Hahaha, yes! I did it! I finally managed to upload another chapter, and RIGHT on the one-year mark too!

…man I have gotten horrible with this.

Anyway, I apologize in advance if the chapter is a little bit rough around the edges. Having not written much in a year would do that to you (on top of working on another Pokémon fanfic). Plus, I wanted to get this out before I head out for the weekend. So if there are any mistakes, typos, and contradictory elements, I'll take some time later to fix them.

I hope you guys enjoy the conclusion of this epic battle between two brothers!

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Reggie could see his younger brother across from him, with his head drooped down, his hair covering 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 another and snarling their sharp fangs at one another.

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...interesting."

He raised his hand up in the air. "Round seven: Houndoom vs. Mightyena...BEGIN!" he shouted.

"Houndoom, Flamethrower!" ordered Reggie.

"Mightyena, use Protect!" shouted Paul.

As Houndoom fired an intense stream of fire from his mouth towards Mightyena, Mightyena quickly crouched down and a strong barrier appeared all around him, protecting him from the fiery blaze. "Houndoom, use Faint Attack!" (A/N: I know in recent games, this has been changed to "Feint Attack," but I will still be using "Faint Attack.")

Houndoom charged at Mightyena, jumping from left to the right. "Dodge and use Headbutt!" Paul shouted. As Houndoom lunged at Mightyena, Mightyena jumped out of the way and dodged his attack. He then quickly head-butted the side of Houndoom's head, stunning him. "Alright, Paul!" cheered Regina.

"Hurry and use Crunch!" Paul shouted.

While Houndoom was stunned, Mightyena dug his paws into the sand and jumped towards him with sharp fangs ready to strike! "Houndoom, use Crunch too!"

Houndoom quickly recovered and saw Mightyena coming at him, sharp fangs and all. Houndoom then lunged at Mightyena with his own sharp teeth exposed. The two Pokémon began rolling around and thrashing about, trying to get at each other's limbs. Dawn and Regina were put off by the rather violent battle between the two.

Eventually, Mightyena managed to bite into one of Houndoom's back legs. Houndoom yelped as Mightyena sunk his teeth in deeper. "Now hit him with a Headbutt!" Paul shouted.

Mightyena let go of Houndoom. But before Houndoom could have a moment to recover, Mightyena tackled him headfirst, sending Houndoom flying a few feet. Houndoom managed to land on his feet, but a splitting headache began to form. "That's right, Mightyena! Keep at it!" cheered Regina.

Paul began formulating his plan while Houndoom took his time to recover. "Mightyena's move set doesn't give me a lot to work with," he thought. "Not to mention, Mightyena can only battle for so long before he gets tired."

Paul looked back at the battlefield. Houndoom was staggering around, still feeling the effect of the two Headbutts from Mightyena.

"But it looks like the damage has been done to Houndoom."

Eventually, Houndoom shook his head and was ready for another fight. "Come on, Houndoom!" cheered Reggie. "Hit Mightyena with Dark Pulse!"

Houndoom faced Mightyena and fired a long swirling beam of dark energy! "Dodge it, quick!"

Mightyena did as he was told and quickly ran out the trajectory of the Dark Pulse attack. "Hit Houndoom with another Headbutt!" commanded Paul.

"Stop him with Flamethrower!"

As Mightyena charged towards Houndoom, Houndoom transitioned from Dark Pulse to Flamethrower. "Dodge it Mightyena!" Mightyena quickly jumped out of the way of the Flamethrower. He was ready to strike with another Headbutt, but Reggie had other ideas. "Faint Attack, now!"

Before Mightyena landed his attack, Houndoom quickly disappeared from sight, evading Mightyena's attack. He then suddenly reappeared behind Mightyena and gave him a Headbutt of his own! "Oh no, Mightyena!" cried Regina.

"Hurry! Do it again!" shouted Reggie.

Houndoom wasted no time charging at Mightyena again. "Use Protect, now!" ordered Paul.

Mightyena crouched down and a barrier formed around him just as Houndoom was about to strike. Houndoom butted headfirst into the shield, stunning himself. "Hit him with Headbutt!"

As Houndoom was stunned, Mightyena dropped the shield and blasted Houndoom with another Headbutt! "Yes!" cheered Regina.

"Alright! That's three headbutts in a row!" Dawn said, happily. "Houndoom has to be sore now!"

"Okay, I think I might be able to pull this off," thought Paul. "I'll use the same strategy that I used for Feraligatr. Just keep my distance, use Protect whenever I can, and when there's an opening, hit him hard!"

Reggie let out a frustrated growl. He turned to his father, who watched the battle with a stern look on his face. Reggie could tell that he wasn't impressed with how the battle has been going so far.

Finally, Houndoom recovered his wits and was ready to battle once more. "If Paul thinks he can humiliate me again, he has another thing coming!" Reggie thought.

He turned to his Pokémon. "Alright Houndoom, no more messing around!" shouted Reggie. "Use Flamethrower! Give it all you got!"

Hearing his trainer's command, Houndoom quickly rolled out of the way, missing Mightyena's attack. He then quickly unleashed an intense Flamethrower! "Quick, Protect! Now!" shouted Paul.

Mightyena crouched down and a barrier appeared, shielding him from Flamethrower. "Don't let up, Houndoom!" commanded Reggie. Houndoom continued his fiery attack on Mightyena. Reggie watched Mightyena. He could see his legs trembling as he struggled to keep the barrier up. "Come on, Mightyena! Hang in there!" cheered Dawn.

Mightyena tried hard to stay strong. But Houndoom wouldn't stop his attack. He inched closer and closer to Mightyena, while still breathing his Flamethrower. Mightyena could feel the heat getting more and more intense as Houndoom walked closer to him. He stood strong, but eventually he couldn't take the heat any longer. The shield dissipated and Mightyena was engulfed in fire. "Oh no!" worried Paul.

"Mightyena!" cried Dawn.

Reggie laughed as Mightyena fell to his Houndoom. Finally, Houndoom ceased his attack and everyone could see the badly seared Mightyena staggering on the field. He was in bad shape, with his fur burned and his body pushed to the brink of exhaustion. He struggled to stay on his paws. "Now, Houndoom, knock it out with Faint Attack!"

Houndoom charged at Mightyena. Mightyena wasn't quick enough to dodge or retaliate. Houndoom didn't even bother to sideswipe him or trick him. He dived right at Mightyena and delivered a sickening head-on attack! Everyone gasped in shock as Mightyena was sent tumbling across the battlefield. He landed a few feet away from Paul. "Mightyena, are you alright?" Paul asked, worriedly.

"Come on, boy!" shouted Regina. "I know you can do it."

Mightyena's only response was a whimper and a twitch of his right front paw. "Come on, Mightyena," pleaded Paul. "Just hang in there for a couple more minutes."

Paul Sr. watched carefully. He was about to raise his hand to call the match, but to everyone's surprise, Mightyena slowly but surely rose back to his feet. He panted heavily as he tried to regain his stamina. His body looked ragged and his legs trembled. "Just forfeit the battle already!" taunted Reggie.

"No!" replied Paul. "I know we can win this."

"Oh please," scoffed Paul Sr.

Reggie turned to his Pokémon. "Houndoom, use Dark Pulse now!" Houndoom reared back and fired a powerful, swirling beam of dark energy at Mightyena. Mightyena fell to his knees, still rehabilitated from the battle. "Oh no, Mightyena!" cried Regina.

Everyone awaited the impact. Mightyena looked up and saw the Dark Pulse coming towards him. Then, acting on pure adrenaline, he stood upright, reared his head back...and fired his own dark energy beam! Everyone were surprised to see Mightyena, a Pokémon trained by Regina, using a strong, powerful move. "Whoa!" awed Dawn.

"T-That's Dark Pulse!" Paul shouted, surprised.

"Wait a minute, Mightyena knew Dark Pulse?" Reggie asked.

"I...I didn't know," replied Regina.

The two Dark Pulses collided with each other. Fortunately, Mightyena managed to overpower Houndoom and cancel his attack out! The Dark Pulse blasted Houndoom in the face, stunning him. "Okay, here we go! It's now or never!" thought Paul. What he planned to do was risky, but he knew he needed to take a chance. "Mightyena, use Headbutt now!" he shouted.

Mightyena, still running on instinct, dug his paws into the sand and lunged at Houndoom. He tackled him head-on full-force with all the strength left in his body! Everyone gasped as they could hear the Pokémon's two skulls bashing into one another (A/N: Wow, this battle's been violent, hasn't it?). Reggie began worrying as his Houndoom was just barely able to remain on his feet.

But Paul and Mightyena were determined to change that. "Hit him again, head-on!" Paul shouted. Mightyena quickly turned back around to face Houndoom and nailed him with another hard Headbutt! Houndoom remained standing once again. "Keep hitting him until he falls!" ordered Paul.

Mightyena prepared himself to attack with another Headbutt. Houndoom was still reeling from the previous two head-on attacks, and so he couldn't defend himself from another Headbutt by Mightyena. Mightyena's next attack was so strong, it managed to knock Houndoom off his feet. Houndoom tumbled back towards Reggie. Houndoom recovered and slowly started to get back up.

But Mightyena wouldn't let up. He attacked Houndoom again with another strong Headbutt, knocking him back down again. Reggie growled frustratingly. "Come on, Houndoom! Fight back!" he pleaded. But Houndoom was beginning to drift in and out of consciousness. Mightyena then delivered yet another Headbutt to Houndoom, knocking him off his feet again.

Mightyena stood back as he watched his opponent try to get back up. Houndoom struggled to get back up on his feet. But after several head-on attacks, his vision was blurry and he was beginning to feel dizzy.

Then, to everyone's amazement, Houndoom's whole body went limp and he fell onto the ground. Everyone watched carefully to see if Houndoom would show signs of life, but he didn't. He had officially been knocked unconscious.

Paul Sr. glared at Reggie. "He won't last another battle, huh?" he asked him. He raised his hand up. "Houndoom is unable to battle!" he announced. "The winner of this round...Mightyena!"

Paul smirked confidently as he watched Reggie retreat his fallen Pokémon. "Alright, Mightyena!" Regina cheered from above.

But her cheering was short-lived when she suddenly started falling. "Oh no! Mom!" Paul and Reggie shouted, respectively.

"Regina!" shrieked Dawn.

The winch suddenly stopped and Regina's body snapped forward once more. She winced as she felt extreme pain from the whiplash. "Don't worry...about me," she wheezed. "I'm used to it by now. Honest."

Reggie let out an annoyed sigh. "Reggie! What's going on?!" he asked, angrily. "You were just winning this battle and now suddenly, you're on the same level as your brother?! You're supposed to be better than him!"

"Don't worry, dad!" reassured Reggie. "I still have one more Pokémon left! And I know he can beat Mightyena easily!"

"Sure, that's what you said before," replied Paul Sr.

Suddenly, Mightyena whimpered as he fell to the ground. "Mightyena!" gasped Dawn.

"Mightyena, are you okay?" Paul asked, worriedly. Mightyena didn't reply. He was hunched over with his head drooped down. He gritted his teeth as an intense sharp pain rattled in his head.

"What did I tell you, dad?" boasted Reggie. Reggie then turned his attention to his younger brother. "Hmph, some strategy that was," taunted Reggie. "All you did was just reuse the same move over and over until Houndoom went down."

"Say what you want about me using the same move over and over again," replied Paul, "but I think that says more about you then me."

Reggie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked, curiously.

"Well, once again, you proved that you can't beat me using your own Pokémon," explained Paul. "That Houndoom was a Pokémon that you caught and yet it couldn't deal any serious damage to my Magmortar. And just now, it was defeated by one of mom's Pokémon...and all he did was use the same move over and over again."

"Ha!" Reggie laughed, arrogantly. "Maybe he did, but at the price of your already weak Mightyena getting weaker. Just look at him. He doesn't look like he'll last one more battle, let alone one more minute."

Everyone turned towards Mightyena, who was still trying to recover from his headache. Much to his chagrin, Paul knew that his older brother was right. Having already been through two straight battles, Mightyena didn't look like he could take much more punishment. "Come on, Mightyena! Hang in there!" he said.

"Just one more battle, you can do it!" shouted Regina.

But Mightyena was still gritting his teeth in agony as the pain continued to linger. Paul grew more and more anxious. Reggie reached into his pocket and took out a Poké Ball. "This is it, Paul!" he shouted, triumphantly. "I'm going to finish this! Go, Staraptor!"

Reggie threw the Poké Ball and Staraptor appeared on the field. He hovered over the field, looking down at his opponent, who was just barely standing. Staraptor was the first Pokémon that Reggie used in the battle against Paul. While he was easily able to outsmart Paul's Luxray, he was called back shortly into the battle and has been resting since.

Despite being pushed to the brink of exhaustion, Mightyena shook his head and prepared himself for one more battle. "Alright, Mightyena!" Paul shouted. "Just one more battle! Hang in there! I know we can do this!"

Paul Sr. was anxious to see how everything would play out. "We're down to the last two Pokémon," he thought. "It all comes down to who wins this round. This should make for a grand conclusion!"

He raised his hands into the air. "This is the final round! It's Reggie's Staraptor vs. Paul's Mightyena. And...begin!"

"Staraptor, use Steel Wing!" Reggie ordered his Pokémon.

Staraptor flew towards his opponent at a rapid pace and his wings began glowing brightly. When he was close to striking Mightyena, Paul called out to Mightyena. "Use Protect!" he shouted. Mightyena crouched down and a barrier formed around him. Staraptor struck the shield, but was unable to break through. Staraptor staggered a little, but he recovered quickly. He flew up high into the air and circled around Mightyena, waiting for his next move.

Paul looked up at the Pokémon flying in the air. "Talk about being at a huge disadvantage," he thought. "It's bad enough that Mightyena is already on his last legs, now he has to deal with a Pokémon that can fly out of range."

"What's wrong Paul?" taunted Reggie. "Hurry up and attack already!"

Paul continued weighing his options. Dawn and Regina assessed the situation from up above. "This isn't good," thought Regina. "My poor Mightyena is fighting hard, but Reggie's Staraptor is strong and quick, and it doesn't look like he'll tire very easily."

"The only offense that Mightyena has is Dark Pulse, Crunch, and Headbutt," pondered Dawn. "But I don't think Paul wants to do any more Headbutts with Mightyena and I don't know how he's going to able to use Crunch. So the only thing he has is Dark Pulse. But I wonder how many times Mightyena will be able to do it."

"Well, if you won't attack, I will!" declared Reggie. "Staraptor, use Brave Bird!"

Staraptor began flowing brightly. He swooped down from the sky flying low above the sand, gathering more and more strength along the way. "Mightyena, Dark Pulse now!" shouted Paul.

Mightyena fought through his fatigue and quickly fired a Dark Pulse beam at the imposing Staraptor. Unfortunately, the beam was too weak and Staraptor was able to power through it with ease. "Dodge it! Hurry!" gasped Paul. Mightyena clumsily rolled out of the way, narrowly missing the tip of Staraptor's wings. Staraptor quickly flew back up into the air and circled back ready for another attack.

"Pick up the pace! Use Agility!"

Staraptor let out a triumphant caw. With one mighty flap of his wings, he rocketed towards the battlefield. "Now get ready for another Brave Bird!" Staraptor began glowing again, looking like a speeding fireball heading straight for Mightyena.

Meanwhile, Mightyena stumbled around like a sick dog, desperately trying to keep his wits about him. "I hope this works," Paul gulped. "Mightyena, Crunch on one of his wings!"

Mightyena saw the powered-up Staraptor heading his way. He mustered up every bit of strength, lunged at Staraptor, and sunk his teeth into Staraptor's right wing. Staraptor let out a high-pitched, agonizing shrill as an incredible pain spread through his wing. Mightyena powered through and, using his incredible bite, threw the arrogant bird into the sand, grounding him. Regina and Dawn smiled. "Yes! Paul found a way to ground Staraptor!" praised Dawn. "Let's hope he can capitalize!"

Despite managing to halt Staraptor in his tracks, Mightyena refused to loosen up. His teeth still deep in Staraptor's wing, Mightyena began thrashing and throwing the menacing bird Pokémon around as if he were nothing but a rag doll. Staraptor frantically squirmed around, trying to fight back, but Mightyena held on strong.

Finally, Mightyena jumped up, taking Staraptor with him. He then flung Staraptor forward, slamming him head first into the sand! Mightyena panted heavily afterward, but everybody was shocked to see Staraptor with his head forcibly buried in the sand. "Yes! Alright, Paul!" cheered Dawn.

"That's my boy, Mightyena! Keep it up!" Regina added. Mightyena couldn't but smile in between breaths.

Reggie was stunned to see a rested Pokémon be dominated by a Pokémon as weak and exhausted as Mightyena. He saw his father on the sidelines, shaking his head disapprovingly. Seeing this triggered something in Reggie's head.

He thought back to when he was a child. A few months before Paul was born, Reggie and his Starly were struggling with battling other Pokémon. His father would take them out to the forest to train, but usually their battles resulted in failure. And every time, Reggie would see his father sternly shaking his head, disappointed in his son. Reggie would feel embarrassed.

With this, plus his Starly-now-Staraptor struggling to recover, he felt humiliated, just like he did before as a kid. And now with his younger brother standing opposite of him, he felt he was being emasculated again. He clenched his fists tightly as he began to feel more and more angry.

"Alright Mightyena, this is it! We only have this one chance!" cheered Paul. "I hate to do this, but...finish him with a Headbutt!"

Mightyena groaned at the call, but he nonetheless dug his feet into the sand and charged towards Staraptor. He gritted his teeth as he was ready to deliver what he hoped to be one final Headbutt. Meanwhile, Staraptor managed to get his head out of the sand. He was unaware of what was coming.

At last, Reggie reached a boiling point. "No!" Reggie shouted, angrily. "You will not embarrass me in front of dad, not again! Staraptor, fight back with Close Combat!"

On his trainer's command, Staraptor rushed at the speeding Mightyena...and nailed him with his own head-on attack! Everyone let out a horrified gasp as Mightyena fell to the attack. But Staraptor wasn't done. He quickly followed up his headbutt by viciously punching him and pecking at him! Mightyena tried to dodge each maneuver, but with hardly any strength left, Mightyena couldn't defend himself. Staraptor's ruthless assault continued on for what seemed like an eternity.

Finally, Staraptor sent Mightyena flying with an uppercut! Mightyena landed with a thud in the center of the field. Paul knew he was in deep trouble. Close Combat was already a strong Fighting-type move, but against his weak Dark-type Mightyena, he knew Mightyena couldn't stand a chance against it.

He watched as Mightyena lied motionless on the ground. "No, no, no!" he thought. "It can't end like this! We can still win!" He began shouting encouragingly at Mightyena. "Come on, boy! Get up!" he pleaded. "I know you still have some fight in you!"

"Forget it!" interrupted Reggie. "He's finished! Use Close Combat again!"

Paul gasped worriedly as Staraptor tackled Mightyena again and unleashed another barrage of hellacious beatings at the downtrodden wolf Pokémon. At this point, for Staraptor, it was like beating up a limp rag doll. Mightyena was sent tumbling towards Paul. With every attack, Mightyena was looking worse and worse.

"This isn't good," Regina said to herself. "If Paul's not able to come up something quick, then he'll lose the battle...and Dawn will...!"

Before Mightyena could let out an agonized whimper, Reggie called for another attack. "Do it again!" he ordered. Right on cue, Staraptor lunged at Mightyena, ready to pounce again. "Use Protect!" Paul shouted.

Mightyena barely picked himself off the ground and a barrier flickered around him. Everyone gasped as Staraptor was able to break through the barrier and Mightyena was struck across the face with a hard shot of Staraptor's wing! "Oh no, it didn't work!" worried Regina.

"This isn't good," thought Dawn. "Mightyena must be in really bad shape if not even Protect is working."

She gulped nervously. "Then that means...I might actually..."

Mightyena was again sent flying. He landed on the ground hard. "And now Staraptor, fly up and use Brave Bird!" commanded Reggie.

Staraptor, despite having a hurt wing, flew up into the sky. Once he was a good few hundred feet off the ground, he dove headfirst back towards the field. He began to pick up speed and glowed brightly as more and more energy was pulsed through his body.

Back on the ground, as everyone watched in horror at the incoming attack from above, Paul Sr. looked over the unresponsive Mightyena. After two difficult battles, his body was completely covered in bruises, cuts, lumps, and burned fur. He deduced that he was out like a light. "This Pokémon cannot battle any longer," he thought. "This battle has already been lost."

Just then, Staraptor crash-landed right on top of Mightyena! Everyone looked away as the impact of the attack created a cloud of sand that went flying everywhere! Eventually, everything had settled down. When the dust cleared, Staraptor was panting heavily. He now had a few bruises, but he stood standing.

Mightyena, on the other hand, lied inside a giant hole created by the blast of Brave Bird. He hardly resembled himself anymore as the battle has clearly taken a toll on his person. "Mightyena!" Paul cried out. There was no response. Despite a valiant effort, Mightyena just couldn't take any more punishment.

Paul, Regina, and Dawn...their mouths were agape. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Paul fell onto his hands and knees. His limbs trembled. He was slowly feeling sort of breath.

Regina tried hard to hold back her tears. "Oh no," Regina whimpered. "Paul..." She had never seen her youngest son so vulnerable.

"So...this is it, huh?" murmured Dawn. She leaned forward so that her face was obscured by her hair, but a tiny tear could still been seen rolling down her face.

Paul Sr. raised his hand. "Mightyena is unable to battle!" he announced. "Therefore, the winner of this battle...Reggie!"

Reggie didn't say a word. He only retreated Staraptor back into his Poké Ball. He then slowly began to make his way towards Paul's side of the field. "Congratulations...son," smiled Paul Sr.

He extended his arms out, ready to hug his older son, but Reggie ignored him and walked over to his young brother, stepping over Mightyena in the process. Paul remained on his hands and feet, staring down at the ground. Reggie stood in front of him, with a stern look on his face. "So...how does it feel, little brother?" taunted Reggie. "All this time, you've shown me up in front of dad and mom...all this time you've made me look bad...how is it feel to have me embarrass you for a change?"

Paul said nothing. He struggled to maintain his emotions. Reggie lifted his foot and kicked his brother over. "Answer me!" he shouted, angrily. Paul looked up towards his brother. He was breathing heavily and he had a sorry look on his face, something that nobody thought they would ever see. Reggie crouched down and looked Paul dead in the eye. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you going to cry now? Because you couldn't save your girlfriend when her life depended on it? Because you spend all your time training your Pokémon only for them to lose in the end?"

Paul was reminded of how his Luxray was defeated by Staraptor easily and how his Magmortar couldn't fight back against Feraligatr. He couldn't help but feel humiliated.

Suddenly, Reggie grabbed Paul by the hair and shoved him into the sand. Everybody was stunned to see Reggie acting this cruel. Even Paul Sr. was surprised to see his eldest son behave like this. "I didn't think he had it in him," he thought.

"How pathetic," Reggie murmured, as his brother shook his head, getting the sand of his hair and eyes. He then walked away. "I think I'm done here," he told his father. Paul Sr. cleared his throat. "Well then," he began. "I guess, that's that."

Paul Sr. turned towards his youngest son. "Well, the battle has been decided," he told him. "I think you know what happens next." He pressed a button on his remote. Dawn and Regina were slowly hoisted up towards the top of the wench. "Dad, please…" pleaded Paul.

"Save your breath," replied Paul Sr. "All you can do now is say your final words to her. That much I'll grant to you."

Paul looked up at his father. He realized that there was no convincing him. "Well...are you going to say something to her or should I make it quick and get it over with?" Paul Sr. asked, annoyed.

Paul realized that there was no way around it. He turned to face Dawn and looked up to her. Dawn was now at the highest point of the rope. Paul thought hard about what he wanted to say to her. He knew he had to make it count. From above, Dawn could see him struggling to find the right things to say. She ceased her quiet crying for the moment. "Paul, just start talking," she said. "Whatever comes to your mind, just let it out."

Paul was still a bit unsure. However, he figured with this being the last time he'll get to speak with her, he might as well do what she says. So he took a deep breath and put aside his pride. "After dad left our family," he began, "I was a miserable person. Since the day that I got my first Pokémon, the only thing on my mind was to become a world-class trainer and battle with the strongest Pokémon in the world, so I can prove to him that I wasn't weak. Everything in my life seemed dim."

Paul then swallowed what little pride he had left. "But...But then I met you...Dawn…" he said.

Reggie and Paul Sr. rolled their eyes. "Oh boy, here it comes," groaned Reggie.

"I'll admit...I didn't like you at first," continued Paul. "I thought you were really annoying, always smiling and being happy and...it just didn't sit well with me. But...somehow, even when I didn't want, we just started spending more time with each other and talking to each other. That moment after Hearthome City...that's when I realized that...I needed you in my life."

Dawn smiled when she heard that from Paul's mouth. "When we were at the festival, I was doing things that I would never imagine ever seeing myself doing. I mean, getting my face painted, riding roller coasters, playing carnival games, having fun. It was because of being with you that I actually felt...happy. For the first time since I was little, I was finally happy!"

Dawn smiled as she remembered their date at the Eterna City festival and all the fun they had together. Paul then looked away from Dawn. His hair was again covering his eyes, but everyone noticed his shoulder quivered and the sounds of stifled breathing. Dawn's smile went away as she could see tears falling from his eyes into the sand. Paul Sr. cringed at Paul's tearful display. "And now...I'm going to lose you...all because I'm so weak," he cried.

Paul then fell to his knees and kneeled down on all fours. "Dawn...I'm so sorry," he said, mournfully. "Everything I did...was for nothing." He then punched the ground in anger. "I'm still not strong enough!"

Everyone was surprised. Never had anyone ever seen Paul be so submissive to his emotions, let alone crying. Even Reggie was a bit puzzled. Paul Sr., however, found it pathetic. "See what falling in love does to you, Reggie?" Paul Sr. said, sternly.

Dawn continued crying again. A steady flow of tears rolled down her cheeks. "Don't say that!" Dawn said, tearfully. Paul looked up to her again. "You're not weak! You never were!"

"You're just saying that!" Paul shouted.

"That's not true!" she replied. "I always thought you were really strong! And even after what happened...I still love you!"

The two of them continued looking straight into each other's tear-filled eyes. Paul Sr. lifted up his remote. "Okay, I've had enough of this," he said. He then pressed a button on his remote.

Dawn...and Regina...began their long plummet to the sharp rocks below. "No!" Paul shouted. Reggie was horrified to see his mother falling to her death. "Dad, what are you doing?" he asked, shocked.

"Trust me, this is for your own good," he said.

Reggie didn't accept that for an answer. He reached for the remote and snatched from his father's hands. "Hey, give that back!" demanded Paul Sr. Reggie ignored him and quickly pressed another button, stopping Regina and Dawn from hitting the rocks (and giving them yet another severe whiplash from the sudden stop). "Reggie?" Paul asked, confused.

"Reggie, what are you doing?!" Paul Sr. asked, angrily. "I demand that you give that back to me now."

"No!" he replied. "You said if I won the battle, then mom would be set free, safe and sound!"

"Yes, that was the stipulation of the battle. Give me back the remote now!"

"So then, what gives?! I won the battle! Mom should be set free and Dawn should be the one falling to her death."

"Reggie, please!"

"Why would you do this?! I thought we had a deal!"

"Listen to me, you did a magnificent job in the battle! You and I can achieve great things! We can rule the world, you and I! But your mother would only hold you back like she did with me. It's what I have to do."

Reggie looked at his father, with a look of disbelief on his face. "So then, you always planned to kill mom?" he asked, heartbroken. "Then what was the point of the battle?!"

"To show me your strength and let you embarrass your little brother...like you always wanted to do for so long," answered Paul Sr. "And now that you've accomplished both, it's time for you and I to reconcile our father-son bond."

"I told you not to trust him!" shouted Paul.

"Shut up!" snapped Paul Sr.

He stuck his hand out. "Reggie, I am giving you the opportunity of a lifetime," he offered. "With you and me working together, we truly can become the most powerful Pokémon trainers in the world. Are you really going to make the same mistake your brother made?"

Reggie looked at his dad and then to the remote in his hands. He hesitated to give it back. He looked all around him and saw his brother looking at him, his eyes still slightly swollen. "Reggie, I ask you this one more time! Give me the remote!" he shouted.

Reggie then looked towards his mother and Dawn, both were now hovering only a few feet from the rocks. At last, he made up his mind. "You want the remote?" he asked. "Then you can go swim for it!" And with one mighty swing, Reggie threw the remote high into the air and into the ocean. Regina, Dawn, and Paul were confused, but happy to see Reggie defy his dad. Dawn and Regina both expressed a sigh of relief, both happy that their lives would be spared.

Paul Sr. grabbed Reggie by the collar. "You little ungrateful bastard!" he snapped. "This is how you repay me for giving you a second chance?!"

"That's what you get for lying to me!" retorted Reggie.

Reggie was then violently shoved into the sand. Paul Sr. then kicked him in the ribs. "Reggie!" Paul shouted, worriedly.

"I'll teach you to talk back to me!" growled Paul Sr.

Paul ran towards the two, hoping to help fight Paul Sr. off, but the chain wrapped around his ankle pulled him back. "Oh come on!" he said, annoyed. He then sat down to try and pull the shackle off his ankle.

Meanwhile, Paul Sr. continued attacking Reggie. Reggie was lying on the ground, curled up, trying to block his kicks. Eventually, when Reggie was face down in the sand, Paul Sr. picked him up and taunted him. "Do you regret being a hero now?!" he said, in a deep oily voice. "This is what you got for trying to be a good guy!"

Little did he know that when he went to pick up Reggie, he had stealthily grabbed a fistful of sand. Before he could rant, Reggie threw the sand straight into his face. Paul Sr. yelped as the sand blinded him. While he was stunned, Reggie stuck his leg out and tripped him. Paul Sr. fell face-first into the sand. Without a moment's notice, Reggie quickly pinned him the ground and searched through his pockets. He pulled out a set of keys. "Here, Paul!" he shouted.

Paul stopped trying to pull the chain and turned to his brother. Reggie threw the keys at Paul, which landed a few feet away from him. "Those are the keys to the shackle! Hurry!" he shouted. Paul wasted no time grabbing the keys and checking to see which one opens the lock on the shackle. After some trial-and-error, the shackle was unlocked and Paul's ankle was finally free.

Paul hurriedly walked over to his brother, his father still stunned by the sand. "Are you okay?" Reggie asked.

"Reggie, what's going on?" asked Paul, ignoring Reggie's question. "A few minutes ago, you were pushing me in the sand and now you're helping me?!"

"Well, remember what you did to us at the Sunmoon Islands?" reminded Reggie. "Think of this as me returning the favor."

Paul still looked at him, bemused as to what he meant. "Now look, we don't have much time," said Reggie. "You go rescue Dawn and I'll take care of mom. Okay?"

"Uh, s-sure," stammered Paul.

The two brothers broke away from each other and headed towards the two girls. Paul Sr. continued lying on the ground with sand in his eyes.

Paul walked to the sharp rocks on the shore where Dawn was held captive. "Paul!" Dawn shouted.

"Dawn!" he called back. "Hang on! I'm coming!"

Paul began walking in between the various rock formations. They were slippery from the ocean waves. But he preserved and he carefully stepped from rock to rock, getting closer and closer to Dawn. "Okay just give me a minute to untie you," he said.

"Thank you, Paul!" she said, relieved.

Paul reached up and began tugging at the ropes, hoping to loosen them up.

"Dawn, I'm so sorry that you and mom got dragged into this," he said.

"I was so scared!" she cried.

"I know. I was too," confessed Paul. "I really thought I was going to lose you."

Eventually, Paul managed to untie Dawn from the wench. Paul caught her before she fell, but he slipped and he fell back, slamming the back of his head against the hard rock surface. "Are you okay?" Dawn asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine," he replied, quickly. "Let's just hurry up and get back to the shore."

And so the two carefully made their way over and around the rocks, back onto solid ground. Once they were back on the sand, Dawn wasted no time throwing her arms around Paul. Paul didn't hesitate to hug her back. "It's okay, Dawn. You're safe now," he said, in a comforting tone.

"I meant everything I said before," Dawn said, her head buried into his chest. "You were never weak."

Paul placed his hand on her head and pulled her in closer. Suddenly, Paul heard Dawn gasping in pain. "Dawn, what's wrong?" he asked, worriedly. The two broke away from each other and Paul looked over Dawn's body. He was horrified to see several rope burns all around Dawn's arms, no doubt caused by the number of whiplashes she suffered during the battle. "Oh no," he murmured.

"I-I'm fine, really!" Dawn replied. "Come on, let's go help your mom."

The two then headed towards where Regina and Reggie were. Reggie had untied his mother and the two had just made it back onto the shore. Like Dawn, Regina also had many rope burns around her arms. "Listen mom," said Reggie. "Let me explain about what just happened."

But Regina only lightly pushed him aside and ran towards the battlefield. She only had one thought on her mind. "Mightyena!" she cried, worriedly. Reggie was a little miffed at Regina pushing him aside, but he got over it quickly and ran after her.

Back on the field, Paul Sr. was groveling on the ground, still unable to see clearly. Mightyena remained in the giant hole on the battlefield. He began making small growling noises, showing some life after being defeated by Staraptor. Regina slid into the hole, nearly losing her footing in the process and kneeled down by her Pokémon. "Mightyena! Oh Mightyena, are you okay?" she asked, anxiously.

She carefully lifted his head a few inches off the ground. Mightyena slowly began to open his eyes and continued making pained groaning noises. "Shh-shh! It's okay," she whispered, comfortingly. "Mommy's here."

Reggie, Paul, and Dawn then joined her on the field. Regina continued petting her Mightyena's head. "Mom, I'm sorry I put Mightyena through all this," mourned Paul.

"Don't apologize," Regina replied. "And don't apologize to Dawn either. You didn't know that your father would force you to use our Pokémon. And it was tough battle. You did what you had to do."

Paul suddenly remembered having to use Dawn's Prinplup in the battle. Being that it was up against an Electabuzz and that Paul hardly knew any of its moves, he and Prinplup were at a huge disadvantage. He then reached into his pocket and handed Dawn her Prinplup back. "Here," he said. "I guess I should give you Prinplup back." Dawn gladly accepted.

Just then, Regina noticed her ex-husband, still on the ground. She gently placed Mightyena's head down. "Watch Mightyena for me," she told her sons. She then slowly made her over to Paul Sr. Reggie and Paul looked at each other, confused. "What's she doing?" Paul asked.

Regina stood over Paul Sr. She watched as Paul Sr. was starting to regain his vision. Before he could do anything, Regina lifted her right foot and angrily kicked him square in the side. Everyone was surprised to see her do this. Paul Sr. turned over onto his back, clutching his ribs in agony. "Oh I'm sorry," taunted Regina. "Did that hurt?"

She then lifted her shirt up, showing the really deep cuts and bruising around her stomach that she got from dangling in the air. "I bet it did," she said, before kicking him again, this time with more force. Paul, Reggie, and Dawn winced as Regina continued delivering sickening kicks to Paul Sr. "I...don't ever...want to see you...treat my boys...like that again!" Regina angrily shouted in between kicks.

"Boy, mom can be really vicious sometimes," commented Paul.

"Hey, maybe it's time we woke everybody up," Reggie said.

Paul and Dawn looked at him, bemused at what he just said. "What do you mean wake up?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, I agree," wheezed Paul Sr.

"What are you talking about?" Paul asked.

Before Paul could get an answer, Paul Sr. quickly snapped his fingers. Suddenly, everything went dark.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Slowly but surely, Paul opened his eyes. He felt disoriented and confused, as if he just woke up from a long nap. The room was dark and he couldn't see anything. He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Where am I?" he asked, himself. He got up from the floor and looked all around. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see that he was in someone's kitchen. He recognized it as his mother's. "Wasn't I just on a beach?" he asked, himself.

The sound of someone waking up caught his attention. He looked to the floor and saw both Dawn and Regina slowly getting up. He quickly kneeled down beside the two. "Mom! Dawn! Are you two okay?" he asked, concerned.

Dawn let out a yawn. "What happened?" she asked, drowsily.

"Wasn't I just kicking my husband in the ribs, or was that a dream?" Regina asked.

"Do any of you two remembered what happened?" questioned Paul.

Regina and Dawn began thinking back. "Well...I remember hanging from a rope that was several hundred feet off the ground," said Dawn.

"I think I was too," Regina added.

"Okay, what about before that?" continued Paul.

"Hmmm...wait a minute," answered Regina. "I remember me and Reggie were in the living room watching TV. And then Justin came in, saying that he had an idea to help you. And then a Haunter suddenly appeared."

"Yeah," replied Dawn. "Actually, I think I remember a Haunter too."

Regina looked all around her kitchen. She then suddenly shrieked, scaring both Paul and Dawn. "IT WAS THAT ONE!" she yelled, frightened. She pointed towards the kitchen table. Paul and Dawn looked and sure enough, there was a Haunter floating menacingly above them. The two quickly backed away from it and joined Regina, who was cowering in the corner of the room. "What did you do to us?!" Paul asked, angrily.

Regina grabbed a nearby frying pan and held it above her head. "I'll teach you to mess with us!" she shouted. She began to charge at the Haunter brandishing her metal frying pan. Haunter quickly put his hands up, bracing for the worst.

Suddenly, the lights came on...and Reggie and Justin quickly ran in and stopped Regina from whacking Haunter. They both tried to wrestle the pan out of Regina's hands. "Stop, stop! Everybody just stop!" Justin shouted, frantically.

"Justin?" Paul asked.

"Everyone calm down!" Reggie shouted. "Everything is under control! The Haunter is with Justin!"

"Wait...what?" Regina asked, calming down.

The poor Haunter was shaking in fear with his floating hands in front of his face. Justin and Reggie slowly backed away as Regina lowered her arms down. "W-Wait...someone tell me what's going on," demanded Regina.

"This whole thing was just a setup," explained Reggie.

"This was my idea," Justin continued explaining. "I found this Haunter and managed to convince it to come with me. Then he used Hypnosis and put everyone to sleep. Everything that happened on the beach was all just an illusion created by Haunter."

Regina, Dawn, and Paul looked at the two, absolutely bewildered. "So...we never left the room?" asked Dawn.

"And Dawn and I were never in any real danger?" asked Regina.

"And the whole thing was just a dream?" asked Paul.

"Precisely!" confirmed Justin.

He took his glasses and began cleaning the lenses. "Admittedly, I never used hypnosis before. So this was all new to me as it was new to-"

He was suddenly cut off when a frying pan was thrown into his face, hitting the bridge of his nose. He fell back and slammed against the refrigerator. A very angry Regina walked up to him, ignoring her son's plea to stop, and began tugging at his hair. "Okay, who are you now?!" she interrogated. "I'm tired of being deceived and lied to! What game are you playing this time?!"

"Ow! Ow! Stop! It's really me this time!" pleaded Justin, as he tried to get Regina's hand off his hair. Reggie and Dawn both tried to wrestle Regina away.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

That's right! After all that tension and battling, everything ends with the dreaded "It Was All a Dream" cliché. I know it's not exactly the most-welcomed ending in fiction, but I thought of it back in 2010 and by this point, there was no changing it. But I hope you folks enjoyed the chapter regardless.

Next chapter will be the epilogue, wrapping everything up and answering whatever questions you dear readers might have. After all, we can put all the family business behind and return to what the fanfic was originally about, fluff pieces between Dawn and Paul.

Next time: Enough is enough! Both Paul and Regina have had it with Justin. They want straight answers and they want them now! After putting them and Reggie on the spot, it's time for them to do the same with Justin. What secrets does Justin hold with him? Will everything be resolved between the family?