Okay, guys, this battlefield is BURNING! The stakes are high, the final number is reached, Muse's "Hysteria" is playing in your headphones (I hope), and now you can all see this play out!

Given how much I focused on Mars during the planning stage, I didn't expect to feel so excited while writing this match. Still, I enjoyed it, so what the hell?

As always, read, review and enjoy! For our ride is pretty much over!

This Electivire was pretty ripped, so Lucas started off with swift slices. "Feint Attack!" Teleporting around the battlefield, Matt landed hit after hit. He read Volkner's powerhouse had Motor Drive, so nothing to fear. So far.

Lucas gulped at his Gliscor's sharp dodging skills. Damn, one of those Ice Punches took Banner down. But Matt wasn't him—he possessed speed... and a harder shell. At last, Volkner's Electivire hit him. For a moment Lucas' heart slowed down. He saw Mt. Coronet. He saw his fight against Charlene and Mesprit...

DRRR!

...and wiped his forehead. That guy's Electivire? To hit like Mesprit? Ridiculous! Not only did Matt survive, but he also jumped on the battlefield. Then he did it again! And again! And then Lucas had to dry himself again. His opponent joined Matt, trying to jump him. Lucas' Gliscor only deflected that hit because of his trainer's reaction. He ordered him to do the peg-top right on time.

"Allow me to reward you." Mockery in Volkner's voice almost caused Lucas to growl. "Fire Punch. Heat our friend up."

"Matt, get away from him!" Lucas prevented Matt from "summoning" a fire hurricane. Better yet, that punch melted the icicle the previous attack created. Still, Matt flew to his trainer. That was when Lucas noticed—their cracks weren't big enough! "Earthquake!"

Volkner yawned. "Jump and use Ice Punch."

Someone was gonna pay for that battlefield. Not Lucas though! At least he didn't consider it right now. He had bigger things to worry—screw it, cheer over! Stuck! Volkner's Electivire fell into one of Matt's cracks!

Lucas assumed a battle pose. "Night Slash!"

Volkner snapped his fingers, and his fighter got up. It hurt, but he managed to drag his feet out of the crack. "I suppose my comparison earlier was... rushed."

Lucas gritted his teeth with a grin. He saw it! Volkner's eyebrow jumped!

Progress, but still not enough. "You gotta look at your friend though. Giga Impact."

"Brick Break!" Lucas almost shouted when these attacks collided. Both Pokemon recoiled, and his chest warmed at the sight of Matt. The guy was about to crumble, but good for him, his opponent didn't fare any better. "Earthquake!"

Too much vibration for Volkner's Electivire to handle. Trembling from tenacity, he spread out on the ground. Volkner clapped. "You went farther than your friend, at least."

Lucas bent his right arm like a waiter with a plate. A left palm to the side made his pose even more striking. "You see, Matt's seen cooler." Still, his friend deserved a long nap. As Lucas drew his Poke Ball, he met its laser with an open embrace.

"Wanna fight Eevee-on-Eevee?" Volkner sent out his Jolteon. "Pray to Arceus you've maxed out his resistance to electricity."

"That's what Flareons are all about!" Lucas wiped his forehead when Ross landed between two huge cracks. He and Volkner's Jolteon were standing on little "islands", ready to dash. "Not sure about them standing on their two though!"

"Thunderbolt."

Well, time to cause even more damage. "Dig!" Though he dodged a jolt of electricity, he had a hard time navigating this torn underground. Worse yet, everyone could see him.

Volkner included. "Thunder Wave."

This slowed Ross—and Lucas' heartbeat—down. As he gulped though, something hit him, speeding it back up. "Keep going, man!" He heard Charlene and Natalie shouting Ross' name. "Try to get under him!"

"Very funny." Volkner glanced at his current location. "Charge Beam."

And Ross dodged, forcing his opponent to jump around the battlefield.

When Volkner's Jolteon returned to his "island", it shook. He dashed away from there in time and tried another Charge Beam. Ross dodging it again did the trick. "Focus." Volkner's tone failed him. Throwing glanced here and there, his Jolteon couldn't evade this direct hit.

Ross rammed him, prompting Lucas to punch his palm. "Fire Fang!" Having burned his opponent's paw, Ross threw him against his little piece of shiny dirt. Trying to avoid another Dig hurt, so Volkner's Jolteon didn't make it.

Now Volkner clapped a bit faster. "I admit, I rushed it."

With his hand trembling, Lucas withdrew Ross. He spoke through clenched teeth. "That's it?"

"More than enough... for an 'opponent' like you." Volkner brought out his last fighter. His true powerhouse. "I take it you're familiar?"

Lucas gulped. Picked a good time to speak the obvious. Damn right they were. Separate cases aside, this beast of black and blue was THE reason Volkner's fights ended on such a high note. Anyone going up against his Luxray, was already on the floor, licking wounds. Lucas squeezed Matt's Poke Ball. Now was this guy's turn to limp! "Earthquake!"

"Iron Tail."

Without meaning to, Matt stuck his tail into a nearby crack. What a way to open up for a knock-out blow. Having withdrawn him, Lucas sent out Ross. It became harder to breathe when he ordered a Dig. Still slow after a Thunder Wave, he couldn't avoid another Iron Tail.

Volkner crossed his arms on his chest. "Your turn... gardener."

Lucas almost dropped Whitney's Poke Ball. Hands don't fail me now...! She landed on Ross' "island" when Lucas threw his index finger forward. "Magical Leaf!"

Avoiding cracks like nobody's business, Volkner's Luxray landed yet another Iron Tail. This one didn't put Whitney out, but...

"Come on, Whitney!" Lucas' hands—hell, arms were having a ball. A ball nobody invited him to.

Charlene held her breath. His stories about fighting Roark no longer sounded funny.

Volkner held his pose. "Too pitiful to write home about." He turned to Flint. "You guys didn't think he'd beat me, did you?"

Natalie looked at Charlene. "Miss Vercetti... this isn't the end, is it...?"

That face made her exhale. As Volkner shot more comments of the same caliber, Charlene stood and went to the audience stand wall. Damn you... Only one spark from her. The rest would happen on its own. "Lucas Matthew Mercury!"

All eyes were on her now.

"What is this?! Your opponent's talking you down, and all you do is lean to the ground?! Oh no-no-no, that's no way to go! Stand up and kick his ass!" She squeezed said wall and leaned forward. "You got me to defeat Cyrus! How difficult can it be to give YOURSELF a push?!"

Natalie got off her seat too. "Mister Mer... Lucas!"

Charlene grinned. Now that was the face!

"You've taught me a lot, and your lessons work for you too! I admit, you upset me once, but that's okay!"

Volkner sighed. "Enough is enough. Use Iron Ta—"

Charlene couldn't help joining Natalie. "LUCAS MERCURY, YOU ARE MY HERO!"

In a flash, Lucas stood up straight and shouted out his command. As his voice blew through the Gym, a whirlwind of Magical Leaves overwhelmed the enemy Luxray. Covering his eyes, Volkner couldn't focus, opening his fighter up for a Shadow Ball. A huge, buzzing Shadow Ball! Not bad for a Coordinator's best friend, huh?!

Volkner's Luxray tried to stand, earning himself one more. With his paws trembling, he crumbled before his trainer.

Lucas stopped Charlene and Barry from roaring. Disregarding Flint's praise for being "pretty good", he went to Volkner. Step by step, avoiding every crack his friends created, he approached his opponent.

Speaking of whom, Volkner dropped to his knees. He spoke as Lucas passed his Jolteon's "island". "Have I... finally been bested...?"

With Charlene's and Natalie's words echoing in his head, Lucas stared Volkner down. It was all over. He won. Did he repay him for those insults? Hell yeah. So, what now? Only one thing to do. With ease he'd usually think ridiculous, he smiled and offered Volkner a handshake. "That was a blast. Thank you for a good match."

Volkner turned to him as tears rolled down his face. He punched the hell out of the battlefield.

Look at this fool... Lucas didn't hear what Flint said. Watching Volkner hit the Gym, he kept his hand steady. What a way to turn things upside-down. Poor bastard. And to think he, Lucas, had a risk of ending up the same after the Pokemon League. Those two had a lot to discuss. Not now though. Volkner needed some time to recover.

Starting now. Without even drying his face, Volkner looked at him again. "Back... I take back EVERYTHING!" He sniffed. "You... you won..."

Lucas cocked his head to the side. "So did you."

And there it was. Having wiped away his tears, Volkner stood and shook his hand. "Gotta have a talk with the Platinum Battles crew. This fight made me realize... I need a vacation, and the sooner, the better." He handed Lucas the Beacon Badge. "Oh, and don't mind the battlefield. We'll fix it ourselves. You gave me hell, so making you pay for it would be... wrong!"

Lucas turned to the audience stand, and one finger snap from him filled it with sound. Charlene, Barry and Natalie all hugged each other. As for Flint, he only clapped the living shit out of his hands. Having withdrawn a cheering Whitney, Lucas made his way to the intersection.

Barry, Charlene, Natalie and Flint were waiting for him there. Damn, they were fast.

"Dude, that floor couldn't handle you!" Barry threw his fists to his chest. "Damn, now I gotta train even harder!"

Charlene glanced at him with a smirk. "Now you're talking. May I ask what changed your mind?"

"Oh, give me a break!"

Lucas cleared his throat. "Char, Nat, about that comment of yours..."

Natalie repeated Barry's gesture. "If that fan club you mentioned does try to idealize you, I'll educate them! Uh-huh!"

Charlene embraced Lucas. "They say it's natural for people in love to call each other perfect, even if it's not true."

Lucas chuckled. "I see. No point talking to you then!"

Charlene pouted.

Lucas covered her cheeks. "Arceus bless Lake Verity."

"Yeah, if it hadn't been for that encounter..."

Even without looking at her, Lucas knew—their kiss made Natalie blush. And Flint? That guy was already looking forward to their fight.

Charlene was the first to notice a young girl standing by the ocean outside the Gym. "Anyone knows this person?"

Natalie shrugged, while Lucas covered his forehead. Ring! "Jasmine! Everyone, meet Jasmine—the Gym Leader of Olivine City, Johto! And speaking of Johto, her being here means they've reopened the border! Shit, I gotta know the details!"

"Don't deny yourself this pleasure, darling."

The quartet ran along the solar panel and down the stairs. Soon they stepped on the shore, startling Jasmine.

She bit her lower lip and glanced around. "Erm... may I... help you?"

Charlene nodded at Lucas, prompting him to walk closer to Jasmine. Having bowed to her, he introduced himself. "Now, you can indeed help me, Miss Jasmine. What do they say about the border being open again? I take it someone kicked Team Rocket's ass again?"

"That's too blunt an expression... but yes."

"Any names?"

Jasmine smiled at that question. "Oh y-yes. Back home, everyone's talking about those two braves. They're Lyra Padavona and Silver Vercetti." She looked at Charlene's haircut. "Speaking of Silver, you... resemble him, ma'am."

Charlene smirked. "Pfft, no wonder. He's my bro, and I'm glad we've both been busy." She glanced aside. How awkward. "I'm Charlene, by the way. Charlene Vercetti."

Lucas burst out laughing. "Crime world legacy be damned!"

Jasmine giggled. "I-indeed... though, I gotta say... your brother..." She threw a few glances around. "He can be pretty difficult!"

Charlene nodded with a smile. "Runs in the family." She sent out Mesprit. "So, anyone up for a flight?"

Lucas cleared his throat. "H-hey, didn't we agree to spend some more time at my place?"

Jasmine gasped. "I-isn't that... the legendary Mesprit of Lake Verity?"

Natalie smiled at her. "You get used to that."

In the end, everyone laughed and headed to Twinleaf Town.

Larmica and #16 stared each other down, one with a frown, the other with a smirk. Whose idea was this to put them in opposite cells?!

He scratched his temple. "Sooo... wanna hear my plans?"

She turned away. Did it look like she had a future? Man, if only her mom would stop coming and bitching about her life. "...Screw you, man."

A policeman's footsteps got louder. "Urania?"

Cyrus didn't budge. "...Don't call me that."

"Two of your former subordinates called. Said Mercury, Vercetti and a bunch of their friends are on their way to the Pokemon League."

No reply.

"Just letting you know."

Alone again, Cyrus examined equations and expressions he scribbled on the walls. They did it. They took away the one thing he saw purpose in. And they were the ones who offered it to him in the first place.

But the most ridiculous part? That was where their mockery ended. They even transferred Jupiter to a cell far away from his. He reasoned they'd see pleasure in watching them squabble. Yet they chose not to hold them next to each other.

Irrational. How very irrational.

Charlene joined the applause as Lucas strutted into the Champion's room. Still, she couldn't outdo Natalie or Barry. Her friends were thundering like their palms had no nerves. Even "worse", they were sitting next to her. How in the world didn't she go deaf yet?

Oh well, she wasn't gonna complain. Let kids have their fun. Natalie, in particular, was even louder than during their flight over Route 223. Lucas chose to swim on Stark's back, while Charlene went on to show Natalie Mesprit's power. She swore the girl laughed like a little kid. In a way, she was one, but still.

Cynthia took a step closer to Lucas. "You've come a long way, Mercury."

He examined the crowd, and his eyes met Charlene's. There, she blew him a kiss. Now her "I'm-gonna-cheer-for-you" level was higher than that of Natalie and Barry. Combined!

Lucas nodded and turned back to Cynthia. "Would've been boring as hell without Charlene around. Let's be real, Lake Verity alone is to thank for us being here... as we are now."

Charlene noticed Natalie pouting.

So did Lucas. "Well, shout out to everyone else too." He bowed to no one in particular. "Charlene... Moms... Natalie... and so many more who believed in me and still do... this match is all yours!"

The audience stand roared as he and Cynthia drew their Poke Balls.

Aaaaand... that's it!

We've come to an open ending. After about a year and a half, this is where the story ends. So much happened in that span of time, but I feel like I've only just began my journey into real writing. I still have a lot to learn, but thanks to this project (and "Glassified" back in 2017), I know I can do it.

Shout out to my readers. Sure, you didn't give me a lot of feedback, but I cherish every comment you did leave. Special mention goes to Revolution921. Thank you very much. You cheered me up when this story "took off" and were there when the second arc kicked off. Thank you!

I'd like to thank following bands, singers and composers for their (unwitting) contribution. Praise be to Rooney, Casteel, ZameJack, Eclairattack, Mewmore, Shinji Miyazaki, Go Ichinose, Gokian, utuber6061, EternalSushi, GaragebandPoke, PokeRemixStudio, Keatonkg360, Best_Dude55, bauerklos music, Avantasia, KSet, Basutora, sentsinkanteun, Nanashima, ZapdosTCG, Carlos Eiene (insaneintherainmusic), Kamex, mars, Hilary Duff, pkmnbmx, BroManSauce, Britney Spears, Monroville, Hirokazu Tanaka, Fruity Cabbage, HappyDragonite, HAL Laboratory, Inc., Kunning Fox, 8-Bit-Mimikyu, Michael Jackson, HoopsandHipHop, Smash Mouth, Within Temptation, Bliitzit, GlitchxCity, Powerman 5000, Muse, Disturbed, Elliot Kahn, Three Days Grace, Jesse McCartney, Kreativschlag, Pipevanes, Lost Horizon, Karim Thomas II, Yuichi Tsuchiya, Masanori Akita, Anifuse, Steven Curtis Chapman, Boys Like Girls, LD3005, RevolutionV, Luigigigas, GuildmasterMusic, DymaniteStudios, Bullet For My Valentine, Jonny Atma, XxShadowGiratinaxX, Explo BGM, AstralHex, BackBeatAnthem, BackBeatAnthem, The Random Show (or War Hawk) and last but not the least, Claire. You people ROCK... even if some of you specialize in relaxing/trance remixes! Thank you!

So, what now? I plan to return to original fiction. But just so you know, one day I may write a sequel to this wonderful story. Or remake it, using Japanese names. If I do a sequel, it's gonna be based on X and Y. Picture this: Lucas and Charlene married and are on a vacation in Kalos. With Fantina as their trusty guide! Oh yeah, that would be great!

Once again, thank you for reading this story and helping me write it! Jeez, and to think it all started when I took interest in Commander Mars. I mean, her role isn't even that big, now is it? Still, I hope this love letter of mine inspires people to pay more attention to minor characters. Give them some love, you know?

And on that note, Rumiflan, out!