I know some of you are not happy with my portrayal of Gold, and I can understand that it may not be what people expected. I just hope you can enjoy these last two stories, and at the end of the next part, I will make my intentions with Kris and Gold clear for you all to see why I did what I did.

Double Everything

This is it... There's no turning back now… I'm nearly there…

Kris stared at the exit, the last thing standing between her and the Johto League Stadium. Through the open rocky mouth in front of her stood the complex that she had always dreamed about entering, always dreamed of one day standing at the top and holding the winner's trophy up high. After all these weeks, months of travelling, all the stuff Kris had gone through with her family and Gold… she was nearly here.

And Kris couldn't be more excited.

Battling Clair had been a great build up battle: a powerful six on six battle. Seadra had insisted on evolving, so Kingdra fought it out against Clair's Kingdra and two Gyarados before falling to a Dragonair. It took some combined effort from Meganium and Miltank to take that Dragonair down, and then Meganium and Espeon took the second down. But Clair's Dragonite swept through Espeon and Noctowl and left Kris with only one Pokemon left to win. Dragonite and Latias fought brilliantly and brutally, the sheer power of their battle nearly destroying the gym. However, Latias proved superior with her delivery of the moves, and Kris ultimately won.

Sadly, she had to farewell Spike, and they had a moment alone together as they bade each other goodbye for now, though Spike promised he would make it to the Johto Champion's Stadium in time for her battle with Lance. Kris then departed on Noctowl, bypassing New Bark and heading towards Route 27. Kris didn't want to be held up at her hometown, having giving them her goodbyes. She needed to focus on winning now and moving forwards, not moving backwards and let Ruby's true death consume her.

Kris enjoyed walking past the sea route, training her Pokemon and helping them get stronger and ready for the battles as she passed through. The sea and sky and tall cliffs and tall forests were a perfect backdrop, and Kris savoured walking through Route 27 and then 26 for a little over a week to truly absorb in the scenery, and truly build up towards the last leg of her journey.

Victory Road.

It had been a while since Kris had ventured into a cave, and this was one like no other: an intricate series of caves and tunnels connected together in a way to test whoever was trying to get through it. If you struggled solving the puzzles and tricks that had been built in, than chances were you were not ready to take on the Elite Four. Trainers were left feeling claustrophobic and frightened, but it was the perfect test before the biggest one of them all.

Kris had managed to make it through. She had clambered over rocks, slid down slopes, slipped through boulders and been forced to camp for the night twice in the darkness, only her Pokemon for company. Her clothes had tears in them and parts of her still stung from being scratched, but Kris had pulled through and managed to survive, and was now at this final point.

I can't believe I've finally made it through… Kris thought. She was tired and sore, but the fact she was so close to the League was astounding. The sounds of some Flying type chirping sounded in the silent cave, and Kris could feel a breeze coming in and brushing against her body. She stared around at the large boulders, the multiple stalactites and stalagmites, all the rock formations she had gotten used to for the past few days for the last time. Kris took a deep breath in and stepped forwards, ready to finally get out of Victory Road and face the biggest challenge of her life.

"I've been waiting for you."

In an instant, Kris' excitement, determination and hope shattered as the five words washed over her. She froze up, a tinge of anger rising up in her but she repressed it, not wanting to let it get control of her. But to come so close to putting things behind her, only for the familiar voice to perk up once more… it was disappointing and annoying to say the least.

"Why are you here?" Kris said huffily, taking a deep breath in order to control her temper. She looked around for the voice behind her, but heard something move in front and turned back around. Kris watched as Gold slipped out from the side of the exit, a wide smirk across his face, the sort Kris had not seen in a long time. He looked filthy: torn clothes, dirt and blood across his face and arms, the wind pushing an odour across to Kris that nearly made her gag. Yet Gold was still smiling despite the state he was in, and she thought she knew why.

"I'm here for the same reason you are," he said as he stepped out from some rocks, moving into the entrance and pushing his unwashed smell towards her. "The Johto League Complex is just behind us, isn't it? I have not come all this way to simply enjoy the view that Victory Road has to offer." Gold laughed at his own little joke, and Kris simply smiled and nodded. Gold was now standing between her and the exit, once again becoming a blockade in her plans of moving forwards. She didn't want to get in any fights with him, and simply would have to wait out whatever he had to say.

"So, how have you been since you blew up my house you nasty bitch?" Gold asked with a wide smile, and began laughing again. Kris took several more deep breathes, ignoring the insult, but remembered back to the last time they had met. She had been so busy training that she had forgotten all about: her and Gold's dramatic showdown at his family home, leaving it badly damaged and the tension between them thicker than ever. Kris was surprised Gold was not challenging her to a battle straight away, clearly eager to bring her down a peg.

"Gold, I am sorry about what happened, I didn't intend things to turn out that way," Kris explained. "I was just annoyed about Ruby, and…" but Kris stopped there, thinking about what she had just said: she had a right to get grumpy with Gold for the death of her best friend being covered up, having the false truth fed to her and her memories manipulated. She had apologised enough, and didn't need to give him anything else.

"You destroyed my home," Gold snarled, a smile still across his face. "I really don't care what you have to say at all."

"Your parents accepted my apology."

"I don't give a fuck what my parents say," Gold snapped, the smile fading as he glared back at Kris. She was rather shocked by this outburst, but was getting use to the fact that Gold's behaviour was becoming more and more erratic as the meetings went by. The mention of his family seemed to have struck a chord, and Kris remembered how Harold had asked her to knock some sense into him: had there been some sort of family drama before she blew the front door down?

"Gold, listen: your filthy, you're injured, you smell terrible," Kris said, realising quickly this was not the best way to try to talk sense into him, "and I think you haven't slept. I don't know what you have done since New Bark, but I am not going to battle you or anything until we both have had a nice long shower, cleaned up and had a rest. I might battle you tomorrow once I've had a decent rest, alright?" Kris went to move around, but Gold moved to the spot, pulling two PokeBalls out of his bag.

"Actually, that does not suit me at all," he snapped. Kris stepped backwards; rather repulsed and frightened by the way Gold was acting.

"I said I am NOT battling!" She insisted, but Gold moved forwards, looking psychotic.

"I am not moving aside until we have had a battle," he growled, "and if you try and get past, I will just send my Pokemon out and we will battle anyway!" Kris was shocked, and moved further backwards, wondering what had happened to Gold to make him so angry, and why he was being so forceful all of a sudden…

Gold had been out on the land, on his own, ever since fleeing from his family's home. Though he had been living on his own for a while now, Gold was slowly beginning to snap, and it was effecting the decisions he made. He stopped using his tent, and continuously was leaving supplies behind. He had not slept for the past three days and it was beginning to play with his mind a bit. He was hungry and hadn't bathed, and only remained hydrated by drinking water from the lakes and rivers, not knowing if it was clean or not and not caring.

Gold's breakdown was rapidly getting worse. His confrontation with his parents had not helped things, and he knew that he would never set eyes upon them again if he could so help it. Gold did not even want to go back to New Bark Town again, the foul memories it held, the things he had done…

A long time ago, Gold had regretted what he had done to Ruby. He use to spend weeks tossing and turning, the image of the car striking Ruby never leaving his mind. His parents had tried a variety of counsellors and therapists, but none of these things seemed to work. It wasn't until a few years ago, after hundreds of session his parents had insisted on, hoping to cure him and erase this nasty mark on their lives, that Gold simply realised something: he didn't care.

It was not his fault the car had hit her. It was merely his fault that she had fallen: the driver had done the rest of the damage. And Ruby had pushed him into the pool… he had nearly drown… it only made sense that he get his revenge… it just didn't end quite so well for Ruby as it did for him. Gold had seen his parents wheedle out of multiple incidents in their lives, so it only seemed fair that he was able to put this all behind him and move on with his life. And moving on meant only one thing: becoming Champion.

Gold had dreamed of being the Johto League Champion since he was a little boy. He remembered watching Hayden Soul taking part in a battle when he was five, and Gold could remember watching in awe and in excitement, wondering how he could some day become like him: standing on the top of the podium, swinging a trophy, getting money and fame and admiration. Gold knew he would eventually set out on a journey one day, and would defeat the Elite Four and the Champion in a battle that people would remember long after his grandchildren had died. It had been Gold's dream, and for a long time he knew he could succeed.

That was until Kris came along.

When Gold walked into Professor Elm's lab on the first day of his journey, he was glad to see Kris was there: she was poor and lonely, clearly the signs of incompetency, and Gold knew he could best her in every way possible to prove he was the best Champion and prove himself as more than the son of Harold Hartley.

But than Kris defeated him right there and then… and then the next time outside Cherrygrove… than the cave, Goldenrod Tunnel, besting him at the Pokeathlon. For a while Gold began to doubt himself, wondering if he could actually succeed in his dream. But than he defeated Kris twice in a row, and his confidence returned at double the power: Gold would do this, he could defeat Kris and send her crying back to her poor dying mother and deadbeat father. What Gold hadn't expected was for Kris to bounce back, tearing him apart at the Whirl Islands and getting a legendary boost at Mahogany Town, crushing his dreams once more.

All of his dreams were fading away, and it was all because of Kris. Gold needed to sho the world what he could do, but couldn't prove himself if some poor, run-of-the-mill girl kept ruining things for him. It was annoying and made Gold angry every time he thought about it. Since than though, Gold knew what he would have to do to win. He needed to destroy Kris, needed to annihilate her and her Pokemon and make so she never battled again. Gold knew they would meet in the Champion's Stadium, one way or another, and he would knock her back down to the poverty line. Her Pokemon may be stronger, but Gold had a secret weapon she would never even dream of, and he knew it was the key to his success.

All he had to was bring her down a peg beforehand.

Kris and Gold were locked in a staring contest, though it was more the two of them trying to judge the other. Kris had no idea what had gotten into Gold, but she could see that he was serious with his threat and would stop her in she tried to past. But her Pokemon were not as strong as they could be, having been weakened from all their training. Kris was running low on supplies and was hoping to heal then when she arrived at the Johto League, and wondered if they could even survive a double battle, which seemed to be what Gold wanted. Her rival was smiling back at her, clearly aware that he was managing to break her down and get what he wanted. Kris was annoyed with herself, but she knew there was no other way.

"Fine, I'll battle you!" She huffed, and Gold simply nodded, looking very happy with himself. "A single double battle: two on two, alright?" Gold nodded again, and Kris fished into her bag, which was much dirtier after her time underground, and grabbed one Poke and one Ultra Ball from near the bottom. She had used some of her last supplies to heal these two, and they would be the only ones fit enough for battle.

"Are we fighting here?" Kris said, and Gold nodded once more, his PokeBalls divided between his hands and a determined look on his face. Kris assessed the conditions quickly: limited space above due to a low roof dotted with jagged rocks, and the surrounding area was not much better. There were a lot of boulders to crash into, and thinking back to past battles at her aunt's theatre in Ecruteak City and at the Hartley's Manor, Kris knew that their Pokemon could get quite easily thrown around.

Good luck to you two, Kris thought. She was not sure how this battle would turn out, but Gold had been very violent to his Pokemon and her over their last few meetings, so Kris knew it would at least be violent. She did not know how hard Gold had trained, if he had trained, or if her training would be enough. Kris just wanted to get this over with and move on, the next challenge far more important.

"Ready to lose?" Gold asked cockily, his smile remaining.

"Only if you are," Kris replied, and Gold laughed a cold, heartless laugh. "It seems like so long ago we were back in Professor Elm's lab, Chikorita and Totodile battling it out with only two moves between them. That was rather cute, wasn't it? And now look where we are now! I really can't believe that –,"

"Kris, will you just shut up?" Gold snapped suddenly. "I am not here to take a little wander down Memory Lane. I am here to battle, so can we get on with that?" Kris sighed angrily at the outburst, but didn't want to get him any angry and figured it was best to just get this started.

"Fine, let's send then!" Kris grumbled, and half heartedly threw her PokeBalls forwards. Gold threw his with much more vigour, and all four burst open at the same time: from Kris' side, the red and yellow energy formed into the Magcargo and Miltank, who sparkled and shimmered due to her shininess, while Gold's Ariados landed next to a roaring, flexing Ursaring.

"Interesting pairings," Kris said, and smiled to herself: Magcargo had a large advantage over Ariados, and Miltank had some powerful moves at her disposal that would make her a force to be reckoned with against Ursaring. Hopefully this match would end quickly, and than Kris would be able to finally rest and relax.

"Feel free to send first," Gold said. He also appeared to be smiling, though Kris wasn't sure and wondered if he knew the disadvantage he had with Ariados. But she was happy to send first, and found Miltank and Magcargo staring at her, both wearing determined faces as they waited for their orders.

"Good to see your both ready for battle!" Kris said with a smile, and the two nodded. "Let's put all this training to use: Brick Break Ursaring and Flamethrower Ariados!" Kris commanded, hoping to get an early lead.

"Strength her, Sucker Punch him!" Gold shouted suddenly, and Kris was stunned at the volume of the order, which echoed all around the cave. But what was more stunning was the sudden speed: Ariados shot forwards as if he had just been shot from a cannon. Magcargo was struck with a leg that came out of nowhere and shot backwards, shooting the Flamethrower from a far.

"Move!" Gold ordered, but the fiery jet managed to catch half of Ariados' body, causing him to collapse to a heap.

"MIL!" Miltank called as she ran forwards, fists raised and ready to fight. She brought her arm down on Ursaring's stomach, making the beast grumble slightly, but he quickly fought back: his strong arms grasped onto Miltank, and in a single motion he sent her flying backwards. Kris moved aside to prevent herself being crushed, and watched as Miltank obliterated a rock formation and rolled towards Magcargo. The attacks had been so quick and so brutal that Kris didn't know if they had actually happened, and could see Gold smirking triumphantly out of the corner of her eye.

"Are you two alright?" She asked.

"Mag Mag," Magcargo said, only looking slightly beaten as he straightened up. Miltank nodded, but she did not look strong, another attack possibly able to knock her out.
"Miltank, you use Milk Drink. Magcargo, you use Fire Blast on Ursaring!" Kris commanded. Ursaring had a lot more power in him and could cause a lot more damage, and needed to be taken out. Gold looked disappointed, a possible strategy ruined, but he quickly recovered and went back to his scowl.

"Sludge Bomb and Strength Magcargo!" He shouted. Ariados stayed back this time, clearly not wanting to get caught up in the flames again, and fired a series of purple balls of slime towards him. Kris leapt aside to avoid getting hit, but than leapt aside again as Magcargo slid forwards on his lava body, mouth open wide.

"CAAAAAR!" He yelled, firing the five balls of fire that stretched out in a star. Ursaring had been running forwards to use Strength, but was hit directly by the Fire Blast.

"URSAAA!" He roared as he was sent flying backwards, crashing up against a boulder. Gold looked horrified as his Pokemon slumped onto the ground, and Kris couldn't help but clap her hands in delight. Miltank was beginning to stand up, her body glowing white as she initiated Milk Drink, and she finally got back to her feet with her determined face back on.

"Great work!" Kris said, and Magcargo smiled widely. The two Pokemon moved back to be beside Kris, and they all stared at Gold. He was clearly annoyed, the confidence he had beforehand fading away from the battle. Whatever his strategy had been, it wasn't working, and Kris knew how to shake things up for him.

"You want to continue?" She called. Gold made a snarling noise Kris would have expected a Pokemon to make, but he nodded all the same. "Alright then: ThunderPunch Ariados and use Stone Edge on Ursaring, aim for his ring!" Kris commanded. Gold looked annoyed once more, the switch up in targets clearly annoying him. But than the corners of his lips curled up, and Kris once again repulsed by a sickening smile.

"Ariados, you use Giga Drain on Miltank but scale the rocks. And Ursaring, ready Focus Punch but run forwards!" Gold commanded. Kris watched as Ariados suddenly shot off, leaping quickly on the rocks and jumping between them, his many legs never stopping to move. Miltank stayed frozen as electricity wrapped around her right fist, watching as Ariados leapt from rock to rock, not staying still long enough.

"Done some speed training have you?" Kris asked, sounding stunned, and Gold laughed heartlessly once more.

"I've trained more than just speed," he said, and pointed at Ursaring. Kris watched as the tall brown Pokemon began to quiver and shake, red energy glowing from the core of his body and moving towards his hands, a vicious, murderous look on his face that. She wasn't surprised that Magcargo looked intimidated, and felt bad for putting him into this position.

"You can do it Magcargo! You need to hit him to make sure he doesn't hit you," she cried, and Magcargo nodded. His eyes glowed brown, and rocks suddenly shot from the ground. But it was at this point that Ursaring began to run forwards, and Kris let out a loud 'NO!' of despair as the Normal type spun around, the rucks colliding with a stalagmite behind him.

"URSAAAAAARING!" He roared, his fists now glowing a powerful red that lit up the area around him. Kris could only watch in horror as the Focus Punch was thrust into Magcargo's face. The Lava Pokemon was thrown backwards so fast that he couldn't even make a noise, and all anyone could see was a large grey blur with red coming out from behind. Magcargo crashed straight through a row of stalactites, causing the jagged rocks to crash to the ground, before he struck a boulder and slumped to the ground.

"MAGCARGO!" Kris gasped, and went to rush forwards, but suddenly Ariados was in front of her, purposely blocking her way.

"ARIA!" He called, a green all formed between his front legs, and a second ball shot towards Miltank and struck her stomach. She began to convulse as green balls of energy were pulled from her body and travelled between the two balls. Ariados moved backwards, the chain of energy keeping Kris from getting to Magcargo, and she turned to see Gold laughing at her.

I can't let him get to me, Kris reminded herself as anger built up over his nasty strategy that prevented her from checking on her Pokemon. She could see Miltank was trying to withhold having her energy drained, but the Giga Drain was becoming too strong.

"Miltank, run forwards and jump!" Kris shouted. "Put all of your weight behind the punch!" Miltank nodded, and she began to run as fast as her large frame allowed. Ariados tried to move backwards, but he was too far back to escape.

"TAAAAAANK!" Miltank yelled as she leapt into the air and began to dive forwards, ThunderPunch at the ready. The green chain was broken as Miltank punched Ariados in his abdomen and landed with the punch. Ariados squirmed and flailed as electricity engulfed his body, but Kris was more focused on Magcargo and his safety.

"Are you alright?" Kris asked once she got to him. Magcargo's eyes were still open, but it looked as if he was oozing out of his shell, which looked more cracked than it had a few moments ago. "You just use Recover, Miltank can deal to those two for now," Kris said with a smile, and Magcargo nodded weakly. Kris got back to her feet to find Miltank standing a few feet away from Ariados, glaring down at Ursaring who continued to flex. Gold looked rather annoyed, and Kris thought she knew why.

"Your Pokemon don't have healing moves, do they?" She asked, and Gold simply made the growling noise again. "You should have them prepared, they are good for your Pokemon and for – ,"

"SHUT UP!" Gold roared, and silence fell between them, the two words echoing around them. "You think you're so special just cause you have a legendary and you've won a few battles! None of that matters anymore! I will defeat you in the end, and all your past wins will just be worthless!" Kris was rather taken aback by this outburst, and could see that Miltank was stomping at the ground, clearly enraged over it.

"There is no need to get snappy Gold," Kris replied. "You're the one who challenged me to this battle, so get upset that you're not winning! I was just offering some advice, but I can see it was wasted!" Gold looked like he was going to retort, but he simply growled again.

"Ice Punch and Sucker Punch!" He yelled. Kris was meant to send first and was going to say something, but than she realised he could use this to her advantage.

"Ice Punch on Ariados once he hits you and charge with him!" She yelled. Gold looked a bit stunned, and Kris hoped her gamble was going to pay off. Ariados moved forwards with his Sucker Punch at another lightning fast pace, and Kris knew that Gold was expecting her to use the turn to recharge rather than fight back. But as Ariados drove his fist leg into Miltank and Ursaring began to run forwards, roaring and his fist glowing an ice blue, Miltank struck up with her ThunderPunch.

"MIL MIL!" She yelled as she began to run, and Ursaring was too in the zone to realise what Kris had planned. He swung his fist, unaware Ariados was still trapped on Miltank. Gold cried out as the Ice Punch was forced into Ariados, Miltank still using ThunderPunch. Ariados' body spasmed and his legs flailed, but it still took Ursaring half a minute to realise Miltank was smiling.

"Ursa Sa!" He gasped, moving his fist backwards. Miltank let her attack stop, and Ariados landed, slightly smoking, to the ground between them. Ursaring stepped backwards, looking between Ariados and Gold in shock, not understanding what he did. Gold looked like he had just been punched, and Kris couldn't help but feel a little satisfied as Miltank walked back to her, and Magcargo slid up next to them looking rejuvenated. Ariados remained unconscious between the two sides, the force of the two attacks to strong for him to withstand, leaving behind smoke and a heavy amount of tension.

"That was just… devious…," Gold hissed, staring down at his unconscious Pokemon, and he looked up at Kris as if he was seeing her in a new light. "I didn't know you had it in you! I underestimated the darkness within you Soul, highly underestimated."

"What?" Kris said, looking repulsed. "It was a battle move, I was not trying to go dark! Ariados needed to be eliminated, and I thought I would make it more of a low blow for you after you snapped at me." Gold simply smiled widely, not taking in a word she said.

"I knew you must be a little stuffed up from all your family drama," he said with a wide smile, "you know, your daddy dying, mummy's illness, that sort of thing. And I can imagine that fact that little revelation about Ruby is playing on your mind. All that anger has to go somewhere – I didn't see you going for channelling it through your Pokemon."

"SHUT UP!" Kris yelled, and could see Gold smiling widely, succeeding in pushing her over the edge and out of her calm state of mind. Miltank and Magcargo were reflecting her rage on their faces, and Kris simply wanted to run forwards and slap Gold as hard as she could. "That was uncalled for Gold and you know it! If this was an official battle you could be penalized for verbal abuse!"

"I was just offering the truth, but I can see it was wasted," Gold hissed as he stole wore his smile, and began to laugh once more. Kris felt like she had been slapped, having her excuse manipulated and thrown back into her face. Though Gold was down one Pokemon, he was gaining the upper hand against her by toying with her emotions. She never wanted to have this battle, but for the first time in a while, Kris wanted to defeat Gold as best as she could and wipe the smile off his face.

"Flamethrower, Brick Break, go!" She yelled. Ariados remained on the ground, Gold too focused on his mocking to bring him back, and Miltank had to leap over him as she charged towards Ursaring, who was once again flexing.

"Hold her off and take the Flamethrower, than use Strength on them!" Gold shouted. The order stunned Kris, who had no idea what any of it meant, but as the fiery jet was released from beside her, an important fact suddenly struck her, and she remembered when Ursaring's ability was.

"STOP, HE'S USING IT AGAINST US!" Kris yelled hysterically, but it was too late: Ursaring was holding Miltank back with a single palm against her, somehow withstanding her power and the weight behind it, and reached out with his other hand, almost as if accepting the attack. The Flamethrower washed over him and engulfed most of his body, and moments later Ursaring's entire body was dancing with flames.

"URSAAAAAAAA!" He roared, dust trickling down from the roof. Gold clapped and whooped with delight, and Kris was left horrified at what had happened, Ursaring's Guts being activated. "RING!" He cried, and with a single movement he whacked Miltank aside. Guts boosted his attack power, but no ability gave him the power Ursaring seemed to have: Miltank soared backwards and crashed into a boulder, shattering it into pieces. Ursaring hadn't even used his full power, the Strength being saved for Magcargo.

"DODGE IT!" Kris bellowed. If Magcargo was struck with that Strength, his entire shell would shatter. Magcargo, however, was too frightened to move, and Kris couldn't force him aside without disqualifying herself from the match. Suddenly, she could feel warm breath wafting over her, and stared up in fright as Ursaring appeared over her.

"URSAAA!" He yelled, and bent down and grabbed Magcargo with both hands. Ursaring swung around at such speed he became a blur, but one thing Kris did see coming was a large hairy elbow: it collided into her head, and she cried out as she was knocked several metres aside, landing on another boulder. The wind was knocked out of her, and Kris could feel blood trickling down her face. But she ignored the pain and watched in shock as the part of the cave above Gold was suddenly shattered. The amount of rock that was destroyed was about the same size as Kris' tent, and the grey rock simply crashed down. Gold stood there, still laughing as the rock crashed down at his feet, staring out towards the route ahead. Though blood was beginning to come over her vision, Kris could see something in the distance striking the ground.

"MAGCARGO, NO!" Kris screamed. She leapt to her feet, wiping the blood out of her eye, but wobbled as she regained her balance, her stomach panging with pain. But Kris ignored it and hobbled forwards, shooting Ursaring a nasty look as she passed. Miltank was getting back to her feet, still conscious, and moved behind her trainer.

"That was quite the show, wasn't it?" Gold laughed as Kris passed. She paused by the rock that lay in front of her, looking up at the larger exit in front of her. Kris turned back to Gold, stared at his smirking face, and slapped with as hard as she could. Gold was forced backwards by it, and Kris felt some satisfaction as she and Miltank stepped out into the Johto League Complex.

Kris had forgotten how long she had been underground. The sunlight nearly blinded her, and she had to cover herself as she stumbled over the fallen rock. She moved slowly forwards, staring only at the ground in front of her. Eloquent red brick carved through fields of green grass, and Kris had never appreciated the beauty of something so simple as a blade of grass before in her life. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Kris could see that rows of trees stretched off around them, before Mt Silver on one side and the peaks separating Johto and Kanto to the other. The Johto League Building would be in the distance, but as Kris went to look at it, she would something grey up ahead.

"Magcargo!" She cried and rushed forwards, Miltank rushing along side. Even from afar, Kris could see fears had come true: Magcargo's shell had broken to pieces, unable to withstand striking the wall at that speed and strength. She collapsed to her knees and reached out towards Magcargo, his red lava-like body pouring across the rock. Kris wanted to pick him up and hold him, but even as her hand hovered over him, the heat was too strong, too intense for her to touch him. She bit back the pain and patted her shell, which was like touching the bonnet of a car on a hot summer's day.

"I am sorry I put you through this," Kris whispered, and she pulled out his PokeBall. Miltank let out a mournful 'moooo' as Magcargo was brought back, and Kris knew she would have to send him back to Professor Elm, where he will be fixed alongside Ampharos… hopefully.

"You really must admit your dark side Krystal. A good girl couldn't muster a slap like that," a cocky voice called. Kris wiped a tear away from her eyes as she stood up, not looking at the league building, and simply turned around. She thought she saw someone by the trees, but Kris didn't linger long enough to find out. Her attention focused entirely on Gold, who stood about twenty metres away outside the Victory Road exit. He had sunglasses on to shield his vision from the suns rays, though hadn't given the same courtesy to Ursaring.

All Kris wanted to do right now was to grab one of the fallen rocks and hit Gold with it, hit him like how the car had hit Ruby. She wanted to run forwards and release all this rage she was trying to surpress in order to keep Latias healthy, though it was not doing much good for her health. Kris stared at Gold's cocky, arrogant smile, listened to the words mill around in her head, and knew all she needed to do was to get revenge. Get revenge for Ruby, for Magcargo's broken shell, for Ampharos and how she couldn't use Electric moves, get revenge for everything Gold had ever said and done to her, her Pokemon and his own Pokemon.

It was time.

"You are a nasty, cruel, arrogant little boy Ethan," Kris hissed, putting acid into every word she said. "I have never liked you, and I never will. You should not be allowed to keep Pokemon, you should not be allowed to go anywhere near them. I have seen how cruelly you treat them, and no respectable trainer would ever harm another trainers Pokemon in such a disgusting way in a simple battle." Gold's smile faded off his face, quickly replaced with a snarl.

"You are just sad you aren't going to win this!" He growled, grabbing Ursaring and pushing him forwards to only reinforce Kris' words. Miltank stepped forwards at this, cracking her fists and shaking her muscles. "You want every to perfect and nice and happy, but your own damn family is a sign that life sucks and you need to get over that! I just savour being able to defeat you and sending you back to that windy hovel of a town so you can learn that lesson." The tension was heavy between them. Kris wasn't going to retort, knowing that this battle could only be settled by their Pokemon, not by their words. Gold raised his glasses up, and their eyes connected like that had so many times in the past, yet now both of them were filled with unimaginable hate for each the other and Kris wanted to end this battle now.

It felt as if an hour passed, yet it was only a second moment, a single heartbeat, a single pause between their words before their final blows were unleashed.

"HYPER BEAM!"

"GIGA IMPACT!"

Instantly they reacted. Miltank drew in energy from around, absorbing it into her mouth. Ursaring suddenly charged forwards, his yellow ring glowing white before the energy wrapped around his entire body, turning him a powerfully blinding side of white. The two attacks were opposites, and Miltank's Hyper Beam glowed and shone with the same power of Ursaring's Giga Impact. You could see the energy quivering above their bodies like the heat emitting from a flame. Ursaring leapt upwards and dived down, a fist outstretched, a glowing white missile.

"URSAAAAAAAAA!"

"TAAAAAAAAANK!"

Miltank fired the Hyper Beam just as Ursaring reached her.

For a moment, things hung in the balance. Only light shone from the two, nearly blinding Kris, and she began to take a step backwards, watching the quivering glowing mass in fear and uncertainty, the outcome unknown.

Than the attacks exploded.

The scream was unable to leave Kris' mouth as she was blasted backwards, unstable due to her moving backwards. All she could see was white, and all she could feel was raw power engulfing her. Kris seemed to soar through the air for a few seconds and many metres before finally landing, crashing into the red brick and rolling, more blood seeping from the wound on her head. Kris shut her eyes against the blinding light, not knowing who had won or what the outcome would be.

It was all over quickly. The blinding whiteness was burnt into her eyes, but there was no longer a feeling of the energy washing over her. Kris simply lay on the red brick, unable and unwilling to move, not wanting to open her eyes and see who won. The only thing she could hear was footsteps: soft, slow footsteps, aching closer and closer towards her. Somehow, these footsteps spelt bad news, and Kris tensed up as they stopped only inches from her face.

"You are a weak, pathetic, silly little girl Krystal. I have never liked you and I never will. You should not be allowed to keep Pokemon, you should not be allowed to go anywhere near them. I have seen your failures and your inability to win, and no respectable Pokemon would ever want you for a trainer. I may abuse my Pokemon in your eyes, but that's how I've gotten this far, and it's how I am going to keep on winning. See you at the finish line, if you can make it that far." Kris finally opened her eyes in time to see Gold move away from her, smirking. Ursaring thumped past him, moving slowly and clumsily, clearly weakened.

"Miltank…," Kris whispered, and she could see her body shining in the sunlight a few metres away, half embedded in a large crater. Kris tried to move, but she was too weak, both physically and mentally. Gold's words have torn into her as if he had scratched them there, and she was too hurt to move. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps picked up again, and Kris slumped back to the ground, wondering if Gold was back for more.

"That child seems like a right little monster," a soft, calm, feminine voice said, and hands topped off with purple nail polish appeared beside her. Kris reached out and grabbed the hand, getting lifted to her feet. A woman was standing there in a yellow jacket and white denim jeans, black sunglasses resting on her grey-blue hair that hung down to her hips.

"Your Karen… Elite Four… right?" Kris mumbled, rubbing the blood from her head, and the woman nodded, staring towards Gold as he walked off.

"I don't have to battle that boy, do I?" Karen said, and Kris nodded, smirking slightly, and the Dark type trainer rolled her eyes. "Ugh… just what I need. I did watch your battle though. Imagine my surprise when I came out here for some piece and quiet, and suddenly a Magcargo smashes into the ground in front of me. I was going to intervene, but I realised I could be facing the trainers involved soon, and I decided to sit back and watch the show."

"Any rave reviews for my performance?" Kris said, giving it to the blood and grabbing a shirt that got torn the other day from her bag and placing it against her forehead. Karen paused for a moment, clearly mulling over her words.

"You both fight with passion, but I am not sure if that is simply because you are fighting each other or if that is how one or both of you fight," the Elite Four head said. "But clearly you both have powerful Pokemon, wheter you want to admit it or not, but your personalities are going to get in the way. That boy, Ethan, you said, yes? Anyway, he has a darkness none of my Pokemon have ever shown, and I would not want to be on the other side of him when he fights, especially if he abuses Pokemon as much as you both said he does. But you… I am not sure, but I feel as if something is holding you back," Karen said with a sort of sigh. "I think you need to let yourself go more, unleash all of your feelings and not worry about the consequences. Let your passion course through your veins during the entire fight and keep it steady, rather than letting an outburst snake in here and there. I do not believe in categorizing a Pokemon by their strengths or weaknesses, or by how much power they have: let your passion by your Pokemon's strength, let it be there power."

"You think so…," was all Kris could muster, letting the words wash over her. She could imagine what Latias would have to save on the subject, but she did dislike Gold as well: should Kris let all of her emotions out rather than holding them back… was that the key?

"I'd better head off then that thing is coming my way," Karen said, and Kris smiled once more. "Make sure you are ready, both your Pokemon and you, before you take me and my team on. You seem look a good trainer, just like your mother, so we'll be expecting only the best. Ciao," Karen said, and she walked off smiling before Kris registered what she had said.

"I'm not as good as her!" Kris called, but Karen simply waved her hand and walked upwards towards the League Building. It was then Kris realised she hadn't noticed it yet: a building painted the richest of reds, with large blue glass windows sparkling high above. It was the size of a two storey structure, yet the power it presented was more grasping, much large and more extravagant. Kris felt like she was in the presence of some mighty being she was meant to bow down to. She watched as Karen climbed up a set of stairs, flanked by four columns with a fifth built in to the doors. Gold and silver statues of Ho-oh and Lugia respectively flanked the heavy oak door that creaked as Karen opened them, and closed with a heavy, echoing thud.

Kris walked back to Miltank and cradled her for a while, staring at the building as Gold and Karen's words whispered in her ears, mixed with those from gym leaders, Hanoko, her aunts, her mother, Professor Elm, Spike, Bill, the Dragon Elder, Harold, Leaf… practically everyone she met was whispering in her head, and Kris was not sure what to think. The only straight thought she could come to was by staring at the Champion's Stadium in the distance. You could walk a quick path from Blackthorn City to get to it or simply fly there, but was to only access the sides. In order to access the South entrance, you had to defeat the Elite Four.

I will defeat them. Kris told herself. I have not come this far for nothing. I will defeat each of them, and than I will defeat whoever is waiting for my in the stadium. Wheter it be Lance, Gold or someone else, I will fight them with heart, I will fight them with soul, and I will fight with passion.

Whatever happens, I am not losing that battle. The name Krystal will join Persephone and Hayden in the Hall of Fame… this is my time. I have not come all this way for nothing. My Pokemon and I will conquer Johto, and I hope to see Gold in the process.

It will only make things sweeter.

Look out for the final story, Passion, hopefully released in January/February