Notes: Finally the end of the Kanto arc has arrived. I'm breaking for a while because I actually want to go ahead and work on some my own personal stuff. I've also got to apply to a bunch of different colleges too, so that's a pain. Anyways, I've been caught up over the music of Black and White. "Unwavering Emotions" is such a nice piece on the piano. I wish I owned Pokemon so I could own the music, but I don't.

~POKÉMON~LEAGUE~RECEPTION~GATE~

"Sir, have you seen this trainer?" Yellow held up her sketchbook for the security guard at the reception.

"Sorry, young man. The only person who has been passed here is Bruno. He just finished his training though, so I doubt you'll find him."

Yellow's smile faltered a bit. "Well thanks anyways." She went back to her friend and shook her head. "How are Red and Blue doing?"

Green paused as he stared deeply into the wall. "Blue spotted a flying Aerodactyl coming towards us from Mt. Silver. The only other trainers beside Red with that species of Pokémon are Lance and Ixen. Red and Blue are searching Mt. Silver right now."

"Are you sure they're coming here towards Victory Road?" Yellow stifled a yawn and looked down towards Chuchu. "I guess asking won't help. How about we split up? I'll head into Victory Road from here. You can check the Indigo Plateau and enter from the rear."

The trainer nodded his head. "I'll tell the others that we'll be taking apart Victory Road then. Be careful. Lance is still a dangerous trainer."

"I know! Let's get started, Chuchu!" Yellow held onto her hat as she bounded into the cave.

Green exited the reception building and coldly looked around. He sensed the feeling that they were being watched. "Charizard! Let's go. We need to make a quick stop at Viridian City." From the sky, the experienced trainer was able to spot many things. He spotted his Charizard's shadow and watched as it flickered oddly as it blended into the shadows of the trees. His suspicions were affirmed so he carefully stayed airborne until he was certain Agatha was unsuspicious of him.

From the ground, the old woman chuckled. She left her Gengar alone to do its work as she went in after the Healer.

Yellow looked around the cave in wonder. "The strongest trainers of Kanto and Johto come through here. Let's be extra careful, Chuchu." The Pikachu nodded in agreement and stayed close to her trainer.

Many wild Pokémon ran from them and it made the trainer wonder why. The Graveller were quick to bury themselves while the Golbat sped away from her. It made no sense because these Pokémon were supposedly strong. As the girl made her way deeper into the cave, she stumbled onto a frozen Onix.

Feeling sorry, Yellow began healing the Pokémon and read through its memories as she worked. "Don't worry. Just hold still and you'll be better." Going through its thoughts, Yellow saw many things and was surprised when Lorelei and Ixen appeared. Both trainers seemed locked in a battle and Ixen was losing.

"Is that the best you can do?" Lorelei sneered at the young boy.

Ixen shook his head furiously. "Not even close!" He took a deep breath as the ice spread further over his hand. "That's only the first round and I've got enough will to keep going." The Dragon Tamer smiled at the Lucario standing beside him.

"Let's see if I can't break that will of yours then. Slowking!"

The small vision was enough to give Yellow the hope that Ixen wasn't working with Lance. Nevertheless, the trainer was still missing. Yellow quickly finished her job and went off in search of the lost boy. "Ixen? Are you here?" Realizing there would be more clues if they followed the path of melted ice, Yellow and her team hurriedly went deeper into the cave.

~VICTORY~ROAD~

Ixen looked around the cavern to get a better sense of their battleground. Yaoban followed behind him loyally and the two bowed to the great Dragon Tamer before them. Ixen could feel the excitement inside him well up. He did his best to be as respectful as he could though. Training with Lance meant he had to be serious. Coming from the Viridian Forest, Lance would know how to deal with the younger trainer's abilities.

"It's been a while since we've trained, hasn't it, Ixen?" Lance had his back turned to his young cousin. He was busy tending to his Dragonite as well as the rest of his team. When the boy didn't answer, Lance looked back at Ixen and noticed he was still caught up in the formalities of their clan. "Ixen, get up. We're not at Blackthorn."

Slightly embarrassed, Ixen stood to his feet. "But, you're one of the greatest Dragon Tamers of the clan."

"And soon you will be," Lance stated.

"I don't know… I can't match up to you. You're a Champion and one of Elder's best students. You even have control over your Viridian Forest gifts."

"Which is why we'll be training you to control your powers too, starting with your synchronization technique. By evoking that ability whenever you wish, you'll be an invincible trainer."

Ixen let the words sink in. "Is that why we had to improve my will, strength, and senses?"

"Correct." Lance finally turned to face the boy's entire team. "This won't be a real battle; it's too soon for one. Instead, I will use my Dragonite to battle one of your team. We will discover how to control your ability between your individual Pokémon."

The young trainer nodded. "I understand. It would differ between each of them because the syncing affects my body in a lot of different ways." He let out his entire team and pointed at Tiehun. "We've never synced before, at least I don't think so."

The Champion nodded his head and began asking his cousin about the details of when he first synchronized. "The first time you found this ability, was it with Yaoban?"

"I'm pretty sure it was. It could have been many times during my Blackthorn training. I can't actually remember. Yaoban has been with me for a long time!" Ixen brightly smiled at his most trusted comrade.

"What triggered it?"

The boy paused to think. "I first noticed it only when Green told me about it. I didn't understand but I think the first time we synced was when I broke my arm again. Yaoban was furious and I was too. I guess our hearts resonated that feeling of wanting to protect the other. When we left too, we wanted to prove that we weren't just an outsider trying to fit into the clan."

"How about your other Pokémon? Did you merge with them?"

"Longjia and I merged during our gym battle in Cerulean. We both hit the water and she was weakened because of the shock. I was surprised too but I couldn't move my body. I was a bit disappointed all of our training went to waste but Longjia refused to give up and she managed to convince me that there was still a chance. As she evolved, our minds synced with the belief that we couldn't drown there.

"With Hikaru, I wanted to protect an Eevee with all of my power. Hikaru just wanted me to escape and be all right. Being slightly unconscious, he let me take control and win the battle.

"During our training in Saffron, I managed to partially sync with Hikaru and let the damage he took pass onto me. Afterwards, we did a full sync during our gym battle. We wanted to keep fighting and win.

"And our last gym battle, I managed to split myself to sync with Yaoban and Wulong at once. I gave them energy though; I couldn't really fully merge with both at the same time." Ixen went through the other battles he's had since then. "I think that's it, Lance."

"It seems as though to merge with your Pokémon, you must be linked emotionally and mentally to establish a more powerful mental and physical connection." Lance looked around the cave and decided the room was fit to be their training ground. "We will go through your entire team, Ixen. Let's begin."

"Tiehun, let's go." Ixen looked at Chiyu. "You'll be next. The two of you are the only Pokémon I haven't synced with yet, so let's get this done right!" Turning towards his powerful cousin, Ixen smiled. "What Pokémon will be using Lance?"

"My Dragonite. He will be enough to make you stronger. If you can land one attack on my Dragonite, you can move on to your next Pokémon." The mentioned Pokémon stood readily at the Champion's side.

Ixen gulped. He's serious about this. I'd better be too. The young Dragon Tamer switched his focus to his Metang. Tiehun is always calm. To sync with him, I'll have to match that too. "Let's get started," the boy said as bluntly as he could.

"Flamethrower!"

"Light Screen!" The flames split in half as Tiehun and Ixen were safe from the heat. "Counter with Psychic Bullet!"

"Earthquake!"

"Magnet Rise!"

"Fire Punch!"

"Reflect!" This back and forth was getting him nowhere, but Ixen was not going to back down.

"Ixen," Tiehun got the boy's attention. "Calm down. He's purposefully riling you up."

Finally realizing this, Ixen had to cool his attitude before allowing himself to lead the battle. He let his mind open up and tried to see things from Tiehun's perspective. As a super genius, Tiehun can spot out key factors and calculate the battle more accurately than I can. He's able to do so because he doesn't let his feelings get in the way. By objectively studying the movements of Lance's Dragonite, Ixen was able to process the information more quickly. Finally, he let Tiehun's thoughts enter his mind.

Lance watched the young Dragon Tamer calm down. The Champion noticed the slight change in the boy's eye color and smirked. He was finally going to witness the synchronization of his young cousin. Ixen rushed forward with his Metang. Tiehun used Bullet Punch and Lance was careful to dodge the boy's fierce strike.

Ixen leapt back as he charged forward again to match his Metang's Zen Headbutt. Dragonite countered with Fire Punch but Ixen was prepared as a Sandstorm kicked up. Tiehun broke through the Dragonite's defenses and used Bullet Punch once more.

When the young Dragon Tamer regained his conscious, he found that he had actually punched his cousin. "Lance! I'm sorry! I really can't control the synchronization well."

"It's alright. We'll keep working on how to trigger it then we'll move to controlling it." Lance stood up and gave the boy a reassuring smile. "Come on. I believe that you will succeed."

Ixen nodded with determination. "Right!" Looking at his team, he picked out Chiyu. "I've never synced with you either, you know."

"Seeing you act like me will be interesting." Both the trainer and Pokémon laughed before facing Dragonite.

Lance quickly went for the first strike. "Dragon Rush!"

Chiyu panicked slightly and jumped out of the way. Ixen was still calm so had difficulty changing himself to fit the easy-going Marshtomp. "Ice Beam!"

"Outrage!" The Dragonite started attacking wildly.

Unprepared, Chiyu began attacking wildly and Ixen couldn't keep up with him. "Chiyu! Stop! Calm down!" Finally, Ixen had to come up with a plan to subdue both Pokémon. "Muddy Water! Surf! Ice Beam!"

The mess was able to get the Marshtomp to relax as he drifted towards his trainer. "Sorry. Dragonite was crazy though!"

Ixen frowned at him. "We have to meet halfway if we want to sync. Just calm down and get a bit serious. I'll become more flexible too, okay? Let's hurry before Dragonite recovers enough to fight again."

Lance called out for his Dragonite. "Let's get back into the battle! Get ready to charge up your Hyper Beam!"

Remaining calm, the younger Dragon Tamer put on a goofy smile. "Blizzard Beam!" Chiyu jumped forward and attacked wildly, causing a huge mess of ice to swirl around them. Ixen took the time to sync with the calm and relaxed Marshtomp.

When the field cleared enough for Lance to see again, he searched for the boy and Pokémon. "Dragonite! Earthquake!"

Chiyu popped up from the ground and lifted Dragonite up to throw him over. Ixen smirked as he climbed out of the hole he had been hiding in. "Activating the synchronization is easier now."

"Let's work on control then." Lance glanced at Ixen's remaining four Pokémon. "Standing where you are now, I want you to sync directly with your Lucario. Use Aura Sphere and aim it directly in the center of Dragonite's body. Can you do that?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll try." Ixen focused on Hikaru and let their minds combine. Everything became dim and he closed his eyes to get a better view of the world's aura. The young Dragon Tamer found things to be confusing though. He tried to get a grasp of his senses but there was too much information to process.

Hikaru felt overwhelmed too, but neither of them broke the connection. "Focus on the battle!"

Ixen tried to, but his thoughts were scattered between himself and Hikaru. It's hard for me to keep track of both of us at once. I'm right in between Dragonite and Hikaru too! I might get hit if I'm not careful. The boy had his Lucario sidestep around him, but his own body copied the movement. Maybe it's how I perceive things. I'm still me; I'm just also very aware of how my Pokémon is faring. He tested this theory by having Hikaru run forward and complete a jump kick.

"Idiot!" Hikaru mentally shouted when his trainer fell flat onto the ground. "What were you trying to accomplish with that?"

Lance watched curiously. "Interesting method of establishing control, but don't forget I told you to specifically attack Dragonite with your Lucario, not yourself."

The boy didn't say a thing as he tried to get back up. Any thought I plan for Hikaru goes for me. I don't have enough control over myself because all of my thought power and energy is going to Hikaru. Hikaru is also focused on himself when he fights. My Pokémon act whenever I will them to so they put in all of their strength behind their actions. Does this mean my body acts because our will is too much for just one person? Ixen decided to weaken the link between them and focus more on himself.

When Ixen found that he had enough control to move, Hikaru jumped in excitement. "That's it! Let's attack!"

Ixen jumped back and willed Hikaru to charge up his Aura Sphere. His mind cleared now that he knew his body reacted to the magnitude of their emotions. Aura Sphere! The Dragon Tamer was safe and unscathed when he regained full control of himself but he found that there was more stress put on his body. Ixen winced as he stretched upwards to loosen up. "I figured out how to control it, but I can't be too sure that's the solution yet, Lance."

"Then we'll have you test it again with your Dragonite. Do you think you're up for it?" The Champion looked at his younger cousin with slight concern.

The boy nodded with determination. "For the sake of our dream, I'll do whatever I can to get stronger."

"Good answer, but don't push yourself too hard this time. I want you to complete your Dragon Dance combination and use Fire Punch to attack this time."

"Dragon Dance of Agility and Fire Punch, huh?" Ixen smirked at Lance. "I was hoping for a bigger challenge, but this'll do."

"I also want you to actually land a hit on me too, Ixen."

Surprised, Ixen contemplated the task. "Are you sure?"

"If you can't, you can't. You did with your Metang on accident so I assume you can control yourself to do so purposefully this time."

"I'm not saying I can't. It's just that hitting you will really be a challenge for me personally. I could never do it on purpose." Ixen sighed and shook his head. "But if that's what you want, you can't regret it afterwards. Wulong, let's go!" Ixen quickly synced and had himself dash forward towards Lance. His movements seemed slower though so the older Dragon Tamer merely used his energy against him to flip the boy onto his back. The same happened with his own Dragonite and Ixen blankly stared at the cave's ceiling.

"It seems that your body isn't as capable as I thought." Lance looked down at the tired boy.

Ixen flipped onto his feet. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to become stronger." Sorry, Wulong, but I'll have to push myself a bit past my limit. Ixen rammed his body into his older cousin but found himself on the ground again. This time, the young Dragon Tamer only got to a knee and rested.

"Is that all?" Lance asked. When the boy didn't respond, he nodded towards his Dragonite. "Dragon Rush."

Wulong quickly danced out of the way. Looking at her trainer, Ixen was trying to keep up with the movements but sloppily collapsed. This isn't 'a bit' past what you can do. You're going to pass out again.

The boy got up and shook his head slowly. I won't. I'm too close to my goal. Even if I have to use up every bit of power I have left, I will keep going. Ixen was stubborn about this so he refocused his mind on their task. Dragon Dance of Agility and Fire Punch!

Lance was caught off guard when the boy quickly disappeared from before him. Slightly impressed, the Champion prepared for another attack. "Draco Meteor!"

Wulong quickly flew and dodged the attack before charging towards Dragonite. Ixen kept his mind focused and landed a punch on his cousin. It wasn't a powerful punch, but it sufficed to count as a hit. Dropping the mental stress of the synchronization, Ixen sighed in relief and collapsed into a sitting position. "Not good enough…"

"What's not good enough?"

"My movements, Wulong's execution, my strengths, my weaknesses, and a lot of other things," Ixen mumbled. "I can't match up to you at all."

"Chasing after my shadow will bring you nowhere. Now let's move on to the final exercise. Triggering synchronization and being aware of yourself was just the beginning. Let's see if you can control it even further with your Charizard and Larvitar. Split yourself over both Pokémon and have them attack Dragonite at once."

"Two at once!" Already at his limit, Ixen didn't think he was capable. "I don't have the power to, Lance!"

The Champion responded with a deep breath as he climbed onto his Dragonite. "This time, I'm not giving you a choice. You will try or you will die. As much as I might regret the result, I won't let you back down now." Lance gave his young cousin a fierce stare. "Dragonite! Outrage!"

"Stone Edge! Dragon Claw!" Both Pokémon refused to attack and Ixen didn't blame them. I can't hurt Cousin Lance! Not like this. I can't! As he stood there shaking, Ixen felt himself get slammed into the wall by the Dragonite's fierce tail.

"Get up! Why are you spending so much time thinking? Slam!"

Infuriated, Yaoban slammed himself into the Dragonite. "Don't hurt Ixen!" The Charizard looked at his trainer. "I don't want to hurt Cousin Lance either, but what about you?"

"I can't do it…"

Longjia tackled into Dragonite and looked at both of them with worry. "If we don't do something, we'll lose more than just the battle."

"I won't do it!" Ixen yelled at the top of his lungs.

"So you're willing to throw away your dreams because of me?" Lance's fierce stare burned into Ixen's mind. "Fight, Ixen!"

"You were one of the people who gave me my dream, Lance! I won't!" Ixen crashed against the cave wall.

Yaoban fiercely fought Dragonite against his trainer's will. "If you won't, I will! I won't let you give up or die!" He used a powerful Flamethrower to drive their opponent back.

"Stop it! Yaoban! You'll burn Lance!"

Dragonite used his own Flamethrower and the Charizard was forced to shield his trainer from the flames. "And you're willing to be burned instead!"

"Sandstorm! Stone Edge!" Ixen clenched his teeth and shook furiously. He struggled with his position and refused to do anything else.

Longjia popped up from behind him and looked at the trainer sadly. "Ixen, just give us your power. We won't hurt Lance if you're with us."

Ixen shook his head furiously. "I won't risk it. If I sync, I won't hold back because my will is different. I can control what I do but I can't control the extent of my actions."

"Isn't that why you must match your team's emotions?" Lance cleared the sandstorm and glared at his cousin in disappointment. "You're always chasing after my shadow and taking on difficult tasks alone. And even if you accomplish something, you always say it's your team that succeeded. The will of a Champion must be unbreakable. Once it breaks, you have no right to ever be a Champion!" As Lance spoke, his Dragonite spent time charging up his power. "Hyper Beam!"

The ensuing explosion caused the Champion to be momentarily blinded but he kept his guard up as a shadow mercilessly flew towards him. With his Dragonite recharging, Lance could do nothing as Yaoban's Flamethrower and Longjia's Rock Slide trapped him. The older Dragon Tamer saw his cousin charge through the flames and tackle into him. They weren't very high up from the ground so both were unharmed. Dragonite fell from the air but with Ixen's new Tyranitar in the way, he couldn't get to his trainer's side. As he got up, Ixen was still furious about what he had to do. When the boy couldn't find the words to describe how he felt, he turned his back on the Champion and prepared to leave. "Let's go, everyone!" His team started for the exit that had appeared before them.

Lance proudly looked at the boy. "So you're just going to leave? As much as that last lesson bothers you, you know that you can't hold back your potential forever. Going all out makes it a guarantee that you are a Champion."

Ixen paused and waited for his entire party to clear out. Of course, there was nothing the Dragon Tamer could do to make his Charizard leave. "Thanks for everything, Lance, but tell me something. Why do you want me to be Champion this badly?"

~INDIGO~PLATEAU~

Ixen stretched as best as he could and ignored the slight pull he felt on his sore muscles. "It's pretty clear what we have to do. We've been given an important task to collect badges and become Champion of the Eleventh Pokémon League. By accomplishing our dream, we help with the greatest task to have ever been done by a trainer. What do you say, Yaoban? Let's keep moving forward!" The Dragon Tamer remembered his Pokédex and picked it up from the hotel desk. "Oh! And we've got to catalog DNA and Pokémon. I can't forget that now, can I?"

Yaoban looked at his trainer seriously. "We're just going to keep going like nothing has changed?"

The two looked outside their window. The rest of the team was with Yellow and Green. Being stuck in the cave for so long had made them restless. Ixen smiled at the sight. "He did say to never mention his name in public and I think that's best. Green is already watching me closely. And even after all we've been through, I'm still me."

"You're not worried?"

"What's the point of being worried?" Ixen readjusted his goggles and hat. "You're by my side after all. Now," the trainer finished tightening his gloves, "let's hurry up and challenge Green."

Outside, Green looked over his own Pokémon and compared them to Ixen's. Yellow watched and was doubtful about who would win. "By now, both of you are at the same level."

"Are you comparing our parties or us as trainers?" Green watched as his challenger arrived with the black Charizard.

"I'm not sure. It's hard to judge between you both."

Ixen waved at his team. "Hey! Into your Poké Balls! We're about to start!" He lightly laughed and tipped his hat towards Green. "I'm all ready!"

"We'll start soon," Green nodded. "Red and Blue are arriving."

The young trainer tensed a little. "Blue is going to watch?"

Ixen noticed a slight change in the composed Trainer's attitude. "Yes…"

The Dragon Tamer only smirked and shrugged. "Okay, team! No faints. That's my goal. If I can pull that off against Green, we'll be ready to take on all of Johto without a hitch."

"Don't get full of yourself now, Ixen!" The boy looked up and saw Red descend. "Green has, is, and always will be my toughest rival. You'll need more than luck and skill to beat him."

Blue pinched the Dragon Tamer's cheek. "Don't forget about our training too. Green might be the stiffest trainer in the world but he's a person too!"

"Somehow, I don't really want to take your advice…" Ixen muttered, resulting in him getting a face plant to the ground.

"Pesky girl…" Green patiently waited for things to be situated. "Five against six. Are you ready?" By now, a crowd was gathering to see Green fight.

His challenger tilted his hat forward and smirked that so many people surrounded them. "I've been looking for this battle since we met." Both sent out their first Pokémon and Ixen smugly smirked that the type advantage went to his favor. Of course, it helped that Wulong was strong against many of Green's Pokémon. "Thunderpunch!"

"Golduck, use Disable! Ice Beam!"

"Agility! Flamethrower!" Ixen watched both Pokémon carefully. Their movements were quick but Wulong's speed would give them a much better edge. "Outrage!" Wulong fought fiercely against the Golduck but was careful to not expend too much energy.

Golduck quickly backed away to dodge the attacks. "Surf!" The large wave engulfed the Dragonite and she was nearly swept away. "Ice Beam!"

Ixen scowled and quickly synced. Using Agility, Ixen was careful to not slip on the ice as Wulong escaped the freezing water. Once out, Ixen smirked and punched the air in front of him. "Orange Punch!" The Dragonite slammed a fist into the ice and melted it before sending a shock through the water.

Green returned his fainted Golduck. "You've mastered your abilities and expanded on your skills."

"That's right," Ixen said with an arrogant smirk. He caught Wulong's Poké Ball and chose his second Pokémon. "You'd be surprised what I've learned since starting out." Both trainers sent out their next Pokémon but this time it was Ixen who had the type disadvantage. Hold your ground, Longjia. I won't allow ourselves to back down without a fight.

"Machamp! Low Kick!"

Longjia moved swiftly despite her large size. Dodging with Agility, she jumped into the air and slashed at Machamp with Aerial Ace. Ixen frowned when he realized there wasn't enough power to actually take out the opposing Pokémon. He had to quickly get her out of harm's way. "Dance of Agility!"

"Too late! Seismic Toss!" Machamp lifted her into the air and tossed her high. "Follow up with Submission!"

Ixen backed away and formed a quick maneuver in his mind. "Agility! Aerial Ace! Giga Impact!" The added speed allowed Longjia to escape the Machamp's hold and weaken him just enough before the two of them crashed into the ground. Longjia stood up weakly and Ixen returned her. "Good work. Hikaru! It's your turn!"

"Scizor! Agility and Brick Break!" Green became intense and wondered how the young trainer changed so drastically. He could see a bit of himself in the boy but was unable to believe this was the same novice he had met barely four months ago.

"Agility and Blaze Kick!" Both Pokémon clashed but quickly backed away before they were badly injured. "Hikaru! Dragon Pulse!"

"Iron Defense! Brick Break!" Both trainers struggled to find an opening, so Green decided to quickly switch out. "Tri Attack!" His Pokémon shot out from his Pokédex and zoomed towards the Lucario. After the attack, the Pokémon disappeared and left his opponent confused.

Ixen blinked and wondered what had happened. "Hikaru! Focus!" The Pokémon closed his eyes and tried to scan the field. There was no one there so it just puzzled the boy even further. More of the same attacks came and there was no stopping the onslaught.

"Keep on attacking!" Green ordered. He knew that he would have to eventually stop or else Ixen would figure it out. After three more attacks, Green called out another command. "Sharpen!"

Ixen shook his head. "Hikaru, return! Tiehun! Let's go!" With the Metang's careful observation skills, the Dragon Tamer was now ready to take on the mysterious attacking Pokémon.

"Zap Cannon!" An electric blast flew towards both the trainer and Pokémon causing Ixen to jump.

Yellow was pretty surprised at this action. She looked to Red in worry. "Those two are really getting serious."

Blue agreed. "I didn't think they'd battle like this. Do they even sense that we're still watching?"

The Fighter shrugged. "It's good to have this type of battle. Normally when we battle, there are a lot of things we have to keep track of like civilians. Because both trainers don't have much on the line, they can fight like this. It's exciting, isn't it? I wouldn't be surprised if Green lost this one. It just means that there is someone else for me to look forward fighting."

The three of them watched as Ixen struggled with the unknown Pokémon. The Dragon Tamer pulled up his goggles and learned what Tiehun figured out. The Pokémon travels at high speeds but only between two points, you and Green. While returning to Green, it leaves a behind a powerful Zap Cannon which keeps you unsteady.

Ixen felt the need to reach for his Pokédex but a powerful shock transferred from the machine to his fingers. With this, Ixen figured out what it was they were fighting. "Very clever, Green! But I've had enough of this!"

The Trainer responded with a smirk. "Zap Cannon!"

The Dragon Tamer synced and made sure the Pokémon wouldn't reach his Pokédex this time. Bullet Mash! Tiehun managed to make contact with Porygon2 and stop it mid-transmission. "Finish with Meteor Mash!" Since that round took longer than it should have, Ixen switched Tiehun with Chiyu. "You did a great job, Tiehun."

Green studied the Marshtomp carefully before sending out his Scizor again. "Bullet Punch!"

"Triple Mud Combo!" Chiyu attacked quickly before jumping back.

"Fury Cutter!"

"Earthquake!" Ixen recalled his Marshtomp and nodded to his Charizard. "The fight you've been looking forward to is here." He opened the Poké Ball and climbed onto Yaoban's back. "Come on, Green. One last round!"

Green climbed onto Charizard's back. "This doesn't seem fun to you anymore." The Trainer could see the determination set into Ixen's eyes.

The Dragon Tamer shook his head. "It's become my life. I won't accept a defeat unless I know I'm not strong enough." He pulled up his goggles and pointed forward. "Yaoban! Let's go!"

Both Pokémon took off and charged towards the other. Green attacked first with a fierce Flamethrower. Yaoban barely dodged it but he got closer. Using Dragon Claw, he landed a hit but fell into Green's Fire Spin trap.

Ixen was protected by the flames but he could barely see or breathe. He quickly synced with Yaoban and had them both spin out of the flames using Aerial Ace. When he finished, Ixen coughed uncontrollably and took in deep breaths. "Flamethrower!"

Green expected that attack so used Reflect before getting closer. "Since this is so important to you, there's no point in either of us holding back. I'll show you the ultimate fire technique: Blast Burn!"

Everybody watching was surprised at that. Red stood up and shouted at both trainers to stop. "That's completely dangerous to the both of you!"

It was already too late though. Charizard's tail burned intensely and searing flames erupted towards Yaoban and Ixen. Not understanding the technique, Ixen had Yaoban use Dragon Dance along with his three other moves.

When the flames cleared, both trainers slipped from their Pokémon. Understanding the battle was over, both Charizard used the last of their energy to dive down and rescue their trainer. They landed gently before fainting from exhaustion.

Yellow checked them carefully. "They overdid it. Both Pokémon are out of the battle."

"Which means I lost," Green winced as he sat up. Looking at Ixen, he knew that he would have to be carefully watched. This colder side was different from how the Dragon Tamer normally acted.

Ixen stayed on the ground and reached for his Charizard. "Sorry, Yaoban. I said no faints but this still happened. We lost too, but I expected that." The Dragon Tamer smirked and recalled his loyal comrade. He got to his feet and offered his hand to Green. "That was a great battle, Green. I had fun and I learned a lot."

The Trainer had to smile at the boy's simplicity. "The year is almost ending. What will you do now?"

"Home," Ixen sighed as he let Wulong out. "I'll be resting before travelling again. Besides, I've already registered myself to take part in the Pokémon League next fall."

Red smiled at his junior. "Don't forget to keep in touch with us, okay? We'll be here in Kanto if you ever need us."

Blue wore a mischievous smirk. "Johto, huh? There's a lot to do there and I'm pretty sure Silver will be around. I should start planning a few days to travel there."

"No, that's completely unnecessary. I can handle myself in Johto."

"Who said I was going for you? I was thinking more for myself."

"Of course…" Ixen smiled to himself and climbed onto Wulong's back. He looked to Yellow. "We should have our own battle sometime. It'd be interesting to have your abilities go against mine."

"I'm not much of a battler, but I guess we should." Yellow returned his smile and looked to Red. "Of course, Red is more eager to fight you than I am."

Red chuckled at that. "Strong trainers are hard to come by, but yeah. Take care of yourself."

The four Kanto trainers wished him well before Ixen took off. The Dragon Tamer looked back down at them as the Indigo Plateau grew more distant. He felt a bit of sadness inside of him but looked at Yaoban who was resting. He addressed his entire team as he continued on his way home. "We've got a lot to do now. Yaoban already knows this but Lance gave us an important task and I won't let him down. All of you will stay by my side, right?"

"Do you even need to ask that?" Wulong smirked.

Ixen shook his head. "I guess not." He looked ahead and watched as they flew over the mountains. He smiled happily when Blackthorn City was in sight. We're finally back in Johto…

~T*R*A*I*N*E*R~P*A*G*E*S~

Journey Status

Party: Charizard, Dragonite, Tyranitar, Marshtomp, Metang, Lucario

Shiny Pokémon Logged: 37 out of 493

Badges Obtained: 8 out of 16

~K*A*N*T*O~A*R*C~E*N*D~

Final Notes: Huh... I normally get killed by Lance before I ever reach Green. Even if I do get pass him, I'm always in a sorry state that requires the use of a lot of potions. I managed to beat the game somehow but Red Version will always be an odd game to me, if only because the original Pokemon designs contrast greatly with what was in Fire Red. But yeah, I'm going on break to get ahead on the Johto Arc as well as other things. Review if you want, I don't really mind, but I do read them. Until I get back, I hope you enjoyed this arc of the rainbow. (Man, I suck at puns.)