I know it's been a while. Sorry. Between my two other massive WIPs, my headache-inducing college stress, and the fact that I started another new story that I have been giving a little extra love in particular, I haven't had occasion to work on it for a while. However, I'm back now, so why don't we cut the chat short and get down to it?

-Chapter 4 - Numero Uno Articuno

-Northern Kanto-

"Are you sure you're ok?" May's voice asked yet again.

Ash sighed. "Yes, May, I'm fine" he grunted.

Truth be told, he was fine. He was just not a happy camper. His entire body ached dully, breathe was slightly more difficult to draw, and every step was an effort. He had told the others that he had taken a nasty fall while he was out on his run. Not the truth.

Rather, he had worked every fiber of his being for thirty minutes straight. Normally, half an hour would be absolutely nothing, considering the endurance that the entire group had acquired from years of travelling on the road. But his inexperienced Aura training was quite a fair ways from normal physical activity. It exhausted him to the point where he could barely walk to make his way back to camp, but to top that off, by the end of it, he could only barely make that same bubble he made for Mew any easier than he had before.

He had safely stowed the gloves back in the bottom of his backpack where no one would find them before turning in for the night. Of course, the night never lasted long enough. When he woke up, he was more sore than he had been in ages. The shock he got from Pikachu actually helped him for once, unlocking his body just long enough to get moving.

Of course, keeping moving was the toughest part. His body was constantly telling him 'no.' He had to just as constantly tell his body 'just watch me.'

Trying to ignore the prying eyes of May, who seemed none too satisfied with his answer, he turned to Brock. "How far do you think?" he asked.

Brock looked at the map before shrugging. "Dunno, but I would guess soon. We made camp within five miles of the place by my estimate. So we're bound to be close by now."

Ash grinned. "Awesome, that means it's only a little bit now until I earn my first symbol" he said. Pumping his fist in the air, he winced slightly and rubbed his shoulder. Ignoring the soreness he had just felt, he tried to shake it off and keep walking.

As they walked through the heavily wooded area, May let out a little groan. "Is it just me, or is it getting a bit colder?"

Max frowned. "Now that you mention it, yeah. It was warmer earlier, and the trees are thinning now. You think that there's a storm coming in?"

"No, sky's clear" Brock pointed out.

Ash didn't feel any colder himself, but before he could say anything on the matter, a flash of blue made itself clear through the trees. Turning his head towards it, he grinned and started moving faster. "Hey guys. We're here!"

Sure enough, another few steps, and the trees vanished, no longer obstructing their view. A wide field was revealed, a clearing in the center of the wilderness. Standing tall in the center of the clearing was a large blue and white building that quite looked the part of a factory. A large dome made up the main body, with several offshoots leading across the field, making the structure take up a rather large amount of space.

Max looked down at his Pokenav. "Yup, this matches the descriptions given of the Battle Factory all right. What an odd place to have a battle, though."

"It looks awesome" Ash said with a smile. "I can just tell that there's a good battle waiting for me in there." Marching ahead of the group, he made his way up to the doors, the soreness in his body forgotten by his excitement.

As he approached, the glass doors slid open automatically. He stopped short as someone started towards him from inside. The others walking up beside him, a man made his way out of the Battle Factory.

The man was built rather well. He wore a white coat over a dark shirt, pants the same color as his shirt. On his head he had a red hat, and he wore brown gloves on his hand as well. He appeared to be a bit of an older man, his face rough and whiskered, but his eyes seemed to hold a youthful light within.

"Can I help you kids?" the man asked.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I came out here to challenge the Battle Factory" he said confidently.

The man cracked a smile. "Well it's about time I get a challenger out here. Things were starting to get boring."

"I take it that means you're the Frontier Brain here?" Ash asked.

"Sure am" he nodded. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm Noland, the Factory Head. It's my pleasure to welcome you, my first challenger, to the Battle Factory."

Lucario stood at the very tip of the large tree within the forest, surveying his surroundings. Eyes closed, his flaps raised high as a simmering blue energy radiated around him. Every living thing for many miles around was visible to the Pokemon through his Aura Sight.

Eyes snapping open, he swiftly and silently leapt from the top of the tree, stepping lightly off of the branches as he made his way towards the ground below. The leaves rustled quietly as he emerged from the last branch and hit the ground. "It would appear that he has not moved far today" Lucario said to Latias. "They've travelled a small ways since their stop last night, but are not moving far now. We should move while they aren't travelling away from us."

Latias laid on the ground as Lucario delivered his report. A look of happiness crossed her face as she heard the news. "How far away is he?" she asked.

"We still have some travel ahead of us, however, if we keep a similar pace to our previous day, then we should arrive within a few hours" Lucario said.

Latias was immediately in the air, floating above the ground. "Well what are we waiting for?!" she exclaimed, voice full of energy.

Lucario smirked. "Nothing in particular, I suppose. Let us be off."

Energy surging through his legs, Lucario sprung forward, running through the wooded area, Latias soaring right behind him. For someone who claimed to have minimal travel experience, her flight stamina was quite good to be able to keep up with the pace they pushed at.

"Still, she must have had to have improved drastically to survive" Lucario thought, remembering the previous night. These villains, Team Rocket, as they were known, had been hunting the dragoness for a long time, and they appeared to have a high ranking in the modern world. The 'mech' as it had been called, while it had been easily dispatched of, had been unlike anything he had ever faced in the past.

He was still quite confused about the incident. The machine had gone on about an 'Artifact of Dragon' that Latias possessed, the only object on her person being her departed brother's soul, crystallized. "An Artifact of Dragon…" Lucario mused. "Ash has travelled the lands, perhaps he will know something that could be made of this, or maybe have a way to figure it out."

A large mountain rose before them, and Lucario braced himself to begin climbing up the slopes. He felt the Aura he had been tracking for the past few days lied a ways beyond the large earth formation. "He is beyond the mountain. We need to climb" he stated simply.

Latias nodded in acknowledgement, and began to levitate much higher into the air, opting to clear the mountain with her flight. Lucario hit the base of the slope and began leaping from the rugged cliff face, rather than the winding path around the side. He may not move at the same vertical pace as Latias, but he made good time scaling the rocky wall.

"We will arrive at his location soon."

"I want to have a battle with Articuno" Ash said.

Over their tour of the Battle Factory, they learned that they hadn't just been seeing things the night before when they saw Articuno. Turns out, it lived in the area, and what more, was friendly with Noland.

And it wasn't every day you get to challenge a Legendary Pokemon.

"You sure about that?" Noland chuckled. "I'm one for a good challenge and all, but our battle would be one on one against Articuno. Those are some pretty steep odds."

"I'm sure" Ash said confidently. "Just give me a little time. I'm going to call a friend first."

May and Max looked confused, while Brock just smiled. "You thinking of calling who I'm thinking you are?" he asked.

"It's been a while, I'm sure he'd be up to it" Ash replied.

"Uh, are you guys going to keep talking in code, or are you going to let us in on it?" Max protested.

Ash grinned. "You guys will see in a bit." He turned back to the Factory Head. "Hey Noland, is there a video phone somewhere around here?"

"Sure is. Just take the first left down the hall there" Noland said, gesturing in the direction.

Ash nodded. "Thanks, I'll be right back."

-2 Hours Later-

"Geez, Ash, how long are you going to keep us in the dark for?" May asked.

"Not much longer, he should be here any moment" Ash responded.

Max rubbed his temples. "Why are you being so cryptic?" he asked.

"You should always keep a secret weapon secret" Ash smirked.

"A secret weapon?" May asked.

Brock laughed. "Ash, if there's anything that your weapon isn't, it's secret. He likes to cause a commotion."

Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yeah, fair point" he conceded.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a dull sound covered the group. A distant roar, ringing across the valley. May jumped and looked around. "What was that?" she exclaimed.

Max looked back and forth, eventually turning west. "It came from that way" he said. More nervously, he added "But what was it?"

Ash's grin grew. "An old friend" he said.

The roar rang out again, this time much closer and louder. A small orange speck became visible high in the sky, rapidly growing larger. Max squinted through his glasses as it approached. "Hey… that almost looks like a-"

"RUUUUUAAAAGGHHH!"

The Pokemon in the sky rapidly changed from an even flight to a steep dive. It quickly became apparent what it was.

"It's a Charizard!" Max exclaimed.

Grinning, Ash ran forward. "HEY, CHARIZARD!" he called out to the descending pseudo-Dragon.

He knew it was coming, but couldn't do anything about it. A stream of fire rocketed downwards, enveloping his head within a blaze. It burned, but it was obviously meant to not harm him.

The fire stopped as there was a dull thump on the ground before him. Coughing out a large cloud of dust from his lungs, he shook his head and looked up at the towering Fire and Flying type before him.

Standing impressively tall, with a sharp glint in both his eyes and on his claws, Charizard looked down on Ash. He may not have had lips to smile with, but Charizard was definitely as happy as Ash. "Rooouuugh!" Charizard rumbled affectionately.

"How's it been, Charizard?" Ash asked. "I haven't seen you since we fought at the Silver Conference."

"Rouuugh, Rah" Charizard growled.

"Sounds like things are going pretty well then?" Ash asked, receiving a curt nod from Charizard in response. "That's great."

Turning around, he gestured to the rest of the group. "You remember Brock, but Charizard, meet the other two friends I made in Hoenn. This is May, and Max. May, Max, meet Charizard."

May blinked as she looked at the large Pokemon. "This is your Charizard, Ash?" she asked.

Max looked like he was about to explode from excitement. "Well duh!"he exclaimed. "This is the Charizard that he used back in the Silver League, the one that went toe-to-toe with Harrison's Blaziken, and beat Gary's Blastoise in one of the most intense battles in Pokemon League history!"

Ash chuckled, remembering that Max almost knew all the battles he had been in better than he knew them himself. "Yeah, this is Charizard. We've been through a lot together, and he's been training in Charicific Valley ever since that battle with Harrison." He turned back to the orange dragon. "Speaking of that last battle, are you ready for an even bigger challenge this time?"

Charizard cocked his head to the side, but the fire in his eyes burned, unchanged.

"We aren't facing a normal opponent this time, Charizard" Ash said. "This time, we're going up against an Articuno."

The fire hardened as Charizard thought back to the last time he came face to face with an Articuno. Ash nodded. "I know last time was really scary, but I'm sure you're ready this time."

Charizard nodded again. Brock walked up. "Looks like Charizard is good and ready for a test of his power. Just like always." He turned to Ash. "Charizard's been training a lot. Flamethrower and Seismic Toss are great reliable attacks, but why don't you bring out your Pokedex and see if he's learned any new ones?"

Ash looked up at the large Pokemon. "Did ya' learn anything new, Charizard?" he asked.

Charizard nodded immediately, and Ash chuckled. "Of course, silly question" he said, reaching into his pocket. Bringing his Pokedex up, he aimed it at Charizard, and it began its scan.

"Charizard, the Flame Pokemon, and the final evolved form of Charmander" the Pokedex spouted off.

Ash hit a small icon off to the side associated with moves. There was a brief pause, before the machine began listing off attacks. "Moves known by specimen. Flamethrower, Seismic Toss, Slash, Dragon Rage-"

"These are all moves Charizard knew last time…" Brock commented.

"-Mega Punch, Steel Wing-"

"Steel Wing is new" Ash realized.

"-Overheat-"

Ash's grin grew larger. "That's a pretty impressive one, Charizard" Ash said. Overheat was one of the strongest known Fire-Type attacks.

"-and Dragon Tail" the Pokedex finished.

"Huh?" Ash asked, looking at Brock, who appeared equally confused. "Dragon Tail? I've never heard of that move."

"Me neither" Brock admitted. "I would assume from the name that it's like a Dragon-Type version of the Iron Tail attack, but not much else."

Stowing away the Pokedex, Ash shrugged. "We'll see about that later, but if we're going to use it, we might as well see what it does." He looked back at Charizard. "Hey Charizard, can you show me that Dragon Tail attack?" he asked.

"Groouugh" Charizard rumbled, turning away from the group, tail raising up behind it.

"What is-" Brock began, before Charizard began the attack.

Light, mystical green energy made its way up Charizard's long tail, the glow lighting the grass around them. Charizard flapped his wings with one, powerful beat, taking into the sky, before flipping forward and bringing his tail down in front of him.

The attack struck the ground, and the group struggled to keep on their feet as a tremor raced through the ground. The sheer force of the attack carved a hole through the terrain going on about teen feet, obliterating the soil. Seeming satisfied with his work, Charizard turned back to Ash.

Max placed his glasses more securely on his face. "Yup, that's a Dragon attack alright" he commented. "And a powerful one, too. Geez, it's a whole 'nother experience from watching your Charizard on screen to feeling him in person. It's amazing!"

May steadied herself as well. "I knew you had a lot of old partners, Ash, but I never knew you had one like Charizard. I wonder why you didn't choose him to help you at the Ever Grande Conference."

"Well, then, I really wanted to just battle with my partners I found in Hoenn. But here, in the Battle Frontier, I'm wanting to use everyone" Ash explained. He looked up at Charizard. "Well, Charizard, are you ready for a battle?"

Head leaning back, Charizard roared and unleashed a stream of flames into the sky, signaling his answer. "Awesome, then let's go" Ash pumped his fist in the air.

"A Charizard, eh? Taking the battle to Articuno while keeping an advantage. Smart move" Noland called from across the battlefield.

Now, they were within the heart of the Battle Factory. The roof opened wide, letting sunlight and fresh air stream in, and leaving the sky the limit. Ash and Noland both stood on raised platforms, with their respective partners down in the base of the arena.

Charizard may have looked intimidating outside, but Articuno put it to shame. It didn't need deadly claws or roaring flames. Its mere presence seemed to fill the air with pressure. The wingspan was more than twice Charizard's, even if the main body was slightly smaller, and particles of snow rained from her feathers.

"Thanks, Noland" Ash called back. "But our advantage isn't going to be the deciding factor" he realized. It may have been Fire vs. Ice, an obvious matchup, but Articuno was still a Legendary Pokemon. Besides hidden tricks, it had pure, raw power behind it, which would more than make up for the type matchup. "No, type advantage won't win us the match, but our fighting spirit will!"

The referee took position. "This will be a one on one battle between Noland, the Factory Head, and Ash Ketchum, the challenger. The rules are simple. Both sides are allowed a single Pokemon with no substitutions, and the battle is decided when one or either Pokemon are unable to battle. In the event of a draw, the victory will be up to the jurisdiction of the Frontier Brain."

"I see, it's just like a Gym Leader" Brock realized.

"Huh?" May asked.

"But this doesn't sound much like Dad's job" Max pointed out.

"Maybe not, but here in Kanto, Gym Leaders aren't just supposed to test your strength" Brock said. "In fact, each Gym was supposed to test a different facet of a Trainer's experience. Even if you defeated them, if you failed to measure up, you could be denied a badge. Here, it seems that they work in a similar fashion. If Noland and Ash tie in their battle, Noland decides if Ash has proven himself enough to pass."

"Oh" Max realized. "I never knew Gyms worked differently here."

"Gyms are similar universally, but different regions have different customs" Brock pointed out, before turning back to the battlefield.

"You know, I never expected my first challenger to pick a fight with the strongest Pokemon not in the Factory roster, but I like that. It shows guts" Noland credited Ash. "I just hope you aren't being foolhardy."

"Nope, I'm just looking to really earn my first symbol" Ash responded.

"So be it."

The referee raised his flags. "Very well. Battle, BEGIN!"

Ash took initiative. "Charizard, ascend!"

"You too, Articuno!"

In a flash, both Pokemon had taken to the air, circling the arena, keeping a cautious eye on the other as they soared.

Ash thought back to the last Articuno he had seen, at the Orange Islands. "They look big, but all they can really do is ranged." The Articuno of Ice Island had felt a lot more powerful than this one, and most of what it ended up doing was firing Ice Beams and Blizzards. "Maybe if we can get close, it'll be tougher for Articuno to fight back."

"Charizard, get in close and use Slash!" Ash called out.

Not wasting a moment, Charizard dived in, claws elongated and outstretched, ready to swipe at the large blue bird.

"Hold, Articuno" Noland commanded as Charizard approached. Articuno stopped in the air, tracking Charizard.

"Go for it!" Ash shouted, as Charizard dived in for the attack.

"Steel Wing, Articuno!" Noland shot back.

Articuno's wings glowed with metallic energy, and crossed one wing over her chest. The Slash attack bounced off of the Steel move, and Charizard was left wide open for the heavy swing from the remaining wing.

Charizard was sent for a loop, recovering quickly and taking back to the air before he hit the ground.

Ash frowned. "Steel Wing could mean trouble if we're trying to get close" he realized. "I guess we'll try the ranged game. Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

"Articuno, counter with Water Pulse!"

Just as charizard unleashed a fearsome gout of flames, Articuno unleashed a powerful ball, packed with aquatic energy. There was a brief struggle, before the Water attack broke through, charging towards Charizard, who dived steeply to avoid being struck with the attack.

"You had some good power behind that attack, but it's going to take more than that to get to Articuno" Noland pointed out.

"Yeah, no kidding" Ash realized. "Mega Punch, Slash, Wing Attack, and Steel Wing will all be easily blocked by Articuno's Steel Wing. Dragon Tail probably would too, but I don't know much about it. Flamethrower is beaten by the Water Pulse, Overheat might work, but that would leave Charizard open afterwards. Dragon Rage and Seismic Toss might be our only options, but I doubt we could get Articuno in a Seismic Toss easily." He frowned in thought. "This won't be an easy battle, but we can do this." The frown was broken, and replaced with a small grin. "And battle this tough, it really gets me fired up!"

He pumped his fist down. "Alright Charizard, let's go at this, harder than before!" he called out. "Use Slash again!"

"Articuno, you know what to do!" Noland said.

Charizard flew in with his Slash prepared, and sure enough, the gray glow of the Steel Wing began to appear again.

"Go for it, Charizard!"

This time, the Slash was met with the same result as last time, as Articuno blocked it with ease. The other wing was coming in to strike. "Now, use your own Steel Wing to block!" Ash commanded.

Switching from the Slash, Charizard quickly charged his own wings, and met Articuno's attack with a resounding clanging sound. The two attacks clashed, and Ash grinned. She was wide open. "Flamethrower!"

Too late, Noland realized what Ash was going for. While Articuno's guard had dropped from her attack, Ash took advantage of that, and Steel Wing didn't help against the stream of fire. Articuno was pushed back fiercely, eyes closed as the blaze seared her feathers.

Ash wasn't about to let up, he had to take advantage of Articuno's opening. "Before she recovers, use Dragon Tail!"

Noland frowned, not remembering having ever heard the move. Charizard flew forward, slightly above Articuno, before flipping forward, tail glowing with green energy. Still reeling from the Flamethrower, Articuno couldn't do much as the draconic attack slammed down, clean on her head, sending her plummeting towards the ground.

"Wow, that's a really great attack, Charizard" Ash grinned. They had finally managed to get a clean blow on the Legendary Pokemon. Yes, this battle was getting him really excited!

"Hm?" Lucario slowed to a stop, closing his eyes. His sudden change in pace caught the attention of Latias, who slowed down to him.

"What's happening, Lucario?" Latias asked.

"It's Ash's Aura" Lucario replied. He closed his eyes tighter as he attempted to zero in on the beacon that was his Aura. Through all the time he spent with Aaron, he learned what every little fluctuation in Aaron's Aura meant. And as fate had decreed, Ash's Aura was all but identical to Aaron's. "It's just spiked, sharply."

Latias' face grew confused. "What does that mean?" she wondered.

Lucario's eyes snapped open. "Elevated Aura levels mean one of two things. One could be that the Aura is being actively harnessed. However, I don't believe Ash knows enough about his Aura to be using it. The other possibility is an intense battle. Aura is an emotional force, and when emotions run high, so does the Aura." He frowned. "I don't feel any other Aura's on Ash's level in the surrounding area, though. I am unaware of the cause, but we must hurry."

Lucario's own Aura levels grew, as he put on the energy to begin leaping down from the mountain peak.

Ash swung his hand to the right. "Charizard, roll to the side!"

Tucking in his wings, Charizard narrowed himself, and corkscrewed to the side, barely dodging the frosty ribbons of the Ice Beam Articuno had fired. Keeping the momentum from the spin going, Charizard launched a Flamethrower, the spinning force causing the stream of fire to turn into an attack Charizard hadn't used in ages. Yet the unorthodox Fire Spin managed to do its job, ensnaring Articuno in the heated attack.

A large white cloud began to leak from the attack, causing Charizard to stop in confusion. Ash looked around the field, also confused. "What's that?" he wondered.

They didn't have time to react. A powerful sphere of deep blue energy came rocketing out of the cloud, slamming into Charizard with a splash. Growling, Charizard was sent careening towards the ground from the supereffective attack.

"Charizard!" Ash cried out as his longtime friend began to stir from the ground. Charizard got to his feet unsteadily, stumbling slightly as he stood. Growling, Charizard shook his head. It was a behavior Ash felt like he recognized. "He's confused…" he realized.

"Charizard, come on, snap out of it!" Ash called, to no avail.

The cloud of Mist that hung in the air cleared as Articuno came back into view. As Charizard stood on the ground, Articuno opened her mouth, and unleashed another burst of icy energy.

"MOVE, CHARIZARD!" Ash said as forcefully as he could.

Blinking, Charizard's eyes began to clear, but not quickly enough. The Ice Beam struck Charizard from above, and immediately encased him in a block of ice. The frozen cage locked Charizard's movements completely.

"Oh no" Ash groaned. "Come on, Charizard, I know you can break free!" he called out.

"You;ve done great so far, Ash, but choosing to challenge Articuno was too much for any trainer. Especially in a one on one match" Noland said.

Gritting his teeth, Ash shook. "No way, we aren't down for the count yet" he protested. "Charizard, we've been in tons of battles, and I know you aren't done yet. Come on, Charizard! BREAK! FREE!"

"I admire your spirit" Noland conceded. "Articuno, let's wrap this up. Use Water Pulse!"

As the blue sphere began to form for what was meant to be the final blow, Ash was the only one that saw what was happening below. The attack was charging dangerously fast, but at the same time, a faint red glow was taking place within the ice cube. It rapidly began shrinking around Charizard, and a wingtip emerged.

The sphere of water came shooting down at Charizard just as he shattered the frost around him. Sharps of ice peppered the arena, and on instinct, Charizard spun and cut through the Water Pulse with a Steel Wing. He effortlessly destroyed it, quite literally glowing with power. A red energy surrounded him, and the flame on his tail was roaring even fiercer than ever.

Ash grinned, and he took advantage of the element of surprise they got on their opponents. "Alright Charizard, let's go. Overheat!"

Immediately, the temperature in arena skyrocketed. Charizard unleashed a deafening roar, the ground beneath his feet almost turning to lava with the sheer intensity of it. Opening his jaws wide, a stream of flames, far more powerful than any other attack he used in the match. A white-hot stream of power, torching the air itself, slammed into Articuno with the force that sent the Ice titan crashing into the wall ferociously.

Charizard fell back to his knees, panting heavily from the energy he had put into the attack. The flame on his tail was flickering slightly lower than it had before, but was still burning stronger than usual. Articuno fell from the hole its body had created on the wall, weak wingbeats slowing her descent, before she landed before Charizard. Many of her light blue feathers were singed black, tipped orange, glowing with embers. A look both in her eyes and at her posture showed that she was in pain from the last attack. It seemed like both Pokemon were on their last legs, but how Ash had managed to deliver such a decisive blow, even with Overheat, was beyond him.

"Charizard, how did you do that?" Ash asked.

"It was Blaze" Brock called out.

Noland nodded. "Articuno pushed Charizard to the brink, but that only brought out his true power. I'll admit, I didn't expect you to be able to break out of the ice so fast, even if you were a Fire-type. And even with Blaze's power, that Overheat was uncommonly strong." He smirked. "But it looks like it's all come down to this. Overheat lowers a Pokemon's power harshly with each use, and Blaze won't last forever. Let's go, Ash."

Ash clenched his fist, and nodded. "Right." He looked to Charizard. "You ready to wrap this up, buddy?

Charizard glanced up at his trainer. "Grooouuugh" he nodded.

"Alright, Charizard" Ash said. "Use Mega Punch!"

Charizard's claws formed tight fists, glowing with a soft white light. Jumping forward, Charizard made to sink a heavy blow into Articuno's torso, which was easily parried with a Steel Wing. As another came flying in, Charizard's own wings powered up, and he met Articuno's attack to a standstill.

"Keep going, Charizard!" Ash egged him on.

Charizard jumped back, spinning and slamming one wing into Articuno's torso, sending the Legendary Bird reeling. He couldn't get back fast enough to avoid one of Articuno's own attacks striking him in the shoulder. Charizard was sent sprawling, barely catching himself on all fours, before dashing forward again, dashing past Articuno, his wing hitting her on the fly by.

Articuno stumbled, the energy from her wings fading away, leaving them normal.

Ash saw his chance. "Alright Charizard, DRAGON TAIL!"

The energy disappeared from Charizard's wings as well. The metallic sheen faded to a white energy, streaming down Charizard's back, down through the tail, which took up a green glow. Whipping around on the spot, the Dragon-type attack swished through the air, before connecting brutally with Articuno.

The attack caused Articuno to skid across the ground, flinching heavily as her talons dug crevices in the ground. Slowly coming to a stop, Articuno shocked Ash and Charizard when it didn't fall.

Charizard growled, and fell to one knee, almost every ounce of energy siphoned off of him in that last attack. Letting out a heavy breath, Charizard levelled a glare at Articuno. Articuno's dark red eyes returned fire, and Articuno let out a low caw.

Charizard flinched again, the other knee buckling, holding himself up with his arms. Simultaneously, Articuno's legs gave out, and the bird collapsed.

The look on everyone's face was that of shock. Charizard remained on the ground, but still up, and everyone, from the spectators, to the battlers, looked down at the scene in shock.

The referee was the first to recover from the stun. He cleared his throat, and raised the flag aimed at Ash's side. "Articuno is unable to battle, Charizard wins! The victory goes to Ash Ketchum, the challenger!"

Ash blinked, then started as his platform began to descend into the arena. Before it hit the bottom, he jumped off and ran into the field, and began checking on Charizard. He threw his arms around Charizard's neck and hugged him tight. "Charizard, you did amazing out there" he cheered. "I'm so proud of you."

Charizard closed his eyes, a let out a low growl, an affectionate one, before he began to rest. He may have won, but only by a hair, and the battle had taken its toll on him.

Ash took a step back from Charizard. Since Charizard could came to him without his Pokeball, Ash couldn't recall him for a rest. He would let him rest here for a while, before finding a place where Charizard could heal up for the flight back to Johto.

He heard footsteps before him, and looked up to see Noland approaching him. Extending a hand, he helped Ash to his feet. He flashed him a grin. "Well, I'll be darned. Against all odds, you and your partner actually managed to take down Articuno. You really surprised me."

Ash grinned and looked down at Charizard. "Well, this isn't the first Legendary Pokemon he's fought" Ash commented. Sure enough, Charizard had tried to fight Mewtwo, and the Legendary Birds of the Orange Islands, as well as had a match with the Entei created by the Unown. However, this was the first time that he had managed to take down a Legendary Pokemon.

Noland laughed. "Well, after that battle, I'd be a fool to doubt that" he admitted, before reaching into his pocket. "I suspect that your Charizard would have annihilated any other Pokemon my Battle Factory could offer, no matter the type matchup. Hell, that Overheat might have put any of them that didn't outright resist it in the hospital for a few weeks. Point is, I say that you more than earned this."

Withdrawing his hand from his jacket, Noland had a small object resting in his hand. A small round piece of gold, decorated with 3 diamond shaped indents.

"The Knowledge Symbol, proof of your victory at the Battle Factory" Noland said. "And the very first one I've given out" he added as an afterthought.

He could feel his cheeks straining from the effort of not trying to bust out into a giant grin. "Thank you, Noland" he said, as he reached for the small item.

He felt the small piece of metal in his hands, and let his smile grow. "Alright! I got, a Knowledge Symbol!" he cheered as he held it high in the air.

He let the moment pass, but his smile remained. Bringing the Symbol down, he looked at it. It really was a simple design, but that wasn't what mattered. What mattered, is that this was his first. His first Frontier Symbol, and his first step to conquering the Battle Frontier. Sitting in the palm on his hand.

Noland laughed. "Do you do that with every Badge you get too?" he asked.

"Actually, yes" Ash chuckled.

"That's good, it's nice to have some enthusiasm for your dream" Noland said. "So, where are you going next, Ash? You beat me with Articuno, so now you've got to beat the others unless you want to make me look bad."

Ash cocked his head to the side. "Well, actually, I don't know. We've focusing on reaching the Battle Factory for the last few weeks, I didn't consider where whe'd be going after."

"I see" Noland said. "Well, I'll tell you, the nearest Battle Facility from here, would probably be out around Saffron City. Out there, you're find the Battle Arena. From there on, it's your choice. Saffron is at the center of Kanto."

"So Saffron is where the next facility is, huh?" Ash said. "Awesome, thanks Noland."

Noland shook his head. "Don't mention it. I should thank you. Things have been pretty boring out here, until you showed up. I hope more challengers follow soon."

"I hope so too, Noland" Ash said.

Noland flashed another grin. "Thanks. Now, I'm sure you're excited for your next challenge, but I might have a proposition for you."

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"Well, I know that the Battle Factory is out in the middle of scenic nowhere, and the nearest city, Cerulean, is around four days' walk away" Noland said. "I say, you and your friends should crash here for the night, rest up, get some supplies, and then head on your way in the morning. After all, it's a ways past noon already. You probably won't even make it back to the Pewter Mountains by nightfall."

"You want us to stay here for the night?" Ash asked.

"It's up to you, I'm just extending my hospitality. After all, I can't have a few kids fainting of exhaustion in the wilderness on my, can I?" he laughed. "Don't get me wrong, I can tell you're a pretty tough lot, but you're still young. Think of it as a thank you for that battle, if nothing else."

Ash let Noland's offer sink in, and he nodded. "I think that sounds great, Noland. I'm sure the others would like it to." He looked up, and sure enough, May, Max, Brock, and Pikachu were all up there. However, the sheer size of the arena placed their conversation out of hearing range.

"No problem" Noland said nonchalantly. "Hop back on your platform, I'll take you back up."

Ash almost made for the platform, but something stopped him. Looking down at Charizard, he realized that he didn't want to leave his friend lying here until he recovered.

Chancing a glance up at his friends again, he made a decision. "Give me just a second, Noland" he said, slinging his bag off his shoulders and reaching deep inside of it.

Noland raised his eyebrows, figuring that the kid was going for a Potion for his Charizard. We was confused when he pulled out an ornate glove instead. "What's that?" he asked.

Ash looked down at it, frowning a little. "Let's just say, a souvenir from a recent adventure" he said, slipping the glove on his left hand. "I hope they can't see me from down here" he thought. He knew his friends would disapprove of him doing something so risky as Aura training, but he also knew, this was what he wanted.

"Charizard isn't dying, he only needs enough energy to get him moving" Ash thought, kneeling down besides his partner. He placed the gloved hand firmly on his back, while he jostled Charizard's shoulder lightly with his other hand. "Come on, Charizard" he said. The gem on the glove began to glow a faint blue, swirling energy beneath the surface.

Slowly, Ash began to transfer a small fraction of his Aura into Charizard. Not much. He felt a small tugging from his core, uncomfortable, but not painful. Charizard's eye began to crack open, while Noland's eyes shot wide open.

"How did you do that?" he asked in a hushed, awed voice.

"It's a bit of a secret" Ash said. "Er, do you think you could not mention this to the others? They don't exactly know yet."

Still shocked, Noland nodded his head. "First this kid proves to be able to defeat a Legendary Pokemon one on one, but now he has some sort of magical power too? Just who is he?"

Charizard pushed himself up, looking better, but still quite battered from the battle with Articuno. He looked at Ash, and gave another low growl, one of satisfaction, before raising a fist towards Ash.

Grinning, Ash raised his own fist, and he and Charizard lightly bumped them together. "Come on, Charizard, let's get you some rest."

Charizard's eyes were all you needed to see to know that he was okay with the idea. He and Charizard made their way back to the platform, Noland soon following them.

Noland took a look over at the referee, who had yet to leave. "Hey, let's keep the roof hatch open until Articuno recovers" he told him. "That way she can fly off when she's awake."

"Sure thing, sir" the referee nodded.

Seeming satisfied, Noland hit a button on the wall, and the platform began elevating itself back into position. Seeing that they were coming back up, Brock and the others began to move towards where they would stop.

As quick as he could, Ash slipped the glove off and stuffed it back within the main pouch of this pack. Safely hidden again, he breathed easy, and prepared himself to greet his friends.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea" Brock said. "I mean, we do need a break, after all."

"I like the sound of it too" May agreed. "Although, I do want to start getting back to my Contests as soon as possible…"

"I want to get to my next Frontier Brain too, May, but this sounds like a good idea to me" Ash pointed out.

"Fair enough" May nodded. "Maybe I'll be able to get some of my own practice in tonight, anyways."

"That's the spirit" Ash said confidently.

Max looked up at Noland. "I'm up for a break too, but where are we going to stay? This is a battling facility, after all."

"One that I have to live in, that's out in the middle of the wilderness" Noland pointed out. "I've got plenty of living quarters to spare, among everything else you'll need."

"Oh, ok" Max said, satisfied.

"So, as long as we're all in agreement, the rooms are down that hall..." Noland said, gesturing towards the hall he meant. "But for now, I have to take care of the Factory's Pokemon. It's not all easy out here."

"Do you want us to help, Noland?" Ash asked.

"Nah, I've got this" Noland rejected. "Thanks for the offer, though. I'll be back in about an hou-"

A faint sound rolled through the building. The windows shook slightly, as did the floors. Charizard emitted a low growl, while Pikachu's cheeks sparked.

Noland didn't notice either reaction, he was focused on the sound. "It came from the direction of the Pokemon's quarters!" he shouted, taking off down the hall.

"Huh?!" Brock gasped. "Wait, Noland!"

Noland was either too far away or too focused to hear Brock. "Not good" Brock said. "I didn't see any Pokeballs on Noland. My guess is, all his Pokemon are the Factory's Pokemon. If there's a problem with them, he won't be able to do anything."

"Then we need to help" Ash said.

"Ash's right" May said, reaching to her belt.

Brock nodded his head, and tossed his own capsule into the air.

"Grovyle/Combusken/Mudkip!" they called out their Pokemon.

"Come on, we need to go help" Ash told Grovyle.

Confused as it was, Grovyle immediately became serious at the tone of Ash's voice. "Grooooove" Grovyle nodded.

Charizard growled in annoyance. Because of his battle, he was still in no condition to help. Ash turned towards the large orange lizard, but Charizard jerked his head, signaling Ash to go.

"Right" Ash said, feeling bad for Charizard. "Grovyle, Pikachu, let's go."

"Me and you too, Combusken" May said.

"We need to try our best too" Brock told Mudkip.

"I wish I was ten already!" Max complained.

They took off after Noland, trying to remember which direction the sound had come from. Every second they failed to find him was a second that their hearts beat a little faster.

Ash in particular. He couldn't explain it, but he felt severely distressed. Or, was he sensing distress. It felt off, but whatever the case, he knew that he had no time to dwell on it.

"This is it!" Brock said, drawing the attention of the group. A doorway to their right was wide open. Loose debris were scattered across the floor, and scuffles could be heard on the other side.

Running through, Ash first noticed Noland. He was lying on the ground, hand draped across his chest in a pained fashion. His breathing was ragged, and he cracked his eyes open when he heard the three approach. "Stop… them… please…" he grunted.

Ash looked around, quickly finding an opening leading outside. Brock looked over at Ash. "Hole in the wall? Sounds like Team Rocket" he offered.

Ash glanced back at Noland. "Those three wouldn't inflict physical pain to someone like this." He didn't waste anymore time talking, and he ran out the hole.

The scene he was met with was shocking. Scores of Pokemon, at least thirty different ones, laid trapped underneath weighted nets. A large helicopter stood across the field, with several more Pokemon being loaded up inside by two men dressed in black uniforms.

"Grovyle, use Leaf Blade to cut those nets" Ash commanded. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail to help!"

"Mudkip, Tackle to do the same" Brock said.

"Combusken, Sky Uppercut to free the Pokemon" May said.

Not hesitating, the four Pokemon dashed towards the captured creatures. Grovyle's speed let it reach first. Swinging the elongated blade, he made to slice the net to ribbons…

"Sludge Bomb!"

Grovyle didn't have time to dodge as a large amount of toxic sludge slammed directly into him, sending him flying backwards, Combusken catching him.

Ash ran up. "Grovyle, are you okay?" he asked. Growling, he looked up. Emerging from around the back of a large Rhydon, a third man in a black suit made himself known, as well as a Golbat flying over him.

The large red 'R' on his chest made it all too obvious who it was. "It was Team Rocket" Brock said.

Ash started. "Wait, but we never see anyone besides Jessie, James, and Meowth. Who are these guys?"

"Our names aren't important" the Rocket before them said forcefully. "What is important, is that you hand of your Pokemon before someone gets hurt."

Brock frowned. "Ash, we have to be careful with these guys. Team Rocket has been around for a long time, I saw a bit of them in their prime, before you met me. These guys aren't anything like the three we know. They'll hurt us if they think they'll get what they want out of it."

"They'll try" Ash said confidently. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leapt into action, sending a powerful bolt of electricity up at the Golbat. Golbat moved back, but before the attack connected, a Shadow Ball came flying out of nowhere, canceling out the Thunderbolt.

"What the-" Ash wondered, then he realized. The other two had made their way over. One of them held a Houndoom by their side, while the third commanded a Crobat, Golbat's evolved form.

"Hey, it looks like we missed a few" the Crobat trainer said.

"Yeah, we shouldn't just let them go to waste, now should we?" the Houndoom trainer said.

"They're talking about stealing our Pokemon too" Brock said. "Guys, be ready."

"Be ready for what? Do you honestly think that you can stand up to Team Rocket?" the grunt that attacked them first asked.

"Yes we do!" Ash said. "Pikachu, Grovyle, let's go! Bullet Seed and Thunderbolt!"

"Crobat Air Slash/Houndoom, Dark Pulse!"

Thunderbolt clashed briefly with the Dark Pulse, before the attacks exploded. However, Air Slash cut right through the flying seeds, Grovyle narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Combusken, go help with Sky Uppercut!"

"Golbat, Poison Fang!"

"Mudkip, keep Golbat off with Water Gun!"

Combusken rushed towards Houndoom, fist clenched with blue energy. Golbat dived down at Combusken, fangs shining with toxic energy, but was forced away as a wall of water pushed him to the side.

Combusken unleashed Sky Uppercut, hitting Houndoom right beneath the jaw, sending Houndoom into the air, coming to a stop several feet away.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Pikachu appeared in front of Crobat, shocking the large purple bat, before he was slammed to the ground. Still in the air, Pikachu got his next command. "Follow it up with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's tail flashed a steely grey, before spinning forward, bringing the attack down on Crobat with a resounding crash. However, just as Pikachu struck, a wall of flames blasted Pikachu clean off, sending him sprawling, scorched by the attack.

Grovyle leapt forward and caught Pikachu as he fell, setting him down gently before darting forward.

"Pound attack!"

Grovyle swung his head, the heavy leaf on top lashing forward and smacking Houndoom away. At that moment, Combusken ran up to Houndoom again, this time sending the Pokemon flying with a powerful Mega Kick. However, at that moment, Golbat came diving out of the sky, and took advantage of Combusken's distraction to sink a Poison Fang into her shoulder.

"Mudkip, Tackle Golbat away!"

"Grovyle, use Leaf Blade on Golbat as well!"

The two Hoenn starters darted forward, Grovyle reaching Combusken in a flash, and striking Golbat with Leaf Blade. Golbat barely flinched, but lessened its hold on Combusken, enough for the Tackle from Mudkip to send it flying away.

The three Rockets gritted their teeth in frustration. Golbat was still in the air, Houndoom was picking itself back up, but Crobat was having trouble. "That's it, you brats" the grunt in the middle growled. "We've been taking it easy on you, since you're kids, but we can't be nice if you're going to meddle like this."

"If you think that we're just going to let you take all these Pokemon without a fight, then you're wrong" May spoke up.

"Then this is going to be a short fight" the same one said. "Houndoom, up!"

Houndoom shook his head, and stood up, baring his teeth at the group.

Combusken and Pikachu both seemed to be out. Pikachu's eyes were still clenched shut in pain from the burns of Houndoom's Flamethrower, which Combusken was very weak from the poison. Grovyle and Mudkip stood up against Houndoom and Golbat.

"Combusken, return" May said, recalling her Pokemon. She looked over. "I don't think Munchlax or Squirtle will be able to help without getting hurt, guys. I'm sorry."

"No problem, May" Ash said, pulling out another Pokeball. "Come on out-"

Ash was about to open his ball, but was forced to stop and dive to the side as a Flamethrower streaked right for him. "Ash!" May exclaimed.

Ash's heart was pounding fast. That Houndoom wasn't attacking Grovyle or Mudkip. It was attacking him! He quickly rolled again as another attack was sent his way, but the flames grazed the back of his leg.

Though just the back of his leg was singed, his entire lower body immediately felt like it was burning in a raging fire. He grunted from the intense pain, breathing hard.

"Ash, no!" Brock said. "You, you guys are miserable excuses of human beings!"

"Call us what you will, we're just doing a job" the one behind Houndoom said.

The grunt to his left laughed. "Yeah, and getting paid well for it. You know, even if we didn't find her here, at least we found enough Pokemon for a nice fat bonus. And these trainers have some powerful ones themselves."

"We'll keep tracking the dragon later, but for now, let's wrap up this haul" the last grunt, behind Golbat, said.

"I agree" the first one said. "Houndoom, take these other two down." He cracked an evil smirk. "Use Flamethrower, and have your Golbat use Air Slash. Let's see about taking them down in one shot."

May and Brock's eyes both widened. "Mudkip, Water Gun!" Brock said.

Mudkip ran in front of his trainer, unleashing a spray of water. With Ash out of the Picture, Grovyle did his best. He ran up beside Mudkip, sending out a storm of hard-shelled seeds that fused into the center of the stream. As the combo attack darted off towards the stream of fire, Golbat flew into the air above Houndoom, wings glowing a light blue.

The two moves collided, kicking up a cloud of steam, just as sawblades of wind energy came flying down from Golbat, slicing into the mist.

Two streams of fire darted out of the smoke, undeterred by the attack that Mudkip and Grovyle had fired. Brock and May made to move as fast as they could, but the flames were moving at too high a speed. Both of them had their shoulders barely grazed by the divided Fire-type attack. May's shirt took the worst of it, but Brock's shoulder was turned into a bright, inflamed red by the heated attack. He immediately collapsed to the ground, clutching his shoulder in pain, while May looked around in concern. Her shoulder stung, but she didn't get hit for real by the attack. Mudkip and Grovyle were the only ones left standing besides her, and even with a type advantage, Mudkip appeared helpless to the Houndoom.

"Hey, ya' missed one of them" the Crobat trainer pointed out.

"I don't need you telling me that" the Houndoom one snapped. "Listen, sweetie, you're on the losing end of the stick anyways. Tell you what. Walk away, and I won't have to burn you alive."

May stumbled slightly at the threat, eyes widening. Team Magma and Aqua may have been out to basically take over the world, but they never went out of their way to attack civilians. She felt fear pounding in her chest, but she shook her head. "If you think that I'm just going to let you take all these Pokemon without a fight, you're wrong!" she said defiantly, emulating what Ash had said. She reached to her belt, and took a deep breath. "Munchlax, please help!"

The capsule burst open in a flash of white light, as the small blue Pokemon appeared in the grassy field. "Muuuuunch" Munchlax yawned, scratching his belly and looking around.

"Munchlax, use Metronome!" she told her Pokemon.

"Munch?" Munchlax turned his head to the side, before looking at where May was pointing. "Munch Munch!" Munchlax realized he had come out into a battle. Raising his hands into the air, he began waggling his fingers back and forth.

The grunts busted out laughing. "You think a little chubster like that will do anything to us? Please, girl, you just threw away your last chance. Houndoom, Flamethrower!"

"Please, Munchlax" May prayed. As the flames began to leave Houndoom's mouth, May pointed forward. "Go!"

"Munch!" Munchlax pointed straight up, fingers glowing white, before the white light faded, and Munchlax stared down the oncoming attack.

And nothing happened. Munchlax didn't move, but nothing happened to the Flamethrower either. May could feel the heat growing more intense by the second, and she raised her hands to cover her face…

The flames swerved, barely not hitting Munchlax, who had yet to move, and shot at the ground, ploughing a massive trench through the turf. She watched with shocked eyes, not have been able to believe it if she didn't see it happen right in front of her.

"What the Distortion was that about? You clean missed them" the trainer asked his Houndoom.

"Not by his choice" May realized. One detail came to her. "The flames were glowing blue, which means Munchlax must have gotten Psyc-"

"Never mind that, attack again!" he commanded.

Houndoom snarled, opening his mouth to shoot more flames, when out of nowhere, Golbat crashed into Houndoom, sending it sprawling.

"What? Golbat, what was that?!"

"Two Psychics?" May wondered. "But Munchlax only used Metronome once. How could he have done it twice?"

"Shaaoo!"

A piercing cry rang through the air, immediately catching the attention of the three Rockets. "Since when does that thing fight back?" one of them asked worriedly.

A swift breeze ran across the field, as May noticed something emerge from the trees. A speeding bullet, colored red and white, came charging towards the Rockets. As the Houndoom and Golbat began to rise again, the Pokemon's eyes glowed blue, and sent the Golbat flying into a tree.

May couldn't help but stare as the Pokemon came to a stop, floating before her. The Pokemon was mainly red, from the wings and lower half, with a long white neck and head. A red patch in a triangle shape was on her face as well.

May had heard of the Pokemon, but never thought that she would have actually seen it. "Latias…" she whispered. Travelling with Ash, she was no stranger to seeing Legendary Pokemon, but this was the first one of this species she had ever seen.

"Did you already forget? That thing can only Psychic. Get Houndoom, let's catch that thing before she runs again! I'm sick of tracking her all over Johto and Kanto."

"Me too! Houndoom, Dark Pu-"

Before Houndoom could be ordered to attack, a blue sphere of energy came flying out of the woods, crashing into it and sending it flying backwards into his owner. At this moment, May knew for sure, that she was dreaming.

Jumping out of the canopy that the Latias had emerged from, a humanoid Pokemon, blue and black fur covering its body, ran to the Team Rocket thugs. A large clubbed staff forming in his hands, he jumped over their heads, spinning the attack and knocking them all out cold, just like their Pokemon.

Lucario landed nimbly, letting the attack fade from his hands. Looking up, he caught sight of May. "Miss May!" he called, dashing over.

"Lu-Lucario?!" May exclaimed. "How are you… I mean I thought you were-"

"Dead? I was, in a manner of speaking" Lucario said. "Where is-" he looked over. "Ash? What happened to him."

Blinking May tried to snap out of her stupor. "Those guys, they had their Houndoom attack us with a Flamethrower attack."

Lucario cringed. "He needs immediate help. Houndoom burns are dangerous. They burn long, and ferociously, in some cases, eating away at the body over time." He looked over. "Where can we go to seek treatment?"

"Inside the Battle Factory, there should be somewhere, but we need to ask Noland" May said.

Lucario looked to Latias. "Take them with Psychic" he said. "May, lead the way."

May nodded. "Munchlax, return!" she called, bringing Munchlax back into his ball. Turning around, she made for the hole in the wall of the building, footsteps and swishing wind telling her Lucario and Latias weren't far behind.

"But how is he here?"

Was it everything you'd hoped it would be? I hope so.

A little info, just in case anything confused you guys in this chapter:

Yes, Charizard knew Dragon Tail. The way I see it, just because Unova hadn't been introduced at this point in the anime, doesn't mean it doesn't exist in the world. Charizard knew Dragon Tail when he first arrived in Unova, which meant he didn't even need to visit to learn it. I think it's feasible, that if he actually looked up which moves he had rather than fly on Charizard and see just Overheat, like he did, he could have had it (had the move been introduced by this point).

As for Team Rocket's involvement, yes. This is the same three that were hunting Latias in chapter 2. They were tracking Latias, and overshot it a bit, coming across the Battle Factory. Even on a mission, they wouldn't pass up the chance to snag some powerful Pokemon for the good of the organization.

So, a good portion of this chapter was my own take on the Charizard vs. Articuno fight in the anime. I'm trying to get a hang of normal Pokemon battles (since in my other WIP, the battles are anything but normal). Hope you enjoyed that as well.

Anyways, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry it took so long, but I warned you at the beginning, this is a backburner project. If I ever get to finishing one of my other stories, I'll be able to give this one some more attention but in the meantime, we have fluctuating update times.

That's all I have to say for now. I hope you all enjoyed, and please, drop a review on the way out, and until then, I'll cya guys later.