Uncontained

The next day, after enduring the giggling of my Pokemon, we got breakfast ad set out. Luckily Viridian was a short enough distance away so Uriah wasn't too upset about it. With a quick flight to Viridian City, Spirit told me where the last outpost was.

It was under Viridian Gym.

The gossip was all abuzz about how the gym leader returned too. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone today. As we approached the massive, blue green building with a sweeping roof, I shivered. I didn't know if it was from excitement or fear. Possibly it was a little of both.

I was going to find my mom.

I pushed open the copper doors. Before sneaking under the building, Spirit thought it would be common sense to alert the gym leader I was doing so. I didn't mind. Maybe we could convince them to join us. "Hey!" I called. "Is there anybody here?"

"Beau, don't!"

I snapped my head around just as Malachi slammed into me. Spirit shrieked and he grabbed onto both of us. The ferocity of his grip nearly rubbed my skin raw, and he wrenched us toward the closing doors. "Hurry! Before it shuts!"

But the large doors thumped close. My Pokemon stared, bewildered on the blue tile floor. Malachi's breath sawed in and out of him and his hands shook around my wrist. He dropped them like his strength died away. Czeslaw's low growl brought my attention back. I turned around to see the lights snap on.

There was nothing there but a plain arena in front of me. The silence was charged. "Beau," Malachi panted, "don't you know who the gym leader is?"

I looked at Spirit. Her mouth was closed, her jaw working, like she was putting together an equation. Her face was ghostly white. "This can't... be..." she whispered.

"The gym leader is Giovanni," Malachi said.

I ran past my Pokemon to the door and pulled hard. The doors wouldn't budge and inch. Move, Czeslaw hissed. He muscled past me, wrapped his claws around the handle, and yanked, but he only succeeded in ripping the handle off. Czeslaw roared and crushed the metal in his hand. Then I heard laughter across the room.

I whirled around. My father stood across the arena tossing a pokeball from hand to hand. The blood drained from my face.

"I expected to see you sooner or later," he said. "The rules of this gym are simple. You win, you get a badge and a pass out of here. You lose, you die."

Then I saw the Rockets in the shadows in the corners of the gyms. They stood behind square barriers, guns pointed above and around them. I saw the ice blue flash of Soul's eyes to the right. His jaw was set and a bead of nervous sweat trickled down his temple.

"I see my little Banshee has returned as well," Giovanni cooed. I circled my arms around hers as if somehow that would protect her. A couple of well-aimed bullets would take me down, and later her, so the action was meaningless. "I know I didn't tell any Rocket I was a gym leader, so I'm surprised. Did you bring him here?"

"Not for the reason you'd expect," she spat. "I refuse to be a part of Team Rocket anymore! Beau will crush you, and you will disband the Rockets and give back his mother!"

"Ooh, I like that wager," Giovanni purred. "I accept. It's a good thing I won't lose."

I glanced wildly around at my Pokemon and Malachi. "I'm sorry, Malachi," I started.

"There's no time for apologies," Malachi snapped. "Fight your father."

Then, Giovanni's persian came screeching out of his pokaball.

Summer charged forward. The persian split itself into blurry copies, double team, and Summer launched a flurry of razor sharp leaves at them. The storm of green blasted through all of them and sliced at the real persian's white fur. I thought that would've been enough, but I was wrong. Giovanni didn't call it back. In a flash, the persian struck, and blood sprayed from Summer's face. She bellowed in pain. "Summer!" I screamed.

But with a crack of her vine, Summer struck the persian down.

My father's face went purple with rage. I realized Summer couldn't see. She was blinded with blood. "Summer, come here!" I shouted. "Come back! I'm here!"

My father sent out his second Pokemon just as Summer flung out her vine. I grasped it and pulled her closer. The queen, the nidoqueen, burst out and didn't wait for Summer to leave and charged at the venusaur. Czeslaw roared and started forward, but Rose beat him to it.

Rose blasted the nidoqueen back with water and the foe floundered onto the ground. Czeslaw turned his attention to Summer and enveloped her in his arms. He wiped the blood, which came out in thin streaks on her forehead, away from her face. Summer, are you okay? he asked.

I'm fine now. She wrapped him in her vines as a hug.

I didn't have time to admire the affection between them. The nidoqueen was mad. She scrambled to her feet and electricity rattled off her skin, and right then, the crackling noise escalated to a roar.

"Move!" I screamed.

Boom! Rose flung herself away and lightning crashed right beside me. I was blinded and the concrete floor slammed up against me. I couldn't hear. It was just like when the bomb went off in Silph. When the light faded I saw Spirit with Florence crying in her arms and a smoldering trench had split the ground meters beside us. I felt Malachi haul me to my feet. My hearing popped back into place, but everything still sounded muted.

Then I found the nidoqueen was unconscious, covered in water.

"Rose, come back!" I called. My voice didn't even sound like my own. I shook violently and helped pick up Spirit and Florence from the ground. My father shouted, veins popping out of his neck, and I was glad I couldn't hear what he was saying. Then a growl reverberated deep within me, and I knew Czeslaw was near me, filled with rage. I know what he will send next, he growled. It is a king.

And with a flash of light, my father sent out such a Pokemon.

"Go," I said.

Czeslaw stepped into the arena and the two stared each other down. Giovanni's nidoking was a lot bigger than Czeslaw. His was half a foot taller and a lot wider, and the nidoking's chest and horns were battle-scarred. The tension in the air crackled like the starting of a wildfire. Neither of them were bowing and I wondered why. Finally, I realized it was a respect gesture. The nidoking that dipped into a bow first was honoring the others' power. After a few more loaded seconds, Czeslaw lowered himself into the bow.

I honor your strength, he growled, but not your morals.

Then die! the beast roared.

The foe nidoking lunged forward. Czeslaw fired a frigid beam at her, but the beast slammed straight through it and threw a massive fist forward. Czeslaw dodged it. The other nidoking's fist hit the earth and ruptured the floor. Czeslaw took the chance and slammed his thick tail into the creature's side. The beast staggered, but didn't fall, and smashed a hand into Czeslaw's jaw.

Czeslaw flew back and blood from his mouth splattered onto the ground. Summer screamed. The foe nidoking advanced and bashed his tail into the fallen Czeslaw's chest. "Czes, get out of there!" I shouted, but it was no use. The enemy was already on him. And the nidoking hit him. The foe stood over him with his hand over Czeslaw's throat and struck him in the face until there was blood everywhere.

My Pokemon were in an uproar and started forward, but the Rockets fired at them. I flung out Czeslaw's pokeball to return him, but the contraption exploded out of my hand along with my pinky finger. They'd shot it away. I couldn't feel any pain. I might've been screaming, but I couldn't tell. Czeslaw was going to die. Right then, the foe nidoking had lifted Czeslaw off the ground by his neck.

Blood ran down his throat and over the enemy nidoking's meaty hands, but Czeslaw's red eyes trained onto his opponent's. I will not... allow you to win... he gurgled. For Beau's.... mother....

The other nidoking grinned wickedly. You were too weak. Even with the power of a king, you were too weak. It's time to end it now.

The only thing that will end is this battle! Czeslaw roared.

And a vicious multicolored beam exploded from his horn and ended it.

---

When I could see again, I was on my knees, Czeslaw on his feet, and the enemy nidoking was on the floor with a smoldering wound on his face.

"No!" Giovanni screamed. "No! This can't be happening!"

The Rockets stared. Spirit and Malachi took each side of me and pulled me to my feet. Czeslaw staggered to me. That, he growled, is the power of a king. Then he collapsed in front of me.

"That's it!" I said. My voice quavered. "You lost, Dad. I get a badge and you disband Team Rocket."

Almost in unison, the Rockets lowered their guns. Soul stared into my eyes, and for the first time ever, I saw him smile. Giovanni trembled in rage. "I cannot... be... defeated," he gasped.

"You lost." I stood up straighter. "Now all these Rockets aren't yours. They won't ever be a part of your evil again."

And with that, all the Rockets ran.