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Pokémon:

Quest of a True Master

Chapter 14

Mark knew Lance was a master of Dragon-type Pokémon; that he had tamed, trained and commanded many different Dragons from all over the world, and through that he had retained his title as the Champion of Kanto for several years, challenged by trainer after trainer and never defeated by anyone since Ethan of Johto, who had wrested the Johto Championship title from him, standing now as the only trainer to be his official equal on the entire continent, the only one who could challenge him since the Ex-Champion of Kanto, Red.

But even knowing all that -entering battle with Lance and knowing all of that, this was something Mark had never prepared himself for.

Lance had employed a Hydreigon; the most brutal and violent Pokémon ever discovered by human-kind. Countless trainers across the world had raised Deino and Zweilous alike, only to abandon their attempts at becoming trainers of Dragon-type Pokémon when they found that a Hydreigon could not be controlled -some even had theirs turn on their trainers upon first evolving, and some of these violent outbreaks had become very serious. Those few who had managed to tame one usually lost control of it as soon as a battle began; Hydreigon's violent instincts were strong, and only a trainer with a will stronger than those instincts had a prayer of controlling it.

But this one that Coal was now fighting for all of his worth was not like those. This one obeyed its master diligently, attacking with savage ferocity and unbelievable power. He'd lost Tanker against Lance's Haxorus; he'd thought Tanker's mighty defense would be enough to overpower a Dragon that primarily learned physical attackers, but Lance had caught him off guard with his Haxorus also knowing Dragon Rage, and managed to defeat the Steelix. Prior to that, Fang had easily dispatched Lance's Flygon, due to it being less experienced than the Mightyena or Lance's other dragons as well as having a dual-type disadvantage against the Mightyena's secret weapon. Fang was still ready for battle, catching his breath in his Poké Ball, but Mark dared no put him against a Hydreigon. He would never manage against such a powerful Pokémon.

Although, Coal wasn't likely to manage either. Mark ordered Coal to use Dragon Pulse at the start of the battle, barely fazing the powerful Dark/Dragon-type, and was rewarded by having Hydreigon use the same attack, firing pulse blasts from all three of its heads. It had been only Coal's great speed and agility that had saved him from Hydreigon's wrath, but the battle was no longer in Mark's favor.

Finally, Coal's luck ran out, and he took a full, clean hit from one of the Dragon Pulse attacks fired by Hydreigon; the Dragon Pokémon fired the blasts like shots from three cannons, firing one-by-one and bombarding the battlefield with explosive force. As Coal failed to evade a third shot from Hydreion, the Charmeleon was sent flying backward, tumbling as he hit the ground and groaned with pain, dazed by the direct hit.

"Coal! Are you okay?!" Mark called out, concerned.

The Charmeleon stubbornly pushed himself up on his arms, shaking his head to clear it before forcing his feet beneath and standing up, taking a breath an exhaling a little smoke, refusing to back down.

"Way to go, Coal," Mark said, proud of his Charmeleon.

"I must admit, I'm impressed," Lance stated. "Hydreigon's Dragon Pulse hits with such force that not many Pokémon can get back up after. Your Charmeleon is quite spirited."

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Mark retorted. "Okay Coal; time to make good use of our training. Use your strafing attack!"

Coal growled, and broke into a run, seemingly heading at Hydreigon directly, but at the last second, he banked away, the three heads of the dragon turning curiously to follow him, but even three heads had difficulty tracking one, fast-moving target. Lance ordered him to use Dragon Pulse again, but Hydreigon missed all three shots, not a one landing close enough to cause Coal any true harm.

"Good work! Now get up close and use Smokescreen!" Mark called.

Coal banked mid-run once more, making a beeline straight for Hydreigon just as it turned to face the Charmeleon, readying another Pulse, but Coal was quicker, and exhaled a thick cloud of smog right into Hydreigon's face, causing it to inadvertently discharge its attack towards the nearby wall, where it exploded and left a deep imprint in the stonework. Now, blinded by the smoke and coughing to clear the smoke it had accidentally inhaled, Mark made the next move.

"Now, Fire Spin!" Mark commanded.

Coal leapt back, inhaling deeply before exhaling a stream of flames that began to rotate around Hydreigon, surrounding it before intensifying into a red-hot ring of flames. Just as the smoke began to clear, Hydreigon felt the heat of the flames, groaning from the imminent wooziness it caused.

"Hydreigon, fly up!" Lance commanded.

At its trainer's command, Hydreigon flapped its wings and began to ascend, attempting to escape the heat of the Fire Spin below. But Mark wouldn't have it; commanding Coal to use Dragon Pulse again, the Charmeleon blasted Hydreigon in midair while the heat from the flames still left it dizzy. A direct hit, straight to the belly, and Hydreigon was blown back by the attack, roaring in pain as it fell out of the air and hit the floor with a crash.

"Bullseye!" Mark exclaimed.

"_Rar!"_Coal growled with glee.

Lance narrowed his eyes as he grinned. "If you think it'll be that easy, think again!"

At that, Hydreigon suddenly reared up from lying on its back, spreading its wings once more and, in a few wingbeats, was in the air again, much to the dismay of both Mark and Coal. Hydreigon glared daggers at Coal, baring its fangs as it stared him down. The signs of the hit it had taken were clear; a flowering bruise and a bit of broken skin on its belly, but besides that it was moving as if it were still fresh and ready.

"Your Charmeleon is very impressive, but I'm afraid he's not matured enough to have any hope of defeating Hydreigon," Lance stated, before he pointed at Coal. "Show him, Hydreigon; use Tri-Attack!"

Mark's eyes widened. "Uh oh...! Coal, move!"

The Charmeleon broke off into a sprint just as Hydreigon charged up its first attack, three spears of energy forming in its three mouths, each a different colour -red, yellow, blue- to represent the three elements of Fire, Lightning and Ice. Tri-Attack was a powerful move that only a few Pokémon could learn, unique in that it combined the elemental powers of three typings, able to induce one of three status ailments while simultaneously doing damage.

Hydreigon unleashed the powerful attack, sending the three spheres hurtling towards Coal one by one, and each time one of them missed, Hydreigon charged up more spheres, lobbing them at Coal in rapid succession. The Charmeleon fluidly tried to evade each attack, but each one kept getting closer as he was left unable to get his second wind, pressured by Hydreigon's never-ending onslaught of attacks. Worst of all, Coal wasn't able to counter-attack either; more than once he tried strafing to avoid attacks and send out a Dragon Pulse, but Hydreigon had caught onto his little strategy and kept sending its attacks directly in his path, forcing him to keep zig-zagging to avoid damage.

And then, it happened. A yellow sphere found its target, striking Coal directly in the chest and knocking him onto his back. Only then did Hydreigon cease its assault, watching as Coal struggled to get up. But his muscles suffered spasms as he struggled to get to his feet, limbs freezing at random and twitching involuntarily, sometimes his whole body tensing up and refusing to move.

"Finished," Lance stated.

Mark, produced Coal's Poké Ball and recalled him, letting him take a rest. With that, Mark returned the bacll to its place on his belt, and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Hydreigon. "Going to need the big guns for this one," he said before he looked over his shoulder at Vitesse, who had been waiting patiently behind him the whole time. "Go get him, girl."

"_Chaaak!"_Vitesse shrieked, making a mighty leap from her spot, flying over Mark and landing on the battlefield.

Mark held up the bracelet harboring his keystone. "Now, Lance, I'll show you just how powerful my team really is!" He stated as he tapped the keystone, which began to glow with intense light. "Vitesse, Mega Evolve!"

The Blaziken threw out her arms and shrieked to the air as she was engulfed in the violet, crystalline light, concealing her transformation as it progressed. When the light dispersed, she had become a Mega Blaziken, the flaming ribbons trailing from her arms flaring nicely to express her readiness for the battle as she fixed Hydreigon with a hard, dangerous stare, ready to battle.

And then, he saw it. It was brief, so much so Mark thought it may have been his imagination, but he was certain he had just noticed Hydreigon tense at the sight of the mega-evolved Blaziken. Was it afraid? He mentally slapped himself at the thought; it was a Dragon-type! They weren't afraid of anything, and a Hydreigon was especially not going to feel fear. Mark wasn't an expert on Dragon-type Pokémon, so getting a read on one was a little more challenging for him either way.

He turned to look at Lance. "Hey," he called. "Did you see your Hydreigon tense up just now?"

"Tense up?" Lance asked, before turning to look at his Hydreigon. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and the Dragon Trainer looked honestly concerned. "It seems the battle is starting to get to him."

"What do you mean?" Mark asked.

"I'll tell you later," returned Lance before he produced Hydreigon's Ultra Ball. "Hydreigon, return," he said as he aimed the laser towards his Pokémon...

Hydreigon banked away; the laser missed! Lance watched in clear shock as his own Pokémon openly defied his command and soared at Vitesse, roaring in fury as it approached her. "Hydreigon!"

Vitesse ducked under Hydreigon's charge, and Mark was forced to jump out of the way as the mad dragon raced past him. "Whoa!" He barked. The dragon circled back, racing to its right and narrowly missing a head-on collision with the wall as it circled back around.

"Ack!" Randy screamed before he dropped to his belly, Hydreigon flying over his head and making his hair blow about as it soared past him. He angrily pushed himself up on his hands and shouted at Lance. "Hey! Can't you control your own dragon?!"

"He's going into an Outrage; he won't heed me!" Lance returned, gritting his teeth as he watched his dragon.

"Then I'll have to do it for you," Mark stated firmly. "Vitesse, get ready!"

"Cha!"

Hydreigon roared ominiously as he raced towards Vitesse, snapping at her with the mouths on the end of its arms; the Blaziken fluidly blocked them with her hands, palm-striking them out of the way or dodging to the sides to evade its attacks. Eventually, Hydreigon even tried biting her with his main head, only for her to lean out of the way, and then jump over him, landing behind him.

"So fast..." Lance whispered, impressed.

Hydreigon, only enraged further by his sudden inability to land a single blow, turned on Vitesse and charged up another Dragon Pulse. Mark warned her to watch out; she dashed to the left, evading the attack completely, before she rushed at Hydreigon and delivered a powerful punch directly to his middle head, striking him between the eyes and sending him stumbling through the air until he crashed down on his back. Vitesse returned to a defensive fighting stance, watching as Hydreigon shot back upright and took to the air again, and once again it recklessly charged towards her, once again trying to bite her with its three heads, and as before she was dodging him easily -her speed was increasing by the moment, and she showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever, easily outpacing Hydreigon.

Finally, the results of her efforts bore fruit as Hydreigon started to slow down, beads of sweat forming on his heads until finally he stopped, standing on the ground and teetering ominously as though dizzy. The fatigue had caught up to him and his Outrage subsided, leaving him completely vulnerable.

"Now Vitesse, Dual Chop!" Mark commanded.

Vitesse held her fingers straight, her hands beginning to glow a bright blue as she stood with them held over her head, raising one leg up and staring hard at Hydreigon for a few seconds before she dashed towards him, her body a blur as she charged; everyone present in the room saw only a blink of her movement as she shot past Hydreigon. Less than a second after she stopped, Hydreigon spun through the air as if hit by a wrecking ball, flying into a nearby wall with a crash until it fell to the floor.

"Now, Lance!" Mark shouted.

"Return now, Hydreigon!" Lance commanded, calling the Dark/Dragon back into its Ultra Ball at last, where he promptly tucked it into his cape, shutting his eyes and facing the floor. "I wish you had not seen that, Mark."

"Which part, the part where you can't even control your own Pokémon?!" Mark demanded. "Why would you use a Hydreigon if you can't even control its temperament?!"

"I had thought he and I had finally trained him so that he could control it," Lance returned. "Most Dragon-type Pokémon are prone to fits of battle-rage, and only with hard training and a strong will can it be overcome. However, a Hydreigon is a special case; it is not only difficult to suppress its urges, but it can still become drunk with anticipation when it sees a powerful opponent." He pointed at Vitesse. "The battle with your Charmeleon was not enough to set him off, but when your Blaziken Mega Evolved, that was that; her power enticed him, and he wanted to fight her as if it was his only purpose." He sighed. "I did not know seeing a Mega Evolution would have that effect on him; I have never battled a trainer who used it before."

Mark blinked. "You mean you've never seen Mega Evolution before?"

"I have not," replied Lance, shaking his head. "There are no Mega Stones in Kanto, except for the one Red possesses for his Charizard, and since he left the League I have not faced him in battle. Ethan of Johto, despite his victory over Red, also does not possess the means for his Pokémon to Mega Evolve. So no... I have never battled a trainer who could use it, and until I met you I've been able to control Hydreigon."

"You're not going to say his Outrage was my fault, are you?" Mark asked, sternly.

"No," replied Lance. "Neither of us knew it would happen." He produced another Poké Ball, gripping it tightly. "But this battle is far from over; I still have three Dragons left, and I know just the one to deal with your Blaziken."

"Let her be the judge of that," Mark returned, with Vitesse squawking in agreement as the flaming ribbons on her arms intensified again.

"Come forth, Garchomp!" Lance shouted as he cast his fourth Pokémon into battle. The next Pokémon emerged from its confines, appearing on the battlefield; the Pokémon was a tall, lithe, bipedal creature the same height as Vitesse, standing more than six feet tall. From the head-down, it looked like a war machine made flesh, having a head shaped like that of a hammer-headed shark, with a golden six-pointed star on the tip of its nose. It had bright yellow eyes, a body covered in tough, dark blue skin with a red undertone on its neck, chest and upper belly and a spot of yellow on the lower torso.

On its back was a massive dorsal fin, just like a shark, and on the end of its arms were curved, fin-like blades tipped with sharp claws with spikes protruding from its biceps. It had thick, muscled legs with spikes growing from the thighs, three-toed with tipped with claws, and a long tail that also was much like a shark's, ending in a vertical fin that would propel it through water at impressive speeds... although somehow Mark didn't think this was an aquatic creature.

"Garchomp, eh?" Mark asked, producing his PokéDex and punching in the command for an analysis.

'Garchomp, the Mach Pokémon. Known for its incredible strength and speed, Garchomp is the final evolution of Gibble and Gabite. It is difficult to attack as its tough skin makes it painful to touch, and it is capable of flying at immense speed. Its wings can create blades of wind that can even fell trees.'

_ _ "It's Dragon/Ground type?" Mark asked, surprised by that combination; he knew Flygon was one as well, because it evolved from the desert-dwelling Trapinch and Vibrava, but Garchomp looked like a lost relative to a Sharpedo, and like it belonged in the water. Still, it was what it was. But he noticed something unusual; he looked closely at Lance's Garchomp, and then at the one shown in his PokéDex, noticing a discrepancy. "Hey wait a second... your Garchomp looks different than the one in this picture here. Its skin is the wrong shade of blue."

Lance smiled. "That's because my Garchomp is a Female," he stated. "The female variety is paler than a male."

Mark chuckled. "Learn something new every day," he said as he put away his PokéDex, and carefully began to assess the situation. 'Okay, Lance is on his fourth Pokémon; I still have Fang from the first battle, but he's not fast enough take on a Garchomp. I'll have to stick with Vitesse for now... I'm just lucky Lance's Garchomp can't mega evolve or I'd be in real trouble.' He thought back to his PokéDex and its analysis. 'Of course, also being a Ground-type poses a problem; Fire is weak against Ground-types, and Vitesse will have trouble fighting Garchomp because of that tough skin it has. This is going to be a battle of speed and endurance...'

He knew by now Vitesse's speed would be off the charts, but a Garchomp wasn't only fast, it hit as hard as a Haxorus. Mark hadn't battled one in a long time, but he remembered that much at least. Already, he was working on a way to counter attacks he knew Garchomp could use...

"Now, Garchomp, let's begin! Attack with Dual Chop!" Lance commanded.

Garchomp charged forward, drawing back her blade-like fins as she rushed at Vitesse, yellow eyes fixed on her target.

"Vitesse, get behind her and use Blaze Kick!" Mark ordered.

In a flash, Vitesse was off, her whole body a blur as she moved. Even Randy gawked at her speed, despite having a whole roster of fast Pokémon himself, but right now the Blaziken was putting even Thorn to shame, dashing around behind Garchomp and delivering a powerful kick to her back, sending her stumbling forward. Garchomp managed to keep her balance though, and turned around just in time as Mark ordered Vitesse to use her own Dual Chop, the two clashing. At that second, they traded blows repeatedly hand deflecting blade, blade blocking palm heel, battling in such a tangle that Randy had to rewind his camera to play in slow motion so he could see what was happening.

Even the Elite Four watching the fight above were blown away by how swift both Pokémon were moving -except Koga, who remained stoic despite the spectacle. Underneath, though, he was just as impressed as the others. Down below, neither Mark nor Lance could say anything to their Pokémon on how to proceed; they were going so fast neither of them could follow their movements to let them know of an opening they could exploit presented itself. They could only watch, and wait...

Finally, the fight broke off as Vitesse scored a clean uppercut to Garchomp's jaw, both of them staggering away from one another, panting for breath. Garchomp had many indents and bruises on its skin, indicating that in the scuffle she had taken quite a beating, but Vitesse had clearly suffered the worst of it; she had cuts all over her body, and her knuckles were bloodied and raw from punching Garchomp so many times. Her legs and feet were in no better condition -worse perhaps since she was mostly a kicker, and she was shaky on her feet, but still forced herself to remain standing.

'Even in Mega Evolution, Vitesse's worn herself out; every time she attacks Garchomp, she gets hurt too,' thought Mark. 'But, it looks like Garchomp has been pretty battered up by fighting her. That skin may be rough but it's not impervious.'

_ _ "Garchomp, use Earthquake!" Lance called.

'Now or never!' Mark thought. "Vitesse, Bounce!" He called.

Garchomp raised her foot, Vitesse bent her legs. Garchomp stomped, Vitesse jumped, just as a tremor ripped through the floor, creating a great fissure where Vitesse had been, but she was airborne just in time, both Lance and Garchomp staring up in shock as she nearly reached the ceiling with a single jump. "What a leap!" Lance exclaimed.

"Now, Vitesse; put everything you got into one more Blaze Kick!" Mark ordered.

Vitesse dropped back towards Garchomp, her foot igniting as she descended. Lance ordered Garchomp to get out of the way, but she was sluggish to respond, and Vitesse landed her kick, sending Garchomp skidding across the floor. Following the kick, Vitesse cringed and fell down to one knee, holding her foot painfully; Mark abandoned his spot on the field and ran over to Vitesse, helping to support her as she reverted back to her normal form.

"You okay girl?" He asked, reaching to grasp her hand, but she flinched as his fingers touched them. "That looks pretty nasty... I better pull you off for now." He helped the Blaziken to her feet and guided her off the field before looking back at Lance. "Do you mind if I take a moment to treat Vitesse?"

Lance nodded to Mark as he recalled Garchomp. "Go ahead; it'll give me a moment to take my Pokémon over to the recovery room as well," he said. "But this battle is still on."

"I know," Mark returned. "I just don't want her to get an infection; fighting your Garchomp left her pretty filleted."

"Understood," agreed Lance. "I'll be back shortly, and then we'll continue."

Randy paused the recording on his camera and sprinted over to help Mark guide Vitesse to a nearby bench. Randy pulled the bench away from the wall to give them more room as Mark laid her down on the bench, being careful not to touch her hands or feet. Both of them looked rather ugly at that moment, some of the skin having broken out seemingly worn away from battling Garchomp.

Randy whistled as he saw her knuckles. "Damn, man; you should've saved Tanker to take on Garchomp. That rough skin wouldn't have affected him."

"I didn't know Lance even had one; it wasn't in my bingo book," Mark admitted as he reached into his bag for the first-aid kit he'd set aside specifically for his Pokémon, hoping he still had some supplies left after the five weeks of training in the valley. "And when Tanker fought that Haxorus I didn't even imagine it might be strong enough to hammer through his defenses; I thought that since Dragon-type moves were not very effective against Steel-types, he might be able to outlast it."

"Clearly you haven't fought many Haxorus," stated Randy, irking an eyebrow at Mark. "They have the highest amount of physical attack power of any Dragon-type Pokémon; only thing stronger is, ironically, a Mega Garchomp."

"You don't say?" Mark asked, having actually not known that.

"Mhm. Another case of unstoppable force meets immoveable object; they cancel each other out," Randy stated.

"Mark."

The Hoenn trainer looked over his shoulder at the mention of his name, and spotted Koga standing there, holding something out to him; Mark promptly knew the item to be a Full Restore, easily recognized by the liquid having a green colour to it visible through a plastic window around the middle. A wonderment in Pokémon Medicine by how it could treat any kind of injury, even status ailments such as poison or burns.

Mark looked up as he took the bottle from Koga, slowly and thoughtfully. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," returned Koga, remaining stoic.

Mark opened the bottle, exposing the spray nozzle, and began to apply it to Vitesse's injuries. "This'll seal 'em up in no time, girl," he said to the Blaziken as he started by spritzing her feet, since they looked the worst of all. On the first spray, the bleeding stopped, and Mark carried on to spray her hands and then the rest of the cuts on her body as Randy cleaned them with a dampened cloth, compliments of Gemstar whom he called out. As much discomfort as the wet cloth caused her, due to her element, she tolerated it and watched her master work.

After that, Mark proceeded to cover the lacerations with gauze and wrappings, near-emptying his First Aid kit of its last few supplies as he also wrapped her feet and hands, using the last of the full restore on the bandages before he applied them to ensure a quick recovery. "There; that'll do it," he said, looking up at Vitesse with a smile before he scooted closer to her and rubbed her crest with his hand. "You did great, girl. You never let me down."

"_Chik,"_she clucked affectionately.

"If I may boldly say so," Koga began, "it was rather reckless of you to put a physical-attacker against a Pokémon like Garchomp, which not only thrives in close combat but also is harmful to lay your hand upon, not to mention it's also a Ground-type which is strong against Fire. Have you not any Pokémon that employ Special Attacks?"

"I do," Mark began. "But they wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Explain?"

"Garchomp's the 'Mach' Pokémon because it's fast; that much I know about it," Mark explained. "Half of my Pokémon are excellent Special Attackers, one of them being Coal but I already lost him to Hydreigon. The best weapon against Speed is, arguably, a high defense, but I lost Tanker against Haxorus. My remaining three, one of them being Fang, wouldn't have been fast enough to keep up with Garchomp. No matter how you slice it, Vitesse was the only one who had a chance; all of my other Pokémon would've lost. Much as I believe in them, I know what they can handle, and that was not one of them."

"I see," Koga admitted. "So despite knowing it would harm her, you knew she had a better chance than the rest."

Mark nodded. "Exactly right. I didn't like doing it to her, but with Tanker and Coal taken down already she was the only one who could battle Garchomp and hope to win. Garchomp may be vicious up close, but I for one believe nothing can top a Blaziken in close-combat, not even a Dragon."

"Chak!" Vitesse chimed in agreement.

Lance arrived back in the room moments later, crossing over to his part of the arena again and waiting with crossed arms as he waited. Mark gave Vitesse another pet before he stood up and returned to his place, unable to resist looking at the condition of their battlefield. By this point in the battle, the whole field had been torn apart; the mad bombardment of Hydreigon's attacks, combined with Garchomp's Earthquake had left the whole room in shambles. It was a wonder to Mark that they had not been buried in rubble by this point, but the strong foundations of the Pokémon League Champion's Hall were shining through.

"It's time to resume," Lance stated firmly, producing his next Poké Ball. "I'm down to my last two Pokémon; it has been a long time since anyone has pushed me to that point. I want to say, before we go on, well done."

"I didn't come all the way to Kanto to lose," Mark stated, grinning widely. His heart was beating strongly in his chest, the thrill of the battle with the legendary Dragon Master, Lance, had taken a few unexpected turns since it start, but they only added to his eagerness to continue, wondering what would come next as he reached for Fang's Poké Ball. 'I still need to save Siren to take on his Dragonite; she's the only one who can beat it.'

_ _ "Now, come forth!" Lance bellowed, casting the ball in his hand.

The Pokémon to emerge from the Ball was large and bat-like, including a pair of large ears growing from the top of its head, blue on the inside. Its broad, leathery wings had a matching blue colour, and had two yellow eyes, a while mane of fur growing around its neck and collar, and a body mostly black in colour with a purple undertone. What wasn't bat-like about it, however, was the long, reptilian tail growing from its body, ending in a scaly fin at the tip.

"Hey, that's a Noivern," Randy commented. "So Lance has been to Kalos too."

'Another speedy Pokémon,' thought Mark. 'Damn, I wish I'd thought to study more about Dragon-types before I came here; I have no idea what Noivern's capable of!' He looked at the Poké Ball in his hand. "I'll have to just trust Fang." He wound up, and threw the Poké Ball forward; it opened, and Fang emerged from its confines, landing on all fours ahead of Mark and growling ferally, looking refreshed from his previous battle thanks to the length breather. 'He was able to beat Flygon; maybe he can beat Noivern too. I know it's a Dragon-type, but I'm pretty sure it's also a Flying-type. Just like with Flygon, it'll give Ice Fang a quadruple effectiveness. Problem is, though, it's no longer Fang's secret weapon since Lance already knows I can use it and he'll be watching for it. I have to try a different strategy.'

"Noivern, go in with Wing Attack!" Lance called.

Noivern charged -just as Mark expected, it was fast, soaring at Fang and closing the distance between them rather rapidly. "Fang, dodge!"

The Mightyena banked quickly out of the way, Noivern soaring past and making his fur blow with it. The Mightyena never took his eyes off of Noivern as it circled around, preparing to attack again. "Use Air Cutter!" Lance commanded, and at that, Noivern flapped its wings harder, before it slapped them together and sent a visible distortion in the very air itself racing towards Fang, shaped like a blade.

Fang wasn't fast enough to evade this one, and was blown back by it, a visible indent in his side as he was sent skidding across the floor, defiantly digging in his claws to hold his ground until it dispersed. 'Crap; it's a Special Attacker! Fang has too little Special Defense!' But then, Mark remembered something, and smiled. 'He does have that_though.'_

_ _ "Noivern; Air Cutter again!"

"Fang, bank left!" Mark shouted.

Just as Noivern slapped its wings together, Fang leapt aside, evading the attack, and then broke into a run, throwing off its aim as it continued to try and land the Air Cutter on the Mightyena. Fang may not have been Mark's fastest Pokémon but he was no Slowpoke either, and evidently he was already on to Mark's idea, closing in on Noivern while maintaining his run so that it couldn't hit him.

"Now Fang, use Snarl!"

Fang jumped, pouncing towards Noivern, and just as it tried to attack him again, Fang elicited a powerful Snarl while baring his large teeth, the intimidating sound making Noivern hesitate in its attack while an unseen force knocked it out the air, giving Fang all the time he needed to land on the flying Pokémon and pin it to the ground, giving Noivern a terrifyingly predatory look. The Noivern lay, shaken, staring up at the Mightyena; most Dragons were not afraid of anything, but Fang was just that scary, especially when he had you pinned down with those massive teeth mere inches from your face. He had a 'Scary Face' attack like no other Pokémon did.

"Noivern, use Screech!" Lance commanded.

Noivern inhaled briefly, before it elicited a sharp, powerful shriek in Fang's face, the Mightyena's ears flattening as he reared back sharply and staggered away from Noivern, shaking his head fiercely and whining as he tried to get his hearing back. He couldn't Mark shouting at him to look out for an oncoming attack, and suffered a direct hit from Noivern's Wing Attack, making him yelp as he failed to brace himself for the hit. By the time the ringing in his ears finally stopped, Noivern had already circled around again and used another Air Cutter that sent Fang spiralling through the air until he hit the ground on his belly.

"Fang, you okay?!" Mark called.

In response, the Mightyena pushed himself back up on all fours, once again shaking his head and glaring at Noivern with determination. Mark sighed, but knew this had to be ended quickly; Fang had succeeded in weakening and slowing down Noivern a little with the combination of Snarl and Scary Face from before, but it was still fast, and at this point Fang was only pushing himself out of devotion to Mark. Without their trump-card to fall back on, Mark feared Fang would get knocked out if he didn't end the battle now.

'I've got only one thing left now,' thought Mark.

"Noivern, time to end this! Prepare for Razor Wind!" Lance called.

Noivern began to beat its wings harder, and with every flap of its broad limbs, the air in the room moved. Steadily, it increased its tempo, beating harder and faster until a whirlwind had formed in the room. Mark put his arm over his eyes to protect them from some blowing dust. "If he finishes that attack, Fang's hooped!" He muttered.

Fang caught his words though, and growled defiantly at the very thought of losing now; he crouched low, and shot forward faster than Mark believed he was capable of, surprising him, Randy and especially Noivern when Fang very suddenly appeared in its face and swiped at it with one of his paws, smacking it cleanly across the face and nearly throwing off its air balance as Fang passed, and was now behind the slightly stunned Noivern.

"What was that just now?" Mark asked.

"Hey Mark!" Randy called. "I think that was Sucker Punch!"

"Sucker Punch?" Mark repeated.

"It's a Dark-type priority move that's especially effective if your opponent is preparing an attack!" Randy replied.

Mark felt himself beaming, confidence flooding back into his mind; he didn't know how long Fang had known that move, but thanks to the fierce loyalty of his Mightyena, he just had a new idea, and called out to him. "Fang! Use it again and hit Noivern right on the forehead!"

Fang barked in reply, and sprang with the strength of all four of his limbs just as Noivern turned around and continued trying to use Razor Wind, but just as it was about to unleash its attack, Fang smacked Noivern in the forehead, knocking it back with the force of the strike and sending its attack towards the ceiling, generating enough force Noivern accidentally knocked itself towards the floor, and hit the ground hard, stunned just long enough for Fang to pounce it again, and finally unleash his signature move, chomping down on Noivern's shoulder with a powerful Ice Fang.

Noivern shrieked, and despite the pain in his ears, Fang held on even as he was bludgeoned by Noivern's other wing, struggling to get free from his attacker even as its skin started to turn blue...

"Noivern, come back!" Lance called, producing the Poké Ball belonging to Noivern and returning it to its confines. Fang relaxed his jaws as suddenly their target vanished, and trotted back over to Mark.

"You were awesome, Fang," Mark stated, kneeling down and petting Fang on the head, scratching him behind the ears and stroking the long manes of black fur on his back. Fang panted happily as Mark congratulated him, even casting a glance at Vitesse who was still lying on the bench watching the battle; she nodded her approval to Fang.

Meanwhile, Lance stared at Noivern's Poké Ball for a moment before he put it away, and slowly brought out his last one, staring at it long and hard. "I'm down to my last," he said, softly. "How long has it been since it all came down to one? How many years have passed since I was backed into a corner like this?" He shut his eyes, fingers tightening around the ball as he thought back to the past few years he'd spent as champion. The last trainer to defeat his dragons so soundly had been Red, and after him Ethan; battles he longed to face again after all the years he defeated one trainer after another, winning several competitions and training his Pokémon further in the mountains.

Now, he had been pushed to his final resort. His eyes opened slowly, filled with burning passion and anticipation. "Mark... however this battle turns out after this," he called. "You have been a worthy opponent, and I look forward to one day challenging you again."

"You too, Lance," Mark replied, pulling his hand from Fang's head and standing up, stepping forward. He looked back at Fang. "You take a break, buddy; Siren has it from here," he said to the Mightyena. He knew Fang would keep going if Mark so asked him to, but he was far too exhausted. With what Mark knew was coming, Fang would be utterly crushed in his current state.

"The time for us to finally decide this battle is now," Lance stated. "I hope you came prepared, because you're about to face the strongest Pokémon I've ever raised."

"Your Dragonite," Mark stated, matter-of-factly. He already knew what he was about to battle... he just hoped he was ready.

"Yes," replied Lance as he wound up to throw the Poké Ball, but waited. "Choose your next Pokémon wisely."

"I already have," stated Mark, already holding Siren's Poké Ball in his hand, and casting it forward. "Come on out, girl!"

Siren emerged, her serpentine form materializing from the Poké Ball, coiling onto the floor as she appeared. Lance, at the sight of the Milotic, let his arm drop and stared in wonderment at her. "What Pokémon is that?" He asked.

Mark, taken aback by how mystified Lance seemed by Siren, tilted his head curiously. "She's a Milotic," he replied. "You saying you've never seen one before?"

"I have not," replied Lance. "At first I mistook her for a uniquely coloured Dragonair until I got a better look. She is absolutely majestic..." He looked at Mark. "When the match is over, would you mind telling me where I can find one? It would be a pleasure to raise one myself."

Mark smiled; Lance may have been the 'dragon' trainer, but he'd recorded also used a Gyrados, a Charizard and an Aerodactyl once before, Pokémon that were not technically Dragon-types, only capable of learning Dragon-type moves and bearing similarities to many beasts of myth. Suddeny it didn't surprise Mark at all that his was opponent was so entranced by Siren. "Sure; I'll tell you how to get one."

"Then let's go," Lance stated, once more raising the hand holding his last Poké Ball. "Go, Dragonite!"

And with that, the very Pokémon Mark had been waiting to see had emerged; Lance's all-powerful Dragonite. It was a draconic, bipedal Pokémon with light orange skin, had large, grayish-green eyes and a round snout with small nostrils. A pair of long, thin antennae sprouted from the top of its head, with a small horn set between them. It also had a striated underbelly with cream-colored skin, extending from its neck to the tip of its long, tapering tail. Beyond that, it was tall, easily exceeding seven feet, with wings that were proportionately tiny for its astounding size, yet Dragonite were reputed as being capable of flying up to speeds three times faster than the average airplane.

Dragonite wouldn't be able to reach that speed in such a confined battle area, but its speed wasn't what Mark was concerned about, because Dragonite also had astounding power. Despite being reputed by some as kind-hearted, gentle, and very intelligent, Dragonite used by trainers were often fierce battlers, and Lance possessed the most famous Dragonite in the world, regarded as the strongest of its entire species; like all dragons it could fall in to fits of rage, but unlike a Hydreigon, Dragonite would not do so unless its environment was threatened.

Suddenly it was like when Mark laid eyes on Red's Charizard all over again; the strongest opponent his Pokémon would face in their battle with Lance, and only Siren could handle this one. Lance's Dragonite was known for being a Special Attacker, while Siren possessed a great deal of stamina and endurance against Special Attacks. She could use Blizzard, powerful Water-type attacks, a mighty Hyper Beam, and even use her tail to entrap opponents if the opportunity presented itself, though that was mostly reserved for physical attackers, since Siren was a ranged fighter.

"Let us find out just how strong a Milotic is, Dragonite," Lance stated.

Dragonite elicited an... odd purring sound in reply, a sound that left Mark rather blank. He hadn't expected such a big Pokémon to make such a sound. But he quickly shook it off, and decided he'd make the first move. "Alright, Siren; use Hydro Pump!"

Siren squealed in reply before she breathed in deeply, and with her exhale, opened her mouth wide and unleashed a powerful torrent of water at Dragonite. The deceptively quickly Pokémon took flight and banked out of the way, before he rushed towards Siren at Lance's command, unleashing a Dragon Breath attack at her. Siren quickly lunged out of the way, and ducked low as Dragonite soared towards her, feeling a rush of wind as it soared over her head.

"Thing's quick," Mark muttered as he watched Dragonite circling around again for its next attack. Although he wasn't going to make that so easy for it; ordering Siren to use Hydro Pump again, her accuracy training showed through as Dragonite took a direct hit in midair, pushing it into a wall and pinning it with a constant torrent. "Nice!"

"Dragonite, use Thunder!" Lance commanded.

"Oh shit!" Mark cursed.

Lightning crackled around the antennae on Dragonite's head as it glared down at Siren. With a powerful surge of electricity, the Thunder attack travelled down the torrent caused by the Hydro Pump attack, and hit Siren directly, making the Milotic scream in pain as she was stricken by her opposing element. She ceased her water attack and recoiled, while Dragonite fell to the floor now it was free from the water that was pinning it against the wall.

"Siren, Recover!" Mark commanded.

Siren reared up on her tail, and her body glowed as she channeled her energy to increase the healing rate of her injured body, recovering much of her stamina and easing the pain of the Thunder attack. But Lance wasn't about to let her off that easily; he ordered Dragonite to continue attacking, and it swept over with another Dragonbreath, while Mark ordered Siren to use Hydro Pump again, the two attacks meeting midway and colliding, sending a spray of water combined with a green-tinted air stream scattering all over the room as the two battled for control.

The stalemate was not in Siren's favor though; already she was starting to lose ground, and was forced to stop attacking and dart out of the way as Dragonbreath struck home, hitting the floor where she'd been less than a second before. "Siren, use Blizzard!" Mark commanded.

The air around Siren seemed to chill as she breathed out a whole storm of ice and snow from her mouth, barraging Dragonite with chilly projectiles and making it moan in pain, stumbling and struggling to get away from the cold. Lance ordered Dragonite to use Thunder, but as he tried to obey, he got a face-full of snow, blinding him and throwing off his aim, sending the bolt flying into the ceiling. Of course, it worked anyway, as Siren was forced to lay off her attack to avoid falling debris, giving Dragonite the chance to wipe the snow from his face. But it had taken such a hit he was already slowing down from the cold, visibly shivering.

"Dragonite-"

"Siren-"

"Hyper Beam!"

With their two trainers shouting the same attack in unison, both Pokémon charged up one of the most powerful Pokémon Attacks in the world, capable of dealing devastating damage, spheres of power forming in their mouths. Dragonite's was red, while Siren's was white, and they unleashed the attacks simultaneously, once again finding the attacks meeting partway with catastrophic results; unlike when attacks of differing elements meant, this high-powered attack with identical elements -being an attack of the Normal-type- burst upon impact, and a huge explosion erupted, filling the room.

The Elite Four members ducked as the windows between them and the battlefield outside shattered. Randy tumbled from his crouched position right onto his back, while Fang and Vitesse ducked their heads down in case of flying debris. Mark stood his ground, though felt his feet skidding slight, and Lance stood with his arm covering his eyes, his cape flapping wildly behind him as they waited for the energy to subside so they could see what the results of the clash would yield.

The dust began to clear, and Dragonite was revealed; he was on the ground, coughing to clear some of the dust from its lungs and shaking his head to eliminate an irritating ringing in his ears left by the explosion. But much to the surprise of Lance, Dragonite, and every other spectator including Mark, the spot where Siren had been was void of all life; she was gone!

"Siren?" Mark called.

"Where'd she go?" Lance asked, searching for any sign of the Milotic, just as Dragonite did, the large orange Pokémon looking confused by the sudden disappearance of the Milotic.

Suddenly, Lance saw movement, and then his eyes shot open in surprise when an elongated creature suddenly rose up behind Dragonite. "Look out!" He called, but it was too late; just as Dragonite peered over its shoulder, Siren made her move, throwing herself in a loop around Dragonite with incredible swiftness, winding herself around his arms and wings first before she tightened her grip, pinning them to his body, followed by the Milotic throwing more coils around the Dragonite, her head poking up over his shoulder as she bound him with her tail, the Dragonite yelping in surprise by the sneak-attack.

"Dragonite!" Lance exclaimed.

"Nice one, Siren!" Mark called. Siren squeezed tightly, her grip around Dragonite near suffocating; the Dragon Pokémon wheezed as he struggled against the Milotic, eventually losing his balance on falling onto his belly unable to get up because of his arms being trapped. Siren watched Dragonite with her keen red eyes, waiting until it finally submitted to her powerful tail as she tightened further.

Up above, the Elite Four stared in astonishment as they saw Lance's Dragonite fall; even Koga looked bewildered by what he was seeing, and it was Bruno who voiced the question, "why does Dragonite not use Thunder to get Siren off of him?"

"Because, if he hits her with Thunder while she is wound around him, he'll shock himself too," Koga replied. "And with its arms trapped, Dragonite cannot try and unwind her from himself, nor fight back with any Physical attacks. Her ambush has him at her mercy."

Lance grit his teeth, watching as his Dragonite slowly lost breath to Siren's attack, crushed by her powerful tail. He could not break free, no matter what he were to do; his arms and wings were bound, he could not stand up with only his legs to serve him, and he couldn't use an electric attack to free himself. Soon, Lance growled angrily and raised Dragonite's Poké Ball, unable to bear watching his Pokémon crushed into unconsciousness. "R-Return... Dragonite," he said, reluctantly, and recalled his Pokémon.

A long silence fell over the room as Siren dropped to the floor when Dragonite was recalled to his Poké Ball, uncoiling herself and standing up on her tail, peering back towards Lance. The Elite Four stared in silence at their Champion, Randy kept on filming every second of the battled. Mark watched the Dragon Trainer as he seemed to seethe over the events of the battle; the disappointment on his face was clear, but how he would take it was not...

Finally, Lance elevated his gaze, his eyes slowly opening. "I admit defeat," he said. "Congratulations, Mark Taylor. You are the victor."

Siren reared up on her tail and squealed in delight while Mark jumped into the air with his fist raised triumphantly. "YES!" He barked.

~~~~~

As a reward for his victory, Lance treated Mark and all of his Pokémon, as well as Randy and all of his, to the best accommodations at the League. Luxurious rooms the two trainers had not even known the Indigo Plateau had, at a large mansion built next door to the main terminal where the Elite Four and Champion lived while they were at the League to await challengers. The mansion had plenty of spare rooms for special occasions, and the trainers were given a massive suite where they could let out some of their Pokémon.

It was the perfect place to wind down while they waited for dinner. Mark had his first real shower since he'd left for training, having spent the five weeks just bathing in the lake at the valley, and after such a hard day of battling, he felt he'd earned it. But his Pokémon had earned even more; he'd ordered the best food and care for them, offered gladly the servants at the mansion. Vitesse and Coal were taken to the mansion's own Center-Issue recovery machines, compliments of Koga since the facilities were normally only allowed to the Elite Four, but since Mark and Randy were guests, exceptions were made.

As Randy replayed the video of Mark's battle with Lance, he was actually surprised Lance wanted to celebrate considering he'd lost the battle. Had Mark really pleased him so much with that challenge that Lance felt so generous, or was he just exhilerated from having a battle that didn't end so quickly for the first time in years? Whatever the case, he wasn't complaining; never look a Gift-Ponyta in the mouth, as the saying went.

Vitesse was resting over on one of the beds, with Coal laying his head on her stomach and Fang laying beside them as they slept, all three having had their fill of some delicious food and now resting the daily trials away. Cairo was propped up in a chair next to them, seated in a meditative manner with his eyes closed. Thorn was lying at the foot of the bed, curled up and seemingly asleep, though on occassion his eyes flicked open lazily; if anything, he looked a little bored, and was just trying to take a nap to pass the time.

Fang's ears flicked up as the bathroom door open; the Mightyena stood on all fours and hopped off the bed before stopping to yawn and stretch. With that, he padded over to Mark, wagging his tail excitedly; Mark, without a second thought, knelt down and pet Fang on the head, scratching that sweet spot behind his ears he loved so much and making the Mightyena pant excitedly. "Great job today, boy," he said, almost in a melancholic manner. "You know, this reminds me of when we were at the Hoenn League and you took on Drake; took down four of his dragons as I recall it." He chuckled as Fang reared up and nuzzled his face, supporting himself with paws on Mark's chest. "Haven't lost your touch at all big fella."

Randy glanced over, and awed at the sight of the two. "Yeah; Fang was really something out there. Heck, all of your Pokémon were," he said. "Fang took down a Flygon and Noivern, Coal beat a Haxorus and wore out a Hydreigon, setting it up for Vitesse to kick its arse, and then she goes and beats up a Garchomp for good measure." His voice raised with excitement as he carried on. "But Siren, oh man; Siren was definitely the big winner here. I mean, she beat Lance's Dragonite!" He snickered as he reviewed the video. "Man, this is going to make one kickass home movie. Good thing I brought extra memory cards make sure I can get all the footage as we go on."

Mark chuckled at Randy's enthusiasm. "Yeah... I'm certainly proud of them all. Tanker may have lost, but I think I was a little too overconfident in his defense to win the day." He sighed, but his expression was firm. "Won't make that mistake again. With that lesson learned, I'd say I'm ready to take on Red again."

"He's going to be even tougher than Lance," Randy reminded.

"I know... I'm pretty much counting on that much," said Mark. "But Red is the last step for this part of my journey; if I can beat him, then I know I'm ready to take on the rest."

Randy nodded, and actually seemed to twitch as he thought about the battle ahead with Red, snickering childishly. "Man, I'm getting goose bumps just picturing Vitesse having a rematch with Charizard."

"I'm just curious what Pokémon he'll have with him," Mark stated. "I mean, the guy at least one of every Pokémon found in the Kanto Region; aside from his Charizard I still have no idea what else he might be bringing. Lance was a little easier to plan for since all he uses is Dragons, but Red is a Variety Specialist, like you and I."

"Well, have you tried looking up previous battles he's been in, seeing if maybe you could get an idea?" Randy suggested.

"Yeah; there's some in my bingo book," Mark replied. "But that's partly what made me nervous; the only one he consistently uses is Charizard, but every major battle in that book has him with a different roster of Pokémon."

"Hmm... that is a little tricky," Randy admitted.

Before their conversation could continue, the rapping of knuckles on the door caught their attention. "Come in," Mark called.

The door opened, and an elderly man they recognized as the mansion butler stepped inside. "Evening, gentlemen," he bade as he gave them a polite, elegant bow. "I am here to inform you that dinner is ready to be served."

"Ah, excellent," said Mark, turning to Randy. "Just let me finished getting dressed; I'll meet you there."

"Okie doke," returned Randy, setting aside his camera before standing up from his chair, marching out the door and joining the butler. "What're they serving, Alfred?"

"Sir, my name is Beauford, if you please."

~~~~~

Dinner was magnificent; appetizers and large platters of food expertly prepared filled the table. Randy and Mark dug into it like starving wolves, enjoying every bite. During that time, they talked with the Elite Four and Lance, all of them congratulating Mark on his victory. They discussed many things, along with Mark telling Lance how to obtain his own Milotic if he was so determined. After explaining the methods of evolving a Feebas into a Milotic to him, he was intrigued, and understood perfectly. "Not so different from raising a Gyrados, with just a few more specifics," he had said.

For the next two nights they stayed at the mansion; Mark wanted to rest up his Pokémon, making sure they were all truly prepared for their upcoming battle with Red before they returned to Pewter City. When dawn came following the second night, they said goodbye to Lance and the Elite Four, with the Dragon Trainer shaking hands with Mark as he set out. "Let's battle again someday," Lance had requested from him.

"Count on it," Mark returned, before climbing onto Palm Tree and taking to the air, leaving behind the Indigo Plateau to proceed to his next and final challenge in Kanto...