Chapter Five: Realization

Sayo stood impassively, watching the battle rage before her. Charmander leapt nimbly to and fro, easily dodging his opponent's attacks. The Raticate screamed in frustration as its second Hyper Fang attack struck air.

"Don't let him push you around Raticate!" Its trainer yelled. "Quick attack!" Raticate complied, hurtling headlong at the small fire-type with deadly speed.

"Jump up, then smokescreen." Sayo calmly ordered. Charmander grunted as he used his tail to launch himself up above his adversaries head. A thick cloud of black smoke poured from his mouth and blanketed the ground below. Raticate coughed as it emerged from another failed attack, looking around wildly.

"Don't panic!" The trainer yelled. "It's still above you. Just use sandstorm." The Raticate gave a great cry as it whipped up a vicious vortex of earth. It caught Charmander off guard, and pulled him sharply back to earth. He fell heavily in front of his trainer, who frowned at the unexpected attack.

"That's a good strategy." She remarked to her opponent. "I didn't expect a Raticate to know Sandstorm, but you forgot one thing." Sayo murmured quietly to her fallen companion, who chuckled quietly. He leapt to his feet, growling with anticipation. "Go!" His trainer yelled. Charmander hissed and let out a thin stream of pure white flame. It swirled up and around with the vortex, making the sand glow a vibrant crimson. The sandstorm stopped dead in its tracks, and began to glow fervently. Hastily, Raticate made an ungainly scramble away from the flaming attack.

Charmander did not back down. He let the thin stream of flames flow out until the entire sandstorm that surrounded him transformed into a towering glass pillar. It was streaked with crimson and purple, and swirling patterns. The sheer beauty made Raticate pause for a split second, gazing in wonder. It was his fatal move. The small fire type came barreling out of nowhere, unleashing another powerful fire attack. Raticate fell painfully to the ground, feeling the searing flames sap away his remaining strength.

The other trainer bowed her head, and quietly recalled her fallen Pokémon to its poke ball. "Congratulations," she said, lifting her head, a forced smile on her face. "I had always prided myself on my ingenuity, but yours is far superior. Thank you for the battle." She bowed low and walked away, her hands curled into fists at her side.

Sayo turned away as well, not bothering to recall her Charmander. He followed sadly at her heels, looking back at the glass pillar that stood in the center of the clearing. They had worked many weeks to perfect that move, constantly battling with his overpowering flame. Sayo had pushed him almost to breaking point, until it had become almost second nature to him. Every time his flame had gone out of control, a dark look would cross her face and she would push him harder than ever. The loyal little Pokémon did not resent her for it. He could feel the pain and conflict that plagued her heart. The only thing that he regretted was his inability to help his beloved trainer.

The pair did not notice the dark figure who was watching them for some time. She stood perfectly still, noting the Charmanders downcast head and Sayo's pain filled eyes. A small smile crossed her face before she brushed her bangs away from her face and stepped out into view. Sayo started in surprise and regarded the stranger with a wary eye. The woman was very tall and thin with thick golden hair that tumbled midway down her back. Her clothes were all black and lined with silky fur.

"I was watching your battle." She said, nodding towards Sayo. "You handle your Pokémon with incredible finesse. I wish to challenge you both."

Sayo nodded her head noncommittally. "It will be one on one, no time limit. Agreed?"

The blonde woman smiled and nodded. "Very well, call out your Pokémon."

"Charmander, prepare for battle!" Sayo called. Her companion shuffled forward and stood in front of their adversary, snorting defiantly through his blunt snout.

The woman smiled again and looked Sayo directly in the eye. "Gyarados, battle dance!"

Sayo froze as she watched the giant serpent materialize in front of her. It roared fiercely and faced her small Charmander with a steely glint in its yellow eyes. Charmander gave out a small cry and spun around, racing back towards his friend. Sayo collapsed to the ground, shaking uncontrollably. Her long hair fell around her face, hiding her expression from view.

The stranger watched this whole episode without any surprise. "Sayo," She called to the girl. "Look up. A trainer should never bow her head in fear."

Sayo did look up at these words, surprise evident on her pale face. "How do you know my name?"

"That does not matter now. What does matter is that you are unable to face the the terrible mistake that you made. Look at yourself! You're letting your emotions command your decisions, and betraying the trust that many have placed in you. Stand up, trainer. Face me now and face your fears. Remember that behind all the training, the sweat, and the tears, lies the funtamental love and trust between you and your Charmander. Use that force rather than the forces of regret or guilt. Stand up and battle us with your head held high." The woman smiled kindly again. "Remember that you are as incredible as you will allow yourself to become."

Tears began to spill out of Sayo's eyes as she heard those last words. "That's what he said in his note." She choked. "He said that he believed in me, and I let him down." She stood shakily up, and wiped her eyes. "Dante, I'm so sorry." She whispered to the sky. "You helped me in more ways than I realized. I dedicate this battle to you."

The woman did not hesitate. "Then lets begin. Gyarados, safeguard!" The giant pokemon began to glow, and a transparant golden light enveloped its huge frame.

"Ok Charmander." Sayo said, her eyes burning for the first time in weeks. "Lets start off simple. Smokescreen!" A dark haze swept over the battlefield, making it impossible to see more than a few inches in any direction.

"Gyarados, use twister to clear away some of the smoke." A large tornado came tearing across, whipping up dirt and leaves and parting the smog. Whenever it passed, deep ruts were left in the soft ground making it very loose and trecherous. Sayo did not look worried however as she watched the scene before her.

"Stay calm, Charmander." She told him. "Wait for the perfect moment and then use whiteflame on the broken up earth." Charmander nodded and sprang away. He doged the twister as it hurtled toward him and then let loose his flame. It roared brighter than ever before, making the two trainers step backwards in haste. The sandy earth glowed a deep crimson and began to melt, turning the ruts into small rivers of lava. Gyarados roared with the heat, and cringed away, unable to focus on its target. "Now, Charmander! Climb up on its back and use skull bash!"

The little fire-type did so with a vengance, moving so quickly that Gyarados had no time to react. It roared and reeled away, dizzy from the blow.

"Don't panic, Gyarados." Its trainer called. "Use Hydro Pump on the lava to cool it, and then follow up with rain dance."

A powerful stream of water poured from the Pokemon's mouth, drenching the molten lava. It hissed as it cooled, leaving a solid formation of rock in its place. Charmander hastily backed away from the spray, unable to get close enough to attack. "We have been training for this!" Sayo yelled at him encouragingly. "I know that you're strong enough to take it."

Just as she spoke, Gyarados unleashed its rain dance attack, and fat raindrops began to plummet down from above. "Damn." Sayo muttered as the water started falling in earnest. "What now?" Charmander stood miserably in the downpour, trying to shield its small tail flame. "Charmander, I guess we can use---"

She was cut off by the other trainers shouted command. "Hydro Cannon!"

Sayo and Charmander both looked up just in time to see a huge sphere of water come hurtling in their direction. "Use whiteflame to evaporate it!" She screamed to her friend. He took a deep breath and let loose a gigantic burst of power. It was enough to instantly evaporate the water on contact. "Good job!" Sayo cried extatically. "I cant believe that worked!" Her celebrations came too soon however. They did not notice the second powerful attack coming until it was too late. It collided with Charmander and sent him flying backwards for several feet. "No!" Sayo yelled, rushing to his side. It was over. Charmander was unconcious, curled up in a small bundle. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms. "That was my fault, Charmander my friend." She whispered to him. "I let my guard down and you had to pay for it." I know that you had the talent to win that battle, but my inexperience as a trainer let you down."

The blonde woman recalled her Gyarados and walked over to them. "You two are truly a unique pair." She said. "There are not many seasoned trainers could have done so well against the champion of the Sinnoh Pokemon League, let alone a rookie."

Sayo turned around in surprise. "You mean that you're…?"

"Yes," the other laughed. "My name is Cynthia, Dante is a very dear friend of mine. It was he who asked me to battle you. He knew that you would probably be still stricken by what happened to that wild Gyarados. Since I also had one, I was the perfect choice to "combat your fears" so to speak."

Sayo laughed for the first time in weeks. "You certianly did a good job. Thanks Cynthia, I don't know how I could have overcome this without your help."

"There is still a wound there." Cynthia reminded her. "I think you know what you need to do to overcome it."

"I do." Sayo nodded.

"Then do your best on this new journey of yours, trainer." Cynthia extended her hand. "Never, ever give in to your doubts."

As their hands clasped, Sayo could almost feel a lightness within herself. A great weight had been taken away, and she now knew what she had to do.

Charmander growled nervously behind her. "I know, buddy." Sayo whispered as she peered around a rock. "I'm scared as hell too, but this is something we have to do." He growled once more but nodded. Sayo took a deep breath and stood up. "Lets go."

They walked to the edge of the lake, and looked once more over the pristine waters. It looked so peacefull and calm, without the faintest hint of danger. "He should be able to smell us by now, Charmander." Sayo said. "He will either erupt from the lake and try to kill us, or sit at the bottom and watch our every move." She gulped. "I guess this is it."

Sayo looked once at the sky, fighting down her fear, and then spoke aloud. "Gyarados, I know that you are down there, and that you are aware of us. You probably think we are back to finish the wrongs that we have done to you, but that is not so. I know that this is probably a futile gesture, but one that I have to make. At first I was unaware of why you were so angry, I simply assumed that rage was part of a Gyarados' personality. When I finally realized what my Charmanders flame had done to you, I was overcome with regret and self hatred. I spent days upon days wallowing in my own emotions, training Charmander to control his power. Nothing else mattered. I guess I was just unable to face my own fear of failure."

Sayo closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She slowly knelt on the ground, keeping her head bowed. "I know that an apology can never make up for the pain and fear that we inflicted upon you, but I have to try. I realized today that all of those days were wasted. We should have come back to you the minute we found out the reason for your pain. Oh, god. I am so sorry."

The pair sat a few minutes more, their eyes closed. "I guess that's the best we can do, Charmander." Sayo said softly. "Lets just hope he heard us." They opened their eyes and stood up, ready to turn around. What they saw nearly made them jump out of their skins.

Silently, while Sayo had stil been talking, the Gyarados had risen out of the water. He was watching them closely, but his eyes showed no hint of rage. Instead, unshed tears glistened in their great yellow depths. He slowly bowed his head until it was on the same level as Sayo's. She stared at him for a long while before letting out a sob and rushing over to him. She hugged his great snout and kissed his scaly forhead. "Thank you, Gyarados." She whispered to him. "I will never forget how kind you are. I hope that you live happily and safely in your lake from now on. With no stupid humans to bother you."

He gave a low growl of agreement before rasing his head and diving back into the lake. Sayo and Charmander watched him go, a lightness filling their hearts. After a time Sayo laughed out loud and lifted her friend up, swinging him around. "We did it, Charmander! He understood!"

She gently placed the dizzy and disgruntled pokemon down on the ground. He growled at her, but she ignored him. Hastlily, she placed her pack on the sandy beach and rummaged through it. Finally, she drew out the silver necklace that Dante had given her. The dragonite pendant flashed brightly in the late afternoon sun. "This will symbolize the Sayo who does not run from fear." She said to nobody in particular. "It will remind me that wherever we might be, there will always be people who care for us and wish us well."

She swiftly gathered her long black hair and pulled it out of the way. The chain clasped easily at the back of her neck and hung down just past her collar bone. It sparkled prettily against the dark blue fabric of her dress. "Come on Charmander!" She said as she hoisted her pack over her shoulder again. "Viridian City is just up ahead. I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to a real bed tonight!" The pair took off running down the mountian, laughing like two children as they bounded along. They were ready to meet new people, and discover new places. Whatever adventures were in store for them would be mete with open arms.

*Authors Note: Hey guys! Thanks for reading the latest chapter of Legende. I'm sorry this took so long, I was having serious writers block. But anyways, Please, Please, PLEASE review!!!!! It helps me to improve. Oh, and Regal290, your suggestion about the flying pokemon will come in the next chapter! Thanks again guys.