"Charizard! Flamethrower attack!"

"Metagross, dodge it with Agility!"

"Meta!" The Iron Leg Pokemon moved with amazing swiftness despite its massive, heavy body, avoiding the orange flames easily. Charizard took to the air in hopes it would assist in hitting his target.

"All right Charizard, try a Flame Burst instead!"

"Not anytime soon! Metagross, Rock Slide that oversized lizard out of the sky!"

"Rock Slide?!" Augustine was too startled to give his Pokemon another command. Metagross raised its glowing front claws into the air, summoning a shower of boulders that fell upon Charizard. The Fire and Flying type fell to the ground, landing in a pile of leaves, causing them to scatter like confetti at a celebration. Augustine rushed over to his injured Pokemon, crouching down next to him. "Had enough?" he whispered. Charizard turned his head to look at his master with a bleary expression. The young man smiled weakly at his companion. "At least you tried your hardest." He stroked the Flame Pokemon's head gently.

"Trying your hardest is not good enough, Augustine." Colress approached him, Metagross following close behind. "Type matchup isn't everything. You need to give your opponent what they least expect. The road to victory is paved with trickery." He smirked. Augustine raised an eyebrow. "You would rather fool a foe than trust your Pokemon to bring out their power?" he questioned. The other man chuckled.

"Trust is not everything. All you will get from trusting anyone- human or Pokemon- is disappointment. Remember that."

Augustine chewed his lip. He often questioned Colress' methods of training, and whether or not he truly loved his Pokemon as much as he claimed to. Nevertheless, he got to work tending to Charizard's wounds. "I say we have a rematch tomorrow." he challenged, not looking up from his Pokemon. " We shall see how Venusaur fares against you." Colress smirked again. "Very well, but Magnezone will not hold back."

Following his departure, Augustine leaned up against a tree, Charizard shifting over to lay his head on his master's lap. He lazily rubbed his Pokemon's head, watching the leaves drift from the tall trees. A bright red leaf landed on Charizard's head, but the lizard like Pokemon ignored it. Augustine liked the colour. It reminded him of Lysandre. I wonder how he's doing? he thought. Will I ever see him again? I sure enjoyed his company...

As human and Pokemon drifted off to sleep, visions of the flame haired man filled his mind.

I want to see him again...

-

Ghetsis stood atop a tower in his palace, allowing him to overlook all of Autumnfell. A cold breeze blew through his long, pale green hair. Someday, this will all be mine, he thought as he looked out over the horizon. I will take my rightful place on the Iron Throne, and the name Harmonia will be respected and feared throughout the eighteen kingdoms...

Approaching footsteps interrupted the sage's thoughts. Colress approached slowly, hands clasped behind his back. "Good afternoon, my lord." he greeted, bowing his head. Ghetsis turned to face his subordinate, staring with his intense red eyes. "The battle went off without a hitch." The taller man's stare relaxed slightly. "Has Augustine proved himself to be of any value?" Colress walked over to stand next to the sage, avoiding his gaze. "I'm afraid not. I must be a fool to believe we could exploit his research to assist in our conquest of the realm."

Ghetsis quickly reached over and seized the blond man's shoulder, causing him to tense. "This is not our conquest, Colress," he hissed. "This is my conquest! Remember that." Said man took a moment to regain his composure, stepping away from the sage's iron grip. "Yes, my lord." Ghetsis turned and began to walk away, but pausing after a moment. "Is the king still alive?"

Colress looked down at his feet. "As far as I am concerned, yes."

Underneath his black cloak, Ghetsis clenched his fist. His patience was wearing thin fast. "Send the Shadow Triad to Easteros. I have given the king plenty of time to die! Tell them I want that damn king's head on a pike!" Although outbursts like these were by no means uncommon, but they never failed to startle Colress every time.

Ghetsis' tone lowered. "Do not let them return until they have succeeded in their mission."

"Yes, my lord."

(A/N: How's everyone liking this fic? Trust me, it's only going to get better from here on out! And trust me when I say that this fic will most likely make you hate Ghetsis. Perhaps even more so if you already dislike him. Also, Perfectworldshipping will start to become more prevalent starting next chapter. Until next time, LadyPineTree out!)