Trainer's Legacy Chapter 10, a pokémon fanfic

I'M BACK BABY!!! Ok, before everyone get's really mad at me for not posting quickly enough, let me say that I'm very sorry to have made you guys wait. First of all my computer is completely screwed up lately and my work schedule doesn't make anything easier. So with that in mind I will no longer post any predicted time line. Once again, guys, I'm sorry and I thank you sincerely for your patience.

Anyways, this chapter knocked the hell out of me when I wrote it. For one it's incredibly long and plus I've managed to make the battles much more dramatic this time with a 'build-up' tactic. You'll get a chance to see some familiar faces in this chapter, as well as an interesting Pokemon reference as well. But I won't get into all that. Instead I'll let you guys see for yourself! Enjoy!

Chapter 10: The Indigo Plateau: Final Rounds

Evening came by very quickly for Jason as he found himself wandering into one of the many local pubs near the stadium, fresh off his latest victory. Once inside he could see that the place was crowded with people, both trainers and spectators alike, and that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Soft rock music played from the jukebox located in the southwest corner of the bar, and a large majority of the customers surrounded the pool tables playing rounds of eight ball while enjoying their drinks and conversing to each other.

Jason picked an empty stool at the bar and took a seat. As he waited for the bartender to approach him, Jason grabbed a sheet of paper from his back right pants pocket and unfolded it to see what it read. It was a detailed layout of the tournament roster given to him by one of the many League officials before the opening ceremonies of the tournament. Between his matches Jason kept close tabs on all of the competitors, watching every battle either from the small television set in his locker room or from the stadium audience.

Jason viewed the tournament roster and saw that his next match was against Kamon Antonio, a Johto native from Goldenrod City. Jason remembered watching Kamon in his matches, how the Johto native primarily used Pokemon of large size and Special Attack power. His Pokemon roster consisted of Alakazam, Feraligator, Sneasel, Rhydon, Gengar, and Tyranitar. Sneasel was always put out into battle first, being Kamon's weakest Pokemon on his roster. Depending on what his opponent would use his second would always be different, but his Tyranitar was always sent out last.

Jason's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of the pub's bartender. "What can I get for you, sir," asked the tall clean-cut man behind the bar.

Jason folded the sheet of paper and directed his attention to the bartender. "I'll just have a club soda, thanks."

The bartender raised an eyebrow at Jason and said, "With the way you've been climbing up the ranks I'm surprised you don't want to celebrate."

Jason smirked and said, "I take it you▓ve been watching the games?"

"Certainly have, sir, and dare I say I know very well who you are. You're Jason Patton, owner of a winning team of Pokemon taking the Indigo Plateau to an all new level. You're becoming the biggest sensation since Lance Siegfried joined the Elite Four."

Jason widened his eyes slightly and chuckled. "Didn't know I was becoming that famous."

"Well let me tell you what I know, of you don't mind. Every year I watch the games on t.v. while I tend bar. I've been here for almost a decade and I've seen a lot of fresh faces on t.v. but I have never seen anyone compete with a team of Pokemon like yours who can do the things they've done in the arena so far. So again, I'm surprised you don't feel like celebrating a little."

A sudden gust of pride hit Jason gut as he absorbed the bartender's words. "That's nice of you to say, bro. I ain't drinking because I gave up alcohol a long time ago. Besides I wanna stay fresh for my match tomorrow."

The bartender smirked and slowly nodded his head in approval. "One club soda coming up. First round's on the house."

As Jason and the bartender continued their conversation, a young man with long red hair entered the bar wearing a black track jacket, dark blue jean pants and black tennis shoes. Most of the people who noticed the man's entrance immediately recognized him and did their best to keep to themselves. Soon after the man's entrance, he took notice to Jason conversing with the bartender and walked towards them with an ill-favored look on his face.

"So anyway," continued Jason to the bartender, "me and Char are chasing this rampaging Gyarados through the city while its bashing its way through small convenient stores and wrecking cars along the way. People everywhere are panicking, the cops are running for their lives-"

"Get me a beer," interrupted the red-haired man as he took a seat next to Jason.

Jason glanced at the man sitting next to him with content in his eyes but decided against saying anything. The bartender nervously nodded his head at the red-haired man and grabbed a beer mug, setting it underneath a tap and pouring the golden beverage into the glass.

"One beer, Mr. Antonio," said the bartender as he handed the beer mug to Kamon.

Jason lit up a cigarette as Kamon gulped about half of the liquid in his glass. Kamon set his drink down and starred at Jason with an evil smirk.

"So you're the guy everyone can't seem to shut up about," said Kamon as Jason finished his club soda. "Word is you're pretty tough."

Jason smirked at Kamon and stood up from his seat as he said, "I am, but if you use a good tenderizer I might actually cook up pretty well."

"Wonderful," said Kamon as Jason walked away from the bar. "Another comedian. Hey Patton, how's your finger?"

Jason stopped dead in his tracks and slowly turned around to face Kamon. "What did you just say?"

Kamon's smirk grew a little as he said, "I'll bet it hurt like hell when Giovanni hacked your middle finger off. You're not left handed, are you?"

Jason's blood boiled with rage. It had been four years since he was attacked by the mob boss of Team Rocket, but his injury was still very fresh in his memory.

"How the fuck did you know about that," said Jason through gritted teeth as he clenched his fists.

Kamon stood up from his seat and approached Jason with the same evil smirk on his lips. Once he was within two feet away from Jason, he responded by saying, "Who do you think I work for-"

Jason landed a hard right hook on Kamon's chin and tackled him towards the bar. Kamon's back hit the bar hard before Jason lifted him up and slammed him over the bar. Before Kamon could do anything to get away, Jason quickly pulled out his butterfly knife from his utility belt and pressed the blade's sharp edge against Kamon's throat.

Everyone in the bar backed away from the struggle and watched with widened eyes and open mouths, shocked at how quickly the situation worsened to such a level. One of the observers was a tall man with short black hair, wearing a thin, zipped up red jacket with the collar sticking up and black pants. He looked at both men as if he recognized them and worried about the outcome of the struggle.

Jason kept a tight grip on Kamon's jacket while pressing his knife against Kamon's throat. "Your Boss is walkin' on thin ice, asshole."

"You can't touch him, Patton," said Kamon. "He didn't send me to follow you. I'm here to compete."

Jason took a hand full of Kamon's hair and tugged it towards him. Kamon grunted as his face was jerked towards Jason. Suddenly, Jason took a moment to monitor his surroundings and saw dozens of shocked faces starring at him. Knowing that this sort of behavior could cost him his spot in the League, he slowly put away his knife and let go of Kamon's hair.

"I'll see you in the arena," whispered Jason before he moved away from Kamon.

Jason pulled out a wallet from his back pocket and grabbed a small wad of cash. He set it down in front of the bartender and simply said, "For the trouble. Next round's on me this time."

The bartender simply nodded with his shocked look as Jason walked towards the entrance door of the bar. Kamon pushed himself back to his feet and rubbed the spot where Jason's blade pressed against him as he watched his opponent walk out of the bar. Soon after Jason was no longer inside, the black-haired man ran outside and tried to grab Jason's attention.

"Jason Patton," shouted the tall man. "Wait a second!"

Jason stopped in his tracks and turned around to see the tall man waiting. "If you're a bouncer I don't want any trouble."

The tall man shook his head and walked towards Jason. "I'm no bouncer. My name is Norman Green. You really shouldn't let Kamon get to you like that. Lowering yourself to such a level isn't what a man with your skill does."

Jason recognized the name. He knew that Norman was a five-time tournament winner in the League, in other words a celebrity among Pokemon trainers.

"What happened in the bar goes back a long time between me and that asshole's Boss," said Jason after a brief pause.

Norman sighed heavily as he approached Jason. "It's no mystery who Kamon is involved with, Patton. I may not know what exactly happened to you, but I have been keeping my eye on you since your first big win. I have been a professional trainer for many years and to this day I have never seen such skill as I have seen from you and your Pokemon. Don't let go of that by lowering yourself to Kamon's level. I believe you are better than that, and I would much rather see you across the arena than to find you in the audience. Keep your head in the game and concentrate on nothing else, that way I might see you in the final round."

Jason starred into the eyes of Norman for a moment. He couldn't help but appreciate the trainer's words, for it had been a long time since anyone had given him any kind of helpful advice, for he had spent a lifetime figuring out everything on his own. Norman reminded Jason of what a parent should be like, and he even guessed that Norman was one.

"You'll see me in the final round," said Jason with a weak smile. "Bet on it."

Norman smirked back at Jason and said, "I hope so, Patton. I hope so."

Without another word spoken by either, Jason turned around and walked away, heading for a nearby Pokemon Center for a good night's sleep. Norman watched as Jason walk away. He hoped that Jason would remain true to his word so that they could meet each other once more in the final round.

"Welcome back to the Indigo Plateau tournament. I'm Leo Barkley and sitting to my right, as always, is Jeff Rogers here with me to witness the semi-finals. We have just come back from an incredible match up between five-time tournament Champion Norman Green and two-time tournament Champion Lawrence Koga with Green the victor on that one."

"A very heated match-up, Leo. I'm still in shock at how well Green was able to overcome Koga's winning team of Poison/Psychic-Type Pokemon. It was a very close match and I think it couldn't have been a better sight to see."

"I'll have to put your word to the test on that one, Jeff, because we have another great match-up between bad boy Kamon Antonio and Cinnabar Island's finest Jason Patton. This match-up is scheduled for a three on three fight and the winner will move on to face Norman Green in the final round. What can we hope to expect from these two great trainers, Jeff?"

"That's a tough call to make, Leo. On one hand we have bad boy Kamon Antonio who's competed in this tournament on six consecutive occasions and knows what to expect from his opponents. But on the other hand we have Jason Patton with his extraordinary team of winning Pokemon with incredible skill. Patton has already proven to us all that his inexperience in the League means nothing compared to his knowledge of Pokemon, but I have a feeling he will have his hands full with Kamon Antonio."

"Well at the beginning of the tournament we both speculated that Norman Green and Kamon Antonio would face each other in the final round and that's still a big possibility, but you can't help but wander whether or not Antonio has what it takes to get through Patton and his winning roster. All I can say is I will be very happy to see the final round, no matter who faces Green."

"Couldn't agree with you more, Leo. Let's see what these two trainer's are made of."

"Alright! Both trainers have made it to their posts and are almost ready to begin. I can't wait to see this match-up. I am very excited!"

Jason took off his left 'hell-raiser' glove and rubbed his stump of a middle finger. He looked across the stadium field to see Kamon in the distance, preparing himself for the match. Jason's hatred grew by each passing second for Kamon, for he stood for everything Jason had come to loath. Kamon's employer was a man Jason knew all too well, a man so brutally vicious and immoral that took away the one thing Jason yearned for.

Jason began to think of all the times he had spent with his beloved Brooke, about how everything glowed a golden aura when she smiled at him, about how safe and secure he felt when he held her in his arms, and how she seemed to block out all the sorrow within him when he heard her speak. He thought about the tears that fell from her emerald orbs when he told her he had to leave her. Such a sight was one of the worst moments Jason had ever experienced in his life, and nothing he did was able to block out the pain he felt.

Jason shut his eyes tightly and pounded the metal railing of his trainer's post. He had to put aside his pain so that he could concentrate. He had a promise to keep, after all. A promise that he made to the same person he sacrificed so much for, a promise to never let anything keep him from what he could be. He had to be strong, strong enough to face his enemy with his head in the right place. He would not let his past sufferings keep him from achieving his goals any longer, nor would he be intimidated by his old enemies. His resolve strengthened once more, he put the glove back on over his left hand and placed his ear piece in his right ear while grabbing one of the Pokeballs from his utility belt.

Kamon listened to the gargantuan crowd of people in the stadium chanting Jason's first name.

"Jason..."

Kamon's envy boiled his blood. This was supposed to be his time. He was supposed to be the one who won the crowd's favor. His name was supposed to come out of everyone's mouth. Now he heard the crowd call out the name of a newcomer in the League rather than call out his own. He clenched his fists as a skinny man behind him wearing a black business suit placed his hand on Kamon's shoulder.

"I fixed it for you, sir," spoke the thin man as he handed Kamon a small ear piece. "The reception should be a lot more clear this time."

Kamon took the ear piece and fiddled with the small knob where the speaker button would be. "Good work, Butch. Now get away."

Butch nodded his head and climbed down the ladder of Kamon's trainer's post. Kamon placed the ear piece in his left ear and grabbed his Pokeball, ready to begin the match. He released his first Pokemon known as Sneasel, a small weasel Pokemon with dark blue fur and a large red feather over its left ear. Its claws were abnormally large for its paws, and it carried three feathered tails on its backside. Sneasel was considered Kamon's weakest Pokemon due to its small size, but its Ice-Type attacks and Dark-Type abilities were more than a match for its opponents in battle.

Jason released his lightning-fast Electric-Type, Shocker, into the arena. Shocker glared into the eyes of his distant opponent as Sneasel clanked its claws together, trying to intimidate Shocker. Jason took a deep breath before pressing the speaker button on his ear piece, ready to give Shocker his direction.

"Alright, Shocker, listen up. That weasel uses Ice and Dark-Type attacks, but I'll bet green money that it'll want to get in close and use its claws. Do your best to keep close as much as possible so you'll be able to avoid its special attacks."

Kamon twisted the knob on his ear piece and spoke into the microphone. "This guy knows his shit, Sneasel. He's already anticipated your favor over your claws. Make it think you're gonna charge it head on with your claws and then teleport away from it. Confuse this rodent enough for you to get close enough to make it bleed."

Sneasel hissed at Shocker as it ran towards the electric rodent. Shocker waited patiently for the weasel to attack, anticipating that Sneasel's first strike would be a vertical right swing. Shocker slowly bent his body forward as Sneasel leaped high into the air, preparing to execute a counter strike. To Shocker's dismay, Sneasel's body made a sudden drop towards the ground and literally sank itself into the field before the right slice could be executed. Out of pure reflex Shocker performed a back flip away from the spot Sneasel had vanished and searched frantically for his opponent.

Suddenly, Sneasel emerged from the ground behind Shocker and landed an agonizing uppercut slice that pierced the skin on Shocker's back. Shocker winced and performed a quick roundhouse kick but hit nothing but air as Sneasel sank into the grassy field once more. The lack of impact caused Shocker to lose his balance and landed hard on his left side. As Shocker sprung up to his feet Sneasel emerged from the ground several feet away from Shocker, smirking at its opponent as Shocker snarled and charged Sneasel head on.

Sneasel performed a cartwheel flip to the right, evading the flying foot of Shocker. Sneasel responded by leaping towards Shocker with its claws ready to strike. Shocker countered by releasing a wave of electrical currents from his hands at his opponent but hit nothing as Sneasel made a fast getaway with its Dark teleporting ability.

"Dig your tail into the ground so you can keep track of its movements, Shocker," said Jason. "You'll gain some extra momentum with your dodge that way. Counter that weasel and give it a taste of your Thunderbolt."

Kamon twisted the knob of his ear piece once more and said, "Emerge away from it and use your Ice Trail attack. It's using its tail to keep track of your movements but it's waiting for you to attack close. If you emerge from a distance then you'll catch it off guard long enough to freeze it in place."

Shocker dug his tail deep into the arena's surface and balanced himself above the ground, keeping his eyes closed as he sensed Sneasel's movements. After a moment of waiting Sneasel emerged from the ground halfway across the field from Shocker and unleashed a beam of ice from its claws, an attack that formed an ice trail that traveled towards Shocker at blinding speeds.

"Heads up, Shocker," shouted Jason.

Shocker opened his eyes to see an ice trail traveling towards him and quickly used his tail to release himself from the ground. As Shocker remained airborne the ice trail zipped past beneath him, but due to the thickness of the ice Shocker quickly lost his balance after he landed on his feet and fell on his back. Sneasel began running towards Shocker on the ice trail and began dragging its feet from side to side as if it were ice skating. Shocker took quick notice to Sneasel's approach and dug his tail into the ice, pushing himself away from the approaching weasel.

As Shocker continued to slide away from Sneasel's advance, he swung his legs to his right so that he could position his mobile body with his head facing his opponent. Shocker then twisted his body so that he could slide on his stomach and raised his tail in the air. As Sneasel began to spin its body at high speed with its claws outstretched, Shocker charged electrical currents into his cheeks and brought his sliding figure to an abrupt halt as he dug his tail into the ice behind him. With Sneasel unable to see Shocker's sudden stop and Kamon's inability to react in time with direction, Shocker unleashed a devastating Thunderbolt into the ice trail. The Electric attack shattered the ice trail and shocked Sneasel with such force that it sent the weasel flying across the field towards Kamon's trainer's post.

"What a stunning come back from Patton's Raichu," exclaimed Leo Barkley. "This is the first time anyone's had any real edge on Patton's Pokemon."

"This is the kind of thing to expect from Antonio, Leo. We've all seen how well he is able to anticipate his opponent's strategies before, but you have to wander how Kamon could have possibly made the time to study Patton's attacks so well that he could really catch Patton off guard like this. This has already turned into a heated battle for the final round, and we've only witnessed a minute and a half of action so far."

"Good recovery, Shocker," said Jason as Shocker landed on his feet. "I don't know how this arrogant asshole has been able to keep up with us like this, but we can still beat him. Keep trying to get in close and give that weasel the pounding of its life. Whatever you do, stay mobile. Use your Quick Attacks if you have to so it won't be able to react in time."

"Get up, goddamn it," shouted Kamon as Sneasel slowly stood up to its hind legs. "This guy still wants to get in close. Lure that rat close enough to stop its advance with an Ice Wall and then finish it with your Fury Swipes. Move it!"

Sneasel shook its head from the dazed state it was in as Shocker ran towards the weasel. Sneasel took notice to Shocker's advance and followed Kamon's instruction by gesturing its hands upward, a motion that triggered a rising ice wall three times as tall as the Dark weasel. Shocker was only a few yards away once the ice wall rose from the ground, more than enough time to leap towards the ice with his right foot outstretched. Shocker connected his jump kick with such force that it shattered the ice into hundreds of shards, but to Shocker's surprise Sneasel was not behind the broken ice when he landed on his feet.

To add to Shocker's surprise Sneasel's body rose from the ground behind Shocker. Although Shocker's large ears were able to hear Sneasel's ascent from the ground behind him, allowing him to turn around with incredible haste, Shocker was unable to stop Sneasel from tackling him to the ground. With Sneasel mounted on top of Shocker's stomach, the electric rodent suffered numerous Fury Swipes from Sneasel's deadly claws until Shocker was able to send the weasel a strong Thundershock.

Due to Shocker's outstanding desperation, the Thundershock did little damage but was enough for Sneasel to make a leaping retreat. Once Sneasel landed fifteen feet away from Shocker, the weakened Electric-Type slowly rose to his feet and panted heavily as he starred down the distant weasel. His diagonal wounds on his face and chest pained him immensely, but his determination remained strong as he awaited instruction from his trainer.

Jason frowned with frustration at the situation he found himself in. He had dealt with skilled Pokemon trainers who managed to overcome his Pokemon's ability for however brief a duration, but he also knew Kamon's character traits. Judging from his encounter with Kamon at the bar the other night, Jason speculated that Kamon was arrogant and overconfident, two weaknesses that Jason knew all too well how to deal with. His overconfidence would prove to be his undoing, telling his Pokemon to use all their best abilities at the beginning. But this was different. It was as if Kamon knew almost exactly... what to expect.

Jason grabbed his small pair of binoculars and gazed upon his distant opponent. He could see that Kamon had his hand on his ear piece but spoke no words. He looked as if he were waiting for something. Jason quickly hypothesized that Kamon had been listening in to his transmission in his own ear piece. Such a display of cowardice and disrespect infuriated Jason, but unbeknownst to Kamon Jason had an alternative method of giving instruction.

"Shocker," said Jason. "Fall back for a moment and look at me."

Shocker turned and frowned at Jason peculiar instruction but followed it. He ran quickly towards Jason's trainer's post and awaited Jason's response. Knowing that he had Shocker's full attention, Jason made a series of gestures with his hands near his face, moving his finger tips alongside his chin, nose, eyebrows and ear lobes. He finally ended his gestures by pounding his right fist into his left palm. Shocker's facial expression relaxed a little as he monitored Jason's gestures and nodded at his trainer, acknowledging his instruction.

Kamon gritted his teeth once he realized that Jason was no longer using his headset. "Hurry up and take out that rodent, Sneasel! Whatever it takes don't let it get the drop on you! Rip that rat apart!"

Sneasel ran towards Shocker with its claws behind it, ready to deliver more of its deadly Fury Swipes. Shocker waited calmly for his opponent and tilted his head to the left slightly, as if he were in a state of pure thought. Once Sneasel was within two yards of Shocker it leapt towards the electric rodent and swung its right paw, only to hit nothing but air as Shocker zipped away to the left with such speed that not even a high definition camera could keep up with him, causing Sneasel to fall. Before Sneasel could land on its side, Shocker zipped past the dark weasel from its right side and collided with Sneasel's face, causing Sneasel's body to spin uncontrollably before it eventually landed face first into the grassy arena.

With the wind nearly knocked out of Sneasel, it struggled to stand on its feet. It wobbled its head slightly as Shocker's cheeks sparked with electricity. Dazed from the attack, Sneasel staggered a bit as it raised its claws up in a defensive stance.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Sneasel," shouted Kamon. "Get in the game for Christ's sake! It's about to use an Electric attack of some kind! Stop it from happening!"

Sneasel, with what little strength it had, ran towards Shocker in a blind fury, eager to meet its claws with Shocker's flesh. Shocker waited for Sneasel's attack and dragged his right foot back a ways. When the moment of truth finally presented itself, Sneasel swung its left paw at Shocker only to suffer a massive back flip kick to the chin. The impact of the kick sent Sneasel in the air, allowing Shocker to charge its electric energy at maximum power once he landed on his feet. Suddenly, Shocker sent himself flying towards the weasel at high speed with dozens of electrical currents running along his fur, colliding his shoulder with Sneasel's chest. Sneasel suffered many jolts of high voltage as the two flew through the air across the field until they lost altitude, crashing into the grassy arena grounds.

Shocker quickly leaped away from the unconscious Sneasel and took a deep breath of relief. Jason shouted with victory as he raised his fist into the air, knowing that he once again had the edge over his opponent. Kamon pounded his fist on the railing as he reached for Sneasel's Pokeball and returned his defeated Pokemon.

"Amazing performance from Patton's Raichu," said Leo Barkley. "I gotta tell ya, Jeff, Patton had me worried there for a moment."

"I guess Patton had to get his pre-match jitters out of the way to win against Antonio's Sneasel. Let's see what the two will send out next."

Jason returned Shocker back into his Pokeball and reached for another as Kamon released his Feraligator, a seven hundred pound native of the Johto region that reached nine feet in height. It's reptilian scales were shy blue in color and its numerous outgrowths on its back were a dark maroon. The bipedal creature's sharp claws were long and curved, but it was its massive jaws that were to be feared above all else.

Jason released Powerhouse close to his post and shouted the Fighting-Type's name. Powerhouse turned around and monitored Jason's hand gestures. After the seventh hand gesture, Powerhouse nodded at his trainer and turned around to face his opponent, Feraligator. The grey skinned brute pounded his chest two times with his lower arms and stood his ground as Feraligator roared at its distant opponent.

"Don't get close unless your sure you can grab it with your jaws, Feraligator," said Kamon. "In the meantime keep your distance with your Water and Ice attacks. You'll eventually wear it down to where you can finish it with your Crush attack."

Feraligator took a deep breath before releasing a thick stream of water from its jaws. Powerhouse stretched out his four arms and blocked the water stream with his hands. As Feraligator continued the attack, Powerhouse took strained steps forward as he kept the stream at bay. Once Powerhouse was close enough, Feraligator discontinued the attack and landed a strong head butt on Powerhouse's chest, one that forced the Fighting-Type to the ground on his back with Feraligator following close by with its jaws open. Thinking quickly, Powerhouse caught Feraligator's jaws with his hands, gripping his fingers in between the reptile's teeth.

Powerhouse shoved Feraligator's snout upwards slightly, enough for the massive reptile to step back as its jaws were released from Powerhouse's grasp. As Feraligator prepared for another bite, Powerhouse rolled his body to his right and stood up on his feet as Feraligator's teeth met the grassy surface. Feraligator raised its head from the surface and charged for Powerhouse with its mouth wide open. Thinking quickly, Powerhouse dropped down to one knee and landed a solid punch on Feraligator's gut with his lower right arm as the other wrapped around the back of the reptile's neck. Using the beast's momentum against it, Powerhouse lifted Feraligator by its stomach with the hand that connected and flipped the reptile over his head with his upper right arm, smashing Feraligator into the ground.

Powerhouse wasted no time in straddling the scaly beast, holding Feraligator's jaws with his foot as his four fists went to work on the reptile's chest and gut. Feraligator struggled as it suffered numerous body punches from Powerhouse until it managed to slid its jaws away from the Fighting-Type's foot. As Powerhouse began to lose his balance, Feraligator brought Powerhouse to the ground by biting down hard on the Fighting-Type's leg and pulling it towards him. Powerhouse landed face first on the ground as Feraligator stood up to its feet and backed away from its opponent.

"I said don't get close unless you know for sure you can connect," shouted Kamon with fury. "Keep your distance for a while and wear it down with your special attacks!"

Feraligator waited for the right moment to strike as Powerhouse stood up, blood slowly painting his wounded leg. Suddenly, Feraligator spat three ice chunks at Powerhouse, the first two connecting with the fighter's chest while the final chunk landed on his face. The impact of the last ice chunk caused Powerhouse to stagger back a few steps as Feraligator took a deep breath, preparing to use a Water-Type attack. Feraligator then unleashed a small blast of water from its mouth that grew in size and mass the closer it came towards Powerhouse. The Water Pulse had already grew twice the size of its victim when it hit Powerhouse, sending the weakened fighter flying towards Jason's trainer's post until his back slid towards his trainer.

Jason shouted for Powerhouse once more as his Pokemon stood up. Jason's gestures consisted of pounding his left elbow downward onto his right hand, twirling his right index finger in a circle, and ending with two fist pounds into his left palm. Powerhouse, excited to fulfill his trainer's instructions, smirked and nodded before turning around to face his distant opponent.

Suddenly, Feraligator unleashed a stream of ice at its opponent from its giant jaws. With only a few moments to react, Powerhouse ducked and rolled away from the Ice Beam, causing the stream of sky blue light to hit the white colored energy field that protected Jason's trainer's post. Once Powerhouse was able to stand on his feet, he raised his four fists into the air and pounded them into the ground with enough force that it made a large indention into the arena. The impact of the brute▓s fists also caused a mighty crack that traveled towards Feraligator and zipped past the reptile in between its feet. As Feraligator fell to one knee from the shockwave of the Fissure Strike, Powerhouse dove into the indented spot of the arena and used his four muscular arms to dig deeper into the ground.

"This match is getting way out of control, Jeff," said Leo Barkley. "The arena is being torn apart from these two brute Pokemon! This is unbelievable! Never in my time as a Pokemon League commentator have I seen such a destructive display!"

"I sure don't envy the stadium's arena ground crew the mess they'll have to clean up after this match," responded Jeff Rogers. "They'll have their hands full, that's for sure."

"How the hell could you miss a shot like that," spat Kamon. "Now that thing's underground somewhere! Find it and rip it to shreds with your jaws! MOVE IT!"

Feraligator searched frantically for the submerged Fighting-Type, panicked by its lack of sight over its opponent. Although it could feel the many vibrations from the ground, Feraligator could not pinpoint Powerhouse's exact location. For Feraligator it was as if Powerhouse was moving from one end of the arena to the other in mere seconds. Kamon, despite knowing that he had been caught by Jason, listened in to his opponent's radio frequency to see if Jason would give verbal instruction to Powerhouse. Kamon needed the advantage to overcome Jason's superior training methods, a fact that he hated to admit even to himself.

Suddenly, Powerhouse emerged from the ground directly in front of Feraligator and landed a strong uppercut punch on the reptile's chin with his upper left fist, chunks of soil flying high into the air as Powerhouse emerged. Feraligator staggered back a few paces and suffered two left hooks and another uppercut, three blows that knocked Feraligator on its back. Before Feraligator had the chance to get up, Powerhouse grasped on to the reptile's tail and swung the beast over his head, smashing Feraligator into the field before tossing it clear across the arena towards Kamon's post.

"God damn it, Feraligator," shouted Kamon. "Enough is enough! Charge that thing head on and do NOT miss your Crush attack! SHUT IT DOWN!"

The weakened reptile slowly stood up and roared at its distant opponent before running in a blind fury towards Powerhouse. The grey skinned fighter snarled and popped his knuckles before running towards the charging beast. Once Powerhouse was within range, Feraligator opened its jaws and lunged for the fighter, only to be halted by an open palm smack from Powerhouse's lower right hand, followed by a powerful right hook from his upper right fist. Powerhouse continued the combination by connecting the back of both of his right fists with Feraligator's snout, followed by a double left uppercut to the reptile's gut. The last blow forced Feraligator to bend down, allowing Powerhouse to land a rising knee to its chin followed by a spinning double back fist.

Feraligator staggered back a few steps and maintained its balance barely enough to continue standing. As the dazed reptile bobbed its head back and forth, Powerhouse walked towards Feraligator and landed a hard right punch on the beast's gut, forcing it to bend down again. Powerhouse then wrapped his four arms around Feraligator's waist and flipped the Water-Type's back onto his shoulders, leaping high into the air with his grasp over the beast firm. Before Powerhouse was about to descend towards the ground, he threw Feraligator down with enough force to smash the reptile deep into the surface. No movement followed from Feraligator, for it had passed out from the impact. Powerhouse landed safely on his feet and roared as he pounded his chest with pride over his victory.

"Incredible finish by Patton's Machamp," said Leo Barkley. "That match was practically stolen by a well placed Seismic Power-Bomb Toss!"

"Things are really starting to look up for Patton, Leo, but Antonio still has one more Pokemon to send out. I'm betting on his Tyranitar. It's the strongest Pokemon on his roster and it's really the best shot he has at overpowering Patton's winning team.■

Both trainers returned their Pokemon into their Pokeballs. Kamon pounded his fists into the railing of his post, enraged at his failed efforts to beat Jason's Pokemon. Jason lit up a smoke as he waited patiently for his opponent to release his final Pokemon. He predicted that Kamon would send out the towering Dark-Type, Tyranitar, a ten foot tall beast with a variety of deadly abilities. Tyranitar was a Pokemon so powerful could take out his roster if he wasn't careful, and he figured his best bet would be to send out Char.

As he reached for Char's rarely used Pokeball, Jason pressed the speaker button on his headset. "How does it feel, buddy, to not have the control you depend on to win anymore?"

Kamon listened to Jason's words through his ear piece as he reached for his Tyranitar's Pokeball.

"I know you can hear me, asshole, so listen up," continued Jason. "There's nothing you have up your sleeve that I won't be expecting. You are not gonna sleaze your way passed me again. So go ahead and send the best Pokemon you've got, and I'll be sure to show you just what me and my friends are made of. And after I humiliate you by stomping your last fighter into a pulp, you be sure to go back to your shit hole headquarters and tell your Boss that what he took from my hand is the last thing he'll ever take from me."

Kamon gritted his teeth as Jason removed the ear piece and tossed it aside. Kamon was used to being feared by others, and Jason's lack of fear infuriated him to no end. He released his Tyranitar, the ten foot Dark-Type with a rock hard olive-green hide and a robust physique. Jason released his most faithful companion, Char, into the arena and shouted out his name so that the eight foot tall Dragon would turn around. Char monitored Jason's many hand gestures and acknowledged his trainer by nodded his head and giving Jason a 'thumbs up' gesture.

"That thing is a Dragon-Type of some kind, Tyranitar," said Kamon to his Pokemon. "It's got wings that unfold from its back and it has powerful long distance attacks. Your hard skin should be able to absorb any physical damage from that Dragon, so stay close to it and pound it into oblivion! If it unfolds its wings then bring it back down to the ground quickly! I don't care if you have to kill it! Don't let it fly!"

Tyranitar roared at Char as it ran for Jason's faithful Dragon companion. Char waited patiently for the Dark-Type and watched its posture as it charged. Once Char was close enough, Tyranitar pulled its right paw back and prepared for a deadly claw swipe. To Tyranitar's surprise, as well as all who witnessed the match, Char caught the Dark-Type's paw with his left hand and grasped it's throat with his right. Using the beast's momentum, Char tossed Tyranitar over his head and smashed the green beast into the ground. Char then made a leaping retreat using his wings to quickly lift him above the ground and land several paces away from Tyranitar.

Tyranitar stood up to its feet and turned around to face its opponent as Char refolded his wings. It ran towards Char again, this time with its torso bent down so that it could land a Skull Bash attack. Once more Char waited patiently for his opponent to be within range to counter and shoved Tyranitar's head into the ground while performing a leaping front flip with a 180 degree twist so that he could land behind Tyranitar and still face it. Tyranitar's face slid against the grassy surface as Char landed on his feet.

Tyranitar quickly became enraged at Char's effective countering techniques and unleashed a surprise Flamethrower attack. Char quickly crossed his arms in front of him so that he could defend himself from the stream of fire from Tyranitar's mouth. Char seemed unaffected by the intense heat as Tyranitar stepped towards Char, continuing the attack as it came closer to the mighty Dragon. Once Tyranitar was within two feet away it discontinued the Flamethrower attack and followed through with a horizontal swipe from its right paw. Char blocked the attack with his left forearm and pressed his right hand on Tyranitar's chest. What seemed like a pointless attempt turned out to be a powerful Fire-Type attack as a blast of fire from Char's right hand sent Tyranitar flying across the arena until it landed on its back a few feet away from Kamon's post.

"What a stunning counter attack from Patton's Dragon-Type known only as Char," said Leo Barkley. "It seems Char was able to absorb Tyranitar's Flamethrower and use the energy it collected to unleash a small Fire Blast attack."

"It's usually not a good idea to use Fire-Type attacks against Dragons to begin with, Leo, but you also have to take into consideration that Char was once a Fire-Type before it became this newly discovered Dragon-Type. That being said, not only can it use Fire-Type attacks, but it can also absorb heat and use it against its opponent."

"Quit playing around, Tyranitar," said Kamon. "If you have to use Special attacks then start using Ice-Type attacks! It's the only thing that Dragon-Types are weak against. In the meantime stay close and don't let it fly!"

Tyranitar stood up and snarled at its distant enemy as its hands changed in color from olive green to sky blue. Visible humidity rose from its hands due to their low temperatures as Tyranitar ran towards Char once more. Instead of standing his ground, Char began his own charging pursuit and kept his body horizontal, using his neck and tail to keep his balance. With both combatants only a few feet away from each other, Tyranitar pulled its right icy fist back in preparation for a strong right hook. Suddenly, Char lunged for Tyranitar and landed a jump kick on Tyranitar's jaw with enough force to knock the Dark-Type to the ground on its back.

Char landed on his feet with Tyranitar's chest in between, allowing Char the mount. To Tyranitar's dismay, Char landed alternating punches on the beast's face, punches that were strong enough for Tyranitar's rock-hard hide to feel them well enough to flinch. After the seventh punch, Tyranitar threw a claw swipe with its right paw, only to have it blocked by Char's left forearm. Char then gripped at Tyranitar's arm and stepped over the green beast, twisting his body so that he could fall on his back with his legs on top of Tyranitar's chest and throat. The amount of pressure applied to Tyranitar's arm was enough to make the weakened beast roar as it suffered from Char's Arm Bar submission hold.

Out of pure desperation, Tyranitar twisted its torso away from Char and pulled its near broken arm with it, successfully throwing Char into the air once the seasoned Dragon lost his grip. Char performed three front flips as his body was launched from Tyranitar as his opponent stood up holding its weakened arm. Before Char could safely land on his feet, Tyranitar unleashed an Ice Beam from its mouth and hit its target. The Ice Beam hit Char's back and caused him to fall on his stomach.

"Ouch on that one, Jeff," exclaimed Leo Barkley. "Antonio's Tyranitar escapes Char's submission hold and counters with an Ice Beam."

"That attack hit with enough force that it may have damaged Char's wings. If Char can't use his wings then he will have to wear Tyranitar down on the ground, a task that very few Pokemon have the stamina for when fighting a Pokemon with such a rough hide."

"It's about time, Tyranitar," said Kamon with a smirk. "Hopefully that Ice Beam did enough damage on that thing's wings that it won't be able to fly, but I don't want to take any chances. Keep using your Ice Beam on its back and then finish it with your Giga Impact attack."

Tyranitar unleashed a continuous Ice Beam attack on Char as the Dragon tried hopelessly to get up to his feet. Char gritted his teeth as he suffered the intense cold on his back, trying to focus his heat energy to keep himself as safe as he could be from the Ice Beam as Tyranitar walked towards the weakened Dragon. Knowing that he Char needed instruction, Jason picked up the ear piece he threw down and spoke into the microphone, knowing that Kamon would be listening.

"Char," said Jason. "Focus! You can overpower the Ice Beam. You know what you have to do. Meet that thing head on with what you do best."

Kamon listened to Jason's words but could not determine what Jason meant by what Char did best. Without any inkling of what Jason had in mind, he still had the disadvantage and would have to rely on Tyranitar's Ice-Type abilities to win the match. He knew that if he could defeat Char then he would have the advantage over Jason's other two combatants, Shocker and Powerhouse. Shocker's Electric-Type attacks would prove to be useless against a Rock-Type such as Tyranitar, and though Powerhouse would have enough strength to cause serious damage against Tyranitar's rough hide the Dark-Type would have the advantage with its wide variety of distance Special attacks.

Char squinted his eyes as Tyranitar's Ice Beam grew in intensity the closer it came towards Char. His back was completely covered in thick ice, allowing Char virtually no movement in his wings and shoulders. Tyranitar stopped stepping towards Char once it was within fifteen feet away, a good distance to be to execute the Giga Impact attack with little chance to miss. Suddenly, Char turned and unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth at Tyranitar's Ice Beam, keeping the stream if ice away from Char as the Flamethrower pushed the Ice Beam back towards Tyranitar. The ice evaporated into steam in Tyranitar's mouth, forcing the Dark-Type to choke on the humidity before the Flamethrower reached its target with enough force to bring Tyranitar on its back.

Char stood up to his feet as Tyranitar raised its head to see Char open his wings, shards of thick ice flying from his skin as his wings stretched out. Enraged and desperate to be rid of its opponent, Tyranitar quickly stood up and strained itself as it crossed its arms in front of its chest. Char waited as Tyranitar suddenly began a raging charge towards the Dragon, executing its most powerful attack known as Giga Impact in which the user rushes towards its opponent and tackles with every ounce of energy it has. Kamon waited in anticipation for the attack to collide, knowing that such an attack could not be stopped.

In a surprise move that shocked all that witnessed, Char brought Tyranitar's Giga Impact to an abrupt halt by landing a bone cracking right hook on Tyranitar's jaws that sent the charging behemoth flying to Char's left. Before Tyranitar's body could land, Char ran as fast as his feet could take him towards his airborne opponent and caught Tyranitar with his shoulder as he took immediate flight. Char then flew roughly thirty feet up in the air with Tyranitar's gut resting on Char's shoulder and threw the dazed Dark-Type straight down to the ground. As Tyranitar's body descended, Char opened his jaws and unleashed two small streams of fire onto his hands. He then drew a massive pentacle star shape with the fire and launched it toward the falling Dark-Type. The Fire Blast hit Tyranitar right after the green beast hit the ground, resulting in a blast of fire with the equivalent force of a hand grenade.

With Tyranitar unable to continue the battle, Jason and Char emerged victorious. Jason jumped over the railing of his trainer's post as Char landed on his feet and pounced on his faithful companion, wrapping his arms around Char's neck as he laughed with excitement over their victory.

"Incredible," shouted Leo Barkley. "Truly a remarkable display of power, Jeff! Jason Patton is going to the final round to face Norman Green!"

"What an upset for Kamon Antonio," said Jeff Rogers. "We predicted that he would meet Norman Green in the final round this year, but I guess he'll have to wait for another chance next year."

Kamon returned Tyranitar into its Pokeball as he fell to his knees, baffled and appalled by Char's comeback. He watched as Jason and Char waved at the crowd as they cheered Jason's name. This was supposed to be his time. This was supposed to be his meal ticket to fame and fortune, and Jason took it all away from him with a deadly Fire Blast.

Jason and Char took a moment and gazed upon Kamon's trainer's post. Jason stepped away from Char and whistled at Kamon, trying to gain his attention over the crowd's chanting. Kamon looked up and stood up to his feet as he watched Jason remove the glove from his left hand. Jason then presented what was left of his middle finger in the air, showing Kamon that he still had enough of his middle finger to make the gesture count. All Kamon could do was watch as Jason turned his back on him and walked away with Char.

A young woman with short brown hair wearing a dark green swoop-neck shirt and blue jeans opened the door to her apartment while carrying a bag of thick books on her shoulder. She gave off an expression of exhaustion, apparently from her long hours at the college campus. This was her fifth and final year at college, and being that she was only a few months away from acquiring her degree in Pokemon Physiology, she knew she had to be on task. Maybe spring break with her friends would help her loosen up her worries.

Suddenly, the young woman was greeted by the open arms of her blonde room mate, Clair. Clair wore a spaghetti strap tank top under a light blue jean jacket and matching shorts, and her bleach blonde hair reached below her shoulders and was worn in a pony tail.

"Hey Brooke," said Clair as she let go of the embrace. "You look tired. Was your last class before spring break hard?"

Brooke rolled her eyes and said, "I have to do a fifteen page report over my break. I was so mad about it I almost yelled at my teacher."

"Well that sucks," said Clair as she took Brooke's book bag from her shoulder. "I might have something to cheer you up, though."

Brooke raised an eyebrow and said, "You didn't set me up with another blind date, did you? The last guy was such an asshole. He had no manners and I ended up paying for the whole date."

Clair giggled and shook her head. "I'll do you one better. My boyfriend won three tickets to see the final rounds of the Indigo Plateau League. There's room for one more if you wanna come and forget about school for a while. The cool thing about these tickets is if the winner of the tournament challenges the Elite Four, we get to stay and watch the matches. So do you wanna come with us?"

"I really should stay here and work on my project, Clair."

"Oh come on, Brooke. You're always stressing so much about school. You make straight A's in all of your classes and there's no way you're gonna fail. They call it spring break for a reason, so loosen up and enjoy your time off. Besides, if you don't come with us then I'm gonna worry about you the whole time and I won't be able to enjoy myself."

Brooke chuckled to herself as she sat down on a recliner chair in front of their television. "I'll be fine, Clair. You have fun with your boyfriend at the games. I'll find something to keep me busy while your gone. I'd end up feeling like a third wheel if I went anyway."

Unable to find a way to convince Brooke to go, Clair sighed and said, "Alright, Brooke. We'll go without you. It's gonna suck without you, but if you don't want to go then you don't have to."

"I'll go with you guys next year, I promise."

Clair grabbed a small remote control from the coffee table near the sofa and turned on the television. Once the screen turned on it displayed the end of a Pokemon match between two combatants in the Indigo Plateau League. Brooke paid no attention to the television screen as she began reading one of her study books while Clair watched as the program announced the winners of the semifinal rounds.

"Aw man," said Clair as she sat down on the sofa. "I wanted to see the semifinal matches. I wander who won?"

"Incredible," shouted the voice of Leo Barkley. "Truly a remarkable display of power, Jeff! Jason Patton is going to the final round to face Norman Green!"

"What an upset for Kamon Antonio," said Jeff Rogers. "We predicted that he would meet Norman Green in the final round this year, but I guess he'll have to wait for another chance next year."

"Well that concludes the semifinal rounds of the Indigo Plateau. Remember, fans, the final round will be Norman Green against Jason Patton for the Indigo Plateau League Tournament Championship."

Brooke's eyes widened once she heard the name Jason Patton. She threw her book towards the sofa and rushed over towards the t.v., kneeling down right in front of the screen as she gazed upon Jason and Char.

"Hey Brooke, you do know you're blocking the way, right," asked Clair.

Brooke ignored Clair as she continued to stare into the screen. She expressed utter shock and delight to see her old love once again after four long years of being apart. She brought her fingers to the screen and caressed the spot where Jason's face was, remembering how he touched her. At that moment it was as if time had stopped, allowing her to remember every second they shared together like it happened yesterday. Now, after four years, she had the chance to see him again up close.

The television program switched from the tournament to a commercial. Brooke lowered her head and kept her hand on the screen as she smiled so brightly. Clair stood up from her seat and approached Brooke, worried that she might be upset with something.

"Brooke," said Clair as she placed her hands on Brooke's shoulders. "Are you alright?"

Brooke stood up and turned around to face Clair. "When do you leave for the League," she asked with an excited smile.

Clair raised her eyebrows and said, "Uh, in two days. Why?"

"Help me pack up. I'm going with you."

Jason stood in his locker room alone, starring at himself through a large mirror above a wall mounted sink. He was minutes away from his match against five-time Tournament Champion, Norman Green. In the three days prior to his match day, Jason had studied old videos of Norman's battles. Though Norman was primarily a Normal-Type Pokemon specialist, he also had a vast knowledge of other element types and used a variety of different Pokemon in battle. Throughout his years of competing in the League, Norman rarely used the same roster twice in his battles. He kept his opponents on their toes constantly with his near unpredictable rosters and effective balance style of offensive and defensive techniques.

Jason turned a knob of the sink and cupped his hands underneath the faucet, allowing water to fill up in his hands before he splashed the cool liquid in his face. Though he was confident in himself, he knew he would have to be ready for anything in his upcoming match against Norman. There could be no room for hesitation, no room for underestimating, and no room for error.

Suddenly, Jason heard a knocking on his locker room door before a Pokemon League official, a tall skinny man in a white dress shirt and black slacks, entered the room. "Mr. Patton," said the official. "It's time for your match against Norman Green."

Jason responded by nodding his head at the official. Jason then turned off the faucet and exited the locker room with the official. Jason followed the official through the narrow corridors of the stadium's underbelly. The hallways were very plain in design, consisting large grey brick walls, white tiled flooring and the occasional wooden door along the brick walls. The simple design of the hallways comforted Jason, allowing him to feel more and more confident in himself.

Once Jason and the official made it to the long corridor that lead to the arena entrance, the official gestured towards the hallway for Jason to follow. As the official went elsewhere, Jason gazed upon the long hallway and began to take his first steps towards the final round. Each step seemed like an eternity for Jason, but he took each step with pride and confidence. This was his chance to gain recognition, a chance to be somebody. This was a chance of a lifetime for him, and he knew that he would give all who viewed the match something they have never seen before.

Unbeknownst to Jason, however, none other than Kamon Antonio followed him along the hallway. He kept his distance from Jason, hoping not to alert the Cinnabar native of his presence. His face portrayed numerous expressions, of which included hatred, envy and sadness, but it was the jet black semi-automatic pistol in his right hand that truly portrayed his intensions. With no one nearby, all Kamon would have to do is aim and pull the trigger. Afterwards he would make a run for it and go into hiding while his complete vengeance sunk into his system. It would all be over soon enough.

"Holster that side-arm, Kamon," whispered someone behind Kamon.

Kamon quickly hid his gun under his over shirt and turned around to see the Boss of Team Rocket, Giovanni. The middle-aged mob Boss approached Kamon with a look of warning in his eyes. Kamon alternated between looking at Giovanni and his intended victim, Jason.

"I want him dead," said Kamon. "He took away my dignity. This was supposed to be my time! I want his head on a spike!"

Giovanni grabbed onto Kamon's shirt and said, "His time will come, Kamon. My god, man! It's a wonder security hasn't caught you with that pistol. I need you elsewhere at the moment. Our clone specimen has escaped from captivity."

Kamon frowned at Giovanni and said, "The Mewtwo specimen? How did it get out?"

"That is what I want you to find out. Go back to headquarters and investigate what's left of the specimen's holding pen. Track down its movements and bring it back. Use whatever methods necessary to complete your mission, but I want it back alive and undamaged. Do I make myself clear?"

Kamon starred at Jason as he continued to walk towards the entrance. He wanted Jason dead, but he knew that he had to obey Giovanni's commands. Any attempt to do otherwise might result in his own death. As much as it pained him to abort his plans for revenge, Kamon lowered his head as Giovanni let go of his shirt and acknowledged his Boss by saying, "Yes, sir."

Giovanni nodded at Kamon as the red-haired Rocket operative walked away. He then turned his sights towards Jason and smirked. "Your time will come, Mr. Patton. I guarantee it."

Jason took his first step into the arena to see two figures in the stadium's center. Charles Goodshow, the League's head chairman, stood next to Norman Green holding a wireless microphone in his right hand. The two men waited patiently as Jason walked towards them from across the field.

"Welcome to the final round of the Indigo Plateau League tournament," said Leo Barkley. "Fans, if you've just tuned in, Norman Green and the League's head chairman, Charles Goodshow, have already made it to the center of the arena and Jason Patton is just now making his way there. Sitting next to me, as always, is Jeff Rogers. Jeff, how would you sum up this year's competition?"

"I'll tell ya, Leo. This has been, without a doubt, the most intense few weeks I've been around to witness. In all the years I've been commentating these matches with you, I have never seen such an outstanding display of talent these twenty-four trainers from around the world have shown us. As I said in the beginning rounds of the tournament, welcome to a new era in the Indigo Plateau!"

"I couldn't agree with you more. Out of the twenty-four competitors in this year's tournament roster, the two that will stand out more than them all are five-time tournament championship winner, Norman Green, and the remarkable newcomer, Jason Patton. I'd love to talk about this more, but for now, let's go to our head chairman, Charles Goodshow to announce the match."

Jason approached Norman and Goodshow with determination in his eyes as Goodshow brought the microphone closer to his lips. "Ladies and gentlemen! The time has come at last for the final round of the Indigo Plateau League Tournament!"

Jason kept his sights on Norman as he felt the roar of the stadium's audience. Norman, on the other hand, kept his head low and his eyes shut while taking slow, deep breaths.

"In the fifty years," continued Goodshow to the crowd, "that I have watched this fine organization grow, I have never been more proud to be a part of its success than this very moment. These two gentlemen standing on either side of me are by far the most talented Pokemon trainers ever to compete in the tournament, and it is finally time to make their formal introduction. Standing to my right is a man who is certainly no stranger to our League. He is a native of Petalburg City in the Hoenn region, he is a soon to be City Gym Leader, and he is a five-time Indigo Plateau League Tournament Champion. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you Mr. Norman Green!"

Norman opened his eyes and let a bright smile escape his lips as he raised his hand in the air and waved to the audience that cheered for him. The crowd began chanting his first and last name in a medium paced rhythm to show their favor over the tournament veteran. After a moment of the crowd's chanting, Goodshow continued the announcements while pointing at Jason.

"And standing to my left is a true 'Cinderella Story' if I ever saw one. He is a Kanto region native from Cinnabar Island, he is the reason why the Pokedex invention has become so popular, and he has made the most remarkable debut since Lance Siegfried of the Elite Four. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the most successful newcomer of this organization, Jason Patton!"

To the surprise of the three men in the arena's center, especially that of Jason's, the crowd's roar was greater once Jason's name was announced. It seemed that they had already favored Jason over the five-time tournament champion. The audience's chanting of Jason's first name made the League newcomer slowly gaze upon the stadium crowd around him.

"Gentlemen," began Goodshow to the two combatants. "Your hardships and astonishing skill as trainers have lead you to the final round of our tournament. You both will go down in history as the brave Pokemon trainers who fought valiantly in this grass field. And now it is my greatest honor and privilege to finally say for the fiftieth time in our history, ladies and gentlemen, from the Indigo Plateau Pokemon League Stadium in the region of Kanto, IT'S SHOWTIME!!!"

As the cheering of the crowd grew to such a high level, numerous fireworks of all sizes and colors erupted in the skies above the stadium. Although the fireworks in the skies above were quite the sight to view, both Norman and Jason kept their sights on each other. They both had one thing on their mind: the match.

Goodshow lowered his microphone and stepped in between the two combatants. ⌠Alright, gentlemen. The final round is a six-on-six Pokemon match-up. However, being the you, Mr. Patton, are only in possession of five Pokemon in your roster you have the option of limiting Mr. Green's roster to five. What do you wish to do?"

Jason nodded his head at Norman and said to Goodshow, "I'll leave it up to him."

Norman smirked and said, "I've always believed in the philosophy of a fair fight. I suggest a four-on-four match-up."

Goodshow turned his sights to Jason once more. "Mr. Patton?"

"Good enough for me."

"Alright then," said Goodshow. "It's settled. Remember that in this round a Pokemon can only be recalled once it is no longer able to fight and the match does not stop until one of you has no more Pokemon to send into battle. The final round will begin once you have reached your trainer's posts and have released your first Pokemon into the field. Good luck to the both of you, and may the best man win."

As Goodshow walked elsewhere, Norman extended his right hand towards Jason. The League newcomer returned Norman's gesture of good sportsmanship by shaking Norman's hand before saying, "Told ya that I'd make it to the final round."

Norman smirked and said, "I've been looking forward to seeing you in battle up close, Jason. All that I ask is that you refrain from holding back, because I won't. My sights are set on winning that trophy, and if your goal is the same then show me just how much you want it. We both have come too far to do otherwise."

"I'll give you what you want and plenty more, Norman," replied Jason. "Bet on it."

Norman nodded his head at Jason and turned away. Both men headed for their posts ready for action. The crowd's applause grew louder the closer they were to their posts until they reached their destinations, at which point the audience lowered their cheers and waited for the match to begin.

"Alright, I have been told that this match is a four-on-four battle," said Leo Barkley. "Both trainers have just made it to their posts and are ready for the match to begin. Jeff, can you even begin to predict the outcome of this match?"

"Absolutely not, Leo," responded Jeff Rogers. "These two trainers are just too evenly matched. Both have high knowledge of Pokemon, although Patton may have a bit more due to his work on the Pokedex. However, Green has experience over Patton being a five-time champion winner. We have seen Patton beat three big hitters in the League, but we have also seen Green win championships. It's all a question as to whether Norman Green's high experience in the League can overcome Patton's knowledge and spectacular training methods."

"Well I think that you and I can agree that no matter what the outcome this is going to be one of the most highly anticipated matches of the century. Do you think that the winner will challenge the Elite Four?"

"Oh I think so. Norman is on the brink of retiring as a League competitor, and he has come a long way not to make such a challenge if he should win. As for Patton, I believe he is here to really prove something. I couldn't see any reason why he wouldn't challenge the Elite Four if he wins."

"Good point there, Jeff. Alright, the final round is about to begin, fans! It's time to see who will emerge as Tournament Champion!"

Jason squatted down next to the railing of his post, taking deep breaths as he thought about the match. He knew that beating Norman would be no easy task and that his strategies had to be pin-point, for there could be no room for error. After a moment of preparing himself Jason stood up, lit up one of his cigarettes and grabbed a Pokeball from his belt.

Unbeknownst to Jason, a very special someone in his heart whom he once knew four years ago, Brooke, sat in one of the middle rows of the westward side of the stadium with her college friend, Clair, and Clair's tall boyfriend, Joseph. While Clair and Joseph talked to each other about the match to come, Brooke's eyes were glued on Jason. This was the closest she had been to Jason since he was forced to leave her four years ago, and although he was still so distant and had no recollection of her being there, she was so happy to see him once more.

Norman made the first move by releasing his Sceptile, a bipedal Grass-Type that reached five feet in height. It's light green hide was smooth rather than scaly, and its unusually large tail was thick with four rows of dark green outgrowths. It's back consisted of four yellow bulbs, and two round crests rested on the top of its head.

Jason released his powerful Psychic-Type, Espeon, into the arena. Espeon eyed her opponent as Sceptile hissed at her.

"Alright, let's get this match started," exclaimed Leo Barkley. "Norman Green's Sceptile against Jason Patton"s Espeon."

"Patton's gonna have his hands full with this one, Leo. Sceptile is an exceptional striker but its best asset is its speed, something that even a strong Psychic-Type like Espeon may have a hard time keeping up with."

"Stay mobile with this one, Sceptile," said Norman. "Your skin is resilient to Psychic-Type attacks, but this one is hardly a pushover. Use your agility to avoid its telekinesis and bombard it with hit-and-run tactics."

"This thing is very quick on its feet, Espeon," said Jason. "Dodge and counter its close range attacks as best as you can and you'll eventually wear it down. It'll be expecting you to counter its speed with your Psychic- powers, so don't give it what it wants. Watch its movements and wait for the right moment to strike with your surprise close range attacks."

Sceptile ran towards Espeon with its body bent forward at high speed. Espeon kept her gaze upon her charging opponent as she stood her ground and patiently waited for her opportunity. Once Sceptile was a mere seven feet away from her, Espeon's figure changed into a lavender streak that zipped away from Sceptile to the left. Sceptile's ultra quick reflexes allowed it to slide its feet forward, slowing the Grass-Type's speed to a fast halt. Unfortunately for Sceptile, this left it vulnerable for the lavender streak to collide with Sceptile's face with enough force to knock the green reptile on its belly.

Sceptile sprung up to its feet only to be hit again in the gut head on by Espeon's zipping tackle attack. Espeon bounced off of Sceptile's stomach and then bounced once more off the ground, allowing Espeon to collide herself with the reptile's chin. The blow forced Sceptile into the air but it was able to recover and land on its feet after performing a back flip. Espeon stopped her advance and landed ten feet away from her opponent, waiting for Sceptile's next move. Sceptile performed a spinning acrobatic maneuver in the air towards Espeon with intent on landing its thick tail on her. Espeon pounced to her right side seconds before Sceptile's tail pierced the ground in which she once stood. Though Sceptile's tail was indeed large and bulky, the green reptile was able to lift its tail from the grass and used its momentum to spin frantically towards Espeon with its tail outstretched.

Rather than dodging the upcoming attack, Espeon generated her turquoise colored Barrier and blocked the deadly tail. With Sceptile's attack brought to an abrupt halt, the reptile used this brief pause to its advantage as one of the sharp, leaf-shaped outgrowths from each arm slid its way towards its paws, allowing Sceptile to grip the sharp edges as they disconnected from Sceptile's arms. Sceptile then performed two alternating diagonal slices at Espeon, both of which were dodged by Espeon's agile leaps. Rather than follow through with another slice, Sceptile remembered Norman's instructions and back flipped away from its opponent.

Jason raised his eyebrows in surprise as he witnessed Sceptile's new hand held weapons. He had never seen Norman's Sceptile use such a technique in its previous battles during the Preliminary Rounds. Such an unexpected move so early in the match didn't seem logical to Jason, but at the same time Norman was a five-time Tournament Champion winner. Jason knew he would have to treat this with extra care if he didn't want to get caught off guard.

"Something doesn't smell right about this, Espeon," said Jason. "I think its trying to get you to keep your distance. Stay close and continue to dodge and counter, but this time don't neglect your Psychic-Type attacks. We gotta do what we can to keep this thing off guard."

"Well done, Sceptile," said Norman. "Force the Psychic-Type to back away from you. If it won't cooperate, paralyze it with a stun spore so you can nail it with an Energy Ball. I still want you to use your hit-and-run tactics, but the only way you can defeat this critter is with a well placed Special attack."

Sceptile threw one of the arm blades at Espeon and charged. Espeon used her telekinesis to stop the blade's advance and launched it back at the approaching reptile. Sceptile knocked the flying arm blade away with the one it carried in its right hand and pounced at Espeon. Suddenly, Sceptile's airborne body stopped three feet away from Espeon, leaving Sceptile vulnerable for an attack. Without so much as a blink from Espeon, she used her Psychic-Type power to slam Sceptile on the ground three times before launching the reptile several yards away from her. Sceptile's back slid against the grassy surface ten feet from Norman's post before the reptile's body halted from Espeon's Psychic push.

Norman narrowed his eyes at the sight of Espeon's Psychic power. He had speculated that Jason's Pokemon had exceptional ability, but he personally trained Sceptile to resist telekinesis from Psychic-Type Pokemon.

"Nice counter from Patton's Espeon," exclaimed Leo Barkley. "Green might be in trouble with this Psychic-Type."

"I've never seen Green's Sceptile be telekinetically manhandled like that before, Leo. Patton's Espeon is packing some serious heat. I don't know if Green's Sceptile can get through Espeon's power."

Sceptile stood up and began its advance on its distant opponent by performing numerous acrobatic leaps towards her. Sceptile need to stay mobile if it wanted to keep from being gripped by Espeon's Psychic power. Espeon ran towards the agile Grass-Type and leaped high into the air above the Grass-Type. Just as Sceptile landed from a twisting front flip it was caught off guard by a Shadow Ball that hit directly in front of the Grass-Type. The blast of the attack caused Sceptile to fall face first as Espeon landed a few feet behind her opponent. This granted Espeon the perfect opportunity to gain another psychic hold on Sceptile. Espeon lifted Sceptile into the air and held it in place as she charged another Shadow Ball from the gem on her forehead. Sceptile flailed about frantically as a large ball of dark purple energy grew larger and larger from Espeon's gem.

"Stun Spore that thing," said Norman. "Quickly!"

Sceptile halted its flailing and waved its arm at Espeon, unleashing a golden, glittery cloud of dust at the Psychic feline. The Stun Spore not only forced Espeon to let go of Sceptile, but also caused the charging Shadow Ball to explode right in her face. The blast of the Shadow Ball sent Espeon flying across the arena until her right side slid against the grassy surface five yards away from Jason's post. Weakened by the blast and paralyzed in many different spots in her body, she struggled desperately to stand on her feet as Sceptile slowly approached its weakened opponent.

"Oh my," exclaimed Leo Barkley. "That certainly turned the tables for Patton's Espeon. It's gotta be in the verge of passing out by now."

"I don't know how much Espeon has left but it looks like Green will be the first to beat one of Jason's Pokemon. The only way Patton's Espeon can recover is if it concentrates on its Psychic power. The problem is that its weakened state may prevent it from doing that."

Jason cursed at himself for not seeing that Stun Spore coming. "Espeon, I'm gonna leave this up to you. I know you're hurtin' and I won't be disappointed in you if you wanna sit this one out. If that's the case then stay down. You fought a hell of a fight, and no one can take that away from you."

Espeon struggled to her feet, each attempt resulting in another fall. Her reluctance to quit was something Jason admired, but it also pained him to see her hurt. Espeon finally managed to sit on her hind legs and balanced herself up with her right front paw, for the other was highly affected by Sceptile's Stun Spore.

Jason closed his eyes and sighed. "Damn it, Espeon, if you wanna stay that badly then be careful. You'll have to concentrate on your Psychic power to not only attack but to move yourself away from danger. Use your Psybeams if that thing is within a good range and use your multiple Shadow Balls to wear it down."

"Finish it quickly, Sceptile," said Norman. "A good Energy Ball should knock it out. That little critter's gotta be ready to fall over after that blast."

Sceptile fell to its right knee and placed its hands on the ground. Within seconds Sceptile's body glowed a feint yellow aura as the grass below him began to turn a dark brown color. Once Sceptile had enough energy from the grass and soil below, it stood up and stretched out its arms.

"Heads up, Espeon," shouted Jason. "It's about to use an Energy Ball! You can stop it from hitting you if you concentrate!"

The aura that surrounded its body suddenly began to travel to its hands and formed a bright yellow ball of energy in each hand. Sceptile then brought its hands closer together and merged the two Energy Balls into one large ball of yellow light. Without hesitation, Sceptile pushed the Energy ball away from it, sending the yellow mass flying towards Espeon at high speed. Unable to move due to her paralysis, Espeon stood her ground as the Energy Ball flew closer and closer to her.

Suddenly when the Energy Ball was only a few feet away from Espeon, it stopped. The Energy Ball levitated in place for a few moments before it flew back towards Sceptile faster than before. Sceptile made a desperate leap to the right but was unable to dodge the Energy Ball in time as its legs and tail were hit. The collision caused an explosion that sent Sceptile flipping in the air until it landed on its back several yards away from the blast.

"My goodness," said Leo Barkley. "That was incredible! Espeon sent the Energy Ball to its source!"

"Even I didn't See that one coming," responded Jeff Rogers. "I guess Patton's Espeon has a lot more fight left in it that we thought!"

Sceptile slowly pushed itself up to its feet and shook its head, trying to recover from the attack. Suddenly, Sceptile was forced back down to the ground once more by an aerial beam of brightly multi-colored energy from a levitating Espeon. As her body floated closer to her opponent she unleashed another Psybeam from the gem on her forehead, of which hit the ground in right front of Sceptile and caused a small blast of energy that sent Sceptile high into the air.

Just as Sceptile began its descent, its body stopped and levitated in the air close to Espeon. Seconds later Sceptile's body was sent crashing into the ground five times and was finally bombarded with numerous Shadow Balls from Espeon. The blasts of the Shadow Balls emitted large dust clouds that covered Sceptile's unconscious body. Espeon slowly levitated back towards Jason's post as the dust cleared and Sceptile was declared unable to continue.

"And that's it," said Leo Barkley. "Patton's Espeon makes a remarkable comeback and defeats Green's Sceptile!"

"Patton's Pokemon never stop to impress me, Leo. That was probably the most amazing display of Psychic power I have ever seen. But is it strong enough to handle another opponent? We'll find out once Green sends in his next Pokemon."

"Nice finish, Espeon," said Jason as Espeon landed near his post. "But you shouldn't have gone all out like that. You know better. How are you going to defend yourself against the next Pokemon in the shape you're in? Use what time you have to recover so that you can stand a chance."

Meanwhile in the stadium audience, Brooke starred at Jason and Espeon in awe over what had just happened. She speculated that Espeon had to be the pet Eevee she gave to Jason before he left her. Even though she knew that Jason would keep his promise, she never thought he would do so at such a high level. She sat at the edge of her seat and waited for the match to continue, amazed beyond belief and proud of Jason and his Pokemon for what they had become.

Norman recalled Sceptile and reached for another Pokeball, allowing Jason's Espeon little time for recovery. His next Pokemon was the Water/Ground-Type Pokemon, Swampert. Swampert was a bulky creature that stood on all fours and was roughly the same size as an average Arcanine. The two dark grey head crests were large in size and resembled the fins of a fish rather than a bony crest, and the same applied for its vertical tail that reached at least five feet in height. Dark orange padding on its knees, elbows and cheeks added character to its smooth, dark blue hide. Its eyes were large and binocular like a predator, and two long spikes grew from the creature's cheeks.

"Norman Green sends out his Swampert to the arena," said Leo Barkley. "A bit of an unusual choice for Green to send against a Psychic-Type, wouldn't you think, Jeff?"

"Well I don't think Espeon has enough energy to withstand or even counter Swampert's powerful Water and Ground attacks. Psychics tend to have the advantage over Ground-Types but Espeon became heavily weakened by Green's Sceptile. Green must be thinking of getting Espeon beaten quickly so that he can better prepare himself for Patton's other Pokemon."

"Take out that Espeon quickly, Swampert," ordered Norman. "It should be on the brink of defeat but it also has a knack for surprising its opponents. Keep your distance and distract it with some strong Water attacks, a Bubble Beam for instance. It may defend against the attack, so when you find an opening use an Earthquake stomp to take it down for the count."

"I think he's trying to beat you with raw power, Espeon," said Jason. "You should be able to defend against its Water attacks but I'm waiting on it to use a Ground-Type attack. If that happens then don't try to stop or counter it, just get out of the way as quick as you can. You're gonna have to play defensive for now until you have a chance to recover your energy."

Swampert stomped its front left paw and opened its mouth to unleash a stream of brightly colored bubbles of many sizes traveling towards Espeon with haste. Espeon squinted her eyes and generated a thin barrier in front of her in time for the Bubble Beam to connect with the energy wall. The force of the Bubble Beam caused Espeon to strain as her barrier began to fade slightly. With each passing second Espeon's barrier faded away, allowing some of the smaller bubbles to collide with her chest and shoulders. Each bubble that hit her felt as if she had been hit by a brick that had been thrown at her. Unable to defend against Swampert's attack any longer, Espeon's barrier disappeared entirely as she suffered the continuous attack of Swampert's Bubble Beam. Espeon was knocked down on her back from the dozens of bubbles that hit her.

Swampert halted its Bubble Beam attack to see what had become of Espeon. The lavender furred Psychic-Type, despite the great amount of damage she took, struggled to stand on her paws. Although she on her gut a few times, she managed to stand up and starred into the distant eyes of her opponent. Swampert slowly stepped towards her direction with caution, hoping to keep from being caught off guard from Espeon.

Suddenly, Swampert's eyesight darkened as if all light had disappeared. As Swampert staggered about the arena from Espeon's Nightshade attack, the small Psychic-Type charged a Shadow Ball from the gem on her head. By the time Swampert's vision had returned, Espeon's Shadow Ball had grown to about half the size of her watery opponent. The Shadow Ball then flew towards Swampert with such speed that it was unable to leap away to safety. The Shadow Ball hit Swampert's chest, and the blast of the attack sent the Water-Type several feet away until it landed on its back.

Espeon sighed and took heavy breaths, hoping to recover her stamina before Swampert could get back up. Unfortunately for her, Swampert quickly stood up on its feet and roared at Espeon as it raised its front and rear left legs above the ground. Swampert then followed through with a mighty ground stomp, one that cracked the grassy surface of the arena. Suddenly, after a quick shake in the ground below her, Espeon's body was launched high into the air as segments of the ground below her rose to great heights.

Espeon landed a good fifteen feet away from the rocky mass that rose from the ground. Refusing to take any more chances, Swampert unleashed a stream of high pressured water from its mouth that hit Espeon with enough force for her body to bounce off the rocky mass behind her. No movement came from Espeon once she landed, other than the slow rhythmic breaths from her chest. Espeon had lost consciousness from the attack and was unable to continue the battle.

Jason lowered his head and sighed at the sight of Espeon losing for the first time in over a year. Though he hated to see his Pokemon lose, he was also a bit relieved that she could no longer continue the match. The one thing he hated more than to see his Pokemon lose was to see his Pokemon hurt. He returned Espeon back into her Pokeball and kissed it before attaching it on his utility belt.

"Patton's Espeon loses to Green's Swampert," said Leo Barkley. "This is the first time we've seen any of Patton's Pokemon lose a match, but it took two of Green's Pokemon to do it."

"It's a wonder Patton's Espeon was able to continue the fight as long as it did, Leo. But now Patton has a chance to send in another Pokemon into the arena, one that's fresh and ready to do business. Let's see who Patton will send out next!"

Jason grabbed the Pokeball that contained Powerhouse and released the Fighting-Type into the arena. Jason knew that Powerhouse would be his best bet, for Shocker's Electric-Type attacks would do little against Swampert's skin. Lapras did well against other Water-Types, and even better against Ground-Types, but he needed speed as well as power against Swampert. Lapras's fairly predictable ice trails would not suit well against Swampert's ground shaking attacks. As for Char, Jason needed him fresh for whatever awaited him at the end of the match.

"Alright, Powerhouse," said Jason. "You need to make sure this thing can't keep a healthy distance from you. It will bombard you with Water and Ground attacks if you let it. Get in close and wear it down with close-ranged strikes and counters."

"You're not quick enough to dodge or counter its four fists, Swampert," said Norman. "Keep it at bay with a series of Water Guns and Bubble Beams as best as you can and wait to use your Earthquake stomp as a last result. If it gets too close for comfort then lob a Mud Shot at it. It's a good attack that lowers the opponent's speed."

Powerhouse thrusted his upper right fist into a chunk of elevated soil that had risen from Swampert's Earthquake Stomp and used his other three hands to split the rocky mass into two. The top segment that Powerhouse had split was taller and much wider than him, but that didn't stop him from tossing the rocky mass with his incredible strength at his distant opponent. Although the segment of rock and soil flew towards Swampert at surprisingly high speed, the bulky Water-Type was able to pounce to its left in time to avoid getting hit. Unfortunately for Swampert, Powerhouse used this distraction to begin his running pursuit.

Swampert took notice to Powerhouse's charge and unleashed its Bubble Beam attack from its mouth. Powerhouse took immediate action by slowing down his pace and raised his four arms over his face and chest. The dozens of bubbles collided with Powerhouse's muscular arms at high velocity but were unable to keep the four-armed behemoth from continuing his advance. Once Powerhouse was within ten feet away from his opponent, he ducked under the flurry of bubbles from Swampert and made a low leap towards the amphibious beast. Powerhouse tackled Swampert to the ground, forcing Swampert's back to land hard on the grass arena as Powerhouse quickly crawled on the Water-Type and mounted the beast.

Powerhouse pressed his legs and his lower hands against each of Swampert's appendages to prevent movement as he pounded away at the Water-Type's face and chest with his upper arms until Swampert unleashed a sudden stream of high pressured water from its mouth. The strength of the water attack was enough to force Powerhouse to roll backwards off of Swampert and allowed the Water-Type to stand on its feet. Unfortunately for Swampert, the water attack did little damage to Powerhouse. This was illustrated by the Fighting-Type as he lunged at Swampert and landed numerous punches at its cheeks, shoulders and chest.

Though each punch sustained heavy damage, Swampert was able to find an opening in Powerhouse's fury big enough for a quick Water Gun attack that hit Powerhouse's gut. The attack did little damage but created a distraction good enough for Swampert to ram into Powerhouse with its massive head. Swampert's head butt knocked Powerhouse down on his back, and Swampert took this opportunity to use one of its signature attacks, the speed lowering Mud Shot.

As Powerhouse began to stand up, Swampert fired a stream of dark blue colored water from its mouth that hit the ground in front of Powerhouse. The stream of dark water caused the ground it hit to moisten quickly into black mud, of which was sprayed onto Powerhouse's torso and arms. The muck that covered Powerhouse's arms and chest was very thick and began to increase in weight. What made matters worse was that it also dried quickly, making it very difficult to remove. As Powerhouse tried to scratch and wipe away the mud, Swampert grabbed the Fighting-Type's right shoulders with its jaws and slammed him face first into the ground only to lift him up again and fling him several feet away.

Powerhouse struggled to stand up to his feet, for the dried up mud that covered his skin prohibited most of his movement. The mud had added much weight to his body, making it very difficult to move with any haste. This disadvantage prohibited him from evading a head-on collision from Swampert's head crests, a Skull Bash attack that sent Powerhouse tumbling towards Jason's post. Swampert roared at its distant opponent with victory as Powerhouse rolled over to his side holding his chest and gut with his four arms.

"Ouch on that one, Jeff," said Leo Barkley. "Things are not looking good for Patton at the moment."

"Green is taking no chances with Patton. He knows that there can be no room for error against a trainer like Patton, and he's more than illustrated that with stat lowering attacks like Swampert's Mud Shot. You've gotta wonder how much strength is left in Patton's Machamp after that Skull Bash."

"I know you're hurtin' right now, Powerhouse," said Jason, "but you've still got a winning chance. The mud's gotta be completely dry by now. If you can flex your body enough you might be able to crack the mud. You've still got time!"

"No Pokemon has been able to recover well after your Mud Shots, Swampert," said Norman. "Get in close and finish it with another Skull Bash. If that doesn't do the trick then grab it and thrash it around with your jaws until it passes out. Keep your wits up, though. We don't want to get caught off guard."

Swampert made a running charge towards Powerhouse with it's head lowered for another Skull Bash. As Swampert's head crests drew nearer, Powerhouse rose to his knees and took a deep breath. After the large inhale, Powerhouse strained his arm and chest muscles to flex, causing the dried up mud to crack inch by inch. With Swampert only ten feet away, Powerhouse roared and flexed his muscles enough to make the mud crack and shatter away from his skin. Quickly taking notice to Swampert's charge, Powerhouse extended all four arms out in front of him and caught Swampert by it's head crests, halting its charge and leaving it open for Powerhouse to lift it over his head and slam it into the ground behind him.

Powerhouse performed a leaping back flip and landed his knees on Swampert's gut. The Water-Type's grunt was interrupted by several punches delivered to its jaw, each feeling like having a head sized rock being thrown at high speed. After the seventh hit, Powerhouse grabbed hold of Swampert's head crests again and held on to them as he performed a front hand spring, using his momentum to fling Swampert over his head. The Water-Type flipped in the air three times before its chin skidded across the field.

Powerhouse shouted at the top of his lungs and pounded his chest with his two lower fists, satisfied with his actions. He brought his victory cry to a halt when he took notice to Swampert standing up and beginning another running charge. Powerhouse rose his four fists high into the air, only to bring them back down in a thunderous pound on the ground. The attack caused a great crack to travel towards Swampert at an incredible rate, causing one side of the crack to lower and the other to rise. The crack traveled past Swampert in between its legs, causing Swampert to quickly lose balance and tumble to the ground.

Powerhouse used this distraction to his advantage as fire engulfed his four fists. He drew the shape of an enormous stick figure of fire and landed a four-opened-palm smack at its center, sending the Fire Blast towards Swampert. Unable to recover in time, Swampert suffered the giant blast of the Fire-Type attack and was rendered unconscious as its body flew high into the air. Seconds after Swampert landed on its stomach it was declared unable to continue, enabling Powerhouse as the victor.

"What an amazing comeback from Patton's Machamp," said Leo Barkley. "That puts Patton in the lead, leaving Green with only two more chances."

"Green's still got a chance to recover if he can take out Patton's Machamp, but he's gonna seriously have his hands full if Patton sends out his ultra-rare Dragon-Type, Char. He needs to either send out a strong Psychic-Type to overpower the Machamp's fists at a distance, or he needs a highly skilled Fighting-Type to fight fire with fire."

"Nice shot, Powerhouse," shouted Jason. "That was beautiful! Take a second to breathe. You've got another opponent to face."

Powerhouse dropped to one knee and held onto his right shoulder injury. It wasn't bleeding enough to be considered fatal, but the force of Swampert's jaws was enough to dislocate it. Powerhouse grabbed the wrists of his two right hands with his lefts and pulled hard enough to relocate the bones back to their joints. Although this caused great pain for Powerhouse, he simply winced slightly and stood back up to his feet.

Norman shook his head in utter amazement at Powerhouse as he recalled the fallen Swampert and sent out the fiery Fighting-Type, Blaziken. The feathers that covered Blaziken's skin as well as it's bird-like physique were the only contributors to why this creature was classified as a bird species. In truth, Blaziken was a deadly Fighting-Type and Fire-Type combination with long, slender but strong appendages. The white feathers on its head were long and slicked back, and short bushy feathers covered the creature's torso, arms and legs with the exception of the white feathered mane on its neck, shoulders and chest. It's tail was short but with long red feathers, and its skin, of which could be seen on its wrists, hands and feet, was pitch black and toned.

Powerhouse starred deep into the distant red eyes of Blaziken as he rolled his shoulders and popped his neck, ignoring the pain in his right shoulders as best as he could so he wouldn't portray a weakness. Blaziken slowly raised its right knee up towards its chest and brought its long fingered fists towards its face. The sight of Blaziken's large curved claws on its fingers and toes was enough of a reminder for Powerhouse to proceed with high caution.

"You'll need to be on high guard with this one, Blaziken," said Norman. "Get in close and over power the Machamp"s four fists with your fast foot work but don't neglect your Fire attacks. Use your elbow strikes and flying knees and you'll wear it down."

"Alright, Powerhouse, this is your time," said Jason with a confident smirk. "Blaziken's have a tendency to get overconfident sometimes, so cater to its ego a little and punish it with a good counter once you have an opening. Watch out for those elbows, though. They can be just as bad as its kicks."

Blaziken began dancing its feet back and forth as Powerhouse made his slow approach towards the flightless bird. Once Powerhouse came within ten feet of Blaziken, the Fire-Type shrieked and performed a leaping side kick. Powerhouse blocked the attack by catching Blaziken's foot with his upper right palm and shoved it away, forcing Blaziken to perform a quick back hand spring to recover. Powerhouse began his attack by throwing a left hook, but the attack was blocked by Blaziken's right foot. The Fire-Type then followed through with a kick to the face followed by a left roundhouse kick, one that sent Powerhouse spinning in the air.

Powerhouse landed hard on his back but was able to take quick notice to an axe kick as Blaziken swung its right leg high above its head. Powerhouse rolled to his left out of the way, avoiding Blaziken's foot from stomping his chest. As Blaziken's sharp claws punctured the earth below, Powerhouse pounced for the distracted Fire-Type and tackled it to the ground. He then quickly straddled the Fire-Type and pounded away at Blaziken's chest and face with a consistent flow with all four arms. In a surprise move after the twelfth hit, Blaziken spewed a stream of fire from its yellow beak. The attack did little damage but was enough to halt Powerhouse's frenzied fists, allowing enough time for the flightless bird to wrap its large feet around the four-armed Fighting-Type's neck.

Powerhouse used his two upper arms to grip at Blaziken's feet while the lower arms tangled with the arms of Blaziken. The bird illustrated incredible strength wrestling with all four arms of Powerhouse, preventing the fighter from breathing by keeping a strong grip around his neck while keeping his lower arms at bay by digging it's claws into Powerhouse's forearms, keeping them from striking Blaziken's face. The bird used this to its advantage by unleashing a stronger stream of fire from its beak, burning at Powerhouse's exposed face and chest.

"Come on, Powerhouse," shouted Jason before pressing the microphone button on his earpiece. "Stop that bird from using that Flamethrower! Focus, buddy, you can do it!"

Despite the large amount of fire being spewed at him, Powerhouse heard and followed his trainer's instruction and moved his left knee towards Blaziken's face, holding the bird's left cheek planted into the ground. This distraction proved valuable when Blaziken lost its foot grip over Powerhouse's throat, allowing him to swing Blaziken over his head and toss it several feet away. Powerhouse then quickly stood up, shouted with victory and pounded his chest as Blaziken tumbled about the arena.

"It's alright, Blaziken," said Norman as Blaziken stood up to its feet. "You did all you could to submit that brute. Avoid submission holds as best you can and try to focus on your strikes and surprise Fire attacks."

"Awesome recovery, Powerhouse," exclaimed Jason. "Alright now, relax your muscles for a second so your burn can heal a little better. Do your best to not let that burn get to you. Just relax and stay focused, you're kickin' ass. You've made your point in being a better submitter, but try to get into more of them. That bird will concentrate on its strikes better than it will with submission holds, so your best bet is either putting it to sleep or forcing it to tap out."

Powerhouse held onto his right shoulders once more as the distant Blaziken sprung up to its feet, not appearing to have taken much damage from the toss. The bird's excellent long ranged vision allowed it to witness Powerhouse cringing as the grey-skinned brute held onto his wounded shoulders. Powerhouse took notice to Blaziken's stare and ran towards the bird, causing the ground to shake a bit with each step. Blaziken awaited Powerhouse's attack as it stood its ground.

Once Powerhouse was within five feet away, Blaziken made a sudden leap above the four-armed brute and landed its feet on his right shoulder. The bird then bounced into a front flip with a half twist, allowing it to face Powerhouse as he fell face first into the grass. This distraction allowed Blaziken enough time to pounce towards Powerhouse and dig its hind claws into his right shoulder, causing the weakened brute to shout at the searing pain as blood oozed from his new wounds.

Though he was hurt, Powerhouse mustered enough strength to quickly roll his body over and grab Blaziken's foot, forcing the Fire-Type to stumble as its opponent applied a minor ankle submission hold. Though the hold was enough to make Blaziken shriek at the pain it felt in its ankle, Powerhouse executed the submission hold out of desperation. This was illustrated by Blaziken's free foot pounding away at Powerhouse's shoulder until the brute finally let go and rolled away from the Fire-Type.

Jason watched as Powerhouse continued to cringe and strain as he held on to his hurt shoulders. "Shit," he said to himself. "He's hurtin'."

"I believe you have just found an effective weakness," said Norman. "Mix it up a little, though. Land as many kicks on that shoulder but attack other areas as well. You don't want it to catch a kick that it's become familiar with because it will counter with a submission in the blink of an eye. Plan out your strikes well and you'll own the fight."

"He knows you're hurt, Powerhouse, and now I do," said Jason with a hint of annoyance in his tone. "You should've told me about your shoulders before Norman sent out that Blaziken. You know better."

That last remark made Powerhouse lower his head in shame. Though he was quite a distance away from Powerhouse, Jason took notice and took a deep breath and relaxed his voice as he spoke.

"Look, don't worry about it. I'm not mad at you. Listen up, that bird's gonna be aiming for your right shoulders, but it won't concentrate on that area alone. Norman's not that stupid. Keep your eyes forward and block those kicks as best as you can. Try to wait until it goes for your shoulders before countering with a submission hold. It'll loose its focus and you'll be able to apply the hold much more effectively this time. Now get to it and be careful."

Powerhouse's lowered gaze rose up to Blaziken with determination in his dark orbs. As Blaziken began its walking advance on the four-armed brute, Powerhouse took one step forward with his left foot and raised his arms towards him. His lower arms were close together and in front of his chest, while his upper arms were further apart from each other and were raised up to head level.

Blaziken halted its footsteps and raised its left knee before executing a front flip with its right foot outstretched. Though the kick was swift, Powerhouse managed to catch the descending leg with his right hands and shoved them away before following through with a spinning double back fist. The two fists collided with Blaziken's back and neck, sending the flightless bird crashing beak first into the ground. Blaziken twirled its body as it sprung up to its feet, looking at Powerhouse with surprise and frustration in its yellow eyes.

Powerhouse stood in his fighter's stance and awaited Blaziken to make its next move. The Fire-Type danced its feet back and forth as it stalked its opponent, slowly coming closer as it tried to read Powerhouse's body language. Powerhouse took a quick step and grunted at Blaziken, bluffing his attack in order to provoke the flightless bird. Blaziken responded by performing a charging side kick, one that Powerhouse was able to avoid by stepping to his right which allowed him to follow through with a double right hook. The blows once again sent Blaziken tumbling to the ground due to Powerhouse's incredible strength.

Powerhouse held on to his right shoulders again as he strained from his aching. Blaziken sprung up to its feet and glared at Powerhouse with raw intensity in its eyes, a look that Powerhouse soon returned as he stood back in his stance. Blaziken ran towards him and performed a swinging left high kick, of which was blocked by Powerhouse's right hands. Before Blaziken landed, however, it quickly swung its lower leg at Powerhouse's right knee. This distraction was enough for Blaziken to land a four hit punching combo beginning with its left fist and ending with a right hook to the brute's damaged shoulder.

Though the final blow pained him greatly, Powerhouse followed through by swinging his left fists at Blaziken. Unfortunately the bird was able to duck underneath the two left hooks, allowing Blaziken to perform a front hand spring and collide its massive feet on Powerhouse's back. Blaziken sprung back up to its feet as Powerhouse staggered a few steps away. Confident with its progress, Blaziken charged forward and leaped in the air to execute a deadly jumping side kick. To the bird's dismay, however, Powerhouse quickly turned around to his right and shoved Blaziken's approaching foot away with the backs of his right forearms, allowing him to follow through with a punishing double left hook that sent Blaziken half-way across the field.

"What an outstanding comeback for Patton's Machamp," said Leo Barkley. "This match-up gets better with each passing second! It seems this Machamp still has plenty of fight left!"

"No doubt about it, Leo," responded Jeff Rogers. "But one thing you have to keep in mind is that Machamp's right shoulder is damaged from the previous fight. Swampert's jaws made a lasting impression on Machamp, and that will limit some of its movement. What Blaziken's gotta do is find a way to catch Machamp off guard so it can get in there and concentrate on the fighter's shoulder."

"Blaziken's gonna have its hands full with this one, Jeff. It would take something pretty big for Patton's Machamp to let its guard down."

"That's what I'm talkin' about, Powerhouse," exclaimed Jason. "You are kickin' some serious bird ass, brother! Keep at it and wear it down with your counter strikes but be on the lookout for that submission hold. We need it to finish this fight. It's your time, Powerhouse! Make it happen!"

Norman shook his head in shock as Blaziken slowly stood up. He felt in over his head with Jason's furious companions. He honestly had doubts about his victory over Jason Patton, for his Pokemon were remarkably strong. It had been years since anyone had been able to back him into a corner like this.

"Alright, Blaziken," began Norman. "It's time to end this. Show that brute what you're made of by performing your Fire Spin attack. Get a good running start and hit it hard enough for it to lose balance and get in close. Target its shoulder and bring it down for the count."

Blaziken closed its eyes and slowly lifted its left knee upwards as its fists were brought up towards its temples. As it stood there, balancing itself with one leg and remaining completely still, both of its legs became engulfed in fire. Seconds later, Blaziken began charging towards Powerhouse while performing a serious of random flips. Powerhouse waited patiently for Blaziken as he watched its movements carefully, looking for any possible openings in its pursuit.

After the seventh acrobatic leap, Blaziken pounced a great distance while performing a continuous windmill kick at blinding speeds. Each swing of its legs left behind a stream of fire that followed a continuous circular stream, growing larger with each zipping stream that converts. This in turn produced a whirling tornado of fire that trapped and surrounded Powerhouse. Powerhouse grew raged with frustration as random streaks would break away and burn him, unable to keep up with each passing streak's velocity.

Suddenly, the blazing tornado vanished with Blaziken falling right for Powerhouse's right side feet first.

"Watch out," shouted Jason.

It was too late. Blaziken had Powerhouse right where it wanted. The bird wrapped its legs and arms around Powerhouse's right arms and used its momentum to twist its body, pulling Powerhouse's right shoulders out of alignment and flipping him onto his back. Blaziken unwrapped itself from the injured brute's arms and sprung up to its feet, backing away to confirm the victory. To Blaziken's dismay, Powerhouse struggled slowly up to his feet, grunting and even shouting at the pain in his dislocated shoulders as they hung low towards the ground. Blaziken monitored Powerhouse frantic shaking as he breathed and groaned, finding it hard to accept that he refused to yield.

Jason starred deep into the traumatic scene with shock and remorse in his eyes. He felt guilty for not being quick enough to warn his strong companion and couldn't bear to see him hurt like this. Norman slowly closed his eyes, frustrated and somewhat saddened that Blaziken had not yet been able to make the final blow. It did not seem right for them to continue the fight, for everyone knew right then and there that Blaziken would emerge victorious.

Even Blaziken didn't want to continue as it stood there shaking its head at Powerhouse, silently urging him not to attack. Powerhouse fed Blaziken no such satisfaction as he began a running charge and swung his two left fists at the flightless bird. Blaziken blocked the attack with its right forearm and knee and followed through with a strong front kick with the same leg, colliding its foot with Powerhouse's gut. The four-armed brute fell to one knee and suffered a vicious left leg kick to the face, forcing him down to the ground once more.

Blaziken quickly backed away and kept close watch over Powerhouse, hoping that he would not get back up. Unfortunately for Blaziken, Powerhouse proved to be too stubborn to quit that easily as he slowly began to stand up again. Jason shook his head and pressed the button on his earpiece, believing that the match needed to end immediately.

"That's enough, Powerhouse," said Jason. "You've done all you can. Nobody can take that away from you. Take the fall."

Powerhouse grunted as he ignored Jason's instruction, standing up straight as best as he could while starring Blaziken dead in the eyes. Once more the Fire-Type shook its head at Powerhouse, this time with more concern expressed. Powerhouse shouted as he attacked, this time throwing his left fists one at a time towards Blaziken's head and chest. Blaziken found little difficulty in blocking Powerhouse's weakened strikes before Powerhouse attempted a high right leg kick. Blaziken countered the kick by pushing aside Powerhouse's foot and followed through with a spinning roundhouse kick, one that collided with the brute's chest and forced him to stagger back, but not fall.

Blaziken slowly raised its right knee as Powerhouse stood his ground, exhausted from such heavy damaged sustained. After a moment of heavy breathing, Powerhouse gave Blaziken a mocking look and gestured the bird to advance. Blaziken closed its eyes and prepared to execute a charging jump kick.

"No Powerhouse, NO!" shouted Jason with plea in his voice as Blaziken executed the jump kick, connecting with Powerhouse's chest and knocking him down on his back. Jason pounded the railing in front of him with his fists, fed up with seeing his companion take this kind of beating. Blaziken slowly backed away and hoped that he would not get back, but once more the relentless Fighting-Type slowly stood up again.

"God damn it, Powerhouse" shouted Jason. "I said take the fall! There's nothing more you can do. You gave it your best shot, and that is exactly what I trained you to do. Let someone else handle that thing now. You'll get your chance to use your strength again, but for now I want you to take the fall so you can rest and get back into good shape."

Powerhouse stood in a state of daze as his body swayed back and forth slightly, but all the while he kept his eyes on Blaziken. The Fire-Type made no effort to pursuit Powerhouse and simply starred and waited, hoping that Powerhouse would finally pass out.

"My God," said Leo Barkley. "This is beginning to become difficult to watch, Jeff. I think someone should stop the fight."

"Absolutely, Leo. If you can see on the camera pointing at Patton you can see how upset he is over this. It's difficult for him to see this going on. You can also see him speaking into his earpiece headset, saying what I can only imagine to his Pokemon to take a fall."

Powerhouse let out a sudden grunt and slowly placed his hands against his injured shoulders. As his hands finally touched the injury, Blaziken's eyes widened only to be squinted shut as he looked away from what Powerhouse was about to do. The four-armed brute applied heavy pressure against his shoulders with a sudden push, one that popped his joints back into alignment with a profound cracking sound.

As Powerhouse sank to his knees and shouted at the unbearable pain, Jason looked away and covered his face with his hands as he mumbled, "Oh God... god... damnit! Oh my God..."

Even the bystanders of the audience expressed their shock with a simultaneous shout. Brooke alternated between glances at Powerhouse and Jason, monitoring the Pokemon's agony as well as Jason painful reaction. Everyone that witnessed this became flabbergasted by it. No Pokemon had ever shown such determination and stubbornness in that field for many years.

Powerhouse swayed his torso back and forth as his vision began to blur, kneeling there ready to pass out at any moment. He kept his gaze high towards the clouds as he took slow, heavy breaths. Jason squatted down and grabbed Powerhouse's Pokeball while pressing the speaker button on his earpiece.

"Powerhouse," said Jason softly. "Please take the fall. No one could've held on as long as you did, and I'm very proud of you. Don't get back up, Powerhouse. You've done enough for now."

Powerhouse brought his gaze behind him slightly to look upon his trainer. After a moment of pause, Powerhouse let out a weak smirk as he turned his gaze back towards Blaziken. The Fire-Type showed no signs of sympathy, despite the great amount it hid away inside. Finally, Powerhouse chuckled to himself before leaning back far enough to fall, his smirk never leaving his face even after he landed.

The crowd cheered the moment Powerhouse hit the ground, relieved that it was over and impressed at his strength. Jason immediately returned Powerhouse back to his Pokeball as he stood up, holding it up to his forehead as he let relief sink in. Blaziken gazed upon the opposing trainer and bowed its head out of respect for its fallen opponent. Meanwhile, Brooke leaned back against her seat and covered her mouth as her friends conversed to each other about their amazement over the fight.

"And that's that," said Leo Barkley. "Jeff... I gotta say that I'm in utter shock over what just happened."

"You don't have to tell me, Leo. I know where you're coming from because I can't believe it myself. This is one hell of a fight."

Jason put the Pokeball back on his utility belt and reached into his pocket for his cigarette pack. He thought hard on his next move as he lit up his smoke and paced back and forth. On the other side of the arena, Norman tried to determine who Jason would send out next. His first thought was Lapras due to her type advantage. Although Lapras's water attacks would do heavy damage on Blaziken, the bird would at least be able to make short work of her ice trails and use such a distraction to attack.

This thought slowly began to fade, however, as the crowd began a chant that spiked Jason's attention. In a slow rhythm they chanted, " We want Char..."

"We want Char..."

The more they chanted Char's name, the more Jason began to think on him being a good choice. He knew that, although Blaziken was indeed a strong opponent, that Char would be able to deal with the bird quickly and still be fresh for the last opponent. Convinced with his decision, he grabbed Char's Pokeball from his utility belt and pointed it at the arena before him.

Jason released his dragon companion into the field. As Char materialized from the energy stream he slowly rose his head upward and gazed upon Blaziken. The flightless bird kept a careful watch over Char as the Dragon-Type popped his neck bones and knuckles, taking subtle breaths and purring as he exhaled.

Norman twitched his head and said into his earpiece, "Alright, he called out his dragon sooner than I thought. Let me just save you the suspense, Blaziken, you are not match for that creature. I have seen what it can do and you don't have the strength to beat him. However, if you focus, you might be able to rough him up a bit before he has to face Slaking. Perform a series of hit-and-run tactics and stay with him as long as you can."

Jason took a puff of his cigarette and said, "Alright, Char, listen up. This trainer's already taken out two of our buddies, but luckily so have we. You've got two Pokemon to beat, so you're gonna have to focus and leave no room for mistakes. This non-flying phoenix has got some skill, but it's got nothing on you. Stay focused and don't forget that you've got flight to your advantage. Now show this bird what you're made of, and when you do, speak well."

Char took a deep breath and roared at the skies, causing everyone in the stadium to cover their ears as his thunderous roar traveled beyond the stadium walls. After five seconds of Char's mighty war cry, Char halted his voice and unleashed a stream of fire half that grew larger in size the farther it traveled. Blaziken braced itself by leaning forward with its arms covering its face and chest as the stream advanced. The Flamethrower stream forced Blaziken's feet to skid against the ground as its body was pushed back. After a moment of Blaziken sustaining minor damage from Char's attack, the Flamethrower suddenly vanished leaving the bird vulnerable.

Without any warning Char ran towards Blaziken with exceptional speed, fast enough for him to catch Blaziken off-guard and unprepared to retaliate. Char landed a hard right hook on Blaziken's beak, followed by two left uppercuts to its stomach and a right knee to the face. The combo caused Blaziken to stagger back a few steps as Char paced towards it. Blaziken shook off the blow and responded with a charging axe kick, one that Char managed to block and counter with another right hook followed by a left cross that knocked the bird down on its back.

Blaziken twirled its body with its legs outstretched and sprung up to its feet, keeping a cautious eye on Char as he wagged his tail back in forth in anticipation. The flightless bird shrieked at Char and performed a cartwheel flip towards its dragon opponent and began a kicking combination as it landed, targeting Char's torso region upwards to his face. Char managed to block all four kicks with his left forearm and countered with a foot sweep with his right foot. Blaziken fell on its left side but responded with a foot sweep of its own, involving both of its feet colliding with Char's calves which in turn brought him down.

Blaziken used the momentum of its foot sweep to spring itself back to its feet as Char rose to his own. The frustrated Fire-Type proceeded to kick at Char's side as he stood up from his knees, two of which were able to connect. Char did not illustrate any heavy damage sustained as he gripped at Blaziken's right ankle with his two hands and spun his body around, allowing his tail to collide with Blaziken's face. He then continued to twist his body while keeping a firm grip on the ankle, allowing him to use both of their momentum to swing the flightless bird one full time around before letting go. Blaziken was launched thirty feet away from Char and smashed into a boulder-sized piece of rubble.

"It's alright, Blaziken," said Norman as his companion slowly stood up. "It'll take a lot more that I thought to do any kind of real damage. Try alternating between close and long ranged attacks but stay on the ground as much as you can. That dragon has the advantage in the air, for one good flap of his wings will get him airborne quick."

Blaziken unleashed a wave of fire from its right foot as it swung around performing a roundhouse kick. Char quickly opened up his wings and pounced to his left side, dodging the fire attack and remaining airborne as he flapped his wings. Char then responded by launching a fire ball from his jaws, but Blaziken was quick to maneuver as it performed a cartwheel flip out of the way and threw three more Blaze Kicks. Char swayed and spun about in the air as he dodged the attacks before spitting another fire ball, one that successfully hit Blaziken's chest and forced the Fire-Type down to the ground.

As Blaziken stood up, Char began a flying charge at the bird with his arms outstretched. Blaziken dodged the airborne tackle attempt by leaning its body back, allowing it to land on its hands as Char flew right over it. Blaziken then twisted its body around to face Char as it sprung back to its feet, using this to jump start its running pursuit. Blaziken pounced for the still aerial Char and dug its massive claws into Char's back. Though the pain was excruciating, Char reached back with his arms and removed Blaziken's front talons from his back before flipping himself forward. This allowed Char to smash Blaziken back into the ground as he made a clean getaway.

Char landed safely on his feet some twenty feet away from Blaziken as the flightless bird struggled to get up. Blaziken began to get exhausted from Char's unwillingness to hold back his attack, taking heavy breaths as it kept its yellow eyes on its approaching opponent. Char danced his feet around and threw a right hook at Blaziken's face. The Fire-Type blocked the blow with its left arm and countered with a body shot with its right. Char absorbed the punch by leaning forward in time for the hit to collide with less impact and countered with a left uppercut to Blaziken's beak, causing it to stagger back a few steps.

Blaziken quickly shook off the blow and attacked with an elbow strike, one that Char blocked with his left hand, and followed through with a raising knee strike. Char leaned back away from the flying knee's path and smashed Blaziken to the ground by gripping at its legs and pushing the bird down to the grassy arena. Blaziken hit the ground with such an impact that it bounced five feet in the air, allowing Char to blast it twenty-five feet away with a point blank ranged fire ball.

"Good grief, that one had to hurt," exclaimed Leo Barkley. "Blaziken might be done with this one, Jeff."

"It certainly seems that way to me as well, Leo. That was a brutal shot Char landed. Very precise and effective, that is what Patton has trained this 'Char' to be. You can't help but be greatly impressed by that."

Norman lowered his gaze. "It's alright, Blaziken. We knew this was bound to happen. You gave it a shot and it didn't work out as well as we wanted to. I want no heroics like what that Machamp displayed from you, understand? If you need to take the fall, then do so."

"It's over, Char," said Jason. "You own the fight. If it wants to get its ass kicked then let it. Wait for it to attack before you do. That bird gave Powerhouse plenty of chances, and we're gonna give it the same."

Char turned his head to face Jason and nodded before bringing his gaze back towards Blaziken. The weakened Fire-Type slowly emerged to its feet and glared at Char, not quite ready to quit. Char slowly approached Blaziken with caution, knowing that Blaziken was going to attack eventually. As he had predicted, Blaziken took a step forward and swung its right leg around with intent to collide with Char's face. The prepared Dragon-Type leaned back to avoid the kick and blocked an oncoming back fist by grabbing Blaziken's wrist, allowing him to pull the determined bird down on its back again. Char then landed a strong punch on Blaziken's chest before backing away.

Surprisingly, Blaziken managed to spring up to its feet and approached Char once more. Char ducked under a right hook claw slash and blocked the alternated left. He then gripped at Blaziken's throat and lifted the Fire-Type above the ground, allowing him to slam it back onto its back. Char allowed Blaziken's body to bounce without attacking and instead backed away as the weakened bird struggled to sit up.

Blaziken managed to once again stand up, staggering in its light footsteps as it approached Char once more. Blaziken executed a straight front kick at Char's gut, only to hit nothing but air as Char side stepped and landed a left uppercut on Blaziken's gut. The blow forced Blaziken to drop to one knee, but it refused to fall all the way. It stood up and threw a right hook, one that Char simply caught and pushed aside without countering. Another hook, this time from Blaziken's left fist, was thrown and blocked in the same fashion by Char, starring into Blaziken's eyes as he blocked one after the other.

Finally, after the fifth failed attempt, Blaziken simply starred back at Char as it struggled to stay standing on its feet. Char made no attempt to knock the flightless bird down, although he did grip onto Blaziken's chest feathers and pulled it closer to him as they continued their stare.

"I told you no heroics," said Norman sincerely. "It's done, Blaziken. He's just waiting for you to take the fall. Do it now, Blaziken. You fought one hell of a match today."

Blaziken's threatening glare began to fade as it slowly closed its eyes in defeat. Char took immediate notice and gently loosened his grip, allowing Blaziken to stand up on its own until it finally just fell back. Blaziken was soon after declared unable to continue and Norman returned the defeated fighter back into its Pokeball. The heightened applause from the stadium's audience filled both Norman and Jason a jolt of pride, for they were both very proud of what their Pokemon had accomplished.

"Wow, Jeff," said Leo Barkley. "Just... wow..."

"Never in my time as a commentator have I seen such determination, skill and power then I have from these two trainers. This is going to be an anniversary to remember in the years to come."

Norman released his final Pokemon into the arena, the ape-like giant known as Slaking. It stood shorter than Char at six feet in height but more than overweighed him with its robust gut. The creature's face, chest, hands, feet and gut were the areas that were not covered heavily with the brown fur that covered its arms, legs and back or the bushy white mane around its neck. Two distant teeth from its bottom jaw bit over its upper lip, and its snout resembled that of the flat-faced Snubbull. It's most muscular areas included its forearms and calves, much larger than its biceps or thighs.

Jason nodded his head with a slight hint of frustration in his eyes, for he had a feeling that Norman would send his Slaking out. "Alright Char, listen up. This is a Pokemon that Norman does not use much, but I do know that it has a peculiar fighting style and that it's a lot faster than it looks. From what I've seen, Slaking is hard to keep up with and appears to strike out of pure random, but it's not. Just stay calm, stay focused, plan out your strikes and don't feel ashamed to get airborne if you need to. We've gotta be really careful with this one, so just take your time and you'll have a winning chance. With the way things are looking right now, you're my only hope of winning this match. I am depending on you but trust me, you can do this."

"Your fighting style should be able to penetrate this dragon's defenses," said Norman. "Wear him down with your claw swipes and cartwheel kicks, but don't underestimate his skill. He just made short work of Blaziken, and he will do the same to you if you let your guard down. Lastly, save your 'surprise' attack for when he's airborne. It will catch him quite off guard and allow you to gain the wining advantage."

Slaking began swaying its body in random directions as it seemingly staggered towards Char. This was a common fighting style in Slakings around the world obtained by biological heritage, a fighting style commonly referred to as the Drunken Sloth. Char began his approach and kept a cautious eye on Slaking's movements, looking for possible openings in its unorthodox agility.

With a quick twist of its body, Slaking made the first attack by throwing a descending back fist. Char widened his eyes as he brought both of his arms above his head, barely blocking the surprise attack as Slaking already followed through with an alternating back fist thrown at Char's left side. Char raised his left knee just in time to block the second hit, but Slaking was once again quick to retaliate as it bent its body backwards and swung its right foot at Char's face. Char dodged the attack by leaping back away from the kick, using his wings to further the distance traveled.

Slaking continued its unusual dance and approached Char once more. Char in turn stepped forward, wagging his tail back and forth as he anxiously watched Slaking's movements. Suddenly, Slaking rolled towards Char and sprung up with a right uppercut. Char sidestepped to his right and countered with a well placed right hook, only to be hit in the chin with a rising back fist after he connected with his punch. Both fighters staggered back from each other and Char quickly recovered his footing as Slaking stammered and swayed.

Char growled and made the next move this time by pouncing towards Slaking with his wings spread and flapping to heighten his pace. Slaking arched its body to its left side and performed a cartwheel away from Char's path, dodging the attack with only a few inches of room left over as Char made his pass. Char landed and skid his feet against the ground and ran back towards Slaking, keeping himself on foot as he charged.

Slaking blocked a series of alternating punches being thrown at his face, shoulders and gut, and countered with a slippery claw swipe towards the Dragon-Type' left side. Char blocked the approaching threat and caught the next punch thrown at him, a swinging back fist from Slaking's left paw. With Slaking's wrist in Char's clutches, the Dragon-Type pulled the bulky brute towards him and fell on his back as he wrapped his legs around Slaking's arm while his tail wrapped around its neck. Char pulled against Slaking's arm, bending it in the wrong direction as his tail applied a strong choke hold.

Though the double submission hold was highly effective and properly applied, Slaking managed to pull a section of Char's tail far enough for it to sink its teeth through the tail's scaly hide. Char roared as he loosened his grip suddenly and was thrown across the field by the arm that he once held. Char flew a great distance but was able to recover from the toss as he flipped and landed on his feet. Slaking soon stood up and once more began its peculiar dance.

"Don't worry about it, Char," said Jason after he took one last hit of his cigarette. "You still made a great recovery and this thing's starting to get desperate. You seem to be able to keep up with its strikes fairly well, but your long ranged attacks and your aerial moves are gonna be your keys to beating this thing. Hit it with a surprise Flamethrower before takin' off and make frequent passes so you can wear it down."

"It's time to give this guy a run for his money, Slaking," said Norman. "I've got a hunch that creature's going to take flight soon. Let him. It'll give you the chance you need to make your 'surprise attack.' Give him a minor hit as he makes his first pass, then knock him out with a more powerful strike while he's at a distance."

Char unleashed a mighty stream of fire from his jaws at Slaking, one that Slaking blocked against with its arms. After Slaking's feet slid back a few feet, Char halted his attack and flapped his wings as he ran towards his opponent. He became airborne within seconds of his pursuit and flew closer and closer towards Slaking with utter rage in his eyes. As Char came closer, however, Slaking charged his right fist with what appeared to be highly active static. Once Char was within attack range, he suffered a deadly Thunder Punch from the right fist of Slaking, an attack that sent him tumbling into the ground as the electricity continued to travel along his skin.

Char responded with a surprise fire ball, one that managed to collide with Slaking's chest and knocked it down on its back. Char then leaped high into the air and began his descent with his feet outstretched, looking to land hard on Slaking's shoulders. The ape-like brute stood up and threw a wild left hook, one that generated a wave of electric energy right at Char, and rolled out of the way so that Char could crash into the ground. The effect of Slaking's Thunder Wave lasted as Char suffered three powerful claw swipes, two at his chest followed by the final blow to his cheek.

Char wrapped his tail around Slaking's left ankle before it could roll away again, forcing the Normal-Type to fall on its side as Char tugged at its leg. Char used this opportunity to shake off the Thunder Wave's paralyzing effect and unleashed another stream of fire from his mouth, pushing Slaking against the arena several feet before withdrawing the attack.

"Hit him with a Water Gun stream and follow through with a Thunderbolt," ordered Norman. "The water will conduct the electricity you send his way a lot more that way."

Char took to the skies once again and flew around in a wide turn to make a good pass. Slaking stood up and released a stream of high pressurized water, of which managed to hit Char hard enough to lose altitude before it clapped its massive hands together. This clap triggered a bolt of lightning that descended down onto Char's back, forcing the Dragon-Type to crash face first into the field. Within seconds of his impact, Char struggled to quickly stand up but was overcome by another surprise attack, a fast traveling Earthquake stomp that bounced Char's body into the air once more. This proved to be a clever distraction that provided Slaking the opportunity to land another Thunderbolt clap.

'Son of a bitch,' thought Jason as Char fell to the ground from twenty feet in the air and landed hard on his back.

As Slaking awaited Char's next move, the slightly dazed Dragon-Type rolled over to his stomach and kept his upper half above the ground with his hands. He glared at his distant opponent as he began to catch his breath again, ready to deal out punishment.

"I don't know about you, Char," began Jason, "but I'm getting pretty fed up with this fur ball's surprises. I think it's time we blast ourselves some payback. Hit that hairy bastard hard with your Dragon's Breath and rush it head on. Once you've got that furry son of a bitch where you want it, gain the mount and pound it into oblivion. Show these people that you didn't come here to screw around, because this is YOUR arena, brother! Now get in there and work your magic, Char!"

Char stood up with a mischievous smirk before unleashing a massive stream of blue energy from his mouth. The speed of Char's powerful Dragon's Breath was too quick for Slaking to anticipate, leaving it open to receive a devastating energy stream that burned the whole of his torso. Though the attack was indeed powerful and sustained heavy damage, Slaking still remained on its feet as it tried its best to block the stream with its forearms. Just when Char's Dragon's Breath grew to be near unbearable to Slaking, the stream haltered and vanished. The next thing Slaking was able to make out with its blurred vision was a dragon-like creature flying towards it at incredible speed.

Char tackled Slaking to the ground with such an impact that the ground in which they landed cracked into numerous sections. With Slaking's back pressed against the ground, Char quickly straddled the brute's chest and gripped at its white mane. He then tugged Slaking closer towards him as he landed a hard right cross punch and repeated this process four more times, each strike growing in intensity and power.

Char's deadly onslaught was brought to an abrupt halt when Slaking stuck its small right claws into the dragon's left thigh. Char gripped at Slaking's wrist as he roared at the great pain he felt in his leg, allowing Slaking to land a hard left hook on Char's exposed chin. Char flinched at the blow before finally pulling Slaking's claws out of his leg, cringing as blood began to flow from the wound. Suddenly, Slaking's fur began to stick as it outstretched its hands. Char's eyes flickered as Slaking prepared to slap its hands together, a gesture that would trigger another deadly Thunderbolt.

Char landed one last punch on Slaking's flat snout, allowing him enough time to roll away from his opponent as Slaking quickly smacked its hands together. Without a moment's hesitation, a bolt of electricity fell directly within Slaking's intended path, but with Char out of the way the brute became the new target. The bolt hit Slaking's adjoined hands and dealt a great deal of damage, enough to make the brute continue to shake after the bolt had already hit.

"Oh my," exclaimed Leo Barkley. "That did not turn out so well for Green's Slaking."

"Not at all, Leo. Patton's 'Dragon of Mystery' has shown incredible agility and reflexes in dodging a descending Thunderbolt, one of the quickest power moves out there. I'm completely blown away over this match, and the exciting thing is this might be the end of it. Whoever wins this match has the right to challenge the Elite Four."

"Whoa, now hold on there, Jeff. Don't jinks us. This has already been an incredible anniversary, and it's bad luck to take any of it for granted."

Char narrowed his eyes and smirked as Slaking slowly struggled to stand up. While Jason leaned against the railing on his post in anticipation over the predicted victory, Norman starred at the arena flabbergasted beyond belief. All the effort he had put into preparing for this match was simply not enough to stop Jason and his companions from winning the gold. For the first time in many years he was at a loss, and he no longer knew what else to do.

Although his state of shock was great, he was ready to accept defeat. He and his Pokemon did all that they could to overpower Jason, and Norman thought it best to go out fighting. So he pressed the button on his earpiece and gave out his last order to his Pokemon companion.

"It looks like they're going to get the spotlight this year, Slaking. Don't feel bad, for you fought very well. I doubt nothing could have prepare us for this man, and he has beaten us fair and square. But that doesn't mean the fight's over, not just yet. We still have a chance to show them how much this title means to us, and that they'll have to earn their victory."

Slaking closed its eyes as it subtly popped its neck, taking deep breaths as it began to focus. It then reopened its eyes and glared deep into the eyes of Char, taking slow steps forward as it planned out its next move. Char anticipated the approach and patiently waited for Slaking advance.

Suddenly, Slaking pounced towards Char with its hands reaching out, looking to grip Char into a submission hold of its own. It did not come, however, as Char arched his body to the right and landed a hard right hook as he leaned back towards Slaking, making the punch create a greater impact. Slaking began to stagger and fall but used its left hand to balance itself back to its feet, allowing it to follow through with a right hook of its own.

Char moved inches away from Slaking's approaching fist and applied a hard knee strike to its gut before backing away. Slaking fell to one knee once more, trying to regain its breath as it was nearly knocked out. After a moment of wheezing and panting, the heavily furred ape stood back up and starred at Char once more. Char returned its glare and awaited the weakened ape's response. For what seemed like an eternity, the two combatants simply stood there starring into each other's eyes. Neither one seemed inclined to making the next move.

Finally, however, Slaking took a deep breath and approached Char at a slow and steady pace. Char allowed the weakened Normal-Type to approach but kept his guard up, allowing no room for error. A sudden twitch from Slaking triggered a series of alternating back fists from the ape-like creature's leathery hands. Char paced back as he blocked each strike until he caught one of them and leaped high into the air, using his wings to gain altitude as he pulled against Slaking's arm. What followed next signaled Char's ending blow as he swung Slaking's body around and tossed it towards the ground, launching two massive fire balls as the Normal-Type descended back down to the ground.

Slaking's lack of movement after its rough landing declared it unable to continue shortly after Char landed. With Slaking defeated, Char had won Jason the tournament championship title. The crowd rose in their applause as they all stood up from their seats, and as soon as Norman recalled Slaking back into its Pokeball Jason hopped the railing of his post and ran towards his victorious companion. Char turned around to see Jason's advance and smirked as he walked towards his trainer with pride in his dragon eyes.

"And that's it," shouted Leo Barkley. "I can't believe my eyes, ladies and gentlemen! What an incredible finish to an amazing match-up!"

"Leo, I've said it once and I'll say it again, welcome to a new era in the Indigo Plateau. Too bad we'll have to wait until tomorrow for the awards ceremony. When that time comes, Patton will be presented with the Official Indigo Plateau Pokemon League Tournament Championship Cup, but he'll also be awarded the opportunity to put it on the line against the members of the Elite Four. What do you think he'll do, Leo?"

"Oh, I don't even wanna think about it! I'll gladly wait until tomorrow because like all mothers around the world say, good things come to those who have the patience to wait. We'll see you later, ladies and gentlemen! Don't miss out on Jason Patton's big decision at one o'clock tomorrow! This is Leo Barkley and Jeff Rogers signing off for the day and ready to take on the next. Be there!"

Norman watched as Jason embraced Char's long neck, congratulating him on an outstanding victory. After a moment of monitoring their celebration, Norman quickly climbed down the ladder of his post and ran towards Jason and Char. They both took notice to Norman's approach and turned to face him as he slowed his pace.

Norman took a deep breath and extended his right hand towards Jason. "Good fight, Patton. You're an extraordinary trainer, and it was my honor to compete against you."

Jason smiled and gripped Norman's hand, shaking it as he said, "Likewise, Green. You put up a hell of a fight."

Norman nodded before letting go of the hand shake and walking towards his stadium entrance. Jason and Char took a moment to watch as Norman left the scene and then looked at each other. They felt the warm feeling of pride inside and acted on it as they shouted and waved their fists at the roaring crowd. Meanwhile, Brooke grinned brightly at the sight of Jason's victory. Her face illustrated a wide variety of expressions, but what stood out the most was her gratitude. She was thankful that Jason was able to keep his promise, and that things were able to turn out the way they did. Despite how dearly she wanted to be there for him right then and there, she knew that things would turn up for the best someday. For now, she would wait and watch as Jason continued his pursuit of accomplishment.

The next day, the stadium was packed with customers who all were ready to witness the events to come. The arena's surface had been completely restored, and standing in the arena's center were all the trainers that had competed in the tournament lined up in a single file. A few exceptions, including that of Kamon Antonio, did not attend the ceremony, and their spot in the line was kept as a gap in between two trainers.

Joining the twenty trainers was none other than the Elite Four themselves, standing close to one another wearing their usual stadium attire. Lance stood in front of his three team members wearing a small golden medallion around his neck, a shining Pokeball with lightning striking at its center and wings spreading from its sides. It was the medallion that identified him as the Indigo Plateau Grand Champion, a title he had won from his father and never lost in battle.

Also joining these trainers was the League's head chairman, Charles Goodshow. He carried a wireless microphone and stood next to a golden trophy that rose up to three feet in height. The trophy was smelted into a very portly cup held up by three columns, of which were adjoined at their lowest point to provide balance. It was the prize that was to be given to the Tournament Champion the day after earning such a title.

Everyone in the crowd as well as the arena kept a watchful eye out for Jason, for he was scheduled to receive his prize that day. They did not have to wait long, for Jason soon entered the arena from the westward entrance. The crowd's roar grew in volume as he walked towards the large group of people in the arena, glancing at the trainers with a proud smirk as he passed them.

"Ladies and gentlemen," began Goodshow into the microphone as Jason approached him, causing the crowd's cheering to die down. "For the fiftieth time in our history, we appoint a new Tournament Champion. The one we appoint it to is this man standing next to me, Jason Patton. You have overcome the greatest of challenges and your Pokemon fought harder than any before them in this stadium."

The crowd's cheering sounded once more in response to Goodshow's words, followed by the clapping hands of all the trainers that filled the arena field. Jason lowered his gaze slightly as he smiled a little wider, trying to remain modest over his big win. Soon after the crowd's roar began to fade once more, Goodshow gripped at the Tournament Cup and presented it to Jason.

"By accepting this trophy," continued Goodshow, "you are officially certified as this year's Tournament Champion, and you will have a spot on the Tournament Hall of Fame. However, you still have a chance to make an even greater impact on our League, for you have the option to issue a challenge to the Elite Four. But remember, in doing so you put what you have already worked so hard to obtain at stake. The choice is entirely up to you, Mr. Patton, but let me first say that no matter what you choose, you have already made this a year to remember. Mr. Patton, you have the option."

Jason took a long hard look at the trophy before him as the crowd began chanting in unison, urging Jason to continue as they shouted, "Keep going..."

"Keep going..."

After a long moment's gaze, Jason slowly reached for the trophy and raised it high into the air. The crowd voiced out their disappointment but didn't boo him out of the arena. He was a first timer, after all, and accepting the title this way was to be expected in a newcomer. The trainers applauded his decision as Goodshow nodded his head at Jason, convinced that the year was over.

But then something happened. Jason walked towards Norman Green's spot in the line-up of trainers and starred him deep in the eye as he held onto the trophy. He then laughed to himself and tossed the trophy at Norman, causing the confused trainer to blink and quickly react in time to catch the trophy. Once it was within Norman's grasp, he frowned at Jason and tilted his head. This illustrated confusion only made Jason smile even brighter.

"I think you want that trophy more than I do, Green," said Jason. "As far as everyone here is concerned, you are this year's Tournament Champion. I may have beaten you officially, but my fight was never with you. So you can take it off my hands, because I don't need it anymore."

Jason said nothing else to Norman as he walked towards none other than Lance Siegfried himself, extending his right hand outward as he pointed at the Grand Champion with his index finger. This gesture triggered a great roar from the audience, as well as a look of surprise from both Goodshow and Lance himself.

"I didn't come here for a flashy lookin' paperweight that reaches half my size," shouted Jason with determination and intensity in his tone. "I came here for you, Lance, and the gold wrapped around your neck! So if that means I have to go through your three partners here then that's what will happen!"

Jason pulled all five of his Pokeballs from his belt and released all of his companions behind him. They materialized from the five streaks of energy and starred deep into the four members of the Elite Four. They all seemed rejuvenated from their prior battles and were eagerly ready for another. Espeon, Powerhouse and Char showed no signs of weakness or fatigue, despite the furious battle the fought the day prior. Shocker and Lapras joined the other three in a simultaneous, pride driven smirk meant for their upcoming opponent trainers before them.

"Take a good look at these guys, members of the Elite Four, because they are the ones you're gonna have to face in the days to come. We are here for what you have held in your possession for years, so you'd best prepare yourselves. We've come too far to hold anything back now, and I assure you that we won't! I'll see you four again in this arena."

"Ladies and gentlemen," shouted Goodshow into his microphone. "Jason Patton has just issued his challenge! The Grand Championship Title will be on the line this year!"

As the crowd's roar reached a near deafening level, Jason signaled his Pokemon to follow him back the way he came out. As Jason and his Pokemon turned and headed back for the westward entrance, Lance and his elite team kept their sights on their upcoming challengers. They all illustrated many expressions as they thought on their match-up, somewhat worried but excited at the same time.

One way or the other, however, there would be one who would walk away with the gold while the other would go home empty handed. It was only a matter of time before such an outcome would be discovered...

Alright then! Another chapter in the bank! Once again I wanna thank you loyal readers for putting up with my being away for so long. Your hits and reviews are what always keep me thinking about these stories and I can promise you that these stories will be completed in the future.

So all in all, we got a healthy dosage of action and got to see some familiar faces, and yes the character Kamon Antonio is in fact derived from the rival character in the Gold/Silver game series. lol

As for the Mewtwo reference, for those of you who are wandering, no Mewtwo doesn't make an actual appearance in this paticular fic. Does that mean that Mewtwo will or will not appear in the sequels to come? Well there's only one way I can answer that question: The only thing for sure about Onion Man Chive is nothin's for sure!

Now for the next chapter. It will consist of three Pokemon battles pitting Jason agaisnt the first three members of the Elite. Not only am I planning on making these battles even more dramatic than the last, but I'm also experimenting with a concept that has made a popular impact on the games as well as the cartoon. You'll have to find out next time, sorry!

See ya next chapter!