Battle instinct. Strategy. Calculations. Pokémon advantages and disadvantages. Statistics. Strengths and weaknesses. Concentration. Battle patterns. Movement patterns. Utilize every single technique and ability available to you.

Let's go.

It was difficult to focus, but his anger helped clear his mind. All uncertainty, all fear, all reluctance faded under his determination to win. Some movements escaped his dull senses, but the more he focused, the more he could catch. The Onix was fast, true, but Soran was faster. Moves would mostly require physical contact, but the Onix's large body would only slow it down. Still, Onix were fast regardless, and they had quick reactions despite being Rock Pokémon. They also were instinctively aggressive, so to train one was...

"Onix, Rock Throw!"

Calculate. Derek watched the rocks soar into the sky from the force of the Onix whipping its tail against the ground. Rubble rained down from the skies, but while most of it was simply small rocks, there were still large ones hiding. If Soran were hit by an attack like this outside of a battle, and in a real life situation, it could result in death. Even in battle, though...

Strengths. Stats. Movement patterns. "Soran, Quick Attack, straight to the right."

She blurred out of sight in a split second, disappearing as if she had been warped out of the field. She reappeared in another spot, a trail of white streaking behind her. The rain of rocks showered the ground uselessly, cracking the field.

Ignoring the wails of the children and the cheers of Damion, Derek studied the field carefully. He watched Onix turn around to face Soran. With such a large body, as long as Soran was on the opposite side of the field, all it had to do to keep Soran in sight was turn its head, as its body was easily able maneuver with it. Reaction speed was good, too; faster than Soran, due to battle experience.

He felt almost thrilled. Adrenaline pulsed through his blood like poison, engulfing every inch of his body in a burning heat, yet compelling him to move forward. Even the ring in his pocket felt like it was heating up, just as his whole body was. Time was moving slowly, allowing him to see the entire arena in a time completely unreasonable in reality. It wasn't as if he could see every detail, but he could see Soran's movements, the Onix's movements, and the field's condition. Battle instinct was taking over, and only growing stronger the more he concentrated.

"Onix, Iron Tail," Brock commanded.

Images flashed into his mind, imprinting themselves into his mind like a stain or a fingerprint, breaking his focus for a second. He recognized this as the move Michael had won at the Indigo League with his Dragonite, Ziz. He recognized the move, yet the way the Onix was using it was completely wrong; the movement was awkward, the conduct was all wrong, and the attack's strength itself was low.

A growl escaped escaped Derek's throat. "Soran, Quick Attack and Return! Center!"

Luckily, she understood the command in the short amount of time they had. She rushed forward, an aura of white energy surrounding her. Majestically, she leapt forward, shining like a shooting star in the dark room, and collided with the Onix's glowing tail. The two lights seemed to struggle for a moment before the Onix was forced to give in, shocking everyone—Brock especially. Derek watched as the Onix stumbled, the light fading to reveal a cracked tail.

Soran raised her head to the ceiling, her mouth open. The white light seemed to be sucked in, and then was transformed into a sinister, dark energy that burst from inside her. She glowed with an eerie light, her fangs bared and black with the shadow energy. Instead of firing the Shadow Ball, she charged forward, her Return attack melding with her shadow energy. She shot forward, a demon in the night, ready to prey on her next victim.

"Sandstorm!"

"Soran, fire!" Derek shouted, watching as the Onix began to spin, whipping up sand, dirt, and rubble from the field around it. "Scatter the Shadow Ball!"

She growled her approval, and with an amazing jump, leapt into the air before opening her mouth again. Out shot ten, twenty, thirty mini Shadow Balls. Her aura faded as the orbs left her body. They rushed towards their target like ghosts and were sucked in by the gusts of wind from the Onix's extreme spinning speeds. The Eevee landed on the ground again, her fur and scarf whipping in the air as well, her claws dragging in the ground.

Derek heard several "Wow!"s from the children and Damion. When he turned towards his partner, he received a smile and a thumbs up. He shrugged, turning back towards the battle, watching the eerie Shadow Balls spin in the Sandstorm. It was only a matter of time before his plan came to fruition.

As soon as the energy touched the rocks in the storm, they exploded, sending rubble flying everywhere. It added to the Sandstorm, but Derek saw the pieces also fly inside and reach the eye of the storm. The process repeated itself multiple times until the creature was forced to stop. The Shadow Balls and rubble that remained whipped forward from the sudden lack of rotation, blasting into walls and the ground, sending up a dirt cloud.

Neither Pokémon were in any condition to be moving, as they were both panting from the efforts of the attacks they had delivered. Brock, too, seemed to realize this. Instead of using a status or a healing move, though, he shouted to his Pokémon, "Use a Dig!"

It dawned on Derek that if he didn't do something about this attack, it would all be over. Even if he couldn't see, he could hear the Onix charge into the ground, just as Soran tremulously got to her feet. She wasn't strong enough to pull off another combo attack, and a priority move like Quick Attack was too much of a strain on her body. His only options were to try and escape in a different way, or to wait and strike when Onix showed itself.

"Damn it," he cursed, his blood burning. He pressed his palm against his eye, trying to rub away the stinging pain that suddenly flashed through his body. He closed his eyes for a few moments, trying to find a way around the situation.

The speed of that Onix is too fast to just avoid by instinct. Soran's ears are good, but that Onix is probably just going to wait until it's completely recovered, then strike. Soran won't be able to recover as quickly, since she's not as battle-trained. That Onix has vitality, stamina, and strength on its side, while we've got maneuverability, speed, and strategy.

The best plan is for Soran to just survive one hit, one hit, and then blast away the Onix when it's weakest: right after its attack. If we can hit the head hard enough, we can probably knock it unconscious. Or rather, if we aim for the body itself, we can restrict its movements by knocking the nervous system out of whack.

Derek bit his lip, feeling irritation change into anger as the dust faded. The hole in the ground was huge, obvious, and not to mention ominous. He was starting to get tired of this battle, and his head was pounding from the effort of sustaining such concentration. Going with his instincts, he shouted, "Soran, you know what to do!"

Soran let out a soft bark-like cough and began glowing. The light gathered together into a star-like shape of condensed energy above her, and then disappeared as if absorbed into the shadows. She closed her eyes, her ears twitching at the slightest of movements and sounds, listening for anything that would signal the Onix's attack.

It took her too long to find out the location of the Onix. She let out a yelp as she was blasted away by the Rock Snake Pokémon bursting out from under her, knocking her into the air. The earth itself seemed to be shaking as it emerged, slid out onto the ground lithely, and bellowed its rage. Soran fell to the ground awkwardly, twisting in the air and falling on her back. Her very fur was blowing from the pure force of the shout, not the mention the whole Gym itself.

Derek held up a hand to his face to block the soundwaves that were blowing him back, his eyes wandering towards his fallen Pokémon. She lay there, shaking with the effort to stand up. He realized why she had landed so awkwardly: she had flipped herself in midair to avoid landing on the scarf she wore.

Was it...over?

"You're Pokémon is defeated," Brock said simply, his arms crossed over his chest. His face showed his disappointment. "You've lost, Derek."

He said nothing, continuing to stare down at Soran. Her body seemed so frail, so broken, that he felt like crying. Slowly, he stepped forward, but stopped himself. He remained in the Trainer box, his shoulders firm. Time passed slowly, a second an eternity, but he continued to wait for his Pokémon's decision.

"Derek! What's wrong with you!" Damion shouted from behind him. "Don't tell me you're gonna lost to...to just the first Gym Leader! We're partners, aren't we? So what if it gets tough? Just get back up even stronger than ever!"

Derek remained silent even as Damion shouted his words of encouragement. He adjusted the collar of his jacket, never tearing his eyes away from Soran. Still she struggled, trying to stand. As long as she had the will to continue, he wouldn't give up. All he could do was respect her determination, and until then, he would wait for her to get up.

"This battle is o—"

"Don't you dare!"

Brock looked up, shock flitting across his face. He stared at Derek, shaking his head. "No matter what you do, you can't change this outcome, Derek. It's over already."

"I said don't you dare!" he repeated, his voice echoing a hundred times in the Gym. A silence overcame the room, as even Onix watched in surprise. He wiped away the tears that had filled his eyes, frustration and anger spilling out of him. "You think this is over? You think that I've lost! You trust your siblings, don't you?" He slashed his hand through the air, towards the children. "And they trust you! Then believe my brother's prediction—I'm going to win. But this has nothing to do with my brother, who once held the confidence to go as far as to brag about me winning ten years in advance. I'm here for one reason, and for one reason only. I came to prove that I am who I am, and that I don't need anything else. I'll show you our resolve, and our strength. Soran, show them your..." He caught himself. He held out his hand in front of him, staring at the scar that colored his palm dark. He clenched his fist tightly, digging his nails into his palm. "Our Wish!"

Finally, the delay ended. The star reappeared, filling the room momentarily with a blinding light. Every shadow was eradicated and all was illuminated in the transcendent glow. The technique finally took its effect, spinning over Soran's fallen body rapidly, gaining speed and spreading a light that grew brighter with every second. Every rotation brought another color to the points of the star, until seventeen lights edged the star's outline, each sparkling with a unique color. They melded until every color in the rainbow, and every color in between, shone in the star.

With a sound like that of nature exhaling, the star burst in a flash of colored light, momentarily blinding everyone in the room. When Derek dared to open his eyes again, Soran was once again standing, her fur sleek and shiny, her scarf spotless, and her expression completely focused. With a roar of deafening and shocking power, she lunged forward, glowing with another combination of Quick Attack and Return. A sound like that of raging thunder resounded throughout the room, shaking all the people to their very cores as Soran collided with the unsuspecting Onix.

If one hadn't understood what the situation was firsthand, they would have thought an explosion had taken place. In reality, though, the energy from Soran's "Quick Return" had surged forward and condensed into a flame-like aura around Soran. It was a vicious power, bursting with strength and cackling with power, unlike the smooth, wavy feeling of a normal Quick Return—it was a technique Derek had never seen, or so much as heard of, before. All the power was concentrated on one singular point, resulting in a single bursting blow that sent even the 210 kilogram Onix skidding into the wall. The children on the balconies gasped, Damion let out a whooping cheer, Brock let out an alarmed shout, and Derek simply watched in amazement.

Everyone knew that the battle was over when the Onix keeled over onto the ground. Derek could only stare, hardly able to believe it. It was over.

Finally, finally, over.

He stepped up to the battlefield, picking up Soran from her position on the ground. She was completely wiped out, having focused all her energy into the last attack. Still, she quietly licked his cheek as he held her to his chest. He adjusted the scarf around her neck, appreciating the still-remaining scent of his lost friend.

"You were amazing," he told Soran. He gave her the softest of looks he could, feeling afraid to look at her too long or too harshly, lest she break like fragile glass. "Thank you, Soran."

"Ee..." she mewed. She closed her brown eyes and fell asleep in his arms. He held her for a few more moments before returning her to her Poké Ball.

He turned towards Brock, who had walked up to him. The Gym Leader smiled, holding out his hand. In his palm was a octagonal gray Badge, glistening in the stadium lights. "This is yours, Derek. You deserve it. I think even my siblings, who are always telling me to stop handing these out, would accept this. Am I right, guys?"

Derek turned towards the children, who all looked shocked and amazed. The oldest, the one who had spoken before, exclaimed, "That was so cool! How did you train your Eevee to be so strong? And you were so awesome—your battling skills are so cool!"

With the determination of winning gone, Derek felt himself flush with insecurity. He glanced around, looking for something to distract himself, but finding none, simply faked a smile and scratched his head nervously. "I guess...um...luck?"

A memory flashed into his head. Matthew had realized this kind of situation would happen, he realized. He remembered the older Trainer's words: "Don't hold back to fight with your best effort, if you ever have to." Then Flint: "The more you try, the better you get. Keep that attitude of yours, and you'll never get stronger. The sooner you show your true self, the better it'll be for your future."

Was this what he was really capable of? And was this what Soran could do when they were battling seriously? He gazed at the broken battlefield under them, from the shattered rocks to the broken walls. He had only been able to concentrate on the battle because he had been angry—but is getting angry a good way to battle?

"No idea about your whole five minute declaration, but that was some superb battling. I don't know what made it happen, but if this is what you can do, then it can't be bad," Brock said, as if reading Derek's thoughts. The boy started in surprise as Brock grasped his wrist and placed the Boulder Badge in his gloved hand. "Congratulations, Derek. You've officially received your first Badge. Check your Trainer Card; it should show up on there, as well."

Derek gazed down at the Badge, then looked up at Brock. "Thank...you very much."

He smiled. "Michael was right. I don't know what happened between you two, but I know that you'll be able to settle things. It will take time, I know, but you can do it."

Exhaustion sapping at his consciousness, Derek nodded dully, too fatigued to get angry again. "I...is your father named Flint, by any chance?"

Brock blinked. "Do you know him?"

Derek shook his head. "No, it's nothing. I just think I might've heard about him before. Maybe as a famous Trainer or something."

The Gym Leader put a hand on Derek's shoulder, a smile on his face. "That's good to hear. But Derek, your battling is great. Amazing, even. But...it's a bit dangerous as well. Try to understand that you have to get past your anger, all right?"

He nodded. "Thank you, again. I—"

"Derek!" Damion shouted, practically straight in his ear. The two fell to the ground as Damion jumped on Derek's back, nearly smashing Derek's face into the rocky field.

He felt the impact nearly shatter his bones, and could feel the bruise already forming. He groaned, trying to force himself up with his hands. "Don't ever do that again!" Derek snapped, slipping out from under him and sitting up in horror and shock. "Geez! I nearly had a heart attack, damn it!"

"S-sorry. But that was just so awesome!" Damion said before laughing on the ground. He was literally rolling on the floor laughing. He was so happy and joyful that Derek nearly felt like he, too, was happy. He probably would have been if Damion hadn't said at that moment, "You also said some pretty awesome stuff there!"

Brock smiled, kneeling down next to them. "You two are following the Gym circuit, right?"

Derek and Damion both looked up. The former answered while the latter laughed his head off. "That's right."

"Then you guys should go check out Mt. Moon and get through it. It's not too complicated a place, but it'll probably take a week or two to get to Cerulean. Just follow the path, since it's not a complex route," Brock explained. "Oh, and pack a lot of Pokémon food and supplies for yourself."

"Cool!" Damion grinned, cocking his head towards Derek in his excitement. "You think we'll find any rare Pokémon?"

Derek sighed. "If it's us," he said, gazing down at the Poké Balls containing Zorro and Kutsune, "I don't doubt it, Damion."

"Yep! Let's go, then!"

A/N - Yeah. I left it on such a horrible ending, I should get sued.

Moving on, some stuff is happening with me in the real world, so Lost Memories, Revamped! might be delayed a bit, instead of being released on Monday like usual. Soz about that. (That's why I'm uploading this chapter a day in advance.)

On a happier note, congrats to Derek and Damion on their first Gym Badges! Woot woot! 1/8 for the Indigo League!

And spoiler alert: Another Pokemon capture next chapter, hah. Unfortunately, I shoved all the capture chapters near the beginning, so yeah. Don't hate me for it.