Ladies and gentleman, this is one for the history books! The first time that the most powerful Pokémon Master in living memory has been challenged for his title. The Pokémon Master has the right to refuse challenge except after the World league, and so most competitors would have to wait, but this is an exceptional case. The man who has challenged him, Tobias Takuto is famed for his use of legendary Pokémon in battle. He once won the Sinnoh League using only Darkrai, except for one battle. If the challenger was to wait for the World League he would have had to give up his Pokémon and would have no chance. Yet while Tobias is known to have at least two legendary Pokémon, his opponent is something else. 'Champion' won the World League using only one Pokémon; his Charizard. Having never lost a Pokémon in an official match, 'Champion' will know that if anybody can take down a legendary Pokémon, it will be him. Ladies and gentleman, do not go anywhere. This one will be special!
Ash strode out onto the field. His jacket swept around him, blown by the wind. His face was covered by the hat that he had worn every single time he had been out in public. At his waist, six Pokéballs were on show, containing the Pokémon he had decided to use for this battle. He was calm, focused. Of all the battles he had faced, he knew this would be one of the most trying. A battle of mental strength as well as a clash of Pokémon.
Across the field, Tobias was also moving out into the sunlight. He hadn't changed much from the last time Ash had seen him during the Silver Conference, or much in the time since their last battle. His red cloak was also rippling in the wind, his grey hair swept back this time. Tobias had clearly abandoned the mystique that had seen him ease to victory all those years ago. This time he looked imposing. Confident. Powerful. Ash smiled to himself. It was that confidence that he intended to play on. In a match this important, he knew the fight started before the trainers even shook hands. Getting the edge on your opponent could make the difference. If Tobias wanted to project his confidence, Ash was fine with that. He knew how to fight legendary Pokémon. He'd had a lot of practice over the years.
In the stands, Cynthia was fretting. Along with Lance and Steven she had organized gym leaders to be spread out throughout the stadium. They had only been told that in the aftermath of the Silver Conference, extra security was wanted. If anything was to go wrong, they were to assist the stewards around them in evacuating the stadium as quickly as possible. Despite her plans, she was worried. This was the largest stadium in the world, fitting one hundred thousand people. And for a match like this, it was packed, every seat taken. Despite the design which meant that it could be emptied quickly, in case of a rogue Pokémon, she knew that if something went wrong quickly, getting people out quickly enough would be very difficult. Beside her, Lance gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She spun, causing him to chuckle.
"Don't be so nervy. You're scaring me."
Cynthia smiled back weakly.
"I'm worried. I can't help but think that we are going to cause a national tragedy here."
"I have confidence in 'Champion'." Lance said simply. "He saw the danger, he has planned for this. I am confident that he wouldn't let this go ahead if he wasn't certain it either had to happen or could happen safely."
"Even after the problems at the Silver Conference?" Cynthia asked.
"You didn't see him." Lance said. "It's not just a question of his power or his Pokémon. Before we left, I got a look at part of his face. It was scarred. Badly."
Cynthia tried to but in, but Lance spoke over her.
"It wasn't just his face. As the explosions went off, one went near us and a shockwave ripped some of his clothes. His body has been treated similarly. I don't know what happened to him. I had assumed it was the reason he wore the hat, but when I saw him later his scars were gone. But what scared me most wasn't scars that I couldn't imagine anybody living with. It wasn't the feeling of incredible power I felt coming from him. It was the expression on his face. The anger, the distress as he realized that he couldn't protect those around him."
Cynthia stood silently. She had known that there was more to the Pokémon Master than she knew, but she hadn't realized quite what. This went some way more towards explaining it.
"His attitude afterwards was scary." Lance continued, almost not talking to Cynthia anymore. "He was so determined. Like he knew he had to respond quickly, and perfectly. And he really did."
Lance trailed off, before focusing on Cynthia again.
"Yes, I trust him. Everything he has done has been for a reason, usually a good one. I have faith in him."
Lance turned away and took his seat. Cynthia watched him walk away, until she caught the eye of Steven. The Hoenn Champion smiled at her and shrugged, before following Lance back to their seats. As she slowly walked after them Cynthia thought about what Lance had said. He had vocalized what she couldn't. But he was right. She did have faith in the Pokémon Master.
"Tobias." Ash said as he reached his opponent. "I wish you luck for this battle."
"I don't need luck." Tobias said, arrogantly. "I'll beat you without it. I've done it before, and I'll do it again."
"So he knows." Ash mused. "If he starts with his first Pokémon as I expect, I'll have to... Yes. Rotation would have been good, but the first battle needs to be brutal."
"I've gotten better since then." Ash said calmly.
"And I'm unbeatable. I've tamed legends. Pokémon that make yours look pathetic." Tobias turned on his heel, not bothering with the traditional handshake. Ash raised an eyebrow, unseen with his face in shadow, and spun before striding back to his position. As he reached it, he felt something appear in his mind, and felt a small burst of relief.
"Ash."
"Mewtwo. I was beginning to wonder where you had gone. Are you nearby?"
"Yes." Mewtwo said. "Mew and I are very close. I wish you luck in this battle. You need to come through it still strong."
"Oh don't worry, I'm aware." Ash answered. "But the sentiment is appreciated. I suspect I'll see you soon."
In the middle of the field, the referee stepped up to his mark.
"Trainers, are you both ready?" A sharp nod from Ash, and a confident call from Tobias. "Very well. Challenger, release your first Pokémon."
"There is only one I'll need." Tobias said as he selected a Pokéball. "Darkrai, I began my journey with you, and I'll finish it."
As the Pitch-Black Pokémon appeared there were murmurs of awe around the arena. As powerful as Ash's Pokémon were, there was nothing to compare to being in the presence of a legendary. Darkrai was a Pokémon that was spoken of in whispers in many places, and now he was in front of the audience. Thousands of pictures were taken, flashes raining down on the battlefield. Tobias seemed pleased with the reaction, while Ash simply ignored it.
"Very well." Ash said calmly. "I believe you will enjoy this choice Tobias. Sceptile, time to fight."
Sceptile appeared on the field, the picture of calm. A twig in his mouth, which he spat out. As he looked across the field and saw his opponent a smile spread across the Grass Types face.
"For the first time in an official battle, 'Champion' uses Sceptile" the announcer called. "Against him is a Pokémon from your worst dreams, Darkrai, the legendary Pokémon rumoured to bring about nightmares. Both Pokémon seem to have recognized their opponent's strength, and are ready to rumble!"
"This will be a full six on six battle, with both the challenger and the Pokémon Master allowed to make substitutions at any point. Once one side has lost three Pokémon there will be a short intermission. The first round will be Sceptile vs Darkrai" the referee called. "Begin!"
"Darkrai, start us off with an Ice Beam." Tobias called.
Ash didn't give an order as Darkrai started to charge its attack. Sceptile stood calmly waiting for the attack to form. Both him and his trainer were doing the same thing; counting how long it took Darkrai to fire an attack. As it came in Sceptile simply leapt to one side and the attack passed harmlessly past.
"Dark Pulse." Tobias ordered. As the attack was charged the same thing happened, and Sceptile dodged easily once again.
"Again." The same thing happened. "And again Darkrai. Make it hit." Tobias snapped. Yet despite a series of attacks from Darkrai, Sceptile easily dodged them all.
"Darkrai, close the distance." Tobias ordered. "Then use Blizzard."
As Darkrai halved the distance between him and Sceptile, the Grass type simply opened his mouth and fired a Bullet Seed. The speed of the attack sent Darkrai reeling backwards again. Tobias clenched his fists in frustration. Such an attack would hardly harm Darkrai, but if he couldn't close the gap he was going to struggle to make any impact on Sceptile.
"Darkrai, use Double Team then Dark Void." Tobias barked. Darkrai raised itself into the sky and started multiplying. After a moment each of the images started firing attacks, covering the field with them. Yet Sceptile didn't seem bothered, effortlessly sliding between the attacks and impossible to pin down. Tobias started to grind his teeth. His opponent was making him look foolish and he hadn't even uttered a word since the battle started.
"Darkrai, pin that Pokémon down." Tobias ordered, his anger beginning to get the better of him. Each of the Darkrai images started to rotate through various attacks, but Sceptile continued to dodge, without seeming to be even trying. If anything, Sceptile looked incredibly relaxed.
"'Champions' Sceptile is making Darkrai and Tobias look foolish" the announcer said with a touch of glee. "Darkrai is making all the moves, but Sceptile is looking beyond comfortable. Tobias needs to find a way to pin down his opponent, before his Darkrai starts to tire."
"This is ridiculous." Brock said from his place in the stands next to Misty. Gary on her other side was equally amazed. "I watched him against you Misty, but this is something else completely. How good is this guy?"
Misty didn't say anything. Watching Sceptile easily evade Darkrai reminded her of when she was up against 'Champion'. When she had faced him, each of her Pokémon had tried their best, using their greatest strength, but landing solid hits was virtually impossible. The only decent hit she had gotten was when she had let Sharpedo crash into her Poliwrath, and her Pokémon came out of that poisoned and almost knocked out, while Sharpedo shook off the attack. Against anybody else she would have felt sympathy for the challenger, but this was not the time to feel for Tobias. She intended to relish every moment that he struggled against the Pokémon Master.
"Darkrai, use Psychic." Tobias shouted, his composure slipping. The eyes on each of the images started to glow and Sceptile stopped moving and lifted into the air. "Good. Now Dark Void."
Each of the images shot a black ball at Sceptile who seemed caught in the hold of Darkrai. As they approached there was a flash of light and Sceptile dropped to the ground landing lightly as the Dark Voids shot over his head.
"What the... Psychic again Darkrai." Tobias called. Sceptile lifted into the air once again looking bored. As the Dark Voids shot in again, Sceptile dropped back to the ground. "Again." The same thing happened. After twice more Sceptile looked at his trainer who still hadn't moved since the start of the battle. Ash calmly stood, waiting, watching the battle. He had discussed this strategy with Sceptile and the Grass-type had agreed; it suited him perfectly.
"Again." Tobias growled, only for Sceptile to not even lift off the ground this time. Tobias looked around in shock as the copied images of Darkrai started to disappear. "What's going on?" he shouted.
"It appears the effort of running so many attacks at once is taking its toll on Darkrai" the announcer shouted. "It may be a legendary Pokémon but it has been second best here and the number of attacks fired would tire out anybody. Is Darkrai going to defeat itself in this battle?"
"Darkrai, sharpen up." Tobias yelled. "Blizzard from above."
Before Darkrai could even start to charge the attack, a Bullet Seed knocked him further into the sky. As he tried again, the same thing happened. Tobias gave up; Sceptile clearly wasn't going to let Darkrai get his attacks off, and he was beginning to worry about the dangers of always attacking. If it hit, you won battles but with him not having a decent hit yet and Darkrai tiring, he was doing 'Champions' work for him.
"Darkrai, Dark Pulse. Cover the battlefield." Tobias ordered. As the attacks landed, Sceptile started to leap from one part of the field to another and back again, effortlessly dodging all the attacks. Tobias gritted his teeth. He just couldn't get a clear shot at Sceptile.
Up in the stands Lance was grinning. "Sometimes, you just have to admit that with all the politics taken out, without the risk of him losing, without the danger to the world, watching 'Champion' battle is just beautiful."
"I know." Steven said from beside him. "Tobias clearly has fallen into a trap of believing that his Pokémon will win fights by sheer power. Darkrai is quite simply out of shape."
"While there is no way that Sceptile is anything but the peak of fitness." Lance added. "I've never seen Pokémon that look as fit as 'Champions'. He is playing Darkrai. This will be over soon, Darkrai just doesn't have the stamina to keep attacking and Tobias doesn't seem to understand. Anything he has faced would struggle to dodge for as long as Sceptile has, but Sceptile doesn't even look tired!"
Cynthia sat quietly, keeping her thoughts to herself. Watching the battle below reminded her of the time when she had lost her title to 'Champion'. She had felt so utterly outclassed, and hadn't really had a chance to watch him against powerful opponents since. However, the way that he was countering Tobias' strength; Pokémon that hit hard was remarkable. Not speaking, yet winning easily. She had to admit it was impressive.
"Darkrai, for the love of Arceus, hit it." Tobias screamed. Darkrai tried. An Ice Beam which froze a large chunk of the field was followed up by a Dark Pulse to force Sceptile back towards the ice. Another two Ice Beams and most of the field was covered. Darkrai kept shooting attacks while slowly descending, trusting that Sceptile would be too busy dodging to retaliate. Sceptile glanced at Ash who ever so slightly shook his head. Sceptile seemed to groan as he leapt out of the way of the travelling Ice Beam. All of a sudden Sceptile found himself on the last piece of grass. Darkrai fired another Ice Beam directly at him and he jumped out of the way, delicately landing on the ice. Darkrai seemed to grow as he charged a Dark Void which he fired.
The leaves on Sceptile's arms started to glow and he dropped to all fours before pushing off. As he slid he used the Leaf Blade to direct himself away from the Dark Voids that were being fired at him, before ending his attack and standing up. Darkrai fired a Dark Pulse, but Sceptile kept sliding, before pushing off in a different direction. More attacks followed, but Sceptile simply skated away from each one. Darkrai started drifting closer without realizing what he was doing as Sceptile kept dodging.
In his trainers box Ash's eyes didn't leave Tobias. Tobias began to feel the scrutinizing gaze, searching him. Seeing through him. Making him struggle to think. He felt that just one more attack would finally trap the Sceptile that had now eluded Darkrai for nearly thirty minutes firing barely any attacks and without a command from his trainer.
"Darkrai, Ice Bram." Tobias shouted. Darkrai who had gotten close to Sceptile slowly, tiredly raised his arms to begin charging the attack. As it fired it shot past Sceptile who simply moved to one side. Darkrai's moves had slowed down and the Pokémon looked exhausted. Finally, Ash spoke.
"Sceptile, end it."
Sceptile grinned. The leaves on his arm glowed green again and he threw himself forwards. Darkrai tried to stop him with a Blizzard but was too slow. Before the attack had even got close to firing, Sceptile smashed into Darkrai, sending Tobias' Pokémon crashing to the ground. Sceptile crashed on top of Darkrai before leaping into the sky. Darkrai started to lift off from the ground but he was too slow. Sceptile unleashed a Solar Beam which scored a direct hit. Smoke covered the arena as Sceptile landed back in front of his trainer.
Suddenly a black ball shot out from the smoke, catching Sceptile by surprise. As it hit the Forest Pokémon he slumped to the ground, clearly asleep. As the smoke cleared, Darkrai appeared, floating in the air. Bruises were evident on the Pokémon, but it had a cruel look in its eye. Despite being on the receiving end of some serious hits, Darkrai was clearly up for more.
"This is incredible." The commentator said excitedly. "Looking down and out a moment ago, Darkrai digs deep and finally lands a solid hit on Sceptile. The power of those attacks from Sceptile were clear, but I guess this is why Darkrai is a legendary Pokémon. It takes a lot to bring one down!"
"Interesting." Ash said to himself. Across the field Tobias was looking pleased with himself.
"Well done Darkrai." He called. "Now, Dream Eater."
Darkrai's eyes started to glow, but Sceptile started to mumble, before he vanished and a dozen images appeared. Ash groaned inwardly. Wrong move.
"Now Darkrai."
An image of Darkrai shot out and hit one of the Sceptiles, who started to toss and turn. All the images vanished, while Sceptile lay and endured the attack. As Darkrai's attack ended, Sceptile stood up, still asleep and opened his mouth. A golden beam shot out, directly at Darkrai who didn't have time to dodge. The Hyper Beam sent Darkrai flying backwards, skidding along the ground, while Sceptile slumped back down again, still asleep.
"Might Sceptile win this battle while still asleep?"Steven asked in awe. "Against a Pokémon that is a master of those who are asleep? How can that be possible? Without his trainer even saying anything?"
Lance, equally stunned said nothing. Cynthia on the other hand wasn't even listening. Watching Darkrai use Dream Eater on Sceptile struck a chord with her. She had only ever seen Darkrai battle a Sceptile once before, at a Sinnoh League years previously. Darkrai lost, the only time she had seen it happen in the entire tournament. The trainer who had owned the Sceptile had vanished some time afterwards. A trainer who had been worth watching, as any that could take out two legendary Pokémon would be.
"No.." She murmured. "Could it be..."
"Did you say something Cynthia?" Steven asked, snapping her out of her reverie, before she started shaking her head. "Sorry, thought you did."
"No." She answered. "I was just thinking out loud..."
If it was Ash Ketchum she wondered, where was Pikachu?
"Darkrai, Blizzard." Tobias ordered. Darkrai emerged from the dust, looking utterly beaten. Despite this, despite the marks of battle, he held his hands together, and a gust of cold wind came through the stadium. Finally, his Blizzard attack was working. Out on the field, Sceptile started sliding backwards.
For a long moment, Sceptile did nothing. Then, suddenly, Sceptile stopped sliding. Battling into the wind, the Grass-type climbed to his feet, before glaring at Darkrai.
There was a flicker, and Sceptile vanished. In surprise Darkrai stopped his attack, a surprise exacerbated as Sceptile appeared above him, a fist drawn back. Darkrai was sent crashing into the ground, as Sceptile landed on him, before leaping back into the sky. Darkrai was struggling back up when the Solar Beam hit. The explosion was even bigger than the last one, as Sceptile flipped back, landing in front of Ash. Finally he was showing the signs of his exertion, his chest was heaving, and marks of battle showing. As the smoke cleared on the other side of the field however, it was clear that the damage had been done. Darkrai had finally been knocked out, a crater formed in the middle of the battlefield around him. Sceptile grinned, before shaking his head to clear it. He had put a lot into that Solar Beam, but it had finally ended what had been one of the most gruelling fights he had been in for a long time.
"Unbelievable! Sceptile takes the first round! Darkrai is down, having failed to take out a single one of 'Champions' Pokémon! Tobias looks stunned as he recalls his most famous legendary. I hope he has got more up his sleeve, because this is one mean Sceptile that he has to beat!"
"Congratulations, 'Champion'." Tobias called sarcastically. "You've beaten one of my Pokémon. Your Sceptile won't get past this one though." He held out an arm, and released his next Pokémon. As it appeared, there was a loud roar, and a flash of something green shooting into the sky. Another roar echoed around the stadium as the spectators looked around for what he had released. After a moment, a large green dragon settled around Tobias, leaning forwards on its front paws. Yellow rings all over its body betrayed it for the Pokémon it was.
"I don't believe this! Tobias has released Rayquaza, a Pokémon which has barely ever been seen! How on earth did he manage to catch this legend of the sky?"
Ash said nothing, just held out his hand and recalled Sceptile. As he replaced the Pokéball on his belt, he drew another and threw it into the air.
"'Champion' makes the first switch in battle since he appeared at the World League tournament. Tobias' release of Rayquaza has certainly got him rattled it seems, and he has evidently decided to call on the Pokémon that won him his title, Charizard. This beast was too hot for any team to handle, let alone individual Pokémon, but is it truly in Rayquaza's league?"
Ash wasn't listening to the announcer. He was concentrating on Rayquaza. Not many would have noticed, but the Pokémon looked far angrier than it should have. Inwardly he groaned. His fears were confirmed; as he fought each of Tobias' Pokémon, the next ones would come out affected by their defeat. In a way he was grateful Rayquaza came out now, a truly raging Rayquaza might be too much for even Charizard to handle. Although, he suspected he would have to rotate a little in this fight. He would need Charizard later.
"Folks, there seems to be something off about Rayquaza. I know it's a legendary dragon, but should it truly look so angry?"
Ash grimaced. The commentator had noticed. He would almost certainly have to take control in this battle. Not a bad thing; his Pokémon were powerful alone, but with him behind them that got even stronger.
"Rayquaza, I expect nothing but victory." Tobias said angrily. The Pokémon responded with an ear-splitting roar. "Now, into the sky."
Rayquaza shot up like a bullet. There were gasps of awe from around the stadium as the Pokémon climbed at an incredible rate. Ash looked up as Charizard followed.
"Rayquaza, trap that overgrown lizard." Tobias roared into the air. Unbidden, Ash grinned. He knew that Charizard would have heard that, and Tobias was about to find out something about the Pokémon. While he might not be a legendary Pokémon, he was Ash's greatest in terms of power. Charizard was quick in the air, but ultimately that didn't win fights. And what Charizard brought to a battlefield was the ability to strike down with as much force as a legendary Pokémon. Usually anyway. As he peered into the sky, Ash paled slightly. He knew how much this match would mean to Charizard, having missed the fight against Tobias all those years ago. He would have come out ready for a ferocious fight, but to be insulted would cause the Fire-type to get even angrier. And by looking at the size of the flame on his tail, Charizard was worryingly close to having Blaze activate. Ash smiled. Tobias had brought a team of legendary Pokémon. Even with his team he knew he would need an edge. Tobias might have just inadvertently given him one.
In the sky Rayquaza tore at Charizard at a terrific speed. Charizard spun out of the way, before dropping quickly as Rayquaza's tail swung round to try to catch the elusive Pokémon. Rayquaza tried several times more, but each time he got close Charizard moved away at high speed. In a straight dash Rayquaza was quicker, but changing direction at the speed Charizard was shooting away was proving difficult for the Sky High Pokémon. Rayquaza eventually shot into the sky, far above Charizard before roaring again.
"Rayquaza is something else." Brock said in awe. "To think that Tobias has assembled this team is terrifying."
Misty winced as Charizard answered Rayquaza's roar with one of his own, just as loud. "I just wish that we didn't have to have a fight between two dragons. They make so much noise. Why can't it be a battle between two cute Water Pokémon?"
"Cute Water Pokémon?" Brock queried. "Cute like 'Champion's' Sharpedo was cute?"
Misty grimaced. "Ok, that was one Pokémon. And fighting like that did you expect it to be cute?"
"I don't know. You think all Water Pokémon are cute don't you? You tell me!"
Misty was about to spit a retort out at the grinning Brock, but Gary interrupted.
"Guys, where has Rayquaza gone?"
They looked into the sky, but the Pokémon had vanished. It was still nearby as could be told from the echoing roars, which Charizard who had settled back onto the battlefield responded to in kind.
Tobias stood patiently waiting from the other side. He had planned for this attack to be used on a grounded Pokémon, but with Charizard not expecting it, he knew it had a good chance. Despite the defeat of Darkrai he trusted his Pokémon. Darkrai had only been good at hard hitting. Sceptile was too quick; a poor match-up. With Rayquaza there wasn't any such problem. And the legend hit just as hard as the rest of his kin, meaning that within just a couple of good hits, Charizard would be struggling. Defeating the Pokémon who had become associated with the Pokémon Master would be a huge victory.
A hush had descended on the stadium as the audience waited for something to happen. When it came it was so sudden many of them almost missed it. Rayquaza shot down like a bullet, faster than the eye could track. An orange beam was flying from the Pokémon's mouth, straight at Charizard. And Ash spoke.
"Charizard, full power Blast Burn. NOW."
The flame on the end of Charizard's tail grew in size to the point where it reached above the Flame Pokémons head. Charizard threw his head back so that the horns on his head were inside the flames and unleashed a torrent of fire that dwarfed the Hyper Beam plummeting at him. The temperature inside the stadium shot up, and some spectators screamed. Rayquaza, dropping too fast to get out of the way could only take the hit. The Sky High Pokémon was sent flying into the sky, his Hyper Beam completely negated as the flames kept coming. There was an explosion in the sky, but Rayquaza kept shooting upwards, propelled by the flames that continued to stream from Charizard's mouth. Across the field Tobias looked utterly stunned. He had assumed that he would have the power advantage, but on this evidence he wasn't even close. Rayquaza had nothing that could compare to that kind of firepower. 'Champion' had turned his Pokémon's most powerful chance at a strike against him, leaving Rayquaza no chance to dodge. As the flames finally died down, Rayquaza crashed back to the battlefield, immediately hidden among the smoke.
In front of Ash, uncovered by the residue of the explosions that his attack had set off, was Charizard. The Flame Pokémon stood proud, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he had put out an attack that put Moltres' best to shame. His trainer took a deep breath, relishing the chance for such attacks to be used. Silence covered the stadium as the spectators started to wipe sweat from all over themselves, sweat that continued to stream from many as the temperature slowly started to fall again. As they did so, they all asked themselves the same question. Just how powerful was this Pokémon?
"What... just h-happened?" Steven asked, stammering. "D-did Charizard just... Did he just take on a legendary head to head... and win?"
Lance didn't say anything. He had devoted his life to Dragon Pokémon, knowing that their power in attack and speed in defence made them very difficult to defeat. Yet one of the legendary Dragon Pokémon was crushed in a head to head fight with a non-legendary Pokémon. He had seen Charizard battle during the World League, taking down every single opponent single-handed. Before today, 'Champion' had only ever used one other Pokémon in a battle; his Sharpedo against Misty just after he took his title. Otherwise, Charizard was his go-to Pokémon for fights. And on that display of raw power, he knew why.
Next to the two men, Cynthia wasn't even concentrating on the battle. She remembered when 'Champion' had taught a whole group of students. His words and demonstrations hadn't ever truly sunk in. His words on the power of Fire Pokémon.
"You saw Charizard not get hit once whilst he struck back with overwhelming force when the chance presented itself."
On that day, Garchomp had been demonstrating; Charizard had easily dodged all of his attacks before retaliating with extreme power. She had never imagined that such a tactic was truly viable in battle; avoiding hits while waiting for that one opportunity could easily leave a Pokémon tired out. Yet watching him here she realized how that didn't matter to him. His Pokémon were in such good shape they could dodge all day. And against him it took only one mistake, the belief that you could catch him out and he struck back. Devastatingly. When she had faced him he hadn't fought like this. During that fight he had seemed in total concentration, but it wasn't. It was total control. The fact that he had been toying with her, while wiping the floor with her team was scary. She suddenly felt cold. The perfect battler. Ruthless, strategic and in charge of a devastatingly powerful team. It was a sobering thought.
"I asked could 'Champion' handle the heat of Rayquaza" the commentator called excitedly. "Clearly he could. But can Rayquaza? Tobias' second legend takes a severe beating after exposing himself to an attack from Charizard. Is it able to carry on?"
"What did you just do?" Mewtwo said into Ash's mind. "Mew and I both felt the pull. Something you did is attracting attention."
"Charizard attacked Rayquaza." Ash responded simply. There was silence for a few moments as Mewtwo processed the simple statement in mild disbelief.
"Keep this up and it will be over soon." Mewtwo warned. "I hope you're ready for some more attention."
Ash didn't bother to answer, but focused his attention back onto the battlefield.
As the smoke cleared, Rayquaza slowly came into view. The sleek body of the Pokémon was scarred, burn marks all over it. Parts of Rayquaza's body still seemed to have small bits of fire on them. The battlefield around where it lay was still partially on fire. Nearby, Tobias' completely stunned face was also visible. He hadn't moved a muscle since Charizard's devastaging attack had been unleashed. As the stadium watched, Rayquaza slowly climbed upright, before sitting on his coiled tail. The Sky High Pokémon had lost any evidence of arrogance now. To an untrained eye, the Pokémon looked a lot calmer than when it had been released. Ash could see differently. Rayquaza had settled into a cold fury. And despite the sheer power of the attack against him, he was still ready for more. Ash came to a snap decision.
Silent once again, he held out his hand and recalled Charizard. Rayquaza roared in fury as his adversary vanished in a flash of red light. Ash held out a different Pokéball and Altaria appeared in Charizard's place. Rayquaza threw his head into the sky and roared again, even louder. The Pokémon then glared at Ash, willing him to bring back Charizard, but Ash stood motionless, waiting for Tobias to make a move.
"Rayquaza, Dragon Pulse." Tobias barked, before holding his head between his hands. Ash's eyes narrowed as Tobias slowly raised his head up again and glared across the field. Rayquaza fired the attack, but Altaria just lifted off the ground and let the attack streak past.
"Rayquaza, Extreme Speed." Tobias ordered. There was a flash of green as Rayquaza shot across the stadium, but there wasn't the expected crash. As the crowd looked around, both Pokémon had vanished once again.
"Where are they?" Tobias asked. Ash didn't say anything, just pointed up. Suddenly there was a loud roar from the sky, and Rayquaza appeared once again, beginning to fall back to the ground. Cries of surprise echoed around the stadium, as it was apparent that the Pokémon was on fire once again. As Rayquaza landed, clouds started to spread across the sky, and rain began to fall. Altaria settled back down in front of Ash, whose gaze was now never leaving Tobias.
As the fires around Rayquaza died out for good, Altaria lifted into the sky and fired an attack, which Rayquaza leapt into the air to avoid.
"Rayquaza, Dragon Claw." Tobias called. Rayquaza surged forwards, with each of his claws slashing, but Altaria dodged it all, almost without trying. Altaria flipped around a claw and fired a Dragon Pulse from close range. It didn't have the power of Rayquaza's but it was still enough to send the Pokémon crashing towards the ground. Rayquaza recovered and shot an attack back, which Altaria easily dodged.
Rayquaza roared in frustration as Altaria dodged another blast and retaliated with one that hit. His inability to hit his opponents, despite his overwhelming power was getting to him. He fired another series of attacks, but they all missed as well. Every time Tobias called out an attack, the mental struggle was evident. Eventually he gave up, and allowed Rayquaza to keep attacking Altaria, who had avoided every single hit. Every so often she was getting a return strike in, which was serving to anger Rayquaza even more. The weather kept changing as Rayquaza raged, almost out of control. Even no longer calling out attacks, Tobias was struggling with Rayquaza.
"Stand and fight against me, 'Champion'." Tobias shouted, before falling to one knee. His head went straight back into his hands, before he roared, a sound echoed by his Pokémon as he surged back to his feet. "You claim to be the Pokémon Master, but you haven't stood and fought yet. You're pathetic, scared of true power."
"Is that really what you think?" Ash said quietly. His voice carried to Tobias, but very few others could hear him.
"You're weak." Tobias spat in response. "I deserve to be Pokémon Master, I brought true power to this battlefield, I..." Tobias broke off speaking and growled in pain. In the sky Rayquaza was sent tumbling by another attack from Altaria. As Rayquaza recovered and surged into the air again, the pain in Tobias' head lessened.
"Yes Tobias." Ash said, his voice laced with anger. "You brought true power to this battlefield. You have no idea what the consequences of such an action could be. Your arrogance could be the end of so much. Danger that you're not even aware of"
Tobias glared across the field and opened his mouth for an attack, but Ash beat him to it.
"Altaria!" He roared. "Giga Impact!"
Tobias looked into the sky, as there was a flash. Rayquaza couldn't dodge quickly enough and was sent crashing down again, driven by the power of Altaria's attack. As the Sky High Pokémon was driven into the ground once again, Tobias screamed. Altaria hovered in the air, gazing over the battlefield. A light sheen of sweat was evident across her body, but she still looked strong and mostly unharmed.
"What is going on with Tobias?" Steven asked. "He looks like he is feeling every single hit that Rayquaza takes."
"He is." Cynthia said sadly. "He has given too much to try to control his Pokémon. It takes a great deal of spirit to control a legendary Pokémon, and if you give too much, this happens."
"Like the Master from that story?" Lance asked quietly.
"Yes. Just like him." Cynthia answered. "'Champion' is trying to end this without killing Tobias, but I'm not sure if that's even possible anymore..."
"Have faith in him" Steven said. "Tobias looks to be struggling, but if this battle can end soon..."
As the smoke cleared, Tobias climbed back to his feet. It was clear there was a marked change in his attitude. His earlier confidence was back, and his eyes hard. Ash narrowed his eyes from underneath the shadow of his hat. Whatever had just happened was not good for him. Based on what he had seen, Tobias was close to losing control and the battle was giving him the push he needed. Or didn't need, Ash acknowledged wryly.
"Rayquaza, grab hold of that Pokémon." Tobias called, his voice back to the calm that it had been at the start of the battle between Darkrai and Sceptile.
Rayquaza shot forwards and as Altaria started to climb to dodge, Rayquaza's tail shot upwards. Altaria couldn't move fast enough and was sent crashing towards the ground. As Altaria fell, Rayquaza grabbed hold of her.
"Rayquaza, Hyper Beam."
"Straight back Altaria." Ash barked.
As the two Pokémon fired their attacks, they collided. Rayquaza was sent flying, to crash into a wall on the far side of the stadium. Altaria screamed in pain as she smashed into the ground. Both Pokémon slowly climbed back to their feet, with Altaria looking to be on her last legs. As Ash pulled out a Pokéball to recall her, she shot him a glare. She wanted to fight to the end.
"Rayquaza, Dragon Pulse." Tobias ordered, triumph written over his face. Altaria tried to dodge the attack, but couldn't completely get out of the way, slowed down by her injuries. She slid back along the floor, before clambering back up.
"Altaria, into the sky. You have to keep dodging." Ash called.
Altaria surged up, narrowly avoiding the attack thrown at her by Rayquaza. As she moved away she was able to keep dodging attacks. As the battle wore on even longer, the look on Tobias' face changed from triumph to frustration to outright anger. Finally he snapped once again.
"Rayquaza, bring that Pokémon down. Turn this field into a tornado." Tobias shouted in rage.
Rayquaza started to fly quicker in circles. The wind around him started to speed up. Rayquaza started to glow.
"Rayquaza is using Dragon Dance in a way I've never seen before." The announcer said excitedly. "This Pokémon is creating a tornado in the stadium! Altaria has been sucked in, and despite a fantastic effort from 'Champions' Pokémon surely this is curtains for Altaria?"
Ash grimaced as he fought to stay upright. The spectators were pressed against their seats, fighting against the wind.
As the tornado sped up there was a loud crash. Ash winced. He pulled out Altaria's Pokéball again, but as his Pokémon forced herself to her feet he slowly replaced it. Altaria wasn't looking across the field, she was looking straight at her trainer. Ash met her gaze, before bowing slightly to her and taking a step back. Altaria threw her head back and leapt into the sky. Bruises covered her body and Ash considered withdrawing her anyway, but knew that she would consider it an insult. She had never fought properly in a battle like this and a chance to go up against a Pokémon like Rayquaza was not to be trifled at.
"Rayquaza, Rain Dance." Tobias barked. Rayquaza started a dance but barely started when Altaria crashed into him with a glowing wing. Rayquaza roared as he was knocked into the ground before he launched himself into the sky.
"Rayquaza, get in close." Tobias called. Rayquaza shot forwards, but for the first time, Altaria didn't try to dodge. She glared at the rapidly approaching dragon, a glint in her eye. "Use Dragon Claw!" Tobias shouted. As Rayquaza got closer, Altaria opened her mouth and an icy-blue beam started to form. On the ground, Ash groaned silently. Altaria fired the Ice Beam but Rayquaza swung his body out of the way before crashing in with his claws. As Altaria tumbled downwards, another Ice Beam fired catching Rayquaza by surprise. With no time to dodge, Rayquaza simply fired a Flamethrower back down the path of the attack. Altaria was able to swing out from underneath the attack as it shot towards the ground. Rayquaza shot an Ice Beam back which Altaria dipped a wing to allow to pass past before firing her own back. Down on the ground, the crowd was watching the mid-air duel with intense fascination.
Suddenly Altaria flinched. There was a gasp from below as Rayquaza shot forwards, claws out, charging straight for Altaria. There was a crash and a roar from Rayquaza, a flash of gold then an explosion. Altaria crashed down onto the ground for the final time. Across the field, Rayquaza settled in front of Tobias, clearly the worse for wear but victorious as Altaria was knocked out. Behind his Pokémon, Tobias grinned across the field.
"Seems like you can lose after all. Poor effort, 'Champion'."
Ash just recalled Altaria before looking back across the field. "Congratulations Tobias. That was Altaria's debut battle. She is possibly the weakest of the major battlers in my team. And for insulting her, you will see one of my strongest." Holding out a Pokéball, Espeon appeared in front of Ash. Unlike many Pokémon in her position, she didn't show any sign of awe at seeing Rayquaza. She just glared.
"Espeon looks angry about something..." Steven said. Lance and Cynthia murmured agreement.
"Is Tobias recalling Rayquaza?" Lance asked as the trainer held out a Pokéball in front of him.
"It looks like it..." Cynthia said quietly. "I don't think him rotating Pokémon was in 'Champions' plans."
"So is 'Champion' going to have to beat Tobias' whole team?" Steven asked. "I'm still struggling with all of this."
"I'm not sure." Lance said. "Cynthia?"
"I suspect not." Cynthia said. "An attacked legendary will worry the others, and Rayquaza seemed pretty tired. If it's not this next legendary that ends this battle, it'll be the next one. I still think we'll be needed soon."
Down on the field, Tobias grinned across at Ash.
"You want to bring out a Psychic Pokémon?" He asked. "Very well. I think it's fair for you to be reintroduced to somebody who is desperate to beat another Pokémon of yours."
As he threw his Pokéball he grinned at Ash. "Remember last time you met Latios?"