The courtroom rose for the Judge Halsey as he limped in, a wound from an old training accident. He was the most senior judge in the four regions, and as such had been chosen to preside over the most important court case. The courtroom was completely packed, with the media being given a large allotment, and space being given to representatives of the victims, so that they could see justice for their dead being done. The defendants were the topmost hierarchy of Team Rocket; Giovanni and Agent foremost among them.
There were also three men who were leaders of other parts of Team Rocket, and the head of the team of scientists that had created the Pokémon armour. The expectation would be that the trial would be extremely short. Given that each of the defendants had been captured during an attack against Team Rocket, it was impossible for any of them to deny association with the organisation. Added to that, the testimony from the Pokémon Master which would almost certainly be given, would most likely be enough to convict them. As the charges against each defendant were read out, several of the Rockets winced. When the Deputy reached Agent he took a deep breath.
"Agent stands accused of over two thousand accounts of murder by terrorist actions, one account of terrorism, one account of conspiracy to commit terrorist actions, one account of conspiracy to commit treason, eight accounts of kidnapping, eight accounts of abuse of humans and one account of abuse of Pokémon." There was a ripple of noise through the courtroom as the charges were laid, charges far greater than anybody else. There was also surprise that Agent had been accused of the attack on Silver Stadium; his role in Team Rocket was not public knowledge.
"Giovanni Sakaki stands accused of over two thousand accounts of murder by terrorist actions, one account of terrorism, one account of conspiracy to commit terrorist actions, one account of conspiracy to commit treason, eight accounts of kidnapping humans, eight accounts of abuse of humans, one account of attempting to murder a Pokémon, nineteen accounts of abuse of Pokémon and one account of extended experimentation on Pokémon."
Silence fell throughout the courtroom. When all the crimes that the Pokémon League felt that they could prove were laid out, Giovanni felt giddy. He had barely slept since he had spoken to 'Champion' two days ago. With only the charges of terrorism laid against him, he knew he would likely be executed. With all the crimes that were actually laid out, he had no chance.
The trial started to move quickly. All of the defendants pleaded guilty as expected, Giovanni sighing as he did so. He knew that he had no choice, the whole thing was politically based; the world needed to see him and Agent punished. He had considered forcing them to reveal the full weight of evidence against them, but knew that it would make no difference. All he would be doing would be revealing everything he had done to the world. He wanted to go to his fate with at least some dignity remaining. There was a short break, as the judge left the room, and the assembled media shifted impatiently. When Judge Halsey returned, there was a tired look to his features, almost resigned to what he had to do.
It was the headline that caught the attention of Gary Oak. The researcher had gone back to Pallet Town after the impromptu end of the Silver Conference, to spend some time with his grandfather. Samuel Oak had insisted on showing Gary the workings of his laboratory, determined that his grandson could take his place after he retired. The unspoken suggestion was that retirement could be approaching and Gary suspected that his grandfather was only waiting for him to be ready to settle down in a permanent job. Gary had been on a break from the lab, walking through the town, when he saw the headline on the front page of the newspaper in front of a corner shop. He stopped to have a closer look.
"Rocket élite to be executed?"
Despite pleading guilty at their trial yesterday, the boss of Team Rocket, Giovanni Sakaki and number two, who goes only by the title of Agent, face the possibility of execution. It has been confirmed by the Pokémon League that the decision will be given over to the Gym Leaders of all four regions. The two men, on trial for their hand in the savage terrorist attack on Silver Stadium during the final of the Silver Conference would be the first to be executed since Edward Scnitter, ninety-seven years ago.
Gary stared at it in shock. Almost subconsciously he reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. He selected the top number at put the phone to his ear. Within moments Misty had picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Misty, it's me."
"Gary?" Misty's voice sounded strained.
"I've just seen the news." Gary said. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I'm not sure. We are all in shock, none of us even knew that this could happen. We don't know what we should vote."
"Want me to come over?"
Gary smiled as Misty's voice took on an edge. "I don't need you Gary." She snapped. "I'm not reliant on you."
"I'll be there this evening. See you soon Red" Gary said, and ended the call. He stepped into the shop and bought the newspaper, before turning and heading back towards Professor Oak's laboratory. As he walked, he opened the paper to read the article, but was immediately distracted by another headline.
"Legendary Pokémon law to be resurrected."
"What the?" Gary muttered to himself as he read.
"The Pokémon League has announced that there will be a new law regarding the capture of legendary Pokémon. Apparently once illegal, evidence has arisen that a law forbidding the capture of any legendary Pokémon was once in effect. There is no record of this law ever being repealed, as and a result it is to be put into action once again. Cynthia Shirona, recently reappointed as the Head of Trainer Development, confirmed that when the evidence was brought to the attention of the Pokémon League, it was made a matter of importance to reinstate the law.
"'Champion' has based his reign as Pokémon Master around returning the League to how it once was, and so the rediscovery of a law that was lost was important to him." Cynthia said.
Cynthia has also confirmed that any trainer who has captured a legendary Pokémon must release it, or face the prosecution, and a severe jail sentence. However she refused to give any information as to why the law was once required. Continued page 7.
Gary stopped reading as he reached the laboratory. He sighed to himself. He knew that he was one of the leading experts of legendary Pokémon, having worked in Sinnoh, before returning to investigate Ho-Oh, Lugia, and by extension the Legendary Beasts and Birds. He had then gone to Hoenn to continue his research. He walked into the lab, and called for his grandfather. Samuel Oak walked into the room from the Pokémon reserve outside, and saw his grandson frowning at the paper in his hands.
"What's wrong?" Samuel Oak asked. Gary said nothing, but showed him the paper and pointed to the top headline. Samuel started, before taking the paper from Gary.
"Can they do that?" Gary asked after a moment. Samuel thought for a long moment, but then slowly nodded. He handed the paper back to Gary before turning and hurrying to a computer. A few moments of frantic typing later, he turned back to Gary who had followed him.
"I thought so." Samuel Oak took a deep breath. "For a criminal to be executed, they must have committed a crime which is on a short list. Murder, treason and terrorism are all on the list. The prerogative for suggesting the death penalty goes to the Pokémon Master, and the leaders of each Elite Four. If they agree unanimously, then the option is given to the Gym Leaders. There is a requirement for thirty out of thirty-two Gyms to assent to the death penalty. Once that has been given, there is no right of appeal."
Silence fell between the two researchers as they considered the implications. After a minute, Gary snorted.
"They deserve it." He said, before walking away. "I'm going to Cerulean City" he threw over his shoulder. "I'll be back in a couple of days."
"Say hi to Misty." Samuel Oak called after him. "And good luck." As his grandson strode towards his car, Samuel Oak turned back to his research. While he didn't necessarily condone the death penalty, he felt in certain circumstances it could be unavoidable. And the general mood of the public being as it was, it would probably be accepted as what they deserved. As he glanced at the newspaper again, he saw the headline about legendary Pokémon and groaned. The world was changing, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a part of it anymore.
Sam Fernandez was surprised by the message. It asked him to go to Indigo Plateau, sent by the Pokémon League. Brief and to the point. Transport had been arranged; all he had to do was go to Professor Rose's laboratory and be met. It was totally out of the blue, but Sam had no intention of ignoring it.
He had been at home for two weeks, having left for New Bark Town in the aftermath of the attack on Silver Stadium. The friends he had met, Misty, Gary and the others had parted, although he had promised to stay in contact with them. When it was announced that the hostage trainers had been rescued he had waited for a message from Mellanie, or her to return home. Neither happened. It had hurt a lot to know how little he had meant to somebody he thought had been his closest friend. Ten years together and some six months travelling, and she just shut him out. He had gone to her house, to ask her parents if they knew anything about her.
It was unusual for him to go at all; all the years he had known Mellanie and he had only been to her house twice. Her father had answered the door, but had grumpily told Sam that he didn't know anything. He hadn't heard anything about her performance in the final, and didn't even know that his daughter had been kidnapped and then rescued. In disgust Sam had left again, and stormed home, where his own parents struggled with what to do. They had known how little Mellanie's parents cared about her, and had correspondingly tried to take care of Mellanie in their place. They hadn't wanted Sam to know, and they knew that Mellanie had hidden it well. For somebody who came from a loving family, it was hard for a child to understand why or how parents could be so cruel to their child.
That had been a week ago, and in the intervening time Sam had moped around the house. When he had trained his Pokémon he had driven them with a fury matched by them. They knew why their trainer was so angry. Sam had even gone to ask Professor Rose, the woman who had taken the place of Professor Elm as the overseeing professor for the Johto Region. He didn't know her that well, but had spoken to her a few times throughout his journey.
She had been sympathetic, and had assured him that she still had a large number of Mellanie's Pokémon, so the girl would have to come back eventually or contact her. Neither had happened, although the Professor had promised to contact Sam if his friend ever did get in touch. So now, staring at his computer as it showed him that the Pokémon League was asking him to come to Indigo as soon as possible, Sam didn't know what to make of it. He turned off his computer and slowly walked downstairs, for the first time in a week not stomping around.
As he reached the foot of the stairs, his parents looked at each other in surprise. Sam had been a picture of anger for the past week, but now he seemed far calmer. They watched him cross the room to the table and reach for the breakfast that they had laid there for him. As he started to eat, his father spoke.
"Are you alright Sam?" he asked.
"Yeah" came the reply.
A few more minutes of silence as Sam ate, until he was finished. He stood up and crossed to the sink to wash his plate, before turning to face his parents.
"Mum, Dad." He began. "I'm going to head off again today."
His parents smiled at him. While they did want their son at home, they knew that travelling was good for him, and it would be a good way for him to get over his anger.
"Where to?" Denis Fernandez asked.
"Kanto. I've been asked to go to the Indigo Plateau."
"Asked? By who?" his mother asked.
"I'm not sure. The message is just from the Pokémon League, no name attached."
"Well, good luck son." Denis said.
Sam looked at him surprised. "You're not going to ask me to stay any longer? I only just got back."
To his surprise both of his parents laughed. "Sam, you are always welcome here." His mother explained. "This is your home, and we love having you here with us. But this isn't where your heart is anymore. Six months travelling and your addicted. You've gone crazy for the past two weeks. We want you at home, but more importantly we want you to be happy. If these are in different places, then so be it. Just… try to keep in contact?"
Sam's face split into a wide grin as he hugged his mother. "Of course I will." He said. "I'm going to head off in about half an hour, there is a car meeting me at Professor Rose's lab." He turned and hugged his father, before dashing back off upstairs to get ready. His parents exchanged knowing glances. It was good to see their son suddenly happy once again.
When Sam reached Professor Rose's laboratory, the professor was already waiting for him. "You're a mystery Sam." She said with a smile.
"I am?" he asked.
"Yes. When I woke up this morning there was a message from the Pokémon League, telling me that there would be a car arriving for you and that I was to make sure you made it. You've clearly attracted some interest from somebody."
Sam's surprise showed on his face. Rose laughed. "Don't worry, this isn't going to be a bad thing."
"Do you know who is interested?" Sam asked. Rose shook her head.
"Sorry, I don't." She said apologetically. "I guess you'll find out soon enough. If possible let me know alright?"
Sam smiled. "Of course."
There was the sound of a car drawing up outside, and the two turned to walk outside. A car was sat there, with a man stood next to it. As they approached he stepped forward with his hand extended.
"I assume that you must be Sam Fernandez?" he said to Sam, who nodded and took the proffered hand. "My name is Jack, I'm a driver for the Pokémon League." He flashed a badge which had the Leagues insignia on it and turned to Rose. "And you must be Professor Rose? A pleasure to meet you." The two shook hands. "Now Sam, if you could just put anything that you have into the back, we'll be off." Sam held up his small backpack, which drew a laugh from the driver. "You travelling trainers. You never pack much do you?" Sam shook his head, nervous at what was about to happen. Jack walked around the car and got behind the wheel, as Sam turned to Professor Rose.
"Good luck." She said with a smile as she held the door open for him. Sam climbed into the back of the car, and Rose shut the door. The car smoothly accelerated away and she watched it disappear into the distance.
Mellanie stopped running, her hands on her knees panting. Alongside, her Pokémon stopped running, all of them exhausted. They had been taken to an island near to Indigo Plateau by Ash, who had explained that the first thing they would have to do when training with him was to get fitter. She slept in the house near the centre of the island, although she wasn't sure where Ash had slept at first. It became apparent that she had taken his room when he had started building an extension.
She had been surprised when she saw him start, thinking that it was a large project for the Pokémon Master to take on. When he had finished within two days, she realized her mistake. Using Pokémon, it didn't take long, even given that he had barely been around. It was intriguing to notice that the extension consisted of three bedrooms, instead of just the one that she had been expecting. She had quickly moved into one of them, allowing Ash to have his room back. His frequent absence didn't mean that he wasn't taking a close interest in her progress.
Every evening he would return home, prepare food for all the Pokémon, and for himself and Mellanie. He had assured her that one day he would teach her how to make food like he did, but until then she was told to take what she needed from his supplies. For this she was glad; she didn't think she would have the energy to learn anything at the end of each day's physical work.
She had asked Ash when she would start training in battling, which had seemed to cause him some amusement. He told her that she could do it when she felt ready. She remembered being excited, but then realizing that if she did so her Pokémon might not be fit enough for it. She suspected that Ash would still expect her to do the physical training each day, regardless of whether they were doing battling training as well.
She hadn't been sure what to expect when the Pokémon Master took her on, but on reflection she should have known that his Pokémon wouldn't be in such perfect health without an extreme exercise regimen. The first day she had gone on a run, Ash's Pokémon had set off and left her miles behind within minutes. Ash had warned that this would happen and that she should run as far as she felt was fair for her Pokémon. Pushing them too hard could be dangerous for them, not to mention her.
Mellanie stood up, and her Pokémon copied her. She was proud of the way that they had taken to the training, no complaints, and they tried their hardest. She had already decided that today she would reward them. She turned back towards the house, to where there was a large collection of gym equipment to make the Pokémon stronger. There was a ripple of groans from her team, which drew a laugh from her.
She turned to face them for a moment, and saw the tiredness on their faces. Mellanie broke back into a run, heading for the house. Her Pokémon kept up, determined not to fail in the eyes of the Pokémon Master. Throughout their time with Mellanie they had known that their trainer had been told that she had potential. They had faith in her, faith enough to make sure that she would never do them wrong.
As she reached the area just outside the house, Espeon was sat waiting for her. The Sun Pokémon had taken an interest in Mellanie's training, one that Mellanie was grateful for, even if she didn't understand it. Mellanie didn't know what drove Espeon, or any of Ash's Pokémon, but she had never seen Pokémon willing to go through so much for their trainer. Even her own Pokémon, completely loyal, wouldn't do for her what Ash's Pokémon did.
They did whatever was needed, almost never needed instructions, and when Ash was away, they would wait for him to return. When he went to Indigo Plateau, for any reason, they would continue their training regimen, but refuse to eat until their trainer returned.
Once Mellanie had seen them wait for almost eight hours from finishing their training, waiting for their master to return. She had dared to question this, not able to understand how Ash could let his Pokémon go through such hardship. He had told her that he always told them not to wait for him, but they did anyway. When she had asked what inspired such loyalty he had laughed and ruffled her hair, but not answered.
Mellanie came to a stop in front of Espeon and turned to her Pokémon. They had stopped behind her, tired but ready to continue if required. Mellanie smiled as she gave her order.
"I want you to train in pairs. Just like Ash's Pokémon do."
For a moment her Pokémon stood in shock. For the first time since they had arrived almost a week before, they were being told to use attacks. A slow grin spread across Totodile's face as he beckoned Poliwhirl forwards to spar. Mellanie watched for a few minutes, as her Pokémon settled into routines, before she walked to a step and sat down to meditate. There had only been two instructions from Ash thus far with respect to her training.
Firstly she and her Pokémon would exercise every day. She had been allowed to set the intensity, but having seen Ash train with his she had decided to force herself and her Pokémon to exhaustion. The other was that she meditated for at least thirty minutes a day. She had asked what on, and he had said whatever took her fancy. She smiled as she settled down. She may not understand the Pokémon Master, but she felt privileged to be trained by him. She was only missing her friend, Sam.
When Sam reached Indigo Plateau the driver opened the door for him. He was beckoned through the main doors of the administration block, and the receptionist turned to face him as the driver disappeared.
"Good afternoon Sam." She said. "If you would take the lift up, you'll be met."
Sam took a moment to register, before moving. When he stepped into the lift, the doors shut before he could do anything, and the lift moved upwards. It stopped, and the doors opened to show him a corridor, with only one door in it at the end. Sam slowly moved forwards, until he reached the door. It opened for him, and sat behind a desk was the Pokémon Master. 'Champion' was typing on his computer, but stopped as the door opened. Sam edged into the room, hesitant at being brought here in such a way.
"If it makes you relax, you're not in trouble." 'Champion' said, a sparkle in his eye, although Sam couldn't see it under the hat he still wore. "Please, have a seat Sam."
The young trainer perched himself on the edge of a chair, clearly still on edge, having said nothing since he walked into the room. He felt something was unusual; the Pokémon Master was being far friendlier than other times. Before he had seemed to be a distant figure imparting wisdom, wisdom that Sam listened to religiously. Now, something in his bearing seemed different.
"I suppose you're wondering why I asked you to come here." 'Champion' said, his choice of words reflecting Sam's confusion. He had never spoken like this in front of Sam. In fact, Sam wasn't aware of anybody he had spoken to in such a personal way.
"Yes sir." Sam said, the formal word making him feel slightly more comfortable.
"Two reasons." 'Champion' said. "Firstly, I would like to extend an invitation to you, to become a student of mine."
Sam sat bolt upright. Of all the things he had expected, this was the absolute last. He had anticipated talk of Mellanie, or perhaps more advice, however strange it would have been for him to have been pulled to Indigo in an almost secretive way, for something minor. Now it all made sense, the way he was summoned privately, 'Champions' more familiar style, everything. And then a thought struck him.
"Has Mellanie already accepted this offer, sir?" Sam asked.
'Champion' laughed. "You have just demonstrated why I think you have great potential. That is very astute Sam. Yes, she has."
"Why haven't I heard from her?" Sam demanded, before remembering who he was talking to. He was about to apologize, but 'Champion' cut over him.
"I haven't allowed her. If you become a student, you will have to expect to be away from society for a while. Mellanie is living with me at the moment, training." 'Champion' leaned forwards. "I know it is a lot to take in, but I need an answer Sam."
"How long will I have to stay with you?" Sam asked.
"A month as a minimum. After that you will be welcome to train with me as long as I am Pokémon Master."
"And in that month I can't have contact with the outside world?" Sam asked.
"No." 'Champion' said, a smile showing underneath the shadow of his hat. "I asked Mellanie not to talk to you because it can be a surprise for both of you."
"She doesn't know you were going to ask me?"
"She would have refused if I told her that I wouldn't train you as well. But she doesn't know I'm asking you today. You will not be able to travel for the next month, but you can call people if you wish. Although I would prefer you not to say where you are."
Sam nodded slowly, and came to his decision. It was easy really, he might never get a chance like this again, to pass it up would be the height of stupidity.
"Then I accept." Sam said. To his surprise 'Champion' took his hat off. Seeing his eyes, with one dead and one coloured caused Sam's own eyes to widen.
"Good." 'Champion' said. "I have already made the decision that there will be no secrets between my students and myself." Sam's breath caught in his throat, and 'Champion' smiled. "Yes Sam. I will reveal anything you ask to you, on the understanding that it is confidential."
"I… I don't know what to say, sir." Sam spluttered.
"Call me Ash." Said the Pokémon Master.
"What?"
"My name is Ash Ketchum. If you will be training with me, call me Ash."
Sam couldn't speak for a moment. Ash seemed to understand, and stood up, holding out a hand. Almost numb, Sam stood and took it.
"Welcome to training Sam." Ash said with a smile. "I look forward to seeing your progress."
Tobias stood, the image of calm, as he surveyed the city. Internally he was seething as he stood on top of a skyscraper overlooking Goldenrod City. He had spent years collecting his legendary Pokémon. He had captured Darkrai when he was young, through a combination of skilful battling and trickery. Although, he admitted to himself, it was mostly trickery; he had built a trap for Darkrai which had somehow worked.
Darkrai had been furious to find himself forced to obey a human, and Tobias had spent a long time forcing the Pokémon to obey him. It had been some time later that he had met Latios, and captured it by luck. Latios hadn't expected him to have Darkrai, and hadn't been able to escape quickly enough. When he had both Pokémon, he had entered the Sinnoh League, and crushed it. In the following years he had hunted legendary Pokémon, trusting in their strength. They had avoided him, even when he thought he knew where to trap them. He remembered a ferocious battle against Suicune. Suicune had fought harder than any Pokémon he had ever faced, and eventually fled, having fought Darkrai and Latios to a standstill.
Tobias had increased his training efforts to strengthen his Pokémon. The biggest change came when he had tracked down and captured Uxie. The Knowledge Pokémon gave him the ability to catch others. And so he had painstakingly built his team, until it included six legendary Pokémon. He had considered getting more, but had decided against it. He couldn't use more than six at any given time, and so felt that it was unnecessary.
He struggled to train his Pokémon anyway, although he felt he didn't need to. No Pokémon could take out a legendary Pokémon by itself, so why should he bother to train them as much as he would otherwise? It wasn't like he would ever face a team of Pokémon like his own.
He smiled as he thought of the capture of Uxie. His greatest achievement. He had heard of Cynthia's research and started to read her various papers. The three Lake Guardians fascinated him; he had been struggling with control over Latios at the time and was trying to find a way to crush the will of Latios. Azelf seemed to be perfect for this, but further research showed that to exert his will over the Willpower Pokémon would be almost impossible.
He could only use Azelf if the Pokémon agreed. And begging a Pokémon rankled with him. As a result he settled on Uxie, trusting that if he had enough legendary Pokémon, he would always have enough that were listening to him. And so he had travelled back to Sinnoh. It had taken a while but he had finally tracked down where the cavern at the centre of Acuity Lake was. Without Darkrai and Latios it would have been nearly impossible; the cavern had been protected by a powerful psychic shield. He had actually gone past it several times before Darkrai had noticed something. Once he had broken through, Uxie had nowhere to run.
Her protection had been how difficult it was to find her. Against two legendary Pokémon she struggled, and despite repeated attempts to fight her way past she couldn't manage it. Eventually, battered, bruised, beaten, she was captured by Tobias. He had spent the next months fighting to break her will. It had been hard, draining work, but eventually Uxie gave in. Using her, he had managed to track down another three legendary Pokémon. Each one had been harder to find, as they became progressively more erratic. He remembered the last one vividly.
It had taken three of his Pokémon to subdue his opponent, and they were all exhausted by the time he was done. As he replaced the Pokéballs on his belt, another Pokémon had appeared. Mew, the ancestor of all Pokémon. He had considered trying to capture her as well, but then realized that his team was in poor shape to do so. She had issued a threat, and the words had stayed with him in the years since.
"I cannot take the Pokémon you have captured away from you, but I warn you. If you try to capture anymore I will stop you. And if I have to, I will end you."
For a legendary Pokémon that had often been considered to be playful on the few occasions it had been seen, the threat was terrifying. He had tried to speak, but a blast of psychic strength had knocked him over. By the time he had recovered, Mew was gone.
It grated against him to have 'Champion' put a law through that meant he would have to give up all six Pokémon. Pokémon that he had worked hard to capture. Tobias shook his head. He had met the Pokémon Master! There hadn't seemed to be any intention to have him give up his Pokémon then. Maybe 'Champion' knew something now that he hadn't known then. Or maybe he had just been hiding something from Tobias. It barely mattered. He had been summoned to Indigo Plateau, so that the Pokémon League could be certain that he had released his Pokémon. He came to a decision.
He would go, but he would refuse to give up his Pokémon. He was the Sinnoh League Champion, he would challenge the Pokémon Master to a battle. If he won he could revoke the law. As he decided, he had a thought. His Pokémon were powerful, but if anybody could beat him it would be the Pokémon Master. Tobias grinned. Only one trainer had ever defeated a legendary Pokémon of his in battle, and that boy was long gone. He couldn't lose, and once he became Pokémon Master he could change the rules as it suited him. His life work wouldn't be hindered, and he could even push to try to catch more legendary Pokémon.
The thought pleased him. When he had first captured Darkrai he hadn't anticipated the feeling of power a legendary Pokémon brought him. He knew he was now addicted, and needed more Pokémon to feed the addiction. He turned and strode into the building he was stood on. He would go to Indigo Plateau, and he would leave a Pokémon Master.
Mellanie heard something move, and she stood up, causing her Pokémon to break their attention to look at her. Ash had been gone all day, although that had been more common as Gym Leaders sent in their responses to the vote for execution. She hadn't asked how the vote was going, but she suspected that they may be executed. As she looked around, Ash strode out of the back door. It had been the car returning that she heard.
"How is it going?" he asked.
"I feel like I'm making progress." Mellanie answered. "They are showing the signs of the physical training."
Ash gave her Pokémon a quick glance as he strode into the yard, Mellanie following. "Yes. They are. How tired are they?"
"We cut the exercise slightly short today to come and do battle training. I think they should be alright. Why?"
Ash smiled. "I figured you might want a battle."
"Against you?"
"No. Against a friend of yours."
Mellanie spun as she heard a voice speak from the doorway.
"It's been some time since I last saw you Mel. I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive you for vanishing like that." Sam said, leaning against the door frame.
Mellanie whirled on Ash. "You didn't tell me you had invited him!" she accused.
Ash laughed, a rich sound that made his Espeon smile from where she sat watching Mellanie's Pokémon. "I hadn't invited him Mellanie. Sam came this afternoon and agreed to train with me. Although a rematch between you two wouldn't go amiss. 1 on 1. Prove to him the effects of your training."
Mellanie's eyes narrowed. "Are you actually angry Sam?"
The boy smiled at her. "Aside from you worrying me for the last two weeks, no. I'll forgive you, particularly now I've seen where you are."
"Thanks." Mellanie said. "Do you want that battle?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Sam said with a wide grin.
"Totodile?" Mellanie called. Her starter bounded forwards, and looked at Sam. He knew from experience that a battle against Sam was likely to be a tough battle, and he was looking forward to the challenge.
"Totodile huh?" Sam said. "Well, I know somebody that wants a rematch. Quilava, you're up."
As Sam's starter appeared in front of him, Ash stepped aside, and settled down to watch.
"Totodile, Water Gun." Mellanie ordered.
"Flame Wheel." Sam countered. To his surprise, Totodile's Water Gun was stronger than he remembered, and Quilava was only just able to dodge. "Keep going." Sam called.
"Let him close, then Water Gun again." Mellanie said calmly.
Ash smiled to watch; Sam would lose he was certain. It had only been two weeks, but Totodile's training had clearly made a difference. That, coupled with the type advantage gave Quilava an almost insurmountable barrier, as shown as he was forced back by Water Gun several times. Sam glared across the field at the Totodile that was making this battle so difficult.
"Flamethrower."
"Water Gun."
The two attacks collided, with neither able to push past the other. Sam grinned. "Up the power Quilava." As the point of collision edged towards Totodile, Mellanie made her decision. "Aqua Tail around and Hydro Pump."
As Totodile shot off past the Flamethrower that dissipated, Quilava tried to turn. He wasn't quick enough as Totodile shot over his head with a second Aqua Tail, before firing a Hydro Pump. Quilava tried to roll out-of-the-way, but couldn't completely avoid Totodile's attack. As he skidded across the field, Quilava started emitting smoke, quickly covering the entire area, and leaving Mellanie frustrated. A roar of pain came from inside the smoke, before Totodile bounded out.
"Totodile, Aqua Tail."
Totodile shot straight back in, the speed of his passage clearing some of the smoke away. He didn't hit Quilava, but another two passes caused even more of the smoke to clear, and Quilava to be revealed, firing a Flamethrower. Mellanie groaned as she realized that her attack had given Quilava a clear shot at Totodile.
"Totodile, take the hit and Water Gun." Mellanie ordered. The Big Jaw Pokémon was hit by the Flamethrower, and sent skidding before he retaliated with a focused beam of water that sent Quilava reeling.
"Quilava, another Smokescreen." Sam barked, but this time Mellanie was ready.
"Water Gun." She retaliated.
"Change to Fire Blast."
"Aqua Tail over again, and Hydro Pump."
Totodile's water gun was easily eaten up by the Fire Blast, but as it smashed into where he had been, he wasn't there. He had shot straight over it, and with Quilava stuck firing the Fire Blast, this time there was no escape from the Hydro Pump which was being fired at very close range.
"Inferno!" Sam shouted desperately. Before either attack could hit, there was a blue glow, freezing both Pokémon. Ash was on his feet, walking forwards.
"Enough." He said, his voice firm. "I would rather not have to treat either Pokémon for serious wounds."
Totodile and Quilava looked at each other, before nodding in respect at their respective strength. Ash told the two to recall their Pokémon, before leading them into the house. He gestured to a sofa, and both sat quickly.
"You both need to learn when to use each attack." Ash said. "In battle, your goal is to defeat the opponent, with minimum effort. Mellanie, your use of Water Gun was good, but don't become too reliant on one attack. Equally, don't fear to use a powerful attack. Powerful Pokémon take powerful attacks to defeat. You had an opportunity for a powerful strike at Quilava when Totodile took the Flamethrower. But you don't want to completely kill your opponent; not only is it a waste of your Pokémon's energy, it is also considered bad etiquette to repeatedly hospitalize Pokémon that you face."
The two youngsters let this sink in, as Ash turned to prepare food. Sometime later, when they were sat at a table eating, Sam decided to broach something that he had been considering since Ash had revealed his true name.
"Ash?" he started hesitantly. "You said your name was Ash Ketchum?"
"Yes." Ash said. "Why?"
"Is your mother called Delia Ketchum?"
Ash froze. He hadn't expected anybody to know who is mother was. Although he cursed himself for not spotting that they might have made the connection. He had seen Sam and Mellanie with Misty and the others enough times, if his mother was still spending time with his old friends then she might have met the youngsters as well.
"Yes she is." He said quietly. "I haven't spoken to her in nearly eight years."
"She misses you." Sam said just as quietly.
"Sam?!" Mellanie hissed.
"It's okay Mellanie." Ash said. "Did you also suspect?" Mellanie bowed her head slightly, all the confirmation that Ash needed. He sighed. "I know you probably think I'm a terrible son." He said sadly. "And you're right. I had never intended for it to be this way, but things just happened." Mellanie started to speak, but Ash cut across her. "That part of my life is behind me. I never intended to leave my friends and family behind, but I didn't have a choice."
"Why not?" Sam asked. Ash didn't say anything, but looked at him silently. Sam quailed under his gaze, but didn't say anything.
"I'll tell you one day." Ash said, before standing up. "I know" he continued, holding up a hand to stop them speaking. "I said no secrets, but this is something that I do not wish to speak about now. I promise I'll tell you both one day."
And with that, he strode out of the room, leaving Sam and Mellanie staring after him.
For such an announcement, only one man could give it. Ash knew that it had to be him, and so for what he sincerely hoped was the last time for a long time, he was stood in front of a huge crowd of reporters. Behind him stood Lance, Steven and Cynthia. He stood tall, despite the sombre mood.
"Following the conclusion of the decisional procedure, the Pokémon League decided on the fate of the two men, Giovanni Sakaki and Agent. I will not divulge the opinions of anybody affiliated with the Pokémon League but the constitutional decision was to execute the two men. As a result, Agent was executed at 0311 this morning, and Giovanni was executed at 0317 this morning. To the families of the victims of the actions of these terrorists, I hope that you consider justice served."