Shattered Illusion

by Amaxing

"This is your rival. He's been training Pokemon to kill people for about three years now! Erm... what was her name again?" "That's right! Its name is DEATH!" OC trainer fic. We're two badges through, as if that were a good indication of story length.

31. Chapter 30: Peak Performance

Disclaimer: The time has come, Amaxing said, to own the Pokemans.

Nintendo sued, Amaxing booed: "Catch me if you can!"

It didn't end well.

Chapter 30: Peak Performance

Skyler

I was going to meet her today

And though I can't really say

How it would have gone

I can't help but think on

How her smile made me feel yesterday

It would have been great, come what may

But there's sorrow now; that I can't sate

And I must, before it is too late

Try to walk down the path

That Aggie would have

Me pursue, against all other fates

… I've become all those men that I hate

Next I see her, I'll try to explain

Try to show the full depths of my pain

And I'll try, with a sigh

To convince her that I

Didn't leave her for something inane

And to do so would be just insane

But for now, I'll just have to pretend

That things will shake out in the end

I might sit for a while

Work out a freestyle

That can try, but can't possibly mend

This shattered, emotionless rend

Amber

I'd almost expected him not to come.

I mean, really, who hits on someone at a grocery store, and then follows through with all of the honey-tongued promises they've spun for this random girl?

Sitting in the park waiting for him, though… with Father at one end of the table and Axel at the other (and Vanna next to me, for some reason)… it still hurt like hell. When he'd been late for an hour, Vanna actually touched my arm, comforting me. After we'd delayed for two hours, I finally told Medici to start cooking, fighting back whatever tears were forming.

As I've said, though, I'm used to people not coming back after they've met me the first time. So it doesn't hurt that much.

… It shouldn't, anyway.

… I don't really want to talk about it anymore, ok?

Vanna

I swear to God, I will kill this guy if I ever meet him!

It was Goldy who yelled this at the table, of course, but I was thinking it too. There is no good reason to leave a girl like Amber hanging like that, and anyone who thinks so shouldn't be breathing my air!

Sorry. I'm more defensive of Amber than I thought I'd be, seeing how short the time I've spent with her is. That doesn't change the truth of it, though! She's smart, and gutsy, and beautiful… if this were a video game, she'd be the primary love interest! Guys are supposed to drool over women like her!

Huh. I'm more complimentary of Amber than I though I'd be, too. Looking back at what I just said, I might have to reevaluate where I lie on the Kinsey scale…

It can't be too big an adjustment, though, because I still find Axel adorable. The morning before his Gym Battle with Goldy, for example, he knocked on my door hesitantly, as if he thought I wouldn't want to see him so early in the morning.

"Hey, Vanna…" he said, shuffling his feet as I opened the door. "Remember how, when we met Goldy, you got upset about not being able to introduce us?"

I cocked my head playfully, looking more confused than I actually was. "Oh? What about it, Axel?"

"Well, even though I know Goliath, I don't actually know a whole lot about how he fights so…" he paused, flashing a smile. "If you wanted to seem all connected and in the know, you could tell me about how he uses his Pokémon."

The thought flashed cross my mind that this was a lie, and he really just wanted to make me feel better about the whole situation. Either way, who was I not to share some insider tips?

"Goliath Gold," I started, wishing I had a chalkboard to teach with. "Is a Gym Leader who likes his Pokémon as big and strong as he is. He primarily uses Ground and Steel type Pokémon, for their sturdiness. He demands greatness from anyone who challenges his Gym… first having them climb Mt. Harrow in order to get to it, and then having them fight the Pokémon that he still has from his stint on the Elite four."

I shook my head. "He's supposed to use the Pokémon the league specifies, of course, but he doesn't care. In fact, if he thinks a trainer shows enough promise, he'll have them undergo an extra challenging fight, just because."

"What kind of fight?" Axel asked with a gulp.

"It varies…" I said. "Sometimes it's just a double battle, sometimes he makes the entire battle a one-on-one with his best Pokémon… that legendary Rhydon of his. You know, the one that can move trains?"

"Choo Choo!" Axel exclaimed.

"What?"

"I knew it when it was just a Rhyhorn, you know? I'd ride on its back sometimes when G-man came to visit, and I'd always call it 'Choo Choo' cause it was like riding on a train."

The image of a younger Axel, wind whipping through his black hair as the Rhyhorn galloped around his backyard… it was almost too cute to bear. I stopped myself from blushing (a skill I'd gotten from much, much practice) and continued teaching. "Yes, well, I'd imagine you know first hand how powerful it can be, then."

"And yet also how gentle too…" he said, still nostalgic.

I wasn't that good at stopping myself from blushing. Desperate, I switched topics. "Shouldn't you be checking on Amber?" It was a pressing enough concern that I didn't have to make it seem important. "I know you were with her a good portion of yesterday, but… shouldn't you see if she made it through the night?"

"I've got Shelligan and Medici with her," he responded quickly. "I told her that I'd put off my battle for another day if she wanted to just… well, I don't even know." He shrugged. "But she was adamant: I've got to do this today. She won't be joining us, though…" He frowned, and for once seemed to be deep in thought.

"What is it?" I asked, concerned.

"I've never had an actual Pokémon battle without her there," he mused. "I mean, I've fought Death's Pokémon without her, but as far as actual one-on-ones with Trainers… she's always been there to cheer me on."

"Well…" I said coyly, looping an arm around his. "I suppose I'll just have to do my best to take her place, at least for today. Is that acceptable?"

He turned beet-red, but other than that, maintained his composure. "Entirely," he smiled, leading me off to… the continental breakfast bar. Can't battle on an empty stomach, now can you?

Climbing up Mt. Harrow again, though, wasn't easy. Part of it was because of what had happened… I noticed Axel avert his eyes and keep his head down when we passed Team Musket's Lab… or, well, where it had been. I'm almost glad he didn't feel pride in what he'd done, regardless of how criminal and immoral the things going on there had been. Relishing destruction of any kind… it'd make him seem more similar to him.

The other half of it, though, was the fact that after a certain point, Mount Harrow is really hard to climb. There's a reason the league gets after Goldy to move its location every year… getting to the top actually involved scaling a sheer cliff face. A small one, but large enough to weed quite a few people out. There is an elevator that can take people up the cliff, but a sign posted by Goldy clearly states that this is only for non-challengers, or challengers who are physically disabled.

Though I wasn't a challenger, I figured I'd try climbing up the face anyway. Medici's cooking was quite rich, and I wanted to make sure I hadn't packed on any extra pounds when I wasn't looking. Finding a foothold (well worn from previous Trainers' climbs) I pulled myself up on to the wall and began climbing at a reasonable pace. Not quite as fast as I'd remembered doing it, but enough to put my mind at ease. I hadn't gotten too soft.

You'll notice I went up before Axel. This was intentional. I wore jeans, though; so don't look down on me too much. Axel (who, from what I could tell, could have easily passed me on the side) seemed quite content staying behind me, too, so he's not exactly innocent either.

The cliff served as a dividing line, of sorts. While the part of the mountain beneath it had plenty of coniferous trees, bushes dotting the path's side, and plenty of Rattatas, Sentrets, and Digletts scurrying about, the part above it was almost bare. The occasional sapling took root here and there, and some larger bird Pokémon made nests there, swooping down to catch a meal every now and again.

It was bitingly cold, and Axel, ever the gentleman, immediately offered me his jacket once he'd reached the top. I accepted, of course, but almost felt a little disappointed. The cold really didn't seem to affect him, so this wasn't exactly a sacrifice… but that's a bit too horrible of a thought, even for me. My apologies.

We walked upwards for a little while longer, until we reached the true top of the mountain. The sun was at its peak by this point, and we could easily see the gym sprawled out before us.

Axel gulped. "There's… um… there aren't any walls to that Gym, huh?"

I smiled. "Don't worry," I whispered. "Though he never outright says it, Goldy has nets set up to catch Pokémon or people, just in case they get thrown off." My smile turned a bit devious, as I decided to have a little fun. "For the most part, they're pretty effective, but every now and again…"

Axel shrugged, walking towards the gym. Apparently, he wasn't worried.

Good for him. Because, if I'm honest, I'm terrified of how this will turn out.

Qwill

I'm kind of scared to fight against Daddy.

I know it might seem odd to call Daddy daddy and not Axel Daddy, but keep in mind that Amber was the one who raised me, and Goliath was Amber's dad for a good bit until somebody else became Amber's dad but Daddy was still there when I was growing up and he was always demanding and sort of mean. Axel wasn't there from the very beginning and he's always been more caring and treated me like I was an equal person and so he's more of a big brother to me and not a daddy which is why I call Daddy daddy and not him.

I think he sort of resented Amber raising a Cyndaquil for Axel and not a Geodude or a Rhyhorn or an Onix or another one of the 'strong' Pokémon, as he always calls them and so I started off on the wrong foot by just being born and also he was angry because my Daddy Daddy as in the one who made me with Mommy left a lot of paint stains around the house or at least that's what Amber says happened because I never actually got to meet him but a lot of Pokémon don't so that's ok I guess.

He didn't understand why I was living with them when I was Axel's Pokémon and he didn't want to have to be paying for and feeding such a 'weakling', 'spud', 'runt', or another word that made me feel bad and crawl inside my room and whenever I did something wrong during training or I accidentally knocked into something in the house or whenever I just wouldn't sit still because I can't stand still he'd be there yelling at me: "Ye good for nothin' Son of a Smeargle, straighten yourself out! You're a waste of space!" and other stuff like that.

The whole reason I started living with Axel is because he heard Goliath yelling at me one day and tried to calm him down and Goliath got angrier and so Axel actually got angry which he almost never does and he took me away right then and there and ok maybe I didn't eat as well after that and my bed wasn't as comfortable but I was happy because Axel was always nice to me and Amber would always sneak me food because she cared about me and I was able to train and get stronger without Daddy looking down on me!

I let Axel know that I wanted to fight Daddy, though, because as scared as I am to fight him I sort of feel that if I can beat him single-handedly and stuff then he has to acknowledge me and take back all the stuff he said about how I wasn't strong and stuff which would make me feel really good and proud and it gets Axel the Gym Badge too and so I have to win even if Amber isn't there!

I'm… I'm going to win, Daddy!

Goliath

"First thing this mornin', a young trainer named Axel Jackson will be arrivin'," I told my subordinates, grouped together on the massive set of bleachers where crowds had already started gatherin' (not much else to do in this town, once the novelty wears off). None of ye are permitted to have at 'em, understand? I've known him since he was a wee lad, and I want to see how much he's grown. Got it?"

No one questioned my decision. I hadn't expected them to; in fact, I'm pretty sure most of 'em were glad for the time off.

No sooner had they all settled in their seats then did I see Axel crest the top of the mountain, reachin' the top sooner than I'd thought he would. I laughed, pleased at how much I'd underestimated him, and tensed with excitement. I'd been waitin' too long for this.

"Axel Jackson!" I boomed, quietin' the crowds and stoppin' the lad in his tracks. "It's about time ye got here, son. Enter!"

Axel obeyed, knowing better than to not, and Vanna followed closely behind 'em. I squinted, lookin' to see if Amber had just fallen behind, but knew that wasn't the case. At the very least, Axel wouldn't have let her trail like that.

"Where's my daughter?" I told him to answer.

"Back at the hotel, with Medici and my Squirtle, Shelligan," Axel replied quickly. "She didn't quite feel up to coming, after what happened yesterday, and she would not let be skip out on fighting you today."

I laughed. "That sounds like my daughter, all right," I kept my face light for a moment, and then suddenly put on a stern expression. A few people in the crowd started, but Axel just nodded. "Though on the subject, Jackson, there's somethin' I'd like to discuss…"

"Can't exactly say no, can I?" Axel responded.

"Good lad," I said. "As ye must know, the world's not exactly safe right now. A trainer like you has to be out on the road right now, I understand that, and I'm not particularly worried about Vanna… she can take of herself."

"You know it, Goldy," the young lass asserted.

I chuckled, but kept my serious composure. "My daughter's a different story though, Axel. By her nature, she isn't capable of fendin' off Death by herself. She told me that ye fought him off when he came, and…" my voice caught in my throat. Somethin' that didn't happen often, let me tell ye. "And I thank you for that. But nevertheless, that was one Pokémon, and ye barely survived." I held up a Pokéball menacingly. "I can't let Amber travel along with ye anymore, unless I know you're strong enough to protect her. So I'll be modifyin' the rules of our challenge a wee bit."

Axel nodded. "I'll take on anything you got, Goldy."

"One Pokémon," I stated, holdin' up a finger. "That's all I'll allow ye to use in this match. One Pokémon, versus the three o' mine I've picked out."

Vanna began to protest, but Axel put a hand up, quietin' her. "I accept," he stated. "But are you sure you only want to use three?"

I laughed, lettin' the sound echo down the mountain and into Severna. "Well at least you're cheeky, that's a start." I whipped my head over to the referee, nodding. I turned back to Axel, throwin' my Pokéball into the ring as I did so. "Show me what you've got, spud!" I yelled.

He pulled his cap around backwards. "Bring it!" he yelled. "Get out there, Qwill!"

Gym Leader Goliath Would Like To Battle!

He would.

Even knowin' that my Pokémon are mostly Ground types, and seein' how powerful that Treecko of his is, he still went with the little runt my daughter raised for him. Strategically idiotic, yes, but I'd have been disappointed if he'd done otherwise.

Ah well, all the easier for my Excadrill to bore through.

At this point in my career, I didn't even have to give my Pokémon commands. The giant mole immediately clanged its claws together, burrowin' its way underground. Qwill, in turn, started runnin' around the field like a madman, dartin' to and fro at lightnin' speeds. In addition to this Agility, it also began Double Teaming, filling the field with dozen o' illusory copies.

A typical misdirection strategy. I refrained from laughin', lettin' Axel and Qwill think for just a wee bit longer that their plan would work.

Then I stomped my foot on the ground, and Drillbit immediately burst out from directly under the poor little runt. Qwill gave a loud yelp as my Excadrill slashed at it with one of its sharp claws. Not missin' a beat, he grappled the Cyndaquil with his other free claw, lettin' gravity aid him in smashin' the thing to the ground; usin' it as the epicenter for a minor Earthquake.

I'm not playin' around, if you couldn't tell. The Cyndaquil, stunned only for a moment, let loose a furious column of flame, but by that point my Pokémon was already underground again.

"Fine then," I heard Axel mutter on the other side of the field. "Qwill!" He yelled. "Don't do anything!"

The hell?

Qwill, obedient to a fault, did as he was told, standin' completely still save for his normal hyperactive fidgetin'. Slammin' a foot down on the ground repeatedly like that was almost beckonin' to have Drillbit find it, and no sooner did I stomp again then did he burst out of the ground, ready to slash at it further.

Qwill was more prepared this time, sheathin' itself in flame with a classic Fire Wheel maneuver and attemptin' a Counter. I say attempt, because that's all it was: Excadrill, despite his size, is nimble as an Electrike. It was a perfect repeat of last time, endin' with the Cyndaquil sprawled across the ground again; the only difference was that Drillbit scorched his claws a wee bit. Pathetic.

I was beginnin' to worry: had Qwill come all this way to fail so early? I'd expected as much, I suppose, and at least Amber would be safe this way. I sighed as the Pokémon started runnin' again, switchin' back to the strategy that already hadn't worked.

"NOW!" Axel yelled, startlin' me. "SUPER MEGA ULTRA JUMP!"

The hell?

Idiotic as the command was, the Pokémon obeyed, leapin' into the air… quite an impressive amount, actually. Never would have thought a runt like that could leap more than twenty feet.

"Now finish the job, Qwill!" Axel yelled. "SKY ATTACK!"

I couldn't control myself. I burst out laughin', but more out of anger than anythin' else. "If you're not gonna take this seriously, Axel, let's just call it right now!" I boomed, drawin' shouts of agreement from the disappointed crowd.

"Not yet," I heard the lad say. The Cyndaquil cloaked itself in flame and jettisoned to the ground, crashin' into it so hard it left a small crater. I heard it grunt in pain; of course it hadn't broken through to where Excadrill was. What were they thinkin'?

And then, in response to hearin' a mighty stomp, Excadrill burst out o' the ground, some twenty feet in front o' where the Cyndaquil was. It caterwauled through the air, clawin' at nothin', and I yelled at it desperately, tryin' to get it go underground before it was too late.

But Qwill, full of life as ever, was already leapin' towards its exposed form. "FIRE BLAST!" Axel yelled, and thousand-degree heat tore from the Pokémon's mouth, consumin' Drillbit completely. Dazed from the attack, it couldn't respond properly when the Cyndaquil got right next to it. With a loud cry, Qwill planted one of its wee feet onto my Excadrill's belly and shoved, Stompin' it back into the ground with force brutally disproportionate to its tiny body.

Stickin' its mouth into the hole left behind by the impact, Qwill let loose another stream of fire, and I heard Drillbit cry out louder than it had in a long while. After almost a full minute, the Cyndaquil finally let up, stumblin' backwards as it caught its breath again.

I heard loose dirt movin', and to my delight, Excadrill dragged itself out of the hole, standin' shakily, but standin' nonetheless. Before I could shout a command, however, Qwill and Axel locked eyes, and the lad gave a short nod. Faster than I could see, the Cyndaquil smashed into my Pokémon head on, Tacklin' it so hard that the Excadrill flipped in midair before landin' belly-up on the ground. Drillbit Struggled briefly, wavin' its arms up and down, before collapsin' limp to the ground.

"Next," Axel said, crackin' his knuckles, and Qwill gave a short bark.

My referee, shocked, was barely able to stutter out "Excadrill is unable to battle. The winner is Cyndaquil!"

I congratulated Drillbit, returnin' him to his Pokéball for a well-deserved rest. "All right, lad," I admitted. "You were able to squeeze a bit o' power out o' that spud, I see. Well done."

"I didn't have to do much squeezing," he responded seriously. "Amber bred him well, and he has strength beyond anything your Pokémon can muster."

I almost gave his comment a passin' thought. But there's a time and a place for thinkin' on things, and the battlefield's not one of 'em. I nodded to the referee and sent out my Bastiodon, a beautiful Shiny Blue female that ol' Redwood had resurrected for me years ago. At 350 pounds, there was no need for hit-n'-run tactics… I commanded her to Bulldoze the life out of the 10-pound runt of a Cyndaquil.

She obeyed immediately, chargin' straight at the poor thing. Agility was actually useful this time around, and Qwill darted out of the way, landin' a few Double Kicks that amounted to virtually nothin'. Bastiodon stomped on the ground as the Cyndaquil landed, causin' a small Earthquake that threw the runt off balance, enough to give Bastiodon the time to turn 'round and slam into the thing full force with a Heavy Slam.

The weight difference was so vast, the squirt would've flown straight off the mountain had it not smashed directly into Axel. A lucky stroke on their part. Axel, in turn, was sent sprawlin' a few feet across the ground, but both he and Qwill were back on their feet in no time at all. The Cyndaquil staggered a little, fightin' to stay up, and I took advantage of the openin', havin' it thrust forward with a Metal Head charge.

Axel, the sense knocked out of him, pointed directly at my oncomin' behemoth and yelled "Qwill! Flame Charge, now!"

And it obeyed. Stupidly, without any regards for common sense, it obeyed. It rushed forward, sheathin' itself in flame as it jumped and met my chargin' beast head on… literally.

I'd actually closed my eyes to avoid the humiliation of seein' Qwill, a Pokémon that had spent part o' its life in my house, thrown across the field yet again. The gasp from the audience, however, opened 'em up like lightnin', and I soon saw what was such a shock. Both Pokémon were completely still, theirs charges counteractin' each other almost perfectly.

Axel, quick to leap on the situation, commanded: "Flamethrower! NOW!"
The column of flame tore out of the tiny spud, still suspended in mid-air from the charge. The flames tore at Bastiodon's armored hide, bits of licking at the skin just behind her shield. She let out a cry as the heat got to her, and I cursed myself for underestimatin' the Cyndaquil. Determined to win, to make sure my daughter stayed safe, I called out in a loud growl: "METAL EDGE! DO IT!"

Her head glowed for the briefest of moments, and then Bastiodon slashed her head like an enormous scythe, smashin' Qwill into the ground with one and a half times the force of the Pokémon's own charge and subsequent Flamethrower (so I'm told). The Fire Mouse let out a loud cry as it skipped across the ground like a stone in water, feet cartwheelin' in a desperate kickin' motion, as it tried to keep itself from fallin' off the mountain. Somehow, not ten feet from the edge, it finally caught itself, throwin' itself up and landin' in a heap.

Bastiodon shook on her feet, drained from the energy it had taken to deal so much damage. I commanded her to charge, to drive the Cyndaquil off the mountain once and for all, but Qwill somehow found the energy to let loose another flood o' flames. She charged anyway, cuttin' her way through the inferno, but it was too much. With a loud cry, she collapsed to the ground, and Cyndaquil, for good measure, ran past it; jumpin' up and Sky Divin' onto its now exposed softer parts.

I wasn't a fool. I returned Bastiodon before the referee could even finish sayin' "Bastiodon is unable to battle." I gritted my teeth as the Cyndaquil dragged itself back into the center of the ring, standin' up to fight even as its legs wobbled beneath it.

"You ok, Qwill?" Axel asked. "If you can't go any further, just say so."

But the Pokémon, in response, flared the patch of fire on its back even higher, lookin' me straight in the eyes as it did so. Axel grinned, lettin' out a triumphant laugh. "Now that's the Team Go Buy Food From Munson's Grocer Because It Will Make You A Better Person For Real spirit!"

The Treecko next to Axel actually face palmed. In the crowd, I heard a very confused Vanna ask "Wait… what did that even mean?" I just smiled. That certainly explained a thing or three, and made me feel perfectly fine with doin' what I was about to do.

"You know who's left, Axel," I threatened, holdin' the Pokéball in my hand.

He nodded. "I'm looking forward to it. I haven't seen Choo Choo in a long time. I hear he's evolved into a Rhydon now?"

I chuckled. "That's what most people think, anyway." Without further explanation, I threw the ball into the arena, lettin' loose the eight foot tall Titan contained within. Orange plates decked it from head to toe, and an enormous drill protruded from its head. It's arms, quite literally cannons, let out a thunderous warnin' shot into the air, showerin' the field with boulders the size o' Bull Mastiffs.

Rhyperior, my harbinger o' destruction, was finally about to fight the battle it'd been raised to.

The crowd gave a collective gasp; Vanna in particular got to her feet, and yelled at me: "No way! You never told me that you'd evolved Rhydon!"

"That's because I haven't," I responded. "Not the one you know, anyways. This one is special; I've poured every ounce o' strength I have into him; all to make sure that my daughter's pride and joy would have to go through hell to prove itself." I pointed at Qwill, and it acknowledged me with determination. "Conquer me!" I screamed, fatherly pride wellin' up in my chest. "Show me your existence wasn't just a waste o' time, ye runt!"

"QUIIIIIIL!" It shouted back, chargin' forward the moment the referee blew his whistle.

Rhyperior stood tall, blastin' away rock after rock as the Fire Pokémon charged forward. It dodged most of 'em easily, and leapt directly into Choo Choo's face, blastin' fire without hesitation.

Choo Choo, quick as a whip, smacked it aside like a ragdoll; a Critical Hit if I've even seen one, sendin' it hurtlin' through the air like a missile. Axel, not content to let it end so easily, jumped up and caught the Pokémon in midair, whippin' around and tossin' it back into the ring. The Cyndaquil used the momentum from the throw and smashed a nearby boulder with a Mega Kick, hurtlin' it towards Rhyperior, who smacked it back.

Qwill pushed closer, and the boulder continued to bounce back and forth between them, becomin' a brown blur in the air. The Devil's Gambit continued for what could've been ages, until with a cry, Cyndaquil smacked it one last time, dodged the rebound, and reeled its head back, letting loose a burst of blindin' white light. A close-range Hyper Beam of such absolute devastation that Arceus himself would take notice.

Choo Choo stood unfazed, starin' the Cyndaquil down as it collapsed to the ground, tired from the strain. Openin' its mouth, it charged up a light of its own, and despite Axel's desperate cries, Qwill simply didn't have the energy to dodge. With a loud bellow, I commanded Rhyperior to let loose, and the Flash Cannon tore from its mouth, all but consumin' the runt.

It didn't move. It simply sat there, takin' the force of it, shriekin' out loudly as the energy tore at its skin.

"Qwill!" Axel yelled. "Get out of there! It's fine! We don't need to keep going!"

The referee agreed with Axel, and blew his whistle, but Qwill… that idiotic, suicidal beast, let out a loud cry, haulin' itself up. It looked at Axel, seekin' approval, and the lad hesitantly nodded.

I heard a 'pop' as somethin' was opened, and saw the Cyndaquil drinkin' out of a yellow can… some held item that it was usin' that I hadn't seen. Had Axel taught it to drink Lemonade on its own? Not that it mattered… in its current state, even a Hyper Potion wouldn't do much for it.

"Qwill…" it barked softly, as it began to shake. "Qwill… qwill! Qwill qwill QWILL!" The shakin' turned to tremors, and then, in a sudden burst the Pokémon leapt into the air, crashin' into and kickin' desperately at… the ground.

"QWILL QWILL QWILL QWILL QWILL QWILL QWILL QWILL QWILL QWILL!" It shouted; kickin' up dust as it tore at the ground like its life depended on it. Concerned for its mental health, I addressed Axel directly "The hell was in that can, Axel?"

"An ElectaBuzz energy drink, believe it or not…" Axel grimaced, even him bein' able to see the horror of the situation. "It's Qwill's favorite… even if it's not exactly healthy for him."

I buried my head in my hands, disappointed. So Qwill had come this far, only to snap at the very end and needlessly scrape at the ground? Pathetic. I looked at the spastic spud, debatin' on whether I should have Rhyperior finish it off or let it tire out on its own.

I gasped, cursed myself for forgettin' what this thing's father had been, and immediately ordered Choo Choo to charge.

My Rhyperior dived headlong towards the Cyndaquil, but it leapt out of the way with newfound ease, caffeine doin' its work for it. It continued to draw on the ground, Sketchin' out numbers and figures as it delved deep into knowledge it shouldn't have been able to obtain, techniques that it could never possibly perform.

I pulled out every last stop, having Rhyperior use Rock Wrecker again and again, despite the strain it put on him. The Cyndaquil flawlessly leapt out of the way, continuin' its calculations anew as soon as it found a free patch of dirt to work on. Finally, at my wit's end, I called out for a Rock Tomb, and Choo Choo spit out boulder upon boulder, showerin' the field until there wasn't a free space left.

Qwill, energy boost still intact, dodged all of 'em, but strayed a little too close to Rhyperior in the process. With a triumphant roar from Rhyperior and myself, a Hammer Arm connected, causin' the Cyndaquil to plummet earthward, crackin' a hole in the layer of rock as it did so.

For the briefest of moments, there was silence, and I thought it was over at last. But no sooner had the naïve thought entered my mind than did a rock come flyin' out of the soil and land at my feet. Cyndaquil, fire burnin' in its eyes, looked directly at me, gave a short bark, and drew a line in the dirt.

"You got it!" Axel yelled. "Now let's show them how it REALLY works, Qwill!"

I ordered Rhyperior to charge it one last time, readying a Giga Impact to blow the spud off the top o' the mountain once and for all. But the light was already startin' to build within Cyndaquil's mouth, and Axel cried out: "Finish This! FLASH CANNON GATLING GUN!"

Beam after beam tore from Qwill's mouth, as it executed the stolen move time and time again. Rhyperior had momentum, though, and pushed against the onslaught even as the charges tore at his rocky platin'. As he drew closer to the Cyndaquil, it somehow picked up its pace, until it really was firin' at the rate of a fully automatic weapon.

Rhyperior slowed first to a sprint, then a jog, then a crawl, but it did not let up, and was soon directly on top of the beast. Stoppin' for the briefest of moments to catch its breath, it chose to deliver the Giga Impact by thrustin' itself directly on top of the runt, no doubt crushin' it beneath its hulkin' mass.

Unfortunately, that pause was all Qwill needed.

A final, hyper-charged beam of light erupted from its body, counteractin' both gravity and Rhyperior's own strength. With one last, ragged roar that I knew was directed at me, Cyndaquil poured every last bit of energy it could into the beam, and Choo Choo was lifted from the ground, flung back past the referee, past me, and then, to my astonishment, past the edge of the mountain itself.

I ran to the edge, lookin' to see where Rhyperior would land. It crashed through the nets I'd had installed, then the wooden barrier, and then the stone, comin' to rest only on the solid steel barrier I'd had installed on a whim. Strugglin', my dear Choo Choo righted itself and began to climb up the side of the wall.

Qwill, every muscle of its body spasmin' on its own, walked to the edge of the mountain and looked at me; almost darin' me to allow the Pokémon to continue climbin' up. Light began to gather around its jaw yet again, and I sighed, pulled the Pokéball from my hip, and returned Rhyperior, to the amazement of every man in my Gym, includin' the ref.

"Rhy…" he stuttered. "Rhyperior is unable to battle! The winners are Axel Jackson and Cyndaquil!"

Qwill collapsed almost the moment the words were said, breathing ragged and coarse as it laid spread eagle on the ground. I smiled, proud of my daughter and Axel, yes, but proud of the little runt even more. Kneelin' down, I picked it up, carryin' it back to Axel who was able to take it from me despite the death grip Vanna had on him.

"You're both every bit as strong as I expected you to be," I said, reachin' into my pocket. I pulled out the Titan Badge, a white moon with a large black footprint on it. The League had been adamant that I make it the size of the other badges, but it's the freakin' TITAN badge. If I say it's three times as big, then it's three times as big!

"Promise me you'll look after her," I commanded Axel. "And this is yours."

He nodded. "I accept, on one condition."

"Condition?" I yelled. "What sort of position do ye think you're in lad? What in blazes kind of condition can ye have for protectin' my daughter?"

Axel, unfazed, smiled. "Let me ride on Choo Choo again. It's been too long."

I should've seen that comin', to be honest.

Author's Note

Didn't expect to me actually do the Gym Battle this chapter, huh?

Nah, I've had it planned out for a while now, so I figured I'd put in the extra effort and sum it all up in one go, rather than make you guys wait through another update. You're welcome!

If you're actually thankful that the chapter came out, I mean. If not, then… you're welcome anyway! BECAUSE.

If you feel like reading the battle scene again, may I suggest background music? The song I was listening to when writing it was 'Meaning of Birth' from Tales of the Abyss. You could probably find a decently extended version on YouTube if you wanted to. A good bit of motivation behind the fight was Qwill proving to Goliath that he wasn't a waste of life, so I thought listening to it would help me capture the momentous, self-defining feel of a battle with your demons. Maybe. I mean, I think it helped.

Also! Before you ask, yes! Smeargle and Cyndaquil can, in fact, interbreed! Sketch isn't an inheritable move in the games, but I figured that it's not impossible for it to be passed on. So, if you had a male Smeargle and a female Cyndaquil/Quilava/Typhlosion, you would in fact get a Cyndaquil with Sketch! If Sketch were heritable. As I said.

Viva la feminism?