Chapter 14

Immovable Object

Like a cat stretching after a long nap, Dragonite arched her back and rolled her shoulders, all traces of the slashes and burns that had previously covered her hide were gone. Even the large gash across her stomach where Rhydon's drill had dug in was mostly healed, now nothing more than an angry red scar.

From its hiding spot under a bush along the tree line, Dratini watched on with wide eyes. It had been cowering in the foliage for most of the fight, upset at seeing its mother get hurt but unable to help without getting in the way.

With her prey cornered, Dragonite felt no need to rush to the kill and instead inspected her maimed hand, and the stump where an 8-inch talon used to be. Despite the roost healing her wounds, Dragonite still felt the phantom pain from the explosion tearing apart her digits and shuddered slightly.

Looking past her missing talon, the dragon's steel grey eyes glared at the humans responsible for the pain she had endured. The invaders that had broken into her lair, had stolen her treasure and had upset her child. Licks of purple flame flickered between her fangs as the dragon's rage built with the memory of the human's transgressions.

Lumbering toward the humans, Dragonite was ready to bathe them in dragon breath until they were nothing but ash.

Before she could attack, however, a small red stick bounced off her leg and clattered to the ground before her. Momentarily distracted, Dragonite looked down at the stick curiously and noticed small sparks fizzling from one end.

Then the dynamite exploded.

The explosion made Dragonite jump and stumble backward, crashing down on her back. Although the dynamite had not caused any serious damage beyond some light burn marks on her knee, Dragonite's heart thundered, and she breathed in short sharp gasps. The explosive bang and flash of light had briefly caused her to panic, thinking the vicious Electrode had returned to detonate another explosion in her face.

Slowly coming back to her senses, Dragonite realized the Electric-type had not returned and was likely dead or unconscious. Following the dynamite's trajectory, Dragonite glared as another human entered the battle. This one was short and round, with a bushy grey beard and a blow torch in his hand standing at the edge of the camp, flanked by two partially burned tents.

To the human's right, was a Donphan with a saddle bag strapped to its side, overflowing with more red sticks. To the human's left, buzzed a Beedrill.

Even as the Dragonite watched, the human grabbed a stick of dynamite, lit the fuse, and passed it off to the Beedrill who quickly grasped it with a hind leg. Payload secured, Beedrill raced toward the Dragonite with blinding speed.

Stepping back and racing an arm to swat the bug out of the air, Dragonite prepared for the oncoming Pokémon. Only for Beedrill to quickly U-turn, releasing the dynamite as it changed direction and quickly retreated to Otis. The dynamite clattered along the floor and exploded at the Dragonite's feet. Causing the dragon to flinch at the noise once again and take a step back.

"Anders!" Otis cried out across the battlefield even as he lit another dynamite and passed it along to Beedrill who raced off for another bombing run. "Ye've been an outstanding head trainer all these years. I'm grateful fer yer service and I know ye threw everything ye had at this beasty. I'll buy ye as much time as I can fer you to get outta here. Yer released from service!"

Another explosion rocked the valley.

Jaw set, Anders nodded to his longtime friend and employer, swallowing the lump that was threatening to form in his throat. Roughly grabbing his trainers, Anders reluctantly pushed them all toward the trees despite their protests.

"And don't ye worry Jimmy! I'll send yer bee along as soon as I'm done with it!" Otis called after them, just as they disappeared amongst the leaves and branches.

Not noticing her prey had slipped away, Dragonite was growing tired of the troublesome explosions that assaulted her eardrums and sent waves of phantom pain rushing through her claws and face. She prowled towards this new human menacingly.

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Otis sighed with relief as he saw his head trainer slip into the safety of the surrounding forest.

With the dragon now stalking toward him and his Pokémon demolition team, Otis quickly grabbed a magnesium flare. Similar in size and shape to the dynamite, Dragonite focused intently on the stick, keen to track its trajectory and avoid the resulting explosion.

So intent on the stick, the approaching dragon didn't notice Otis turn away just as he brought his blow torch to the flare. A piercing white light burst from the tip of the flare, causing the dragon to reel back in pain and blink away the black splotches burnt into her retina.

Blinking tears away from its stinging eyes, Dragonite opened her maw to blast the annoying human with fire before she realized the human was gone. The blinding flare smoldered on the ground where he once stood.

Unleashing the fire blast at the flare anyways in frustration, the stick was quickly incinerated and the surrounding tents burst into flames.

A sound from the right drew her attention, just in time to see another stick of dynamite fall from the sky and explode once it hit the ground, singeing the dragon's tail. Whipping her head around, Dragonite barely saw a flash of yellow and black as Beedrill disappeared amongst a thick cluster of tents.

Chasing after the bee, Dragonite crashed through tents, turning anything inside to rubble. But she was too slow, and the agile bee quickly evaded her in the maze of tents that had once been Dig Site Gamma.

Sniffing the air, Dragonite tried to locate the human through scent alone but was assaulted by an overwhelming combination of smells. Human body odor, mixed with pungent gasoline and acrid smoke from the still-raging fires masked the pesky human's location.

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Cowering inside a tent a dozen feet away, Otis quietly lit another stick of dynamite and passed it off to Beedrill, who swiftly exited through the rear tent flap, to approach the dragon from a different angle.

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Minutes passed as Dragonite systematically crushed or incinerated the tents of the dig site in search of the human who, with the help of Donphan and Beedrill, had continuously rained dynamite on the enraged dragon.

With only a handful of hiding spots left, Otis knew his lifespan was now measured in remaining minutes, not years. Reaching into the saddle bag for another explosive, his fingers scrapped against the tough leather bottom as they closed around the final stick in the bag.

"Heh, guess we got through all of em." Otis chuckled darkly to the two other Pokémon hiding in the tent with him. He flinched despite himself as he heard the cracking of wood and tearing of fabric as Dragonite destroyed one of the remaining tents. "I didn't do too bad, I don't think... An old miner like me… facing a dragon! I'd o' preferred to go in me sleep, but fighting a dragon is sure to make a story!

But a promise is a promise! Beedrill, head off and find yer trainer. I'm sure he'll be glad to see ye in one piece."

Nodding slowly, the large bee buzzed into the air and hovered over to the miner. Gently placing a stinger on the old man's shoulder, Beedrill gazed at Otis for just a moment with its red compound eyes, saying goodbye. Then Beedrill quickly turned and buzzed through the back flap, away from the rampaging dragon and intent on reuniting with its trainer.

"Ye can probably make it away too. If ye tuck into a roll out and don't stop." Otis added to the Donphan, who had quickly shrugged the saddlebags off as soon as it realized the bags were empty.

The grey pachyderm replied with a snort and gently punched its trainer with its trunk, dismissing the idea as ridiculous.

"I figured ye'd say that," Otis replied, rubbing his faithful Pokémon's side. "Thanks for staying," Otis whispered. With a deep breath, Otis kicked through the tent flap and stepped into the light. Blow torch and dynamite in hand and ready to face the monster.

"Hey! Ye damned, dirty lizard! Ye looking for me?" Otis howled at the dragon.

Dragonite turned, mild surprise flitted across her features at seeing the human standing before her. Scowling at the final stick of dynamite, Dragonite was pleased to see the bee was no longer with the human and their tedious game of cat and mouse could finally come to an end.

Lighting his final stick of dynamite, Otis hurled it at the dragon, confident it would be his final attack before he was either engulfed in flames or shredded by talons.

Watching the dynamite spin end over end in a lazy arc, Dragonite easily swatted the stick away. The stick bounced and clattered across the stone before harmlessly exploding near the smoldering remains of a tent.

Dragonite's lips drew back into a vicious grin, exposing rows of serrated teeth, as she loomed over the defenseless human.

Suddenly, Dragonite stiffened and she looked down at her arm to see a razor-thin cut appear and a trickle of blood ran down her bicep.

For a moment, Otis thought Beedrill had returned and had drawn blood against the beast! But he quickly dismissed that idea. Whatever had struck Dragonite was far faster than Beedrill, faster than even sound, if the sonic boom that thundered a second later was anything to go by.

Both human and Pokémon looked around, trying to find the source of the last attack when another line of blood split across Dragonite's chest. Growling at the unseen attacker, Dragonite whipped her tail around and smacked Otis and Donphan to the ground out of annoyance. Taking dark satisfaction at the feeling of bone fracture against her tail and hearing the labored wheezing as Otis struggled for breath where he fell.

A third line of blood burst from Dragonite's skin, this time across her thigh. Expecting the attack, Dragonite heard the whistle of air and saw the purple blur as it flew past.

Confirming her attacker was flying and using physical attacks, rather than attacking at range, Dragonite drew on her centuries of battle experience to formulate a strategy against this unseen, supersonic opponent.

Eyes darting back and forth, Dragonite studied the area. Looking for a flash of color, an unnatural flutter of leaves, or a puff of dust to signify her opponent's passage. The dragon's antennae sparked and hummed as she otherwise stayed perfectly still. Dragonite could vaguely hear a dull rumble in the distance, however, was far too focused on dealing with her current opponent to think anything of it.

Donphan worked quickly and quietly, lifting Otis off the ground with its prehensile trunk and gently placing him on its wide, flat back. Firmly holding its trainer in place, Donphan hurriedly left the distracted dragon.

A whisper of wind behind Dragonite was all the dragon needed to hear before quickly unleashing a shockwave from her primed antennae. The dome of electricity rushed out from Dragonite in all directions, sweeping across the battlefield.

Not expecting the area of effect attack, Crobat flew straight into the electric attack and spasmed briefly in mid-air as electricity coursed through his body.

Quickly fighting back control of his body, the purple bat snapped all four wings together and disappeared in a burst of speed, a split second before a bolt of lightning arced through the space he had been.

Pleased with the success of her first attack, Dragonite fired off another shockwave once again swept over the battlefield. Metal rods and mining equipment sparked as the wave of electricity passed, but Crobat wisely kept his distance from the unavoidable attack.

A booming roar echoed across the dig site and Dragonite growled in annoyance as she turned to face her latest foe. The growl quickly faded in her throat, however, instead of looking down at the Pokémon, Dragonite was forced to arch her neck and look up at the towering steel serpent, a position that the great dragon was not accustomed to.

As Steelix approached the dragon, he slowed just enough to allow the two humans riding his back to jump off before firing off his first attack. Shards of rock tore themselves from the ground around Steelix and rose into the air before shooting toward the Dragonite in a scattershot of stone edges.

Seeing the stone missiles fly towards her, Dragonite quickly turned to the side avoiding two of the rocks, however, a third ricocheted off her shoulder and a fourth shattered against her chest, blasting the air from her huge lungs.

Openings her maw, Dragonite quickly charged and fired an ice beam at the approaching Steel-type. The thin, light blue beam struck the serpent, who grunted from the stinging sensation as ice crystals covered his body. However, they were quickly pulverized against the stone as the serpent charged through the attack unfazed.

Rearing back, Steelix attacked the dragon with a brutal iron head. Dragonite leaped back with surprising agility for such a massive Pokémon, just missing being crushed by the larger Pokémon as Steelix's armored skull tore into the ground, sending tremors out in all directions.

As Steelix shook dirt and gravel off of his head, Dragonite's clawed fist crackled with electricity and she attacked the steel-type with a brutal thunder punch. Dragonite's eyes widened when Steelix barely flinched from the colossal impact and showed no indication of damage or even pain.

Spreading her wings, Dragonite snapped her wings together, shooting backward in a flying leap.

Dragonite's eyes narrowed as she assessed her new prey properly. The dragon had lived in the surrounding mountains for well over a century, wandering from mountain range to mountain range in search of food and suitable places to nest for a season. During that time, she had fought many of the most powerful Pokémon the wilderness had to offer.

Sturdy Onix, fiery Charizard, and raging Gyarados had all fallen to her fangs and talons over those long years. She had even clashed with other Dragonite over food and territory, the resulting battles transformed the landscape, setting off forest fires and landslides that would forever change the valleys they were fought in.

However, she had never seen a Pokémon like Steelix. Although larger, it moved like an Onix, and its armor proved much tougher. Usually, when fighting against the tough rock-snake Pokémon, a well-placed ice beam was all it took to stop a charge and send it burrowing underground in retreat.

Steelix had taken a direct hit and had plowed straight threw, unfazed by the ice-type move. It was similarly unfazed by the powerful thunder punch, another favored move that could knock a Gyarados to its metaphorical knees.

With a rumble, Steelix raced towards the dragon, keen to resume the fight, and Dragonite was forced out of her musing to meet this new unknown threat head-on.

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"Steelix is doing well," Jet remarked, watching as the two titans battled. Booms and crashes, like rolling thunder, echoed through the valley. Using his superior size, Steelix was raining iron heads down on the dragon. Dragonite in return was relying on her strength and razor-sharp claws to slowly shred through Steelix's defenses. Neither Pokémon now cared about defense, the brawl had become a slugfest, where the most resilient Pokémon would remain standing.

"For now… Steelix is smart to keep the fight close. His greatest advantage is that the Dragonite doesn't know what type of Pokémon he is. If it did, a few fire-type or ground-type moves would be all it took to end it…" Brock said, not taking his eyes off the battle. He flinched slightly as Steelix was bathed in a pillar of purple flames. However, the dragon fire wasn't true fire and the flames parted around the steel, barely warming the surface and not damaging the steel-type.

"Agreed," Jet replied and fell silent. He and his Machamp, who stood patiently by his master's side, had to rely on Steelix for this battle, as trying to help would only serve as a distraction for Steelix.

The 7-foot-tall fighting-type crossed both sets of arms and sighed. Not used to being left out of major battles.

In a blur of wind and dust, Crobat materialized in front of the two trainers. Panting slightly, the bat had been sent ahead once Brock saw Dragonite had cornered a miner. Crobat's agile but frail body allowed him to avoid the dragons' physical attacks and score some minor hits, but a prolonged battle would have almost certainly led to the bat's death. Especially with Dragonite having such an effective counter to Crobat's speed with the unavoidable, super-effective shock wave.

"Well done, Crobat!" Brock praised, reaching up and giving the poison-type an affectionate scratch. "You saved that miner's life by getting there when you did."

Glowing from the praise, Crobat trilled happily and did somersaults in the air.

"Now I need you to find any survivors and bring them back here," Brock commanded. "Start by finding the miner and his Donphan, they can't have gotten too far."

"Machamp, you go as well. In case they need a hand… or four." Jet added with a chuckle. Jumping at the chance to be of assistance, Machamp nodded, and with confirmation from Crobat, the two shot off. Machamp traveled in great leaping bounds behind the agile bat who sped towards where it had last seen Otis.

"We're a little exposed now, don't you think," Jet remarked after a moment, looking at the flat stone plateau they were standing on, alone.

"I can fix that," Brock said, grabbing two Pokéballs and tossing them into the air. Rhydon and Golem materialized in mid-air and with a heavy crash, both landed on the stone in front of them. "Can you two give us some cover, we'll be having guests soon and I'd rather not draw too much attention to ourselves."

Nodding the two rock-types quickly got to work and although they were shocked to see Steelix battling a Dragonite so close, they were trained by a gym leader and stayed on task. As one, they lifted a foot high and stomped on the ground. The earth rippled outwards and a ridge of stone burst out of the ground before them, forming an effective barrier wall. Small gaps were punched out to allow trainers and Pokémon to observe the battle while still being under cover.

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Dragonite reeled back and felt blood pooling in her mouth from their latest clash. Turning to the side, she spat a red glob of blood onto the stone. With annoyance, she noticed one of her foot-long fangs was lying in the red pool as well.

Glaring at the serpent, she tried to come up with another method of attack. She had already tried several different types of attacks on the steel-type and yet none of them had done any meaningful damage. Their most recent clash had been the least effective so far, Steelix had easily withstood her wing attack and she had been left wide open to a retaliatory iron tail.

Temper flaring, Dragonite's claws ignited and flames wreathed the dragon's fists and she prepared her next attack.

Steelix eyed the flames warily but refused to back down, more than willing to continue the fight despite the danger.

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"Shit." Brock cursed as soon as he saw red flames around Dragonite's fists. Steelix was tough but as soon as Dragonite realized Steelix's weakness, the battle would be decided. Sucking in, Brock shouted as loud as he could. Hoping his ace would hear him. "Steelix, Autotomize!"

Steelix looked surprised at the sudden command from his trainer but after a moment's thought nodded. As one, Steelix's metallic, bolder-like segments became to spin, whirling faster and faster with a high-pitched whine. Once they reached top speed, Steelix coiled up, forcing the segments to grind against each other, sanding down and knocking off any sharp edges, leaving only smooth polished metal behind.

Preparations complete Steelix lunged at the Dragonite from his coil with an iron head, far faster than he had been before and leaving behind a small mound of metal shavings. Hitting the dragon in the chest before she could react, Steelix knocked the Pokémon to the ground, and his now significantly lighter body landed on top of the dragon, trying to pin her.

The fire punch died out from the surprise attack and Dragonite struggled with the coils of metal boulders currently trying to crush her. Breathing in sharply, she released a column of dragon's breath directly into the steel serpent's red eyes, temporarily blinding him with the lavender flames.

In the confusion, Dragonite managed to get her feet underneath her and with a grunt of exertion, heaved the massive snake off the ground and threw it across the dig site, and landed with a crash.

Steelix quickly blinked the stinging purple lights from his eyes just in time to see Dragonite launch herself into the air and begin flying in tight circles over the battlefield. With no effective long-range attacks, Steelix was forced to watch as the dragon's body began to glow and a fiery orange aura burst from her scales.

Tracing a complex pattern into the sky, orange energy left trails behind her, as she spun in tighter and tighter circles. Dragon dance complete, Dragonite pivoted 90 degrees and rushed to the ground, slamming into the stone at high-speed causing cracks to spiderweb out from her taloned feet. She savored the feeling of power surging through her body as the status move took hold.

Steelix was not idle as his foe powered up however and had already levitated several large stones in the air around him and with a grunt, sent the stone edges soaring at the stationary dragon.

Grey eyes narrowed at the approaching stones, the same attack that had battered her chest and shoulder earlier in the fight. With supernatural speed, Dragonite blurred left and right, dodging the stone bullets. The remains of several tents were pulverized even further as the stone edges tore into the fabric and wood.

Digging her talons into the ground, Dragonite raced forward, quickly closing the distance between the two and slamming into the steel-type with a devasting dragon rush. Steelix was knocked back from the blow and flew through the air before landing on the outer edges of the forest, grinding tree trunks into kindling beneath its massive body.

Shaking himself off, Steelix rose from the trench he had just torn through the earth and rushed back at the dragon who met her head-on.

Both Pokémon attacked with renewed vigor, the status moves they had both used pushing them far beyond their species' natural limits. The angry, orange aura still enveloped Dragonite and the metallic sheen of Steelix's polished body reflected the light in dizzying patterns.

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Trainers and Pokémon watched in awe as the battle devasted the landscape. Steelix was now striking lightning fast, lunging like an angry Arbok. Tremors raced through the ground as iron heads and iron tails struck the stone and boulders flew through the air, tearing apart any trees or mining equipment in their path.

However, no matter how unrelenting Steelix's assault. Dragonite seemed able to keep up, landing thundering blows of her own. Possessing a far more varied arsenal of attacks, Dragonite cycled through her favored attacks. Pale blue beams lanced across the field, flash-freezing anything they struck. Bolts of lightning jumped from her antennae to strike Steelix but fizzled on his tough armor. Purple dragon fire burned around them, clinging to any organic matter and turning it to ash.

Crobat and Machamp had returned with Otis and Donphan in tow, the latter carrying the unconscious body of its trainer gently on its back. Gently placing the old miner on the ground, Jet quickly got to work assessing his wounds.

Although the strike from Dragonite hadn't broken the skin, several ribs were cracked or broken and an ugly purple bruise had already formed across Otis' torso and left shoulder. Judging by the wet, gurgling cough which brought up sprays of red droplets, Otis had a bleed in his lungs as well.

Cursing, Jet released his own Golbat, an older Pokémon whose short blue hair had taken on a grey sheen. Explaining his plan, Donphan and Golbat nodded as one. Donphan was returned to his Pokéball and placed in Otis' pocket. Golbat gently grasped the miner with its claws and the man-sized bat took to the skies, taking the injured human to the nearest hospital in Pewter for treatment.

While Jet had attended to Otis, Brock had sent Crobat back out to find any other survivors, and just moments after Golbat had departed, 4 haggard trainers fell through the tree line and stumbled over to Brock. Hovering protectively over the trainers was Crobat and a Beedrill.

Twigs and leaves were tangled in their hair and any exposed skin was covered with tiny crisscrossing scratches, a testament to their mad scramble through the overgrowth away, from the deadly dragon. While all the trainers looked exhausted, the trainer Brock recognized as Rob looked the worst off, with one hand clamped over his ribs and another around his brother's shoulders for support. A dark red stain had soaked through his jacket, as Rob failed to stem the flow of blood. At his side, Ed didn't look much better, his eyes were bloodshot and streaks of dried tears stained his cheeks.

"Anders, what happened here," Brock called out as the group approached, assessing that the younger, less experienced trainers were too shaken to talk.

Anders quickly retold the events over the last two days. From finding the unmarked cave to the discovery of the mysterious orb, the appearance of Dratini, and the battle with Dragonite. Anders described how even though they had attacked the dragon in coordinated attacks with multiple Pokémon, the beast had struck them all down one by one.

"A Dratini, you say?" Jet perked up at the mention of the tiny dragon. "What happened to it once the fighting began?"

"I can't say, I lost track of it during the battle and haven't seen it since." Anders shook his head, unable to give a better answer.

With a thoughtful 'hmmmm' Jet fell quiet, looking off into the distance.

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Steelix's body reverberated like a gong as Dragonite struck with a dragon tail, sending the steel-type flying.

As the Steelix lay on the ground dazed from its brief flight, Dragonite charged a new attack. A move she rarely used due to the scarcity of strong Pokémon vulnerable to fire living in the mountains. However, since Steelix had withstood all of her previous attacks with barely a scratch, she was forced to improvise and bright red flames grew in her throat and between her fangs.

With a roar, Dragonite released a fiery blast that raced across the valley towards her opponent. The wall of fire spread out like a star, tendrils of flames reached out in all directions to cut off escape.

Eyes widening, Steelix felt true fear for the first time in many years and in desperation dug into the stone beneath him, quickly burrowing below the surface before the searing flames could reach him. The powerful attack scorched the ground Steelix had been only moments before.

A dull rumble beneath the ground indicated that the steel-type was moving somewhere beneath the surface, but Dragonite had no way of knowing exactly where the serpent would appear. The brief halt in the battle gave Dragonite time to think, however, and seeing Steelix avoid an attack rather than powering through it for the first time that fight didn't go unnoticed.

A violent rumble below Dragonite's feet was all the warning she had before Steelix burst from the ground beneath her. Dragonite was thrown through the air in a shower of dirt and gravel but was able to righten herself midair and deftly land on her feet.

Flames burst from her fists once again and Dragonite rushed Steelix, ready to pummel her opponent with fire.

Steelix bellowed in pain as the dragon's fist connected with his cheek, metal deforming slightly under the intense heat and pressure of the attack. Dragonite was able to land a second and third fire punch before Steelix struck her with his tail, knocking her away.

Sharp stones rose up around Steelix again before shooting at the approaching dragon. Rather than dodge, Dragonite simply cocked her fist back and shattered each stone with rapid, flaming punches.

Charging through the shower of molten gravel she had created, Dragonite resumed her onslaught of punches, ready to pound Steelix into the ground. Each flaming strike crushed Steelix into the stone, cracks spreading out in all directions around the steel-type.

Pinned to the ground and desperate, Steelix inhaled deeply, preparing to fire an ability he possessed but rarely used. Exhaling a torrent of his own lavender flames at Dragonite, the dragon reeled back and screamed in pain at the unexpected attack as the dragon breath clung to her scales and seared the flesh beneath.

Dragonite jumped back before Steelix could unleash another dragon breath and quickly extinguished the purple flames.

The latest exchange had been the most damaging in the battle so far and both combatants gasped for air, each breath causing shooting pain to race across their burns. Steelix now sported several glowing, red-hot craters on his cheek and across his torso from Dragonite's last attack. Dragonite fared no better, angry red burns covered her chest and neck. Unnoticed by the dragon, her orange aura had faded, her temporary boost in speed and strength gone.

On top of that, she had been fighting for hours now and she swayed slightly on her feet. Extreme fatigue tugged at her mind and caused her muscles to tremble. She did, however, have enough energy for one more fire blast and at this distance, she wouldn't miss.

Summoning the last of her strength, flames once again flickered behind her fangs and Steelix braced himself for the searing agony that was to come.

A high-pitched cry cut through the dig site at that moment and Dragonite's blood turned to ice, her eyes widening in sheer horror and the flames for her final attack died out. Turning to the source of the cry with dread, Dragonite saw her beloved Dratini being restrained by a Machamp and its trainer at the edge of the forest.

The overly muscled Pokémon firmly held the struggling, crying serpent above his head with two of his thick gray arms, while the other two were poised to attack, ice shards glistened from his fists as he aimed the ice attack at the tiny dragon.

"Dragonite!" Jet yelled, stepping in front of his Pokémon and gaining the mother dragon's attention. "This battle has gone on long enough! If you agree to stop this fight now, we will release your Dratini and no harm will come to the young dragon."

Although Jet's voice was strong and steady, his legs trembled as the bronze dragon stared down at him, its ancient grey eyes boring into him with alien intelligence.

Glancing between her offspring and Steelix, who had not moved since Jet's interruption, Dragonite slowly nodded her head and Jet sighed with relief. Turning to Machamp, the fighting-type gently placed the young dragon on the stone and as soon as the blue serpent was free, it raced across the ground, crying for its mother.

Likewise, Machamp grabbed hold of Jet and leaped as far away as its powerful legs could manage.

Quickly scooping up her child, Dragonite quickly inspected the dragon for any injuries and sighed in relief when she realized no harm had come to Dratini. Leveling an icy glare at Jet and Machamp, she spread her wings wide and with a few tired flaps, lifted her large body off the ground.

Circling the valley once to gain altitude, the trainers held their breath as the dragon passed overhead, unsure if she would honor the truce or bathe them in dragon fire. However, the old dragon flew past and quickly left the valley far behind, in search of lands further away from troublesome humans and their Pokémon.

Trainers and Pokémon alike breathed a sigh of relief as the bronze dragon disappeared over the mountain. Steelix let out a booming cry of victory that shook the very stones of the valley.

Brock finally allowed himself to smile, happy that Steelix had been able to fight without holding back, a chance for the old warrior to once again taste battle.