A/N: I wrote this for a competition on another site. I decided to go ahead and post it for the heck of it. Enjoy.

Hollow Dream

"Luuux…" The growl was low, and seemed to reverberate through the walls of rock that surrounded the Machoke. It came from the black and navy cat before it, ready to fight. It was beginning to realize it had picked a fight with the wrong trainer traversing through Victory Path.

"Careful, Taka," the human woman behind it warned. "We don't want to hurt it too much. Try Thunder Fang." The Luxray shook his mane and lashed his tail, an obvious show of power. The human-like blue skinned Pokemon took a step back. It could see the electricity sparking around the lion's teeth.

Taka lunged forward faster than the Machoke had been expecting. It was only just able to put up an arm in defense when the other Pokemon's fangs dug into its arm. Electricity surged through the Luxray and into it, and it howled in pain.

"Taka! Enough!" The sharp teeth in its arm were pulled out. The Machoke didn't waste a second. It turned and ran for its life.

The Luxray didn't make to follow. Instead, he sniffed derisively and turned back towards his trainer.

"Thank you, Taka," the woman said as he approached, putting out her hand to ruffle the fur on his head. "That one didn't want to fight, I don't think." She smiled slightly, and then adjusted the maroon glow stick pushed into her belt that was the source of her light in this dark cave. The smile quickly slid away from her face.

She'd been doing this for too long. Most trainers had long retired by the time they were twenty-five. She didn't want to battle any more. That joy she'd felt in controlling the Pokemon she had spent so much time and effort training was long gone, and she knew her Pokemon were getting tired as well. Ever since Ari had died…

"Reysa!" The sound of her name cut through the woman's thoughts. She raised a brown eyebrow slightly. She wasn't supposed to be bothered for another hour.

She caught sight of a man illuminated in a silver glow, and she knew immediately who it was.

Lance stood proud as the dragon Pokemon he commanded, even as he weaved quickly around the rocks and obstacles that littered the floor of Victory Road. He was the final trainer of the Elite Four, second in the region only to Reysa, the Champion, the Pokemon Master.

"Reysa," he repeated as he drew closer. "He's back."

"Who?" She asked, an innocent enough question. Then she noticed the man's somber expression and understood. "Oh. Him."

"Yes," Lance clarified. "He's beaten us again, Reysa. He wants to see you." He paused, as though waiting for her to say something. When she didn't, he went on himself. "It'll be the first time, won't it? Since your Espeon died." Reysa nodded, though her auburn eyes seemed far away.

Lance had been noticing that more and more since the Champion had lost Ari, her Espeon. The two had been together for a very long time, he knew, almost since the woman had begun her journey as a trainer. She had been expecting the psychic feline to live much longer, they all had. No one thought the strong Pokemon would succumb to something like sickness.

When Ari died, it was like Reysa's fighting spirit had died with her. She didn't lose, not once, but she wasn't enjoying the battles. He still remembered when she'd first fought him. She'd lost that fight, but came back twice as strong. He didn't think she'd be coming out of this.

"I'll fight him," she said finally, and gave Lance a wry smile. "I can't refuse, anyway." Lance nodded. As part of becoming the Champion, she couldn't refuse a challenge from a trainer that had beaten the Elite Four.

Reysa unclipped an Ultraball from her belt and returned Taka in a flash of bright red light. When it was returned to its proper place, she looked back up at Lance.

"Alright, I'm ready." He nodded, and the two began the trek back through Victory Road.

Temar was impatient. The black haired man tapped his foot irritably, all those doubts sneaking up on him again. Was he sure he had her right? Would she have changed her tactics? Would this finally be the time?

He'd been fighting Reysa since they were both children. He'd only ever beaten her once, long ago, when they both got their first Pokemon. That one victory wasn't enough. They were adults now, she the Champion, he nothing but her shadow. No one knew his name, knew who he was like they knew her. Determination raced through him again, erasing his doubts. He would win. He could win. There was no way he wouldn't. He knew her moves and Pokemon inside and out. He'd fought her and studied her enough to know what she would do. He could do this.

The door of the arena opened behind him, and he turned quickly, a broad and cocky smile splitting his face as his blue eyes followed his rival inside. He was too deep in going over his battle plans once again, planning out his strategy, to notice how tired his opponent seemed. They took their respective places.

"You're back again, Temar," Reysa stated simply. "Are you going to be a challenge this time?"

"I'll be more than a challenge," he sneered back. "I'm going to beat you this time, Reysa. Mark my words, this will be the last time you stand as Champion."

"If you say so." The woman didn't sound the least worried. "The same rules, I presume? Three on three?"

"Of course," he replied airily, taking a Pokeball off his belt. "Shall we start?"

"Be my guest." Reysa, too, was unclipping a Pokeball. The two tossed them, and the battle started in an explosion of light.

The two Pokemon collided heavily, Taka's electricity sparking against the stone body of the Rhyperior. Both fell back from the sheer force of their attacks.

They were the last two Pokemon. Each trainer's other two had been beaten. The battle was down to the wire, and this was the deciding moment.

For just a few seconds, the whole world seemed to freeze. Both Pokemon lay on the floor, both looking down for the count.

One lifted its head. The Rhyperior stood, albeit shakily. Taka remained still of all but breathing.

"Luxray is unable to battle." Lance's voice, as the referee for the fight, sounded almost choked as it echoed through the arena. "The battle goes to Temar… The new Champion."

"I've done it," Temar hissed, disbelief obvious in his voice. "I… I've done it. I've finally beaten you." His grin turned almost demented in his elation of finally fulfilling his life dream. "I'm the Champion. I AM THE CHAMPION!" After so long, it had finally happened. Everything he'd always wanted. He'd worked and worked, and finally, it came to him. He looked up at Reysa, who was returning her fallen Pokemon, and couldn't resist a final jibe at his fallen opponent.

"What do you have to say, Reysa?" He asked haughtily. "What do you have to say to your new Champion?" She looked straight at him, and he didn't see the disappointment or fury he'd been expecting. He saw something very different. He saw relief and sympathy.

"I say thank you," she said, looking straight at him. "I couldn't do this any longer, Temar. I've had enough of Pokemon training. I've had my time to battle, to travel, to shine as the best, but I want nothing more of it. I want to settle down, to actually have a life, a family. And for that, I thank you. You've given me the ability to leave behind my duties here, and to go on as I want to.

"I also say that I'm sorry. You've given your young years to a hollow dream, Temar. You've beaten your greatest opponent. But what is there for you to do now? You're caught in the trap I was in." She walked forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said once more, before going on past him. He stood, dumbstruck. Was she right? Was this really as far as he could go? Was this the end of the line for him?

As Lance walked to him, to congratulate him on his victory, he realized numbly that she was right. It really had been a hollow dream. What was he supposed to do now? What would be his goal?

The truth was, he didn't have one. He'd won, but it didn't really mean anything. He'd just been bested by Reysa again.