FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

After ten blistering hours of walking, Mark and Randy had finally made it back to the city, hungry, ragged and ready for a rest. They brought their Pokémon to the nurse at the Pokémon Center, ensuring they received some professional care, healing the bruises and scrapes suffered during the week of training and the sparring matches with Randy -especially Skyclaw's hurt wing. After a few hours in the recovery room, she could fly again.

With their Pokémon back to proper health, Mark declared that it was time for them to get some rest. Their big day was almost upon them. With one day to spare, Mark and his Pokémon spent the day recuperating; he believed that they earned it. They had trained non-stop for days on end; they were stronger, but they were tired, and they needed rest.

Night passed quietly, with Mark hardly able to sleep a wink. But the day had now come.

Mark rose from bed, feeling invigorated. He summoned Vitesse from her ball, and went for a run with her at his side, sprinting through the streets of Celadon to get them warmed up. Their minds were in sync; Mark could sense Vitesse's thoughts, and she could feel his; they were awash with emotion that could only be brought by the challenge that awaited them. The thrill of the challenge that lay ahead filled their hearts; Mark knew he was ready to pit his strategies against Red's, Vitesse was anxious to face Red's Charizard; she had not seen him yet, but all her training over the last week only fueled her desire to face him in battle.

But there was one emotion they didn't share. Mark wondered if he was ready to face Red. He had barely even stood against Randy, who by his own admission had become stronger. Did this mean Mark and his Pokémon were also stronger for being able to stand against the trainer that previously beat them?

'There's no turning back now,' he thought. 'I am ready, and today I prove it to myself too. I was once the Hoenn Champion; I may not be that anymore officially, but neither is Red. We will face each other as equals in status, but our victory will be determined by our actions.'

When Mark met Randy back at the Pokémon Center, they were ready to head to the Pokémon League to meet Red. Skyclaw was their transportation to get to the Indigo Plateau, and when both were securely in place on her back, she took flight. Mark was riding behind Randy, holding his shoulders for balance, as Skyclaw ascended, grunting with effort at flying with the added weight of a second person. Once she was at ample height, she managed to carry them without much trouble.

Mark decided at that moment that if he was going to start catching new Pokémon there were some he'd have to keep for travelling, and another team for battle purposes. 'Actually... that betters my options if any of the trainers I face specialize in a certain typing; if I have more than one Pokémon of each type then I have a backup if the first one fails.'

The two didn't speak much as they flew; the rushing wind obscured their voices to the point they could scarcely hear each other. But, the flight was thankfully short as the Indigo Plateau was soon in sight, where Mark's final battle in the Kanto Region would take place. He wished he'd had more time to prepare for the battle that awaited him, but it wasn't right to make Red wait on his behalf; he had his own goals to pursue as well.

As they approached the plateau, Mark reminisced on his battles with Lance and Blue, thinking back to the top two contenders of the Kanto Region. When he first met Blue, the Viridian Gym Leader had seemed rather disinterested with his current role in life, but that had not stopped him from fighting with all he had against Mark, and were it not for some sneaky maneuvering on his part and Palm Tree's power boost that allowed him to overcome Blastoise.

As for Lance, he proved to be just as challenging; though his specialization in Dragon-types was a weakness in and of itself, the diversity of his choices and their various strengths made up for it. But the battle with Hydreigon had been _extremely_close; Mark had expected Lance to have one, but the Pokémon that he intended to keep for battling it had been taken out too early in the battle. He could not let that happen again; he had to stop being reckless.

'Things_will _be different this time,' he said. 'No more foul-ups. Especially not against Red.'

"Hang on, Mark; we're coming in for a landing!" Randy called at the top of his lungs to make sure Mark could hear as Skyclaw eased into a slow dive, descending towards the Indigo Plateau.

Mark clutched Randy's shoulders to keep himself steady as the wind rushed around him; he wasn't used to being the passenger on such a flight, and didn't feel quite as confident as he would if he were riding on Palm Tree's back. Not because he doubted Skyclaw, but he just trusted the Tropius more.

Much to their surprise, they saw someone was waiting for them on the Plateau, but it wasn't who they thought it'd be. Standing at the top of the stairs leading up to the Pokémon League building was Lance, alongside his Dragonite, who watched the two as they approached the plateau. When Skyclaw slowed her flight in preparation to land, the two began to descend the stairs to greet them, though the Dragon Master seemed clueless as to why they were back.

"Hello, Lance!" Mark called.

"Good morning, Mark! What brings you back here to the League?" Lance asked as he stepped within earshot.

"Well, you remember I was going to battle Red after my match with you?" Mark asked, earning a nod of confirmation from Lance. "We decided to have it up here on the Plateau."

"Did you? Interesting," Lance returned. "Well, this presents an opportunity for me then; I will get to see the battle for myself."

"If Red doesn't mind, I see no reason not to have a few spectators," agreed Mark, nodding to him. "Brock's probably going to be here too and I know Randy's staying for it."

"Damn right! I'm recording it!" Randy chimed in.

Mark looked back at Randy briefly before turning back to Lance again. "So, yeah; I see no issues with having you stay to watch, especially since we're on League property anyway."

"Do you want to have the battle inside in the Champion's Room?" Lance offered.

"Thanks, but I don't think so," replied Mark. "I have a hunch this is going to be one battle that should stay outdoors.

"Perhaps you're right," Lance returned in acknowledgement. "With our battle, still fresh in my mind, I suspect one between yourself and Red will be no less intense."

"I'm counting on it," Mark replied, smiling broadly.

Lance eyed him with mild curiosity, as though seeing something in him that he hadn't seen when they last met. "There is a fire burning within you that I did not see in our battle," he said.

"Beg your pardon?" Mark asked, quizzically.

"When I saw you before I saw a light that had dimmed; a fire that had lost its fuel source and was slowly dying," Lance went on. "But now I see a blaze has arisen from those embers I saw before. To put it another way, you're more confident and determined now; more motivated; I can hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes." He tilted his head slightly. "What happened after we parted ways, that you would change so much after our battle? Surely not even I could leave such an impression on you."

Mark considered Lance's question, amused by how Lance was basically saying the same thing his mother had to him the night before he left Celadon. It muddled the trainer somewhat knowing his mood was so readable, but the answer to Lance's question -and that of Diana's observation- was obvious; only one thing of merit had happened following Mark's last visit to the Indigo Plateau, when he and Randy had left for training and stopped only to take a trip to Celadon City. "Something did," he said in confirmation to the dragon master. "I met Red, in person."

"Go on," Lance urged, curious to hear more.

Mark recalled his experiences at the Celadon City convention, starting from Brock's presentation, the moment where he and Red had looked at each other, and their later discussions when they met each other at the café. "I think," Mark concluded. "It was my talking with Red that reignited my 'inner fire' as you and my mother are calling it. And I think that is why I am so eager for this battle; I think Red did all of that for me. He reminded me what really makes a good Pokémon trainer, and now, I want to experience firsthand what makes him an amazing trainer."

Lance's lips widened into a gentle smile. "I am pleased to hear your passion has reawakened," he said. "This is sure to be one of the greatest battles I have ever witnessed."

"Anything you can tell me about Red?" Mark asked. "I tried doing some study on him but he's so off-the-grid there's not a lot to find about him."

"I'm afraid anything I could tell you now would be of little help," replied Lance. "Red has been all over the world; his experience outweighs my own, and it is doubtful he still battles the same way as he did when he faced me all those years ago."

"I guess I have no choice but to wing it then," Mark stated.

"Indeed," Lance replied, and then elevated his gaze to peer over Mark's shoulder. "And it appears the time is upon you."

Mark stepped back on his heel and turned to see where Lance was looking, his gaze falling upon the tunnel entrance to Victory Road, where three individuals could be seen stepping out of the gloom of the tunnel entrance. The first to appear was none other than Red, accompanied by of course Brock and, most unexpectedly, Blue. What was he doing there, Mark wondered? Another spectator for the battle to come?

While Randy climbed up the stairwell to the upper half of the plateau from where he would have an elevated view of the battlefield, Mark crossed the lower field to meet Red and his two companions, waving to them as he approached. Brock was the first to greet him as they neared. "Mark! Good morning!" He called.

"You too, Brock," he called back, shaking hands with the Pewter Gym Leader as they stepped into arm's reach of each other. He then shifted his attention to Blue, and said, "I didn't know you were going to be here, Blue."

"I could hardly miss a battle like this," he returned with that signature smirk of his. "Especially not after you already beat me, so I want to make darn sure Red doesn't blow it."

Red shot Blue an incredulous look, before shifting his gaze back to Mark. "So, are you ready for this?" He asked in a low tone.

"Only one way to find out, isn't there?" Mark asked.

Red narrowed his eyes slightly. "You seem a lot more certain of yourself than when I saw you last week," he commented.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Yeah, been hearing that a lot this week, too," he returned, casting a glance back in Lance's direction. "But there's no doubt in my mind, Red; I am ready to battle you, and so are my Pokémon."

Red smiled broadly at Mark, raising a hand to his cap and tilting it back to lift the shadow from his eyes. "Then there's no reason to wait any longer, is there?" He asked.

"No... there isn't," Mark returned, his gaze locking with Red's as he felt a searing flame welling up within him, igniting his heart from the inside out and overwhelming him with feelings of anticipation. The moment he had been waiting for was upon him.

Mark and Red moved to either end of the plateau grounds, keeping a safe distance from the cliff overlooking the forest below, while their spectators moved up to the top of their stairs where they seated themselves, ideally positioned to observe the battle from afar. Randy had already set his camcorder upon a tripod; he could not have asked for a better elevation to observe the battle from, and tapped his fingers impatiently as he waited for them to start.

Brock's voice snapped Randy back to reality. "You know, Randy, I've seen guitar strings that were less tense than you," he commented, arching an eyebrow at him. "I bet if I plucked you, you'd twang."

"Hi-larious, Brock," Randy retorted. "Like you're not excited to be here to see this too."

"I never said I wasn't," Brock returned. "But I'd save the excitement for when it starts, wouldn't you say?"

"Eh, I'm pretty sure it'll be short," Blue scoffed, earning a quizzical look from Brock and Randy.

"What makes you say that?" Lance asked, turning to look at Blue as well.

"Mark barely managed even to beat me, and I haven't won a battle against Red since our match here at the League," Blue returned. "If he's coming at Red with the same strength he showed me back in Viridian, I'm afraid he's going to get taken to the curb and stomped flat."

"I think you underestimate him," Brock stated.

"Yeah? Why?" Blue asked, showing Brock a questioning look that he doubted Brock's words.

"I may not know Mark," began Brock. "But when you've been a Gym Leader as long as I have, you can just sense when a trainer has great potential; I can feel that in Mark. And I think he'll show it to all of us here."

"Are you saying you actually think Mark is going to win?" Blue asked.

"That is up to him, and to Red," replied Brock. "All I'm saying is don't expect this battle to be as quick and obvious as you seem to think it will."

"I agree with Brock," Lance added. "When I battled Mark here last week, I too could see a fire burning in him; it had gone dark with time, but throughout our match I could see it intensifying, reignited by his passion for battle strategy as he adapted to my tactics and eventually defeat my most powerful dragons, without even using all of his Pokémon I might add." He smiled with confidence. "I believe Mark is rediscovering the strength that made him a Champion of the Hoenn Region."

The expression on Lance's face was like that of a hungry predator about to engorge itself on its catch of the day. "And I for one hope that we will see that strength in full bloom on this day; that Mark will show us the passionate inferno that he embodies."

Blue scratched the back of his head as he eyed Lance incredulously. "If I had any idea what the heck you were even trying to say, Lance, I think I'd _still_be lost; you make it sound so dramatic but I just don't see what you do."

"Then let's just watch," Brock stated. "They're about to begin."

With a nod to Vitesse, Mark reached into his vest, fingering the holster containing his Poké Balls as he contemplated his lead Pokémon for the first round. He wanted to let Red choose first, but traditional procedure dictated that the challenger chose first, and Mark was the challenger. He couldn't be sure of what Red would send out first.

'Best to open with a strong defense then,' He decided, fingers closing around Tankers Poké Ball, lifting it from the holster and expanding it in his hand. He wound his arm back and threw the ball forward, calling out the name of the Steelix.

Tanker emerged from the ball, rising on his tail and growling deeply, ready to battle. His metal body glinted in the sunlight, bathing him in an ominous shadow. Red was undeterred though, selecting his first Pokémon within only a second, calling out "Lapras!" as the ball left his hand.

From the Poké Ball, a dinosaur-like Pokémon emerged. It was big, though not nearly as big as Tanker, with a body of smooth, blue skin, and elongated neck and a shell on its back. It had no legs; just four flippers, a cream-yellow underbelly and neck, and a short, blunt horn growing from its forehead between two curled ears. Its large black eyes showed a gentle creature within, but Mark knew Red would not pick such a Pokémon if it was not capable of battle.

Up at the top of the stairs, Lance eyed the two first choices with intrigue. "Well this is interesting," said Lance.

"What is?" Blue asked.

"Mark has chosen his Steelix, which is a Steel and Ground-type," he began. "Lapras is a Water and Ice-type; they perfectly counter each other."

"Yeah, but Red has made a big error," Randy chimed in. "Lapras is practically immobile on land; it's an aquatic Pokémon through and through. Tanker has the mobility advantage, and he hits like a wrecking ball."

Blue scoffed. "If you actually believe Red would make such a rookie mistake without a plan, you don't know what you're talking about."

Back in the battle, Red was the first to make a move. "Lapras, Hydro Pump!"

Lapras reared back its head after receiving the command, inhaling sharply. But Mark was quicker. "Roll left!"

As Lapras spewed the high-powered torrent of water, Tanker hurtled himself to the left, using the mass of his own head to throw his body out of the attacks trajectory, catching only a small amount of water on the end of his tail. He then repeated this dodge as Lapras tried again, this time going right per Mark's instructions. Each time Tanker performed this, he was brought closer to Lapras; Red apparently noticed this and ordered Lapras to fire a sweeping shot of Hydro Pump, hoping to catch Tanker when he tried to tumble again.

But Mark had expected such, and called out hurriedly, "fall back!" And so, Tanker hurled himself backwards, once more being splashed by the water but otherwise taking no damage. "Now, Dig!"

Tanker plunged headfirst into the ground, vanishing beneath the soil before Lapras could catch its breath enough to attack again. Within seconds, Tanker exploded out of the ground behind Lapras, roaring as he emerged.

"Surf away!" Red called before Tanker was fully out of the ground.

Lapras reacted quickly, exhaling water at the ground that quickly accumulated enough to form a miniature wave that carried it away before Tanker could lunge. He struck the ground where Lapras had been only a second before, missing his target.

"Circle around and attack!" Red called.

Still riding upon the miniature tsunami, the Pokémon steered itself and the wave around to rush at Tanker. The wave seemed to accumulate more water as it moved, fed and controlled by Lapras who added more as they turned.

"Dig again, quick!" Mark called.

Once more Tanker plunged into the ground, burrowing under the approaching wave. But of course, some of the water chased him into his tunnel, drenching the Steelix and forcing him to emerge from below, shaking mud from himself.

"One more time; get him!" Red called.

Tanker turned to see Lapras already wheeling about to attack again, the wave it rode upon having become much larger and wider now. Mark thought quickly, knowing Tanker wouldn't be able to dodge a wave of that size. He suddenly had an idea, and called out his instructions.

"Use Rock Tomb right in front of you, largest stones you can muster!"

Tanker did so, conjuring blue glowing stones from mid air and dropping them to spear into the ground in a line, forming a wide, crude wall before him. Lapras could not stop itself, both it and its conjured wave striking the wall of stones like a tidal wave would the face of a cliff. The impact stunned Lapras and dispersed the wave it had created, leaving it to fall away from the wall with a long, pained moan.

Mark waited to see if Lapras would try to move again before issuing and further orders, not wanting to strike it while it was down. It recovered from the stun, but Mark was not going to let it attack again. "Iron Head!"

Tanker lunged forward, smashing through the wall of boulders he had previously created before slamming head first into Lapras, knocking the Pokémon onto its back and sending it sliding across the now wet ground. It was at that moment Red decided that Lapras had had enough, and brandished its Poké Ball to recall it, thus giving the round to Tanker. When Lapras dematerialized into the ball, he replaced it back on his belt.

"Impressive," Brock commented. "Using Rock Tomb to stop the wave and set Lapras up for a counter-attack; I had better take note of that for _my_next challenger that brings a Water-type."

"I thought Red had that one for sure," Blue commented with a grimace. "I beat that Steelix no sweat before."

"With a one-hit knockout attack," Randy reminded, who was watching a quick replay of the video of Tanker smashing through the rocks and snickered as a thought crossed his mind. "I should totally make a thumbnail of this," he muttered.

With that, Red selected his next Pokémon. "Venusaur, you're up!" He called as he hurled the ball forward.

From the ball emerged a squat quadrupedal Pokémon with bumpy blue-green skin. The Pokémon had three toed feet at the end of short, stumpy legs, two round red eyes peering out from a rather flat face, with two pointed ears on either side of its head. On its back sprouted a massive pink flower with white spots, and a stem similar in texture to a palm tree, with matching leaves growing out to drape over the rest of Venusaur's back.

"A Venusaur eh?" Mark asked with intrigue. "My first time seeing one, let alone battling one."

"I hope I don't disappoint, then," Red returned. "You staying with your Steelix then?"

Mark hummed as he pondered that very question himself. Steelix wasn't weak to Grass-type Pokémon thanks to his Steel-type, but Venusaur looked quite sturdy and Tanker had already taken some damage against Lapras. Rather than press his luck, it would be better if he switched Tanker out for now and saved him for another battle.

And so, he did, drawing Tanker's Poké Ball and calling him back. "Good job, big fella," he said to the ball before returning it to the inside flap of his vest. "You won us the lead. Now let's keep it."

He looked back at Vitesse briefly before he made his next choice, picking Saber's Poké Ball; he knew how much the Scyther wanted to battle and Mark was more than happy to oblige. Venusaur was sturdy and probably quite strong but with speed and strategy, Mark was certain he could wear it down.

"Saber, you're on!" Mark called as he threw the ball. Saber barely let it fly three feet from Mark's hand before the ball popped open to release him, and he materialized where Tanker had been only a moment ago, appearing with his blades crossed over his chest as he was revealed. He unfurled his arms, eliciting a shrill cry before widening his stance as he faced Venusaur.

Saber was also sporting a new accessory; he was wearing the muscle band Mark had bought for him, but it was now decorated with the two spent Swift Wings he had been carrying since Mark had captured him. When Mark had presented Saber with the gift, the Scyther refused to be separated from the Swift Wings left by his master, and so Mark compromised with him; using the sewing kit he brought with him for mending clothes, he sewed the Wings to the muscle band, adding them as decoration. This pleased Saber, and now he was ready to fight.

Blue was surprised to see the Scyther. "When did he get that? I thought he only had six Pokémon altogether?"

"He took your advice," replied Randy. "He captured that Scyther just before his battle with Lance."

"I see Mark has already bonded quite well to him," Lance commented. "Scyther looks quite eager to show his strength."

"Mark seems to have that effect. And he's called Saber now, by the way."

"Venusaur, Petal Blizzard!" Red commanded, making the first attack.

Venusaur shook himself violently, scattering thousands of glowing flower petals from his body, filling the air around him until he was wrapped in a cloud of flitting petals, and it was getting larger by the second.

It quickly dawned on Mark what Red was up to. 'Red knows Scyther is much faster than Venusaur, so he's using an attack even a speedy Pokémon can't easily avoid. And even though Scyther is resistant to Grass-type moves, they're naturally frail. He intends to power through this battle.'

Already Mark was working out his counter plan, but he needed to create an opening first and probe Venusaur for weaknesses. "Saber, Double Team!"

Saber crossed his arms over his chest, his body flashing briefly as he began to dash to the side, leaving a trail of illusory duplicates of himself in his wake, carrying on until there were at least twenty or so of them. In response, Venusaur unleashed the Petal Blizzard, sending the attack scattering forth to sweep over them.

"Fly straight up!" Mark shouted hurriedly.

Saber compliantly took flight along with his many copies; several were still caught in the attack, fading from existence but many more remained, flying over the storm of petals which now dispersed after their use.

"Again, Petal Blizzard!" Red called out to Venusaur.

With another shake of his body, Venusaur generated even more petals to attack with, conjuring a veil of them around himself as though to prevent Saber from moving in to attack. Mark took notice of this, and of how the petals maneuvered around Venusaur as though to shield it.

'With his bulky form and stumpy legs, it stands to reason Venusaur doesn't do well against speedy opponents on its own. But Red is no fool; I bet my keystone he has all kinds of backup plans ready in case someone gets through that Petal Blizzard defense.' He stifled the smile that tried to creep onto his face. 'But I've got just the thing for that.'

"Now attack!" Red called, ordering Venusaur to unleash the Petal Blizzard.

"Evasive action!" Mark called out to Saber, only to find himself rather surprised by what he had just said. 'What am I, Air Force command?' He wondered.

But Saber understood the order just the same. He and his many copies scattered all about as the whirling vortex of petals expanded rapidly to blanket the entire field in swarming projectiles. Mark and Red both watched as the speedy Scyther and his clones zoomed about, displaying marvelous agility as they struggled to avoid the attack. Mark flinched every time one of the copies was erased, concerned that sooner or later the real Saber would be hit.

But as the number of clones dwindled, Saber somehow managed to stay out of danger, avoiding the Petal storm until it finally subsided, leaving only two clones and the original left.

Mark acted swiftly, seizing the precious second they had before Venusaur would attack again. "Now, Fury Cutter!"

The real Saber rushed forward, charging at Venusaur and successfully landing a strike across its face, making Venusaur growl in pain and pull back his head. But Red too was quick to act, barking out his next order to Venusaur.

"Protect!"

Venusaur faced forward again, letting out a low growl as a blue shield appeared in front of him. Saber was already during attacking again, his arm striking the energy wall and stopping him in his tracks.

"Now, Stun Spore!"

Venusaur dug his feet in and shook himself as the stem of his flower began to bulge. Mark ordered Saber to pull back, and just in the nick of time as the flower erupted with bright yellow pollen that showered the battlefield, blanketing it in the paralysis inducing toxins. Saber was safely out of reach thanks to Mara's quick action, but the last two of his copies were dispersed by them, exposing the real Saber completely.

'I knew Red would have some sort of backup plan,' He thought, hating it when he was right.

Now Saber had no way of attacking until the cloud lifted, but Red was not going to wait to give him that chance; he was already back on the offensive. "Seed Bomb!" And with that, dozens of large seeds were launched from the open flower on Venusaur's back. Mark ordered Saber back on the evasive, the Scyther dashing away as the first seed struck the ground and violently burst, sending an explosive wave and shards of the broken vessel scattering about.

One after another, the seeds fell in a deadly bombardment. Saber raced to and fro, trying to avoid taking a hit with his wings beating fervently to keep up his speed, but all the dodging was quickly tiring him out, and the Scyther reacted poorly after a minute into the bombing, until one struck the ground right in front of him and he received the full force of the blast, knocking him back.

"Saber!" Mark called out with concern

"Now, Vine Whip!"

From beneath the palm leaves growing over Venusaur's back, several vines with bulbous tips extended forth. Saber had only just managed to right himself before the attack came, his legs snared by the vines and yanked off his feet, falling onto his front. With that, he felt two more strike his back, making him cry, before he was yanked from the ground, swung around and then hurtled back into the soil brutally.

Randy cringed at the sight. "Oh, man that's rough!" He exclaimed.

Saber was lifted back up to be swung again, but he would not have it; mustering all his strength, he chopped at the vines holding his legs and taking wing once more when Venusaur lost his hold on him. "Nice work, Saber! You okay?" Mark called, receiving a call of acknowledgement in return. "Alright; move in with a Wing Attack!" The Stun Spore had settled now; Mark had to seize this opportunity before it slipped away.

Saber charged forth, making a beeline straight for Venusaur. Red called out for another Protect, and as before, Venusaur erected the protective shield. But Mark was ready this time. "Feint!" He bellowed.

Saber went for Venusaur as if to strike him directly; Venusaur recoiled instinctively, but then Saber vanished in the blink of an eye. Venusaur turned to look for him, but then roared with pain as he felt a biting pain at his leg. Saber had dashed behind him and had chopped his hamstring, opening a painful laceration and making the Venusaur collapse under his own weight before he could adjust to his leg giving out.

"Now, Double Hit!" Mark called.

Saber dashed back around to Venusaur's front just as the Protect faded, and the large Pokemon was subjected to two painful strikes across his face, leaving an 'X' mark imbedded in his forehead where Saber struck him, until Mark gave his final command. "Now, Wing Attack!" Saber jumped back from Venusaur, taking flight once more and then sweeping across Venusaur's face, striking him with his glowing left wing, causing him to recoil again.

"Now, use...!" Mark began, but Red cut him off.

"Stun Spore again!"

This time, Saber was too close; pollen exploded from Venusaur's flower, showering the Scyther with toxins that he unfortunately breathed in, and introduced his body to the toxin. The Paralysis set in instantly; Saber's body became stiff, and sent jolts of pain shooting through him when he tried to move. He was helpless.

"Now, Double-Edge!"

Venusaur charged, bounding towards Saber with thunderous steps marking his every step as he bulled himself directly into the Scyther and slammed into him with all of his weight, knocking Saber off his feet and sending him skidding across the ground, where with a final groan he grew still. But, much to the surprise of Mark and Red, Venusaur suddenly became rather shaky, and then collapsed to the ground with a mild tremor marking his drop, giving in to the injuries inflicted by Saber and the recoil he suffered from using Double Edge.

Neither Pokémon stood back up.

"A double knockout," commented Brock.

"Man, and Saber was doing so well too," Randy added, sadly.

Mark and Red both recalled their Pokémon, returning them to their Poké Balls where they could recuperate comfortably. After placing the shrunken Poké Balls back in their holsters, they faced one another, a short silence hanging over them for a moment. But Mark was certain he saw Red smiling, and looked at him oddly.

"What're you smiling at?" He asked.

"So far this is proving to be a really good battle," replied Red. "It's not often I get to feel so excited as I do now. The last one to make me feel so alive was the Unova Champion, and before them, the Johto Champion, both very far apart."

"The battle has hardly started yet; we've only used two Pokémon each," Mark pointed out.

"That may be, but trust me on this - and I say this at the risk of sounding pompous," began Red. "When you get to the level I've reached, a challenging opponent is a rare treat."

Mark chuckled at that, feeling a sympathetic chord stricken by Red's words, remembering that he had felt the same way up until he battled Randy. "I think I know what you mean," he said.

"Shall we continue, then?" Red asked, having already chosen his next Poké Ball.

Mark nodded to him. "Right," he returned.

Red cast Mark a warning look. "I advise you don't underestimate the Pokémon contained in this ball," he said before he cast it forward, and it opened to release the inhabitant within.

From the Poké Ball emerged a small, yellow coloured Pokémon with black tipped ears, round black eyes and brown stripes on its back. It had a jagged tail shaped like a lightning bolt, short arms ending in five little claws and short legs with long feet. Around his neck, he wore a collar with a shiny, round yellow stone on the front

"A... Pikachu?" Mark asked with curiosity. "Why that and not a Raichu?"

"I actually do have a Raichu too," Red clarified, laughing lightly as Pikachu ran back to him, jumping on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek with its own. "But this Pikachu is a special friend of mine; he's been with me on a lot of adventures and pulled me out of tight spots. I just didn't want to evolve him."

He tickled Pikachu under its chin. "Don't under sell him just for not being evolved; he's one of my most dependable partners. Nowadays I take him with me everywhere."

Mark hummed slightly, and then, "I actually have a Pokémon like that," he said. "Not a Pikachu mind you but not fully evolved either." He reached into his vest, fingers clenching Coal's Poké Ball. "And this one is going to seem quite familiar to you, Red."

Red tilted his head curiously as he watched Mark draw back his arm and toss the Poké Ball out to the battlefield, releasing the Charmeleon contained inside. Coal released a ferocious little growl as he was released, landing on all fours until he reared up on his hind legs, scaly lips widening in a grin.

Red was clearly surprised by the sight of the Charmeleon, lifting his gaze and staring as if his mind were reliving an old memory. Meanwhile, at the upper level, the other trainers watching the match looked down with intrigue at Mark's choice.

"That's the Charmeleon that Mark used to blindside my Alakazam along with that Mightyena!" Blue commented bitterly.

"That is not all it did," Lance added. "That little Charmeleon defeated my Haxorus all on its own."

"Your Haxorus?" Exclaimed Blue and Brock in disbelief.

"So, Mark is busting out the little devil eh?" Randy thought aloud.

"Randy," Brock began. "Where did Mark get that Charmeleon from? They aren't found in Hoenn."

"Yes; I am curious to that as well," added Lance. "He said he'd never been to Kanto before."

"Well the short version is that Mark adopted Coal," explained Randy. "Apparently, some trainer left his Charizard at the daycare near Mauville and never came back for it, a female one obviously. Turns out she was in season, and I guess found a handsome male there. The trainer who owned the male wasn't pleased about it, and refused to accept the egg that the Charizard laid from the union. So, Mark, who happened to be passing by, took it instead."

"So, that is how he obtained it," said Lance. "And it also explains how Coal knew Dragon Pulse in my battle with Mark; the Charizard line only learns that move through breeding, so Coal's father must have been a Dragon-type."

"What about the Charizard; what happened to her?" Brock asked.

"Still there, according to Mark. She kind of protects the place, and the old couple grew fond of her so they kept her."

"At least she has a home, then," said Brock.

"I'd sure love to find the trainer who ditched her there," Blue stated. "I'd show him what for."

'Well, he's not a total prick after all' thought Randy, feeling moved by Blue showing he had a sensitive side.

Red eventually stopped staring at Coal as a smile crossed his features; a fond, reminiscent smile of a past time. "Well, that really takes me back," he said, adjusting his hat and lowering his gaze slightly. "My earlier adventures with my Charizard, before and after he evolved. Those were good times..."

After a few melancholic moments, Red elevated his head again. "I have to thank you, Mark," he said.

Of course, Mark was confused. "Uh... you're welcome I guess, though I'm not exactly sure what it is I did?"

"Well, spurring some fond memories for one," explained Red. "This battle for another, as I mentioned earlier. But most of all, you helped remind me that one of the best things about Pokémon," he paused to turn to his Pikachu, petting it on the head and receiving a grateful squeak in return. "Is in raising them, watching them grow and growing with them too. After all my time spent traveling and searching, it seems I have forgotten something about myself too."

Mark turned his head curiously. "Searching for what?" He asked.

Red chuckled, adjusting his hat probably for the third time since the battle had started, and replied, "story for later. I'm anxious to continue this battle now." At that, Pikachu sprang from his shoulder, dropping back on all fours with jolts of electricity sparking from the red spots on its face.

"Alright then," said Mark. "Let's do this, Coal!"

The Charmeleon growled in return, snorting a puff of smoke and baring his teeth. "Show him your Flame Burst!"

Coal sucked in a deep breath before he spat a large fireball from his mouth, sending it arcing towards Pikachu.

"Agility!" Red called, sending Pikachu off in a dash at blinding speed, avoiding not only the fireball, but also the following shower of embers that erupted when it struck, clearing the attack completely unscathed.

"Damn! That is one fast little mouse!" Mark exclaimed.

"I'm just getting started!" Red declared. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

At his command, Pikachu was once again off like a shot, approaching Coal in a wide berth, flanking and slamming into the Charmeleon before Mark had the chance to warn him of the attack, stumbling Coal as Pikachu slammed into his ribs from the side.

Coal was quick, but Pikachu was blindingly fast, Mark realized. It was time for a little turnabout. "Smokescreen!" He called.

Coal belched a cloud of smoke as Pikachu circled around to attack him again, this time with a Thunderbolt attack at Red's command. But by the time he did so, Coal was already enshrouded in the smokescreen, and no pained cry was heard from the Charmeleon; the bolt had missed.

"Pikachu, keep your ears open! He could come from anywhere!" Red warned.

Pikachu kept his ears raised as his beady black eyes stared into the dark smoke, watching intently for any flicker of movement that he could spot while simultaneously listening for Coal's footsteps or attack. The smoke continued the longer, likely fed by the Charmeleon within as he waited for his chance to strike...

Red's eyes shot to the left, spotting a glow in the smoke and recognizing it immediately. "On your left; incoming!"

"Scary Face!" Mark called through the smoke.

Coal's head was the first to emerge from the smoke. As with his battle with Randy's Zangoose aboard the S.S Julia, he appeared wearing a nightmarish grin, bearing a mouthful of teeth, eyes wide and pupils dilated and cackling madly in Pikachu face. Pikachu reaction would be comical for all who bore witness, letting out a long, high-pitched shriek of terror as he stumbled away from the Charmeleon.

"Geez! I heard scary face, not horror movie monster face!" Blue commented, evidently also taken aback by Coal's performance.

But Randy was only laughing. "And I thought Velox reacted badly when Mark used that combo on him."

"Now I know what you meant when you called Coal a little devil," Brock remarked.

Back in the battle, Mark, after hearing Pikachu scream in fright, took advantage of the hesitation that would surely follow, and gave Coal his next command. "Headbutt!"

Coal acted immediately, dropping his scary face and lunging at Pikachu, slamming head first into his exposed belly to wind the electric mouse and knock him back from the force of the blow. Pikachu was thrown onto the paved ground leading up to the stairs, sliding across the cobblestone a few meters. Coal ran fully out of the smoke cloud to pursue Pikachu, eager to continue the battle. When Mark saw Coal chasing Pikachu, his heart leapt.

"Coal, wait! Not yet!" Mark cried.

But Coal had been taken by the excitement of the battle - or perhaps by the idea of getting a fourth victory of the journey and did not heed his trainer. Pikachu was standing back up, once more with his cheeks sparking as he turned to face Coal.

"Thunder Wave!" Red ordered.

Pikachu tensed, cheeks sparking again before tiny jolts of electricity blasted forth and struck the Charmeleon. Coal reacted to the jolt, freezing mid step and posing awkwardly, eyes crossed and teeth clenched as he froze in place, his raised foot and tail twitching in a spastic manner as he tried to move, but his body would not respond.

"Now, Volt Tackle!" Red ordered.

"Coal, watch out!!" Mark practically screamed, trying to spur Coal to get out of the way, but the Charmeleon was completely frozen in place and could not get out of the way as Pikachu charged. The yellow Pokémon let out a long, anguished cry as his body exploded with electricity, enveloping him and crackling wildly until he slammed into Coal with all of his might and blasted him with the full power of the electricity, sending Coal flying.

Vitesse acted instantaneously, leaping from where she stood and catching Coal in her arms, saving him from a painful landing. Mark was seeking the Charmeleon, unaware he'd already been caught until he saw Coal cradled in Vitesse arms. Leaving his spot, he ran over to the two, seeing Vitesse lower herself onto one knee and following suite to check on his Pokémon.

"Coal, are you okay?" He asked.

Coal was still recovering from the attack he had just taken, twitching and squirming in Vitesse arms until he was able to release a small growl of reply, only to twitch involuntarily in several limbs as he tried to move.

Mark gently patted Coal's head. "That's why you never rush in like that, dummy," he said, laughing lightly. "You got carried away didn't you, boy?"

Coal nodded weakly, but cringed again as his neck received a jolt of pain from the paralysis. Mark hastily retrieved his pack a Paralyze Heal, bringing it over to Coal. "This will fix you up, boy," he said as he applied the curative to Coal's chest.

He looked up at Vitesse, who nodded to him in reply. Mark retrieved Coal's Poké Ball from its holster and recalled the Charmeleon inside to let him recuperate, before he turned his attention back to the battle with Red, already picking his next Pokémon to finish the battle with Pikachu. "Finish this up, Siren!" He called, casting the Milotic's ball into the battle area, freeing her from its confines. The Milotic squealed with joy as she tasted fresh air again, her gaze falling upon Pikachu as she got her bearings.

"You're picking a Water Pokémon to battle an Electric-type?" Red asked, questioningly. "Why would you do that?"

"Battles aren't always decided by type," was all Mark gave as a reply.

"Suit yourself," returned Red. "Pikachu, use Agility to get in close!"

Once again, the mouse was off, speeding away faster than the very lightning he commanded and zigzag gingerly across the ground towards Siren, moving in elaborate patterns to throw off the Milotic. She watched with shock as Pikachu was, both figuratively and literally, running in circles around her. But Mark was quicker to lend support.

"Don't let him spook you; use Disarming Voice!" He called.

Siren complied, throwing back her head and emitting a loud, almost songs like cry that seemed to pulsating around her, vibrating the air with her voice. Pikachu stopped running as the pulse reached him, literally stumbled and slightly tossed by the attack only to land on his face comically.

"Use Aqua Rings while you have a moment!" Mark instructed her. She did so, coating her body in a glassy veil of water to treat any injuries she might suffer. "Good! Now, Water Pulse!"

Siren reared back her head, a sphere of water forming in front of her mouth. Red called out a warning to Pikachu, who had just managed to get back on all fours as Siren prepared to attack. As the Milotic made a striking motion with her body, lashing like a viper, she fired the sphere at Pikachu, who narrowly got clear of the impact zone, suffering only a few cold droplets that landed on his back.

"Thunderbolt!" Red ordered.

Pikachu faced Siren again, cheeks sparking fiercely before a bolt of electricity exploded from his body, and Siren was stricken by the bolt, letting of a pained yelp. She winced from the attack, but briskly shook it off before facing Pikachu again, her eyes narrowed in displeasure.

"What? How?" Red asked, shocked that Siren did not appear more injured.

"I can see you've raised your Pikachu well," Mark commented. "Swift and agile as he should be. However, no matter how strong you made him, Siren's defense is still stronger."

"We'll see about that!" Red retorted. "Thunder Wave, Pikachu!"

"Safeguard!" Mark ordered.

Pikachu discharged another bolt of electricity to shock Siren, but with a gleam in her eyes, an invisible barrier blocked the bolts, forming ripples in the very air itself as the bolt was dissipated harmlessly by the shield.

"Water Pulse!" Mark called.

With another striking motion, Siren launched another condensed sphere of water at Pikachu, who once more ducked out of the way just in time. "Pikachu, she's a distance fighter! Move in to battle at close range with Quick Attack!" Red instructed, having spotted Siren's weak point.

Pikachu adhered to his trainer's knowledge, making a mad dash towards Siren with blinding speed, but Mark was not willing to let that happen, ordering Siren to use Disarming Voice again, knocking Pikachu off-trajectory and forcing him back with another Water Pulse, which this time struck home and sent Pikachu flying several meters, where he landed on his back.

"Pikachu, are you okay?" Red asked.

After a moment to get his bearing, Pikachu stood up again, but he was a little shaky from the hit, but other than that he seemed okay. "One last shot; Electro Ball!"

Pikachu jumped into the air as a sphere of condensed electricity formed on the end of his tail, broadening until it was larger than Pikachu himself, where he performed a front flip and hurled the ball at Siren. She wasn't fast enough to get out of the way, bracing herself and managing to stay quiet even as she was struck by the ball of lightning, until she let out a pained shriek; Electro Ball had proven stronger than Thunderbolt, and seemed to cause her significant harm, face contorted and eyes clenched with pain.

"Got her!" Red chimed, believing that Electro Ball might have finally tipped the scales. "Now, Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu charged forward, body exploding with electricity as before when he had used this attack against Coal, and with Red having figured out Sirens ineffectiveness at close range, it seemed Pikachu would take this battle as well.

But it was not the case.

"Recover!" Mark called.

Siren glowed as she released rejuvenating energy through herself, the burn marks on her tail from the Electro Ball vanishing from her flesh. With that, her eyes shot open, and, using her tail and head to brace herself, she lifted her body off the ground, and Pikachu charged through the opening she had left, running across the plateau until he managed to skid to a halt.

"Ole, senior," the Hoenn trainer snarked.

Red grit his teeth in annoyance. "Smartass," he retorted. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle one more time!"

Pikachu started to run, but Mark beat him to it. "Hypnosis!"

Siren's eyes glowed as she turned to look at Pikachu, who caught her gaze as he attempted to charge. The hypnotic spell emitted from her gaze struck immediately, and Pikachu felt his mind swimming, eyelids becoming heavy and slowing him down until he veered off course, hobbling awkwardly in a half run, half stumble, until he eventually reached the Milotic. Siren watched him, blinking the glow from her eyes as it became clear Pikachu was already under the effects, and brought her fan-like tail around for him to land on as he finally collapsed.

"And he's out," Brock commented from where he sat.

"Like a light," Randy added.

Red walked over to Siren, who graciously picked up Pikachu with her tail to pass him to Red, who cradled the sleeping mouse in his arms after thanking her, letting her return to Mark's side where she lowered her head to receive a petting along the back of her neck.

"That a girl," he said, smiling at her. "You did great." He offered her a couple of Sitrus Berries, which she happily scooped up in her mouth and ate as Mark continued to pet and praise her.

"Mark," Red called as he returned Pikachu to his Poké Ball, replacing it on his belt as he spoke to the Hoenn trainer. "I have to know; how did Siren withstand that Electro Ball and recover so quickly? After taking Thunderbolt and Electro Ball, she should have been too weakened; is her defense really that strong?"

"As much as I'd like to think so," Mark began, "looking back at when she was stricken by Electro Ball it was clear you overwhelmed her defense. However, that Aqua Ring she used before already undid the damage she had taken from Thunderbolt." He looked at Siren. "When you resorted to using Physical attacks, you had the right idea; up close she's not as effective. But that's exactly why I use moves like Disarming Voice and Safeguard -which, I confess I didn't make much use of until now.

"By using Safeguard, I can keep her safe from status condition moves like Thunder Wave, and use Disarming Voice to hound speedy, maneuverable opponents like your Pikachu, to make it extremely difficult for them to reach her," he turned back to Red. "If she can keep them at a distance, they will resort to their ranged special attacks, which is where her defense and healing abilities come in. Played right, she can outlast the enemy, let them wear themselves out and finish them off."

Red nodded in satisfaction. "Brilliant... her defense is almost perfect," he said. "But according to Blue you didn't show this kind of preparation."

Mark grimaced at that. "Well, I think I said this before, but I haven't been myself," he stated. "These past few days, I've spent a lot of time reflecting on my past battles, both recent and distant." His gaze lowered, still resting a hand on Siren as his mind drifted back to the recent battles, the many errors he made and how they had led up to this point, but most of all, how he was to blame for it.

"I grew complacent, and in allowing such I forgot how to read situations as they developed, letting myself get baited into traps," he said, seeing in his mind his battle with Lance, between Vitesse and Goodra, where he had allowed his trusted partner to take a Bide attack that had taken her out in one strike.

"I let my Pokémon get out of shape." He saw his battle with Marvin at Professor Sycamore's lab where Fang had nearly been defeated by the gangster's Galvantula- a Pokémon that should have been far weaker even with its type advantage. "But worst of all I forgot how to work in perfect sync with my Pokémon; to feel as they do, letting me share their thoughts as they share mine. In the six months, I spent in retirement, I lost the very things that made me a Champion in the first place."

He elevated his gaze, facing Red again. "But now, I stand here, facing you atop this plateau. I have learned from my mistakes, and now I remember who I really am -what kind of trainer I am. I became a champion through the strength of my Pokémon -strength I helped them reach, and I became a champion through my ability to adapt -something I gained from them."

The wind over the plateau was increasing, as though the very forces of nature themselves were reacting to Mark's strength and self realization. "And now that I have found myself again, the trainer who became Hoenn Champion now stands before you, as I stood before Steven Stone eighteen months ago."

A long silence fell over the battlefield. Randy, Lance, Brock and Blue all stared down the stairs to the two trainers as they stared each other down, Vitesse and Siren poised at Mark's sides as one waited for the other to speak. Mark felt a strange sensation wash over his body; he felt lighter, energized -more alert, as though he was awakening from a long slumber. He had finally acknowledged that he had been the cause of his own weakness, and now was ready to make amends for it.

Red was smiling again, once more adjusting his hat for the umpteenth time as he spoke to Mark. "I want you to promise me something," he said.

"What?" Mark asked curiously.

"Regardless of how this battle turns out -that even if I win here today, don't give up on your journey," Red requested. "Carry on to the other regions; battle the Champions, and prove your strength to them as you have to me. I think all of them could learn something from you -even relish a chance to battle a trainer like you. So however our contest ends, do this one favour for a fellow Ex-Champion and continue to follow this road beyond the league."

Mark felt a smile cross his own features as well, raising his head and standing tall and proud in the wake of Red's words. "I will," he returned with barely any hesitation. "I'll see my journey through, from here in Kanto all the way to the glittering cities of Kalos -I'll face the top trainers of this generation, for win or loss."

"Then let us finish this," stated Red, producing his fourth Poké Ball. "I have three Pokémon left, you have four. It's time that I even the scales!" He drew back his arm, posing like a baseball player before throwing the Poké Ball as hard as he could. "Go, Snorlax!"

From the ball, a familiar Pokémon emerged; the same Snorlax Mark had seen Red call upon for Brock's demonstration at the convention, appearing from the confines of the ball and stretching its arms as it yawned. When it lowered its arms, it stopped to scratch its belly, rumbling hungrily.

"So, bringing in the heavyweight, are you?" Mark asked, a suppressed excitement in his voice, ushering Siren back as he reached into his vest, pulling out another Poké Ball. "Fine; one heavyweight against another! Time for round two, Tanker!" Mark shouted as he threw the ball forward, releasing Tanker from the ball and letting the Steelix resume the battle where he left off, growling deeply as his red eyes fixed upon Snorlax, raising himself up on his tail to cast his shadow over the shorter -but by no means lighter Pokémon.

Randy was grinning widely as he watched the battle about to resume. "Mark's really getting fired up," he stated. "I don't think he was this worked up even when I battled him!"

"Nor I," agreed Lance, sharing a grin as wide as Randy's as he leaned forward and rested his arms upon his knees. "I am actually a little envious of Red, now; seeing this spirit in Mark makes me wish I could have witnessed it during our battle."

"Starting to second guess Red's victory here, Blue?" Brock asked, crossing his arms and looking at the Viridian Gym leader.

"Not a chance," retorted Blue, though his answer was ever so slightly delayed, and Brock did not miss this.

Red and Mark resumed their battle; Red issued the first command. "Snorlax, Brick Break!" And with that order, Snorlax charged at Tanker, drawing back its fist to deliver a mighty punch to the Steelix.

"Dig!" Mark called, sending Tanker burrowing underground as Snorlax approached; thankfully the plump Normal-type was not any faster than Tanker himself was.

"Brace yourself, Snorlax; it could come from anywhere!" Red called. "Feel the vibrations; use them to find that Steelix!"

Snorlax stood its ground, listening and watching as it waited for its opponent to reappear. He could feel Tanker moving about beneath the ground through the vibrations in the ground just as Red instructed, and shifted his feet warily. After a moment, he jerked and let out a grunt, as if in warning his trainer.

"Use Rollout!" Red called hurriedly.

Snorlax tucked his arms against his body and lurched forward, curling himself into a ball and quickly spinning into a roll. He avoided Tanker with less than a second to spare, the Steelix erupting from the ground directly under where he had been and unwittingly assisting Snorlax in his rolling as the shattered ground sent him tumbling away. He rolled for a fair distance before circling around and heading straight back toward Tanker, quickly picking up speed as he rolled.

"Iron Head!" Mark ordered.

Tanker drew back his head, waiting for the right moment to strike out as Snorlax approached, and then with a deep growl he swung his entire upper body towards the blubbering Blue Pokémon rushing towards him. He slammed into Snorlax's side, throwing his Rollout off course until he careened out of control and plunged directly into the nearby cliff face.

But to the surprise of Mark -and seemingly defiance of physics itself, Snorlax seemed to rebound right off the cliff face, collapsing several chunks of rock in the process, and went zooming back towards Tanker like a pinball after it was slapped by a paddle in the machine, and steered his course to head directly at Tanker at such an angle the iron snake was literally run over by Snorlax, letting out a distressed roar as his tail was crushed into the ground all the way to his head, which then followed, resulting in a plume of dust as Tanker's head hit the ground.

"How... what the hell did I just see?" Randy asked. "How did Snorlax do that?"

"Do what; run over a Steelix?" Blue asked.

"Bounce off of a cliff wall! What is he made of, rubber?" He turned his attention to his camcorder. "I need to play that back in slow motion."

"I'd hold off on that; the battle is not over yet," Lance suggested.

He was correct. Tanker was lifting himself back up again, shaking the dirt from his face and growling deeply. "You okay, Tanker?" Mark asked, receiving a rumble of confirmation from the Steelix. "Good; here he comes again!"

Snorlax was already racing back in Tanker's direction; Rollout was a Rock-type move and normally not effective against Steel-type Pokémon, but Snorlax's sheer mass made up for that, as shown beforehand. But this time Snorlax wasn't going to attack with Rollout again. At Red's command, he unfurled from his ball mode and jumped so suddenly that was sent hurtling straight towards Tanker as if fired from a cannon.

"Brick Break!" Red called.

With mass and momentum on his side, the punch delivered by Snorlax was like being hit by a missile without the explosion. Tanker had tried to move out of the way but Snorlax had just been too fast for him to avoid, and took the Fighting type move straight to the face. With a deafening roar of pain, Tanker was sent falling onto his back with enough force to shake the entire plateau, and Snorlax added to it when it landed on both feet behind the Steelix.

"Tanker! Can you get up?" Mark called out to his Steelix.

To his relief, Tanker indeed rolled back onto his front, raising himself up on his tail shakily; that last attack had hit him quite hard, even with his mighty defense. 'I have to end this fast or Tanker won't last much longer.'

"Brick Break one more time!" Red called to Snorlax as he turned to face Tanker once more.

"Defense Curl!" Mark called as Snorlax broke into a run and charged at the Steelix, drawing back his fist for one more punch.

Tanker lowered his head a prepared himself for optimal incoming attack, bracing as Snorlax charged into range and delivered a mighty right hook punch to Tanker's head. The Steelix took it, growling with pain, but held firm despite it.

"Iron Head, now!" Mark commanded.

Tanker rumbled loudly as he drew back his head and then lunged at Snorlax, slamming into him with all of his might. Snorlax resisted, grabbing Tanker with his huge paws and digging his feet into the ground as Tanker tackled him, bringing the two into a contest of strength. One that Snorlax was losing; despite his attempts to dig in, Tanker was still pushing him back.

When Snorlax could hold no longer, Tanker sent him stumbling backward with one mighty push, and was about to lunge at him for one final attack when Red called out. "Jump as high as you can!"

Snorlax did, launching himself into the air above and sending Tanker face first into the dirt. The Steelix turned and looked up in time to see Snorlax overhead, Red calling out "Body Slam!" as his last attack a final attempt to finish off Tanker.

"Defense Curl!" Mark countered, prompting Tanker to curl up and braced himself as one thousand pounds of muscle and blubbering fell upon him.

Snorlax landed on Tanker's head, and thudded against the Steelix like a bug on a windshield. The Snorlax let out a deep grunt, and slowly rolled off of Tanker's face, and the Steelix delivered a final Iron Head to finish him off, sending Snorlax hurtling back towards Red and skidding across the ground, letting out one last groan as he lay gathering his breath.

The trainer spectators, as well as some others who had stepped out of the league to join them, drawn by the commotion, all stared bewildered by what had just happened. The new spectators included the shopkeepers, the nurses for the on site Pokémon center and even the Elite Four, all arriving in time to watch Tanker claim victory.

"Now the battle is three to two," stated Randy. "Red has his Charizard and something else we don't know yet."

"Might be his Aerodactyl," Brock suggested.

"Rest now, Snorlax," ordered Red as he recalled his Pokémon. Tanker rose triumphantly on his tail again, seemingly reinvigorated by his victory and awaiting Red's next choice. "So, it's come to this then," stated Red as he produced his fifth Poké Ball. "I have a feeling this is the one you've been waiting for, Mark."

The Hoenn trainer tilted his head curiously, until the meaning behind Red's words. "Wait, you mean you're picking...?"

"That's right," began Red as he drew back his arm, shifting his stance to a wide-legged pose, arm drawn back and eyes ablaze with excitement. "Go, Charizard!" He called at the top of his lungs, hurling the ball high into the air as he summoned his most powerful Pokémon yet.

The ball opened.

Fire exploded from within as a red scaled, reptilian form dropped out of midair, landing with a thunderous step on both legs, head lowered and wings crossed in front of it. The dragonic being uncrossed his wings, spreading them wide open and unleashing a deafening roar to the sky, filled with a primal fury as his voice shook the very air itself with the volume, announcing to the world that he was ready for battle.

Red's Charizard was huge. The average Charizard wasn't naturally large, but this one was as tall as Snorlax had been, sporting a body thick with well developed muscles and two huge wings to compensate for his undoubtedly great body mass. His scales were a hot, light red with a cream yellow undertone on the chest and belly and to the end of his tail. His wings matched this colour but had blue skin on the wings instead of yellow. His eyes were a sharp blue, lighter than his wings and glaring out from beneath a furrowed brow at Tanker. He also had two blunt horns growing out from the back of his head, and a bright, red-hot burning flame at the end of his tail.

'I'm finally seeing him for the first time," said Mark, feeling his breath stolen away by Charizard's sheer splendor. Mark could tell he was powerful just by the sight of him, and his eyes quickly found the neck accessory that housed a blue-tinted mega stone. Soon he would get to see _that_in action too.

"Red's going with Charizard already?" Blue asked, surprised. "He usually saves him for last. Unless..." He trailed off.

"Unless what?" asked Randy, looking at Blue curiously.

But he didn't answer.

Tanker rumbled loudly, glaring at Charizard. Mark sensed the Steelix still wanted to battle but in his damaged condition, Mark feared that Tanker would stand no chance against Charizard. But fresh out of a Poké Ball, Charizard held the advantage either way. Even at full strength, Vitesse would need every edge she could possibly get.

'I hate to do it, but the benefit outweighs the risk. Tanker wants to keep battling and if he can land even one hit, it could make all the difference.'

"Alright, Tanker," began Mark. "Let's do this! Use Rock Tomb!"

Tanker reared back and roared as he conjured dozens of large stones from nothingness and then sent them to rain upon Charizard, falling towards him in such abundance it seemed impossible to avoid them all.

"Go!" Red shouted, prompting Charizard into action.

Charizard took flight within seconds of Red's command, flying up at the stones directly. Mark barely saw what happened through the shower of boulders, but his mouth still fell agape when he saw fragments of them scatter in all directions, and Charizard himself appeared above them, arching about and diving towards Tanker with a fierce growl to follow.

"Mega Punch!" Red ordered.

He was too fast for Tanker to avoid, so Mark did the only other thing he could think of. "Defense Curl!" Mark shouted hurriedly.

Tanker drew his head in, bracing himself as Charizard flew low, soaring across the ground in a beeline straight for him. Much to the shock of Mark and Tanker alike, when Charizard's short but powerful arm connected with the underside of Tanker's jaw, and following a deafening metallic impact the Steelix was sent hurtling backwards as though he had been shot by a cannon, releasing a roar of pain until he struck the ground like a falling tower, the impact stirring a cloud of dust that forced Mark to cover his eyes to protect them from debris.

"When it subsided, Mark saw his Steelix lying flat on his back across the ground, a visible dent in his jaw where Charizard had punched him, eyes shut and body motionless.

Tanker had been knocked out.

"Un-freaking-real!" Randy exclaimed. "How can something so big move so fast?! And a Normal-type Mega Punch, not even used by a Normal-type, taking out Tanker in just one hit?! Even weakened he should have easily been able to take that, especially with his defense boosted!"

"I don't think you grasp just how strong Red's Charizard is," Blue stated firmly. "Of all the Pokémon, he has, except possibly one, his Charizard is without equal. Even without the power from that stone on his neck, Charizard is virtually unstoppable."

"Red has a strong spirit, and that strength is shared by Charizard," Lance added. "They are the perfect team. Red has raised Charizard to perfection, with all of his heart and soul, and the Pokémon you see before you is the result of that bond. That is what made Red a legend of the Kanto region."

Mark returned Tanker to his Poké Ball, looking at it briefly before he returned it to its holster, turning to looking at Vitesse. The Blaziken nodded back to her trainer, stepping up to stand before him, but once she passed him, her eyes were only on Charizard. Mark could feel her spirit, her anticipation rising as she looked upon what was sure to be the greatest battle she had ever faced.

"This is it, Vitesse!" Mark declared, elevating his arm to show his keystone. "Let's show him the power that made us Champions!" He tapped his keystone, drawing forth its light and letting it shine forth, reaching out like arms to Vitesse and pouring into her through her back.

Her body glowed like a star, bathing the Blaziken in light and obscuring her from view as she ascended beyond evolution into her Mega form, emerging from the light transformed and blazing with power, the ribbons of fire burning white hot before deepening back to orange and yellow.

"Oh hohoho!" Randy chortled. "Shit is about to get real, folks!"

"So that's a Mega Blaziken?" Brock asked, keeping a calm composure as he watched.

"Sure is, pal," replied Randy.

"I did not get to see Blaziken's mega evolution when I battled Mark," commented Lance. "His Steelix was quite impressive itself, but I sense his Blaziken is even stronger."

"You have no idea," stated Randy.

Red watched with intrigue as Vitesse Mega Evolved to her most powerful form, grinning with excitement as he witnessed her at her ultimate. He studied her closely, seeing the new coloration, the reshaping of her crown to form an X instead of the downward V it was previously, but most of all the ribbons of fire that trailed from her arms, seeing them as a display of just how strong she was.

"It's been a long time since Charizard and I battled another Mega Evolved Pokémon," stated Red, reaching into his pocket and lifting out a keystone, holding it between his fingers before clenching it in his hand. Charizard glanced over his shoulder at his trainer, and it was then Mark could have sworn he saw Charizard smiling at Red. "This time we're going all out!"

He clenched his hand tightly around the keystone as light streamed out from between his fingers, striking Charizard on his back and engulfing him in the same glow that had previously emitted from Vitesse, as he began his own transformation, his body becoming larger and more muscular, his wings taking on a jagged appearance, spikes grew from the front and backs of his shoulders, and even his horns changed shape, their tips forming points and curving up slightly.

The light dissipated, and the terrifying and yet awe-inspiring mega evolved form of Charizard was revealed. Where one his scales were red, they had turned black, his undertones turning to a light blue along with the skin of his wings which were now sporting curved claws at the joints. When his eyes opened, they had turned to a deep, ruby red, and when he exhaled, blue flames exhumed from both sides of his mouth. The flame on the end of his tail had also turned blue, burning so intensely that the air above it shimmered from the heat.

With his mega evolution complete, Charizard stood tall on his hind legs, throwing back his head and roaring to the sky, the flames from the corners of his mouth intensifying in response to his roar -so much that it was a wonder it didn't burn his own face. When he ceased roaring, he lowered his head again, fixing his eyes upon Vitesse, and in that gaze, Mark could see that Charizard was fighting the urge to attack at that very moment -to begin the battle without awaiting his trainer's orders. He_wanted_ to fight; he looked at Vitesse and saw a worthy opponent for his newfound power; power he was eager to put to the test.

'Now I know what Blue meant that day,' Mark thought, his mind drifting back to when Blue had described Mega Charizard. 'Like looking upon the very rage of dragons given physical form.' He hadn't even fought him yet, but he felt as though Mega Charizard was more powerful than any other Pokémon he'd ever laid eyes on in his life.

Mark felt his vest twitching, stealing his attention from the battle for a moment to open the flap, where Fang's Poké Ball suddenly popped open, and the Mightyena materialized at Mark's side. He saw the look on his face, and knew that Fang had likely been able to sense the sudden surges of power induced by the Mega Evolutions even from within his Poké Ball, and was eager to find out its cause.

With all of this in mind, Mark looked at Charizard again. 'I trained against Skyclaw to prepare myself to battle Charizard,' he thought. 'Suddenly, I feel like that may not have been enough.'

But if that was the case... then why did he feel so excited? He should have been afraid of Charizard. Or at the very least, concerned for Vitesse and whether or not she could win this battle. But when he looked at her, he saw her trembling with exhilaration; she wanted this battle just as much as Charizard did. Her flames were burning bright, the muscles in her legs were tense, ready to break into a run and charge her opponent the moment Mark gave her the word.

There was only one thing to do, then.

"Let's finish this, Red!" Mark called. "The real battle starts now!"

Vitesse threw out her arms and elicited a screech to accompany her trainer's call, letting all those present see her courage and determination.

"Show us everything you've got, Mark!" Red called.

Charizard roared again, splaying out his wings and letting the flames burning from his mouth pour forth, showing how much he wanted to fight.

The two Pokémon, with leave given by their trainers, rushed each other, and the final clash was on...