Disclaimer: Y'know the drill. Pokémon belongs to Nintendo, Creatures Inc, and Game Freak. Only Slade is mine. ^_^

Note: This fanfic takes about a year after my first fanfic "The Real Battle." Ash is 16, Misty is 17, Brock is 20.

PART 1:

"It's been so long since I've been here, and yet so little has changed." Ash can't help but look around the scenery of Viridian City. He just smiles as he looks at Misty, the girl of his dreams that has been his girlfriend for close to or over a year now. Carrying Pikachu for a change is Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader and top-notch pokémon breeder. He's more like a big brother as well as a good friend. And last, but not least, the somewhat-odd Slade. Somewhat of an oddball. Nice at one moment, angry the next, somber the one after that. One part mentor, for Slade was once a pokémon master, and one part rival, for he was also once vying for Misty's affections. Ash just smiled at who was the real winner.

"I still remember you owing me a bike, Ash" giggled Misty as she gently elbows Ash in the ribs. Their relationship has been one evolving from that of bickering children to that of a happy couple. She remembers how she met Ash by literally fishing him out of a river not too far from here.

"Let's just get to the hotel and rest, guys. As much as I like camping out, I just wanna crash in a nice bed for a change." Slade stretches and yawns.

"Why are you in a such a hurry, Slade?" Brock wondered. "You're usually the last one who'd want to be in a hotel." All except Slade chuckle, remembering the time he camped out in the rain even when a room was available. The laughter stopped when they looked at Slade not being himself.

"Yea, well... I just don't want to be in plain sight here." They all blinked a couple of times before Ash spoke up. "How come?" Slade doesn't answer for a moment, then coughs a couple of times before:

"Just wanna stay outta sight before someone spo--"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!" All five spin on their heels to spot the yeller. None were more surprised than Brock. "H-h-hi there, Officer Jenny..." said Brock in his daze. It took Pikachu zapping him to snap him out of it.

"What is it, Officer Jenny?" Ash asked her. They've only been in town for a few minutes and there's already trouble.

The three only hear a sigh from behind there. "Hi, Jen. It's me." The group takes a few moments to fall over, before looking repeatedly at Slade and Officer Jenny.

"Slade? Slade!! It *IS* you!" Officer Jenny squeals with delight while running over and hugging Slade tightly. "It took you long enough to get back. What kept you? You were already a master, so where were you? I had my cousins search everywhere for you. And what did you do to your hair young man?"

Brock just groans in despair. "Guess you struck out again, Brock," Misty said to add insult to injury. "Don't worry, I don't think any of us expected this." At this point, Officer Jenny released Slade and turned to the group.

"What? You mean he didn't tell you?" She got shrugs for answers. "Slade!! You didn't tell them? I oughta wallop you one! Well, if you really should know, I'm Slade's sister." Officer Jenny just grins while hugging a somewhat blue Slade. All but Brock fall over. Obviously, Brock is overjoyed with this.

"Yahoo! Officer Jenny will yo--" was all Brock could say before he was cut off by Slade's icy glare. "Uh...heh heh... nevermind. How about just showing us to the nearest hotel then?"

"No no no..." Jenny replied. "You guys are staying at my place. Any friends of Slade is a friend of mine. I've got a couple of spare rooms." She's happy to see me, Slade thought. Good.

After a while, they all arrive at the house. They all share a nice dinner courtesy of Brock. It was the only real way of repaying Officer Jenny's generosity. Afterwards, everyone promptly showered and turned in for the night. Slade was the first to take care of things before turning in. Oddly enough, nobody really saw Slade after dinner, except as he was retiring to his old room.

Later that night...

"Slade?" He slowly awoke to someone nudging him. "Huh? Who?" was all Slade could manage. "It's Misty." During their travels, she had become Slade's anchor during times of distress. She knew, as well as everyone else, that this was one of those times. "Wanna talk about it?" she wonders, and as she was doing so, turning on a nearby lamp.

"No! Don't turn it on!" But it was too late. Misty gasps in shock what she sees, and runs to get Officer Jenny.

Just what I need, Slade thought. Now I have to explain myself. Slade just falls back onto the bed.

Elsewhere...

James just paces back and forth watching all these Team Rocket agents file into the room. "I can't believe that we need this many agents. We're the ones assigned to catch that Pikachu."

Jessie was about to make a snide remark when the big monitor in the front of the room lit up. An image of Giovanni appears, with his Persian by his side.

"Greeting, my underlings. As you know, Jessie and James have failed miserably at capturing a single Pikachu. But now I know why. This Pikachu belongs to a trainer who has won the Earth Badge from me. His name is Ash Ketchum, age 16. He and his friends have been spotted in Viridian City. No cloak and dagger here. We're going to rush in, take the city, and take that Pikachu along with all the other pokémon there." Everyone there is in shock at the change of tatics as Giovanni concludes the meeting. "Since they know the brats, I must leave Jessie and James in charge. But I must warn you of the guy in the black trenchcoat. He travels with Ash now. Getting rid of him is an added bonus. Stop him by any mean possible."

And with that, the transmission ends.

On the sender's side of the transmission, Giovanni just continues to pet Persian. "He must be stopped, my precious. He's a bigger threat now that he's with that Ketchum boy. Along with that, he's with the Gym Leaders of Pewter City and Cerulean City. He's foiled my plans long enough. And the irony of it all is that he was supposed to become one of us..."

Back at Officer Jenny's house...

Before Slade knew it, everyone was in his room, staring at him. He was getting very annoyed with this. Mutterings of concern and whispers between the three were dashed by Officer Jenny.

"What's wrong?" She was upset that she was woken up so early. Misty just points over at Slade. Everyone sees three horizontal stripes on Slade's head. They were only about an half inch apart from each other. They start at near one temple, going around the back of Slade's head, and end at near the other temple. The top stripe was orange, the middle was blue, and the bottom was yellow.

What no one noticed was Pikachu's reaction. He was frozen... frozen in fear.

PART 2:

Everyone kept staring. Brock had one eyebrow raised, perplexed at the sight and yet amazed at the same time. He had never seen anything like this before. Misty was puzzled as well, but it seems that she's come to some sort of revelation. One could almost see a light bulb over her head. Ash was totally caught off guard. His mouth almost to the ground, his eyes almost the size of apples. Pikachu just couldn't move, his instincts keeping him still. He felt every ounce of his being telling him to be very much afraid of what he sees.

And then there was Officer Jenny's reaction...

"What's wrong, Slade?" Jen asks with ease. The four fall over, and quickly get up to point at Slade.

"What's wrong? What happened to Slade's hair!?" Ash was almost hysterical.

"Huh? His hair? Oh, it's ALWAYS been like that. I thought you knew...didn't you?" They all shake their heads to answer. "Hmmm... In that case, why don't we wait til the morning to answer everyone's questions. I've got the day off tomorrow anyway, ok?" They're all still shocked by Officer Jenny's reaction, but just agree and all turn in. After everyone left, Jen sat down next to Slade. "Hey..."

"Hey..." was Slade first word in a few minutes, but Jen could see the volumes of sadness in his eyes. It almost caused her to cry. It didn't only because she's seen this side of him many times before. After all, she IS his big sister.

"Why haven't you told them yet? I thought that they'd know by now." She had her hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him. "They ARE your friends."

"Yea, I know. But..." he starts to say, but just drifts into silence.

"But what? Well, it's late, so just get some rest, ok lil bro?" Jen hugs him tightly, then musses up his hair. "Just remember, your family just about adores the way you REALLY look." She waves before closing the door behind her. But those words still don't help.

I know you're being my big sis, Slade thought. I was afraid of this. Guess the Meowth's out of the bag. After a big sigh, he finally turns in.

The next morning...

Ash and Misty woke to deep thumping sounds. They both blink at each other a few times before a single thought struck them both like a Thundershock... Slade. They bolt out of bed and head to the source of the commotion. They find themselves with Brock and Officer Jenny, on the backyard patio. Ash nudges Brock, only to see what was going on.

"Slade's just lettin' off some steam." Officer Jenny said in a matter-of-fact tone. They see Slade in what seemed to be a pair of swim trunks and nothing else. They also see the standing punching bag that he's been pummeling with flurries of punches and kicks. They could tell that he's not throwing wild attacks. Each strike is precise and powerful, dictating the years of practice.

"Morning guys," Brock just says while watching. "He's been at it for an hour nonstop."

"An... hour?" the couple replied in half-shock.

"Yea, an hour. He must really be upset. And the hour before that, he was taking laps in the pool," Jen replied while having her morning cup of coffee.

"Pika chu... (Guess we got him upset...)" Pikachu muttered.

"So Officer Jenny," Misty questioned, "why does Slade have those stripes in his hair?"

"Well, that's how our mom found him. If you guys didn't figure out by now, he's adopted." They all nod in agreement.

After a moment, Ash takes over. "So where'd he learn those fighting moves?"

"I dunno really. He knew how to do that even before he went to kindergarten. Wierd, ain't it?"

"Yea, I'll say." Next thing they knew, they see Misty walking over to Slade. Ash already knew about the relationship those two had, so he got everyone to leave them alone.

"Slade?" Misty wondered if he heard her. Slade's first answer was a few jabs and kicks to the bag. Slade snaps out of it when she puts a hand on his shoulder. She almost got a punch to the face, but the attack was stopped in mid-strike.

"Huh?... Oh, Misty... Don't... sneak up... on me like... that... Sorry..." Slade was breathing rather heavily.

"Sorry," she grinned. "C'mon, how about sitting down and we talk about it? You seem really stressed out."

"Sure, just gimme a minute to rest up a bit," Slade said before drinking a bottle of water. After a while, they both sit by the pool. She sees him staring into the pool.

"Slade, so... uh... wanna tell me about the stripes?" She could him tense up a bit.

"Wasn't really my choice, Misty. Had these my whole life. Same goes for my fighting skills... and other things."

"Other things?" She has her hand on his shoulder to urge him on.

"Mom found me when I was about two. She said I was a child of the forest, cuz that's where she found me. Her and Jen. They told me that there were several fainted wild pokémon all around me, but they weren't sure as to how they fainted. The obvious reason was due to battle, but I didn't have any pokémon. I was a baby."

"That's weird... What else?" Misty had given him the towel to dry off.

"Thanks. For some reason, pokémon were afraid of me when they saw the stripes in my hair. So after a while of that, Jen thought up the idea of dying my stripes to match the rest of my hair."

"Oh..." Misty just blinked a while before: "Anything else?"

"Just... feels like I have a stronger connection to pokémon. More than just the trainer-pokémon type of bond. And more like... I dunno... like a guardian?" He just shrugs at the notion. "I bet you think I sound real silly."

"No, not really. I still remember the day we met. I thought you seemed like some comic-book hero who came out of nowhere to save us."

They just laugh.

"Me? A superhero? Ha! As if... Hey, I'm hungry! What's for breakfast, anyway?" They laugh again before heading inside.

"....I'm sure you can hear us, you lil twerps," said James in the TV. "We couldn't find you in Viridian City, so we took all the people and pokémon instead. They're all in a clearing north- west of town. If you really want to try to save them, meet us there at midnight. If not, they are all doomed. Well, at least the people will be. The pokémon will then become property of Team Rocket."

"Meowth, dat's right. So bring dat Pikachu. And all yer pokémon for dat matter. And expect a big surprise. Heh heh heh heh heh..."

The message on the TV just repeats itself. Ash burns with anger, already getting his things packed.

"If Team Rocket wants a battle royale," Ash hollered, "they're going to get one!!!" Brock is doing all he can to restrain his friend, and succeeding... but just barely.

"Ash, we can't just rush in there. We need a plan to stop them and free the people and pokémon. They already gave us where and when. Now we have to figure out how to--"

"--How to what?" Slade and Misty come in wondering what's going on. They watch the TV for a minute. They both get the idea. Then everyone notices Slade.

"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......" Slade growls. Jen puts her hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

"C'mon, Slade. It's going to take all of us to pull this off. And besides, we've got strong pokémon on our side." There's some icy silence.

"Something's not right," Ash muttered. "This doesn't seem like one of Team Rocket's usual plans. This one is too large for just those three to pull off. You don't think that they--"

"--got other Rockets to help?" Misty finished. "Then I think we're in big trouble."

Slade just glares into the TV. The ugly mugs of Team Rocket, threatening, laughing, and taunting the whole time. My friends... My family... My hometown... My people... My pokémon... Rrrrrrrrrrrr..... They'll pay for thi--URRRGH!!! No... The pain... not again... not now... such raw power... what is this power.... ARGH!!! Someone....help me... Someone please hel--

"--ARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!" Slade stiffens up, and then falls down to his knees.

"Slade!!" was the unified response from everyone. Ash looks around. Pikachu was on his head, so it wasn't him. The TV is okay, so not that. As everyone closed in, Slade just held out a hand.

"Stay back.... just stay ba--AAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!" Nothing could explain what they were seeing next. Blue electricity coursing all over and throughout his body, his emerald green eyes glowing like a green fire. And most odd of all, the stripes in his hair glow as well.

"Slade!!" Officer Jenny cries while trying to get closer. The rest were silent. Brock was shielding his eyes, as were Ash and Misty. Pikachu just looks on. Pikachu can tell that those were screams of something fierce... something primal... something that the core of his being told him that this was something that was only mythical... something to be rightfully feared.

"Pikachu... (It can't be...)" it muttered.

PART 3:

What seemed like hours was only minutes. Minutes of sheer terror. Terror on the part of Ash, Mist and Brock. Terror because they knew not what was happening to the one named Slade, whom they had befriended about a year ago. Terror because of the sight before them. Terror because they didn't know what to do to help him. It was terror for Officer Jenny, for Slade is her little brother, the ONLY brother in the long line of women pokémon police officers. Terror because she seems to be familiar with this scene. And most of all, terror for Pikachu. He trembles in fear for he believes he may know what is going on.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Slade screams as another surge of what looks like electricity courses through his already racked body. Not now... the only thought in his mind. Not now... For the love of g--

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" To everyone, the energy flowing through Slade seems to be getting stronger and stronger without any real sign of stopping. No one is sure if Slade can last much longer.

Snapping out of the fear-induced trance, Ash realizes something. "Pikachu, use your tail as a ground and drain the energy from Slade! Hurry!" Pikachu nods before setting his friend's plan into motion.

"Pikapi! Pika chu! (Ash! Stand back!)" He yells just before he grabs hold of Slade's leg. Expecting to be battered in the same way as Slade, Pikachu was surprised by the lack of pain. In moments, the energy subsides. Pikachu looks up to see Slade's quivering form, still on his knees and steam coming off of his body. "Pika? (It worked?)" Pikachu wondered and shook Slade a bit. He got a reassuring grin from Slade as his answer. "Pika! (It worked!)"

"Slade!" Officer Jenny rushes over and holds Slade, keeping him from falling over. "C'mon, sweetie. You'll be okay. C'mon, Slade, stay awake. Slade! Slade!" Everyone was in tears.

"T-try...grrrr..." he murmured, then went limp. Pikachu picked this up.

"Pi? (huh?)"

Two hours had gone by since the incident. Officer Jenny had put Slade in his room to rest up. Everyone else is now in the living room trying to devise some sort of plan to defeat Team Rocket and rescue the inhabitants of Viridian City. Brock doesn't seem pleased at the moment.

"Just great. We lost 25% of our attack power," Brock fumed. "How are we going to stop Team Rocket now!?" He just paces back and forth while the other are looking at a map of the surrounding area.

"We're not down 25%," Ash countered. "We still have Officer Jenny, and we have several pokémon each." Pikachu nods in agreement. Brock just scratches the back of his head. "Yea, sorry. Just don't like it when we're down before a big battle."

Misty and Officer Jenny both nod. "I know what you mean, Brock," Misty concurred. "But we still need to save those people and their pokémon, that's why--" She's cut off by what she sees.

"--T-that's why... we're all... g-going..." Slade steps in. They all look at him as he slows walks in, leaning on the wall for support. "Pika! (Slade!)" Pikachu cries as he moves towards Slade. Everyone's somewhat surprised when they Pikachu bow towards him and even more surprised when Slade returns the gesture, despite having to lean on the wall. But what gets everyone off guard, even Officer Jenny, was what Pikachu said next...

"Pi pika chu? (How you feeling, Guardian?)"

"Doin' okay for someone in my stage." Ash just looks at Pikachu, then at Slade, and repeats this over and over. He just scratches the back of his head in disbelief. Then Ash sees, no feels, something different about Slade.

"Slade, you okay?"

Slade just sits down on the couch and stays silent for a few moments. He takes a few breaths then starts with: "Ash, use your PokéDex to scan me." Ash blinks once, and just activates the scanner on his PokéDex. Everyone gets a shock from what they hear next from the PokéDex's shrill metallic voice unit.

"Tryger...the Guardian Pokémon...is believed to only be created from myth and legend...also known as the tri-type pokémon...possesing the powers of fire, ice, and electricity...following data is only speculation from ancient pokémon lore...Proceed?"

The whole house was silent. No one was believing what they just heard. And when Ash accesses the picture of the Tryger, they couldn't believe what they saw. It looked like it had the body of a Persian, but much larger and more muscular, but still lean. Its head was definitely feline in nature, but nothing like a Persian. It was more an awe inspiring and fierce visage than a Persian can ever for. The fur was a dark grey, with the same orange, blue, and yellow stripes that Slade had, but all over its body. The stripes were on the cheeks too, almost as a sort of war-paint. But what got everyone the most were the eyes. They were exactly like Slade's. The same emerald green eyes.

When everyone snapped out of it, they all looked at Slade. He had his elbows on his knees, and his face in his hands. Ash puts away his PokéDex silently. He probably doesn't want to hear the data since Dexter's basically making it sound like Slade doesn't exist, he thought.

Officer Jenny was in tears. "Slade, is it true? It can't be, can it?" Her answer first came from Slade's eyes when he looks at her. A look of pain, a look of sorrow, but also a look of revelation, a look of acknowledgement. Then his words were the second answer.

"There's no other way to explain it, Jen. It would explain a lot of things. Like..."

Flashback five months ago...

A battle... a battle with a Rocket. It wasn't Jessie and James, though. He had a Gloom, and had first strike do to the sneak attack.

"Gloom, Sleep Powder on those half-wits!" The Rocket agent yelled. No one had time to react to the attack.

"Glooooooommm! (Nite nite!)" said the plant pokémon as he dispensed the powder at the group. Everyone had fallen asleep in an instant. Everyone except Pikachu and Slade. They were fighting to stay awake.

"Pikachu... thundershock everyone... while (yawnnnn)... I take out that Rocket..." Slade's eyelids were heavy and he could barely focus. "Gotta stop him... my friends..."

.....need you, Slade.....

Huh?

.....strike with precision and strike with gentleness, for strength will strike through it....

O.....Okay...

.....now.....strike.....

Slade let instinct take over, flicking his wrist to release a throwing dagger, and threw the dagger. Next thing he heard with his numbed senses was a loud thud.

"Gloom? (Master?)" the Gloom said as he bent over his owner. The mark of the dagger's handle was leaving a nice impression on the Rocket agent's face, and quite literally.

Slade still felt anger towards the Rocket agent. His blood was starting to boil. He didn't say a word, but rather more like a growl. "Rrrrrrrrrrr......" was the sound made through bared, gritted teeth. The Gloom saw this and turned pale before cowering under its owner. Only one thing snapped Slade out of it...

"PIKACHUUUU!!! (WAKE UP!!!)" Pikachu hollered as he woke his friends with a strong Thundershock. Pikachu looked at Slade while the others got up. "Pika? (You okay?)"

"Yea, I will be. Let's get outta here."

End flashback...

"I guess so..." Jenny finally agreed. "It would also explain why we found you in the forest as a baby." She grins to try to cheer him up. He just grins back before slowly standing back up, with her help. He just looks at everyone. He nods at everyone.

"No more stories. We gotta prepare for tonight. Let's go through our supplies and see what to do. Any ideas?" Ash just nods knowingly.

"Yea, with you with us, I think I have our plan. Now listen..."

As everyone listens in and prepares, no one notices the sunset outside...

PART 4:

Throughout half the night, everyone has been making preparations. Brock and Misty have been preparing supplies to aid them in their upcoming battle with Team Rocket. Ash and Pikachu have been tending to all the pokémon, making sure that they're in top shape for what lies ahead.

"Pikachu? (You all ready?)" Pikachu eyed each and every pokémon. Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Geodude, Onix, Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, Horsea, Psyduck, and Pyre, Slade's Arcanine. All that were capable of fighting were all set. Charizard had finally become controllable after the years. Bulbasaur and Squirtle are reminders that, along with Pikachu, evolving is not for every pokémon. Each and every pokémon proved themselves in their trainers' eyes. They were ready.

Officer Jenny was still tending to her little brother Slade. He's not so lil anymore, she thought. He's done so much, and been through so much too. All she can do is say a silent prayer to the Guardian Pokémon spirit of the Tryger. The same Tryger that Slade is as well. At least that's what Ash's PokéDex said after the scan.

"Jen?" Slade weakly said as he started to stir again.

"Shhh... it's okay, Slade. You collapsed again. You gave us quite a scare."

"The...p-package, Jen." Slade holds his sister's hand firmly. "Get it...and the others."

"Okay." But before she leaves, she turns back to him. "Will you be okay?"

"........maybe, but only with what's in the package." She nods before leaving.

"I had Jen bring you here for an important reason."

"What is it, Slade?" was the first thing to come out of Misty. They all see that Slade's not looking very well. His skin is several shades paler, his breathing is more labored, and his face is shiny from perspiration.

"I need your help," Slade said as he struggles to sit up. Brock helps him up. That sounds familiar, he thought.

"So what is it?" After taking several deep breaths, he looks at them all.

"Ash... Misty... Brock... Pikachu... I need you four to assist me in something, before we can go help the others. So please, help me. Take me to the shallow end of the pool."

They were all confused, but Brock said, "Sure thing, Slade. I dunno what's going on, but that's okay since it's dealing with you." Everyone nod while helping Slade to the pool, with Misty and Pikachu holding doors open while Ash and Brock support Slade.

"Thanks. Now go see if Jen found the package." Ash runs off, wondering what package he's talking about. He's still not used to Officer Jenny being called anything BUT Officer Jenny.

Within moments, Ash returns with Officer Jenny. "Here it is, Slade. Should I open it?"

"Yes, Jen." As she opened the box, light shined from the crevices. After it was fully opened, they all noticed the contents in amazement. Inside the box was a cushion that seems to be shaped in the form of a paw, and in the paw were a Fire Stone, a Water Stone and a Thunder Stone. But what made these stones different were that they gave an almost eerie glow.

Brock was the first to realize the connection. "These are elements of a Tryger." Brock picks up the Fire Stone, while Misty picks up the Water Stone and Ash picks up the Thunder Stone.

"Now what..." Misty wondered. The Water Stone in her hand almost felt as if it had a life of its own. "Do we just throw them in?"

"Not exactly," Slade chuckled. "More like you three hold the stones over my head." They look at each other before getting into the pool and do as Slade asked.

"What next?" Ash asked.

"Just get ready for a lil discomfort."

"Huh???" was the response from all three as Slade nodded at Pikachu. That was his cue.

"Pikaaaaaaaaaaaaaa CHUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! (Thunderrrrrrr FURYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!)" cried Pikachu as he unleashed his Thunder attack.

Electricity surges towards the three stones, then cascades into the pool in almost ominous beauty as the stones glow intensely white. Their bodies felt like pins and needles. They weren't sure what was going on as the water itself glowed in the same brilliance as the stones. Before long, no one can see in or out of the pool.

.......Welcome........

"Who said that?" Brock wondered. They could see each other, but the stones were gone, as was Slade and everything for that matter.

"I dunno..." Ash murmured. "Any ideas, Misty?"

"No clue. That voice seems to come from all around. Where's Slade?"

.......The one you call Slade is right here......

They see what looks like a marble slab materialize, with Slade laying still on top of it. They all run over. Slade looks peaceful, thought Misty, unable to keep from crying.

"NO!" Brock yelled. "He's s'posed to get better, not worse!! Slade! Wake up!" Brock was shaking Slade, hoping it would do the trick.

.......Don't worry...... Slade is only resting.....

Ash gets a lil restless. "Listen, sir... We need Slade so that he can help us save the ones who live in Viridian City. We can't just sit here!"

"Please, sir," Misty pleaded. "He's a friend to us all. And as his friends you can't take him away from us when we and his community needs him.

.......Would you risk your lives for Slade......most would never lift a finger to help him...... He had to learn about life like this......

"They.....did....to bring me.....here...." muttered Slade. Misty hugs Slade, thankful he's alive and hopefully well.

.......Very well........ Slade of the Tryger Clan, just as the Trygers before you, your friends have deemed you worthy....... protect all those who seek and need protection, be true to your heart, and most of all, Tryger-son.......

The light becomes blinding again, but this time the source of the light was from Slade himself.

.......ROAR..............

PART 5:

A moment... a moment is all it takes. Lives can changed. Destinies can be realized or destroyed. It's what happens in that moment that can often define a person's character.

In the moment that four people were engulfed by a white light, Officer Jenny was in awe. She had never seen such a sight. Even when she tried to move towards the pool, a strange force was not letting her come any closer.

"Slaaade! Aaash! Mistyyyy! Broooock! Say something!!" she yelled. She saw Pikachu standing next to pool. He was just gazing into the light, hoping for his friends to emerge.

"Pikapi... chu pikachu (Guys... please be okay)" muttered the electric mouse.

Butch and Cassidy were heading towards the source of the light. With all those living in the confines of Viridian City captured, it was a surprise to see activity from a place only half a mile from the city.

"Think this is where those brats are hiding?" Butch whispered. "This place is nicely hidden from plain view."

"Yea, it would make a great hideout for those whiney lil losers," Cassidy concurred. "Hey, it's Officer Jenny. Let's grab her."

"Ticate... (okay...)" the Raticate answered.

"Grrrrrrrrrr...."

"Raticate, hush" Butch said in hushed anger.

"Cate raticate. (Wasn't me.)"

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....." All three look to the source of the sound. All three turned ghostly white as what they saw attacked them. Not a single sound of battle was made.

After seemingly endless moments, the light finally faded and the force holding Officer Jenny back dissipated. Jenny went into the pool, fearing the worse. As her eyes readjusted to the now-dark pool, she saw Ash, Misty, and Brock in the shallow end with her. But no Slade.

"Where's Slade!?" Officer Jenny hollered. Just then, they saw a shadow leap into the deep end of the pool, followed by a beam of light firing upwards. In the second it took for the light to fire, it also ended. Then the sound of splashing.

"Wha!? How'd I get here?" sputtered Slade. "(Koff-koff)... Hey! Over here!" Their faces lit up as they help him out of the pool.

"You're okay! You're okay!" Jen said almost crushing him in her arms.

"I....won't be.... if you don't leggo..." Everyone else started laughing.

"Oh! Sorry..." Jen just grinned while wrapping a towel around him.

"Now let's get those jerks of Team Rocket!" declared Ash. Everyone nodded in agreement.

Midnight...

The field outside of Viridian City...

"You think they'll show?" James was making sure his Weezing was set to battle. Five other Rocket agents were there, as was Jessie and Meowth.

"Yea, they'll show," beamed Jessie. "They won't leave those people in trouble. Besides, we have Butch and Cassidy looking for them."

"I hope you're right," Meowth muttered. "And maybe we'll nail that kid in the coat."

"Good thing we got this from the boss," James laughed. They all look at the PokéBalls in his hand. "They won't stand a chance..."

The group reached their destination just in time. They look around while the icy night air gives everyone a chill to the core. Lights were set up to illuminate the battleground. Dark clouds rolled in from the south, making the setting look more ominous. Thunder can be heard for miles around, with lightning flashing throughout the midnight sky.

Ash readjusted his cap. "Everyone ready?" They all nod, except Slade.

"What's wrong?"

"We gotta free everyone above all else. So I'll go around an--"

"No you won't, Slade," countered Officer Jenny. "They won't expect me going there. So I'll do it. And don't worry about me, cuz I've got my Growlithe with me." Before anyone could object, she had went off.

Misty just stared at the direction Officer Jenny went. "You think she'll be okay?"

Brock nodded. "Yea, she will be. She's the prettiest Jenny I know." Slade blinked at couple times. Brock just chuckled. "Oh, sorry. Forgot all those Jennys are your relatives."

Slade grinned. "If we get through this, I'll put a good word in for you. But no guarantees."

"So glad you can finally make it..."

"Is that who I think it is?" Misty groaned.

"You got it, kid. This'll be the last time you hear from us, so listen up."

"Prepare for trouble..."

"And make it double..."

"To protect the world from devastation..."

"To unite all peoples within our nation..."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love..."

"To extend our reach to the stars above..."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Team Rocket blasting off at the light..."

"Surrender now or prepare to fight."

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Now that you twerps are here, allow us to show you what pokémon we're going to use. PokéBall, go!" With that, Jessie, James, and Meowth each throw a Pokémon. What everyone sees is most disturbing.

"Articuno..."

"Zapdos!"

"Mollltresss!!"

The three legendary bird pokémon land in front of Team Rocket as the other agents begin releasing other pokémon. A Blastoise, Charizard, and Venusaur were released, along with a Raichu and a Golduck.

"Get ready, guys," Ash and Misty muttered. Everyone reached for their PokéBalls when...

"ARRGHH!! NO!" Slade collapses on the ground, clutching his chest.

"This isn't good..." Brock stated. "Not good at all..."

PART 6:

When a situation goes bad, how a person reacts is often a sign of his or her true character. But how does one react to this? Team Rocket has pokémon that are of great fighting power for a change, thus evening the playing field. Things seemed to be alright until Slade collapsed yet again.

Ash ran to Slade's side. "Slade, you okay? We can't run. We have to fi--"

"--I-I know," Slade grunted, his face in a painful grimace as he gets back up. Still clutching his chest, he releases Pyre, his Arcanine of many years. Slade falls to one knee, almost doubling over in pain. "Ash! Can't bear the URRGGHHHH... pain... You use.... Pyre.... to make.... first....strike... ARRRGGGHH!!!.... Sorry...!" Everyone can tell he using all he can to stay up.

Everyone nods at each other. "Ready?" Ash yelled.

"Ready!" both Misty and Brock shouted. They all released their pokémon. This is it, Ash thought. It's now or never.

Elsewhere...

Officer Jenny and her Growlithe had already dispatched the Rocket agents with ease, and is now leading all the inhabitants of Viridian City homes.

"This way, people. Please stay calm and everything will be okay..." she announced to people as she ushered them all home. Then she looks towards the clearing. "...I hope." Shaking herself back to the present situation, she focuses on the task at hand.

Back at the clearing...

"Pyre! Charizard! Flamethrower on that Venusaur, now!!" Ash yelled, pointing at the grass pokémon. Pyre and Charizard both comply and large columns of fire envelope the enemy Venusaur. But what happens next is unheard of; the Venusaur continues towards them.

"No way!" Ash gasped. "Give it maximum heat!" Both fire pokémon did as they're told, and after a long while, the Venusaur finally fainted, but not before they both got hit with a solarbeam attack. They're both on the verge of fainting.

"Good works, guys. Now hang in there," complimented Ash as he gives a hyper-potion to each of them.

Brock wasn't doing as well. He was able to bind the Raichu with Onix, but was countered by the Blastoise's Hydro Pump. Pikachu countered in turn with a ThunderBolt, and then again with a Thunder attack. "I don't get it," Brock shouted. "They're still withstanding attacks they're weak against."

"Ha ha ha..." laughed Jessie. "That's because these pokémon are the Personal Guard of the Boss. Now get them!" The other pokémon charged.

All Slade could do was watch. Why can't I do anything to help, he thought. AAAAHHHH... the pain is too much! He clawed the ground in hopes of distracting himself from the pain when...

"--huh? What the--?" he muttered as he looked at what he held... a wire mesh. No... "Guys! Run! It's a tra--AAAHHHH!!" The pain was too much.

"We can't hold on much longer, Ash!" cried Misty. Her pokémon were on the verge of collapse from using their water attacks, and the Charizard was just starting to stagger. As she looked at everyone, she noticed something shimmering on the ground. She took a closer look and then saw the mesh. "Ash!"

"Now." The only word James said. Jessie pushed the button. Meowth just smiled at what he saw.

Electricty danced over most of the field. All that were still conscious from the first moments of shock were screaming in pain before passing out. Pikachu grimaced from the overload before using a thunder attack on the enemy pokémon. The remaining pokémon were the Raichu and the Golduck.

"Looks like we won, Jessie. Now let's get their Pikachu." cheered James as he donned some rubber gloves. Jessie just beamed with joy.

"And to think, we did it without Butch and Cassidy." Jessie just picked up Meowth, tossing him up into the air and catching him.

"Hey... where are dey anyway?" Meowth wondered.

"Who cares? Let's grab that Pikachu." James and Meowth nodded before they all went towards Pikachu.

Part 7:

Pikachu kept nudging Ash and the others to wake up. "Pikapi! Pikapi! (Ash! Ash!)" said Pikachu while trying to move his friend without much success. They were all awake, but too weak to do anything. They could only watch.

Pikachu kept backing away from Team Rocket. He kept doing so until he bumped into something. It felt like a pant leg. Then he saw the owner step over him and on towards Team Rocket.

"Pii? (Slade?)"

"Well, well... if it isn't the one the Boss was so afraid of," Jessie grinned. "You're not so tough."

.......roar........

Huh?

.......let your heart ROAR........

"Well?" an angered Jessie yelled. Just then, the wind starts to pick up, whipping through Slade's hair and coat. They see his eyes narrow, his fists tighten, and the gritting of his teeth.... And a single sound...

"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr....."

Team Rocket just laughs and points. "Dat all you got?" Meowth laughs. Then the laughing stops when the young man's growling changes... to that of a beast.

"HUH???" was Team Rocket's response as they all looked once again at Slade.

No human or pokémon could truly watch this without being in awe or in fear, or maybe a little of both. Slade's eyes were glowing, but instead of green they were glowing a bright white. His body was giving off an aura of green energy, with electricity coursing up and down his body for all to see.

Team Rocket just stares for a while before...

"My name is Slade Tripleclaw....." said in an almost feral tone. ".....Guardian...." The green energy grows into a ball, and grows larger while enveloping Slade.

"Raichu, Golduck, attack!" Jessie screamed. But like them, the two pokémon just stare at the scene, only muttering something that resembles "uh oh."

Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu just look on, their friend of a year disappearing in the ball of energy. None of them knew if he was okay or not.

"Tryger Transform!!!! RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" was all that was heard as electricity surged through the ball of light and energy. Not only was the sight something to behold, but the sound of something fierce emerging was just as amazing.

"Raichu, ThunderBolt attack now!" James commanded as the ball started to dissipate. When the Raichu launched a ThunderBolt, it looked like it struck its target.

"Nice try...." came a voice. A voice half-man..... half-beast. The ball had completely disappeared, leaving only....

"Slade?" Ash, Misty, and Brock muttered at the same time. They couldn't believe their eyes. Ash blinked a couple of times then said one word. "Tryger..."

Electricity was still sparkling throughout Slade's new body from the Raichu's attack, but doesn't seem to be in any pain. Then what really freaked out everyone was when the new creature rose up on its hind legs. Ash couldn't help but think of those old werewolf movies.

"Now....." said the Tryger, "Let me return the favor." Electricity surged throughout his arms and upper body. The Raichu could feel the shear power from so far away, then tried another ThunderBolt. The attack didn't even nudge him.

Slade's eyes glowed brightly while he aimed his arms at the Raichu and, for what was lack of a better word, fired.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" was Slade's battle cry.

If anyone could ever describe the attack, it looked like a SolarBeam attack, but the beam with surrounded by electricity. The Raichu could only mutter "Rai? (Help?)" as it was hit by the blast. The attack was so powerful that the blast hit the Golduck as well.

After everyone snapped out of their amazement, they noticed that Team Rocket had left. All that remained was the fallen pokémon that were used by them. They were being picked up by the Tryger. Everyone still cowered a bit when Slade approached, but after a brief dazzle of white light, he was back to his original form.

"C'mon, guys. You gonna gawk and stare or you gonna get everyone to the pokémon center?" said Slade as he handed the Raichu over to Brock. "Yea, let's tend to these guys." Brock looked at the Raichu. Ash and Misty just looked at each before joining to help. Pikachu just jumped and cheered for the victory.

Epilogue...

It's been a week since the incident. Life has gotten back to normal. The mayor of Viridian City decided to reward the heroes in four ways. First, a ceremony was held in their honor, with the mayor handing them each a medal of valor. Next, each got $10,000. All cheered at all this money. Let's face it, Hyper-potions and UltraBalls can get really expensive. For the final reward, the kids each got a new bike. As for Officer Jenny, she got the big promotion she always wanted. She's now a Captain.

"Now you don't owe me a bike anymore, Ash." Both Misty and Ash laughed at the thought.

"Yeah, now you don't have to follow us anymore." Ash quipped. Misty almost bashed his head in if she hadn't known better, but Ash's kiss on her forehead had told her better. "But I know I want you to come with us... with me." He grins at her, making her blush.

"Pika... (Ewww...)" squirmed the little electric mouse at the sight.

"C'mon, you two lovebirds." Brock said. "As much as I love a romantic scene--"

"--And we know about that part, Mr. 'You're the prettiest one of them all', huh?" Slade commented, resulting in everyone laughing... except Brock of course.

"*ahem* let's go."

"You take care of Slade, ok?" Captain Jenny asked as she gave them all a hug. They all nod in response. Slade just smiles.

"Don't worry, sis. I'll be okay, since I'm with my friends."

And with that said, they all ride off for their next adventure. Ash and Misty's relationship only grew stronger. Brock's understanding of pokémon became more vast and detailed, and with more to learn. Slade's true calling has been revealed, and a species of pokémon thought to be just a fairy tale was in fact in his blood. They all learned that there can be truth to myth, and that it's one's heart and soul that can prove to be the stuff of legends.

finis