Beyond that, what preyed on Vance's mind was where that mysterious strand of power inside the Vigoroth had come from.
Even as he was now, he could make nothing of that power and could not work out where it had come from. All his examination told him was that it did the Vigoroth good. Perhaps the Vigoroth's strange Psychic type, and the change in its Ability, had that very source behind them.
"We'll wait and see. One step at a time." Vance rubbed his face, and finding nothing wrong with the Vigoroth, went through to the training room where the Gyarados was.
The Gyarados was still training, his face set in earnest.
"Boss, how is the Vigoroth?"
Seeing Vance come in, the Gyarados broke off his training and asked.
"He's fine. He's back in training already."
"Good, so long as he's all right."
The Gyarados was reassured.
"In fact some good came out of the harm. He's gone up a level — he's at 32 now."
Vance went on.
"Oh. Then, boss, let's drop that fight between me and him. I don't want to fight any more."
The Gyarados said it without enthusiasm. He had been keen enough before, but after seeing the state the Vigoroth had suffered that day the interest had gone out of him.
"What's this? Given up on being the big brother of the team, have you?"
Vance gave him an amused look and teased him with it.
"Given it up, given it up. It wasn't for his sake that I trained so hard anyway. He should be so lucky."
the Gyarados answered.
"Hah." Vance laughed. And who was it, not so long ago, who had trained so hard in order to beat the other one?
Still, Vance was pleased that the Gyarados could take that view of it.
"It's all right. The two of you can have your spar even so, though this one-month pact is a few days past its date."
"No."
"Come now, come along. The Vigoroth is just about right for it and could do with the exercise. You're not afraid, are you?"
"Afraid? How could I be afraid?"
In the end, with Vance driving it along, the Gyarados and the Vigoroth had their spar in the training room, and it finished in a draw between them, putting a full stop to the one-month pact.
And by the other's yielding, the Gyarados came away with the title of big brother, which left him chuckling the whole day through, with a good deal of the ferocity gone out of his face.
..................
Outside Celadon City, several bands of men moved about the area, advancing and falling back in good order. One look told you these were no ordinary people, but men who had been well trained.
"It's confirmed. This is the place."
A low voice came from among them.
"Good enough." The man at their head answered, and then called into the communicator at his shoulder.
"All units stand ready. Prepare to move! Attack in ten seconds!"
"Ten... nine... eight......... one. Go."
"Rumble—"
All at once the ground shook and the hills swayed, and inside the compound something like a blazing sun rose up and burst open.
Under that wave of attack the sand and soil and grass and trees around it were gone in an instant, and part of the Team Rocket base beneath went with them.
"Team Rocket is straight ahead. Get in there!"
"Charge!"
A roar of battle cries went up, and squad after squad of men and Pokémon rushed forward together.
"It's the League's hounds! Brothers, follow me!!"
"Wooo—"
In a moment the base's alarm went off, a piercing noise that everyone inside could hear, and they sent out their Pokémon and poured out together to meet the attackers.
The two sides, each under its own commanders, met and closed, and an explosive melee broke out all at once.
"Boom, boom, boom—"
The din did not stop, and the light of moves flashed without a break.
On the ground and in the sky all around there were figures locked in slaughter. Every moment Pokémon and people went down, and blood covered the ground, and still the men behind rushed forward, afraid of nothing.
"Hmph. This Team Rocket lot have nerve. They still won't withdraw — they're fighting back. It seems we haven't hit them often enough."
On the League's side several men with the look of senior officials stood together, and one of them said it.
"Hmph. That they dare linger here at all shows they think nothing of me."
Xander, one of their number, gave a snort as he said it.
"Chief Xander is quite right. Our coming here today announces the end of Team Rocket in this place. Hahaha."
"Hahaha."
The men laughed together.
"Gentlemen, shouldn't we step in sooner, so that our own ranks take fewer casualties?" The one who spoke was a beautiful, gentle-mannered woman with short hair, one of their number.
She was none other than Erika, the Gym Leader of Celadon City's Grass-type Gym.
"There's no need to be impatient, Gym Leader Erika. By holding back now we're waiting for them to come to us, and it serves a great purpose."
It was another man who said it, pale-skinned, with soft, womanish features.
"But..."
Erika drew her fine brows together and looked at the men in the slaughter with something close to pity.
"Chief Xander, if I act now, will it interfere with your plan?" Erika looked at Xander and asked.
"No, it won't."
"Good."
Told that it would not, Erika acted at once. A Venusaur appeared and joined the battlefield, and several other powerful presences appeared and went in with it.
"Why is the woman so soft-hearted? Has she gone simple sitting in that Gym of hers? Doesn't she know that in a battle a certain amount of sacrifice is unavoidable? Besides, how can people of our standing go in whenever we please? It lowers us." The soft-featured man from before said it with a sneer.
"Does she have kin down in those ranks? Why the hurry?"
"Ahem. That's enough. Get ready to move." Xander cut in.
With Erika, a Gym Leader of long standing and real strength, in the fight, Team Rocket's side began to give way.
"Hmph. Swellow, Quick Attack."
Now that Erika had entered the battlefield, Team Rocket sent a master of their own to meet her. In the sky a Gym-class Swellow came diving down, with the Venusaur as its target.
"Venusaur, Vine Guard."
Erika had not become a Gym Leader by being a fool, and reacted at once.
"Venusaaur—"
Thick vines grew up around the Venusaur and wound together into a shield that stood in front of it.
"Thud—"
With a dull sound the Swellow was blocked.
"Grab it!"
Erika gave another command.
The Venusaur understood at once. Green light moved along the vines, and the shield that had blocked the Swellow put out fresh vines that reached for it.
There was a faint blue-black cast in among those vines. They carried poison.
"Air Cutter — cut them away!"
"Swelloow—"
The Swellow beat its wings, slicing through the air, and used Air Cutter to cut away the vines around it.
"There's our chance. Venusaur, Razor Leaf!"
Erika seized the moment at once and had the Venusaur use Razor Leaf.
Leaf after leaf shot up into the sky and struck the Swellow, which had finished its move and not yet got clear, doing no small amount of damage.
"A Gym Leader indeed. She has the skill, right enough."
Just then a figure in Team Rocket uniform, with an R on the front of it and several Pokémon following at his side, came forward to deal with Erika.
"Boom, boom, boom—"
Two Gym-class Trainers had engaged, and the commotion was considerable. People on both sides deliberately drew away to avoid being caught in it.
Little by little several more powerful Trainers joined in on each side.
"Bram! I knew you would be here."
"Rooaar—"
In the sky a still more tremendous presence appeared. Elite-Four-class fighters had engaged.
"You, and this fellow I've beaten before? Come on, then."
Bram, on Team Rocket's side, was not afraid, and joined battle with the two Elite-Four-class fighters Xander and Kessler.
The two sides were locked together, and every minute brought casualties. Nor was this the only place: several cities round about moved at the same time, and the fighting there was fierce.