Well, I did say last chapter that I wouldn't take another eight months to write another chapter. This time it took me a whole fifteen months!
I swear I tried really hard to get this out by August, just so I can at least say it only took a year, but it wasn't meant to be. Anyway, I do apologize for how long this took me, and I hope you all enjoy!
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Reggie then focused his attention back to the field. He took out another Poké Ball. "Okay Paul, you want to see the strength of my Pokémon?" he asked. "Well here it comes!"
Reggie threw the Poké Ball into the air. "Go, Houndoom!" Reggie shouted. The Poké Ball opened up and a fierce-looking Houndoom appeared on the field, barking loudly and baring his fangs. His father was impressed. "A Houndoom, eh? He looks fierce," he commented.
"I caught him while I was collecting some berries for the Pokémon on Route 214," explained Reggie. "We haven't had much time to train, but I'm sure he'll do just fine."
"I think so too," praised Paul Sr.
Paul looked up at the Houndoom. The Houndoom gritted his teeth and growled at Paul. He breathed fire through his nostrils and dug his paws into the sand. "Come on Paul, let's go!' taunted Paul Sr. "Send out your next Pokémon already!"
Paul took a deep breath. He looked up at Dawn and Regina. Dawn was closer to the sharp rocks than his mother was. "Hang in there, girls," he thought. "I'll figure something out real soon."
Paul fumbled through the Poké Balls in his pocket, pondering on what Pokémon to use next. He remembered what his father said earlier. "So if dad switched out my Pokémon with some of Dawn's Pokémon, there's no telling which of my Pokémon he took away," he thought.
"Hurry up, will you?!" scolded Paul Sr.
"Hold on, I'm thinking!" Paul shouted back. "It would have been quicker had someone not switched out my Pokémon."
"Just pick something," said Reggie. "I doubt it'll make a difference what you use."
After a few moments, Paul decided on a Pokémon. He grabbed a Poké Ball and took it out of his pocket. "I hope this is the right one," he said. He then threw it into the air. "Magmortar, stand by!" he called out.
The Poké Ball popped out...and Magmortar appeared out on the field! "Good, it's actually my Pokémon this time," he thought.
"A strange choice, coming from you," said Reggie. "Guess you're going to try to fight fire with fire, huh? Two bad my Fire-type Pokémon will be the superior one in this battle!"
"We'll see about that!" replied Paul.
The big and mighty Magmortar stood on the field, staring down Houndoom. While not gigantic, he stood a foot taller than Houndoom. Houndoom wasn't intimidated, however, as the two Fire-type Pokémon were eager to battle. Magmortar glared at Houndoom while Houndoom growled some more.
"Two fire-type Pokémon one-on-one," commented Paul Sr. "This round ought to be interesting.
He raised his hand up. "Round four: Magmortar vs. Houndoom...BEGIN!"
"Magmortar, use Rock Tomb now!" Paul shouted.
"Houndoom, dodge and use Flamethrower!" Reggie shouted.
Magmortar fired a bright purple energy ball from his arm cannon towards Houndoom. The energy ball hit the ground and created a wall of giant rocks, but Houndoom was quick enough to avoid it. Without a moment's haste, Houndoom unleashed a powerful Flamethrower attack towards Magmortar. Magmortar only stood his ground and took the Flamethrower attack full force.
Everyone was surprised to see Magmortar standing motionless while being attacked. Soon Houndoom ceased his attack. Magmortar stood standing on the field, smiling and acting as if nothing had happened. "Incredible...he didn't even flinch," commented Regina.
"Come on Reggie, did you really think that a Flamethrower could overpower my Magmortar?" boasted Paul. "Magmortar is one of the strongest Pokémon on my team. He can take anything that you throw at him."
"Is that so?" replied Reggie. "Well what about this?! Houndoom, Dark Pulse now!"
Houndoom fired a dark swirling beam of energy at Magmortar. Magmortar, not being one for evasiveness and speed, put up his arm cannons to defend himself and took the attack full force. The Dark Pulse Magmortar managed to push Magmortar back. "Hurry Houndoom! Use Faint Attack!"
"Stop him with Rock Tomb!" Paul ordered Magmortar.
Magmortar did as he was told and he began firing a barrage of Rock Tomb attacks at Houndoom. Houndoom lunged at Magmortar and quickly sidestepped every Rock Tomb thrown at him. Once he was close enough, Houndoom crouched down, ready to pounce him. Before Magmortar could react, Houndoom quickly disappeared from sight. He then reappeared on the opposite side of him and tackled straight into Magmortar's abdomen. "Oh no, Magmortar!" Dawn shouted, worriedly.
Magmortar stumbled backwards as the force of the Faint Attack was enough to knock him off his feet. He maintained his balance, but he could still feel the force of Houndoom's assault. "Do it again, Houndoom!" Reggie shouted.
"Stop him, Magmortar!" Paul shouted.
Houndoom quickly backed away from Magmortar, putting distance between them. Houndoom then charged at the stunned Magmortar. Magmortar tried to stop him with a swift punch, but Houndoom again disappeared and reappeared behind Magmortar, tackling him when he least expected it.
"You may have power on your side," said Reggie, "but Houndoom is quick on his feet and can outrun Magmortar easily. Power is no good if you can't hit your opponents."
Paul growled angrily as Houndoom continuously tackled his Magmortar. Houndoom attacked Magmortar again and again, trying to knock him off his feet. "You're right about one thing," replied Paul. "I do have power on my side! Magmortar, use ThunderPunch!"
"What?!" gasped Reggie.
Right when Houndoom was going in for another Faint Attack, Magmortar quickly pulled back and punched Houndoom square in the face with an electrified fist! The burst of electricity sent Houndoom flying back towards Reggie. Paul didn't want to give Houndoom a chance to recover. "Magmortar, use Rock Tomb!" he shouted.
Magmortar raised his arm cannon up and fired a barrage of bright purple balls around Houndoom. The bright purple balls created a wall of sharp rocks that surrounded Houndoom, trapping him with no way out. Magmortar snickered as he watched Houndoom run away, desperately trying to escape. "Let's finish him off with Fire Spin!"
Magmortar pointed both of his arm cannons at Houndoom and let loose a hellish vortex of fire that engulfed him. Paul Sr. staggered backwards as he felt a blast of intense heat coming from the Fire Spin and into his face. Dawn and Regina also felt the blast and looked away to avoid the heat radiating from the field.
Eventually, Magmortar ceased fire (no pun intended). Smoke was still present inside the Rock Tomb prison where Houndoom was. "How's that for fire-fighting-fire?" asked Paul. Soon, the smoke cleared and everyone could see Houndoom. He had small burn marks, but surprisingly he was still willing to fight.
Everyone was confused. Paul Sr. And Reggie only smirked. "What!?" Paul asked. "How can Houndoom still be standing? No Pokémon has ever managed to survive Magmortar's Fire Spin!"
"You are such a fool," snickered Reggie. "Houndoom, show Magmortar a real fire attack! Use Flamethrower!"
Houndoom quickly recovered and blew an enormous Flamethrower attack at Magmortar! Magmortar put his arms up, trying to shield himself. To everyone's surprise, Houndoom's Flamethrower was now much more intense than it was before! Paul backed away as the intensity of the heat washed over him. "What the heck?! How did Houndoom get stronger?" he asked himself.
Soon, the Flamethrower slowly died down. Although there were no visible burns on Magmortar, he winced in pain. "Magmortar! Are you alright?" Paul asked.
"What do you think of that Paul?" Reggie asked. "Thanks to your carelessness, you activated Houndoom's ability Flash Fire. You do remember what that does, right?"
Paul didn't reply, but he knew what the ability does and he wanted to kick himself for forgetting it. "Thanks to Flash Fire," continued Reggie, "whenever Houndoom gets attacked by a Fire-type move, his own Fire-type attacks become even more powerful!"
"Haha, wonderful Reggie!" praised Paul Sr. "You took full advantage of your Pokémon's abilities and your brother's stupidity to turn things into your favor."
"Can it, will you?!" snapped Paul. "So I made Reggie's Pokémon more powerful. It figures that I have to be the one to do that. It's not like you could do that yourself. If you could, you wouldn't have lost to Brandon at the Battle Pyramid."
Paul's last comment struck a nerve with Reggie. But Reggie managed to calm himself down. "Big talk coming from someone who's losing!" taunted Reggie.
"Who says I'm losing?' retorted Paul.
Paul looked up and saw that Magmortar, although still hurting from Houndoom's Flamethrower, was ready to continue battling. "Magmortar's still standing. He won't be knocked down so easily!" boasted Paul. "He took on two Flamethrowers, a barrage of Faint Attacks, and a Dark Pulse to the face! Had he been some other Pokémon, he would have fallen instantly, but Magmortar never gives up! He'll stand tall regardless of what you throw at him!"
Both Regina and Dawn, despite their predicament, smiled at Paul's admiration for his Pokémon. "Oh Dawn...you really have changed him for the better," thought Regina.
Dawn and Regina looked up at each other. Their smiles immediately went away as soon as they remembered the situation and what would happen if either of the two sons won the battle. "This is so hard," thought Regina. "I want to cheer Paul on, but I can't against Reggie. What should I do?"
Reggie only laughed at Paul's praise of his Magmortar. "Look at you, the power-hungry mongrel has gone soft," he teased.
"That girl did to you what your mother did to me," added Paul Sr. "How pathetic."
"You can say whatever you want," Paul said. "but the fact is Magmortar can take whatever Houndoom can throw at him. Now Magmortar, use Rock Tomb!"
Magmortar lifted up his arm cannons and fired more purple energy balls. Houndoom quickly sideswiped every Rock Tomb attack thrown at him. "Houndoom, dodge and use Flamethrower!" shouted Reggie.
"Counter with your own Flamethrower!" ordered Paul.
As soon as Houndoom breathed his own Flamethrower, Magmortar fired a searing Flamethrower attack of his own. The two attacks clashed with each other in the middle of the field and exploded upon impact, sending little embers flying.
The battle continued on, with Magmortar and Houndoom throwing Flamethrowers at each other. Each time, both Pokémon would try their hardest to overpower the other, but none were willing to secede even an inch. The sands of the battlefield were becoming darker and darker as they were being burned by every attack launched by both Pokémon.
After what seemed like an eternity of Magmortar and Houndoom going back-and-forth fighting each other, Reggie was becoming impatient. He saw that, despite fighting each other vigorously, neither Pokémon showed the faintest sight of exhaustion. "This isn't working," he thought to himself. "Everything appears to be at a standstill! Neither Houndoom nor Magmortar will give any time soon. At this rate, the battle will never end!"
He watched as Houndoom's Flamethrower was cancelled out by Magmortar's own Flamethrower once again. Reggie thought hard about what to do next. He then took out Houndoom's Poké Ball. "That's enough! Houndoom, return!" he called out.
He lifted the Poké Ball towards his Houndoom retreated him back into his Poké Ball. Paul only stared disapprovingly at Reggie. "What's the matter, Reggie?" Paul asked. "Have you realized yet that you can't defeat Magmortar?"
Reggie didn't respond. Paul continued his tirade. "Okay I have to hand it to you little brother," commended Reggie. "Never in my life have I ever met a Pokémon as resilient as your Magmortar. I thought I could overpower it with my own Fire-type Pokémon, but I realized that it's not getting me very far."
Reggie stared at Paul's Magmortar. Reggie had to admit that for a big Pokémon, Magmortar had incredible stamina. He was still willing to fight to despite battling for a while now. Reggie pondered on what Pokémon to use next. "What are you going to do now, Reggie?" Paul asked, impatiently.
"Hold on, I'm thinking!" he replied.
Paul Sr. watched as his oldest son thought hard about his next move. "This isn't good," he thought, "He's hesitating. What's going on? He was doing so well!"
He then had an idea. He reached into his pockets and took out a Poké Ball. "Guess I'll have to resort to this."
"Reggie!" he shouted. "Catch!"
Paul Sr. then threw the Poké Ball at Reggie, who caught it in his hand. Reggie was a bit puzzled by his father's actions. "Hey, what are you doing?!" Dawn shouted, angrily. "Who said you could help him?!"
"Be quiet!" snapped Paul Sr. He then turned back to Reggie. "Reggie, use that as your fourth Pokémon in this battle. I think it's time that I solidify the new-found bond between you and I."
"Oh, come on! You can't do that!" Paul shouted.
Reggie examined the Poké Ball. "But father, I already have a..."
"Just trust me Reggie," interrupted Paul Sr. "That Pokémon is exactly what you need to take down Magmortar."
Reggie only stared at his father, who looked back at him with a menacing glare. "Why are you hesitating, son?" Paul Sr. asked sternly. "Do you not trust me?"
"I wouldn't!" shouted Paul.
"I didn't ask you!" snapped Paul Sr.
Reggie nodded to his father and then turned his attention back to the battle. "Alright then...Pokémon, go!" he shouted. Reggie threw the Poké Ball up in the air. It popped open...and out came a ferocious Feraligatr! The bright blue crocodilian behemoth roared as he appeared on the battlefield. Paul Sr. smiled wickedly as he watched everyone's reaction.
"Oh no," groaned Dawn.
"This isn't good," said Regina.
"D-dad! Y-y-you're letting me use Feraligatr?!" Reggie asked, stunned.
"He's a very powerful Water-type Pokémon, which is exactly what you need to take down Magmortar," explained Paul Sr. "I trust that you won't let me down now."
"How could I?" Reggie replied. "I remember when you let me borrow Totodile so I could catch my first Pokémon. No doubt Feraligatr will take care of Magmortar easily."
Paul shook his head. "Oh, what a shock," taunted Paul. "Your own Pokémon are so weak, that you have to resort to using other people's Pokémon to help you. First my Electabuzz and now dad's Feraligatr."
"You won't be acting so high and mighty once Feraligatr defeats your Magmortar," replied Paul Sr.
Paul Sr. raised his arms up. "Round five: Feraligatr vs. Magmortar...BEGIN!" he shouted.
"Magmortar, burn him with Flamethrower!" Paul shouted. Magmortar lifted his arm cannons up and fired twin streams of searing hot Flamethrowers at Feraligatr.
"Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!" shouted Reggie. The red spikes on Feraligatr's head began to glow brightly as he leaned back and fired a powerful burst of water from his mouth towards Magmortar. Water and fire met in the middle of the battlefield. A large explosion broke out and a cloud of steam formed, covering the field! Dawn and Regina were confused about something. "I don't get it," thought Dawn. "Why isn't Paul switching out Magmortar? He's at a disadvantage against Feraligatr."
"Charge and use Slash, Feraligatr!" Reggie shouted.
Feraligatr dug his feet into the ground and launched himself towards Magmortar. He had his sharp claws prime and ready to strike. "Magmortar, use ThunderPunch!"
As Feraligatr was about to slash Magmortar across the face, Magmortar quickly reared back and delivered an electrified fist to Feraligatr's face! Feraligatr stumbled backwards, but he caught himself before he fell to the ground. Reggie and Paul Sr. winced once the attack connected. "Bet you two forgot about Magmortar's ace in the hole, didn't you?" taunted Paul. Both of them were embarrassed to admit that they did.
"Quick, Magmortar! Before he gets up, use ThunderPunch again!" ordered Paul.
Magmortar sparked up his fist and charged at Feraligatr. "Stop him, Feraligatr!" shouted Reggie. Feraligatr saw Magmortar coming with another ThunderPunch. Before it could hit, Feraligatr moved his head to the side, completely avoiding the attack. Feraligatr then grabbed onto Magmortar's arms and tossed him flying over his head and into the ground. Regina and Dawn awed at Feraligatr's immense strength. "Have you forgotten already, Paul? A powerful attack is no good if you can't hit your opponent with it," said Reggie. "Now Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!"
"Magmortar, dodge and use Rock Tomb!"
The red spikes on Feraligatr's head began to glow brightly as he fired out a powerful gush of water from his mouth towards a stunned Magmortar. But Magmortar recovered quickly and managed to jump out of the way. Magmortar then raised his arm cannons up and fired a Rock Tomb at Feraligatr's feet, creating a giant rock that protruded from the ground. Feraligatr jumped back and avoided the attack. "Keep at it with Hydro Pump!" shouted Reggie.
Feraligatr retaliated by firing another Hydro Pump attack at Magmortar. Just then, Paul had an idea on how to weaken Feraligatr. "Magmortar, block it with Rock Tomb!" shouted Paul. Magmortar fired a Rock Tomb just a few feet in front of him, creating a giant rock that deflected the Hydro Pump. "Feraligatr, use Slash!" growled Reggie.
Feraligatr lunged forward. With his razor sharp claws he broke through the rock and slashed Magmortar across the face. Regina and Dawn gasped as Magmortar fell flat on his back. "Magmortar, are you alright?" he asked.
Magmortar groaned as he rolled onto his stomach to pick himself up. Both Feraligatr and Reggie smirked, having finally knocked Magmortar off his feet. But the moment only lasted for a bit, as Feraligatr's body was suddenly covered in fire. Feraligatr cried out as he felt his entire body being swallowed by a strong ember. "W-What?!" Reggie asked, surprised. "Feraligatr, what's happening?"
"I just gave you a taste of your own medicine," answered Paul. "Earlier, you took advantage of Houndoom's special ability. And then before that, you used Electabuzz's special ability. Well, two can play at that game! You just activated Magmortar's special ability, Flash Body! Whenever Magmortar is struck by a physical attack, your Pokémon will be burned."
Reggie growled in frustration as he watched Feraligatr wince in pain as the effects of the burn washed over him. He tried to move, but the burn overwhelmed Feraligatr, preventing him from doing anything. "Don't worry, Feraligatr! I have a plan!" Reggie told his Pokémon.
"Yeah? I have one too!" boasted Paul. "Magmortar, use ThunderPunch and finish off Feraligatr!"
Magmortar's fist began firing off electrical sparks. Once fully charged, Magmortar charged full fore at Feraligatr. Despite everything stacked against Reggie, he couldn't help but smirk. Dawn noticed this and grew worried. "Oh no," she muttered quietly. "I don't like the way he's smiling."
Once Magmortar was in place, he reared back and was prepared to deliver a hellish ThunderPunch to the burned Feraligatr. "You really are an idiot, Paul," Reggie murmured. "Feraligatr, use Facade!"
"Oh crap!" exclaimed Paul.
Because everything was happening so fast, there wasn't enough time to call off the attack. Right when Magmortar was about to end the battle, Feraligatr put up his hand and caught the ThunderPunch, stopping it in its tracks. Magmortar was surprised to see his attack stopped so easily. Feraligatr began to glow bright orange. Magmortar pressed forward with his ThunderPunch, hoping to overpower Feraligatr. But it was no good. Feraligatr pulled Magmortar closer and then punched Magmortar square in the face with his other fist! Everyone gasped. They could practically feel the powerful punch themselves!
The force of the punch sent Magmortar flying through the air. He landed face-first on the sand, a few feet away from Paul. "Come on, Magmortar! Hang in there!" Paul shouted. Magmortar only groaned as he struggled to pick himself up.
Both Reggie and Paul Sr. laughed. "Oh how I love that look on your face!" Reggie. taunted. "That moment when you think your plan is working, but then I come and turn it against you. Now that my Feraligatr is burned, his Facade attack is even more powerful than before!"
Paul said nothing and watched as Magmortar slowly lifted himself up off the ground. His arms trembled as they held up his body. "Reggie, you better end this now before Magmortar, and your brother, embarrasses himself even more," said Paul Sr.
Reggie nodded in agreement. "Right, Feraligatr use Hydro Pump and finish this battle once and for all!" he ordered.
Feraligatr, fighting through the pain of his burn, reared back and fired a powerful Hydro Pump at Magmortar, who was on one knee still trying to recover. "Block it, Magmortar!" Paul shouted. Magmortar quickly put his arms up, trying to block the attack. He dug his feet into the ground and tried hard to push through the Hydro Pump. But the intense geyser of water soon overwhelmed the weakened Magmortar. The Hydro Pump attack managed to knock Magmortar off his feet and tumble him back towards Paul. "Oh no, Magmortar!" Paul shouted, worriedly.
Magmortar landed on his back, face-up on Paul's side of the field. Magmortar lied motionless on the ground, unconscious. "No..." Dawn murmured, worriedly.
Paul Sr. smiled. "Magmortar is unable to battle," he shouted. "The winner of this round is Feraligatr! Of course...that's no surprise."
Reggie smirked as Paul stood speechless, unable to accept his defeat. "Hmph, so much for Magmortar being able to withstand anything," Reggie said, in a taunting manner. Feraligatr snickered, despite his burn.
Paul said nothing. He knew that Feraligatr had a type advantage over Magmortar, but he felt that with Magmortar's and some key battle strategies, he would be able to overcome it. Paul lifted up his Poké Ball and sadly returned Magmortar back inside.
Suddenly, Paul heard a loud shriek from up above. He looked up and saw Dawn falling towards the sharp rocks below. Once she fell a few feet, Paul Sr. suddenly stopped her descent. Dawn's body snapped forward, delivering an incredible amount of pain to her body. "Dawn!" Paul shouted, worriedly. He could hear Dawn moaning in pain.
Paul Sr. turned towards his younger son. "Well Paul, what are you going to do now?" he asked. "As I recall, this was a four-on-four battle. Reggie has only lost one Pokémon in this battle, but you are on your last Pokémon."
"Shut up!" shouted Paul. "Reggie's only winning because you're helping him!"
"And that's supposed to justify you being a lousy Pokémon trainer?!" argued Reggie. "What happened to "my Pokémon can take on anything?" attitude?"
Paul only gritted his teeth as his frustration became to build up. "You're down to your last Pokémon Paul," reminded Reggie. "Whatever Pokémon you send out is going to have to defeat all three of my Pokémon. Face it Paul, you've all but lost."
Paul reached into his pocket and took out his last Poké Ball. Reggie continued to berate him. "Let's be honest, your track record in this battle so far has been less than stellar. Both your Luxray and Magmortar were defeated rather easily. The best you could do was battle me to a tie using Dawn's Prinplup, a Pokémon that isn't even yours. Do you really think that any Pokémon you have could win this battle for you?"
Paul was quiet for a moment. He looked down at the Poké Ball in his hands. "Maybe," Paul replied.
"Maybe?! That doesn't sound very sure," said Reggie. "I guess even you know that it's hopeless now."
Paul then looked up at both Dawn and Regina. He tried hard to stay strong, but seeing Dawn closer to the ground than Regina gave him mixed feelings. He didn't want to see Dawn fall to her death, but he still couldn't think of a way to save her and his mother as well. "What am I going to do?" he asked himself. "This is my last Pokémon. If my Pokémon loses, then I also lose Dawn. But if I do somehow beat Reggie's Pokémon, then I lose mom."
Reggie and Paul Sr. could see the look of frustration in Paul's eyes. "Why don't you save yourself the time and trouble and just forfeit the battle?" Paul Sr. asked. "I mean, if you know you're going to lose miserably, then what's the point of going on any further?"
"That's right," agreed Reggie. "It's better to get it over with rather than press on and lose."
Paul took a deep breath and stared at the ground. "I don't want to forfeit," he replied.
"So you're going to keep fighting then?" Reggie asked.
"I...I don't know," murmured Paul.
"Trust me Paul, forfeiting is your best option at this point," argued Reggie.
"Damn it, I'm not going to forfeit and I'm not going to let Dawn die!" snapped Paul.
"Just listen to yourself! It's always Dawn this and Dawn that. You don't even care about our mother!"
"I do so care about her! I want to save her too!"
"You can't save both of them Paul!" reminded Paul Sr. "Win or lose, one of these two will drop. And at this point, it might as well be that troublesome girl Dawn."
Reggie then turned to his mother. "Don't worry mom," Reggie said. "I'm close to winning this battle. Once I win, you, me, and dad can go back to the good times before Paul was born."
For a moment, it seemed as if Regina would keep silent. But then, she suddenly spoke in a low mournful voice just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Reggie? Do you love me?" asked Regina.
"What?" Reggie replied, confused. "Mom, what kind of a question is that? You know that I love you. You're my mother."
"Do you really?" Regina asked, again.
"Yes mom, of course I do," Reggie said again.
"If you really do, then you would forfeit this battle...and just let me die," she cried.
Everyone was shocked to hear Regina say this. Paul and Dawn couldn't believe what they were hearing. Reggie was confused too. "What? Why?! Mom, I'm so close to winning this battle!"
"And what happens when you do? Do you really think things are going to be better once you win and Dawn dies?"
"Why do you care if Dawn dies anyway?!" Reggie asked, angrily.
"Because I can see that she and Paul love each other and need each other. Their lives would be nothing without each other. Paul has become a better person because of her! I figured it would be better if she lived and I went."
"What?! No!" argued Dawn.
"I don't want to hear it. At this point, if I lived, Paul would be depressed and Reggie will have taken off with his dad, leaving me alone and miserable. At least Paul would be happy with you and I wouldn't have to live a sad, pathetic life."
Dawn nearly began to cry. Paul could feel something in his throat, like if it were tied in a knot. "But mom...I can't..." he whispered.
"Oh, spare me your sappy little speech," retorted Reggie. "Why do you care so much about Paul?"
"Why? Because he's my son," answered Reggie, "just like how you're my son too. I love the two of you, but if you're going to go down the same path as your father, then I rather die."
Reggie crossed his arms. "Figures, you would care more about Paul than me," said Reggie.
"That's not true," argued Regina.
"Oh really? Is that why every time we are together, you always talk about him? When he wins a new badge, when he catches a Pokémon, when has a girlfriend...you just go on and on about him!"
"I'm just really proud of him and what's he done," explained Regina. "Just like how I'm proud of you and what you have done."
Reggie then looked down at the ground. "Don't give me that mom," he argued. "Ever since I lost to Brandon at the Battle Pyramid, everything has been about him. Sure, you'll sometimes tell me that you happy with what I'm doing now, but I know that deep down, you think Paul's the one making any real progress with his life."
Regina looked at Reggie, confused. "Reggie, I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but I'm telling you it's not true. I love both of you just the same and am proud of what you two have done."
"Sure mom, just keep telling yourself that. It won't make it any true."
"But it is true!"
Reggie said nothing afterwards.
Despite being in incredible pain, Dawn spoke up. "Come on Reggie, you have to snap out of it!" she pleaded. "This isn't like you! So what if you had a few problems with Paul in the past?! Are you really going to make him and your mother suffer for it?! Don't you see what you have become?! You let yourself be fooled by this no-good, sinister, disgusting, evil…"
Dawn was cut off when she began falling again. "Dawn!" Paul and Regina shouted. Dawn screamed as she was dropped towards the sharp rocks below. Suddenly, the rope stopped. Dawn felt serious whiplash as the momentum caused her body to snap forward. "Dawn, no!" Regina shouted, worriedly.
Paul watched as Dawn was being hoisted back to where she was before. She groaned loudly with a pained expression on her face.
Reggie turned to his father, who had the remote in his hands. "Thanks dad," he said.
"What an rotten girl," replied Paul Sr. "If she keeps talking, maybe Paul won't need to forfeit after all. I'll just have the whiplash snap her neck."
He then turned to his younger son Paul, who at this point was at his breaking point. "Come on, either forfeit or send out your next Pokémon!" he ordered.
He could see a pained expression on Paul's face and he hesitated on his next move. He looked at Regina, then to Dawn, and then down to the Poké Ball in his hands. "I'm not going to forfeit!" he shouted, defiantly. He gripped the Poké Ball tightly as he threw it out towards the field. "Pokémon, stand by!"
The Poké Ball opened up...and a Mightyena appeared on the field. "Mightyena?!" Regina asked, confused.
"Oh no," groaned Paul.
"Oh look at that," commented Reggie. "Yet another Pokémon that's not yours. This should be fun."
"Great..." moaned Paul, annoyed.
He watched as Mightyena looked all around him, confused as to what was happening. When he saw Regina dangling high above, he grew even more worried.
Paul then realized something. "Wait a minute. Maybe this won't be so bad. I'm mean, sure Mightyena is one of mom's Pokémon. But it could be worse. I could have been stuck with Growlithe. And besides, Mightyena used to be a Poochyena. The fact that it's evolved now means that he has to have won a couple of battles with mom. Let's hope he can put up a fight."
Paul looked out towards the field. "Listen Mightyena!" he called out. Mightyena quickly focused his attention on him. "Now look, I know you've never battled with me, not even when you were a Poochyena, but the fact is I need your help. There's a lot riding on this, and you're my only chance now."
Mightyena listened intently. "Please Mightyena," pleaded Paul. "I can't afford to lose this battle."
"That's nice, force one of mom's Pokémon to win so you can kill her and save your girlfriend," said Reggie.
"Shut up!" snapped Paul. He focused back on Mightyena. "So what do you say?" he asked.
Mightyena still didn't know what was going on, but nonetheless, he could see that Paul desperately needed his help. He nodded at Paul and then turned to his burned, but fierce opponent opposite of the field.
Mightyena's growled menacingly at Feraligatr and he bared his razor sharp teeth. Feraligatr had a wicked grin on his face as he stared down the black furred Pokémon in front of him. He didn't let the occasional flare-up bother him.
Paul Sr. raised his arm up. "Round six: Feraligatr vs. Mightyena...BEGIN!"
"Feraligatr, use Facade!" shouted Reggie.
Feraligatr began glowing brightly. He ran towards Mightyena, baring his sharp claws. Before Paul could call out an attack, Mightyena quickly jumped out of the way, evading Feraligatr's attack. While Feraligatr was recovering, Mightyena hastily pounced on his right arm and sunk his fangs in. Feraligatr yelped in pain as Mightyena's teeth broke through his scales and inflicted tremendous pain. Feraligatr flailed his arm around, trying to shake Mightyena off. "That looks like Crunch," thought Paul. "Well, at least I found out one of his moves, but I don't think Crunch will be able to carry me through the rest of the battle."
Suddenly, Feraligatr managed to grab Mightyena's tail and yanked him off. He violently threw him to the ground. Paul grew worried. "Feraligatr, hurry and use Facade!" Reggie shouted. Feraligatr began glowing bright orange as he charged at him full-force, ready to unleash a devastating attack.
Regina couldn't bare it any longer. "I can't take this anymore," thought Regina. "It's time I finally did something!"
Before Paul could react, Regina suddenly spoke up. "Mightyena, use Protect!" she shouted.
"Hey!" scolded Paul Sr. "No helping!"
Nevertheless, Mightyena did as he was told. He crouched down and a barrier appeared in front of him, repelling Feraligatr's attack. Feraligatr tried to push through it, but the Protect barrier was too strong. He was knocked back, away from Mightyena. A sudden pain from his burn stunted his recovery. "Now use Headbutt!" Regina shouted.
Suddenly, Paul Sr. pressed the button on his remote, which caused Regina to begin falling towards the ocean below. "Mom!" cried Paul. Regina screamed as she dropped towards the ocean below. Before she could hit the water, Paul Sr. pressed the button again and stopped the wench. Like with Dawn, the sudden stop caused Regina's body to snap downward, delivering an incredible of pain to her body. "Mom, are you okay?" Paul asked, worriedly.
"Ooowww…" groaned Regina, as she was hoisted back up the cliff. Dawn easily sympathized with her.
On the field, Mightyena quickly took advantage and charged at Feraligatr. With Feraligatr hunched over, Mightyena butted heads with him, stunning him even more. Feraligatr grabbed his head in agony.
As Feraligatr was stunned, Paul looked up to his mother, who was still feeling the effects of the whiplash. "Mom...why are you-"
"I thought I would help even things out a bit," she said, as she gritted her teeth, trying to fight the pain. "I don't think it's right that your father is allowed to help Reggie, so I would rather help you win this battle!"
"So you finally decided to pick a side?" scolded Paul Sr. "And I see you chose Paul as your favorite son."
"I don't have a favorite son!" yelled Regina. "I love you both equally! But I can see now that you're dead set on sticking with your father, which is something I will never do. If that's the case, then I would rather that Paul win the battle and save Dawn. At least there will be someone with a happy life in our family!"
Paul, Reggie, and Dawn were all surprised by this sudden outburst from Regina. Regina then slumped over, with her head dangling downwards. "Besides, I don't deserve to live anyway," she thought to herself. "It's my fault that I ended up like this."
"Mom?" Paul asked, worriedly.
"Just keep battling!" she snapped. "Don't think about what will happen! Just go out and win!"
Before Dawn could say anything, Regina spoke again. "And Dawn, cheer Paul on! Don't worry about me. I'll be cheering too! Cheer as loud as you can!" she encouraged. Dawn didn't know what to say to that. She still felt that it wasn't right, but nonetheless, she nodded her head at her.
Feraligatr was beginning to recover from the Headbutt attack and was ready to continue with the battle. Paul was hesitant, but he decided to listen to his mother and focus his attention back to the battle. He felt a little more confident in winning the battle, now that he had a good idea of what moves Mightyena can use. "Feraligatr, shake it off and use Facade!" Reggie shouted.
Feraligatr did as he was ordered and he began glowing again for another Facade attack. He then launched himself towards Mightyena. "Mightyena, dodge and use Headbutt!"
Mightyena managed to avoid the attack. He then lunged at Feraligatr, full-force. Reggie called out another attack. "Quick, use Slash!"
Feraligatr recovered from his previous failed attack and he slashed Mightyena across the face. Mightyena made a loud yelp as Feraligatr carved a deep scar into his face. Mightyena trashed around, stumbling back towards Paul. "Mightyena, are you alright?" Paul asked, worriedly. Mightyena fought hard through the pain.
"Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!" shouted Reggie.
Feraligatr's spikes began to glow. He reared back and fired a powerful geyser of water at Mightyena. "Mightyena, dodge and attack with Crunch!" shouted Paul.
Mightyena avoided the attack and he lunged at Feraligatr, ready to sink his teeth into him again. "Stop him with Facade!"
Before Mightyena could leap up and attack him, an orange aura surrounded Feraligatr once again. Feraligatr roared as he threw a punch at Mightyena. He struck Mightyena in the face, with enough force to drive Mightyena into the sand, creating a deep trench. Mightyena stopped a few feet in front of Paul. Everybody was shocked to see such power coming from Feraligatr. "Come on, Mightyena! Get up!" ordered Paul.
Mightyena lied in the trench, struggling to regain his composure. "It's no use Paul," boasted Reggie. "Thanks to your carelessness earlier, Feraligatr has become an unstoppable force! Nothing can stop him! There's nothing Mightyena can do to overpower him!"
Paul Sr. smiled wickedly. "You're doing a great job with Feraligatr, son," he said. "It's only a matter of time before you win this battle, and it will all be because of Paul!"
At this point, Mightyena was back on his feet. But he was still feeling the effects of Feraligatr's Facade. "Let's finish this! Feraligatr, use Slash!" Reggie shouted.
Feraligatr let out a mighty roar as he charged at the battered Mightyena. "Mightyena, use Protect! Quick!" commanded Paul.
Mightyena crouched down and shielded himself behind an impenetrable barrier. Feraligatr's Slash couldn't break through. His claws just bounced off the barrier and forced him back a few feet. "Is that all you're going to do, little brother?" taunted Reggie. "Are you just going to keep running away and hiding?"
Paul analyzed the situation on the field. The barrier had disappeared around Mightyena, leaving him open to another attack from Feraligatr. Paul grew anxious as he watched Mightyena's body tremble. "As much as I hate to say it, Reggie's right," he thought. "Because of the burn Magmortar gave Feraligatr, he can easily beat Mightyena with one more Facade. Come on Paul, think! I can't just keep running and hiding."
Suddenly, Feraligatr cried out as his body was engulfed in fire. Feraligatr felt immense pain coming from his burn. This time, it was getting harder and harder for him to ignore it. He closed his eyes and winced as he felt a warm, stinging pain throughout his body. "Feraligatr?!" Reggie shouted, worriedly. "Come on, Feraligatr! Shake it off and attack!"
Seeing Feraligatr in pain gave Paul an idea. "Wait...maybe I can," he thought. "That burn may have made him stronger, but it's still making him weaker too." Paul smiled upon the revelation. Regina and Dawn could see Paul smiling confidently, giving them hope. "Alright Mightyena, attack with Headbutt!"
Mightyena ran forward towards the weakened Feraligatr. "Feraligatr, stop him with Facade!" shouted Reggie.
"Counter with Protect!" Paul shouted.
Once Feraligatr began to glow, Mightyena stopped dead in his tracks and put up a barrier. Once more, Feraligatr's attack merely bounced off the Protect barrier. "Use Hydro Pump!" Reggie yelled.
"Dodge it!" Paul shouted.
Feraligatr fired the Hydro Pump at Mightyena, which he was able to avoid completely by jumping back. But suddenly, Feraligatr followed it up with another Hydro Pump attack. "Keep dodging them!" ordered Paul.
Mightyena did as he was told. When Feraligatr fired another Hydro Pump attack at him, Mightyena quickly sidestepped, evading the attack. Feraligatr continued firing a barrage of Hydro Pumps at Mightyena. Mightyena continued running in circles around Feraligatr, dodging every attack thrown at him. "Is that it, Paul?" taunted Reggie. "Are you just going to keep running like a coward?"
Suddenly, Feraligatr ceased his continuous Hydro Pump attacks as his burn flared up again. He cried out in pain as the burn immobilized him. "Mightyena, now's your chance! Hit him with Headbutt!"
Mightyena hurried towards Feraligatr. "Feraligatr, stop him with Facade!" Feraligatr straightened up and tried to muster enough power for an attack, but his burn subdued him again. Feraligatr couldn't stop the head-on attack from Mightyena. Mightyena jumped and butted heads with Feraligatr, knocking him back a few feet. "All right, Mightyena!" cheered Dawn.
"That's my boy! Keep it up!" praised Regina.
Feraligatr tried to regain composure, but his burn again kept him from moving. Reggie scowled, frustratingly. "Fight it off, Feraligatr!" he shouted. Feraligatr heard his trainer's command and powered through the burn. "Now hit Mightyena with Slash!"
Feraligatr roared and he reared back and swung his claws forward. But Mightyena was quick enough to dodge it. "You may have power on your side," taunted Paul, "but Mightyena is quick on his feet and can outrun Feraligatr easily. Not to mention Protect can stop any attack you throw at him. It's like you said earlier, power is no good if you can't hit your opponents."
Reggie growled in frustration as his brother was taunting him. "Feraligatr, stop Mightyena with Facade!"
The battle raged on with Feraligatr unleashing Slashes and Facades after one another. The field was beginning to get torn up by constant failed Slashes and Facades. While Feraligatr remained on the offense, Mightyena hardly attacked at all. He only ran around the field, dodging and blocking any attacks thrown at him. Feraligatr's burn would occasionally act up and burn him, which halted his momentum. As time went on, Feraligatr's burn grew worse and worse, and it was becoming more and more difficult for Feraligatr to fight through it. Whenever this happened, Mightyena would take advantage and he would strike with either a Headbutt or a Crunch attack.
While Dawn and Regina were happy to see Paul outsmart his brother, Paul Sr. was not pleased to see his most powerful Pokémon rendered weak and useless.
Eventually, Feraligatr began to act slower and slower. After failing to hit Mightyena with another Hydro Pump attack, his burn flared up, this time lasting for a good ten seconds. Once the burn dissipated, Feraligatr fell to his knees, battered, burned, and on the verge of fainting. "Feraligatr, Feraligatr!" Reggie called out. "Let's go, Feraligatr! Keep fighting!"
But Feraligatr didn't respond. He just stood on his knees and looked as if he was ready to fall over. "Feraligatr, are you listening to me?!" growled Reggie. Mightyena stood opposite of him, panting from running around the field non-stop.
"Forget it Reggie," said Paul. "It's over. Mightyena, finish him off with Headbutt!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Mightyena crouched down and charged headfirst into the gut of his opponent. It didn't take much effort to knock Feraligatr over. He slowly crumbled to the ground and landed on his back. Everyone was shocked to see a powerful Pokémon fall over so easily.
When the dust settled, they could see Feraligatr lying on the ground, motionless. A moment passed by, but Feraligatr didn't move. Paul looked up at the father. "Call it," he demanded.
"No!" shouted Reggie. "Feraligatr can still fight!"
"Forget it, Reggie! It's done! I've won this round!"
Reggie seethed at his little brother. "No! I refuse to accept that!"
Before he could say anything back, his father spoke up. "That's enough, Reggie!" he snapped. "I know enough about my Pokémon Ono know when they can't go on fighting." Reluctantly, he put his hand up. "The winner of this round...Mightyena."
Regina and Dawn began cheering happily. "Alright Paul! You did it!" shouted Dawn, happily.
"Atta boy, Mightyena!" cheered Regina.
Paul couldn't help but smile. "So much for being an unstoppable force," he sneered.
"I wouldn't be too cocky if I were you!" scolded his father.
Paul Sr. then pressed the button on his remote, and Regina began falling several feet towards the ocean. Paul, Reggie, and Dawn gasped as Reggie screamed. Mightyena cried out as he watched his owner falling.
Then, the rope suddenly stopped and Regina's whole body snapped forward. Regina gritted her teeth, trying hard to cry out in pain. "Mom!" Paul shouted, worriedly.
"I'm fine!" Regina shouted. She let out a loud groan. "I'm...I'm fine," she repeated. "Don't worry about me, please."
"Regina," sighed Dawn.
Reggie didn't say anything. He looked back down at the battlefield and was greeted by the sight of Feraligatr, still unconscious. He retreated him back into his Poké Ball. As soon as he was back inside, Paul Sr. quickly walked up to him and snatched it back from his hands. "Give me that!" he said, sternly. "Reggie, I allowed you to use Feraligatr because I thought you would be able to finish off your brother and humiliate him!"
"But father…" whimpered Reggie.
"Don't "father" me!" snapped Paul Sr. He grabbed Reggie by the collar and violently knocked him down on the ground. This move shocked everybody, including Mightyena. Throughout the entire battle, Paul Sr. has been singing nothing but praise to Reggie. To see him suddenly get violent with him caught everybody by surprise.
"You've embarrassed me and you've embarrassed Feraligatr!" Paul Sr. shouted, angrily. "I'm giving you this chance to redeem yourself to me, and you're throwing it all away!"
"Wait, dad!" pleaded Reggie. "I still have two Pokémon! There's no way Mightyena can last two more battles! Just look at him! He's starting to get tired too! Trust me, I can still win this battle!"
"You've better!" Paul Sr. said. He then returned to his position outside the battlefield, grumbling along the way. "Here I thought that at least one of my sons wouldn't be such a disappointment!"
Paul watched as Reggie slowly picked himself up off the ground, clearly shaken by what just happened. "Look Reggie, I-"
"Shut up..." Reggie murmured.
"Just listen to me, I..."
"No! Just shut up!" Reggie said, this time a little louder. "I'm not going to let you drive him away again!"
"Oh come on, you can't be serious!" complained Paul. "Look at what he just did to you!"
"That was all your fault!"
"W-what di...how did I make him push you down and berate you?"
"Why couldn't you just let me have something for once?!"
Paul, who was now becoming very frustrated with Reggie, placed his palm over his eyes. "Oh my god Reggie, you've officially lost your mind," he groaned. "Don't you see that he doesn't care about you? He'll just use you until you're no good to him anymore."
"That's not true!" Reggie shouted, defiantly.
"Wake up and think about it! If he's treating you like that all because you lost one round, how do you think he'll react next time when you lose another Pokémon?"
"I won't lose!"
From above, Dawn suddenly spoke. "Reggie, please listen!" pleaded Dawn.
"Will you just shut up already!?" snapped Reggie. "I am so sick and tired of listening to you! You just had to get involved in everything, don't you?! You couldn't just leave things alone?! Why are you even part of this?! You're not even part of the family! You're just an obnoxious, nosy little bitch!"
Dawn gasped. Everything went quiet. Dawn just stared down below at Reggie, absolutely speechless. Regina couldn't help but begin tearing up at the sight of seeing her once-docile caring son be turned into a nasty, hate-filled monster like his father. Even Paul Sr. was surprised to hear such language come from his son.
Reggie, feeling no remorse, turned back to the battlefield. He was surprised to find that even Mightyena was completely aghast. This young man, who he used to play with as a Poochyena when Reggie was little, was no longer that same person.
Beyond him, Reggie could also see his younger brother, with his head drooped down, causing his hair to cover his face. He could see Paul's clenched fists shaking. "What's the matter, little brother?" taunted Reggie. "You suddenly got quiet? Don't like it when I make fun of your wittle girlfriend?"
"You...bastard..." Paul murmured, angrily.
Paul then snapped his head up so that he was facing the field again. "Mightyena, bite him! I want you to bite Reggie now!" he commanded.
"What?!" exclaimed Reggie.
Mightyena, who no longer had sympathy for Reggie, charged at Reggie, snarling. Reggie, in a moment of panic, quickly took out a Poké Ball. "Houndoom, stop Mightyena!" he shouted.
In a flash, the Poké Ball popped open, and right out the gate, Houndoom intercepted Mightyena and bite him in the face! He then used all his might to shove him to the ground. The two dog-like Pokémon tussled about, constantly biting one another. Eventually, Mightyena broke away from Houndoom. The two Pokémon stood facing each other, glaring at one other and snarling their sharp fangs at one another (A/N: I just realized that this is starting like an actual dog fight. Good god...).
Paul Sr. only smiled as everything unfolded before him. "Oh my," he thought. "Never did I think things would turn out like this. These last few rounds ought to be rather...interesting."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
TO BE CONCLUDED…
That's right, folks! I originally wanted to finish up the battle between Paul and Reggie this chapter, but it was getting a bit too long and I thought it would be best to cut it off here and wrap everything up in the next chapter. For certain, the battle and everything else will be resolved in the next chapter! And about time too. I'm sure much like the rest of you, I want to move on from Paul's family and get to some actual Ikarishipping stories (oh man, do I have some great ideas for that).
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! And as always, feel free to leave feedback and/or point out any mistakes I made (there's bound to be a few).
Next time: The next round begins as Paul's Mightyena goes up against Reggie's Houndoom. Both are dark-type Pokémon and both have already dealt with a formidable opponent, so some would say that the two are on equal footing. But will Mightyena be able to last another battle with not only Houndoom, but also Reggie's Staraptor? And what about Regina? Is she really okay with giving up her own life so that Paul can save Dawn?