FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Snow dwindled down and joined the mass of white covering the ground as Lucario and Zerobi trudged their way through the plains. Small gusts of wind occasionally slapped the many snowflakes awake and made them go airborne once more, making it difficult for the two to see where they were heading. Even so, with the combined forces of Zerobi's map reading, Lucario's skills at detection and the subtle cluster of familiar auras that lay ahead, they knew that by the end of the day they would find themselves at their appointed destination. Lucario could sense that Celebi was there, but was still not able to detect Mew, hoping that the green fairy was doing all she could to keep her from running away again. After all he had gone through following her, he hoped his reward would turn out to be something better than excuses.

The landscape was dull and generic, a normally grassy plain with one or two knolls and a few rock formations here and there. The cold had bothered Lucario at first, but slowly and surely he had gotten used to it until it was no longer an issue. Bored out of his skull, he found his gaze straying and fantasizing about anything his eyes could catch. One formation of rocks looked a little like a ghastly apparition, covered in snowy white. One of the knolls had unnatural bumps all over it, making him snicker as he imagined someone resting after having gotten the tar beaten out of them. Three large rocks stood upright, leaning against one another. Inconspicuous in every manner, yet still there was something drawing his gaze. Lucario stopped as he stared at them, completely forgetting about his little game as far more urgent thoughts clouded his mind.

"Something there?" Zerobi asked, lowering the map while wondering why they were stopping.

"That... Rock formation..." Lucario mumbled while squinting his eyes, "... It looks familiar."

"If we were going in circles, our footsteps would-" Zerobi started, but was interrupted as Lucario held up a hand.

"No, like... I think I've been here before," he whispered before crossing his arms, "Déjà vu?"

"... Well, we do know you lived a life before this one..." Zerobi mused with a grin, "Still, we've been to an awful lot of places. Why the hell are those boring rocks the first thing to jumpstart your memory?"

"Something important happened here...?" Lucario muttered in an attempt to clarify whatever he was feeling. It felt nostalgic, but not in any way he had come to know. Seeing how every last bit of his memory regarding Pokémon had been wiped out, this must have been a place he visited on his own. But going by how he was unable to fully recall the event, maybe there was a bit of Pokémon involved in it, after all...?

Shaking his head, he leaped up on top of the rocks. Although he nearly slipped on the soft snow, it did not distract him as another pressing urge struck him. For some reason, he felt like turning his head to the left. There, in the far distance among all the snow, there was a hazy sight he had failed to spot until now.

"There's something over there," Lucario said and turned back, almost falling off the rocks in shock as Zerobi was standing beside him, having jumped up there without him noticing.

"Building. Pretty damn big, too," Zerobi said while holding one of her claws up to reflect the sun away from her eyes, able to see through the smoke-like snow without any problems whatsoever, "Out here in the middle of nowhere... What could it be?"

"Hmm... I don't sense anyone inside..." Lucario muttered as he closed his eyes, eager to find out what exactly was making him feel this way, "... It's not along the way, but it's still pretty close. Want to go check it out?"

"Yeah, sure," Zerobi replied with a shrug, a tingling sensation activating in the back of her mind as she stared at the building, "You know... Now that you say it, there IS something familiar about this place..."

In a few minutes, they had reached the front of the building. What had been nothing but a large dark blotch to Lucario was now starting to clear up, taking the form of a massive dome-like structure with a roof. It looked like a circle being pressed down from above, too wide to be referred to as a globe. It reminded him of the lower segment of a snowman. On top of the main building was a yellow lid over the whole thing which seemed to be removable, and going by the immense size of the whole thing he was certain that it was being controlled by some manner of machinery.

As magnificent as the sight was, the building was clearly in disrepair. Colors faded, sides scratched and rust apparent everywhere. In front of them was the main entrance, an enormous hole which narrowed into a simple passage next to a booth. The strange building baffled Zerobi, while Lucario only felt his nostalgia grow with each second. Looking up, Zerobi noticed the letters "S" and "D" above the entrance, next to a few other letters too damaged to properly make out.

"Sign's completely wasted," Zerobi sighed while shaking her head, "Wish I knew what it said."

Lucario turn his gaze upwards as he stared at the letters. Despite the chilling cold all around, he felt himself begin to heat up. He suddenly realized that it made sense because all the snow had been melted away. It was right in the middle of a hot summer's day, after all. He relished in the warm, familiar sensation while wondering what Zerobi had meant. The sign was in perfect condition.

"It says 'Stadium'..." Lucario muttered, his mind clouding up with foreign thoughts.

"... Stadium? You mean... Pokémon Stadium?" Zerobi replied while crossing her arms and thinking back, "I've read about that! It's where they held that big tournament to decide which trainer was the best. Man, it looks... Run down. Not nearly as extravagant as the pictures made it seem..."

Lucario wanted to respond, but could no longer hear his companion. The only thing coming out of her mouth sounded like the wheezing grunts of a wild animal trying to make itself understood. He tried to say something and gasped, because his own voice sounded the same. He found himself slipping further and further away from the cold wasteland of the present to a time, place and body long gone. Eleven years into the past on a warm summer's day, with no Mews or viruses on his mind, something of equal urgency tugged at him as he took his first steps into Pokémon Stadium...

... The newly built "final frontier" for Pokémon trainers. Or so they'd have you believe, anyway. I'm a revered trainer who's a heartbeat away from being champion of the world... And here I am, using the main entrance like everyone else. Great achievement, huh? Hmm, this place sure is crowded, so many people coming to watch the show... Better keep the cap pulled down, if these people were to recognize me and gang up... I'd never get through! I'd miss my match!

Still can't get over how fancy this place is. All these shops and lobbies, not to mention that gigantic colosseum... Why's it so ridiculously big, anyway? Were they expecting us to pit a Steelix against a Wailord every battle? I hope they're planning to keep using it after this tournament; it'd be such a waste to see this place fall into ruin... Then again, what other use could they make of an arena like this? I've yet to meet the Pokémon trainer who prefers to fight indoors.

"Hello there!" a strong voice sounds over the public address system, "People in the crowds and people watching from home, welcome to Pokémon Stadium!"

"What about the finalists?" I ask, wondering why I was feeling left out despite being the main attraction.

"What a show we've got for you tonight!" the voice blared once more, "Sorry folks, but you won't be glued to the screen hoping to catch a glimpse of that one kid from home... We've only got four contestants left! The absolute bona fide cream of the crop of trainers! Any one of them could lay waste to this entire facility, and we'd be powerless to stop them!"

Man, keep it down. Don't want to give Brendan any unnecessary ideas, do you? If I have the throw the match because he goes ballistic, I'm putting the blame on you.

"A short introduction of who we'll be seeing tonight," the voice on the PA chimes with enthusiasm, "... Although I'm sure you've heard of them, unless you've never even heard of Pokémon before! And if you haven't, BOY do we have a show for you tonight!"

... You mean, there really are people in the world that haven't heard of Pokémon before? Interesting. Maybe... A place for me to live after this is all over...?

"As our first contestant, we've got the crowd favorite and undisputed master from Pallet Town, Red!" the PA continues, and I can imagine Blue cringing at the last statement, "Destroying gyms and beating the Elite Four before he was even a teenager, his feats took the world by storm and inspired millions of kids to follow in his footsteps! These very same kids have now been thrown out of the tournament, foolish enough to have challenged and tried to surpass the old master who's been plowing through trainer after trainer with absolutely no effort, reaching the semi-finals! Boasting the unofficial title of 'Greatest Trainer Ever', tonight he's aiming to make it official! I don't know about you, folks, but I know where my bets are placed!"

I scoff to myself at the lackluster introduction. The PA makes Red sound like a guy who's been on top simply because he was first. If only the PA had faced him in battle like me... No mere words could ever describe the unimaginable hopelessness of fighting the god-like Pokémon trainer Red. To be honest, I'm not looking forward to it. Wish it could be avoided, but... It's something which has to be done...

"... And after Blue, we've got a fresh new face from another part of the world, ready to wreak some havoc!" the guy in the PA says, suddenly snapping me out of my train of thoughts, "Ethan, the boy of gold! While you all slept comfortably in your homes, Ethan grew up in Newbark Town where Pokémon from the forest ran rampant! Become one with nature, he has learned the ways of Pokémon like no other!"

What!? That's not even remotely-

"At age 10 he set away from home with nary a companion but his trusted starter Chikorita!" the voice continues with sympathy, trying to invoke as much emotion into the listener as possible, "At age 15 he had already conquered his home of Johto, and immediately set off to Kanto where he defeated the Elite Four at age 18. He'll be facing even tougher challenges tonight, but there's just no stopping this guy! How far will his journey take him!?"

... My journey has taken me far enough. All that's left for me-

"... And there he is!" a shrill yet soothing and very familiar voice chimes, "Hey! Ethan! Over here!"

I turn around, and there she is. That brown, well-groomed hair serving as a backdrop for sweet, caramel eyes. Milky white skin making her already white cap pale in comparison. A fancy get-up very much unlike her usual attire with a new somewhat expensive-looking bag at her hip, probably filled to the brim with cosmetics, healing items and polished Pokéballs.

"Hey, Lyra!" I answer cheerfully as my gaze slowly drift downwards across her body, "You don't look a day over... Thirty."

"... Still the same immature jerk!?" Lyra shouts as she thrust her hand into her backpack, probably clutching the mace or worse, "You don't seem a day over five!"

"H-Hey..." I stammer while backing off slowly, all too familiar with the impossibility of acting cool after getting a dose of pepper-spray to the face, "I'm just teasing! You look great."

She sighs out in relief as she relaxes, her smile still absent as she puts her hands on her hips and look at me with a frown. What did I do now...?

"... What exactly did you tell them about our hometown?" Lyra asks sternly, although I can tell she's not really angry but just concerned, "Pokémon running rampant? The old lady down the block would've FLIPPED had she seen something as small as a Magikarp splash up on land..."

"I haven't talked to anyone, I just got here. They just made things up..." I respond while trying to remember the last time I talked to Lyra, suddenly realizing that I probably should have expected a trainer like her to be here, "Man, I should've known you showed up! I would've come to see your match!"

"MatchES, mind you!" Lyra corrects, her smile returning for a second before fading off, "I made it to the third round, but..."

I feel a pang of sympathy run through me, but also something else. Was it... Jealousy? There she was, about to watch the final battles before moving on with her life, leaving everything about Pokémon behind. I wish I could do the same. I'm not that lucky.

"Sorry to hear," I lie as I try to change the subject, "It would be a lot nicer to be facing someone I know in the finals."

"... What about your rival? Silver?" Lyra asks while tilting her head to the side, probably trying to remember what the red-haired boy looked like, "Haven't seen him around..."

"First of all, Silver was never my rival..." I correct her while shrugging, "He was just an asshole. A strong, persistent asshole."

"If he was either, then he should be here now," Lyra says with a nod. She has a point, I guess. Silver's not really a guy I worry about anymore, especially not since Giovanni's passing. I'm a million times the trainer he ever was. What's he going to do, undress me in public again?

"Honestly, I haven't heard from him since his father's burial..." I explain and think back to the heights of our rivalry, where he would seemingly track my every move in Johto, "Perhaps he came in disguise and got wiped out earlier in the tournament? Sounds like something he'd do!"

"... Makes sense... Hundreds of great trainers have already been defeated," Lyra whispers while looking down on the ground with a defeated expression, "Us normal trainers? We didn't stand a chance. Only the best of the best will survive to the end..."

"... Lyra..." I say to myself, wanting to comfort her when I suddenly feel someone rudely tapping shoulder from behind, his impatience swiftly rubbing off on me as I spin around, "... Hey, kind of busy h-"

There was Red, the cause of my former dreams and current nightmares. His beard was gone and he looked 20 years younger for some reason, probably dolled up to match the whole "child prodigy" thing the crowd remembers him by. I unintentionally flinched, not having stood so close to him before, vividly remembering the unmitigated beatdown I received atop Mt. Silver.

Not only that, but on his shoulder sat his ever loyal and trustworthy Pikachu. The rat's cheerful smile and cuddly exterior belied his ridiculous powers, something which most of us top-tier trainers has experienced firsthand. Everyone's heard of Red and his Pikachu and think to pack a solid Ground-type to counter the threat, only to get crushed by Red's Blastoise or Venusaur. Seemingly a typical bait-and-switch strategy, but the truth is that not preparing at least one or two Pokémon dedicated to handling Pikachu will come to bite you in the end as the unstoppable mouse decimates what's left of your team.

"Oh! I'll, uh... Catch up with you two later!" Lyra quickly speaks before disappearing in similar haste. She never did like the spotlight and big-shots I always attract. Watching her leave, I can't help but wish I could have been able to attract something else...

"Uh... Hello, Red," I say slowly, turning my head to the side a little and feeling a bit stupid, "Hello... Pikachu."

"Pika!" the yellow rodent replies. Always freaked me out how I was kind of able to tell what he meant. Now that I look at him a little closer, I see that his fur's pretty ragged behind a veil of neat grooming and meticulous combing. The color of his electric pouches seems a bit off, too. No Pokémon lives forever, and going by how old Red is... Is he fit to fight in such an exerting tournament?

"... Should rivals really be seeing each other like this?" I mutter while scratching the back of my head, having hoped to make a big thing out of meeting Red in the arena.

"Don't belittle yourself," Red says sternly, but there is a clear tone of respect in his voice, "I have had more rivals than strands of hair on my head... You are a worthy opponent, and no less."

"Me and Blue both, huh?" I chuckle, remembering what the P.A. had said, "You'd better not lose to him before our battle! You're the 'undisputed master from Pallet Town', right?"

"... It won't be that easy..." Red whispers to himself before looking me straight in the face, "But I cannot let him win, because I have every intention of fighting you in the finals. That is why I'm here."

"Me?" I ask with surprise, "Why?"

"You... Are unfinished business. The only unfinished business I have left," Red mutters with a piercing gaze, "I've been busy for too long. Win or lose... After this, I will retire from the world of Pokémon trainers."

"Yeah," I reply quickly, "Me too."

"... What!? Why!?" Red suddenly bursts out, obviously surprised by my claim. I feel a bit odd at sharing my thoughts, seeing how Red's the first person to hear the news.

"Hmm..." I muse to myself before speaking out loud, "Defeat me, and I'll tell you!"

Red stands completely confused, apparently at a loss for words. Suddenly, Pikachu jumps down from his shoulder.

"Pika!" he shouts, looking up at me with the same attentive gaze as Red had given me moments ago. There was a fierce determination burning behind his eyes, and suddenly he did not look as aged anymore.

"Pi-Pikachu! Chuu, pika pika!" the electric rat yells while never breaking eyecontact, "PikaCHUUU! Pi... Pikachu!"

"... It is frightening how much of that I understood..." Red mutters to himself before bending over and holding out an arm, "Come on, Pikachu. Don't tire yourself out too soon. Follow me Ethan, the lounge for the finalists is up ahead."

Pikachu looks at me one last time before scurrying up Red's outstretched arm and sitting down on his shoulder once more. I wonder what he had been trying to tell me, but there's a nagging feeling in the back of my head that our fight's going to be a notch above the last time.

We walk through a few corridors until we reach a small room in the back. Inside is nothing but a table, a few comfy seats and the two other finalists, Blue and Brendan. Blue's wearing sharp attire while laying out a Pokémon energy card on the table in front of him, smiling brightly. Few have seen that smile and come out victorious.

Back in the day, he was second only to Red himself, and is rumored to have been even stronger at first. He's made a daring comeback in the past few years, using combinations of Pokémon that are nothing short of brilliant. From having a team all powered from a certain weather condition to making sure every Pokémon knows the move U-Turn or Volt Switch, you never really know what kind of fight you're going to get when facing Blue. The only way to beat him is to be prepared for anything. I don't expect to be fighting him, but if I do, I'm not sure that I can win.

On the other side of the table is Brendan, wearing a cape like a vampire together with a hat that makes his hair look white. I swallow hard as I watch him use a trainer card to drain Blue's newly placed energy, a move he had obviously anticipated and was abusing for his own ends. Brendan had made his trainer's journey around the same time as me, but stuck around in Hoenn instead of moving on to other areas.

I never met him, but heard that he was a great trainer and a pretty nice guy all around. Sadly, that all changed around five years ago. There was an accident which caused the death of his childhood friend and apparently put him through hell. There must be some truth behind the story, because what emerged from that hell was not a man, but a devil.

And now... He's my opponent in the semi-finals. Truth be told, I don't know much about his strategy, since he hasn't been forced to use any so far. His Pokémon are so unimaginably strong, he basically just tells them to "smash things" and everything's defeated in thirty seconds. His Blaziken in particular is like something out of a dream, which the judges apparently noticed, raising it to a tier above all other fights and placing it in the 'Uber' tier, normally reserved only for legendaries. Alas, Hh's still allowed to use it for the remainder of the tournament, which means I need to figure out a way to beat it or I'm done before even reaching the finals.

"... Nervous?" Red asks as he sits down next to Blue, casting a bored glance over the cards. Red never was a big fan of the card game, mostly because he never got any good at it. Hearing people say how they had defeated Red at Pokémon sounded so wrong.

"Nah, I'm just eager to see which strategy you've settled on," Blue snickers and picks up his deck, obviously finished with Brendan who in response leans back with a sinister smile, "Red and 'lightning-rod' Pikachu..."

"Lightningrod?" Red repeats with confusion, Pikachu's ears twitching, "I cannot say that I'm familiar with that name."

"Of course not. I just made it up!" Blue exclaims confidently, "Everyone knows you've got a Pikachu, and for an opponent to predict your team should be detrimental... But you have been using it to your advantage, haven't you? Don't think it'll work on me!"

"... Eager to lose?" Red asks with a bleak smile across his face.

"As if!" Blue yells while giving off a cocky shrug, "Don't forget that I beat the Elite Four before you did! Things have changed a lot since then, you can't just use Psychic-types like mad and think it'll work!"

"... If it did not work for Sabrina, I see no reason why I should try it..." Red sighs while leaning back in his seat like Brendan had. I look over at Brendan to see him staring at me creepily. He scoffs a quiet laughter as he turns his gaze upwards. Damn it, he's too confident... He's only here because his Pokémon are freakishly strong... I hope. If not... I'm done for.

"That day at grandpa's place... Seems pretty long ago, huh?" Blue says quietly as he leans back as well, "We've fought a lot... But it all ends here. Former differences aside, the true champion will finally be decided."

"... Yes..." Red whispers. The atmosphere between them seems to be less like that of rivals, and more like that of lifelong friends. I take a reluctant seat next to Brendan, deciding to show him that I will not be intimidated. Like me, he's not much to fear outside of Pokémon fights. The bell rings as Red and Blue get to their feet, leaving the room to prepare for the decisive battle.

A quiet snicker echoes through the room as I find myself alone with my opponent. This is what I had come here for, to try to figure out what kind of trainer he was. I smoothly shuffle myself over to the seat opposite his and our gazes meet. We stare at each other for a long time. I somehow get the feeling that he despite his confident exterior, he was trying to read me as well.

"Nervous?" Brendan asks with a growly voice, mimicking Red. Does he think he's being clever? Or... Is he just practicing for his future as the best trainer in the world?

"About as much as anyone would be, sharing a room with a lunatic like you," I say, hoping to figure out if he was easily provoked.

"Ehehehe..." Brendan chuckles to himself and puts his feet up on the table, "Don't worry, I have no time for the likes of you. You are but a stepping stone on my way to Red."

"Confident?" I ask outright, tired of being looked down on.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Brendan says while waving his hand around, "I've assembled a team above that of any other. No weaknesses. A million strengths."

Sure, your team is strong, but it does have one weakness... You, and your overconfidence. Don't think my goal's anything short of complete victory, and I'll use the extent of my abilities to reach it...!

"I know what you are thinking, Ethan..." Brendan whispers as he fastens his stare on me, "'He's going to use his Blaziken for sure!' 'I'll bring a Jellicent or Gliscor to finally put an end to her!'"

Not at all what I was thinking, but... Wait, he was expecting a Gliscor...? Oh crap, dodged a bullet with that one...

"She wasn't put into the 'Uber' tier for no reason," Brendan continues with a traducing tone to his voice, "Why not put that Meganium of yours up to the task? Starter versus starter? At least you can go out with a show for the crowd!"

Not only is he confident of his own strength, but he's convinced that I'm nothing. There's... Actually, I think I can use that. It's time to bring him back to reality... Time to bluff.

"You know what?" I say sternly as I stand up and look down on him, "Yeah... I was nervous. I don't know you that well, and so I was scared of what kind of person you were, and what tricks you might have up your sleeve."

Giving off a fake smile and laughter, I notice his disposition changing from confidence to surprise.

"But now... I realize that my fears were unfounded," I say with a calm yet highly insulting tone, "It is you who shall be my stepping stone towards Red."

As I turn around and begin to walk away, I can feel the atmosphere of the room take a turn for the worst. A presence like that of a demon is right behind me, unimaginable hatred and rage geared towards me and no one else. Although it feels like I'm about to be crushed, I try to keep my spirits up. I'm not going to be the one in the ring after all, and hopefully my Pokémon will forgive me for agitating him and probably making him a lot less merciful in battle. I need to assure myself of his actions, so that he'll aim not to beat me but to humiliate me. That will give me an opportunity which I can exploit for a slim chance at vict...

... What am I thinking? Of course I'll win. For sure. If only Brendan knew, he was talking to a man who had defeated the legendary Lugia in fair combat... But of course, my words would fall short without any proof, and the lack of proof is... The reason I'm here... In the first place...

"What lack of proof?" someone asks.

"Huh?" I exclaim in shock, finding myself at a loss for words as a very familiar yet unexpected face is staring at me.

"You spaced out for a second and said 'The lack of proof is the reason I'm here in the first place'," Zerobi continued while pointing at Lucario, nearly pricking his chest with the tip of her claws, "Were you referring to Mew again?"

"I, uh..." Lucario stuttered and found himself a little out of things, not sure of what had just happened, "... Can't remember."

"Right," Zerobi mumbled as she shook her head, walking into the old building while giving off a sigh in sympathy, "And here I tried so hard to make sure those mints weren't poisonous... Don't worry, sis can cure you... Probably."

Lucario stumbled after her, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. His head felt like it had been filled up with infinite knowledge for a second before disappearing just as quickly. For some reason, he felt convinced that there was something very, very dangerous behind his back, but the sensation stuck with him even as he turned around.

"... Lucario, are you alright?" Zerobi asked as she stopped, getting a little worried at Lucario's sudden schizophrenic behavior.

"Y... Yeah," Lucario whispered quietly as he straightened himself, "Yeah, I'm cool. Sorry, my... Aura was acting up?"

Zerobi stared at him for a few seconds before shrugging and moving on. She was just as curious as he was about this place and wanted to see what the famous arena looked like, remembering a grainy picture in one of her old magazines which had gotten berry juice spilt all over it. Although the picture was probably just a black corroded scrap of paper back in her old place now, she was about to see what it represented with her very own eyes.

The path was fairly straightforward, the ladders and passages leading off to the side barred off with gratings with spikes on top. The floor was dry and dirty, and with step they left a trail of wet snow. There was a cold draft seeping in from behind them, mingling the grey dust together with pure powder snow. Finally they came upon a massive gate, the doors to which stood wide open. Zerobi felt lucky, seeing how the doors were both nearly a meter thick and seemed to be made out of a very solid and hard material.

"Here it is!" Zerobi said happily, looking back to see Lucario coming up from behind. She felt relieved to see him looking like his old self again, poking at the side of the door with an amazed expression.

"Huh? Oh, right," he exclaimed as he quickly forgot about the well-constructed gate and followed her inside.

The arena was enormous, but the sight was not as impressive as it could have been. As damaged as the outside of Pokémon Stadium was, the inside was completely wrecked. The spectator seats were cracked and broken, showing one or two lazy attempts to put them back together by someone who apparently realized the futility of repairing so many and gave up. The arena's ground was made out of hardened dirt, poorly kept as it was showing various craters and piles over the wide space. There were two very tall podiums, one at the beginning and one at the end of the arena, as well as a third one among the spectators.

"What the..." Zerobi mumbled as she looked over the area with confusion. Lucario was busy staring up at the ceiling which seemed to be miles above, a tiny bit of light seeping in through the sides. Zerobi felt bothered, because something about the place did not match with her memory of Pokémon Stadium. Obviously everything was dirtier and far less crowded, yet still there was something else that bugged her. The atmosphere was not that of a gladiatorial colosseum, but rather a hall of some old castle. After a few moments, she realized what it was - By the edges of the ring, tall trident candles had been meticulously placed out. What was even more surprising was the fact that they were burning, and had quite a bit of wax left to spare.

"Hello there..." a sinister voice suddenly came from above, "Clothed blue jackals... And black bipedal weasels... Welcome to Pokémon Stadium!"

Lucario's head turned up, looking for the source of the voice. Zerobi followed, and thanks to her night vision she was able to spot the perpetrator at once, instantly freezing up in shock. It took Lucario a few more seconds, but finally he was able to make out a certain figure sitting casually inside the podium at the end of the arena, putting his legs up on the table in front of him.

It was a man wearing a black and red blazer which seemed unfitting for the cold temperatures. Covering his legs was a pair of unusually thin thermos pants, also red and black, and a bandana was tied around his head, matching the colors of the rest of his attire. Spiked, white hair stood triumphantly above it, and a malignant smile lay below it. A quiet chuckle echoed throughout the dome as Brendan knew that at last, Pokémon Stadium would see him get the victory he deserved.