Parents in Moonkshood!

The day after his rematch with Jason, Silus headed straight for the local Pokémon Gym. As he walked, Eevee woke up from resting in Silus' backpack and popped its head out.

"Vui!" it yawned.

"Good morning, Eevee!" Silus greeted the Pokémon.

Eevee prompltly climbed out of Silus' bag and onto his shoulder, where it lay as Silus walked. Silus patted it on the head and continued walking, the Gym now in sight. Suddenly, a woman darted out from behind a nearby building and ran into Silus, knocking him flat on the ground.

"Ugh...Eevee, are you alright?" Silus moaned.

"Ee...vui.." it grunted, looking up at the woman.

"Oh my goodness! Silus, is that you?" the woman's voice asked.

Silus shook his head and looked up. There, standing above him, was his mother, the Nurse Joy of Eden Town.

"Mom?!" Silus shouted, surprised. "What on earth are you doing all the way out here?"

Joy giggled, "Your father and I are on vacation. I'm going to be judging a Pokémon Contest in Osiana Town, so we decided to stop here and look around for awhile." she replied.

"Wow, I didn't expect to see you guys all the way out here in Monkshood Town, but I guess I'm glad to see you." Silus said.

"Why don't you have lunch with us? Your father will be overjoyed to catch up." she offered.

"Sure, why not!" Silus replied, smiling.

Lunch with Silus' Parents
Once more outside the Pokémon Center, Silus and Joy were joined by Lyra and Roger for lunch. As they ate at picnic tables, their Pokémon ate out of bowls on the ground and froliced in the nearby bushes.

"So Lyra, you're from Johto?" Joy asked, trying to make conversation.

"Yep. Newbark Town." Lyra replied, sipping her tea.

"I've always wanted to visit Johto. As a Nurse Joy, I have family everywhere, so I wish I could visit them at their homes." Joy said as if in deep thought.

Roger took this oppurtunity to speak with his son, "Looks like you've got quite the collection of Pokémon." he said, nodding in the direction of the group of Pokémon.

Silus grinned, "I sure do, and they're all great." he replied.

Roger took his cup of tea in his hand and began to raise it to his mouth, "I heard you intend to join the Caspia Confernece." he said, almost in a solemn tone.

Silus' tone also became serious. He knew full well where this conversation was headed. "Yes I do." he replied simply.

"You know how I feel about that..." Roger said, sipping his tea and setting it down again.

"Dad, I have my Pokémon with me. I'll be fine." Silus said, trying to avoid a confrontation.

Roger stood up, "You're not ready for it, Silus. Even I wasn't." he said.

"That's no reason to hamper his dream, Roger." Joy chimed in. "Your shortcomings as a trainer were a result of your own doing. Silus has grown up, so let him make his own decisions."

"Fine then," Roger continued. "If your so sure of yourself, Silus, then battle with me."

At this, Silus, Lyra, and Joy looked up from their meals in shock.

"A battle...? With my dad?" Silus stuttered in shock.

"That's right, battle with me. A simple one-on-one should suffice." Roger replied.

"Roger, I think you're taking this too..." Joy began, but was stopped by Silus standing up.

"I accept." Silus said, stunning everyone but Roger once more.

Family Fued
Moments later, the were back at the Pokémon Center battlefield where Jason and Silus had battled the day before. Silus was on one side, and Roger on the other. Joy stood on the sidelines as the referee and Lyra sat on the bench once more to watch the battle.

"You may choose your Pokémon first, Silus." Roger stated, folding his arms.

"I choose Monferno! Standby for battle!" Silus declared, tossing his Pokéball.

A bright flash of light morphed into the shape of Monferno, and Silus put up his Pokéball. Roger then threw his own Pokéball.

"Go, Mightyena!" he shouted.

With another bright burst of light, a large canine Pokémon appeared on the field.

Lyra took out her Pokédex, "So that's a Mightyena, eh?""

"Mightyena, the Bite Pokémon and the evolved form of Poochyena. It chases down prey in a pack of around ten. They defeat foes with perfectly coordinated teamwork." the dex chimed.

"Sounds like a handful." Lyra commented.

Joy raised her hand to Silus' side, "Silus has the first move. Let the battle begin!" she declared.

"Monferno, use Close Combat!" Silus commanded.

Monferno leaped into action, its fists glowing as it clobbered away at Mightyena.

"Mightyena, use Return!" Roger countered.

Mightyena was outlined in white energy, and then it charged Monferno, biting its neck.

"MON!" the chimp Pokémon cried out in pain.

"Return?" Lyra said from the sidelines, "Isn't that the attack that grows in power the more the Pokémon likes its trainer?"

Joy nodded, "That's correct. Mightyena has been with Roger since he began his own journey. That means Return is pretty devestating." she replied, a worried expression on her face.

"Monferno, Flame Wheel!" Silus shouted, desperately trying to free his Pokémon.

Meanwhile, in the bushes nearby, Team Rocket members Jessie, James, and Meowth were watching events unfold.

"Would you look at this? A twerp family fued!" Jessie said, looking through her binoculars.

"How did we manage to get stuck watching this?" asked James from right beside her, also looking through binoculars.

"To get our hands on rare Pokémon, James. You know? Our job!" Jessie sneered.

"Would you two shut your traps!" barked Meowth, "They're going to hear us!"

Continuing the battle, Monferno had managed to break free from Mightyena's grip using Flame Wheel.

"Now, Counter Shield!" Silus declared.

Monferno began releasing whisps of flames from its Flame Wheel, creating a powerful defense and offense.

"Mightyena, Giga Impact!" Roger commanded.

Mightyena gatehred purple and red energy around its body and then launched itself at Monferno, crashing through each whisp of fire as if it was nothing, and slamming into the chimp Pokémon.

Monferno dropped to the ground, fainted.

"Monferno is unable to battle...Mightyena wins." Joy declared, but not enthusiastically.

"Monferno!" Silus yelped, running to his Pokémon's side.

Eevee leaped down from the bench, where it had been sitting next to Lyra, and ran out to Silus as well.

"Its okay, Monferno. Take a nice long nap." Silus said, returning his Pokémon to its Pokéball.

Roger crossed the field, returning Mightyena in the process, and stopped only a foot or two away from Silus.

"Do you see now that you aren't ready?" he asked, hoping he'd gotten through to his son.

Eevee leaped in between them, and began barking and yelping its cry over and over again.

"Meowth, translation?" Jessie asked Meowth from their spot in the bushes.

"Its saying, 'You ain't got no right to tell him his place in this world. Its his job to find it.'" Meowth replied.

"That's deep." James commented.

"Thanks, Eie." Silus said, sadly.

Team Rocket Makes Their Move!
Silus' group disembarked from the Pokémon Center, heading for the entrance to town.

"So, what will you do now, Silus?" Roger asked.

Silus was still down, hanging his head, "I-I don't know.." he murmurred.

Roger was starting to feel guilty for his actions earlier. "I know he's seventeen, but he still doesn't need to face the disapointment and shame that I faced." he thought.

Joy suddenly stepped out from her place behind Roger and put her hand on her son's shoulder, "You do whatever your heart says to do." she declared.

Silus smiled weakly, "Thanks." he muttered.

Eevee licked Silus' cheek, trying to cheer him up. Silus answered by ruffling his Pokémon's hair. "I'll be alright, Eie." he said.

Roger released Mightyena from its Pokéball, "Well its time to get going, Joy." he said.

Suddenly, however, a large mechanical arm descended from seemingly nowhere and snatched Mightyena in its grip; pulling the helpless Pokémon into the sky. The arm's origin; Team Rocket's Mewoth-shaped hot air balloon.

"Mightyena!" Roger roared. "Let go of Mightyena!"

"Team Rocket..." Silus snarled.

"Listen, is that a voice I hear?" Jessie began.

"It's speaking to me loud and clear!" James replied.

"On the wind!"

"Past the stars!"

"And in your ears!" Meowth chimed in.

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace."

"Dashing hope, putting fear in its place. "

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet."

"When everything's worse, our work is complete."

"Jessie!"

"And its James!"

"And Meowth, now that's a name!"

"Putting do-gooders in their place..."

"...we're Team Rocket..."

"...in your face!" the all declared at once.

"Do you losers ever leave people alone?!" Lyra shouted back at them.

"Hahahahaha!" Jessie laughed, "It looks to me like you're the loser in this situation!"

"Let's go, Eevee! Use Shadow ball on that mechanical arm!" Silus shouted.

Eevee leaped off of Silus' shoulder and fired a dark ball of energy, which collided with the arm holding Mightyena, but yeilded no results.

"HA!" Meowth laughed, "We've twerp proofed this machine! There's no way you'll get Mightyena back!"

"Come on out, Marshtomp!" Roger suddenly barked.

In a flash of bright light, a Marshtomp appeared on the battlefield.

"Now Marshtomp, Mud Shot!" Roger continued.

"Marsh!" the Pokémon replied, spewing a pressurized jet of mud at Team Rocket's mecha arm, snapping it.

"WHAT?!" the trio shouted in surprise.

Mightyena leaped down and stood beside Marshtomp and Eevee.

"I'm not going down without a fight!" Jessie retorted, "Come on, Snivy!"

"I'll join in too! Let's do this, Skorpi!" James declared.

Duel with Rockets!
Snivy and Skorpi appeared on the battlefield, across from Eevee, Mightyena, and Marshtomp.

"Silus, combine our attacks!" Roger yelled.

"You've got it!" Silus replied, "Eevee, use Shadow ball once more!"

"Mightyena, use Giga Impact! Marshtomp, use Mud Shot!" Roger commanded.

"Hey, wait! We haven't even given out commands yet!" Jessie spat.

However, it was already too late. Snivy and Skorpi were hit head on by the tri attack and sent flying into the balloon containing their trainers, resulting in an explosion that sent Team Rocket skyward.

"We're blasting off again!" they all yelled as the vanished from sight.

Rematch and Setting Off Again
After Joy looked over Mightyena to make sure it was alright, and not injured by Team Rocket's attack, the group found themselves once more at the Pokémon Center.

"Thank you for helping get Mightyena back, Silus." Roger said, returning it to its Pokéball.

"Don't mention it, Dad." Silus said while grooming Eevee.

"What do you say we have a rematch?" Roger continued. "I have a strong feeling that I misjudged you earlier."

Silus nodded, "Sure, I'd like that."

The group walked outside to the battle arena. Silus didn't say it, but he was getting tired of seeing the place. This was his third time being there, after all. Joy took up her place as referee, and Lyra once again sat on the bench to watch.

"Let's go, Marshtomp!" Roger declared.

Marshtomp appeared once more, with a burst of light from its Pokéball.

"Okay, Eie. Your turn to battle!" Silus said.

Eevee leaped off of Silus' shoulders and landed on the battlefield, preparing to do combat.

"Let the battle begin!" Joy announced.

"Eevee, use Tackle!" Silus commanded.

Eevee sprang from its location and slammed hard into Marshtomp, causing the latter to stumble backwards.

"Hey! Silus got a hit in this time!" Lyra shouted excitingly.

"Marshtomp, Hydro Pump!" Roger countered.

"Marsh, Marshtomp!" the Water Pokémon replied as it launched a highly pressurized jet of water at Eevee.

"Eevee, use Dig to dodge!" Silus commanded.

With a grunt, Eevee leaped up and launched itself underground, avoiding Marshtomp's attack altogether.

"Now, up!" Silus continued.

Eevee shot out of the ground, slamming into Marshtomp yet again. This time, Marshtomp was thrown on its back.

"What happened?" Roger wondered. "Silus is more confident than he was earlier. No, that's not it. He's just as confident as he was in our first match. Perhaps this is his true power. Perhaps...I don't have to worry anymore."

"Let's finish this, Eevee!" Silus shouted.

Eevee was surrounded with white light as it charged directly at Marshtomp.

"Hey, wait a sec! That's Take Down!" Lyra shouted from the sidelines.

Eevee run straight into Marshtomp, knocking it backwards and slamming it into the ground.

"Marshtomp is unable to battle." Joy declared, "Eevee and Silus win!"

"Yeah, we did it Eie!" Silus yelled happily.

"Vui! Vui!" it replied happily, and suddenly began glowing.

Soon, Eevee's glowing shape morphed, revealing a now blue feline-like Pokémon.

"Glaceon!" it said.

"Glaceon?" Joy repeated, "How? There's no Ice Rock around here to allow it to evolve."

"Actually, there is." said Lyra, looking on her Pokédex. "There's reportedly one that was formed from the nearby cold mountain air somewhere in the woods."

"Welcome to the team, Glaceon!" Silus said happily.

Roger returned Marshtomp and then turned to Joy, "We really should be going dear, its getting late." he said, smiling.

She nodded back at him, knowing that he'd accepted Silus' strength.

''The group waved goodbye as they parted ways, and night again fell on Monkshood Town. Tomorrow, the Gym Challenge awaits Silus....or does it?!''