Chapter 5

  For the past half an hour, Timothy and Coovers have been looking up possible ruins in Kanto with Electchu trying to help. Timothy eventually began to look through the phone book to make some calls, but he was disappointed to find that most lines are disconnected and the archeologists he did manage to contact are not very experienced in their field, or have ever heard of Brandon. The more the two men research or call, the more they begin to fear that they are going to travel with no clear direction to find the man in the flying pyramid. 

  "Alright, thank you anyway," Timothy says politely before he hangs up the videophone. "Well, Coovers, that's all the numbers for archeologists in Kanto that we have." 

  "Darn," Coovers says disappointed. "Maybe there are some archeologist buddies who know him but just happen to be going on an expedition with him?"

  "If that's so, then we need to think of a new plan to find him," Timothy says. "Preferably one where we don't have to circle around Kanto heaven knows how many times and hope we eventually get lucky."

  "Well, hey, if we do, then you'll have tons of opportunities to train your Pokemon as much as you like for the Kanto League," Coovers points out trying to be optimistic.

  "Perhaps, but if what you said is true, then that won't matter if Giovanni does find the Gieldanstone," Timothy counters. "For all we know, he might liberate it before there ever is a league in Kanto or anywhere else again."

  Coovers sighs in defeat, falling on the sofa.

  "Well, we have to do something. My superiors are going to expect results from us," he moans. "Speaking of the league, though, have you thought about what Pokemon to bring?"

  "Rai! Rai, rai, rai, rai, rai, Raichu, rai, rai!" Electchu shouts.

  "Uh...did you catch any of that?" Coovers asks, lifting his head to look at Timothy.

  "Yeah, he was expressing how I better take him," Timothy answers with a small smile before turning to his Raichu. "And you, out of all of my Pokemon, should know that I'd never leave Pallet Town without my partner."

  Electchu smirks, pleased with his trainer's response, while Timothy takes out his belt that is carrying six Pokeballs.

  "I guess that just leaves me to think about who else to take," he says as he looks at his Pokeballs while scratching his chin in thought. "Let's see. I always keep a water and a psychic Pokemon on my team, so Poliwrath and Shockwave are automatically in. Odyssey should go with us, too, so that it can stay together with Shockwave. Though my large Arcanine, Fenrir, would -"

  Suddenly, Timothy's eyes widen. He stares at his belt, where one of his Pokeballs appears to be open. He stares at it for a moment before he grunts, irritated.

  "Not again," he grumbles.

  "What?" Coovers asks curiously.

  Suddenly, before Timothy can answer, they hear a scream coming from outside.

  "Oh, come on," Timothy says, annoyed. 

  He gets up from his seat and storms out of the house with Electchu and Coovers following him. The three of them look around from the front porch until Timothy spots a 14-year-old girl with short, honey-blonde hair wearing a pink dress with a blue ribbon wrapped around the collar, a red coat, long black socks, brown boots, and pink fedora looking terrified. Standing in front of her is her shadow, who appears to be standing up with red, glowing eyes and a giant grin. Coovers looks shocked at the display, whereas Timothy and Electchu give unamused looks.

  "Gengar, knock it off!" Timothy shouts. 

  The girl's shadow suddenly frowns and floats away from her before dissolving into a Gengar. The girl sighs in relief while Timothy walks over to her.

  "My deepest apologies, young lady," he says. "I'm afraid my Gengar has a horrible habit of escaping from its Pokeball to scare people."

  He turns to the frowning Gengar and glares.

  "How many times have I told you to stop doing that?" He rebukes like a parent disciplining their child. "Apologize to this girl."

  "Gengar," Gengar says ashamed. 

  "That's okay," the girl says with a forgiving smile. "Believe it or not, this Gengar is not the first one to pull a prank on me."

  "Unfortunately, I believe you," Timothy says bluntly before taking out Gengar's Pokeball and returning it. "At least my Gengar didn't wander too far from the house."

  The girl looks at Timothy and then his house curiously and asks, "Excuse me, but does Judy Durbin no longer live here?"

  Timothy frowns and says, "I'm afraid she passed away some time ago. I'm her oldest grandchild, Timothy Durbin."

  The girl frowns sadly at this news.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," she says. "I was hoping I could say hi to her while I'm in town."

  "You knew Timothy's grandma?" Coovers asks.

  "Yes, I used to live right next door to her a long time ago before my mother and I moved to Kalos," the girl replies while giving Timothy and Coovers a friendly smile. "My name is Serena."

  Timothy smiles and says, "Pleased to meet you. This man from Unova is Coovers, and this is my partner, Electchu."

  "Nice to meet you," Coovers says politely.

  "Raichu," Electchu says. 

  "Nice to meet you too," Serena says before turning to Timothy. "You said your name is Timothy? Your grandmother used to tell me a lot about you and your journeys as a trainer."

  "Yeah, that sounds about right," Timothy says with a smirk. "Grandma Judy wasn't a subtle woman when it came to displaying that I was her favorite grandchild."

  Serena covers her mouth and giggles.

  "No, she wasn't," she agrees. "So, what are you doing back in Pallet Town?"

  "I could ask you the same thing," Timothy says with a smirk. "What brings you all the way here from Kalos after so many years?"

  "Well, I came to Kanto with my friend, Ash, to compete in Pokemon contests," she answers. "His mom lives here in Pallet Town, so he invited me to stay for a while before I go on my journey."

  "I see," Timothy says. "Well, I'm home after competing in the Johto League and defeating the Johto champion."

  "Really? Congratulations!" Serena says happily. "You must be thrilled to make that accomplishment."

  "He sure is," Coovers says butting in. "In fact, he's thinking of competing in this year's upcoming Indigo league to try to be a bi-regional champion."

  "Coovers, don't blurt that out," Timothy rebukes, annoyed. 

  "Sorry, but I'm just so excited about the idea," Coovers says. 

  "A bi-regional champion? That sounds like quite a goal," Serena comments. 

  "Well, it has been my dream to defeat every single regional champion since before I became a trainer," Timothy replies. 

  Serena stares at Timothy for a moment, and a fond smile appears on her face that confuses him, Electchu, and Coovers. Serena quickly realizes what she's doing and shakes her head.

  "I'm sorry," she apologizes. "It's just that you remind me of Ash when you talk like that. He wants to become a Pokemon Master."

  "Heh. Now that's one way to dream big," Timothy titters. "Has he competed in any leagues?"

  "Yes. All of them, in fact," Serena answers with a bright smile. "In fact, he just recently made it to the finals at the Kalos League and almost won."

  "Not bad," Timothy says. "I know from experience how frustrating it is to almost win a -"

  "Wait a minute," Coovers interrupts. "Did you say your friend almost won the Kalos League?"

  "Yes, that's right," Serena answers.

  "Would he be the same Ash who helped defeat Team Flare just a couple weeks ago?" Coovers asks. 

  "Wait, he what?" Timothy asks, taken aback.

  "Well, yes, but how did you know about that?" Serena asks, confused.

  Before Coovers can answer, they all hear a raspy voice shout, "Hey, Serena!" They all turn around to see a raven-haired boy around Serena's age, a Pikachu and a fat man with brown hair and sunglasses walking toward them.

  "Ash?" Serena asks, surprised. 

  "I'm surprised to find you here," the boy named Ash says with a toothy grin before turning to Timothy. "And judging by my mom's description, you're Timothy, right?"

  "Yes, that is me," Timothy answers before turning to his friends. "This is Coovers and my Raichu, Electchu."

  "You nicknamed your Raichu? That's cool," Ash says as he watches his Pikachu and Electchu speak to each other friendly.

  "Indeed," Timothy says. "Now what could I do for you, Ash?" 

  "Actually, Ash was helping me find you," the fat man says, stepping in. "A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen. My name is Scott, and I represent the Battle Frontier."

  "Alright, Mr. Scott, so how can I help you?" Timothy asks while he and Coovers each shake Scott's hand.

  "Just Scott will be fine," Scott replies. "And I'm here to make a proposition for the trainer who not only won the Johto League but also defeated the Johto Elite Four and champion."

  Coovers looks immediately interested while Timothy raises his eyebrow.

  "And what would that be?" He asks.

  "Well, as the representative of the Battle Frontier, I look for trainers who would be interested in battling the seven Frontier Brains of the Battle Frontier," Scott says. "The Frontier Brains are very powerful and skilled trainers who all live in various parts of the Kanto region. If you beat all seven of them, you could become a part of the team as the newest Frontier Brain."

  Timothy blinks at Scott blankly for a moment. 

  "So, you're offering that I battle seven particular trainers just to join this group?" He asks. "I'm sorry, but that doesn't sound like something that interests me."

  Scott frowns and steps in front of Timothy before he can turn around.

  "Hold it now. Not so fast," he says. "This is no ordinary group, young man. This is some of the most specially trained battlers you will ever meet."

  "I don't know. I've traveled through many of the known regions and have met quite a few people that meet expectations," Timothy says. 

  "But these are some of the strongest in Kanto specifically," Scott says. "Many consider them to be even more challenging than the Pokemon gyms or even some of the Kanto Elite Four in their own way."

  Timothy raises his eyebrow and turns to Coovers, who looks equally interested.

  "Is that a fact?" He asks.

  "Yes, and it's also a great way to learn new things and become a stronger trainer," Scott says. "In fact, Ash here defeated all seven brains and became a much stronger trainer because of it. Right, Ash?"

  "You bet," Ash says with a confident look that makes Serena smile. "All seven brains were pretty tough, but I learned a lot while facing them. Especially the final Frontier Brain, Brandon."

  Both Coovers and Timothy's eyes widen at the sound of that name.

  "Did you say Brandon?" Coovers asks. "As in Brandon, the archeologist?"

  "Yep," Ash confirms. "He's always in his flying pyramid and only stops when he's at an ancient ruin. So, you better hope you're close to where he is after you defeat the other six brains."

  Scott nervously chuckles and says, "That's a little too much information, Ash, but you're right. Brandon never stops for anyone, even me, until his work is over. Only once you've defeated the other brains are you allowed to discover the location of the Battle Pyramid."

  Timothy scratches his chin in thought with this information while Coovers turns to Ash.

  "Now that I think about it, aren't you the friend that Serena said almost won the Kalos League?" He asks.

  "Uh, yes," Ash answers taken aback. 

  "And have you made any other accomplishments apart from that and defeating this Battle Frontier?" Coovers questions

  "Uh, well I did defeat the Orange Islands champion a couple years ago," Ash admits. "Why do you ask?"

  But instead of answering, Coovers scratches his chin in thought for a moment before he snaps his fingers and grabs Timothy by the shoulders. 

  "Scott, Ash, Serena, I'm so sorry, but could you give the two of us just one moment?"

  Coovers pulls Timothy away before Ash, Serena, or Scott can answer. Electchu and Pikachu turn away from their conversation to look in confusion before the former follows the two men. Even Timothy is confused with his friend's sudden action as Coovers drags him to a spot several feet away from the group. The black-haired man then turns Timothy around so that their backs are turned and leans close to his ear.

  "Okay, it's official; you're doing this Battle Frontier thing," he declares quietly.

  "Uh, since when do you get to choose what I'm going to do?" Timothy asks with a frown.

  "Well, you heard that guy. Brandon doesn't stop for anyone, so you gotta do this so that we can get to him," Coovers whispers.

  "But how do you know we can't convince Scott and Brandon to make an exception?" Timothy whispers back. "I mean, Brandon might be on his way to find the Gieldanstone, and if he is, we should get to him now; the sooner, the better."

  "I know, but if even Scott can't reach him, then we have no choice," Coovers points out. "Besides, I already told you that this is an undercover mission. We can't just blab about wanting to see Brandon to every person we think we can trust, remember? Team Rocket might have eyes and ears everywhere, and for all we know, they might need a guy like Brandon to speed up the process. If they find out about him, they might go looking for him and find him before we do. If this is the only way we can secretly get to him, then that's what we'll do. Besides, if the Battle Frontier is that rarely known, then doing it with so little attention might work to our advantage. We can get to Brandon and keep the Gieldanstone far away from Team Rocket's clutches before they have any idea."

  Timothy reluctantly agrees in his mind.

  "Fine, but what got you so interested in Ash's involvement with the Battle Frontier and the Kalos League?" he asks.

  "Well, from the sound of things, doing the Battle Frontier seems to have helped him in the long run," Coovers answers. "If he has become that strong of a trainer at such a young age, then maybe what he learned from that experience is what you need to secure finally winning the rest of the Pokemon leagues."

  "Is that all?" Timothy asks unimpressed. "Do you really think this frontier thing is just what I need to win the Indigo league? You should have a better reason to be interested in some boy than that, Coovers."

  "Erm...well I do," Coovers admits. "Do you remember me telling you how Team Galactic, Team Aqua, Magma, and so on were partly defeated by a band of trainers? Well, there was one particular trainer who is constantly mentioned in all of them: a raven-haired boy with z-shaped marks on his cheeks and a Pikachu by his side."

  Timothy's eyes widen slightly in interest. 

  "Are you telling me that Serena's friend might have played a part in defeating every single crime organization apart from Team Rocket?" he asks.

  "Not 'might have,' did," Coovers whispers seriously. "Team Flare's defeat was reported to have been done partly by a boy identified as Ash Ketchum. So that tells me that this boy has the potential to be someone who could be a handy ally against Team Rocket if we need help. In fact, it was with Ash's help, in particular, that Looker was able to take down Team Galactic and Team Phasma."

  Timothy secretly glances behind his shoulder to stare at Ash, who is still looking at the two men curiously with Scott and Serena. He frowns disapprovingly before turning back to his Unovian friend.

  "Really? That boy half my age? Do you really think he should be considered as a possible ally against the most dangerous criminal organization in the world?!" Timothy hisses. "That has to be one of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever heard you come up with!"  

  "But his age shouldn't matter, Timothy," Coovers whispers back. "Just because it took you so long to win a Pokemon league doesn't mean that has to be the case for everyone. Clearly, this boy has a special passion for Pokemon and Pokemon battles that have led to him doing many incredible things. That sounds like someone we may need desperately to save the world if Team Rocket tries to strike."

  Timothy frowns at his friend. His mind is struggling to fight the logic behind everything Coovers just said. Deep down, he's against the idea partly because he feels a sense of jealousy for the boy named Ash. Hearing that he's done all these things while Timothy has been catching Pokemon and training them to try to win any Pokemon league is unsettling to him. To Timothy, it's as if Ash may indeed have figured out something that he hasn't in almost two decades of being a Pokemon trainer. He sighs before he gives in and turns to Coovers. 

  "Alright, Coovers. We'll play it your way," he says. "You and I will do this Battle Frontier and will consider this boy as an ally. But if we're going to do the latter, we need to make sure he stays here in Kanto."

  Coovers tilts his head in confusion. Before he can ask what his friend means, Timothy breaks the huddle and walks over to Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and Scott with a polite smile on his face.

  "My apologies for my abrupt behavior, Scott," he says half-sincerely. "After discussing things with Coovers, I have decided that taking on the Battle Frontier sounds like a great opportunity for me." 

  Scott's mouth hangs open in surprise for a moment before his smirk returns.

  "Well, that's great, Timothy. I'm glad you agree," he says.

  "Me too. I'm sure you're going to have an awesome time," Ash says confidently.

  "Pikachu," Pikachu says.

  "Yeah, it sounds like fun," Serena says with a friendly smile.

  Coovers and Electchu stare at their friend for a moment before he clears his throat and decides to play along. 

  "Yeah, what can I say? I know how to help my buddy head in the right direction," he says proudly as he walks back to the group. 

  "You gentleman won't be disappointed," Scott promises before he takes out a small device. "Here, take this Pokenav. Your first destination will be the Battle Factory which is already downloaded in it."

  "Well, that's excellent, Scott, but I have a condition," Timothy announces.

  "Oh?" Scott asks.

  "Yes, and it's one that concerns your poster boy, Ash," Timothy says.

  "What? Me?" Ash asks, taken aback.

  Scott and Serena turn to Ash, who watches Timothy walk over to him with a determined look on his face. Timothy stares at the raven-haired boy for a moment before he clears his throat. 

  "So, on top of winning this Battle Frontier, you also defeated the Orange League champion and made it to the finals with the Kalos League, am I correct?" he questions.

  "Yep, I sure did," Ash says with a proud smirk. 

  Timothy nods and says, "Tell me, what caused you to lose at the Kalos League finals?"

  Ash stares at the man for a moment before he scratches the back of his head and admits, "Well, I guess you could say I just gave it everything I had with my Pokemon and in the end, it wasn't enough to defeat Alain's last Pokemon."

  "Is that so?" Timothy says. "Well, then, I will get right to the point. I find it hard to believe that you have accomplished so much in only a few years of Pokemon training under your belt compared to me, who only recently won a tournament after years of catching and training lots of Pokemon. I've built friendships with each Pokemon I've captured and gave so much time in my life to make them stronger. And yet despite all of my hard work, I never made it farther than the semifinals until three years ago and only this past month did I finally win the Johto League and then challenged and defeated the Johto Elite Four and the Johto champion, Lance."

  "Wow, you really did that? That's great!" Ash says excitedly.

  "Erm...thanks," Timothy says, taken aback by Ash's enthusiasm. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is it's unsettling to me that you have done more than I have in such a short amount of time, and I want you to show me that you are as strong of a trainer as you appear to be."

  Ash smirks and says, "I see. You want to have a battle against me, is that it? Well, I don't have a full party with me right now, but I can come over to Professor Oak and -"

  "Ah, ah, ah, ah, not so fast," Timothy says, smirking back. "I do want you to face you in a battle, but I want to do it in the Indigo League."

  Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and Scott are all surprised as they begin to understand what Timothy is saying. 

  "Are you saying you want me to compete in the Indigo League?" Ash asks.

  "That's exactly what I'm saying," Timothy answers firmly. "I'm planning to compete in the tournament myself so that I can win and face Kanto's Elite Four and champion and thus become a bi-regional champion. The farthest I've ever gotten in that particular tournament was the semifinals six years ago. I'm trusting you and Scott that facing Kanto's Battle Frontier will help make me much stronger as a trainer like it did for you. After that, I intend to use whatever I learn to compete in the league and finally win. I dare you to use all of your knowledge, strength, experience, and deep bonds with your Pokemon to stop me."

  For a couple of moments, everyone is silent until Serena speaks.

  "So, what you're saying is you will partake in the Battle Frontier under the condition that Ash competes in the Indigo League?" she asks.

  "That's exactly what I'm saying," Timothy says. "I will face all seven Frontier brains as Scott has requested. And in exchange, I want you, Ash, to train yourself to be as top form as you can be within the next five months and face me in the Indigo League with everything you got. Do we have a deal?"

  Ash stares at Timothy blankly. He has never re-entered a Pokemon league before, and it seems strange that this man is demanding that he does so. He lowers his head to face the ground, and he thinks deeply in thought before he looks up to face Timothy again and smirks.

  "Alright, it's a deal," Ash says while taking out his hand for Timothy to shake it. "Fair warning, though, I'm the one who's going to win, no matter what."

  "Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you," Timothy says with his own smirk as he shakes Ash's hand. "Either way, it looks like we are rivals now."

  "Sounds good," Ash says enthusiastically. "I look forward to battling with you."

  "Oh, I'm sure you are, Ash," Timothy says. "I really am."