeam until they were floating in the sky beside Jonathon and Lukas, riding atop their Pokemon partners respectively.
“I thought you two were from the summit?” Cheryl confessed with a scowl.
“No, I'm Lukas Davidoff, this is Jonathon Psyches, we're from the Order of the Sky,” Lukas told Cheryl. Her jaw dropped suddenly.
“We'll talk after we calm the beast of the seas, I dunno about you two but I don't fancy being turned to ash,” Cheryl quickly recomposed, flicking her green hair out of her face and shooting away with Latios, darting so close to Lugia it struck its wing out to attack her but missed and ended up rolling through the air. Cheryl used Lugia's mistake to her advantage and Latios blasted the monster with a glowing psybeam. Lugia retaliated instantly, but the scorching aeroblast missed Latios and instead struck Flygon square in the chest. Jonathon clung to Flygon's neck as his Pokemon swayed in the sky, rocking back slowly. The pair began to fall silently, Lugia rising over them as the battle faded into the clouds. Jonathon's hands were already moving, grabbing at pokeballs from his belt. Flygon disappeared and without thinking Jonathon threw the ice blue pokeball that contained the legendary beast he had only recently acquired. Somehow Jonathon knew Articuno would obey him, though his heart still pounded in his ears as he reached out and placed his hands on its back and pulled himself closer. Articuno gracefully swept its wings outward and the swirling clouds and lashing rain that had encompassed Jonathon as he fell toward the ocean below suddenly calmed.
“Lukas, get behind it!” Cheryl pressed, circling Lugia as quickly as she could on the back of her Latios.
“Salamence, dragon claw!” Lukas charged, roaring forward with Salamence. Lugia turned just in time to brace for the attack but the beast still barked in protest as Salamence gouged its cheek with a flaming claw. Lukas smiled at first, but in the split second it took him to do so Lugia had followed suit, smiling as it lunged forward and bit Salamence's neck hard, the blue markings on its body suddenly glowing brightly.
“Get away from it!” Cheryl cried as Latios covered Lugia's back with a bubblebeam. Salamence was trapped by Lugia's mighty jaws, Lukas could only watch as the light grew so bright they engulfed him and Salamence.
“Lukas!” Cheryl screamed.

Articuno lifted its head above the clouds and let loose a cataclysmic ice beam. Lugia dropped a few feet in the air.
“That's the way a Legend Summit trainer does it!” Cheryl cheered.
“Legend Summit trainer?” Jonathon repeated. Before Cheryl could explain Lukas was sweeping overhead with Moltres, showering Lugia with flames. Latios blasted the beast with a crackling hyper beam and finally Lugia closed its mouth and floated still in the air. The other three legends circled around it slowly. Suddenly water was upon them, closing in from all directions. A great twister came spiraling up and consumed the group. Articuno folded its wings up to protect Jonathon and then with a cry it flung them outward, shaking itself free from the twister. As Jonathon shook his head free of the water he'd only moments ago been drowning in he found that Lugia had gone. Moltres was beside him, carrying Lukas on its back. Cheryl and Latios flew closer to look at them.
“You two aren't members of the Legend Summit are you?” She asked seriously. Jonathon and Lukas shook their heads in unison. Cheryl's face became pale.
“Follow,” She said sternly.

The Legend Summit was a collection of extraordinary Pokemon trainers, each one so extraordinary in fact that they had captured a Pokemon of legendary status, thus granting them entry to the Legend Summit. Cheryl and her Latios had been members for almost three years. As she led them through the sky toward an island so far out to sea that no one could ever accidentally come upon it she explained about the Summit. The island was so small that it consisted only of one rocky mountain and atop the rocky crag was a set of stone pillars and monuments, all oddly shaped and coloured. Latios dropped from the sky and slowed down until the Pokemon landed gently on the mountain top. Articuno and Moltres let their new masters down just as gently and retreated back to the mountain's cliff edge where they nestled down into the grass quietly. Latios was perched on one of the stone pillars and watched Cheryl protectively.
“Buck, this is Jonathon and Articuno,” Cheryl started, “And that's Lukas and Moltres,”
“Hey lads, I'm Buck. Sorry you can't meet Heatran, but he's in his pokeball,” Buck replied, spinning an orange pokeball on his fingertips. He tossed it into the air and caught it again, but now it was green and opening, flashing lights forming the shape of a grand Pidgeot. Heatran's orange pokeball was back on Buck's belt somehow. Jonathon scowled, he had never been a fan of magic tricks. As if Jonathon's impression of this red headed, rough-looking trainer wasn't low enough, Buck strode over to him and reached behind Jonathon's ear. As he pulled his hand away he was holding a bronze pokeball.
“Check it, kid,” Buck smiled, tossing the pokeball into the air. Jonathon's quick reflexes snapped his hand up to catch the pokeball.
“Keep it,” Buck sniffed, climbing onto Pidgeot's back.
“Have you seen Riley?” Cheryl asked as Pidgeot stretched its wings out to takeoff.
“He's there,” Buck said, pointing into the air where a trainer was fast approaching on the back of a flying Pokemon.
“Laters,” Buck coughed, and Pidgeot was away, winds swirling across the summit spectacularly. Articuno and Moltres both looked up to see the great bird rolling through the sky.
“He may be a jerk, but his Pokemon are quite incredible,” Cheryl explained. Jonathon nodded.
“Definitely a jerk,” He agreed. A Dragonite landed on the Summit and bowed deeply to the others. From its back came Riley, wearing a dark blue hat somewhat like that of a cowboy and dressed in a matching trench coat and black boots. He bowed his head at the other trainers and held out his hand to greet Jonathon and Lukas.
“I am Riley,” He told them proudly, “My father founded the Legend Summit when I graduated school and left home to challenge the Gyms.”
“Nice to meet you, I'm Jonathon” Jonathon smiled, shaking his hand.
“I'm Lukas,” Lukas told him, “We're from the Order of the Sky,”
“I've heard of you,” Riley answered.
“We have reason to believe that Team Dimension are trying to capture one of the Legendary Pokemon, one of their agents is stationed outside an abandoned nest,” Lukas continued.
“We're not sure which Pokemon the nest belongs to but we're concerned the Pokemon will return to hibernate and be demented,” Jonathon explained.
“Demented?” Cheryl chuckled.
“When a Pokemon or trainer joins Team Dimension we like to say they've been demented. I think it's cool,” Jonathon giggled.
“Regardless, we could certainly use the help of the Legend Summit,” Lukas added.
“I'll call the other members here for a meeting. Today at sunset, you two will have to be here too,” Riley replied with a nod. Dragonite started to beat its wings.
“We'll be here,” Lukas assured Riley, turning toward Moltres. The phoenix bird seemed to already know it was about to be called upon and was gracefully spreading its wings in preparation. Riley climbed on the back of Dragonite.
“Don't forget, sunset,” He repeated, and with one beat of Dragonite's wings the pair became a tiny dot in the distant sky.
“Back to Adelburgh then,” Jonathon smiled, climbing on the back of Articuno.
“May I join you?” Cheryl asked.
“Sure,” Lukas beamed. And with that the three trainers and their Pokemon leapt skyward and disappeared into the horizon.

Riley's voice carried over the Summit, he was perched atop the whitest rock addressing the gathering of trainers. Cheryl stood beside Jonathon and Lukas, Latios, Articuno and Moltres sitting in the grass behind them. Buck was leaning against a pillar with a scowl on his face, staring more at the grass than Riley. There was another trainer called Marley wearing black and white leaning back on a mossy boulder next to Eugene, dressed in a purple suit with his Suicune lying at his feet. Jimmy, dressed in a red jacket and yellow cap was sitting in the grass next to Raikou and a small girl called Molly wearing a yellow dress was stroking Entei's back. There were a few other trainers lurking back behind the circle of pillars who Cheryl hadn't introduced to Jonathon before the meeting began and three trainers were sitting astride their flying Pokemon above the group, revolving slowly around them, listening to Riley's words intently.
“Lukas, did you want to add anything?” Riley finished. Lukas stepped forward.
“What Riley told you is pretty much everything- Team Dimension are trying to take control of the Pokemon trafficking market. This means all new trainers will have to get their Pokemon from them, so will the Police, Fire and Rescue Forces, and that'll put a lot of power in their hands. Right now they've got an agent stationed outside an unknown Legendary Pokemon's nest. It could be one of Articuno or Moltres's nests and if so we don't have to worry because they're safe with Jonathon and I now, but it could also belong to Lugia, and given Lugia's most recent appearance it could be moving to its next nesting area and right into Team Dimension's trap,” Lukas informed the other trainers.
“Lugia only showed up because you two captured Articuno and Moltres. If they were still in the wild then Lugia would still be hibernating wouldn't it?” Buck argued. There was a murmur of agreement among the other trainers.
“Buck's right, you two caused the problems yourselves. Besides, a unified Pokemon Trafficking Authority doesn't sound like such a bad idea,” Marley sniped. Jonathon glared at her.
“Trust me, you don't want Team Dimension in charge of Pokemon Trafficking,” Jonathon glowered. She pulled a face at him and looked away.
“I've been shown detailed maps and photos of the nest the boys are talking about, it's definitely a Legendary Pokemon's nesting area, we have a duty to protect whichever Legendary Pokemon is about to walk into the trap,” Cheryl piped up.
“My Legendary Pokemon is safe,” Buck scoffed, twirling the orange Pokeball in his hands. He clapped his hands together and the pokeball was miraculously back on his belt.
“Let us vote!” Riley barked suddenly.
“No,” Marley spat, turning away and fading into the shadows until she was gone. Buck didn't even vote, instead he leapt backward from the summit and his Pidgeot caught him in the fall and carried him away. Two of the trainers overhead flew away instantly and most of the trainers hanging behind in the shadows began to fade into thin air. Riley shook his head slowly as he looked around. Eugene seemed in two minds.
“I... I want to help you... But I can't,” He stammered, looking from Jonathon to Lukas quickly, “I'm sorry,” He added to Cheryl who looked at him imploringly.
“Eugene, what if they were after Suicune?” Cheryl pleaded.
“What if they take her? While we're fighting, what if they take her?” He whispered, his eyes alight with fear, “I'm sorry,” He repeated once more, backing away from them slowly, fighting hard not to catch their eyes.
“Coward,” Jonathon stabbed as he climbed onto Suicune's back and bounded away over the sea.
“What about you?” Lukas asked Riley. Riley looked around startled.
“Me? I'm... I'm not part of the summit...” He said quietly.
“What?” Jonathon spat.
“I'm only the avatar. I haven't got a Legendary Pokemon,” Riley said sadly.
“But will you help us?” Jonathon begged.
“I will,” Cheryl chimed.
“I can fight,” Riley decided, “But I haven't got a Legendary Pokemon,”
“That doesn't matter,” Jonathon smiled. Riley smiled back.
“I want to fight too,” Molly cheered. Entei suddenly stood up and pressed his head against her shoulder. He growled quietly and Molly seemed to understand him, or maybe he had planted the words in her mind, Jonathon couldn't tell, but Molly's face quickly fell.
“I'm sorry... I can't. I'm too young,” She told them. She awkwardly climbed onto Entei's back and with an explosion of flame and smoke they both disappeared into nothing.
“I'm with you,” A voice overhead promised, floating down to land. He stepped off of the back of a Pidgeotto that had peculiar markings across its face. He threw a pokeball into the grass and it exploded, releasing a bedazzling Mew onto the summit.
“I'm Andre,” He smiled, his eye catching Jonathon's. He was wearing a dark green tank top with a dark blue hood attached and baggy jeans that covered most of his black sneakers.
“Me too,” Came another voice, this time from the shadows beyond the pillars. She walked forward holding a bejeweled pokeball. From it came Jirachi, giggling and rolling through the air.
“I'm Aria Beautiful,” She bowed gracefully, a stunning fur coat clinging to her slender frame. Her long legs were accented by black knee-high boots and tight dark jeans.
“Jonathon, Lukas, report,” Sam crackled through the radio. Lukas pressed his earpiece into his ear and turned his head away.
“Go ahead,” He replied.
“Seismic activity at the nest, mobilize all agents now,” Sam responded. Lukas' eyes snapped up to lock with Jonathon's.
“This is it, everyone in the air, follow close behind,” Jonathon ordered, running over to Articuno who leapt into the air and snatched him up in her talons. Articuno flung Jonathon up and swooped below him to let him land on her back. Moltres and Lukas rose up beside Jonathon, Cheryl not far behind.
“Let's do this!” Lukas called. Riley and Dragonite followed the trio, then Andre and his Pidgeotto and bringing up the rear were Aria and her Xatu. The beach zoomed past and soon they were traveling inland. The Ghost Town was just a speck on the horizon, then in just moments they were flying lower, zooming over the countryside toward the abandoned mines. But the mines were gone now, so was the mountain they were dug into, instead there was a massive crater and there in the center of the chaos hung the legend Jackson was waiting for. Its body was burnt and charred from the explosion and it panted heavily, but its eyes were red with malice and its body blazing with sacred fires. Ho-oh screeched fiercely, so loud that Articuno whimpered and shook in Jonathon's grasp. He pointed her lower to the ground and she began to breath easier. Ho-oh had enchanted the sky somehow, intimidating anything nearby to cower in fear.
“Jackson!” Jonathon bellowed. Jackson stood in the crater, staring up at the enormous monster. Lukas swerved and led the group downward to follow Jonathon as he circled the crater. As one the trainers closed in, surrounding Ho-oh and Jackson. Before Jonathon could formulate a plan the ghosts were upon them. Duskull and Gastly swirled around each of them, cackling and giggling, pulling feathers from the birds, licking Riley's Dragonite with their crackling, sizzling tongues. Beams of light and darkness shot out in all directions, keeping the legendary trainers at bay. Jackson's booming laugh carried like thunder, deep and pulsating like the sound of the Chinooks that came down from above. Dimension trainers were materializing out of thin air now, some riding on their Pokemon's backs in the sky, others walking alongside them through the crater. Articuno writhed through the sky, struggling against the dozens of ghosts pressing in from all sides.
“Blow this- Haunter explosion!” Andre cried, throwing a purple pokeball into the fray. His Haunter gave him a thumbs up and then exploded, sending the Gastly and Duskull twirling away, freeing Andre and Pidgeotto to fly toward one of the four Chinooks now closing in on the damaged Ho-oh.
“Tear it up, girl!” Andre cheered. Pidgeotto nodded and darted ahead, her body glowing with a dazzling light. It struck the Chinook's side and tore through the steel, gouging a hole big enough for her to fly right through. Andre leapt off of Pidgeotto's back and rolled to avoid a pin missile from a Beedrill guarding the cargo hold that Andre had broken into. As Andre climbed to his feet he rolled a pokeball past Beedrill.
“Clefable, block the cockpit with barrier!” Andre ordered, “Then use your mega punch on Beedrill,”
“Not today, kid!” Bekka snarled, jumping out from behind a huge crate.
“Nidoking, stone edge!” Andre countered, tossing his pokeball at Bekka. Bekka hurled her pokeball and the two collided in the air, ricocheting toward the back of the Chinook. Andre recalled Pidgeotto as she slammed Beedrill with a wing attack. Clefable smashed Beedrill hard in the back with a mega punch and the bug Pokemon was down. Crates lined the cargo hold, stacked to the ceiling, but the battle between Bekka's Machamp and Andre's Nidoking was knocking them down around the trainers. Andre dove away as a stack behind him came cascading to the floor. Clefable jumped forward, using her doubleslap to knock the crates away from her master. Bekka came bounding up over the crates scattered across the cargo hold and threw another pokeball. The giant Ampharos roared and sent electricity crackling around everywhere. Some of the crates exploded, sending splinters of wood everywhere. Nidoking crashed through the wreckage, using its mighty arms to deflect Ampharos' thunderbolts. With a roar Nidoking slammed its horn into Ampharos and the beast gasped. Ampharos stumbled forward and then tipped forward, falling over Andre. Just as Ampharos' body set to crush Clefable and Andre Nidoking lunged under to the rescue, holding Ampharos over his head and tossing it onto Bekka instead. More crates exploded as Bekka and Ampharos skidded away, but Machamp came thrashing over, landing a series of comet punches on Nidoking's hide.
“Clefable, psybeam!” Andre countered. Machamp was caught off guard and sailed through the air, spinning into another tower of crates and lying still beneath the rubble and debris.
“Hyper beam, both of you,” Andre finished, pointing toward the cockpit. Clefable waved her hand and the barrier fell and a moment later both Pokemon sent golden beams of light into the cockpit where they exploded. The pilots yelled in the chaos, but the Chinook was done for. Andre recalled Clefable and Nidoking just in time to jump from the Chinook as it sank toward the ground. The front end of the Chinook pointed toward the craters edge and it gained speed as it fell face first into the ground. The back end swerved around and smashed into the crater wall before the whole Chinook rolled down the rock until it came to rest half buried in dirt and rock. Pidgeotto carried Andre away through the air. Outside the battle had intensified. The ghosts were still swirling around Ho-oh and Jackson, keeping the trainers from reaching Ho-oh. Articuno and Moltres, with Jonathon and Lukas on their backs, had finally shaken themselves free from the Duskull and Gastly but were now flying in fast circles around the crater, the little ghosts streaming along behind them viciously. Jonathon dared not stop to attack for fear that they'd be surrounded by the ghosts again, instead he flew over the nearest Chinook and had Articuno blast the rotors with icy wind as he did so. Articuno's attack froze the back set of rotors and the Chinook began to sink, its engines whining in protest. It sped up, trying to clear the crater before its inevitable crash, but the huge Chinook's back end was caught on the crater's edge, though the front rotors whined and screeched the Chinook sank back into the crater, standing up on its back and finally coming to a stop.
“Psybeam!” Aria hollered, pointing toward a Duskclops that was leading a group of Duskull and Gastly around the crater. Xatu blasted the Duskclops and like rats fleeing a sinking ship the smaller ghosts fled, shooting away in all directions and fading from sight as they did so. The Duskclops fell to the ground and lay there, still and silent.
“Hydro cannon!” Cheryl ordered. Latios obeyed, knocking out another Duskclops and sending more of the little ghosts away.
“Jonathon, its the Duskclops, if you destroy all the Duskclops the other ghosts will leave,” Lukas called into his radio.
“The Duskclops must have the other ghosts under their control somehow,” Jonathon realized.
“That's how Jackson conjured a ghost army,” Lukas agreed, “His Duskclops have the other ghosts under their spell,”
“Articuno, ice beam!” Jonathon called just in time to knock a Duskclops to the ground as it swooped past with a haggling trail of Duskull and Gastly.
“Jonathon- Riley's battling Jackson!” Lukas gasped. Jonathon looked down into the crater and saw the blazing flashes of light as Riley and his Lucario darted around Jackson and his Dusknoir. Dragonite flew overhead, repelling the other ghosts from helping their master. Jackson threw a black pokeball into the air and Honchkrow quickly struck Dragonite with a dark pulse. Riley didn't miss a beat, he knocked a pokeball from his belt without effort and a bronze Skarmory took to the sky with a dusting of sparkling light. Jonathon's attention was stolen as a Duskclops grabbed Articuno's tail and made her shriek. Jonathon reached behind with a pokeball and Squirtle exploded in Duskclops' face. The Duskclops let go, falling with Squirtle clawing at its face. Articuno dove for the ground, then arched back up. Jonathon reached out easily and plucked Squirtle from the air, leaving Duskclops to land with a heavy thud on the ground. Squirtle wiped his forehead and smiled his thanks to Jonathon. Moltres and Lukas went by, blasting a flamethrower attack into the side of one of the two remaining Chinooks. Moltres flew closer and closer, covering the side of the Chinook in fires. With a huge cracking sound the Chinook's side tore open and Lukas bent low over Moltres as they flew faster, still pouring flames into the Chinook. Moltres' body suddenly exploded with golden flames, encasing Lukas in a golden, flaming shield. Moltres pierced through the Chinook's side, tearing right out the other side. The entire Chinook exploded from the inside, huge pieces of steel slicing the air and firing away from the explosion.
“Anna!” Jonathon barked. Anna was flying on her Tropius near the last Chinook, guarding Team Dimension's one last chance to capture the legendary Ho-oh. The giant bird was still floating in the air, silently observing the battle, its eyes blazing red, the enchanted battle becoming fiercer and fiercer around it.
“The Duskclops won't stay down, they keep getting back up. I've hit this one with four hyper beams and it won't go down,” Andre panted to Aria as they stood back to back in the crater, Andre's Nidoking slamming attack after attack into Duskclops.
“Nidoqueen, hyper beam!” Aria called, tossing a pokeball toward another Duskclops that was now racing toward the pair. Aria recalled her weary Xatu just in time as Duskclops' shadow claw struck the ground where it had been a moment ago. As Duskclops recovered from its missed attack it was struck by Aria's Nidoqueen. Nidoqueen held it down and opened its mouth, blasting Duskclops with a hyper beam.
“It's Ho-oh!” Cheryl told them, landing in a sprint as she dove off of Latios' back. She stopped by Andre and Aria and pointed to Ho-oh, still hanging in the air over Riley and Jackson's deadly battle. Flashes of red and blue light were obscuring their vision of Ho-oh but even in the chaos there was something about the legendary bird that made it stand out in the sky, emblazoned on the sunset.
“Ho-oh's sacred ash is reviving the Pokemon, neither side can win until someone captures it,” Cheryl explained as Latios blasted the two Duskclops away again with a bubblebeam.
“I can't believe you went to war without me!” Jean screamed, zooming past Jonathon with Swellow.
“Oh my God, when did you get here?” Jonathon laughed, Articuno's ice shard attack deflecting another Duskclops.
“Just now, I got back to headquarters with a new ribbon and Sam told me what was happening. She was prepping a squadron of helicopters when I left, they should be here any minute,” Jean told Jonathon.
“Jackson's in the crater battling Riley,” Jonathon replied.
“Riley?” Jean asked as Swellow clawed and pecked at a Beedrill that had come buzzing out of the last Chinook. Jonathon and Jean fought their way closer to the Chinook but not only was Anna flying over it with her Tropius, the Chinook was releasing countless Beedrill.
“Riley, he's the avatar of the Legend Summit,” Jonathon explained, “The Legend Summit is made up of Pokemon Trainers who have Legendary Pokemon on their team,”
“So these are your new friends? How many are there?” Jean asked, throwing Weezing's pokeball into a cluster of Beedrill. As Weezing appeared amidst the bugs she spewed forth a huge cloud of toxic gas and the Beedrill fluttered to the ground clumsily.
“Riley's the avatar, then Cheryl has Latios, Andre with Mew and Aria with Jirachi,”
“Is that it?” Jean spluttered.
“There were more, but they refused to fight,” Jonathon sighed.
“We're the police for fu(k's sake, if people won't help us then who will they help?” Jean spat, “Weezing, blast it out of the sky!”
“Squirtle, bubblebeam!” Jonathon ordered as Weezing's hyper beam was deflected by a hyper beam from one of the stronger Beedrill. Squirtle's bubblebeam knocked the hyper beam back toward the Beedrill that were ebbing their way closer. The Beedrill scattered and cleared a path for Articuno to shoot ahead, spraying icy wind everywhere. Swellow and Jean followed behind in the path that Articuno cleared through the Beedrill.
“We spend all our time helping other people, and they won't help us when we need it, it's bull$hit, every Pokemon Trainer in the country should be helping us weed out these demented idiots,” Jean ranted.
“No one wants to help anyone, whether they're good or bad,” Anna cackled, dropping down from overhead and coming to stop in the air just in front of Jonathon and Articuno, “The rumors are true!” She gasped as she saw Articuno up close.
“That's right, this is no Ditto,” Jonathon assured her, “Blizzard!”

Tropius and Anna fell to the ground with Articuno and Jonathon trailing after them, blasting them again and again with Articuno's ice beam. Jean shot toward the Chinook but more and more Beedrill were closing in around her. Jean reached behind with a pokeball and recalled Weezing from the battle.
“Swellow, full speed, fly as fast as you can!” Jean begged, lowering herself on Swellow's back. Swellow pressed on, beating its wings as hard as it could, pushing past the Beedrill, ignoring the twin needle attacks that pelted its body. The Beedrill were all around them now, swarming Jean and Swellow and jabbing them continuously with their poisonous stingers. Jean screamed as a Beedrill stung her hard in the shoulder, blood drenching her shirt in seconds. Another Beedrill grabbed a hold of Jean's leg and gouged her twice with its stinger, Jean's scream pierced the battle. Swellow clenched its beak tighter and pushed on with every muscle in its body. With a crack Swellow exploded into blue flames, shielding itself and its trainer from the Beedrill and firing ahead like a rocket. Swellow's blazing body pierced through the Chinook's side and skidded across the empty cargo hold. Jean fell to the floor, lying on her side. Swellow perched down in front of her, nuzzling against her battered, blood-soaked body.
“You brave... brave bird...” Jean smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. Swellow cooed, rubbing its face against Jean's. The pokeballs on Jean's belt erupted, Weezing, Gardevoir, Sceptile, Shuppet and Hariyama blinked in the dim light. Weezing dove for Jean's body, bobbing around her head as she struggled to breathe. Sceptile threw itself to the floor and stroked her side gingerly.
“Destroy the Chinook,” Jean told them, her voice barely more than a whisper. She forced herself to smile for them as they shook their heads, refusing to leave her.
“Destroy the Chinook and then...” Jean gasped, her voice cracking. She coughed up blood, choking on the sticky red that now filled her mouth.
“Gard!” Gardevoir began, kneeling down and placing her glowing hands over Jean's wounds.
“You can't heal me,” Jean smiled to Gardevoir. Gardevoir dropped her hands, tears now streaming down the psychic Pokemon's green cheeks. Jean coughed again, spraying blood across the floor. She convulsed, her body protesting the poison now coursing through her veins.
“Destroy the Chinook and look after each other,” Jean breathed, her body rising and falling slowly with each of her last breaths.
“Look after each other,” She repeated.


Anna and Tropius collapsed into the dirt and Articuno dove on top of Tropius, digging its talons into the Pokemon making it roar in pain before Articuno slammed its head into Tropius' jaw. A sickening crack sent Tropius' head to the ground. Jonathon had leapt from Articuno's back and pinned Anna down, ripping her belt from her black jumpsuit and holding it aloft as he pulled a set of handcuffs from his own belt and locked Anna's wrists together. Squirtle jumped down from his shoulder and smiled down at their beaten foe.
“Little brat!” Anna scorned. Jonathon pushed her face hard into the dirt.
“It's over!” Jonathon yelled, spittle flying from his mouth. The last Chinook fell to the ground hard, its legs buckling and snapping. The huge body of the Chinook dropped into the dirt, showering the battle scene with dust. From within the smoke the battlers emerged still fighting. Lucario and Dusknoir striking each other again and again, Riley's Dragonite and bronze Skarmory battling against Honchkrow and two Duskclops. Cheryl and Latios went skidding across the ground and stayed down, Cheryl's arm drenched in blood. Aria and Jirachi were fending off another Duskclops with a huge following of Duskull and Gastly while Andre and Mew ducked and weaved their way through the clouds of Gastly firing shimmering black orbs at them, each time coming closer and closer to a deadly impact. Lukas and Moltres came swooping down toward Cheryl but her attacker got there first. Jonathon's stomach turned. Nick and his Staraptor were bearing down on her quickly. Jonathon reacted instinctively, pulling Squirtle close and leaping up as he dropped a pokeball into the dirt. Flygon carried him up to meet Nick in the air but Staraptor dodged their approach and slammed into Cheryl on the ground, tearing a gash in her leg and then darting away.
“Umbreon, dark pulse!” Nick ordered, throwing Umbreon's pokeball toward Jonathon and Flygon.
“Squirtle, hidden power!” Jonathon countered. Squirtle's dark orbs collided with the dark pulse and they both exploded.
“Feraligatr, hydro pump!” Nick roared, throwing another pokeball.
“You too, Squirtle!” Jonathon smiled. Squirtle's hydro pump pushed Feraligatr's attack back and the beastly Pokemon stumbled just long enough for Flygon to blast it with a hyper beam.
“Quick thinking Flygon, good work!” Jonathon cheered. Flygon swiveled about just in time to knock Umbreon away as it came bouncing toward them. Gardevoir came out of nowhere and blasted Staraptor with a shock wave. Nick stumbled from Staraptor's back as the bird Pokemon crashed to the ground. Hariyama came rolling across the dirt and collided with Nick, the force sending him flying into the crater's wall. Lukas dove from Moltres' back and snapped a set of handcuffs onto Nick's wrists.
“Jackson!” Jonathon warned, but it was too late, Jackson pointed to Lukas, only a few feet away from him, and the ghosts seemed to pour from Jackson's fingertip, swirling around Lukas and trapping him in a crackling vortex. Black and purple streaks pierced the blood-red sky until the ghosts swirled away and Lukas was left standing in the dust, his body swaying from side to side.
“No!” Jonathon cried, “NO!”
Gardevoir caught his body as it went limp, dropping to the side like a tree that had been cut clean from its roots.
“Bliss,” Lukas stuttered as Jonathon came running toward him.
“Lukas, quiet, don't say anything!” Jonathon panted, holding his head in his hands. His skin was pale and cold, as though the life had been drawn from it.
“No- listen,” Lukas urged.
“No, you listen, shut up, save your strength, you'll be okay,” Jonathon whimpered, tears stinging in his eyes.
“Blissey, get my Blissey,” Lukas choked, his jaw shaking with cold.
“Oh... Blissey... right,” Jonathon realized, wiping the tears from his eyes and feeling foolish. He grabbed the pink pokeball from Lukas' belt and threw it to his feet. Blissey shook her curls free from her face and then bent over Lukas' shivering body. Within seconds the color was flooding back into his face. Jonathon turned away, wiping his face clean with a giggle. He felt foolish now, almost childish even, but these fleeting emotions were stripped from his mind and replaced by dread as Jackson's bellowing roar of laughter met his ears. Riley was on the ground, his Lucario next to him, and now Jackson and Dusknoir were coming toward them, a shadow ball hovering near Dusknoir's head.
“NO!” Jonathon roared, sprinting forward. He scooped up Squirtle as he ran and held him out in front as the little blue turtle blasted a hydro pump that connected with Jackson's head. Jackson fell sideways, knocking Dusknoir to the side and sending the shadow ball spiraling away into the sky. Jonathon tripped, struggling to support Squirtle's weight as the Pokemon grew in his arms, a swirling tail smacked Jonathon's face, sending him rolling through the dirt. He pulled himself up quickly and grabbed at Squirtle who was rolling around in the dirt on his back. He had long pointy ears now and his claws were sharper. Dark patches had formed on his cheeks.
“Wartortle!” The little Pokemon gurgled.
“Oh my God...” Jonathon gasped, one hand on his chest, the other holding Wartortle's shoulder. Lukas went bounding past and jumped through the air, landing next to Jackson and locking his arms in a pair of handcuffs.
“We did it!” Jonathon screamed, his voice shaking. He looked back at Anna and Nick, lying in the dirt with their wrists bound, Andre had dragged Bekka out of the Chinook he destroyed and she was tied up next to it. And there in the middle of the crater was Jackson, the traitor, being picked up by Lukas and carried over to where Nick and Anna lay.
“Team Dimension are over,” Jonathon told the three bodies. They all glared up at him, their eyes filled with rage.
“Nick...” Jonathon reminisced, “You really are a fu(king idiot,”
“Ho-oh!” Lukas choked. His warning came only seconds in time. Just as Jonathon turned around the bird came swooping and its massive talons slammed Lukas into the dirt, twisting and grinding him hard into the dust. The bird looked up from its prey and leered at Jonathon, ten or so meters away. Ho-oh screeched and with one beat of its wings was flying at Jonathon with its beak aglow with some mystical light. Wartortle leapt up, taking the blow for his master. His face contorted with pain for a moment, but then it stopped and Wartortle smiled.
“Tortle!” He winked to Jonathon, and the little turtle flipped over and blasted Ho-oh's face with a hydro pump.
“Lucario, aura sphere!” Riley added. Lucario's shimmering orb went slamming into Ho-oh's body. Ho-oh tried to turn around but was stopped by Hariyama, slamming it hard in the stomach with a mega punch, then Hariyama's fist opened up and with an effort Hariyama lifted Ho-oh high in the air over his head, then slammed it down into the dust. Weezing went shooting by, spraying the bird with toxic gas.
“Way to go Jean!” Jonathon cried. Ho-oh wasn't through yet, the bird blasted a flamethrower toward Weezing but it was blocked by Sceptile using protect, and then with a flash Sceptile swung its tail around and pounded Ho-oh on the side of the head, knocking the bird asunder. With a crack Gardevoir appeared beside Ho-oh, the bird looked up at her for a moment, then Gardevoir's psybeam sent it sailing across the crater. Swellow was next, slamming the foe over and over with a fury attack, and finally Shuppet sent a ring of dazzling light over Ho-oh and the bird lay still. Jean's Pokemon stopped and looked at the bird, watching its chest rising and falling with each breath.
“Where's Jean?” Jonathon asked curiously. He looked around, this way and that, but she was nowhere to be seen. Ho-oh stirred in the dirt.
“Someone catch that thing,” Jonathon said, walking across the crater to the Chinook that he and Jean had been flying toward last time he'd seen her. The Chinook was lying in the crater now, burnt, charred and broken.
“No,” Jonathon shook, already knowing it was too late, “No! NO- JEAN!”
“Jonathon!” Lukas called, running after him. Jonathon was running for the Chinook, flames still licking at its roof and walls. He threw his body against the big iron door and it fell inward. Flames erupted from within the Chinook, leaping over Jonathon's body as he hurried into the cargo hold, coughing from the smoke that pressed its way into his lungs.
“Wartortle!” His Pokemon bellowed, running in behind him. Wartortle sprayed the fires but they were too thick, too strong, the flames retreated no further than Wartortle's stream of water.
“JEAN!” Jonathon shouted, his voice mixing with the roar of the fire and shrieks of protest from the Chinook's structure. There she was. Her body looked so small, so frail, lying in the corner of the cargo hold. She could have been sleeping for the peaceful look on her face. As Jonathon picked her body up he started to shake, from her neck down was stained red. She was drenched in her own blood except for where Jonathon's tears splashed down and washed her clean. He walked from the flaming Chinook, Wartortle at his side. Lukas and Blissey were waiting outside, but Lukas shook his head as they approached.
“It's too late,” Lukas choked, tears prickling in his own eyes. Jonathon dropped to his knees, clutching Jean's body closer to his own. The helicopters came flying overhead, landing all around the crater. Sam ran toward him, her face set in shock, then more tears, from both, then they were telling him to get in the helicopter, they needed to take her body away, they needed him to go back to Adelburgh, they needed to tell the world they'd stopped Team Dimension. But the world had ended, Team Dimension didn't matter anymore, she was gone and nothing could bring her back. He didn't care about Team Dimension, he didn't care about the war, he didn't care that he'd won. Jean had lost. And Jonathon had lost. He'd lost her. Jean Marco was dead.

“Reports have been coming in from around the country for the last twenty-four hours, Australia, and in turn the world, is once again safe from Pokemon terrorist organization Team Dimension. I have here with me Samantha from the Order of the Sky, an elite squad of Police Officers who together managed to defeat Team Dimension and restore order to the Pokemon Trafficking Industry,” Mary announced.
“Thankyou Mary,” Sam beamed, “Team Dimension have actually been slowly taking control of the country over the last ten years, you might not know but as the charity group Hillsound started to gain power and influence amongst the world so did Team Dimension, and this is because Team Dimension was controlling Hillsound,”
“That's incredible... How did this go unnoticed for so long?”
“It didn't. The Order of the Sky has been fighting them for the last ten years, it was only when a member of Team Dimension infiltrated the highest ranks of the Order that Team Dimension and their puppet Hillsound managed to take over,”
“And the war came to an end at the legendary nest of Ho-oh?” Mary continued.
“That's right, Team Dimension were trying to capture and control Ho-oh, but the Order of the Sky foiled their plans and captured the organization's leaders,”
“And Ho-oh?” Mary asked.
“Ho-oh is under the protection of the Legend Summit. Before we go any further though Mary, I'd like to pay respect to one of our greatest officers, Jean Marco, who was killed in action yesterday saving Ho-oh and the world from Team Dimension. Also, esteemed member of the Legend Summit, Cheryl Greenthorn was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in a severe coma,” Sam interjected. Mary opened her mouth but then closed it again, looking down at her hands in her lap. The cameras and lights encircled the couch that Sam and Mary were sitting on. After a minute's silence Sam cleared her throat, catching Mary's attention.
“So what next?” Mary asked.
“We're going to try to reinstate the community programs that were slowly shut down by Team Dimension through Hillsound. The Order of the Sky will be introducing the Jean Marco scholarship program to Adelburgh- we'll be awarding starter Pokemon to new trainers,” Sam continued. Jonathon turned off the television on his office wall and sat back in his desk chair, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles.
“Jonathon,” Lukas said quietly from the doorway, “It's time for me to go back to France,”
“I'm gonna miss you,” Jonathon smiled. Lukas shrugged with a grin.
“You're only a ghost ride away,” Lukas ******.
“Yeah, well, we've got plenty of them around this place,” Jonathon laughed, trying hard not to think about Shuppet, Jean's ghost-type Pokemon that was at that very moment in the Garden with all of Jean's other Pokemon.
“What's going to happen to all of Jackson's ghosts?” Lukas asked.
“Koga from the Order of the Sky in Kanto is taking some to his family's Gym, apparently his daughter has always wanted a Duskull,” Jonathon replied.
“And the rest?” Lukas probed.
“Morty from the Johto Order and Agatha from Head Office also said they'd take some...”
“Will that be all of them or...?” Lukas pressed.
“Lukas...” Jonathon sighed, “Would you like to take some?”
“Only one,” Lukas beamed. Jonathon shook his head with a bemused smile.
“Which one?” Jonathon asked, taking his keys from his pocket as he stood up and led Lukas down the hallway. Jonathon unlocked a large metal door and heaved the heavy mass open. Inside was a long metal room filled with nothing but row after row of shelves holding small red and white pokeballs. Some had golden or silver stars on their top half, others were locked with thick black bands that had a keyhole at the front.
“Haunter?” Lukas asked hopefully.
“You're lucky, no one's claimed it yet,” Jonathon told Lukas, running his finger along the shelf and reading the names of the Pokemon inside the pokeballs off of the labels underneath each one.
“Duskull... Duskull... Gastly... Should be right... Here! Haunter!” Jonathon found, holding aloft the small pokeball. Lukas placed it on his belt.
“Thanks,” He grinned.
“Is your helicopter ready then?” Jonathon wondered.
“Yeah, I guess this is it,” Lukas nodded slowly.
“See you soon then,” Jonathon finished, “I hope,”
“You too, buddy,” Lukas winked, and with that he stepped into the elevator as Jonathon swung the large metal door closed over the Pokemon Vault. He turned around and Sam was charging down the hallway toward him. She was wearing a long black jacket and black suit pants and her hair was cascading behind her in long, red waves.
“Lorelle,” She said quickly.
“Have you found her?” Jonathon asked excitedly.
“No. No, I can't find her anywhere,” Sam sighed. The two began to make their way towards Jonathon's office slowly, taking guesses at what may have happened to Lorelle.
“Maybe Zapdos was too much for her,” Sam reasoned.
“No, Lorelle was the best battler in our year,” Jonathon retorted.
“Actually no, that was you,” Sam replied with a grin.
“No, that was Lorelle,” Jonathon argued.
“Not according to this,” Sam finished, taking a glossy magazine out from inside of her black jacket. It was “The Isamine Star,” Isamine City's local tabloid magazine and the front cover was Jonathon's face emblazoned with a giant, sparkling “No.1” and then a caption that read “The Pride of Isamine.”
“You've got to be bl00dy joking!” Jonathon scoffed, snatching the magazine and flicking through to the four page feature about him and his life.
“Jonathon Psyches, the greatest Battle Tycoon to ever come from Isamine City,” Jonathon read, “now lives in Adelburgh on the southern coast of the Sathalia Region,”
“It goes on for a bit,” Sam giggled.
“You're not kidding,” Jonathon breathed, skimming over the rest with awe.
“I was wondering if you'd seen that,” Andre asked as he strode toward them through the corridors.
“You're still here,” Jonathon said with a smile.
“I'll see you two at the campaign meeting,” Sam told them. She watched as the two stared at each other for a lengthy time before she chuckled quietly and slipped away down the corridor leaving them alone. With a flash of light Skitty was at her side.
“Alright princess, next week we're starting the new scholarship program! Isn't that exciting?” Sam cooed. Skitty yowled and jumped up into her arms. There was an entire floor of their office building that had been converted into one large, open room renamed the Scholars Hall. Lining the walls were many small enclosures and inside some were tiny, baby Pokemon.
“These two Chikorita here came from my Chikorita. Anita sent the eggs over a couple of weeks ago and they hatched this morning,” Sam told Skitty as the little cat looked down from her perch on Sam's shoulder. The Chikorita looked up dazedly before they both dropped their heads back to the floor and returned to sleep.
“Those Mudkip are from Danyl,” Sam pointed out, “And the Charmander are gifts from Matt,”
“Skitt?” Skitty asked, leaping down from Sam's shoulder and running over to a glass domed table which held more eggs.
“These are eggs from a Pokemon Ranch Skitty, Trainers that are almost old enough to qualify for the Pokemon Scholarship can get an egg instead, then by the time it hatches they'll be old enough to take the Pokemon with them on their journeys and they'll already have bonded with the Pokemon from the time they spent with it when it was an egg,” Sam explained.
“Skitty!” Skitty chirped. Sam followed where Skitty's tail was pointing and saw on the clock that the campaign meeting was due to start soon.
“Thanks Skitty, we've got to hurry,” Sam beamed.

“HUSH!” Sam bellowed to the assembled gaggle of trainers in the briefing room. Jonathon was sitting at the front with Andre on his left and Aria on his right. Behind him was Riley and Matt.
“Okay, we may have taken down most of Dimension but there are still a few remaining members left,” Sam narrated, “We were able to extract information from Bekka, Anna and Nicholas that tells us they were only three of the five founding members of Team Dimension. There are still two members of Team Dimension at large,”
“We need to find them,” Andre agreed.
“That we do. As quickly as we can, too. It wouldn't take long for them to start up another Charity organization to mask their operations, we need to act fast,” Sam continued.
“Has there been any unauthorized air traffic out of the country?” Riley asked.
“No, but according to our research, two of Jackson's ghosts are unaccounted for,” Sam recounted.
“Jackson must have been supplying ghosts for transport,” Jonathon scathed.
“International trafficking of Ghost Pokemon is highly illegal,” Aria pointed out.
“Really?” Jonathon jumped, “I just gave one to Lukas to take back to France.
“It's okay because the Pokemon came from the vault and Lukas is a member of the Order, but normally it's highly illegal,” Sam told Jonathon.
“You didn't know that?” Aria queried.
“No...” Jonathon blushed.
“Jonathon's career was fast-tracked,” Sam laughed, “There wasn't any time to teach him details,”
“Back on topic,” Jonathon started, “Can we track the missing ghosts?”
“No,” Sam replied shortly.
“Any leads?” Aria asked.
“None,” Sam sighed.
“What about Dragon Pokemon, can you trade them internationally?” Andre asked curiously.
“Some Ghost Pokemon need to be traded to become stronger,” Jonathon agreed with a slow nod.
“Will you two listen?” Sam nagged.
“Sam, I'm gonna go and talk to some people, I might know someone who can help us,” Matt said suddenly as he stood to his feet.
“I've got a few sources I can check with too,” Riley added, joining Matt as he headed for the door.
“Matt, before you go, can you take some of my Pokemon with you?” Jonathon asked quickly, catching Matt at the door.
“I might pick up my Pokemon from the Garden if you're heading that way,” Andre finished, chasing Jonathon out the door.
“Isn't anyone worried about the last two Demented?” Sam pleaded. Her cry was not heard as the boys had already climbed into the elevator and headed for the Garden.
“If we haven't got any leads then there's not much we can do,” Aria pointed out, “So they're doing what they can do instead,”
“Boys...” Sam sighed.
“I might go to the hospital to see Cheryl,” Aria continued, “Is that okay with you? Did you need my help with anything?”
“Actually... No, you go see Cheryl, I've got some paperwork to do,” Sam replied wistfully. She made a beeline for the Scholars Hall and continued to stroll between the enclosures watching the little Pokemon sleeping. An odd smile lit her face, a smile that had not adorned her pretty face since before Jackson had betrayed them.

“I didn't bring Ninjask with me,” Matt apologized.
“That's okay,” Jonathon waved. Turtwig rushed over to him, waiting at his side obediently.
“Nice Turtwig,” Matt complimented.
“Thanks. He's new,” Jonathon smiled, looking down at Turtwig with pride. After a moment he looked back to Matt.
“Can you take Snorunt and Snover?” Jonathon asked. Matt nodded.
“Did you want Scyther back yet?” Jonathon asked.
“I'll trade you Scyther for Cloyster if you're keen,” Matt asked with a smirk.
“Okay, deal,” Jonathon shot back. “But I also need you to take Wartortle with you,” Jonathon told Matt. Matt's eyebrows disappeared into his fringe.
“That's unexpected,” He said slowly. Far across the Garden was Wartortle, practicing his water gun on Cloyster who withdrew into his shell every time the jet of water shot at him.
“Wartortle!” Jonathon called. Wartortle's ears twitched and Wartortle was sprinting across the grass, skirting around a stretch of flowers and coming to a still in front of Jonathon.
“I know you want to be stronger, I know you want to be the best that you can be,” Jonathon told him, “So if you want to you can train in the mountains with Matt,”
“I should warn you, it's gonna be tough,” Matt interjected.
“Wartortle!” The Pokemon interrupted. He nodded to Jonathon.
“I'll see you in a month,” Jonathon told Wartortle.
“Jonathon are you sure about this?” Matt urged.
“Wartortle, are you sure?” Jonathon copied. Wartortle nodded firmly.
“I've only got room for one Pokemon now, I'll have to come back and pick up Snorunt and Snover tomorrow,” Matt finished. He turned to Wartortle and looked down at the Pokemon with a questioning gaze.
“It won't be easy,” He reminded the little turtle. Wartortle's mind was made up though, and the Pokemon followed Matt to the elevator doors.
“Goodbye Wartortle, I'll see you real soon,” Jonathon smiled strangely as Wartortle left at Matt's side. It felt odd to watch his first Pokemon leave, even stranger still was how much bigger Wartortle had become since evolving from Squirtle. Squirtle had been extremely undersize for his age, however Wartortle was a perfect specimen of Pokemon- his skin was toned with a rich blue, his shell was firm and hard, and the last glimpse that Jonathon caught was of the scar that once lined the shell. It was now gone.
“Gardevoir!” Came a chime. Jonathon turned around and Gardevoir was inches from his face, holding something out to him. Jonathon took it and realized immediately what it was. He had seen one before. Jean's sister Hannah had owned a Pokemon egg and Jonathon had been lucky enough to see it hatch into a tiny Charmander. The egg was warm in his hands and seemed to engulf his entire body with a sense of calmness.
“Is this for me?” Jonathon asked. Gardevoir nodded slowly and then she backed away, her long robes sweeping after her.
“Thankyou!” Jonathon called, though his cry did nothing to assuage Gardevoir who rose gracefully into the air and disappeared into the branches of the largest tree in the Garden. The question of what to do with Jean's Pokemon was still unanswered, though no one questioned Jonathon when he placed their pokeballs in the third drawer in his desk. In the second drawer were the pokeballs of his own Pokemon and in the top drawer was all the paperwork that should have been distributed throughout the other two. Where there should have been more paperwork on his desk, instead there sat Turtwig, slowly eating the potted plant that had been on Jonathon's office desk since he arrived in Adelburgh. He was slowly caressing his hand across the egg's smooth surface when Andre was suddenly at the door panting to catch his breath.
“Disturbance off the coast of Melchrist City,” He said in a rush.
“That's where Lorelle went looking for Zapdos,” Jonathon replied.
“Exactly,” Andre hurried, shuffling pokeballs around on his belt as he spoke, “Sam's on her way to the Control Room now, she said to go straight to the roof and catch a helicopter,”
“What about the ghosts?” Jonathon frowned, “We can teleport,”
“The remaining ghost Pokemon we seized from Jackson were collected by the RSPCP an hour ago,” Andre explained.
“Damn!” Jonathon cursed, slamming his fist onto the table and making Turtwig jump, “Sorry Turtwig,”
“We've got to hurry,” Andre urged, dropping a pokeball and cursing loudly.
“Calm down,” Jonathon scowled, quickly getting to his feet. Turtwig followed him to the door as he put his headset on and tightened his belt. He grabbed his long black coat and twirled it around him before pressing the button to call the elevator.
“Sam, do you copy?” Jonathon asked.
“Reading you loud and clear, what Pokemon should I send to the roof?” Sam replied through Jonathon's headset.
“I've got Turtwig here, and I've got Flygon on my belt can you send through Scyther, Gloom and-”
“The computer is telling me you have an egg with you... can't... what's... ning... else?” Sam's voice crackled.
“Sam, you're breaking up,” Jonathon struggled, pressing the earpiece further into his ear.
“I can't... pokemon... there's... won't... storm... won't work... can't... pokeballs... do.. read...” Sam choked through the radio. The elevator doors opened and Jonathon and Andre realized why the radio and the pokeball transfer system wasn't working. The sky was black, though it was early afternoon. Hail crashed down all over the city, huge lightning bolts were lighting buildings on fire, wind ripped billboards from their supports and sent them flying deadly through the storm. The helicopter's front window shattered and the pilots ran for the elevator before a blast of lightning came streaking down and ignited the helicopter, flames and debris reaching for the storm above. The rotor came flying toward Jonathon and Andre, the pilots cowering behind them. Turtwig leapt into the air and cried out, sending a barrage of razor leaves into the rotor that sliced it into smaller pieces so that it fell away, sliding across the rooftop in five pieces and coming to rest at their feet.
“Good work, Turtwig, thanks” Jonathon smiled.
“Sir, the entire city's been grounded,” One of the pilots told Jonathon. Jonathon started to laugh.
“A storm won't stop a Pokemon Trainer,” He grinned. He and Andre walked across the rooftop and into the storm. There was a flash of light and a crack of thunder, then another flash of light followed by a piercing cry from Andre's Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto carried Andre into the dark sky above, then with another flash and a roar of dragon Flygon was following behind with Jonathon on his back, Turtwig sitting on his lap in front, and Gardevoir's egg in his backpack.
“Marowak's Bone!” Andre cried as they lifted up over the clouds. In the sky above the storm were hundreds and hundreds of little Drifloon bobbing up and down over the storm.
“They're attracted by the electricity,” Jonathon explained. He threw an empty pokeball to the side and captured one of the smaller ones.
“This is no time to play gotta catch 'em all!” Andre yelled.
“Okay, okay, let's go,” Jonathon winced, and with that he and Flygon shot forward, overtaking Pidgeotto and Andre and heading out past the storm to the vast ocean where the sunlight had grown harsh.
“The weather's gone mad!” Andre screamed as a mighty gust of wind came from nowhere and made Pidgeotto and Flygon struggle to stay airborne.
“What is THAT!?” Jonathon bellowed, almost losing his grip as he pointed to a dark shape flying at them.
“It's a Dusknoir!” Andre gasped.
“RSPCP!” Jonathon scathed.
“Charity Organization!” Andre clicked.
“Team Dimension!” They shouted in unison.

Where is the sequel to this?

On my Laptop. I never posted the sequel. There is a prequel though called Get Real (Seriously).

If you want I can post the sequel but do you have any feedback/review on this first?

Of course I have a review! I love this fan fiction. It's epic and you didn't make it too lemonish, even if it's about gays, so I love it.

OMG You have to go check out the prequel, this is Jonathon with the eight badges of the Quistis region (based on Queensland of Australia) and now he's in the Sathalia region (South Australia) as a Pokemon Police Hero. In Get Real (Seriously) he and Nick travel Quistis collecting badges, its a lot cuter because they're younger and they fall in love and its beautiful... go check it out, it's here somewhere.

Okay, Umm... I'm feeling nice. So here's the next two chapters

Jonathon woke up in darkness with Turtwig nudging his chest. He was lying on his side facing the ocean. Flygon was nowhere to be seen but he could feel Gardevoir's egg in his backpack pressing against his back. He slowly sat up, holding his head. The Dusknoir had come out of nowhere, then hundreds of Gastly and Duskull, then... Jonathon didn't know what had happened next.
“Turtwig, are you okay?” Jonathon asked. Turtwig nodded quickly and then leapt backward, shooting a line of razor leaves over Jonathon's head. Jonathon rolled to the side as a Spinarak fell down from the tree they were sitting under. The little spider-creature scuttled away through the bushes and into the forest.
“Well I think we'll be staying out of the forest then... come on Turtwig, let's go check out the beach,” Jonathon decided. Turtwig followed Jonathon down to the water's edge where they looked up at the sky.
“I don't recognize these stars... where's the southern cross?” Jonathon asked the night sky. His question went unanswered, instead a mighty roar carried through the night air joined by a fearsome Gyarados that leapt out of the ocean and into the air before crashing back into the water with a mighty splash.
“Okay, so we won't be swimming then,” Jonathon decided, “Any ideas?” He asked Turtwig. Turtwig looked up at him and shrugged. Jonathon took a pokeball from his belt and threw it into the sand where it opened to reveal Drifloon.
“Hey Drifloon, I'm Jonathon,” Jonathon said. Drifloon looked at Jonathon, then at the sky, then back to Jonathon. Realization dawned on the Drifloon's face and it did a loop in the air before smacking into Jonathon's face with a slapping noise.
“Drifloon,” Jonathon said, peeling the little Pokemon from his face, “Do you think you can fly me back to Australia?”
“Loon,” Drifloon replied in a high-pitched, girly voice, shaking her head from side to side.
“Then it looks like we're going to have to find a flying Pokemon to help us,” Jonathon told Turtwig and Drifloon.
“CRAW!!!” Something bellowed. Drifloon fluttered forward, sending a gust of wind into the pack of Crawdaunt that were making their way closer, snapping their pincers territorially.
“Into the forest!” Jonathon called, scooping up Turtwig and running through the trees with Drifloon holding onto his neck and bobbing along behind them. They came to a clearing and Jonathon stopped to catch his breath, placing Turtwig on the grass.
“FLYYYYY!” Came a great roar from overhead. Jonathon threw himself to the ground and rolled, his eyes darting across the sky above until he saw the Pokemon flying high in the sky.
“That's Flygon!” Jonathon gasped, but after barely a moment Flygon had disappeared above the clouds.
“Drifloon, do you think you can find Flygon?” Jonathon asked, “And then find us again?”
“Floon!” Drifloon cheered, swirling away into the sky.
“We'll stay close to this clearing,!” Jonathon called after her.
“Turtwig,” Turtwig noted, pointing toward a gnarled tree.
“What's up, pal?” Jonathon asked.
“Shiiiiiiift,” Came a rumbling growl. The tree shifted in the shadows cast by the moon high above. Turtwig took a few careful steps backward, eying the tree closely.
“Turtwig, is that a Pokemon?” Jonathon asked. Turtwig nodded silently. The tree moved again, this time the branches above split in two and moved downward like arms, the leaves rustling and falling away. Two red lights appeared on the trunk and what Jonathon had thought were roots lifted up out of the ground and carried the tree into the moonlight with three long strides.
“That's a Shiftry,” Jonathon realized as he caught a glimpse of the long white hair flowing from its head. With a crack like a whip Shiftry lunged at Jonathon but Turtwig was faster, darting in front and jumping into the line of fire. The bullet seed attack pelted Turtwig, sending him flying back into Jonathon's outstretched arms.
“Thanks Turtwig,” Jonathon told the little green turtle in his arms. Turtwig smiled and leapt at Shiftry, throwing razor leaves in all directions.
“You missed!” Jonathon cried, ducking out of the way of Shiftry's bullet seed. In another moment the razor leaves came back through the clearing, striking Shiftry from behind. With a long moan Shiftry fell to his knees, his eyes rolling back in his head.
“Turtwig!” Turtwig cheered, giving Jonathon a wink.
“Turtwig, that was amazing,” Jonathon told his Pokemon. He took a pokeball from his belt and was about to throw it at the Shiftry when he saw Turtwig's face fall.
“You don't want me to capture it do you?” Jonathon asked. Turtwig shook his head.
“Okay, we won't,” Jonathon promised, putting the ball back on his belt, “But we can't stay here and wait for Drifloon or we'll have to battle again when it wakes up.”

Jonathon and Turtwig found another clearing not far from the Shiftry's nest and settled there. Jonathon had meant to stay awake but found himself drifting into a deep sleep with Turtwig in his arms. As he awoke early the next morning Turtwig was gone.
“Turtwig!” Jonathon cried, stumbling as he climbed to his feet.
“Turtwig?” Turtwig replied. Jonathon continued to look around the clearing until his little Turtwig slowly trudged out of a bush, rolling berries along the ground with his nose.
“Wow... you're a good little Pokemon, you know that?” Jonathon told Turtwig. Turtwig smiled back and then bit into a berry. Jonathon picked one up and dusted it off before biting into it.
“Any sign of Drifloon or Flygon?” He asked. Turtwig shook his head sadly. Jonathon was starting to worry, he felt beads of sweat running down his forehead and prickling his eyes. The morning air was hot and sticky and the shade was quickly receding, Jonathon was starting to see that the extreme heat on this island was what made all the wild Pokemon so agitated and aggressive. Just as he was starting to worry about the appearance of more wild Pokemon he heard a noise at his feet. Jonathon jumped forward and spun, pointing to the bushes behind where he was just standing. Turtwig leapt up onto Jonathon's shoulder and flung three razor leaves from his head into the bushes.
“Spinarak!” Cried the little spider-Pokémon that came scuttling out.
“Spinarak, Turtwig, tackle it,” Jonathon ordered. Turtwig jumped down from Jonathon's shoulder and tackled Spinarak to the grass. Spinarak darted out from under Turtwig and sprayed sticky web all over the clearing. Turtwig tried to chase after it but the web kept tripping Turtwig over.
“Turtwig, stand still and hit it with your wine whip,” Jonathon countered. Turtwig stopped in the middle of the clearing and caught his breath before firing off two vines that chased the Spinarak around the clearing as it ran.
“Come at it from both sides!” Jonathon cried. Turtwig continued to chase Spinarak with one vine but pulled the other back and around. Spinarak yelped as it ran into the vine whip attack head-on.
“Now tackle it!” Jonathon added. Turtwig leapt into the air and landed with a thud on Spinarak. Jonathon threw a pokeball as Turtwig stood up and stepped aside. Spinarak disappeared into the pokeball and with a chime the battle was over.
“Good work Turtwig, now use Synthesis,” Jonathon smiled. Turtwig pointed the leaf on its head skyward to catch the sunlight streaming down through the forest canopy.
“I've been thinking Turtwig, maybe something's happened to Flygon and Drifloon,” Jonathon wondered as he bent down and picked up Spinarak's pokeball and placed it on his belt.
“Maybe we should head up the mountain,” Jonathon suggested. Turtwig looked up toward the huge mountain in the center of the island that loomed over them.
“Think how strong those Pokemon will be...” Jonathon trailed off, contemplating the wild battles they might face on the mountainside. To Jonathon's surprise Turtwig seemed to find the promise of more battles encouraging so the pair set off toward the mountain, Spinarak safely in a pokeball on Jonathon's belt and the egg secured in Jonathon's backpack.

“The RSPCP have been compromised,” Sam said into her headset. In other locations around the world were other members of the Order, listening intently as she told them what had happened just off the coast off Melchrist City.
“Jonathon and Andre were attacked by the Ghost Pokemon we confiscated from Jackson and handed over to the RSPCP,” She continued, “Andre is in a coma in Melchrist City Hospital, the doctors don't know why he won't wake up,”
“Hypno,” Lukas replied.
“My thoughts exactly,” Sam agreed.
“Where's Tyler?” Lukas asked.
“Jonathon personally escorted him to the most secure prison in the country, no one's ever escaped,” Sam explained.
“Send me the co-ordinates, I'll check,” Lukas retorted.
“Already have,” Sam smiled. Lukas chuckled as he saw the prison's location. It was hundreds of kilometers below Jonathon's hometown.
“Salamence, let's go!” Lukas bellowed. He ran across the Gym floor, picking up his pokeballs from his desk as he ran. Lukas leapt off of the edge of the Eiffel Tower and fell toward the ground until he was plucked from the air by a Salamence wearing a black scarf.
“Isamine City, in the Quistis Region of Australia,” Lukas told Salamence, but the dragon was already on her way.

“Spinarak, get its legs!” Jonathon ordered, darting out of the way as the Ryhorn came thundering past. Spinarak scuttled this way and that, trying to get a clear shot, and then let the attack fly.
“RYYYYYY!!” Ryhorn bellowed, staggering around as its legs were covered with Spinarak's sticky web.
“That's great, come back,” Jonathon cheered, returning Spinarak to its pokeball, “Now, Turtwig, razor leaf!”
“Turtwig!” Turtwig cried, jumping down from Jonathon's shoulder where he'd been waiting. As the dust settled the Ryhorn was lying on its side issuing a low moan.
“Let's go,” Jonathon told Turtwig. They ran further and further up the slow sloping mountain, the trees thinning out until only one or two scattered the view.
“LAIR!!” Came a thundering roar.
“Turtwig, razor leaf!” Jonathon cried, leaping to the side as a Lairon charged him. Turtwig jumped from Jonathon's shoulder over the Lairon and fired the attack into Lairon's back. Lairon reared and came around but Turtwig was ready for it, opening its mouth and drawing in energy from all around. The little turtle Pokemon sent a shimmering green orb into Lairon's face causing a massive explosion. Jonathon ran through the smoke and dust and grabbed up Turtwig. He kept running, not sure whether or not the Lairon was following.
“That was energy ball wasn't it?” Jonathon asked.
“Turt,” Turtwig nodded.
“Nice one, buddy,” Jonathon beamed. Suddenly there was a screech, a loud piercing screech, and Jonathon and Turtwig were airborne.
“FLOOOON!” Drifloon whizzed as it streaked along by Jonathon's head. Flygon was holding Jonathon by the shoulders, then with one expert maneuver Flygon tossed Jonathon into the air and caught the trainer on his back. Jonathon recalled the startled Turtwig and reached out to stroke Drifloon, streaming along beside Flygon.
“Home, Flygon,” Jonathon ordered.

Lukas had Salamence back safely in her Pokeball on his belt. He was standing in a small elevator that had been slowly descending into the mine of Isamine City for the last half hour. It felt like he had been standing there for days when the large iron doors slowly creaked open. Lukas stepped out of the elevator and knew instantly that something was awry. He stood as still as he could, slowly moving his eyes from side to side, keeping even his breathing as quiet as he could.
“Claydol,” He breathed quietly. The pokeball on his belt split apart and Claydol burst out in a blazing light. The Pokemon hung in the air, as still as its master. As one, the pair moved down the dark tunnel before them, not so much as the sound of a footstep gracing their ears.
“Lukas,” Something whispered. Lukas jumped to the side and turned to look behind him, but there was no one. The tunnel was empty except for Lukas and Claydol, but the voice whispered again.
“Lukas Davidoff,”
“Who's there?” Lukas barked back, still looking this way and that for the owner of the voice. He was so intent on looking for the owner of the voice he slipped against the rocky wall he was leaning upon. Or rather, the wall slipped away from him.
“NOSE!” Came a bellow, and then Lukas was on the ground.
“DOLL!” Claydol countered, thrusting a psybeam into the Nosepass that had attacked Lukas from behind. There was another Nosepass, this one jumping down from overhead, and then another Nosepass sprung out of the tunnel wall like the first had.
“Claydol, double team!” Lukas commanded. The Nosepass surrounding Lukas were surrounded by eight Claydol, droning in a low monotone.
“Take them down!” Lukas finished, and with one sudden lurch the earth split apart and the Nosepass fell into the abyss. Lukas started to hurry back down the tunnel. They reached a dead end.
“But the elevator was right here?” Lukas asked Claydol.
“Lukas Davidoff,” The voice whispered again.

“Jonathon!” Sam shrieked, running across the rooftop as he and Flygon landed gently.
“RSPCP,” Jonathon started, but Sam interrupted.
“Already on it, the whole world knows, but Team Dimension have disappeared again. The RSPCP is back under charitable control, but who knows what Dimension will take over next,”
“Where's Andre?”
“He's still in a coma in Melchrist City, Lukas has gone to Isamine City to check on Tyler,” Sam explained as the pair stepped into the elevator.
“Flygon, return,” Jonathon called as the doors started to close, Flygon fluttered his wings one last time before disintegrating into light and flickering across the rooftop, back into Jonathon's pokeball.
“Where did you find him?” Jonathon asked as he and Sam walked down into the building and toward the elevator.
“He was on the roof of the hospital, a delivery Delibird saw him and alerted the doctors. Where did you end up?” Sam responded as the elevator doors closed.
“An island in the middle of nowhere. But I caught a Spinarak. Oh, and a Drifloon before the ghosts attacked,” Jonathon replied.
“What are we going to do?” Sam asked Jonathon. He stopped in the middle of the hallway and thought for a moment.
“Get me the Champion,” Jonathon said.

Jonathon sighed loudly. He had been sitting in the back seat of the car that was taking him to Sydney for hours. Sam was still in Adelburgh, and with Team Dimension attacking police helicopters with their armies of ghosts Jonathon had to be transported to Sydney via an undercover police car. On his lap[, nestled in his jacket was Gardevoir's egg. It was warm.

Turtwig was in his pokeball, though not happy about it. The little turtle had grown fond of walking beside Jonathon. Wartortle, however, seemed to have learned one thing from his special training with Jonathon's brother Matt- how to fall asleep inside a pokeball. The car stopped. Jonathon had arrived.

The Champion was the strongest Pokemon Trainer in the country, in this case it was a girl. Jonathon gazed at her in shock as she walked toward his car, her blue cloak billowing around her.
"My name's Stephanie," She smiled, "I'm the Champion," She added with a whisper.
"I'm Jonathon, I'm from the Order of the Sky, we need your help," Jonathon hurried quietly as the two made their way inside the massive building the car had taken him to.
"I know. But I'm afraid I can't be of much assistance," Stephanie frowned.
"We need you in the Order. And the other Champions too, we need to stop Team Dimension!" Jonathon begged.
"There is a place," Stephanie went on, "A place where you could prove yourself,"
"There's no time for that! We need to fight now!" Jonathon argued.
"Listen to me, boy," Stephanie said sternly, stopping in her tracks and turning to stare directly into Jonathon's eyes.
"As we speak Team Dimension hide from you, they evade you, and do you know why?"
"So we don't stop them!"
"No! Team Dimension are not just hiding to survive, they are hiding to train! hey are hiding from you, training their Pokemon, building their teams, and you are wasting your time looking for them!" Stephanie told him.
"Exactly, the longer they hide, the stronger they become, we need to fight them now!" Jonathon cried.
"You train your team. And you hope that when they come for you, when the war truly starts, you hope that you are strong enough," Stephanie calmly finished.
"The war is already half over! We're winning, we can end this if you help us!" Jonathon countered.
"Oh no, boy. The war hasn't even begun," Stephanie chuckled. Her eyes darted up to the monitor overhead.
"Your plane is boarding," She smiled. Jonathon turned and looked up at the monitor.
"Unova?" He read. He turned back to the Champion- but she was gone.
"Final boarding call for Flight QF135 Sydney City, Australia to Mistralton Airport, Unova, please proceed to boarding lounge twelve."

Jonathon stood at the entrance to the boarding tunnel for the flight to Unova. He had Gardevoir's egg in his backpack, Wartortle and Turtwig in their pokeballs.
"Are we actually gonna do this?" He asked them. Turtwig's pokeball shook on his belt, "Here we go then..."