This really isn't the most exciting chapter, but it's necessary unfortunately. I really despise writing battle scenes.
Thanks to Jasmine and mirrorkinomoto for reviewing the previous chapter.

.

Chapter Twenty Six: The League Challenge

The league was the last place he wanted to be but he had no choice. The final battle was coming and he had to be there. Staff members greeted him as he made his way to the Champion room and he simply acknowledged them with a nod. They all thought he was going to defeat Lyra easily – he had heard them just hours ago discussing ways Lyra was going to fail. He wanted to snap at them, tell them off, but the media journalists were there and they would capture every moment.

"Today's the big day, Lance," Karen said, stepping out from behind a corner. Lance wasn't expecting that and he jumped, surprised. "I'm impressed the girl has defeated all the eight gym leaders, but she won't stand a chance against us." She ran a hand through her long silvery-blue locks, giving Lance a smirk.

Before Lance could reply, the other three members of the Elite Four appeared from the surrounding rooms. Koga, the poison-type master, Will, the psychic-type master and Bruno, the fighting-type master all stepped forward, encircling him. "What do we know about this girl, anyway?" Bruno remarked, flexing his muscles.

"Don't you boys watch the news?" Karen replied, curling a lock of hair around a finger, giving an exasperated sigh. "She's the responsible for shutting down Team Rocket."

"She defeated Team Rocket, eh?" Koga said, readjusting his red cape. "She might actually be worth facing then."

Bruno rolled his eyes. "I wish I was battling her first." He curled his fingers on his right-hand into a ball, and drove them repeatedly into his left palm. "My Pokemon are eager to do some serious damage."

Lance remained silent, listening to his fellow companions discuss how badly Lyra was going to lose. He was actually concerned for her – if she entered the challenge unprepared, she would suffer a humiliating loss in front of the cameras, but if she came prepared, the League Elite Four wouldn't be as difficult to defeat.

"I'm sorry, but you won't have a chance to battle against her at all," Will said, removing his goggles. "She will fall to my team."

Karen lifted a brow. "You're a psychic-Master, Will. Haven't you already looked into the future and seen your victory?"

He shook his head. "I don't want to know the outcome of the match before it's already begun – that will ruin the suspense."

She shrugged. "I suppose… I wish I was battling first, but Lance put me last." She shot him a mocking glare. "Why is that? Did you want to keep me close?" she teased, winking.

"You know why you're fourth, Karen," Lance began, "You defeated the other three hence why you're last," he added, in a drawl. Every year the Elite Four would battle amongst each other to determine the battle order. It wasn't just a case of drawing straws and picking the order at random.

"I hope she makes it to me. Arceus knows I need a good challenge," she replied, hands resting on her hips. "The last good challenge I had been against your irritating cousin, Clair and that battle had taken place a few years ago. I hope the heroine proves to be a tougher challenge."

"Her name is Lyra," Lance said.

Koga lifted a brow. "Does it matter what her name is? Once she's beaten she'll no longer exist. I'm not going to waste time having a rematch with a trainer that has lost."

Lance felt a stab of irritation upon hearing Koga's words. Why had I chosen to recruit this guy again? He thought. The original Elite Four had consisted of Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha and himself, but two had retired. Agatha had retired due to old age and Lorelei had returned to the Sevii islands, having lost interest in the Elite Four. It was Bruno who had located Will, Karen and Koga, and recommended them to Lance.

"My daughter Janine will be watching this match from home – I'm not going to let her down," Koga continued.

"Your daughter is a gym leader, Koga. I'm sure she can handle watching a loss," Lance pointed out.

Koga grumbled in response, but didn't bother arguing back. Instead, he changed the topic. "All the journalists are sitting in the lounge. The cameras will start to roll as soon as Lyra enters the building. Every action will be caught on camera so the fans at home can witness the true power of the league."

Bruno gave Koga a sideways glance. "Please don't poison her every Pokemon. I want to destroy her with my team on my own."

"It's called strategy, Bruno. I may not have the power you possess, but I can bring your Pokemon to a fainting state with one attack. Confusion, sleep and poison - that is the best way to win."

"And the most cowardly way to pull out a victory," Bruno replied. "I prefer to hit them hard and fast. I don't like playing around like you and Will." Will grumbled and Koga turned away.

Karen stepped in between the two trainers, raising her hands. "This is no time for a macho-showdown." She turned to face Lance. "You've gone awfully quiet. Don't tell me you're actually worried about the battle. She was lucky to get past Clair, but that doesn't mean she'll get past your team."

"I'm not worried," Lance replied tersely, arms folded. "We shouldn't underestimate Lyra. She's proven she can handle anything."

"You speak as if you know her on a personal level," Karen said, tilting her head sideways. "Is that why you've hardly been here at the league? Have you been following this girl around the region?" She gave him a wicked smile. "Has the great and mighty Lance been tamed by some girl?"

Koga, Will and Bruno turned to look at him, intrigued expressions on their faces. "Lyra defeated Team Rocket, a feat none of us have achieved. She conquered Johto and we know that is not an easy task." He almost mentioned Lyra had captured a Red Gyarados and obtained a Shiny Dratini from his own grandfather, but stopped himself in time. Bringing that fact up would just raise more questions, none of which he felt comfortable answering. "I'll see you after the battles are over." Before they could ask any more questions, he turned around and headed towards the Champion room.

.

While Will, Koga and Bruno took their respective places, Karen decided to seek out Lance. She left her own dark chambers and headed towards the Champion throne room where Lance where was sitting on the iron throne, a pensive expression on his face.

"You look troubled," Karen said, gliding up towards his seat.

He glanced up, surprised. "Karen. Shouldn't you be making your final preparations for the battle? This is going to be the toughest battle of your career."

"I'm more worried about you," she said, standing next to him. "If I lose my match, nothing happens. But if you lose, you are no longer the Champion and that means you have to leave the league. What are you going to do if that happens? I know you well enough you will not return to a professional trainer career again."

He sighed. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it." His grandfather would expect him to take over watching over the sacred Dragon Den of Blackthorn. Stepping up to the role meant accepting new responsibilities – he'd be a mentor to aspiring dragon masters and he would be required to spend a great deal of time within the city. "I suppose I'd look after the Dragon Den," he added.

Karen looked at him sympathetically. Just like she had expected. But losing his title didn't seem to be too much of a concern to him – he seemed to be distracted, like his thoughts were somewhere else… Or with someone else. She decided to question him further. "You might have fooled the other three boys into thinking you will handle this, but I can see right past that tough exterior you put on, Lance. You've spent a lot of time away from the league… more time than usual. It has something to do with Lyra, doesn't it?" she questioned. The Champion did seem rather defensive of her earlier. He lifted his gaze upon hearing her name, fixing dark eyes on her face.

She knew Lance well enough he didn't chase after anyone unless they had captured his interest. So many girls around the region sent him emails and letters, and he never responded to any. Heck, even she had tried flirting with him when she was first introduced to the league, but he never bothered to return her affections. She gave up on him after that. But Lyra had somehow managed to break through.

There was a brief moment of silence until Lance spoke up. "I'm not worried about losing, Karen. I was never going to hold this position forever."

"Then what are you worried about? What happens afterwards with Lyra?"

He shook his head. "What if Lyra chooses to follow Red's path and abandons the post of Champion? She'll leave forever and no one will be able to find her. Everything she's achieved so far… it's as if she was meant to follow in Red's footsteps."

"You don't know for sure if she will leave," Karen said, trying to add some words of comfort. She barely knew much about Lyra, but if she was important to Lance, then she wanted to help him in any way possible. Seeing Lance looking lost was unsettling. "She might choose to stay."

Another moment of silence. "You should start making final preparations. Knowing Lyra, I'm sure it won't take her too long to make it through Victory Road."

End of discussion. Karen knew she wasn't going to get another word out of him. Whenever he changed the topic like that, it meant no more talking. She gave him one last sympathetic look then returned to her post. Karen didn't know the details how Lance met Lyra and she wasn't going to pry, but what she did know (or at least assumed) something had gone wrong. Had they had an argument?

She tightened her jaw. No one made a fool of the Champion. If Lyra wanted to claim the title, she had to get past Karen first, and that wasn't going to happen, not without a fight at least.

.

For the past few days, Clair had found a temporary home within the Olivine's lighthouse. Jasmine had offered her fellow gym leader a place to sleep in the gym, but Clair insisted she wanted to be alone. Fortunately, the lighthouse was closed to the public – Jasmine had made up an excuse the building needed repairing after the event with Team Rocket.

She rested her arms on the rails of the lighthouse, gazing out at the sea before her. The waters were calm, which made the ocean look rather inviting. Perhaps she'd head down to the beach later on in the day to ease the thoughts that plagued her mind. Right now Lance was probably facing off against Lyra for the title. She hoped he'd lose.

"Clair, you know you can't stay here forever. This is not your home," a gentle voice said, startling Clair from her thoughts. She spun around and spotted Jasmine standing next to her. How long had she been standing there for?

"Blackthorn is dead to me. Lance doesn't want me back."

"Lance didn't mean those words. He's not thinking clearly."

Clair glared. "I don't see why you're defending him. He's a jerk and I hope he loses badly."

"I know you don't mean that, Clair. He's your cousin, and I know how much you look up to him."

"Then why won't he listen to me? He treats me like I'm something foul!" Clair spat. "He cares more about Lyra than me! I've always been there to support him and now he just throws me aside for some girl! Lyra's ruined everything! I wish she had never been born!" She added, her voice beginning to tremble. She curled her fingers around the railing. "She's not special. She's nothing."

Jasmine placed a comforting hand on Clair's shoulder. "Lance loves you, Clair, in the way only family can. That bond can never be broken – you may push him aside, blame him for everything, but he'll always be your family, Clair. Don't cut him off or you will regret it."

Clair's posture relaxed. "Then what am I supposed to do? Go back to him and apologize?" She snorted derisively. "He probably wants nothing to do with me."

"You know that isn't true."

Clair wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "I told him that he didn't deserve to be happy and that I hated him."

"You were angry. Anyone would've said the same in your position, but he'll forgive you. He's always forgiven you, Clair and this will be no different." Jasmine handed Clair a tissue box. "He will never love you in the same way he does Lyra, but you will always be a part of his life. Clean yourself up, and return to your home, okay?" She gave Clair a hug which surprised the girl since she wasn't accustomed to receiving gestures of kindness, but after a few moments, she returned the hug. "If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me." Clair nodded.

Clair dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and placed it under her arm. "I don't know how you put up with me."

"You are too hard on yourself, Clair." She smiled. "Falkner is waiting for you outside the Pokemon Centre. He'll fly you home." Clair nodded again, dabbing her eyes with another tissue. If she left now she'd reach Blackthorn just in time for the battle to be over. She made her over to the Pokemon Centre where Falkner waited with his Pidgeot and Pidgeotto.

He greeted her with a nod. "Hey there, Clair. You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"I suppose you'll want to ride the Pidgeot?"

Normally, she'd receive a lift on Falkner's strongest Pokemon, but not today. She looked at the Pidgeotto instead. "No. I'll take the Pidgeotto." Falkner lifted his eyebrows, seemingly surprised, but said nothing. If she was going to make some changes in her life, it was best to start now. Improving her relationships with the other gym leaders was a good place to start. She climbed onto the back of the Pidgeotto, wrapping her arms around the bird's neck, as Falkner whistled, signalling the birds to fly.

.

Stepping inside the first room felt like entering a new gym. Like the gyms around Johto, the room was themed. The walls were purple, the floor was purple and even the ceiling was purple. They were different shades of purple though, with the walls being the darkest, and the ceiling being the lightest. The floor was made up of tiles which varied in different shades. It made her head spin just by looking at it all, as if the room had been designed to confuse opponents.

In the centre of the room there was a man with longish purple hair. He was dressed in formal attire, and wore a mask that covered his eyes. She was reminded of an older version of Bugsy. She approached him. "Welcome to the Pokemon League, Lyra!" He bowed respectfully then spoke again. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Will. I have trained all around the world, making my Psychic-type Pokemon powerful. And, at last, I've been accepted into the Elite Four. I can only keep getting better! Losing is not an option!"

Lyra drew in a deep breath. Let the games begin, she thought. Will summoned a condor-like avian that appeared to be wearing a dress. Upon closer inspection, Lyra realized the dress was actually the bird's wings.

Xatu. The evolved form of Natu. They say that it stays still and quiet because it is seeing both the past and future at the same time.

She summoned her Arcanine. "Arcanine, use Crunch!"

"Xatu, use Psychic!" Arcanine was struck by a large beam of purple, but the canine easily recovered. He retaliated by pouncing onto the avian, sinking his powerful jaws into the bird's skin. Xatu let out a high-pitch squawk and stretched its wings to the side. "Use, U-Turn, Xatu!" Xatu returned to its pokeball and was replaced by another Xatu.

"Arcanine, keep using Crunch!" Arcanine jumped forward, and clamped its jaws around the bird's neck. Xatu screamed.

"Use Psychic!"

Another Crunch and the bird ought to fall, Lyra thought. Being a few levels above certainly was helping her greatly otherwise her Pokemon would've fainted by now. "Crunch, Arcanine! Bring that Xatu down!"

Xatu's Psychic attack hit hard again, but fortunately Arcanine managed to bring the bird down before it could. Will snorted, and summoned his first Xatu again. "You've come prepared then. No matter, I have battled against higher levelled-trainers before and still managed to win. You will be no different. Xatu, use Psychic!"

Arcanine was struck below the chin this time. She swayed from side to side, severely weakened by that attack. Lyra rushed over and gave her loyal hound one of many Hyper Potions as Will did the same. "Use Crunch!" Arcanine pounced again, this time with more power than before. She bit down hard, Lyra swore she almost heard bones shattering. A critical hit. Will's first Xatu had fainted as well. Three left to fight.

Will summoned his third Pokemon, a Jynx. Lyra had never thought she'd see one of those nasty things again. Fortunately she had the right weapon to counter it with. "Arcanine, use Fire Blast!" A mighty blast of fire hit the Jynx hard, knocking it over. Flames danced over the Pokemon's body, turning it black. Jynx fainted.

"Lance was right about you… you are strong." He wiped his forehead. "Exeggutor!" A palm tree-like Pokemon with three yellow, oval shaped heads emerged. "Hypnosis!"

Arcanine was sent to sleep. Lyra cursed. That changed her chances of a quick victory much harder. It was tempting to use a Full Restore now, but perhaps Arcanine would awaken on the next turn if luck was smiling on her. "Psychic!" Will said.

The beam did almost enough damage to cause her Arcanine to faint. Now was the time to use a Full Restore. Arcanine awakened, fully healed. "Finish that tree off with Flamethrower!" Flames engulfed the leaves on the Pokemon's head, prompting the tree to run around in circles, to try and put out the flames, but the damage had been done. The palm tree fainted.

"We Psychics don't give up even when we're down to the last Pokemon. That's what makes us so formidable." He brought out his final Pokemon, a Slowbro. Lyra swapped out her Arcanine for Espeon.

"Espeon, use Shadow Claw!"

"Slowbro, use Curse!"

Espeon pounced and Slowbro took severe damage, but its defences were hard to penetrate. It hardened its armour, making it that much harder it hit with physical based attacks. Fortunately, Shadow Claw wasn't a physical attack. "Keep using Shadow Claw, Espeon!" Espeon jumped forward, swatting at the bulky Slowbro again with a shadowy claw. Slowbro emitted a mournful noise. The same process of Curse-Shadow Claw repeated for several turns, until both Pokemon looked to be on the brink of fainting.

"Slowbro, use Curse!"

Not again, Lyra thought. "Shadow Claw!" Again, Espeon attacked, managing to land a critical hit. The Slowbro fainted.

"I… I can't… believe it…" he muttered, returning Slowbro back to his ball. There was silence until he spoke again. "Even though I was defeated, I won't change my course. I will continue battling until I stand above all trainers! Now, Lyra, move on and experience the true ferocity of the Elite Four." The doors behind him magically opened.

Lyra headed into the next room. This room was also themed, designed to look like a spooky forest. Poisonous vines wrapped around the trunks of the trees surrounding her. She shuddered. It was like being back in Ecruteak Gym again with the creepy atmosphere. An older looking man with a stern gaze stood in the centre of the room, red cape flowing behind him. He was dressed in black robes which seemed suitable for a ninja.

He laughed as soon as he noticed her. "I am Koga of the Elite Four. I live in shadows – a ninja! My intricate style will confound and destroy you! Confusion, sleep, poison… Prepare to be the victim of my sinister techniques!" He cackled again. "Pokemon are not merely about brute force – you shall see soon enough!"

Confusion, sleep and poison. A dangerous combination. Lyra knew this was going to be a rather annoying battle. It was best to hit him hard as quick as possible before he could do some serious damage to her team. She sent out Arcanine to start the battle. Koga sent out a large patterned insect.

Ariados. The evolved form of Spinarak. It spins string not only from its rear but also from its mouth. It is hard to tell which end is which.

Bug-type Pokemon were fried easily by fire. This ought to be a simple battle, she thought. "Arcanine, use Flamethrower!" Flames danced around the bug, encasing it with flame. The bug screeched, waving its mandibles in the air, as it quickly burned. Ariados fainted. Koga just grinned, not at all worried.

He summoned his next Pokemon, a round purple Pokemon with a rough outer shell consisting of steel plates.

Forretress. The evolved form of Pineco. Its entire body is shielded by a steel-hard shell. What lurks inside the armour is a total mystery.

Steel-type. Bug-type. Another Pokemon that quickly fell to fire. "Okay, Arcanine, roast that bug with Fire Blast!" Despite Its immense defense, the Pokemon had a severe weakness to fire. It was quickly downed within seconds.

"That was merely a warm up. I know what you are capable of now. Your next challenge won't be as easy. Muk!" A large ball of living purple sludge with an equally large mouth appeared. As soon as the creature emerged, Lyra nostrils were filled with a smell that was far worse than rotten eggs. It was indescribable. Her stomach twisted and turned then did a backflip as the stench worsened.

Muk The evolved form of Grimer. They love to gather in smelly areas where sludge accumulates, making the stench around them worse.

"Oh… that is foul," Lyra mumbled. Arcanine turned to look at her with an equally sick expression. It had to be far worse for Arcanine for the dog had superior senses to a human. Arcanine looked ready to faint.

Koga smirked. "Muk, use Minimize!" Muk somehow made itself look smaller.

Lyra brought a hand to her nose, holding it together with a finger and a thumb. That stench… terrible. "Okay Arcanine, use Flamethrower!" Arcanine launched a powerful burst of fire, but the attack seemed to be absorbed by the Muk's slimy body.

"Now Muk, use Gunk Shot!" A disgusting ball of black sludge hit Arcanine, covering it in sticky liquid. Arcanine fell onto her side, struggling to remove the grotesque stuff of her fur. Muk moved forward slowly, and covered the Arcanine with its body, smothering it until Arcanine fainted. What the? Lyra thought.

She recalled her Arcanine and brought out Espeon. "Espeon, use Psychic!"

Muk avoided the attack. "Muk, use Minimize!" Muk decreased its size again, but it was still rather large, reaching up to Lyra's shoulder.

"Espeon, use Psychic!" Espeon released a beam, but the attack failed to hit its target. The slow and cumbersome Muk had avoided it thanks to its Minimize move.

"Muk, activate your Black Sludge ability now!" Muk murmured. Its body changed from purple to black.

"What does that do?"

"Muk will recover a small percent of its health at the end of each turn, he explained, smirking. "There's no way you can defeat me now."

Will was right. The true ferocity of the Elite Four was starting to show. No wonder they were chosen to represent the nation at the league. With strategic moves like that, winning was extremely difficult even if she was a few levels stronger. "Espeon, use Psybeam!" Espeon attacked again, but like before she missed her target.

"Muk, use Gunk Shot!" The black sludge struck Espeon, and the feline fainted. Lyra's eyes widened. Koga laughed. "Everyone around the region is going to watch you lose to me! How does that feel?"

Right. She had almost forgotten every single resident in Johto and Kanto was watching. She wouldn't be surprised if people living in other regions were watching her battle as well. Her friends, her family… she was not going to let them down, not without a fight. She summoned her Gabite to the field. "Gabite, use Earthquake!" Gabite slammed his tail on the ground, creating a crack. The room shook violently, knocking both trainers off balance. Muk howled.

Unfortunately, Muk was still alive. Koga rushed over and gave his beloved Pokemon a Hyper Potion. "Muk, use Minimize!" Muk decreased in size again, now falling down to Lyra's waist.

"Gabite, use Earthquake again!" Muk managed to avoid the blow, recovering some health in the process. Lyra wanted to rip her eyes out. Damn that Muk.

"Muk, use Toxic!" A nasty wave of purple sludge landed on Gabite's head. Gabite cringed, glowing purple. Poisoned… badly. He looked at Lyra pleadingly. Lyra searched through her bag for an Antidote. Fortunately, she had a few left. She used one of them now, restoring Gabite's health however in doing so, she sacrificed a turn. Muk recovered some health again and aimed a Gunk Shot. Gabite took a lot of damage but remained standing.

"All I need is one lucky shot," Lyra pleaded in a voice barely above a whisper. "Gabite, use Earthquake!" Gabite slammed his tail on the ground for a third time and thankfully managed to split the ground beneath Muk's body. Muk fainted. What a relief, she thought.

Koga's amused grin had faded, replaced by a thin line of determination. "I have to admit, you're better than I expected. But I'm still in this battle. Venomoth!" A flying purple moth Pokemon appeared. Another Bug-type Pokemon.

Venomoth. The evolved form of Venonat. When it attacks, it flaps its large wings violently to scatter its poisonous power all around.

Time to revive Arcanine. She revived her canine, sacrificing a turn.

"Venomoth, use Psychic!"

Gabite took the attack, hanging onto a conscious state by a thread. Lyra recalled him and brought out Arcanine again. Venomoth used Supersonic this time, but fortunately missed. "Arcanine, roast that moth's wings off! Use Flamethrower!" Arcanine happily obliged and scorched the moth. Venomoth fainted. One more Pokemon left, Lyra thought. It better not be a Weezing with Explosion.

"Crobat!"

A purple bat with four wings appeared, hovering above both trainers. Lyra didn't need to refer to her pokedex for this one. Crobat, the evolved form of Golbat known for its amazing speed. She revived her Espeon this time.

"Crobat, use Quick Attack!" Crobat dashed forward, striking Arcanine on the head. Arcanine yelped, jumping backwards. Lyra recalled the canine back and brought out her newly-revived Espeon to take the battle stage.

"Espeon, use Psychic!"

"Crobat, use Poison Fang!"

Crobat attacked first, but managed to do little damage. Espeon retaliated with a mighty beam, of Psychic, bringing the speedy bat to the ground. Koga's jaw dropped open. "Ah, you've proven your worth. I subjected you to everything I could muster, but my efforts failed. I must hone my skills. Go on to the next room, and put your abilities to the test!"

Lyra was thankful to leave the room, but before she did, she restored her Gabite, Arcanine and Espeon to full health. She entered the next room and was blasted by a wave of scorching heat. This room was built upon a pit of lava, and standing in the middle was a rather muscular guy, with long black hair.

"I am Bruno of the Elite Four. I always train to the extreme because I believe in our potential. That is how we became strong. Can you withstand our power? Hm? I see no fear in you. You look determined, perfect for battle! Ready, Lyra? You will bow down to our overwhelming power!" He kicked out at the air. "Hoo hah!"

"This is your battle, Espeon." She summoned her feline again. Bruno threw out his first pokeball, bringing out a Hitmonchop. Although it looked speedy, Lyra knew from battling against Chuck, fighting-types weren't that fast. "Espeon, destroy him with Psychic!" Espeon launched its magical beam silencing the Hitmonchop immediately.

Bruno summoned his next Pokemon, a Hitmonlee. This battle strongly reminded her of the one against Chuck and she knew her Espeon would wipe the floor with this guy. She used Psychic again, bringing the opponent down within seconds. Bruno brought out his third, a Hitmonchan. Lyra used Psychic again. Hitmonchan fainted. He brought out his forth one which just happened to be an Onix for some much needed variety.

She withdrew Espeon, summoning Gabite to the battlefield. Gabite seemed eager to battle again, being more twitchy than usual. "Onix, use Earthquake!" Bruno yelled. The entire room shook.

Gabite and Lyra were thrown off balance. Lyra hit the ground hard, cringing. She picked herself back up again, rubbing her head. Gabite fared better though being half-ground type. "Gabite, use Earthquake!" Onix crumbled to the ground, eyes crossed. One Pokemon left. She figured he would use another pure fighting-type so she brought out Espeon again.

"Go Machamp!" Bruno's final Pokemon was truly intimidating to look at. It looked like a Machoke, only it had four bulging arms instead of two. "Use Cross Chop!" The bulky opponent jumped forward, and hit Espeon with all four arms. Espeon yowled, wincing with each strike. However, the feline had managed to endure the attack.

"Espeon! Use Psychic!" Lyra was well aware Espeon was running out of energy to continue using Psychic so she hoped Machamp would be brought down soon. Machamp grabbed at the air, bellowing as the beam struck its chest, toppling him backwards. Although taking a lot of damage, the Machamp was sturdy enough to survive.

"Use Cross Chop!"

Espeon was hit again. The feline picked herself up, supported by wobbly legs. "Just one more attack, Espeon! Use Psychic!"

"Not so fast." Bruno moved forward to heal his Machamp with a Full Restore. Lyra cursed. The beam hit the fully healed Machamp, bringing it almost to a fainting state. "Machamp, use Rock Slide!" A landslide fell from the ceiling, landing on Espeon's head. Espeon was knocked unconscious, falling helplessly onto her side.

"It's up to you now, go Staraptor!" She threw out the avian's pokeball, hoping her trusty partner would win her the match. "Staraptor, use Aerial Ace!" Thankfully, her bird was quicker and hit the bulky beast with a well-aimed strike of her wing. The Pokemon dropped to his knees and fell forward, causing the ground to tremble slightly as it landed.

"Why?! … How could we lose?" He kicked the ground, spitting. "You remind me of Red. He defeated me many long years ago. But I shouldn't anything more. Go face your next challenge!" The doors behind him opened. Lyra headed into the next room to face the final member of the Elite Four, Karen.

The walls, the floor, the ceiling all made to look like she was in the night sky. The only sources of light came from the sparkling stars from the ceiling. A lady with long silvery-blue hair stood in the centre of the room, dressed in rather simple garments. "It's about time you reached me, Lyra. I was getting rather impatient. I am Karen of the Elite Four. I love dark-type Pokemon. I'm known for my overpowering tactics. Think you can take them? Just try to entertain me. Let's go."

Dark-type Pokemon. Lyra realized she didn't have a Pokemon that could effectively take on dark-types. All she had was a Staraptor that knew Close Combat. Would it be enough to defeat her? Lyra summoned Staraptor to the field as Karen brought out an Umbreon. "Staraptor, use Close Combat!" Staraptor gained altitude, tucked in her wings then hurtled towards the Umbreon. She slammed into the Umbreon's side inflicting serious damage. The move did enough damage to cause the Umbreon to faint.

"Not bad, I think I'm beginning to see just why the Champion is so infatuated with you."

Lyra's heart skipped a beat. Karen had been talking to Lance about her? And what did she mean by 'so infatuated by you'? There was no time for questions though because Karen had summoned her second Pokemon, a Vileplume. It looked like a mushroom with red patterned flowers on its head.

"Staraptor, use Fly!" Staraptor climbed as high as the ceiling would allow it to, and waited for the perfect moment to strike. Karen ordered her Vileplume to use Stun Spore but Staraptor was out of reach. "Now, Staraptor, dive!" Staraptor swooped, tearing at the Vileplume's petal head with its sharp piercing beak. Vileplume shook, emitting a weird smelling odour, but Staraptor managed to avoid it.

"Vileplume, use Acid!"

A blob of purple liquid squirted out from the centre of its flower head, hitting the Staraptor's feathered belly. The avian squawked, and shook herself trying to remove the acid. She glowed purple. Poisoned. "Staraptor, use Aerial Ace!" Staraptor swooped again, slashing at the grass-type Pokemon with a single wing, causing the Pokemon to faint. Two down and only five to go.

"I told him I didn't believe we were going to lose… but you're proving me wrong. You may just actually win this thing… but not today. Houndoom!" she said, throwing out another pokeball. The black canine appeared, baring its teeth at Lyra's bird. "Houndoom, use Nasty Plot!" The canine growled, moving its tail back and forth. It seemed to grow stronger, although Lyra couldn't see how.

"Staraptor, use Close Combat!"

Staraptor hurtled to the ground again, throwing herself at Houndoom with full force. The canine howled, but managed to recover, thanks to a Sitrus Berry. "Counter-attack! Use Flamethrower!" Staraptor was engulfed with flame, and plummeted to the ground, her feathers singed. She hit the ground hard and lay there, unmoving.

"Arceus' breath," Lyra cursed. She summoned her Arcanine.

"Use Nasty Plot, Houndoom!" Whatever that move did, it made Houndoom's attacks twice as strong. She needed a hard and fast hitting super-effective move to win this match, but what could possibly be strong enough to endure that? "Use Dark Pulse!" A wave of dark energy hit the Arcanine, causing her to faint immediately. Another Pokemon down with one hit. Things were not looking good for her at the moment.

She summoned Toto, hoping the Pokemon's bulky stature would help it endure at least one attack. "Come on, Toto… we can do this."

"Dark Pulse!" Another wave of dark energy and another fainted Pokemon. Her hopes now rested on Shelgon and Gabite. She brought Gabite to the field. "Use Dark Pulse!"

"Gabite, use Earthquake!" By some miracle, Gabite was able to attack quicker. He slammed his tail, splitting the ground open right beneath Houndoom's feet. Rocks flew up, sending the dog flying through the air. The room stopped shaking, and Houndoom lay motionless on the ground. Lyra breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close."

Karen seemed surprised. "Huh… would you look at that." She summoned another Pokemon, a tiny black raven with a bright yellow beak. Murkrow. "Murkrow, use Sucker Punch!" The bird dashed forward, headbutting Gabite. Gabite hardly flinched.

"Use Dragon Claw!" Gabite lashed out, clawing the Murkrow making the little raven like Pokemon faint. A baby Pokemon had no chance in finding success in this challenge. One more to go. Who would it be?

"Gengar!"

Oh no, Lyra thought. She remembered the battle she had with Morty many years ago. Would Karen's Gengar use similar type moves? To combat the Gengar, Lyra withdrew Gabite, and pulled out Espeon.

"Gengar, use Focus Blast!"

The move hit Espeon, but did little damage. "Espeon, use Psychic!" The beam hit the Gengar directly in its chest, causing it to faint. Ghost-type Pokemon didn't seem so tough now when up against an Espeon.

"Well, aren't you good. I like that in a trainer," Karen complimented, running a hand through her silvery-blue locks. "Strong Pokemon. Weak Pokemon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with the Pokemon they love best. I like your style. You understand what's important. I can understand how you've made it this far now. Go on to the next room, the Champion is waiting." The doors opened. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you again," Karen added, with a wink.

Lyra turned her gaze to the doors feeling a bubble of nerves rise up within. Why did she have to get nervous now when she was about to face her toughest opponent ever? She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Don't panic, she told herself. It's just Lance waiting in the next room. That did little to quell her nerves. It wasn't the thought of battling him that unsettled her - it was simply having to face him again after their last conversation that threw her off her game. How would he react?