Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Sinnoh Champion Lucas vs. Tower Tycoon Palmer

Lucas took a deep breath as he braced himself for the next match in the Battle Tower. After eight months of gruelling, bloody and downright hardcore training, Lucas and his team had finally decided that they were strong enough to take on the Battle Frontier.

This was Lucas's third time entering the Battle Tower challenge, and the last player had turned out to be number six. A win streak of twenty, as of now.

Apparently, every round was seven non-stop matches, three-on-three battles that gradually grew more intense. The first round had been a breeze for Swampy, who had demolished his opponent's entire crew, but Lucas had barely pulled through by the skin of his teeth just last round, with Grump desperately using a last-ditch attempt to knock out his most recent opponent. Things were getting harder, and fast. The boy could still envision the moment when a Metagross' Hyper Beam had ripped through Gripper's huge arms.

Thankfully, the assistants healed Lucas's team after every round. Honestly, without the healers, Lucas would have been crushed by that crazy Salamance from Battle 16.

The green-clad attendant marched up to Lucas, taking no note whatsoever about the numerous cuts and bruises all over his body. "Pokémon trainer Lucas?" He asked sharply, the spotless and shiny emerald uniform blinding the other boy's eyes.

You've only asked that about three dozen times, Lucas wanted to snap. But it's not like you'd care, would you?

Neverless, he simply gritted his teeth. "Yes."

The annoying waiter version of Luigi narrowed his eyes, most likely contradicting a nasty thought of his own. "Battle number Twenty-one is ready. Please enter room fifty-nine."

With that, the green man bobbed away, probably to put a different trainer into a nasty mood.

Lucas snarled, wringing his hands around an imaginary throat. Arceus, he wanted to just stuff that annoying attendant into a garbage can and just watch the results.

He glanced at the nearest sign, the room he had just exited. Room Number Four.

Why did hallways have to be so long?

After about two billion years, Lucas found the room. It looked like every single other battle room entrance he had passed, a yellow framed steel door that was covered in bolts. The only difference was the two A.C.E. Trainers that stood guard on either side, their expressions utterly emotionless. Both carried a full team of six Pokémon on their belts.

One A.C.E. Trainer held out an open palm, the universal symbol in the world for 'Stop'.

"State your business with the Tower Tycoon." The other guard stated robotically.

Lucas rolled his eyes, biting back a scathing remark. Are all the people here this irritating?

He didn't really have a reason not to feel bothered by now. First, the secretary, who had been focusing on her nails more than her actual job, then the Luigi-waiter, and now some overdramatic trainers that acted like they were out of some action movie. Lucas was beginning to worry about who owned the building. Would he (Or she) be the same? Or worse? Lucas had heard that one of the Tycoons had actually hired someone to do the battling for her, ridiculous as it sounded. How did she still have her job? More importantly, what about the guy who got hired?

If the boy had listened a bit more carefully, he would have realized that a person as strong as Cynthia was not five metres away from him. But Lucas had an annoying habit of tuning out of conversations halfway through, a trait he had adapted when Barry was around.

The guard repeated the question, a little more forcefully this time, and Lucas snapped out of his thoughts.

"Wha?"

"I said, state-"

Lucas waved the older man off. "Oh, that? Yeah, yeah, Mr. Spinach-for-clothes told me I had to go here for my next match or something. I think."

The first guard mumbled something under his breath, but unlocked the iron door. Without giving a farewell, Lucas stepped inside.

The arena was like every other he had come across, a rectangular room a bit larger than a gym, but had the same markings on the grey metal as any basketball arena in the world. Two semicircles on the sides marked where each trainer had to stand before psychic barriers activated to protect both fighters from harm. A low ceiling had bright florescent lights, illuminating every square millimetre of the arena.

But what really caught Lucas' attention was the trainer he had to go against.

The first thing that struck him was the air of familiarity around him. It wasn't like those moments when Lucas met a trainer who looked like a living photo of the one he passed two minutes ago. No, the man's blond hair, his stance, his brown eyes… They were exactly like Barry's. Barry. Lucas' best friend and rival for life… The boy felt a pang of grief. He hadn't seen Barry in months, and that time they spent away from each other felt like forever.

The opponent had a dark green trench jacket draped around his shoulders, large gold buttons flashing on either side. A white shirt as tucked into a pair of light brown pants, and the man had matching black gloves and shoes.

All in all, the man looked as if Barry had suddenly aged thirty years and grabbed the first awesome-looking clothing he saw. But still, Lucas' opponent still seemed familiar, as if the two had met a long, long time ago.

Lucas walked in a daze towards the challenger podium. The moment he stepped into it, a purple psychic barrier flickered to life, forming a small dome around the trainer.

That's weird. Normally it covers the battlefield, not the player.

The other man opened his arms wide, as if expecting a hug. "Hi! My name's Palmer. I remember you from when you were in Twinleaf, Lucas. You were always playing with my son, Barry, right? You've grown up since then, and most impressively, too! So, I'd like you to show me. Show me the bond you've built with your Pokémon. Show me the skill you've acquired as a trainer!"

Lucas' eyes widened. This guy is my best friend's dad?

How come Barry never let Lucas meet Palmer before? The red-capped boy knew that Barry always talked about how strong his dad was, but couldn't his father come home after work?

The prissy green attendant entered the room from another door, and raised one of the two green flags in his arms.

"Pokémon trainer Lucas versus Tower Tycoon Palmer!"

Oh. That's why.

And then- Wait… TOWER TYCOON!?

"This will be a three-on-thr-"

Palmer cut in, an evil twinkle in his eye. "No. This will be a six-on-six battle between me and the Sinnoh Champion. Both trainers are forbidden to swap their Pokémon during the entire length of the game. If a withdrawal is made, that Pokémon is considered to be knocked out."

The green attendant snapped his head to Palmer, mouth agape with shock. "But- But- The rules, sir-"

The Frontier Brain smirked. "For refusing to follow the orders of your boss, you're fired. Bring in Janett."

The attendant slumped, utterly defeated. "… Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

As the referee walked away, Lucas turned to Palmer, an unspoken accusation on his lips. Palmer shrugged. "He's new. Sorry about that."

Two minutes later, a jumpy black haired girl in the same uniform bounced up to the podium. "This will be a six-on-six battle between Sinnoh Champion Lucas and Tower Tycoon Palmer! Begin!'"

Lucas nodded, and sent out his first Pokémon, Gripper. The Ambipom balanced on one giant hand to another, her eyes observing the landscape the Normal type was in. After a few seconds, the Pokémon shook her smaller arms, prepared to destroy anything in her way.

Gripper, Lucas planned, was going to be a test as to find out how Palmer played his cards. If Barry was any means to go by, the blond man should be a reckless but skilled battler, a guy who pushed his Pokémon far enough to know their limits. However, Barry was only his son, and the two probably had very little contact. So, this guy could act completely differently. Lucas' Ambipom would be the test to work out how.

Lucas had originally obtained the ambidextrous Pokémon in a trade with a greedy eighteen year old that had desperately wanted a Buizel. At the time, Gripper had been a mere Aipom, but by judging the amount of bruises and red marks around her body, she had been abused for a rather long time. Lucas hadn't hesitated for a moment to call Officer Jenny and apprehend the teen for Pokémon abuse. Afterwards, Gripper had stuck to Lucas like glue, and eventually became an extremely capable fighter on his team.

Without a word, Palmer sent out a Rhyperior.

Lucas had definitely gone through a lot of close calls recently; in fact, he had just fought off another Rhyperior not two hours ago.

But this thing was huge, monstrous compared to the other one. Battle scars rippled across its body, and it was at least three times the size of a garbage truck. Compared to Gripper, the Ambipom was like a spark on the hide of a Golem.

As a Rock type, the Rhyperior would have an edge over Gripper. Normal type moves would come off as the tiniest of scratches, and a Hyper Beam wouldn't even make it dazed. However, like most Normal types, Gripper knew a large variety of both Fighting and elemental moves in her arsenal, so she would at least have a chance. But even the weakest of the Rhyhorn line were complete juggernauts, and one hit from this Titan would leave a very large, purple, Ambipom-shaped imprint on the ground.

Palmer captured the first move as his own. "Rock Wrecker. Make this quick."

The cornerstone rumbled in reply, and a fist the size of Lucas' bed came crashing downwards.

"Brick Break! Then get out of there!"

As fast as Gripper was, it wasn't nimble enough to escape fifteen tons of pure rock and force. At the very last moment, the Ambipom desperately shoved both of her 'hands' upwards, barely blocking the tremendous attack.

Rock Wrecker was essentially a Giga Impact put into a single arm, giving the user enough strength to topple skyscrapers, hence the name. Only the most unstoppable forces could use such a powerful move without permanent damage, such as Aggron or Gigalith. However, Rhyperior was the natural user of the legendary move. Its entire body was practically dedicated to it, as they carried gigantic, spear like arms that seemed more like actual beings rather than the appendage of one. Thankfully, even the most powerful Rock type couldn't maintain their hold over such a strong move for a long period of time, and similar to any overpowered move, Rock wrecker needed the user to experience a moment of rest. Unfortunately, Rhyperior had spent several thousand of millennia adapting and perfecting the overpowered technique, and had developed a makeshift set of armour to defend itself if they were under attack during the period of instability and weakness. Obviously, Palmer intended to end this quickly.

A Brick Break couldn't be used as a defence from such a powerful move, and after only a few seconds, Rock Wrecker broke through. Rhyperior roared in triumph, stomping one of his feet into the clouds of dust for good measure. Lucas chewed on his lip. Gripper couldn't have possibly gone through such trauma without injury. He had to recall her, before Palmer went further.

As Rhyperior slumped over in predicted exhaustion, a faint chittering twittered through the arena. Palmer and Lucas stared in disbelief as a battered, bruised, but definitely still conscious shape of an Ambipom's outline became visible through the murky plaster dust. Without command, a Low Sweep flew from nowhere, and the Rock/Ground typed cornerstone crumpled to the ground. Lucas grinned, but the smile slipped off his face as Rhyperior simply got up again.

Oh, come on.

As a Normal type, she couldn't maintain her stamina forever. Right after she completed her surprise attack, Gripper stumbled, and was forced to rely on her actual hands to force herself upright. On close inspection, Lucas saw that one of Gripper's twin hand/tails had been grievously injured. It was bleeding weakly, and all three of the massive fingers were visibly broken. The twin tails were one of the most major organs of the Pokémon's body, and by all means the largest as well. Lucas predicted that it would only take a few minutes until she was out cold, so he had to make the best out of his time limit. Gripper would probably be unable to make Rhyperior faint, but she could still do her best.

"Agility, Gripper!" The champion called out, his voice feeling raspy and dry from five hours of giving commands. "Then try a Shadow Ball!"

Lucas scrunched his forehead, trying to think of a strategy. Rhyperior's defense was absolute and high, but so was Gripper's attack. But when it came to non-physical moves, both fighters were extremely low. It was a stupid circle that had no solution whatsoever, unless Lucas found a way to turn the tables. But for Palmer, he had everything working out perfectly. Ambipom was the hit-and-run type, while Rhyperior was the stand-still-and-let-me-crush-you epitome. Another hard hit, and Gripper was a goner.

Palmer raised his voice, a perfectly calm tone that could make Riley jealous. "Use what we just finished practising, Rhyperior. Underhorn-4." The man waved his arm like a chess grandmaster performing a checkmate, cool and collected.

Without warning, the colossal beast smashed its horn into the ground, taking the rest of its body with it. After a few seconds of rumbling, it disappeared from view, camouflaged underneath the rubble. Gripper continued to speed around the arena, both her and her trainer well aware of the Dig attack.

Underhorn-4?

After a few more seconds, Lucas found out, rather unforgivingly.

The moment Gripper stopped moving to prepare a Shadow Ball, the Titan exploded from the ground, a completely terrifying image of destruction and superiority. Its horn glowed white- A Megahorn, Lucas gasped- and it threw itself directly into the Ambipom, strinking once- twice, and then a third strike that landed directly into Gripper's injured tail/hand. The two Pokémon traded blows, the Normal type managing to land two Shadow Balls before succumbing to a fourth hit. A Horn Attack combined with a Megahorn, charged and aimed from underground with a Dig. Ingenious. It was no surprise that Gripper flew back, unconscious, after launching a third and final Shadow Ball as a goodbye present.

Lucas recalled his fallen friend. He knew what to send automatically, and after whispering a 'Thank-you', he selected a certain Great Ball that burst onto the already-ruined battlefield.

"Swampy! I choose you!"

An inconspicuous Quagsire materialised onto the arena. It was the obvious choice, a Water/Ground type with a large pool of elemental moves that Lucas discovered when he caught him in Pastoria City. Palmer scowled upon seeing the arrival of the easygoing blue Pokémon.

"Rhyperior! Dragon Rush!"

Lucas blinked. Since when do overpowered giants made of rock know Dragon moves?

Neverless, he did his best to remain neutral. "Muddy Water! Go all out!"

Both fighters succeeded in landing a direct hit. Swampy soared backwards, but the lightweight blob spewed out an ocean's worth of water, brown, murky liquid swamping more land than should be physically possible. Rhyperior, overcome by the seemingly endless amount of mud, collapsed onto the battlefield. Odd. That went by faster than the norm…

A defeat that quick could only allow for two different options. One, the trainer was weaker than expected. Not likely, if 'Underhorn-4' existed.

Two, Palmer was lulling him into a cocky and arrogant state so that he could take pleasure in rubbing Lucas' face into the ground. That seemed far more Palmer's type.

Palmer paused hesitantly, curious as to what Pokémon he should send out. It appeared the tiny blue speck on the field could pack a punch. He seemed to be grasping one of his Pokéballs a lot, but instead he selected another one and gave an evil grin that would sent asylum medics scurrying. "You know what to do… Regigigas, come on out!"

Mother of Mew, what kind of lunatic is this guy?!

Rub his face into the ground indeed.

Lucas stared, mouth agape, as the colossally sized giant appeared, instantly dwarfing the already short Quagsire.

"You're mean." Were the first words to come out of his mouth.

Palmer chuckled. "I know."

"Have you ever heard of the word overkill?"

"As strange as it sounds, I have."

"But seriously… Come on!"

"Regigigas, Crush Grip."

"What?!"

The white legend bent down, its six eyes staring unblinkingly at the tiny creature before it. Swampy stared innocently back, oblivious to the fate he was about to endure.

Seemingly frustrated at the fact that the puny, unrealistically dopey Pokémon in front of it wasn't cowering in fear, Regigigas snatched the Water type off the ground, squishing it as hard as possible, like a toddler who didn't like his new toy. Oddly, Swampy simply blinked in response, apparently not in any pain at all.

Palmer frowned. It appeared that he was just as curious as his Pokémon. "What the…?"

Lucas finally managed to give a smile that didn't reach his eyes, his trembling legs holding him back. "Quagsire are often very… well, squishy Pokémon, like Ditto. You could stuff Swampy here down a test tube, he wouldn't feel a thing."

As Palmer absorbed this new information, Lucas took his chance. "Swampy! Use Sludge Wave!"

Despite his unnaturally tight prison, Swampy let out a gurgle before spitting out enough toxins to make a Nidoking ill.

Sludge Wave was a recently developed moves, a technique created by Koga and his expertise over the foul Poison type. It was essentially a series of Sludge Bombs spat out to create a large pool of poison, which would then be manipulated by the user in a style not unlike Surf. At long range, Sludge Wave was a move to be feared, but at close range, it was utterly lethal.

Hopefully, the Sludge Wave that Lucas spent Arceus-knows-how-long perfecting with Swampy would become useful for this one moment.

Poison bubbled and frothed from the minuscule gaps in Regigigas' fingers, spilling out from every corner and onto the giant's arm. But it didn't end there. Slowly, more and more sludge spread out onto the Regi's torso, and then legs. The toxins seemed to defy gravity under the Quagsire's control, pools forming in the most unlikely places.

"Regigigas!" Palmer roared. "Get it out of there! Knock Off! Ice Punch! Do something!"

The lumbering now-purple form of the legendary began to move at an alarming pace. With its other fist, it sent the small blue Pokémon in its hand flying into the wall. As the poison began to drip off its body, now no longer under control, an icy blue glowing in its hand warned Lucas of the incoming move.

"Swampy, use Hide."

Hide was the only name Lucas could think of for the grouping of moves. As Palmer scrunched his eyebrows, probably wondering how much Lucas knew about grammar, the Water/Ground type crawled out of the wall-crater and spewed out a combination of Mist and Haze, rendering it near invisible from his position by the wall. As planned, the faint white glow of a Blizzard began to charge.

O-O-O

The Tower Tycoon fiddled with Regigigas' Pokéball, attempting to work out a plan. Haze and Mist covered each other's weaknesses in their purposes. Haze's goal was to hide the user from view, making it immediately invisible, but a well-trained Psychic or Future Sight would manage to draw it out. Mist rendered moves like that useless, but its translucency made it a rarely used force. But combined, it was the ultimate shield. Unaware of the fate that waited for Palmer if he continued his train of thought, he made a decision.

"Nature Power. Draw it out. When that Quagsire appears, use Earthquake."

The Regigigas automatically changed its attack without a whisper. Immediately, the Ice Punch changed into the beginnings of a freezing Whirlwind, shards of ice spinning inside it.

Palmer frowned. That shouldn't be happening. Even Haze, Mist and Ice Punch combined wouldn't change Nature Power, which would normally be a Swift. The only way it could be like this was-

Blizzard.

The Battle Tower Brain suddenly felt the brunt of the discovery full-on.

"Arceus…" He whispered. "TAKE COVER!"

But by then, it was too late. Swampy gave a final croak of victory, and let all hell break loose.

The Blizzard raged forward at an unnatural speed. Regigigas barely managed to loosen its hold on its Nature Power, and the half-formed whirlwind provided it a small amount of cover, blocking the most critical parts of the Ice move. The immortal monster toppled backwards, very nearly knocked over by the perfected move. Ice, smoke and mist rose from every nook and cranny, obscuring the forms of the two Pokémon. A rumble shook the floorings of the arena, and a light came crashing downwards from the Earthquake, but from who neither trainer had no idea. A minute passed, then five, then twenty. The collisions continued.

Palmer and Lucas waited with baited breath to decipher the winner- It was anyone's game. Swampy was already weak from handling Regigigas, but the humanoid myth was also clearly shaken from the surprise Blizzard. There was another shake, and a badly-aimed Ice Beam shot towards Lucas, the psychic barriers managing to block it just in time. An Arial Ace collided with a Sludge Bomb, and a Heavy Slam finally blasted away the smoke to let everyone see the results.

Lucas leaned in, shaking slightly with anticipation. This was the hardest battle he had ever witnessed, even including those clashes he had experienced with Cynthia and Girintina. His wiped his hands on his pants, removing the sweat that had formed.

When the smoke cleared, a heavily bruised Regigigas was visible with one massive foot clamped firmly onto Swampy. The poor Quagsire had fought as well as he could, but no Pokémon his size could take on the might of such a powerful legend and get away with it. Lucas gave a faint smile as he recalled his fallen fighter. This was a battle that he would always remember. Swampy had passed any expectations he had hoped for, from when he captured that tiny Wooper to lasting against both Rhyperior and a legendary.

But then his gaze landed on Regigigas, who hadn't moved an inch. It was damaged, yes, but it acted as though the gaping wound on its thigh didn't even exist. His lips tugged upwards even further.

This Pokémon was worthy.

He ripped out his only Ultra Ball, and without a word, opened the sphere.

And suddenly, storms were his cloak. Thunder was his heart. Lightning was his soul.

Beams of light arced from every corner, amplified Thunderbolts striking Regigigas from every direction. As Palmer yelled out commands Lucas couldn't hear in futile, bolts twisted and turned under his Pokémon's command, forcing the Titan to its knees. With no command, Thunder after Thunder zapped the silent giant until Regigigas lay still, a blackened and burnt crisp on top of the ground.

Palmer's jaw dropped.

Lucas gave a smug smile. "Oh, him? He trained under Volkner for six months. Do you like him?"

The Tower Tycoon's lips curved downwards, but sprung up again. Either Palmer found such an intense battle amusing, or he had an ace up his sleeve. "Not one little bit. But then again, you won't like this either."

A Timer Ball spun in the air, and in a flash of red and white light, a four legged Pokémon that looked as though it was made of magma appeared. Sharpened steel teeth chomped at the air, and its metallic underside hissed as though it was burning. The rest of the body was a blood red, with orange and grey specks moving in and out, as though they were gigantic blood cells moving around its body. Armoured feet, each one as large as Lucas himself, stomped at random times, as if they had mind of their own.

The Sinnoh Champion had never seen anything like it before. However, he was confident that his strongest Pokémon would be able to take it on.

After all, Electivire hadn't trained so long for nothing, had he?

The mystery Pokémon gave a low growl at its obvious opponent. Electivire's horns crackled with electricity, and his tails rose upwards, arching over his shoulders. Lucas knew that unless this unknown Pokémon was a Ground type, one second with his powerhouse close enough would be enough to knock it out.

"The biggest thing to remember", Volkner had told him after a long day of training, "Is that any Electivire's biggest advantage are its strength. There aren't many physical Electric type moves out there, but all Electivire still maintain insane amounts of power, although they are decent fighters at long range. If you watch closely during battles, you'll see that they love to use their tails as they're main form of close range attack. It's how they inject electricity the best, and with the move I've taught yours, Stinger, They can pack more power than a Thunder in less than a millisecond. But whatever you do, do not, by any means, use this as a long range attack. Stinger is damaging if exposed to open air, and you need to treat the tails like needles. But on the upside, the longer those beauties are in there, the more powerful the attack becomes."

Lucas had to get Electivire close up. Without Stinger, whatever this other Pokémon was could probably wipe the floor with him, if the Timer Ball could be used as an idea of its strength.

The longer a battle was, the more likely it seemed that a Timer Ball could work on a Wild Pokémon. If a battle lasted for over twenty minutes, a Timer Ball was the same level as a Great Ball. By half an hour, it was the level of an Ultra Ball, and if an hour passed, a Master Ball.

Any one of those options meant that this magma-dripping behemoth was most likely a biter. And a big one, at that.

Palmer took Lucas' analysation as a time to strike. "Heatran, Earth Power. Close Range, don't let it get near you. If that thing tries to use a Thunderbolt, hit it down with Magma Storm."

Heatran… Yep, that did not sound good.

"Swift!" He called out. "Try to distract it. Use Stinger the first chance you get!"

All that Lucas could see to determine that his Pokémon heard him was the faintest of nods. Electivire was never the social or gentle type near him, even as an Electabuzz. All he seemed to care about was battles, and challenging ones at that. Lucas could count the times on one hand when Electivire had acted friendly. Or no hands, for that matter.

Electivire whirred and crackled gleefully as he rapidly launched a series of golden stars. Although a wall of bursting lava shot from the ground to block the first few, another dozen took their revenge and slammed painfully into Heatran's backside. The magma creature bellowed in pain, and an animalistic rage seemed to take over it as it spat out an uncommanded Overheat, despite Palmer's protests.

Obviously, this enemy was a wild card as well. If Electivire took too hard of a hit, he would immediately rise to the challenge in a blaze of sparks and anger. This Fire type seemed to act the same way.

As the Electric type sidestepped the roaring embers with ease, he fired off a quick succession of Thunderbolts, he and his trainers mind becoming one. They both knew that the easiest way to take down such a mysterious and powerful cornerstone like this was to make it angry, and it seemed that their strategy was working.

Heatran blasted another Overheat, Palmer screeching angrily behind it. "What are you doing! They're trying to make you angry! Cut it out! Gaaaahhh! Just use Magma Storm! Go crazy!"

Lucas bit his tongue. He didn't know what Magma Storm was, but apparently Palmer had just as many ideas up his sleeves as himself, even if Heatran didn't listen. "Move out of there!" He commanded the winning powerhouse, but Electivire seemed to think of such an option a blow to his pride. He continued to charge forward, and now Palmer's and Lucas' voices turned to the same kind. Neither man had any control whatsoever over their Pokémon, and now it had simply become a battle of who was tougher. As giant flaming pieces of debris rocked the entire demolished arena, lava erupted from the floor and beams of lighting flew in every direction. A Thunderbolt collided head on with a Flamethower, and Electivire sprinted directly through a wall of flame, ignoring the agonizing burning of his fur.

Electivire had finally reached close enough, and his two tails injected themselves into Heatran's hide, unleashing over eight-thousand volts of pure energy into the other Titan. At the same time, Heatran unleashed a move at point-blank that Lucas had prayed it didn't know… Blast Burn.

Fire and lightning shook the entire tower, and wreckage soared everywhere. Both Heatran and Electivire were violently hurled to opposite ends of the arena, and after what seemed like an eternity of hearing explosions and crashes, an alien silence filled the room. Palmer's mouth hung ajar, apparently incapable of movement. Lucas could feel the sweltering heat even through the psychic walls, and sweat pouring from every part of his body.

His Pokémon clambered out of a newly made hole in the wall. When Lucas began to reach for his Ultra Ball, the Electric type whirred in argument and charged a Hyper Beam in one open hand, as if trying to convince his trainer to let him fight. After a moment of silence, Lucas nodded. But at the first sign of danger, he's going back. I can't let him go too far.

Heatran wasn't as lucky. The fact that Electivire had lasted against such a unique and dangerous opponent made Lucas' heart soar. Palmer raised an eyebrow warily as he observed the destroyed field and the barely standing opponent.

After an eternity, Palmer grasped one of the more battered Pokéballs. "You know what to do."

A friendly-seeming Dragonite chirped happily as it flew up to the heavens, wings unfurling and coat shining. The bright orange and yellow dragon seemed out of place in the grey and blackened battlefield.

Lucas had never seen such a beautiful and amazing pseudo-legendary before, but all his life he had dreamed of meeting a Dragonite. His mother had spoken about them in revered tones, telling Lucas stories about how a Dragonite had saved her from a shipwreck on a failed trip to Iron Island. She spoke to him about its majestic form, their graceful flight, their kind hearts and wise minds. It was no surprise that Lance, the former Kanto/Johto Champion, carried three of them.

Without warning, Electivire unleashed the Hyper Beam he had been holding in. With an explosion of gold in the ruined field, the stream of unclassified energy shot skywards, striking the friendly creature in its chest. Dragonite was unfazed, replying with a commanded DragonBreath.

Lucas frowned. Electivire was definitely at his worst, and another hit from Dragonite would leave him knocked out. He couldn't let that happen, not with only three Pokémon left in his arsenal.

He had trained his Pokémon to withstand brutal moves like Giga Impact with ease, so Electivire didn't have to suffer the resting consequences of Hyper Beam as badly. But as strong as he was, he still had to wait for a few crucial seconds to regain energy. In the meantim, Dragonite began to summon wisps of air into its paws, undoubtedly forming one of its strongest moves, Hurricane.

"Electivire!" Lucas yelled over the rising screams of the howling wind. "Thunderbolt! Stop it!"

The yellow beast roared and lifted one massive paw into the air, although at a much slower pace than he normally would; Hyper Beam had taken its toll on the monster. Stubbornness obvious in his nature, Electivire blasted a white beam of light that shot across the floor like a bullet, clipping the orange dragon in its side. Dragonite bellowed, its bass tones ringing across the wreckage-strewn arena before blindly flinging the move it had been charging.

Hurricane was a move that was officially illegal outside battle, a rule set in stone by Cynthia. The move was so insanely powerful, skyscrapers and monuments could collapse like a stack of marbles at the use of even the weakest of Pokémon. Fighting a Hurricane was like fighting a force of nature. Useless and weak. Lucas had experienced a Hurricane before, but that had been when he had fought Cynthia's Togekiss, her weakest and newest Pokémon. The Dragonite and Palmer seemed to have a bond that he hadn't seen in Heatran or Regigigas. Rhyperior had failed too early to get an idea of its personality. No, it seemed like they weren't allies, or both sides of the master/servant deal, but more like… like a friend.

And friends in the Pokémon world were always, always, experienced.

Hurricane raged everywhere like a cyclone encased in a bottle. Electivire stood in the centre of it all, his once proud stance now a struggling form in the eye of the storm. His hulking figure was battered and bruised, but the shaking figure did his best to remain standing.

But it was hopeless, Lucas knew. This was a pseudo-legendary, a trained one at that. No matter how much training Lucas could do, there was nothing that could stand up against the wrath of a true Dragon. This strength and power was colossal, exceeding any power Cynthia's Garchomp had ever shown in their grapple for the title of Champion. No, Palmer's Dragonite was one like nothing the boy had ever seen, and it made him feel like fighting was hopeless, useless.

Then the impossible happened.

The ruined figure of Lucas' strongest fighter had crumpled to the ground like tinfoil, the electricity in his horns gone. Electivire should have been unconscious. No weakened being (Excluding the tougher of the Legendries) could survive a Hurricane head-on, not in a state like this. The referee lifted her flag, prepared to deliver the final statement.

But somehow, the once yellow fur, now matted with blood, shook and shivered along with its owner. Electivire was somehow still fighting against the final wisps of Hurricane, relying solely on sheer willpower. If he was going to go down, Electivire was going to go down fighting.

Using everything he had, horns, arms and tails crackled and launched the most blinding and powerful Thunder both Palmer and Lucas had ever seen. A world of lightning and energy blasted through the Hurricane, a supernova put into a single bolt. Lucas had previously known how tough the Electric type could be, along with others similar to it, like Dusknoir and Magmortar. Their powers were considered to be on the status of legendary, an elemental force that could rival a Tyranitar. Their pride was almost as big as their strength. Nothing else, save for beings like Hydreigon and Salamence, could wield so much force and still remain standing, putting them on a pedestal higher than anyone else in Lucas' team. In fact, it was why he caught that Electabuzz that had zapped him on his journey.

But the metre-wide blast that seemed more like a controlled Explosion took him completely off guard. It crashed into Dragonite full on, sending the pseudo-legendary sprawling into the closest wall.

When the smoke and dust subsided, along with Hurricane, Electivire's huge bulk was laid down on the ground, undoubtedly exhausted and internally injured to no end. Nurse Joy would have a field day with him. A day of deaf ears and bruised torsos beckoned.

Across the battlefield, Palmer was in shock. "What kinda- The- But… You-" And other mutterings like that.

The once-friendly and formerly uninjured Dragonite snarled at Lucas. The fact alone that Lucas, (With the help of Electivire) turned the kind Dragon into a growling monster made him shiver. Palmer was not going to like this.

Before he could be turned into a Lucas-kebab, the Champion tossed a Quick Ball into the sky. With a burst, the luckiest Pokémon he had ever known materialized. "Thinker! Come on out!"

While he had only seven gym badges, and was on his journey up Mt. Coronet, hundreds and thousands of Golbat and Beldum and Bronzong were swooping in from literally everywhere. The ancient route was swarming with the Steel-types, and the usage of the move Psychic was so common that Lucas could swear he had become immune to it.

But then, in the last final steps in the cave, he saw a glimpse of an emerald green.

The shiny Bronzong had only lasted three seconds of its merciful freedom before the first ball Lucas used clamped down upon it.

But, by any means, who wouldn't?

Palmer cocked an eyebrow at Thinker's odd colouring. "Dragonite. Flamethrower."

"Thinker! Use Flash Cannon!"

The enraged dragon spat out a burst of white-hot flames, fire and embers flying towards the Steel-typed Pokémon. Lucas' throat went dry. If even one of those sparks touched the gong-like Bronzong…

But his Psychic fighter didn't even spare the raging flames a glance. Instead, it swung its hollow underside toward Dragonite at a rate so slow it made Lucas wince. But the wince turned into a smirk as a white sphere, surrounded by red and purple beams of energy, formed directly inside the iron-bodied Pokémon.

The Flash Cannon pushed through the Flamethrower like a shield in a snowstorm. For a moment, the white light was engulfed in the fire, and Palmer grinned, confident that his Dragonite had won. The Frontier Brain shoved his hands cheerfully into the pockets of his green trench coat.

But then both attacks hit their targets, and both Pokémon flew backwards.

Bronzong were never the strongest or most defensive of Pokémon, but they were definitely among the smartest. The emerald-green shape of Thinker mentally levitated to Lucas' side, floating only centimetres away from the protective psychic bubble. Lucas bit back a gasp when he saw the scorched right arm of the Bronzong, instead giving it a nervous but encouraging thumbs-up.

Dragonite was already weak, having suffered at the hands of Electivire. But still, it was one of Palmer's first Pokémon, and it was a pseudo-legendary. A simple energy blast would not be taking it down anytime soon. It used its two paws as a launching pad, gripping both ends of the hole it had slammed into before flinging itself out with a mighty roar. Palmer gave a smile at the Dragon-type, placing one hand on the crackling psychic barriers.

As both battered Pokémon flew into the air, Lucas muttered the first command, too quiet for Palmer to hear.

"Gyro Ball. Then Connect."

Palmer rolled his shoulders back, eyes flickering all over the battlefield. After coming up with a basic plan, he shouted, "Use Dragon Tail! Knock that tin can into the wall!"

Gyro Ball worked on the speed of the Pokémon using it. Unlike its counterpart, Electro Ball, Gyro Ball used the slow speed of the user to its advantage, making a sluggish fighter like an Aggron a deadly long-range force. Thinker was among the slowest out there, and its psychic experience gave it an upper hand in non-physical attacks.

Dragonite, however, was the complete opposite. Flying at a speed that would make a jet plane jealous, its tail glowed white as it launched the Steel/Psychic Pokémon into the air like a baseball. A newly-formed cloud of dust shot around a newly-formed hole in the wall, and a newly-formed dent in Thinker's side was visible as it limped out, signs of attacking forgotten. Gyro Ball had failed.

But then the circles on its front flashed purple, and a dull glow stayed as it swivelled towards Dragonite. The same happened to Lucas, but with a much weaker energy. Connect had activated.

I recall you saying how 'exciting' this place was. Would you care to repeat that statement, Master-Friend?

Yes, some bribing would definitely have to be done later on.

Thinker, focus. Try-

You ask the being with a hundred times more brainpower than your puny mortal cranium to focus. Why, not three hundred years ago, people worshipped me as a god! And yet you dare insult me with such foolish antics?!

Lucas gritted his teeth. Sometimes, he regretted catching the not-so-humble Bronzong.

I heard that, you know.

Very, very, not-so-humble.

Just use Gyro Ball.

"Dragonite, use Fire Blast! Close range, full power!"

You will owe me after this, Master-Friend.

I know.

The orange-yellow beast sped forward at an alarming pace.

I want this dent hammered out and polished, along with the rest of my body. Do you hear me?

Yes. Lucas snorted. Hammered and polished indeed. More like massaged (Which seemed pretty useless, as Thinker was a Steel-type,) and shined until its emerald metal gleamed brighter than a Flash, if the last time shone any light on this situation.

Good. I will also require a-

IT'S COMING BACK!

Thinker tapped off from the connection, a silver sphere the size of Lucas' head already there. With a speed most likely gained from the promise of a good cleaning, the arrogant Bronzong smashed the Gyro Ball into the Dragonite's open maw.

Pure energy collided with a half formed ball of fire, and the entire resulting explosion ricocheted down Dragonite's throat.

Now, most Dragon-type Pokémon, save for Altaria, have an extremely tough outer covering, putting all the tough muscle, near-invincible scales and pretty patterns on the exterior. The inside, however, was not so pretty. The attacking glands above the oesophagus of a Dragonite were the only actual part of their insides that weren't utterly unprotected, and unfortunately, the Fire Blast/Gyro Ball combo went right past that area, targeting critical and unprotected sections like the small intestine, the circulatory, endocrine and lymphatic systems, the surface of the lungs, even going to some of the inner parts of the integumentary system.

Translation- The big bad dragon went boom.

Palmer stared at the smoking husk of his Pokémon in absolute disbelief. "What the hell did you do?"

If Thinker had eyebrows on its expressionless face, they would have been raised. I suppose I hurt it. A lot. But other than that, I'm not too sure what else I did.

Lucas grinned at his Bronzong's antics. "You did great, Thinker."

The dark green metal glinted off Thinker's body. I always do great. Now, start polishing.

Connect had activated again, and Palmer watched in interest.

Not yet. There's still two more.

Master-Friend, you will not live past this day.

Lucas gulped, and the Tower Tycoon took his chance. "Milotic, end this! Water Pulse!"

The most beautiful water type Lucas had ever seen formed onto a piece of concrete, and without a moment to lose, took the floating Thinker out without a second thought. The Steel/Psychic Pokémon crashed to the ground.

Lucas felt beads of sweat form in… Well, everywhere. Now he was down to two Pokémon, and the Milotic that was curled up against a rock seemed to be completely unfazed. He could use his starter, which might give him a tiny edge in the battle, but the Champion had no idea what Palmer's last Pokémon could be. Hiss starter would probably be needed more in the very end, which left him only one other option.

He sent out Grump.

The Bastidon grumbled as she stretched, the Rock type's shoulders pulling backwards to help loosen herself up from the last battle. Hopefully, Grump's steel factor would counter the Milotic's Water-over-Rock advantage, but it was a feeble idea, like hoping a Mamoswine would be lighter than it looked before it stomped on you.

Palmer smirked, knowing he had already won this. "Ice Beam." Lucas cursed. Now, he would do anything to be able to swap Pokémon. Of course, the heavy tank-like shape of Grump managed to resist for a few moments before finally being knocked backwards. Back in the Bastidon's time, if Grump had been knocked over, she would have been banished from her tribe. Apparently, in a headbutting contest, the winner would take the place of Alpha, while the loser was forced to leave and never return, strongest or not. For Grump, a thirteen year undefeated Alpha, (At least, that was what Thinker had told him,) this was the worst of insults to her pride. The Bastidon roared, forgetting any pain she had previously felt, and gave an uncommanded Giga Impact that looked more like a Tauros charge.

The heavy shield-like head managed to save Grump from the worst of the damage. Milotic fired attack after attack, each one landing their hit. The Steel-typed fighter continued to charge through the onslaught, every ounce of her body demanding that revenge be served.

Palmer gave a worried cry of excitement as Grump finally reached her destination, utterly ignoring a head-on Psybeam. "Milotic! Stop it! Use Aqua Ring!" Lucas swore. Aqua Ring put a small amount of the user's energy into a floating, bubble-shaped, wound-mending liquid that stayed near the Pokémon until it lost concentration.

Nonetheless, there was still a ray of hope. If the Milotic's concentration broke, the Aqua Ring would shatter, therefore stopping the health restoration process and bringing back the chance of victory.

But if a single Water Pulse landed the right way, Milotic would simply fire attacks at Grump's unprotected backside.

And then Lucas would be royally screwed.

"Grump!" He called out. "Iron Defence! Keep your head aimed at Milotic!"

Lucas had come up with a simple plan. In case Grump made a mistake, Iron Defence might hold out against a hit or two, and it might give the Bastidon enough time to launch a counter attack.

Of course, might did not mean will.

And in a battle like this, might would not save anyone.

A white-blue globe spread out around Milotic, a mock version of the psychic barriers. Grump, glowing white from both a Giga Impact and an Iron Defence, charged past the water as if it didn't exist. She bent her head down, the horns at the top of her shieldlike head digging into Milotic's slender body.

The Aqua Ring wavered for a moment as Palmer ordered the Water type to use a Hydro Pump, but it slowly returned as Grump gave a Headbutt in retaliation, jets of water rebounding off her massive forehead.

Lucas grimaced, crossing his arms. The Milotic was on par with Palmer's Dragonite, a Pokémon that was taking on a millennia-old force with ease.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Heavy Slam. Use your head."

Obediently, Grump smashed her rocky cranium into Milotic's side. The water snake shrieked, blood dripping from its elegant side before it limped away, fussing over the wound.

Or maybe not so desperate.

"Recover. Then Rain Dance."

Never mind.

Milotic wasn't a force to worry about in matters of defense, unlike the overpowered titans like Rhyperior and Dragonite. No, this was a hit-and-run Pokémon that was given enough natural Full Restores to supply a small army.

Next thing you know, this annoying piece of … work could be able to fly and burp magical rainbows.

Lucas shook his head. Then again, it is possible…

Milotic glowed a magnificent golden, injuries fading away to nothing. Above Lucas' head, rain began to gush downwards, drowning out the dull thrum of hidden machinery.

Fabulous. A Water type in a rainstorm against a Rock type that relied more on smashing her skull on things then actual moves.

It was times like this which made Lucas wonder why he never trained his Luxio more.

Lucas needed a plan. Now.

He sighed, and called for a Take Down. With Aqua Ring still active, along with a fully-healed Milotic and a storm overhead, things looked grim. The least he could do was destroy the Aqua Ring before he had to call out his starter.

Grump gave a blind charge, recklessly forcing herself once again through the magical blue-white sphere of water. Flinching slightly as the Aqua Ring soaked her unarmoured backside, the Bastidon continued to charge until she slammed into Milotic for the umpteenth time, both Pokémon toppling form the reckless blow. Lucas could faintly hear Palmer yelling out commands, but his mind stayed glued to the brawl behind the Aqua Ring. The Steel typed Grump was stomping and twisting angrily, trying to get a hit on the flipping and constantly shifting form of Milotic. They both grappled, pink and beige and grey and white, until Grump finally used her chin like a hammer, crushing the water snake's fanned out tail. In response, Milotic, who's head was just above Grump's head, unleashed a full power Hydro Pump.

The Bastidon dropped like a stone.

But Grump had served her purpose. The Aqua Ring had finally faded away, and Recover was far too risky to use on a large section of the body. In fact, all Recover would do would be to coat the wounded and bleeding tail in a thin layer of skin, allowing the torn flesh underneath to become infected and rot. Palmer couldn't let that happen, and Lucas knew it.

Recalling the ancient alpha, Lucas picked up his last Pokéball. It all came down to this. Palmer had two still conscious Pokémon, and Lucas was now forced to use his last.

At least, Lucas reflected, he could go out in a blaze of glory.

It wasn't over yet.

"Root! I choose you!"

For the first six years of his childhood, Lucas had always dreamed about beginning his journey with a Chimchar, envisioning himself commanding an Infernape that he had seen battling Bertha on TV. Who wouldn't want to have a flaming ninja monkey as their starter? Even against its rival, Empoleon, the Chimchar line always seemed to win.

But on that faithful day, when Barry and Lucas were getting attacked by Starly with nothing but Professor Rowan's suitcase, Lucas had gone ahead and snatched the first Pokéball he saw without any thought whatsoever.

What came out was the green-brown form of a Turtwig.

Later, when Professor Rowan talked to him about how much the Turtwig seemed to like himself, Lucas wasn't sure what to do. There was his chance of obtaining his dream Pokémon, flying out of his grasp before Lucas had even known.

Lucas didn't want to keep going. After a brief battle with his newfound archenemy, Barry, the defeated Grass type had ended up lying on his mother's bed, half-conscious.

Everything seemed to be looking hopeless back then. Here he was, stuck with what Lucas considered the weakest of the Sinnoh starters, no experience with battling, and no other Pokémon to use in Turtwig's place.

Eventually, after Arceus-knows-how-long of moping, the young boy pulled himself together.

Things seemed dark, but Lucas ended up doing his best to shake himself away from that. He spent the rest of the day training against the local Bidoof and Starly, fighting to the point of exhaustion with his new Pokémon.

Eventually, Lucas and Turtwig had called it a day, and began to set up camp on the outskirts of Oldale Town. Just as the now-acquainted pair had shaken away an inquisitive Shinx, Turtwig did something that brought Lucas' jaw to the ground in awe.

He evolved.

The next day, Grotle, who had now been named Root, took the first two gyms by storm. And at the bottom of his heart, Lucas finally knew.

This was the Pokémon he was destined with, and by Arceus, if Lucas didn't defeat the Elite Four with his new Pokémon, he'd be damned.

Root, now a massively sized Torterra, bellowed as loud as he could, his roar echoing across the battlefield.

Palmer tilted his head. "Now why didn't you use that in the first place?"

Lucas humphed.

"Leaf Storm. Follow up with Autumn."

"Ice Beam. This is his last one, be careful."

Milotic gave a cry that sounded more like tinkling bells than an affirmative from an aquatic creature.

A pale blue beam of freezing energy shot through the replying barrage of leaves. A small amount of the green blurs were gunned down, but wherever a single razor-tipped leaf was thrown to the ground, a dozen more took their place, circling around the Ice Beam. Lucas gave a thin smile.

Root had the type advantage, and once Autumn activated, Milotic had no chance.

Dragonite had been a force to be reckoned with, and Milotic was on the same level. But Dragonite had an aerial advantage combined with the forces of the legendary Dragon type.

Milotic simply was not on the same level in a matter of stats, and this time there was a definite advantage for the battle.

Lucas may not be able to win this, but he would take down as many foes as possible down with him.

O-O-O

Palmer cursed under his breath. Both his remaining Pokémon had a disadvantage to the lumbering form of Lucas' Torterra, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, Milotic was in a bad condition after the Bastidon. Even if Milotic still had enough gas in the tank, she was on a timer anyway. Her tail was in a near-fatal condition, and like most snakelike Pokémon, there were organs all along her slender body. Two had been ruptured, and she needed medical attention very, very soon. After she was gone, all he had left was his starter.

Hopefully, Palmer's current Pokémon would be able to finish the fight as quickly as possible.

"Blizzard!" The Tower Tycoon roared. "Give it everything you've got!"

"Now, Root! Autumn!"

His multicolored Water type raised her head, and Palmer hopes rose. Maybe they could win, maybe an Ice-type move would be strong enough-

Lucas' Torterra gave an unearthly roar, and slammed one of its feet onto the ground so hard it made Palmer's teeth rattle, but he didn't show it. Trying to distract himself, he observed what was happening to the battlefield. Milotic was slithering off the mini-mountain, making sure her hit would make its target. The snake bent until her body was lying on the ground sucking in moisture from the lowest and coldest points in the air.

Underneath the cemented floor of the battlefield, the entire room was built solidly on a meter-thick layer of clay, and under that a layer of limestone. If the Battle Frontier was under attack, civilians and challengers were supposed to be able to take cover in the near-indestructible buildings Palmer had created. It also served for a very useful terrain in battle.

Since Torterra was obviously a Grass-type, it most likely had some kind of attack that would come from the ground, Palmer mused. But since it was also a Ground type… it had complete and utter control of the soil directly under his feet. If Lucas knew about the surrounding materials…

The penny dropped. With a clang louder than an angry Exploud.

In the words of Admiral Ackbar…

"IT'S A TRAP!" Palmer bellowed. "Milotic, get out of there!"

But it was too late.

Vines as thick as Palmer's entire body stretched out of the ground, and Razor Leaves flew through the air like a billion Leaf Storms launched at once. Oaken trees that looked as though they were hundreds of years old rose from nowhere, and greenery hung from branches that had definitely not been there before. And there was that Torterra in the center of it all, blending in almost completely with the scenery.

Palmer wants one.

One of the larger vines reached out below Palmer's Milotic, encasing it in a prison as it swerved and twisted to block her escape attempts. Lucas' Torterra didn't even looked fazed, its roar still echoing through the room.

That surprised Palmer. A move like this should knock out any ordinary Grass type.

On command, the opponent's Torterra prepared yet another barrage for Milotic, who did her best to reply with the barely-working Blizzard that Palmer had ordered earlier. The Blizzard made its mark first, forcing itself into the just-launched attack that appeared to be a small string of Energy Balls. The result was yet another huge explosion in front of Torterra that knocked Palmer off his feet.

When the Tower Tycoon regained his balance, the first thing he saw was the still-unfazed form of the massive Torterra. It freaking blew up and survived.

Palmer really wants one.

The starter now had near-complete control of the forest, a skill that it had probably learnt with help from Erika. Something as weak as Milotic had no hope. "End it. Bullet Seed."

The gorgeous form of Milotic promptly collapsed on impact. A red beam of light scooped up the fragile creature, transporting it back to Palmer's Pokéball.

The green-cloaked man rolled his shoulders, sighing as he heard tiny cracks and pops. That was the price of old age, Palmer reflected.

Then again… his starter was much, much older than Palmer would ever be.

"Rampardos! Let's do this, for one more time! Together!"

O-O-O

Lucas' jaw went slack. I know those things are supposed to be huge, but you couldn't reach that head with a ladder!

The immensely sized Rock-type rumbled, burly arms that were supposed to be minuscule the size of trees. Hands the size of shovels grasped the air, and a Lapis-Lazuli colored skull was decorated in dents and streaks that you just don't get from a hammer. Thick grey skin was decorated both with blue stripes and battle scars, and evil red eyes glared daggers as they locked onto the not-half-as-large form of Root. Spikes the size of dinner plates seemed to be everywhere: Knees, arms, skull and tail brimming with utter power and strength. Muscles rippled, biceps and triceps a billion other 'ceps stretching and moving and turning and twisting. A jaw that wouldn't be out of place in Jurassic Park creaked open, showing dozens upon dozens of sharp, pointy, ivory teeth that matched the thundering, inhumane roar that echoed throughout the entire stadium. This thing wasn't just a living fossil from a museum- It was the entire carnivore section, jumbo size. Palmer hadn't summoned a simple starter… He had summoned the ultimate predator.

"Head Smash." Lucas stopped goggling at the colossal form of the charging beast, and focused on how it behaved. Autumn wouldn't hinder this thing at all; in fact, the jungle-like terrain seemed to help it instead. Both of these Pokémon were in their natural domain, and there could be no holding back.

"Earthquake."

The ground shook, rocks and loose objects jittering and rattling. Just in time, Lucas remembered to slacken his jaw before the second wave kicked in. An Earthquake would smash his teeth like sugar glass.

The Rampardos stumbled, its head bending to reach its knees. A low, reverberating growl emerged from its vocal cords, piercing Lucas' deepest, darkest nightmares.

Then the larger, albeit slower section of Earthquake activated. Entire newly-grown trees were obliterated, and a 3 meter tall wave of dirt rose from nowhere as it made its way towards Rampardos. Lucas glimpsed a glowing white light coming from the fossil's skull before-

BOOM.

Enough soil to bury a house flew at Root in the form of miniature missiles. Rampardos continued on its path at the same pace it had kept before, teeth bared and head glowing. One of Root's best attacks were the equivalent of a Nerf bullet in the face of the Pokémon ancestor.

Well, then…

"When it gets close, Leech Seed. Follow up with a Giga Drain, straight away!"

Root grumbled in return, and readied his stance. Twenty meters away, Rampardos began to build up speed.

Small seeds became visible on the Continent Pokémon's back. A faint green glow emerged from Root's mouth.

Sixteen meters. Twice the original speed.

The green glow enlarged.

Eleven meters now. Moving at the speed of a car on a highway.

Leech Seed had finished.

Two meters. Going at the speed of a bullet train-

Everything suddenly happened in the space of a second. A crash. A flash of green and white light. A cloud of dust.

A roar. Not Root's. The trainer froze. No, it can't be happening No No No no-

Rampardos shrieked in victory at the broken form of Root. Lucas' titanic starter lay on the ground in shambles, the tree on his back snapped. Blood oozed from various scrapes and bruises, and a black eye roughly the size of an orange circled the left side of the Torterra's face.

The ear-piercing bellow of Rampardos was suddenly pulled to a halt. Tiny saplings had hatched and joined around its body, forming thin earthy tendrils like a Spinark making a web. As Lucas watched, Rampardos paled and shook from the energy forcibly excluded from its body, life force entering the growing green seeds implanted into the Rock-type's skin.

Giga Drain had done its job as well, giving a boosted rate of energy reduction and pushing the spare power into the seeds. The larger they grew, the more energy was taken away. Leech Seed was a borderline grey on the scale of 'Safe' moves and moves that either killed, permanently crippled or were life-threatening. When a Leech Seed was used, large capsules about the size of a finger were implanted at various spots around the target's body, using their own life force against them to grow larger, which would cause more and more agony until the target was unconscious. However, the seeds grown in the move weren't related to the Berry families like Oran or Sitrus, which meant that if a Pokémon was recalled to its Pokéball, the Leech seeds wouldn't follow it into said capsule.

Unfortunately for Palmer, he hadn't the luxury of swapping out Rampardos.

Unfortunately for Lucas, he hadn't the luxury of helping his closest friend. Unless…

It was crazy, time-consuming and reckless. Lucas had often been told by his mother that those were his three best qualities.

"Sunny Day! Then use Synthesis!"

Sunny Day alone was an extremely difficult and intricate task that should only be used by Fire and Psychic types. To create an actual miniature physical sun that wasn't affected by the Earth's gravitational pull sounded- and was, for that matter- absolutely ludicrous. The fact that a Pokémon with a Grass/Ground typage could manifest and control a floating ball of fire that was clearly not related in any way to something resembling a moving boulder, seemed impossible. But, it worked, and Lucas wasn't really complaining, as three-quarters of the Pokémon made no sense to him anyway.

Synthesis was essentially the Grass-type equivalent of a Sunny Day, except even most Grass-types couldn't learn it, which was confusing. It would draw the user's life aura, something only a Lucario could see, into themselves using the power of the sun, which combined could heal physical and emotional wounds. Depending on the experience of the user, Synthesis could work faster and activate almost immediately; even subconsciously, if the user was Champion-level, but Erika didn't know how it worked, and that was basically the only Grass-type-info person he could find. Obviously, highly top-secret methods only known by half a dozen people in the world weren't posted on a Reddit page, so Lucas just had to stick with the old-fashioned way. It was a shame, really. The Torterra's near unlimited strength would be wasted. Such untouched potential…

Palmer grimaced, and tried to think of a strategy while the Torterra began to soak in the miniature sun's gaze. The Tower Tycoon really needed to invest into one of those things, but now wasn't the time for such thoughts. With Sunny Day up and running, Rampardos' days were numbered unless if another one of his amazing plans were concocted.

And then he remembered that his starter knew Fire Blast. And Flamethrower. And Sunny Day.

"Get in close while it's resting! Dragon Tail, follow up with some fire!" Palmer shouted.

Rampardos lunged again like a Sharpedo to blood, practically flying through the air, mouth and tail glowing in preparation.

Lucas stiffened. "Root! Stop charging! SOLARBEAM, TEN O'CLOCK!"

A yellow beam as thick as a tree promptly soared out of Root's mouth. The half-charged Synthesis would cause some later damage if not treated, but Lucas was confident that it was nothing Nurse Joy couldn't fix.

The Solarbeam, fully charged thanks to the active Sunny Day, flew at the speed of light to the form of Rampardos. Lucas smirked in victory.

"Protect!"

The smirk was replaced with a string of curses, and a yellow beam as thick as a tree bounced off the opaque shield like a boomerang.

Lucas gritted his teeth. He couldn't lose now, not when he was so close to victory… "Leaf Storm!"

Root was losing. That much was definite. A Fire Blast would leave the Torterra a scorched mark on the ground, and a Flamethrower wasn't too far from the same result, not with Sunny Day active. Lucas' own idea would become his downfall.

The barrage of leaves wilted almost immediately from an early Flamethrower. The white-hot fire missed Root by inches. The Grass-type let out a lonely bellow, retreating slowly in fear, a miracle that barely ever happened.

"Wood Hammer! Energy Ball!"

Both were blocked by an incoming Dragon Tail. Root flew backwards from the impact, crashing into the south-western wall. Root, somehow, was already in a near unconscious state. Impossible.

From the east, Rampardos roared yet again as Leech Seed continued its growth. Lucas hadn't noticed it until now, but the brutal fossil reincarnation was taking its toll. It was still infinitely stronger than Root could ever hope to be, but it was weaker than what Lucas had assumed from first glance. In fact, it was almost like it was covering up its pain, trying to intimidate both trainer and Pokémon into submission…

So that's Palmer's triumph card.

Intimidation. The only way Palmer had managed to succeed for so long as an undefeated man was by using Rampardos' image and bulk to scare away any challengers that were becoming a threat. How had he not seen this before?

"Rampardos! Head Smash and Incinerate, full power! End this now!"

Root, Lucas' closest friend, was a wreck. The fighter that was once an invincible Titan, the Lucas' first, last and favorite, the once sturdy form now pathetically weak.

His friend- No, his family was balanced on the tip of the scales, and Lucas knew that he'd rather burn in hell than allow his family to be humiliated and defeated so easily.

Something about Root's empty form made Lucas snap.

"NO!" He roared. His backbone felt like titanium for a moment, and all he could see was red. "GIGA IMPACT! LET'S END THIS NOW!"

Root turned to Lucas slowly, as if contemplating whether or not now was a good time to back out. For the first time, his treacherous side showed, a restrained willingness to be free, to escape.

And then confirmation was etched onto the Pokémon's face. Root, already crushed and weaker than ever before, stumbled forward confidently, a purple aura extending around him.

Rampardos was already moving across the field, head glowing once more and wreathed in a swarm of white and blue flame. Palmer echoed his gladiator's appearance, tall and imposing and prepared to crush another foe beneath his feet, despite how much the trainer had been pushed back and disgraced.

With a final battle cry, the weary and weak foes collided once more, a hopeless battle in which neither cotenant could ever hope to escape unscathed.

O-O-O

Palmer stooped. "So…"

Lucas mirrored the elder man's expression. "So."

"You beat me."

"We tied, actually-"

"Rampardos, my last Pokémon, is unconscious. That makes you the victor." Palmer looked like a kicked Growlithe. Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but both Root and your Rampardos are unconscious. It's a tie. Leave it at that."

The grim man looked up. Lucas stood perhaps two feet away, carrying an exasperated expression, as though used to seeing others sulk.

"Barry does the exact same thing when he loses."

Oh.

Palmer wondered if he should spend more time with his son. The fact that Lucas seemingly knew both boys so well, even though he had met one barely an hour ago, was unsettling.

An uneasy silence filled the room.

After maybe twenty minutes, Palmer straightened. "Well, then, I'm done moping. Say, wanna go grab a bite to eat at the café? Loser has to pay for the meal!"

Lucas just sighed.