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Pokémon:

Quest of a True Master

Chapter 13

-6 days remaining-

Mark pushed open the doors to the Pokémon League's main entryway, the colourful, red and gold barriers groaning in protest as they parted for the Hoenn trainer as he stepped through. The receptionist for the on-site Pokémon Center and the shopkeeper both looked up as the unknown trainer stepped into the room, accompanied by a second trainer, both of them making a beeline directly to the door leading to the battle chambers of the Elite Four.

A security guard stood in their path. "Is there something I can help you with?" He asked.

"I'm here to challenge Lance, the Kanto Champion," Mark returned.

"If this is an official match you are required to have the eight official badges of the Kanto region," the guard stated firmly. "I can't let you pass if you do not have those."

"This isn't an official challenge," assured Mark. "This is simply a courtesy challenge, as one trainer to another."

The guard regarded him with a blank expression for a moment before he reached for the radio on his belt, picking it free and holding it to his mouth. "Front Door to Office," he said into the radio while holding down the transmit button.

"Go for office."

"I've got a trainer out here that wishes to speak to Champion Lance; is he in at the moment?" The guard asked.

"Standby,"_was the response. A moment or so passed as the guard waited, both Mark and Randy standing patiently before him. Finally, the reply came. "_Office to Front Door, that's a negative; Champion Lance is currently not in the vicinity of the league. E.F. Member Koga is on his way to the front if you'd like to ask him."

_ _ "10-4; thanks," the guard replied into the radio, and then looked back at Mark. "Please wait here; Koga will address you when he gets here."

Randy looked at Mark. "Who's Koga?" He asked.

Mark looked at him from over his shoulder. "One of the Elite Four," Mark replied. "He also used to be the gym leader of Fuchsia City; apparently has some kind of ninja-fetish or something going on."

"Oh! Does he have a Greninja?"

"No, apparently his specialty is Poison-types," corrected Mark. "His most well-known Pokémon is actually a Venomoth, or so I've read."

"Correct."

Mark and Randy both stiffened. "Who said that?" Randy asked, not recognizing the voice.

"Behind you," the guard in front of them stated, pointing over their shoulders.

The two trainers slowly turned and peered behind them, spotting a middle-aged man standing arms crossed and feet together, as still as a statue and eyeing them fiercely. He wasn't much taller than either of them, and had a very lithe figure garbed in black clothing from the neck down, minus a red scarf that draped from his shoulder down his back. His belt and the ends of his sleeves were both purple, he wore no shoes -only a pair of socks, and a pair of metal greaves around his calves. He had spiky hair that was starting to go grey in places but at Mark's best guess his hair had used to be a teal-y colour.

Though Mark maintained a casual expression, his thoughts on Koga were bemoaning. 'This guy fills about four of the five major cliché's associated w_i_th a ninja-wannabe,' he thought. 'Stoic face, dominantly black clothes with a scarf, popping up behind people randomly and he probably talks in a faked Shakespearean accent; only thing he's missing is the mask or head wrap. Doesn't_anyone _know what a 'ninja' really was?'

_ _ "You must be Koga," Mark said, pushing his thoughts aside and forcing an even tone to his voice.

"I am," he replied. "You are here to see Lance, master of Dragons, yes?"

'And there's the accent,' thought Mark, eye twitching as he fought a scowl. 'This guy would fit in perfectly at the next nerd convention in Slateport.' "I am; do you know where he is at the moment?"

"He has gone up to Mt. Silver," replied Koga. "Regularly, he journey's up there to train his dragons, and when he returns, they have become even mightier warriors."

"How long is he usually gone for?" Randy asked.

"Sometimes weeks, but this time he stated he would only be a few days, and would return today," replied Koga.

Mark sighed. "I guess I just wait here, then," he said.

"Well, it gives you a chance to put your Pokémon through a treatment over there," Randy pointed out, jerking his thumb over towards the Pokémon Center desk. "They might still be a little worn out from your battle with me; you'll need them at a hundred percent."

"Good call," Mark returned, gratefully.

With that, the two trainers headed over to the center desk. Koga watched them silently as Mark produced his Pokémon one by one, handing them to the nurse at the desk, who took them in their Poké Balls over to the machine for a healing treatment. With that underway, Mark turned back to Randy, who had walked over to the waiting room and let out Velox, both of them munching on a snack he bought from the cafe across from the Center desk.

Mark was starting to feel a little nervous. Everything he'd read about Lance was coming back to haunt him again -it was true you could never learn everything from a book but it was also true that not all sources were reliable; what if the reading he'd done wasn't accurate, and that he was running right into a storm he wouldn't be able to find a way out of? Lance was not just known as 'a' dragon master but 'THE' dragon master; a title like that was not just handed out randomly, it had to be earned.

"Randy, be honest," Mark began as he sat down next to his friend. "Is five weeks of training really going to be enough for me to beat Lance?"

Randy looked at Mark, eyeing him curiously for a moment before pushing his glasses up, answering solemnly. "Look, Mark; you're one of Hoenn's best trainers. Not just because you used to be the Champion, but because you've raised each of your Pokémon to be unique. But if you don't have confidence in them, and yourself, then no, Lance will step on you like a bug."

Mark frowned at Randy. "Is that supposed to be inspiring?"

"You said be honest," returned Randy, grinning smugly.

"You can be a real troll sometimes."

A few moments later, Mark was called back to the counter. He stood up from his seat and walked over, finding all six of his Poké Balls waiting for him, neatly arranged in a small box. "Thank you for waiting; your Pokémon are all healed up, and looking quite healthy," the nurse informed Mark, speaking cordially and happily as she gave him the diagnosis.

"Thank you, miss," Mark returned, graciously, collecting each ball and placing them into their belt holsters, except for one. He turned the ball towards the most open area of the room and released Vitesse. The Blaziken emerged from her ball, looking fresh as a spring chicken -no pun intended- as she stood up to her full height and stretched her arms, looking as though she had just woken up from a nap.

"Hey girl," Mark greeted Vitesse, scratching her on the crest and making her cluck happily. "Lance should be in soon; you ready to down some dragons?"

"_Chak!"_She squawked, pumping her arms with vigour, until she looked over Mark's head at something behind him.

Just before Mark could turn, he heard Koga's voice again, making him jump slightly from how unexpected his entry was. "That is a mighty-looking Blaziken you have," he said, inspecting Vitesse thorough from where he stood. "You must have been raising her for quite some time."

"You know, if you pop up behind me like that again," Mark warned as he leered at Koga, "I will not be held responsible for where my foot goes."

Koga ignored the threat, meeting Mark's gaze. "Tell me, young man; why is it you wish to challenge Lance?"

"I'm on a journey to take on the best trainers in the world," Mark replied. "I decided to make Kanto my first stop, and Lance is one of the trainers that fit my list so, here I am."

"I see... a quest to test your true strength," Koga said, nodding. "I can respect that. If I may ask, who else have you battled?"

"Well, I battled Blue Oak, the Gym Leader in Viridian," Mark replied. "I also took on Red, but I lost. I want to challenge him again though, but I won't until I'm certain I can beat him this time, so I'm challenging Lance first."

Koga listened attentively to Mark's words, but his expression remained stoic and he made no reply to Mark's story. Before Mark could say anything more, Koga's eyes rolled to the side, slowly turning his head to glance at the entrance door. "He's back."

"Who...?"

Mark didn't finish, suddenly realizing who Koga meant when the front door opened, and a new face stepped into the room. Mark turned to look, spotting a tall man with spiked red hair entering the building. The newcomer wore a black cape that hung around his body, covering him, but underneath he wore dark blue clothes with a copper-y coloured trimming, black boots with a similar colour in the pattern of dual lines around the top, just below the rim. He walked with dignity, and just the sight of him gave Mark a sense of intimidation, not because of how he looked, but because of the look in his eyes -like staring into the face of a Gyrados, filled both with power and knowledge. His expression was mellow, though Mark couldn't help imagining the man's face while it was contorted with rage, and suddenly that image turned into a ticked-off Feraligatr that proceeded to bite him on the face.

Mark pushed that image to a dark corner of his mind and dropped a mental bomb on it, not wanting to see that again -especially since Lance was coming his way. Yes; though he'd never actually seen him in person, he'd seen photographs; this was none other than Lance. Mark had been only semi-confident before, but now that he actually saw Lance, he was more than just a little concerned about whether or not he'd be able to win.

"Koga," Lance said, speaking politely and respectfully to the Elite Four's Poison-type master.

"Welcome back, Champion," Koga returned.

"The Kanto Champion, and the famous 'Dragon Master' trainer..." Randy began, pointing incredulously at Lance with a 'what the hell' expression on his face. "Is a redhead who's sporting a cape... in the twenty-first friggin' century?"

"Randy, come on; that's rude!" Mark scolded his friend, before turning back to Lance. "Sorry about that."

"Not a problem," Lance assured, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "It isn't the first time someone has teased me about it." He grasped the corner of the cape, raising it up to look at it. "But, I just find that it suits me, so I have multiple matching kinds."

Randy's head tilted. "Uh... now that I think about it, I heard most Dragon Tamer's wear capes too, and I met some back at the battle resort. I thought they were just cosplaying or something."

Lance dropped his cape and chuckled. "Yeah... I think I started that trend," he remarked. "It was never my intention, but I guess it stuck; even my cousin in Blackthorn took to it."

"I met a Dragon Tamer at the Hoenn League," Mark stated. "He didn't wear a cape, just a big black coat."

"Oh, you must mean old man Drake," Lance stated.

"You know him?"

"Of course," replied Lance. "I met him when I was training in Hoenn; he knew quite a lot about Dragon-types. I even battled him."

"How'd that go?"

"We didn't finish; he had to leave, but my Dragonite did beat his Salamence, so I guess you could say it was in my favor," Lance replied.

'Huh. So this guy even took on Drake,' Mark thought. "That's pretty impressive."

"Hey come to think of it, you're Mark Taylor, aren't you?" Lance asked, before glancing at Vitesse. "And this must be your Blaziken, Vitesse; a fine looking one at that."

"_Chik?"_Vitesse cooed curiously.

Mark's eyes widened with mild surprise. "You know about us?"

"Yes," replied Lance. "I heard about you on the Pokémon News Channel."

"I was on the news?"

"Yes; it was regarding the rescue of the ship that came here from Hoenn more than a month ago," Lance explained. "It was during an interview with Captain Raven of the S.S Julia."

Mark chuckled nervously. "I see the Captain is still singing our praises."

"This young man is the one who foiled the Syndicate's heist?" Koga asked, clearly intrigued by this unexpected news.

The mention of the Syndicate, and the way Koga had spoken of them, caught the attention of both Mark and Randy; even Vitesse perked up at their mention, while Randy stepped forward to join the conversation. "You guys know about the Syndicate too?" He asked.

Koga and Lance shared a brief glance before they looked back at Mark and Randy again, a brief silence stretching out between the four of them -five counting Vitesse, before Lance turned his gaze over to the Cafe counter, humming a little to himself. "Why don't I treat us all to a drink? It seems we have something to discuss."

A few moments later, Mark and Randy were seated at a table with Lance, helping themselves to some soft drinks purchased for them by the Champion. Vitesse was also given a bowl of Pokémon Food, sitting quietly in the chair adjacent to Mark as she ate, clucking happily at the taste of the food. Koga had departed, allowing the three to speak privately in the empty lobby -there were no scheduled official matches to begin so the League was all but deserted, with only a few staff members, and of course the Elite Four and Lance, present at the property.

"So," Lance began. "I take it you learned about the Syndicate on the Julia?"

"Yes," Mark said, nodding in confirmation. "I didn't hear it myself but one of the passengers mentioned that their leader, a guy called Marvin, introduced them all as members of the International Pokémon Crime Syndicate, before they tried stealing the Pokémon belonging to the people on board. The same asshole even tried to take my Charmeleon."

Vitesse stopped eating and scowled, the knuckles of her fist cracking as she remembered seeing Coal being absconded by the Tentacruel belonging to Marvin, sparks erupting from her wrists to indicate just how much it infuriated her.

"Of course, Vitesse here made short work of him," said Mark, petting Vitesse's head and speaking softly to calm her. "Easy girl; it's okay."

"I see," said Lance, "Attempting to steal Pokémon, holding an entire ship captive." His gaze lowered, sitting quietly for a moment to contemplate what he would say next, before glancing at both Mark and Randy. "Well, I'm afraid you've only seen part of what they do."

"Part of it?" Randy repeated.

"What else do they do?" Mark inquired.

"They're not just thieves, they're international terrorists," replied Lance. "They're set up in every region in the world, and they not only steal Pokémon from people, it's been shown they actively hunt Legendary Pokémon as well."

Both Mark and Randy gawked at this, their gazes meeting before they fixed their eyes back on Lance with renewed interest.

"It's mostly rumors, but it's believed that they've caught several Legendary Pokémon already," Lance went on. "And, their hunt for those Pokémon also led to the volcano on Cinnabar erupting again."

"How could capturing a Pokémon cause a volcano to erupt?" Mark asked.

"Because, the Pokémon they had on that island was Entei," Lance replied.

"Entei?" Mark repeated.

"Wait, that's one of the three legendary dogs native to Johto, right?" Randy inquired. "What would Entei be doing on Cinnabar Island; it's a Fire-type right? Fire types don't go anywhere near water, let alone out to an island surrounded on all sides with it."

"And how can you be sure it was Entei that caused the volcano to erupt?" Mark pressed further, his curiosity running rampant.

"I simply pieced the facts together," Lance replied. "Let me put it this way; a couple of years ago, it was common knowledge that Entei ran wild across Johto, avoiding humans and living peacefully in the wilderness. Even Ethan, the Johto Champion, tried to capture it a few times but not even he was successful. Eventually, most people chose to just leave Entei alone; it was too strong to be outfought, and the only thing that could stop it from running away were certain Pokémon attacks, otherwise it'd simply leave.

"However, a couple of years back I heard that Entei sightings had stopped -they hadn't just become scarce, nobody had seen or heard Entei in several months. Curious, Ethan and I both began looking into what could have become of it -my first thought was that a trainer had finally caught Entei, but nobody was ever seen using it. The next theory is that it migrated to the neighboring Kanto Region, but that turned out to not be the case either. It was like Entei had simply vanished from the face of the Earth."

Mark and Randy listened to every word Lance spoke, allowing nothing else to distract them. The Champion paused to take a sip of tea before he continued. "Go on," Mark prompted when Lance set down his cup.

"But then, the eruption on Cinnabar happened. I've spoken to every citizen who once lived in Pallet, including Professor Oak himself," Lance continued. "All of them verified that prior to every eruption of the volcano there was an ominous howl; the way Oak himself described it was like describing a beast in pain, and it terrified the whole town."

"Captain Raven told us something like that too, the day before we disembarked from the Julia," chimed Randy.

Lance nodded. "Indeed; those further north and east thought it was only rumors and that maybe the volcano remained active after the eruption that destroyed the town on Cinnabar Island and that's why it erupted again, but the people of Pallet Town heard the sound with their own ears," he carried on. "I believe that the sound the people of the town heard were the pained howls of Entei."

"Well I don't doubt the people of Pallet heard 'something' from the island, what makes you believe it was Entei and not some other Pokémon?" Mark asked, not understanding what Lance meant.

"Legend says that Entei is so powerful that when it barks, any volcanoes in the vicinity will erupt," the Dragon Master replied. "I think whoever captured Entei took it there where nobody would ever look for it and must've done something to hurt it, causing it to howl and the volcano to erupt."

"No Pokémon could possibly be that powerful," Randy stated.

"I don't know, Randy," Mark replied. "A lot of legends surrounding Groudon state that it was the creator of all the continents in the world, and other tales say that Lugia, the beast of the sea, can cause torrential rainstorms just with a flap of its wings. Maybe this is all kind of reaching but those legends had to spawn from somewhere; they aren't just made up. Every story is based on something true."

"Maybe so, but most stories also tend to get rewritten and often exaggerated on," Randy pointed out. "I don't know about Entei being some volcano-exploding hound, but how does the Syndicate fit in to Entei's disappearance? You think they're the ones who captured it and took it to the island?"

"Exactly right," Lance replied without a second of hesitation.

Randy actually laughed. "Seriously, Lance. Not to say that I doubt your detective skills but I took on a dozen of those guys without even breaking a sweat -how could they possibly capture Entei if even the Johto Champion couldn't capture it?"

"That I don't know, but I have learned some disturbing things about the methods of the Syndicate."

Mark irked an eyebrow, and Randy stopped smiling when they saw the serious, almost angry expression on Lance's face. "You see... I met the parent of a trainer who lost his Pokémon to them; a little Bulbasaur, so gentle that it would never hurt even a Caterpie without a good reason. But, a week after the Bulbasaur was taken from the young trainer the police caught the thief, who was revealed to be a member of the Syndicate. However, the Bulbasaur was different."

"Different how?" Mark asked.

"It had changed from a gentle, ordinary Pokémon to being afraid of humans -even its trainer could not get near it without it scurrying away. One time, it even attacked him when he tried to pick it up; it lashed out and hit him with a Vine Whip, hurting him terribly. The Bulbasaur was taken away by the services for the boy's safety, declared unstable. The poor young trainer was heartbroken; even when his Pokémon was returned to him the one that he lost had never come back at all."

"Whoa... that must've been really upsetting," Randy said, his earlier outburst now seeming uncalled for.

"What the heck did the Syndicate do to that Bulbasaur to make it attack its own trainer?" Mark asked, starting to feel his blood boiling as he looked at Vitesse. "I know she would never lay a hand on me, no matter what I did; Vitesse's loyal to me and I am to her."

"I always thought it was because the Bulbasaur may have felt abandoned, but that's not the case," Lance went on. "A friend of mine in the Police Force interrogated the gangster they caught, and asked him that very question. According to him, the Syndicate... 'breaks' the Pokémon they capture or steal if they don't cooperate, most of the time through causing them pain."

"Break them?" Randy echoed.

"They torture Pokémon?!" Mark demanded, eyes wide with rage.

"Yes," replied Lance. "And given how hard Entei was to capture, when it started fighting back I'd wager they weren't too pleased with its rebellious attitude." He shut his eyes. "The howls described by the people of Pallet... I shudder to think of what they put it through as they tried to break it -tried to make it obey. If a once gentle Bulbasaur could not be soothed when it was reunited with its trainer, the elusive Entei may be something terrible now if it's still in the hands of the Syndicate."

Mark's hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white as he rested them upon the table, seething with anger as his mind conjured images of other Pokémon suffering the cruelty of the Syndicate. "Those... miserable... sons of bitches!" He growled, the bones in his hands audibly crackling. "I don't believe this; how can anyone do that to them?"

"Mark..." Randy began.

"And to think... I almost lost Coal to one of them!" Mark went on. "Thinking of what he would have gone through if Vitesse hadn't stopped them!" He looked at Vitesse, the Blaziken returning his gaze.

She could feel her trainer's burning anger, and hearing his words about Coal she felt rather concerned herself, her mind's eye envisioning the little Charmeleon she had practically adopted in the hands of a cruel organization, putting him through unspeakable horrors just to make him obey a trainer who had no claim to him. Once again, sparks erupted from her wrists, only her disciplinary restraint preventing her from letting her arms go completely ablaze as Mark's rage flowed into her...

"Hey, Mark, cool it will ya?" Randy asked. "Vitesse's getting as fired up as you are; you keep going and she's going to blaze."

Mark looked at Randy, before glancing at Vitesse, seeing that Randy was right; the Blaziken was indeed becoming tense, the sparks on her wrists becoming more and more rampant. He knew just by looking at her that she was sharing his earlier thoughts -the fear of Coal being taken. Realizing his error, Mark promptly walked around the table, placing his hand on Vitesse's back. "Hey, hey, easy girl," he said.

Vitesse started, looking up at Mark with a surprised face, having nearly lost herself to her anger. "It's okay," said Mark, patting her shoulder. "I guess I lost my head for a second there; sorry girl."

_"Chik-chak,"_Vitesse replied

Lance watched how Mark handled his Pokémon, humming with intrigue as he saw how well the younger trainer handled his Blaziken and the way they had shared emotions at that moment, not to mention how fast Mark had calmed her. The markings of a true trainer in his eyes was when trainer and his Pokémon were perfectly bonded. He smiled, standing up from his chair and approaching Mark, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Mark," the dragon master began as Mark turned to look at him. "I can see you're a very passionate Pokémon Trainer. You came here to challenge me, correct?"

"That's right," Mark returned.

"Well, allow me to change things around," Lance stated. "I would like to be the one to challenge you, Mark Taylor."

This came as a surprise to Mark; he hadn't expected the tables to be turned on him like this, but something he had done had clearly caught Lance's attention. Now the very reason for Mark coming here, to the Indigo Plateau, was presenting itself to him willingly by being the one to challenge him rather than the other way around. Brock had told Mark that Lance would not turn down a challenge but nothing about him challenging whatever trainer intrigued him.

Mark felt himself grinning; Lance had just spared him the trouble of having to muster up the words to challenge the Dragon Master. "Alright, Lance; I accept your challenge. Let's battle."

~~~~~

Mark and Randy were led through the various chambers of the Pokémon League through the rooms normally used as the battle arenas of the Elite Four, all the way to the Champion's Chamber where their battle would take place. Unlike the previous rooms designed to suit the specialties of the trainers who used them, Lance's room was rather plain, round and with a domed roof -rather unspectacular, which seemed odd for a Champion.

Randy stood on the sidelines, while Vitesse stood behind the line near Mark waiting until her trainer called for her as the two proceeded to their places in the arena, Mark standing at the end closest to the door while Lance crossed all the way to the other side, his cape swaying about behind him as he walked. Randy could feel the tension in the air, sensing both trainers were burning with excitement for the upcoming battle.

Up above, standing on a second-floor observation deck, the other members of the Elite Four had gathered. The first, of course, was Koga. Next to him was a large man with black hair tied back in a ponytail that hung straight down his back. The man was largely muscular, had a face with cheekbones that could cut glass, wearing no shirt to expose his powerful upper body, and only the lower half of a Karate Gi for pants. Randy guessed this was Bruno, the master of Fighting-type Pokémon.

The next member was a thin man wearing a black mask over his eyes, like someone attending a masquerade ball. He wore purple clothing, namely a long-sleeved shirt that was loose around the arms, matching pants, and a sleeveless tuxedo-styled overshirt. He had hair dyed purple, styled in a manner hard to describe, but to Randy it looked like an overturned 'W' at first. This was Will, a master of Psychic-types -although apparently a bit of an underdog among the Elite Four, as he wasn't much higher level than a Gym Leader, which made Randy wonder... 'why is this guy a member of the Elite Four?'

Furthermore, according to Mark, Will had actually replaced a previous member of the Elite Four just as Koga had when he'd taken the position; the one holding Will's post before had been an Ice-type trainer named Lorelei. In Koga's case, he had replaced Agatha, who was a Ghost-type trainer.

The last member was the only female on the group, and had taken Lance's place when he'd ascended to Champion; knowing this told Randy she had to be a powerful trainer. She was a master of Dark-type Pokémon, going by the name of Karen. She was a lean-figured woman with icey-white hair ground down to her waist, barring two long bundles that hung down to her belly on the front. She wore a shirt that looked as though she'd ripped away the portion around the midsection, exposing her stomach and lower back, and wore white bell-bottom pants; everything about her spoke 'party girl' to Randy.

Randy quickly set up his video camera, making sure the battery was charged before he turned it towards the arena, watching as the two trainers got ready to call out their first Pokémon. "This going to be awesome," he muttered.

Lance stood, posing dramatically with his cape draped all around his shoulders, meeting Mark's gaze from across the room. "Are you prepared to face my Dragons, Mark Taylor?"

"I am," Mark returned, already picking out his first Poké Ball.

"Very well. Since I challenged you, you shall pick first," Lance stated insistently, his arm appearing from under his cape, holding a Poké Ball as well. "Though I've already made mine."

"Fine," stated Mark. "I'll start with Fang; go!" He cast the Poké Ball forward, the sphere popping open to release the Mightyena within; Fang materialized onto the field, releasing a howl of furious anticipation as his paws touched down on the ground.

"A Dark-type; quite the choice," Lance returned. "Now I'll chose my own Hoenn Pokémon." He casually tossed the ball in his hand forward; it opened, and out of its containment materialized a green, almost-insectoid creature with a reptilian tail.

It had broad wings, shaped like the diamonds seen on playing cards that were green with a red border, a long thin body leading to a tail with rings that were shades of darker green forming a pattern up to the tail, which ended in a trio of spikes shaped and coloured just like its wings. The head made its appearance a little misleading; to some the Pokémon would appear to be a bug-type, due to red covers over its eyes closely resembling compound eyes like a Venonat, but a close inspection would reveal two ordinary eyes hidden below these lense covers that formed naturally to protect this particular Pokémon from the wind. Finally, there were two long appendages growing from the top of its head, angling in a slight curve behind it.

"Whoa, a Flygon!" Mark exclaimed, impressed by the sight. "That's the Pokémon you were looking for in Hoenn?"

"Yes," Lance replied. "Flygon here, I raised from a Trapinch, to a Vibrava, and finally into the being you see now. He is known as the spirit of the desert, and a magnificent beast."

Mark held his impressed look, but in his mind the gears were turning, and he suppressed a big smile. 'Lance might know about me, but evidently he doesn't know about Fang. Most Flygon are physical attackers, and if that one is too and has to get close to Fang, we'll have the edge thanks to his secret weapon.'

"Now!" Lance barked suddenly, throwing out his arms and gripping the upper folds of his cape, giving him the appearance of having wings. "Take flight, mighty Dragon!"

Flygon elicited a roar that was like a mix between a bird call and a lion's growl -the sound made Mark shiver slightly as Flygon roared with a voice that seemed to shriek with power, spreading its wings wide and taking to the air, dust stirring with every flap of his broad wings, carrying it over the arena. Randy turned the camera in his hands up towards Flygon as he ascended, seeing the muscles of its body moving beneath his tough hide with every flap of his wings in picture-perfect detail.

"Now, Dragon Rush!" Lance called

Flygon suddenly shot forward with incredible speed, causing Randy to lose sight of him for a second. He rushed towards Fang, catching the Mightyena off guard and angling at the last minute, bludgeoning Fang with his lower body before he rose into the air again, making Fang cringe and jump back slightly from the force of the attack.

"Fang, Shadow Ball!" Mark commanded.

But Fang, still too dazed from the hit, wasn't able to obey, and Flygon circled around for its next attack. "Dragon Tail!" Lance commanded, and Flygon repeated its earlier motion, but this time only striking Fang with its tail, sending the Mightyena skidding across the ground. His claws were all the kept him from going all the way to the wall, generating sparks as he defiantly dug them into the floor until he finally stopped.

"Nice work, Fang!" Mark encouraged. "Try Shadow Ball again!"

Violet light shone through Fang's teeth as he charged up the attack, waiting for Flygon to make another pass before he launched the attack. The Shadow Ball was too slow, though; Flygon banked out of the way, successfully avoiding it, with his altered course sending him hurtling towards Fang this time.

"Dragon Tail again!" Lance commanded.

"Fang; run forward and jump at Flygon!" Mark added.

Fang rushed forward, running at the incoming Dragon even as Flygon wound up to smack him with his tail. But before he could complete his full swing, Fang pounced, launching himself at Flygon with the mighty leap he had shown Mark on their last day of training. The distance of the leap surprised both Lance and Flygon, causing the dragon to hesitate in its attack.

"Now, Ice Fang!" Mark called.

Icy mist exhaling from his jowls, Fang opened his mouth wide; even as Flygon tried to evade, Fang made contact and clamped his powerful jaws around Flygon's shoulder, making it howl with pain and ruining its flight pattern. Flygon began to drop; Fang swung himself around and landed on Flygon's back, letting go of his shoulder just before impact to avoid being crushed underneath the dragon when it crashed down on the floor. Fang was thrown off of his back, but the Mightyena was ready for it, and landed on all fours.

"Flygon; get up, hurry!" Lance called.

Flygon tried to push itself up, but Lance promptly could see it was having trouble moving; Flygon was shivering, and its body had noticeably paled. It was cold, the freezing side-effect of Ice Fang catching up to it and making it sluggish. It struggled to get to its feet, moving its wings as if trying to fly again, but Mark wouldn't have it.

"Fang, use Crunch before it takes off again!" Mark called.

Fang charged at the weakened Flygon, pouncing at him again just as he began to try and flap his wings; Fang's target was one of those wings, biting down on it and puncturing the thin flesh with his powerful jaws. Flygon howled in agony, trying to shake the Mightyena off. Soon, Fang leapt away of his own volition, before turning around and tackling Flygon in the gut without even waiting for the order, knocking the wind out of the dragon and sending him falling onto his back.

Lance's confident look had turned into a mild scowl. "Return, Flygon," he ordered as he held up the Dragon's Poké Ball, drawing it back into its carrier before he lowered his arm behind his cape again. "So, your Mightyena knew an Ice attack; I wasn't expecting that," he confessed.

"Fang was the one who defeated most of Drake's Pokémon when I battled him," Mark stated. "A lot of people claim that Mightyena are no match for Dragon-types, but to them I say, they can put their boots in their pie-holes; Fang can handle any dragon!"

"I hope you're prepared to back those words," Lance said with renewed vigour, throwing his arm out to reveal beneath his cape he was holding his next Poké Ball.

'Let's see what dragon he's calling out next,' Mark thought, curiously.

Lance released his second Pokémon, sending it out to the field, and from within the Poké Ball a massive bipedal beast formed. The creature was as tall as Lance, but much broader in girth with a massive reptilian body. The Pokémon 's head and back were covered with dense, yellow-green armoured plates, extending and around most of its tail. It also had similar hard skin around its legs, over its belly, and covering its arms from the shoulders to the paws, ending in red claws. The rest of its body that wasn't armoured had black skin, but what stood out most were the tusks growing from its cheeks, forming into shapes like black axes with red blades, and from behind those axe-like tusks a pair of fierce red eyes glared at Mark and Fang.

"Oh shit... a Haxorus," Mark whispered; Flygon had been speedy and strong alike, but a Haxorus had far more attack strength, and a sturdy hide to go with it. He wasn't so sure Fang could take such a Pokémon, at least not without taking tremendous harm beforehand... but after remembering everything he knew about Haxorus, he knew of one Pokémon he had that could. "Fang, return!" He called, holding up the Mightyena's Poké Ball and drawing him back into it.

"What happened to your earlier confidence about your Mightyena being able to handle anything?" Lance mocked him.

"I don't doubt he could still win, but I should save him for later," Mark returned, not buying into the taunt. "For this battle, a tactically better choice has presented itself." He put away Fang's Poké Ball and picked a different one. "Go, Tanker!" He called, releasing the Steelix from his confines. The massive iron snake reared up and roared like a train's motor as it was set free, turning its red eyes on the Haxorus.

"A Steelix," Lance mouthed, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "I see; you switched out your Mightyena for a Steelix, because you know Haxorus is entirely meant for physical combat, so you chose a Pokémon with a high physical defense to outlast him."

"I didn't think it'd take long for you to see through my plan," Mark returned, non-chalantly. "So, yes; you're right. Tanker's my ultimate defense."

"Let's put him to the test," Lance hissed. "Because my Haxorus has skin like iron and like any true dragon, tremendous power. We shall find out if your Steelix is as tough as you say."

"Bring it on," Mark growled back, Tanker adding to the growl with a low rumbling whine from his throat.

Lance stepped forward slightly, pointing at Tanker. "Haxorus, attack with Dual Chop!" He commanded, sending his mighty Pokémon on the offensive.

"Tanker, brace yourself!" Mark called.

Tanker tensed, bringing its body into a tight cluster and taking Haxorus' attack; two mighty axe-slashes to his body, sparks exploding from the blades as he struck Tanker twice, but his metal body held up to the attack, though Tanker showed visible discomfort from the hit. 'Tanker's body is holding on, but that Haxorus hits like a freight train,' Mark thought. 'Even Tanker won't be able to take repeated hits like that for long; time to fight back.'

_ _ "Tanker, Iron Tail, go!" Mark called.

Tanker rumbled noisily as it uncurled, swinging itself about and swiping its mighty tail at Haxorus. The Dragon-type turned its back, feeling the sharp end of Tanker's tail rake across its armour plating but successfully protected itself from Tanker's attack. Lance hadn't been kidding about Haxorus' armoured body; it may not have been as tough as a Steel-type, but it was more than solid enough that Haxorus would be able to carry this fight into the second round without question.

"Dragon Claw!" Lance called.

"Back away!" Mark warned Tanker.

Haxorus spun around, the claws on its right foreleg swiping at Tanker, but despite his lack of speed, the Steelix still managed to get out of the way just in time. "Great job; now, use Iron Defense!" Mark carried on.

Tanker curled up once again, this time its body seeming to shine as it channeled its energy into its steel skin. As the spectators watched, they saw the marks already on Tanker's body fading slightly as it seemed to grow a completely new layer of skin, rumbling once again as it hardened.

"Dual Chop!"

Haxorus rushed forward, slashing at Tanker again with its jaw blades to once again generate sparks in the process. However, after the second swipe, Haxorus growled in pain and backed away, raising its claws to run its head. "Haxorus, what's wrong?" Lance called, concerned about his dragon. As Haxorus stumbled back a little more, Lance got a close look at his blades, and was shocked to find they had visibly dulled from striking Tanker. "Impossible!"

"Possible," Mark called. "Tanker's body is as hard as Titanium; now that I've bolstered his strength with Iron Defense, he's unbreakable."

"No defense is perfect," Lance stated. "Haxorus, attack with Dragon Rage!"

"Uh oh!" Mark exclaimed. Not only was Dragon Rage a Special Attack and not a physical one, it was a powerful attack that inflicted the full extent of its power upon any type of Pokémon!

Haxorus stood tall and roared at the ceiling, before an unseen shockwave suddenly ripped across the floor, sending ripples through the air and blowing every speck of dust clear out of its path before striking Tanker head-on; the Steelix tried to brace himself against the attack, but even with his incredible mass and metal skin he was blown onto his back, roaring in a mix of surprise and frustration as it hit the ground.

"Now, while it's down, use Dragon Dance," Lance instructed.

Haxorus shut his eyes, bringing his feet closer together and letting his tail hang limply on the ground. He stood stoic and motionless for a few moments before he began to sway from side to side, tail dragging across the floor and arms moving from side to side. He slid his feet wider, and then closer together again. Every Pokémon that used Dragon Dance had its own unique way of performing it, and Haxorus' was quiet and fluid, moving as if he were made of water, never uttering a sound as he moved.

Slowly, Tanker got back up, dragging himself back to an upright position and glaring at Haxorus, rumbling again. "Hang in there, Tanker," Mark encouraged the Steelix.

"Now, Haxorus," Lance said in a low voice. "Attack with Giga Impact!"

Haxorus charged at Tanker with greater speed than before, running at Tanker and making a mighty leap towards him, roaring in fury. "Tanker, Iron Head!" Mark called.

Tanker charged forth to meet Haxorus' attack, swinging his head towards Haxorus to meet the attack. But the results were not even close to what he expected; Haxorus landed feet first on Tanker's head, and knocked him into the ground with such force the entire building shook with the force of the hit. The floor cracked and a pillar of dust erupted from the floor, obscuring the battlefield.

"Tanker!" Mark called.

He waited, watching until the dust cleared, and saw his Steelix lying face down into what had once been the floor, but had now become a pile of rubble that buried half of his head. Tanker withdrew his head from the hole, shaking it to try and clear it, but succeeded only in giving Haxorus the chance to recover from using Giga Impact. As he raised his gaze, the Steelix was hit by yet another Dragon Rage, and was sent hurtling back and skidding across the floor before smashing into the wall. Stunned by the impact, Tanker slumped, and fell silent.

"No way!" Mark exclaimed, looking back at Tanker with shock. 'Wasn't expecting it to know Giga Impact; even as a Normal-type move that attack does some serious damage.' "Tanker, come back!" He held up the Steelix's Poké Ball and called it back to its confinement, sighing before turning back to look at Lance's Haxorus, seeing how it was standing hunched over and panting. 'Lance hasn't recalled his Haxorus yet; I have to take him down before he can get his second wind; if even Tanker couldn't take some hits from that dragon none of my Pokémon will survive fighting it; gotta hit fast and hard and I've got just the candidate.'

_ _ Picking out his next Poké Ball, Mark cast it forth. "Go, Coal!"

"Coal?" Randy asked from the side. "Why him?"

Coal emerged from his Poké Ball, releasing a fierce yet cute growl as he materialized in the air, somersaulting down to the floor before facing Haxorus, his eyes burning with morbid fascination at this new opponent.

"A Charmeleon?" Lance asked. "You'd put a young, inexperienced middle-stage Pokémon against my Dragons?! You fool; you'll only get him hurt!"

"Don't underestimate Coal," Mark stated plainly.

Lance snorted. "Fine... this is on your head, though," he warned. "Now, Haxorus, use Dragon Tail!"

Haxorus charged forth, roaring at Coal as he ran at the much smaller Charmeleon. Mark didn't look concerned however, even as Haxorus closed in. "Alright Coal; time to show some of that maneuvering we practiced!" Mark called out.

Coal nodded back to Mark before facing forward at Haxorus again, letting it approach. But, just as Haxorus turned to swipe its tail at Coal, the Charmeleon sprang, leaping clear over the tail and up to eye level with Haxorus, who glanced quizzically at him.

"Hey Coal... Dragon Pulse!" Mark shouted.

"What?!" Lance demanded.

Coal charged a sphere of energy into his mouth, the light coming out a pink-ish colour until Coal spat it towards Haxorus, striking him point-blank in the face with the pulsing projectile of the Dragon-type attack. Since it wasn't a Fire-type move it wasn't as powerful as it could have been when Coal used it, but its super-effectiveness against other Dragon types compensated. Haxorus was blown halfway across the arena, landing on his back and skidding across the stonework with his armour plating scraping the stone, making a horrid screeching sound like nails on a chalk board until he finally stopped.

Mark rubbed his ear, but didn't lose his confident smirk. "I thought so," he stated. "Just like my Steelix, your Haxorus focuses on Physical Defense, and has minimal Special Defense."

Suddenly it dawned on Randy why Mark had chosen Coal. "Of course...!" He whispered, slapping himself in the head at his own failure to realize it, especially since he'd known for a while that Coal could use Dragon Pulse, and Mark had figured out Haxorus was weak to Special Attacks. That, combined with Coal's speed, meant Mark knew exactly what he was doing.

"Haxorus, try a Dual Chop!" Lance instructed.

Haxorus was on the attack again; having recovered from the earlier he it had taken from Coal, he charged at the Charmeleon, and repeatedly tried to slash Coal with his axe blades. He never landed a single hit, though; Coal was so small and quick that he evaded every attack, ducking and dodging those deadly blades as if he were playing a game of dodgeball. Frustrated, Haxorus reared back his head and made a mighty swing of his neck and upper body towards Coal. But the Charmeleon dodged him again, diving forward, curling up into a ball and rolling between Haxorus' legs, popping back up at his flank.

"Nail him, Coal; Dragon Pulse!" Mark called.

Coal growled ferally, turning himself to face Haxorus as he charged up another attack. Haxorus looked over his shoulder frightfully as Coal powered up, and when the Dragon Pulse discharged, Haxorus took a direct hit right to the head. His feet left the floor briefly as he was thrown off of the ground, falling unconscious onto his side and laying motionlessly, moaning in defeat.

"Whoo!" Mark cheered. "Yes!"

"That little guy will never cease to surprise me," remarked Randy, replaying the scene of Coal blasting Haxorus almost point-blank with a proud grin on his face. "Right when you think he's beat, he blasts you."

Lance, with a displeased look on his face, raised the Poké Ball of his Haxorus and recalled it, remaining silent until the dragon was off the field. And then... he began to chuckle, rising into a steady amused laughter that made Mark, Randy and Coal all stare blankly at Lance. Even the Elite Four members watching from above were looking puzzled by the behavior of their Champion, apparently not used to seeing him so amused.

"My goodness, it has been a long time since I felt like this," Lance said, a semi-sinister expression on his face. "The thrill of a challenging opponent; I haven't felt this excited since I battled Ethan! It feels great to really have my blood flowing again!" He looked at Mark, his expression a little softer now than when he'd started laughing. "I should thank you for accepting my challenge. I knew you'd be a worthy opponent but never did I imagine you'd make this so thrilling for me; you've managed to defeat two of my Dragons already, while I have only felled your Steelix. By now, most trainers who battle me would have already been crushed, and yet here you are."

"Uh... you're welcome?" Mark returned, unsure what else to really say about being lionized by the Kanto Champion.

"It appears I have erred," Lance went on, rubbing his eye. "I made the mistake of judging you to be just like any other trainer I regularly battle."

Mark grimaced. "Yeah... I've been down that road myself."

"Have you?" Lance asked. "Well, I'm glad you've helped me find the right path. I realize now that I've underestimated you..." As he spoke, he reached for his next Poké Ball, and suddenly Mark had that feeling he was looking into the face of a Feraligatr again when he saw the look Lance had; it was a rather... 'predatory' gaze would be the best way to describe it. "I never should have held back even slightly; I started off with my least experienced Pokémon, when I should've come at full strength from the beginning."

Randy gawked. "That Flygon was his weakest Pokémon; is that what he's saying?" He muttered incredulously, mostly to himself.

"Now, it is time I show you why they call me 'Dragon Master'," Lance went on. "No more testing, no more gauging; I am ready to teach you to fear Dragon Pokémon!" He threw out his arms, making his cape toss about; it may have been Mark's imagination, but he could've sworn he envisioned the likeness of a winged reptilian forming in Lance's shadow, although that had to have been a trick of the light. "Come forth, mighty dragon!" Lance bellowed as he cast his next Poké Ball forward; the ball he threw was no ordinary Poké Ball either, having a black top with a yellow 'U' painted on it -an Ultra Ball. Whatever Pokémon he was calling out, it had been powerful even when he'd first captured it.

Mark suddenly began to have a bad feeling; Coal put on a confident face, but he could sense how nervous his trainer was becoming, and already it was getting to him.

The Ball opened, and from within emerged the white light of a Pokémon in energy form, materializing in the air above the field; it was big, and had a very warped appearance even before it fully formed. When colour and flesh became clear, Mark saw perhaps one of the most intimidating Pokémon he'd ever laid eyes on; a strange-looking one, definitely, but undoubtedly frightening to see. It had a round body, purple in colour with a fuchsia striping from its shoulder down to the flank. Its legs were short, with feet that appeared to be atrophied, ending in no soles or definitive claws.

It only got stranger on the upper torso at the base of the neck, where the strange new Pokémon had a tattered, furry layer around its collar, resembling a clown collar except for having a sleeve-ish design leading out to its hands/claws, and on its neck up to its head, where it split out like a tattered five-pointed star, the inside of which were also fuchsia. Its head was blue, shaped like an alligator's head but smaller, with two black coloured eyes boasting fuchsia pupils. A similar colour laid at the end of its arms, and Mark realized in horror this creature didn't have claws or hands, but two additional heads at the end of its arms, both with eyes matching the original! And finally, growing from its back were six narrow wings, each as black as ink and ending with claws that curved viciously, pointed at the ground.

Mark's eyes widened with horror as he quickly recognized the strange Dragon-type Pokémon. "Oh shoot me with a tank shell..." He muttered, his voice escalating a little as he continued. "That's a freakin' Hydreigon."

"Oh man, shit just got real," Randy said, a bead of sweat flowing down from his brow.

Hydreigon, a Pokémon discovered in the Unova region, was one of the strongest non-legendary Pokémon in the world, known as the 'Brutal' Pokémon for being a powerful engine of destruction, prone to rampages and acts of violence at the mere sight of an enemy; to even tame one was thought impossible by most trainers. But here one was, right in front of Mark and Coal. To just look at it made Mark feel like he was staring into the face of a real monster, of the kind he'd see in his nightmares.

"Now go, Hydreigon," Lance commanded. "Show Mark the true terror of Dragon-type Pokémon."

The dragon, from all three mouths unleashed a mournful, wailing roar that would inspire ghost stories, making Mark actually shake with fear and causing Coal to back away in terror. And then, it soared towards them, all six eyes filled with battled-crazed anticipation as it fixed its gaze upon them...