Elite Four Drake VS Leader Terran

[KANE]

DRAKE
VS
TERRAN

_{As an apology for dropping our thread that I know you were so looking forward to, and trying to make up for how badly I feel about it, here's your belated Christmas present, how I see this epic battle would have gone.}

"Been a while, eh Drake?"

That's the greeting cast from one seasoned battler to the aged member of Hoenn's Elite Four. Across the room Terran's voice echoed, bouncing between the boulders placed on the battle floor to make artificial terrain, and skirting across the water in the middle as well.

Across the darkened room from the door that had opened, an old sailor picks up his head, his tired gaze looking past his battleground at the figure shadowed by the light from behind the open doors. That voice was something he'd managed to retain in his old age, something that was all too familiar from a battle the old man would never forget in his time on this earth. It had been one that challenged him for his win, contrary to so many other fights that he'd seen in his time. He placed his gnarled hand upon the table he'd been sitting at, soon feeling the rough head of his dear Salamence propped beneath his elbow to support his old body as he stood.

"Thank ya, Themis." Drake murmured, using his pokemon's support to move to the wall just feet away and switch on the lights to illuminate the area between he and the man that had appeared in the door. The battleground sprang to life with color as it grew brighter, mirroring what it would have looked like outdoors were the freezing winter not taking its chilled grip on the Hoenn region.

Drake moved forward, his slow limp bringing him to the red semicircle at his end of the battlefield to assume his position as he would for any challenger before he faced the man that approached him from where he'd just stood in the entryway.

The doors closed behind him as he neared, eventually stopping in his own blue semicircle before Drake spoke up, the familiar voice and face finally registering in his brain. "Terran." His voice was gruff, though not unfriendly. In all rights it should have been the latter, seeing as he and the man across from him stood on opposite sides of a line drawn by ideals. Though that boundary meant almost nothing to Drake besides the fact that a few young people had gotten too bent out of shape over the fact that others didn't see eye-to-eye with them.

The war that had broken out because of that was another matter in itself entirely. However, Drake paid no mind to that, and treated this situation mostly the same as he would have in his younger years as the member of the Elite Four he was, minus the precautions from his end that were born from the slight worry he felt for the man standing before him.

"D'ye have any idea how dangerous it is fer ye' here?"

"Could say the same for you."

Drake's eyebrow rose slightly in slight amusement at the quick return of an answer, followed by a grin from the man across from him "How've things been holding up on your end?"

A rough exhalation of air escaped through the old man's nostrils and the Dragon pokemon next to him turned her spiked head to glance back. It was vague amusement that caused that sound. Normally in the state things were in now, others would just assume the worst, yet the young one before him still had the decency to ask, as though he's doing something more thna just making conversation. "I've been...I guess fine." The sailor bends his pride momentarily to admit, "I've grown old, Terran, watchin' the war around me slowly break Hoenn." Terran surely knew that pain all the more than Drake, "It's been like a hell on earth, really, watchin' the region suffer while countelss people fight for it on both sides of the battlefield, drawin' blood from those they think of their enemy that could have been their neighbor for years before until their views clashed irreversibly."

He sighs and shakes his head. The younger generations will know nothin' but pain 'til they realize this fightin's pointless, an' that as human bein's it's in our nature to not agree all the time. A gruff laugh barely escapes him, the only way he can express his disappointment in the young people of today.

Terran turned his head slightly at the sound that came from the old trainer before him. Drake notices the gesture, and shakes his head, moving one hand back and forth as though to clear his own thoughts as much as he tries to break the other's curiosity. "Don' mind me, Terran." he says, "Jus' an old man an' his musin's."

There's a chuckle from the other end, followed by, "Whatever you say, you old sea dog."

Drake smirks, looking up at the man that had come back after his defeat at Drake's hands years ago. "Well, Terran. Time t'get down to th'point, yeah?" Drake takes his arm off of his Dragon's head, crossing them over his chest firmly and assuming the stance he had so many times in his career. "I'm going t'assume yer not here just t'say 'Hello' an' ask fer some tea before headin' off on yer way." Drake chuckles to himself, "Ye ready to challenge me again and try te defeat me as ye did years back?"

Terran smiles a bit, nodding before answering the question. "You'd be right in that hunch, Drake." Drake nods, an old grin that hasn't been seen in years making its way across his face as he vows to give this trainer everything he's got, just as he had years ago. He expects the same from Terran, as it was done years ago.

This was the time for a brief moment in history to repeat itself.

Drake coughs once, clearing his throat before standing taller than he had in years, raising his voice to the gruff, bold challenger that he's been for the entirety of his life.

"I am the last of the Pokemon League Elite Four, Drake the Dragon Master! In their natural state, Pokemon are wild living things. They are free. At times, they hinder us. At times, they help us. For us to battle with Pokemon as partners, do oyu know what it takes? Do you know what is needed? If you don't, then you will never prevail over me!"

The men move as mirror images of each other as they each reach for pokeballs on their belt, throwing heir arms forward to release the powerful creatures within the tiny, red-and-white spheres that held them.

Red energy shoots forward from each capsule as it opens, one landing straight in the water while the other takes its place on the ground. Drakes pokemon towers above the field, as Hyperion the Gyarados glares down menacingly at the Camerupt that has taken form on the ground and stares stubbornly upward at the Atrocious pokemon methodically moving its tailfin up and down in the water. "Hyperion, give us a Dragon Dance!" Drake commands, seizing the situation immediately without hesitation. This was going to be a serious battle. He had no expectations for the outcome. "Kilimanjaro, Focus Energy!" comes the call from across the field.

The Gyarados growls and the Camerupt returns the sound with a snort of its own, and the two pokemon have sized each other up. Satisfied with the rivalry established so easily between them, they obey their commands. Hyperion's serpentine body twists this way and that, his immense jaws hanging open as the growl resonates to something comparable to a roar as it feels its body growing ready for an attack, as though the adrenaline pumped through its veins has taken an immediate hold. The Camerupt on the ground glares up at the Gyarados, determination in its gaze as though it knows it's at a disadvantage against the water-type. A visible blue aura surrounds its body as it shifts its weight from foot to foot, picking up each of its front hooves in turn and stomping down on the ground.

"Alright!"
"Good!"
"Dragon Dance again!"
"Pack a wallop with Ancientpower!"

Drake smirks as his pokemon repeats the process, despite the fact its instincts are probably screaming at it to attack the Camerupt on the ground at this very moment. Good on ye, Terran...usin' Hyperion's weakness to Rock-type attacks an' exploitin' that after a Focus Energy!

The Camerupt on the ground's blue aura turns to white while the Gyarados weaves back and forth, ever increasing it's power while a silver orb of energy forms before the Camerupt's forehead. Small rocks from the ground rise with the growing power until it looks like a floating boulder. The Gyarados stops its mystical dance and glares at the Camerupt, sidefins out lateral to its head, ready for the attack yet to be fired. "Now, Kilimanjaro!" The fire-type obeys, rearing upward before stomping down upon the ground, sending the ball of rock and energy flying towards the serpent opponent.

"Watch it, Hyperion! Counter with a Hydro Pump!"

A dense sphere of water formed in the Gyarados' jaws before it erupted outward in a forceful jet that clashed with the sphere of rock and energy headed straight for it. Terran's eyes widened with surprise at the risky technique, ducking under the cover of his one arm as water exploded outward around the Ancientpower attack, drenching him in the process of hitting the Hydro Pump's target - the Camerupt. Terran's attack proved not to be in vain, though, as the enduring little ball of energy pushed through the tail end of the Hydro Pump, colliding straight with the Gyarados' forehead. The Serpent-like pokemon roared as the attack - surprisingly powerful for its size - sent the Gyarados backwards, onto its back and across the ground of the battle arena. Its steel-hard scales dragged a trench into the ground, and the crest of its head hit the metal wall abruptly, stopping it from damaging the arena anymore.

"Hyperion!" That was something Drake hadn't expected, the Ancientpower to break through the force of the Hydro Pump. Then again, maybe he was going even more senile than he realized, not thinking about that possibility. Drake's black eyes turned to look at the Camerupt that had been brought to its knees under the power of the Hydro Pump and its immense weakness to water-type attacks. The pokemon shuddered as it tried to keep its eyes open, determined to see if the opponent it had attacked with such a force would stand again, or if it would come out on top itself.

Drake looked back when he heard the sound of scales scraping against rock. His Gyarados curled its long body around on the dry earth, pushing itself to raise its head once more. The Camerupt across the way seemed to sigh in disappointment before its eyes closed and it fell to the ground on its side, fainted from the previous attack. Hyperion prided himself in the defeat of the rival he'd established for the time of the battle, letting out a roar of triumph. The sound was weak, though, and the powerful pokemon's "voice" seemed to tremble as it proclaimed its victory for all in the area to hear. Moments later, the pokemon's violet eyes rolled, and its eyelids fell as though weighed down by exhaustion. Its body went limp, and the head that had been so proudly held high crashed into the water, sending a splash of the liquid up to Drake, drenching its trainer and the Dragon beside him in the process.

He stood, staring with utter surprise at his fainted pokemon. That Focus Energy must've paid off... Drake silently realizes, pulling Hyperion's pokeball from his belt and returning the fainted Gyarados as Terran returned his Camerupt. Imagine that, a Critical Hit on the first try.

"You seem to have a new array of pokemon, Drake!" Terran shouted across the arena, his voice a mix of amusement and disappointment, as though he had expected to fight the same pokemon he had years ago, with a strategy devised to defeat them the way he was unable to do so before. "I'm surprised with that! You didn't seem like much of one to change something like that up!"

Drake smirks, fingering another pokeball as he decides who to send out next. "Ye didn' expect me t'stay with the same group f'rever, I hope!" He smirks some as he pulls another ball from his belt. "I'll not be so kind as t'tell ya now if it's all original from here on out or not. Stay on yer toes!"

He throws his arm forward, one of his Flygon bursting from the pokeball, instantly setting the sound for her battle with the gentle hum of her wings as she hovered on her side of the water, waiting for her opponent to appear. "DJ, come on out!" Terran shouted, the Seismetoad taking form and instantly hopping in the water once it materialized from its mass of energy within the pokeball.

"Chaos --"
"DJ, move now! Muddy Water!"

Drake bites his tongue when he's cut off, and the frog-like pokemon stands in the shallow end of the water and uses it to help his own attack, the water churning around his body in a spiral motion like a pinwheel and taking on a dark brown mud-color, rising slightly from the water level and launching straight at the Flygon hovering just on the other side of the water body. "Chaos, dodge it!" The Flygon zipped to the side, narrowly missing being splashed by the spiralling water.

Terran didn't need to command his pokemon again for it to take initiative in the battle and continue the assault of Muddy Water upon the dragon. The Flygon responded by moving this way and that to avoid being struck, only stopping when the Seismetoad vanished beneath the surface of the water.

Confusion set in to both trainer and pokemon. Drake frowned as he lost sight of the opponent, instantly tensing as his Flygon turned slightly, belly facing the water as she peered deep into its depths to see her opponent.

Terran smirked.

Too late Drake realized Terran's plan. "Chaos, get away from the water!"

The dragon looked at him before turning to fly upward. However, the realization had taken too long and the Dragon was struck for its trainer's delay. The Seismetoad burst upward through the water, spiralling Muddy Water around it as it punched upward into the Flygon's belly, shooting the water straight up and engulfing the Flygon momentarily in the vortex before the attack faded.

Before his pokemon was tossed to the side, Drake saw that her long antennae had made contact with one of the bulbous bumps on the other pokemon's skin. It was Drake's turn to smirk, despite the fact that his Flygon went skittering across the ground on her side, stunned momentarily from the impact and force of the attack.

"All right, DJ!" Terran encouraged his pokemon, a smile spreading on his face. He'd managed to land a direct hit on Drake's pokemon, and his Siesmetoad was good as new to continue the battle at hand.

"Chaos..." The Flygon pushed herself up, staying on all fours awkwardly as she prepared to use the technique she knew Drake would command her to use. "Let that pokemon taste a Giga Drain" The Flygon nodded before obeying, closing her eyes and let a green light coat her antennae, followed by a green light appearing on the bulbous bump on the opponent's skin where they'd made physical contact. "Huh?!" Terran seemed to stare momentarily at his pokemon as a green light connected the antennae on his opponent to DJ. The Seismetoad audibly croaked, its eyes going wide as it felt its strength draining at an incredibly rapid rate. It struggled to shore instantly, clinging to the edge as the Flygon in turn grew stronger, pushing herself to stand as she continued to drain energy from the opponent, and cause him to lose enough strength to faint while she returned to almost full health.

"DJ, return!" Terran called, as though his pokemon could still hear him as its unconscious body was drawn back into its pokeball. "Good move, Drake, but I wonder if your Flygon can keep up with its same species?!" Drake narrowed his eyes when a second Flygon appeared in the battle. "Alright, I'll match that! Chaos, go!"

There was no order to attack, and instead this would be a test to see if the Flygons could, in fact, match each other. Terran barked the command for his Flygon to meet Chaos. The two dragons parried above the water, their claws, tails, and wings clashing as they zipped back and forth, never using an attack outside of their own strength and natural weapons for attack and defense.

The two Flygon spiralled upward in their spar, twisting and turning each time they exchanged blows, calls of their own being heard across the whole field, and drawing the attention of the three on the ground below, watching to see which one would come out on top. Finally, it seemed the trainers were satisfied with the comparison, as though a mental link had been established between the dueling friends. "Chaos, show us a Flamethrower!"

Terran wasn't about to let him get away that easily, "Mirage, come back with a Dragon Claw!"

A pillar of flame erupted from the mouth of Drake's Flygon, and Terran's own dragon raised its hands, claws glowing blue as it ducked its head down when it charged straight into the flames. Drake's eyes widened, "Bold move, that!" he exclaimed to his opponent across the way. He must have been confident that his Flygon would be able to take a head-on scorching of the Flamethrower loosed from his own's jaws.

As if in response, the flames stopped abruptly when Mirage sliced downward across Chaos' chest in an X-shape with a dual Dragon Claw, her pained cry echoing through the stadium as she instantly fell, as though her wings had given up on flight and she plummeted toward the waters below.

"Chaos!" Drake moved quickly, drawing her pokeball from his belt and sending it forward, touching the dragon's green skin before she could make impact with the liquid below, returning to a safehaven on Drake's hip.

He wasted no time sending out his second Flygon, the mate of the one that had just fainted. This one was bigger, faster, and stronger than Chaos was. "Khronos! Waste no time! Get up there!" The Flygon nodded its head and took off, a deeper buzzing from its wings filling the stadium as it zipped toward the Flygon in the air.

"Brace yourself, Mirage!"

Drake glances away from his pokemon flying towards the opponents to steal a glance at Terran. Yer risky move earlier has significantly weakened that Flygon! Ye don't stand a chance! As though he feels Drake's gaze burning into him, Terran looks down, spurring the old man to look up, just in time to see the two Flygon clash in mid-air.

The force with which Khronos was flying shoved Mirage back many feet, though Terran's Flygon had met it abruptly, locking its claws with Khronos' own, letting go once they spun around and sending Drake's Flygon wheeling for only a moment before he righted himself.

"Khronos, Dragon Tail!"
"Mirage use Dragon Claw again!"

The pokemon flew at each other, and Terran's Flygon reached out to slash Khronos the same way it had slashed Chaos, but the dragon Drake had sent out was not going to fall prey as easily. It somersaulted in mid-air, its tail glowing bright green as it brought the appendage down powerfully upon the head, neck, and back of Mirage.

Direct hit!

It was Mirage's turn to plummet toward the ground at an alarming rate. "Don't back down, Khronos, drive 'im in with a Faint Attack!" The Flygon nods and vanishes, appearing seconds later just above the back of the other Flygon, latching his claws into its shoulders and placing his feet on its knees and pulling up slightly so the impact with the ground isn't nearly as direct, and instead driving the pokemon across the rough terrain.

A petite explosion of rock, gravel, and dirt-dust flew up in a cloud, covering the scene from view before the humming vibrations of Khronos' wings whirled it away. The victor hovered over its defeated opponent.

The Flygon in a tiny crater doesn't move other than the occasional tail twitch, signifying its life still.

Khronos lets out a snort of breath from its nose, eyes narrowed as if to be satisfied with avenging his mate's defeat.

Mirage is returned and Terran chooses his Hippowdon as the next pokemon for the field. "Don't let 'im prepare, Khronos! Faint Attack again!"

The Flygon mirrors itself from just earlier, vanishing before reappearing just feet away from the broad pokemon on the ground, flying towards it to strike. "Not so fast! Captain Crunch, give them an Ice Fang!"

"Ach!" Drake exclaimed, clapping a hand to his forehead as the Hippowdon's mouth opened and closed just in time, icy blue-colored fangs lengthening the teeth within its mouth as it crunched down on the back of the Flygon that quite literally flew right to its own demise. Khronos screeched and writhe, attempting to get away from the most painful attack before its skin turned blue, the color seeping across its entire body, ice crystals forming on some of the surface of its skin before it fell unconscious, though remaining stiff as a crystal.

The Hippowdon spat the frozen Flygon to the ground, chewing its own tongue as though content with itself. A gruff laugh escaped Drake. "An eye fer an eye, two quick rounds right then, ey?"

The duo each had only three pokemon left each.

Terran only nods, to which Drake responds with casting out two pokeballs now, one to return the fallen Khronos and the other to release the Altaria Aella. "Prepare yerself, Aella!"

[/u] The pokemon nods, understanding her trainer's intention before letting a red glow coat her body. Terran and his pokemon stood, watching the Altaria carefully and remaining unmoving, as she had not yet attacked.

"Aella, Sky Attack!"

The Altaria appeared to burst into flames, before rushing forward for the Hippowdon head-on. "Careful of its Ice Fang" The Altaria's song-like call from within her flaming attack assured him she'd heard. "Crunch!" It was the only thing Terran said, his Hippowdon tilting its head to the side in an attempt to chomp down on the Altaria's wing as she grazed by his side, the powerful attack burning his skin as she plummeted into him, the Crunch only grabbing enough of her wing to rip some of the cottony down from it.

She flew away, the fiery cloak fading as she circled around slowly, flying calmly through the air as her opponent picked itself up, shaking its head before Terran shouted another command, "Whirlwind!"

What?!

The Hippowdon obliged, and as though summoning a powerful Nor'easter, wind blustered through the stadium, sending Aella spiralling helplessly through the air and into a wall, where she dropped down to the ground, laying in a fluffy lump, unconscious from the collision with the wall.

Drake grumped silently to himself. Aella was by far the most delicate of his team - a single collision with the wall had spelled her end in that battle. Then again, she had hit her head, had she not?

"Return!"

He calls the Altaria back, black eyes narrowed. He's beginning to sweat now - he has only two pokemon left, and the Hippowdon out there had spelled the end of two of his team. It was time to play his second surprise - the only other difference from the last time he'd battled Terran.

"Aphrodite!" He tosses the pokeball to the water, unleashing the beautiful Milotic that had been contained within. She posed elegantly in the water, as though flaunting her beauty while keeping a careful eye on the pokemon on the land. Terran hooked his thumb in his belt, as though waiting for Drake to move.

Don' go an' patronize me, child. Drake found himself grumbling silently to himself.

"Show us a Dragon Pulse!" The Milotic obliged, rearing back her head and gathering energy in her mouth, her entire body becoming outlined in a sea green color as it concentrated in a sphere that she was preparing to launch at the opponent.

"Bad, bad, very bad! Captain Crunch, Earthquake!"

The ball of energy fired and the ground shook as both attacks launched simultaneously. The Hippowdon was bowled backward by the powerful attack, while the Milotic wailed a lament as the shaking earth hurt her where she remained in the water. Her head swayed as she kept her body above the surface of the water. Drake stumbled slightly from the attack, needing to catch himself on Themis' head once more so he could bark the order for Aphrodite to attack once more.

"Hydro Pump!"

The Milotic snapped her eyes open, steeling her body against the fading vibrations of the earth as she prepared her second attack while the Hippowdon was still struggling to get back to its feet. The forceful jet of water loosed from her mouth, colliding with the enemy pokemon and pushing it backwards rapidly, scraping it across the ground until it smashed against the far wall. Terran had needed to jump out of the way as not to get run over by his own pokemon. "Captain Crunch!" he called, hoping that his pokemon was somehow still alright.

When he received no response, he folded and withdrew it, waiting a moment to think about his next move.

Drake feels himself beginning to pant slightly from the effort of standing for so long. The rate at which he feels his body deteriorating is alarming. Little does he know this would be his last true battle.

Terran sends out his Golurk and commands it to use Hammer Arm against Drake's beautiful Milotic.

"I don't think so!" the older man shouts as the blue Ground-type flies upward into the air, right arm glowing white before it turns, letting its body face the opponent in the water before practically free-falling toward her. The Milotic, too, steels itself for the next attack as its trainer mentally was.

When the Golurk was feet away, the Milotic drew back her head, as though predicting the command that came from her trainer's mouth only a heartbeat later. "Ice Beam!"

At point-blank range, it was like an explosion of white and blue energy outward, the blue of the Milotic's cold attack colliding with the arm of the Golurk, before piercing its chill straight through the center of the pokemon's body. Drake breathes a sigh of relief as the Golurk splashes into the water below, the Ice Beam doing its job and taking down its opponent in a single, lucky hit.

"Megas...return."

Terran's nervous now, though he does a good job of keeping it out of his voice. He has only one pokemon, and he knows Drake has two. One, he feels confident he can take out quickly, and the other is the only problem he has left riding on his shoulders - the dragon standing ever so loyally beside its master, supporting him as the battle between them carries on.

Swallowing, the one-armed man speaks up for Drake to hear. "You've managed to push me this far, Drake!" he calls, forcing his voice to grow stronger and more confident despite his clear disadvantage. "But things won't be the same as they were last time!"

Drake squints across the way, as though trying to decide if his opponent is serious or not, though he already knows full well the answer to that question. "Show me that ye mean what ye say!" He yells across the open area, "Because right now ye sound like someone who's been backed int'a corner!"

Terran bites his lip, mentally preparing himself for the end to this battle. "I call out Old Ironsides!"

His last pokeball flies and releases the massive Torterra from within, and it stares defiantly at the Milotic in the water across from it, awaiting a command.

"Aphrodite, Ice Beam" Drake wasted no time in reaching to confirm his victory against Terran for the second time in his life. The Torterra stood defiantly staring out at the Milotic that swam forward, sucking in a breath only to release it with the freezing power of an Ice Beam, straight for the opponent. "Move, Ironsides!"[/b] Terran commands, "Give us a Wood Hammer!" The pokemon begins loping along just seconds later, flinching as the beam of ice razed across the back of is shell, though it doesn't let something like that stop it.

It rushes (as quickly as it can) for the Milotic that has drawn back, staring at it as it approaches with narrowed eyes. Once it's close enough, Ironsides spun, the tree upon its back (which had just been glowing) slamming against the side of the water-type that put itself in striking range by swimming closer to fire the Ice Beam attack.

The tree slams against the neck of the Milotic, and the pokemon wails another lament - this time louder and more sorrowful than the first - as she is struck by the powerful attack, having her neck thrust against the ground. She wails, the heartbreaking sound echoing through the stadium as she feels her health draining away. She's remained strong for the most of this battle, but a powerful, close-range attack like the Wood Hammer was too much for her.

Her wails died as the Torterra regained its footing next to the fallen Milotic, almost crumbling to its knees itself. Recoil Damage... Drake notes, straightening for himself, knowing that his last and final pokemon is the one that had been standing by his side to support him for so long. "Aphrodite, return!" The pokeball soars into the air and recalls the Milotic from the field.

"Ironsides!" Terran called, rushing out momentarily to his pokemon as Drake pointed to the center of the battlefield, Themis taking initiative and drawing herself upward, red wings beating powerfully for her to gain altitude as she stays in one place, watching the opponent tend to his pokemon.

"Heal..." In the flash of a Full Restore, the Torterra is back at full throttle.

It was time for the conclusion of this long battle.

The trainers spoke as one, opening their final fight to bring their battle to a conclusion.

"Themis, Go!"
"Old Ironsides, Go!"

The two pokemon clashed, long and hard. Themis using her aerial advantage and speed over the Torterra to clip it multiple times, while the strong pokemon remains standing sturdily on the ground, bracing itself against each attack, eyes screwed up tight against the Salamence's relentless attacks.

"Get in close, Themis!" Drake barked at his pokemon, and she obliged, dipping in dangerously close range of the Torterra's sharp beak. "Flamethrower!" It was the move that had decided their battle last time, and Drake's mouth split in a grin as he felt the victory of the fight on the tips of his fingers.

It was only when Themis yelped that Drake realized this situation wasn't the same. The Torterra had Crunched down upon his Salamence's tail and stopped her attack abruptly. Smoke rose from the back of the Torterra's shell where it had scorched the pokemon, and the rocks on her back were steaming with the temperature they had been heated to.

"Themis get away!" The Salamence spun in the air, ripping her tail free of the strong bite of the other pokemon, and flew a safe distance into the air.

"Yer Torterra has gotten stronger, Terran!" Drake called, staring at the opponent pokemon in slight disbelief. It still stood despite the flames that had just razed its back. Terran gave no response, only the flash of a smile before ordering a command as an answer, "Ironsides, hit it with a Stone Edge!"

"No--!" Drake exclaimed, as he realized the attack was swift, even so much so that a Salamence wouldn't be able to get around it. "Themis, watch it!"

She did, but she was still struck. Pointed stones rose from the ground and accelerated upward, an incredible speed that battered powerfully against the wings of the Dragon. Damn! Drake thought, Targeting the weakness of Themis' Flying typing!

The Salamence roared with pain as the stones finally finished rushing against her skin like a grater against cheese, and Drake knew he only had one more move in her - likely the same could be said for the opponent. This was what they called a 'do or die' situation, minus the possibility of death.

"Themis, finish it with a Double-Edge!"

The dragon gained a white glow, before dipping from her flight, her head angled to collide straight with the Torterra's at full speed and force. Their skulls cracked together like a bullwhip, and a stream of dust accompanied by a burst of air rushed outwards, buffeting both Drake and Terran.

Their pokemon stood as they had before the cloud of dust, Themis streamlined and practically doing a headstand against Old Ironsides' own.

The Salamence's body trembled before relaxing, going entirely limp and falling to the side on the ground.

The Torterra's knees on its front legs gave out.

A weak puff of fire escaped Themis' jaws before she drifted to unconsciousness.

The Torterra's eyes, too, closed.

A draw? Drake asked himself, looking on in shock as he limped slowly around the battlefield, determined to get to the two pokemon to confirm it for himself. Terran seemed to do the same.

As they both arrived at the scene, Old Ironsides' eye popped open, and the massive Torterra managed to haul herself to her feet. Her entire body shook and she stared straight at Drake, her eyes unblinking and he couldn't help but grin - laugh even - at the realization of the outcome of the battle as it sank in.

I've been defeated.

"Superb, it should be said!" Drake said loudly, clapping the younger trainer on the shoulder and smiling broadly at him.

"You deserve every credit for coming this far as a Trainer of Pokémon. You do seem to know what is needed. Yes, what a Trainer needs is a virtuous heart. Pokémon touch the good hearts of Trainers and learn good from wrong. They touch the good hearts of Trainers and grow strong. Go! Go onwards!"

Drake used his other arm to gesture to the front of the League building, where, were there no walls, the rest of the Hoenn region would lay.

"You, Terran, have defeated me at long last. The Hoenn region is waiting for you to save it from its detestable war!"

Drake closed his eyes and after a moments hesitation, removed his sailors cap from his head, placing it against his sternum before taking a bow to the Nox Leader.

"That was a fight worthy of the gods!"[/font][/justify][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]