Chapter 67: Going Out in a Blaze of Glory!

Julia sat on a bench near the fountain, contentedly eating a brownie she bought from inside the Pokemon Center. Karin and Hikaru both sat next to her, sharing a bowl of Pokemon food. The sun was high in the sky, and some kids were outside playing amongst themselves or with their Pokemon. Julia watched as one boy beamed at the sight of a light blue fish Pokemon jumping out from the water, doing tricks and posing as it leaped. Water droplets reflected the sunlight, making the fish Pokemon look like it was sparkling.

"Look, Mom! That Remoraid is doing tricks!" The little boy crooned, inching closer to the fountain to get a better look.

It had been a few hours since Perrine's match with Alex, with Caiseal's coming up in another hour. Julia found this to be a good opportunity to have some time to herself, if only to gaze at the scenery and lose herself in her thoughts. Last night, it dawned on her that after this, she would have to go home and return to school. As much as she loathed the idea of returning to school, she knew she couldn't go back on the deal she made with her mother. But the realization also reminded her of something else.

After this, she might have to part ways with Caiseal and Perrine. They would go back home and return to their normal lives. But for all she knew, they might go on more adventures after this. Nothing was quite set in stone as of yet. However, if they did decide to return to their normal lives...a burning question lingered in Julia's mind, continuing to gnaw at her like a hungry Growlithe: Would they even still be friends after this? Could they continue to be friends? Sure, they had each other's contact information, but they didn't live close enough to New Bark Town to come over to her house if they invited her, or she to their houses. Even if she could invite them over and they wanted to come, they still needed their parents' permission, and for all she knew, they might not like the idea of their kids going to someone else's house several towns away. The possibility was high that they might return to school, make new friends, and get on with their own lives, forgetting about her completely.

Leaving her behind…

Julia shook her head. 'No! No way they'd do that! Not after all we've been through together!' She reminded herself. They went through all sorts of experiences together. Hardship, tragedy, joy, triumph...Perrine and Caiseal would never just toss her aside once their journey was over. They stayed with her when she was too sick to travel, when they could have just left her to her own devices and went on their merry way. That showed her how much they cared about her. She hated how her mind always dragged her thoughts to the worst case scenarios. Just because some bad things happened in her life didn't mean the rest of it was going to be completely awful.

Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard her nickname. "Hey, Jule!" Perrine bounded over to her, her confident face beaming.

"Hiya. What's up?"

Perrine didn't want to kick Hikaru and Karin off the bench, so she sat down on the ground, just in front of Julia. "Guess what I found at the store?!" She hoisted a book right in front of Julia, depicting a ninja in blue, with a red guitar on his back, running through cliffs and valleys. "The newest Jammin' Ninja book! Can you believe it?!"

Yes, she could. Julia smiled. "I had no idea a new one was even out!" Perrine exclaimed, pulling the book back into her arms, cradling it as though it were her child.

"That's cool. Maybe you can read it after Caiseal's match," Julia suggested.

"Indeed I will!" Perrine flashed a thumb's up in her direction. But her enthusiasm faded in an instant when she saw Julia's knitted brow. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? What makes you think that?"

"You seem like you have a lot on your mind."

"Do I?" Julia immediately feigned ignorance. Man, her friend was perceptive. But would this really be a good time to tell her friends about her worries? The Pokemon League was their time to shine, and the last thing she wanted was to put a damper on their fun. But she knew they weren't the type to ignore her concerns or claim she was just being silly or paranoid. They proved as such many times during their journey. Why doubt them now?

Perrine crossed her arms. "Jule. You know you can talk to me or Cash about anything that's bothering you, right? We'll always listen and have your back."

Julia nodded. "I know. Do you...plan on doing anything after the League?" She asked. "Like, whether you win or lose, do you want to go back to school or go on another journey or something?"

"Hmmm…" Perrine lost herself in thought. Having finished their lunch, Hikaru and Karin leaped off the bench, with Karin taking the empty bowl with her. "I haven't thought much about it," She sat down next to Julia. "I do want to finish sixth grade, since I kind of went on my journey without letting my school know about it or filling out the needed paperwork, so I don't want to fall behind."

"Good point. I know I need to go back to school too, though I really hate it," Julia said. "I'll be lonely without you and Caiseal, and going back to a place where people...well, don't really like me or just see me as a delusional idiot…" She let the sentence drift away. As far as school was concerned, all she could see was everything she had been through previously. Kids making fun of her, either behind her back or to her face. Teachers scrutinizing and judging her for every faux pas, intentional or not. Needing to do lots of homework to make up for the months of lessons she missed, and the possibility of remedial classes or summer school.

"You and Ethan go to the same school, right?" Perrine asked. "He'll probably be there with you, so I don't think you'll be completely alone."

That's right. Julia's eyes widened. She had completely forgotten about that. Just the thought of it made her smile. Ethan would be there, and this time, she and him could rekindle what they previously had. That would definitely be a big help. Her shoulders relaxed.

"True. But I also-"

"Hey!" Ethan's voice cut her off. Julia gave a grunt as Ethan bounded up to the two girls in a hurry. "There you are! Caiseal's match with Theo is about to start!"

Perrine sprang up from the bench. "We better hop to it!" Julia returned her Pokemon to their PokeBalls and joined the two in heading towards the stadium.

Like earlier, the stadium was packed with excited spectators, and Mr. Goodshow and Gladys continued to comment on the proceedings. "Today's match is between Caiseal Brownstone from Blackthorn City, and Theodor Blanche from Goldenrod City!"

Theo stood on his end of the battlefield, his blue sweater decked with bright yellow lightning bolts a splash of color against the earthen ground around him. He also wore gray jeans, and orange and white sneakers. Caiseal could see the subtle gleam of confidence in his eyes. He had done a bit of research on him last night before bed, to see what Pokemon he had. This was a three-on-three match, so he'd probably pick just about anything. Caiseal could only hope the roulette settled on Theo so he could plan whatever strategy he had accordingly.

The judge pointed to the screen. "Start the roulette!" The strips on the circle glowed as they circled all around before gradually slowing down. When it finally stopped, the circle landed on a red stripe, the same color as Theo's background image. "Theo Blanche, choose your first Pokemon!"

Caiseal smiled. Theo was being made to go first!

"Hitmontop, I choose you!" Out from Theo's PokeBall appeared a vaguely humanoid Pokemon with light brown skin, a spherical body, thin legs, long ears, and a horn protruding from its head. Its wrists and ankles were wrapped in bandages, and its feet were light blue, just like the lower half of its body.

"Hmm. I don't remember Theo having a Hitmontop the last time I battled him," Ethan mused. "I wonder if Tyrogue evolved or something."

That seemed like a possibility. Julia and Perrine remembered seeing Theo having a Tyrogue when they first ran into Ethan.

Caiseal knew exactly who he wanted to send out for this battle and wasted no time doing so. "Ravenclaw, get out there!"

Ravenclaw spread her wings outward and squawked, announcing her entrance. "Krow!"

"Is everyone ready?" The judge asked. After a brief moment of silence, he raised both flags. "Begin!"

"Looks like I'm up!" Theo exclaimed. "Hitmontop, use Rapid Spin!"

Hitmontop immediately turned itself upside down before spinning like a top faster than the eye could see. Its form buried in the speed of its spins, Hitmontop propelled itself towards Ravenclaw, who stood on the ground without a care in the world.

"Fly up and use Wing Attack!" Caiseal cried out. Ravenclaw flapped her wings twice, ascending into the air gracefully, dodging Hitmontop's attack with ease. Then, as Hitmontop stopped spinning, Ravenclaw's wings turned white as she dove back down, striking Hitmontop on its side. Hitmontop was sent flying across the battlefield, but spun once and put one hand on the ground, quickly reorienting itself.

"Use Swift!" Theo called out.

Hitmontop did a backflip and sent a barrage of stars in Ravenclaw's direction. From high in the spectator seats, they almost looked like actual shooting stars.

"Hold it off with Dark Pulse!"

Ravenclaw opened her beak, sending a stream of black energy rings towards the stars. Once they collided, a small explosion of smoke and dust appeared. Not big enough to cover the battlefield, but enough to cancel out both attacks.

Caiseal raised his hand in the air. "Quick! Use Mean Look!"

The darkness Pokemon flew closer to Hitmontop, and her cherry red eyes glowed in an eerie light. A red aura appeared around Hitmontop, and the handstand Pokemon looked around frantically.

"Now that Mean Look is in effect, Hitmontop can't be switched out," Mr. Goodshow explained. "It seems Theo may need to make use of the hand he's been dealt."

Caiseal smirked. 'I got this battle in the bag,' He thought. Ravenclaw clearly had the advantage, not just with type, but with the fact that she can fly. Hitmontop's spinning and kicking wouldn't be able to do much damage to her.

Theo could only weigh his options. Then he cried out, "Hitmontop! Jump and use Triple Kick!"

Hitmontop propelled itself off the ground, reaching Ravenclaw at eye level. The blackbird Pokemon swiftly dodged by flying to the right, but Hitmontop struck Ravenclaw on her back with one leg. As they fell, Hitmontop quickly dealt another blow on Ravenclaw's head, sending her straight to the ground. Ravenclaw hit the dirt with a resounding thud, and she had no time to reorient herself, as Hitmontop landed on its feet and kicked her so hard, she was sent flying several feet away, only stopping right in front of a worried Caiseal.

"Raven!" He cried out.

"And just like that, Hitmontop has turned the battle around," Gladys said.

"Raven! Can you keep going?" Caiseal's voice adopted a pleading tone to it, though he didn't mean to sound overly worried.

To Caiseal's relief, Ravenclaw stood back up and took a minute to reorient herself before flapping her wings once more. Once she was off the ground, she gave Caiseal a reassuring nod. On the other side of the battlefield, Theo crossed his arms and had a smirk on his face.

Ethan held the tips of his fingers to his mouth, his eyes fixated on the battle unfolding before him. "Is Cash gonna be okay? Ravenclaw took some strong hits there," He said.

"I wouldn't underestimate my cousin if I were you," Whitney advised. "Triple Kick is an attack that gets strong with every successful hit, so Caiseal's got his work cut out for him."

She was right. With Mean Look being in effect, Theo was probably doing all he could to have Hitmontop put as much power into its attack as possible to finish this battle.

"Alright, Hitmontop! You're doing great!" Theo cried out, his voice bubbling with cheer. "Use Work Up!"

Hitmontop relaxed its battle stance, folding its arms over its chest and closing its eyes. Gradually, Hitmontop's body was enveloped by a soft, orange glow. Caiseal could only raise his eyebrows. 'Crap. He's having Hitmontop raise its attack power. Ravenclaw's got the type advantage, sure, but I can't just rely on that alone. I have to think of some way to win this,' Caiseal scrambled for potential strategies and ideas. There had to be something Ravenclaw could do to win the battle.

Wait a minute…

Raising its attack power...what if it could be used against Hitmontop? Caiseal gasped. Ravenclaw did know a move that could do that! He checked his PokeDex to look over Ravenclaw's moves to see if she knew it. He smiled.

"Why's Caiseal using his PokeDex?" Julia asked, raising her eyebrows in confusion. "Is he trying to look something up?"

"We'll see," Perrine assured, putting her hand on Julia's for extra reassurance. "He'll win this. I know it."

Caiseal balled his hands into fists. "Ravenclaw! We're gonna win this! You with me?"

"Murkroooow!" Ravenclaw squawked in agreement.

Gradually, the orange glow around Hitmontop vanished. "Just try and beat us! Hitmontop, use Rapid Spin!"

"Sucker Punch!"

Hitmontop turned upside down, its horn touching the ground, and immediately began spinning. The handstand Pokemon attempted to strike the first blow. This time, Ravenclaw propelled herself forward with both talons. Gaining speed, she flapped her wings to outrun Hitmontop, and when she got close enough, she thrust one of her closed talons out, punching Hitmontop square in the face. The impact was enough to put a stop to Hitmontop's spinning, and the handstand Pokemon fell flat on its back.

This was Caiseal's chance. It was better to attack it while it was still trying to reorient itself. Now or never. "Alright, Raven! Finish it with Foul Play!"

Ravenclaw wrapped her talons around Hitmontop's arm and flapped her wings to take him into the air. Everyone gasped as the darkness Pokemon carried Hitmontop into the sky, their eyes fixated on the two in anticipation of what was to come. Hitmontop attempted to break free, but the bird's grip on its arm was iron tight. Then, once Ravenclaw was high enough, she spun Hitmontop around twice before letting go and throwing him down to the ground. With a harsh thud that resounded through the stadium, Hitmontop hit the ground so hard, debris and dust flew everywhere.

"No! Hitmontop!" Theo cried out.

"Aw yeah!" Julia leaped from her seat and immediately began cheering, even though the outcome of the match hadn't been decided yet. But she had a feeling she knew Caiseal was going to win this one. "Go, Caiseal!"

Gradually, the dust settled, and the judge looked over to examine Hitmontop. The handstand Pokemon was flat on its back, eyes closed, completely unconscious, with its left leg twitching just a bit. "Hitmontop is unable to battle!" The judge pointed a green flag in Caiseal's direction. "The winner is Ravenclaw the Murkrow!"

"Alright!" Caiseal jumped up and down, his joy overflowing like soda fizz. Ravenclaw flew in circles around him, making delighted squawking noises in light of her victory.

"And Murkrow wins the match!" Mr. Goodshow announced. "What a turnaround! Now that's what you call a battle!"

Whitney frowned. "Man, Hitmontop lost. I've never seen that attack before."

"It's called Foul Play!" Julia exclaimed, eager to explain. "You saw how Hitmontop raised its attack power with Work Up, right? Well, Foul Play allows a Pokemon to attack it by using their opponent's strength against it! The more attack power it has, the more damage it does!"

Theo knitted his brow as he called Hitmontop back to its PokeBall. "It's okay, Hitmontop. You still did great. I guess this is what I get for using you shortly after you evolved," He whispered to himself, his voice adopting a twinge of regret.

Caiseal stroked Ravenclaw's hat. "Do you want to switch out?" Ravenclaw shook her head, choosing to remain in the battle. "Alright then. But don't push yourself too hard." Just like that, Ravenclaw flew back to her position on the battlefield.

Theo wasted no time choosing his next Pokemon. "You're next, Magcargo!" Out from his PokeBall came a larger version of Slugma, except this Pokemon had a large, circular rock on its back with a tiny flame flickering from a hole on the side.

"Is everyone ready?" The judge asked. Both boys stared at each other in silence, which told the judge all he needed to know. He raised both flags. "Begin!"

"I'm going first this time!" Caiseal cried out. "Ravenclaw, use Wing Attack!"

Ravenclaw's wings glowed white as she thrust herself into the air, charging towards Magcargo at increasing speed.

"Iron Defense!" Theo commanded.

Magcargo's body glowed silver, adopting a sheen like steel, and didn't move an inch. Not long after, Ravenclaw collided with Magcargo's head. The force of the attack didn't budge Magcargo one bit. When Ravenclaw flew back into the air, Magcargo just stood there.

"Alright, next move! Use Dark Pulse!" Caiseal exclaimed. Ravenclaw fired a barrage of black and purple rings in Magcargo's direction, striking it point blank. Again, Magcargo didn't seem to sustain much damage, and it continued to stand there blankly. More than that, Theo was just staring at him with his arms crossed, looking oddly calm.

"Why isn't Theo making Magcargo use any attacks?" Julia asked, confused. She hadn't seen many trainers who just let their Pokemon take damage like that. Sure, Iron Defense was mitigating most of it, but relying on defense alone could only make a battle go for so long.

"He wouldn't be doing that if he didn't have some kind of plan up his sleeve," Ethan reminded her.

For all they knew, Theo might be having Magcargo deliberately wait for the perfect opportunity to attack. At this point, the battle could go anywhere. Even Caiseal found himself baffled, but he knew letting it show would probably cost him the match. Better to have Ravenclaw deal some damage than none at all.

"Raven! Don't let up! This time use Feint Attack!"

Ravenclaw flew in front of Magcargo, walking up to it disarmingly. Again, Magcargo did nothing, even as Ravenclaw socked it in the face with her talons. To Magcargo, the blow had as much impact as a playful smack and didn't hurt much at all. Ravenclaw backpedaled at least three feet. Just what in the world was with this snail Pokemon?

Then, she felt something hot erupt on her talon. She looked down and squawked in horror. Her talon had burst into flames. Searing pain shot through the rest of her body, and before long, heat completely swallowed her up. Ravenclaw broke into agonized screeching as she flew around in circles in a desperate attempt to put out the flame on her talon.

"Oh crap!" Caiseal's hands flew to his mouth. Ravenclaw was burned, and probably from hitting Magcargo just now. The pieces slowly came together. Magcargo must have the ability Flame Body, which meant that there was a chance a physical attack could result in the opponent getting burned. So this was why Theo didn't have Magcargo attack Ravenclaw. He was waiting for her to get burned, and the pain would probably be enough to make Ravenclaw completely lose focus for a while in her attempts to put the burn out. Caiseal mentally cursed himself for not preparing himself for this sooner, and he had researched Theo and his Pokemon the night before!

"Let's do this!" Theo shouted, smiling as he did so. "Magcargo, use Rock Slide!"

Magcargo's eyes glowed yellow, and a barrage of rocks materialized into thin air before they threw themselves in Ravenclaw's direction. "Dodge, Raven! Hurry!" Caiseal shouted. Ravenclaw saw the rocks charging at her and immediately made a valiant attempt to fly away. Unfortunately, pain wracked her entire body, making her unable to fly as fast as she normally would, and several of the rocks pelted her from all directions. Several of them were strong enough to knock her right out of the sky and onto the ground, piling onto her, preventing her from taking flight.

The crowd gasped as they watched the rocky onslaught. "Magcargo made use of its ability and turned the tables on Murkrow!" Mr. Goodshow announced.

Undeterred, Ravenclaw pried herself out from underneath the rocks and blew on the burning area on her talon. It didn't help one bit, but she steeled herself against the pain this time around.

"Now, use Flamethrower!"

"Block it with Dark Pulse!"

A stream of fire spewed out from Magcargo's mouth, as did Ravenclaw's Dark Pulse. Both attacks collided, evenly matched. However, the flames pushed back against the black rings, overpowering them and striking Ravenclaw head on. Heat overwhelmed Ravenclaw in every direction as Magcargo's flames sent her rolling across the battlefield, exacerbating the pain from the burn she sustained earlier. After a minute, Magcargo's attack dissipated, and Ravenclaw struggled to get back on her feet.

"Fight back with Assurance!" Caiseal cried out.

Ravenclaw opened her eyes, steeling her resolve. Then, her talons glowed purple as she propelled herself back into the air, charging right at Magcargo. Once she got close enough, Ravenclaw let out a shrill squawk as she balled her glowing talons into fists and slammed them onto Magcargo's head. Magcargo let out a yelp as the darkness Pokemon pounded her talons deep into its head.

"Ravenclaw is taking advantage of the damage it sustained by using Assurance," Gladys commented. "Trainers who really help Pokemon fully utilize their moves are most impressive."

Caiseal knew this battle wasn't going entirely in his favor. Iron Defense was still in effect, so even with Assurance, Magcargo was likely taking much less damage than it normally would. Furthermore, as much as he wanted to switch Ravenclaw out, the darkness Pokemon insisted on seeing the next battle through. A good trainer respected his Pokemon's wishes, even if things wouldn't quite turn out a certain way. Still, he put his hand in the trough, so he and Ravenclaw knew backing out wasn't an option at this point. It was now or never.

"Raven! Don't let up! Use Wing Attack!" He commanded.

Ravenclaw backpedaled by flapping her wings once, flying in a circle to increase momentum, allowing her wings to glow white. But just as she was about to charge towards Magcargo, the burning sensation in her talons suddenly flared up. Ravenclaw's wings returned to their normal color, and Caiseal could see the contorted expression on her face. She lost her concentration.

"Raven, no!" Caiseal cried, mentally admonishing himself for not switching her out.

Seeing the opening, Theo smirked, wasting no time taking it. "Magcargo! Knock it out with Rock Slide!"

"Maaaaa!" The snail Pokemon called forth a barrage of rocks that piled onto the tired crow. The pain was so overpowering that Ravenclaw didn't have it in her to dodge the attack. Rocks of all shapes and sizes piled on top of her, trapping her underneath them. After a brief moment, the rocks disappeared, leaving an unconscious Ravenclaw in their wake. Her eyes were closed, and her beak was wide open, with no sound coming out.

"Murkrow is unable to battle!" The judge announced, pointing a red flag in Theo's direction. "And the winner is Magcargo!"

"Yes!" Theo threw his fist in the air with a cheer. Magcargo simply let out a merry laugh, rejoicing in its victory.

"And with that, Ravenclaw the Murkrow is out for the count!" Mr. Goodshow announced as Ravenclaw's image faded to black on the screen. "Now both trainers only have two Pokemon left! Who will Caiseal use next?"

"Woo! Go Theo!" Whitney cheered, throwing her fist in the air just like her cousin did.

"Aww, poor Ravenclaw," Julia whimpered, her heart going out to the darkness Pokemon. "She worked so hard, too."

Similarly, Caiseal frowned as he called Ravenclaw back to her PokeBall, but forced a smile as he gave her some reassurance. "It's okay, girl. You were awesome. Take a nice long rest."

One loss wasn't going to deter him. Ravenclaw did her part, and as far as he was concerned, that was all that mattered. Besides, there was still a chance to turn this battle around. Caiseal's smug smile returned as he already decided on his next Pokemon. If he played his cards right, he could defeat Magcargo.

"Alright! Mallow, get out there!" Caiseal sent out Mallow, who appeared on the battlefield bone in hand.

"And Caiseal has chosen a Marowak," Gladys commented.

"We can handle this. Right, Magcargo?" Theo asked. The snail Pokemon gave a low moan and a reassuring nod, its yellow eyes narrowing and adopting a determined sheen.

Caiseal raised his eyebrows. Magcargo was staying in the battle? Surely he knew ground types were strong against fire types. Why wasn't he switching Magcargo out? Or maybe he had another strategy planned. He wasn't sure. But wasting his time thinking wasn't going to win the battle. After all, Caiseal wasn't worried. He knew Mallow could handle himself in battle, and Mallow wasn't his first Pokemon for nothing.

"Marowak versus Magcargo!" The judge raised his flags. "Battle begin!"

"Mallow, use Bone Rush!" Caiseal cried out.

On cue, Mallow readied his bone and charged right at Magcargo, whacking and pounding on the fire snail with all the strength he had. At one point, Mallow smacked Magcargo so hard in the face with his bone, the fire snail was knocked backwards. Still, with Iron Defense still being in effect, Magcargo took little damage, even with Mallow's type advantage.

Theo pushed his glasses up above his nose. "Magcargo, use Sandstorm!"

Magcargo retreated into its shell and began spinning at high speed, kicking up so much dirt from the battlefield that it turned into a swirling cyclone that towered over the entire stadium. It didn't reach over the spectator seats, so the audience wasn't in harm's way, but they lifted their heads up to watch the sandy tornado reach into the heavens, eyes and mouths open in awe. Being a ground type, Mallow barely felt the sand pelting his body, as they were little more than light itches to scratch than all out attacks.

"Now use Smog on it!" Theo cried out.

Smog? On the sandstorm? Everyone exchanged perplexed glances. What was Theo planning? A purple cloud puffed out from Magcargo's mouth, blending into the sandy cyclone, turning it a violet hue. As Mallow began to realize what was going on, his eyes teared up and his lungs began to burn from the toxic dust, sending him into a coughing fit. Suddenly, searing pain shot through his entire body. Every step sent fire through his veins.

"Mallow!" Caiseal cried out, immediately realizing what was going on. Theo had Magcargo use Smog on the sandstorm to increase its chances of poisoning Mallow. Furthermore, the toxic cloud and the sandstorm together obscured Magcargo from view, which he could tell was a way to make sure Mallow couldn't land his attacks on it effectively. Now that he was seeing this, he wished he still had Ravenclaw. At least she could have used her wings to blow the sandstorm and smog away. But this was not the time to be doubting himself.

"I've never seen anyone use Smog and Sandstorm like that before," Ethan noted. "Caiseal's really got his work cut out for him."

"Would you look at that!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed. "Magcargo created a poisonous tornado! How is Marowak going to get out of this situation?"

"Mallow! We can do this!" Caiseal was not going to let Magcargo get the upper hand. He couldn't let Theo win that easily. "Don't give up!"

In spite of the pain from the poison he inhaled, Mallow got back on his feet, his bone at the ready. "Slam your bone on the ground and use Earthquake!"

Mallow let out a battle cry as his bone glowed yellow, just before slamming it down on the ground with such force that the entire battlefield rumbled. White shock waves rippled across the ground, and Magcargo, unable to move fast enough, was sent flying into the air, with the poisonous sand tornado sucking it right in.

"Yeah! That'll show'em!" Perrine stood up from her seat, throwing her fists in the air, cheering upon seeing the scene play out.

Caiseal knew this was an all for nothing fight. Mallow was poisoned, so he needed to have him do all he could to at least get some strong hits on Magcargo. Switching him out would be pointless, since the poison would just whittle away at his strength before knocking him out completely. It was now or never. Caiseal needed to act, and now was the best time to do so.

"Now spin your bone as fast as you can!" Caiseal exclaimed.

Figuring out what Caiseal wanted him to do, Mallow ran to the center of the cyclone, which had already started to shrink in size. Mallow spun his bone as fast as his weakening arms would allow. Gradually, the sandy purple cloud began to dissipate before disappearing completely. Magcargo fell to the ground with a resounding thud, its body swaying from side to side. All that spinning must have made Magcargo dizzy. Caiseal smiled. This was the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Magcargo! Use Double Edge!" Theo shouted.

"You use Double Edge too, Mallow! Full power!" Caiseal shouted back.

Magcargo quickly reoriented itself and let out a battle cry as white light enveloped its body. Mallow followed suit and propelled himself towards the fire snail. Magcargo greatly increased its speed as the fire snail charged towards its opponent. Then, everyone gasped as the two Pokemon collided with such force that they both were knocked backwards. The force of the collision made them both go flying across the battlefield, sending dirt, gravel, and debris all over the place. For a moment, all was silent. Nobody took a breath. The judge walked onto the battlefield and stole glances at both Pokemon.

Both Mallow and Magcargo were out cold, with the former's mouth open in a silent scream.

He raised both flags. "Both Mallow and Magcargo are unable to battle!"

The images of Mallow and Magcargo on the screen faded to black. "Wow! It's a double knockout!" Mr. Goodshow shouted. Gladys, being right next to him, winced from the sudden shouting, and leaned away from him with one hand on her ear. "Now both sides only have one Pokemon left! Who will come out victorious?"

Caiseal returned Mallow to his PokeBall, as did Theo with Magcargo. "Thanks, buddy. You earned a good rest," Caiseal whispered softly before stuffing Mallow's PokeBall into his pocket.

Oddly enough, Theo smiled and waved at Caiseal. "Hey, Cash! I gotta say, this battle's really been fun! How about you?"

Caiseal crossed his arms. "I can't deny I'm having a good time myself. But I haven't lost yet, so don't think you've won."

"Yeah, I know," Theo said, giving a friendly shrug. The bounciness and warmth in his voice indicated he didn't have any hard feelings about Magcargo's defeat thus far, but Caiseal wasn't sure if that was entirely the case. He couldn't tell with Theo being so far on the other side of the battlefield. "May the best trainer win, right?"

Caiseal had to admit, a double knockout threw a wrench into his current strategy. If he sent out his own Pokemon first, Theo would likely send out a Pokemon with a type advantage, and vice versa. Anything could happen. He needed to make this last choice count. If he lost, goodbye Pokemon League.

"Since both trainers lost each of their Pokemon, it is standard procedure to use the roulette to decide who will send out their next Pokemon!" The judge pointed to the screen, and the stripes on the roulette wheel all lit up, flashing at a high rate of speed, going all around the circle. Gradually, it slowed down until it settled on Caiseal's color, green. "Caiseal Brownstone, choose your third and final Pokemon!"

'Crap. Well, it's all or nothing now,' As much as he didn't want this outcome to happen, there wasn't any point in dwelling on it and sent out his next Pokemon. "Apollo! I choose you!"

Out from the PokeBall came Apollo, whose neck erupted into flames as he let out a battle cry.

"Go, Kangaskhan!"

A white light shot out from Theo's PokeBall, materializing into a large, bipedal Pokemon with a brown hide and a cream colored abdomen. Yellow ears jutted out from both sides of its head, its forehead consisted of a black plate, and red eyes gleamed with conviction. Nestled in its pouch was a much smaller Kangaskhan, only its hide was a light bluish gray, with the mark on its forehead being a much darker shade. "Kangaskhaaaaan!" The bipedal Pokemon roared, as if boasting to the world that it was going to win no matter what.

"Oooh," Whitney leaned over her seat to get a better look at the Pokemon her cousin sent out. "I didn't know Theo had a Kangaskhan. I wonder when he managed to get that?" She asked out loud to nobody in particular. From the way she said that, the kids could only assume that Kangaskhan weren't too common in the Johto region. How did Theo manage to catch a Kangaskhan in Johto?

"Typhlosion versus Kangaskhan!" The judge raised both flags in the air. "Battle begin!"

"I'm going first this time!" Theo edicted, calling the first attack. "Kangaskhan, use Double Hit!"

"Kangaaaa!" Kangaskhan charged towards Apollo with a roar, raising its tail in preparation for the attack.

Caiseal smirked. He knew a way around this. "Apollo, use Smokescreen!"

Apollo got down on all fours and fired a cloud of black smoke that covered the battlefield. Kangaskhan stopped in its tracks once the smoke was thick enough to obscure its vision. The parent Pokemon covered its mouth with both arms, looking around trying to find Apollo at the same time, but saw nothing. The tables were turned this time. Caiseal knew Kangaskhan had no way of navigating through the smoke, and there wasn't anything in the field it could use to track down Apollo. Now was the time to strike.

"Eruption!"

Neither Theo nor Kangaskhan could see it coming. An explosion of fire burst out from the smoke, firing into the air before raining down on Kangaskhan. Fire completely consumed the parent Pokemon as it crouched into a fetal position, likely protecting its baby. The explosion was so strong, it cleared away all of the smoke, revealing Apollo, whose neckline was flaming red hot. By the time the flames dissipated, Kangaskhan was charred from head to toe.

"Whoa!" Perrine, Julia, Ethan, and Whitney's jaws all dropped in unison. "That did some massive damage right there!" Julia exclaimed.

"That's because Eruption is strongest when the Pokemon using it hasn't taken any damage yet," Ethan explained.

That made sense. Caiseal had Apollo confuse Kangaskhan with Smokescreen before landing a big strike. If they kept this up, Caiseal could win the battle. Julia crossed her fingers, praying that he'd win.

Kangaskhan used its arm to brush off some of the burnt spots before standing right back up. "Kangaskhan, use Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge, and use Flamethrower!"

Kangaskhan's ears crackled with electricity before firing off two lightning bolts. Being shorter and more agile, Apollo leaped away from the lightning strikes before sliding behind Kangaskhan and spewing a stream of fire right behind it. Once again, Kangaskhan roared as fire struck it right on its back.

"Don't give up, Kangaskhan!" Theo cried. "Use Dizzy Punch!"

Ignoring the flames singing its back, Kangaskhan turned around and punched Apollo hard in the face, sending him spinning in the air for a bit before hitting the ground. Apollo's face roared from the pain, but he got right back up...and suddenly, there were two Kangaskhan, then just one, then two again. His vision blurred, and he found himself swaying back and forth, unable to keep steady.

"Crap!" Caiseal forgot that Dizzy Punch could confuse a Pokemon. Now Apollo was confused.

Theo smiled, seeing an opening. "Alright! Let's win this!" He pumped his fist toward the battlefield. "Knock 'em dead with Shadow Claw!"

The parent Pokemon raised one claw into the air. Black energy materialized around it, forming a long claw with sharp fingers. Then, Kangaskhan swiped it right down, slashing the dazed Apollo, knocking him backwards to the point where he fell on his back.

"Apollo, no!" Caiseal couldn't believe this was happening.

Thankfully, Apollo was down but not out. Apollo shook his head, ridding himself of the confusion that muddled his mind and got back on his feet. He turned around to face Caiseal and gave a determined nod, telling him he wasn't done yet. Doubts washed away, Caiseal could only smile back. Apollo had come a long way since they first met when he was a Cyndaquil. Back then, he was a shy, timid little thing, sad and insecure from being passed up so many times by so many trainers. Through Caiseal's friendship and kindness, he had grown up to be this strong, steadfast, bold Typhlosion who never let anything get him down.

Now was no different.

"Even after all those attacks it took, Typhlosion is still standing," Gladys commented softly.

"We're not giving up! No way!" Caiseal shouted. "Apollo, use Flamethrower again!"

"Counter it with Thunderbolt!"

Kangaskhan's lightning and Typhlosion's flames collided in an instant, barely making any headway as both Pokemon put all their strength into them. Neither would budge, and the attacks continued to push at each other. The flames on Apollo's neck flared. He wasn't going to lose. Not now, not here, not when they had come so far! Caiseal believed in him, and letting him down wasn't an option at this point. Finally, the flames increased in size and strength, overpowering Kangaskhan's lightning and striking the parent Pokemon point blank.

"Knock 'em out with Headbutt!" Caiseal commanded.

As ordered, Apollo lowered his head and charged right at Kangaskhan, who was still reeling from the recent attack. Before it could even react, Apollo got close and rammed his head right into Kangaskhan's chest, rendering it unable to breathe. The force of the impact was enough to make Kangaskhan topple over, landing right on its back. Not long after, Kangaskhan got back on its feet, readying a fist for attack.

"Mega Punch! Make it count!" Caiseal could hear the desperation creeping in Theo's voice.

"Finish it with Flame Wheel!"

Apollo roared, allowing himself to be engulfed in flames. Kangaskhan ran towards Apollo, its fist glowing white, ready to strike, but the volcano Pokemon got the jump on it. As soon as Kangaskhan got close enough, Apollo jumped and threw himself right at Kangaskhan's face, flames exploding all around them as the strike landed. Kangaskhan skidded across the dirt, sending debris all over the place. Theo could only cry out as he watched one of his beloved partners lose their balance and lay on the ground on its side. For a moment, there was no movement. Everyone held their breaths in anticipation. Apollo got back on his feet, panting for breath.

The judge leaned over to get a look at Kangaskhan. It was completely unconscious, its mouth wide open in a silent scream.

"Kangaskhan is unable to battle!" The judge pointed a green flag at Caiseal. "Typhlosion is the winner, and the victory goes to Caiseal Brownstone!"

Pandemonium broke out. The entire audience broke into a chorus of jubilant cheers. Even Mr. Goodshow got in on it, shouting into the microphone, "What a spectacular battle, folks! Typhlosion-er, I mean, Apollo-used his speed and strength to overpower Kangaskhan! Let's hear it for Caiseal Brownstone!"

The cheering was little more than white noise to Caiseal in this moment. He had won? Really? For a moment, he thought he was dreaming. He pinched himself to be sure. The cheering continued to make his ears ring. No, this was real. A doofy smile spread across his face as he himself cheered and ran towards Apollo, tackle-hugging his Pokemon.

"You did it, Apollo! You won the match! We won together!" Caiseal embraced his Pokemon like he had been reunited with Violet, basking in the warmth of his fur. The two of them danced around in the trainer box. Meanwhile, Theo recalled his fallen Kangaskhan with a sad smile.

"You were great, girl. Take a nice long rest. You earned it," He whispered before leaving the stadium.

"Woohoo!" Ethan and Perrine cheered in unison. "Go Cash! Go Cash!"

"Hey! Keep it down!" Julia admonished, her hands on her ears. But like them, she was also happy that Caiseal seized victory. However, her happiness withered when she saw the frown on Whitney's face. Whitney stood up and walked away from the trio, leaving the stadium. Julia froze. Whitney wasn't mad, was she? Julia hoped that wasn't the case. The last thing she wanted was for Whitney to be mad, whether it be them, Caiseal, or Theo.

"I knew he'd win! I just knew he would!" Perrine jumped up and down.

"Let's go down and congratulate him," Ethan suggested. The girls were completely on board and followed him out of the stadium.

When Caiseal made it outside, he stopped in his tracks, seeing Whitney hugging Theo tightly. His heart ached. Was Theo taking the loss hard? Caiseal winced. As fun as the battle was, guilt creeped into him as he realized he crushed a trainer's chance of winning the Pokemon League. Sure, the two promised there wouldn't be any hard feelings if either one lost, but that was easier said than done. Still, he didn't want their interactions to end on a bitter note.

"Hey, Theo," Caiseal approached him and Whitney, forcing a smile. "Sorry for knocking you out of the League. For what it's worth, I really enjoyed our battle," He choked the words out, and they sounded extra forced when he saw tears at the corners of Theo's eyes.

"Don't feel bad, Cash," Whitney reassured him. "You were both absolutely amazing out there. I have to admit, I was on my toes the whole time."

Theo hastily used his shirt sleeve to wipe his tears and flashed a friendly grin that was more relaxed this time. "Whitney's right on that one, and I meant it when I said I really had fun out there. Sure, I'm sad I didn't get to the finals, but it's not the end of the world."

Caiseal shrugged, but his heart felt lighter. As sad as he was about the loss, at least he was taking it better than that other trainer Caiseal defeated, Sarah. There was always next time.

"I can see why Whitney lost to you," Theo said, extending a hand out. "Thanks for a great battle."

Caiseal took Theo's hand in his and gave it a firm shake. "Back at you."

"Cash!" Julia, Perrine, and Ethan caught up to them soon after. "There you are!" Perrine exclaimed. "Man, you were awesome out there!" Perrine's arms began flying in different directions, her excitement unable to be contained. "I knew you'd win for sure!"

His cheeks flushed red as he averted his eyes, abashed by their praise. "It's no big deal, really."

"Well, Theo and I are gonna head out. It was really nice seeing all of you again!" Whitney told them, her bright smile as radiant as ever. "Good luck to you guys!"

With that, Whitney and Theo decided to leave the Pokemon League and head back to Johto. The kids waved at them as they made their way down the path that led around Victory Road, and the duo waved right back at them. But as the silence began to settle, a new voice cut right through it.

"Caiseeeeeeeal!"

Before anyone could process who was calling out to them, a rush of yellow and purple rammed right into Caiseal, nearly tackling him to the ground. "What the-?!" He looked down to find a little girl with a blonde ponytail looking right at him, her skinny arms wrapped so tight around him, it was like she didn't want to let go. But his shock increased, in a good way this time, as he processed who had tackle-hugged him.

"Violet?!"

"Big bro!" Here was Violet, Caiseal's sister, in the flesh. "I saw your whole battle! You were awesome! I knew you'd win!"

"How did you-?!"

"Cash!"

Everyone looked up, and their jaws fell wide open. Following behind Violet were Yvette and Geoffrey, Caiseal's adopted parents, wearing big, proud smiles on their faces. "Yvette! Geoffrey! When did you guys-?"

"Sorry we couldn't make it sooner," Geoffrey began. "Violet's school only got on winter break yesterday, so we couldn't make time to come here until earlier today. But we saw your entire battle, and I gotta say, you rocked it out there, boy! Whoo-ee!" Geoffrey gave a big belly laugh as he playfully smacked Caiseal's back with one hand.

Caiseal couldn't believe this. Not only were his adoptive parents here showing their support, but his little sister, Violet! So many questions ran through his mind. How did this even happen? Wasn't Violet still technically a ward of Blackthorn City, now that Fergus and Nollaig lost custody of her? Any words he had in his throat suddenly dried up.

Seeing his confusion, Yvette took the initiative. "The agency is letting us foster her for a trial period of three months to see how she fares under our care," She explained succinctly. "We wanted our visit to be a surprise anyway."

A surprise, indeed. It worked, if Caiseal's reaction was any indication.

Julia and Perrine smiled at the sight of Caiseal's family having come together. After all that he'd been through, now his sister was here alongside his adoptive parents. She wasn't staying with them permanently, from what Yvette said, as nothing was set in stone yet. But they could see plain as day that Caiseal was absolutely elated to see them.

"Hey! It's Julia and Perrine again! Hi!" As soon as Violet saw her brother's friends, she waved at them, with one arm still around Caiseal's back.

Ethan leaned closer to Julia and whispered, "Are those Caiseal's parents?"

"Adopted parents. Violet's his little sister. Biological sister," Julia whispered back in response. "It's a long story."

Yvette clasped her hands together. "Anyway, I'm sure you're probably hungry after all those battles you've all had. How about we all grab something to eat?"

Geoffrey winked. "Y'all can't battle on an empty stomach, now can ya?" He pointed towards the Pokemon Center. "We found out the PMC's havin' a special sale going on at the all-you-can-eat buffet for winning trainers."

A special discount for winning trainers? The kids all looked at each other, their eyes gleaming as they all perked right up. It helped that Ethan's battle wasn't until later at night, so they still had a few hours to spare before then. "Sounds awesome!" Ethan exclaimed, pumping his fists. "No way am I turning down a sweet deal like that! I say let's eat!"

Just like that, the kids, along with the Ashers, made their way back towards the Pokemon Center for dinner. Caiseal couldn't stop smiling the entire way there. His sister was back, and his adopted parents were still working to make sure she could stay with him permanently. For now, he was just happy to be alive, and the victory was just a bonus. One could only wonder what tomorrow would bring, now that he and Perrine were set to advance.

A/N: Ugh, I wish I had put this one out last month, since it was my 27th birthday. Oh well. The next chapter's going to be interesting, and I hope it won't take as long for me to churn it out as this one did. I want to finish this story this year and work on other things before tackling the next arc! This is what I get for constantly playing new video games and being stuck in the house no thanks to the pandemic. Hope you enjoyed this one.

Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle

Papillon (Butterfree, Female, Calm Nature)
Ability: Compound Eyes
Attacks: Confusion, Bug Buzz, Air Slash, Quiver Dance

Neji (Furret, Male, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Dig, Hyper Voice, Sucker Punch, and Quick Attack

Karin (Smoochum, Female, Impish Nature)
Ability: Forewarn
Attacks: Pound, Confusion, Powder Snow, and Sweet Kiss

Lavinia (Scyther, Female, Rash Nature)
Ability: Steadfast
Attacks: Quick Attack, Fury Cutter, Wing Attack, and Agility

Ladybug (Ledian, Female, Timid Nature)
Ability: Early Bird
Attacks: Bug Buzz, Swift, Drain Punch, and Reflect

Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack

Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain

Baloo (Wigglytuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Hyper Voice, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam

Mushi (Parasect, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Cross Poison, Growth, and Giga Drain

Fuwari (Jumpluff, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball

Chirin (Ampharos, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam

Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Earthquake, Headbutt, and Rock Smash

Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flamethrower, Eruption, Rollout, and Smokescreen

Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Foul Play

Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure

Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Ice Beam, and Slam

Electra (Elekid, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thundershock, Low Kick, Quick Attack, and Leer