To be a Master...

The S.S. Anne - a cruise liner for pokemon and trainers traveling across the seas to different regions.  The vessel is heading from the Sinnoh reigon to the Kanto reigon carrying over forty different trainers who hope to compete in the upcoming Pokemon League.

Little do the other trainer's know, a previous league winner is already on board the ship with them and is carrying the key to something very rare and precious. However, this item is a secret to all but one.

"Oh excuse me." The older gentlemen said as he bumped into another female passenger carrying a folder fool of miscellaneous papers. The older gentlemen was wearing all black, with a bowler cap and a trench coat.

The green haired female struggled to pick up her papers. "Oh no, it's my fault really." The slender girl bent over in her milky white dress to collect her papers. Others on the boat passing by also helped to hand her the aloof sheets of papers strewn about, but the older gentlemen just stood and watched them all carefully. "Thank you, thank you all so much." she said.

The older gentlemen furrowed his gray mustache as he noticed the female clutching one piece of parchment closer to her chest than the others. "I dare say. Where are you headed from young lady?" The older gentlemen smiled.

"I'm from Johto, originally. I'm heading to Kanto on business." The female shot a dismissive glance in the gentlemen's direction, but he pressed onward.

"Johto, Johto?  Ah yes, a young girl with your complexion just recently won a league there if I'm not mistaken?" The female said nothing, after finally collecting all of her articles, except for one loose paper that had been picked up by the wind and whisked by his feet. The old man bent down to retrieve it, using his knee for support. "These darn old knees of mine."

The female rushed to him. "I'm sorry, let me help you with-" The girl was suddenly shoved over by the old man who had again knocked the stack of papers everywhere, but had the single piece of parchment she had been clutching earlier in his palm. "No! Please give that back." she said.

"Got it this time! HA!" The old man cackled as he held up the parchment and loosened his trench-coat. A few men in the crowd of trainers on deck demanded he give the female back her parchment, but in response he just pulled a pokeball from his coat and threw it into the air. "Go Hypno!" The bright red ball exploded and released a beam of white energy that formed into a big nosed, yellow humanoid creature, sporting a furry white mane, and a metal ring attached to a string that dangled from it's finger.

The other trainer's reached for their pokeballs too but were too late to release their pokemon before Hypno's attack. "Hypno, use hypnosis!" The pokemon echoed it's name sensually as everyone in direct view of the villains began to lose consciousness.

The green haired female clutched onto the man's pant leg, and attempted to crawl up his lower body and reach the paper he held. The older man kicked her to the floor causing her to pull open his trench coat and reveal a bright red R on his undershirt. "Ouff...Ugh..Team Rocket?" she said. Both her eye-lids were collapsing shut.

"Oh don't seem so surprised everyone. The beautiful green goddess you see before you is no mere passenger either." The older gentlemen stroked his mustache as most of the passengers started snoring around the deck. "Krystal Laze; Johto League Champion correct?" The girl could barely keep her eyes open, much less respond. "My organization has been trailing you ever since you visited Professor Birch in Newbark Town. And with this, darling, I'll be promoted for sure." The old Rocket veteran hollered while shaking the parchment in his hand and quickly turned to attack the oncoming naval officers. "Quick Hypno, use your psychic attack to make a barricade." The psyhic pokemon howled it's name and levitated all the lawn chairs, crates, and flotation devices on deck on top of each other in a stack to block the naval units. "Alright, Hypno, lets get out of here before they break down the barricade."

Spoiler:

"Monferno! Blaze kick!" The sudden command startled the Rocket, who turned around at the perfect moment to receive a burning heel in his face. The old Rocket dropped the parchment as he rubbed soot from his eyes and fell over. He could feel that his mustache had been singed off and after clearing the embers from his face, he caught sight of a boy in a t-shirt and jeans, with a baseball cap in his back pocket, and an all white backpack hanging from his shoulders, holding a pokeball in his hand. The trainer was also knelt next to the Krystal. His ape like pokemon ran on all fours back to his side, the paper clutched in it's palm.

"Gyraahh! How is this brat awake, I remember I put you and all these other busy bodies to sleep?" The oldman got to one knee as well, while rubbing his burnt upper lip. Meanwhile, his Hypno stood at attention in front of him.

"You did," The teen said as he rose to his feet and pointed a finger at the Rocket, "but just like a coward, not only do you lack courage, but you also don't have a strong bond with your pokemon like I do."

The Rocket's eye twitched as he rose, this time favoring his knee for real. "Say what?"

The teenage trainer took the paper from his pokemon. "Whenever I'm in trouble, Monferno can sense it form inside his pokeball and comes out to help me. He's been that way since I was nine years old, and hasn't changed much in seven years. Right buddy?" Monferno exhaled a plume of fire from it's mouth as it beat it's chest.

The Rocket grinned, while his body shook violently. "Oh really? Well I'm afraid no matter how strong your 'bond' is, you made the mistake of type advantage kiddo." He adjusted himself. "Your pokemon's a fighting type, and that means it'll be destroyed by my seasoned Hypno. Just hand over the paper brat, and I promise I won't throw you overboard when ya pass out like the princess here."

The teen's face wrinkled as he talked ill about Krystal Laze. "My is JaK Sage, and this girl here is my idol. Because I want to be a Pokemon master one day too." JaK clenched his open palm into a fist. "And that's never gonna happen if Monferno and I can't beat a never has-been like you." The old man glared at this comment.

"Enough talking."

"Let's go!"

"I challenge you!"

"To a pokemon battle!"

TBC.