Pokemon: Arceus' Champion

"Its been three days since the battle of the SS. Anne, and we are STILL feeling the effects of it not just here in Kanto, but all over the world.

"The ship may have been able to limp into Celedon port yesterday, but experts say it will be several weeks before she is sea-worthy enough to make the return trip with all of her passengers after the damage sustained in the battle. As such, the trainers and other passengers from the different regions around the world are stranded in Kanto until the repairs are done.

"Because of this, the League has kindly offered to fund the return trip for all of those stranded via other ships, or through planes. However, in a surprising twist, very few of those stranded in Kanto have accepted the offer.

"In some cases the reason is that the trainers wish to travel Kanto while they have the opportunity, seeing the sights and catching pokemon that they would be unable to back in their home regions. Others, are merely content to wait in what they consider an extended vacation despite the battle.

"MANY of them though, are instead awaiting something far more important. The recovery of Ace Ketchum."

...

"Champion Lance of both Kanto and Johto regions gave a press conference today, addressing many of the concerns of the people after the terroristic attack on the SS. Anne."

...

"Greetings everyone, and thank you all for coming out here today. I hope that by the time everyone leaves today, we can alleviate all concerns."

"Did the League know about the attack before it happened?!"

"We did indeed receive information regarding the attack beforehand, and made our best efforts to prepare for it with the limited intel we possessed. It was our best chance to destroy as much of the Team Rocket syndicate as possible in one fell swoop."

"Were the other Champions, members of the Elite Four, and Gym Leaders present on the SS. Anne aware of your plans to involve them in the battle against Team Rocket?"

"Not at first. After learning of the betrayal of Giovanni, Surge and Sabrina, we needed to verify who we could and could not trust within the League. It was only after verifying who could be trusted did we let them in on the plans to confront Team Rocket."

"Speaking of, what will be happening with Sabrina now that her betrayal to the League has been revealed?"

"Sabrina has been officially pardoned of all wrongdoing commited while she was aligned with Team Rocket, as have all of those who have joined the group Team Arceus Aegis after a thorough investigation. Sabrina and Giana, Giovanni's daughter, had any and every opportunity to betray us to Giovanni, and they did not.

"Of course, all of their pardons were conditional on their continued participation in Team Arceus Aegis, which was formed to help combat the criminal organizations running rampant in the world. And Sabrina's specifically had the added condition of continued service for the League as a Gym Leader."

"Will you continue acting as the Champion for both the Johto and Kanto regions?! Or do you plan to resign now that the truth has come out?!"

"Of course I will continue being Champion, until such time as a challenger takes the position from me.

"According to League guidelines, the Champion may resign without being defeated and may choose their successor. There was no fault when former Champion Samuel Oak allowed me to take his place, nor when I resumed the role after both Red Ketchum and Blue Oak abdicated the position.

"The deception was to maintain the image of strength that the Champion NEEDS to establish. Had the people known that their Champion not only never earned the position properly to begin with, but also that TWO trainers defeated him a few short years after, then their faith in me would have been nonexistant.

"That being said... If the people's faith in me has deteriorated because of this revelation, then I welcome their challenges.

"The Indigo and Silver conferences will be taking place in three months time. If you are disatisfied with me as your Champion, then win one of them and earn the chance to challenge the Elite Four to unseat me. The same goes to all of those who have won in the past nineteen years.

"Try it if you dare, for only those who do have the capacity to become Champion."

...

"Today we find ourselves outside the Celadon city Hospital, where the people and pokemon who were injured during the battle of the SS. Anne were taken. Most of those taken here suffered only superficial injuries, with very few being serious enough to require surgery. Two exceptions though were the hero of the battle of the SS. Anne, Ace Ketchum, along with his Pidgeot.

"During the battle Ace's Pidgeot, an alpha, received devestating injuries as the two of them worked to keep the Legendary pokemon, Articuno, away from the ship and all of her passengers. Later, Ace Ketchum received three gunshot wounds from the Rocket Admin that had been controlling the Legendary Pokemon, Archer.

"Afterwards, Ace was brought back to the SS. Anne by professor Oak and his Dragonite, before being rushed to emergency treatment, and then Teleported to Celadon city for more intensive care.

"In the three days since Ace ketchum has yet to awaken, and it is stated that he suffers not only from the wounds themselves, but also a state of severe exhaustion due to the toll taken on him throughout the battle. Even Lady Ilene, the queen of Rota, has briefly returned to her homeland temporarily to seek assistance from the healers they have there.

"In addition, the Celadon city Hospital has become something of a central nexus for the League that Champions Lance, Steven, Cynthia, Iris, Kukui, and Nemona have been operating out of, while we have even seen the arrival of Champion Leon from the Galar region yesterday.

"This, on top of all the League trainers, Gym Leaders and Elite Four stationed there have made this hospital one of the most secure buildings in the entire world. The reason for this? The protection of Ace Ketchum from any remaining Team Rocket forces, including Giovanni since the leader was not present during the battle of SS. Anne.

"Apparently, Giovanni had even placed a bounty of Ace Ketchum roughly a month ago, and has been trying to kill him specifically for quite a while, as evidenced by the numerous information leaks that have been appearing on the Pokenet for the last several days. But, Ace Ketchum isn't only being protected by the League.

"As you can see, easily more than a hundred trainers have gathered and are camped out outside the hospital in what appears to be a protective encampment. Each and every one looks ready for a fight, and several even have their pokemon out and ready just in case conflict arises.

"Excuse me sir, can you tell us exactly what you are all doing out here?"

"Yeah, we're here to make sure no one messes with Ace. He took on TWO Legndary grade pokemon for us. He's the reason we are all still alive. If those Rocket punks want to go after him when he can't defend himself, then they'll have to go through ME first."

"And me!"

"And us!"

"Don't forget me!"

*Click.*

Silence enveloped the room as Giovanni muted the numerous monitors that were showing the broadcasts from most of the major news networks, nearly all of which were still talking of the SS. Anne, Lance, or Ace. And as silence enveloped him, he once again looked over the status of his accounts.

"Those traitorous bitches..." Giovanni growled with barely contained anger, having already vented much of it over the last few days.

It wasn't enough that all of their agents that participated in the attack were either captured or killed, that both Archer and Grey were killed, that Vicious abandoned them, or that the true alpha and Legendary pokemon they had gone through such painstaking efforts to capture and place under their control were freed.

No.

Additionally, Giana, Sabrina, Ariana and Domino had all defected to Ace Ketchum's side, somehow taking almost all of his wealth and assets at the same time to leave him practically broke.

Yes, Giovanni still had a few more accounts that they didn't drain. But the amount of money in those was insignificant compared to the wealth he had lost.

So much so, that he had just about drained all of them acquiring the materials needed for the next step.

Thinking of it, Giovanni stood and made his way out of his office in their hideout under Celadon city. A pitiful sight greeted him, as all that was left of Team Rocket was gathered in this underground complex, mostly scientists along with the few grunts that hadn't participated in the battle.

Even all of the outposts that they had established in the different regions were gone, with the agents manning them either being arrested or joining Giana in that farce of a Team that she had established.

"Ah! Boss! Come to check our progress?" Asked the head scientist, Dr. Namba, as Giovanni approached them.

"And to give you and update. The materials will be delivered sometime today. All you need to do is assemble them, then we can set the timer and evacuate Celadon city before it detonates." Giovanni told him, even as he examined the outer casing of the massive bomb that the doctor was building.

With his accounts drained, and assets stolen, Giovanni had decided it was time to start over completely with Team Rocket. But not without leaving one final present for Ace and the League.

Dr. Namba was currently building him a bomb, one large enough to turn ALL of Celadon city and even some of the surrounding area into a crater.

Of course certain materials were needed to construct a bomb of such magnitude, which was what Giovanni spent his remaining money acquiring. Now they just needed to finish constructing the bomb once the materials arrived, and then they'll give the whole world a sight that will show them that Team Rocket is not finished yet!

*BOOM!*

"!!!"

Giovanni and all of the scentists present were suddenly on the alert as a section of the wall exploded outwards, creating a large hole from which heat and smoke was pouring out of.

"Who dares?!" Giovanni demanded, tossing out a pokeball as he did so to release his Golem, an alpha at that like all of his personal pokemon.

"Hello Giovanni. Its been a while." A voice said from within the hole, before two glowing red eyes appeared from within.

"Identify yourself." Giovanni demanded, yet the perpetrator didn't need to as he stepped out from the hole properly.

"!!!"

Giovanni's eyes widened in recognition when he saw the man, and a cold sweat started to run down his back.

"What are YOU doing here?!" He demanded, though the answer was as clear as day to anyone who knew the man's identity.

"Do you really think I would ignore you forever Giovanni?" The man asked while stepping forward, the red glow of his eyes deepening with each step. "You could terrorize Kanto and Johto all you want, that's Lance's responsibility to deal with, but I'm done letting you terrorize my sons."

"You can't be serious? YOU want to try and pretend to be father of the year?! After being absent the last seventeen?" Giovanni sneered at him contemptuously.

"Don't try to patronize me Giovanni. I know what I am, and I don't need to explain my reasons to you. The only thing you need to know is that I'm done."

"You're right. You are done. Golem!"

"GOL!"

Giovanni's Golem roared at the man before it launched itself at him with a Bulldoze. And the man didn't even flinch.

"CHAAAAAAAAR!"

Suddenly a Charizard launched itself out of the tunnel behind the man with one of it's talons burning.

*CRASH!*

A flash of light, and Giovanni saw his Golem fly back before it hit the wall behind him with a loud crunch.

With his head turning like it was on a rusty swivel, Giovanni turned to see his Golem, a powerful alpha that had been hand selected and trained by him personally, laying in a heap on the ground. Cracks had formed all over it's body, centered around a crater in it's chest that glowed with magma. Obviously, the Golem was dead.

"Go Nidoking!"

"NIDOKING!"

This time Giovanni was using his Nidoking, another alpha that was so large, it dwarfed Ace's by several feet thanks to all of the enhanement drugs it had consumed throughout it's life. Drugs that also made it far stronger and more aggressive than usual.

None of that mattered though, as the Charizard proceeded to roast his Nidoking alive by setting the toxins oozing from the spines on his body on fire.

Then it glassed the sand being generated by his Hippowdon to completely encase it, crushed his Krookodile with it's bare claws, charred his Mudsdale beyond recognition, and even melted his Camerupt into a puddle of magma.

His pokemon, all alphas that had been carefully selected, trained and raised up by with with the best resources that money could buy, were trivialized and slaughtered like they were nothing.

"You-!" Giovanni snarled at the man, still struggling to process exactly what had just happened to all of his prized and powerful pokemon.

"Me, Giovanni." The man said as he slowly started walking towards him.

"I told you, I've had enough. Now everything you built here, will be buried along with you. From this moment on, Team Rocket doesn't exist. Charizard?"

"Char."

With a grunt of affirmation as the man turned his back, and walked back into the tunnel they dug, the Charizard opened it's mouth once more to bathe the entire underground complex in terrible flames that spread and engulfed everything in their path, living or not.

"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!" Giovanni roared, even as the flames consumed his flesh as well.

***

"So the entrance to their headquarters is located in the Game Center?" Lance asked Giana.

"Indeed. There are a few others, but that is the main entrance that will allow the most people to enter at once." Giana told him, while also pointing out the other, smaller, entrances to everyone else.

Currently, all of the Champions, professors, Elite Four and Gym Leaders aboard the SS. Anne were gathered in a large classroom used by the Nurses Joy in the Celadon city Hospital as they went over their plans for the night. Their plans to storm the Team Rocket hideout, and end them once and for all.

Using the projection system that the Joys used for their lessons, Giana and Ariana were going over the layout of Team Rocket's headquarters and helping the others devise a plan to attack.

"So why can't Sabrina just Teleport us all inside with her pokemon?" Erika asked, having been called to join in this operation along with the rest of the Gym Leaders of Kanto, Brock, Daisy/Violet/Lily, Sabrina, Visquez, Surge's replacement in Vermilion city, and the newest Gym Leader to join the Kanto region, Karen.

"Because, I and the other psychic users need to try and lock the space around headquarters down to prevent them from escaping. Teleporing everyone in doesn't do us any good if they just Teleport themselves away." Sabrina explained to her.

"What about digging our own path into the hideout? My Steelix could have a tunnel wide enough to fit all of us within minutes, and we won't need to worry about being ambushed or any traps along the way." Brock suggested.

"Also a no." Giana immediately shut the idea down. "The hideout was built to secure us, hold pokemon as we smuggled and experimented with them, including Legendary grade pokemon, as well as to hide any traces of our existance under Celadon city.

"The walls of the facility are made with a special steel-alloy, which is harder to break and melt than regular steel, as well as several feet of incredibly sturdy concrete surrounding the entire thing. Even if your Steelix can eventually dig through it, they would know long before we actually get to them."

"How do we know we can trust anything they say?" Koga asked as he scrutinized the trio of women with narrowed eyes. "Apparently we have to do as they say to pull this off, and any other idea would not work. How do we know they aren't leading us into a trap?"

"Because both Ace and Lady Ilene vouched for them. That's enough for me." Lance said firmly, and Koga immediately backed down. Though he did not drop his hostility against the three women, or more specifically, Sabrina.

It was only to be expected though, as Sabrina was the reason why none of the Koga clan agents sent to investigate Team Rocket, Surge or Giovanni ever returned. he was understandably pissed about all of the men and women that had walked right into their deaths because of her.

"So the plan is this..." Cynthia interjected, trying to prevent an argument from breaking out.

"Us Champions, Lance, Steven, myself, Iris, Kukui, Leon and Nemona, will take the main entrance to confront Giovanni and the reamining Rockets directly. Meanwhile, each member of the Elite Four will lead some Gym Leaders to each of the side entrances to both attack from there, as well as to prevent anyone from escaping through them. At the same time, Sabrina will set up a psychic net with Tate and Liza to prevent anyone from escaping via Teleport. Everything good?"

No one refuted Cynthia and they all nodded in agreement of the plan.

"Good. Now let's move out. By the time the sun rises, team Rocket will be nothing more than a bad dream." Lance declared dramatically as he prepared to lead them.

*WHOOP! WHOOP! WHOOP!*

Everyone suddenly went on the alert as an alarm began to sound throughout the entire hospital.

"What is going on out there?" Lance demanded through a radio that was tuned to the same channel as all of the ace and vetran trainers from the league.

"We're under attack sir!" A voice replied, accompanied by the sounds of battle.

"Is it Team Rocket?!" Lance demanded.

"I-I don't think so?! Its just one guy with a Raichu! Marowak, use Bone Rush!"

After giving his command to his pokemon, everyone listened as the sounds of battle ensued before quiet descended once more.

"Is he after Ace?! We have to go and protect him!" Steven declared while standing suddenly, with most of the women present also agreeing.

"He is not." Sabrina suddenly spoke up, drawing all attention to her.

"Really? Why is he here then?" Steven asked her.

"Ask him." She said, pointing towards Lance in accusatory manner. And it was only then, that everyone noticed Lance had barely moved since the radio went silent.

Instead, he almost appeared deathly pale.

"He.....He's here for me..." Lance uttered in defeat, confusing everyone but a select few that had put together the same conclusion Lance had, Oak, Agatha, Blaine and Koga.

By this point they did not need the radio to hear the sound sof the mysterious intruder battling against the veteran and ace trainers of the League, as he seemingly made his way towards them at his own leisurely pace.

"Lance?" Cynthia asked as she grabbed one of her pokeballs warily.

"Don't bother. He'd have at least five more pokemon with his Raichu, each one just as if not more powerful than it. I doubt any of us could actually beat him in a direct battle..." Lance told her dejectedly.

"..."

By this point all sounds of combat had ceased, making everyone watch the doors warily before one of them opened slightly.

"Rai rai? Raichu!" Declared the little pokemon that had poked it's head in, before the door opened the rest of the way to admit a single man.

"Hello Lance." The man said in a low voice while looking directly at the Champion of kanto and Johto.

"Hello...Red."