"What?!" This time it was professor`s turn to be surprised. "What do you mean by that?!"

"What else could it mean?" I answered him with a bit of sarcasm. "I do not want to become a champion, and I will not."

"You can`t just refuse this!" Professor suddenly angered very, VERY much. "You traveled all over the region, battled gyms and now you came here… FOR WHAT?!"

I retreated a bit back, making a distance between us.

"I never said I aim to be a champion. I had my own, other goals." I explained him. "And I have a lot of work to do. I have no time to waste here anymore."

I said nothing more and just headed to exit. Douchebag is a long gone, but it may be for better. Professor remained there, paralyzed by my impudence. Only when I finally got close to leaving this place, he found words to tell:

"Didn`t you think about your pokemon? Why are you so sure THEY do not want it?"

Partly, he is right. It`s not about just me, but my pokemon have feelings too. Being recorded into the Hall of Fame is a great honor, but… We wanted to become stronger than champion. We did it. And we do not need proof to it other than our memories.

I answered nothing, finally heading outside the Pokemon League. Passing through the crumbled battlefields and now-empty tribunes, I was thinking. Today I did a great thing on my checklist. But not the last one. It is too far to the end.

After some minutes, I got out of the building through the service door, successfully avoiding all people that saw me just now.

The weather returned back to normal. After a month of anomaly drought and huge rain, the sun is finally shining bright but light. The slight wind refreshes me and inspires to new feats. But they all can wait for now.

I feel the real urge to talk to Douchebag. For some reason my intuition hinted that he passed this way too, trying to avoid unnecessary attention, just like me. I don`t know what happens to defeated champions, but I feel a bit sorry for him. And I need to tell him about it.

And I know where he headed to.

In a couple of hours, I was in Viridian City, with my team quickly recovered but ready to action. Unfortunately, there is no action planned for them. They are only my backup.

I headed to the Viridian forest, to one special location hidden behind the old grove. After getting there, I was right – Douchebag was standing there, leaning on the fence near the lake and just looking at the waterfall. It is the local sight – the marvelous place popular among tourists today.

In our childhood, this was the place where we first met. Two stupid little kids that simultaneously ran away from their families on a picnic and decided to swim under the waterfall. We both nearly died under such pressure, but together managed to survive this experience and even escaped a hungry wild Seaking – a fat fish pokemon with pretty menacing horn on his head. That very day, I invited Douchebag into our gang with Misty, my brother and his girlfriend. So, I can say, this waterfall is the place where everything began.

Douchebag didn`t take his eyes off the waterfall even when I approached him from behind. He only asked me:

"Came to mock me?"

I just smiled and then leaned on the fence near him.

"Nah, I don`t need that." Lightly I said. "I just want to inform you that I successfully beat the Pokemon League challenge and destroyed their champion."

"Was he tough?" Douchebag questioned detached.

"Oh, sure he did! The toughest battle I`ve ever had." I admitted sincerely. "But I won… and left the League without a champion at all."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrow questionably. "Why would you do that?"

"Ah… Do you really want to know? I did this for you, Douchebag." I answered with a smile. "I gave you a chance to brag about being a champion that I have never been."

"This does not make any sense!" He exclaimed. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I never wanted to be a champion, so I didn`t care. But you wanted. You did this. For me only the victory over you matters. For you… it is the fact that you became the champ and I did not."

We stood there for some minutes, watching the calm waterfall in the night. It looked so calm and peaceful, almost like a dream. We live in a world where everything is moving quickly and violently, and we got used to it. There even time stops to let you enjoy the nature and the world itself.

I noticed that Douchebag grabbed a pokeball in his hand, staring at it with unsure gaze.

"Maybe gramps is right…" He quietly mumbled. "I was too distracted by my own ego that I didn`t notice other people. I was too… douchebag to everyone, and so underestimated you. This is why I lost."

"Ma-a-aybe if you were less asshole than you are now, something would change… but it would not be you anymore." I shook my head. "There… always must be a Douchebag!"

"Is this why you called me this way?" He suddenly asked me. "Was I douchebag in our childhood?"

"Yes, you were. But we called you not just a douchebag. You are THE Douchebag! Because you were fun to hang out with, whatever you do." I put my hand on his shoulder and brought up old memories. "You often led us forward to find new adventures for our nasty asses, and it was cool. You never were bad. You were a necessary idiotism. Like a necessary evil… but idiotism."

"Ha-ha, how funny!" He sarcastically replied. "You needed someone in your group to laugh behind his back?"

"Actually, no. We never laughed at you." I seriously answered. "Before the battle you said that you needed me as a rival to keep you in shape. Well, we needed you to keep US in shape. We never meant offence, whatever it may look from your point of view."

He squeezed the pokeball tightly in his hand and… what? Am I seeing a tear in his eye? Is Douchebag crying? What a hilarious sight to see! But I won`t tell him this. Not now, at least.

"Firstly I used to hang out with you guys, because I had no one else to hang out with." He sincerely admitted. "But then I kinda got used to you, bandits."

"And we got used to you. So… guess, we can end this war and decide once and for all that there is no supreme pokemon trainer between us two?" I smiled and gave Douchebag a bro fist to bump.

He looked at it, then – at me, but soon exhaled, like he has no choice, and finally, after the hell of a lot of years, gave up.

"Fine. We BOTH are the strongest trainers in the world!" He exclaimed loudly and bumped my fist.

I won over him. Twice.

"But, maybe, my training career has no sense now." Douchebag retreated back and returned his eyesight to the pokeball still squeezed in his left hand. "I still have one promise to fulfill."

He turned away from me and opened the capsule to release his Gengar outside. Caesar gladly screeched, getting on the solid ground and also seeing me.

"And what is it?" I was curious about his deeds.

"Caesar is a pokemon that… was hard to train." With some weight in his voice, Douchebag replied. "It used to run away, disobey and pull different ghost tricks… Maybe, a gladiator`s fate is not for anyone, but I needed its potential. So we had a deal – it obeys me until I reach the Pokemon League… and when my champion`s career comes to an end. When that happens - I set him free."

"Really?" I was continuously switching my sight between Douchebag and Caesar, awaiting that one of them argues with this, but they did not. "You`re releasing Caesar forever?"

"Yes." Douchebag shortly replied and crouched before his pokemon. "Together we achieved so much. But deal is a deal." He then broke pokeball into two pieces and threw them away. "You are free now."

For some time they were looking at each other`s eyes, until Caesar nodded and then switched to me. In the eyes of pokemon I saw the hope and… a request. I guess, I know what it is. Somehow intuition told me that I need to take my pokemon there too.

But not any pokemon. A specific pokemon.

I took out the great ball and looked at it for the last time too. This is hard, but I feel I`m doing the right thing.

"Come on out, Loser." I gently said and released the ghost pokemon outside. He met with Caesar and immediately rushed to hug his old friend.

"What`s on your mind?" Douchebag asked with suspicion.

"You`re right. Maybe, gladiator`s fate is not for everyone." I nodded and approached my Gengar, looking at him from above. "We did good job on saving this region. Now I let you go, if you want." For a glimpse of moment I looked at Caesar and realized the last words were unnecessary. "I send you to retirement, champion Loser."

This time Loser was looking around at Caesar, Douchebag and me. The four of us have a special bond – not a really positive one, but it is what it is. Loser was first under Douchebag and Caesar was mine. Now, as I can see how happy these creepy monsters are together, I just can`t let myself walk away. So I did the same thing Douchebag have just did – broke the greatball of Loser, destroying the connection.

"Grrar?" Loser confusedly asked me and looked at the pieces of greatball dropped to my legs. He doesn`t completely believes me that I let him go with Caesar into a free world.

"Go, you two, don`t torture my soul." I waved away at them. "We`ll meet again someday."

Two Gengars looked at each other and then took each other`s hands, like little kids in love, and jumped away in the direction of the forest. Now I DEFINITELY know I made a right decision.

"And why did you do that?" Douchebag distracted me from my thoughts.

"I just wish someone to be happy in this damn world." I explained him. "Don`t you see how are they happy together? A pretty nice couple."

"A couple? Caesar and Loser? What do you mean by that?"

"Ha-ha… You didn`t notice, do you?" I laughed kindly at Douchebag. "You were Caesar`s trainer for months, and you never noticed that Caesar… is a girl?"

"Wha…?" The guy got paralyzed with an opened mouth for some time. "Really?"

"Yep. I`m pretty sure of it." I answered, crossing my hands on chest. "They were mates even before we caught them. So we kinda just helped them grow up and mature."

"Darn it, this explains a lot…" Douchebag mumbled angrily.

"But now look at them. Ghosts in love… How weird this is, when you think about it… Maybe, soon this forest will become haunted?"

"Why? There are no Haunters in this forest." Douchebag argued.

"They may appear now. Those two may start making little Gastlies very soon." I pointed at Loser and Caesar quickly disappearing from our sight.

Douchebag went silent for a bit. When I looked at him, he was really deep in his thoughts.

"Do you mean… they are gonna reproduce and give birth… ghost pokemon that already dead?" He supposed.

"Ah, Douchebag…" I hugged him with one hand and pulled to me, like little kid. "It is a world of pokemon. Everything here is possible!"

He hurried to escape from me and return back to his previous position near the fence. His lost look stated he is thinking of something now.

"So… What are you gonna do now?" I asked him.

"I don`t know. When we had our race to the Pokemon League…"

"YOU had your race to the Pokemon League." I corrected him. "I was involved in it only in your head."

"DOESN`T MATTER!" He shouted at me, then sharply continuing his talk in a normal voice. "…when we had our race to the Pokemon League, I had a goal to become a better trainer and overtake you. Now, as everything is finished, I don`t even know what to do."

"Yeah, I was the only engine of your trainer career…" I joked on him. "You didn`t have the interest in this until I appeared."

"No, I… DOESN`T MATTER! I think I`m going to travel a bit. I always wanted to visit Sinnoh… But when my money end, I`ll just go back home and try to get a new job. Or something like that…"

This made me think too. What Douchebag could be very good at? Except for being a Douchebag and annoy people, of course.

"Hey, maybe you try to take a position of gym leader?" I supposed my sudden idea. In a gym he will definitely be good with his abilities of being a douchebag and annoying people. "You can be great at destroying newbies."

His face immediately changed and somehow brightened.

"That… is a good idea! I heard Viridian`s gym got closed after an incident, so the League will soon need another eighth gym. Maybe I will open my own in Pallet Town!"

"Yeah, you should have some money for champion`s salary." I supported him. "This job will fit you perfectly."

"You`re right. Crushing young trainers` dreams seems so enjoyable…" Douchebag made a cunning smile. "That will be awesome, thank you."

What?

No.

No, It can`t be. I must hear things.

This was the most shocking thing I`ve seen in years!

"Did you just… say… thank you?" I paralyzed and shocked, I asked Douchebag.

"No, I didn`t!" He snapped at me suddenly. "Get lost!"

"Ah, I got you! You said 'thank you!" I pokemon him in chest with my finger. "You`re becoming a human!"

"Gr-r-r…" He growled at me, having nothing more to say.

"Stop it! I already got you. Just for one second… you stopped being Douchebag. You were once more the cool guy that helped me get out of this very waterfall many years ago… My old friend called Red."

He looked at me with his eyes surprised and shocked.

"I thought you gave me this nickname because you just couldn`t remember my real name." He said.

"Ah, you`re back to Douchebag again! Even I don`t change personalities that often!"

Now Douchebag just shook his head in disapproval and headed away from me. Away from the waterfall and all memories this place produces.

"Smell ya later… champ." He stopped for some seconds to say goodbye. "But you will always be a loser for me."

Without any other words he left me alone in this place.

Well, I always knew – friendship can`t be real until friends beat the shit out of each other. Maybe, today I finally did a good thing. But I wonder what will happen to the Pokemon League as I shifted their champion and refused to become one myself. Will they find another one to take its empty place? Or just wait until someone else defeat the Elite Four to make him automatically a new champion? Or, maybe, right now Elite Four members cut each other`s throats in the fight for a throne? Heh, that would be interesting to see.

But I don`t care much about that. Right now I have lots of work to do, but firstly I need to think of a way how exactly I do it. I will redo all my investigation from the scratch, observing every inch where I encountered Rockets and, possibly, find them again.

I suddenly noticed that my hand lies on the top pokeball of my shoulder belt and squeezes it uncontrollably. Smiling, I unpinned it and released the first monster outside. Still recovering after a series of battles, he stretched his limbs and looked at me. Even partly healed, he was full of urge to jump into action right now.

"I guess, you deserve to see this place too." I addressed Dumpling and pointed at the waterfall. "This once had a special connection to me and Douchebag. And now I guess you got the position of the first my partner among pokemon!"

Charizard looked around, not actually understanding what I want to tell him, but he nodded in return just to show his appreciation.

"Since the very first day we met I knew that we have much in common." I let myself to fall deep into vanilla memories. "You`re quite… self-willed pokemon, but also talented. You did great in our Fuchsia operation and you did your best in all our battles. It was you to deal the final blow in the Pokemon League…"

I noticed that he even stopped breathing just to listen to me.

"…I just began to realize that during these months it was not me to raising you. You were raising me too."

"Grar?" He inquiringly growled.

"Yeah. You raised my trust to pokemon. Maybe you could hear it from other people, but I never talked to you about this directly…" I stopped for a second, feeling some heaviness to open my dark heart to him. "Until we met, I didn`t like pokemon. I didn`t trust your kind, and I had my reasons. Only before meeting you, I actually… decided to use you in my war against Team Rocket. I wasn`t going to make any emotional connections and all that…"

Dumpling`s eyes meet mine, showing me the obvious face expression called 'what the heck are you talking about, idiot'?

"I`ll be honest with you. I never was a good man. So I was going to create a weapon out of you just to fight Team Rocket, because this was the only option. They used pokemon in their crimes – I wanted to do the same to counter them. No feelings connected. Just business, as they say."

This time Charizard started to suspect me of something. That is understandable - after all we have been through, I suddenly begin to spoil his impression of me.

"Some people tell this is wrong. I honestly don`t care." I turned away from him and leaned on the fence, staring at the waterfall once again. "Misty once asked me, what I`m going to do with you all after I reach my goal… when I don`t need you anymore…"

I kept the tensed silence for some moments, carefully choosing my next words.

"At that moment I had my doubts. I had plans of disbanding the team, returning you back to professor Oak, no matter what you could think of it, and then going back to my original way… The way of a lone person."

Sudden Dumpling`s growl of disapproval made me stop for some seconds. I waited for him and then continued:

"I know. But too much happened since then. I can`t return to my original way anymore. I can`t disband our team. And now I care what you think. More than that – our job isn`t finished. In the future we will have even more of it. I will need even more output from team and from YOU. Are you ready to take a lead?"

"Rgrlr?" He growled, sounding questionably. He is a bit lost in thoughts of whether I punish or praise him. I turned around and gently poked him in the stomach.

"…you know that I don`t make favorites in the team, right? Everyone is equal in my team. No exceptions, even for cool Charizards. But we will always have a special connection, like brothers. Best bros!"

Still a bit confused, he shook his head, throwing away all doubts, and raised his hand in a high-five. I looked at it quickly and nodded with a smile.

"Yeah. Whatever happens, we have the common fate. And we will be together until the very end! I promise!"

And I gladly gave him a high-five.