Chapter 37
Before Red and Blue, everyone used to always say that the most powerful trainer in the world was Lance York. He did what many considered impossible: he tamed dragons.
There were other dragon trainers in the world. One of them was actually Lance's cousin. She was the strongest Gym Leader in Johto. But the affinity Lance had with dragons was unlike any other. Dratini had been an anomaly. Most dragons were aware of their strength and that made them dangerous. Lance knew how to reason with them, knew how to quell even the most violent ones. And to many, that basically made him a god.
When the Indigo League was first created, people questioned why Lance wasn't made Champion and Leaf couldn't blame them. Supposedly, the current setup gave no-name trainers the best chance. Maybe that was true, but Leaf wondered if Lance ever dreamed of wearing the crown instead of serving it.
He definitely looked like he should. Lance was a handsome man who stood tall and dignified. His black uniform was sharply cut; there was a scarlet emblem on the torso that matched his spiky hair. His signature cape flowed in the wind.
"You all know who he is. Lance York, the Dragon Tamer!"
Leaf was in awe staring at this legendary trainer. Awe and terror. Lance was the fourth and final member of the Elite Four, the last trainer Leaf would face before Blue. She felt so close, but also so far from Championship.
"Dragons are hard to catch and raise, but their powers are superior. They're virtually indestructible. Does our brave challenger have what it takes to defeat them?"
Leaf had thought long and hard who she should use in this battle. She prayed she'd made the right decision.
"Trainers may send out their Pokemon now. May the best one win!"
A terrible sound, a mix between a screech and a roar, made Leaf flinch. Lance's first Pokemon finished materializing in the air. A gray, draconic Pokemon that resembled a pterodactyl circled over the battlefield, searching for its prey. Its large, membranous wings were violet and had clawed hands at the end. Its tail had an arrow-shaped tip. Its ridged snout opened to release another roar, revealing serrated fangs.
Aerodactyl. It was a prehistoric Pokemon that had gone extinct thanks to a giant meteor impact millions of years ago. Last year, President Ken launched a program to restore prehistoric Pokemon using genetic material extracted from fossils. The one Aerodactyl that was successfully revived was gifted to Lance. It made its battle debut recently and despite only having a year of training, it was proving itself to be a menace.
Apparently, Aerodactyl was a rock and flying-type. When Leaf learned that, she thought it was clear who should go against it.
The Aerodactyl roared again when Golduck appeared. Golduck tensed, but kept his red gaze fixed on the stone dinosaur. Leaf wasn't sure how healed Golduck was from the battle against Bruno, but she was counting on the type advantage.
"Fly."
In a flash, the Aerodactyl was much higher in the sky, positioned directly under the sun so that its silhouette was barely visible. Leaf knew what was going to happen next. She wasn't going to command Golduck just yet.
The Aerodactyl dived straight down and its speed caught Leaf off-guard. It was even faster than Fearow. Instinctively, Leaf called out, "Hydro Pump!"
Water blasted out of Golduck's mouth towards the diving Aerodactyl. The Aerodactyl veered to the side and when Golduck redirected the Hydro Pump, it shot upwards. All around the stadium the Aerodactyl flew, so fast that Leaf felt dizzy trying to follow it. Golduck's Hydro Pump chased it to no avail.
"Agility."
It was now impossible to keep up with the teleporting Aerodactyl. Golduck stopped using Hydro Pump. His head turned in every direction.
"Aerial Ace."
Golduck was thrown several feet back, landing on his stomach. For a heartbeat, the Aerodactyl was where he stood before. Then, it was on the other side of the battlefield. Off to the side of where Golduck once was, Leaf spotted a dark trail on the dirt. It took her a moment to realize that the trail came from water, that Golduck had attempted to use Hydro Pump at the last second.
"Earthquake."
Leaf wasn't going to sit back and allow Golduck to get beaten. "Surf!"
The Aerodactyl flipped, swinging its spiked tail onto the ground. The battlefield began to rumble and shake so violently that although Leaf wasn't standing on it, she was afraid she might lose her balance. The Aerodactyl's Earthquake was just as, if not more, powerful as Bruno's Steelix's, despite not being ground-type, despite being a much smaller Pokemon. Before Leaf could see if Golduck had been hurt, water exploded from the ground, stretching towards the prehistoric bird.
"Fly."
The Aerodactyl soared into the sky. When the wave reached its peak height, Leaf spotted Golduck balancing on top of it.
"Hydro Pump!"
Golduck fired water upwards, but the Aerodactyl was just out of range. He wouldn't be able to land a hit as long as the Aerodactyl didn't come down. And Leaf was pretty sure the Aerodactyl would have to come down if it wanted to attack Golduck.
"Hold your Surf!" Leaf called out. If the battlefield remained submerged in water, the Aerodactyl shouldn't be able to use Earthquake again.
"Ancient Power!"
The Aerodactyl roared and Leaf tensed. She'd never heard of this move before and half-expected the Aerodactyl to fly down in a blinding light and lay a sheer force of power upon Golduck.
But that didn't happen. For a moment, it didn't seem that anything was happening. And then Leaf heard a sloshing sound.
Several giant pieces of rubble had emerged from the water. They hovered over to Golduck, surrounding him. Immediately, Golduck fired a Hydro Pump at one of the pieces. Before he could do the same for the others, they darted towards him. Whatever sound Golduck made was drowned by the rubble slamming against each other, the water draining from the battlefield.
"Earthquake!"
The Aerodactyl dived.
"Surf! Surf!" Leaf hoped there wasn't too much panic in her voice.
The Aerodactyl flipped and swung its tail. The battlefield seized, somehow more violently than before. Leaf almost felt dizzy watching it. The Aerodactyl began to fly up and Leaf tried to search for Golduck among the chaos. Before she could locate him, her vision was once again filled with blue.
A massive wave burst from the ground towards the Aerodactyl, who was still in the stadium. The Aerodactyl screeched as the wave swallowed it.
"Steel Wing!"
Something shone in the wave and in the next breath, the Aerodactyl was slashing at the water with its wings. They glinted under the sun, as if they were made of steel. With a roar, the Aerodactyl broke free of its prison.
Oh no you don't. "Psychic!"
The Aerodactyl, who had been flying towards the sky again, stiffened. With its wings spread and jaw open, it hung suspended in the air. The water was draining and Golduck's blue body stuck out against the dark brown battlefield. The duck wasn't standing straight. Even though his back was facing Leaf, she could tell he was panting. Their next move needed to count.
Leaf took a deep breath. "Hold your Psychic and use Hydro Pump!"
Unlike Lorelei's Lapras, Golduck hadn't been well-trained in concurrently using Psychic with another move and it showed. Before the Hydro Pump could reach the Aerodactyl, it jerked and began to fly up. Almost instantaneously, Golduck redirected his Hydro Pump several feet higher. The Aerodactyl screeched when the blast of water knocked it out of its trajectory. But instead of choosing a new course, it plummeted. Before the Aerodactyl hit the ground, it was hit by a red beam and vanished.
The referee raised a flag. "Aerodactyl is unable to battle!"
Leaf's heart jumped. The first of Lance's team was down already. She'd somewhat expected the match to last a bit longer.
But looking at Golduck, who was bent over and bruised, it was clear he wasn't going to last longer, either. He was still technically standing, but Leaf knew he wouldn't be able to do anything against Lance's next Pokemon. The result might as well be a tie.
Leaf returned Golduck. She turned the PokeBall towards her and smiled. You knew when you wouldn't be able to hold Psychic anymore, did you?
Her thought was interrupted by a rumble. The dirt battlefield was sinking into the ground. A new one rose: a pool with white platforms of various sizes floating on top. It was the non-freezing version of Lorelei's battlefield.
Lance's second Pokemon materialized in the bright blue water. Leaf swallowed.
She didn't actually know how long it was, since the bottom-half of its body was underwater. But what was above water was at least ten feet long, so it had to be at least twenty in total. The serpentine monster was covered in mostly blue scales. There was a row of yellow spots along each side, which matched its underbelly and large lips, pointed teeth sticking out of them. It had a barbel and white fin on both sides of its face. It also had four white dorsal fins. Between its red eyes was a dark blue, three-pointed crest.
Gyarados. It was nicknamed the Deity of Destruction because it had the deadly combination of brute strength and a fierce temper. Leaf learned in history class that many years ago, when Kanto was still mostly rural, Gyarados lived in both lakes and oceans. The lake ones were considered natural disasters, not because they attacked people––though that did sometimes happen––but because whenever Gyarados were enraged, they could create floods that decimated the area. After a particularly intense brawl between two male Gyarados wiped out an entire village, the government launched an initiative to drive out all Gyarados from the lakes. It took years and many lives were lost, but today, Gyarados could only be found deep in the ocean.
The lesson had focused on how Kanto developed more rapidly after the initiative's success, proving that nature was both an aid and detriment to society. Staring at Lance's Gyarados, who already looked bloodthirsty even though she hadn't sent out any Pokemon yet, Leaf wished that Mr. Alderman had gone into more detail on how the initiative had succeeded. She couldn't imagine anything overpowering the monster before her. And what did it say about Lance that he was able to wield one?
Leaf had ruminated over who should battle the Gyarados. She figured it had to be both a dragon and water-type, and it was the dragon side that complicated things. Through Dragonite, Leaf had learned that dragons were resistant to basically everything. How do you fight something with little to no weaknesses? It wasn't until this morning when Leaf finalized her decision.
The second Venusaur materialized on the platform closest to her, Leaf wondered if she'd made a mistake. The nurses told her Venusaur recovered faster than they'd expected, so Leaf could use him against Lance. What if they were wrong? What if Venusaur wasn't ready to battle yet?
"Dragon Dance."
The Gyarados lifted its tail fin, which had a crest similar to the one on its head, out of the water and began to swing it from side-to-side. With its crimson gaze never leaving Venusaur, the Gyarados moved its head in circles. Its movements were so rhythmic, they were weirdly mesmerizing. Leaf couldn't help but silently watch the Gyarados.
"Thrash."
The Gyarados lunged so suddenly that Leaf flinched. Her ears were assaulted by a cacophony of sounds. The water splashing as the Gyarados violently swung its body around. The Gyarados' roars, filled with rage and hatred. Venusaur's bellows of pain.
"Toxic Leaf!" Leaf yelled, praying her voice could penetrate the clamor.
"Get out of the water!"
Sharp leaves flew everywhere as the Gyarados slithered onto one of the larger platforms. Its tail was coiled around so that it would fit better, but Leaf could still see how freakishly long the sea serpent was. Leaf was certain the leaves had struck the Gyarados––how could they have not?––but nothing about the Gyarados suggested it'd been hurt.
Venusaur pushed himself onto a platform with his vines. Leaf winced when she noticed all the bruises. "Sunny Day!"
The stadium became so bright, it almost hurt to look at.
"Synthesis!" It was risky, taking this time to heal, but Leaf felt Venusaur needed it.
"Dragon Rage."
As Venusaur's flower began to glow a soft green, the Gyarados opened its mouth, revealing all its sharp teeth, and fired a purple and yellow shock wave. The Dragon Rage struck Venusaur in the face and the green glow faded.
Leaf internally winced. She should've figured that would happen. "Solar Beam!"
It was good, at least, that Venusaur had used Sunny Day. Fighting through the force of the Dragon Rage, Venusaur bowed, flower glowing. A bright beam shot out, over the Dragon Rage, towards the Gyarados, slamming it in the face. It roared and the shock wave vanished.
"Hyper Beam!"
Leaf heard a crack of thunder and there was a flash of orange, so bright that she instinctively shut her eyes. When she opened them, Venusaur was lying on his stomach, legs spread out. Leaf was about to return him when she realized the referee hadn't declared their loss.
Leaf's gaze darted towards the Gyarados. It wasn't doing anything, even though it could easily end the match now. Lance wasn't giving any orders. The Gyarados just stood on its platform.
She didn't know what that meant, other than there being an opportunity. "Synthesis!"
Venusaur's flower glowed. Leaf kept her eye on the Gyarados, expecting it to attack any second. But it continued to be still as a statue and when Venusaur eventually stood, Leaf realized what was going on.
The Gyarados was recharging. That attack, Hyper Beam, required so much energy that the Gyarados wasn't capable of doing anything for the time being. Leaf only knew that because Venusaur needed a break every time he used Frenzy Plant.
If Hyper Beam was so powerful, then it was a miracle that Venusaur had survived it. Maybe it had only grazed him. Whatever the reason was, Leaf had a feeling they wouldn't be so lucky next time.
"Solar Beam!"
"Hyper Beam!"
Pale green collided with orange. Leaf squinted and raised an arm over her face, wishing she had brought sunglasses with her. Her vision seemed to be more orange than green. Eventually, it was going to be completely orange.
It was all or nothing at this point. Venusaur might not be able to win, but he didn't have to lose. "Frenzy Plant!"
Leaf's vision filled with orange. She heard a rumble, a crackling of whips, a roar. The orange disappeared instantly and Leaf had to blink a few times.
She wasn't surprised to see Venusaur against the wall with his eyes closed. While she was worried about his health, her attention guiltily shifted to the other side of the battlefield. Giant, twisted branches had ripped the ground around the pool. The Gyrados was tangled in the branches, its head hanging limply over one. Its eyes were half-open, blinking slowly.
The referee raised a flag. "Venusaur is unable to battle!"
But neither was the Gyarados. It was in the same state Golduck was earlier. As Leaf and Lance returned their Pokemon, she couldn't help but think, We drove the Gyarados out of the water.
There was a rumble and the pool sank underground, replaced by the dirt battlefield. Lance had another water dragon, but when he received the Aerodactyl, it was decided that he should only carry three Pokemon at a time, so that the league challenge maintained the same level of difficulty. As a result, Lance alternated between using the Aerodactyl and the second water dragon. Seeing how the battle against the Gyarados went, Leaf was grateful that Lance had used the Aerodactyl.
But the pool's removal also meant something else. It meant that they were about to face Lance's final Pokemon. And among all the Elite Four Pokemon, this was the one Leaf had dreaded the most.
Lance's Dragonite was already in the air, roaring, when it materialized. It looped around the stadium and Leaf saw the awe in the reporters' faces. It didn't matter how many times they'd seen the dragon. They'd be just as captivated as the first time. Even Leaf found herself gaping at the Dragonite, marveling at the power it emitted.
Until Red and Blue, Lance's Dragonite had been unrivaled. What could possibly be stronger than a Pokemon that was referred to as a pseudo-legendary? Who could rise above the one at the very top? Except for Red and Blue, all the trainers who defeated Lance's Dragonite were so beaten up, their win could barely be counted as one. And it was a miracle that they hadn't been completely destroyed in the first place.
In Pokemon Centers, Leaf often heard trainers discussing which of their Pokemon stood the best chance against Lance's Dragonite. They could go back-and-forth for hours and still not come to a conclusion, instead accepting that they would lose instantly. Whenever Leaf thought about Lance's Dragonite, her mouth would go dry and she wouldn't be able to move. But as terrified as she was, there was no doubt over who she should choose.
The only thing that could defeat a dragon was another dragon.
Dragonite materialized on the ground. He looked up, locking eyes with Lance's Dragonite, who stopped circling the stadium. Leaf felt a shift in both dragons, in the reporters, in Lance. Dragonite and its pre-evolutions were so rare, most people would never encounter one in their entire lifetime. No one here could've expected to see two dragons at once.
Lance chuckled. "You're full of surprises. I can't remember the last time I battled another Dragonite. Let's give everyone a battle they'll never forget, shall we?"
Lance's tone was surprisingly friendly. Leaf smiled. "Yes, let's."
Her words seemed to hang in the air. The pause was long enough that Leaf wondered if Lance was waiting for her to make the first move. Before she could, he commanded, "Dragon Dance."
Lance's Dragonite soared, spinning like a corkscrew. When it reached a certain height, it flew in circles, body still twisting.
It was just as, if not more, mesmerizing as when the Gyarados did it, but Leaf didn't lose her concentration. She wasn't going to make the same mistake twice in a row. She took a deep breath and exclaimed, "Rage Twister!"
Dragonite spread his wings and took off, spinning like Lance's Dragonite did, firing purple and yellow energy from his mouth. The energy swirled, forming a twister that was ready to suck Lance's Dragonite in. Leaf couldn't even see Lance's Dragonite anymore, only purple and yellow.
"Flamethrower!"
There was a boom and smoke cloaked the stadium. Dragonite stopped spinning and looked around.
"Outrage!"
In the darkness, Leaf spotted a flash of purple and yellow. Dragonite veered to the left, very narrowly avoiding a punch from Lance's Dragonite. Its fists were shrouded in dragon energy. It swung again at Dragonite, who aggressively arched backwards to dodge. Twisting his body back around, Dragonite fled. With a roar, Lance's Dragonite darted after him, and Leaf knew instantly it was going to catch up in no time.
"Rage Twister!"
The purple and yellow twister was met with another explosion. Leaf's jaw dropped when Lance's Dragonite burst out of the smoke, fist extended. Dragonite narrowly dodged another punch and flew upwards, Lance's Dragonite closely behind.
"Rage Twister!" Leaf hated that she couldn't come up with a better move.
Dragonite turned to face his pursuer. Leaf saw him open his mouth, saw multiple blasts of purple and yellow.
The first blast didn't come from Dragonite.
Lance's dragon swung its flashing right fist at her dragon's abdomen. Dragonite careened, and a purple and yellow shock wave––the incomplete Rage Twister––crackled in the air. Lance's Dragonite lunged at him and swung again, this time downwards. There was another blast of purple and yellow. Dragonite plummeted.
"Dragonite!" Leaf screamed.
Dragonite continued to fall.
"Wake up!"
There was a roar. High in the sky, Lance's Dragonite flew in circles, swinging at the air around it.
"Wake up!"
Dragonite was getting dangerously close to the ground.
"WAKE UP!"
Leaf saw Dragonite's wings spread, saw him begin to straighten himself. He was slightly too late. The lower half of his body rammed against the dirt battlefield and he tumbled across a long stretch of it. Leaf winced when the wall stopped his tracks.
"Dragonite!" She called out.
Her dragon, caked in dust, was motionless. From the corner of her eye, Leaf saw the referee carefully watching the dragon.
Leaf felt herself beginning to panic. "Dragonite, wake up!"
Dragonite didn't wake up.
The referee raised a flag and Leaf's heart dropped. "Dragonite is unable to ba––"
There was a flash of purple and yellow, so bright that it momentarily blinded Leaf. Dragonite was rising, eyes glowing, his entire body shrouded in humming energy. He threw his head back and let out a deafening roar.
Lance reacted immediately. "Outrage!"
Dragonite took off. In the sky, Lance's Dragonite, who'd still been thrashing aimlessly, roared and charged at Dragonite. They both swung and there was a blast of energy when their fists connected, knocking them away from each other. They charged at each other again and there was another blast of energy. Leaf heard a roar; she couldn't tell who it came from.
"Keep using Outrage!" Lance yelled. Was that…panic in his tone?
The scene in front of Leaf seemed to be in slow motion. There was a roar and again, the two dragons lunged at each other. Over and over, they swung at each other like boxers. With each strike, there was a blast of purple and yellow. Both dragons kept roaring, kept letting out all the rage in their bones, as if they would die if they couldn't. Eventually, their roars blended into a single one that shook the stadium.
There was so much power in these dragons. So much power that they rarely got to exercise, because how many other Pokemon could truly threaten them? And now, they were unleashing all the power they had and it was too much for them, it was consuming them.
Somehow, through all the commotion, Leaf could still make out Lance ordering his Dragonite to continue using Outrage, to fight through the pain and confusion. Leaf was too captivated by the clash of the dragons to say anything. Even if she could speak, it'd be futile. Dragonite was hysteric, acting purely on his rage. His rage over the abuse Team Rocket subjected him to. His rage over being so afraid for so long.
Lance's Dragonite struck him hard in the face. As Dragonite fell back, the energy around him swelled. Like a shooting star, he threw his entire body, a dark silhouette surrounded by purple and yellow, into Lance's Dragonite. The impact hurled Lance's Dragonite against the edge of the stadium. It bounced off and plummeted, its fists no longer glowing.
"Dragonite!" Lance cried. "Wake up!"
The roar was like thunder. Leaf's eyes widened in horror when she saw Dragonite, still shrouded in energy, dive after his opponent.
"Dragonite!" Leaf cried. "Don't!"
Lance's Dragonite glowed red and vanished just as hers swung. Dragonite roared in frustration and darted around the stadium, thrashing the glass barrier. Leaf saw the reporters frozen in their seats, faces pale.
"Dragonite, stop!"
Dragonite turned to face Leaf. His eyes were still glowing, so it was impossible to read his expression, but Leaf knew Dragonite wasn't there. She knew he was lost in his rage, just as he was when he battled Moltres.
"Dragonite," Leaf said as loudly as she could without shouting. She hoped her voice wasn't shaking. "The battle's over. You won."
Dragonite swung his tail. Even though Leaf knew the barrier would protect her, she flinched and instinctively raised her arms.
"Return your Dragonite!" Lance urged.
Leaf ignored him. She dropped her arms, took a deep breath, and met Dragonite's bright gaze. "I know you're in there. Listen to my voice, Dragonite. Remember who I am and who you are."
Dragonite swung again. This time, Leaf didn't flinch. "You're Dragonite. Your best friends are Gengar and Golduck. You like to swim and fly. Your favorite foods are fish and sitrusberries. I'm Leaf, your trainer, and I'm so proud of how much you've grown."
For a moment, nothing happened. Dragonite hovered in his spot, staring at Leaf. The only thing she could hear was the hum of dragon energy. Then, there was silence and Dragonite was no longer glowing. He blinked at Leaf a few times before his eyes rolled back and he dropped.
Leaf whipped out Dragonite's PokeBall and returned him. When Dragonite was safely in his PokeBall, relief flooded Leaf. I knew I could reach you.
She looked around. The reporters were typing now, their faces still pale. The referee looked as if he saw his life flash by.
It was Lance who spoke. "Congratulations on defeating the Elite Four." His prior friendliness had long gone. "Next week, you will face our Champion." The Dragon Tamer turned, cape flying behind him, and walked away.
Scott Morey's voice blared through the speakers. Leaf couldn't make out a single word. The world around her seemed to fade. She stood frozen, forgetting how to breathe. Lance's statement replayed in her head over and over.
Congratulations on defeating the Elite Four.
Next week, you will face our Champion.
Some time ago, Leaf watched brief interviews with trainers who made it past Bruno. When asked how they felt during their challenge, they all said, exhausted. Leaf didn't understand why. Even though she barely got any sleep, she felt more awake than she'd ever been her entire life.
Well, maybe not awake. This morning, Kelly jumped when she saw Leaf. She didn't explain why, of course. She didn't have to. Leaf knew that she was more zombie than human at this point, barely acknowledging her surroundings, acting on instinct.
And yet, Leaf didn't feel an ounce of exhaustion. After her battles, it wasn't sleep she needed, but rest. Her mind needed to preserve itself, to not waste any juice. The moment she stepped back into the Indigo Stadium, Leaf felt as if she'd been dreaming the whole time and suddenly became aware of it.
And what she was aware of right now was this: her standing on one side of the battlefield, Blue on the other.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. Our challenger, Leaf Green of Pallet Town, will face our Champion, Blue Oak!"
He was wearing the outfit Leaf had seen him in during their journey. Black collared shirt, purple cargo pants, blue teardrop necklace. His arms were crossed. His amber eyes were cold and difficult to decipher.
"Will our challenger come out victorious? Or will our Champion prove once again that he's the greatest trainer in the world?"
Every moment of her journey, her life had led her here. She was always meant to stand in the Indigo Stadium and face Blue, her childhood friend, her rival, the one trainer she couldn't quite beat.
This is it.
"Trainers may send out their Pokemon now. May the best one win!"
This time, I won't lose.
Hi everyone! Sorry for the long update- I've been busy and this chapter was hard to write! I especially struggled with the Battle of the Two Dragons. I always knew it was going to happen, but didn't know exactly how it would play out. Ngl, I did kinda picture the fight between Simba and Scar at one point while writing it, just the slo-mo and intense Hans Zimmer soundtrack.
Thanksgiving has passed, but I wanted to say that I really am grateful for everyone who's been reading this story. Special s/o to those who took the time to leave reviews, especially more than once. You guys give me motivation to keep writing.
Next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for. If I don't finish it by the end of the month, then see y'all next year!