"Aerodactyl, Ancientpower!" Lance commanded. The big Aerodactyl swooped down at me, releasing rocks in my path.

"Fly and evade!" Shouted Reina.

I flared my wings and boosted myself up. The Ancientpower attack skidded by harmlessly under me.

"Fly too!" Lance shouted.

The former pack leader flew up towards me. I saw over the years he had been getting older and was loosing a bit of his speed, while I had just been getting faster and faster. I grinned, and we led an aerial chase across the sky.

Both of us heard Lance and Reina shouting commands at us, but for now, we ignored them. This was something that had to be evened out, and if we did it right now it would all be over with.

I launched myself at the enemy, ready for a bite attack. He dodged it, and I clamped my jaws on that foul-tasting air. He did Bite too, but I was unable to dodge as I was still recovering from my bite attack missing.

It struck hard in my wing, and suddenly I found it hard to fly. Air kept leaking through small holes in my thin wings, although it was just skin so it didn't really hurt.

After a few more consecutive blows, I was maneuvering quite clumsily in the air.

The Aerodactyl flew towards me, clearly the real Fly attack. He was aiming in such a way that striking me would push me down and smash into the ground, a blow which I knew I had not the strength to survive.

I used Agility and evaded the attack, barely. The other one looked up at me, impatient to get this job over with.

I decided to try something I had never before. My body began to glow, and flames were covering my entire body. But these were not orange flames, they were actually a bright blue, and soon I found myself launching towards the enemy.

I connected.

The Sky Attack I used may have a type disadvantage, but still, it was powerful. My enemy swerved around in the air for a second, dazed. Hee-hee, my chance.

I flew at it, and bit down on his rocky hide. I let him go, and he fell towards the ground.

He crashed into it, then looked up at me in rage.

Time to finish this up… I murmured, and glaring at that ancient enemy, released my Ancientpower attack on him.

And so Reina rushed over, asking why I didn't obey, but she didn't mind all that much I guess because she hugged me. I still won. I smiled, but what Reina didn't know was that I had fought more for revenge than victory over the league. Wow… That's original, isn't it? -_- Still, if someone kills your entire family, you'd feel like beating them up too. Heh…

After a while, Reina healed her Pokemon, and was surrounded by a flock of reporters and young trainers.

"I saw your victory on TV! You were great!" Shouted one kid.

"So tell me, miss Reina, how does it feel to be a new league Champion?" Asked one of the reporters.

"Um, I guess it feels okay…" Reina said, obviously blushing at being on so many cameras. She was always kind of camera-shy. "But my Pokemon did all the work."

All the people finally realized the shiny Aerodactyl standing behind them. I tapped one of the reporters on the shoulder, and opened my jaws wide. The crowd screamed and ran away.

"Nice one, Lass." Reina laughed. I nodded. "Maybe my other Pokemon would enjoy getting out for a while!"

Out of the balls came Charizard, Drissor, Tauros, Vileplume, and Kadabra. She had sent the rest away in the boxes.

"All of you are hall-of-famers now!" Reina told them. Drissor and Charizard stared at me, knowing I was the one who did it at the end, and before I knew it I was being swarmed with questions and congratulations.

Can we go home now? I asked after the talking cleared. Reina laughed.

"We can go to my home. You can go to yours." She told me. "Tauros, Vileplume, and Kadabra are coming with me. Charizard, you and Drissor can go with Lass if you'd like."

'Zard and Driss nodded enthusiastically. I rolled my eyes.

What about Riotaye? I demanded.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot! I'll release him." Reina went prodding along in her backpack and took out a small pocket-device.

"This is a pokedex." She told us. "This is what I used to find out what level and everything you were." The Pokedex rang out an automatic voice.

"Pokemon Box 3 activated. What do you wish to do?"

"Release Pokemon Riotaye: Aerodactyl." Reina commanded.

"Are you sure?" asked the 'Dex.

"yes." Reina replied.

"Pokemon released." A ball appeared in Reina's hand and Riotaye came out, looking around in confusion.

Woah. He said. D'ja win?

"Yes, we did." Reina said happily. "Now you're welcome to go back with Lass and live in the Forbidden Mountain near Ecruteak."

Sure! He replied, and I spread my wings.

"I'll come down and see you tomorrow morning." Reina said nervously, as if there was something on her mind.

Sure thing.

"G'bye."

Drissor and Charizard trailed behind me as I flew off into the mountains.

*********

As soon as we set foot at my cave, where we planned to talk, Charizard interrupted me.

Lass, there's something Reina wants to tell you. He said sadly. She's succeeded in her dream in becoming a Pokemon Master, now all she wants to do is settle down and have a family of her own.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

She's going to live somewhere far away. Charizard replied. In Vermillion, I think. She always wanted to live there.

And… What will happen to you? I asked quietly.

Reina gave us a decision. She'd prefer it if she had a little bit of Pokemon company. One of us can stay with her if we'd like, and the other five live in the wild, and be free.

Go on. I replied.

Drissor and I have been talking. Charizard told me. One of us will stay with you, and the other one will live with Reina. She's growing up, after all. When she first caught you she was eighteen. Now she's older.

I gulped. Which one of you is staying…?

Next came the answer I wished would never come: We want you to decide.

I sweated. Me? Decide? Is this what seeing that big phoenix… Ho-oh, was it… in the sky meant?

But… I began to protest.

please. Drissor muttered.

I lay down on the floor of my cave, and motioned for the two to leave. I wanted to think about this, think whatever it was that made me deserve this. One of my friends leaving, my trainer leaving, and to make matters worse, I had to choose who I would lose.