You already know what's going on, don't you? You are in an illusion...

But not really! It may seem that way for now, but there's no mistake, I'm definitely back! If I'm not, then as a wise man once said on the Dave Chappell show, Cocaine's a hell of a drug. I should have had this up way earlier, but school has been really hard on me. I may be good at it, but school has a way of making itself a real annoyance when you try to do the things you really enjoy, like writing this story! But as well as that, I wanted to make this chapter exciting and action-packed, and I just wasn't getting the inspiration I needed to do that. In my opinion (let's agree to disagree if you have a different one), I think it's much better to upload nothing at all than to upload writing that's forced, sloppy, and has more balls inside it than a gumball machine. But I finally got the inspiration I needed from my buddies. Shout out to my buddies Nico and Joey for supporting me. Shout out to The Straight Elf for uploading another great chapter of Traveler. Last but not least, shout out to Marshmallon for giving me plenty of laughs. Some of you might not know what I mean, but just ask a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan. They'll tell you. Now that the intro that's longer than most short answers I write in school is over, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

P.S. As a matter of fact, I do like both Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon. Deal with it.

They both threw their Pokeballs, each watching intently to see which Pokemon would be the first brought out. Budew and Poseidon appeared on the field. Justin smiled at Budew. This shouldn't be too hard. Poseidon may be a water type, but he's also still an ice type, and has plenty of moves to deal with that.

True, but do not forget that you aren't fighting some random Budew in the woods, and that Shawn knows of Budew's weaknesses to your attacks. He'll have something planned, no doubt.

Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Azelf.

You are welcome, my friend.

"Leaf Storm!" Budew allowed hundreds of razor-sharp leaves to surround it before launching them at Poseidon.

"Ice Beam!" Poseidon formed a large ball of icy blue energy before blasting six arcs of ice at Budew.

The cold of the ice immediately turned the air around the leaf storm into water, and without anything to propel the leaves, they fell to the ground. The arcs kept going, and hit Budew head on. Budew instantly collapsed.

Too bad. Leaf Storm tired the little guy out so much, he didn't stand a chance. But that's not like Shawn. He wouldn't make such an amateur mistake. He must be frustrated. That's the only way I see him doing that. I'll try to calm him down. It won't be any fun if he keeps messing up like that.

"Shawn."

"What?" Shawn asked, clearly aggravated.

"Calm down. You made a stupid mistake. While we all make mistakes, that's not one I'd expect from you. Don't let your anger get the better of you, or you won't stand a chance." Shawn took a couple of deep breaths before he got a determined look on his face.

"Thanks, Justin. I needed that." Shawn was thinking hard about which Pokemon to send out next. Lemme see here. I could send out Squirtle, but Justin could have freeze-dry. I want to save Gible for last. Then I shouldn't have to reveal too much of his abilities. Guess that leaves me with one option. He released Geodude.

Geodude, huh? Not sure that was smart. Does he know about freeze-dry? That's why he didn't send out Squirtle. That's really all I can think of. It doesn't matter. Once this is out of the way, I'll be in the clear.

"Water Pulse." Poseidon formed a watery ring before shooting it at Geodude.

"Dodge with rollout, then Hammer Arm. Launch yourself into it with rollout if it's still conscious." Geodude nodded, and began rolling diagonally away from the water pulse. Once he got near Poseidon, he jumped up before uncurling from his ball and smashed a fist glowing with powerful energies right into Poseidon's neck. After Poseidon was shown to be conscious, Geodude curled back up into a ball and hit Poseidon square in the head, knocking him out.

"See where a level head takes you?"

"Yes, I do. Who's next?" At this, Justin released Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler? I should have known that would be his choice. I was thinking he would send out Blitz or Zeus, though. I was not prepared for this. I need to test his abilities. I don't think I've ever actually seen Nightcrawler battle. I know nothing of his battling style. I'll start off with a frontal attack, then, and try to get a feel for Nightcrawler's moves and strategies. "Rollout!" Geodude curled up into a ball and started rolling over to Nightcrawler.

A frontal attack? Really? Okay then. "Intercept with your own rollout." Nightcrawler jumped into the air and got himself in a ball before hitting the ground and taking off. Geodude may be made of sterner stuff, but Nightcrawler's velocity and speed should give him a win here.

As it so turns out, they were evenly matched. As they crashed into each other, Nightcrawler cried out in pain, and Geodude roared with anger.

Okay... so they tie if Nightcrawler goes full speed, but it puts him through a lot of pain. I don't want that to happen again. I'd better try a different approach. "Use Poison Sting!"

Nightcrawler spit about ten little poison stingers at Geodude, who didn't have time to dodge.

Uh oh. That poison could really do a number on Geodude. I've got to finish this, and fast. "Rollout!" Geodude started rolling towards Nightcrawler at high speed.

Not trying the rollout clash again. That was dumb in the first place. But I'm definitely gonna use rollout for something. "Use rollout to evade!" Nightcrawler jumped and curled into a ball before taking off away from Geodude. This ought to work. Rollout will tire out Geodude while the poison weakens him even more, and then I'll end it.

As it turns out, Justin was right. Geodude kept getting slower and slower until it was forced to uncurl from his ball.

"End it with Twineedle!" Nightcrawler's two horns started glowing, and he jabbed Geodude with both of them and knocked Geodude to the ground. He didn't get back up.

Justin congratulated Nightcrawler, but something got to him. Nightcrawler was looking dizzy and he could barely stand. "Hey, Nightcrawler-" He started, but before he could finish Nightcrawler collapsed. I was about to recall him anyway. I knew he couldn't keep going much longer. That tie with rollout must have really done a number on him. He released Zeus.

Feigning a look of defeat, Shawn sent out Squirtle. Justin just laughed. "Oh man, Shawn, you're gonna put Squirtle through the torment of battling Zeus? You ought to just surrender now."

That's it, Justin. Get overconfident. That's exactly what I'm counting on here. "Water Spout!" Squirtle released a huge blast of water at Zeus.

"Dodge it with quick attack!" Zeus seemed to disappear with speed before appearing behind Squirtle. "Thunderbolt!" Zeus casually blasted Squirtle with electricity, and Squirtle was laid out on the ground, electrical currents still dancing on his body. As Squirtle slowly struggled to his feet, his desire to win with Shawn broke something in him.

The group watched in awe as Squirtle's entire body began glowing with a massive white light. His body and shell immediately grew larger, and he grew two ears on his head. His tail grew to almost double its original size.

After the process was complete, a new opponent for Zeus was revealed. Whoa, Shawn thought, Squirt- no, Wartortle looks awesome. And now, it's time for me to beat Justin with him. Wartortle turned to Zeus. "Water Spout!" It was his turn to release a casual blast. As the water struck him, Zeus was sent flying back across the battlefield to Justin.

I'd better finish this before Zeus takes another hit like that. "Volt Tackle!" Wartortle was still recovering from doing such a powerful blast of water, and had no chance of dodging it. As the electricity made contact, Wartortle grabbed Zeus and threw him in the other direction. Wartortle seemed to have taken quite a bit of damage from the hit, but the recoil from Volt Tackle and being thrown finished Zeus.

Justin was in shock. I lost? Wow, evolution is overpowered. Well then, I guess Shawn deserves this victory. "Looks like you win, Shawn. Good battle. As Justin was walking over to high-five Shawn on his win, Shawn thought about it and decided not to take the win without Justin knowing it could continue.

"Wait, Justin. You haven't won just yet."

Justin was confused. "How? I'm out of Pokemon, and there's no way I'm letting this be a four against three battle."

Shawn lifted up Gible's Pokeball. "In here, there's a Gible."

"Why tell me this? You could have just taken the win."

"It didn't seem right. Besides, I want to take down Blitz."

Justin walked back over to his side of the field, then released Blitz. "Hey, Blitz." Blitz turned to Justin with a look that basically said "What's up?"

"Shawn's Squirtle evolved into a Wartortle. Zeus managed to get a good amount of damage in, but you need to finish Wartortle and a Gible. You up for the challenge?" Blitz nodded vigorously, his fiery passion for battle burning within him. "Okay, then. Let's do this!" Blitz was ready as he turned to Wartortle. "Dragon Dance!" Blitz became shrouded in draconic energies.

Dragon Dance worked kind of like a stimulant. The energy from it invigorated the user's muscles, raising their speed and strength beyond their normal limits. Justin was hoping it would help Blitz dodge Wartortle's more dangerous attacks. He wasn't dumb enough to take any chances with this.

"Water pulse!" Wartortle formed a ball of water and shot it towards Blitz. Wartortle's definitely almost done for. I can't let him take a hit from Blitz, especially if Justin's planning to use the move I think he is.

"Dodge it!" Blitz leapt out of the way with speed that no Charmander should have. "Now use thunder punch!" Blitz ran towards Wartortle with blinding speed before smashing him with an electrified fist. Wartortle was sent flying and collapsed.

Damn it. Even after evolution, Wartortle couldn't beat Blitz. But then again, Wartortle was extremely weakened. I don't think Blitz would have taken him down so easily. I guess it's time for the finish. Justin doesn't know any of Gible's moves, tactics, or strategies. There's a reason I had us battle now, close to the beach. Gible can dig under the sand if things get too hectic. But the real question is, do I truly know all about Gible? I guess there's only one way to find out. Shawn released Gible onto the sand.

"All right, Blitz. It's now or never. Let's show Shawn and his new friend what we're really made of!" Blitz came closer to roaring than growling in his agreement. Whoa, that's a big sign. When Charmander are close to evolution, their growls turn into lower roars, but that was anything but low compared to before. But while Blitz is very special, considering his move pool, among many other things, he's still just a Charmander. Dragon-Type Pokemon like Gible are powerful from the start, so this is gonna be a chance to show just how close he's gotten to the second position in his path towards master of the food chain.

"Gible, use Sand tomb!" Gible mustered up a giant tornado of sand that started swirling towards Blitz. This'll be good for me. Sand tomb will damage Blitz to start, and then will inflict longer lasting damage over time. Blitz won't stand a chance.

"Flamethrower!" Blitz sucked oxygen into its lungs and released it in a blast of flame.

What's his goal here? He'll just heat up the sand continuously. It'll just hurt more. Unless he's.. no. Justin wouldn't bank his hopes for winning on that. Would he?

The flames made contact with the sand, immediately turning it cherry red. As Blitz kept up the flame, the sand began to harden a little. Blitz can't keep this up much longer. I can see maintaining flamethrower is putting a lot of strain on him. Come on, sand tomb. The sand began to harden at a faster rate, with Gible being strained to control the sand tomb for as long as Blitz had been spewing flames. The sand tomb suddenly came to a halt. Everyone looked at the tornado in awe, because it was still in the air despite being released from Gible's control.

"When you heat up sand enough, it turns into glass, Shawn!"

"I didn't take you for someone to take a big risk like that. I figured you'd just try to dodge it."

Justin just smiled. "That's why I took the risk. You didn't even consider that being a move I'd make. You need to learn to expect the unexpected."

Shawn just gave Justin a glare before focusing back to the battle. Gible can't take a hit in his condition. What should I do?

Justin made his move first. "Dragon Dance!" As Blitz was pumping himself up with draconic energy, Justin began to feel dizzy. Whoa, what's wrong with me? I don't get it. I can't see straight. I don't get it. Suddenly, Justin collapsed.

"Gible, rest there. Gimme a sec. Hey, Justin!" Shawn ran over to Justin, who Blitz was standing over in a state of panic. "Come on, buddy. Get up. What happened? Anthony, Diana, any ideas?"

Diana spoke first. "It could be the heat. That's the best guess I have. Along with the sun on the beach pounding down, Justin was very close to Blitz's flamethrower. How about you, Anthony?"

"I was gonna say the same thing."

Whoa. What's going on here? Am I dreaming? Yeah, this is definitely a dream. But how and why can I know this?

It is known as lucid dreaming. You know you are in a dream but you can't escape until it's over.

Azelf, is that you? No, you're not Azelf. You don't sound anything like each other. Who are you?

The powerful voice was silent for a moment before speaking. I am you. I am the power that dwells deep within you. The power to change everything.

Then how come I never heard from you before?

You... have gotten through your problems without your hidden power. I have not been required to assist you, until now.

Assist me? What are you talking about? I've got this battle in the bag.

No. If you continue without me, you'll lose. You need to use your power, which grows along with the bonds between you and your Pokemon. The same power Shawn was able to unleash earlier in your battle.

What huge power did he unleash? Are you talking about when his Squirtle evolved into Wartortle?

Yes. You need that same power to win now. Are you ready to win your battle?

Okay. Let's do this! The voice took form as a blue outline of Justin before walking directly into him.

Shawn, Anthony, and Diana were all in deep thought when the saw something crazy. Justin suddenly was wrapped in a blue aura before opening his eyes and standing up. Besides the aura, the first thing they noticed was that Justin's eyes weren't their normal hazel color, but now two different colors. One eye was a bright blue, and the other was a darker shade of red.

"Shawn, let's finish our battle!" Justin's voice sounded ethereal, like a combination of two people.

"All right then! But first, tell me what's up with your eyes. And your voice. And that weird aura you've got around you." Shawn was a little bit afraid of what Justin would say in response.

"This is my powerful spirit. My power to change everything. Are you ready to lose? Because Blitz and I sure are ready to win. Right, friend?"

Blitz looked up at Justin and nodded before releasing another low roar, this one at Gible. Suddenly, he became wrapped in the same aura as Justin.

"Our bond is in complete sync. And because it is, you're gonna see our true power!" Blitz became glowing a brilliant white as his form began to change. He grew a horn on his head and his body grew about a foot taller. His tail also grew, and the fire on his tail began blazing more than ever before. As the glow faded, Blitz was revealed as a Charmeleon, with the aura now gone. The aura then disappeared from around Justin as well.

Shawn was legitimately afraid. If Wartortle was able to grab and toss a Pikachu with effortless thunderbolts using Volt Tackle, I can only imagine Blitz's newfound power's limits.

"Dragon Dance." Blitz became shrouded in draconic energies, releasing the self imposed restraints the mind creates. Now for the cherry on top of the cake. "Outrage!"

Shawn's eyes widened in fear as Blitz roared and became even more amped up with draconic energy.

Outrage was basically a more powerful variation of Dragon Dance. It released even more of restraints on the user's muscles, but instead of increasing speed and strength, it focused more on strength.

"With all the power boosts he's getting, Blitz could probably beat the average fighting-type in arm wrestling. Shawn better watch out."

Justin was preparing his victory speech as he called out his last attack. "Dragon Rush!" Blitz released draconic energy and began charging at Gible before the energy transformed into the shape of a giant skeletal Dragon and impacted Gible. After the dust cleared, Gible was revealed, unconscious.

Shawn immediately began lamenting over not just taking the win when he had the chance. Justin, on the other hand, was talking with Blitz. "Hey, buddy. You did great!" Blitz cheered as him and Justin high-fived each other.

Azelf, do you have any idea what that was or where it came from?

I don't, unfortunately. All I know is that hurt my mind just hearing it. It seems to have shown interest in you, helping you win your battle.

Does that count as cheating?

I don't think so. It's wasn't very voluntary, after all.

Yeah, I guess you're right. I still want to know what helped me... another pressure is in the back of my mind.

Then perhaps it is not what helped you, but who.

I'm gonna get to the bottom of this. I don't want some huge power helping me win my battles, especially friendly battles against my friends. I assume you'll know if something happens?

Yes.

All right, then.

There you have it! I know it wasn't much for how long it took me, but there's a lot of story and some new characters being introduced into the mix in the next chapter! I decided to give them their own chapter after writing about two pages more here, so I had to adjust a bit at the end. However, as always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I will talk to you all later. Peace!

-Justin