POKÉMON:  WARRIOR'S DESIRE

Sorry for the long delay, everyone.  I’ve been pretty bogged down with lots of computer trouble.  Don’t worry; I haven’t forgotten about this fic.

Usual disclaimers apply.  These characters do not belong to me.

TIME:  Simultaneously with Chapter 1, only a bit earlier

LOCATION:  Dokuwomoru dojo, Fuchsia City

            It was early in the morning.  Perhaps a little too early...

            The morning sun was just now breaking over the horizon as the ninja master and two of his most trusted pupils trained diligently.  They trained hard – running, sparring, practicing techniques and katas that they have gone over numerous times in the past, as well as starting newer, more difficult ones.

            The master ran this dojo and the Pokémon gym in Fuchsia City as one in the same.  Koga would often get challengers not only for the Soul Badge, but to challenge the legendary master to a fight.  He was not a violent man by nature, but when his fighting spirit was ignited and the rush of battle gripped him, there was little he could do except ride it out and let his fists and feet speak for him.  Often times – though it is almost never his intention – a few opponents have died at the hands of Dokuwomoru Ninjitsu...death by the poisoned fists.

            How fitting he devises his style after the same type of Pokémon he is notorious for.

            Koga was now in meditation, facing the rising sun, dressed in his usual ninja attire like always.  Beside him, a few yards away, was his sister, doing the same.  While she was also a ninja (though not on the caliber of Koga), Aya opted for an obviously more feminine, pink attire.  Though her older brother disagreed with it, he would not let such a petty issue as attire take precedence over other important matters.  It just wasn’t worth it.

            “Huff...puff...cough...”

            Speaking of petty arguments...

            While his younger sister was accustomed to – and accepted – her training, there was a young girl whom did not.  Janine, Koga’s daughter, was much less appreciative of the Dokuwomoru style than her father and aunt were, and this upset Koga.  It was hard enough that Koga’s wife, Yuki, was killed by members of Team Rocket, leaving him an emotional mess and a young two-year-old daughter who’ll never know her mother, but at the fresh age of fifteen was becoming wild, rambunctious, and at times, out of control...especially with all the “outside” influences such as mass media, school, and her peers. 

            To be more specific, she didn’t mind her training; Janine was more than glad to call herself a ninja.  It’s these harsh training regiments that her father and aunt instill that bother her.  She’s all for midday classes, where she has the chance to beat on some of the students – especially the males who made it clear how attracted they were to her.

            “The princess announces herself,” Aya remarked to her older brother.

            Koga remained in his fixed position as he heard his daughter approach.  “So, you’ve decided to join us after all?” he asked.

            “This...is...ridiculous,” Janine managed to get out between deep breaths.  “Don’t you...people...ever sleep?”

            “It is all vital to your training, daughter,” Koga said bluntly.  He could tell by the position of the sun that it was about 7:30 AM.  “Let us attend to breakfast.”  It was then that he, Aya and Janine went back into the house.

            It was a light breakfast at that, and by 8:15, they were back out training.  Though this time, they would be training their Pokémon, having them battle one another.

            “Beedrill, go!”  Janine cried, releasing the giant stinging Pokémon.  “Give it your Twin Needle attack!”

            The Beedrill buzzed loudly, and flew like a bullet at her father’s Ariados.

            “Ariados, Poison Sting attack!”

            In a flash, Ariados snapped around, and fired dozens of white spines at the Beedrill.  The bee dodged to both sides to avoid the attack, then gored the giant spider.  It flipped around in midair, but landed on all eight legs, ready for more.

            “Now...Pin Missile attack!”

            “Ariados...counter with your Spider Web!”

            Before Beedrill could fire its needles, Ariados opened its mouth.  A fine, white mist spewed out of its mouth, and before long – before its attack could commence, too – Beedrill was caught in a large, immobilizing web.  It struggled against its bonds, but it did not move.

            “Oh no...” Janine murmured to herself.  She drew the Pokéball for Beedrill.  “Beedrill, return!” she shouted.  The narrow beam of light hit the bee, but it was unable to draw it back into the ball.  “What?”

            Koga shook his head, waving his finger back and forth, much to his daughter’s chagrin.  “You should know that a Spider Web is often so strong that there is no escape for a Pokémon – not even calling for a return can free it.”  Janine’s face fell in shock, while Koga ordered a final attack.  “Now Ariados...Giga Drain attack!”  Deep green energy radiated from the giant spider, aimed at the immobilized bee.  It not only robbed Beedrill of its energy, but the Spider Web dissolved into nothing as Beedrill collapsed.

            Disgusted, Janine held up Beedrill’s Pokéball.  “Beedrill, return!”  The bee disappeared back into the ball.

            As the training between father and daughter went on, on the other side of the back yard, by the back door, Aya was taking care of her favorite Pokémon – her Venonat.

            “They’re brutal, aren’t they?” she said, pulling a brush through the gnat’s fur.

            “Venonat, venonat,” {Seems a bit calmer this morning,} he said, leaning against his master.

            Poison-type Pokémon have been a staple of Koga’s family ever since Koga started training in the martial arts.  His first two Pokémon were a Venonat and later on, a Zubat.  Through a lifetime of training in his family’s form of ninjitsu and handling Pokémon, he’s become a very well respected force in the Pokémon world.  The League granted him control of the Pokémon Gym in his native Fuchsia City not long before he was married.  He held that position until two years ago, when he competed in the World Pokémon League Indigo championship.  The champion, the dragon master Lance was not defeated, but Koga’s performance – along with the unfortunate passing of Agatha – earned him a spot in the Elite Four.  He was in the same rank as the Judo king Bruno Santangelo, the masked psychic Will Sable, and Karen Prima.  Karen is a cousin of Lorelei Prima, and while Karen is a good trainer in her own right, he – and Bruno agreed with him on this – suspected nepotism played a key part in Karen’s current placement.

            Aya had trained, but not as long as her brother in their art.  In fact, she left home when she was about 20, and hadn’t seen her brother for about 15 years.  A Team Rocket raid in her then-residence in Ecruteak City resulted in dozens of Pokémon stolen and the house where she was living in destroyed, along with others.  She was ashamed at first to turn to her brother for help, but he insisted, and he had been staying there ever since.

            The wind began to pick up.  So did the noises coming from Koga’s training session with his daughter.  She put the brush down and looked over in the direction of her brother and niece.

            “Venomoth, Poison Powder attack!”

            The giant moth Pokémon flapped its wings at a violently fast pace, so fast they were like a blur.  At the same time, it gave off a large, thick, brownish-gray cloud of poison dust, aimed at his daughter’s Muk.  While it had a moderate effect on the target, it had a much worse, unforeseen effect.

            The wind had picked up as Koga ordered the attack, and the resulting breeze sent the poison dust at his unsuspecting daughter as well.  She gasped, coughed and choked as the dust overwhelmed her, and Koga’s eyes went wide as he saw her collapse.

            “Venomoth, that’s enough!” Koga barked, recalling the Pokémon.  Quickly, he sprinted over to his now fallen daughter, a slight breeze picking up and carrying off some of the dust.  With his mouth buried in the pit of his elbow, he kneeled beside Janine, seeing her just barely hanging on to consciousness.  He picked her up in his arms, then hurried her into the house.

            “Is everything alright?” Aya asked, following on Koga’s heels quickly.

            “It looks like she inhaled a lot of poison dust Venomoth gave off,” Koga said.  He entered Janine’s room, and as Aya pulled back the blankets, Koga laid her in bed.  “She needs to rest for now.  Go get some antidote, quickly.”

            Aya ran from the room, and tore through a cupboard looking for the required antidote.  While they occasionally used the store-brought antidotes used by many a trainer on their poisoned Pokémon, the Dokuwomoru put most of their faith in holistic medicines.  Rummaging around, she found a vial the size of a Snapple bottle, containing a deep green liquid, which had the consistency of teriyaki sauce.  This was a pretty potent batch, she could tell from its aroma.  Aya prepared this batch herself from several choice roots, and as far as she was concerned, she was very good at preparing such remedies.

            Reentering Janine’s room, she found Koga sitting on the stool that went to her desk, staring at her with a concern Aya has hardly seen before.  Janine was in her bed with the covers drawn up around her, the color in her face drained and a dull, blank look in her eyes.  The sight threw her off for a moment, but she quickly got back on track.

            “Here it is,” Aya said, handing the bottle to Koga.  “How is she doing?”

            “It’s slightly worse than I thought,” he said, not taking his eyes off of his daughter.  He unscrewed the cap, and after some coaxing to open her mouth, he offered her the antidote.  She surprised him by bringing herself to her elbows, and taking the medicine on her own accord.  Koga took it back from her after she had taken enough, and slowly, it started to work.  Her breathing became less ragged, and very slowly the color returned to her skin.  She looked at her father and aunt, a glassy look still lingering in her eyes.

            “What...what happened?” she asked, groggy.

            “You inhaled a lot of Venomoth’s poison dust,” Aya said.  “We managed to get you treatment just in time.”

            “You’ll be alright now as long as you rest,” Koga added.  He sat close to his daughter’s side, which made her smile slightly.  “Rest, now.”

            As Aya viewed the scene, she heard another voice.  It was coming from the main room of the gym, and from the tone and pitch of the voice, it was a young...boy?  Girl?  Whoever it was, they were young.  Perhaps a local kid just starting out on their Pokémon journey...

            Aya turned around.  “Someone’s here looking for the Soul Badge,” Aya said quietly.

            Instinctively remembering her role as the official Fuchsia City Gym Leader, Janine sat up in bed, threw the blankets back, and went to stand up.  “I must...face them...” she said, weakly.  Apparently, the poison was still lingering in her body.

            Koga pushed on her shoulders, trying to get her to lie back down.  “No, Janine.  You need to rest!”

            “But...it’s my job!  I...”  That was all she could get out.  She groaned, then lurched forward, right into Koga’s anticipating arms.  She made another sickly sound, and Koga picked up on the look in her eyes.

            “Oh, great.”  He wrapped his arms around her waist, while she instinctively held onto him.  He went out in the hallway, pushed opened the bathroom door, and held Janine in place as she vomited into the toilet.

            “Perhaps I should take care of this little guy,” Aya said, glancing into the bathroom.  He saw Koga rubbing his daughter’s back, nausea tearing through her.

            The door connecting the main room to the living area of the gym opened, and Aya walked out, eyeing up the competition.  It was a boy, about 12 or 13 years old, with greasy black hair, a dark tan – Aya sniffed the air, and judging by the aerosol lingering in the air, deduced that the tan was the result of too much Hollywood Hogan’s Spray-on Tan – gray slacks and a silk, midnight blue shirt.  He had a cocky smirk, several cheap gold hoop earrings in both ears, and a larger than average nose.

            “Humph,” Aya said.  “Can I help you?”

            “The name’s Troy, and I’m here to challenge the Fuchsia City gym leader!” the challenger declared.

            “Oh really?”  She scoffed at this young punk.  “And just what do you hope to win challenging Janine?  The badge, or her heart?”

            “Both, if possible.  And after I’m done with her, I just may give you a whirl, too.”  He winked and smirked at Aya.

            “Believe me, kid, you got as much a shot with her as you do with me.”  Aya raised an eyebrow at the kid.  “And what would her father say if he heard your plans for his only daughter?”

            “Ha!  I’m not scared of that old coot!”

            There was a sudden gust of air behind him, and a long shadow fell next to Troy’s.  He felt a sudden dread creep up over him.  Koga glared at this kid as blue lines of mortification fell upon him, going halfway down his face.  “You were saying?” Koga asked coldly.

            “N-n-n-nothing!” Troy gasped out.  He slowly turned around to look at Koga, only to find he wasn’t there.  He snapped around, and Koga was standing off to the side, somewhere in between the challenger and Aya.

            “So I understand you wish to challenge for the Soul Badge,” Koga said.

            “Yeah, that’s right.”  He put a hand through his hair.  “Where’s the gym leader?”

            “The gym leader has taken ill; you’ll have to come back another day.”  Koga turned around, heading for the nearest door.  He would’ve left if it weren’t for an arrogant, cocky young challenger.

            “No way!  That’s not fair!  I come all the way out here for a gym battle and the only thing you have to say is ‘come back another day’?”  He stomped his foot.  “That sucks!”  Koga looked over his shoulder at him.  “You used to be the leader here; why can’t I fight you?”

            “Koga is a member of the Elite Four, whom has come home to visit his home, thank you very much,” Aya said, before Koga could answer.  “Considering his skill level, you wouldn’t make for a warm-up.”

            “Well that’s all fine and dandy, but I’m not leaving this gym until someone gives me a gym battle!”  He folded his arms, turned his head away – showing off his profile, enhanced by his enormous nose – and gave them a sassy look.  Koga and Aya looked at each other for a few moments.  It wouldn’t make any sense for Koga to battle him; that much Aya said was true.  But it wasn’t fair to drag a sick Janine out here to put this little punk in his place.  Aya glanced at the kid again, then back at Koga.  This wouldn’t be long.

            “Alright,” Aya said, “if you want to battle for the Soul Badge, I will accept your challenge.”

            “I knew you’d see it my way,” Troy said, reaching for a Pokéball.

            “You will use two Pokémon each,” Koga said.  “No time limit.  Begin whenever you are ready.”

            “Fine.  I choose you, Quilava!”  Troy threw the ball, and out popped the large fire anteater Pokémon.  The flames on his back flared up as it got ready for battle.

            “So be it.  I choose you, Butterfree!”  Her giant butterfly Pokémon appeared, flapping its wings and squeaking all the while.  “Go...hit it with your confuse ray!”  Before the opponent could give an order, Butterfree’s antennae glowed, and a bright white current of light danced off of them, into the Quilava.  Its effect was instantaneous, and Quilava was confused.

            “Shake it off, Quilava; come on!”  Troy shouted.  His inexperience showed in his panicky reaction and the way his head moved back and forth rapidly.  “Now give it an Ember attack!”

            Quilava arched his head straight up, a ball of flame growing at its mouth.  Instead of aiming it at the enemy, it aimed it straight up in the air.  The ball nearly touched the ceiling before crashing back down on the Quilava.  It was burned by its own attack.

            “No!” Troy shouted.

            “Now, Butterfree...use a Tackle attack!”  The butterfly hummed as it flew full speed at the Quilava, slamming its head into its enemy.  The blow was so hard that it flew against the wall of the dojo, bouncing off it, and getting knocked out in the process.

            “Round one to Aya,” Koga said in a monotone.

            “Dammit...Quilava, return!”  He recalled the Pokémon and readied his other choice.  “I won’t get beaten this time!  Go, Abra!”  This time, it was the small, infantile version of the most powerful Psychic-type Pokémon available.  “Those Poison-types don’t have a prayer!”

            “Hmmm...” Aya said.  She rubbed her chin with her left hand and had her other on her hip.  “So you know your type alignments, I see.  But you do know that a Butterfree is a Bug- and Flying-type Pokémon, right?  Its counterpart, Beedrill is the Bug/Poison type, kid.”

            “No matter.  This is all I’ll need to win now!  Go, try a Confusion attack!”

            “Counter it with one of your own, Butterfree!”  The two Pokémon were charging up their attacks almost simultaneously, and they clashed in the center of the gym.  It didn’t take long for Butterfree to push back the oncoming attack with its own.

            “Abra, Teleport outta the way!”  It did so, and the attack missed Abra wide.  “Now, give it a Tri-Attack!”  Abra floated up off the ground a few inches, then let loose with three energy triangles, each with a trail of fire, ice and lightning behind it.

            “Quick Butterfree, try a Wing Attack!”  Butterfree took flight, and flew at high speed at Abra.  It dodged the fire attack, as well as the ice, but it was hit by the electricity and sent spiraling out of control.  It regained its balance and stared at its foe.

            “Great,” Troy said.  “Now let’s do it again!”  Again it charged up, but Aya ordered the same attack as well, and unlike last time, Aya’s Pokémon won out.  Its wing tore through the Abra, sending it back down with a squawk.

            “Serves you right for trying the same attack twice in a row,” Aya said.  “Now, give it your Sleep Powder and Stun Spore, Butterfree!”  Butterfree flapped its wings rapidly, and a gray and blue cloud of dust blanketed the area.  Abra was too overwhelmed, and it wailed, froze, then collapsed.  The fight was over.

            “Aya wins,” Koga said, bringing his hand down from his mouth.  “No badge will be awarded.”

            “What?!” Troy shouted.  He stammered over his words in frustration, and finally recalled his Pokémon and stormed out of the dojo.  He nearly walked over the mailman in the process.

            Retrieving the mail and apologizing to the carrier, Koga took the mail and went back inside.  He thumbed through it idly...bills, junk ads, a few magazines his daughter subscribes to, a bank notice, hmm, what’s this?  Seeing the World Pokémon League header on the last envelope, he set the rest of the mail aside and opened the letter.  He expected it to be some formal summons to the Indigo Plateau headquarters – but why mail him?  Don’t they use email?  Even Koga uses email – but it was something else.  Sure, it was from the same people, but it was an announcement.  About a tournament.  A martial arts tournament called “Lord of the Fight”.  Koga’s eyes lit up and he smiled slightly as he went over the information.  This opportunity can’t be passed up!

            “So what’s in the mail?” Aya asked, approaching him from the side.

            “Come into the kitchen, and get Janine,” Koga said, smiling and holding the information between two fingers.  “We have an important matter to discuss.…”

NAME:  Koga

STYLE:  Dokuwomoru Ninjitsu

DOB:  22 August 1957

HEIGHT:  6’1”

WEIGHT:  170 lbs.

HOBBY:  Meditating

FAVORITE FOOD:  Kim-chi

MOST IMPORTANT:  His sister and daughter

LIKES:  Holistic medicine, poison-type Pokémon

DISLIKES:  Bright colors, bright light