Jason Creight awoke to the sound of the Astronomical's blaring horn.

He felt the ship shuddering as the reverse engines throbbed to life, slowing the ship to station-keeping.

They'd made it.

To the port sat a ship about half the size of the Astronomical, waiting to take home all those who weren't going to battle the Atlantis League champion.

And to the starboard waited a stadium-sized Pokemon arena.

It was where the Atlantis League champion waited.

Jason looked out the window to see the arena. It stood only a few feet above the sea, buoyed by unbreakable balloons around the perimeter of the underside. It was rectangular, as most gyms were, and it had four blazing strobe arrays, one standing at each corner. It was anchored to the ocean floor, but the chains were currently somewhat slack, as the tide wasn't coming in for a while.

The arena was a dark gray metal, and its trainer boxes and Pokemon starter points were very clearly delineated in glaring white.

A lone figure stood on the deck of the arena, staring resolutely at the Astronomical.

Jason knew it had to be the champion.

*Just you wait,* he thought. *I'll take you down and I'll get my wish.*

On the other side of the arena was a ship the same size as the one to the Astronomical's port, presumably to carry home those who did plan to battle the champion. The Astronomical would leave once all of its passengers were on one ship or the other.

As Jason stared out at the champion, he wondered what team he was going to use. Of course, it would have to be nothing less than his strongest Pokemon. That, of course, would include Gyarados and Gengar. It would also include Ampharos; its level was increasing at such a rapid rate that it was liable to hit its apex in a matter of a few days, were he to battle other trainers before his final battle in the league.

He also knew that he would have to take advantage of everything at his disposal, air, land, and sea. He decided that Charizard would be a good addition, were fire to enter into the fray as a weak point. Even though Quilava had recently evolved to Typhlosion, it didn't have wings, as Charizard did, so it had no way of avoiding the water. And Quagsire would also be a fine Pokemon to choose; it had Rock-type attacks without Rock- type weaknesses to water. Faking the opponent out was an integral part of the game, and Jason knew he'd need it.

That left one more Pokemon to choose.

Jason sighed. He'd need to take some time on that one. He pushed himself out of bed and struggled into his wheelchair. He glanced over at Kelly, who was still sleeping peacefully, even through the racket of the Astronomical's horn.

*Kelly...*

Jason's thoughts became darker, as he recalled what she'd told him about Adam. Even after nearly a month, he was still sore over it.

He wondered if he would always be sore over it.

He hoped not.

For the moment, he wondered what Adam was doing.

***

Adam, six doors down and on the other side of the ship, watched as the Astronomical pulled up next to the gym arena and the other ship.

He knew he wasn't going to the ship. He would go to the arena and wrestle Trixie from the Atlantis League's grasp.

He thought of his battle with Trixie. How he'd managed to save himself from the Atlantis League's "unconditional" rule. The one that stated, "If a trainer should win the Atlantis League without one fainted Pokemon, that trainer must join the Atlantis League Gym Corps effective immediately, replacing a gym leader of his/her choice."

The rule was one that even Jason didn't know about, though he most certainly knew of the five faint rule. But he didn't have to worry about it; he'd already had at least one fainted Pokemon.

Adam had wanted to stay out of that running early in the game. And the best place to do that was in Trixie's gym, where she could see that he aimed to keep both of them away from the league for good.

*I've gotten this far. No turning back now. I've got to go all the way.*

And he thought about what had transpired since.

***

Adam knew that he had to tell Jason sometime... there was no point in hiding it from him. He needed to get it out into the open.

That thought in mind, he went to Jason and Kelly's room aboard the Epic. He knocked three times.

"It's open."

Adam winced at Jason's voice. This was probably gong to be the worst conversation he'd ever had.

He grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, and pushed forward.

*Can't back down now.*

As soon as Adam was in the room, he looked around for Kelly, though he knew he wouldn't find her there. She was out at the arcade, having a grand old time with the numerous video games there.

Still, he felt cautious.

And he knew no one could blame him for that.

Jason was reading a book... a rather large one, it seemed. There had to be at least a thousand pages in it.

Adam took a deep breath as Jason looked up.

The expression on Jason's face became clouded.

*Oh, no. He knows already.*

Adam didn't know whether to consider this a blessing or a curse.

He chose to classify it as both.

"I need to talk to you," Adam began.

"Yeah, I'll say you do," Jason responded, marking his page and sharply closing the book. It's *thwap* was magnified in the strange silence between them. He put his book on the bed and folded his hands in his lap. "I can't wait to hear the explanation for this one."

Adam took it upon himself to grab the chair from the nearby desk, and seated himself. "I'm afraid it isn't much of one."

"Good. Then you won't waste my time."

Adam's face darkened. "I've never considered Kelly a waste of time, Jason. I hope you don't think so, either."

"No, I don't. But what I *do* consider a waste of time is hearing you explain away something I've already been told about. Kelly told me everything, you know. She told me the real reason behind your little trips to the dance halls, gallivanting across the ship like a pair of puppy-love struck pre-teens."

Adam had had enough. In a strangely quiet, yet loud voice, he responded, "At least I'm taking the chance."

That only made Jason even angrier. "What's that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"Ever since you started competing in the Atlantis League, you've spent a hell of a lot more time battling and thinking about your chances of winning that big, fat trophy than you've spent with Kelly. She's right there at your side, supporting you through all the trials you're going through. And you're ignoring her because you're too engrossed in your own battles, afraid of losing in some friggin' *gym battle*, for crying out loud. She *loves* you, Jason. Do you have any idea what that means? How hard it is for her to admit that?"

"I know that she wanted me to say it first."

"And what, exactly, is wrong with that?"

"I wasn't sure. I'm still not sure."

Adam gaped at Jason. "You mean to tell me that she loves you and is handing you her heart on a silver platter in exchange for *nothing*? My God, what's wrong with you? Were you raised in a loveless family or something?"

Jason glared at Adam. "Mind your own business. My upbringing isn't any of your concern, nor is my relationship with Kelly. And if you can't keep your nose out of that, then you can go ahead, walk out that damn door, and don't come back."

"Too late," Adam responded. "It's been my business for some time, and I'm only saying what Kelly is afraid to say. She doesn't want to lose you, Jason, and I don't blame her one bit. She loves you too much to even consider losing you. Hell, I'll bet she was afraid to say anything about her and me.

"She wants you to love her back. She wants to feel your love, know that it's always there, and never be afraid to lose it. And you sit there in your wheelchair dreaming dreams of a lone trainer. Didn't it ever occur to you that maybe you might just let her in?"

Jason's glare deepened. "I have. Whether you see it or not isn't my problem. And personally, I think it's rather arrogant and pretentious to put words in Kelly's mouth."

"You think Kelly doesn't think stuff like that? Think again. Just because I'm not her boyfriend doesn't mean I've never talked with her about you."

"This from the expert on relationships," Jason retorted. "I don't want, nor do I need your advice on how to pursue a relationship. I'll do it my own way. My life's too short to listen to other people tell me how to run it. The fact remains that you went after Kelly."

"Look, I didn't want to," Adam said, exasperated. "I tried. I tried to give distance to her, so that I wouldn't be threatened by the possibility. But then, it got worse and worse. And she wanted to get to know me better... it just sort of happened. I came to the door that night and asked her to go to the dance hall with me. I didn't hink of it as a date. I didn't think of any of those times as dates. That would have been ruining your relationship with her, and I would have blown any friendship with you."

"So you went with Kelly without meaning to. Well, well. The plot thickens. What next, you plan to propose to her without meaning to?"

"At this point, I'm beginning to think a proposal from me would have more meaning for her than any speech you could pull out of the air."

A dead silence hung in the room. Adam and Jason stared each other down, neither giving in to the other's angry glare.

Finally, Adam broke it. He slumped over and sighed. "This isn't working, either. Neither of us has anything to gain by arguing like this. It's petty." He looked back up, defeated. "Look, what's done is done. It's already in the open. Do what you want with it; I'm going to go after her anymore. She's all yours. I just hope, for your sake, that you make the right choices."

He stood up. "I'm sorry."

He left the room.

Leaving a considerably softened, and humbled, Jason.

***

Adam stayed away from Jason and Kelly afterward. He remained in his room for the most part, writing his poetry and conjuring a halfway decent short story. Three days after the argument, they boarded the fifth and final ship of the Atlantis League, the Astronomical. Six days after the argument, his gym match with the fifth and final gym leader of the Atlantis League, came to pass.

It took place in the early morning, when the eastern sky turned orange with the sun's still-soft light while the western sky still shimmered somewhere between blue and purple. It was a beautiful sight, indeed.

At seeing this, Adam felt inspired to write poetry. *I'll have to make sure to do that after the match.*

Unfortunately, he had a schedule to keep. *Shame I have to miss such a pretty sunrise.*

He sighed, turned away from the sight, and made his way to the gym doors. As with the others, these were gigantic and ornate, covered and painted with intricate designs.

Adam pushed the doors open and entered the gym, feeling remarkably clear-headed as he did so. He knew what he wanted to do, and he was ready to get going.

A pair of strobe arrays lit up the arena on either of its broad sides. The gym was painted black, and hot and humid to the point of excruciation. Adam felt himself fortunate not to have to deal with itching legs under his khakis, although the stump of his left leg was definitely feeling the heat.

On the other side of the gym stood a figure wrapped, head to toe, in a heavy black robe. A long black hood shrouded its face in black shadow, and an exact outline of its form was impossible to make out under the robe. Its arms were loosely folded, its hands hidden within the folds of its robe. Even its skin tone was impossible to determine.

*How can they stand the heat?* Adam wondered.

"Welcome, trainer," said a male voice. "I am Gym Leader Craig. I am here to stop you from continuing to the Atlantis League champion. Know that during our battle, I will go to any necessary lengths to reach my goal."

Craig moved backward, his robe moving so seamlessly, so gracefully along the floor that it was as if he were an errant shadow, melting back into its own kind.

"In the shadows I find my strength," said Craig. "Take comfort in the light, trainer. It will expose all of your intentions to me."

The robe shifted, and a black-gloved hand revealed a Lure Ball. The hand held the ball out, ready to toss.

Adam's right eyebrow shifted upward for a moment as he pulled out his own capture ball.

Craig let his ball drop straight to the ground. It popped open in rapturous response, a neon bolt blasting out of the ball to reveal his first Pokemon.

Adam dropped his capture ball at the same instant.

Craig's Pokemon was Shellder.

Adam's Pokemon was Jolteon.

Adam felt a grin trying to creep across his face. *Easy type advantage. I was right.*

"Jolteon, Thunderbolt!"

"Shellder, Supersonic!"

Jolteon bounded across the gym and blasted a spear of lightning at Shellder's thick outer covering. Shellder shrieked in surprise and pain, but recovered from the hit and blew a raspberry at Jolteon before whining out its Supersonic attack. Jolteon reeled; fortunately, Supersonic was an attack that didn't damage the opponent.

Not directly, anyway.

"Shellder, Hydro Pump!"

"Jolteon, Quick Attack!"

But instead of attacking, Jolteon found its tail to be a particularly enticing target, and ended up biting at itself.

Shellder took that opportunity to fire a huge stream of water out its invisible mouth. It drenched Jolteon and smacked it to the side.

The attack was a blessing, however: the cold water served to bring Jolteon back to its senses.

"Shellder, Crunch attack!"

"Jolteon, Thunder!"

Shellder, although it had no legs, still made time across the gym and clamped itself onto Jolteon's tail. Jolteon yelped, but remembered its attack order and stood still as it conjured a tower of lightning for Shellder to absorb.

And absorb the lightning, Shellder did.

And it stayed conscious.

*How did that happen?* "Jolteon, finish it with another Thunderbolt!"

"Shellder, Withdraw!"

*Heh. I've got him on the run,* Adam thought, as Jolteon powered up and blasted Shellder once again with a devastating electrical attack. Shellder's raised defense did little good; the bolt powered through the defenses as if they were little more than a sheet of paper.

Shellder was down.

Craig withdrew Shellder and presented his next Pokemon in silence.

Tangela.

*Good one. No advantages for either of us this time, and Jolteon's lost HP.* "Jolteon, Quick Attack!"

"Tangela, Bind!"

Jolteon hit first, as Quick Attack allowed it to do; however, its effect seemed almost nil on its opponent.

Then Tangela struck. Multiple vines disentangled themselves from its hidden body and lashed out at Jolteon, wrapping themselves around Jolteon's four extremities and lifting it up in the air. Jolteon yelped as the vines started squeezing.

"Jolteon, Swift attack!" Adam wasn't quite sure what to do now. *He's beginning to show me a bit of a theme here. He's dressed so I can't see any of him, Shellder's insides have never been seen, Tangela's insides have never been seen... hidden Pokemon. That's got to be it.*

Meanwhile, Jolteon cast forth dozens of shining spikes that embedded themselves in Tangela's vines. Tangela shrieked and released Jolteon in a hurry. Jolteon struggled to get to its feet.

Adam shook his head. *Paralyzed. That's gonna hurt my chances.* "Jolteon, return! Go, Flareon!"

Flareon sprung to life, ready to avenge its comrade.

"Tangela, Leech Seed!"

Tangela blasted three seeds out from its body. Each one hit Flareon and burst into life-sucking vines. Flareon growled and turned to its master for instructions.

*Better take it out as fast as I can.* "Flareon, Fire Blast!"

Flareon quickly conjured the "stick figure" symbol and send it boiling across the arena, striking Tangela head-on and catching it on fire. Tangela's vine whips reached out and desperately smothered the flames, but the damage was done; Tangela had been burned and would lose HP at a steady rate until fainting.

"Tangela, Razor Leaf!"

Tangela complied with a dozen sharpened leaves hurtling through the air. Some of them caught Flareon, who brushed the attack off.

"Flareon, take it down with Flamethrower!"

But even as Flareon attacked, Tangela used the Leech Seeds to restore some of its HP.

It wasn't enough. Tangela went down under a stream of liquid fire.

Craig didn't seem perturbed as he recalled Tangela. He dropped his third ball on the ground.

It revealed Cloyster.

Adam nearly smacked his forehead. *I should've seen that one coming.* "Flareon, return!"

He waffled for a moment. *I don't want to send Jolteon back out there; with its paralysis, it'd get taken down. Vaporeon would match it point for point, but I don't think I want that here.*

Finally, he made his choice. "Let's go, Eevee!"

Craig said nothing. Adam waited for a barb that Craig wasn't throwing; other gym leaders would be making fun of his choice now. But this one... this one just stood there.

Adam had a growing suspicion of Craig's origins.

He shook his head quickly. *No time for that now.* He had to stay focused. "Eevee, Skull Bash!"

"Cloyster, Aurora Beam!"

Eevee curled into a defensive posture, saving its energy. Cloyster took the opportunity to fire off its Aurora Beam; the multicolored energy blast sailed across the gym and engulfed the small, puppy-sized Pokemon.

In response, Eevee raced up to its foe and crashed headlong into it, making an audible crushing noise. Cloyster's shell was tough, but not tough enough; it took the full measure of Eevee's damage.

"Eevee, Extremespeed!"

"Cloyster, Hydro Pump!"

Cloyster didn't have the chance to attack first this time; Eevee smacked into its opponent again and knocked it backward. Cloyster retaliated with a thick blast of highly pressurized water, originating in its shell. Eevee was forced back, as well, but it stepped back up, still very much willing to fight.

Unfortunately, Cloyster didn't seem to be taking much wear and tear, either.

*Time to change that.* "Eevee, Ancientpower!"

Adam wanted to see the look on Craig's face as Eevee called forth a massive, splitting barrage of boulders, seemingly from nowhere, to collide with Cloyster. The crash of the boulders against its shell was music to Adam's ears.

Cloyster dropped to the ground exactly as those boulders did.

Craig wordlessly returned Cloyster and brought out his next Pokemon.

Pineco.

*Surely this isn't the best he can do. He must be saving an ace in the hole. Got to be Forretress. Both weak to fire, but I don't want Flareon coming out just yet... Pinecos are known for their Selfdestruct capabilities.* "Eevee, Skull Bash!"

Eevee withdrew into its defensive position again, waiting for Pineco's attack.

It didn't have to wait for long. "Pineco, Hyper Beam!"

Pineco began to concentrate on a point just above its eyes, where a faint spark came to life in midair. The spark grew to a ball of red energy, which focused a continuous beam on Eevee, pushing it backward across the deck and making it yelp in a high-pitched voice.

However, Eevee's defense held, and it came roaring back with its devastating Skull Bash attack. Pineco reeled from the attack, but as Eevee had, it held on to consciousness.

"Eevee, another Skull Bash!"

"Pineco, Selfdestruct!"

Eevee barely had time to defend itself before Pineco abruptly blew up in Eevee's face. The shockwave almost knocked Adam off-balance; he had to brace himself against the blast.

When the light and sound faded...

Eevee was still on its feet.

Adam resisted the urge to pump his arm in victory.

Craig returned Pineco and revealed his final Pokemon.

Adam allowed himself the grin this time. *I was right.*

Forretress.

Craig didn't waste time. "Forretress, Rollout!"

But Eevee was already on the move, smashing its minuscule skull against its metal-armored opponent. The resulting *clang* resounded throughout the gym. Forretress spun around and around, trying to clear the ringing within its own confines, but only accomplishing making itself dizzy. It ended up hitting the ground just to make itself stop spinning; the landing was hard enough that it actually took damage.

Taking advantage of Forretress's confusion, Adam recalled Eevee and tossed out what he hoped would be the dominant Pokemon of the round. "Come back out, Flareon!"

Gone were the vines that had wrapped around Flareon, sucking its life out for Tangela's benefit. It was ready and willing.

"Flareon, Fire Blast!"

"Forretress, Solarbeam!"

Adam shook his head. *Bad move. It'll take two turns.*

Flareon conjured another "stick figure" symbol of fire and sent it to meet Forretress. The metal surrounding Forretress became super-hot, causing Forretress to shriek in pain with a strange metallic voice.

"And finish it off with one more Fire Blast!"

But Forretress withstood even that, just enough to let loose its Solarbeam energy. The full fury of the beam washed over Flareon.

Flareon took the attack without a flinch.

"Flamethrower!"

Another stream of fire boiled out of Flareon's mouth.

Forretress finally went down, as Tangela had, to Flareon's hot temper.

The match was Adam's.

Craig paused for a moment, then recalled Forretress and tossed a credit bag in Adam's direction. Adam caught it deftly in one hand, using the other to return Flareon.

"You've fought well, trainer," he said. "You have my respect."

"And you have mine," Adam responded. "I haven't met all that many members of Master Koga's Shadow clan."

Craig paused. "How did you know?"

"I figured it out bit by bit. Your clothes were a bit of a giveaway. Your monologue included shadows, most of your Pokemons' true appearances are hidden by shadow, and you didn't say anything about my choices for battle. Shadows are proud, but they aren't arrogant. I would have expected something... anything... about choosing Eevee. But you said nothing. Always respecting the power of one theory, you're hesitant to pass judgment."

"You know of the clan?"

"As I understand it, members of that clan and even Koga himself were pivotal in stopping some sort of creature from rampaging through Fuschia City. Since then, it's been harder for Shadow clansmen to stay in the shadows they so deeply revere."

"Then, knowing of the clan, you must also know that it is a great dishonor for me to serve this league against my will."

"I do. And hope isn't lost for you, believe me. Your chance may be coming soon. Keep your faith in the power of one. It'll pay off soon enough. And no one will be forced to take your place."

"Let us both hope your confidence is justified. In the meantime, we must part ways."

Adam nodded once, and left the gym with the money bag firmly in hand.

***

Back in the present, Adam's memory of the match faded, leaving him staring out the window of his cabin at the ship that was half the Astronomical's size.

"No way," he said aloud. "I'm not going to go there. I'll get the trophy and the wish."

*And then I'll get Amanda back.*

His mind wandered again, and his thoughts inevitably fell back on Jason and Kelly.

He was pleased to think of them as a couple now, not just Jason... then Kelly.

He'd made the effort after the gym match with Craig to try and reconcile with Jason.

***

It was a week after Adam's match with Craig, and he felt he'd been avoiding Jason and Kelly for long enough.

He knocked on the door three times. He wasn't surprised when he didn't receive an answer right away.

He knocked again.

A heavy sigh. Then, "It's open."

Adam stepped through the door and saw that Jason was, again, the only occupant of the room. Kelly was out enjoying the swimming pool on the aft deck. Adam thought that this might have been something Jason wanted to spectate, but instead he was here, finishing off the last few pages of his book.

Jason's expression, unlike last time, remained carefully neutral. "Come in."

Adam did so, and took a seat at the foot of one of the beds. He didn't know whose it was; he didn't care. He looked the paraplegic trainer in the eyes. "Jason, I've been a jerk. This is ridiculous. I don't want to keep doing this... I wanted to see if there's any way we could get back on track."

Jason thought on this for a moment. Then, a small smile touched his lips, and Adam wasn't sure how to gauge this. Jason leaned back in his wheelchair and folded his hands in his lap.

"That all depends, Adam. I don't much like how we've been avoiding each other, either, and you're right when you say that this is ridiculous. But if we're to get back on track, then you and I will, from this point on, have to be totally honest and open with each other. No hiding any secrets. Period. You and I tell each other everything about ourselves, and I do mean *everything*. No more of this mysterious, brooding crap you've been doing ever since we met. All the good stuff, all the bad stuff, even the boring stuff."

Adam was caught now. On the one hand, it would be great to hear about Jason's life... he couldn't imagine anything especially boring about it. But on the other hand, Adam would have to spill his guts, too... and that meant telling Jason everything he'd thought about Kelly, and even about his relationship with Amanda.

*Oh, boy.*

But, ultimately, Adam knew that this would either continue or end a relationship. Two relationships.

And he wanted both of them to continue.

He nodded. "Deal."

***

Adam returned to the present once again upon another round of the Astronomical's horn blasting its irritating foghorn-like sound across the sea.

He began to pack his things.

*The last I'll ever have to do with this blasted league, if Jason wins.*

Curious, that someone else's victory would be his only hope.

Adam chose not to reflect on it.

***

Each of the trainers going to fight the Atlantis League champion battled him in quick succession. This champion apparently preferred a lot of action in a short period of time, which was fine with Jason and Adam.

Across a period of two days and one night, the champion battled nonstop. He had only ten minutes' rest between each match, enough time to fully heal his Pokemon and feed himself, as well as enough time to get another trainer down to the floating arena.

During that time, the ship to the Astronomical's port pulled away and headed for the nearest dock, no less than a week away.

Kelly was among the passengers of that ship, as she had not battled any of the Atlantis League gym leaders.

Jason and Adam both saw her off. She hugged Jason around the neck, then kissed him passionately, and smiled down at him. "I'll meet you back on Cinnabar Island. Don't keep me waiting too long."

Jason shook his head. "I promise."

She offered a firm handshake to Adam. "Good luck, to both of you. You may need it."

"We'll take all we can get," Adam responded, grinning.

It was good to know some things were almost back to normal.

The Astronomical itself waited patiently for all of the trainers to take their turn and depart to the ship on the other side of the arena, known as the Endgame.

Also during that time, trainers were restricted to the lower decks, where all the windows were covered. No one was allowed to watch the matches, though they were rumored to be battles of titanic proportions. All they heard was what the captain chose to tell them, things such as who won and what wishes had been made... wishes appropriate to announce, at any rate.

Adam and Jason spent most of their time either in their respective rooms, or talking to each other about past experiences. Jason confided in Adam what had started his Pokemon training; Adam told Jason about Amanda and her tragic run-in with the Atlantis League.

And then came their times to battle. Jason would battle first, Adam directly afterward.

Jason received his summons on the second night of battling.

Adam shook Jason's hand as Jason was about to leave. "Good luck, Jason. Win it."

Jason grinned. "I will, but only if you do the same."

With that, Jason wheeled off of the Astronomical, across the extending catwalk, and onto the arena.

The champion stood in a loose posture, his arms hanging behind his back. He wore a red T-shirt and a black, sleeveless vest. His capture ball belt was full of Ultra Balls. His black jeans stretched past the tops of his dark hi-tops. His acid-green eyes burned into Jason, and his short black hair went well with his outfit.

The champion grinned, a dimple appearing at the left corner of his mouth as he did so. "A trainer in a wheelchair. Such things I've not heard of for more than five years."

Jason's eyes turned to slits. The champion knew who he was.

The champion shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Trainers come with all sorts of faults attached to them. Perhaps yours lie within yourself, rather than your Pokemon. I look forward to our fight."

"In that case, let's get this party started," Jason replied.

"As you wish, Mr. Creight." The champion approached and entered his trainer box. He stood there for a moment, seeming to savor the moment when the first Pokemon would be revealed.

Jason entered his own trainer box.

"Ready your first Pokemon," said the champion, removing an Ultra Ball from his belt and enlarging it.

Jason pulled out his selection, and hoped it wouldn't fail him.

"When you lose to me, the name of Mark will haunt your every waking moment," said the champion, grinning.

"And when you lose to me, you'll remember me in your nightmares," Jason growled.

Mark and Jason tossed their capture balls into the arena.

The neon bolts solidified into their true forms.

And with fiery resolve...

Jason Creight battled on.



To Be Continued