A/N: I own a copy of at least one game from every Generation, but that's about it.

TRODAIRE

They were in the Fight Club late that day. Trodaire had intentionally scheduled the practice later than normal so that the Pokemon could get an extra bit of rest. Yet when Steven and Cynthia walked in the door, they saw that Trodaire was just leaning against the ropes of the boxing ring, clearly deep in thought.

"Send 'em out." He said. Steven complied, and it wasn't long before Aggron, Excadrill and Armaldo were pacing anxiously around the Fight Club waiting for their latest orders. Trodaire looked up at them all and smiled.

"It's almost here, guys. One more week, and you're fighting in the World Tournament." He said with a smile. "One more week, and you'll be on the world's brightest stage. Everyone is going to be watching. Tomorrow you rest. Then, we do some light training. Then, in a week you fight. Isn't it something?" He asked. The three Pokemon, as well as the champions behind them, nodded.

"It's been a crazy five months." Steven said. Trodaire nodded.

"I was up late last night." He said. Paulie, who was sitting in his chair reading the paper, nodded in agreement.

"Poor Troddie walked down ta Silph. Co. an' back…an' he STILL couldn't falls asleep!" He said. Cynthia and Steven looked at each other with a hint of worry. They had glanced at Trodaire with Paulie's revelation, and noticed that the Orrean was looking a little haggard. Clearly this fight was weighing on him more than he was letting on.

"Trodaire, you don't have to weigh yourself down with all of this." Cynthia said. "It isn't healthy."

"I know." Trodaire said. "Which is why I called today's practice. Instead of practicing the 'hows' and 'whats' of the fight, I wanna focus on the 'why.'" He said. There was a silence, with the only noise the buzzing of the lights above them. He looked at Steven and Cynthia poignantly. "Why are we doing this?"

"To prove I have something left." Steven said. "That my team and I haven't been passed by."

"Because I made Steven a promise and I intend to see it through." Cynthia said. "I might not be fighting Steven or Lance, but I'm here to support the man I love." She said firmly. Steven blushed at this rather blunt gesture, but he appreciated it. Trodaire smiled.

"I figured that was why you two are here." He said. "But why are these three doing it?" He wormed his way through the ropes, and hopped to the ground. He walked in front of Armaldo.

"You. You're the quietest of the bunch here. But I know that you've at least heard what they say about you. You're boring. You're unoriginal. You're gonna be a blip on their radar for maybe a few moments, but then you're gonna be smashed into the ground. But that's the beauty of you: you don't give a damn what others think of you. You couldn't care less about who it is that we're facing, and you couldn't care what others think of you when you fight. Your only goal this entire time has been to improve upon your craft, so that your technique is flawless. Well, it's darn near flawless isn't it? There's nothing more I can show you about how to take down an opponent using your weight the way that you do…but it isn't just about that, is it?" He asked. "You're in this because…you get to live out a fantasy." Armaldo looked at him passively, but Steven sensed the confusion it had had. Trodaire smiled. "Your job is to wrestle a Dragon into submission. Think about that. Us humans…we've told legends of men and women of the past who tamed Dragons by single-handedly wrestling them and then training them once we were established as the alpha dogs. But those are just legends. Those are just stories…but you won't be. Because when that bell rings and Lance sends out his first Pokemon, and we know it'll be Haxorus, you're going to be the epitome of a legend: you're going to wrestle a Dragon. And you're going to win." He said.

He walked over to Excadrill.

"You're the loudest of us, yet the smallest of us." He said. "It's easy to see why you're in this. You're a pipsqueak, something to be made fun of. You're not a real Steel-type. They're gonna mock you. They're gonna say that you're Dragon food. But they underestimate your heart. They underestimate your agility. They will certainly underestimate your bravery. For when that Salamence swoops too close to the ground, you're going to live out a fantasy of your own: You're going to ride a Dragon. And you're gonna ground it. You will ride it like a wild Rapidash, and you will drive its snout into the dirt. And from the top of its back, you will stand taller than anything in this world." He said.

He walked to Aggron. Steven noticed that there was confusion in Trodaire's face.

"But it's you that keeps me up at night, big guy." He said. Aggron looked almost offended, but instead of Trodaire apologizing, he just looked sad. "That's precisely why. You've got the biggest chip on your shoulder, one that dwarfs everything else about you. You're touchy about your size, you're touchy about your strength. When someone questions your ability, your first response is to cripple them or fly into a rage. You're not having fun, are you? It's all about purging a demon, isn't it?" He asked. Aggron looked thoughtful, and Trodaire took this as a sign to continue. "I know a thing or two about what happens to Pokemon that look to fight because they have something to prove or that they have a message to send. There's no joy. It's all…monstrous." Trodaire looked challenging. "When the time comes for you to knock Dragonite out, what happens then? Are you going to acknowledge that you've won and then walk away like a champion? Or are you gonna put his face on all of this crap that you've got swimming in your head and let it all out on him? Because if you do that, you're not a champion. You're not something to be proud of. You'll be just another bully, no worse than the demons you're trying to purge with a win." He looked at Aggron and smiled for the first time. "I just need you to do one thing, big guy: let it go. Let it all go. Let the hate, insecurity, fear, worry, rage, anxiety…let it all just go. Cut it free, and you'll be a champion. Because cutting those demons free lets something else in instead. It'll let in confidence and peace of mind. Trust. And that trust…it's gonna, it's gonna be like this little angel whispering in your ear, and it's gonna say…" Trodaire suddenly shouted. "Get UP, you son of a bitch! I didn't hear no bell! So get up and FIGHT…" His features softened and his voice lowered to a near-whisper. "…cause Trodaire loves ya."

It was in that moment that Steven and Cynthia realized that Trodaire was crying a little bit.

"You guys have been a godsend for me." He said. "You all took a chance on little old me, a bum from the dust of Orre, and now look at you. You're on the cusp of the greatest upset in the history of Pokemon battling. Because when that match starts, and you lay the first lasting shots on those Dragons…everyone is gonna see that you don't think that you're in a show. You think you're in a damned fight. A damned fight that you can win. Because you don't care what anyone else thinks. The world can go buzz off for all you care. Because one week from now, forget Lance and the legendary Dragons: YOU will be…the greatest Pokemon team alive."

He let the silence extend even longer this time.

"That's all I've got for today." He said. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said with a smile. Steven nodded, and let his trio back into their Pokeballs. When they were gone, he smiled.

"Trodaire, I didn't even know who you were a few months ago." He said. "I didn't know if it was gonna be worth it." He gave the Orrean a bear hug. "Well, I don't care if I win or lose right now, because I know I've won at least one thing out of this: a new friend." He said.

"Me too." Cynthia said. She smiled sweetly. "Now do us a favor and just take the day off, will you? Try to have some fun today. It'll be good for you, I promise." She winked, and then she and Steven walked out of the Fight Club hand in hand. Trodaire watched them leave, and then turned to Paulie.

"Watch the Fight Club, Paulie. I gotta run an errand." He said.

"Yeh can count on me, Troddie!" Paulie said cheerily.

Trodaire smiled at this old man who had been a cherished new friend since he'd come to Kanto, and then walked out the door. As he closed it behind him, he turned around…

…only to see Sabrina once again standing about two feet in front of him.

"Arceus DAMN it!" Trodaire shouted. "Will you stop doing that, please?" He asked. To his surprise, Sabrina smiled a little bit, and grabbed him by the hand.

"We're going on a field trip!" She said. Trodaire blinked.

"Huh?" He asked. Sabrina threw a Pokeball, and out came Abra. Sabrina looked at the young Pokemon, and smiled.

"Take us to meet Misty's friend Chip Skarmory." She said. Trodaire's eyes widened as the air began to glow around them.

"Wait, the Chip Skarmory? I've always wanted-"

There was a flash, and they were gone.

SABRINA

They reappeared inside a large arena, where Chip was standing in the center of the ring. He had been told by Spice that her friend Sabrina liked to make an entrance, but even he couldn't expect the two of them teleporting in on an Abra.

"-his autograph!" Trodaire said. He looked around in shock, and then saw Chip. "Wow! You're Chip Skarmory!"

Chip was wearing sweatpants, a baggy t-shirt with a Pokeball logo in the middle, as well as a winter beanie on his head. This was his typical announcer uniform, and the fans loved him for it.

"In the flesh, baby!" He said. "And after I get down video-blogging my thoughts on this place, I'll take care of that autograph for you, buddy." He smiled. "Speaking of which, I left my video camera in the break room. I'll be back in a bit. Take in the sights, you two!" He said quickly, leaving in a flash. If Sabrina wasn't too busy staring at the way Trodaire was gawking at the interior of the stadium, she would have thought he left a little too quickly, as if he was hoping for something to happen. But for once, her perceptive abilities weren't at their sharpest.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Trodaire was silently staring around the massively spacious arena. This was Center Court, the battlefield where legends were born. And he was right in the middle of it.

"Looking." Trodaire said. Sabrina nodded, taking a step towards him.

"That's it? Are you that impressed with yet another arena?" She asked. "Because at the end of the day, the size of the ring is no different than your standard sanctioned match ring."

When Trodaire looked at her, she stopped cold.

"I've never been inside a sanctioned arena before." He said. No longer was he that big Orrean that had beaten up those punks on a rainy evening to defend the honor of the Pokemon of a gym leader he'd never met before: now he was a little kid. He was a little kid at Christmas, having discovered that all of the presents under the tree were for him. "Thanks for bringing me here." He said. Sabrina blushed.

"Oh…it…it was nothing." She said.

There was a long, awkward silence. Trodaire was staring up at the lights, lost in thought. Then he spoke.

"We can't beat him." He said finally. This admission was said softly, but it was so jarring that Sabrina had to stare at him.

"What?" She asked. Trodaire looked at her sadly. The kid at Christmas face was gone.

"I've trained Steven's team to their peak, Sabrina." He said. "There is literally no ceiling higher for them. And we won't be able to beat him." He said. "I gave them a speech earlier today to give them hope, and while they believe it I'm sure…I don't."

"Why not?" Sabrina asked, moving closer to him so that they weren't at an awkwardly long distance away. At least, that was what her rationale was. In reality, they were now almost uncomfortably close. Not that either noticed.

Or minded.

"Because…I don't know." Trodaire said. "I'm out of their league. Steven might even be out of their league, but Arceus bless his heart he has the greatest team beside him and a woman who loves him. He's planning to propose to her after the match. Did you know that? Because he told me yesterday over a text. He thinks that it will be the right time. He's that certain that he's going to do that impossible and win. I've filled him with more confidence now than he's ever had in his entire life. Cynthia says she's never seen him happier. Steven Stone is back. And I'm terrified, Sabrina. I really am. I just wish that I'd given myself some of the same confidence that I've given him."

"Do you think he's foolish to believe in you?" She asked. "That he's foolish to dream?"

"No." Trodaire said after a pause. "I don't think he's foolish. I just can't climb over the mountain that he has. He's got his friends and his family and his soon-to-be wife. I don't have anyone to fall back on for support if this goes belly-up." He stared at her. "I might not believe that I'm a bum from the dust of the earth anymore thanks to you," he smiled. "But I'm still alone. That's how I feel, anyway."

Sabrina took a step closer to him. They were now about a foot apart.

"You're not alone, Trodaire." She said. "You couldn't be further from that." Trodaire smiled.

"Thanks, Sabrina. I appreciate you trying to make me feel bett-" He was cut off.

"No, listen to me." She said. "You coming into my town was the worst day of my life. Nothing could ever top that moment in its soul-crushing frustration. You were dressed in khaki pants and a polo shirt because you couldn't afford a real suit and tie. I was all ready to bulldoze that stupid dojo and turn it into a salon for my Psychics…and you snatched it right out from under my nose." She said. Trodaire raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you telling me thi-" Again he was silenced.

"Not finished." She said. "You directly challenge my authority when Whitney came into your Club looking to commit second-degree murder. You flagrantly commit assault against a group of punks because they had dared to hurt a defenseless Pokemon. You take my orders to resurrect a dull and dying tradition at the Expo and turn it into a marvel of choreography and excitement. You're taking a Steel-type Master and facing him off against the greatest trainer alive except for that one Boy, and by Arceus there's a chance you could pull it all off. And I've been there watching it every step of the way. You're kind, you're sweet, you're honorable and my friends can't stop talking about you to me. Nor for that matter can I." She said. "And I've come to realize that…" She trailed off. "To realize that…" She blushed furiously. "That…" She stuttered, unable to get the words out. Concerned, Trodaire leaned towards her.

"That what?" He asked. "That I'm crazy?" He asked. Sabrina rolled her eyes.

"Arceus, you're clueless." She said.

She threw her arms around his neck and gave him the biggest kiss she'd ever given anyone in her entire life. It was also the first kiss she'd given anyone in her entire life. Trodaire went rigid, clearly stunned at this turn of events, before returning the gesture. It went like that for a few moments, just the two of them, before they broke away. Sabrina looked at the Orrean in front of her, who had a comically dazed expression on his face.

"You…still haven't answered the question." He said in a strangely warbled voice, with a goofy grin on his face. Sabrina smiled.

"I've come to realize that I care about you, Trodaire Phoenix. And if nothing else, you aren't alone. You've got me." She said. Trodaire looked at her and smiled back.

"I…I guess so." He said. His smile widened. "I like that." He said. Then, he looked thoughtful. "You know, I don't think I've ever told you what my name means." He said. Sabrina was interested.

"Oh yeah? What is that?" She asked. Trodaire smiled.

"'Trodaire' is old Orrean for 'Fighter.' I guess you could say that my name is 'Fighter Phoenix.'" He said with a grin. Sabrina thought it over.

"Yeah, that fits you to a tee." She said. She pulled him back in for another kiss.

Meanwhile, several countries away, floating in the corner of a little office room, a cat-like Pokemon opened its eyes from its meditative trance. With a smile, it thought one thought and one thought only.

If I may say so, Madam Sabrina, it's about damned time.

There was a momentary pause, as only the psychic void responded back to him. Then, a thought filtered through to him, though this thought was clouded with many other thoughts of passion and happiness.

Oh shut up, Alakazam.

Alakazam smiled.

A/N: I'm not kidding, ladies and gentlemen. "Trodaire" is Gaelic for "Fighter," and his name is thus "Fighter Phoenix." Yeah, he's pretty much Awesome McCoolname.

…

So ONE of the two main storylines looks like it is wrapped up, folks. That only leaves…

Oh my God.

THE BATTLE.

I promise you this, after many chapters of teasing it….

The next chapter is the start of the World Tournament.

IT HAS BEGUN.