Jamie felt it was a testament to Agatha's reputation, how long it took her and Jessie to catch up to Cam. It definitely wasn't for lack of loyalty; Jamie could tell you that much! But… when that old lady was glaring so effectively at all of them, it was hard to do anything.

Even after Cam beat her and went on his way, busting into the Hall of Fame with his trusty crowbar, Agatha had barred the way for the rest of them. No one wanted to test the old man. Sure, Cam had just beaten one of her teams… but then, Red had beaten another of her teams just a little before that? Who was to say how many Pokemon the old warhorse had up her skirts? As she'd stood in their way, the open door to the Hall of Fame right behind her, no one had dared move. No one wanted to be the first to find out.

They'd been forced to listen to the sounds of Pokemon Battle for a while there, until finally those had died down. Only then had Agatha's stony expression suddenly changed. Only then had she begun to look back over her shoulder, going from stern and in control… to antsy and anxious. Finally, the old woman clearly couldn't hold back any longer, and spinning on her heel, she'd abandoned her post to race up the stairs and into the Hall of Fame chamber.

… It was still a little bit even then before they worked up the courage to enter as well. Her and Jessie… and leading the charge, Bill. Bill the Pokemon Collector had been the first to move up the stairs, with Jamie and Jessie going after him a heartbeat later. By the time they all arrived in the chamber… it was already coming to a close.

"No… Venusaur!"

Jamie is pretty sure Professor Oak isn't supposed to be battling Pokemon. Something to do with his ban or something. But, uh, that Venusaur he just sent out with a cry of frustration on his lips is incredibly scary looking, one of the most powerful Pokemon she's ever seen… so she's not about to question it.

"Dragonite, Hyper Beam."

And then… it's not. Oak's Venusaur is blasted with the incredibly powerful Hyper Beam from Cam's Dragonite, and when the dust settles… well, there's barely enough left of Venusaur for Oak to recall into a Pokeball. Jamie half expects the Pokemon Professor to send out another… but as he stands there trembling in impotent rage, she realizes he can't.

From there, knowing what she knows of Cam, Jamie is actually able to put together what happened pretty easily. To the left, a little further back near a pillar, is Red. The brand new Pokemon Champion is on her knees, a strange smile on her lips and her eyes fixated on Jamie's boss with a very familiar look in them. Obviously, Cam beat her ass silly first.

To the right, closer to the entrance of the Hall of Fame, is Agatha leaning back against a pillar, clutching her chest and staring at Oak with wide, betrayed eyes. Now, Jamie was no Super Sleuth or anything like that, but she could connect the dots easily enough. Oak had tried to attack Agatha… and Cam had stepped in and stopped it.

From the look of things, Cam had just gotten done clean sweeping Oak's team with his almighty Dragonite. As it turns out, Bill agrees with Jamie's silent estimate of events.

"Hoo boy. Looks like we missed out on the real action here, didn't we?"

"You! Tch, stay out of this, Bill! I'll deal with you later!"

Scoffing, Bill runs a hand through his hair, his other hand buried in a pocket as he surveys the scene with a practiced eye.

"Yeah? You and what army, Oak? Cam beat your little toy soldier, didn't he? And now he's beaten you. It's over, you've lost."

For a long moment, Oak looks like he might not even respond to that, though the aged Professor is visibly fuming. Finally though, he lets out a snarl.

"No! I refuse! I will not fail here! Not to my own creation!"

Jamie winces at the… well, blatant reveal so to speak. She and Jessie had known, of course. Judging by the way Red's face refuses to change as she continues to stare at Cam in reverence and awe, she'd figured it out too. Either that, or she simply wasn't listening. But Bill and Agatha… neither of them had known Cam's true nature. Until now.

Bill, visibly shocked, actually takes a step back as he looks between Oak and Cam.

"Wait… what?"

Sensing weakness, Oak smiles a cruel smile, shaking his head.

"Oh? Hadn't put two and two together yet, had you? You idiot, Bill. Look at him. He's my clone, obviously. The original Red. Did you think you got this close to toppling all of my plans by ACCIDENT? Don't be ridiculous! No one could have stopped me and the back-up… save for him! Everything you've accomplished, everything you've achieved… has been because of MY hard work!"

Bill's mouth opens and closes a few times at that, before he seems to finally process that revelation, swallowing thickly. Looking at Cam for a long moment, he looks back to Oak.

"Even your own creation abandoned you, you monster. And better yet, I know why too. I know what you did to Gary, Samuel. And I suspect Cam knew as well. You found the recordings, didn't you Cam? Smart lad that you were, you uncovered your Creator's mad designs, and realized what he truly was… a monster beyond compare."

Whoa, was that what it was? Jamie hadn't managed to put two and two together, but… maybe? Maybe it made sense, if Cam had an ounce of decency to him that Professor Oak didn't.

Looking to Cam, Professor Oak's eyes grow hooded.

"… Is that true, Red? You went somewhere you didn't belong, and saw things you weren't meant to see?"

His tone is deceptively soft, and Jamie can feel goosebumps up and down her arms as she and Jessie shiver in unison side by side. Cam, on the other hand, is completely unfazed.

"Yes. Monster."

Oak flinches back as if struck. His eyes are wide for a moment, before he lets out a disbelieving laugh.

"A conscience! You grew a fucking conscience! How?! I was sure I did everything in my power to avoid that!"

Bill shakes his head.

"It's because you only see the worst in humanity, Oak. Yes, we human beings are made to destroy… but destruction itself can be a good thing. It doesn't have to be evil. It doesn't have to be nasty. And it certainly doesn't have to be pointless. You killed Gary and his Team. And for what? Because YOU wanted to win. Because YOU wanted to be right."

"I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD!"

Spittle flies, as Oak roars. Jamie flinches and Jessie catches hold of her arm, the two women holding onto each other for dear life. Professor Oak was… terrifying at the moment. But Cam stands his ground and Bill, seeming to take strength from that, does the same.

"Were you? Tell that to Blue Oak."

THAT shuts the Pokemon Professor up. Bill's face splits into a sardonic smile as he takes a step forward.

"Blue Oak. Gary and Daisy's son. Your great-grandson… and the boy who DEFEATED the Elite Four and Lance before you and your pet project even GOT here! An eleven year old boy with no enhancements, no advantages, and nothing but the neglect of the man he thought was his grandfather to drive him forward. He achieved something in mere months that the rest of us couldn't even dream of! He beat even your toy soldier to the finish line!"

"Don't… don't be ridiculous. Blue can't be Pokemon Champion. He's just a child. This was… this was for the best."

Bill scoffs.

"Have you spared him even a thought since you tore him down in front of the entire Region? Has his name crossed your mind even once, you monstrous bastard?"

"… Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about. All I have done; I've done for Kanto. Bill… you should really stay out of my way."

Bill's sardonic smile just grows.

"And if I don't? Are you going to stop me, huh?"

But far from being defeated or resigned, Oak just laughs.

"Of course not! HE is!"

When the Pokemon Professor points at Cam, Jamie only feels confusion right alongside Jessie. Bill too looks baffled, glancing over at Cam, who just raises an eyebrow. But Oak just keeps on laughing… until he doesn't. Until suddenly, he looks deadly serious.

"Alpha-Gamma-Tango-Foxtrot."

In an instant, something happens. Jamie watches in shock as Cam freezes up, going still as a statue.

"Did you think I didn't have contingencies for even this? Bah! It should never have come to this. The command codes… they're irreversible, you know. The boy is nothing but a vegetable now. Still, he's capable of taking orders from his creator well enough. Turn and face our enemies, Red."

To Jamie's mounting, growing horror, Cam slowly turns and faces them, all of them. Bill takes an instinctive step back, his own face one of terror and fear.

"No…"

"Oh yes. Go on, Red. Use those incredibly powerful Pokemon of yours. Clean up your damn mess. No holding back. We don't need any witnesses here."

Reaching down mechanically, Cam palms his Master Ball. Jamie's eyes are wide as saucers as she stares Death itself in the face. For a brief moment, it seems like this will be it. They'll die here, and there's nothing any of them can do about it. She and Jessie can't even find the words… neither can Bill. They're staring at the lobotomized figure of their friend, their lover, their boss. Surely… surely it can't end like this, right?

… And then Cam looks down. His head tilts, and he stares at the Master Ball in his grasp for a moment. Oak's face, one of triumphant jubilation, creases and wrinkles up in confusion.

"… What are you doing?"

"… No. I will not kill for you."

"No? You! How are you even able to speak?! The command code-! DAMN YOU! YOU ARE MY CREATION! MY CLONE! YOU WILL OBEY ME!"

But Cam turns back to face Oak with nothing but defiance in every line of his form. It's quite obvious he will NOT obey him. However, before anyone can say anything else, there's some slow clapping from the entrance to the Hall of Fame.

"Well, isn't this all very exciting."

Entering the Hall of Fame comes former Pokemon Champion Lance. Though, as she and Jessie are forced to move aside from the sheer NUMBER of Guards he's brought with him, Jamie finds herself amending that statement in her head. She's seen some old historical documentaries. She's seen a few old war videos.

This isn't former Pokemon Champion Lance. This is General Lance, of Johto. He marches into the Hall of Fame with dozens upon dozens of Guards, all likely to be native to Johto as well.

Sneering at the lot of them, Lance glares daggers at Oak in particular… before smiling an icy smile, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Good to know WHY exactly this bastard has been such a thorn in my side. He's a clone of YOU. Just like that little bitch hiding behind you. No matter. You're under arrest, Professor Oak."

"W-What?! On what grounds?!"

Looking around, Lance's icy smile only grows more vindictive and victorious.

"Oh, a number of things I'd imagine. Conspiracy to coup the Rightful Government of Kanto, for one. Human experimentation, for another. Circumventing your ban on Pokemon Battling. And, if I'm not mistaken… we'll tack on attempted murder as well. It's over, Oak. Once and for all, you're through."

Even though they're watching Oak get his Just Desserts, seeing it be Lance doing it just turns Jamie's stomach. He looks so pleased with himself… it's absolutely disgusting.

"No… no! I will not go quietly! You cannot-!"

Cutting himself off mid-word, Oak spins around and rushes over to the Hall of Fame machine. Curiously, Lance doesn't even try to stop him.

"I can… I can put my own name in as Pokemon Champion! I'll be in charge then! You'll have no choice but to obey me, all of you!"

Jamie blinks, realizing now why Lance wasn't too bothered. Seriously? Was Oak off his rocker?

But before the Johto General can say anything, there's a snap hiss of a Pokeball opening… and an unreal tentacle lashes out, slicing straight through the Hall of Fame machine, quite literally unmaking reality itself right in front of Oak's eyes. Blinking, Jamie looks over to see that Cam has released the Catastrophe, specifically for the task of destroying the machine and ending Oak's last insane plan, once and for all.

Silence reigns for a moment, before its broken by a bark of laughter from Lance.

"Even your own creation turned against you in the end, Oak! Hah! Not that it'll save him from his own crimes. Guards! Arrest them all!"

Jamie's eyes go wide as she and Jessie are grabbed by three Guards apiece before they can even think of throwing out a Pokemon. Bill too, is tackled to the ground as he shouts in indignant anger. Agatha is… carefully pulled to her feet, while Oak just howls as Guards approach him.

However, Cam… Cam just palms another Pokeball. The Catastrophe is still out, and he has five more Pokemon as well, likely all at full health and in tip-top fighting shape. Jamie blanches as she realizes this room is about to become a bloodbath. First, Cam throws out his Dragonite. Then his Raticate. Ninetales. Alakazam. Gyarados. The Catastrophe rounds out the lot, as the Johto Guards are all forced to step back, the sudden six Pokemon between them and their quarry.

For a moment, Lance looks stupefied at the sight of all of Cam's Pokemon, not even slightly battle-weary. Clearly, the General had been relying on the previous several battles to have weakened Cam's team considerably… but that was very much not the case.

Still, at this point he's come too far to stop now. His stupefaction is replaced by determination even in the face of certain death.

"What are you all waiting for?! He's a criminal, you don't have to engage him in any sort of honorable Pokemon Battle! Throw out your Pokemon and overwhelm the terrorist! If he dies… he dies!"

Somehow, Jamie doesn't think Cam will die. But she and Jessie just might, if the young man has to go all out in this tight of a confined space. As Johto Guards throw out their much weaker, but also much more numerous Pokemon, surrounding Cam and his team on all sides… Jamie lets her eyes drift shut, fully ready to meet her maker if that's how it has to be.

… There is another way.

Blinking, Jamie's eyes snap open as everything seems to stop… including herself. She gets her eyes open JUST in time to watch everyone in the Hall of Fame freeze, including Cam's Pokemon. The only one who isn't frozen… is Cam. Above them, the ceiling is suddenly peeled away under a truly powerful psychic force… and floating down into the Hall of Fame Chamber is what can only be Mewtwo. Not that Jamie ever saw her in the flesh or anything, but she certainly felt like she heard about her enough to be able to connect the dots.

Frozen in place, barely capable of swallowing, Jamie watches as Mewtwo lands in front of Cam, who has his brow furrowed. If anyone was going to talk the young man down… it would probably be some terrifying Psychic Type built in a lab somewhere.

… Fingers crossed.

-x-X-x-

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