Rex Loses Control
Agatha's gaze was fixated upon her grandson as the semi-final matchups were called out. Although her and Professor Oak were a thing back when he was known as Samuel Oak and the champion of the Kanto/Johto regions, the two of them never got married. A few individuals were aware of the love affair the two had all those years ago but it came to a sudden end when Agatha got pregnant, she wasn't ready for a child and foolishly gave their son up to Professor Oak to raise alone. She was ashamed of it but didn't have it in her to admit to her mistake so she ran off to spend time with her family in the Sinnoh region before returning years later only to find that Samuel and Blue had quite the loving and healthy family bond as she watched them from a distance, Blue was now ten years old and Agatha wasn't sure if he or Samuel would accept her back into their lives.
Agatha simply put on the cold act she usually put up as she resumed her position on the Elite Four though deep inside she was racked with guilt, shame and a bit of self-hatred. For years she kept the act in public while crying behind closed doors, several times she tried to tell her son the truth as she watched him grow up into a powerful trainer and eventual Elite Four member. The two saw each other every day for roughly ten years and every day she struggled with the desire to tell Blue the truth and apologize to him and when the time finally came for Blue and his beautiful wife to give birth to a grandson? Well Agatha couldn't keep herself away anymore. Tears started to fall from Agatha's eyes as she remembered when she finally had the courage to invite Blue and his wife over for dinner one day.
"Blue, we've been co-workers for years but never really got the chance to hang out. Why don't you bring your wife over for dinner? I'd love to meet her and get a chance to learn more about you personally."
"You're inviting me?! O-Of course, I'd be happy to! I'll leave Gary with my fathe-the Professor, he loves getting to spend time with him and I wouldn't want to trouble you by bringing a baby into your home." Blue laughed. He jumped at the chance as he always admired her albeit in a respectful manner, he may be a hit with the ladies but the only woman that ever caught his eyes was the one that he married!
Agatha was naturally saddened at the time as she hoped that she'd get to properly introduce herself to Gary and be there for him as he grew up, something she couldn't say about Blue. Though now she was thankful that Blue had chose to leave Gary at home as it was that very night that Blue and his wife were killed in a car crash when a drunk Silph Co trucker rammed right into their car, just a mile away from her home! Agatha was devastated at the news and shared Giovanni's emotion as the new Viridian Gym Leader nearly strangled the driver for his actions, being the first on the scene after Agatha herself.
"You absolute b-" Giovanni loudly swore as he slapped the driver upside the face. "You know how I feel about that stuff, none of my workers are supposed to use that crap while on the job! Blue was a very good friend of mine and you took him from me!"
"Meow!" Persian hissed in a threatening manner as he unsheathed his claws. Both of them looked ready to kill the man and Agatha was more than willing to help hide the body if the two actually did the deed but any attempt would go unfinished as Rex soon arrived, the fellow Elite Four member gently made his way between Giovanni and the driver and separated the pair while Raichu pushed Persian back.
"Hey I loved Blue as much as everyone else here but that doesn't give us the right to just outright kill the guy for it, Blue wouldn't want revenge he'd want justice. Let Officer Jenny and the police handle this drunken turd, he's not worth it."
Agatha let out a sigh as tears flowed from her eyes. "Rex is right Giovanni, revenge isn't worth it. If we killed the man for it then could we say that we are any different? He'll pay for what he's done but it should be done the right way."
Rex placed his hand atop Agatha's shoulder and offered her a comforting look. "I'm sorry that you didn't get to tell him, I lost my wife last week so I know what losing a loved one feels like. If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me."
"As do I, my mother was murdered in her sleep and the police never found her killer... it's creepy." Giovanni shivered. Him and his mother had a very toxic relationship but he never wished her dead.
Agatha formed a light smile as she looked towards her two friends but regret overpowered her emotions for the next few years, she even lost her slot in the Elite Four to newcomer Bruno before regaining it after Red's sudden and mysterious disappearance while Rex got promoted to the new Champion. Agatha had to admit it was a bit suspicious as Rex was... different after his return, it was hard to describe but naturally without proof it was simply just suspicions. Suspicions she didn't pay much attention to as while Bruno may be busy seeking out strong trainers to battle and Lance was too busy flirting with the newcomer Lorelei to really notice anything new, she was busy with regret as Blue died right as she was about to reveal their relationship. Lorelei simply didn't know Rex that well as she joined up shortly before him and Red left. Agatha's regret kept her from confessing the truth from another couple of years and when the day came for Gary to turn ten years old and start his journey as a Pokemon trainer? Well Agatha was prepared to tell him only to be pulled aside by Rex as he gave his Elite Four members the bad news.
"Me, Mr. Goodshow and the other Champions have decided that in the wake of finding all these dead ten year old's, that the age limit should be upped so that one must be at least sixteen years of age in order to receive their trainer license."
"Understandable, I approve." Lance nodded his head in response to Rex's statement, a serious expression present upon his face.
"What about all the current ten to fifteen year old trainers running around?" Lorelei questioned with a look of concern. "What do we do about them?"
"We're not going to round up kids are we? That sounds messed up." Bruno frowned.
Agatha gazed towards the ground while thinking how stupid the rule was as ten year old's had been traveling the world for generations before then but after doing some thinking she had to admit that perhaps it was simply for the best. The world certainly wasn't the same as it used to be.
"Oh no, we can't really do anything about that. It's our duty to protect the regions so we can't waste time and resources tracking down all those trainers as the point of all of this would be lost, we're trying to save lives by preventing kids from crossing paths with dangerous criminals such as Team Rocket, Unova's mafia, or the pirates that roam the Orange Islands." Rex explained. "Besides plenty of Gym Leaders already passed on the Gym to their kin such as the Pewter Gym Leader, we'd find ourselves in one big mess so we're making a small transition."
"Man it would totally suck if some poor kid is turning ten tomorrow." Bruno crossed his arms while feeling sympathy for the children.
"And I feel sorry for them but this is for the best, they'll understand one day." Rex frowned, a guilty expression was visible but misread by the others.
"Hey now, don't feel bad about it. I'd do the same if I was in your shoes, got to protect the kids after all." Lance placed his hand on Rex's shoulder and offered him a comforting smile.
"Right, the other Champions and Mr. Goodshow all signed it. I'd have felt pressured into doing so as well." Bruno sweated.
Rex gave the two a look before quietly taking his leave.
"What's his problem?" Bruno questioned.
"He needs time to grieve," Agatha spoke up. "Don't forget that he's the one who found Trace, most people would feel nerved after finding a dead body."
Agatha put on a disguise and visited Pallet Town incognito to check in on her grandson only to find that he was notably ticked off by the rule adjustment, she decided that perhaps it was best to give Gary a bit of space and let him calm down so she took her leave. Time managed to escape her over the course of the next six years until she found herself in the present with her grandson arriving in the semifinals. She was so proud of him and seeing his current state, she knew that now was the right time. She didn't mean to criticize her grandson but much as she hoped he'd win, not many trainers actually won their first official Pokemon League conference. It was better to talk to him now before he possibly lost to Yellow, Ash or Leaf.
Agatha stood up to take her leave only to find herself confronted by Bruno. "Hey Agatha, wanna head out for some nachos? I'd ask Lance but he's busy with his fiancée." Lance and Lorelei hadn't returned since she got sick.
Agatha offered Bruno a light smile before shaking her head. "Sorry Bruno but I'll have to take a raincheck on that, there's something that I've got to do right now."
"...You gonna wrestle with the Professor again? Lance and Lorelei told me that you and him were playmates once."
Bruno's words caused Agatha's cheeks to turn a bright shade of red. Powerful as Bruno was, he had the mind of a child and couldn't comprehend certain subjects. "Uh... no, we're well past that stage." Agatha sweated. "What about you? You ever think about finding a 'playmate'? It'd do you some good to have company, I always regret giving up on my 'playmate'." Agatha frowned.
Bruno shrugged. "Eh, it just doesn't sound interesting to me. Why play wrestle with humans when you can do the real thing with Pokemon and get muscles like mine?" Bruno laughed while showing off his massive biceps.
"Ooh..." Bede's eyes lit up as he happened to glance towards Bruno as that was happening, his cheeks turned red while his eyes locked directly onto Bruno's bulging muscles. Chairman Rose's own gaze briefly locked onto his chest, a light smirk present upon his face.
"Hey Bruno, I couldn't help but overhear your predicament. I'd love to get some nachos with you."
"Really?! You would? Thank you sir!" Bruno turned towards Chairman Rose with a bright smile, seemingly unaware of the Chairman's attraction towards him. "It'd be an honor!" Oleana's face turned red from jealousy as she flashed Bruno a harsh glare.
Agatha looked between the two before forming a light smile as she pat Bruno's arm. "Good luck," She took her leave and began making the descend down the stairs, passing Ash, Chloe, Brock, Misty, Janine and Sabrina as they made their way out of the arena. She continued pushing on before coming across Gary and Leaf who were making out in the now empty hallway that led to the stadium field. Agatha silently shook her head and smiled lightly as the sight made her reminisced the times that she and Samuel did the same when they were that age and in that very same hallway!
"Mmm... I'll see you tonight, my Gare Bear!" Leaf giggled out as she pulled away from him, her hand lingered against his chest.
Gary flashed her a light smirk. "Of course and what better time than the night before I'm crowned champion!"
Leaf rolled her eyes lightly while uttering out a giggle of amusement as she planted another kiss on his lips before making her way out of the hallway, freezing up when she noticed Agatha as the younger girl gave off a knowing look. Agatha narrowed her eyes lightly as she wondered if Leaf knew but the two passed each other in silence. Gary noticed Agatha walking towards him, resulting in a cocky smirk forming across his face.
"Let me guess, you already know who the winner of the Indigo League will be and have come to congratulate me!"
Agatha froze up and raised an eyebrow as she gave him a questionable look. "No, I just... I just wanted to tell you something, something that I should have told you a long time ago. You see Gary, the truth is... I'm your grandmother!" She went silent afterwards to focus on Gary's reaction only to find that his expression remained the same.
Gary tilted his head back as he let out a light laugh. "That's what you wanted to tell me? No offense but I've known for quite awhile, I'm the smartest teenager in all of Pallet Town. You really expected me to not pick up on who my mother was? I'm not an idiot." Gary rolled his eyes lightly. "I just kept quiet about it as I assumed that you and gramps had a messy divorce or something, I didn't want to intrude on your personal life by tracking you down and trying to force myself into it."
"Y-You knew...?" Agatha's eyes widened before she looked towards the ground with a saddened expression. "I trust that you don't want anything to do with me then, huh? Don't worry, I won't be a part of your life if you don't want me to be." Agatha turned around to go only for Gary to stop her as he placed his hand atop her shoulder.
"Agatha, don't go. I-I'd like for you to be part of my life, I always wanted a grandma but I assumed that you wanted nothing to do with me." Gary flashed her a warm smile as she turned around to face him. "I'd like for you to be part of our family and I'd like for you to be around to see my kids whenever Leaf and I decide to settle down, I know that she's the one for me and it'd be nice for my kids to have a full family!"
Agatha smiled at her grandson's offer and took hold of his hand. "I'd like that." She reached into her purse with another hand before pulling something out and slapping it into his hand shortly afterwards. "But do wear that if you and Leaf want to get busy, I don't want to see your dreams crushed because of an unforeseen pregnancy."
Gary's cheeks shot bright red as he turned his gaze towards the floor. "Yes, grandma."
Agatha smiled at the words before slowly reaching out with her arms as if to see if Gary were up for a hug. Gary glanced upwards and smiled before pulling his grandmother in for a hug. Agatha formed a bright smile as she held her grandson in her arms. She may not be proud of her mistake all those years ago but she was happy that her grandson was willing to let her into his life!
"Welcome one and all to the final day of the Indigo League! Ash Ketchum, Leaf Green, Gary Oak and Yellow are all powerful trainers that worked hard to get here and I'm sure that they'll put on a good show for us all but only two of them will make their way to the finals and earn the right to face off against the Elite Four, who will come out on top? We'll find out in a few hours but first we're starting off the semifinals with Ash Ketchum and Leaf Green, who'll be competing for the first position in the finals! Now as a friendly reminder to all at home, this will be a six on six matchup with two rotations allowed. Only one Mega Pokemon or Z-Move usage is allowed per side and as soon as either side is unable to continue, the match will come to an end. Trainers are you ready to get started?!"
"Ready!" Ash shouted as he took his position on the battlefield.
"Ready!" Leaf offered Ash a challenging smirk as she took the rivaling position.
"Alright then prepare to release your first Pokemon at the mark, ready, get set... and GO!"
"Let's go, Poliwrath!"
"Sandslash I choose you!"
The two Pokemon burst out simultaneously and cried out.
"Poliwrath!" Poliwrath cried as he punched at the air in front of him.
"Slash!"
"Belly Drum!" Leaf called out.
"Wrath!" Poliwrath repeatedly slapped his stomach causing a wave of vibration that sounded as if he were playing the drums.
"Belly Drum..." Ash clenched his fists. Poliwrath may have sacrificed half of his energy but now he was stronger than before, he'd have to play this out in a careful fashion as even one slip up could cost him the match. "Use Dig!"
"Slash slash slash!" Sandslash cried out as he burrowed into the ground before disappearing from sight.
A smirk formed upon Leaf's face but she kept a level head as she called out. "Rain Dance!"
"Poli!" Poliwrath beat his stomach again as rain began pouring down heavily upon the battlefield, Poliwrath's arms began moving faster than before which made Ash realize that Leaf's Poliwrath wasn't like most Poliwrath as it had the rare ability known as Swift Swim which increased the species movement in rain! Calling back Sandslash was futile now however as he was stuck in the middle of an attack.
"Poliwrath, when Sandslash comes up I want you to dodge and hit him with Drain Punch!"
"Wrath!" Poliwrath nodded at his trainer before fixating his gaze upon the field, focusing his attention on the noise around him before swiftly leaping away as Sandslash came burrowing out. Poliwrath then swiftly turned around as a green energy orb surrounded his fist, he then swiftly lashed out and struck Sandslash's chest causing the air to get knocked out of the ice mouse. Sandslash's eyes widened as he uttered out a pained gasp before dropping onto his side as swirls filled his eyes.
"Slash..."
"No way!" Flash gasped out. "How did she beat him in one hit?!"
"Babe, Alolan Sandslash has a quadruple weakness to Fighting type attacks and Leaf further increased Poliwrath's attack stats. It would have taken an incredibly strong Pokemon to take on a hit and survive with those odds." Giselle explained.
"Ah."
"Poor Sandslash." Chloe frowned.
"And Sandslash is out! Will Ash be able to come back from this sudden loss or is this the beginning of the end for him?!"
"Sandslash return, you were great out there and I couldn't ask for anything more." Ash returned Sandslash to his Pokeball before lightly gritting his teeth as he examined the situation. Poliwrath was stronger than ever thanks to Belly Drum and even restored some of his lost health with Drain Punch while also being incredibly fast thanks to Rain Dance. Ash silently thought it over for a bit until it hit him.
"Pikachu I choose you!"
"Pika!" Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder and landed upon the battlefield, his tail twitched as he locked eyes with his opponent.
Leaf hesitated for a brief moment as she wondered if it'd be strategical to switch out Poliwrath or save her rotation for another Pokemon, however her opportunity was soon lost as Ash issued an attack.
"Use Thunderbolt!"
"Pikachuuuu!" Sparks flew from Pikachu's cheeks moments before a large bolt of electricity fired his body.
"Gah, Hyper Beam!" Leaf swiftly called out with a slight hint of desperation in her tone.
"Wrath!" The orange-yellow energy beam fired out of Poliwrath's mouth and flew across the field, passing the electrical bolt before striking Pikachu's body right as Poliwrath was blasted with electricity! "Poli!" Poliwrath cried out as electricity surged through his body.
Pikachu shook himself off after the Hyper Beam attack exploded against him and watched as Poliwrath was electrocuted before flashing a light smirk as Poliwrath fell onto his back, swirls filled the Water type's eyes as it let out a defeated groan.
"And Ash made a comeback by knocking Poliwrath out of the running! Pikachu's taken a bit of a knock but seeing how he's one of Ash's strongest if not the strongest, it'll take a lot more than that to finish him off! Both trainers are down to five Pokemon each, will Leaf send out her strongest Pokemon or will Ash call back Pikachu to conserve Pikachu's strength?"
Rex stared at Pikachu as he experienced a brief flashback of a similar incident where his Raichu bested Red's Kingdra. His hands tightly clenched and his body began to shake, tears briefly fell from his eyes as guilt took over. It was his fault that his best friend was dead, if he had only been strong enough to overcome the cursed creature's possession then Red would still be there! Though in his guilt and self-hatred, he failed to realize that Red had been just as 'weak' as he was as both of them were fighting to the death without holding back.
Agatha glanced towards Rex before raising her eyebrow as she noticed what appeared to be a shadowy liquid pouring out of his gloved hand. "Rex, you okay?"
"Huh?" Rex turned towards Agatha and followed her gaze before letting out a startled yelp. 'No, not again! Not here! There are thousands of people here, innocent men, women, children and Pokemon. I can't let them suffer this creature's wrath, I've got to get out of here before it's too late! I was lucky that nobody died during the SS Anne incident, I might not be so lucky this time.'
Lance and Lorelei were notably absent as Lorelei was still feeling sick and Lance decided to stay and keep his fiancée company in their hotel room, Lance may be a strict stick in the mud at times but he truly cared for those he loved. Bruno's attention was fixated upon the battlefield while the Chairman, Bede and Oleana were similarly watching though Rose looked a bit saddened, suggesting that Bruno either didn't realize he was being hit on or simply didn't reciprocate the emotions.
"Ah, I-I just realized that I'm overdue for... cancer treatment! Yeah, it could be... terminal. I-I may not be alive for much longer." Rex hated himself for the lie as he knew cancer was a serious subject, having lost both his parents to it.
Agatha frowned though a slight hint of suspicion flared within her eye. She'd been around long enough to know when somebody was clearly lying to her and now that her mind was soothed and calm after Gary accepting her into his life, she was about to focus more clearly and take notice of Rex's behavoir.
"You have cancer? Yikes." Bede frowned. "My sympathies."
Chairman Rose shot up and promptly began ushering Rex out of the room. "Then what are you doing standing around here for? Go get that treatment! Beat that cancer just like Alder did!"
Rex smiled lightly as his excuse worked and as soon as the door slammed shut behind him, he promptly raced off while thinking up places that would be deserted this time of day. There were a vast array of places within both the Kanto and Johto region as both regions celebrated and spectated each other's respective Pokemon Leagues. "Ilex Forest, nobody should be around and any damage to the trees or other nature will be repaired by Celebi and Suicune!" Rex snapped his fingers as he thought of the perfect location while silently praying that no wild Pokemon or stray trainers would cross his path.
Agatha waited a few minutes before raising from her seat. "I just remembered that I left the oven on in my hotel room, excuse me." Agatha smoothly lied without even a trace of dishonesty in her tone.
Bruno promptly stood up. "Want me to escort you?"
"Oh no, no need to trouble yourself. I may be old but I can certainly handle turning off an oven by myself." Agatha cackled out.
Bruno raised an eyebrow before shrugging though his gaze briefly flickered back towards Agatha as she left the room.
"Poliwrath return," Leaf set her gaze upon Pikachu for a moment before slowly turning her gaze back towards another of her Pokeballs as a light smirk formed. "I wanted to keep this one as a surprise but seeing how you're using Pikachu now's the perfect time to debut it, let's go Ditto!"
"Ditto?!" Ash tilted his head as he'd never heard of the species.
Giovanni's eyes widened from surprise as he honestly didn't expect one of the failed Mew clones to show up there.
"Ditto!" The pink blob cried out as it burst onto the field causing quite the large gasp as the vast majority were shocked to see such a Pokemon present. However it's appearance quickly changed without Leaf even having to issue out an order causing Pikachu to be face to face with Pikachu?!
"Pika..." Pikachu sweat dropped as he felt a weird sense of deja vu for some reason.
"What the..." Ash quickly reached for his Rotom Phone to scan the new and mysterious Pokemon.
"Ditto the Transform Pokemon, it has the ability to reconstitute its entire cellular structure to transform into whatever it sees."
"Um Professor, what exactly is that Pokemon?" Chloe asked while turning her attention towards Professor Oak. "I've never seen it before and I've read a lot of books regarding the Pokemon of the region!"
Todd and Rita were eagerly snapping pictures of the pink blob.
"Why that's Ditto of course, a newly discovered and mysterious Pokemon that is capable of transforming into another while also copying said Pokemon's move set!" Professor Oak explained.
"So that means that Leaf has access to Splishy Splash and Voltage Vortex now?" Brock questioned.
"Until the battle comes to an end, yes. The transformation isn't permanent though I am most curious if a Pokemon can maintain those moves if they copy them via Sketch!" Professor Oak remarked.
"Voltage Vortex!" Leaf was quick to call out.
"Wait she can do that?!"
"Pika pi?!" Ash and Pikachu were momentarily stunned as Ditto began utilizing Pikachu's signature move against them.
"Pika!" The transformed Ditto's eyes glowed a bright blue color while blue electricity cracked and sparkled out of it's cheeks. Ash gritted his teeth as he tried thinking up a counter for his own attack, he never imagined that he'd be on the opposite end of it as far as he knew his Pikachu was the only one capable of learning the technique and they were such best friends that he knew Pikachu would never betray him. Calling out anyone else could potentially be dangerous as he knew firsthand just how powerful Splishy Splash and Voltage Vortex could be.
"Pikachu charge right into the vortex with Volt Tackle!"
"Pika!" Golden electricity formed around Pikachu's body as he raced towards the forming telekinetic vortex. "Pika pika pika PIKA!" He cried out as he ran in place while moving through the spiraling vortex. The blue electricity spiraled around and struck his body but he pressed on and continued racing through the vortex before blasting on out, crashing his body into Ditto which sent the transformed Pokemon falling into the vortex. Pikachu and Ditto were now being knocked about as they flew through the vortex, the powerful electricity crashed into their bodies before the telekinetic force eventually pushed them out and sent them flying towards the heavens before they came crashing back down towards the earth!
"Ditto use Thunderbolt!" Leaf desperately called out.
Ash let out a light growl before uttering out a cry of his own. "You use Thunderbolt as well!"
"Pikachuuu!" Both Pikachu and his transformed double fired off a powerful electrical bolt towards the other as they descended from the sky, giving each other quite the powerful shock before they hit the stadium floor with a loud thud which left Ash learning a lesson that he learned sometime ago but forgot after Mewtwo took away his memory. On it's own a double was just as powerful as it's original counterpart, something he'd realize as Pikachu's eyes turned to swirls while Ditto reverted back to his original form.
"Ditto..."
"Incredible folks, both Pikachu and Ditto are down for the count! Ash and Leaf are now on even ground with two Pokemon remaining, the battle's still too early to call but it could go either way! Which of these two incredible trainers will come out on top?!"
"Finally, alone... solitude, sweet sweet solitude." Rex descended from Dragonite's backside and closed his eyes as he tried keeping a calm and cool headed in an attempt to push away the dreaded demon that haunted his nightmares and nearly every waking moment.
"You can't fight me forever Rex, submit. You could be so much more than you are. I could help you reunite with Laura and Hope..." The demented voice tried baiting Rex with the names of his dead wife and child, hoping to get a rise out of him so he could take over. "An eclipse will be arriving during the phase of the next blue moon which as you know is quite soon, you remember how my power increases with each eclipse right? Well I plan on possessing a legendary Pokemon with my shadowy blobs! I should be strong enough to take it over and maintain control over it assuming there are no unforeseen disturbances. I even got the right Pokemon in mind but as tracking it down will be nearly impossible, we'll have to summon one by creating an artificial silver wing. You're to capture the legendary Pokemon of the Orange Islands; Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos... there may be more out there in the world but these ones are always at their island keeping watch, easy bait for you to swipe and capture! Once you have them all, you'll fuse them into one and they'll be able to create a Silver Wing!"
"N-No!" Rex stuttered while clenching his fists as he tried to keep calm. "I want to reunite with them but in another way, I'll see them when I die! If you really wanted me to see them, you'd kill me! But you won't, I'm your only puppet and you know it! Without me, you've got nothing going for you anymore! I've seen AZ, he wants nothing to do with you anymore. All your followers are either dead or betrayed your ways! You've got nobody!"
"Foolish child, if only you knew the truth..." The demented voice let out a tsk before tensing up as they heard a teenager's voice nearby. The blob formed atop Rex's shoulder as a pair of bright red eyes flared within. "Well well well, we've killed nearly a dozen people by now haven't we? All those innocent children and your precious best friend dead by your own hand!"
"You son of a-That wasn't my fault, I wasn't in control! I'd never kill children, not after I lost mine. Only a complete monster would do such a thing!"
The teenager's voice went silent.
"Bayleef, did you hear something?"
"Bayleef!" The cry of the Johto starter could be heard as Rex began sweating, anxiety filled his body as sweat poured down his forehead.
"Kid, get out of here! It's not safe!"
"Heheheh, just what I needed! Your negative emotions are flowing through you, accept them. They're a part of you now..."
"No, I can't... I-I have to fight it..." Though despite how hard he tried to resist, the shadow began growing and engulfing his body in darkness before covering the rest of his body as the Shadowy Figure emerged.
"Free at last! You may be trying to fight me but I can tell you're close to the breaking point, even if one more random death doesn't do it for you then I'm sure that this will allow me to possess you long enough for me to kill somebody that you do care about. That will be enough to fully break you and make you my eternal slave!"
"NO!"
"Yes!"
A silver haired teenager with light green eyes stepped through the bush, the top half of his shirt was a light blue color with a thin black strip separating the bottom half which was colored white. "Oh hello, I've never seen you before. Are you a mythical Pokemon? Perhaps you know the way to Celebi? The name's Horace and it's my dream to find Celebi!"
"Bayleef!" The Grass starter cried out.
"It's my dream to see you die! Dragonite use Flamethrower on these runts!" Dragonite rose up in his Shadowed state and let out a menacing roar before proceeding to blast the two with a powerful stream of fire.
"Let's go, Alakazam!"
"Steelix I choose you!"
"Steel!" Steelix roared out as he burst from his Pokeball.
"Ala!"
"Psychic!"
"Alakazam!" Alakazam's eyes glowed a bright blue color and a similar color soon surrounded Steelix as he found himself lifted up before being tossed back towards the ground with a hard and heavy thud! Steelix uttered out a light grunt before flashing a mocking smirk towards Alakazam as he recovered his footing from the attack.
"Autotomize!" Ash called out.
Steelix let out a roar as he shed away a layer of steel, making his body lighter and allowing him to move faster than before.
"Now use Crunch!"
"Steel!" Steelix launched himself across the field and opened up his mouth before biting down on his opponent's forehead.
"Ala!" Alakazam shouted out as he desperately tried to pry Steelix from his forehead.
"Alakazam keep calm and use Focus Blast!" Leaf shouted out.
"Ala!" An blue energy orb formed between Alakazam's head as he started to relax, the orb swiftly grew in size before Alakazam hurled it upwards resulting in a large explosion setting off against Steelix's face!
"Steel..." Steelix grunted out as he was knocked back towards Ash.
"Stone Edge!"
Steelix slammed his tail against the ground causing several jagged rock pillars to emerge and rush towards Alakazam! Alakazam grunted out as the rocks struck his body before quickly shaking it off as he leered up at the alpha Pokemon.
"Metronome!"
"Ala!" Alakazam's finger tips glowed a bright white color as he wiggled them back and forth.
"Metronome!" Chloe gasped out. "It could be anything!"
Alakazam's body ignited in flame as he raced across the field before throwing his fiery body at Steelix causing the alpha to let out an enraged roar.
"Flame Charge, I'd recognize that attack anywhere." Flash smirked.
"You okay, Steelix?" Ash asked.
"Steel..." Steelix gave himself a quick shake before nodding towards his trainer.
Ash smirked lightly before throwing his arm forward. "Alright then, let's use Giga Impact!"
Leaf gritted her teeth. "Hold him back with Psychic!"
Yellow and purple aura formed and spiraled around Steelix's body as he shot across the field. Alakazam's eyes shot a bright blue color as he tried locking Steelix in place but the Psychic type began losing his footing and slipped up as the alpha Pokemon proved too strong to overcome, resulting in the Pokemon being sent flying high into the sky before quickly falling towards the ground where he'd land in a defeated slump beside his trainer.
"Ala..." He groaned out while his eyes turned to swirls.
"And Alakazam is out! Leaf is now down to three Pokemon! Will she be able to recover from this?"
Leaf returned Alakazam to his ball though Chloe couldn't help but notice Leaf was notably emotionless when at the moment, matching Chloe's own state when she lost a Contest for the first time. Perhaps today would be the day Leaf found her true calling in life?
"Good work Steelix!"
"Pika pika!" The two praised Steelix.
"Steel..."
"Let's go, Rapidash!"
Rapidash burst from her ball and raised onto her hindlegs as she uttered out a soft neigh.
Ash couldn't help but grit his teeth. He was free to switch out Steelix but he had to wait for him to recharge, the officials viewed returning a Pokemon that was recharging as 'unsporting behavior' and Ash had to agree despite his current frustration as it wouldn't be right for somebody to swap out and miss on the drawback. There were some powerful Pokemon out there that could use these sort of attacks without drawback but Ash was still a ways away from being able to do that.
"Fire Blast!"
Rapidash neighed out as a powerful blast of fire shot from her mouth and fired off across the field before making contact with her opponent. The alpha Pokemon uttered out a loud pained roar before falling towards the ground with a loud and heavy thud that shook the area, causing a few spectators in the stands to fall over as they stood up to cheer.
"And Steelix is down! Ash and Leaf are both down to three Pokemon but which Pokemon will Ash choose to use next?!"
"Steelix return, you were great out there and deserve a long rest." Ash smiled while recalling Steelix to his Pokeball. "Alright Kabutops, I choose you!"
"Ka, Kabutops!" Kabutops clashed his scythes against each other as he burst from his Pokeball.
"Rain Dance!"
"Ka Kabutops!" Kabutops raised his scythes upwards and twirled around as a heavy downpour came down upon the battlefield.
Leaf narrowed her eyes as she was quick to see what Ash's game was. "Sunny Day!"
"What-Grr..." Ash couldn't help but growl out as sunlight shined brightly upon the battlefield. "Night Slash!"
"Kabu!" Kabutops' scythes turned a black-purple color as he raced across the field before slashing his opponent's side! Rapidash uttered out a pained neigh but quickly shook the attack off to leer at her opponent.
"Smart Strike!"
"Dodge and loop around with Aqua Jet!"
"Kabu!" An aquatic veil surrounded Kabutops body as he shot across the field before looping around his opponent only to let out a shared gasp with his trainer as they saw Rapidash loop around after Kabutops!
"What?!" Ash was momentarily stunned.
"Ash, Smart Strike is one of the few attacks that never miss!" Chloe shouted.
"Hey, that's my megaphone!" Flash pouted.
"Never misses? Kabutops turn around and meet her head on!" Ash shouted out.
"Oh, I really should have seen that coming." Leaf facepalmed as Kabutops changed his trajectory and blasted towards the incoming Rapidash, meeting the horse head on before crashing into her and soaking her as her horn jabbed at his chest. Both Pokemon grunted out before backing away from their opponent.
"Rapidash return," Leaf swiftly returned Rapidash to her Pokeball.
"Kabutops return," Ash called Kabutops back before reaching for another ball.
"Let's go, Wigglytuff!"
"Beedrill I choose you!"
"Bee!"
"Wigglytuff!" The two Pokemon stared each other down.
"Use Poison Jab!"
"Bee!" The tip of Beedrill's stinger turned a venomous shade of purple as he shot across the field while aiming his stinger directly at Wigglytuff's chest!
"Sing!"
Ash clenched his fists. "Beedrill call off the attack!"
However it was much too late as Beedrill's stinger was mere centimeters away from Wigglytuff's skin and pierced her right as Ash called out to him, leaving himself open to hear Wigglytuff's singing up close!
"Wiggulytuff wigguly, wiggaaly wigaaaly ly tuff!" The melodic tone caused Beedrill's eyes to drift shut as sleep took over, light snoring could soon be heard as Beedrill fell fast asleep.
"Beedrill..." Ash clenched his fists. "Come on Beedrill, wake up!"
"Pikapi!" Pikachu called out alongside his trainer but to no avail as Beedrill remained fast asleep.
Leaf proceeded to flash Ash a light smirk. "Flamethrower!"
"Tuff!" A stream of fire flew from Wigglytuff's mouth and made contact with Beedrill's body though despite the immense heat he didn't wake from his slumber! Ash couldn't help but wonder how Pokemon could sleep through attacks like that.
"Bee..." Beedrill grunted out in his slumber.
"Flamethrower, of course!" Giselle exclaimed. "A vast majority of the Poison type Pokemon in the region are either Bug or Grass, it makes sense that her Fairy type would have a counter for those Pokemon!"
"Beedrill return," Ash swiftly returned Beedrill to his Pokeball. It was clear that he wasn't going to wake up and with one return left, Ash wasn't going to just let Beedrill suffer. "Kabutops I choose you!"
"Kabu!" Kabutops clashed his scythes together as he reemerged from his Pokeball.
"Stone Edge!"
"Tops!" Kabutops slammed his foot against the ground causing several jagged rocks to burst out from beneath the field before homing in on his opponent, surrounding her before closing in to crush her!
"Dodge!"
"Tuff!" Wigglytuff puffed her cheeks as she began flying upwards though she wasn't fast enough and had her lower half crushed between the rocks! "T-Tufff!" Wigglytuff grunted out before prying herself loose.
"Play Rough!" Wigglytuff sprang upwards before tossing herself at Kabutops, a thick cloud of dust could be heard as Wigglytuff unleashed a series of loud powerful slaps upon her opponent before Kabutops was sent flying out of the dust cloud.
"Tops!" Kabutops cried out before landing in a collapsed heap in front of Ash, swirls filled his eyes as he laid in defeat.
"Kabutops is down! Wigglytuff is one of Leaf's strongest Pokemon and this sure shows as she took some blows and doesn't appear the least bit worn out, Ash will have to hope that Beedrill and his remaining Pokemon have what it takes to beat her, Rapidash and her remaining third Pokemon!"
"Beedrill I choose you!" Beedrill burst back out, his head hung down as he remained fast asleep.
"Bee..."
"Come on Beedrill, we need you!"
"Pika pi!"
"Flamethrower!"
"Tuff!" Wigglytuff opened her mouth and shot off another stream of fire. Ash closed his eyes as he couldn't bear to look but right as the fire came towards Beedrill, he woke up and swiftly flew away from the attack!
"Beee!" Ash opened his eyes and laughed out as he saw Beedrill was okay.
"Beedrill! Alright Beedrill, use Poison Jab!"
"Beee!" Beedrill's stinger turned a venomous shade of purple once more as he shot across the field before piercing Wigglytuff's skin.
"W-Wiggly...tuff..." Wigglytuff groaned out as a purple hue formed across her face.
"Alright, we poisoned her!"
"Bee!"
"Wigglytuff use sing!"
"Beedrill cover your ears and buzz loudly!"
"Bee!" Beedrill covered his ears and began emitting out loud buzzing sounds that drowned out Wigglytuff's cry which made Wigglytuff ticked off as much like Chloe's Jigglypuff, she preferred having an audience and didn't like being ignored! She didn't even wait for her trainer's orders as she promptly opened her mouth before firing off a stream of fire, blasting Beedrill and scorching his body as the bee fell towards the ground in defeat.
"Beedrill is out of the game folks, that better be one powerful Pokemon left in Ash's arsenal or he can kiss the semi-finals goodbye!"
"Ash, you better not lose!" Flash roared into his megaphone.
"Come on, the battle's not over yet." Chloe gave her friend an reassuring look. "His final Pokemon can take this no problem."
"Oh? And which one's that?" Giselle questioned.
"Heh, I know." Janine giggled out.
"Charizard I choose you!"
"CHAR!" Charizard shot a powerful stream of fire into the air as he burst from his Pokeball.
Leaf let out a startled gasp before quickly collecting herself. "Play Rough!"
"Flare Blitz!" Ash countered.
Charizard let out a roar as orange-red fire surrounded his body, the fire lizard let out a snort before shooting forward to meet the incoming Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff cried touching Charizard only to let out a pain filled screech as her body caught on fire, Charizard smirked before headbutting her across the field where she'd land in a defeated slump before Leaf.
"And in just one move, Charizard knocks out the competition! Ash may still have a shot at winning but he's still got to overcome Rapidash and whatever Leaf has remaining!"
"Wigglytuff return, you were amazing out there! Let's go, Rapidash!"
Rapidash uttered out a neigh as she burst back onto the field. Ash focused his gaze upon Rapidash's figure, he heard that some Rapidash grew stronger if struck by a Fire type attack so perhaps it'd be best to stick with Charizard's other attacks for the duration of the battle.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Char!" The blue-green dragon shaped energy shot from Charizard's mouth and flew across the field before making contact with Rapidash's body. The horse grunted out before leering at Charizard as she was knocked back.
"Poison Jab!" The tip of Rapidash's horn flashed a bright purple color as she rapidly galloped across the field before leaping up to strike Charizard's stomach! Charizard uttered out a pained grunt as a purple tint became visible across his snout. Ash gritted his teeth while reaching for his Mega Glove.
"Alright Charizard, we're now on the clock so let's show Leaf the power of our bond Mega Evolution style!"
"CHAR!" Charizard shot a stream of fire into the sky as the pink light of Mega Evolution formed around him before shortly fading away to reveal the form of Mega Charizard Y!
"Now let's finish this with Dragon Pulse!"
"Flamethrower!" Leaf countered.
The stream of fire shot towards the incoming dragon shaped energy before getting torn apart as the dragon energy pierced right through it before making contact with Rapidash's face! The equine Pokemon groaned out before collapsing onto her side as swirls formed within her eyes.
"And Rapidash is unable to continue battling, it's down to one on one but it's now anyone's guess as to who will come out on top!"
"Rapidash return, alright it's all up to you now so let's go, Venusaur!"
"Venusaur!" Leaf's fully evolved starter roared out as she burst from her ball. The starter offered Charizard a brief friendly smile as she was happy to see her friend found a loving and non-abusive home before changing to a challenging look to show that she wouldn't go easy on him. Charizard flashed his friend a smirk before giving a nod of approval.
Leaf then reached for her Mega Ring before activating it, causing a bright pink glow to engulf Venusaur's body. "Let's show these boys the power of our own bond, Mega Evolve!"
"SAUR!" Venusaur roared out as she emerged in her Mega form.
The sunlight poured down upon the battlefield thanks to Mega Charizard Y's ability but Ash knew that this wouldn't be an instant win. Apart from Charizard being poisoned, Venusaur would be able to fire off Solar Beam without buildup while the Mega Pokemon's Thick Fat ability would halve any incoming Fire type attacks!
"Venoshock!" Leaf called out.
"Saur!" Venusaur released a stream of toxic purple liquid from his flower, the liquid flew across the room and splattered against Charizard causing him to utter out a weakened growl.
"Poor Charizard, that attack has to hurt with his Poisoned status!" Chloe frowned.
"Use Air Slash!"
"Char!" Multiple light blue colored energy blades were released from Charizard's wings as he flapped them about, the blades flew across the field before piercing Venusaur's body upon making contact with her.
"Saur..." Venusaur grunted out.
"Solar Beam!"
"Venusaur..." Venusaur's flower shined a bright yellow color before bright yellow solar energy flared out from it.
"Fly up!"
"Char!" Charizard swiftly moved upwards, evading the incoming projectile.
"Now counter with Flamethrower!"
"CHAR!" Charizard roared out while firing off a large stream of fire at his opponent. Venusaur let out a pained grunt as the fire seared across his body but it wasn't enough to take him out.
"Venoshock!"
"We're ready for you this time, Charizard fire a Dragon Pulse attack at her bulb!"
"Char." Charizard took aim and waited for Venusaur's bulb to turn purple before firing off the attack, the dragon shaped energy beam flew towards Venusaur's bulb right as the purple liquid flew out causing the liquid to splash back onto Venusaur while the dragon attack struck the tip of her flower.
"V-Venusaur!" Venusaur uttered out a pained groan as she fell towards the dirt, the pink light surrounded her body once more as she reverted back to normal form while also signaling her defeat.
"No way!" Gary gasped out. "He beat her..."
"Ash won!" Chloe squealed out.
"Ha, I didn't lose to a loser!" Flash smirked.
"He did it!" Brock cheered.
"Go Ash!" Janine cheered.
"Incredible folks, Ash Ketchum has defeated Leaf Green after a long and incredibly well fought battle and in the process earned a place in the finals! But who will join him? Will it be the prodigy Gary Oak, giving us the long awaited battle between the sons of two former Champions, or will it be the more experienced and favorite to win the tournament, Yellow? Find out after the break!"
Leaf silently returned Venusaur to her Pokeball while feeling quite peculiar. She just lost but felt empty inside, she was proud of her accomplishment but didn't feel anger nor regret. It was all very confusing to her but she wasn't going to question it right that moment as Ash came up to her while showing good sportsmanship as he extended his hand to her.
"That was a good match, Leaf. You've grown into a powerful trainer!"
"Pika pi!"
Leaf offered her friend a friendly smile as they shook hands. "Thanks Ash, I can say the same for you. Who knows? Maybe you really will be 'the very best like no one ever was' after all!"
Rex panted heavily as the shadow retracted back towards his hand though upon noticing a tear in his jacket, he'd find that the shadow no longer stopped at his hand but actually covered his entire arm! "Gah!" Rex quickly ripped off his jacket and began looking around for something sharp. "I should have done this a long time ago, if I cut you off then you'll no longer-" Rex stopped as he saw that it wasn't just his right arm but his left arm too! Sweat ran down Rex's face as he pulled up his pant legs only to see the shadows had taken control of his legs too!
"Nononono!" Rex's gaze turned towards the scorched remains of Horace and Bayleef as tears flowed from his eyes. "Trace, Brendan, Lucas, Hilbert, Calem, Victor, Goh and now him too? How many must perish at my-your hands?!"
"Hm? Oh I didn't kill Hilbert." The demented voice perked up. "It was somebody else, I only took credit for it as I saw an opportunity to push you further down into anger and despair. Now that you're too far gone, I see no point in continuing the charade any longer."
"Well if I didn't then who did?"
"I'm not giving you the pleasure!" The voice cackled out before tensing up as movement could be heard nearby. Rex found himself getting into a combat stance against his will as he faced towards the bushes.
A lavender haired figure soon emerged, the current face of Azalea Town's Gym known as Buzz. "Rex? What are you doing here?"
'Oh crud, I forgot that Buzz tends to the Bug types around this time of year.' Rex certainly wasn't 'close' to him but he still didn't wish harm to come to him. "Buzz, get out of here! It's not safe!"
"Not safe? What do you-Oh my gosh!" Buzz turned pale as he spotted the dead bodies. "Horace?! D-Did you do that...? W-Wait what are you doing, s-stop!"
"Chuuuuu!" Yellow's Pikachu fired off an electrical bolt towards Mega Blastoise causing the turtle Pokemon to cry out as electricity surged through his body, the pink light soon formed around Blastoise's body as he reverted back to normal before he'd collapse against the field as swirls filled his eyes.
"Toise..."
"Incredible folks, Yellow bested Gary Oak while utilizing only three of her Pokemon and Gary only managed to take down two of the three! That has got to be a major blow to Gary's ego!"
Gary's jaw dropped as he stood in shock while unable to process the events that just occurred. "I-I... y-you... h-how...? I-I'm Gary mother freaking Oak, proud owner of all of Kanto's gym badges. H-How could I lose like that...?"
Leaf made her way onto the field and affectionately rubbed Gary's shoulder before taking hold of his hand while giving him a sympathetic look. Ash gazed after his best friend as he hoped to talk to him but it appeared he wasn't going to get a chance as the announcer was already calling for him to get ready for the finals. Ash watched Leaf and Gary walk off and hoped that Leaf would be enough to help comfort Gary seeing how the two of them were now closer than ever, before making his way until the battlefield as it began transitioning over to a new field as Yellow and Gary's battle annihilated the one that had been in use. The new battlefield was more of a rocky terrain while a large pool stood at it's center, proving to be favorable towards Ground/Rock and Water based Pokemon.
Yellow gave Ash a wave as they waited at the sideline for the battlefield to finish it's transition. "Hey I know that we never got to properly introduce ourselves before but the name's Yellow, just Yellow."
"Pleased to meet you Yellow, the name's Ash Ketchum!"
"Pika pi!"
"Pika pika!" Yellow's Pikachu chimed in while giving Ash's Pikachu a flirtatious wave. Pikachu sweated before turning his attention away from her.
"And that's my best buddy, Pikachu!"
"Your best buddy is a Pikachu too?! My Pikachu's name is Chuchu!"
"Well at least that'll help avoid confusion." Ash sweated lightly.
"Yep!" Yellow giggled out. "Ever since I was a child I dreamed of winning the Indigo League and moving on to face Rex, Lance, Lorelei, Bruno and Agatha. I aspire to be just like them and perhaps even become the new champion!" Yellow beamed at the thought though honestly she was willing to settle for becoming an Elite Four member, for now at least.
"Well it's my dream to be a Pokemon Master and be the very best like no one ever was!"
Yellow let out a laugh. "That's quite some dream, no offense but you'll have to do a lot of training and traveling to reach that goal! I'm sure there are others like you out there but there's also some like me that have small goals, I traveled the world and trained hard. Even won a League Conference before this but turned down the chance to challenge the Elite Four, I want to become this region's champion and I'm not going to let anyone stop me from accomplishing my dream!"
Ash clenched his fists while flashing her a bright smile. "That's the spirit, never give up!"
"Your attention please, for the final round we'll be rotating the field after every other loss. The Professional Leagues change the battlefields at their conferences at a similar rate so this will be good practice, even those that have lost could learn a thing or two here so pay attention! The rules are the same as before with each trainer being allowed two rotations a piece while also being limited to one usage of Mega Evolution or a Z-Move. The battle will come to an end as soon as one side is unable to continue or forfeits, you two ready to get started?!"
"You know it!" Ash and Yellow shouted simultaneously before racing to get into battle positions.
"Then let the battle begin!"
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe Ash actually made it to the finals!" Misty gasped.
"I'm so proud of him!" Delia beamed.
"I didn't have any doubts," Giovanni crossed his arms while gazing towards Ash with a proud expression.
"He could actually win this thing, all he has to do is kick that Yellow girl's butt!" Janine excitedly exclaimed.
"Don't get too excited, Yellow did wipe the floor with me." Sabrina frowned.
"And me..." Misty sweated.
"I heard that she gave Forrest a run for his money as well." Brock chuckled lightly.
"Well whatever the case, I'm sure Ash will simply be happy ending his first League against a powerful opponent like Yellow!" Chloe smiled. 'Good luck Ash, I hope you win!'
Agatha caught up to Rex hours later, Gengar just wasn't as fast as Dragonite and she honestly didn't expect him to travel as deep into the Johto region as he had but she just wanted to make sure. She had the feeling that Rex probably got hooked on something and wanted to help him out but what she'd come across sure wasn't what she had been expecting to see upon her arrival! She saw Rex cradled up against a nearby tree, crying while shadows cloaked the vast majority of his body leaving only his face and the area of his chest that contained his heart untouched. She then took notice of the three bodies and frowned as she began putting things together. She didn't truly understand what was going on but it was now clear that Rex had something to do with the murder spree that occurred six years ago. The occurrences did coincidentally match up to when he visited those regions.
"Rex, did you kill these people-Oh gosh, Buzz!" Agatha clutched her heart as she recognized the Azalea Town Gym Leader.
"Y-Yes, I did!" Rex sobbed. "P-Please get out of here Agatha, it's not safe! It's not safe!"
Agatha frowned while instinctively reaching for a Pokeball. "Are you threatening me, Rex? I may be old but I can still put up a fight!"
"I'm even older than you are, you old hag!"
"W-Who said that?" Agatha stuttered lightly while shooting a quick look around, even her shiny Gengar looked a bit unnerved before sharing a gasp as the evil blob rose from Rex's shoulder to give off a wave.
"Hello, I sense that you and Rex are great friends! Killing you should allow me to gain complete control over his body, leaving the perfect world conquering tool in my hands for who else can beat a legendary Pokemon if not a champion?"
"Look you, I have no idea who or what you are but I'd suggest clearing off of him right now before I get nasty!" Agatha growled.
"GAR!" Gengar snarled out.
"Agatha don't! Run while you still can! Save yourself!"
"Agatha, you don't know the truth. It wasn't just a drunk driver that killed Blue and Daphne Oak, it was me! I took control of him and made him swerve! He didn't drink a thing that night, 'getting possessed by a demon' is precisely what would get an unwilling pawn tossed away and passed off as a drunken alcoholic, even fitting as he had a record for it!"
"Wait... that was you?! You son of a b-OW!" Rex howled out as the blob bit his neck.
"Silence!"
"You killed my best friend, both of them!"
"In an effort to turn the world's strongest trainer into my pawn, yes. You were always meant to be a pawn too, it was just a matter of luck that Red managed to gain enough self control and hurl himself over the cliff so that you nor he would be fully turned!" The demon snarled out. "I've spent years preparing to take over and time is running out, once I correct that mistake I made nearly a decade ago we'll be ready for operation silver moon!" He cackled out.
"I-I won't let you! Dragonite, fight it! Don't listen to me-it!"
"Dragooo!" Dragonite roared out as he got into a combat stance, staring down Agatha's Gengar while Rex found himself getting forced into a combat stance.
"Hehehehe... the beginning of the end is near! Dragonite use Draco Meteor!"
Next up, the finals!