Pokemon Dark Tidings.

Lavender Town lay shrouded in its usual mist, the eerie silence broken only by the occasional whisper of the wind through the ancient trees and the mournful cries of the Ghost Pokemon that lingered there. Today, the air was heavier, charged with an unfamiliar tension.

From the path leading from the Pokemon Tower, a figure emerged, cloaked in shadows despite the midday sun. Agatha, one of the Elite Four, moved with a grace that belied her years, her eyes sharp and piercing beneath the brim of her wide hat. Her presence commanded respect and fear, her very aura seeming to draw the darkness around her like a shroud.

Followed by her apprentice, she swept out of the tower, the sheer disgust emanating from her scaring off anyone who'd usually try to gain an autograph or a picture.

Not that many were usually that daring in the first place. Agatha had a reputation. One she had cultivated specifically to not have to waste time with mouth breathing ignoramuses.

She had come to Lavender Town for answers, summoned by the disturbing reports she had received once the mystics in the tower had clued in due to rumors around town. As she approached the town hall, the air around her grew colder, the Ghost Pokemon that followed in her wake adding to the chill. Her displeasure was palpable, a dark cloud that seemed to hover just above the ground. Her apprentice slowed down, getting some distance between them, shivering in the chill.

She'd have to make sure to train the child in colder environments if such a little thing bothered her, she mentally cataloged.

The town hall was an old, stately building, its weathered facade a testament to the many generations it had served. Agatha pushed open the heavy wooden doors with a force that belied her frail appearance, slamming them into the wall, announcing her appearance, her eyes narrowing as she stepped into the dimly lit interior. The elders and the Mayor were already assembled, their faces pale with apprehension as they awaited her arrival.

The fools should have known better, they should have certainly had the wits to contact her, to make a decision - instead of foolishly believing they knew what they were doing. Like these wastrels had even touched a Pokeball in decades…

Agatha's presence filled the room like a storm cloud as she slowly walked forward. She fixed the Mayor with a cold, penetrating gaze, her lips curling into a thin, displeased line. "Why," She began, her voice low and dripping with controlled fury, "Was I not informed about this boy with ghost energy?" She queried, "Why did you fools conspire to hide it from my vision? Know your place!" She punctuated her hissed final statement by loudly tapping her cane on the hardwood floor, the thud having a finality to it.

Like judgment had been passed.

The Mayor, a portly man with a nervous twitch, wrung his hands together, sweat beading on his forehead. "Lady Agatha, we -"

"Silence!" Agatha's voice cracked like a whip, cutting off his feeble attempt at an explanation. "You had a boy in your midst, gifted with a connection to Ghost Pokemon, and you thought it best to handle it yourselves? Without consulting me?" She sneered, absolutely disgusted.

When she'd heard, she'd had a moment of elation and interest, the boy's circumstances drawing some parallels with her own ages ago - she'd never run into anyone with her affinity for ghosts, and to not have to train for it - just have it naturally? She'd immediately drawn up an apprenticeship in her mind - until she'd read that the feckless idiots had banished the boy.

They had reacted to his amazing gift with scorn. A boy capable of controlling Pokemon without first obtaining them through the Pokeball system, and they'd reached with hate, instead of grasping the golden opportunity with both arms. Fools! Idiots, Fools! She thought having to hold herself back, lest her shadow would lash out and smite the moronic mouth breathers that infested her town.

Her position in the Elite Four was worth too much to allow herself that pleasure however, so she subsided. Slightly.

The elders shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances but saying nothing. Agatha's gaze swept over them, her eyes like cold, dark embers. "You are all fools. Superstitious fools who let your ignorance guide your actions." She declared.

One of the elders, an old woman with a wrinkled face and trembling hands, dared to speak. "We thought it best for the town, Lady Agatha. The boy… He was unsettling, those red eyes… He was as much a ghost as the Pokemon. The Ghost Pokemon flocked to him, and -"

"And you exiled him." Agatha's voice was now dangerously soft, a sharp contrast to the fury in her eyes. "You sent him away without understanding his potential, without seeking my counsel. Do you have any idea what you might have lost?" She shook her head, the talismans woven into her hair jingling, "This is Lavender, you should be proud of your heritage, you useless fossils!"

Her apprentice coughed quietly in amusement at her calling someone else a fossil, and her face grew positively vicious as she imagined the tasks she'd put her through for thinking such about a finely aged woman as herself.

Had she made her dig holes and fill them yet? Hmm, she thought, yes she had. Well, she'd come up with something sufficiently unpleasant. It wouldn't do to have her apprentice get lazy and fat.

Meanwhile the old woman recoiled as if struck, her face paling further. "We - " She tried to bluster. The other members were at least wise enough to keep their useless flapping jaws shut in front of her.

"You did not think," Agatha interrupted, her tone icy. "You acted out of fear and ignorance, and now you will face the consequences of your actions." Behind her, the shadows deepened across the walls, leering ghosts smiling at the gathered council, the shadows reaching across like overly long thin fingers, cackling heard as it reached for the councilors.

She inwardly smiled as one of the councilors voided his bladder. She still had it.

She raised a hand like she was about to strike them down, the council all white faced, and then a set of papers materialized in her hand, delivered by one of her ghosts. "The League will be sanctioning all members of the council, all Pokemon related issues will henceforth go entirely through the mystics of the Pokemon tower."

People loyal to her. The paperwork had been easy to get for that. The League did not like someone like this boy running around unattached, not with the kind of power he could potentially let loose.

The Champion had been as angry as Agatha, even as he barely fulfilled his duties, training for his upcoming challenger. The idea that such a natural Pokemon tamer slipped out of their hands due to such incompetence… She could probably spank one or two of these fools and get away with it…

They would hardly kidnap the boy, the League didn't have any legal right to him. Yet like her, they were not impressed, as without the council's interference - they could have had him under their thumb, under Agatha's guidance.

Without authority over Pokemon issues, the council and the Mayor would become entirely toothless, dealing with minor bureaucracy matters entirely. She felt it was a fitting punishment - nothing was worse than bureaucracy. That's why she had an apprentice in the first place, so she could do all the useless nonsense instead of Agatha and leave her the important bits.

The Mayor tried again, his voice shaking. "Lady Agatha, please. We didn't mean any harm. We thought - "

"You thought wrong," Agatha snapped. She turned her back on them, her cloak swirling around her like a dark specter. "I will find this boy. I will see for myself what you have cast out. And if he is as gifted as the reports suggest, you better pray he is amenable to joining the League, or your position will become untenable to say the least…"

The room fell silent, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air. Agatha moved toward the door, her movements fluid and deliberate. As she reached the threshold, she paused, turning her head slightly to fix them with one last, withering glance.

"Pray that he is unharmed and not already caught by undesirable elements. Pray that your foolishness has not cost us a valuable ally. If it has, Lavender Town's council will not soon forget the wrath of the Ghost Mistress."

With that, she swept out of the town hall, the doors slamming shut behind her with a finality that echoed through the empty corridors. The Mayor and the elders sat in stunned silence, the gravity of their actions sinking in with a chilling clarity.

Agatha made her way back through the mist-shrouded streets, her mind racing with thoughts of the boy. She would find him. She would assess his potential. And if he was indeed the natural prodigy she suspected, she would take him under her wing, away from the small-minded fools who had failed to recognize his worth.

And woe to those who stood in her way.

She turned to her apprentice, giving her a gimlet stare, the girl straightening, but keeping a placid expression, she had more backbone then the entire council. Not that it was a surprise. If she hadn't, Agatha would have never bothered with her in the first place.

She tapped her cane on the ground thoughtfully, "Karen, you wanted some independence… Join the circuit, find this boy, stick close, I want to know everything." She ordered.

"... Great, stuck on babysitting duty…" Karen groaned, slumping slightly, a distasteful twist to her lips.

Agatha raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "Yes, I wonder how that feels." She said dryly, pointedly.

Karen glared at her huffily, "It's so not the same, Lady Agatha!"

"I beg to differ, you're all wet behind the ears rookies to me." She sniffed, turning on her heels, slowly sinking into the shadows, disappearing from view.

Karen could take it from there, the boy could hardly have gone far, she'd join the circuit from Lavender and trace the boy's steps.

Within a week she'd surely have a report on what made the boy tick, or she'd have to motivate the girl further…

It wasn't until she returned to her office that she realized the real crime those fools had committed.

With Karen out searching for the boy, there was no one around to do her paperwork!

"Ohohoho…" She cackled quietly, her shadow stretching across the office, frost spreading across the window, "They'll pay, come tax season… Oh will they ever pay…"

If she had to do paperwork, she was going to absolutely drown them in audits and unnecessary dross.

Never let it be said that Agatha wasn't a petty old witch.

Far away from Lavender Town, like really, nowhere near Lavender.

Ezra soared through the clear morning sky, the wind whipping through his hair as he gripped the feathers of his newly evolved Pidgeot. The majestic bird Pokemon's powerful wings beat rhythmically, propelling them forward at a rapid pace. The world below them blurred into a patchwork of forests, rivers, and mountains. Ezra couldn't help but grin at it all - the thrill of flight was exhilarating.

Once he'd get set up properly and retired Pidgeot to a nice forest, he'd have to replace her with a proper dark flying type, because he'd definitely want to fly again. He'd never felt so free, just soaring the sky like this was amazing.

It was cold, wet, uncomfortable and so exhilarating that he didn't care about the first three. Him, that disdained existing outside his creature comforts - that wanted city life over roughing it in the wild. The sky was so freeing that he didn't care about anything else, just enjoying the moment.

Leaving Lavender Town behind felt like shedding a heavy cloak that weighed you down. The haunting memories of his rebirth and the suffocating suspicion of the townspeople were far below him now, almost insignificant. But he knew he had to remain vigilant. The world outside was just as dangerous, if not more so. His encounter with the dead trainer had reinforced that reality.

Whether poachers or Team Rocket, or even dangerous wild Pokemon - this world had threats to his life if he became complacent. Especially once he started making waves with some of his knowledge.

Pryce was currently the champion, he'd read up on his Pokedex. Although not for long in all likelihood, the old ice type leader was facing an Elite Four challenge from Lance the Blackthorn dragon specialist, the winner of the last conference. He hadn't issued the challenge yet, but the online forums all agreed it was only a matter of time, certainly before this year's circuit was done.

Ezra of course knew how that challenge would go, Lance would win and become champion, which meant he was definitely years before Ash was a thing.

There was a lot of chatter online that wasn't very complimentary about Lance and Pryce. The fact that both the Champion and the prospective Champion were from Johto wasn't very popular in Kanto for numerous reasons. It hadn't been helped by the fact that as far as Ezra could tell from skimming articles and forums on the matter, Pryce was just incredibly uncharismatic, and practically flaunting his preference for Johto at all times.

He was the stereotype of clannish noble Johto types, traditional, old and arrogant. The funny thing was that Lance was technically exactly the same but younger and more attractive. The other difference was he was charismatic and smart enough to not advertise his preferences - knowing the Champion was supposed to be above all that.

Hence he was already more popular, despite not even having challenged the Elite Four yet. Even those on the forums that hated Johto, and Lance just for being a Blackthorn - hated Pryce more. Funny to think Lance's popularity would be not so much from anything he'd done, as much as people just being glad to be rid of the old Champion.

Either way, the politics of it didn't matter to him other than for curiosity's sake - and to confirm again around which time in the timeline he was.

With his knowledge on both evolutions no one knew about, as well as knowledge about fairy types who the world didn't even classify as fairy yet - he stood to make bank. It was just a question of making sure he progressed quickly enough in training that his monetary schemes wouldn't be poached by villainous trainers.

Although he had some ideas on how to mitigate that. But those required a partner. And he hardly had anyone he could trust with that at the moment.

And all of it would require some start-up funds. And luckily he knew exactly where to get that. This world, just like any world, had rich people willing to throw insane amounts of money for anything that was unique. Like say a crystal Onix.

Something he knew the general whereabouts for. Oh, he likely wouldn't find it immediately, but that was fine, just meant more battles and training for his Pokemon as he searched. He was in no rush to run to the circuit after all. With flight, he could literally hit up every gym within a week if he so wanted later. There was no rush.

Ezra patted Pidgeot's neck, they'd already flown quite far yesterday before kipping for the night, so they still have a bit to go, but not unreasonably so. "Alright, buddy, let's head for the Orange Islands. We have a special Pokemon to find, step one of getting rich and bad ass enough you'll get your own forest and little harem." Pidgeot let out a triumphant cry, acknowledging the command, seeming to pick up speed from the encouragement.

The journey to the Orange Islands would be long, but Ezra's determination drove him forward. No pain no gain - he'd suffer now to live a life of luxury later. His knowledge would be useless if he sat on it, as someone would eventually discover all the things he knew - making his information worthless if he didn't act on it.

A day passed as they traveled, stopping occasionally for rest and to train his team. The bond between Ezra and his Pokemon continued to grow as they showed a remarkable ability to understand his wishes and move forward in training. He didn't know if this was usual for Pokemon or not, as most training methods were not in fact openly advertised - trainers and clans keeping it close to the vest.

That night, as he sat by the campfire, he played around with his Pokedex, Pidgeot resting, while his other Pokemon all continued their training on harnessing their energy, making their techniques less wasteful, and more focused - the Pokemon well rested as they'd had nothing to do but hang out in Pokeballs all day during traveling.

Trawling through the primitive web he could access through his Pokedex showed very few tips, mostly generic. Actual training tools and tips were kept mum by even the independent trainers, no one willing to give an advantage up. The web itself was clunky and separated, Kanto and Johto for example having a different web requiring a hassle and a half to switch between them to search the other side.

That wasn't even mentioning Sinnoh and Hoenn having just recently opened up trade, and getting on their web took forever, and required a trainer ID, barring anyone else from Kanto to use it at all.

Each Gym and the Pokemon League all had a website, but it was so basic it made him cringe. It definitely wasn't a processing problem, they had enough computing power to transfer Pokemon into data. It just seemed that with the focus so heavily on Pokemon, other pursuits that didn't really involve Pokemon at all - like the web - were lagging behind, the greatest minds inevitably going into Pokemon research, where the money was.

Honestly… If he could get his hands on a Porygon, he'd make a lot of money on creating something like YouTube/twitter/Instagram allowing trainers to post video and pictures of their Pokemon/Pokemon Battles and the like. What they had now was basically scattered little forums that were a pain to find. They needed modernization in this matter - for the sake of Ezra's wallet.

And of course because it would help him gain enough of a reputation to push for his own gym if said app just happened to have an algorithm that pushed his own accomplishments and battles to the front of everyone's feed…

He made a note in his Pokedex notepad, a Porygon would be essential ASAP, as soon as he had the money from the crystal Onix sale. He wasn't by any stretch an ace programmer, but he knew some, and with a Porygon to help, surely he could at least knock out something basic that would be better then some scattered low effort forums.

It was interesting however to note the differences between the Anime and real life here. Pokedex wasn't a new thing by the time Ash would begin, or he wouldn't hold one right now. They just probably began to be cheap enough for more trainers to have them by Ash's time - or that was an entirely separate universe, who knew how these things worked, really?

Some technology that was new by Ash time already existed here, and there were more kinds of Pokemon then the game/anime had for the beginning stretch - which made sense when he thought about it more. Kanto alone was huge, only 150 types of Pokemon was unrealistic for a landmass this large.

He shut the Pokedex down, his evil monetary schemes would have to wait for now. If he focused too much on it, he'd go overboard and introduce Gacha games to the world. Collectible Waifu Pokemon girls in Gacha games, would probably ruin the economy here.

He craned his neck, staring into the darkness where his Pokemon were still practicing, "One hour more, then rest." He ordered quietly, shaking his head at the immediate whining he got from Cubone.

Ever since there'd been some success with iron tail, the little nut had gone all in for training.

He gingerly got up from where he was sitting, his ass and thighs smarting from the long hours sitting on Pidgeot and holding on tight. He walked over towards where Cubone was, bending down and patting Cubone on the head gently, "Hey, we'll be there soon, then we can fight and train all day, but right now, you need to not overdo it while I can't watch over you." He said, glancing at Haunter and Shuppet, both who immediately froze, acting like they hadn't been shooting shadow balls at each other. "And you two, don't think I noticed that sloppy firing sequence, if you're going to play around, get in good habits, perfect your energy, get a higher rate of speed on your shots, and learn to observe and tell what your opponents body language says about where they're going to dodge." He lectured.

He didn't mind at all if they wanted to shoot the shit out of each other, as long as they didn't actually hurt each other enough to faint. But they needed to actually pay attention to what they were doing and draw some measure of improvement out of it.

Haunted and Shuppet both started eying each other more thoughtfully, and Ezra knew they'd think on his words going forward. With so many different body types around, reading body language wouldn't be wholly successful, but experience would add onto it for every enemy they defeated, so the sooner they started thinking about it, the better.

The more his Pokemon would know about battling, other Pokemon, and their habits, idiosyncrasies and techniques, the more they'd be able to react in the heat of battle without him ordering them to. Another reason to set up Pokemon YouTube really.

When his Pokemon wasn't training, they could watch videos of other trainers and their Pokemon and learn, resting their body while activating their minds. Other clever trainers would perhaps think of the same thing - but if he knew people, only the cleverest of trainers would even think of it - so he'd still be in the top one percent.

He patted Cubone on the head again, "I'm going to bed, remember, one hour." He said sternly, before he returned to his tent, pausing just before he entered, speaking to his shadow, "Keep an eye out, keep the camp safe, and if they go over an hour, feel free to prank them into acquiescence." He told the multitude of ghosts that followed him around.

He got a multitude of giggles from that, and he entered his tent to go sleep, safe in the knowledge his camp would remain unmolested, and his Pokemon wouldn't overdo their training without him there to supervise.

He really was just a giant walking cheat code - and he was okay with that.

The next day,

Finally, the Orange Islands had come into view. A cluster of tropical islands, each with its unique charm and danger - the Orange league protecting it, and if he remembered correctly, Lorelei was supposed to hang around somewhere here as well. Ezra directed Pidgeot to land on one of the medium sized islands, guessing that it was Sunburst island from vague memory, the island the crystal Onix called home.

The island was lush and vibrant, with thick jungles and pristine beaches. As Ezra dismounted from Pidgeot, he couldn't help but take in the beauty around him. But he had no time for sightseeing. He needed to find a guide who knew the island well. He could spend his time poking the Orange League, training and looking around at the native Pokemon and such, after he accomplished what he came here for.

After some searching, and getting laughed at by people, Ezra found a local fisherman named Marco, who agreed to take him to the rumored location of the crystal Onix for a small fee - seemingly bemused at the 'tourist' wasting his money on a myth. Marco was an older man, his skin weathered by the sun and sea, but his eyes were sharp and alert. He had a scarred and weathered looking Cloyster at his side.

He also had made no comments about Ezra's particular look, other than to critically tell him to put on more sunscreen if he wanted to not be in agony the next day, with as he said 'skin like that'. Which Ezra could appreciate.

"I've heard the stories and myths of the crystal Onix," Marco said as they trekked through the dense jungle. "But I've never seen it myself, and honestly, it's just a story spread over drinks, based on something one of the local kids had said which then spread on its own. Some say it lives in a hidden cave, deep within the island. Others believe it roams the jungle at night." He shrugged his shoulders uncaringly, "If it was real, someone would have seen it or caught it by now."

Ezra nodded, listening intently. "Do you think it's possible for it to just be hiding underground then?" The fact it's even a story here, a myth, should mean I'm in the right place at least.

Marco shrugged. "Who can say? But this island holds many secrets. If you're determined, maybe you'll find it." The amused quirk to his smile told Ezra the old man was just humoring him for the small amount of coin he'd received.

The journey through the jungle was arduous. The thick foliage and humid air made progress slow. Wild Pokemon occasionally appeared, but Ezra's team handled them with ease. His Haunter and Shuppet flitted through the shadows, while Cubone and Pidgeot kept close, ready to defend against any threats.

The old man and his Cloyster didn't assist, seemingly enjoying letting the youngsters do all the work. Ezra had a feeling the old man was simply going along with this so he'd have a funny story about stupid tourist kids at the bar later.

Ezra would have to make sure to find him later and rub the crystal Onix in his face. Maybe he'd even be able to get a drink out of it. Stupid deaging, stealing alcohol from him…

As they moved deeper into the island, Marco pointed to a dark opening in the side of a hill. "That's the entrance to a series of caves. If the crystal Onix is anywhere, it might be in there." He said with a lackadaisical voice.

Ezra nodded, his excitement building. He thanked Marco and ventured into the cave. Glad for robbing that Pokemart in Lavender of so much miscellaneous equipment, as he had plenty of glow sticks to light the way. The cave was damp and cool, a stark contrast to the sweltering jungle outside. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping water into small pools on the ground as he moved forward.

"Shuppet, front and center, immediately cast confuse rays on any Pokemon that moves to attack us, Haunter, behind us, same thing for anyone attacking from behind, Cubone, circle me, iron tail on anything that gets caught by either of your comrades." He ordered softly, before moving ahead, his Pokemon falling into formation.

Cubones Iron tail was hardly a finished product, but it was respectable enough. Soon enough Cubone might even be able to progress to coating its club the same way if the progress continued. It was kind of ridiculous actually.

Ezra moved cautiously, his senses alert for any sign of danger. The cave seemed to stretch endlessly, twisting and turning like a labyrinth. His Pokemon moved silently around him, their eyes scanning the darkness as well, the glow sticks lighting the way just enough.

Despite being a new trainer, he didn't feel afraid of the possibility of going further down. His Pokemon were stronger then the average beginners, and harder to hurt for the most part, at least his Ghosts. And as a backup he had dozens of ghosts that hung around him seemingly feeding on his aura or whatever it was.

It's why he felt confident he could take the Onix no matter what.

As they moved, they periodically ran into Pokemon, mostly Zubats, Paras and Geodudes, but they all were only glimpses, as the Pokemon showed some intelligence - disengaging immediately and fleeing, instead of attacking the obviously ready party with several Pokemon out.

He didn't know if they could sense his dark aura and the ghosts hiding within. If they could, it would make sense why even the most bold of them never stepped forward to challenge them while Ezra plunged deeper into the wild Pokemon's territory.

Eventually, he called for a break, placing several glow sticks in a circle to light up their area, sitting down on his pack as he took a breather, taking out his water bottle and a quick snack to reinvigorate himself. His Pokemon were still fine, having had no fights. Walking or floating, not doing much to them, unlike Ezra who was still a weak human.

He knew he had to work on that at least a little, as he didn't intend to lose out on stamina forever. But he hadn't had much time yet since he started his journey, and his gains from working out while he was in Lavender, had mostly worked to fix how weak his body had been from the beginning - leaving now for actual proper gains.

"This might take awhile…" He mused out loud to his Pokemon, glancing around the darkness beyond their little circle of light. "We're basically going in blind…" He couldn't remember exactly how the crystal Onix was found, nor what the kid and sculptor who'd fight it when Ash was there were named - not that they likely knew where it was at this time anyway.

But he knew he was on the right island, and Marco had known about the Myth. So now it was simply a matter of exploring this cave system until he found it.

He took another sip of water, putting his water bottle away afterwards. "Alright, let's continue." He breathed out quietly, picking up the glow sticks again, "Same formation, just in case."

They plunged deeper into the darkness.

A day later,

Ezra was beginning to regret his insistence to plunge deeper.

To be fair, he hadn't expected the cave system to be this freaking massive. The tunnels had the hallmarks of being made by Onix, and apparently they'd made a lot of them over the years.

Sleeping down here had been interesting… The distant noises of wild Pokemon and creaking rock had made it pretty difficult, even if he knew he was protected by his Pokemon, there was just something about sleeping under tons of rock that could be shifted by a Pokemon that unsettled him.

Further irritating him, he'd run into actual ruins. Deep under Sunburst island, parts of the cave system had begun to have broken pillars, mosaics, and signs of other man made structures; he didn't remember any of that in regards to the crystal Onix, which made him wary.

He better not be running into an Arceus damn legendary or something… He was not Ash.

With the knowledge that the crystal Onix was definitely somewhere on this island. He continued exploring the ruins, or what was left of them, as time and the Onix created tunnels had wreaked some havoc on the structures.

It took several more hours, and squeezing through some uncomfortably small crevices, but he made it to the deepest chamber, halfway expecting the crystal Onix to be waiting for him.

Instead he was greeted by an attack the moment he stepped through.

His Cubone reacted quicker than him, knocking his legs out with its club, making him fall over, the dark wave passing over him where his head had been. Too close!

Ezra wasn't taking any chances after that, "Disable it!" He shouted, making a gesture, his shadow undulating as it spit out over a dozen ghosts, Misdreavus, Haunters, Gastly, all howling as they came out firing out attacks.

His own Shuppet and Haunter hovered protectively in front of him, gathering their energies, preparing their dense special attacks, Cubone growing as it stood before his prone form, club raised.

No further action was needed, his coterie of Ghosts suppressing the enemy Pokemon through sheer force of techniques, the Pokemon fainting.

Ezra gingerly got up, already feeling a bruise form on his shin from Cubones hit, he patted the Pokemon on the head again, giving it a smile, as it closed its eyes and almost crooned at the headpat. "Good job, Cubone, everyone."

He walked forward and examined the Pokemon, fingering a Pokeball.

It was a Spiritomb.

What were the odds? A Ghost/Dark Pokemon that was an extremely rare find, and here it was in front of him. It had been deep down inside a ruin, which made some sense, but it still seemed suspiciously fortuitous.

If he remembered correctly, it was said to be formed by a combination of spirits, but Pokemon entries like those were notoriously creepy for Ghosts to begin with - and he wasn't sure he believed that they were real here in the real world.

The Pokemon itself was a purple miasma with green dots and lines that almost approximated a face of sorts, all attached to a keystone at the bottom.

There really wasn't much to think about here. Despite the fact he'd actually been attacked for the first time by a dark or ghost type, he tossed the Pokeball over, capturing the Spiritomb. It was a Ghost/Dark type. He wanted a Ghost/Dark type gym. It was a no brainer.

He'd have to wait until he returned to the surface and a Pokemon center to introduce it to the team however. To see if the attack had been a fluke on its home or sanctuary being breached, or if this was actually the first of its type to not be enamored of his aura that he'd run into.

He looked around the area, trying to see if there was anything special about the chamber, any fossils or stones or anything at all to point out what this temple or ruin had been about. There was nothing.

He groaned as he looked at the way back, "Alright, we'll be heading back everyone, this has not exactly gone as planned, so we'll go back to the surface and find another way down after resting up." He decided.

Going through random tunnels all the way down here was unlikely to yield any better results right now. He'd tried plunging deeper, and although Spiritomb was a nice find, he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in a cave.

The crystal Onix had been found closer to the surface he was sure, so he'd go back up, and find another tunnel, and keep exploring different tunnels near the surface. Like he probably should have from the beginning. Why hadn't he done that from the beginning?

He looked down at the Pokeball that held Spiritomb, his thumb gently caressing it. Had he been unknowingly drawn to the Pokemon, just like his aura drew it's kind to him?

He didn't know.

Something he'd need to figure out eventually, for now it could have simply been thoughtlessness in his excitement. Plunging deeper because the Onix tunnels went deeper.

Taking a deep breath, he let go of all unnecessary thoughts, facing the crevice that would take him back, "Let's go." He said, the ghosts sliding back into his shadow, a feeling that soothed him, he hadn't even realized he'd felt slightly empty while they were all out until they returned, a feeling like a cold caress going through his mind.

There was nothing he could do to figure it out right now anyway, so there was absolutely no point in worrying about it. So he put it out of his mind and moved forward. His own Pokemon going back into formation.

They had a long way to go to get back up.

The universe was fucking with him, that was the only explanation.

On the way down he'd marked each wall to ensure he could find his way out again. And he'd followed his way up precisely as it had been marked.

Except he'd never run into this on the way down.

As he stepped further into the chamber in front of him, he felt a faint tremor beneath his feet. His heart raced as he realized he might be close - that by luck, miracle or by design, he'd arrived at the right place after all. He signaled his Pokemon to stay alert and moved forward slowly.

A shimmering light caught his eye as he moved forward, and he saw a large crystal formation jutting out of the cave wall over a pool of water. The light reflected off the crystal, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the chamber. Ezra's breath caught in his throat as he saw movement within the crystal.

From the shadows emerged a massive Onix, its body made entirely of shiny reflective crystal. The light from the crystal formation reflected through its body, creating a dazzling display of colors. The crystal Onix moved with a fluid grace, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light as it entered the chamber in front of him, letting out a roar.

Ezra's excitement and apprehension blended into a single emotion as he took in the sight before him. The crystal Onix was real, and it was magnificent.

Collectors would go insane once he posted this, even through the shitty disconnected forums that were available, the word would spread quickly. Connecting to Hoenn's web would be a pain in the ass, but might be worth it, because if he got Steven Stone's attention - money would be tossed his way in ridiculous amounts.

The Onix let out a low, rumbling growl, sliding through the water until it got on land, fifty meters ahead of him.

Haunter and Shuppet moved into position, their ghostly forms blending with the shadows. The crystal Onix roared, its body glinting in the light as it prepared to attack.

"Haunter, use Confuse Ray! Shuppet, follow up with Will-O-Wisp!" Ezra ordered, before immediately following up by cheating massively, "Everyone, disorient and weaken the Onix." His passengers flowing out of his shadow to launch their own attacks.

Haunter's eyes glowed as it launched a Confuse Ray at the crystal Onix, the ghostly energy swirling towards the massive Pokemon. Shuppet followed with Will-O-Wisp, sending out eerie blue flames that danced around the Onix crystal skin.

The crystal Onix roared in frustration, the attacks disorienting it, but it put its head down, preparing to charge through it - that's when the masses attack of a dozen or so Ghosts slammed into it, a bevy of confuse rays, hypnosis and other attacks staggering the Onix which aborted it's attack, running straight into a wall instead, rocks tumbling as it smashed the wall hard.

It couldn't even be called a battle, as he called out, "Hypnosis, everyone!" As the Onix was battered by the attack, unable to muster a defense as it fell under, falling asleep."

Ezra immediately tossed a Pokeball, not able to hold back a cackle of glee as it twitched for three shakes, and then clicked with the sound of a successful capture. "We did it!" He shouted, showering his Pokemon in exuberant joy.

The money to kick-start all his plans - it was his, and so easily.

Real battles in league sanctioned fights would be more difficult, but out in the wild like this? He was a monster. The crystal Onix had not even been able to put up a defense against so many Pokemon launching debilitating attacks on it.

"Let's head back." He said with a pleased smile. This expedition had been incredibly rewarding.

Not even a real trainer yet, with barely a few battles under his belt. He now would have the financial means to really do something. Money was useless sitting around, he needed to put it to work. Which meant he needed to find a partner who could handle the actual work part as he himself took a nice fat cut of the profits.

Because he'd hardly spend the rest of his life as a breeder or something.

He made his way back up top whistling a jaunty tune.

If anyone had seen the practically malicious smile on his lips at the moment, they would have run the other way immediately.

Marco leaned back in his weathered chair, the old wood creaking under his weight as he laughed heartily with his friends. They sat outside a cozy bar on Sunburst Island, the sun dipping towards the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. The air was thick with the scent of salt and tropical flowers, a pleasant breeze carrying the distant calls of wild Pokemon. The bar itself was a rustic establishment, its walls adorned with fishing nets, shells, and trinkets collected from the sea. The outdoor seating was a mix of old wooden tables and chairs, some showing signs of repair, but it all added to the charm of the place.

For old timers like them, the new bars with all the steel and such just felt wrong. Didn't feel alive enough to bother spending time in - too cold and impersonal - the chairs here had stories, the tables had personality. Sometimes tradition really was best, and when there was drinking to be done - was always the best time.

"Did you see that kid again?" one of Marco's friends, a burly fisherman named Tito, said with a chuckle. "The one that was talking about finding the crystal Onix. Imagine that!" He shook his head, "They get younger every year, the fools."

Marco chuckled, shaking his own head. "Tourists and their wild dreams. Can't blame 'em though, the myths have been around forever." He said, taking a long sip of his drink, shifting the little umbrella.

Another mark against those new flashy bars. They didn't have the little umbrellas, Marco couldn't imagine a drink without them, it was almost sacrilege really.

Another friend, Luis, a wiry man with a mischievous grin, leaned in. "I told him he'd have better luck finding a Gyarados in his bathtub when he asked me, dunno why you bothered to help the lad, Marco." His hair was adorned with seashells, clicking together as the man chuckled at his own joke.

The group erupted in laughter, their mirth echoing through the warm evening air. Marco took a swig of his drink, a cold fruity thing that felt perfect after a long day at sea. As he set the glass down, he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw the kid from earlier, Ezra, making his way towards them. The boy looked exhausted, his clothes disheveled and streaked with dirt, his face pale but eyes gleaming with determination.

Not that it said much about the boy, as he always looked pale. Marco had never seen such a weird looking boy before, and felt some sympathy for the lad. Was it a wonder he was so far from home looking for myths? A lad like that likely had faced some hardship from people.

Marco's laughter faded as he watched Ezra approach, he didn't want to make the lad feel bad by letting him know he'd been part of the merrymaking. He raised a hand, signaling to his friends to quiet down. "Hey kid," he called out, his voice gruff but not unkind. "Finally had enough of chasing myths?"

Ezra shook his head, a tired but triumphant smile playing on his lips. "Not quite," he replied, plopping down on an empty chair with a sigh of relief. The smell was… Noticeable. But they were all fishermen, so they didn't bother mentioning it.

Marco signaled to the bartender, a middle-aged woman named Clara, to bring a drink. "Get the kid a soda, on me."

Ezra frowned slightly. "How about something stronger? I could really use it." He immediately fired, a look of want in his creepy red eyes.

Marco snorted, his lips quirking into a wry smile. "Come back in a decade, and maybe I'll think about it. Last thing we need is a lad like you getting into trouble with booze." He said, feeling a tad hypocritical, considering how young he'd started himself.

When you were out at sea, wasn't anyone policing what a young man did, something he'd taken advantage of in his youth.

But a lad with his particular problems, likely had some demons around, Marco wasn't entirely unaware of the oddity of Ghost Pokemon so easily following someone. With his looks, he'd likely faced at the minimum some bad bullying, so underage drinking was probably a bad idea.

Luis laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yeah, Marco's right. You look like the type who'd get into all sorts of trouble with a drink in hand."

Ezra shrugged, seemingly unbothered by their teasing. He leaned back in his chair, accepting the soda that Clara handed him. "Fine, but will you buy me a drink if I find the crystal Onix?" He asked, practically chugging down the soda in one go, making a face of distaste.

Marco didn't know what exactly 'shitty expy of mountain dew' was supposed to mean, nor was he sure the lad meant for anyone to hear his grumbling, but he was more distracted by the almost smug look in the lad's eye.

The fishermen exchanged glances, Marco's gut tightening with a premonition. Tito, always the joker, smirked. "Sure kid, if you find it, I'll buy you ten drinks - any kind you want."

Ezra's smile widened, taking on a mischievous edge. Without another word, he reached to his belt and pulled out a Pokeball, tossing it casually into the street. Marco watched in stunned silence as the ball opened with a flash of light, revealing a massive, sleeping crystal Onix. Its body shimmered in the fading sunlight, casting rainbow reflections onto the cobblestone street.

For a moment there was just silence, and the incredibly smug look on the boy in front of them.

Then shouts of amazement and shock erupted from all around, drawing the attention of passersby who gaped at the magnificent creature, people coming out of their houses and places of business to gawk at it, drawn from the commotion. Marco's mouth hung open, his glass slipping from his hand and clattering to the ground, forgotten.

Ezra stood up, taking a picture of his capture with his Pokedex for some reason. He turned to Tito, who was staring at the Onix with wide eyes. "So, about those drinks?" He said, eyes twinkling.

Tito blinked, shaking his head as if to clear it. "Well, I'll be damned. Alright kid, you earned 'em. Clara, get this kid whatever he wants, on me!" He shouted.

Marco's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Clara nod and head back into the bar. He couldn't believe his eyes. The lad had actually done it. He glanced around, seeing the growing crowd of onlookers, all murmuring and pointing at the crystal Onix.

The myth was real. That was going to cause some commotion amongst the Orange islands. Especially with an outsider being the one to both confirm it, and capture the damn thing.

"This is going to be trouble," Marco muttered to himself, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. But as long as it wasn't him buying the drinks, he supposed it couldn't hurt. How much trouble could the lad really get into? And he was just a fisherman, so the other troubles, they really were none of his concern.

Clara returned with a tray laden with drinks. Ezra pointed at a dark bottle. "I'll take that one, the Spicy rum." He glanced at Marco and the others, adding with a cheeky grin, "I'll start slow."

He was lucky that Clara literally gave no shits as long as she got paid, or he wouldn't be getting shit all. The woman just looked amused as she handed him the drink.

The fishermen burst into laughter again, the tension breaking as they marveled at the boy's audacity. Marco couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for Ezra. The kid had more guts than most seasoned trainers he'd known - he'd been gone for over two days, so he'd have spent all that time in the depths, harassed constantly by wild Pokemon. That was no small thing.

"Alright, kid," Marco said, raising his new drink in a toast. "You proved us wrong. Here's to you."

Ezra raised his glass, the dark rum fizzing slightly. "To adventure," He said, clinking his glass against theirs.

Marco stopped him before he could take a sip, and there was a glint of something dark in those red eyes for a moment, before it vanished as Marco plopped a tiny yellow umbrella in his drink, "Can't drink without it, it's not proper." He explained gruffly.

Ezra smirked, but didn't say a word, simply lifting his glass and appearing to savor the drink. Marco hadn't done underage drinking in 50 plus years - but he was pretty sure when he'd been a lad he hadn't had the sense to sip and savor it, instead of gulping it down. It was an oddity, but he supposed the boy was entirely an oddity anyway.

As they drank, the sun continued its descent, casting long shadows across the island. The bar's warm lights flickered on, creating a cozy glow that contrasted with the brilliant reflections from the crystal Onix still sleeping in the street. Marco leaned back, taking in the scene, a sense of wonder mingling with his usual wariness. He'd have a story to tell at the bar for years to come, all thanks to this strange, determined lad.

He had a feeling he'd go far.

Just hopefully far away from the Orange islands…

Decades as a fisherman had given him a keen sense of when trouble was brewing. And this lad definitely seemed likely to stir the pot.

As the drinking wore on, he slipped away from the bar, the Onix already thankfully at that point returned to its Pokeball before it could wake up.

The lad obviously had no idea about alcohol tolerance, and he didn't want to be around when this all cocked up.

Next morning, Sunburst island.

Ezra groaned as he stirred awake, the cold, hard surface beneath him jarring his senses. His head throbbed, a relentless, pounding ache that echoed the rough night he'd had. Blinking against the harsh light streaming through a barred window, he struggled to sit up, his muscles protesting with every movement. As his eyes adjusted, he realized he was in a small, spartan cell. The walls were bare, painted a dull gray, and a single door stood at one end. It didn't take long for him to deduce that he was in some kind of holding cell - a drunk tank, to be precise.

Alright, maybe it hadn't been the wisest idea to celebrate with so many drinks, but dammit I missed being able to have one whenever I felt like…

He'd definitely gone a little overboard, not that he could remember after a few drinks, really, that bartender should be disbarred from bartending, was that a thing?

Ugh, his head was still weird…

A soft, almost serene presence drew his attention to the corner of the room. There, sitting calmly with an inscrutable expression, was a Psychic Pokemon - a Hypno, its pendulum swinging slowly back and forth as it simply watched over him. Ezra stared at it for a moment, trying to piece together the events that had led him here. The Pokemon watched him placidly, as if keeping a vigil over its temporary charge.

He supposed it was nice that they had a Pokemon around to make sure he didn't die choking on his own vomit or something. Or at least one able to call go help, since it was a Psychic type.

Ezra rubbed his temples, wincing at the pain. "What did I do this time?" he muttered, trying to recall the hazy memories of the previous night. He remembered the bar, the fishermen, and the triumphant display of his crystal Onix. But beyond that, everything was a blur of laughter, cheers, and probably increasingly reckless decisions.

He knew himself to know that he'd likely not kept it cool and collected. He could be a right bastard at times. And this body had definitely not had alcohol before.

As he checked himself over to ensure he was in one piece, albeit with the hangover of his life, the door to the cell creaked open. A tall, imposing figure stepped in, his presence filling the small space. The man wore a red and orange vest with a black undershirt that left his arms bare - a Pokeball hanging from his neck on a chain - he had messy dark hair and a narrow face, and his sharp eyes held a mixture of curiosity and authority.

"Good morning," The man said, his voice a deep, pleasant timbre. "I'm Drake, the leader of the Orange League."

Ezra's heart skipped a beat. The leader of the Orange League was here to see him? He tried to shake off his grogginess, his mind racing to figure out why someone of Drake's stature would bother with him. "Uh, hi," He managed, his voice hoarse. "Is it normal for league leaders to visit guys who had a bit too much to drink?"

Because he'd bet it was not in fact normal.

Drake's lips quirked into a dry smile. "It's normal when said guy drunkenly sicks dozens of ghosts to steal every piece of women's underwear in Sunburst and then naps on it like a dragon on its hoard, the ghosts all guarding him."

He scratched his chin, looking faintly amused, "You are very lucky that your Pokemon did not take that to mean underwear currently being worn."

Ezra stared at him, baffled. "I did what?" The absurdity of it all left him momentarily speechless. "How am I not dead from general female hatred?" He wondered out loud, wincing at the thought of the kind of retaliation he would have faced if he'd done worse.

Dammit, he was just like some stupid manga shounen protagonist with a ridiculous trick like that. The hit to his reputation would be immense, if he had a reputation yet. Thankfully he got this nonsense out of the way now, instead of when he was famous.

And no one would ever mention it again. He willed that into the ether, this is dealt with, it's done, it's gone!

Drake snorted, leaning against the doorframe with an air of nonchalance. "You're lucky you're just a weird outsider kid. They were pissed, sure, but mostly they found it stupid and annoying rather than inciting balls-crushing anger. They just want you gone, instead of dead."

Ezra winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, you're here to escort me out?" That made at least some sense, even if it was a little ridiculous for the head of the league to do the task.

Drake shook his head, his expression serious. "No, I have other priorities. Like wondering what you were doing with an Orange Island national treasure." He cocked his head, "Care to share?"

Ezra's caution heightened, his mind clearing a bit from the fog of his hangover. "There's no information stating that," He said carefully. "As far as I and everyone I talked to were concerned, it was just a myth." He eyed Drake, suspecting the man was trying to trick him. "You're trying to snow me."

Drake raised an eyebrow. "What does that even mean?" His tone held bemusement as he questioned Ezra's statement.

Ezra sighed. "It means you're trying to deceive me, by exaggerating something."

The league leader chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "Kid, I'm the leader of the Orange League. If I say it's a national treasure, it is."

Ezra crossed his arms, a defiant glint in his eyes. "If you try to take it away, I'll petition the Kanto League." He threatened.

The crystal Onix was the gateway into all his plans, the start up fund to pay for it all. He was not giving it up.

Drake waved the threat away dismissively. "That would be useless. But there's no need to go that far anyway." His tone softened slightly, almost conspiratorial. "I have a proposition for you. I want you to go through the Orange League and win. When you leave, and eventually get famous, the crystal Onix will be known as one of your first captures. Even if you sell it, the Orange Islands will be known as the first league you challenged and we will get some of that fame, drawing more tourists looking for myths and attempting to mimic you."

Ezra eyed him skeptically. "You're just using me for a cash grab."

Drake's grin was unrepentant. "Pretty much."

Ezra scowled. "Does that mean you'll all go easy on me for the challenges?"

Drake's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Of course not. We have our pride."

Ezra groaned, rubbing his temples again. "This deal feels pretty unfair." He pointed out sarcastically.

Drake's smile turned saccharine. "It's better than the deal where we just declare you a poacher."

Ezra stiffened, his mind racing. After a moment, he forced a grin. "On further thought, I've always wanted to do the Orange League." He declared.

It wasn't even wrong really, he had been pondering doing it while he was here. Just not quite like this… The challenges wouldn't be impossible, but Drake had a Dragonite didn't he? He was going to have to train smart or he'd be stuck on these islands forever trying to win.

His pride wouldn't allow him to leave having lost. Fucking Ash lose 'em all Ketchum won this league. He was not losing.

Drake nodded approvingly. "Smart choice, kid."

Ezra's mind whirled as he tried to process everything. "So, what's the first step?" He asked, trying to regain some semblance of control over the situation.

Although when he was fabulously wealthy, he'd come back and fucking buy this island and make it a red light district type of island, see about Orange islands nice reputation then… He thought spitefully.

Drake straightened, his expression all business now. "First, you'll need to officially register for the Orange League. Then, you'll start challenging the gym leaders."

Ezra nodded slowly, his mind already strategizing. "Alright. Where do I go to register?"

"The nearest Pokemon Center can handle that for you," Drake replied. "I'll make sure you're escorted there." He smiled pleasantly, "Wouldn't want you to trip and fall and accidentally fly away would we?"

He hadn't actually thought about that, until now that was… Fucking paperwork would stop that though he bet. Some sort of clause that would make him look like he welched on a promise or something to make him look bad if he just took off.

It's what he'd do, minimum. He'd probably make the paperwork much worse actually. But he didn't think Drake had that in him.

He could still leave, but he'd wanted to look around the Orange islands anyway, they had a lot of weird shit going on, profitable weird shit. So although annoying, this wasn't too much of an inconvenience. Except for Drake's Dragonite, and a six on six battle while he didn't have six Pokemon, and two of his were not even supposed to be battlers.

He'd figure it out. Or cheat. This wasn't the Pokemon League. He could get away with a lot more here.

Ezra glanced at the Hypno, still sitting placidly in the corner. "And what about him?" he asked, jerking his thumb towards the Psychic Pokemon. Wondering if he was going to have to be followed around by the Pokemon as some sort of minder. It's what he'd do if he was Drake.

Drake chuckled. "Hypno was here to make sure you didn't cause any more trouble before we had this chat. You should be fine now."

As if on cue, the Hypno stood, its pendulum still swinging lazily. It gave a slight nod to Drake before leaving the cell, its duty apparently done.

Ezra sighed, pushing himself to his feet. "Alright then. Let's get this over with."

Drake led him out of the cell, the heavy door clanging shut behind them. The hallways of the holding facility were dimly lit, the air cool and slightly musty. As they walked, Ezra couldn't help but feel the weight of his situation settling on his shoulders. He had wanted to make a name for himself, but this wasn't exactly how he'd planned it to start.

The journey to the Pokemon Center was relatively short. The Pokemon Center was a modest building, its exterior painted in cheerful reds and whites, in contrast to the more subdued tones of the surrounding buildings. Inside, it was bright and bustling, trainers and their Pokemon moving about, chatting with nurses and each other.

He'd needed to visit anyway, for his Spiritomb and Onix, he supposed he'd have to train them both to be somewhat useful for the next little bit. The sale was now postponed, although it wouldn't hurt to still post the picture and get the appetite of the collectors going - getting the bids rolling in so he could keep jacking the price up.

Drake guided Ezra to the reception desk, where a cheerful nurse greeted them. "Good evening! How can I help you today?"

Ezra glanced at Drake, who nodded for him to proceed. "I'd like to register for the Orange League," He said, trying to keep his voice steady, before he put up two Pokeballs on the counter, "And to heal these two guys."

The nurse's smile widened. "Wonderful! Just fill out these forms, and we'll get you set up." She handed him a stack of papers and a pen. "By the time you're done, I'm sure your Pokemon will be healed." She added brightly, stepping away with the two Pokeballs.

Ezra watched her go warily, wondering if it was wise to leave the crystal Onix, but there wasn't much he could do about it. It was unlikely in any case that the Pokemon center would allow any such theft, not with how the capture immediately fills in on the Pokemon League's system at point of capture.

Ezra sat down at a nearby table, Drake standing nearby with his arms crossed. As he filled out the forms, he couldn't help a twinge of annoyance, the paperwork filled with the dryest forms of legalese ever, confirming that the only special clause was indeed one that confirmed he'd staked his honor on going through the entire League - making running away something less than desirable.

Once he had completed the paperwork, the nurse took the forms and entered the information into the computer. "All set!" she said brightly. "Good luck on your journey!" She handed him his Pokeballs back, "And your friends are all healed up!"

Ezra thanked her, turning to face Drake. "So, where do I start?" He said bluntly, wanting to be gone.

He was itching to let his Pokemon out, not used to having them in their Pokeballs.

Drake handed him a map, pointing to the first location. "Your first challenge will be on Mikan Island. The gym leader there specializes in Water type Pokemon. It should be a good test for you."

Ezra nodded, studying the map. "Alright. Mikan Island it is."

As he prepared to leave, Drake placed a hand on his shoulder. "One more thing, kid. Remember, we're watching you. Don't screw this up by refusing to play ball."

Ezra met his gaze, a determined glint in his eyes. "I won't."

With that, he left the Pokemon Center, the map clutched in his hand. The cool evening air hit his face, refreshing after the stuffy confines of the holding cell. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. This was it. The start of his journey through the Orange League. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was ready for the challenge.

He let Pidgeot out, climbing on. The rest of his Pokemon would have to wait a little longer. He wanted off this island, and away from Drake.

He was going to enjoy rubbing it in the man's face when he conquered his little League easily.

Believe it!