..::..

I've finally had the chance to work on my stories beyond outlining where I want them to go. Those that kept up to date with my profile will know that I was re-admitted into hospital less than 8 hours after my release the first time. Upon my release this time I have had to deal with an increased work load to compensate and catch-up with work.

Rest assured that I AM working on typing my chapters now, but work comes first at the moment.

MY RED EYED MASTER STORY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I GIVE PERMISSION TO COPY UNLESS YOU'VE ASKED ME BEFOREHAND.

Now … onto the concerns (complaints) I've been asked about.

The first is that some people feel (quite strongly) that my style has changed. Of course it has! I'm still learning when it comes to writing and if I'm not changing, then I'm not learning. My health certainly doesn't help matters either. You don't see an artist that remains the same, do you? Of course not! That artist will discover new techniques and methods to improve their art, so they can produce better art of a higher quality. As I've said … I'm still learning so I will obviously try to improve my writing and style.

Secondly, I have had some complaints regarding making Giovanni so strong. I'm using a balance here, my dear readers. Ash can't grow without opponents that are weak and easily beaten. Giovanni is a mere stepping stone by the way… Ash won't properly be rid of him until the end of the Johto Saga. I won't spoil it, but I will reveal that Ash will defeat him BEFORE the end of the Kanto Saga, but every main character needs a worthy opponent, and Giovanni is Ash's.

That's why I got rid of Jesse and James as well. Since Ash is obviously different from his original personality – they became unnecessary to the bigger picture … that and I wasn't going to even bother writing their encounters with Ash effortlessly beating them over and over again.

Besides … if you think Giovanni is powerful, then you're in for a reckoning when Cyrus comes into the story.

That's all the explanation I'll offer on that subject.

..::..

I DO NOT OWN POKÉMON.

..::..

"Hello" – Speech

'Hello' – Thoughts

"Hello" – Pokémon speech/Aura/Psychic communication

'Hello' – Pokémon thoughts

[Hello] – Pokédex Entries

..::..

Ash casually bypassed a random person as he neared his destination: Celadon City – his music keeping him distracted. It wasn't until someone deliberately blocked the entrance to the road that he glanced up.

It was Brock.

Sighing, Ash unclipped his headphones and glanced warily at the older boy. The sight of the older boy had Ash subtly glance to their surroundings seconds later.

"She's not here, Ash," Brock interrupted – guessing the reason for Ash's wariness. "I suggested that she try to meet you in Saffron City … in case you went there first."

Ash merely narrowed his gaze and frowned.

"Look," Brock sighed. "I'm not stupid, Ash – I know you were addicted to something, but unlike Misty, I could see it wasn't drugs. Correct me if I'm wrong, and it's just a guess on my part, but I theorise it has something to do with your Aura and the encounter with that Pokémon on the ship."

Ash's gaze softened and he nodded. "Yes … I don't quite understand the entirety of the situation myself, but it has something to do with that Pokémon."

"Now that we've established that," Brock grinned. "You look terrible, Ash. The Pokémon Centre is this way – just through the shopping district."

Brock pointed down a side street and Ash nodded. Ash switched his MP3 player off properly and followed his friend down the side street. Brock suddenly stopped and stared at a rather pretty young woman in a traditional kimono. She was chatting with an older couple and Ash could see her pointing at some fragrances and perfumes – likely to promote them.

"Brock," Ash poked his friend. "If you go in there, I won't follow you. I find perfume to be sickeningly potent and it makes me nauseous as well as causing me to get severe headaches – you are well aware of my … condition Brock."

The women in the store instantly turned from their smiley dispositions to hostile ones.

"If you don't like perfume, then get out," hissed one girl. "Don't insult us or scare our customers away."

"I'm not in your establishment," Ash countered smoothly. "Furthermore, I never insulted anyone in the store, I merely referenced to how I feel about perfume – I never deterred anyone from entering either."

"You will leave at once, little boy," the woman in the kimono ordered – failing to see Ash's narrowed gaze at her demeaning form of address. "If you can't appreciate the wonders and elegance of perfume, then you are not welcome near us or our store … Machoke!"

At the call of the aforementioned pokémon, the large and obviously male Fighting Type appeared and growled menacingly at Ash. Ash glared in anger and flared his Aura at the male pokémon – causing the pokémon to stop abruptly and look to the smaller human boy in fear … his mistress obviously didn't realise that he was an Aura User – and while he certainly didn't want to mess with one with such powerful Aura, his Mistress' commands were absolute.

"Machoke," the woman barked. "Remove this uncouth little boy from the area."

Machoke sighed and looked apologetically to the Aura User. Ash's right fist clenched and his knuckles cracked as his gaze to Machoke intensified briefly. Said intense gaze switched to his mistress and he sighed – this time in relief.

"Are you intending to attempt to remove me from a public place just because you misinterpreted my opinion on perfume?" Ash hissed lowly – pokémon nearby tensed as Ash's aura responded to his fury and Machoke became nervous as the aura thickened. Brock sensed the danger emanating from his friend and tried to defuse the tension but the women wouldn't listen to reason.

"What is going on here?" a voice demanded – interrupting the tension. The people instantly looked to face the Officer Jenny in charge of Celadon City.

"Officer Jenny!" the woman in the kimono exclaimed loudly. "This little boy is disturbing my customers and interfering with my business!"

"Ash, as nice as it is to see you," Jenny sighed tiredly. "Can you explain why you're here? You and perfume don't mix … I remember your mother explaining that your sensitive to the fumes and they make you sick."

"Jenny," Ash nodded in greeting before continuing. "I am here for my Gym Battle to obtain the Rainbow Badge. As for my presence here at this store … my friend Brock was infatuated with the ladies that work here."

Brock groaned at Ash and whined, "You didn't need to tell her the reason we're here!"

"You liar!" the woman's assistants yelled.

Jenny glared at the assistants. "Ash has never lied to me. That said do you have proof Ash?"

A chime was heard as Ash pressed a button on his new device and a recording of the events were played for all to hear. The woman frowned as she heard the recording but bowed her head in apology to the red eyed youth.

"I see you were telling the truth after all," she bowed again. "Please accept my apologies."

Ash's gaze seemed to look right through her as he considered her apology, and after a tense silence, Ash nodded in acceptance. Jenny nodded as the incident was brought to a peaceful end.

"Ash," Jenny spoke quietly so that only Ash and Brock could hear her. "Your mother is looking for you and notified all the Jennies and Joys. Joy contacted us though and gave us a heads up as to why she's looking for you. It's my job to notify her that I spotted you … but … I can also notify her after you've left Celadon City if you'd like."

Ash nodded tiredly and smiled. "Thank you Jenny … I'd appreciate your discretion and notify her afterwards."

"For what it's worth, Ash," Jenny replied. "Your mother was just concerned for you and as a sister-figure I have to ask you to try to see her side of things and work it out."

"I can't do that, Jenny," Ash returned. "She accused me of taking drugs … drugs … Jenny. She had already decided that I had done so without even asking me first. She condemned me as an addict before she had conclusive proof, and that cannot be overlooked or accepted so quickly."

Jenny's lips thinned and a hard glint flashed across her eyes. "Okay Ash … I will respect your wishes, but don't let this end your relationship with Delia, okay?"

Ash frowned but nodded. "It will take time … a lot of time, but I will try once I've calmed down."

Jenny smiled sadly and hugged Ash before bidding the duo goodbye.

"So unfair," Brock muttered miserably. "A hug from Jenny … it's not fair … I'm so jealous."

Ash merely shrugged and started walking towards the Pokémon Centre once more.

..::..

Nurse Joy didn't say anything to Ash as he arrived at the Pokémon Centre to heal his pokémon. She knew from the tired look in his eye that he wasn't going to reply to anything she posed or asked, so she didn't bother. She did, however, send a reassuring smile to her little brother figure and was rewarded by a slight one in return.

Silently, Ash handed her his pokémon and waited patiently for Nurse Joy to heal and then return them. He nodded his thanks, watched Brock intensely to unnerve the boy and eventually cease ogling the Nurse, and then left the centre.

While Brock didn't realise they were being watched by two separate people, Ash spared the two a glance at the corner of his eye.

..::..

The first individual was a young woman with blonde hair and a black tulip in her hair. Her stylish black clothing added to her appearance and drew the eyes of many as she sipped casually at her coffee. Once Ash and Brock had left the Pokémon Centre, she took out her cell phone and dialled a number.

"This is Domino," she intoned. "The subject has left the premises – shall I tail him?"

"No," the unmistakable voice of Giovani replied. "You shall follow the plan and announce our coming to the world once more."

"Not to question your plan, sir," Domino gulped. "But do you think it's wise to follow through with this … I mean, the acting Champion is here in the city."

"That is precisely the reason why we must proceed," Giovani retorted seriously. "Announcing our return while the acting Champion is there will make the Elite Four and the Pokémon League look unfavourable to the masses. Do not fail Domino, and perhaps you will be rewarded for your service."

Domino blushed at the tone but then paled as Giovani spoke once more before he hung up. "That is if stop questioning your leader."

Domino gulped and shakily put her phone away. She then stood, left a tip to the waiter staring at her, and then left down a side street to follow her leader's plan – failing to spot her 'target' glance her way.

..::..

The second watcher was quite easily recognised by many as acting Champion Lance. He was not as subtle in watching Ash leave the Pokémon Centre with ex-Gym Leader Brock Slate. He had seen the interaction between the boy at the Perfume Boutique and overheard the conversation with Jenny regarding Delia's hasty accusation. He wasn't an Aura User, but as a member of the Blackthorn Family, he was sensitive to it. He could sense the Aura simmering underneath Ash's skin and frowned.

Ash was clearly more powerful than his father, but lacked the finesse that Red possessed. Aura was dangerous to those untrained and Ash only possessed minimal training in using it. The incident report of what occurred that Bill's Lighthouse was a dead giveaway and he knew that those in the shadows were moving once more. The question wasn't just where but when they would reveal themselves.

Lance frowned further when he watched the boy glance in his direction for a moment before leaving.

'His senses are incredible,' Lance thought with a narrow gaze. 'But, he isn't Red. Red would've spotted me the moment I entered his field of vision. I can only guess that Ash has yet to bond with a partner Pokémon.'

Lance remembered fondly when Red revealed that he'd bonded to a Pokémon and the sense of peace surrounding his Kanto friend was palpable when in his presence. The fact that there was a dangerous feeling surrounding Ash was not lost on the acting Champion, and if he was completely honest, it reminded him of the few times he encountered the elusive leader of Team Rocket.

If the two had met then he hoped the man hadn't imprinted any of his evil on the boy of his friend.

..::..

Ash appeared calm as he walked up the steps towards the Gym, but underneath he felt uneasy. He recognised Lance easily, but the blonde woman gave him a bad feeling. He hadn't truly recovered from whatever effect the unknown Psychic Pokémon had caused, and Ash could only deduce that the effects weren't going to disappear any time soon… he only hoped that he could control his erratic behaviour.

He snapped back to reality as he neared the doors and walked to the reception desk of the Gym. He instantly recognised the two young women from the perfume boutique, and judging by their looks, they recognised him also.

"Get out," the first declared hotly.

"Yeah," the second snarled. "You're not welcome here."

"As indicated by the Pokémon League rules and regulation, you are not permitted to turn away an official challenger to a Gym unless they are a wanted criminal or have, in turn, violated the aforementioned Pokémon League rules and regulations," Ash sighed – seriously, what was with people and being irrationally angry at him?

"Screw that," the first shouted. "Anyone that doesn't respect perfume is not welcome here!"

Said woman grabbed a big stamp with an 'X' stamp symbol and moved to use it when instead she yelped in pain. She looked to her arm to see Brock gripping it tightly. "As an ex-Gym Leader, I can confirm the rules and regulations mentioned here today. If you do not respond to this challenge, I will personally lodge an inquiry myself… do we understand each other?"

The second woman was about to interrupt when a cold voice spoke from behind the two women, Ash and Brock.

"He is absolutely correct," the woman announced, revealing herself to be Erika – the Gym Leader. "If you would kindly release my receptionist's arm, Brock, I will see this challenger and deal with my receptionist's poor behaviour soon."

Brock glared at the woman, but released the receptionist's arm. "Perhaps they should be educated on the rules and regulations more thoroughly Erika … it is, after all … the LAW."

"Quite right," Erika conceded with a nod to her paling receptionist – she then turned to Ash and bowed. "It seems I owe you an apology once more, young man."

Ash merely nodded. It was so out of character for Brock to do as he did, but he could feel the protective aura emanating off the older boy. He'd never really had that before with any other male in his life outside the Professor… and even then, the man was often busy on research projects.

He silently followed the Gym Leader as he pondered on Brock's protectiveness and tried to ignore the warm bubbling feeling it gave him … was that what it felt like to have an elder sibling?

Upon arriving at the battlefield, Erika spun and donned a serious expression. "This will be a 3vs3 Pokémon Battle and only you as the challenger may substitute and recall your Pokémon … are these rules acceptable?"

Ash nodded with an equally serious expression on his face and waited patiently for a referee – another girl from the perfume boutique – to repeat the very same rules that Erika had spoken.

"Then my first pokémon will be … Tangela," Erika declared and released the Grass Type onto the battlefield.

Tangela was a pokémon that was covered with thick blue vines that obscured its face so only its eyes could be seen. The vines were covered in fine hair, and they gave the pokémon a round shape. It was unknown what it looked like without them and the vines were always growing. They could be replaced if lost or damaged, and it had a pair of red boot-like feet, but no visible arms.

Ash hummed. This Tangela was male and was very healthy. He had honestly expected to see some form of neglect, but couldn't spot any – this was very pleasing to the Aura User, as he'd grown tired of seeing neglectful trainers. Ash shrugged mentally and pointed his new device at the Grass Type.

[Tangela: The Vine Pokémon: The blue vines shrouding its body are covered in a growth of fine hair. It is known to be ticklish.]

Ash repeated his thoughtful glance as the Tangela hummed on the opposite side of the battlefield.

'There's a 50/50 chance of this Tangela having either Chlorophyll or Leaf Guard as its ability.' Ash pondered. 'Furthermore, by picking a Tangela, and based on my research, Erika is a status inflictor type trainer. Conversely, her pokémon are diverse and will most likely be proficient in both close range and long range combat. That usually leaves limited options to proceed in winning against such a trainer… however…'

Ash's eyes narrowed and Erika shivered at the cold intelligence that flashed through his gaze.

'Her pokémon whilst proficient are still weak to type disadvantage, so all I must do is block her strategy and then counter before she is able to formulate further strategies.'

"Come forth Pidgeot," Ash spoke and released the Flying Type from his pokéball. Pidgeot screeched loudly and eyed the Grass Type warily.

Erika blinked at the giant Pidgeot and shivered as the bird eyed her Tangela warily… it was clearly more intelligent as well as gigantic.

"The Challenger has the first move," declared the referee. "Tangela vs Pidgeot … match – begin!"

Ash blinked once and then smiled, "Hold Pidgeot." "Wait for her Tangela to open his pores for the ranged attack she will open with and then send it back with a tier 2 type 3 Gust attack. She will most likely open with a Poison Powder attack or a Stun Spore attack."

The type was in reference to their training. Ash had taught all his pokémon to regulate the power they put into an attack and usually had five tiers to their levels. Furthermore, Ash had designed different patterns and methods, so instead of using an attack straight on, Ash had trained his team to alternate their attack patterns – hence the 'type' of their attack.

Pidgeot screeched his acknowledgement.

Erika frowned at Ash's strategy, but that suited her style just fine. "Use Poison Powder attack Tangela!"

The very moment Tangela moved – Pidgeot moved. Erika gasped silently as Pidgeot unleashed what seemed to be a powerful Whirlwind attack, only for the sheer power to not only push the Poison Powder attack back, but to lift Tangela off the ground and send him flying backwards also. It was only after hearing her pokémon's cries of pain that she realised… it wasn't a Whirlwind attack and was actually a high powered Gust attack.

The young man in front of her had taught his pokémon to control the directions and power of their attacks. Erika gulped as she refocussed on her opponent. Ash suddenly seemed to tower over her despite being smaller, and radiated something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She'd only ever felt like this when she fought Giovanni at the exhibition matches. The man exuded an aura that terrified her when they were battling … and now this boy in front of her exuded a similar aura.

Erika coughed to cover her lapse in concentration and went to order Tangela again when the referee announced, "Tangela is unable to battle – the winner is Pidgeot."

Erika swallowed harshly and she bit the inside of her gum to snap out of her sudden fear of a boy. One attack had knocked out her Tangela. Yes, Tangela wasn't on the same level as her other pokémon, but still – one attack!

"Then my next pokémon will be … Bellossom!" Erika declared. The aforementioned pokémon appeared on the field and Ash instantly recognized the Bellossom as a female. With a cheerful cry of her name and a graceful twirl, she readied herself for battle.

Bellossom was a primarily green Pokémon with circular blue eyes and red markings on her cheeks. She had two bright red flowers on her head and green and yellow leaves around her waist that resembled a skirt, all adding to the appearance of a hula dancer.

Ash flicked his device to the Grass Type Pokémon and listened to the explanation.

[Bellossom: The Flower Pokémon: When the heavy rainfall season ends, it is drawn out by warm sunlight to dance in the open.]

Ash stared at the cute pokémon and shrugged mentally after his device had recorded the relevant DATA. "Pidgeot, you fought well my friend – return."

Pidgeot cried his name and returned without a fuss.

"Come forth Leavanny," Ash spoke.

The dual Grass and Bug Type appeared excitedly and cried her name in a pleasant manner. Erika felt like gushing over such a beautiful pokémon but refrained from doing so. Brock raised his brow from the sidelines … he had anticipated Ash going with those of his previously trained team.

'Has Ash already formed strategies for his newest team members?' he pondered. 'What am I thinking – of course he has.'

"Leavanny, this is your first official battle with me," Ash spoke to the Nurturing Pokémon before switching to Aura. "We have not truly explored the limits of your abilities, but I need to see your proficiency in combat. It is highly illogical to use a pokémon I'm not familiar with, but I am using you nonetheless."

Ash repeated his explanation of the type of trainer Erika was and Leavanny hummed her affirmative response of understanding his explanation and readied herself.

"Bellossom vs Leavanny," the referee intoned. "Match – begin!"

"Bellossom, use Magical Leaf!" his opponent ordered.

The Flower Pokémon spun and instantly launched what could almost be described as a storm of leaves at Leavanny. Leavanny shivered with excitement and waited for her trainer's orders – she didn't have to wait long.

'I'm pleased she's trained her pokémon well enough to draw upon an attack's true power,' Ash mentally commented, "Leavanny, counter with Razor Leaf." "Once you're sufficiently hidden from view, use an Energy Ball to the north west of your location – use your antennae to pinpoint her location in the vicinity."

Leavanny subtly nodded her head in understanding and unleashed a slightly more powerful Razor Leaf attack to counter the Magical Leaf attack – Ash carefully analysing his pokémon's every move and committing any flaws to memory for correction. Leavanny's antennae twitched slightly and Ash blinked in surprise as Leavanny's Energy Ball was almost twice the size of the original technique. Leavanny cried her name with delight as she released the attack at the Flower Pokémon.

'Wow she really does love to battle,' Ash blinked with the slightest hint of a smile – a smile Brock caught the end of and grinned mentally – the Ash he knew hadn't truly vanished with the mysterious pokémon. Oh Brock wasn't ignorant to the slight chilling aura that had started to surround the younger male, but he was sure that Ash wouldn't be consumed by the darker feeling that had surfaced after the death of Bill and the St Anne incident.

"Jump out of the area and use Mega Drain, Bellossom," Erika cried through the dusty haze caused by Leavanny's Energy Ball.

Ash's smile returned briefly. He had intentionally left out what he wanted Leavanny to do with the Energy Ball to see if they had the same patterns of strategy. He was pleasantly surprised to see that instead of aiming for a direct hit – Leavanny had aimed to cause confusion and cover for what he was planning next.

He wouldn't disappoint her.

"Use X-Scissor, Leavanny," Ash ordered through the dust. "Charge your attack for exactly 3 seconds and aim for the flowers on Bellossom's head, Leavanny – aim to use each arm individually."

Erika grinned as Bellossom jumped clear of the obstructing dust, but then gasped as Leavanny leapt higher than Bellossom and executed a perfectly timed and charged X-Scissor attack to the sensitive flowers on the Flower Pokémon's head. Bellossom cried out in pain, but still attempted the ordered Mega Drain attack – only to realise too late that the first strike was from only one of the Nurturing Pokémon's arms … the second scored a direct hit and poor Bellossom was sent crashing down into the battlefield below them.

"Bellossom is now unable to battle," declared the referee – who was becoming very impressed with the challenger and his pokémon. "Leavanny is the winner!"

Erika sighed but thanked Bellossom for her efforts. "My third pokémon shall be Gloom!"

Ash hummed and his gaze landed on the surrounding garden – specifically the small bush nearest to Erika.

Gloom was a blue, bipedal with rudimentary hands and feet. It had orange leaves and a reddish-brown flower growing from its head. The flower had large, rounded petals and white spots. Ash knew that only female Gloom displayed only a single large, white spot on each petal, while male Gloom would have more, smaller spots instead. Gloom's eyes were wide and appeared closed, while its lips were thin and purple.

'Judging from the spots on this Gloom – he's a male.' Ash identified easily.

Erika's own gaze narrowed … how did Ash know where Gloom was located – oh she knew he was good, but to instantly know where Gloom liked to hide during her battles was … scary. Not for the first time, Erika instantly thought of Giovanni and compared her challenger to the man. Unbidden to the Grass Type Trainer, another shiver went right down the centre of her spine … this boy was becoming more dangerous the more they battled. Their first battle, while short on her end and terrifying to see, was relatively tame. Their second however showed the level of precision that Ash's pokémon were capable of – at least in an ordered capacity. It was like he could communicate with them without verbally doing so.

Her thoughts flashed to her friend Sabrina – was Ash Psychic? No he couldn't be because Sabrina had taught her how to recognise the signs and the signs were saying he was an ordinary albeit very mature and scary child.

She frowned once more as Gloom took his place in front of her but blinked her thoughts away as the battle took priority over trying to discover her opponent's secrets.

[Gloom: The Weed Pokémon: The honey it drools from its mouth smells so atrocious, it can curl noses more than a mile away.]

Ash simply stared at Gloom and it was then that Erika realised – there was no foul odour being released by Gloom. A glance at the Weed Pokémon told her that there was something akin to respect and dare she say … reverence towards the challenger. That caused Erika to pause again – why would Gloom respect and revere her challenger?

An unspoken form of message seemed to pass between the two and Gloom nodded seriously – more seriously than she'd ever seen on her beloved Gloom.

Ash nodded also and smiled softly at Leavanny. "Thank you Leavanny."

"Your victory is well deserved Leavanny, and I can assure you there will be more than enough battles to come." Ash spoke through Aura.

"Return please," Ash spoke – though his tone was warm and affectionate. "Charmander, come forth."

Charmander cried cheerfully as he appeared onto the battlefield – his golden shine releasing the pleasant sight of golden energy denoting him as a Shiny Pokémon.

Erika twitched in annoyance, 'First a giant Pidgeot, then a rare, foreign Pokémon and now a Shiny Pokémon?'

"My you certainly don't fail to surprise me, young man," Erika laughed.

Ash shrugged and looked to Charmander, "Are you ready?"

Charmander grinned confidently and nodded – they'd trained for this moment and he was ready… more than ready as both he and Ash were aware of how close he was to his evolution.

"Good," Ash nodded before looking to the referee – who was staring at Charmander in awe. She snapped out of her stare, blushing in embarrassment as she did so.

"Gloom vs Charmander," she stated for the record. "Match – begin!"

"Charmander, use Smokescreen," Ash ordered instantly.

Just like the first battle, Erika watched in slight awe at the speed displayed by Ash's pokémon as Charmander instantly complied and covered the field with a thick, dense smoke. So thick in fact that Gloom panicked. Erika called out to Gloom and soothed him.

"Be ready Gloom," Erika called out. "Use your Razor Leaf in a cone around you to push the Smokescreen back!"

Gloom proved capable under pressure as he instantly complied as fast as he could. He unleashed his Razor Leaf attack and forced the power to spin around him to push the smoke back.

"While Gloom's busy pushing the Smokescreen back, position yourself at Gloom's right and prepare for a Tier 5 Ember attack – don't breath in until the last moment or you'll breathe in Gloom's odour."

Charmander did as instructed and waited. Once the smoke began to clear, he breathed in deep and let Gloom taste his Ember attack that seemed more like a small Flamethrower attack by its power. Gloom was unprepared to be attacked on his blind side and cried out in pain as he was assaulted by the super effective move. Gloom also recovered quickly though and spun on his feet to swerve out of Charmander's attack. Gloom fired back by releasing a highly concentrated purple drool.

'Toxic attack – at this level…' Ash hummed. 'No, this is most likely taught by a TM."

"Evade," Ash ordered calmly before once again switching to Aura. "Jump back and use Dragon Rage to counter Gloom's Toxic attack."

Charmander released the beautiful purple flames quickly as he jumped back to gain some distance from Gloom, before wincing. Charmander glanced at his arm and noticed the small acid-like burn to it. Charmander glared heatedly at his opponent and cried his name in anger.

"Stay calm, Charmander," Ash quickly spoke. "If you evolve in anger, then you'll never unlock your full potential without extra training."

Charmander's glare remained but his growling settled as quickly as he could manage.

"Gloom, use your Poison Powder," Erika pushed.

Gloom shook his body and a shimmering purple powder was released – heading right for Charmander who had no cover.

"No," Charmander hissed. "I will not lose to this oversized weed and Ash will be victorious!"

Charmander snarled and released the largest Dragon Rage attack he could manage. He pushed everything into the attack and continued to push until he could no longer continue.

Ash watched in pride as Charmander pushed back with everything he had – the Dragon Rage completely engulfed the Poison Powder and continued onwards … straight into a shocked Gloom. Erika gaped at the display of power – if Ash's Charmander was this powerful now, then how much more powerful would he become in the future?

Charmander panted and stood shakily at his foe … Gloom was down and wasn't getting up.

"Gloom is unable to battle – Charmander is the winner," the referee declared after checking on Gloom. "This Gym Battle is over – the winner is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town."

Ash quickly took out a Sitrus Berry from his bag and handed it to a joyous Charmander – he'd won and done so against a Gym Leader's pokémon … take that Damien!

They were in high spirits as Erika approached the duo – Ash watching Charmander fondly as he devoured the berry.

"Congratulations Ash," Erika smiled at him. "This is the proof of your victory here in Celadon City. Please take this Rainbow Badge and wear it with pride."

Ash gratefully accepted the badge and placed it in his case. He was about to respond when an explosion rocked the Gym.

..::..

Domino stared at the detonator in her hand.

She could just pretend to fail in her mission … or she could drop it and walk away … or … Giovanni's glare flashed across her mind and she swallowed harshly. No, she was entrusted this mission because she was his most loyal subordinate.

Domino sucked in a deep breath and pushed the button.

Almost instantly the Game Corner complex exploded violently… sending shrapnel and debris in every direction. Once she heard the second explosion go off from the Celadon City Department Store, she pressed another button on a separate remote.

She heard the distinct hissing noise that indicated that her second device had executed its purpose, and once that was done – she fled. Domino took one last look at the Celadon City Gym before closing her eyes.

"Forgive me," she whispered.

She never believed that bloodshed was necessary to the cause but her loyalty to Giovanni was absolute. Then with a sudden mechanical whoosh, a Team Rocket helicopter was there to pick her up. She took a look at her handiwork and while she hated to see the devastation she'd caused, she felt a dark rush of adrenaline.

"Get us out of here," Domino ordered the pilot.

The Team Rocket helicopter flew high to escape the smoke and disappeared into the darkening evening sky.

..::..

Lance watched from an office he'd procured at the Pokémon Centre and watched the battle unfold between Ash and Erika.

He too was quick to see the similarities between Ash and Giovanni and he unconsciously clenched his fist. If only he had the evidence to prove that Giovanni was the leader of Team Rocket. The Lighthouse Incident had imprinted something onto his best friend's son and there was little he could do … that said … he could always test the boy.

Plans formed in his brain and he came to the simple conclusion that he needed to battle the boy before his single loss tainted him. He needed to lose to someone that wasn't tainted like the elusive leader of Team Rocket.

Lance suspected it was Giovanni.

He just needed proof…

The windows suddenly exploded and shrapnel burst in through the new holes where the windows used to be. His ears were ringing loudly and even standing became difficult as he was disorientated by the explosion. Somehow he managed to get outside and a horrified gasp of pain escaped him before his eyes narrowed into a glare that hadn't truly been seen since the Team Rocket War.

Because there … on the dangerously swaying top floor of the Celadon City Department Store in the hot, smoky skies … was the Team Rocket Flag.

Team Rocket was officially back and they'd just declared war.

Testing Ash couldn't wait now. Red's son was in the city and if he was as sensitive to Aura as Red was … the taint could only grow… just as Red's had grown.

..::..

And there we go dear readers. :3

Apologies for the lateness and the small length of the chapter. Work piled up again and I only have one more week to finish two years of work or lose my job. This was the best I could do on my time frame.

~Piro-san~

..::..

AS ALWAYS: PLEASE READ AND REVIEW

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\^O^/

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