After finally getting chapter 6 completed—who would've thought retyping two whole episodes from the anime could take so long?--I can now get to something outside of the original show...

So, let's begin the break!


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Between my Brother and Me

by Green Phantom Queen

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Chapter 7-Stuck Absolutely and Not Probably Doomed

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The group of black motorcyclists soon stopped near May and Max as the two siblings brought out their Poké balls. The siblings weren't going to take any chances with the attackers.

"You shouldn't be around these parts." said one of the bikers. "You never know who might be there to hurt you."

It was at that time that Yugi, Tristan, Téa and Joey caught up to the group. Seeing the motorcyclists, the four gasped at the fact that they were completely outnumbered.

"What type of problem do you have with us?" asked Joey, pushing Téa behind him. "Just leave us alone!"

"I don't think they'll take your advice." said May, pressing a button on her Poké ball to enlarge it. "You guys, head back to the limousine, Max and I will take care of these guys."

"But you two..." Yugi began to say, but soon saw the determination in the Pokémon trainers' eyes and nodded his head. "Good luck guys."

"All right!" said Max, tossing his Poké balls into the air. "Shuppet and Vigoroth, come out right now!"

"Everyone on stage!" said May, tossing all six of her Poké balls into the air. The eight opened, revealing all the Pokémon ready to fight.

"How cute." said one of the motorcyclists, brandishing out a lead pipe. "But let's see what happens when they get bruises."

The rest of the gang soon brought out their lead pipes, soon circling the group of Pokémon. Dragging the weapons onto the ground, sparks danced amongst the road as May and Max began to attack.

"How about you take a taste of this!" said Max, pointing to a couple of the motorcyclists. "Vigoroth use Fury Swipes! Shuppet, you attack with Night Shade!"

Vigoroth's claws began to glow white as it charged toward the motorcyclists. It then slashed at least three of the motorcyclists down onto the ground. Shuppet then let a beam of black energy fire against five of them as they also were down for the count.

"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" Blaziken nodded his head at May's command and soon let his legs be surrounded by fire. With a good roundhouse kick, it connected to two motorcycles and the motorcyclists were soon escaping their burning vehicles.

"Now Beautifly, Silver Wind!" Beautifly flew into the air, flapping its wings. Silver crescents appeared, hitting the road as some more motorcyclists fell down.

"Munchlax, Focus Punch! Squirtle, Ice Beam! Eevee, Shadow Ball!"

Munchlax's fist began to glow white and it tackled some of the motorcycles. Squirtle let out a blue beam escape its mouth, freezing some of the rides and Eevee's orb of black energy exploded on contact amongst the group of other motorcyclists.

"Altaria!" said May, pointing to the remaining attackers. "Use..." She paused. "Wait a minute...Max, what moves can Altaria learn?"

"Altaria is a Dragon and Flying type Pokémon, May." Max explained. "It can learn moves like Aerial Ace and DragonBreath, but also has the ability to use Iron Tail or even Flamethrower!"

"All right, then!" said May. "Altaria use DragonBreath!"

The Humming Pokémon soon opened its mouth, letting out a blast of green air at the rest of the opponents.

"I just got a great idea, Max!" said May. "Use Shuppet's Will-o-Wisp and combine it with my Altaria's DragonBreath!"

"That's a good idea!" Max exclaimed. "Shuppet, Will-o-Wisp!"

"Shup...." said Shuppet as blue flames surrounded the Puppet Pokémon. They then circled the green tornado as if they were fish in the sea.

"Altaria, lift the DragonBreath up into the air!" said May. Altaria tilted its head up, causing the DragonBreath to look like a fountain. The Will-o-Wisp flames soon fell down upon the last of the motorcyclists like meteors!

"Why you--" May turned around as one of the motorcyclists charged toward them, the lead pipe in his hands. "You're going to PAY!"

"Ab-SOL!"

A beam of energy shaped like a crescent soon hit the attacker at his back and he fell down with a thud. May and Max looked up to see a pink furry Pokémon with a baled-like tail standing on one of the rocks. What made it so interesting was there was a red oval on its forehead, and a red crescent blade next to it.

"That's a Shiny Absol..." said Max as he looked on with awe. "What's it doing here?"

"It must be warning us about something." said May, as the Disaster Pokémon walked toward them. Its red eyes were staring closely at the group as May brought out her Pokéblock case, in the emergency that it needed something to eat.

"Ab...sol." said Absol once it reached them. "Absol."

"Wait...." said Max, trying to understand the Pokémon's words. "You sense bad things are happening, and you want to join us?"

"Sol." was Absol's reply. "Absol."

"You'll come with us if we battle you?" asked May. Absol nodded its head. "Okay then..."

"Hey, May." said Max. "Can I try it out? You're already holding onto 6 Pokémon, so I should have a chance to catch it! And it'll give me good practice when I become an official Pokémon trainer!"

"Take this then." said May, handing her brother an empty Poké ball. "You're going to need it."

"Thanks." said Max in return. Surrounding the group of Pokémon were the fallen bodies of the motorcyclists and the tipped vehicles that were amongst the dusty ground. It was then that the limousine that Yugi and the others were in had sped past them, most likely due to panic.

"Better end the battle quickly, Max." said May. "Yugi and the others are heading off to Industrial Illusions."

"Will do." Max replied. "Now Vigoroth..." He pointed to Absol. "I choose you! Let's battle!"

"VIGOROTH!" yelled the Wild Monkey Pokémon as it stared eye-to-eye with the Disaster Pokémon.

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Unknown to May and Max, and also to Yugi and his friends, Raphael and Valon were staring at what had happened amongst one of the nearby mesas. They were a bit speechless when they saw the Pokémon Trainers defeat the motorcyclists with ease.

"Looks like the Pharaoh got lucky." Raphael snarled. "Those little kids are very powerful allies."

"Those two didn't even break a sweat even when they were surrounded!" Valon exclaimed. "Guess Master Dartz was right about them being the beings of Joy and Wisdom."

"Right or not, those two are going down." Raphael added. "But...that girl..."

"Raphael," said Valon. "Are you trying to get me into that whole 'Guardian of the Sea' thing again? I keep telling you that you were delusional; there was no way that she could've existed."

"She did." Raphael replied with a growl. "She was there when I arrived on the island ten years ago, and she danced with me and told me tales of the different adventures she went through. She even had scars on her arms...and I promised her that I would kill whomever hurt her...."

"But then when you two were on the cliff, she fell and died." Valon ended. "I've heard the story too many times, Raph. But you have to let it go; the Guardian of the Sea is dead, and you'll never see her again."

"She said one more thing before she fell, though." said Raphael, staring at May and her Pokémon. "Look for the girl in blue...for she is the key to your answer...."

"Okay...that make you sound more of a stalker than anything." said Valon, trying to digest his partner's words.

For that, he got whapped on the back of the head.

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Traveling amongst the gardens of Duelist Kingdom, Mokuba was feeling a bit nervous. After explaining what had happened, Kaiba had replied with "Get rid of whatever Alister put in your head; there's no such thing as magic."

"Seto," said Mokuba. "How do you think Alister was able to disappear like that?"

Kaiba stopped in his tracks. "I don't know." He replied. "And frankly, I don't care."

"But you heard what he said." Mokuba said in response. "He'll come back for revenge. And that Seal of Orichalcos gives him the power to steal souls!"

"Mokuba, do you actually believe in that nonsense?" Kaiba asked his younger brother. "Alister was nothing more than a desperate loony who wanted nothing more than a shot in beating a real duelist. He didn't have any magic powers."

"And are you saying what I have aren't considered magic powers?" Mokuba replied, with anger. "I'll show you!"

He closed his eyes, trying to calm his whole body down. Taking a deep breath, his body soon began to glow in a white outline and his Mezzaluna weapon appeared in his hand. Opening his eyes once more, his eyes were now shining like diamonds, and a cartouche was hanging around his neck.

"Do you see it now, Seto?" Mokuba replied as Khonsu's spirit hovered over him. "This is my power, for 5,000 years ago I was known as Moka, the Vessel of Khonsu, the Moon God. With his advice, as the Defender of the King, I protected the Pharaoh from his enemies...and I will use this same power to stop this evil from destroying the world."

"I told you to get rid of that magic junk!" Kaiba snapped, grabbing Mokuba by his shirt collar. "There is no such thing as magic, it's just a trick!"

Mokuba sneered at his brother, pressing his hand against Kaiba's chest. "Release." He stated simply.

Before Kaiba could blink, he was pushed away by a blast of power as Mokuba soon got on his feet. The young boy soon charged toward his fallen brother with the giant blade weapon.

"Take this!" Kaiba brought his arms up as Mokuba lowered his weapon. The weapon went down, until it was about two inches close to the cloth of the purple duster. Mokuba scoffed as he set his weapon down.

"You're no fun to deal with." Mokuba replied as Khonsu's voice was heard loud and clear. "All that matters now is that we head off to Industrial Illusions and find the real Pegasus."

"I couldn't agree more, Mokuba." Kaiba said in response. "Maybe then we can find some answers to a questions I have to say."

Mokuba closed his eyes as the weapon disappeared. However, in opening them, he saw a dark blue outline surrounding his brother.

This aura.... Mokuba thought to himself. Where's it coming from?

Recall the dragon that your brother used? Khonsu asked. I'm guessing that's where it's coming from...The Fang of Critias...I have never heard of that name...

Maybe Pegasus knows. Mokuba replied. Let's get going, Khonsu...if we find Pegasus, then I'll be one step closer in finding the Goddess of Joy and Prince of Wisdom. And the sooner I find those two, the sooner I get my deck.

Khonsu nodded his head. Before you go...you know of the Millennium Puzzle, right?

You mean that thing around Yugi's neck? Of course I do! That's where half of Atem's soul resides in, right?

That's correct. Since I have learned from the mistakes of having Vessels, I used some of my magic to craft you an item for you to wear. That way, it'll be easier for you to channel my magic into your body.

Showing his hands in front of Mokuba, a silver chain appeared with a charm that looked like Khonsu's crown, except that the crescent was a pale yellow. It disappeared and soon reappeared around Mokuba's neck. Noticing this, the younger Kaiba placed it under his shirt, making sure that he didn't want to explain how and why he was wearing it to his brother.

"Thank you." Mokuba whispered.

"Mokuba, time to head off." said Kaiba, seeing his brother staring back at the entrance to Duelist Kingdom.

"Oh, right." said Mokuba turning around before running toward the Blue Eyes White Dragon jet.

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"Vigoroth use Focus Punch!" said Max.

Vigoroth's fist began to glow white as it landed a punch against Absol. The fight between the two had lasted for a quite a while, and both of the Pokémon were giving it their all. The Wild Monkey Pokémon panted for breath, beads of sweat falling down its white fur.

"Max, it's about time to get ready for Absol's capture." said May. Max nodded his head, as he gripped on the empty Poké ball.

Absol grit its teeth as copies of the Pokémon appeared, surrounding its opponent.

"Vigoroth!" Max yelled. "Use Slash and spin around like a tornado!"

"Vigor..." said the Normal type Pokémon as its claws began to glow white. "ROTH!"

With a loud cry, it spun around like a tornado, dispersing the clones. Absol was hit by the attack and fell to the ground. It tried to stand up, but then collapsed, its eyes replaced with swirls.

"All right!" said Max. "Go, Poké ball!"

Tossing the small sphere into the air, it hit the oval on Absol's head. The Disaster Pokémon soon became an beam of red energy and went into the Poké ball. The capturing device fell onto the ground, moving back and forth as the button began to glow red.

"Come on..." Max said to himself, his heart pounding against his chest. "Please..."

Silence came upon the whole group as the ball stopped moving and a slight 'beep' was heard. Max's look of surprise turned into excitement as he grabbed the Poké ball.

"I DID IT!" He screamed. "I just caught a Shiny Absol!" Vigoroth and Shuppet agreed with him, smiles on both of their faces.

"Congratulations, Max!" said May, hugging her brother. "You were great!"

"I can't believe that I captured a Pokémon." said Max, staring at the Poké ball once more. "Now I can finally say, 'Absol, I choose you!'"

The Poké ball flew into the air, opening to reveal the red Disaster Pokémon. Absol opened its eyes as May's Pokémon ran to greet it.

"Look at that," said May. "Everyone's getting along so well. Hold on..." Bringing out a Pokéblock from her Pokéblock case, she soon handed it to Absol. It was purple in color, causing the other Pokémon to back away.

"May!" Max said with some surprise. "You're not going to feed Absol your Purple Surprise Poké blocks, are you?"

"It's just one, Max." said May as Absol sniffed at it. It immediately took it into its mouth and swallowed it. There was some silence as Max was waiting for Absol to faint from the taste. To his surprise, Absol nodded its head as if to say that it liked it.

"All right!" said Max. "Absol liked it. Now hold on..." Rummaging through May's waist pack, he pulled out a Super Potion and knelt near his new Pokémon.

"This will sting a bit, but it'll heal your wounds." Pressing the nozzle, a spray soon hit Absol's red fur. Wincing at the touch, the Disaster Pokémon soon calmed down when its wounds were gone.

"Come on, Max." said May, staring at the long road. "We've got to head off, Yugi and the others must be ahead of us."

Max nodded his head, bringing out two Poké balls. "Shuppet and Vigoroth, return." The two Pokémon returned as May returned all of her Pokémon, except for Altaria.

"Altaria," said May. "Can you carry me to Industrial Illusions?"

"Al! Altaria!" Altaria flew down so May could sit on it. Despite its size, May was able to sit comfortably on it without hurting the poor thing.

"Hey, Absol." said Max. "Can I ride on your back?"

"Absol." was the Disaster Pokémon reply. It got on its knees as Max soon got on top of it.

"All right!" said May, pointing toward their destination. "Away we go!"

"Altaria!" said Altaria, as the two siblings headed toward the building.

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After Tristan caused the engine to overheat, Yugi and the others were able to successfully to hitch a ride to Industrial Illusions. They got chased by more motorcyclists, but were soon stopped by someone riding on a red motorcycle, glad that they weren't going to become roadkill.

"It just had to be Mai." said Joey amongst the noise of the purring engine. "One of the cards I saw amongst the mess was her Harpie Lady Card, plus I got a glimpse from inside her helmet."

"I'm amazed by how she was able to knock all of those motorcyclists." said Tristan. "I mean, May and Max have those Pokémon on them, but how Mai did it with those cards couldn't top that."

"I'm just glad Mai is on our side." said Téa. "Who knows what would've happened if she wasn't."

"That's true." said Yugi. "But why didn't she stay with us? She just left..."

"YUGI! OVER HERE!"

Yugi looked to his left to see May riding on Altaria and Max on his red Absol, both trainers waving at the four.

"Look, it's May and Max!" said Joey. "They're all right!"

"And it looks like Max has a new Pokémon." Téa added.

"All right, Absol." said Max. "Let's catch up to them!" Absol nodded its head and started to increase in speed.

"No fair, Max!" said May, seeing that Absol was using Quick Attack to speed up. "Altaria, after them!"

"Don't you think you're going a little to fast?" asked Tristan, seeing the two racing toward the truck.

Suddenly, a blast of fire appeared, separating the truck from the Pokémon trainers! Altaria and Absol stopped moving as the truck sped off into the distance.

"What was that?" asked Yugi, seeing smoke behind them.

"Whatever it is, I hope those two kids are all right." said Joey.

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"All right." said May, as Altaria landed on the road. "Who the heck did that?"

"That would be me, miss."

Looking to their left, the siblings met up with a teenager who was around 15 with short black hair that spiked near his chin. His grey eyes stared at the two as he was draped in a black shirt with a white Poké ball design on his left chest and black pants. Black sneakers covered his feet and he even had a small sack worn on his right arm. In his hand was a Poké ball with a green six-pointed star painted on it.

"And who are you?" asked Max. The stranger jumped out of the mesa and showed his Poké ball.

"Call me Marius." said the man. "And I'm here to challenge you, May!"

"How do you know my name?" asked May, getting off of Altaria. "I've never seen you before!"

"Everyone knows the names of Norman's children." Marius replied. "And I'm going to start my plan of revenge by letting your soul be taken!"

"Come on, Marius." said May. "Let's be rational about this."

"Rationality be screwed!" Marius snapped as he lifted his hand into the air. "Seal of Orichalcos...appear!"

A green beam of light rose from the air, as the dreaded green circle rose to the ground. May didn't know what to expect as the six-pointed Seal appeared surrounding her...despite the fact that she was facing a Trainer and not a Duelist. The seal appeared on Marius's head as his eyes had a red glint.

"May!" said Max, running toward the barrier. His hands pounded against the invisible force field. "May, be careful!"

"The rule is simple." said Marius. "We'll have a 3-on-3 battle and the winner escapes, while the loser loses their soul."

"I know how the Orichalcos works." said May, brining out a Poké ball. "Now let's fight!"

"Agreed." said Marius. "Let's go, Magcargo!"

Tossing the ball into the air, a huge red snail made of magma was seen in the desert. It also had a giant black shell to add the look. On its forehead was the Seal of Orichalcos.

"H...how could you?!" May gasped out. "How could you let an innocent Pokémon be empowered by that thing?!"

"Ha!" Marius scoffed. "Shows how much you know...my family has been living on the streets since I was young, and my father was doing dirty deeds to pay for us. But one day, he was caught and sent into jail and you know what happened? He died...committed seppuku in front of me and the rest of my family when we visited him. I was angry at it, especially when the Pokémon League got wind of it, and they didn't do anything to help our family, they just left us to suffer even more! And since your father's a Gym Leader, you're also part of this mess!"

"Don't blame us for your misfortune!" Max yelled. "Our dad would never admit to doing anything of the sort! Try and open your eyes and realize that it's not our fault!"

"Never!" Marius screamed. "Now bring out your Pokémon, May!"

"Fine!" said May tossing a Poké ball into the air. "Squirtle, take the stage!"

The Poké ball opened, as the Tiny Turtle Pokèmon appeared. It looked at its opponent and started to sweat, seeing the evil look in the eyes of the Lava Pokémon.

"A Squirtle?" Marius asked mockingly. "And what's that going to do? Scare me to death with Tail Whip?" He laughed as May snarled.

"I'll show you!" said May. "Squirtle, Ice Beam!"

"Squirtle..." said Squirtle as a beam of blue energy escaped its mouth. The beam became an icy shell around the Lava Pokémon.

"All right, a direct hit!" said May. Marius just smirked as the ice soon became nothing but steam melting off of the snail.

"Magcargo." said Magcargo with some anger.

"What?!" May said in shock. "How...what...but I..."

"May, Magcargo are Fire type Pokémon, remember?" said Max. "Flannery had one back at the Lavaridge Gym, and Magcargo has an ability known as Magma Armor, making it unable to be frozen by Ice Beam."

"Guess you have some brains to go with that Pokémon of yours, Max." Marius said with a laugh. "Magcargo, use Flame thrower and burn that thing to a crisp!"

"Magcargo...." said the Lava Pokémon as it let out a gout of flames at Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Withdraw!" Squirtle nodded its head and soon tucked its body all the way into its shell. The flames soon went through the shell.

"Magcargo, use Rock Smash!" said Marius.

Magcargo jumped into the air then fell down with a thud as rocks were thrown into the sky. They then rained down on Squirtle's shell.

"Squirtle, use Rapid Spin!" said May. Squirtle's shell began to spin, forming a small tornado for the rocks to travel in before they were hurled back at Magcargo!

"Magcargo, use Recover!" said Marius. Magcargo let itself be washed in a pure light and it glared at the Tiny Turtle Pokémon who was coming out of its shell.

"Now, use Ancient Power!" Magcargo opened its mouth as a huge orb of white energy began to form.

"Ancient...Power?" May repeated. Squirtle gulped at the site.

"MAGCARGO!" The orb of energy was released as Squirtle was unable to move.

"Squirtle!" May yelled at the last minute. "Water Gun!"

Squirtle fired a jet of water against the blast...unfortunately the water became nothing but mist as Ancient Power hit dead on with Squirtle!

"SQUIRTLE!" Squirtle screamed as it landed near May's feet. Swirls replaced its eyes as it landed on its shell.

"Oh, no! Squirtle!" said May getting on her knees. "Are you okay?"

"Hmph." Marius scoffed. "Not even a challenge. Don't worry, the Pokémon's soul will be fine...but their trainer will be sealed forever!"

"This doesn't look good." said Max, seeing his sister return Squirtle back into its Poké ball. "May's down to two Pokémon, and Squirtle's the only one with a type advantage against Marius's Magcargo....what's she going to do now?"

"Okay, Altaria!" said May, turning to the Humming Pokémon standing next to her. "You ready for our first Pokémon battle?"

"WHAT?!" Max yelled. "May, you're crazy! Altaria is a Flying type Pokémon, and Magcargo is a Rock type! Rock beats Flying!"

"Well, let's see if I can change that!" said May as Altaria flew into the air. "Altaria, use Astonish!"

"Altaria!" Altaria screamed as it made a terrifying face at Magcargo. Magcargo gulped, unable to move from the look on the Humming Pokémon's face.

"What are you waiting for, Magcargo?!" asked Marius. "Finish that thing with Rock Tomb!"

Magcargo didn't obey its Trainer's call as beads of sweat fell down on it face.

"Good call, May!" said Max. "Astonish can cause the opposing Pokémon to flinch, thus making it unable to attack!"

"Here's my chance!" said May. "Altaria, use Aerial Ace!"

"Al...." said Altaria, charging toward Magcargo. It soon became a blur of white as Magcargo soon fell to the side.

"Magcargo!" said Marius. "Use Recover!"

"Not again, it won't!" said May. "Altaria, end it with DragonBreath!"

Altaria opened its mouth and released another bout of the green air blast as before as Magcargo flew into the air, before falling down once more and creating a small crater in the arena.

"Mag...cargo..." The Lava Pokémon moaned. Marius growled at the Pokémon Coordinator as he brought out its Poké ball.

"Magcargo, return." Marius stated simply before bringing out his second Poké ball. "Now I choose you, Vileplume!"

The ball opened to reveal the giant Flower Pokémon as the Seal of Orichalcos appeared on its forehead.

"You're going to win this, May!" said Max. "Vileplume is a Grass type, its' weak against Altaria!"

"But, it's just as your sister said," said Marius. "'Let's see if I can change that!' Vileplume, attack that bird with your Petal Dance!"

"Vile..." said Vileplume as pink petals swirled above the flower on its head. "PLUME!"

"Double Team, Altaria!" said May as Altaria soon created copies of itself. The group surrounded the Flower Pokémon as Vileplume was looking back at forth with confusion.

"That's not going to stop me!" said Marius. "Vileplume use Bullet Seed on all the Altaria!"

"Vileplume..." said Vileplume, hurling small yellow pellets from its mouth. Many of the Altaria clones dispersed until the real one was revealed, moaning in pain.

"Got you." Marius said with a grin. "Now Vileplume, attack with Drain Punch!"

"Drain Punch?" Max repeated. "I've never heard of that move before."

"It's a special move that lets my Vileplume attack your Altaria and recover using the strength of your sister's Altaria." Marius explained. "So it benefits me in more ways then one!"

Vileplume's hand began to glow in green energy as it landed a left hook at Altaria. Altaria started to sweat a bit, staring at its opponent.

"Altaria, use Take Down!" said May. Altaria charged forward Vileplume, ramming the Grass Pokémon with its head.

"Bad idea, May!" Max cried. "Take down means Altaria also takes damage! You're going to tire it out!"

"Exactly." said Marius. "Altaria's so tired that with one more attack, it's over!"

"Then maybe you haven't heard this little tune!" said May. "Altaria, use Sing!"

"Say what?" Marius asked.

"Altaria..." Altaria began to sing. Notes flew into the air as Vileplume's eyes began to grow heavy. It soon sat on its bottom and began to sleep.

"Oh no..." Marcus gasped out.

"Now, Altaria!" said May. "Use Flamethrower!"

"Al....TARIA!" Altaria screeched as a huge stream of fire at the sleeping Pokémon. Vileplume opened its eyes too late as it soon became scorched from the flames.

"YEAH!" Max cried, jumping up and down. "Marius is down to his last Pokémon!"

"Don't gloat yet." said Marius, returning Vileplume to its Poké ball. "It's time to for you to meet my strongest Pokémon!"

He brought out a third Poké ball, different that it the upper part was black but the middle was yellow. It also had the Seal of Orichalcos etched on it.

"That's an Ultra Ball." Max gasped out. "Be careful May, this Pokémon must be strong."

"Go, Lapras!" said Marius as the ball opened. The Pokémon in front of May could only be seen as serene. However, it screamed in pain when it appeared, closing its eyes shut. Unfortunately, when its eyes opened, the Seal of Orichalcos was on its head.

"No way..." Max said softly. "How could you taint a Lapras with that thing?"

"Lapras have been hunted for so long, Max." Marius explained. "But with the power of the Orichalcos, those greedy pirates will learn not to mess with this Pokémon ever again. And now Lapras, attack with Sheer Cold!"

"OH NO!" May screamed, recalling the name attack from Solidad using Lapras during the Appeal section of the Kanto Grand Festival. It was very beautiful, but the name also gave her chill from the power it showed.

Lapras began to glow a light blue as a cold feeling wrapped around May's Altaria. Suddenly a wave of ice crashed down like a tsunami on the unsuspecting Humming Pokémon, completely freezing it from head to toe!

"That's not good!" said Max. "Lapras can also learn Horn Drill and Fissure; along with Sheer Cold, all of them are one-hit-knockout moves!"

"So, you understand why I have it with me now?" Marius laughed. "No matter what Pokémon you bring out, they'll all fall! And guess what? You're down to your last one!"

May returned Altaria to its Poké ball. "Take a good long rest, Altaria." she murmured.

This isn't good! May thought to herself. Lapras is a Water and Ice type Pokémon, and I don't have Bulbasaur to help me out. I guess I have no choice... She stared at her Duel Disk, sensing Atem's worry. Atem...I know you can't help me with this battle, but still...please keep an eye on me, and help me win....

"Are you going to stand there, or are your going to let me take your soul?" asked Marius. "Bring out your last Pokémon!"

"I will!" said May tossing her last Poké ball out. "And now, Blaziken, take the stage!"

The Poké ball opened to reveal May's powerful Blaze Pokémon. It glared at the corrupted Lapras with fury.

"A Blaziken, huh?" said Marius. "Too bad it won't be able to stop Hydro Pump!"

Lapras opened its mouth as a huge jet of water escaped its mouth. Blaziken stood still as May closed her eyes...in her mind, she was recalling all of the training Ash did back at Dewford Island, waiting for the attacks and then knowing when to strike.

May opened her eyes as she said, "Blaziken, use Fire Spin"

"Blaziken!" said the Blaze Pokémon, as it let out a twister of fire. It connected with the Hydro Pump, causing steam to surround the field.

"May!" Max cried, trying to see the results of the attack. The mist soon dispersed as Max saw the two competitors staring at each other.

"Blaziken, follow it up with Mega Kick!" said May. Blaziken's legs began to glow blue as it jump as it could go, soon striking Lapras on its forehead.

"Don't give up, Lapras!" said Marius. "Use Water Pulse!"

Lapras cried as a small orb of water formed above the small horn on its head. Lowering its head, Lapras then fired it at Blaziken at its chest.

"Blaziken!" said May as she saw her Pokémon on its bottom. "Please get up!"

Marius smirked. "Lapras, end this with Body Slam!"

Lapras used its flippers to jump into the air, the shadow of the Transport Pokémon getting closer and closer to the ground. Then with a loud 'BOOM!', dust settled onto the field.

"MAY!" Max screamed. There was silence as the dust settled; Blaziken wasn't moving as Lapras got off of it. "No..."

"Looks like I win." said Marius with a sly smile. "Better luck next time...not!"

"Blaziken..." May gasped out, seeing the unconscious Blaze Pokémon. "Come on, Blaziken...please wake up..." Fear and dread was growing as she felt the Seal of Orichalcos starting to shrink.

"It's too late now." said Marius. "You may as well accept the fact that you're going to be more useful than you've ever thought possible...and don't worry Max, I'll be after you too."

"BLAZIKEN!" The cry of the Blaze Pokémon caught everyone's attention as it stood up. A red aura surrounded him and fire surrounded its body.

"Blaziken is using its Blaze ability!" said Max. "But...why is it on fire?"

May brought out her Pokédex, opening the lid as the voice began to explain.

"Flare Blitz." said Dexter. "This attack lets Blaziken wrap itself in a cloak of flames and deal critical damage to its opponent. However, it will gain some damage from the attack."

"Oh no you don't!" Marius screamed. "Lapras, use Avalanche!"

Lapras's eyes began to glow as ice soon began to rain from the heavens. Blaziken ignored this as it charged toward its opponent.

"Blaziken!" said May. "Attack with Flare Blitz!"

Blaziken ran faster and faster toward Lapras, the fire surrounding it melting the cold snow from Lapras's Avalanche.

"BLAZIKEN!" It roared as the two collided. Lapras screamed in pain at the attack and lowered its head. Blaziken got on one knee and started to pant for breath.

"Come on..." said Max. "Please win, Blaziken..."

Marius and May stared at the panting Pokémon, waiting to see whomever was going to faint. Silence hung in the air like a wavering note...until a cry ended it.

Lapras squealed in pain as it lowered its head to the ground and fainted.

"LAPRAS!" Marius screamed, bringing out its Poké ball. "Return!"

Lapras became a red beam of energy as it returned to the capsule. Then, the Seal of Orichalcos began to shrink, soon encircling the Pokémon trainer.

"NOOOO!" Marius screamed. "This can't be happening!"

May dragged Blaziken away from the Seal as her opponent fell onto the ground unconscious, a look of shock on his face. Blaziken's arm was draped around May's shoulder as Max brought out the Super Potion bottle in his hand.

"Take this, Blaziken." said Max, spritzing the potion onto Blaziken's wounds. "It'll make you feel better."

"Blaze." said Blaziken, nodding its head. May brought out its Poké ball.

"Take a good long rest, Blaziken." she said, as the Blaze Pokémon became a beam of energy. There was some silence as she stared at the unconscious body of Marius.

"Poor guy." said Max. "But something tells me that the Pokémon League might have tried to help him...."

"Speaking of him, what are we going to do?" said May. "We can't just leave his body here to..."

A small Seal of Orichalcos appeared underneath Marius's body as a green barrier of light surrounded it. Then...the body disappeared, along with the Seal.

"No way..." said Max in shock.

May stared at the spot for some time before getting herself on Absol.

"Come on, Max." said the Pokémon Coordinator. "Let's head off, Yugi and the others need our help."

"Yeah." Max replied, seating himself in front of May. "Now Absol, let's move out."

"Absol!" said the Shiny Disaster Pokémon, as it ran across the road.

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After a while of running, May and Max soon saw the tall building of Industrial Illusions looming over them. They soon got off of Absol and noticed that the entrance was blocked with metal gates. From what was being seen, Joey was fighting a girl with long blonde hair, orchid eyes who was also wearing a purple jacket and halter top. Her lower body was draped with a short skirt and boots and the woman was also wearing an Orichalcos Duel Disk on her left arm. What's more was that the Seal of Orichalcos was on the field.

"Yugi!" said May, once she got to the gates. "Are you guys okay?"

"May!" said Yugi coming toward the Pokémon Trainer. "We're fine, how about you?"

"I'm a bit exhausted after defeating a Pokémon Trainer who's under the Orichalcos." May explained. "But now, Max and I can get a break from this madness..."

"Oh, you'll get a break all right...once your soul is taken away!"

May heard a scream. She turned around to see Max grabbed by a strange man wearing a red tuxedo and top hat. An overlarge bowtie and blue striped domino mask also added the look. On his arm was an Orichalcos Duel Disk.

"Arkana?!" Yugi screamed. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm only getting what I deserve." Arkana replied with a maniacal grin. "I joined the Orichalcos so I can gain my beloved Katherine back...and all I have to do is destroy the Goddess of Joy and Prince of Wisdom."

"Let me out of here!" Max screamed. Absol growled and soon charged toward the duelist. It then rammed his head against Arkana's stomach, releasing his grip on the boy. Max immediately ran toward his sister, hugging her out of fear.

"Things are going to be fine, Max." May reassured her brother. She looked back at the man known as Arkana who began to laugh.

"Oh, so you have a few tricks, do you?" The Magician asked. "Well, you're about to see some of mine! Prince of Wisdom, I challenge you to a duel!"

Max released his embrace from his sister and soon turned to face Arkana. His green and brown Duel Disk activated, as he took a deep breath.

"Good luck, Max!" said May. "You can beat him!"

Arkana activated his Duel Disk as he drew five cards. He grinned as he announced, "And now, may I present to you the stage for our magnificent duel!"

"Oh no..." May said softly. "You couldn't!"

"I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!" Arkana announced, placing the Card into the Field card slot of the Duel Disk. Max—despite seeing the Seal of Orichalcos being activated twice—soon began to believe his sister's words about the dread Field Spell. The six-pointed seal appeared as Max felt himself trapped and cornered.

"HA HA HA HA HA!" Arkana laughed, the seal etched on the middle of his mask, and a red tint was shown in his eyes. "Yes, in this dark stage, I will make your soul disappear forever!"

"Bring it on!" Max replied, as he drew five cards from his Deck. "I have a magic trick that will cause you to lose to me in this Duel!"

"Now let's duel!" said the competitors as their life point counters went to 4,000.

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May: Oh no, this isn't good! Max, be careful!

Max: I will, May! I need to win, or my soul's gone forever!

Mokuba: I wish I could help you out in some way, but Seto believes my magic is fake.

May: All I can do is watch as my brother gambles with his own life!

Yugi: Max, this man is very dangerous....he'll try and cheat to bring out his own Dark Magician.

May: Wait, there's more than ONE Dark Magician?!

Mokuba: A miracle better arrive or else Max is doomed!

Max: Watch out, Arkana! Get ready to meet my monsters!

May: Next time, Between my Brother and Me chapter 8: "Wind against Thunder and Lightning"

Mokuba: Light and Darkness fighting each other...two magicians battling over one stage...

Max: Jirachi, I wish you were here right now to guide me.....