A/N: This is the second revision of an old one-shot from 2012. It was originally my entry for the Tall Tales Contest on SPPf, which was held that year. The prompt of that contest was to write an exaggerated story, a.k.a. a Tall Tale. I conducted this second revision as part of my first Rewrite Month (February 2016).

Since the Tall Tales contest was an odd contest that, unlike most other contests, didn't post the full fics along with the results, the original version of "Rules of the Game" that I submitted to the contest has, unfortunately, been lost to time. There are several versions of the one-shot in my old computer, but I forgot which version I submitted to the contest. However, soon after the Tall Tales contest ended, I posted a lightly revised version of the one-shot, which can be found on SPPf.

When I wrote this fic, Cheren, one of the main characters of this one-shot, hadn't appeared in the anime yet, so this fic wasn't AU. But now it is, considering that Cheren has appeared in the anime and Ash has gone to another region that isn't the one in this fic. Basically, everything that happens in this fic is AU.

In this revised version, I've fixed up logical holes and drastically changed the ending, which was the original one-shot's weakest part (mostly because it shamelessly and awkwardly advertised The Power N.U., a fic I was writing at that time). This fic still ties into that story (which I will drastically revamp eventually as Strong Pokemon, Weak Pokemon), but can be read as a stand-alone one-shot.

Okay, that was a lot of rambling. Presenting, my second revision of "Rules of the Game".

(P.S. I just realized that I lied when I said that "The T.R.A.S.H." was my first attempt at comedy - this fic was, but I forgot about it because it was from so long ago. Oops.)

A large, white cruise ship sailed smoothly across the calm blue ocean, a fairly large flock of Wingull circling ahead. In the distance stood a large green continent, which contained a bustling city at its sea level. Although it was January, the weather was fair, the sun bright and the sky blue with a few wispy clouds here and there.

As the ship drew closer to the land, two teenage boys approached the front of its deck. One of them, who was about thirteen years old, wore a blue-and-white T-shirt, light blue jeans, and a red-and-white cap – the same outfit he had worn when he received his partner Pikachu, who was perched happily on his shoulder. The second boy appeared to be older, around seventeen years old. His outfit looked quite formal compared to the other boy's: if it weren't for his slightly crooked light orange tie, he would have looked flawlessly professional thanks to his completely unwrinkled white collared shirt and formal blue pants.

"Pika Pika! Pikachu!" the little yellow Electric-type Pokemon exclaimed from his trainer's shoulder, excitedly pointing at the lush green land ahead, which was growing bigger by the second.

"That's right, Pikachu," Ash Ketchum, the ten-year-old boy, said happily as he petted his longtime friend on the head. "We're finally here! The Gomnos Region!"

"I'm definitely looking forward to training some new Pokemon and experimenting with their moves," Cheren Li, the older boy, murmured. He put his hand on his chin, like he always did whenever he felt like thinking out loud. "I don't know what kinds of Pokemon live here, but I hope I can catch some strong ones for my team. Maybe some physical and special sweepers, or a bulky tank, or something to set up Spikes or Stealth Rock…"

"Cheren, I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I'm glad you're looking forward to traveling in Gomnos," Ash said, laughing. "All I want to do is catch some Pokemon, get some badges, and just have a good time. Who knows, if I'm lucky I might even win the Pokemon League."

"Very true," Cheren said, nodding. "Personally I just want to explore this new region and learn interesting battle strategies. I'm going to learn as much about Pokemon and training them in the Gomnos Region as I possibly can, and then I think I'll go back to Unova to challenge the Pokemon League."

"That sounds like a good plan," Ash said, smiling. He petted Pikachu on the head. "Pikachu, let's make the most of our Gomnos Region travels, okay? We'll catch new Pokemon, meet new people, and learn a lot of things. This is going to be so fun!"

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed happily, jumping up and down.

About thirty minutes later, Ash and Cheren stood inside the giant Pokemon Center of the port city. The ship had just docked, and just a few minutes earlier, Ash and Cheren had set their feet in Gomnos. Now, the two companions stood in a hallway swarming with people, each with his or her own reason for coming to this new region.

"Now what?" Ash asked, as Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

"According to that sign up there, Trainers go down that hallway," Cheren murmured, pointing down the hallway on his left. At the end of the hallway was a pair of double doors with windows in them. The two windows looked completely dark.

"Uh, are you sure?" Ash asked. "Doesn't look like anyone's there."

"Hm," Cheren murmured. "That's strange. Why don't we go check it out anyways? The sign does say we should go there, and if there's really nothing we can always come back."

Ash nodded as he and Cheren walked down the hallway and pushed open the doors. As soon as they entered the room, the lights suddenly turned on. Ash blinked in the sudden brightness, rubbing his eyes.

"Are you a wizard, Cheren?" he asked, laughing as he surveyed the room.

They were inside what appeared to be a large Pokemon stadium. The cold, gray bleachers were empty, but in front of the two trainers stretched a long, sandy battlefield. A large, computer-like machine stood in the corner, while a small Koffing floated at the sidelines. At the other end of the battlefield stood a man and a woman. The man wore a light gray tuxedo and had spiky black hair, while the woman wore an elegant light pink dress and had wavy dark pink hair.

"Hello there!" the woman exclaimed cheerfully. "Are you two Trainers?"

"That's right," Ash answered. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto."

"I can't hear you!" the man shouted. "Can you two come over here for the New Trainer Introduction?"

"Sure!" Ash shouted back. To Cheren he said, "Come on; let's go." He began hurrying up to the man and woman.

Cheren nodded slowly and followed his traveling companion, though internally he wondered what this 'New Trainer Introduction' was about. He wasn't even a new trainer, because he had had many Pokemon battles back in Unova. Why would he need an introduction in this new region?

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto," Ash repeated to the man and woman as soon as he reached them.

Cheren nodded. "And I'm Cheren Li from Nuvema Town in Unova," Cheren stated, introducing himself.

"Pleased to meet both of you," the man said happily. "I'm Skarm, and my partner here is Bliss. Welcome to Socah City, the port city of the Gomnos Region."

"Awesome," Ash declared. "Alright, where do I get my first badge?"

"Patience, young trainer," Bliss said in a calm, melodious voice. "The Gomnos Region is very, very different from the rest of the Pokemon World. Skarm and I are here to teach you all you need to know before beginning your journey."

"Oh… okay," Ash murmured, slightly disappointed that he couldn't immediately begin his travels. "So, what do we need to learn?"

"First off, I need you two to answer this simple question," Skarm answered. "Are you a Pokemon Trainer or a Pokemon Coordinator?"

"I'm a Trainer," Cheren answered.

"So am I," Ash declared.

"Ash, are you sure about that?" Bliss asked gently.

"Wait, what?" Ash exclaimed, confused. "Of course I'm a trainer. My buddy Pikachu and I have been through many regions and leagues, plus I've earned plenty of Frontier Symbols as well."

Bliss sighed. "I'm not sure how to say this without hurting your feelings," she said softly. She examined Pikachu and shook her head. "Listen, Ash," she said, gently but firmly, "as I said before, the Gomnos Region is very different from the rest of the Pokemon World. In short, Trainers here are very… competitive. They spend a lot of time choosing the right Pokemon for their team. A lot of factors are considered, including power, defense, speed, abilities, and how well they synchronize with the rest of the Pokemon in the team. And, to be honest, Ash… you should probably evolve your Pikachu."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed indignantly.

"Well, Pikachu doesn't want to evolve into Raichu," Ash explained. "Ever since I got him, he's been pretty happy staying as a Pikachu. And that was fine with me!"

"Well, you are perfectly allowed to battle using your Pikachu," Skarm said. "But… how should I say this? Pikachu doesn't stand much of a chance against stronger, fully evolved Pokemon. Even Raichu has trouble facing powerful Pokemon such as Garchomp, which is why it finds its niche in the lowest official tier."

"What do you mean, 'lowest official tier'?" Ash asked angrily. "What are tiers?"

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu shouted, just as angry as his trainer.

"Tiers are… complicated," Bliss said, twiddling her thumbs. "In short, they classify Pokemon based on how often they are used by trainers. Since Trainers here in Gomnos favor powerful Pokemon that are not too powerful or luck-based, Pokemon that are powerful tend to be used more, and tend to fall into higher tiers. Usually, Pokemon fall into the tier where they can function well and are well-matched against the other Pokemon in the tier."

"Except for Ambipom," Skarm muttered.

"Oh yeah, don't even mention Ambipom to any skilled trainer, such as a Gym Leader or a Tournament Winner," Bliss said stiffly. "No matter how terrible it is, it just won't drop down from RU! It's ridiculous."

"You probably shouldn't mention Typhlosion, Conkeldurr, or Milotic, either," Skarm added, "but especially don't mention Ambipom."

Ash and Cheren glanced at each other, utterly confused. They shared the same thoughts: What in the world were Bliss and Skarm talking about? What was wrong with Ambipom, Typhlosion, Conkeldurr, and Milotic?

"Well, back to Pikachu," Ash said awkwardly, "Pikachu has helped me win a lot of important battles in my journey, so there's no way I'm giving him up. He's really strong and tough, because he believes in me and I believe in him. He's even won against Legendary Pokemon."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed proudly.

Bliss sighed. "That's entirely possible in other regions," she murmured, "but battles in the Gomnos Region contain many... conditions not present in other regions' battles."

"Conditions?" Ash asked, puzzled.

"I think you will understand better through a battle," Skarm declared. He gestured at the computer-like machine at the corner. "You can use that machine to summon any of your Pokemon, if you wish. Choose your most powerful Pokemon, and we'll have a one-on-one battle to show you what Gomnos Region trainer battles are like."

"Wait a minute," Cheren suddenly spoke up. "Skarm, can we have a double battle, with Ash and I against you and Bliss, with each trainer using one Pokemon? I would also like to get an idea of what Gomnos Trainer battles are like. This will be an interesting, new experience."

"It's fine with me," Skarm said, nodding. "How about you, Bliss?"

"Of course it's fine," Bliss said. She gestured at the large machine. "Cheren, go to that machine and get your most powerful Pokemon. Ash, you go do the same if you want to. All Pokemon in this battle will be Level 50."

"Level 50?" Ash asked, confused.

"Everything will be explained to you in good time," Skarm said, winking.

"The Trainer Double Learning Battle between Skarm and Bliss on one team and Ash and Cheren on the other team is about to begin," the floating Koffing declared. "I am now setting up the Trainer Battle Forcefield." As the Koffing spoke the last word, a clear purple forcefield began to surround the battlefield.

"That Koffing can talk?" Ash asked.

"And what's this Trainer Battle Forcefield?" Cheren asked.

"Oh, that Koffing isn't a Koffing - it's a robot known as a Smogon," Bliss explained. "It's a neat little thing developed by the scientists at Smogon University. Each Smogon has a different personality, but every Smogon has many functions, such as acting as a referee during Trainer Battles, providing-"

"Standard Doubles Clauses are all in place," the Smogon said, cutting Bliss off. To Ash and Cheren's surprise, Bliss didn't seem to be bothered by the interruption.

"Each trainer is allowed to use one Pokemon," the Smogon continued, "and the battle is over when both Pokemon on one team have fainted. And, begin!"

"Uh, *BLEEP*, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed, choosing to ignore the forcefield for now.

"*BLEEP*, come on out!" Cheren declared, throwing a Pokeball.

Ash frowned. Something wasn't right here. Although he had called his Pikachu to battle, a loud beeping sound had resonated throughout the battlefield so that no one in the stadium had heard the word "Pikachu". Due to the mysterious beeping noise, he couldn't hear what Pokemon Cheren had called, either. Worse off, Pikachu was completely gone. Standing in front of Ash was not his partner Pokemon, but a motionless Poke Ball marked with a yellow lightning bolt.

Cheren sensed something strange as well. Aside from the word "Haxorus" being beeped out, his black-and-yellow draconic Pokemon's Pokeball hit the ground and became completely still, with no usual flash of white light.

"Hey, Skarm and Bliss, what's the big deal?" Ash asked, angry and worried. "Why is Pikachu a Poke Ball? Pikachu hasn't been in a Poke Ball since I got him! And why isn't Cheren's Pokemon coming out?"

"Our Pokemon's names were beeped out, as well," Cheren stated. "Why is this necessary? Pokemon names aren't even close to swear words."

"There's no need to be alarmed," Bliss said calmly, smiling. "Here in the Gomnos Region, we always make sure that both sides are equal in a battle. To make things fair, you never know what Pokemon your opponent has chosen until all the Pokemon pop out of their Pokeballs, which happens at exactly the same time. Also, you never know what action your opponent plans on taking until that action is executed."

"That's why every Trainer Battle here in Gomnos is conducted within a Trainer Battle Forcefield, one of which the Smogon over there summoned," Skarm added. "The Trainer Battle Forcefield has many functions. One of these functions is, it is equipped with a clever automatic censor system that beeps out Pokemon names when Trainers send their Pokemon out. It also beeps out attack names when Trainers command their Pokemon to use those attacks, but since the beep does not affect Pokemon, Pokemon can hear what move their trainers ordered them to use."

"How is this supposed to help, though?" Ash asked. "Why is it necessary to keep Pokemon and attacks a secret until the turn starts? Back in Unova, I could hear what Pokemon a trainer is about to send out, or what attack a Pokemon is about to do. Then I could easily find a way to counter the Pokemon or attack. That's how I've always done things."

"That's exactly what we don't want in Gomnos," Skarm explained. "Say I'm about to send out Jolteon. Of course, I would exclaim, 'Jolteon, I choose you!'. But as you find out my Pokemon choice, you may realize that you have a Dugtrio and send that Pokemon out to counter Jolteon, when you were originally going to start with, say, Jellicent. Same goes with moves – if you find out that my Pokemon is about to switch out, you may cancel your original move and use Pursuit to hit my Pokemon hard."

"By beeping out Pokemon and attack names, we make sure that the person who calls out moves first doesn't have a disadvantage," Bliss said, summing everything up.

Ash sighed, "I'm not sure if I like it," he said frankly. "In the other regions I've been to, there was no beeping during battles at all."

"It definitely is very different," Cheren said, "but I can see why people in Gomnos would ensure that nobody knows what trainers plan on doing until the move is executed. I suppose it is a good idea to make sure that nobody in the battle has an inherent disadvantage."

"Exactly," Skarm said, throwing a peculiar yellow-and-black Poke Ball that Ash and Cheren had never seen before. "*BLEEP*, you're up!"

Bliss pulled out a green-and-black Poke Ball and threw it. "*BLEEP*, go!"

"I still don't think I'm used to the beeping," Ash muttered as the two Pokeballs landed on the ground. At that very moment, all four Pokeballs popped open, and four Pokemon materialized in flashes of white light. On Ash and Cheren's side stood Haxorus, who looked calm and collected, and Pikachu, who was more than a little irritated of being forced into a Pokeball. A large red Pokemon with shiny red armor, two fierce-looking pincers, and four white wings stood menacingly in front of Skarm. In front of Bliss hovered a cubical orange Pokemon that looked a lot like a washing machine.

"Ash sent out Pikachu! Cheren sent out Haxorus!" Smogon exclaimed. "Skarm sent out Scizor! Bliss sent out Rotom! Haxorus breaks the mold!"

"What's that big black lump doing on Pikachu's back?" Ash asked in shock as he scrutinized his partner Pokemon.

"Oh, that's just the Item Pocket," Bliss answered, "used for storing items, such as Leftovers, that usually positively affect the Pokemon holding the item. It's something that appears automatically on all Pokemon in the Gomnos Region. Don't worry, it's perfectly harmless."

"Pokemon can hold items here? This is weird," Ash groaned, still a little uneasy.

"I've never seen these Pokemon before," Cheren murmured as he studied his opponents. He pulled out his Pokedex and frowned, putting it back into his pocket. "Pokedexes never tell you the best way to fight an opponent," he muttered, shaking his head. He turned to Ash. "Ash, do you know what the types of Scizor and Rotom are?"

"Err, Scizor is a Bug- and Steel-type," Ash answered. "And Rotom is and Electric- and… I can't remember what the other type was. Sorry."

"I need to give you both a word of warning," Bliss interjected. "In all battles aside from ones designated as Learning Battles - such as this one - you aren't supposed to get any hints from anyone. Receiving hints from any source results in automatic disqualification. It's the responsibility of every competitive battler to know the types and niches of all the common Pokemon in the metagame. In Gomnos, the more knowledge you have before a battle, the better." She turned to her Rotom. "Rotom, *BLEEP*!"

"Scizor, *BLEEP*!" Skarm commanded.

Ash sighed. "Why is everything so weird here? I hate all the beeping," he groaned. "Alright, Pikachu. Try your best and *BLEEP*."

"Haxorus, I know we don't know anything about Scizor and Rotom, but I want you to try your best too," Cheren said encouragingly. "Use *BLEEP*!"

Ash's Pikachu moved first. "Pika, pika, pika!" he exclaimed, glowing with white energy and preparing to attack.

"Pikachu used Quick Attack!" the floating robot referee declared, revealing the move.

Immediately, Pikachu, cloaked in pure white energy, lunged forward with his legendary, astonishing speed. Before anyone could react, the small Electric-type Pokemon plowed into Bliss's Rotom with all his might. Ash smiled, expecting the attack to deal a good amount of damage. However, as the Quick Attack stopped and the white light disappeared, Rotom still stood there resolutely, completely unscathed. Confused, Pikachu returned to his side of the battlefield.

"What?" Ash asked, surprised. But then Cheren's Haxorus began to spin around rapidly, crackling with blue and white energy. When the energy disappeared, Haxorus looked faster and stronger.

"Haxorus used Dragon Dance!" the robot referee declared.

"Great job, Haxorus," Cheren complimented.

"Rotom," Bliss's Pokemon growled as dark blue flames sprouted from its hose and snaked their way towards Haxorus.

"Rotom used Will-O-Wisp!" the floating robot referee exclaimed.

"Haxorus, dodge it, quick!" Cheren called, not wanting his Dragon-type to get burned.

Haxorus made a thrashing motion, attempting to get out of the way, but the Dragon-type Pokemon seemed to be glued to the spot.

"Haxxxxx!" Haxorus cried, looking up at his trainer with eyes full of panic.

"What's the matter?" Cheren asked. "You can't move?"

"Hax," Haxorus whined, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, Haxorus. Pikachu can save you," Ash declared. "Pikachu, help Haxorus out! *BLEEP*!"

"Pi," Pikachu nodded, glowing with crackling yellow electricity. But then, the light quickly subsided, and he too looked up at his trainer with eyes full of panic.

"You can't move either?" Ash asked, shocked. "But you were alright a few moments ago!"

Pikachu shook his head.

"Something's not right here," Cheren murmured. He watched as the flames continued barreling towards his Dragon-type. He braced himself for Haxorus to get burned, but instead of that happening, the flames hit the ground next to Haxorus, leaving the Dragon-type unscathed.

"Rotom's attack missed!" the robot referee exclaimed.

"Hax," Bliss muttered angrily. For the umpteenth time that day Ash and Cheren glanced confusedly at each other, but as soon as the word left Bliss's mouth, Skarm's Scizor, who until this moment had been motionlessly standing in its place, suddenly sprung into action.

"Seeeee-zor!" Scizor bellowed as it launched into the air and charged towards Pikachu, wrapped in light green energy.

"Scizor used U-turn!" the Smogon exclaimed.

"Pikachu, you can do it! *BLEEP*!" Ash commanded. "You should be able to move now!"

"Pika, pika, pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, momentarily glowing with a white light. But the light quickly subsided, and Pikachu looked up at his trainer, panic once again in his dark eyes.

"You still can't move?" Ash asked in disbelief.

Pikachu shook his head. Ash could clearly see that Pikachu was desperately trying to dart out of Scizor's path, but the little Electric-type Pokemon seemed to be frozen in place. Ash winced, not wanting to look, as Skarm's Scizor forcefully plowed Pikachu into the hard, cold concrete walls of the stadium. The impact was so great that it caused a large dust cloud that obscured Pikachu for a few seconds. Almost as quickly as it had landed the attack, Skarm's Scizor darted out of the dust cloud and zipped back to its side of the battlefield.

Bracing himself, Ash slowly turned back to Pikachu. He could see that the dust had cleared – and Pikachu, his lifelong partner and most powerful Pokemon, was buried deep inside the stadium wall, badly scarred and completely unconscious.

"Pikachu fainted!" the floating robot exclaimed.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed in deep concern, hardly hearing the Smogon referee's statement.

"Rotom restored a little HP using its Leftovers!" the Smogon exclaimed, as Bliss's Rotom glowed momentarily with a white light. But Ash wasn't paying attention to any of that. Quickly, he ran over to his motionless Pokemon and gently removed him from the rough indentation in the wall. Cradling the electric rodent in his arms, Ash slowly walked back to the battlefield, struggling to hold back tears.

"Knocked out in one hit," Cheren murmured. "This shouldn't happen."

"Exactly," Ash growled, glaring at Skarm and Bliss. "What is the explanation of all this? Pikachu can usually take a lot more than just one attack."

"There's something fishy about this battle," Cheren observed. "Why weren't Pikachu and Haxorus able to dodge or counter attacks? It was like… they were frozen or something." He put his hand on his chin. "And why weren't any of the Pokemon able to move until other Pokemon landed their attacks?"

"Now that the turn is over, I'll explain," Bliss stated. "The Trainer Battle Forcefield is the reason why you experienced the strange things. First of all, the fastest Pokemon usually moves first, unless something like Trick Room is in play. The other Pokemon on the field are forbidden from moving until it is their turn to execute their moves. Second of all, unless a priority move like Quick Attack is used, slower Pokemon are always unable to move until after the faster Pokemon have landed their attacks."

"But how did Pikachu's Quick Attack do so little damage?" Ash asked. "And how did U-Turn get so powerful?"

"It's a good thing you two have so many questions," Skarm commented. "There are many factors in play here. Pikachu's not fully evolved, so his stats – HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed – are very low compared to the stats of fully evolved Pokemon. Rotom's high Defense easily absorbed the low-powered Quick Attack. And about Scizor: Scizor's Attack is very high, while Pikachu's Defense is very low. Naturally, U-Turn knocked out Pikachu in one hit. Plus, my Scizor is holding a Choice Band, which greatly increases its Attack. Add that to the two hundred fifty-two Effort Values he has invested in Attack, and Scizor is an extremely powerful Pokemon."

Ash paused for a while, trying to take all that in, and Cheren blinked at the influx of strange information.

Ash sighed in frustration. "There was no such thing as stats, held items, or… er… 'Effort Values' back in Unova," he complained. "Pikachu and I could win a battle with willpower and creativity alone. Why is everything so complicated here? I don't think I get anything."

"It's just that in Gomnos, everyone likes to be very, very competitive," Bliss said frankly. "Things are complicated here in Gomnos because of the region's long and complicated history of Pokemon and battling." She shook her head. "Ash, let's finish this battle first. Then, both you and Cheren can decide what to do next. After the battle, if you're interested, I can show you where to read up on the history of Gomnos."

"Um… all right," Ash stammered. He gazed down at his badly wounded Pikachu. "But what about…"

"Here," Skarm said, taking a small, yellow, diamond-shaped crystal out of his pocket. He walked over the Ash and placed the gem on Pikachu's wounded forehead. Almost immediately, about half of the small Electric-type's wounds disappeared. As the wounds disappeared, the crystal glowed with a white light and disappeared as well.

"Pika…" Pikachu murmured as he stirred in Ash's arms and smiled, feeling a lot better.

"I used a Revive," Skarm said, "which has an out-of-battle effect of restoring half of a fainted Pokemon's HP. It should be enough to keep Pikachu healthy until a proper Pokemon Center visit."

"Uh, thanks," Ash said as Skarm returned to his side of the battlefield. Ash wasn't sure what "HP" meant, but he was glad that Pikachu was okay. He turned to Cheren.

"I guess it's all up to you," Ash sighed.

"I'll do my best," Cheren said determinedly. "After all, it's not about win or lose."

Ash nodded and walked over to the sidelines as the referee Smogon declared the start of the second turn.

"Haxorus," Cheren said softly, "I know this is a very different kind of battle for you, but I want you to try your best no matter what happens. Your stats have been boosted, so maybe we can score a KO. Use *BLEEP*!"

"Rotom, use *BLEEP*!" Bliss exclaimed.

"Scizor, use… darn it, Choice Band," Skarm muttered. "All right then, *BLEEP*!"

This time, because Pikachu had been knocked out, Haxorus, the fastest Pokemon on the field, moved first. The large, black-and-yellow Pokemon bellowed loudly as he jumped high into the air. He landed on the ground forcefully, and the earth began to shake violently.

"Haxorus used Earthquake!" the robot referee exclaimed.

Cheren smirked as the ground continued to shake. The Rotom and Scizor on Bliss and Skarm's side of the field winced as they took the attack. Despite Rotom's levitation, it seemed to be damaged considerably by the Earthquake. Bliss gasped as the attack was executed, but then relaxed when she found out that her Rotom was still hovering where it was.

"It's super effective!" the Smogon exclaimed. Cheren blinked. If the attack was super effective, then why was Rotom still hovering there?

Scizor flew forward at a rapid pace, once again cloaked in light green energy.

"Scizor used U-Turn!" the floating robot referee declared.

"Zooooooor!" Scizor bellowed, flying faster. Skarm smiled, and Haxorus thrashed around, trying desperately to get out of the way.

"Haxorus, I hate to tell you this, but that's not going to work here," Cheren sighed. "I think the best thing for you to do is to stand your ground. If you faint, at least you will have fainted after trying your hardest."

The black-and-yellow Pokemon nodded in understanding and stood his ground resolutely. At that very moment, Scizor forcefully plowed Haxorus into the air. When the Dragon-type landed, he was considerably shaken, but stood up quickly, holding his head high. At that moment, a huge torrent of water gushed forth from Rotom's pipe.

"Rotom used Hydro Pump!" the Smogon exclaimed.

"Come on, Haxorus," Cheren murmured as the Hydro Pump attack hit his Pokemon squarely and the Dragon-type vanished under the spraying water. "You can survive this! I believe in you!"

But when the attack subsided, the Haxorus was slumped onto the ground, clearly unconscious.

"Haxorus fainted!" the robot exclaimed. "The winners of this battle are Skarm and Bliss!"

"You did well, Haxorus," Cheren sighed, holding out a Poke Ball and recalling his Pokemon. "Now, take a good rest."

Cheren put away Haxorus's Poke Ball and looked up at Bliss and Skarm. "That was… interesting," he murmured.

"Well," Bliss said, "what do you two think? Have you made your decision? Are you two going to travel around Gomnos as Pokemon Trainers?"

To this, Ash shook his head immediately. "No," he stated firmly. "I do have willpower, but what good is it in a place where every battle is rigged by some crazy restrictions? I give up. If Gomnos is like this, I'm going back to Kanto. I'm not going to go on a journey in a place where I can't even battle with my own style."

Skarm nodded. "I see," he said. "I am not standing against your decision. But I'd like to let you know that you can battle with your own style. All you have to do is register as a Pokemon Coordinator."

"Wait, what?" Ash asked. "Are you saying that Pokemon Coordinators here are allowed to battle the good old-fashioned way?"

"Of course," Skarm said. "You see, Gomnos has a long and complicated history that involves a space virus, two criminal organizations, a lot of lies, and many eccentric geniuses. If either of you are interested in this region's history, Bliss and I can point you to places you can learn about it."

"But that's history, of course," Bliss said. "Now in Gomnos, there are two paths someone who loves Pokemon can take. He can become a Pokemon Trainer and battle competitively, the old-fashioned way, skillfully utilizing Pokemon to their full potential while treating them as friends. Or, he can become a Pokemon Coordinator, relying on free will, love, and creativity to make his Pokemon truly shine no matter how statistically strong they are."

"We showed you a trainer battle," Skarm concluded, "so that you two could decide whether or not trainer battles were your cup of tea. So, what do you think? Would you like to be a trainer, or a coordinator?"

"I... never thought Gomnos could be so much like home," Ash murmured, smiling. He turned his hat backwards and smiled. "I'm a Coordinator, then. As long as I can battle the way I'd like to battle, I'm happy."

"And you, Cheren?" Skarm asked, noticing that the older boy had not spoken for a while.

Cheren smiled as well and fixed his tie. "I think I would like to take a shot at becoming a Gomnos Pokemon Trainer," he declared. "This style of battling… it's so new and difficult to me, but at the same time, it's so interesting. It won't be a small feat, sure, but I know I can do it. I know I'm smart, and I know I'll be able to figure out how to excel not only in Unova but also here."

Skarm and Bliss smiled. "Then it's settled," Bliss said happily. "Cheren, as a new Trainer, the first place you should go to, after the Pokemon Center, is the Trainers' School here in Socah City. The staff there will teach you the basics of competitive battling. They're really helpful, too, so don't be afraid to ask them any questions. The School has some nice books on the region's history, too."

"Then I'm definitely going to go check it out," Cheren said, smiling. "I'd love to learn how this system of battling came to be. I'd love to learn more about competitive battling, too."

"Alright then," Ash said brightly, dashing towards the double doors he and Cheren entered the room through. Looking back over his shoulder, he called, "Come on, Cheren! What are you waiting for?"

"Nothing," Cheren said, as he joined Ash at the doors.

"Goodbye, you two!" Bliss exclaimed cheerfully, waving. "Good luck on your journey!"

"Goodbye, Skarm. Goodbye, Bliss!" Ash and Cheren exclaimed, waving back at the two older trainers. And, with Pikachu on his shoulder and Cheren by his side, Ash pushed open the doors, walking into the bright hallway and taking the first steps of his Gomnos Region journey.

-END-