The crowd thundered as the majestic dragon slowly descended, slowly lowering itself from to the arena floor. I swallowed hard as the titanic Pokemon fixed Scylla with a menacing glare, its presence alone was overpowering, like gravity increased tenfold.

  Its scales gleamed under the light, its snout flaring as it braced for battle. The twin antennas atop its head swished in anticipation of a worthy fight. The stone, undoubtedly a Mega stone, glimmering like an unspoken warning.

  In my hours of studying Clair’s eighth gym badge level battles, there were no recordings of her using a Dragonite against a Trainer on their first attempt. And this one… it looked like it belonged to her personal team.

  ‘Well shit.’ I thought. ‘If what she said was true, then I’d already earned the Gym Badge. So… What’s this behemoth doing in front of me?’

  “This hardly seems fair,” I said, unable to keep the edge from my voice. “That Dragonite is clearly at a level far above mine.” I managed to voice out through the noise of the crowd.

  “I apologize. I admit, this is a bit greedy of me, but…” Clair’s voice echoed as the crowd’s cheers slowly faded into silence. “It isn’t very often that I face a Trainer who possesses the tools for Mega Evolution. You’ve far exceeded my expectations, challenger. I’ll grant you a glimpse of the upper echelons of power.” Her gaze sharpened, unwavering. “As I said, this clash will not affect your chances at the Rising Badge. However, if you require further incentive, I’ll grant you a favor as Gym Leader of Blackthorn City for my actions.”

  “Now show me the bond between you and your Pokémon.”

  I clicked my tongue in irritation. I wanted to show her how strong we’d become. In spite of some clan or privilege that was spoonfed to us at every step of our journey. But through grit, the many losses, and the hundreds, if not thousands of battles we fought throughout the years.

  Scylla and I hadn’t trained extensively with Mega Evolution. Not until we began preparing for this battle. This was our first time using it in a real battle. We only had a few minutes before the energy drain became dangerous for both of us, especially me. I was willing to use it as a trump card against her last chosen member.

  However, the monster in front of us now was beyond us. I knew it. She knew it. Everyone watching the match knew it.

  But I would not buckle down and show weakness. This was our chance. The one and only chance to bare our pride, our bond, and everything we’d earned together. I reached into my coat to retrieve my Keystone.

  ‘Fuck it.’

  Clair was surprised at first that Loki had the means to obtain a Mega Stone. Especially one that she had no knowledge existed. ‘Perhaps a newly discovered Mega Form. Or has The Elder Blackthorn reposed this information. Disgusted that an ‘inferior’ dragon had such a form.’ She theorized on how she had skimmed past the knowledge.

  Further intrigued by the challenger before her. She had foregone any restrictions and had one of her Trainers retrieve one of her eldest Dragonite, one capable of forming a bond strong enough for brief Mega Evolution.

  ‘Loki,’ She repeated his name in her head. ‘No doubt you are strong, but where I believe you’re planning to reach is a realm far beyond just average strength. Allow me this final challenge to test your resolve.’

  Her eyes narrowed as Loki reached beneath his coat and pulled out a necklace. Something about its design was strangely familiar, but the thought slipped away as her attention locked onto the Keystone set at its center.

  She steadied herself, placing a palm against the bracer on her left wrist, where her own Keystone was set. The stone glinted beneath the arena lights.

  ‘Show me.’

  Brilliant light erupted from the Keystones they held. Wild and prismatic, swallowing the entire arena of Blackthorn Gym. Gasps, screams and groans rippled through the crowd as the audience threw their arms up to shield their eyes. The referee stumbled back, nearly losing his footing on the elevated platform, while even Clair and Loki were forced to squint at the display of radiance.

  The light spiraled out the Keystones, one a fierce blaze that engulfed the mighty dragon partner of the Blackthorns.

  The other a festering fog of malice engulfing the challenger’s oldest partner. The battlefield vanished between the energy of two Pokemon reaching their peaks, and for a moment, the world remained white.

  Then came the roar. A draconic bellow that seemed to claw its way out of the thundering clashing of energy. The light fractured around Clair’s Dragonite, split like glass, as its silhouette grew. Its body swelled, its scales hardened, its form already mirth with power seemed to grow twofold.

  Its tail lengthened, thickening, its tip gleamed a bright blue pearl. From its head sprouted magnificent, angelic wings, reminiscent of the Dragonair it once evolved from.

  On the other side of the battlefield.

  A second roar bellows out, as the light that encompassed Scylla slowly erodes away, slowly peeling away like burning paper caught in the wind. Inch by inch the fragments of light revealed the empowered form of Dragalge.

  Its shawl had expanded into a flowing, regal veil of crimson fabric. Scylla’s once-slender frame elongated further, her body flowing into something serpentine. Her scales darkened, hardened and reinforced by draconic and venomous energy. From her crown, her horns surged outward and upward, twisting into sharpened, mighty antlers. Suspended between them floated two luminous orbs, glowing with an eerie, controlled ambiance.

  She stared forward at our opponent, at the symbol of the strongest clan in Kanto–Johto.

  The benchmark of strength she had been training for the better part of three years to challenge. Memories surged back, a tiny Skrelp drifting through the polluted backwaters of Goldenrod. Left behind by her siblings, thrown away by family, bullied by those that were bigger than her.

  I remembered the first time she looked up at me. Not with fear, but with defiance.

  Back then, she had been small enough to fit in my hands. Now, with the power she was exuding. It felt like Blackthorn Gym was barely enough to contain her.

  The promise we made each other echoed in my mind, as vivid as the day it was spoken. “Give me everything–” I told her, kneeling down in that murky water, nothing but stubborn conviction in my chest. “and I shall grant you power never to be thrown away again.”

  The referee stepped forward after the display. The crowd held their breath as he raised it high and cut down in a decisive arc. “Begin!”

  Dragonite launched into motion first, two sets of wings blasting downward with force, as it flew upward. Sending a harsh gust of air toward Dragalge.

  We did not flinch. “Rain Dance.” I commanded.

  She moved with the fluid grace and elegance of a Milotic. Weaving through the most passionate Rain Dance I had seen her perform. Her crimson veil flowed outward as she began to weave, her elongated body tracing intricate arcs across the air. The twin orbs between her antlers brightened.

  The air changed. Water lifted from the cracked battlefield, from the lake, and the pools of poison that scattered across the battlefield. The darkened clouds turned an ugly shade of purple as the downpour of toxic rain began.

  Clair did not waste a second. “Ice Beam.”

  Dragonite opened its maw, the pearl on its tail dimmed and the temperature around it plummeted. Frost crystallized its fangs, as Ice Type-Energy gathered.

  It fired a concentrated spear of glacial energy, tearing through the purple rain, freezing droplets in the air as it carved a straight path toward Dragalge.

  She couldn’t dodge it in time. For all her elegance, her species had never been built for sudden bursts of speed. Our only choice was to weaken it. “Focus Blast!”

  Scylla didn’t hesitate. The orbs on her head shone a bright orange as she drew in energy from the two of us. Condensing our fighting spirit into two bright orbs. With a sharp rumble, she unleashed it. The move roared forward.

  The two attacks met head on.

  The frost shattered violently against the swirling orbs of concentration. Ice splintered on impact as the Focus Blast’s energy ground against Dragonite’s attack. Shards of ice rained down across the battlefield, each fragment still humming with residual cold. Where they struck the polluted ground, the land froze around each shard. A testament to the power Dragonite held.

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  My vision blurred for a moment. The energy feedback was already affecting me. I forced myself to be steady as I lifted my gaze toward Clair.

  There were no signs that Mega Evolution was affecting her. No strain, No visible toll. If there was any feedback, she did not show it. ‘We won’t be left behind.’

  “Control the area,” I said, Scylla agreed. “Make the skies a mine field.”

  Both her eyes and her twin orbs began to shine brightly.

  Droplets from the toxic rain stopped, and compressed. Gathering into dense spheres compressed under her control.

  Dozens of orbs grew from the polluted water, their surface jagged as spikes jutted outward. Containing Dragonite and giving it no room to fly around freely.

  I narrowed my eyes at the looming dragon. Even boxed in, it was still a titan, it was still stronger than us. Those impenetrable scales reinforced further when it Mega Evolved would not yield easily. But we would not stay idle.

  “Sludge Bomb!” “I ordered.

  Scylla roared as her orbs flared up. Some of the orbs trembled, then flew swiftly toward Dragonite. Then, with a violent pulse, they exploded against the mighty symbol’s body, hurling compressed globes of corrosive sludge from multiple angles. The moment one orb detonated, another began to form. There was no pause between the volleys.

  “Dragon Claw.” Clair's voice cut through the storm. Raw draconic energy poured into Dragonite’s claws, incandescent light extending outward. With a beat of its wings it surged forward, swiping away any toxic debris and taking the explosions head on.

  I watched in awe as Dragonite quite literally clawed its way through the mine field. Each swing carved open space. Poison detonating in violet bursts around it, looking like each explosion did minimal, if not zero damage.

  It advanced through everything we had layered in its path, eyes locked on Scylla. My pulse hammered in sync with the burn from the energy consumption. “Once it gets close, stop it with Dragon Tail.”

  Dragonite burst through the final cluster of reforming orbs, claws raised for a decisive strike. Scylla shifted immediately, redistributing energy to her tail. A different blend of draconic power enveloping her scales as she snapped upward to meet her foe’s attack head on.

  The moment claw met tail, a shockwave exploded outward from their point of impact. Rain blasted sideways, the ground beneath them cracked, debris launched into the air.

  “Dragon Pulse! Now!” I shouted, seizing the moment before it slipped away. A huge blow at point-blank range.

  Still in a deadlock with Dragonite, she drew power to her snout, accumulating wild energy from within. A low hum built up, as the coalesced energy lit up her maw.

  At pointblank range, there was nowhere to soften the blow.

  A beam of unrestrained power burst forth and struck Dragonite square in the torso.

  It wasn’t as refined as her usual Dragon Pulses. There had been no time to shape it properly. It was urgent, but it worked.

  Their proximity amplified the damage, there was no distance to thin the force of the rushed attack. The Dragon Pulse detonated point-blank, erupting in a burst of raw energy directly into Dragonite’s chest.

  Violent shockwaves rippled across its scales as the blast hammered through its reinforced scales. The mighty dragon grunted as its massive form slid backward, smashing through stone. Its feet skidding across the ground.

  But it did not yield under the intense pressure, it held firm. Its wings flared wide, anchoring itself and its large frame as the unstable Dragon Pulse hammered against its chest. Scylla continued to apply more push, and yet, there wasn’t even a crack along its scales.

  I grunted. The rebound of energy hit me like a punch. The Keystone on my pendant shining brightly as the energy Scylla expended snapped back through our connection. I slipped on the platform, knees threatening to fold, vision dimming.

  I forced myself upright again, kicking my boots on the metal platform to rouse myself. Staring up at Clair and Dragonite, understanding the gap we were so desperately trying to close.

  ‘This is fucking useless.’ The thought came out bitterly. The slow burn of toxic rain should’ve affected Dragonite by now. The many attacks we’ve thrown should have definitely scratched it by now. But it hadn’t

  The added power from its Mega Evolution had turned its scales into something beyond natural armor, something closer to the indestructible body of a Metagross. Just one scratch for the poison to seep in and take effect.

  The battle surged on without mercy. Our commands overlapped against each other.

  Clair was methodical with her approach. She could have easily ended the fight, but she wanted to prolong it by chipping away at Scylla and what little energy we had left. She was barely breaking a sweat with the toll that Mega Evolution had on her. Clair had wanted to outlast us.

  I pushed harder. “Scale Shot!”

  Scyllya’s body rippled as hardened, venom-laced scales tore free and fired in rapid succession, cutting through the rain and the mine field in the sky causing some of the bombs to explode.

  Clair didn’t raise her voice. “Hurricane.”

  Dragonite’s two pairs of wings pushed, making the wind answer to its call. A spiraling vortex surrounded it, wind screeched as it tore across the battlefield. The cyclone swallowing and redirecting the Scale Shot barrage. Toxic rain and debris scatter uselessly into the ground.

  I shifted tactics. “Dragon Pulse, Full Power!”

  This time Scylla had time to shape it properly. Scylla drew in a deep breath and stabilized the energy, compressing it into a dense sphere before releasing a refined beam.

  “Dragon Pulse.” Clair matched it without hesitation.

  In a moment’s notice, Dragonite’s beam met ours mid-field, the collision erupting in a blinding light of violet and gold. The shockwave briefly stops the downpour, as Scylla is pushed back.

  ‘Still no luck. Shift gears’

  “Detonate!” The minefield of hovering sludge orbs tightened under Scylla’s control, forcing them to hone in on Dragonite’s position before Scylla collapsed them inward and they exploded. The spheres converged from every angle before exploding poison and draconic energy together in a multi-layered barrage.

  The smoke cleared. Dragonite’s form stayed standing as the toxic haze subsided. Aside from the tiniest of scratches, and the steam from the explosion, it remained nearly unscathed.

  My vision dimmed further, the edges of my sight tunneling inward as the Keystone pulsed violently. My knees fully buckled under me, making me kneel down in exhaustion. I could tell Scylla was getting tired too. Her breathing was now labored. I could feel it through our bond.

  I looked up at Clair. Aside from the briefest of winces and a few drops of sweat, she remained calm, composed.

  I grit my teeth so hard my jaw ached. There had to be a gap. No armor was flawless. No defense was impenetrable. ‘Think, Loki… Think…’

  Then something clicked. From an earlier exchange. One move that was already used. My eyes narrowed. I already knew we’d lose, but this was reckless, potentially dangerous with the feedback already straining me. But if it worked. We could leave not just a dent, but a big enough dent to matter.

  “Scylla! We’ll use everything.” My voice tore out of me, raw and hoarse. I forced myself upright, on shaky legs, fingers digging into metal railing for support. The world around me swayed as my vision blurred again, but I refused to fall.

  Scylla turned, even through the clouding of my vision, I saw it. The hesitation in her eyes. As if asking me ‘Are you certain?’

  I nodded resolutely in reply. She exhaled sharply, a rumbling huff. ‘Fine.’ She answered back. Her body straightened, her eyes narrowed as she glared forward and she gathered all the energy we had left.

  She took control of the rain, stopping the droplets of toxicity, grabbing hold of the minefield of venomous orbs and pools of corrosive sludge from the ground. Draconic power ignited from her horns intensely. Violet energy crackled outward and merged with the corrosive energy.

  The exhausted Dragalge compressed both forces together high above the battlefield into a colossal sphere, its surface churning violently.

  Across the field, even Dragonite hesitated, wings flaring as it stared up at the forming cataclysm.

  I felt myself fading. The bond was consuming everything I had left. My limbs felt distant. My heartbeat thundered in my ears like a drum. But I smiled through the exhaustion. ‘One final gambit to leave a scar on you.’

  My voice was rough, even more hoarse than before, yet it carried across the battlefield. “Draco Meteor– Maximum.”

  The colossal orb shudders as Scylla commands it to dive toward Dragonite.

  Across the field, Dragonite’s wings snapped wide. Its draconic aura flared violently, expanding outward in a dome of radiant power. The air around her distorted as she braced, claws digging into fractured stone.

  Clair shouted something, but it was swallowed by the roar of the descending star.

  Explosions of violet light detonated around Dragonite, toxic shockwaves splashing outward in corrosive bursts. The arena floor cratered under the impact. Light devoured everything. A detonation unlike the previous exchanges erupted outward.

  The force carved a massive crater where Dragonite stood. My legs gave out. The bond snapped like a severed wire as the last of my strength drained away. Light peeled away from Scylla’s form and from the fragments came Dragalge, pulled away from her Mega Form.

  Through dimming vision, through ringing ears I searched the smoke. Staring to see if we had finally left a scar.

  Smoke slowly dissipated, scattering away from the undoubtedly still Mega Dragonite. But it wasn’t standing anymore. It was on one knee, strained from protecting itself from the massive blast. My smile widened as I saw its burnt scales and.

  Smoke slowly dissipated, scattering away from the undoubtedly still Mega Dragonite. However, it wasn’t standing proudly anymore. Mega Dragonite was on one knee. One claw braced against its own knee. Burn marks scarred its scales, charred streaks cutting across its body from when it protected itself from the meteor. Steam curled from blackened patches, remnants of the rain hissing against its overheated skin.

  It was still conscious, still formidable, but we had managed to make it kneel.

  My lips pulled into a trembling smile. We carved our mark into a Pokemon that had seemed so untouchable before.

  Scylla turned toward me. I wanted to laugh. To shout her name. But no words would come out.

  The railing slipped from my fingers. The stadium lights smeared into streaks of light. My vision darkened. Noise became cotton-muffled and far away. The last thing I saw before my sight was claimed by darkness was Scylla surging toward me despite her own wounds and exhaustion, her eyes widened in panic. Then there was nothing but black.

  I’m back. I’m so sorry for the long hiatus. A lot has happened and re-reading has me second guessing myself on a lot of the decisions/choices I made with certain points and had been thinking about scrapping/rewriting the entire story. But decided to just finish it before deciding on the next step. As always, any suggestions/corrections/comments are much appreciated.

  Pokemon mentioned in the Chaper:

  Dragonite

  Dragalge

  Dragonair

  Skrelp

  Milotic

  Metagross