Chapter 10: - You Win Some, You Lose Some
Lance didn't need this.
Returning to the Kanto League HQ, which they had only protected from an attack two weeks ago, to find it surrounded by Team Rocket grunts was bad enough.
Finding out that most of the staff, who were all incredibly competent Pokémon Trainers, were being held prisoner in the storage room in the basement was worse.
Finding out that one of your Gym Leaders was the Leader of Team Rocket was even worse.
Finding out that he was willing to make an offer that basically surmounted to total amnesty for all members of Team Rocket, in exchange for help against Team Galactic was the icing on the cake.
Giovanni of Viridian City was sat on the other side of the desk, smirking. He was aware of just how much the league needed help. It had never been a particularly stable system, considering just how easy it was to infiltrate. All you needed to do was ensure that you were a good enough Trainer and kept your skills up and you were practically guaranteed a League job.
Keep your name out of the police records and you could even get a high powered job like Gym Leader.
And now the League was crumbling from the inside, attacked from two angles. Both by the Team Galactic and by the people the League was failing to protect. Trainers were vanishing, cities were claiming the League was failing in its duty to protect them but refusing to get off their butts and do anything about it…
If it hadn't affected Giovanni's group so much, then he wouldn't have been bothered, but he had three reasons for offering this temporary truce. One was that amnesty for his members would ensure the success of Team Rocket in the future, two was that if Team Galactic destroyed the world, Team Rocket would be out of work, and three Cyrus had had the audacity to tell Giovanni to join them or they would be 'shut down'.
Knowing what they had on their side, Giovanni could easily work out what they meant…
Lance didn't want to make a deal with Team Rocket. Doing so would ensure the League's ability to maintain order in Kanto and Johto at least… but would ensure that the citizens of both countries would be terrorised by the group and any Pokémon trainer who was still travelling amid all of the chaos would be a target…
And yet which was worse, being stolen from or having the world come to an end around you?
Team Cypher was already working alongside Galactic, since Galactic were wary of messing with Cypher's Legendary Shadow Pokémon, Raikou, Entai, Suicune and Lugia, but Cypher wanted to share power in this new world, while their cohorts, Team Snagum were now stealing Pokémon from Trainers in all the other countries, instead of just Orre.
Ironically if there was ever a time to attempt to retake Orre from Team Cypher, now was it. It was just a shame that they didn't have the manpower to try it.
Team Aqua and Team Magma were disbanded, having already attempted to overthrow Galactic because they wanted to change the world their way, through the powers of Kyogre or Groudon, not through total world destruction, while the two teams which had been causing trouble for the Pokémon Rangers (who had joined up with the League last week), Dim Sun and the Go-Rock Squad, had either gone into hiding or vanished off the face of the planet… hopefully not to the 'New World' but Lance had no idea.
So that just left Team Rocket, and if he didn't get them the amnesty they were asking for, would they join Galactic, or continue to work to cause everyone trouble as they had been until recently…
It was an impossible situation and Lance wished that he wasn't the one that had to make the decision… but there was no choice…
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"Is he going to be alright?" Jamie hesitated to ask, wondering if they knew that her concern was in fact for not the host, but the spirit of the Ring.
"Mokuba said that the doctors on the blimp are better then any hospital…" Tea tried to be reassuring for the girl that was sat in the chair next to Bakura's bed, his Millennium Ring in her hands, but didn't really know what to say. Marik had frightened all of them when he had broken the control that Yami Bakura had held over Ryou, and if it hadn't been for Yami Bakura, Yugi would have thrown the duel…
"Slifer's…" Jamie just shook her head. If anything the God Card had scared her, and she hated feeling scared. Fear was something that could cripple a Pokémon Trainer in the middle of a life or death situation, and it wasn't something she was accustomed to feeling… but then not only had Slifer been bigger then any Pokémon she'd ever met, you could feel the power radiating from it. She had no doubt that it would have killed 'Kura's host had he been the one to take the attack.
That was why she was so worried about 'Kura.
"Jamie?" Yugi asked.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Jamie asked, though there was none of the anger from when she had asked earlier. "You lied to me, told me that Bakura got odd sometimes, and that was why he acted like 'Kura, you didn't tell me that you and Ryou were possessed."
"How exactly were we supposed to bring it up in conversation?" Joey snorted, "Oh by the way Jamie, both Yuge and Bakura are possessed by a spirits and the Bakura you've been hanging around with is evil?"
"'Kura isn't evil…" Jamie glowered at him, "If he was evil he wouldn't be helping me and he certainly wouldn't have saved my life."
"He could be just using you." Yugi warned… except…
"You're not Yugi at the moment, are you?" Jamie asked, looking at him carefully, trying to work out how to distinguish Yugi and Yami. "You're Yami, right?" She asked, noting the red eyes and the way 'Yugi' seemed to be taller then before.
'Yugi' nodded, "It's nice to meet your properly."
"I would say the same if I hadn't been sure that I've spoken to you before without being aware of it." Jamie growled, "Every time Aisu ignores Yugi, it's been you not him, hasn't it?"
"Yes."
"So how many times have you had a chance to explain to me and passed it up?"
Yami hesitated. It was all Jamie needed to know. "Need to know basis and I didn't need to know." She snorted. It was a statement, not a question, "Does it harm Yugi in anyway to share his body with another soul?"
"Not that we're aware of." Joey shook his head. "Yami's on our side, one of the good guys, he wouldn't harm Yugi. Bakura's got no such qualms."
Jamie couldn't really respond to that considering the amount of times that he'd come into the Day Care to drop off a Pokémon, bruised and injured… and it hadn't even been his body…
"All remaining Finalists must report to the Dining Hall now."
The gang hesitated.
"Go. I'll keep an eye on Bakura." Jamie sighed, "If Joey doesn't go now, he'll be kicked out of the Tournament."
"Jamie…"
"I'm a Trainer, I know how important Tournaments are, my grievances can wait, go."
"Thanks." Joey shot out the room and down the hall. Serenity, Duke and Tristan close behind.
"Can I stay?" Tea asked Jamie, who shrugged.
"Jamie…"
"Get out, Yami. I need to think about this before I can decide how I feel about it."
Yami left.
"You shouldn't be so hard on him, he tries his best and he really worries about you." Tea said, sitting on the arm of the chair.
"I know but…" Jamie sighed, as Bakura's Haunter hovered just inside the door, on sentry duty since he wasn't allowed to cause a fuss during Duels if he wanted to stay with the Tomb Robber.
"Have you ever really spoken to Bakura, or has it always been the spirit?"
"I think it's always been 'Kura," Jamie said slowly, "The shy Bakura from earlier wasn't someone I recognised… but 'Kura can't be evil, not with everything he's done for me…" Jamie sighed, "The world isn't that simple, it's not black and white, there are about a million shades of grey in between."
"The guys will always consider him evil because of what he's done to the group in the past." Tea warned, "That isn't something that's going to change."
"I bet Yami's Shadow Gamed people in the past, if Bakura's classed as evil because of that, then why isn't Yami? What is the difference between Yami and 'Kura that makes that distinction?"
"Yami's never attacked innocent people."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've never seen Yami attack innocent people."
"Has Yugi?"
"Yugi wouldn't ever…" Tea realised what she was implying, "Not that I'm aware of."
"How did you know that Bakura's victims were innocent?"
"We did nothing to him."
"And that's how you define your right and wrong?"
"It's the only way we have when we don't know who to trust."
Jamie paused to think about this. She'd always known what was right and what was wrong, back home. The 'Teams', Magma, Aqua, Galactic, Rocket, Cypher, Snagum, Go-Rock and Dim Sun, or anyone who treated Pokémon badly were 'bad', while anyone who helped Pokémon, helped others or helped Trainers were always 'good', it had been that simple.
But here she didn't know what to think… she would never have advocated stealing Pokémon before she'd come here, even from the Teams, but it was alright here… why? Jamie shook her head and looked down, her eyes resting on the Millennium Item in her hands.
It was easy to distinguish Marik as 'bad', Pegasus too, from what she had heard about him, came under that heading, so why, by the same definitions could she not put 'Kura on that list?
There was so much that she didn't understand… she now wondered how much she 'wasn't allowed' to understand…
She wished 'Kura was awake.
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"Guys, you might want to hear this." Iason said, turning up the radio, "The League's making an announcement."
Iason was the leader of the small group of Trainers who were currently living at the home of Cheryl, who lived on the outskirts of Eterna Forest. There were ten or twelve of them, from all over the world, who had been travelling around the area when the latest of the Galactic attacks had caused Eterna City to be closed off to Pokémon Trainers.
There had been more who had passed by here. Some who had turned around and gone to find another route, some who had attempted to push through Eterna City without being caught out as a Pokémon Trainer, to varying success, but it was here that a Sinnoh resistance group was being built up.
"We, the Pokémon League, who officiate over all Leagues within the Pokémon World, tonight have this to announce." Everyone stilled, from Iason, who was the oldest at twenty one, to Nuri who was the youngest at ten, to listen to the announcement, "As of 6pm Kanto time today, Team Rocket have been granted amnesty for any past crimes and until such time as the Galactic threat has been nullified."
"What?" Nuri yelped as everyone started complaining loudly.
"Shut it, there's more!" Iason snapped, straining to listen over the noise.
"In exchange for this Team Rocket has agreed to help the League combat the threat, and each member of Team Rocket must be accompanied by a League approved Trainer in their day to day business. This decision was made by the Head of the Pokémon League and the Leader of Team Rocket, and will be made clear to all Pokémon Centres and Police Stations across the continents..."
They didn't need to hear anymore, and as Iason turned down the radio Yuki started a rant about how stupid this was. "As if we didn't have enough to worry about, now Team Rocket have the ability to steal any Pokémon from any Trainer they like until the Galactic thing is over…and this isn't increasing our forces any, not if they have to go around with League Trainers, that's just pairing people up!"
Iason let them talk themselves out before he spoke up, "If the League have sunk to this in order to attempt to maintain order in Kanto, then we will not receive any help here in Sinnoh." He said, looking at all of them, "We're on our own."
"So what do we do?" Diana, the second youngest asked, looking at him.
Tobias, the second oldest, already knew. "We have to free Palkia from Team Galactic's control. If we can do that then we break their grip on quite a few places, since there's a lot of people who are only listening to them in order to avoid being sucked into an alternate dimension."
"We already knew that." Josie glowered at him, "The question is how?"
"I'm home." Everyone fell silent as Cheryl walked in, "I've gotten all the supplies you asked for, as well as the medicine for that new Trainer and his Pokémon, and a couple of weeks worth of…" She paused and frowned as she noticed the looks on people's faces, "What's happened?"
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Team Galactic Admin Mercury was in a foul mood.
They had been working with a high rate of success until five hours ago, when they had been informed that a Master Ball containing the Pokémon Dialga had been dropped into the New World by Palkia and all Grunts had had to stop what they were doing, which was attempting to capture Aspiring Champion Jamelia and any Pokémon who had slipped through the rends and were wandering around the New World as wild Pokémon.
Then they'd had to drop everything, and search.
If she was honest, she was very surprised at the obtuseness of the company that Francis worked for in thinking that Pokémon would only appear here in Japan. Team Galactic had been causing rends all over the Pokémon World, and the entire Pokémon World did not fit into one small area of Japan.
The only reason they knew that the Master Ball had to be in Domino was because the spacial rend had been caused where the first rends had, and those had dropped them here, in Domino City.
Mercury, personally, didn't understand why Palkia always dropped people here in the New World. She could only guess that it was because of the Red Chain, which didn't limit Palkia's powers like a Pokeball would, but still restrained the powers of the Legendary Pokémon and made them pliable to their Master's will.
Why Saturn had to be Palkia's Master was beyond her, she could do much better, but it wasn't her place to question Cyrus, who was her boss, it was just her duty to obey orders and find that damnable Master Ball.
What made things worse in Mercury's mind, was that while Paradius was still working with them, their Shadow Duellist partner had run off without mentioning anything and the Duellist that Galactic were supposed to be targeting had vanished around the same time.
Mercury was certain that they had vanished because 'Marik' wanted the power all for himself and had already defeated the one they were after. Either that or they had left the city for the finals. Both options were equally annoying, but since the Trainer they were hunting had left with them, it gave them a chance to find the Master Ball without it falling into her hands.
Again, this was something that Mercury didn't understand. Why put all this effort into capturing one Pokémon Trainer. What could she do to stop a Team like Galactic? One puny trainer wasn't enough against the army of grunts at Mercury's disposal, or any legendary Pokémon.
Aspiring Champion or not, Jamelia Francis would not stop Team Galactic.
But Cyrus had ordered her capture and Mercury would fulfil the order. It was just a question of when and how, considering that there wasn't many occasions that the Trainer was alone, and it had already been proved today that two grunts at once was still not a particularly hard challenge for her…
But first, finding that Master Ball before Francis got back…
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The first round was over, and Jamie was on the top of the blimp, leaning on the railings and watching the ocean go past underneath her, you couldn't see much, the water was the same inky black as the sky, and the sound of the waves was drowned out by the sound of the wind rushing past and the turbines on the blimp, but it was the ocean, non the less.
Yugi, Joey, Marik and Seto were going through to tomorrow's battles…
Marik… Jamie shuddered. She'd run into him in the corridor on her way up here. She should have been with Bakura, but she'd had to get some fresh air when Tristan had come by to tell her exactly what had been going on while she was looking after Bakura.
That wasn't Marik, she could tell that easily, except that he was… Unlike Yami or Bakura, Yami Marik wasn't really a spirit like Yami Yugi or Yami Bakura, but a split personality of Marik, which personified all of his hate and rage and maliciousness and… she'd never come across anyone like him. Even in her battle with Cyrus there had been something there that had seemed human to her…
What would happen to Mai if they couldn't beat Marik? What would Marik do to anyone who fought him…? And would they end up like Mai if they lost?
She was beginning to realise just how in over her head she was.
"Your presence here is not required."
Jamie jumped, wheeling around and glowering at the man who was stood on the Duelling Platform, wearing a dress of some kind and a tea towel wrapped around his head. "Who are you?" She demanded, her hand going to her belt and Aisu's Pokeball.
"I am Shadi, the Guardian of the Millennium Items."
Jamie snorted, "You're doing a pretty lousy job then." She said, her hand going to the cord that was around her neck, from which hung the Millennium Ring.
"You should not be wearing the item of another." Shadi continued, ignoring the comment, "It must be returned."
"I don't want anyone taking it." Jamie growled, "Bakura made sure my Pokémon were safe when I nearly died, so I'm protecting the Ring until he is better."
"You must not interfere in what is coming to pass."
"I don't have to listen to you." Jamie growled, "And I'm not interfering, I don't have the skills necessary to take on Marik or I'd fight him myself."
Shadi looked amused. "You sound confident, but your soul says otherwise, you fear what is happening, and you fear the power that resides around your neck."
"So what if I do? I don't intend on using the power, it's not mine."
"It is not yours to hold either."
"I'm not relinquishing it to you."
"I cannot allow you to interfere with the fate of the Pharaoh."
"You're talking about Yami, right?" Jamie asked and got no answer, "Well I'm not interfering, I'm just holding something for a friend and I'm not giving the Ring up to you, considering that you allowed the Millennium Rod to fall into the hands of Marik when you're supposed to be protecting them."
"Only until the time of the Pharaoh's return, and then I must allow fate to proceed as it had been destined." Shadi responded, "It was destiny that allowed Marik to get his hands on the Millennium Rod and create his dark side, and destiny that made sure that it was here and now, during Battle City, that the Pharaoh and Marik would fight to the end."
"I believe in a lot of things, but I know that fate had a helping hand in this." Jamie glared, "Isuzu spoke to Kaiba just two weeks ago and he announced the Tournament the day after. Fate obviously doesn't always take the route it wants unless it's helped along the way."
"If you want to interfere, prove yourself." Shadi drew something out from his robes. Something golden and shaped like a key.
"I'm not interfering and what the hell is that?" Jamie demanded, plucking Aisu's Pokeball off her belt and releasing the Glaceon who got between her Trainer and the very odd man.
"The Millennium Key."
"If you think for one second that I'm letting you anywhere near me with a Millennium Item you've got another think coming."
"You can either allow me into your mind, or you can battle me in a Shadow Game, either way, you will be tested."
"A Shadow Game would be unfair, I am both unprepared and unable to protect myself from the ravages of the Shadows and my mind is not a book to be read at any time."
"A choice must be made or I will make it for you."
Jamie hesitated, she'd much rather play a game with someone then allow them entry into her mind, but this wasn't any game. This was a Shadow Game. She'd known how dangerous they were even before Marik, Bakura had explained it to her.
"If you fear me this much, then you would be unable to protect the Ring from its enemies."
"I'll play against you." Jamie growled. "What is the game?"
The Shadows closed in around them, surrounding the entire blimp. Aisu growled as she looked around, and Jamie felt cold, whereas she hadn't before. This was it then, the Shadows…
"One on one," Shadi warned, "You're to get no help from your Pokémon."
"Aisu, stay back." Jamie spoke a lot more calmly then she felt, walking around to the opposite end of the Duelling Platform, and standing opposite Shadi, as a grid formed on the floor consisting of Shadows and solidified into stone tablets. "What's the game and what is the Penalty?"
"The game is Pairs. There are forty tiles here, twenty pairs. To win you must be the first one to find eleven pairs."
"That's pretty simple." Jamie was surprised. "And the Penalty, what is that?"
"If you win, I will not interfere in your actions any further."
"And if I lose?" That was the important one.
"If you lose then I will wipe your memories of everything that you've learned of the Millennium Items. You'll lose all your memories of Bakura, Yugi and everything else linked to the Millennium Items."
Jamie just stared at him, "You're serious?"
"I don't joke."
"Then I won't lose." Jamie growled.
"Then it's your turn first."
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'Yugi!'
Yugi didn't need Yami to tell him, he'd been staring out of the window and had seen the Shadows outside. Someone was in a Shadow Game.
"Please don't let it be Joey, please don't let it be Joey…" Yugi chanted in his head as he ran up the stairs to the Duelling Arena. Afraid that it might be Joey challenging Marik and Marik who had activated the Shadow Game… "Please don't let it be Joey, please don't let it be Joey…"
Yami took over as they reached the top of the stairs and went out onto the top deck. Marik was here, but it wasn't his Shadow Game.
"You're a little late to the party Pharaoh." Marik snorted, as Jamie picked two tiles and cursed when they didn't match up.
"Jamie?" Yugi sounded incredulous, which matched how Yami was feeling.
"Jamie?" Yami asked, as Shadi picked two tiles.
"That's nine pairs for me, you'll have to do better then this if you want to retain your memories." Shadi told the Pokémon Trainer before he even turned to look at the Pharaoh.
"A little busy a minute Yu…" She paused and looked properly, "Yami." She turned back to the tiles, "This one." She touched it, and it flipped over to reveal an eagle like bird, "And this one."
It too flipped over, revealing the second eagle like bird. "Yes! Seven!" She grinned, "This one and…" She paused to let it flip over, revealing a twisted rope, "Hmmm, I know I saw that one…" She touched a tile that was down and to the left, revealing the other twisted rope. "Yes! Okay…"
"Shadi, what did you mean if she wanted to retain her memories?" Yami demanded as Jamie picked another set and took her total up to nine.
"Exactly what I said. The Pokémon Trainer chose to wear the Ring and as such she has to be tested." Shadi said.
"No!" Jamie growled, slapping the ground, "Shadi it's your turn."
She backed away and watched Shadi pick his tenth set. Yami looked at Jamie who was in fact wearing the Ring, but was intently watching Shadi. Shadi picked one, it looked like a foot. His second one did too.
"Ten." Marik grinned. "What will you do, Pharaoh, if she has to give up her memories?"
Yami didn't answer, watching as Shadi flipped a tile with a lion on it.
And then one with a snake on it.
Jamie sighed in relief.
She flipped one with an arm on it, grinned and touched the one furthest away from her, which she remembered from her last turn was am arm too. "Ten." She breathed heavily, looking at the remaining twenty tiles… before touching the one at her feet. It just had a square on it.
"Damn…" She looked around, frowning and fretting.
"She's seen the other one to that." Marik laughed, "It was the one she was looking for when I got here.
"Shut it Marik." Jamie snapped, slamming her hand down on the tile she thought was the right one. She froze, a look of fear crossing her features for a moment before she schooled it back into a semi calm one. It was the wrong tile. "Shadi."
He stepped forward and touched the same tile, the one with the square on, then calmly walked over to the centre of the tiles and touching the one dead in the middle.
It was wrong too.
Yami watched as Jamie touched the tile with the square on then stood in the middle and looked around, thinking…
"Don't panic, just think…" Yami whispered.
Jamie looked carefully, thinking, and touched the tile just to the left of the centre. It flipped over revealing… a square. "Yes! Eleven!"
Shadi looked amused as Yami let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.
"You have to leave me alone!" Jamie pointed at Shadi, relief obvious, "That was the condition."
"Indeed." Shadi nodded as the Shadows were dismissed. "I will keep my end of the bargain and will not interfere in your actions any further." He vanished.
"I wish I knew how he did that." Yami growled. "Are you alright, Jamie?"
"I'm fine, thank you Yami." Jamie said, getting down and petting her Glaceon who looked incredibly irritated. "Sorry Aisu, but I couldn't let you interfere, I would have lost."
"Was that a condition?" Yami asked, trying to ignore the fact Marik had just left after giving him an incredibly dirty look and Jamie a speculative one…
"Uh huh, I think he was hoping I would cheat and call Aisu to attack him." She shook her head, "Either he's run into Galactic Grunts or he has a low opinion of Pokémon Trainers."
"I think it's the human race he has a low opinion of." Yami said quite honestly.
Jamie just snorted, "I'm going back to 'Kura's room, I think I'm going to need to sit down in a minute."
Yami nodded, understanding perfectly, "If you need anything."
"I'll call one of the others." Jamie said, and then noted the look on Yami's face. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's that you need to be rested for your big matches tomorrow. Trainer, remember? If trouble comes calling I'll either tell it where it can go stick its head or call Tristan or Duke for help."
"If Bakura wakes up…"
"I'll be fine Yami, I'm just cold and tired." Jamie yawned, "Go to bed." She shoved him towards the doors, "Unless you want Kaiba to beat you tomorrow."
"I won't lose to Kaiba."
"You will if you don't sleep."
"You sound like a mom!"
"Don't insult me, Pharaoh." She twatted him round the back of the head, "Get to bed."
"Are you sure you're going to be…"
"Get!"
Returning to the Kanto League HQ, which they had only protected from an attack two weeks ago, to find it surrounded by Team Rocket grunts was bad enough.
Finding out that most of the staff, who were all incredibly competent Pokémon Trainers, were being held prisoner in the storage room in the basement was worse.
Finding out that one of your Gym Leaders was the Leader of Team Rocket was even worse.
Finding out that he was willing to make an offer that basically surmounted to total amnesty for all members of Team Rocket, in exchange for help against Team Galactic was the icing on the cake.
Giovanni of Viridian City was sat on the other side of the desk, smirking. He was aware of just how much the league needed help. It had never been a particularly stable system, considering just how easy it was to infiltrate. All you needed to do was ensure that you were a good enough Trainer and kept your skills up and you were practically guaranteed a League job.
Keep your name out of the police records and you could even get a high powered job like Gym Leader.
And now the League was crumbling from the inside, attacked from two angles. Both by the Team Galactic and by the people the League was failing to protect. Trainers were vanishing, cities were claiming the League was failing in its duty to protect them but refusing to get off their butts and do anything about it…
If it hadn't affected Giovanni's group so much, then he wouldn't have been bothered, but he had three reasons for offering this temporary truce. One was that amnesty for his members would ensure the success of Team Rocket in the future, two was that if Team Galactic destroyed the world, Team Rocket would be out of work, and three Cyrus had had the audacity to tell Giovanni to join them or they would be 'shut down'.
Knowing what they had on their side, Giovanni could easily work out what they meant…
Lance didn't want to make a deal with Team Rocket. Doing so would ensure the League's ability to maintain order in Kanto and Johto at least… but would ensure that the citizens of both countries would be terrorised by the group and any Pokémon trainer who was still travelling amid all of the chaos would be a target…
And yet which was worse, being stolen from or having the world come to an end around you?
Team Cypher was already working alongside Galactic, since Galactic were wary of messing with Cypher's Legendary Shadow Pokémon, Raikou, Entai, Suicune and Lugia, but Cypher wanted to share power in this new world, while their cohorts, Team Snagum were now stealing Pokémon from Trainers in all the other countries, instead of just Orre.
Ironically if there was ever a time to attempt to retake Orre from Team Cypher, now was it. It was just a shame that they didn't have the manpower to try it.
Team Aqua and Team Magma were disbanded, having already attempted to overthrow Galactic because they wanted to change the world their way, through the powers of Kyogre or Groudon, not through total world destruction, while the two teams which had been causing trouble for the Pokémon Rangers (who had joined up with the League last week), Dim Sun and the Go-Rock Squad, had either gone into hiding or vanished off the face of the planet… hopefully not to the 'New World' but Lance had no idea.
So that just left Team Rocket, and if he didn't get them the amnesty they were asking for, would they join Galactic, or continue to work to cause everyone trouble as they had been until recently…
It was an impossible situation and Lance wished that he wasn't the one that had to make the decision… but there was no choice…
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"Is he going to be alright?" Jamie hesitated to ask, wondering if they knew that her concern was in fact for not the host, but the spirit of the Ring.
"Mokuba said that the doctors on the blimp are better then any hospital…" Tea tried to be reassuring for the girl that was sat in the chair next to Bakura's bed, his Millennium Ring in her hands, but didn't really know what to say. Marik had frightened all of them when he had broken the control that Yami Bakura had held over Ryou, and if it hadn't been for Yami Bakura, Yugi would have thrown the duel…
"Slifer's…" Jamie just shook her head. If anything the God Card had scared her, and she hated feeling scared. Fear was something that could cripple a Pokémon Trainer in the middle of a life or death situation, and it wasn't something she was accustomed to feeling… but then not only had Slifer been bigger then any Pokémon she'd ever met, you could feel the power radiating from it. She had no doubt that it would have killed 'Kura's host had he been the one to take the attack.
That was why she was so worried about 'Kura.
"Jamie?" Yugi asked.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Jamie asked, though there was none of the anger from when she had asked earlier. "You lied to me, told me that Bakura got odd sometimes, and that was why he acted like 'Kura, you didn't tell me that you and Ryou were possessed."
"How exactly were we supposed to bring it up in conversation?" Joey snorted, "Oh by the way Jamie, both Yuge and Bakura are possessed by a spirits and the Bakura you've been hanging around with is evil?"
"'Kura isn't evil…" Jamie glowered at him, "If he was evil he wouldn't be helping me and he certainly wouldn't have saved my life."
"He could be just using you." Yugi warned… except…
"You're not Yugi at the moment, are you?" Jamie asked, looking at him carefully, trying to work out how to distinguish Yugi and Yami. "You're Yami, right?" She asked, noting the red eyes and the way 'Yugi' seemed to be taller then before.
'Yugi' nodded, "It's nice to meet your properly."
"I would say the same if I hadn't been sure that I've spoken to you before without being aware of it." Jamie growled, "Every time Aisu ignores Yugi, it's been you not him, hasn't it?"
"Yes."
"So how many times have you had a chance to explain to me and passed it up?"
Yami hesitated. It was all Jamie needed to know. "Need to know basis and I didn't need to know." She snorted. It was a statement, not a question, "Does it harm Yugi in anyway to share his body with another soul?"
"Not that we're aware of." Joey shook his head. "Yami's on our side, one of the good guys, he wouldn't harm Yugi. Bakura's got no such qualms."
Jamie couldn't really respond to that considering the amount of times that he'd come into the Day Care to drop off a Pokémon, bruised and injured… and it hadn't even been his body…
"All remaining Finalists must report to the Dining Hall now."
The gang hesitated.
"Go. I'll keep an eye on Bakura." Jamie sighed, "If Joey doesn't go now, he'll be kicked out of the Tournament."
"Jamie…"
"I'm a Trainer, I know how important Tournaments are, my grievances can wait, go."
"Thanks." Joey shot out the room and down the hall. Serenity, Duke and Tristan close behind.
"Can I stay?" Tea asked Jamie, who shrugged.
"Jamie…"
"Get out, Yami. I need to think about this before I can decide how I feel about it."
Yami left.
"You shouldn't be so hard on him, he tries his best and he really worries about you." Tea said, sitting on the arm of the chair.
"I know but…" Jamie sighed, as Bakura's Haunter hovered just inside the door, on sentry duty since he wasn't allowed to cause a fuss during Duels if he wanted to stay with the Tomb Robber.
"Have you ever really spoken to Bakura, or has it always been the spirit?"
"I think it's always been 'Kura," Jamie said slowly, "The shy Bakura from earlier wasn't someone I recognised… but 'Kura can't be evil, not with everything he's done for me…" Jamie sighed, "The world isn't that simple, it's not black and white, there are about a million shades of grey in between."
"The guys will always consider him evil because of what he's done to the group in the past." Tea warned, "That isn't something that's going to change."
"I bet Yami's Shadow Gamed people in the past, if Bakura's classed as evil because of that, then why isn't Yami? What is the difference between Yami and 'Kura that makes that distinction?"
"Yami's never attacked innocent people."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've never seen Yami attack innocent people."
"Has Yugi?"
"Yugi wouldn't ever…" Tea realised what she was implying, "Not that I'm aware of."
"How did you know that Bakura's victims were innocent?"
"We did nothing to him."
"And that's how you define your right and wrong?"
"It's the only way we have when we don't know who to trust."
Jamie paused to think about this. She'd always known what was right and what was wrong, back home. The 'Teams', Magma, Aqua, Galactic, Rocket, Cypher, Snagum, Go-Rock and Dim Sun, or anyone who treated Pokémon badly were 'bad', while anyone who helped Pokémon, helped others or helped Trainers were always 'good', it had been that simple.
But here she didn't know what to think… she would never have advocated stealing Pokémon before she'd come here, even from the Teams, but it was alright here… why? Jamie shook her head and looked down, her eyes resting on the Millennium Item in her hands.
It was easy to distinguish Marik as 'bad', Pegasus too, from what she had heard about him, came under that heading, so why, by the same definitions could she not put 'Kura on that list?
There was so much that she didn't understand… she now wondered how much she 'wasn't allowed' to understand…
She wished 'Kura was awake.
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"Guys, you might want to hear this." Iason said, turning up the radio, "The League's making an announcement."
Iason was the leader of the small group of Trainers who were currently living at the home of Cheryl, who lived on the outskirts of Eterna Forest. There were ten or twelve of them, from all over the world, who had been travelling around the area when the latest of the Galactic attacks had caused Eterna City to be closed off to Pokémon Trainers.
There had been more who had passed by here. Some who had turned around and gone to find another route, some who had attempted to push through Eterna City without being caught out as a Pokémon Trainer, to varying success, but it was here that a Sinnoh resistance group was being built up.
"We, the Pokémon League, who officiate over all Leagues within the Pokémon World, tonight have this to announce." Everyone stilled, from Iason, who was the oldest at twenty one, to Nuri who was the youngest at ten, to listen to the announcement, "As of 6pm Kanto time today, Team Rocket have been granted amnesty for any past crimes and until such time as the Galactic threat has been nullified."
"What?" Nuri yelped as everyone started complaining loudly.
"Shut it, there's more!" Iason snapped, straining to listen over the noise.
"In exchange for this Team Rocket has agreed to help the League combat the threat, and each member of Team Rocket must be accompanied by a League approved Trainer in their day to day business. This decision was made by the Head of the Pokémon League and the Leader of Team Rocket, and will be made clear to all Pokémon Centres and Police Stations across the continents..."
They didn't need to hear anymore, and as Iason turned down the radio Yuki started a rant about how stupid this was. "As if we didn't have enough to worry about, now Team Rocket have the ability to steal any Pokémon from any Trainer they like until the Galactic thing is over…and this isn't increasing our forces any, not if they have to go around with League Trainers, that's just pairing people up!"
Iason let them talk themselves out before he spoke up, "If the League have sunk to this in order to attempt to maintain order in Kanto, then we will not receive any help here in Sinnoh." He said, looking at all of them, "We're on our own."
"So what do we do?" Diana, the second youngest asked, looking at him.
Tobias, the second oldest, already knew. "We have to free Palkia from Team Galactic's control. If we can do that then we break their grip on quite a few places, since there's a lot of people who are only listening to them in order to avoid being sucked into an alternate dimension."
"We already knew that." Josie glowered at him, "The question is how?"
"I'm home." Everyone fell silent as Cheryl walked in, "I've gotten all the supplies you asked for, as well as the medicine for that new Trainer and his Pokémon, and a couple of weeks worth of…" She paused and frowned as she noticed the looks on people's faces, "What's happened?"
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Team Galactic Admin Mercury was in a foul mood.
They had been working with a high rate of success until five hours ago, when they had been informed that a Master Ball containing the Pokémon Dialga had been dropped into the New World by Palkia and all Grunts had had to stop what they were doing, which was attempting to capture Aspiring Champion Jamelia and any Pokémon who had slipped through the rends and were wandering around the New World as wild Pokémon.
Then they'd had to drop everything, and search.
If she was honest, she was very surprised at the obtuseness of the company that Francis worked for in thinking that Pokémon would only appear here in Japan. Team Galactic had been causing rends all over the Pokémon World, and the entire Pokémon World did not fit into one small area of Japan.
The only reason they knew that the Master Ball had to be in Domino was because the spacial rend had been caused where the first rends had, and those had dropped them here, in Domino City.
Mercury, personally, didn't understand why Palkia always dropped people here in the New World. She could only guess that it was because of the Red Chain, which didn't limit Palkia's powers like a Pokeball would, but still restrained the powers of the Legendary Pokémon and made them pliable to their Master's will.
Why Saturn had to be Palkia's Master was beyond her, she could do much better, but it wasn't her place to question Cyrus, who was her boss, it was just her duty to obey orders and find that damnable Master Ball.
What made things worse in Mercury's mind, was that while Paradius was still working with them, their Shadow Duellist partner had run off without mentioning anything and the Duellist that Galactic were supposed to be targeting had vanished around the same time.
Mercury was certain that they had vanished because 'Marik' wanted the power all for himself and had already defeated the one they were after. Either that or they had left the city for the finals. Both options were equally annoying, but since the Trainer they were hunting had left with them, it gave them a chance to find the Master Ball without it falling into her hands.
Again, this was something that Mercury didn't understand. Why put all this effort into capturing one Pokémon Trainer. What could she do to stop a Team like Galactic? One puny trainer wasn't enough against the army of grunts at Mercury's disposal, or any legendary Pokémon.
Aspiring Champion or not, Jamelia Francis would not stop Team Galactic.
But Cyrus had ordered her capture and Mercury would fulfil the order. It was just a question of when and how, considering that there wasn't many occasions that the Trainer was alone, and it had already been proved today that two grunts at once was still not a particularly hard challenge for her…
But first, finding that Master Ball before Francis got back…
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The first round was over, and Jamie was on the top of the blimp, leaning on the railings and watching the ocean go past underneath her, you couldn't see much, the water was the same inky black as the sky, and the sound of the waves was drowned out by the sound of the wind rushing past and the turbines on the blimp, but it was the ocean, non the less.
Yugi, Joey, Marik and Seto were going through to tomorrow's battles…
Marik… Jamie shuddered. She'd run into him in the corridor on her way up here. She should have been with Bakura, but she'd had to get some fresh air when Tristan had come by to tell her exactly what had been going on while she was looking after Bakura.
That wasn't Marik, she could tell that easily, except that he was… Unlike Yami or Bakura, Yami Marik wasn't really a spirit like Yami Yugi or Yami Bakura, but a split personality of Marik, which personified all of his hate and rage and maliciousness and… she'd never come across anyone like him. Even in her battle with Cyrus there had been something there that had seemed human to her…
What would happen to Mai if they couldn't beat Marik? What would Marik do to anyone who fought him…? And would they end up like Mai if they lost?
She was beginning to realise just how in over her head she was.
"Your presence here is not required."
Jamie jumped, wheeling around and glowering at the man who was stood on the Duelling Platform, wearing a dress of some kind and a tea towel wrapped around his head. "Who are you?" She demanded, her hand going to her belt and Aisu's Pokeball.
"I am Shadi, the Guardian of the Millennium Items."
Jamie snorted, "You're doing a pretty lousy job then." She said, her hand going to the cord that was around her neck, from which hung the Millennium Ring.
"You should not be wearing the item of another." Shadi continued, ignoring the comment, "It must be returned."
"I don't want anyone taking it." Jamie growled, "Bakura made sure my Pokémon were safe when I nearly died, so I'm protecting the Ring until he is better."
"You must not interfere in what is coming to pass."
"I don't have to listen to you." Jamie growled, "And I'm not interfering, I don't have the skills necessary to take on Marik or I'd fight him myself."
Shadi looked amused. "You sound confident, but your soul says otherwise, you fear what is happening, and you fear the power that resides around your neck."
"So what if I do? I don't intend on using the power, it's not mine."
"It is not yours to hold either."
"I'm not relinquishing it to you."
"I cannot allow you to interfere with the fate of the Pharaoh."
"You're talking about Yami, right?" Jamie asked and got no answer, "Well I'm not interfering, I'm just holding something for a friend and I'm not giving the Ring up to you, considering that you allowed the Millennium Rod to fall into the hands of Marik when you're supposed to be protecting them."
"Only until the time of the Pharaoh's return, and then I must allow fate to proceed as it had been destined." Shadi responded, "It was destiny that allowed Marik to get his hands on the Millennium Rod and create his dark side, and destiny that made sure that it was here and now, during Battle City, that the Pharaoh and Marik would fight to the end."
"I believe in a lot of things, but I know that fate had a helping hand in this." Jamie glared, "Isuzu spoke to Kaiba just two weeks ago and he announced the Tournament the day after. Fate obviously doesn't always take the route it wants unless it's helped along the way."
"If you want to interfere, prove yourself." Shadi drew something out from his robes. Something golden and shaped like a key.
"I'm not interfering and what the hell is that?" Jamie demanded, plucking Aisu's Pokeball off her belt and releasing the Glaceon who got between her Trainer and the very odd man.
"The Millennium Key."
"If you think for one second that I'm letting you anywhere near me with a Millennium Item you've got another think coming."
"You can either allow me into your mind, or you can battle me in a Shadow Game, either way, you will be tested."
"A Shadow Game would be unfair, I am both unprepared and unable to protect myself from the ravages of the Shadows and my mind is not a book to be read at any time."
"A choice must be made or I will make it for you."
Jamie hesitated, she'd much rather play a game with someone then allow them entry into her mind, but this wasn't any game. This was a Shadow Game. She'd known how dangerous they were even before Marik, Bakura had explained it to her.
"If you fear me this much, then you would be unable to protect the Ring from its enemies."
"I'll play against you." Jamie growled. "What is the game?"
The Shadows closed in around them, surrounding the entire blimp. Aisu growled as she looked around, and Jamie felt cold, whereas she hadn't before. This was it then, the Shadows…
"One on one," Shadi warned, "You're to get no help from your Pokémon."
"Aisu, stay back." Jamie spoke a lot more calmly then she felt, walking around to the opposite end of the Duelling Platform, and standing opposite Shadi, as a grid formed on the floor consisting of Shadows and solidified into stone tablets. "What's the game and what is the Penalty?"
"The game is Pairs. There are forty tiles here, twenty pairs. To win you must be the first one to find eleven pairs."
"That's pretty simple." Jamie was surprised. "And the Penalty, what is that?"
"If you win, I will not interfere in your actions any further."
"And if I lose?" That was the important one.
"If you lose then I will wipe your memories of everything that you've learned of the Millennium Items. You'll lose all your memories of Bakura, Yugi and everything else linked to the Millennium Items."
Jamie just stared at him, "You're serious?"
"I don't joke."
"Then I won't lose." Jamie growled.
"Then it's your turn first."
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'Yugi!'
Yugi didn't need Yami to tell him, he'd been staring out of the window and had seen the Shadows outside. Someone was in a Shadow Game.
"Please don't let it be Joey, please don't let it be Joey…" Yugi chanted in his head as he ran up the stairs to the Duelling Arena. Afraid that it might be Joey challenging Marik and Marik who had activated the Shadow Game… "Please don't let it be Joey, please don't let it be Joey…"
Yami took over as they reached the top of the stairs and went out onto the top deck. Marik was here, but it wasn't his Shadow Game.
"You're a little late to the party Pharaoh." Marik snorted, as Jamie picked two tiles and cursed when they didn't match up.
"Jamie?" Yugi sounded incredulous, which matched how Yami was feeling.
"Jamie?" Yami asked, as Shadi picked two tiles.
"That's nine pairs for me, you'll have to do better then this if you want to retain your memories." Shadi told the Pokémon Trainer before he even turned to look at the Pharaoh.
"A little busy a minute Yu…" She paused and looked properly, "Yami." She turned back to the tiles, "This one." She touched it, and it flipped over to reveal an eagle like bird, "And this one."
It too flipped over, revealing the second eagle like bird. "Yes! Seven!" She grinned, "This one and…" She paused to let it flip over, revealing a twisted rope, "Hmmm, I know I saw that one…" She touched a tile that was down and to the left, revealing the other twisted rope. "Yes! Okay…"
"Shadi, what did you mean if she wanted to retain her memories?" Yami demanded as Jamie picked another set and took her total up to nine.
"Exactly what I said. The Pokémon Trainer chose to wear the Ring and as such she has to be tested." Shadi said.
"No!" Jamie growled, slapping the ground, "Shadi it's your turn."
She backed away and watched Shadi pick his tenth set. Yami looked at Jamie who was in fact wearing the Ring, but was intently watching Shadi. Shadi picked one, it looked like a foot. His second one did too.
"Ten." Marik grinned. "What will you do, Pharaoh, if she has to give up her memories?"
Yami didn't answer, watching as Shadi flipped a tile with a lion on it.
And then one with a snake on it.
Jamie sighed in relief.
She flipped one with an arm on it, grinned and touched the one furthest away from her, which she remembered from her last turn was am arm too. "Ten." She breathed heavily, looking at the remaining twenty tiles… before touching the one at her feet. It just had a square on it.
"Damn…" She looked around, frowning and fretting.
"She's seen the other one to that." Marik laughed, "It was the one she was looking for when I got here.
"Shut it Marik." Jamie snapped, slamming her hand down on the tile she thought was the right one. She froze, a look of fear crossing her features for a moment before she schooled it back into a semi calm one. It was the wrong tile. "Shadi."
He stepped forward and touched the same tile, the one with the square on, then calmly walked over to the centre of the tiles and touching the one dead in the middle.
It was wrong too.
Yami watched as Jamie touched the tile with the square on then stood in the middle and looked around, thinking…
"Don't panic, just think…" Yami whispered.
Jamie looked carefully, thinking, and touched the tile just to the left of the centre. It flipped over revealing… a square. "Yes! Eleven!"
Shadi looked amused as Yami let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.
"You have to leave me alone!" Jamie pointed at Shadi, relief obvious, "That was the condition."
"Indeed." Shadi nodded as the Shadows were dismissed. "I will keep my end of the bargain and will not interfere in your actions any further." He vanished.
"I wish I knew how he did that." Yami growled. "Are you alright, Jamie?"
"I'm fine, thank you Yami." Jamie said, getting down and petting her Glaceon who looked incredibly irritated. "Sorry Aisu, but I couldn't let you interfere, I would have lost."
"Was that a condition?" Yami asked, trying to ignore the fact Marik had just left after giving him an incredibly dirty look and Jamie a speculative one…
"Uh huh, I think he was hoping I would cheat and call Aisu to attack him." She shook her head, "Either he's run into Galactic Grunts or he has a low opinion of Pokémon Trainers."
"I think it's the human race he has a low opinion of." Yami said quite honestly.
Jamie just snorted, "I'm going back to 'Kura's room, I think I'm going to need to sit down in a minute."
Yami nodded, understanding perfectly, "If you need anything."
"I'll call one of the others." Jamie said, and then noted the look on Yami's face. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's that you need to be rested for your big matches tomorrow. Trainer, remember? If trouble comes calling I'll either tell it where it can go stick its head or call Tristan or Duke for help."
"If Bakura wakes up…"
"I'll be fine Yami, I'm just cold and tired." Jamie yawned, "Go to bed." She shoved him towards the doors, "Unless you want Kaiba to beat you tomorrow."
"I won't lose to Kaiba."
"You will if you don't sleep."
"You sound like a mom!"
"Don't insult me, Pharaoh." She twatted him round the back of the head, "Get to bed."
"Are you sure you're going to be…"
"Get!"