Traveler

by The Straight Elf

Ash Ketchum has been determined to become the best since he was a toddler. He has his eyes set on a charmander, but a twist of fate led him to the humble Nidoran. Note: Mix between anime and the games.

46. Chapter 46: The Peak

Cynthia was taller than he'd thought in the hospital bed, Ash realized. It was odd that it was his first thought as he stared up at her from the battleground, but he didn't think much of it. Before he thought she'd stood perhaps a head taller than him, but now he saw that she wasn't all that much shorter than Lance or Steven. Without her heels she still stood well above five and a half feet.

"Hello? Ash?" She waved a hand in front of his face with a curious look,, and he quickly shook himself out of it. No use thinking about pointless things… instead, his attention was drawn to the heavy drumbeat of his heart pounding in his chest, the rush of blood through his ears, and the rapid rise and fall of his chest. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes," he said with complete accuracy (even though Dazed's telepathic smugness begged to differ) and tried to divert her attention away from that whole mess. "Just excited about the battle is all!"

See, Friend-Trainer? Is it not better to tell the truth?

Ash made a point of ignoring Dazed. He hid a grimace when she seemed to enjoy the silence even more than his hypothetical retort. She'd claimed some small victory in it.

Cynthia quickly pulled his focus back to her. She pounded her fist with the same wild grin on her face - that wild spark had been alit since her proclamation in the diner (Andel had thankfully teleported them out before Ash had to deal with the judging eyes of the other patrons) and for some reason the look seemed familiar.

"Excellent. That's what I like to hear!" The tall woman cheered. Her grey eyes narrowed as she took another step closer to him. Blood pounded through his heart at Cynthia's genuine excitement. "To a great fight!"

"To a great fight," he affirmed as he shook her hand. His mind went abuzz with thoughts of the coming battle, forming and discarding strategy upon strategy as he considered Cynthia's battles. A generalist, a master of strategy and counters and negating the advantages of each type. Normally he'd be more than confident in his abilities to handle a fellow generalist, but this wasn't any generalist. This was the generalist.

His newest opponent sent a bright smile his way. The pearly whites of her teeth stood in stark contrast to Cynthia's black, furry long coat. A garment like that normally wouldn't be appropriate for mid-July, but the cold front that came through while he was in Goldenrod still held strong. "Are you ready?"

"You have no idea. You're not the first Champion I've battled," Ash grinned. Not that his fights with Lance or Steven had gone so well, but there was no reason to tell Cynthia that…

"Wait wait wait, let me guess how those went!" Cynthia perked up. Andel's eyes glimmered and gentle waves of amusement rolled off him.

"Lance threw out one of his Dragonite and they were too fast and strong for any normal pokemon to keep up with. Or maybe Magnus? He likes showing off that Charizard of his… better than one of the Dragonite, at least! Honestly, who needs three Dragonite?"

Ash grimaced at the memories of the many, many beatdowns Dragonite, Dov, and Saph had delivered to his team. Cynthia caught it and smirked. "I thought so," she tapped her chin. "Lances loves making a statement. He's a cunning one, but he always opens his battles with something big like Earth Wrecker or Hyper Beam. Even if it doesn't instantly win the battle, it starts Lance's team off on the right foot. After that… well, if you aren't specialized against fliers you aren't going anywhere against him!"

He nodded along with her assessment, privately wondering how many times Cynthia had battled Lance or watched his Conference battles to build up a deeper understanding of the Drake.

"Now for Steven. Dear, sweet, predictable Steven…"

Normally Ash might have defended his teacher, but the remembrance of Metagross stonewalling his entire team didn't have him in the most charitable mood. His fists tightened…his rematch with Metagross couldn't come soon enough. After the last time they'd been embarassed, Ash and his team would do anything they had to in order to win against the Iron Wall. They'd never be outmatched like that again.

Cynthia raised one finger. "He used Metagross first - or only Metagross," she guessed correctly at the look on his face. She chuckled, a throaty, pleasant sound that was like music to Ash's ears. "Sometimes it's easy to forget he has other teammates. Metagross is a tough nut to crack, but if you can get past them the rest of his team don't quite stack up," Cynthia shook her head ruefully. "They're good, but that Metagross is something else! Steven relies on them too much, though. It's his greatest weakness as a trainer."

"Now where was I," Cynthia mused with a soft frown. Her eyes lit up. "Ah! So once he crushed your team one after another with that monster, he probably lectured you on the superiority of Metagross, right? Metagross are unique among pokemon," she mimicked the didactic rhythm of Steven's voice once he got going perfectly, "they are ridiculously powerful and makes most battles a cakewalk, so I've gotten lazy as a trainer!" She rolled her eyes, and Ash couldn't help but smirk.

"And a speech about how he was going to train me into a sword instead of a hammer," Ash chipped in. Dazed's eyes quirked up as Cynthia laughed again. His defeat at Steven's hands had left him in a poor mood, but he quickly found an easy grin slipping back on his face.

His opponent shook her head fondly. She brushed her blonde fringe out of her eye to look at him more fully. "Steven might deny it, but he's always had a flair for the dramatic! He could try his hand at theater if he ever gets tired of working with the League."

He snorted at that. The thought of Steven branching out beyond his precious rocks was unthinkable. Just spending a few weeks with him had tripled Ash's knowledge of geology (limited as it was). He couldn't imagine Steven in the spotlight.

"Anyways, no worries about me pulling a Steven," Cynthia joked. Ash idly wondered if every Champion used that as an expression as her eyes danced around at their plain battleground, far from civilization. It was a barren wasteland scarred with blackened scorch marks and shallow ruts weaving in and out of the ancient stumps and plain boulders decorating the plain. Despite its simple appearance, Ash somehow knew Cynthia was just as excited for this as he was. "I don't plan on using Princess against you! This is supposed to be fun."

Ash frowned. "Princess?" He questioned.

Cynthia's eyes lit up. "My Garchomp!" She said adoringly, her fingers brushing over a particularly worn, scraped pokeball on her belt that was barely visible beneath her coat. Ash couldn't hide his quiet snort - it sounded like she was talking about a tiny Skitty, not a seven and a half foot tall, land-based dragon that could reach sonic speeds despite weighing in at nearly a ton.

She shook her head ruefully at him. "Don't judge her for her name," Cynthia looked amused, then glanced away as if remembering some half-forgotten memory. "Princess chose it herself - once she got her mind set on it there was nothing I could do to sway her."

Well, Ash could sympathize with that. It wasn't like a few of his friends didn't have an odd taste in nicknames...

I must disagree with that assessment, Friend-Trainer.

He spared Dazed a short grin, but quickly centered his focus back on Cynthia. She waited patiently for him before she continued. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" Ash said simply. His heart pounded, his hands shook, and he felt that strange tunnel vision setting in with his anticipation. This was something he couldn't have hoped for today, yet it was happening right now! Ha, he could only imagine the look on Gary's face when he told him about this!

Lance, Steven, and now Cynthia… he was a lucky trainer. How many people could say they'd battled a single Champion, let alone three? Steven wasn't an official Champion anymore, but all that meant was that he'd just have to add Champion Wallace to his list once he got back to Hoenn next month!

He couldn't wait. What a life he lived where he could even think that with a straight face.

"Great. I've been really looking forward to this battle, Ash," Cynthia said sincerely and shook his hand. "I can't wait to see you in action. That said," she suddenly beamed at him, "I won't be holding back. I know you won't either!"

"Never," he promised. Cynthia seemed satisfied by that, and she gave him one last nod before Andel's eyes flashed and he found himself on a massive, raised boulder that overlooked the entire battlefield. It was good positioning, he considered. Cynthia appeared a few hundred feet away on a similar stone. She waved at him before glancing over at Andel, who remained roughly in the center.

Greetings, Storm-Tamer. My Lady requested that I inform you of the terms of this battle. I shall ensure both my Lady and your safety and protect the grounds. My Lady will release first and shall allow you to make the first move. It shall be a one-on-one battle. You will continue to battle until all of your teammates are defeated, though I do wish you and your companions the best of luck.

Ash rolled his eyes. It felt like that last comment was mostly aimed at Dazed…

Cynthia wasted no time in releasing her first teammate.

A hulking, streamlined figure with a wickedly curved claw at the end of each arm appeared. It positively dwarfed Cynthia, who affectionately patted the golden patch of thick, leathery scales on the beast's belly. Princess the Garchomp stared at Ash and Dazed with cold golden irises that vaguely reminded him of a Sharpedo's lifeless gaze, yet Cynthia seemed more than happy to treat the draconic creature like an overgrown Growlithe.

From the way Princess squeezed her harsh eyes shut when Cynthia scratched a particularly sensitive spot behind her dorsal fin, Ash thought she might enjoy the treatment.

"Don't worry," Cynthia laughed at the dumb look on his face. The high, clear note rang out across the battlefield. Princess snorted, obviously disgruntled at the scratches stopping, and looked at her trainer expectantly. "Princess is just here to observe - she's got a good head for picking out ways for improvement."

Ash nodded his understanding and flipped his hat around. That was actually a good idea. He didn't hesitate to release Nidoking, who grumbled his arrival and observed the Champion and her cornerstone curiously. His eyes narrowed, but didn't dare show any signs of hostility in the face of the Garchomp. Even Nidoking recognized when something was this far out of his league.

He was overprotective, surly, and as paranoid a guardian as Ash could have asked for, but Nidoking wasn't a glutton for punishment like Sneasel or Infernus.

"Hey, it's good to see you," Ash grinned and rubbed Nidoking's thick, leathery shoulder. His friend grunted and leaned into the contact, then looked questioningly at Cynthia. "That's our opponent. I want you to observe and keep track of everything, alright? You'll get your shot," he assured Nidoking. That satisfied Nidoking, who let out a loud huff.

"Let's go!" He shouted to Cynthia. "I'm ready!"

Cynthia lit up. She pulled a simple pokeball from her belt beneath her coat and raised it. The sunlight glinted off it, then a blinding flash of scarlet light exploded from the center as his first opponent appeared.

The sleek, powerful form of Lucario manifested. Ash wasn't surprised, not after catching a few speculative glances sent his way by the fighter. Lucario paused to acknowledge Ash, Dazed, and Nidoking with a dip of his head, which Ash returned. This would be an excellent opponent.

Memories of his experiences in the mind of Bruno's Lucario shot to the surface. They were fuzzy at first, like trying to grasp smoke in his bare hands, but the recollections solidified and grew clearer the more thought he focused on them.

He had no doubt Lucario would be a fearsome opponent. Not only was it a Champion-level fighter, it had access to those strange Aura powers that he still barely understood. Bruno's Lucario had the ability to See just like Cynthia had shown him, and any physical obstructions like smoke or dust wouldn't slow it down at all. Not to mention it was an excellent tracker, able to pick out life easily.

And if Lucario was a master of Aura, and Aura abilities depended entirely on the individual… well, how could he prepare for that? It offered untold possibilities, each of which could potentially throw the fight in Lucario's favor. It was all too easy to imagine Lucario pulling out bizarre and unlikely powers against each member of his team to enhance its amazing skill, ultimately acting as the same iron wall that Metagross had.

That would be awful. Where was the fun in that fight?

Regardless, there was only one way to start this battle. Lucario could very easily be the only member of Cynthia's team he faced if he wasn't careful, so he couldn't hold back.

Ash refused to let the outcome of this battle be the same as his battle with Steven.

A wave of dry heat greeted the arrival of his first choice. Smoke shrouded about the battlefield, a pale glow seared even in the bright light of day. Infernus pulsed with light, warping the air around them, as he locked eyes on his opponent and greeted Lucario with a loud, powerful roar that would have made an Ursaring proud. It brought to mind images of volcanic eruption, belching smoke and ash and sulfur into the sky.

Infernus paused one moment to grin back at Ash, which he easily returned. His hands shook and he met his friend's eyes for but a brief moment before Infernus turned back to Lucario and squared himself.

"Lucario can take everything you can throw at him with no problem," Ash called out. Bright red flames exploded from Infernus' skin, ripping furiously at the implication that he wasn't a real threat to Lucario - just as planned. Dazed's eyes quirked at the thought. "No holding back! Don't bother with smoke! You've got the first move - keep pressure on him and use your body heat to your advantage. Push Lucario as hard as you can and don't give him time to plan!"

That was all he needed to say. Those simple orders were ideal for this battle - it would be too fast-paced for Ash to reliably keep up with giving orders, and a single mistake would threaten Infernus' chances to keep up with Lucario. Plus it didn't give Cynthia and Lucario much to use against him, which Ash thought was the most important advantage. Infernus had a game plan now, and Ash would only interfere when needed (and abuse Dazed's telepathy to give him pointers on Lucario's location and tactics).

Infernus took off in a raging sprint directly at his foe with a nasty grin on his lips. Ash grimaced and thanked Dazed when she shielded him from the immense blast of suffocatingly dry heat that followed a brilliant flash of searing flame that exploded from Infernus' lungs - even with his trained eyes he had barely caught the motion.

Explosion after explosion wracked the battlefield. Flares of white-hot fire belched from Infernus' throat and cannons every second in a relentless flurry that reduced stumps and the thin wisps of vegetation to blackened dust. Not even Infernus' savage roars could reach Ash beneath the raging din of crackling, spitting flame that bathed the landscape liberally. Rains of cinders and great sheets of smoke blanketed the arena, though were cast aside time and time again by the wind rushing from Infernus' strikes. He could scarcely see a thing in the absolute mess left behind by Infernus - every time his eyes adjusted they were blasted with stars thanks to the immense light that exploded from Infernus' every motion.

It stilled. The living, pulsating star that was Infernus winked out of existence and appeared on a small outcropping of solid, blackened stone that had soaked up a ton of the soot and ash floating around the area. Many of the flames slowly dimmed and died with their master away, leaving the battlefield awash in a thick, noxious miasma of oily black smoke that stained everything it touched with a greasy layer. Without Andel's courteous protections, Ash would have gagged on it. .

Infernus smirked down at the testament to his strength. His every breath caused the thin, flickering layer of flames that draped over his body like a living cloak to flare, then dim. Ash paused to admire his friend for a moment - Infernus had been cooped up inside his pokeball for several days now and it showed. It must have been like taking a breath of fresh air to finally be able to unleash the full extent of his power.

Ash didn't take long before he glanced over at the wrecked devastation of the battlefield. Although Infernus had done a nice job of evening things out and leaving it more open for the rest of the team (and the heat had caused a few ominous clouds to gather above them for Torrent and Oz to take advantage of) Ash wasn't surprised in the least to see Lucario still standing amidst the wreckage, black-and-blue fur utterly pristine other than a few singed patches.

The fighting-type measured the absolute devastation left by Infernus' vicious assault with something like approval. Lucario glanced about, nudged a few smouldering piles of cinders with his foot, and dipped his head to Infernus - that only gave Infernus a brief moment to grin back before Lucario exploded into action.

"Watch out!" Ash bellowed as Lucario shot forward faster than the eye could see, barely even visible as a black-blue blur before he smashed his foot heavily into Infernus' thickly muscular gut - well, where it would have been. The fighter somehow managed to correct his miss into a fluid, graceful motion that belied the savage force behind the blow. He pivoted about and pulled his deceptively powerful arms into a block even as Infernus materialized directly behind Lucario and returned the favor.

There was a brief moment where all Ash could pick out was a thin green membrane carried on Lucario's arm like a shield (a masterful use of Protect, he thought) held up against the harsh strike Infernus dealt the graceful Aura-user. Lucario dug his feet into the smouldering ashes of a few tree stumps and visibly grimaced at the searing heat, but managed to parry Infernus' hammer blow and expertly smashed his shield into Infernus' bulky stomach.

Infernus buckled beneath the sheer force of the attack - his eyes bulged and steam spat from his lips, though he spat a horrifically hot stream of screaming flame directly into Lucario's face as he did so. If anything the awful pain only redoubled his furious efforts - Lucario managed to dodge the worst of the blast with superhuman reflexes (though he still seemed ill-equipped to deal with the sheer heat saturating the air) and blurred away from the melee.

Lucario's eyes shone brilliantly as he regarded his fiery opponent, though Ash couldn't tell if it was just the light or some other power. After his last encounter with a Champion-level fighter it was gratifying to see Lucario's face coated in light burns, his fur singed entirely black by the assault. It had hurt, even if he'd avoided serious damage. Lucario adopted an unfamiliar stance with unnerving grace for something that had just tanked one of Infernus' Flamethrowers to the face and barked something at Infernus, which was the only thing that heralded what came next.

The Magmortar cocked his head (too calmly for Ash's tastes) and measured Lucario for just a moment. That awful heat that pervaded the field receded just long enough for Ash to gratefully suck a breath full of cool air into his scorched lungs. He frowned, drew on a flicker of Ice to soothe the burn, then refocused.

Something in the air hummed, like the low buzzing of a swarm of bug-types, as Infernus teleported. A weight vanished off Ash's shoulders, then reappeared just as suddenly in the form of a vicious wave of heat as Infernus appeared just behind Lucario with a brilliant glow fostered deep within both of his twin cannons.

Lucario's mouth twitched, and the fighting-type blurred. In the span of less than a second it effortlessly blurred into two perfect copies of one another that dashed away from Infernus at an angle. They were seamless, lacking any of the clumsy mistakes an inexperienced user of Double Team might make. Unlike most fighters, Lucario didn't bother trying to make a veritable army of illusory clones. Two were all it needed .

Quality over quantity.

Infernus was invisible beneath the roaring cloak of fire and warped air he wrapped about himself, but Ash felt more than saw the smirk at Lucario's mistake. He expertly aimed both cannons at both Lucario and released a jet of roaring flame that crackled and superheated the air into a twisting mess. The Magmortar held it for several seconds, constantly upping the intensity from red flame to a brilliant blue to a pure, blazing cone of white that engulfed both of the Lucario…

Ash barely had a moment to call out a warning before the real Lucario, which had somehow circled back around behind Infernus through some uncanny footwork, smashed a swirling sphere of raw, blue-black energy directly into the powerful Magmortar's muscular back - the force struck Infernus hard enough to send him to his knees, but Lucario didn't stop there even as Infernus' body heat flared and he twisted, scorching Lucario for a satisfying moment with the terrible power of both cannons, Lucario snarled and stood firm. He held the grinding sphere against Infernus' muscular back, the nexus tearing and ripping and mauling into thick skin and muscle and fat. Lucario bared his fangs at the unexpected blast, natural toughness overwhelmed by the awful, crushing heat and only the full body Protect he wore like a second skin saved him from lasting injuries.

His friend didn't allow the awful pain he was in (his back was practically ripped apart by the attack, and dripped boiling blood that barely managed to obscure the mess beneath it) to hold him back. If anything, it only drove Infernus all the harder. Infernus shifted one of his cannons into his favored claws and struck at Lucario again and again as the fighting-type struggled to recover from the blazing stream that had landed on him - his Protect was dispelled by a glowing blow courtesy of Infernus, wavering and disintegrating with Lucario's distraction. .

It was a testament to Lucario's amazing skill that he managed to keep up with Infernus. Infernus blazed with heat, any rare thought of restraint tossed out the window in the face of his injuries, and was blinding to look at. Lucario's tongue lolled out of his mouth as he ducked and dodged, the heat taking a terrible toll on his stamina. Infernus struck with incredible speed considering his bulk and injuries, and every strike was complemented by a veritable explosion of flame or smoke from his spare cannon every few seconds… even Ash struggled to keep track of the motion in the maelstrom of heat, light, and snapping flame.

Yet Lucario didn't falter. Even burnt and blinded by the glow, he reacted so quickly it seemed he knew each and every attack that was coming - Lucario would lean away just in time, or slap Infernus' claws away with a iron-hard paw shielded by Protect. He was steadily pushed back by Infernus' raging onslaught, yet Ash didn't doubt that it was Lucario in control of this battle.

He glanced to Cynthia, who seemed pleased with the battle so far. She would smile every few seconds, or nod thoughtfully when Infernus came particularly close to landing a real hit. Sometimes she muttered something to Princess, or brushed her fringe out of her eyes.

Ash was proud that the motion was only a little bit distracting.

As Infernus and Lucario dueled - he grinned broadly at the sight of the light burns that covered Lucario, though Infernus still hadn't landed a punch or strike - Ash glanced to Dazed. They'd need an edge to keep this up... Lucario's reactions were just too good, impossibly good, and any lag in communication could leave Infernus in danger.

"Send Infernus any orders I have directly, alright?" That would make things smoother. Not to mention prevent Cynthia or Lucario from using his spoken commands to their advantage. He had no doubt they were capable of it.

Dazed simply nod, her eyes quirked up in a smile. It seemed like she approved of his idea.

His eyes traced the battlefield since Infernus' inexhaustible strength and stamina hadn't slowed in the slightest so far. Lucario was always on the back foot, though Ash could tell he would try and turn the tide as soon as an opening presented itself. Most of the area had been completely obliterated so far - as he'd expected when he'd sent out Infernus - but there were still plenty of trunks and boulders that could be used for cover or other tactics. The heavy clouds obscured some detail, but he could pick out everything important.

What could Lucario be waiting for?

Ash glanced at the path Lucario had led Infernus onto. There was no immediate pattern discernable, just the desperate attempts of prey to avoid the overwhelming onslaught of the hunter. His eyes narrowed. That didn't describe Lucario at all…

The only notable landmarks in the area they dueled was a ring of small boulders, but it would have been impossible for Lucario to pick it out with Infernus blinding him. Then again, Lucario probably didn't rely on physical sight as much as Ash would like.

He turned back to the duel. Infernus had slowed somewhat, and Ash felt a surge of satisfaction from Lucario as the fighting-type twisted his wrist and a large, flat stone beneath Infernus' feet shattered to dust in a flash of purple light. Stone Edge!

Infernus stumbled, a savage roar left his lips, and thanks to Ash's warning - Trap, duck! - he managed to avoid the worst of Lucario's vicious punch. He snarled as he was forced back by the undeniable power of the blow, but they were all caught off guard when Lucario leapt back and scraped the metal spikes that projected from his wrists together, creating an awful sound that left them all reeling.

Lucario didn't waste the opportunity. He shot forward in the blink of an eye (probably a subtle use of Extreme Speed, Ash thought) and landed another one of those massive, black-blue spheres straight into Infernus' stomach, though this time it simply detonated in a flash of force and light rather than grind deeper into the Magmortar's belly. The Magmortar, durable as he was, buckled beneath the blast and barely kept his footing as he skidded backwards. Infernus looked up, dazed, as Lucario leapt away just in time to avoid an instinctive Flamethrower that shot from Infernus' throat.

Ash grimaced as Lucario shut his eyes and clenched his paw, then jabbed forward with one of his fists. The boulders in the area splintered apart in a blinding flash of violet light, then the shards flung at Infernus with amazing speed. Infernus roared again, blindly raging and spitting flame in every direction (even Ash could see little more than the shadows of the combatants through it) and when the flames finally cleared he saw just a brief flash of motion as Lucario allowed his shield to dissipate and dashed forward to land a brutal kick into Infernus' chest, right where he'd landed that sphere attack earlier.

Infernus was blinded with agony, but Ash's hurried mental commands gave him just enough time to react. He couldn't dodge the attack, but his roar sounded above even the raging din of his rippling flames as Infernus stabbed his claws deep into the ripped, ragged flesh of his stomach and coated his claws in boiling blood and flung it onto Lucario.

Lucario and Infernus howled in unison as both attacks landed - most of the white-hot blood was blocked by the Protect covering Lucario's body (the fighter always raised it just before he attacked Infernus to shield against the crippling heat) but enough made it through to ruin Lucario's day. It melted a large patch of Lucario's fur before the boiling blood lost the majority of its heat, fusing the black-blue hairs together. Ash grimaced at the stench of burning flesh and fur… the blood had worked its way into the muscle before Lucario managed to manifest a Protect to force it off him. He clutched his right arm for the barest moment, eyes slit in agony.

There was a brief pause in the fighting as both combatants measured their wounds. Ash winced at the sight of Infernus… his friend's chest and back were an absolute mess, dripping superheated blood and exposing some of the muscle hidden beneath. It was honestly a miracle Infernus was still standing after the abuse Lucario had put him through. Ash doubted many members of his team would have taken more than a single blow from the Champion-level fighter without being overcome, let alone the multiple strikes, energy attacks, and cunning use of Stone Edge.

Yet Infernus still stood. He was beaten, not broken. Although his legs trembled underneath the strain of his injuries, he stood tall and leveled a single cannon directly at Lucario.

Lucario was in better shape, but not by much. Ash had no doubt he was still more than capable of taking Infernus down, but he'd paid for it. While Lucario were sensitive to heat as a result of being part steel-type, it wasn't to the extent of something like an Aggron. The steel-type categorization of Lucario came mostly from their bones and the spikes on their wrists, which were all heavily coated in a thick layer of metal. Even still, the heat had to be brutal for Lucario - despite remaining in good health, the fighting-type sagged heavily, panting madly in an effort to cool his overheated body. .

Ash had barely a moment to mentally transmit his suggestions and commands - One last attack, teleport to charge, teleport to keep Lucario from dodging, and unleash - to Infernus before the ashen Lucario struck.

He ran normally this time without the use of Extreme Speed, but at such a short distance it made little difference. The pokemon was still incredibly fast, and wove and duck beneath Infernus' Flamethrower. It was amazing how he compensated for his wounded arm - it was like it didn't inconvenience the fighting-type in the least! Every smooth motion was plotted to minimize pain and maximize distance gained, stretching Lucario's stamina to its limit.

The fighting-type's eyes narrowed and dodged the second stream of fire from Infernus' other cannon in an impossible twist of his body, then came to a sudden stop, immediately wary of some trick as Infernus winked out of existence.

Lucario was right to be on guard.

Infernus wore a merry, vicious grin on his face as he teleported hundreds of feet above the battlefield, just beneath the low-hanging pyrocumulus clouds. From this distance, wrapped in a cloak of heat and flame and light, Infernus appeared to be a rapidly descending comet set to annihilate the entire battlefield. He didn't roar or howl, instead allowing the hiss of his flames do the work for him.

As he fell, Infernus became entirely invisible beneath the flames. They grew white-hot, fanned by the atmosphere as Infernus fell to the earth. The fires intensified more and more as Infernus fed them every last scrap of energy he had, to the point where the unprotected would be blinded upon looking at him - Ash could feel the dry bite of the heat from where he stood despite Andel's best efforts. He grinned wildly, the heat fueling the Fire within.

It had been a long time since he'd felt this connected to his friend.

Lucario had no choice but to wait. Even with his superhuman speed it would be impossible to outrun the effects of Infernus' landing. Instead he stood poised and deadly, ready to shield or strike at a moment's notice.

Finally, Infernus reached just a hundred feet above the battlefield. He was blindingly fast, the sphere of fire that engulfed him correcting itself to orient right above his foe. It breached, then vanished, leaving nothing but a few cinders and the rush of wind filling the void…

Somehow the fighter knew what was coming. It was the only explanation for his insane reaction time - before Infernus had vanished he'd already shot away, turning his back to his previous location and erecting a thick, shimmering Protect to guard him.

It wasn't enough.

Infernus materialized just a few feet above Lucario's previous position, wreathed in heat and light, and slammed into the ground with earth-shaking force. The stone Ash stood on trembled beneath the power of the landing and Ash was grateful for Nidoking's steadying claws. He squinted to see the full effects of Infernus' assault beneath the sudden explosion of dust and smoke and red-hot flares that spiraled throughout the battlefield, only to reflexively pull away when an impossibly massive cone of flame erupted from the dust, spiraling and roaring and angling towards its opponent.

The earth cracked beneath its harsh, dry heat and fused into molten glass. Vegetation crumbled to ash. Wind and sky roared and rippled around it, caught up in the attack's force. Tree trunks and stumps exploded everywhere it touched, the water within superheated into steam. Psychic barriers erected by Andel did their utmost to block the effects of the flame outside the clearing, but Ash could tell the Gallade's strength was tested.

Overheat. The final piece of Ash's plan to take out Lucario.

It swirled over Lucario, who had lost some control of his Protect in the face of the force released by Infernus' landing. The shield still held, but Ash could tell it was a little weaker. Even so Ash held with bated breath as the raging flames washed over the fighting-type, hiding him completely within the vicious attack.

Infernus struggled to his feet, the last of his energy sapped by the brutal landing. He'd emerged mostly unscathed thanks to the teleportation, but it was still a harsh testament to his strength. Despite that, his friend was ready to continue the fight if Lucario was.

Lucario was.

Ash's eyes widened as a figure dashed out of the Overheat, burnt and injured but not defeated. The figure ran noticeably slower than it had last time, his grace forgotten in the face of raw desperation before Infernus pulled out another nasty trick - after the attack, Lucario favored his left leg heavily and his right arm hung limply at his side.

Lucario's Protect cast the last flares aside as he leapt at Infernus, who barely had time to raise his cannons in defense before Lucario slammed one last Aura Sphere into his chest. It exploded in a bright flash, the force sufficient to crack the long, flat boulder Infernus had landed on.

Infernus crumpled to the ground. He didn't rise.

The battle was over.

Ash stared at his friend's slumped form. Infernus cracked and charred the earth beneath him even while unconscious, but Ash was honestly more interested in making sure Infernus wasn't just waiting to unleash a sneak attack right into Lucario's face…

After about ten seconds without any movement, Ash raised Infernus' worn pokeball and returned him in a flash of scarlet light.

"You did great," he murmured admiringly to his friend. The sphere trembled over so slightly, as if to acknowledge Ash's praise. Then it went still and cool. Ash quickly belted it onto his belt and analyzed the situation. Lucario visibly sagged beneath the weight of his injuries (how had it managed to withstand the heat and pressure Infernus released for so long, he wondered) but watched him expectantly. He wasn't going to go down without a long, brutal fight.

Ash respected that.

Still, he had to make his next choice carefully. He couldn't just throw out his strongest members again and again until Lucario fell. Ash doubted Cynthia would be impressed if he tried to win with brute strength. No, he needed to take every factor into consideration.

The battlefield had been practically annihilated thanks to Infernus. It was barely even recognizable compared to what it had been before - ash and dust choked the air, veiling everything beneath, and dark clouds hung ominously above the ravaged land. Ugly stretches of cooling, fused glass dominated the area and still cindered. Trunks were hidden beneath thick piles of bone-white ash. Boulders were splintered and cast all over, a dangerous trap to the unwary.

Lucario was weakened, but Ash couldn't depend on him being much slower than he already was. The warrior was absurdly agile and quick even with the vast number of burns and injuries leveled on him by Infernus - someone like Nidoking would have no chance. Even in this crippled state Lucario would dance around his heavy, lumbering blows. Area of effect was the way to go... his opponent could easily dodge or Protect against precision-based attacks.

Dazed, maybe? No, Lucario was probably an expert at fighting against psychics. He wouldn't be easy to toss around either. Those metallic bones were heavy. She'd do well against him, but Ash expected that Lucario was specially trained to take down trainers who thought they could use his natural weakness towards psychics against him. He still didn't know the full extent of his techniques…

Not to mention he'd be able to use Protect against any of her favored long-range techniques. There was no chance of a Psybeam breaking through. He really needed to train her versatility in the future…

Ash ignored the vague sense of irritation that prodded him from Dazed's end of their limited mental link.

His brain went through several other considerations in the blink of an eye. Oz? No. Too slow and reliant on precision attacks. Torrent should be saved. Plume probably wouldn't have the firepower to do real damage. Bruiser would likely be outmaneuvered in a melee.

Ash grinned. He had his answer.

Tangrowth appeared. He gurgled happily at the sight of Lucario, who bowed wearily in response. The fighter even allowed a few brushes from Tangrowth's curious vines before he gently pushed them away - Tangrowth bounced happily up and down, no doubt happy to meet a new friend.

He glanced to Dazed, who quickly began to relay his messages to Tangrowth.

Don't hold back. He beat Infernus. Lucario isn't as strong, but he's really fast. Try to overwhelm him.

There were a few more tactical instructions, but Ash wasn't altogether sure Tangrowth understood them… in fact, Ash wasn't even confident that Tangrowth realized that Dazed was speaking to him with telepathy rather than Ash calling out his instructions. It didn't really matter, though, did it? So long as Tangrowth followed his instructions he'd be fine.

Begin!

Lucario was cautious this time. He sagged even more heavily to one side as he began to cautiously circle around Tangrowth, who waggled happily at the start of their game. Not that Ash believed that exaggerated limp for a second - Cynthia seemed like the type to teach her pokemon to fake a vulnerability, or make them seem more debilitating than they really were.

He should start doing that.

Time to start.

Dazed's eyes flashed as she relayed his orders to Tangrowth. His friend wasn't quite aggressive enough to start the battle himself (at least against a visibly injured opponent). Though he had gotten a lot better about that ever since he'd been made Infernus' main training partner…

Regardless, Ash was pleased when Tangrowth overcame his natural instinct to pull Lucario into a hug. He gurgled madly as nearly twenty of his vines burrowed into the earth for Ingrain and several more vines extended to an incredible length, stretched beyond what Ash would have imagined possible. The grass-type wasted no time in casting the appendages at Lucario in a lightning-quick whip even as a few other vines hurled silver spheres of power into the ashen earth around the fighter, ripping them up with the use of Ancient Power and immediately knocking Lucario off balance.

Lucario adjusted perfectly, of course. He was somehow graceful even as he spun away from one vine, allowed another to graze him, and leapt from floating earth to floating earth to slowly make his way toward Tangrowth. Every time a vine came near he would do the bare minimum to avoid it, though he struggled more than he had against Infernus. Not once had he raised a Protect, but Ash couldn't be sure if it was due to exhaustion or simple efficiency.

Even his injuries seemed perfectly planned. More than once Ash's eyes bulged at the sight of Lucario purposefully twisting with his limp right arm to avoid a jabbing vine in an impossible motion, or hop onto a levitating island of earth intentionally on his injured leg to buckle into it, only to avoid an even more devastating injury...

The fighter was steadily approaching Tangrowth - just as planned. He leapt forward, scarlet eyes flashing, only to grunt as Tangrowth unexpectedly ripped up a massive chunk of earth directly before him. Lucario landed heavily against it, actually ripping through the earth with one of those spheres again and showering the ground below in an explosion of ground and shredded earth and root and wood.

Tangrowth didn't let that dishearten him. He took advantage of Lucario's brief stumble to launch Effect Spore - Tangrowth's noxious mix of Sleep Powder, Poison Powder, and Stun Spore - straight at the slowed Lucario, though a great deal also collected around Tangrowth in a protective miasma. The fighting-type actually leapt backward at the sight of the vast cloud that slowly seeped into the soil and rolled threateningly his way. He leapt to avoid three more slashes of Tangrowth's vines, though Ash was irritated to see his expert use of Double Team again…

This time there were three Lucario, all several feet away from each other. They dashed at Tangrowth all at once, each taking a vastly different path. Poor Tangrowth was completely overwhelmed - he gurgled nervously, his arms flailed, and Ash had no doubt his saucer-like eyes were wider than ever.

Now!

Ash was relieved when the command got through Tangrowth's panic at the three Lucario, which were closing in. One had even begun to graze the side of the Effect Spore cloud that had effectively denied Lucario a huge amount of space…

Several vines exploded from the earth, the same that had entered the ground for Ingrain and had burrowed all over the arena throughout their brief battle, beneath each Lucario, spearing two (and causing them to dissipate) and snaring the third, which wasn't able to react in time. A brief flash of Lucario's green Protect emanated from his leg, which caused Tangrowth's vines to slip away uselessly.

It had worked, though. Lucario stumbled, especially when Tangrowth took the opportunity to throw his Ancient Power spheres all over the area to rip up gigantic chunks of earth and hurl them away - that entire area of the battlefield was unstable now, full of chasms and holes and deep ruts that would be devastating to fall into. Every second it cost Lucario was a second gained for Tangrowth, who wasted no time.

Lucario managed to leap elegantly from each unstable chunk of earth to the next, but Tangrowth was relentless. Vines, boulders controlled with Ancient Power, swarms of razor-sharp leaves, and thick, oily concoctions of Sludge Bomb were hurled his way every second in a veritable storm. The fighter was bogged down in the sheer volume of attacks, barely able to stay ahead of the overwhelming flurry.

Despite the circumstances, Lucario proved his ability again and again. Ash thought he'd only seen the heat-stricken, crippled warrior struck once or twice, and even then only when it was impossible to avoid some attack. Even then it was always the least damaging option, and Lucario used the angle it threw him in to avoid another rain of attacks. Sometimes he even used the opportunity to rip Tangrowth's vines apart with his metal spikes, or in a particularly memorable instance to reduce the incoming boulders into splinters with Stone Edge only to send them right back at Tangrowth, who slowed ever so slightly at the impact.

Ash grit his teeth. How was Lucario so good? He'd never seen a pokemon dodge so well or easily. Even the most skillful, agile pokemon had to screw up eventually, right? Lucario never chose wrongly. Each action was calculated, as if Lucario had lived the moment a hundred times and found the best possible solution. Was this the difference between a Champion-level fighter and his own team, or something more?

Was this Aura?

It didn't matter! He bared his teeth in satisfaction as Tangrowth successfully cornered Lucario against the Effect Spore by removing the last bit of support he had. The sole remaining pillar of rock and earth in that area of the battlefield crumbled to dust beneath a powerful slash of Tangrowth's whips (the effect enhanced by a creative use of Tangrowth's Ancient Power) and Lucario was forced to leap directly into the Effect Spore to avoid being buried beneath the earth by the tons of rock manipulated by Tangrowth.

Ash felt rather confident in saying that this was the end of Lucario. Until Lucario met his eyes in midleap and winked.

The last thing he saw was Lucario's body covered in a shimmering armor of Protect save for his leg, which blazed into a bright orange conflagration - Blaze Kick - and a sense of horror dawned on Ash. He'd been outplayed again.

Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, and Poison Powder were notoriously flammable.

Hold, Friend-Trainer!

It was the only warning he had before the shockwave reached him. Nidoking leapt in front of him to shield him from the worst of the blast, though the Fire in him was thrilled at the cinders and dry heat that nearly scorched his lungs. Ash's eyes watered despite the protection of Andel, Dazed, and Nidoking. Despite it all he impatiently peeked around Nidoking to see the results.

Tangrowth still stood, though barely. He was pitch black beneath a layer of soot and seemed more surprised than anything, despite that he'd been caught in the middle of the explosion. He wriggled a few vines experimentally, and tiredly hopped about on his red boots when he realized only a few had been reduced to ash.

Lucario was somewhere in the vast, shallow crater that had been blown in the ground. After a moment he caught sight of the slim, black shadow. He only had it in his vision for a brief few seconds before Cynthia recalled the fighter. It seemed Lucario had finally run into something it couldn't dodge.

Ash couldn't help the wild grin he bore at the lovely, beautiful, glorious sight of Lucario's unconscious body being dematerialized into brilliant red energy which was quickly sucked into his pokeball. Dazed would be feasting on sweet dreams tonight…

I can't wait.

He rolled his eyes, but didn't let Dazed's sarcasm dull his mood. She was just as happy as he was - the only difference was that he didn't try to hide it.

Andel's crisp telepathic voice appeared in his head.

Princess and I deem this field to be ruined by your 'spectacular' battle. My Lady refuses to end the battle, but Princess and I have deemed it necessary to transport you to a... stabler battleground. Do you acquiesce, Storm-Tamer?

What kind of question was that? Ash was a bit disappointed he wouldn't be able to use the ruined battlefield to his advantage, but at this point it might be too risky for further battle. He glanced up at the sky and was pleased to see that the pyrocumulus clouds formed as a result of Infernus' attacks covered a wide, broad area for near miles around. As long as the new arena wasn't too far away he should still be able to let Oz use it to her advantage.

He made things easier by returning Dazed and Nidoking, and only had a brief warning from Andel before they warped through space. Ash thanked the universe that Andel was so much better at this than Will - he wasn't even slightly disoriented when he appeared in a similar location.

It couldn't have been too far away - the clouds still covered the area, though they were closer to the edge. The shadow didn't hide the great heaps of smoke and dust that clouded a huge portion of the sky less than a mile away, though. Huh. They really had wrecked that area.

"Sorry about that," Cynthia called out from a few hundred feet away. Her and Princess were atop a tall, thick pillar of stone that overlooked the area. Ash glanced down and found himself on a similar one, though his was more of a cliff than a spear jutting from the earth. Well, if the battle stayed this intense he wouldn't complain about some extra stability… "I'd have preferred to stay, but it was getting a bit dangerous! Andel and Princess were driving me crazy."

"It's fine," Ash shouted back (though he winced at the strain it put on his throat) and narrowed his eyes as he analyzed this new area. It was similar to the last: full of young saplings, thick tree trunks severed at differing heights, and a few flat clearings with little more than a few small boulders inside them. His eyes lit up at the sight of a small pond in the corner of the arena, just by the thick wall of trees that marked the lines. It was too small to support any water-types hoping to live in it, but it would be perfect for Torrent! Levitating consumed a lot of his power, so if he could focus it all into his attacks…

Cynthia's bright grin was visible even from all this way. So was Princess' ice-cold stare. Ash was pretty sure she would eat him if they were locked in a room together. "It's been fun so far, Ash! I can't wait to see how you handle my next friend!"

He couldn't either.

Ash blinked as Cynthia pulled something from her belt and held it aloft in the air. She admired the odd stone for a moment, then cast it into the air until it landed close to her location. He narrowed his eyes. What was that? Was it not even in a pokeball?

It shone with a pale, ghastly purple light for a brief moment. Ash's sharp eyes caught the barest imprint of a pattern that reminded him of a scowling face etched into the rock. Then it trembled, flashed again, and something like a pale lavender gas seeped out from the crack. The odd, wispy substance was flecked with strange, green orbs that hovered ominously in the light. Even in the day they carried an ethereal glow that sent shivers down his spine. After a few seconds the green orbs and light settled into a snarling visage that stared balefully into Ash's very spirit.

In that moment he knew but one truth: whatever this creature was, it didn't belong here. It raised the hair on his arms and every second it stared at him he felt as though a dozen of Grey's Hydreigon were circling him with their snapping jaws.

Memories flashed into his mind, dragged from the deepest depths of his brain.

Rotting stench of Pierce's Muk as it draped its thick, toxic body over him, Amelia, and Jonathan - an armored figure hung high in the sky in an icy blue sphere, lighting the entire sea with its wrath for miles around - twin halves of a cruise ship sunk into the sea, neatly severed… he sank deep into the ocean, a soundless scream on his lips - catching sight of an imprisoned Magmar and Eevee in the horror show of Team Rocket's experiments in Celadon - Pierce's Umbreon returned, slavering and covered in blood, Nidorino nowhere to be found - speared through the heart by playful pink light, Mewtwo recoiling -

He came to with a gasp. Ash's vision blurred, but through force of will he mastered the constant negativity emanating from this strange spirit. It sneered at him, the flickering phantasm's green grin pulsating sickly, and Ash struggled to maintain his will against the awful force brushing against his thought. It bit at him deeply, and even the Concepts felt far, far away now. Not gone entirely, but suffocated. Like he had to squint and reach deeper to grasp for them.

What is that thing?

The air distorted around it as the phantasm pulsed again, and Ash felt a nasty wave of nausea come over him. He instinctively released Nidoking, desperate for any kind of reassurance. Even Nidoking grunted, and bowed his head beneath the crippling sensation of his worst fears, worst feelings, and worst memories all dredged up at once.

"Relax," he grasped Nidoking's thick leathery arm. The contact relaxed both of them and they straightened, drawing strength from their bond. Nidoking chuffed lightly and allowed Ash to lean on him as he stared daggers at the strange ghost. If looks could kill… well, could this thing die twice? "Who do you think we should use against that?"

Nidoking growled, and Ash fell deeply into thought. To be honest, his gut reaction was to throw Infernus back on the field and hope that he could do some kind of damage to the ghost. That said, he didn't regret his choice to use Infernus against Lucario whatsoever - Lucario was dangerous enough to wipe out his entire team if not handled carefully. Its bizarre, traumatic aura would debilitate several of his teammates easily - Dazed would fall easy prey to it considering how sensitive she was, and he could only imagine the disaster that would befall Plume if she were hit by it midair. This spirit wouldn't even have to attack, really.

Who else? Bruiser would probably be resistant to its aura, but Ash wasn't sure if he'd be able to do significant damage to it. He had no ideas of its capabilities. It might be able to phase through his attacks, or lock him in place if he tried to punch it. Torrent was a good option. It would be hard to phase through a sustained attack like Blizzard or Ice Storm. His energy-based attacks would be the most effective. Plus he was accurate enough to snipe the spirit's odd stone base, which could be a potential weakness.

Tangrowth wasn't down for the count. Normally Ash would use him immediately after a change in scenery - official League rules didn't allow for switching out - but against Cynthia he thought it was worth it to keep Tangrowth in reserve. She hadn't specified that he had to stick to League rules, so he figured he might as well take advantage of the situation. Not to mention the thought of sending Tangrowth out against this strange, frightening creature made his stomach knot.

Oz probably wouldn't be able to do much to it, though she was almost as accurate as Torrent. Besides, he'd prefer to save her in case Cynthia had a flier in store for him. Several of his teammates would struggle with that. Nidoking would probably be a perfect choice, but with his potential to turn the tide he didn't want to send his first friend in blind.

There was only one real choice left. A wry grin appeared on his face. Sneasel had been dreaming of a chance to test himself lately…

His friend appeared in a flash of light. Sneasel hissed at the sight of the flickering shade before him and flinched, though his reaction wasn't as extreme as Ash or Nidoking's. Whether it was his relatively comfortable life or his inborn resistance to ghostly influence Ash couldn't say.

On the bright side, not being able to used Dazed as a relay wouldn't be harmful here. Sneasel wouldn't be able to receive his thoughts anyways. He needed Sneasel to do as much damage as he could - the sooner this phantasm was knocked out the sooner he'd get the chance to take advantage of Dazed's telepathy again.

Ash narrowed his eyes at the quirk to Cynthia's lips. He had the nasty feeling she knew exactly how inconvenient this was. She must not have appreciated his strategy with Dazed. There wasn't anything he'd done to broadcast her telepathy, but he'd have to be an idiot to think Cynthia wouldn't pick out a trick like that.

"I don't know what this thing is," he said quietly to Sneasel. The dark-type's ears twitched, and a low, rumbling growl emerged from his throat. "Be cautious, but remember you're going to have to press the attack - I don't think it's going to come to you."

He didn't bother trying to give Sneasel verbal orders. Not yet, at any rate. They'd need the element of surprise. Besides, they'd trained for this. Ash silently thanked Steven for their constant drills - at this point every single one of his team were prepared for just about any situation.

Andel wasn't able to telepathically communicate the beginning of the battle to either Sneasel or the strange ghost, and instead opted to create a brilliant flash of light to signal them.

Sneasel followed the drills that been seared into his brain. He immediately enhanced his muscles with Agility, and deftly danced away from the opening salvo of the battle: the ghost howled, a ghastly sound that forced Ash and Nidoking to recoil, and the glowing green face hidden within its writhing shadow spat out something Ash vaguely recognized as a Dark Pulse.

Well, describing it as a Dark Pulse was like describing Moltres as a fire-type. A normal Dark Pulse could be seen as a ribbon-like stream of black, trembling energy. This? It was as though the ghost had lashed out with a Hyper Beam of pure blackness, as if the Dark Pulse devoured light and matter whole and sucked it into itself as it carved its way through reality, the gnawing shadow scarring him merely to look upon.

He approved when Sneasel recognized the danger without any input from Ash. Sneasel balked, yet rolled far, far away from the blast without any kind of hesitation. Even as he rolled he spat the jagged arcs of Ice Beam, which lightly obscured Ash's vision with a haze of frosty air even as it struck the seemingly immobile spirit…

Or should have, at any rate.

The ghastly grimace upon the beast's face sneered at him as the Ice Beam seemed to fizzle out mere moments before it struck the spirit. Oh, Ash could tell it couldn't completely ignore the attack. There was a distant look of fury in the shade's eyes and a gentle coating of frost on the keystone. But it didn't hit nearly as hard as it should have, as though it would require twice the energy to penetrate the odd, wavering air about the strange ghost.

Ash's lips curled into a snarl. This was going to be one of those annoying fights, wasn't it? The shade wasted no time in its response, eerie green eyes tracking Sneasel effortlessly as the dark-type exploded into evasive maneuvers.

It was somewhat hard to track the creature's movements in the darkness created under the thunderclouds. Cynthia had no doubt taken that into consideration. Although it was easy enough to keep the glowing green phantasm in sight, it seemed to shift incessantly in the shadow and its miasmic purple body vanished constantly.

Another Dark Pulse, though this one somehow split into twin ribbons of void which nearly made Ash sick to look upon. It screamed to him, and he winced as Sneasel barely ducked beneath the slashing darkness before it trailed off into Andel's barriers, effortlessly carving the flashing purple barriers apart before it obliterated several trees in an explosion of shadow. He spared a glance - the trees weren't ripped apart or cut, but rather seemed to have vanished entirely into the darkness. The Dark Pulse's remnants hung around the site of their landing easily for a few seconds afterwards, gnawing on reality for a few brief moments before deigning to vanish.

The ghost lashed out once more, this time with a wave of pulsating shadow that nearly brought Ash and Nidoking to their knees… Andel's barriers were useless against the enormous power of the ghost. Even Sneasel stumbled, and the shade's green glare widened happily as it spotted an opportunity.

"Double Team!" Ash nearly wretched beneath the force of the ghost's presence, vision wavering as everything he was seemed to be sapped away. His mouth salivated excessively and for a moment he was afraid he'd throw up at the sight of the sneering ghost. Sneasel barely managed to manifest his dozen illusory clones before a vicious Dark Pulse swept out again, a wild blade that easily ripped half the illusions apart and devoured the remnants.

"Ice Beam!" He ordered, trusting Sneasel's keen hearing. One of the many Sneasel running in symmetrical patterns seized, and the ghost turned its baleful glare upon it as a frosty aura wreathed the clone. Its looming shadow swept out unnaturally, black even against the darkness of the battlefield, and appeared directly beneath the Sneasel.

The ghost's keystone vanished into the shadow, and Ash finally let a little grin appear on his face as the creature engulfed the Sneasel in its lavender shadow and devoured its prey. It paused, surprised it hadn't snagged the agile dark-type.

It barely had time to snarl before the real Sneasel blasted it with several arcs of frozen energy. The air around the ghost froze on contact with the intense blast (with nearly twice as much power forced into it as his friend's normal Ice Beam) and it flexed its enormous, sickening power as the ice somehow disintegrated into the air, evaporating as the ghost's miasma writhed.

Sneasel took his chance. Ash shouted out a warning, but Sneasel's overeagerness actually worked out for once. His lean muscles exploded into action even as the ghost broke free of the icy prison with minimal effort, evil green eyes set on Sneasel even as his friend's claws bled shadow and darkness into the world. Sneasel howled as he slashed against the ghost's wavering form, carving it apart with his Shadow Claw. The ghost screamed, an awful noise that left Ash's knees weak (hate burst in his chest at the feeling) and a tendril of its purple, gaseous body wrapped around Sneasel in a heartbeat.

How did that even work? Ghosts shouldn't be able to really affect dark-types. Dark-types had evolved to hunt ghosts, feeding upon them to increase their own strange powers. Sneasel's very biology should have blunted the attack!

The ghost didn't seem to care much for how things should be. Its shadow easily held Sneasel in place with an iron grip, the dark-type sagging as the tendril sapped endless energy from him. Ash called out several orders, each more desperate than the last, but nothing stopped the ghost. It easily held its prey still as unnatural green embers, dancing about as though possessed, bled from the spirit.

In mere seconds the ghost had erected a veritable prison around Sneasel. The green eyes, terrible in their fury, slid over to Ash as it allowed the vivid emerald Will-O-Wisps slowly begin to shrink around Sneasel, the heatless arcane flame searing so much deeper than flesh…

Ash hoped against hope for Sneasel to break free, but the overwhelming might of this bizarre pokemon was too much for his friend. The moment one of the Will-O-Wisps brushed Sneasel's frozen frame and a helpless scream escaped his mouth Ash signaled a surrender, hate welling up at the careless cruelty of the spirit.

"We give up!" Ash shouted and immediately returned Sneasel. He muttered a few apologies to the trembling pokeball as Sneasel settled in… he'd never encountered an opponent like this. The only high-level ghost he'd battled was Michael's Dusknoir, and it was pointless to compare that spirit to the indomitable being before him. Dusknoir was calm, a steady presence that would never end its pursuit of its goal. This? It was the opposite. It seemed calm on the surface, but just its presence was enough to reveal its sickening thoughts, its disdain of everything unlike it.

He could tell this was a sick, miserable spirit. It wallowed endlessly in its own pain and misfortune, turning its struggles against its foes.

As it turned its slanted, sickly eyes against Ash he swore he heard a hundred voices laughing in the wind…

"Very few trainers have faced a Spiritomb!" Cynthia called out from across the battlefield. For once she didn't seem particularly happy. Her face was pinched and her eyes worried as they looked upon the ghastly spirit. Its eyes swiveled around to look at her, and Ash thought the hateful weight upon his shoulders lessened ever so slightly. "It's nearly unique among pokemon. It carries characteristics of ghosts and dark-types and the Pressure it emanates is potent enough that most pokemon can't stand to be near it without collapsing!"

So where exactly did Cynthia find this one? Ash couldn't imagine trying to master a hateful spirit such as this one - it must respect Cynthia in some way. He couldn't imagine any human able to stand the full force of its Pressure. Was that also what blunted Sneasel's Ice Beam so effectively?

Cynthia folded her arms and watched him easily. She frowned every so often as she looked at the chaotic form of Spiritomb, which expanded and contracted every few moments as though breathing. Whenever it grew larger the seemingly solid orbs inside it grew brighter and harsher, alit by an inner glow.

Ash's eyes narrowed as he elected to take a moment to analyze his foe. It didn't seem like Cynthia was going to offer him any additional information on it.

One thing he could be certain of was that Spiritomb was strong. Not just in the sense of its techniques (even though its Dark Pulse and Will-O-Wisp would be more than enough to manhandle even Master-level opponents) but in its dread aura. On top of being powerful offensively, its awful presence sapped its opponents' strength and distracted them. Even now it poked and prodded at Ash's mind, teasing out horrific memories and violent thoughts, silently encouraging the worst of him to be revealed.

It had powerful defenses as well, which was to be expected for a stationary target. Sneasel's Ice Beam might not carry the sheer power of Torrent's, but they were nothing to treat lightly. Sneasel might be overshadowed by the might of his other teammates, but he was capable of handling nearly any opponent thrown at him. To practically shred his Ice Beam before it could even brush against this Spiritomb spoke of a long, complicated battle to come.

That would be the real issue. Lucario was a monster, but he was straightforward to handle. Infernus was practically the perfect counter for him - without Infernus he might have lost nearly his entire team to the Aura user. Aside from Infernus' own skill and ferocity, his natural body heat was practically the deciding factor against Lucario. Thanks to Infernus' flaming aura, Lucario was punished every time he drew near. Every offense was punished, and if Infernus cornered him it quickly sapped his strength and endurance. Protect was Lucario's only real defense against that body heat, and even his mastery of it drained him.

There was no such counter for Spiritomb. Ash frowned. Sneasel had landed a good hit with his Shadow Claw (at least enough to hurt the spirit) but it didn't look like it had done any lasting damage. So it wasn't quite as vulnerable to dark-type techniques as an ordinary ghost…

It was frustrating to use one of his best trump cards this early, but Ash didn't see any other choice. Tangrowth would have done well, but he was versatile (and weakened) enough that Ash didn't want to waste him on Spiritomb. Besides, Dazed's telepathy was one of his greatest advantages against Cynthia and there was no chance she'd be able to function with Spiritomb around. His team was hamstrung until he cleared Spiritomb.

"Let's go, Torrent!" He shouted and released the Kingdra in a flash of light. Spiritomb's ghastly form swirled and pulsed that foul green again, and Ash grit his teeth as a wave of - cold, salty water forced down his lungs, Infernus' cooled corpse at the peak of Mt. Ember, the Storm and Blizzard and Inferno writhing - nausea slammed into him. He forced it away, ready for Spiritomb's nasty tricks, and grinned proudly as Torrent barely sagged beneath the weight of his own misery before rising and turning angled scarlet eyes against the spirit.

"It's nasty. Attacks need more force to reach it. It can teleport, but otherwise it's stationary!"

Torrent tossed his great head and looked down at the fiery features etched into the lavender maelstrom. He barely twitched beneath the mental howls of the grim visage. If anything, he held himself even higher - Torrent would never let a deranged beast like Spiritomb touch him.

Begin!

His friend spat a Hydro Pump the moment Andel's telepathy reached him. The narrow jet of water slammed directly into the lavender gas of Spiritomb's body (though now it looked so thick as to be nearly solid), although some of it seemed to be eaten away as it reached his opponent. Ash frowned at that. It was like Spiritomb's body had some kind of caustic property on normal attacks, although Sneasel's Shadow Claw had gone right through...

Spiritomb's presence grew stronger and stronger, though it didn't make a visible move. Torrent regarded it warily, and was quick to follow Ash's next command. "Aim for the base!" Ash cried in a moment of inspiration. Torrent's head reared back, another Hydro Pump ready to be let loose, when Spiritomb finally deigned to act.

Ash leaned heavily on Nidoking's thick body as another wave of Spiritomb's awful power devoured the clearing. The world grew dark. The marks where Sneasel's claws had dug into his back and pumped him full of his dark-type powers ached and burned, and for a moment Ash feared the wounds had reopened.

Torrent rumbled and barely levitated out of the way of Spiritomb's first Dark Pulse. The nexus barely missed Torrent (although it sent him spinning just by passing by) and devoured yet another tree with its black ribbons, not quite tearing it apart so much as removing it entirely from this reality. Ash squeezed his fists and righted himself.

"Hydro Pump again! Hit that base!" He specified, hoping to tease another reaction out of Spiritomb. It writhed again, and Ash grinned. Spiritomb might be nearly invulnerable, but it did not want its keystone targeted. "

This time, Torrent managed to fire one off. Spiritomb's lavender body flowed like smoke to cover its base just as the water smashed into it. The gaseous material devoured most of Torrent's attack, but just enough got through to strike the stone and toss it a few feet back… Spiritomb's mental shriek was music to Ash's ears, and he took advantage of its vulnerability to give Torrent some more orders.

"Use Dragon Pulse near it - as many as you can!" Ash commanded. Torrent followed suit with a flurry of small (albeit powerful) Dragon Pulses. They plowed into the earth near Spiritomb's base, kicking up all sorts of superheated dirt and dust and plasma that forced Spiritomb to focus entirely on protecting its keystone lest it be left open to another of the Dragon Pulses. In no time at all Spiritomb was left on an isolated island between nearly a dozen small craters, although its toxic presence slowly ate into its own pillar.

Ash was tempted to order a Draco Meteor to completely overwhelm Spiritomb's defensive abilities, but chose against it. Draco Meteor would be effective, but it would sap Torrent's endurance and there was a chance of Spiritomb evading it with that technique which Ash suspected to be Shadow Sneak.

Torrent continued his assault, although at a methodical pace that wouldn't completely exhaust him. Spiritomb was keeping up with its defense, although Ash suspected it had been caught off guard by the power of Torrent - even a weak Dragon Pulse of Torrent's was devastating, let alone a flurry.

With Spiritomb distracted, Ash took a few precious seconds to glance at Cynthia. She'd probably communicated with Lucario through some weird Aura skill that Ash wouldn't understand, but if Ash's suspicions were right she wouldn't be capable of doing it with Spiritomb. A being of darkness was anathema to ordinary minds. Not that he'd describe the Champion of Sinnoh as an ordinary mind…

His eyes narrowed as he caught the subtle motion of one of Cynthia's hands outside her coat. Several of Spiritomb's emerald orbs floating in the miasma of its body were fixated on her, bobbing and weaving as Cynthia quickly signed to it. Ash didn't take long to connect the dots, and he barked a warning to Torrent even as Spiritomb slowly began to react faster and faster with Cynthia's guidance… a long, pointed strand of its shadow came alive in the dust of Torrent's attacks, and when it crept about the trunks and boulders of the battlefield to surprise Torrent he knew their offense was finished.

"She's signing orders to Spiritomb! Evade the shadows!" Ash shouted, uncaring that Cynthia could hear him. Torrent rumbled and ceased his assault for a moment, focusing all his draconic energies in an effort to accelerate to the side. It was just in time - seconds later, Spiritomb's long, living tendril speared through the exact spot Torrent had occupied. The incorporeal appendage seemed to suck all the light from the area (another wave of nausea passed over Ash and Torrent) before it disintegrated into nothingness.

Spiritomb's shadow surged forth at that failure, carrying the dread spirit's base with it as it homed in on Torrent. The Kingdra didn't need Ash's warning to fire a Dragon Pulse directly into the face of the Shadow Sneak, but the fearsome shade wasn't hindered. Moments later it exploded near Torrent in an awful wave of darkness that obscured them both from view. Ash barely managed to catch the shadows coalescing into a cracked stone before the darkness swallowed the area whole.

"Light it up!" He scowled, eyes locked onto where his friend was. Torrent acquiesced, and Ash grinned at the sight of a dim, burning green within the darkness - not one of Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisps this time, but a brilliant Dragon Pulse anchored atop Torrent's snout that pierced Spiritomb's veil.

Ash's mind raced even as Torrent rumbled irritatedly in the face of a vicious splash of Will-O-Wisps that flickered into existence all around him, each the same eerie green of Spiritomb's orbs. Each danced hypnotically and bled baleful light that snagged his attention, swaying beautifully and begging both Ash and Torrent to lean closer and look, only for a moment…

"Ice Storm!" He snapped. Torrent had shaken off the spell just a second after Ash, and lurched away just in time to avoid a flaming whip that left haunting embers in the air before it disintegrated away. Spiritomb's evil aura pulsed again in an effort to cripple the Kingdra, but Torrent's scarlet eyes flickered with righteous fury.

Ice's cold fingers grasped Ash's heart. Torrent's immense power flexed ever so gently. Wind circled the mighty Kingdra, carrying dust and dirt and even a few remnants of Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisps into a gentle cyclone before Torrent settled into one of his strongest techniques.

Torrent raised his great head high and effortlessly breathed vast plumes of swirling, frozen air that shone like diamonds in the sunlight that parted the clouds summoned by Infernus. Spiritomb's gaseous body wavered, and its ugly visage snarled at Torrent and cutting ribbons of darkness extended from its incorporeal form -

Spiritomb howled.

Ash grinned, glad to see one of his theories confirmed as the keystone was ripped from the earth by the suddenly howling wind, lost in the frozen maelstrom as Torrent unleashed the fullest extent of his might. Ice filled him as frozen flecks of icy dirt landed on his skin, cooling the light burns left on him by Infernus' ferocious attacks.

Ice Storm had begun. It had been a long time since he'd had a chance to properly appreciate Torrent's favored technique - he regretted that. Torrent had honed his skill and it showed.

For most of his career as a trainer Ice Storm had been something of a last resort against powerful opponents. Practical in that it carried more destructive force than almost any other attack, not to mention compensating for Torrent's weakness in close combat. It was a fantastic deterrent against melee fighters and fliers and most ranged attacks would falter against the veritable wall of raging wind and snow.

Torrent had perfected it in the time since the Conference. It was no longer a clumsy column of swirling ice more than forty feet high - now, Ice Storm had evolved. Although it didn't cover as much area, Torrent had solidified the vicious blizzard into a condensed wall of white and blue that was held tightly in place with his iron will. He was barely visible in the midst of it, just a black specter veiled in white armor. More and more of his Blizzard was sucked up into the eerily still cyclone, filling and supporting its unwavering walls until Ash began to wonder if it would solidify into an entire wall of ice.

Most importantly, Spiritomb wasn't active. Its suffocating aura was nowhere to be found as its stone was whipped about mercilessly by the frozen winds of the Ice Storm. Ash couldn't spot its shape in the overwhelming whiteness before him, but he let a grin fall on his face - Spiritomb couldn't maintain its form when it wasn't rooted to the ground! He'd suspected it since the keystone was completely stationary except for when Spiritomb used Shadow Sneak to teleport across the battlefield, but it was good to know the theory was confirmed.

But what if it was a trick? He couldn't discount that with Cynthia…

No, he wouldn't count on Spiritomb to be defeated. Even if it was, it was definitely powerful enough to break free of the shell of ice that had probably solidified around its odd stone. He couldn't be cautious enough when dealing with one of Cynthia's team… Ash frowned at the unpleasant realization that he couldn't see Cynthia anymore thanks to the Ice Storm. That wasn't good.

So what now? Spiritomb might be able to become active again if it adjusted to being in the Ice Storm. If that happened it would probably spell the end for Torrent. And there was nothing Torrent could do while the Ice Storm was active - it strained the Kingdra so much that he could barely even levitate while controlling it.

"Torrent!" Ash called, hoping to catch his friend's attention. He caught the barest twitch of Torrent's shadow. "Funnel the Ice Storm somewhere, then finish with Draco Meteor!"

Torrent did so. Ash could feel the weight of his friend's will as the Ice Storm spun faster and faster, the column of white twitching and finally bending to its masters command. The vast swirling blizzard stood nearly eighty feet high in a tightly controlled mass, and the peak of the storm slowly fell to a particularly large, flat boulder about fifty feet away from Torrent.

It was a slow, painful process that was no doubt exhausting for Torrent, but Ash had faith in his friend. This was the same Kingdra that had carried him across miles and miles of ocean while commanding a monstrously powerful cyclone to shield against Mewtwo's storms, after all.

He had faith.

No, Ash was more worried about Spiritomb. It was impossible to track the spirit's location, and irritation prickled at the edges of his consciousness. At any moment the fearsome creature could emerge and take advantage of Torrent's distraction with a spear of shadow to end the battle.

His eyes narrowed as more and more of the Ice Storm was funneled onto the flat-topped boulder, the enormous cyclone slowly dissipating as Torrent loosened his masterful control. Ash wouldn't let his friend be attacked without warning. As long as Torrent fought Spiritomb he'd have a keen pair of eyes watching out for him.

As the last of the Ice Storm was deposited onto the absolutely frozen boulder, which had already begun to flake and suffer deep furrows cracked into its surface beneath the force of Torrent's technique, Torrent finally allowed his control to slip entirely.

It was no reprieve for Torrent. Even as the last of his frozen shell collapsed away (and revealed the powerful Kingdra to be absolutely covered in a glaze of snow and ice) his large, plated body shone a vibrant, heated gold as he summoned the awesome power of Draco Meteor to his service - Ash allowed himself to admire the sight of Torrent wreathed in gold, the heat melting his coat of ice, before Torrent focused the power.

The energy exploded outwards, barely controlled as it crackled high into the sky above the battlefield. Ash's eyes burned at the sight of a second sun burning high in the atmosphere, lingering just long enough to leave Torrent horribly strained before a dozen blazing comets descended from the sky and honed in on the boulder where Ash caught sight of Spiritomb's form flickering into existence…

Andel telepathically groaned beneath the strain as he erected vast psychic barriers around the battlefield to restrain the overwhelming power of the meteors as they crashed into the boulder. Ash's vision went white and he was thrown bodily to the ground as an earthquake rent the battlefield. Fire blazed inside as his skin was seared, and he was aware of nothing but a vague sense of confusion for a few long, long seconds before Nidoking gently lifted him up.

"Thanks!" Ash gasped and rubbed uselessly at his eyes, eager to see the full effects of Torrent's assault. The stars cleared a few moments later and he grinned. Torrent sagged, barely able to levitate after the strain of using his strongest techniques in quick succession, but he nonetheless glared where his target used to be.

The boulder was no more. A few small slivers of stone blackened and shattered by the force of Draco Meteor remained, but they appeared so fragile as if they'd disintegrate at the lightest touch. Most of the area was a scorched, ruined mess based around a massive crater that had been dug out of the earth. Fissures wound their way around the crater, which had to have been at least twenty feet around and six deep, like ugly scars leaking dust and smoke.

"No way…" Ash stared in disbelief. In the center of the crater sat an innocuous keystone. Purple miasma bled from the cracks, an ugly presence reared its head, and Spiritomb emerged. Torrent and Ash laid their eyes on it and exchanged resigned, weary looks.

Spiritomb wasn't unharmed. It was hard to catch, but Ash could sense that it had taken a great deal of effort to protect against the Draco Meteor. The specter's form was less fluid than before, almost sluggish as it wavered chaotically under the sun's light. Baleful green orbs shone less brightly than before, and even its scowl seemed to have lost some of its malice in favor of exhaustion. Not to mention the thick crust of ice that imprisoned the keystone, although Spiritomb's corrosive presence eroded it quickly, and flecks of snow and ice that flicked about wildly in Spiritomb's 'body'.

Then it caught sight of Torrent, and for a brief second Ash knew hate. He staggered, and both Nidoking and Torrent bent inwards as if trying to protect themselves. Nidoking chuffed gently, his dull claws clutching tightly to Ash as his great form shook. Ash grabbed him reassuringly and called out encouragement to Torrent, who barely managed to recover from the emotional onslaught before Spiritomb made its move.

A dozen strands of its lavender form stabbed outwards, weaving across various obstacles and rearing back before they slashed at Torrent, suddenly ablaze with sickeningly green Will-O-Wisps. They sought to hypnotize Ash and Torrent again, to trap them in their spell, but both were prepared.

Torrent used a great surge of power to force himself away, though one Will-O-Wisp nearly brushed him regardless. The Kingdra rumbled and spat another Blizzard at the flaming appendages, capturing them all in a storm of white ice and frozen air, but it barely slowed them. Every single one of the supernatural flames seared through the trap easily, and resumed their pursuit.

Just as Ash prepared to give more orders - mostly a Smokescreen to give some reprieve from Spiritomb's assault, though it probably wouldn't have slowed the spirit - a wave of nausea overcame him. He leaned heavily on Nidoking, who growled threateningly at Spiritomb. The fearsome specter's awful eyes left him (but not without transmitting a last flicker of savage amusement) and settled on Torrent.

"Rain Dance!" Ash wheezed through his sickness. Even that nearly made him puke with effort, and his legs turned to jelly. Nevertheless, he grinned wildly as Torrent's eyes flashed, and a tangible weight settled about the area. At Torrent's demand a gentle pattering of rain droplets began to fall from the clouds summoned by Infernus' fires. Ash breathed in relief as the cool water brushed against his singed skin, but grimaced as another wave of sickness overwhelmed him.

With his last order completed, the Kingdra reared back, a Dragon Pulse emerging on his snout, but froze as a single strand of lavender smoke gently (mockingly, Ash thought) brushed against the heavy plates of his scales. Torrent's Dragon Pulse fizzled away, vanishing into a brief flash of brilliant green flecks, and he collapsed.

"Torrent!" He cried, eyes locked on his friend. Ash watched helplessly as the Kingdra's massive form twitched helplessly on the ground. His scarlet eyes were rolled into his head and his fins flailed wildly, seeking to help Torrent evade some awful, unseen terror. Horrible sounds Ash had never heard from the Kingdra's throat emerged - wails, cries, and useless, pitiful gurgles. Torrent trembled, and when the water-type began to recklessly spit high-pressured blasts of water that could take a human's head off Ash snarled in realization.

He hated Confuse Ray.

Torrent was returned the next moment. Ash cradled the pokeball gently and pointedly ignored the savage sneer of Spiritomb in favor of the shaking container. "You're okay, Torrent. You're okay," he murmured reassuringly to the Kingdra as he fell into stasis. "Rest easy, buddy. You did great."

It went still.

What now? Torrent was his best bet of doing serious damage to Spiritomb. He'd done his job - Spiritomb's pressure wasn't as potent as before, even if it was sickeningly effective - and helped Ash learn more about Spiritomb's strengths and weaknesses, but Ash doubted he'd be able to pull a win on Spiritomb with his remaining team.

Tangrowth would be good at juggling the stone around. He might even be able to control it with Ancient Power, although Ash thought Spiritomb would be able to break free of that or Shadow Sneak away. But Ash couldn't send out Tangrowth against this monster. It might be stupid to ignore a potential tactical advantage, but his stomach turned at the thought of poor, innocent Tangrowth falling apart against Spiritomb's aura.

Oz didn't have the firepower. Any hope they had would rely in attacking the keystone itself, and Ash didn't think her electrical attacks would be able to break through Spiritomb's potent defenses. She'd be better saved in case Cynthia released any flying opponents. No use wasting her on a foe she wouldn't have a serious chance against.

Bruiser could have a chance, but Ash wasn't altogether certain he could make it to the keystone. Spiritomb's mental attacks wouldn't do much against the peaceful Machoke, but those shadows it wielded and its Will-O-Wisp spelled a serious threat.

"I think you've got this," Ash turned to Nidoking. The poison-type's ears twitched, and he bared his teeth in agreement. Nidoking's beady black eyes were fearsome slits as he regarded Spiritomb, powerful tail swaying dangerously as he regarded the vicious ghost hatefully. "Play to your strengths. Hit it hard with a Shadow Ball first. Try to bury it after that."

Nidoking snorted and nodded in agreement. Andel helpfully teleported his friend down to the battlefield, but not before Ash pat the bulky poison-type on his leathery shoulder. With a tap of his finger he released Bruiser to take Nidoking's spot at his side - he needed another teammate who knew what Spiritomb was capable of if Nidoking failed.

"Make it pay for what it did to Torrent!" Ash spat to Nidoking, who snarled lightly before settling his righteous gaze on the chaotic shape of Spiritomb. A moment later Andel signaled the beginning of the fight (after Cynthia sent him a thumbs up) and the battle was joined.

Spiritomb wasn't so arrogant this time. It immediately stretched its shadow to the other side of the battlefield and allowed its keystone to dissolve into the Shadow Sneak - Nidoking growled furiously as his Shadow Ball missed his target, and wheeled about to focus on Spiritomb's new position just in time to open a chasm beneath his feet to avoid several ribbons of gnawing black energy that would have taken him out of the battle.

Nidoking was invisible, but Ash knew his friend so well he knew exactly what he would do. Ash took some pleasure as every move played out as he'd expect.

Earthquake while Nidoking laid beneath the earth. Spiritomb's form flickered as the gentle (for Nidoking, at least) wave of destructive force ripped the earth beneath it apart, stretching the fissures left by Torrent's Draco Meteor and causing them to merge together in a vast sinkhole. Trunks and stones collapsed into it, swallowed by the gaping void.

Spiritomb teleported across the battlefield again, its shadow effortlessly weaving across the new wave of destruction left by the Earthquake. It refused to rest as more and more chasms and fissures opened, a result of Nidoking's destructive attacks from beneath the surface. The crust of the earth crumbled and collapsed beneath the great force, and Ash grinned as more and more of the battlefield became a network of unstable earth, open tunnels, and rent ground.

The raindrops pattered on endlessly, and Ash grew more and more satisfied as the entire battlefield became a muddy mess. It wasn't ideal for his team either - Oz and Bruiser in particular might struggle - but they were experienced enough to handle it. But he could see that Spiritomb was beginning to experience some trouble as well.

It was a fearsome foe: Spiritomb possessed an aura that could cripple its opponents at the worst possible moments, send them into madness or burning agony with a touch, and dissolve most attacks sent against it. Yet Spiritomb wasn't adapted to fighting in a shifting, muddy mess. For all of its advantages it failed to be flexible. Spiritomb needed stability to maintain its form and use its awesome, terrifying powers.

Nidoking wasn't about to give it that.

Ash didn't bother barking orders like he had to Torrent. Nidoking wouldn't be able to hear him from his position. Besides, they'd trained for situations like this under Steven's watchful eye. Nidoking could handle himself until he returned to the surface.

Spiritomb flickered again. Its awful visage sneered, but Ash thought he saw the beginnings of worry in the chaotic swirling of its orbs…

Then the ground beneath it collapsed, and Spiritomb fell into the gaping chasm.

He and Bruiser watched eagerly, breathless. The seconds ticked by, then minutes. Ash could tell it wasn't over… the earth rippled like water with each of Nidoking's attacks, and every now and then hate washed over him, water trickled in the back of his mind, and terrible, nasty thoughts filled his mind before he clamped down on them. Yet the unsettling feelings lingered and grew and grew with every crack Ash heard erupting from the subterranean maze crafted by Nidoking's expert touch.

Ash clenched his fists hard enough to dig bloody red lines in his palm, and it only got worse when the keystone was hurled out of one of the sinkholes by a lavender tendril that latched onto a rare instance of solid ground and allowed Spiritomb to erupt forth again, its dreadful aura howling for blood this time.

It barely managed to sneak away before Nidoking collapsed the stone it rested on. Ash grinned at that, glad to see Spiritomb on the defensive for once. The specter flitted from stone to stone as each was painstakingly sunken by Nidoking's Earth Power, and Ash waited patiently for Nidoking to finally corner it. Without Shadow Sneak the Spiritomb would have been dragged back into the earth a long time ago.

Spiritomb screamed, a dreadful wave that ate at everything Ash was and even caused Bruiser to recoil in agony, but Nidoking didn't emerge. There was no way he was going to abandon his advantage in the tunnels - leaving them to try and score a hit on Spiritomb was a suicide mission, and Nidoking knew it. He'd been privy to every instance of Spiritomb's unsettling and versatile abilities. All it would take was a nauseous wave of misery to slow him down for a moment and he'd be hit by a Confuse Ray or Will-O-Wisp.

So the game continued. Spiritomb would fire a fearsome Dark Pulse when it had the chance (which only really resulted in annihilating even more stable ground) and Nidoking would easily track it and try to pull it back in. Ash wasn't quite confident, but he could tell it was exhausting for them both. Spiritomb was slowing, though Nidoking was struggling as well. He had great endurance but the constant Earthquakes and Earth Power usage was taking its toll.

Ash bit his lip. The battle wasn't as fast-paced and exciting as Torrent's, but it was no less important. Every second was a chance for Nidoking to finish or drain Spiritomb's strength. Yet as time passed the chance for Spiritomb to strike back was growing more and more frequent…

This was a duel of patience, stealth, and tracking. Nidoking had the edge now - yes! Spiritomb's gaseous body vanished back into its keystone as it fell into the earth, and Nidoking immediately collapsed the muddy earth all around the monster! The mud had played a part earlier by preventing Spiritomb from finding solid purchase, but now it buried the spirit whole!

Nidoking was still unseen, but Ash saw a few carefully placed glowing yellow lines of Earth Power wind their way across the muddy wreck of the battlefield, expertly cleaving off vast quantities of the earth to form mudslides to bury Spiritomb again and again until a veritable mountain rested atop the dangerous ghost.

Just as his hopes were raised, Spiritomb made its presence known.

Gary walked away with half a pokeball in hand, Petrel turned the tables on him, Fire Ice Lightning, nightmares of the captured Rockets' heads falling off their limp corpses

He returned to reality just in time to catch sight of dozens of thin, creeping lavender tendrils snake out from the mudslide. Some set to sweeping the thick, heavy earth away from the keystone while others shot out into the intricate network of tunnels, deadends, and caverns that Nidoking had shaped. Ash's eyes shot open. "Watch out!"

Ash wasn't sure if his words reached his friend or not, but Ash didn't have anything to worry about. Nidoking roared, beady black eyes filled with murderous fury, as he exploded from the muddy wall near where Spiritomb was buried. Great, heaping droplets of mud landed atop several of the wispy tendrils that stabbed upwards at Nidoking, and all Ash managed to see was Nidoking's massive, muscular tail bleeding unnatural darkness before it crashed into the spirit's tomb.

Bruiser held Ash close as another explosion rocked the battlefield, rippling the psychic barriers erected by Andel. Ash watched closely, and groaned at the sight of Nidoking's thrashing, snarling form (impaled upon a shadowy limb of Spiritomb's and threatened by several Will-O-Wisps rising from the muddy tomb) atop the remnants of the mud pile.

How on earth did Spiritomb survive that?

He groaned at his answer. Spiritomb's actual form was nonexistent, but several of the lavender tendrils leaking from its keystone had managed to yank its keystone to relative safety. Oh, it hadn't emerged unscathed. Not even close. Ash would have to be blind to think that - the lavender tendrils trembled with every twitch, and the keystone twitched violently every few seconds. It had suffered terribly thanks to Nidoking's unconventional Shadow Claw. Well, Shadow Tail in this case.

Even with Spiritomb rendered unstable by the vast surge of ghostly power, it had beaten Nidoking. He bore his suffering stoically, but Ash recognized the effects of Confuse Ray when he saw them… it was worrying just how easily Spiritomb could use the potent technique, like it was less of an action and more of a passive effect of its touch. Confuse Ray could be dangeorus to even use for most pokemon, let alone in quick succession. Only dark-types and ghosts could wield it easily, and even then drawing on it too heavily could destabilize a ghost.

Spiritomb practically breathed it. What was this thing?

It didn't matter. Ash took the opportunity to recall Nidoking. "Thanks for everything, buddy. You did great, Nidoking," he murmured to the worn pokeball. It trembled just like Torrent's, then sent the suffering Nidoking into stasis for a well-deserved rest.

Cynthia was quiet. She didn't bother to say anything this time either, instead signing something to Spiritomb. Ash stared hatefully at the keystone as it crawled to a stable area with its vaporous lavender limbs. He would crush this demented spirit.

He owed Sneasel, Torrent, and Nidoking that.

Ash took a moment to examine the terrain. It was a wreck, to put it lightly. Nidoking hadn't been gentle as he carved the majority of it up, eager to take any advantage over Spiritomb. The battlefield might have been salvageable as a series of trenches and tunnels with a scant few stretches of untouched space, but the steady rain summoned by Torrent had completely ruined most of it. The mud was several inches deep at this point and more and more of the thick substance kept sliding off into the sinkholes and fissures opened by Nidoking, widening the devastation.

His eyes traced over to his left. There was still a relatively unscathed expanse there, though Ash doubted its integrity. It was a tight corridor, only about a hundred feet of solid (albeit muddy) ground present before it brushed into Andel's barriers.

He'd have to make use of that in the future. Bruiser would probably be more than capable of traversing the unstable maze left by Nidoking with his incredible physical abilities, but Oz would be nearly useless there. She needed open space to have maximum effectiveness. The storm would help empower her with its latent electrical buildup, but that wouldn't be enough against Cynthia.

Bruiser prepared to clamber down to face Spiritomb, but Ash raised his hand. "Not yet," he said quietly as an idea came to him. Spiritomb was on its last legs, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. Bruiser wasn't the ideal matchup. No, there was another way. "Let's go, Plume!"

Plume appeared next to him with a shriek, her wings outstretched majestically as she announced her arrival to the world. Ash smiled at the gigantic Pidgeot, especially when she finally realized it was raining. She puffed up at the first touch of the droplets and sent a betrayed look Ash's way as she began to preen.

Nevermind the fact that her feathers were waterproof…

"Sorry for the weather," he apologized. Plume tossed her head, still annoyed, but relented and rubbed her head against Ash. It nearly knocked him off his feet, but he put up with it happily. Ash gently stroked her long, dancing plumage before he regarded his friend seriously. "We're in a serious fight. I have an idea on how to win this, but it's not going to be fun."

With that, he whispered his plan to Plume on the off chance another of Spiritomb's weird abilities was incredible hearing.

Plume wasn't a fan.

She reared back, clearly unhappy, and when she saw that he was serious the Pidgeot chirped in frustration. Ash muttered a few apologies and stroked her glossy feathers (and snuck a few compliments in for good measure) and smiled gently when the gigantic avian finally relented.

"Next time we stop in a city I'll buy you whatever you want," Ash promised. Plume immediately lit up. She chirped cheerfully, nipped his hat (he winced at the crack) and launched herself into the air the moment Andel announced the fight's beginning. "Alright, Plume! Let's do this!"

The Pidgeot screamed as she took to the sky, immediately building up speed. Ash could barely keep track of her, and instead focused his attention on Cynthia, Princess, and Spiritomb. Cynthia regarded Plume with a soft frown and twisted a lock of her golden hair around her fingers as she thought. Ash had no idea how she was keeping track of Plume so easily, but decided he had to focus on Spiritomb when he felt his attention beginning to stray to her hair again.

Spiritomb still hadn't released its form. It had only manifested a few swirling limbs so far and two of its glowing green orbs. One kept track of Plume, although it seemed to be struggling, and the other kept its focus on Cynthia as she rapidly signed.

Nope, not happening.

Ash grinned as Plume made her move. She had reached a height of nearly a thousand feet when she began her dive. Plume slipped into Super Speed, sacrificing her maneuverability for sheer velocity. She vanished from vision as anything but a vague blur, and even Spiritomb didn't have time to do more than release another spectral limb from its trembling keystone before the impossibly fast Pidgeot snatched its keystone up in her talons with the same ease she'd catch a Magikarp.

Plume knew time was of the essence. Spiritomb might not have released its true form yet, but Ash wasn't certain it was weakened to the point it was incapable of manifesting. If it did, its aura would probably down Plume in an instant since she hadn't been exposed to it yet. Besides, as soon as it realized it had been taken into the sky it would probably lash out with its limbs and hit Plume with Confuse Ray to take her out of the fight.

Or maybe it had self-preservation. If he was lucky then Spiritomb would be unwilling to take out Plume just to win the fight. It appeared to be on its last legs anyways.

After a few moments, it appeared that Spiritomb wasn't coming out to play anytime soon. Ash grinned. "Nice job, Plume!" He shouted into the sky on the off-chance she could hear him. Ash turned to Cynthia, who actually seemed shocked. He drank in the expression with no small amount of glee, and the soft smile that spread on her lips as she turned to regard him.

To be honest, Ash thought Cynthia might be happier about this turn of events than he was.

"Let's call that one a draw!" He shouted across the ruined wreck of the battle ground. Ash pointed up at the sky. Plume was barely visible where she circled several thousand feet up. "Spiritomb could take her down, but it's not going to keep fighting after that impact! They're both out of the fight."

Cynthia nodded cheerfully. "That's fair. Call her back down and we'll move on with the battle!"

Ash grinned back and whistled. Moments later, Plume dove down at lightning speed and gently dropped Spiritomb onto the ground. It might not have its aura active, but Ash smirked at the obvious fury in the ghost as it scuttled on its spectral limbs back to Cynthia's rock. She picked Spiritomb up and cooed to it for a few moments before the rest of its lavender form sealed itself away inside the rock.

"I'm impressed, Ash!" She laughed. "That was clever - I didn't expect that from you. It's not something Steven would have thought of," Cynthia brushed her fringe out of her eyes. Ash tried to keep his cheeks from flushing. Now wasn't the time! "So I'll give you the choice of which of my team you'll fight next!"

Well, he couldn't turn that down. Dazed could be released and give him a massive advantage in communicating with his team now, but he'd lost several of his strongest teammates against Lucario and Spiritomb. Tangrowth was still an option, but he'd been hit pretty hard by Lucario's sacrificial technique.

Oz, Bruiser, Dazed, and Tangrowth… they were good choices. They might not have the raw might of Infernus or Torrent, but each and every one of them had incredible strengths and tactical advantages to draw on. Assuming Cynthia didn't release another monster like Spiritomb he thought he might have a chance to bring down a third member of her team.

"Thanks for your help," he called to Plume. She shrieked back at him, obviously pleased with her work, before he recalled her. Ash turned back to Cynthia. Better get this started… he was practically shaking at the thought. "What are my options?"

Cynthia's eyes lit up. She pulled two pokeballs off her belt and released the inhabitants next to her. Ash quickly recognized one as a particularly sleek and dainty Glaceon. It glittered even in the limited sunlight, and whatever raindrops brushed against it froze immediately when they touched its frosty coat. The other was a bizarre creature he recalled as a Togekiss. He didn't know all that much about it, but he knew they were incredibly versatile pokemon capable of agile maneuvers in the air. No doubt it would be a dangerous opponent capable of turning any strategy he mustered back on him.

Two choices. What should he do? Ash considered releasing Dazed. She could read their minds and report which was the stronger to him, but he discarded it. Cynthia was being generous by giving him the chance to choose his next opponent. He didn't want to throw that in her face.

Ash ignored the little voice in his head that said she'd probably be ecstatic if he pulled something like that.

Glaceon didn't look tough, but he'd seen videos of it. Calling it an elemental monster was an understatement: Glaceon rarely spent more than a few seconds on the battlefield before summoning a thick, impenetrable blizzard that would freeze most pokemon in less than a minute. Throw in the rain he'd had Torrent summon and he would be in an absolutely awful position - it would help Glaceon more than it would ever help Oz.

Togekiss would be tough, but he thought he might have a chance of taking it. Tangrowth could throw huge chunks of earth. Oz would have an advantage with her electric attacks. Dazed might even be able to Disable it and bring it to the ground. Bruiser would be the only one at an automatic disadvantage - he'd have to cripple its flight before Bruiser would be in a good place to take it down.

Then his eyes settled on the hulking, monstrous beast with chips of ice for eyes. It stared straight through Ash, content to remain at Cynthia's side and assist her in any way she deemed fit.

His choice was made.

"I choose… Princess!" Ash pointed at the ferocious dragon. The Garchomp perked up at the mention of her name, and a bizarre mix of joy and fear pulsed through his veins at the sight of her snarl.

Cynthia blinked. "Okay!" She chuckled, suddenly alert. A wild grin stretched across her features, and Ash was quick to mimic it. "No take backs!"

Ash wouldn't dream of it.

The Champion glanced over at Princess. He followed her gaze and felt his lips quirk upwards at the sight of the Garchomp - she seemed aloof before, but now there was a spark in the dragon's eyes that left them a little less flat and cold. She still looked like she was going to eat him, but at least now she looked like she'd enjoy it.

"It's not going to be remotely fun if you try to take her on one-on-one," Cynthia mused. She stroked her chin thoughtfully, and Ash was vaguely reminded of Steven's habit. Maybe she'd picked it up from him? "What teammates do you have left?"

Ash didn't need to check. He'd had so many strategies running around in his head that he knew his remaining friends by heart. "Tangrowth, Dazed, Bruiser, and Oz," he counted, not including Aron or Seeker. Neither would be equipped for this battle, although he decided to release Aron so he could watch. Pretty much all Aron would be useful for against Garchomp would be giving Bruiser something to hit the dragon with…

Cynthia laughed and spread her arms apart. "Alright, let's do four-on-one! That should be a fair fight!"

His eyes lit up. That sounded perfect. "Any different rules for this battle?"

"Nope!" She chirped, still wearing a goofy smile on her face. Cynthia brushed her fringe out of her eyes again. Ash was just grateful Dazed wasn't released yet to make fun of him for staring. He should have known better than to start teasing her about Claydol… "Neither side gets initiative. We start on Andel's mark. You ready?"

"Absolutely!" Ash affirmed. He quickly directed Bruiser down to the region undisturbed by the fierce battles that had raged. The large Machoke gracefully clambered down the rocks, and prepared himself carefully in a particularly stable spot.

Tangrowth appeared next. The grass-type wasn't in the best shape – Lucario had really done a number on him with that last trick – but he'd be able to keep going. His vines were still intact, though a fair number were blackened to a dry, crumbly crisp. Tangrowth absentmindedly used his dozens of remaining, functional vines to slice the crippled ones off. Ash was a little disturbed at the discarded appendages wriggling and spasming in their death throes, but put it aside for now.

The next to be released was Oz. She growled fiercely at the sight of the devastation that surrounded them – especially the vast, muddy trenches carved by Nidoking – but squared herself. Despite the rain that softly pattered down, her fur puffed up violently thanks to the vast latent charge in the air and she windmilled her arms in preparation for the battle to come. Little bits of electricity sparked off her, though much of it was grounded.

Warmth flooded him as she spared a respectful nod with Bruiser, who dipped his head back. She did the same for Tangrowth (who danced quite happily in the rain, his vines wriggling wildly) but hissed as he pulled her in for a quick hug with three of his larger vines.

Ash smirked at the familiar scene and tapped the button on the last pokeball. Dazed appeared behind the three frontline fighters and glanced around disinterestedly for a moment, though flinched when the latent energies of Spiritomb's presence struck her. She handled it well, though, and Ash felt a surge of admiration at his friend's self-control.

We are yours, Friend-Trainer. Direct us as you will.

There was no sarcasm or teasing in her telepathic voice at this stage. Dazed knew how important this fight was and she would never act without restrain on the battlefield. Ash sent a wave of warmth her way. She didn't respond, but he knew she appreciated it.

He quickly allowed his plans and theories fill his brain as Princess leapt from her rock. Dazed wasn't a master of telepathy yet, but she could easily pluck out the essentials of his plans.

Stay in the back. Coordinate the others. Avoid direct combat. Stun, block, and shield. Slow Garchomp down.

For the rest, his orders were equally simple. He wouldn't be able to easily transmit long, complex strategies via Dazed, but images were possible.

Tangrowth… well, Ash put a bit more effort into his role than the others. He was to try and box Princess in and prevent its flight with Ancient Power and drain its energies with his vines. If Princess slowed down enough, he had the job of trying to hammer the beast with Solar Beam or Leaf Storm – they were the only ranged attacks Ash could rely on to actually hamper the Garchomp.

Oz's main job would be to blind Princess. Ash wasn't confident that her electrical attacks could penetrate Princess' hide – the dragon's ground-type heritage blessed it with especially thick, durable skin. Her scales could turn away most elemental and blunt force attacks with ease, and was specially adapted to stop electrical attacks in their tracks. At best her Lightning Bolt would stun it for a moment, but he'd rather her rely primarily on Flash and distracting tactics to minimize the incredible threat the dragon posed to his team.

Ash momentarily regretted spending Torrent against Spiritomb but immediately turned his thoughts in more productive directions. What was done was done and he couldn't say that Torrent hadn't served his role beautifully. He doubted he could have defeated Spiritomb without him. Besides, they weren't even supposed to fight Princess. That was a surprise for him as well.

As for Bruiser… well, he was going to be the lynchpin of the whole plan. Oz didn't have the firepower to seriously hurt Princess and Dazed's talents were better served elsewhere. Tangrowth would be the secondary heavy hitter. Rampage would let Bruiser contend with the Garchomp physically, although Ash would favor Princess in a prolonged fight. She was just tougher than Bruiser. Her mass would let her remain steady in the face of his blows, while a solid hit from Princess would send him flying.

The last member of his team manifested right next to him. It was still a little too bright for Seeker to join them, but Aron was happy to get some fresh air. He warbled happily and butted his head against Ash's leg (he had to hide a grimace as he rubbed Aron's domed head) and plopped down. His big blue eyes stared raptly at the team arrayed, and he glanced over to the devastation on the other side of the battlefield like he couldn't believe it.

"Crazy, right?" Ash grinned. Aron let his tongue loll out and panted. "You'll be on that level one day," he promised and laughed at the disbelieving look Aron sent his way. "Really!"

Aron warbled again and set his eyes on the team, raptly interested in the spectacle to come.

Ash took a moment to analyze the awesomely intimidating shape of Princess. She stood lightly hunched, her black-and-gold eyes roaming over his team ravenously. Her aerodynamic wings twitched every few seconds, betraying her eagerness. From where he was he could just barely make out the sharp, jagged details of her scales, which were sharp enough to leave scrapes and cuts all over anything brave (or stupid) enough to strike her. Princess' hide stretched tightly over her heavily corded muscle. She wasn't quite as massive as one of Lance's Dragonite, but her lighter build allowed for terrible speed on the ground and surprising agility.

His only advantages were that the mighty Garchomp wasn't adapted to fly high like one of Lance's dragons. They were blindingly fast, tough, and vicious in a battle but they had evolved to thrive in caverns, subterranean tunnels, and tight, enclosed spaces. Their preferred method of hunting was to encounter just about anything (except maybe the odd Onix or Steelix) and blitz it in a startling display of aggression. A Garchomp could fly at sonic speeds for short bursts, although they weren't especially agile and could only maintain flight above the tree-line for a few moments.

All in all, Garchomp deserved their reputation as ferocious fighters that stood at the very top echelons of battling. To command the respect of a Garchomp separated a trainer from the rest, in much the same way training a Tyranitar or Salamence did. They did not bend to the will of a weak trainer, and were renowned for turning against humans who didn't capture them in their own tunnels.

He couldn't wait.

Good luck, challengers. You shall need it. Begin!

Princess reacted blindingly fast. Before Ash's team could set their own traps into motion she had already stamped heavily against the earth, eyes flat and cold as a smooth wave of force erupted from where she stood. It rolled through the earth in a wave that left unsteady cracks and a thin plume of dust that hung across the entire field. Ash was grateful for Andel's mastery of his psychic barriers when they flashed into existence just before the Earthquake tore into his perch.

It wasn't so kind to his friends. The Earthquake wasn't powerful enough to do serious damage, but it managed to knock all of them off balance except Tangrowth (who had already rooted himself in the ground with his vines). Just as they tried to regain their balance and prepare for the onslaught, their foe slashed one of its wings toward them with blinding speed – Ash frowned at the massive wave of wind that kicked up a dense cloud of dust and sand, though it wouldn't last long in the slowly dying fall of the rain.

Then again, it didn't need to.

Ash had already called out his warnings, but saw firsthand the amazing speed of a Garchomp as Princess shot forward, carried by her wings at a blinding speed. Dazed's eyes flashed as she swept the dust cloud aside with a casual wave of psychic force, only to barely throw a hurried Psybeam at the Garchomp as the dragon rushed them in a frenzy.

Tangrowth played his part masterfully. He gurgled wildly, a bit nervous at the sight of Princess' gaping jaws, and hurled his silvery orbs of Ancient Power at the earth in front of them moments before she reached the team, erecting a solid barrier that Princess proceeded to crash. She was barely slowed as she plowed through the thick soil with the ease of breaking through a child's sandcastle.

"Now!" Ash shouted helpfully, although he knew his team was already acting. It was more of a distraction for Princess and Cynthia than anything.

Pride filled him as his team reacted like a well-oiled machine.

Dazed's pendulum flared wildly, wreathed in pale light, as Princess froze mid-stride in a thin blue shell for a single moment. She easily tore her way out with a flex of her powerful muscles and resumed her course towards Tangrowth, but the whole clearing was immediately filled with a blinding flash of light, followed by a thunderclap that left Ash's ears ringing. Aron moaned pitifully, and Ash reached down to comfort him even as the battle resumed.

Princess wasn't slowed down as much as he'd have liked, but Oz's distraction worked well. She spared the Electabuzz a speculative glance and launched her way with the roar of a jet engine, only to be cut off again. The mighty Garchomp's massive claws dug heavily into the earth as Bruiser slammed into her with all the force of Rampage – his muscles bulged, his veins pulsed red, his breath coming short and rapidly beneath the strain. Princess roared and raised her wings threateningly, but Bruiser simply prepared a stance before launching forward again in a flurry of fists and blows that would shatter a boulder with ease.

It wasn't enough. Ash's eyes widened as Princess batted the blindingly fast Machoke away with the flat of one of her wings with practiced… not ease, but something like it. Ash winced at the scrapes along Bruiser's back, though he doubted he could feel it through his leathery hide and the blindness of Rampage. She hissed, baring her fangs as Bruiser easily spun around and hurled a Focus Blast her way (the Garchomp barely dipped below it) and sprinted at the beast.

A silver orb struck her. Princess went sprawling in the ensuing flash, somehow remaining stable despite the force behind it. The explosion washed over her mostly harmlessly, but Oz shot forward with a Quick Attack and nearly smacked Princess in the back with a glowing fist before the Garchomp realized it had been nearly pinned in – Tangrowth had neatly erected several walls around her, Oz, and Bruiser that would nullify Princess' flight and speed.

So her eyes flashed a brilliant, earthy brown and the massive Garchomp dove deeply into the earth, the soft ground practically liquefying beneath her as she dug. Ash grit his teeth in frustration – he almost had her! Now there was no telling where she'd emerge!

His eyes lit up. Earthquake!

Tangrowth gurgled, his vines flailing wildly as Dazed sent the order his way. She quickly wreathed Bruiser and Oz, who had both steadied themselves after Princess vanished, in protective casings of brilliant azure psychic energy. It was just in time: a second later, Tangrowth danced wildly on the ground – with every step he sent crushing waves of force into the roots of the battlefield, a devastating attack that would only be amplified with Princess hiding beneath the earth.

Even Ash heard the dull roar from deep within the earth, though he barely had time to process it before Princess erupted beneath Dazed with a mighty roar, the muddy earth exploding outwards in a rain of stone, splintered tree trunks, and wet, cloying soil. Princess' scythe-like arms swept outward, blazing with an awful shadow that gave Ash a headache looking at it, and struck...

Nothing.

Princess snarled savagely and recoiled for just a moment as Oz shot forward in a gold-black blur, charge sparking off her as she crashed a powerful Brick Break straight into Princess' chest. The Garchomp barely staggered and her odd horns whirred as she spat a great, blazing stream of Dragonbreath directly at Oz, though the Electabuzz was wise enough to avoid the searing dragonfire – she had shot away with another Quick Attack after ensuring Dazed had enough time to teleport away in a blinding flash of light. The unnatural blue-green flames lingered unpleasantly wherever they landed, clinging to the mud and saplings more like a flammable liquid than true fire.

With Princess momentarily stymied, the rest of the team struck. Tangrowth's vines, rooted deeply in the earth, lashed out from the gaping fissures left by Princess' Dig and wound their way around her bowed, muscular legs and thin shoulders. She roared again, struggling against the vines, but by then Bruiser had already shot forward with an upraised fist – even if it didn't end the battle outright, that heavy blow would probably drop Princess and leave her exposed to further tricks.

Immobilized and with Tangrowth draining her strength, Ash had to admit he had hope. Unfortunately, Princess wasn't so easy to corner. The pulse of draconic energy she mounted left his skin tingling, and Ash couldn't even call out a warning as the Garchomp's flat eyes stared Bruiser down. He leapt closer, ready for the final blow…

And grunted heavily as a cyclone – Twister, Ash recognized the familiar technique with ease – tinged with the characteristic fiery green of dragon-type techniques exploded outwards from Princess' maw, kicking up a wild gust of wind and even more dust that momentarily shrouded the dragon from his vision, though he caught sight of Bruiser hurled heavily into a tree. He landed heavily, stunned for a moment, and Princess made her move.

Tangrowth groaned as Princess forcefully ripped some of the vines with her explosive movements, and his cries only grew more frantic as the Garchomp spat a tightly controlled, intensely white stream of glowing flame his way. The fiery cone threatened to engulf Tangrowth, searing his vines and leaving him a scorched mess, before Dazed spared another Light Screen.

Princess hissed as her Flamethrower – he could feel the blazing heat from here, and grimaced at the thought of what it would have done to Tangrowth – washed uselessly against the brilliant azure shield. Her eyes locked on Dazed, but she chose not to pursue when she yanked free of the vines thanks to Tangrowth's distraction. The massive dragon shrugged off yet another Disable from Dazed designed to lock her in place as she flapped her wings and shot off at supersonic speeds to put some distance between herself and the four powerful pokemon she faced.

Unfortunately for her, Ash had predicted that move. And so she was intercepted by Bruiser as he fueled his incredible speed and power with Rampage, barely managing to keep track with the Garchomp. Dazed, who had positioned herself in a tight enclosure of trees and saplings some distance away, paused to slow Princess for a brief moment with a second Disable. She shattered the psychic prison with ease, but it gave Bruiser the time he needed.

"Yes!" Ash crowed as Bruiser leapt nearly thirty feet forward with a single bound, raw determination etched on his inhuman face as he held a swirling Focus Blast in hand. Time seemed to freeze as he slammed it into the startled Garchomp's side, blasting her off balance and finally sending the dragon-type to the muddy ground. She was on her feet in seconds and didn't seem particularly injured beyond a light patch of shredded scales on her ribs, but it gave Bruiser just enough time to prepare another attack.

It didn't land. Princess was ready this time. She used Bruiser's momentum against him. The Garchomp used a particularly impressive display of footwork (he wouldn't have imagined it possible for the hulking dragon) to duck under Bruiser's strike and deftly slashed his side with the claw on her left wing – it shone an ugly, toxic purple the moment before she cut his friend, and Ash grit his teeth as the light wound remained the same color. Poison Jab!

That wasn't good, but it wasn't terrible. Bruiser had only taken a tiny bit of the venomous sting. He would probably fine for the remainder of the battle, although it would put more pressure on him in Rampage. Princess had recognized his technique for what it was and decided to put a timer on it…

Princess' dead eyes glinted in satisfaction as she shot away, clearing away from the Machoke before Oz or Dazed could attempt to slow her down. Bruiser was already pulling himself to his feet, ignoring the painful wound in his side. He was quickly joined by Oz, who watched Princess put distance between them with an ugly snarl. Her fists clenched, sparking madly.

For a moment all was still. Princess stood hunched, a low whir humming from her smooth horns. Her eyes flitted from Bruiser and Oz, who had begun to slowly approach, to Tangrowth who had slowly managed to recover, and finally to Dazed, currently the enemy most inconvenient to face. Dazed wouldn't last a moment in a straight fight, but her teleportation was very effective while the Garchomp was hampered by Bruiser, Oz, and Tangrowth. Throw in her ability to briefly slow, trip, and stun Princess and she became a serious threat indeed.

Then the brief respite was broken. Princess snarled and took to the air with a flap of her wings as Tangrowth wormed several more of his vines through the earth, lashing wildly at the Garchomp in an effort to restrain her. She glided blindingly fast, homing in on Bruiser and Oz, but shrieked as Tangrowth put his terrain mastery to good use.

Tangrowth's vines hidden beneath the earth did their work well. Each manipulated the battlefield with Ancient Power beneath the Garchomp's feet - vast chunks of earth, hundreds of pounds each, exploded. The dust and soil clouded the air, raining down upon Princess, Bruiser, and Oz with impunity. That wasn't the end of it, however. As Princess was forced to the ground by the sudden weight of mud and dirt, she was immediately boxed in by several huge, thick walls of heavy, reinforced earth that trapped her in tight quarters with Bruiser and Oz.

She wasn't especially happy about it, at least from what little Ash could see. Princess was little more than a vague, wavering shadow in the dust and darkness of the trap. He could barely even catch sight of Bruiser and Oz, though the crack and wild discharges of static and light let him know they'd engaged. He bit his lip anxiously, eyes raptly centered on the box. For a moment he even caught sight of another of Tangrowth's vines slither out from the earth and slap Princess with a brief Mega Drain, though it lasted only a second before she slashed the vine apart.

Normally Princess would be able to tear her way through Tangrowth's erected walls with ease, but she would struggle more without her momentum. Not to mention Bruiser and Oz would viciously punish her for even a single mistake - Princess was much more vulnerable with her speed denied to her, although Ash had no doubt she was pushing Bruiser and Oz to their absolute limits in there… he winced at the sound of Bruiser's pained cry.

The walls trembled and shook with every mighty blow hidden inside them. Darkness became day with every Flash released by Oz and several sections had already caved in thanks to Bruiser's superpowered punches, which were powerful enough to tear through the three feet thick barriers with ease.

He was just happy Princess couldn't use Dig to escape - she might have been willing to try it normally, but with Tangrowth's Earthquake at the ready it would be idiotic to put herself in that vulnerable of a position. One of her greatest tools was denied to her because of Tangrowth, and he knew that would make the cheerful grass-type a priority target as the battle raged on.

A turning point. Ash squinted as Bruiser's Focus Blast shredded the wall closest to him, causing the heavy, packed earth to crumble apart in a swirl of mud and water. It revealed more of the battle to Ash, and he was pleased to see that both Bruiser and Oz were still fighting hard - both were breathing heavily, scarred with light burns and even a few slashes from Princess' wickedly hooked claws, but neither were in awful condition. They could still fight.

If anything, Princess had taken heavier hits. She took advantage of the reprieve to square herself, flat eyes locked on her twin opponents. The combatants circled one another, though Bruiser and Oz carefully kept the exit opened by the Focus Blast's explosion blocked by their bodies.

Not that they thought it would really stop Princess from plowing through if she wanted to, but Ash trusted that she had enough self-preservation instinct to avoid that. He sent a few more ideas and pointers to Dazed - mostly on how Bruiser and Oz should proceed from here - and received a mental tap in response.

He folded his arms as the standoff continued. There was no way this would last long… Princess had to realize how precarious her position was. She was trapped, unable to Dig or fly away from the mighty Machoke and resolute Electabuzz without suffering some serious damage. Every second she waited was another for Tangrowth to harass her with seeking vines (although she'd shredded enough of them that he had to be more careful) or strike again with Ancient Power.

Princess' only hint was the scraping of her savage talons upon the earth. "Shield them!" Ash cried out reflexively, though it was too late to stop the Garchomp's instant use of Sand Tomb. A small spray of mud and earth was kicked up with a flex of Princess' will, shredded instantly into a wild cyclone that completely drenched Bruiser and Oz in a heavy, cloying armor of earth.

Oz snarled and shot forward despite the sudden blindness, but the Garchomp punished her with a painful Poison Jab as the dragon swerved out of the way. Her talons slashed into Oz as her momentum carried her forward, and the electric-type cried out with a grating shriek as the painful attack landed true. Ash called out to his friend, worried that she was down for the count, but was more concerned with Bruiser. He'd quickly ignored the mud caking his powerful body and sprinted at Princess with an intent to finish this once and for all!

A pained grunt escaped Bruiser's barrel chest as one of his legs was sucked deep into the earth with one stride, leaving the Machoke helpless. Confusion blurred Ash's brain, but he grit his teeth as the faintest hints of shining gold left the earth. Earth Power. It was reminiscent of Nidoking's own tactical use - opening chasms and fissures to inconvenience melee opponents - but Princess wielded it more like a scalpel than a hammer. She had used Earth Power so subtly and smoothly that he could never have picked it out… not before it had landed where she wished, at any rate.

Princess spun away from Bruiser, trusting him to be trapped for a few scant seconds. Ash cried out a warning, "No! Get out of there!"

Then, Princess accelerated out of the box constructed by Tangrowth in a dark, supersonic blur. All she left behind was a hazy fog of sand and dirt lingering in the air behind her, obscuring a vast tract of the battlefield. Ash let Dazed focus on tracking the Garchomp - he was suspicious that she wasn't going quite as fast as she normally would - and looked.

"Stealth Rock!" Ash shouted, uncaring that it had tipped Princess and Cynthia (whose grey eyes never left her beloved Garchomp) that he knew about their plan. He could only barely make out the minefield of levitating, jagged rocks but Ash could see enough to know that it would shred anything unlucky enough to run into it.

Despite Dazed's telepathic relay of his warning, it was too late. An ugly, gnawing feeling weighed heavily in Ash's gut as Oz blurred out of Tangrowth's box in a gold-and-black blur. The mud coating her flew off thanks to the sheer velocity behind Oz's quick attack, but the battle cry raging from Oz's throat quickly became a nightmarish scream of agony as she sprinted straight through the trap, the sharp stones effortlessly slashing her all over.

Oz finally fell out of her Quick Attack and collapsed heavily into the mud, twitching and trembling as the true pain of the Stealth Rock struck her… Bruiser grunted, struggling to tear his leg free of the prison Princess had prepared, and watched helplessly as the Garchomp shot back to Oz's position and landed heavily onto the ground, her muscular legs taking the shock quite well and transferring it into momentum.

Princess loomed over the crippled Oz, and Ash barely managed to send a final order to Dazed through the panic as the mightiest Garchomp spun an awfully familiar orb of shining green, a stunning core of white at its center, at its maw. She prepared the Dragon Pulse efficiently, and just as she loosed it into Oz's broken form…

Their foe shrieked furiously as Dazed put everything she had into a vicious psychic uppercut. Princess' neck snapped back, thrusting her maw into the air, and the Dragon Pulse shot high into sky, traversing hundreds of feet in mere seconds before it finally grew too faint and indistinct to track properly. Ash grinned as Dazed followed his order, though he had a nasty feeling as Princess wrenched her head back into position.

As the Garchomp snarled, spittle flying from its jaws, and snapped forward with her gigantic fangs in an effort to take Oz out of the fight, she howled as she was struck by a glimmering silver orb of Ancient Power, courtesy of Tangrowth. Princess stumbled, talons straining to keep her upright, and hissed murderously before effortlessly ripping through a large chunk of uprooted soil (filled with tree trunks, broken saplings, and a few boulders) Tangrowth had grabbed from the devastated side of the battlefield.

Her eyes settled on Oz once more, but Princess realized the opportunity to finish the Electabuzz was lost. Bruiser had finally freed his leg and had already begun to dash her way - he was still a hundred feet or so away, but Princess clearly had no desire to tangle with both the Machoke and Oz. With Dazed an impossible (albeit very distracting) target at the moment, Princess raised her wings and shot towards Tangrowth.

It was a good move, and Ash had to admire the way Princess wove around the endless flurries of Ancient Power, violent slashes of Tangrowth's vines, and even a gigantic storm of leaves that shredded trees, stone, and the earth they fought on. Princess wasn't as agile as a Dragonite, but she had complete mastery of herself.

That made for an exceptionally dangerous opponent, proven again when Princess spat another carefully placed Flamethrower right at Tangrowth - Dazed expertly blocked it with a gently curved Light Screen that shimmered, then disintegrated entirely as the full force of Princess' white-hot Flamethrower incinerated it, but it served its purpose. Tangrowth gurgled helplessly as he was blinded by the intense light of the dragon's assault, and was utterly unprepared when Princess plowed straight through the myriad of earthen walls he'd set up around himself and directly into the grass-type.

Princess shrieked as she dug her talons into Tangrowth's vine-encased body, irritated by the wriggling appendages that sapped her energy with every touch. She tried to blast him with a Flamethrower, but Dazed pulled a new trick (one that Ash had helpfully shown her with his devious thoughts) and manifested a Light Screen directly in front of Princess' face before the Flamethrower could be let loose - it had the desired effect of blasting right back in the Garchomp's face, sending her stumbling backwards as she reoriented herself, and thankfully gave time for Bruiser and Oz to reach them.

Tangrowth was still stunned (and probably a little traumatized) by the savage attack, but Oz held no such reservations. Princess spun with incredible speed to meet the oncomers, only to hiss madly as a wild, arcing lance of electricity smashed into her and sent her stumbling, albeit mostly unharmed. Ash winced and covered his ears helplessly as the explosive thunderclap reached him and the Lightning Bolt scarred his eyes with a field of glittering stars. His bones shook with the sheer power wielded by Oz, and his dreams turned to how powerful she would be when she evolved…

After a few seconds he was able to (mostly) see again, at least enough to keep track of the battle. Ash grinned as Princess engaged Oz, who had abused Quick Attack despite her injuries to reach her slightly before Bruiser. Princess wasn't half as blinded as Ash was and easily kept up with Oz's wild blows by dodging and swerving and ducking in an unbelievable display, but was momentarily stymied by Oz's tactical use of Double Team.

Oh, it wasn't half as practiced as Lucario's amazing usage of the technique. Her clones were wavering, insubstantial things that would be completely unbelievable if it weren't for the sheer number of them. The flood of wispy clones blurred together as one, their golden fur and black stripes enhancing Oz's natural camouflage to an amazing level - even Ash couldn't pick her out in the surprising horde.

It didn't take Princess long to pinpoint the real Oz and lunge forward with snapping jaws, but it took just long enough for Tangrowth to wrap several vines around the Garchomp's strong legs. Princess overbalanced, vulnerable to several of Tangrowth's other vines that lashed forward, burning green with the power to sap Princess' strength with a touch, except for the shimmering green barrier that manifested behind her and left the appendages to slide off uselessly…

Ugh. Of course Princess knew Protect.

Naturally, the next thing she did was to rip free of Tangrowth's vines. Princess wheeled toward Tangrowth, ignoring the lesser threats of Oz and Bruiser as they met, and Ash had an awful feeling as she stared at the weakened grass-type with those flat, dead eyes. Her odd horns shone blue and whirred again, humming with energy, and Princess was immediately wreathed in a blazing aura of pale blue.

The next thing he knew, Princess had shot forward with shocking speed - even for a Garchomp - and slammed into Tangrowth with the force of a wrecking ball. Time seemed to slow as she made contact, and it took everything Andel had to shield Ash from the absolutely massive detonation of fiery blue light. The earth quaked, plasma burned with the light of the sun, and Tangrowth and Princess were left in a shallow crater as her stunning Dragon Rush worked as planned.

What first struck Ash was the devastation unleashed by the technique. Most trees had already been wrecked by the battle around Tangrowth, but now there were none. Each and every one in a twenty feet radius had been absolutely obliterated by Dragon Rush's detonation. There were barely even any splinters remaining! Boulders were reduced to tiny pebbles. The mud was fused into a hard, caked surface after being baked by the heat. Even the air warped and wavered uncertainly, still in constant flux after that attack.

Ash scowled at the sight of Tangrowth. Princess dug her talons deeply into his shredded, cracked form. He was still protected by his spongy armor of wriggling vines, but a huge number had been completely obliterated beneath the force of Dragon Rush. What few remained were short and useless, spasming helplessly in an effort to ensare his conqueror. Tangrowth's saucer-like eyes stared aimlessly into the sky, and Ash was pretty sure he had the mother of all concussions after a hit like that.

He thought Tangrowth might have been able to recover enough to keep fighting, but quickly shrugged off the thought. Just because Tangrowth could didn't mean he should. Leaving a badly crippled, wounded Tangrowth to fight would be downright irresponsible, and nearly cruel. Princess wouldn't pull her punches after all the inconvenience he'd caused her.

So he recalled his friend. Ash murmured words of encouragement and praise to the exhausted grass-type before he clipped Tangrowth back to his belt. The battle paused for a moment as every combatant enjoyed a brief respite before Andel would call the battle again.

In the meantime, Ash took advantage of the break to check out his friends. Dazed looked a little tired, but she was otherwise in fantastic shape. She'd avoided Garchomp so far. Her excessive telepathy was probably mentally exhausting, but Ash took comfort in the thought that it didn't take all that much psychic power.

Bruiser was scraped, bruised, and would probably be ridiculously sore the next day after maintaining Rampage for so long. Ash figured the Machoke had taken effort to use it mostly in short spurts, but he had no other options when trying to chase Princess down. The Poison Jab didn't seem to have inconvenienced him too badly, though Ash knew it would sap him more and more as time went on.

He winced at the sight of Oz. His friend had suffered. Her coat was practically dripping with blood that bled constantly from the lacerations left by Stealth Rock. They had practically cut her to ribbons. Despite that, she was tough enough to keep fighting. Ash felt a surge of admiration for the Electabuzz. She had fight left in her.

And lastly, Princess. She was absurdly tough thanks to her thick hide, but she hadn't emerged unscathed. Ash could tell that she was mentally strong enough to push through her injuries, but she was littered with little patches of her short, sharp scales that had been shorn off by Focus Blast. Lightning Bolt had actually managed to strip an entire patch off of her chest, even if her hide had protected Princess from the worst of its effects. Aside from that, she had a slight limp and bled from several blows.

She was amazingly powerful, but any pokemon would be hard-pressed against four of Ash's teammates at once. He wasn't a Master, but Ash had no doubt that his team were beginning to brush that threshold. There wasn't a trainer in the world that could easily discard facing down several of his friends at once - even a Champion's cornerstone was fighting as hard as she could.

A little flush of pleasure burned in his chest at the thought, especially in the face of his wounded pride after the battle with Metagross. That particular stone (or steel) wall might be beyond him, but Ash felt that was more of a testament to its disgustingly potent abilities than a reflection of his team's abilities…

But as Andel gave the mark to begin, Ash knew he couldn't afford to be distracted. He felt Dazed brush against his thoughts and eagerly exposed several ideas he'd come up with to her.

It was more than a little satisfying to see Princess caught in a psychic prison mid-stride on her way to strike down the exhausted Oz. Ash grinned even as the Garchomp struggled, her immense strength enough to test every bit of Dazed's strength as she poured more and more energy into maintaining the Disable. Dazed would be exhausted if she kept this up for long, but she didn't have to.

Bruiser roared as he leapt forward with a single burst of his stocky, powerful legs. He reared his fist back, and Ash winced on Princess' behalf as he slammed his fist into her chest with his full, Rampage-enhanced strength.

The Garchomp gave something reminiscent of a startled gasp, and dropped. Not entirely beaten, but badly hurt. She laid limply, head buried in the ankle-deep mud, and Dazed's pendulum flashed angrily as a foggy red mist erupted from the focus and crawled across the battlefield at a surprising rate. It gently avoided Oz and Bruiser, who both regarded the downed dragon warily, and caressed Princess.

Ash was intimately familiar with the mist's effects. Hypnosis was a potent technique. It lulled you into a slumber by promising an escape from pain and struggle and effort. All the hard parts of life that weighed heavily upon you. The seductive technique pulled at your brain, bringing a foggy peace that would be practically unbreakable once you succumbed.

It wasn't impossible to resist with the right mental fortitude, though. Unskilled users of Hypnosis would run into problems if their opponents suffered a constant, steady pain like a burn or frostbite, or even the steady cutting cold of a hailstorm. Panic or other strong emotions could blunt Hypnosis' effects as well. A pokemon struggling and spasming after an electric attack would be in too much pain and engulfed in wild fear.

A skilled user? They knew how to tease and pluck the brain like an instrument. Rather than try to overwhelm the pain or panic, they used it. They allowed the Hypnosis to faintly dull the pain, and promised more relief if their foe would just give in for a moment…

Dazed wasn't nearly as well-practiced in Hypnosis as most of her species, having specialized mostly in force and physical manipulation techniques, but Ash thought she might have enough training to shut down Princess. As soon as she was lulled into slumber they could finish this!

Princess' eyes didn't shut, but they lost their awareness as the foggy red mist brushed about her, suffusing her powerful body with a soothing calm. Her muscles slackened, and her limbs lost their tension and slid heavily into the mud. The Garchomp's breathing grew slow and steady.

Ash didn't entirely trust Princess' sleep and neither did his team. Dazed forced more and more energy into it, trying to completely overwhelm the dragon, and Oz and Bruiser warily circled. Each was ready to strike at a moment's notice. Oz's attacks wouldn't do real damage and would put Princess in danger of awakening, so Bruiser would have to be the one to land the finishing blow.

Risky, but it was the only option they had. If Dazed let up her Hypnosis for even a moment they might be faced with an angry, awake Garchomp. That was… less than ideal.

Bruiser knew what he needed to do. His veins bulged, almost glowing as blood pounded through them, and his eyes lost some of their calm as he slipped into Rampage yet again. The Machoke shot forward, fist raised to pound the Garchomp even deeper into the mud, and Ash's instincts barely had a second to scream before everything fell apart.

Princess disappeared into the mud, eyes alert and flat again. The ground opened up to swallow her whole, and Bruiser grunted heavily as he barely managed to avoid falling into the hole, which closed almost immediately. He groaned as another chasm opened beneath him, gulping down one of his legs again as Princess took advantage of Tangrowth's absence.

Any number of bad feelings swirled in Ash's thoughts - this was a mess. Tangrowth was all that kept Princess from diving into the earth and swimming through it like water. With his terrain control out of the picture, Princess had an entire arsenal of tactics and techniques she could use again. Not to mention her drastically increased mobility, which was more dangerous than any one technique.

He had the nasty thought that this was the beginning of the end…

His fears were affirmed when she erupted smoothly from the earth right by Bruiser, who barely managed to avoid her fiery, snapping jaws. Princess snarled and leapt back to avoid a Thunderbolt from Oz. It shot uselessly by, slamming into a tree which exploded as the moisture inside was vaporized. Princess paid no attention and was forced to avoid a rainbow-hued Psybeam from Dazed amidst an onslaught of simple electric-type attacks from Oz. None would do serious damage but even a slight delay could lead to Princess' defeat.

Bruiser surprised Princess by forcing himself out of his prison again, slightly faster than the first time. He beat his chest and roared as he shot at Princess, who barely shot forward to avoid his superpowered punch. Oz blurred forward then, taking advantage of Double Team again to confuse Princess just long enough to let a Psybeam slam into her.

Princess stumbled to the side, not quite as resistant as before. She was still a mighty opponent, but the single punch Bruiser had landed on her chest slowed her down enough to make her defeatable. Her reflexes were blindingly fast, but every slight movement appeared like an awful strain - Ash couldn't imagine how much she was suffering. Bruiser had probably broken some ribs.

Unfortunately, she turned savage when injured. With her unerring control of the battle lost, Princess turned into a whirlwind of slashing talons, snapping jaws, and vicious Flamethrowers - Bruiser staggered back with a long, thin slice across his muscular chest and Oz barely avoided being bitten by Princess' fiery fangs.

Dazed was instrumental here. She was too exhausted to Disable Princess or attempt another Hypnosis, but that didn't mean she couldn't trip the Garchomp or punish her with a Light Screen in front of her face every time she tried to fire off a Flamethrower. Her power was waning, but the tactical advantage she provided allowed Bruiser and Oz to survive combat with the frenzied Garchomp. Every time Princess lashed out with a decisive, finishing blow it was blocked or blunted by a well-placed Barrier, offering a respite and opportunity for their partner to distract Princess with a strike.

Ash beamed with pride as his three friends handled a brutal opponent like Princess expertly - he outright cheered when Princess was forced back by another Psybeam, only to fall right into Oz's Brick Break that nearly brought her to her knees. Just as she prepared to dive into the earth, clearly of the opinion that she wouldn't win this battle with the odds stacked against her, Bruiser shot forward with amazing speed and crushed her powerful right leg with a punch as vicious as any of Princess' slashing talons.

She screamed. Ash's breath was stolen as Princess buckled to the ground, her leg clearly broken - it jutted at an awkward angle, and Ash felt a little ill at the sight of the broken bone forced up, pushing into her muscle and hide. Cynthia cried out for her. "Princess!"

Everything seemed to froze for a moment, and Bruiser backed away, distraught at what he'd done. His veins lost their faint, pulsating glow and his muscles lost some of their definition as he slipped out of Rampage. He collapsed heavily against a young, firm sapling, eyes locked on the grievous injury he'd dealt Princess with his incredible strength. Even Oz lowered her guard and her eyes flitted to Bruiser in concern. She didn't move, but Ash could tell she yearned to rush over to the Machoke.

Aron warbled quietly, baby blue eyes locked on Bruiser. He rubbed his cool, solid body against Ash's leg and the trainer didn't hesitate to kneel by his friend's side, doing his best to comfort Aron even as the little steel-type fought against his instincts to comfort Bruiser.

Ash looked guiltily at Princess. He'd never meant for this to happen - Bruiser certainly hadn't!

Princess stared down at her broken leg in shock. It wasn't too awful of a break, to be honest. It was clean and would probably be healed up in a day or two with the proper treatment. Once again, Ash thanked the universe for Ditto. They made life so much easier…

Bruiser watched Princess with haunted eyes. His mouth was pressed together tightly. The Machoke's gaze flitted down to his fists, which he opened and closed silently. Ash could feel the awful guilt filling Bruiser at the sight of what he had done to Princess, the awful gnawing eating at him almost as strongly as it did his friend.

Then, the Garchomp stared blankly at Bruiser. There was none of the fury or shock that Ash had expected, just a faint glimmer of something indecipherable in those flat eyes. Ash barely had time to process it before Princess leaned heavily on her unbroken leg, shaped a massive Dragon Pulse in her maw, and let it loose.

The Machoke didn't even have time to blink before it struck him, the sheer force behind the blast ripping straight through the firm psychic barriers before finishing Bruiser off with a single blast. His tree he had leaned on was vaporized entirely by the explosion, and the powerful Machoke was out cold in a small crater.

Ash blinked, and despite Bruiser's loss a stir of something primal filled his heart. A light smile played over his face as he returned Bruiser (hoping the rest would help to ease Bruiser's guilt) and regarded Princess. She leaned heavily on her unbroken leg, but held her head high and flared her blade-like wings in the face of Oz and Dazed's shock.

She was a true warrior to the very end. The battle was still on!

Oz snarled. She had no mercy for the Garchomp. Her first Thunderbolt launched directly at Princess' broken leg, but Princess wasn't willing to wait. The Champion's cornerstone slid gracefully into a muddy hole, slower this time but no less effective. She avoided the lance of lightning, and tunneled carefully to avoid straining her broken leg. Ash had no doubt it hurt terribly to drag it alongside her.

The Electabuzz was caught completely off guard by the sudden chasm that opened up beneath her, Princess presumably having used Earth Power stealthily to do it. "Quick Attack up! Get out of there!"

He saw Oz surge upwards, leaving the mud stained an ugly red from all her blood, but there was no luck to be had. Princess latched her jaws into the Electabuzz's leg - the fangs cut deep, and Oz screamed as the blazing heat of the Garchomp's Fire Fang, which quickly seared and burned her leg. Ash grimaced as the rancid smell of burning fur and flesh reached his nose, and as Oz's shrieks grew louder and louder he quickly returned the Electabuzz.

It was hard to calm his trembling hands - Dazed was still in the battle, and she was probably the best bet to handle Princess' speedy tunneling. She was a tad exhausted after imprisoning Princess with Disable and her attempted Hypnosis, but she still had a decent amount of strength left. It didn't hurt that Princess (although twice as vicious now with her broken leg) had lost much of her mobility.

He sent a variety of different strategies to Dazed. Most involved simply evading, striking at every opportunity to chip down Princess while avoiding any direct combat. Range and versatility would be Dazed's best friends in this duel.

Princess wasted no time in tunneling again. Ash wasn't entirely sure if Dazed could sense her beneath the surface - a quick No sent his way by the Hypno cleared that up. That complicated things. It would be impossible for Dazed to easily track her opponent, which meant that Princess would be relying heavily on ambush tactics.

Unfortunately, there was no real defense there. Dazed could teleport, but Ash could tell she didn't have many left in her - she wasn't outright exhausted, but her stamina was drained. No, this certainly complicated things…

And then, the battle ensued.

Dazed barely teleported away before an Earthquake shook the earth, rippling the unsteady, rent ground like water and winding even more cracks throughout the battlefield. At this rate the entire place was going to be wrecked. Ash frowned as Dazed appeared on the other side, eyes burning blue as she reached out with her senses.

Surprisingly, a sandstorm began to whip up, flinging mud and dirt and grit all over the place - Ash was honestly impressed. It wasn't easy to manipulate something like that while trapped beneath the surface. Ash squinted, grateful for Andel's psychic barriers that protected him from the swirling sandstorm. It didn't help his visibility any, but it protected him and Aron's eyes.

Smart. Ash could faintly sense a subtle feeling of distress from Dazed as the sandstorm flared wildly, grating against her sensitive skin and irritating her constantly. The sandstorm wouldn't outright defeat Dazed, but it would keep her psychic powers weakened by distracting her from focusing. Throw in the interference the sandstorm would cause by overwhelming her psychic sense and making it more difficult for Dazed to teleport and he had a grudging respect for Princess' choice.

That didn't mean they weren't going to try and make things difficult for Princess, although Ash winced as Dazed barely teleported away from a sharp talon that poked up through the earth beneath her feet. The claw was wreathed in unnatural shadow that sucked the light from the world around it, and Dazed took noticeably longer to warp away. She appeared a short distance away, likely as a result of the sandstorm's influence.

Princess chased again, slowly but surely. Dazed slammed a Focus Blast directly into the earth beneath her and ripped a massive chunk of it out, but Princess was nowhere to be seen. Then she stabbed upwards with a Shadow Claw, Dazed teleported, and the cycle repeated itself…

Ash frowned as the minutes ticked down. Dazed attempted to stymie Princess with the odd Focus Blast as they danced around the arena. Thanks to Princess wielding Shadow Claw (not to mention only revealing the slightest hints of anything outside her talon) Dazed couldn't attack with psychic techniques. Whenever she tried to stun Princess with a Disable or psychic the Garchomp would simply activate Shadow Claw and hold the chaotic, devouring energies within her body to neutralize Dazed's psychic grip.

In a fair fight he would have weighted Dazed's odds quite heavily against the wounded Princess. She had the mobility to run circles around the dragon, and her powers would blunt any elemental or physical attacks.

Princess didn't play fair.

She never revealed more of herself than unnecessary. Her sandstorm whipped more violently against Dazed every moment, staining her flawless white mane an ugly, muddy brown. Dazed's psychic sense was scrambled, limiting her ability to teleport long distances and straining her psychic potential. Whenever Dazed did focus long enough to lash out with an attack, Princess simply rendered herself immune to it with Shadow Claw.

It finally came to an end. Dazed, exhausted by more than a dozen teleports in difficult conditions, was a second too late. Princess cut a small, thin line into her leg with Shadow Claw, and Dazed squeezed her eyes shut as she collapsed - before Princess could go any further, Ash recalled his friend to save her from further harm.

The battle was over.

My Lady is the winner! An admirable display, Storm-Tamer.

Despite his loss, Ash felt a glimmer of pride. He'd defeated two of Cynthia's pokemon and nearly beaten her cornerstone, a fearsome beast that could sweep entire teams with ease. His brothers and sisters had fought ferociously, and he made a mental promise to spoil them the next time they had a chance to relax together.

He sighed as Cynthia was teleported down to Princess' side as she surfaced, the blonde Champion worriedly examining the Garchomp's leg and scolding her for her recklessness. Ash allowed a slight smile to work his way onto his face.

Well, it was time to go congratulate the victor.

Despite that, he felt a firm resolution build in his chest. Cynthia had defeated him this time, but the next time he would be ready. Every day and every night would be spent in the pursuit of facing her again - he would work himself and his team to the bone. No matter what it took, he swore that he would conquer this greatest of challenges.

He had a new peak to surmount.

Champion Cynthia Carolina… Ash Ketchum would beat her one day.

A/N: A little later than usual, and I apologize for that. I've been busy with a job search and struggled a lot with this chapter as a result. The battle was a little difficult for me to get into and I ended up rewriting huge portions of it over the last few weeks! Regardless, thank you for your patience and I look forward to getting into the (much easier to write) traveling section of Johto. I hadn't planned to have this battle become so massive and tae up the entire chapter, but I can say that the next chapter will come out much more quickly. These gigantic battles are really hard for me to write sometimes. Dialogue, plot stuff, and team bonding are MUCH easier, and that's most of what we'll get next chapter. I already have about 3,000 words of the next chapter written up, I just decided not to include them in this chapter to speed up my update.

While I'm thinking about it, I'd like to be a bit more open about my future plans for Traveler and what to expect. The next seven to eight chapters will compose the Johto Arc of Traveler. I expect it to be a fun journey that will get the ball rolling on a lot of cool side stories and legends in Traveler and set up for a return to Hoenn. One thing I've noticed in the last few weeks while I've reread the Hoenn arc is that it's been VERY slow-paced. That's important and has given me the chance to properly flesh out characters and events and give them the importance that they deserve, but I figured I should inform everyone that the pace will be a bit faster on Ash's return so that we aren't bogged down in Hoenn for the next ten years! I don't plan on skimming over anything and sticking to my current plans, but I'll try to be a bit better about making sure the timeline is actually progressing and giving Ash a fair chance to grow.

If you're interested, please check out my P atreon! Even if you don't want to make a donation, I release updates on my writing progress, ask for input, and offer sneak peeks at future chapters that anyone can view! One project that I will be posting at some point is a map of Traveler's Pokemon World, although I've had to stall progress on it while I worked on this chapter.

Also, I figured I would ask if anyone would be interested in creating a cover art for my side story 'Traveler: Recollections' which examines various figures of history and characters from Traveler's universe. I encourage you to check it out if you haven't already!

Thanks for your patience again, and I hope to update in my projected schedule again. With any luck the next update will be released in April!

Please review! I always love hearing your thoughts!