I Do Not Own Pokemon

Strength is not just how much your body can take; it is how much your heart can handle.

"Damn it… It's my fault. It's all my fault." The raven-haired trainer mutters to himself, jet-black locks shielding his sapphire orbs.

If I had just-" the lump in his throat cuts him off, causing a muffled sob to escape his lips.

"If I was stronger…" Landon lifts his head to focus on an injured Umbreon – an Umbreon that takes the title of his first pokemon and his best friend.

An Umbreon that risked life and limb to fulfill the dreams of its master.

"I was being so stupid. Why'd you keep fighting?" The trainer's eyes close, thinking back to the battle with Cynthia.

She had only one pokemon left, as did he .Their trump cards- Garchomp and Umbreon – stood face to face, staggering body movements and glazed eyes of willpower, neither wanting to back down. The Champion vs. The Underdog.

"Garchomp! Dragon Rush!"

"Umbreon! Shadow Ball!"

People rooted for the underdog, but that did not lead him to victory.

"Umbreon is una-" The referee stopped at the sight of the weakened pokemon, a weakened figure quivering, limping back to the battle.

Cynthia's concern was clear on her face, her statement justifying her expression. "Landon, as a trainer and as your friend, I suggest you surrender."

She was right, and he knew it. Umbreon was hurt – bad. He had to give up for the safety of his partner. So why couldn't the words leave his mouth?

"Landon…"

Her voice rang in his ears, but no sound left his lips. His mind went blank, and when he came to, he saw his friend, battered and bruised, lying motionless in a Pokemon Centre.

A hand rests on the trainer's shoulder, but he does not dare look up, focusing only on the ground beneath him and the silence filling the atmosphere.

"Nurse Joy said that your Umbreon just needs to rest." Landon did not expect the champion herself to make an appearance. He remains silent, but she breaks the unnerving wordlessness. "Why didn't you give up?"

His body tenses, and she feels it. "Because I'm weak." He almost lets a sob escape his lips. Sensing her confusion, he continues. "You were right. My heart understood that. But… I just wanted to win so badly that the words wouldn't leave my mouth."

She takes his hand in hers, offering her warmth of comfort and relaxing his body. His eyes, showing signs of upcoming tears, lock on hers."Umbreon was strong for holding on when his body wanted to quit."

"And what about you? Are you just going to quit?" He wants to say yes, but she will not allow that. "You've come too far just throw it all away, don't you think?"

"What if this happens again?" His voice is low – it's broken, something his heart may soon be.

"You're stronger now, both you and Umbreon. Your heart can handle the pressure." It is as if she knows the condition of his shattered soul and is picking up the pieces – or rather, reinforcing them. "Umbreon is strong, but because of the years of physical training but because of how strong it steeled its heart."

Whatever skepticism came to his mind, she countered perfectly. He turns his gaze from the blonde to the pokemon slowing recovering. Once again, Cynthia is right.

Umbreon endured the most bone-breaking training and steeled against even worse heartaches. And that is what makes it strong. Landon understands now, in his hearts he understands. He does not need to put himself through physical labor, does not need to feel his skin burning or cuts sowing across his body. Because that is not what strength truly is.

Strength is more than just physical conditioning; it is your heart telling you the right answer, how much you can handle, and how far above your limits you can go.

It is the ability to go on, long after you can't.