Chapter 6

Rise and Fall

(A/N: This is the last chapter in my fic, and the end of the duel. Don't worry, this chapter's really altoshippy.)

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"Game over Ash!" Latios laughed. "This battle is finished. However, I may be able to spare you. Just surrender and leave Altomare forever. Come on, I really don't want to kill you."

Ash shook his head. "I love Latias more than life itself, Latios. If I surrender to you here, I will have let her down. And that is one thing I cannot do!"

Latios' expression clouded in rage. "So be it. Ratiosu, attack the Majestic Mech! Riot Spike!"

Grand Shadow Guardian-Ratiosu Attk 3800 vs. Goryu Attk: 3700: Attacker wins

Grand Shadow Guardian-Ratiosu roared and the spikes extended out of his skin, impaling the Majestic Mech and destroying it instantaneously.

Ash 4100 Latios 3950

Ash chuckled. "You failed to read the effect on my Black Pendant card. When it's sent to the grave, you take 500 points of damage!"

"Hunh?" Latios said, looking up. His eyes widened as shards of the Black Pendant flew at him, digging into his skin. "Dyaaargh!"

Ash 4100 Latios 3450

"Ogh." Latios said. "Nasty effect, I'll admit, but not as nasty as my Black Luster Soldier! You see, he can attack multiple times as long as he destroys a monster with the previous attack, meaning I can clear your field and blast you directly in one move! Attack with Luster Blade!"

Black Luster Soldier raised his sword. Ash shook his head. "Not this turn. I play Hollowed Life Barrier! All I have to do is send my King of Yamimaki to my grave (Why I put that in Ash's deck is beyond me, it stinks!) to negate your attack!

Latios snarled and set a face down card. "Creep. Still, you can't survive another turn." Something's wrong. He could have stopped my Ratiosu's attack, but let his Goryu be destroyed! Why?

Ash drew his card. "Time to end this. I activate a face-down, Reverse Trap. During the turn this is activated, increases to a monsters attack and defense become decreases, and vice-versa. Next I will summon the only monster that can defeat you." He pulled the card from his hand and stared at it a long moment. "I hope this works. I remove Goryu and Trial of Nightmare from play to summon Chaos Emperor Dragon-Envoy of the End!"

What happened next had to be the most incredible summoning sequence since Yugi summoned Obelisk the Tormentor in the Yu-Gi-Oh movie. A huge blast of light erupted from the disk, and shot into the sky. Wings unfolded from within the pillar, and darkness spread throughout the pillar. From within the darkness, two red eyes slowly opened. In two huge stomps, the massive beast stepped forward from the darkness.

Chaos Emperor Dragon Attk: 3000 Def: 2500

"Next I play Card of Sanctity!" Ash declared. "This lets us both draw until we hold six cards. And finally, I activate the special ability of my dragon, paying 1000 life points to destroy all cards on the field and in our hands, and inflict 300 points to you for all cards sent!"

To defeat you at this junction in the game...Ash, I salute your skills. However, they were never enough... "I activate my face down card, Waltz of Hell! First, this card annihilates all other spell and trap cards on the field." Said Latios as Altomare collapsed around them. "Then it increases the attack of all monsters on the field for every card in their respecttive owner's hand times 600 points, and then sends all cards in our hands to the grave! So your Chaos Emperor Dragon is drastically weakened, as is all of our monsters, thanks to your reverse trap!

Chaos Emperor Dragon 3000-3600 0

Black Luster Soldier: 3000-3600 0

Grand Shadow Guardian 3500-3600 0

The Chaos Emperor Dragon glowed white, then self-destructed in a blinding flash, blowing away himself, Ash's two face down monsters, Grand Shadow Guardian, and Black Luster Soldier, for a total of 1500 points of damage.

Ash 3100 Latios 1950

Ash's face fell. Latios roared with laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So much for your invincible monster! You have just made yourself wide open! Next turn, I will be able to obliterate what's left of your life points!"

Ash shook his head. "Sorry Latios. I'm the one who's won the duel. I haven't summoned a monster yet, so the battle isn't over yet."

Latios pointed an accusing finger at Ash. "B-b-but you have no monsters in your hand to summon! Your hand is completely empty!"

Ash simply held up a card, with a strange orange hairball with claws, fangs, and three eyes. "I play Sangan's special power! When he is sent to the grave, I can select a monster with 1500 attack points or less from my deck, and add it to my hand! And now I play him in attack mode!"

Ash slapped down a butt-ugly monster with hands and feet sprouting from all over it, two mouths, and two spikes sprouting from tentacles on its back.

Dark Jeroid Attk: 1200 Def 1500

Latios stared for about ten seconds. Then he howled with mirth. "Ppppphahahhahahahahahahaha! That's your big monster? Dark Jeroid? For one thing, he has a special ability, that decreases one monster on...either side of...the field by...eight...hundred...points. Unless..."

Dark Jeroid glowed, and his attack points rose!

Dark Jeroid Attk: 2000 Def 1500

Latios nearly lost his footing. "You...how...why...?"

Ash chuckled. "You're right that Jeroid weakens a monster when it comes into play, decreasing its attack by 800 points. But by using its ability on itself on the turn I played Reverse Trap rose its attack by 800 points, giving it a total of 2000 attack points!"

Latios covered his face with his paws, peeking out from his claws. "This...th...this can't be happening! No! NOOO!"

"Impossible as it may seem, Latios," Ash yelled, "YOU LOSE! NOW, JEROID, OBLITERATE!!!"

Dark Jeroid gathered power in its lower mouth, then fired an immense purple fire directly at Latios, engulfing him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Latios screamed as his life points dropped to zero.

Ash: 3100 Latios: 0

Latios crumpled to the ground. "It can't be...I can't have...lost to...him. No. Not him...them. I made the horrible mistake...that the enemy always makes...I underestimated the power of true love. I was such a jerk today..." He got back in the air and looked directly at Ash. Ash stepped in front of Latias, shielding her. Latios stared solemnly for a few seconds, then smiled softly.

"Congratulations, Ash. You beat me fair and square."

Ash raised his eyebrows. "Huh?" He stammered.

Latios chuckled. "That duel...you made Yugi Muto look like a bran muffin, and that's saying something! Anyone who duels like that certainly is worthy in my book."

Ash mouthed silently, then turned to Latias, looking at her lovingly. Latias smiled in the way she did so well. She leaned forward and kissed Ash gently.

6 Years Later...

"I do." Said Ash, turning to his new wife and kissing her. Latias hugged him as the audience clapped. However, one of the attendees was looking thoughtful. She turned to Lorenzo.

"Grandpa, where's Latios?" Asked Bianca.

"Eh? I don't know..." Lorenzo said.

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"You took over my mind, you almost killed my sister's best friend..." Latios said, staring at the box containing the Envoys. "You may have given me unbelievable powers, but if you are going to force me to hurt those close to me, then you can take your curse to the bottom of the sea!"

With the speed of his best fastball, Latios wound up and flung the golden case as hard and far as he possibly could.

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"Finally, we're out!" Oakley said in relief, walking next to Annie out of the prison. "Ooghch!" She said in shock as something hit her hard on the head, bouncing off and into Annie's hands.

"Heh?" She said as she opened the box. "Uh, Oakley, come look at this."