Chapter 4 - The Deal

Squinting as the summoned Pokémon erupted from their Poké Balls, Luther spotted the signature silhouette of a Kadabra forming before Sabrina's psychic henchman. It only took a few seconds for the alpha waves radiating off of Kadabra to cause a dull pain in Luther's forehead, just behind his eyes. The psychic Pokémon was powerful and very dangerous in the wrong hands - if it was fighting in this arena, it was already in the wrong hands. Its eyes glowed red as the lights in the gym flickered on and off, the sounds of the gym's mechanical systems struggling to maintain their integrity in the presence of the Pokémon.

On the other side of the battlefield, the white light of the released Pokémon faded as a series of starbursts, like small fireworks, shot off of the stony body of a cream-colored biped. The whole building shook as the Rhydon stomped its feet.

"I've never seen one that color," Luther said, to no one in particular.

The psychic bowed his head - his commands to Kadabra were purely mental. "Ice Punch."

The Kadabra made the first move, its fist turning to ice as it lunged across the battlefield, powered by telekinesis, stirring a cloud of dust in its wake. It swung its might toward the cream-colored Rock-type's face and hit hard, the impact causing seismic ripples across the gym. But the Rhydon stood firm, narrowing its eyes at the audacious psychic type, to the shock of its trainer, Luther and no one else.

"Rhydon, Megahorn!" the Rocket grunt shouted out, and before Luther could blink, the Rhydon's drill-like horn had burrowed deep into the psychic Pokémon's chest. Blood sprayed into the air as the Rhydon pulled back its head and flung Kadabra into the air, its dead body coming to rest in the center of the field.

Luther winced - Pokémon battles had always rubbed him the wrong way, especially when they were fights to the death. As Kadabra's body cooled on the arena floor, its life force departing, a light on the scoreboard dimmed.

"Fair enough!" the psychic called out over the arena. The Rocket, eyes in shadow, displayed a sinister smile. "Alakazam! I choose you!"

An Ultra Ball cracked open against the arena floor and out came Alakazam, holding itself in the air with its psychic powers, its long mustache dangling down like that of an ancient guru. Rhydon stood in wait - Alakazam was a tricky opponent.

Sabrina's henchman, emotion hidden behind his mirrored glasses, gripped a small stone dangling from his neck, which began to glow with powerful light. His Pokémon let out a long, relaxed sigh as his body morphed. The flat space between his ears elongated into a spike, decorated with a red crystal. His stately mustache grew like rampant weeds, graying with age and settling in a knotty, bushy mess. Shaking his beard into position, the Pokémon crossed his legs in midair and tossed his spoons up, holding them in place with telekinesis as he took a floating lotus position.

"Rhydon! Bulldoze!"

"Alakazam, Thunder Wave."

Static built in the air and Luther's hair stood on end as the floating Alakazam, powered up by a Mega stone, held forth its hands and sent ripples of powerful electric energy at the cream-colored dinosaur barreling toward it. Sparks leapt from the ground with each one of Rhydon's thunderous footfalls. The paralyzing effect failed to stop the behemoth in his tracks. Mere millimeters from certain death, Alakazam vanished into thin air. Rhydon kept moving - the psychic trainer was forced to dive out of the way as the stone beast raged past, embedding its horn in the wall.

Sensing an opportunity, Alakazam reappeared behind the struggling Rhydon.

"Encore."

Seemingly from nowhere, more spoons appeared in front of Alakazam as he focused his energy on Rhydon. As if stuck in a time loop, the Pokémon backed up, then ran back into the wall. Backed up - ran into the wall, its horn puncturing deeper and deeper with each blow. Alakazam stood nearby in smug delight at his mastery of mental manipulation.

"Rhydon! Megahorn!"

The cream-colored beast did not respond.

Luther turned to Giovanni, who did not appear phased by his million-dollar Pokémon's apparent failure.

"Torment."

Rhydon pulled itself out of the wall and turned to Alakazam, the fury in its eyes giving way to its darkest fears. The cold embrace of death wrapped around him and he could see the disappointed face of Giovanni in the background. Failure was his biggest fear. He would not fail.

He could not fail. He was born to battle.

With a feral roar, Rhydon broke free of Alakazam's influence and rushed forth once more, grabbing the Psychic-type and slamming him headfirst into the ground. Dazed, Alakazam attempted to teleport, but as his body faded, Rhydon reached through the psychic rift and pulled Alakazam back, converting his momentum into a suplex that left the Psychic-type nearly unconscious.

Alakazam's trainer removed his glasses to reveal the maddened gaze of a broken man. This was his last chance.

"Alakazam! FOCUS BLAST!"

The sage Pokémon lifted itself off of the ground and poured every bit of its remaining psychic power into pure physical energy. Rhydon stood ready.

The blast, like a distortion in space time, rippled through the air, bending light like a lens. The force struck Rhydon square in the chest, evoking a roar of horrific pain. The plates on Rhydon's chest split in two like shorn metal, exposing reddened, scaly skin underneath. The Pokémon's heart stopped.

Then restarted. Rhydon shook off the blow and stared down the psychic trainer.

Alakazam fell unconscious. But the terms of battle were clear.

As the psychic trainer begged for mercy - called for forfeit - Rhydon took precise, resounding steps toward the unconscious Pokémon.

Standing next to it, Rhydon relished its victory as its foot came down, over and over, on Alakazam's head until its once hyperintelligent brain was but a red smear on the stone floor.

Don't forget to review!